Fash Fridays Social Media

I am now also on Instagram (@fashfridays) and Polyvore (jasvwaters) - Please feel free to follow me!

More social media platforms to be added soon!

The May Ball journey continues...

So here is the latest development in the journey to achieving my perfect May Ball outfit... i finally decided on the shoes! I went with the lilac pair, although i'd happily have worn either!

The big event is next week, so there may be an absence of posting... check back soon to see the completed look!

Optic Refurb Part II

I posted last week about my love for my glasses collection as well as my new editions.... and they have arrived! Here's a picture of them. Let me know what you think!

My Stylespiration

There are so many people in today's fashion industry and modern society that I look up to and seek fashion inspiration from! This week it's Made In Chelsea's golden girl, Millie Mackintosh. Millie demonstrates the elegance of Chelsea girl style, usually seen with a fedora, or fur gilet. She looked absolutely stunning in her grecian gown at the BAFTAs, and has graced many magazines and photoshoots. Aside from her incredible taste in style, what I love most about her is her relationship with Pro Green (I wish them all the luck in the world!) and the awesome Herby - SO cute!

Do you feel intimidated by other fashion blogs?

(I'm going to do a bit of a Carrie Bradshaw here and write a column-esque blog post!)

I connect with a lot of other bloggers from all across the world, and get to read many fantastic blogs each and every single day. I see so many professional, well-executed posts with hundreds of followers photos looking like they have come fresh out of a magazine. Because of this, I often come away from networking feeling deflated, feeling like neither I nor my blog are good enough to compete to the standard that many others are at.

But then I think. The reason I set up this blog is so I could write for my passion and completely indulge myself in it. The fact that people like what I do is a bonus and that makes me really happy. I feel so blessed that I have been given the chance to blog, and this is satisfaction in itself. My mum always says that you should never think that you are not good enough for anything, so that's that attitude I take. Who cares that my blog isn't the best, or most popular or professional? It makes me happy and that's all that matters!

Mad Men Style

The American hit TV-show, Mad Men, embodies the classic styles of the 60s. The female cast convey the portrait of the ideal American domestic housewife, with not a hair out of place, and perfectly made up at all times. The mix of floral prints, pleated skirts and pearl necklaces are both endearing and divine, going to show the effort women put in to their daily routine, something maybe we could learn from today. As for their evening-wear, it was impeccably glamourous, creating figure-hugging silhouettes.

Pure Glamour!

My Stylespiration

There are so many people in today's fashion industry and modern society that I look up to and seek fashion inspiration from! This week it's the love of my life - Dita Von Teese. Not only has she proved that Burlesque dancing is truly a classic art form, and routinely conveyed the timeless beauty of 40s fashion and hair/make-up, but Dita also shows that it is never impossible to be fabulous at 40 (well at 39, almost!) I have wanted to be my idol from a very young age... I have a picture of her hanging over my bed, and dyed my hair black - BIG mistake... unfortunately not all of us pale girls can pull it off!

 

Love for the K-Dash Klan

I know I may harp on about this family a lot, but there is just no getting away from it - I am in LOVE with all of the Kardashians! I am pretty sure I have watched every single episode of K.U.W.T.K, as well as all of their spin-offs. I'm gutted I missed out on the London opening of Kourtney, Khloe and Kim's collection with Dorothy Perkins, and am desperate to check out their outfits in Sears! I also can't wait to visit the DASH store when i'm in NYC in June (although i've read terrible reviews about it - it wouldn't hurt to say i've been there!) Don't be surprised if there are many other K-Dash posts to appear in the future!


(P.S - don't you just love Khloe's 'Diana Ross'-esque hair in the photo below?)

Fave Fash Trends

This week, my favourite trend is Sports Luxe - I have been dying for retro sportswear to hit our shelves once again! Its trends like this that allow stores such as American Apparel to come into their own - I'm super excited to get some wedged trainers, metallic shorts, and maybe dress it up with a nude blazer and neon clutch. I already own a mesh crop top from New Look (as shown), which I absolutely love. Check out this collage I made of some fabulous items (it was my first time using Polyvore, so it could be a lot better)!

