Tales Of A Fashion Fanatic

New Year’s Resolution 1.1 is completely out the window, I didn’t even pause to think about it as I dashed for my cupboard to start the Wardrobe Makeover. The reason I have the perfect excuse to embark on an epic shopping spree? I have a New Job and every girl knows that a New Job means a complete wardrobe overhaul!

This doesn’t just mean spending the morning going around the shops and buying a few jumpers and skirts, this means a whole project! This is not only my first new job in just over four years, which in itself would be a good enough reason for an all-out shopping spree, but it also classifies as a Very Cool Job. I will be working in Mayfair at a company where everyone looks super polished and stylish at all times. I will be working in the company of females who care about their appearances and I can’t wait! No more extremely male-dominated IT where it doesn’t really matter how I look! This means that I have every valid reason to put extra effort into my wardrobe and have an on-going perfect excuse to shop – I have to look good and be fashionable for my job.

So back to Project: New Wardrobe.  I have decided the best way to tackle this and make sure I do it properly is to start off with a complete analysis on everything I have. I have told myself I have to be brutal and throw away anything I don’t wear and that doesn’t go with anything else (I have a terrible habit of buying something just because I love it and must have it even if I have absolutely nothing to wear with it!). Once that is done I will then have cleared the clutter and will have a list of What Must be Bought which I can then work to fit the budget. Organised shopping – it’s the way forward!

The best part of this all is the timing! It has all happened in February which we all know is Fashion Week. Hot on the heels of Fashion Week? FASHION WEEKEND!! London’s biggest and best sample sale! I have booked the first day of it off work so I have a full day to shop and to make sure I get there before the masses have the chance to buy everything! I normally come out of there with masses anyway, at least this time I won’t feel too guilty!

Me being me, I want to go and buy everything all at once but this time I am going to be sensible (believe it or not that word is actually in my vocabulary!) and take my time buying everything otherwise I may miss out on some spectacular deals! It also gives me a valid reason to be spending all my spare time browsing clothes on the internet. London has so many shopping options that I find it hugely helpful and time saving if I see what is online at the stores first and then go and try it on!

Today, armed with my list of What Must Be Bought, I am heading for Bicester Village to look for a black coat and accessories. According to my Fashion bible, Vogue, it is the best place to buy scarves at knockdown prices and I may even pick up a few pairs of shoes! I’ve never been before and have been planning to go for ages so what better time than now!

So it is off shopping I go, comfy yet stylish shoes on, outfit that is easy to get in and out of for trying stuff on and, most importantly, armed with my List and Credit Card! Yay!!

OK, it seems like everyone is either pregnant or popping a kid out at the moment! Aside from a number of people I know who are expecting; everywhere I look there are pregnant people! I fear I won’t be able to spend an entire train or tube journey without offering up my seat for the rest of the year! We also have a slew of famous people announcing their pregnancies. One can hardly miss that Kate and Kim are expecting as well as Channing Tatum’s wife (he was supposed to be waiting for me…), Kristin Bell, Fearne Cotton and so the list goes on.

So what does this have to do with fashion and me? Well, there are two little ones that are going to be pretty important to me. One is going to make Boyfriend an uncle for the second time and the other shall be the property of my Favourite Shopping Friend (FSF) and, as she says, it is going to be the most stylish and well-dressed baby since Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham! FSF is endlessly patient with me and lets me drag her around Selfridges while flinging clothes in her direction for her to try on and practise my fledgling styling skills. Baby Bump is providing a challenge in that dressing a pregnant woman is not easy! Maternity clothes are not something you want to spend a fortune on as they will probably only fit for a month and then you may or may not ever wear them again. There is also no option to be anything other than comfortable!Before FSF had even texted me saying things were getting desperate I had already been on the Google machine and had seen that there is an absolute dire lack of stylish maternity clothing! Seriously, unless you have major cash to drop the options are leggings and long baggy jumpers, loose-fitting t-shirt dresses or blouses and the odd knit dress. The one high street shop that does some really decent maternity wear is Topshop. Firstly they actually have a maternity section and secondly the clothes are pretty decent! H&M do a maternity section but it is simply dull and full or t-shirts.I did some more searching and have found some websites that are specialist maternity wear stockists and have some stunning stuff. In particular, Isabella Oliver has amazing stuff. They are pretty pricey but nearly all the items have a ruched effect on the side which allows the wearer to buy a slightly bigger size than needed at the time so it can be worn for a good few months of the pregnancy. Most importantly their clothes are stylish, I mean really stylish! I would wear a lot of this stuff in my nice, non-pregnant world – thankfully I don’t need to buy any maternity clothes, they have a non-preggie range called Baukjen.

