Men, Einstein or Sweats?

Everyday we endeavour to get that effortless look, to appear to have just thrown something on but still look fabulous. But its hard, when we are bound to dress codes and clothing rules; sadly and ironically, it can take much time and struggle. There is the classic no red with pink and the double denim rule is tricky to perfect. Then there are those harem type items that have their own how to wear rule book. Its exhausting!

But the main problem is facing far too much choice. Being offered cheap and accessible mass produced clothing has resulted in our wardrobes becoming full and incomprehensible. Its no wonder we fall back on our favorite reliable pieces, wearing them again and again. But what about the rest? I have many beautiful clothes that deserve to be worn yet are overshadowed by ease. Can we ever take the effort out of effortless?

Taking lead from the men in our life could be the way in. Possibly not by substituting for a thoughtless jean and t-shirt/check shirt ensemble but instead adopting the psychology behind their clothing decisions. There will be no umming and arring, just a simple 'pick up the first thing you see' and put it on. However, I found it too hard to become so easily negligent after years of thought, and after all I find it hard to agree that this version of 'effortlessness' is a good thing when men only strive to step out in Hollister and Abercrombie.
Alternatively, after reading a piece in Vogue not all is lost with men. Could Einstein have the answer to not only modern physics but fashion as well? He wore the same thing everyday without thought and with ease. We should make it like cartoon characters and have one signature outfit. One dress or a pair of trousers that look so good you would never want to wear anything else but. If only it could be this simple in our celebrity filled world where clothes are disposable and it is deplorable to be seen in any item more than once. As a person I find this unnecessary, as a student, it is impossible. Ah! So now I know what to blame for my piled Primark filled wardrobe in an attempt to always look fresh. But hold on there, we could be on the right track. Quality seems surely better than quantity, so buy less clothes but spend more on them. They will look so much better than Primark mush and you end up with less clothing in the wardrobe to search through.

What if we do overcome this preliminary wardrobe quandary; still, how do we overcome the working look of effortless? Body cons may make my legs look great but when walking up a steep hill, fidgeting my hands towards the ground to pull the fabric down every few steps hardly screams graceful woman. But if we did give in to comfort and ease rather than perceived fashion, we would all be happily walking around in sweats and baggy jumpers. Although an unrealistic fantasy, it holds some truth as my confidence is often stemmed from the simple comfort of jeans and a jumper.

So lets take a look at the queen of effortless. The Moss knows how to dress well and always does it simply, never looks too forced. She uses denim well - we should all have the perfect pair of skinnies and hot pants for the easy, thrown on look. You don't always have to brush your hair to make it look good and her love of clashing looks is so desirable. Though designers love to dress her, she doesn't always look on trend - "clothes go in and out of fashion, but that's not style. Style has to be classic," says the Moss herself. I say choose clothes that you love and make you look great. From this point onwards, I will never think when looking in the mirror, is this now? Only does this look nice?

Kate Moss with opposing tough Christopher Kane leathers with a delicate floaty blouse

Yet it is hard to stay away from trend when it does look good. Perhaps the new season minimalist feel holds the answer to our clothing qualms in the morning. A reduced palette of colours with simple shapes - where can you go wrong? My first purchase into ladylike elegance is the highly coveted Topshop camel cape, my compensatory purchase as I grudgingly welcome the colder months. Yes it may be the last thing you think about putting on, in that so it doesn't solve the first layer problem but it will elegantly slip over my chunky winter knits and jumpers. So ample it will smooth over any lumps or bumps while the light timeless camel hue works with anything. So effortlessly chic, I can fling it over my shoulders, leaving the sleeves loose, running out the door without a last glance in the mirror to face the freeze.

Topshop camel cape

After all this is the epitome of effortless. Knowing that you look good without needing that check in the mirror, or that trip to powder your nose. Only a slight pinch of energy is needed to choose clothes that you know suit and fit you well. And of course have fun with your clothes, even if designers want us to grow up so fast!