My Stylespiration

There are so many people in today's fashion industry and modern society that I look up to and seek fashion inspiration from! This week it's arguably the most gorgeous woman in modern Hollywood, Christina Hendricks. She has single-handedly shown the world and the media that it's A-OK to have curves and sizzled on our screens as Joan Holloway in the US TV-hit, Mad Men. I'll admit, this woman is my ultimate girl-crush... a gorgeous actress with the whole world (and Hollywood) at her feet - she has it all!

Flapper Fashion

There's currently a lot of hype surrounding the anticipated release of the newly improved version of The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and others. Although I never really enjoyed the book, I am super excited to see the array of fabulous costumes the film will have in store! I have always loved the 20s era - when women started to break away from the domestic path they did not want and stood up for what they believed in... and the skirts got shorter! One of my favourite 20s shoots I have featured is from Vogue circa 2007... check out Carey's up-and-coming shoot for them too!

A Hair-Raising Question

I get asked a lot of questions about my hair... I have had it dyed half blonde/half brunette for over a year (with the brunette being my natural colour) and fall more in love with each time I get it coloured again. I originally wanted the blonde to have a dip-dye effect, but in hindsight, i'm extremely glad it turned out the way it did - it's now timeless! My decision to add the blonde came after a terrible decision to dye my hair black as an act of rebellion, which completely washed me out, and was desperate for warmer tones! Eventually I plan to make my base brunette colour lighter as the weather gets better. Who knows how long i'll keep it for (i'm prone to changing my mind ALL the time) - but I can safely say it's going nowhere for a good while!

Trend - Colour Blocking

It might be a little 'last season' (not that I believe in sticking to trends!) but I am still absolutely OBSESSED with colour blocking. It's so much fun to see what you can come up with! Here's my example: A striking blue cropped tee with a vibrant green pencil skirt (both from Topshop) paired with almost fluorescent orange chunky heels (by bargain buy from Prodigy Red at £7 - see previous post).

And if you are heading out in strong winds - you can always switch to a knit jumper and converse!

Fashion Flashback - Dynasty

The American hit TV-show, Dynasty, embodied an era of class and sophistication, as well as igniting to popular trend of shoulder pads. The fiesty female leads all showcased all aspects of 80s fashion (as well as the hairstyles, all of which I absolutely adore! Joan Collins, as Alexis Carrington - the infamous "TV Bitch" of the time - is my absolutely favourite, seen below in a minimalistic suit and mesh-covered fedora in a court scene. Complete with sleeved frills and endless amounts of jewelled detail to the dresses, it was arguably one of the most significant era's in fashion!

A Future In Fashion

As some of you may be aware, I am (hopefully) off to uni in September to study a Fashion Retail Management Degree at... Birmingham City University! I am so excited and cannot wait to start student life and meet all of the amazing people on my course!

If you are, or know anyone, that is hoping to do this course at Birmingham City (or even if it's somewhere else) let me know - I would love to hear from you!

Unknown Talented Brands - Sabbotaj

Because I have been able to connect to so many versatile and talented people through this blog, I have found out about many up-and-coming brands who have not yet found the recognition they deserve.

So here is an excellent examples... Check it out!

There is only one word to describe the unisex Sabbotaj (www.sabotaj.com) brand - FIERCE. Solely founded by creator Anita Sabbotaj, the collection is inspired by " past decades, yet shaped by the idea of doomsday and primitive fashion". Her products incorporate grunge with an eclectic twist, aiming to find a balance between beauty and carnage. The brand has also participated in its first major fashion show.

"Some say Glamour kills... Well, this is its massacre."

Sabbotaj is completely fresh, dynamic and unique - I would absolutely love to see it come to the UK, and cannot wait for the brand's future products!