Another option is Seraphine, their knitwear is decent and they have some pretty cool options for nursing while maintaining one’s dignity! They don’t quite have the same level of clothes as Isabella Oliver but you could definitely find some good items there without breaking the budget or resorting to plain t-shirts.

It’s shocking that there are so few really good maternity wear options out there that won’t break the bank. Now I have the challenge of helping FSF look decent for the next 26 weeks before Bump arrives I have realised how bad things are for pregnant women. Anyone out there who has the remotest inkling to design maternity clothes really shouldn’t be holding back!

I will admit, I can be a bit snobby when it comes to clothes. I have said it before and I will say it again, there is just something nice about well made, expensive clothes. Be it the feel of the quality fabrics, the stitching on the seams, the knowledge that they aren’t going to fall apart after a few washes or the confidence one feels when strutting around in branded clothes (you all know what I mean, even if you are judging me for saying it!).

That said, I can’t say I frequent Primark very often. I have never had much success there – other than when shopping for fancy dress parties – and I don’t really enjoy shopping there (I did once nearly wet myself laughing watching two “ladies” getting into a proper cat fight over which of them pushed into the queue). Unless I am at a designer sample sale where I will bring out all claws necessary to secure the item I want, I hate shopping at crowded stores where I have to dig through piles of clothes to find anything decent. My problem is that I have a few friends who are exceptionally good at shopping at Primark. They both always look really good; stylish, well put together and they never look as if they are wearing cheap clothes!

I have been searching for the perfect polo necked black knit top for work, I have yet to find The One (and I am now snagged by New Year’s Resolution 1.1) and have been checking all the regular websites for this top but still haven’t found it. I do tend to get an idea into my head and will search London high and low until I find what I want. So on Friday night I met remaining London members of the Blonde Brigade for drinks and lo and behold, one of them is wearing The Perfect Polo Necked Top! I all but jumped on her and… yes, you guessed it….Primark! I closely examined the top: good level neck (you don’t want it too high or it chokes you), acrylic but look and feels very soft, nice little buttons on the cuff to add something to it and all in all, PERFECT! Thankfully she only bought it a month ago so there was still a chance I would be able to get one.

I borrowed the top from my friend, searched all over for a product number or ID but was unable to find one. Not to be defeated, I phoned my closest Primark and described the top to them in minute detail. Thankfully they had one last black one in my size! I made them swear blindly they would keep it aside for me and straight after work I made my mission to Primark where I bought my first Primark item of clothing! I will be wearing it tomorrow with my Banana Republic skirt and Marks and Spencer cardigan. I think I deserve a gold star for proudly buying and wearing my first Primarmi item of clothing!

And if you’re wondering about the New Year’s Resolution to not shop? I firmly believe a jumper that costs £5 does NOT count as buying an item of clothing; it is more like being GIVEN a jumper.

Ok, I admit that I have already failed in my New Year’s Resolution. In my defence, it was a silly idea to try and limit my shopping during the January sales on a shopping day out, at Westfields, with Boyfriend (aka The Buying Enabler). I mean would any self-respecting fashionista simply walk past Reiss when they are having a 70% sale? If you found the perfect black tregging (not legging or jegging but tregging (giggle, I know, it’s ridiculous!)) that you have been searching for, would you just say no? I thought not!