Old is the new, new

Last Sunday I attended my first fashion show. The whole event was based around the idea of sustainability in fashion, making something out of old, or finding more resourceful methods for production. We saw an abundance of beautiful clothes some designed using scrap and waste material, recycled and fashioned into something fabulous or others like designer Elena Garcia who utilises Eco-friendly textiles in her work.

But one design caught my eye by Michelle Low-Holder. For her a/w 10 collection she created an all accessory assembly from the off cuts of previous seasons using historical recreated ribbon art. These sculptural art forms demonstrate how what some would toss as rubbish can be transformed into something as beautiful as the clothes they are cut from.

Michelle Low-Holder a/w

This idea got me thinking about our love of vintage clothes and recycling and how the two are not two different. Re-cycling is everywhere, its on my tellybox right now in a car that uses re-cycled fuel and in my garage in the large blue and white bags. With vintage we buy old clothes instead of new ones. They both make us feel good, yet in different ways.

But why is vintage so desirable? Taking time to separate our paper and plastic gives us a do good warm feeling but we get the bargain buzz from vintage. It is usually cheaper to buy than to purchase new clothes and it is reasuring to know that no one will possess the same. In a world where Primark rules what is cheap and fashionable on the high street it is refreshing to whitness more diverse fashions amongst the mass produced. Think the blank paintent chavtastic bags and simple trainer pumps that still swamp our streets.

I search for my vintage finds in charity shops and more recently at The Real McCoy vintage clothing store in Exeter. I could spend hours in there swamping myself in rich fabrics, old jackets and coats. This time coveted for a very on trend camel duffle coat going back forth in front of the mirror, undoing and doing it up again. But there is one problem. Vintage is rarely the right size and I reluctantly agreed with friends that the coat was too ridiculously big. This is where the high street conquers with its quick and accessible sizing, as I can rapidly loose patients when I can't find what I desire in vintage.

However, I have found a new Narnia-esq section in my wardrobe but this magical place is actually my mother's wardrobe. After a disastrous few attempts to prise together an outfit from my clothes I went and found a couple of gems from mums. A zingy tribal inspired black and orange casual jacket and a simple pair of black high waisted jeans. No, they may not be old enough to be labelled 'vintage' but to me they a way to inject a bit of unusual into my generic, common Topshop garb.

Aside from our love of vintage the idea of recycling can also be applied to our existing clothes. I love recovering an item that was once forgotten and left redundant to find that either the fashions have changed or my idea of what is fashionable has altered. For a more drastic approach to a tired wardrobe I have cut a jacket sleeveless and cropped a full length tee to produce new garments from old that have become less desirable over time. This idea was channeled through the fashion shows workshop but instead painting old items black (the ultimate in fashion chic.)


Perhaps this isn't the most practical answer to recycle our closets but it unleashed a creative way of thinking among the guests, whether they smothered the items in sexy black or opted for reduced vibrant pattens.

But as we recycle fashion, fashion takes its own initiative. Vintage has now evolved instead into vintage inspired clothing. You could argue that hypocritically fashion regards itself as maintaining new and innovative visions even when it continues to look behind. This season designers stepped back into the 50's to create the womanly shape, reigning in the waist while loosening the voluptuous skirts to bring back curves.

Louis Vuitton - And god created women!

My latest vintage vibe comes in the form of my new charity shop find. This season's bags have matured into simple boxy shapes in soft leathery hues. The best place to find these classics is the charity shops rather than the vintage inspired new bags from Topshop. Old is definitely the more elite in this case.


The new bag has the boxy shape in a rich dark leather finished with a simple gold clasp and its long handles allow it to fit comfortably under my arm. All I require now is the gloves and cape to match to make me a proper lady. At a meer £3 I rest my case for vintage.

Go Wild

Now an Autumn/winter trend keeps popping up in my fashion round ups and emails that I either click or flick past. But now I have decided to face it.

Dear leopard print, are you friend or foe?