Follow Sabbotaj on Twitter at @Anita_Sabbotaj

Optic Refurb

As a little girl, I had always wanted to wear glasses (weird - but hey!), so last year when it turned out I actually needed them, I couldn't deny that I was thrilled! Today I got the chance to extend my collection with this third pair of leopard print cat-eyed frames... check them out!

My Stylespiration

There are so many people in today's fashion industry and modern society that I look up to and seek fashion inspiration from! This week it's one of the women who helped to make fashion what it is today... the gorgeous SJP. Portraying one of the most iconic fashionistas on TV in Sex And The City, most girls and twenty something's spent the 90s longing to be her (and of course to have her wardrobe!) - with me being no exception! Even now she has hung up Carrie Bradshaw's heels, she is still hot to trot!

Student Life

We all love student's night at the club... And I am no exception! I hit the dance-floor in a patterned (and also luminous) co-ord from Topshop's S/S 13 collection, which I absolutely adore... It was safe to say I stood out! To complete my outfit, I also wore hoop earrings (my favourite!), a black leather jacket and a pair of Carvela nude heels. 

It was a fantastic night out... Check out these pictures!

Office Style

Today I attended an extremely important interview (which is the reason why these posts are late - sorry!), which has resulted in a very exciting next few months for me... but had so much trouble deciding what to wear, as always! I finally decided on a black leather jacket, teamed with black skinny jeans and a white "tie-up" blouse, accompanied by a studded olive green clutch, finished off with a chunky pair of black platform heels (all from Topshop). I made sure to wear my prided RetroSuperFuture glasses, just to make me look that extra bit smarter! 

Check out what it all looked like!

Iconic Outfits

Over the years, many a celebrity has provided an earth-stopping outfit that nobody have ever forgotten. I have always been a massive fan of such moments, so here are a few of my favourites...

 Beyoncé's orange dress from the "Crazy In Love" video in 2003 is my absolute all-time favourite... This outfit was in a league of its own at the time, making such a sassy and dramatic impact in the video's "fan" finale... I am still totally in love with both the outfit and the song... Can you believe it was 10 years ago?

(if you haven't already seen her new "Mirrors" Pepsi commercial, then check it out - it features all her most well known looks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2smYVl0zrk)

Britney's "Slave 4 U" outfit was another showstopper - complete with a bejewelled belly button and a snake! The "less is more" effect of the jean shorts a simple top worked a treat, the top's tassels making the video's choreography even more mesmerising.

Kylie's "Can't Get You Outta My Head" one-piece definitely captured the "wow" factor... Who saw this coming! The UK had certainly never seen anything quite like it in terms of fashion, making the outfit a complete breakthrough, as well as a fancy dress favourite!

Drag Queen Beauty

I read the most fascinating article a few weeks back and just have to share it on here... I have always love the sass and diva-ness of Drag Queens. They have absolutely no limits, take everything in their stride and nothing is ever too much - more is always more! NY photographer Leland Bobbé created an amazing

shoot, in which a group of US drag queens made up only half of their faces while leaving the other half as themselves... I think they are just beautiful! The process of the transformation is absolutely amazing, just going to show how much hard work it is to become a true diva! Hats off to them!
These are two of my favourite examples!

Check out the full article here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2297497/Face-face-drag-queen-New-York-photographers-stunning-portraits-cross-dressing-performers-half-up.html

Unknown Talented Brands - Durts Clothing

Because I have been able to connect to so many versatile and talented people through this blog, I have been able to find out about many up-and-coming brands who have not yet found the recognition they deserve.

So here are two excellent examples... Check them out!

Durts Clothing (www.durts.co.uk) are "no generic brand", capturing the infamous vibe of London's street fashion through their clothes, ranging from "jock" style jackets to slick snapbacks - take a look at these examples! I will be getting my hands on one of their DC NGB grey sweatshirts soon, they are effortlessly cool! They will also soon be releasing a Durts black hoodie to add to their ever-growing collection! Their up-and-coming brand is totally on trend and will be to watch in the urban British fashion market!

Find them on Twitter @DurtsLDN