I was extremely good and well-disciplined in some ways. I started out in H&M and bought a number of items there, demonstrating my willingness to shop at the not so expensive stores and at least try stay in budget but I maintain that my purchases at Reiss are Investment Pieces and every girl working in the City needs a honeycomb knitted skirt from Banana Republic – they tried to talk me to into the matching top but I really did look like a giant piece of honeycomb! I did score some major bargains, a new pair of (much needed!) knee high black leather boots from Jones at £90 rather than £180 and a really stunning blue work dress from Reiss for a measly £45.

With the onset of this absolutely freezing weather I did have to go and bulk up my tights and sock drawer by purchasing the thickest black tights and knee high socks I could find but nobody who is in the UK at the moment is going to argue that as an unnecessary buy!

So, now that I have explained and justified the failure of Resolution 1 my new Resolution 1.1 is that I am not allowed to buy anything for the next three months and I have to make good use of everything in my cupboard. Considering how full it is after my shopping spree in Australia and the January sales if I can’t manage to look at least half decent every day (except Sundays when I’m in my tracksuit pants and slumming around the house) then I have no business calling myself a fashionista, fashion fanatic or even remotely stylish! After all, isn’t the key to being stylish the ability to create fabulous and different outfits from what you have?

So, it is with this resolution that I am going cold turkey on shopping! Unless of course there is some massive event that obviously requires a new outfit….or I suddenly lose masses of weight, become supermodel skinny and require a whole new wardrobe…or win the lottery, shopping after that goes without saying!

Ok, just those three situations, I swear!

After a nice hiatus and an amazing trip down under to see The Family I am back in London and ready to take on 2013. My resolution for this year? SHOP WITHIN THE ALLOCATED BUDGET. I have an incredible ability to justify the purchase of pretty much any item of clothing. It really is my double edged sword! Well, if I’m honest it’s only a single edged sword, the side that slices and dices my bank account (Resolution No 2 is to carry on investigating career as It Girl, Heiress, Member of Royal Family or any other career that allows me to dress in utter fabulousness every day without worrying about the price tag).

Aside from the budget breaking taste that I seem to have in clothes, one of the marks of a truly stylish person is the ability to look good no matter what the price tag on the clothes is. Anyone can look fabulous in McQueen, Elie Saab or other designer garb but those who can shop without spending a fortune on one item of clothing are the ones blessed with true Style (thankfully I believe style can be learnt so there is hope for me yet!).

This year aside from, obviously, Fashion Weekend and a few of the other Epic Sample Sales, I will be making a concerted effort to shop in more affordable shops  while still looking fashionable, trendy and stylish!

Let the shopping begin!

Fashion Fanatic xxx

P.S. Wish me luck!

I can’t lie, I am a sucker for Christmas and all the fanfare that goes with it.

London and New York have always seemed to be the most amazing Christmas places to me and when I was younger I loved seeing anything on TV that showed the snow, lights, ice skating and shopping that goes hand in hand with these cities and Christmas. I remember watching the Spice Girls video for 2 Become 1 (admit it, we all know the all Spice Girls songs and videos!) and wishing like mad that I was in London for Christmas!

Fast forward a few years, I am in London and the Christmas season is everything I hoped it would be (although I am slightly disappointed by the giant Marmite lights in Regents Street this year, sponsorship has a time and place). There is normally snow at some point, it is dark, the streets and stores are full of lights, there are markets and fairs, gluwein and ice skating and….something I did not know about before….Christmas Parties! For those people who don’t live in England, any excuse for a Christmas party will do. On average I attend about five or six each year and since I normally fly south for the actual event I miss out on a good few extra parties! Aside from a good excuse to drink, dance, eat and drink some more, the parties are wonderful because we get to dress up! Think cocktail or party dresses, tights and warm coats, heels, glitzy make-up and jewellery and of course the excuse to shop for all of these things! Normally I am pretty well prepared for these parties, I have a fair few cocktail dresses that can be trotted out and dressed up for the occasion but this year I have a very special Christmas party to go to….that of a genuine, successful FASHION DESIGNER!