I have never been an adoring fan of this bold print and my wardrobe does not cage any major items that adorn it. After years of reincarnations by the high street where the leopard has been spread and patched over anything possible, it looses its appeal by becoming the indicator of cheap not chic. However the catwalk has returned from the wild determined to prove that a leopard can change its spots, but can it change our perception?

Roberto Cavalli went all out and did it head to toe. With an abundance of layers finishing off with floaty harem pants he has created a modern specimen reminiscent of a warrior woman, but with heels. I love this modern take on leopard print, blurred and washed out - you don't even realise its all over.




Then there is this coat by Gucci...


A-line... chic... and very grown up - need I say more?

Dolce and Gabbana's take on this trend is a little more generic parading large high street friendly prints. Channeled through the continuation of last seasons corsets, this season's blouse and grown up bag trends. But the twist? Teaming with other printed midi skirts takes the emphasis off the audacious leopard and more towards a bold eclectic ensemble.


With all these gorgeous options I feel I may convert to walk on the wild side, but it all depends on what I can hunt down on the high street. How to let it into our wardrobe without it attacking our style? This is not camouflage piece - it will hardly slip in unnoticed. But it seems the high street is very much embracing the leopard.

River Island fur coat £79.99

This faux fur leopard print coat from River Island is the high street answer to the Gucci coat above but it does not appeal to me. I am put off by the large black buttons and the long dangling pompoms. It just doesn't have the same grown up chic effect.

Topshop blouse £35

I tried this Topshop blouse on while on a recent browse through the shop to see if I could be tempted. To my surprise I thought the blouse looked good, but I could not bring myself to buy this piece, nor any other items. I just cannot invest largely in such a mini trend.

Although, there are a couple of small leopard print pieces already in my wardrobe. A subtle, well worn pair of flat pumps and a not so loved floaty mini skirt. The kind of piece that you always wonder 'why did I buy that?' Maybe this is a sign that accessories are the way to go...

My well loved leopard babies from Asos

Dolce and Gabbana's lovely furry grown up bag

Topshop's furry panel cross body bag £30

Large leopard print fold over clutch, River Island £29.99

The obvious accessory buy into this trend is the bag. I predict there will be many bags licked by leopard and these are the ones that have filtered through so far. Always lusting after the bags in River Island makes me lean towards the clutch with a modern contrast between the metal clasp and print. But it is too fussy when all you need from a bag this season is ladylike simplicity .The Topshop does not quite cut it as an alternative to the fuzzy Dolce & Gabbana. It imitates the boxy structure but the fake looking leather ruins the lush cosy fur panel.

If fluffy but not leopard is what you are looking for then invest in this baby from ASOS...


... as fur is always fashionable

Robert Cavalli

Asos leopard print tights £8

Or I could get a touch of Roberto Cavalli by covering my legs in spots and clashing with other daring prints and create a truly opulent look. This seems to be this season's update on leopard print - flamboyance to accompany it. Or, rather is leopard print this season's update? When we are all stripping back and going minimal chic, the risky leopard seems like the remedy to the reduction. But is this daring big cat really suitable off the catwalk?

Now lets look at the more desirable little touches.

I glanced at a black blouse in Topshop with a collar embellished with leopard print. Subtle and simple and looked very chic. The perfect way to inject a little wild into the wardrobe if you, like me are scared of going full on.

I couldn't find a picture of the blouse but this is a similar styled one.

Now to the linings...

A lining in a piece can make it better. Think the luxury of a soft silk lined coat or the cosy quality of the inner shearling jacket. But not only can they feel good, they can look good. At Fendi, the ostentatious print decorated the inside of bags, left falling open to reveal.

Leopard linings at Fendi

Not sure if I would freely walk around with my bag open, but I am fond of the lining. A flash of of the plucky print every time you reach for you purse. The purrrrrfect understated answer to leopard print.

Even though I fear the print in large quantities, you have to admire its versatility. Take a look in any shop and you will find it packaged on leggings, linings and bags. But until I find a piece that I fall in love with the good old pumps will continue to be my paw into the trend.