Naturally this party is going to be full of fabulously dressed fashion darlings so needless to say, the invitation sent me into a full blown panic! First and foremost, what on earth do I wear?! Nothing in my cupboard comes remotely close to being cool enough for a proper fashion party! Thank heavens for places like The Outnet – which I have been browsing on every day since the invitation came. Secondly, can I possibly design a logo, print business cards and finish my fashion business plan in the space of two weeks so I can discuss it with anyone who might look at me and think “hmm, she looks like she is trying to break into fashion and has a brilliant business idea”? Thirdly, I must book a hair appointment, nail appointment and waxing appointment as well as seeing if I can find time to get my make-up done during the day!

Ok, breathe….these are just normal people albeit ones who work in the industry I strive to be in, are gorgeous, glamorous and probably all six foot tall with endless legs and glowing skin and hair. Things will be fine, a shopping trip to Selfridges has been diarised so I can try on the entire Michael Kors party dress collection before deciding which one to order. Thankfully we now have camera phones so Best Friend can be sent pictures of every outfit for critiques and comments. I just have to remember to to play it cool and not be totally star struck and behave like a 16 year old when I get there!

I was out for a Sunday morning walk today, pondering life and how to solve the world’s problems when I noticed an elderly couple at a bus stop. What grabbed my eye was the gentleman. I would guess he is in his eighties, had very grey hair and most noticeably was ROCKING a full length black leather coat teamed with a grey beret.

I will happily admit to not knowing huge amounts about men’s fashion and particularly the sub-set of the more mature group but it was really good to see someone of his age, going about his daily business while looking fashionable and quite frankly awesome. As with any outfit or item of clothing the wearer needs to be comfortable and confident in the outfit otherwise he/she won’t be able to pull it off. This gentleman looked very comfortable with himself and his leather coat. That said, I reckon by the time anyone is in their eighties they should know their own style and how to wear it pretty well!

Men’s fashion is a tough one. I think women have much bigger variety of options that men, a lot more freedom with colours and there seems to be more acceptance to women trying different things or being unconventional. Thankfully, this does seem to be slowly changing: there has been a shift in recent years to more colour in the men’s ranges and the clothes that we’re seeing are moving away from plain old top and trousers to more funky and adventurous ensembles.

As great as it is that men’s fashion is evolving I must admit I wouldn’t be entirely over the moon if Boyfriend arrived home one day looking like a fashion plate, wearing a skirt à la Gaultier or He Who Must Not Be Named (Galliano). For now, I am perfectly happy with his jeans and shirt look and besides, I think he would just laugh at me if I tried to get him into a full length leather coat!

2009 Man Skirts. From Left: John Galliano, Comme des Garcons, Etro

It really is as simple as that. In this day and age, when we can manufacture pretty much anything we want, including precious stones, I fail to see why the amazing, creative and beautiful people of fashion feel the need to still use and wear real fur. I have felt fur coats and gloves and yes, they are beautiful and probably the softest things I have ever felt but really…do we honestly need them?

My mother inherited a fur coat and this coat sat in her cupboard for years while she tried to figure out a way to get rid of it. As a family of animal lovers and conservationists, it was never going to be used or actually allowed to see the light of day. I remember so vividly trying it on and genuinely feeling physically ill over having animal pelt on me.

Real fur being used in fashion brings to mind all the evil and truly bad aspects of the human race: our greed, our inability to see when we are causing irrevocable damage and this thing deep inside us that seems to accept pain and suffering that is inflicted on others, whether humans or animals (have you ever noticed that alien movies are about beings from other planets that destroy their own planets and move on to ours to use our natural resources until nothing is left before moving on? Ring any bells?).

The continued used of real fur in fashion creates a massive conundrum for me. Some of my favourite designers and style icons – people who I admire for their creativity, ability to create beautiful things and quite often their charity work – use fur or wear fur. I truly do not understand it. The only time genuine fur is acceptable is when a remote tribe that still subscribes to the ancient ways kills an animal and uses every part of it for survival, when that pelt is the only option for clothing and the animal is hunted in a humane and natural way i.e. not bred, electrocuted, skinned and discarded (excuse me while I throw up).

There are many times I wonder how I will be able to work in this industry, with these people who are in every other way people that I admire but continue to do something I am so fundamentally against. I would love the opportunity to sit down with some of these designers or style icons and genuinely give them the chance to try and explain the use and need for real fur to me. Have a look at these two pictures: one is a real fur coat and one is fake fur. I challenge anyone to figure out which is which without randomly guessing.

Image courtesy of Ever and Wright

Since I was about four years old Parental Unit No 1 (Dad) has been calling me Shoes. It stems from me taking my shoes off wherever I went and leaving them behind wherever we were. People are always confused by this name but I find it useful; if he ever calls me by my given name I know I’m in trouble and hiding is a good idea! According to Parental Unit No 2 (Mom/ Grand High Priestess of Sewing) I only got my first pair of shoes when I was around three and apparently I just stared at them in fascination! Fast forward a few years and I will still take my shoes off whenever possible and walk around barefoot even though I own close to 20 pairs of shoes!

You would think I would be an expert at walking in heels with that many pairs of shoes but alas…I have to finally say it: I can’t walk properly in heels unless they are strapped to my feet. I thought I had managed to master my gorgeous Aldo closed-toe wedges but according to Boyfriend I tend to “wobble” around the office in them. There are some people who effortlessly walk around in five inch stilettos, looking confident and comfortable while I look like a cat walking in water when I try to walk in heels that aren’t tied on. I’m also generally pretty sore and blistered by the time I get home! Not ideal!

I can walk in boots, sandals, slingbacks and pretty much anything except the classic (and hugely essential) pumps (stilettos also need some practice but I think that can be an art form and a high risk occupation around London!). Since shoes are one of the greatest joys in life and a true fashionista must be confident in her shoes, I shall clearly have to try and rectify this. I will have to practise walking in stiletto pumps that are at least five inches high, without breaking an ankle or stepping out of the actual shoe all while looking confident and comfortable, as if I have been walking the streets of London in heels since the day I was born.

If that doesn’t work, the next option is clearly a shoe audit closely followed by SHOE SHOPPING!

Happy days!!!

Let me give you a bit of background on sewing in my family: my mother can, according to me, sew anything and I have pulled many designer dresses from Vogue, Cosmo, Elle and any other fashion publication demanding that she make it with the enthusiasm that only a worshipful daughter can produce! I asked her to reproduce 1999 Gaultier couture and once suggested she cut one of my evening gowns in half to make a skirt and top style dress. She says I gave her sleepless nights, I say I inspired her and helped develop her innate talent.

I also happen to be a bit of a shorty; I just make it to 158cm and have ridiculously short legs. This was never a problem for me because I have this wonderful mother who simply shortened my trousers for me. I then decided to move away from home and live an 11 hour flight away from The Personal Tailor aka Mom. Epic fail! I was then limited to buying trousers from shops that have short, regular and tall length options! I never considered actually learning to sew myself and I will admit to occasionally buying something in London and taking it all the way back to South Africa for The Personal Tailor to alter for me.

My brand new Janome sewing machine

Now I have discovered a bit of enthusiasm for sewing and have decided that if I am going to be any sort of fashionista I had better learn to sew. I have sent The World’s Greatest Seamstress many links of sewing machines and we have debated the benefits of the different brands, stitches and needs I have for this sewing machine but I never got around to buying it. Now that I am in SA with The High Priestess of Sewing I have landed up actually buying a sewing machine which I am planning on taking back to London with me where I will be taking Boyfriend’s clothing apart and practising sewing! Stay tuned…..