Dress to Impress

I love fashion its something I am passionate about, I like the way it allows you to be who you want to be. To make a statement to the people around you without even having to open your mouth. People say don't dress for the job you have dress for the job you want which is a quote I follow and I wish that others follow too, unless you want to be a police officer then please don't because you may get in trouble for walking round as a police man. I want to work for a fashion magazine when I'm older I love writing and I love fashion so why not do both for a living? I know it is ambitious and I know that it is a hard industry to get into but it is what I want to do and I will do anything to get there. I think we all know where my inspiration has come from, if you don't then scroll down a few pages and you'll soon discover why? Its from The Devil Wears Prada by the way, just incase you haven't caught on yet! In my college we have a dress code which I like because even though I have a uniform I can tweak it and make it into my own, so win win for me! Except for this one lesson I had a few weeks back. It was with the head of my college, history, so you can imagine my mood as I walked into the lesson. When my teacher told me off for breaking the dress code because what I was wearing was not suitable for school.


This Dress isn't the exact one I wore but it is very similar and I was told it was inappropriate. Now if I am wrong then please tell me and I will happily take back what I have said. Because my shoulders was showing I was told to not wear the dress again. In an all girls school I did not understand why it was wrong to wear this dress, with my shoulders out. It was a plain black tailored dress which is exactly what they wanted me to wear.

I believe that it is important that people feel able to express themselves in which ever way they feel comfortable. If I want to dress with the highest fashion trends and wear my gorgeous new River Island over the knee boots (which I am in love with, incase you hadn't guessed) then I should be allowed too. My college is all about inspiring us to do what we want to do, if I want to be a fashion writer then I should be allowed to dress how I want because it is something that I feel passionate about, just like they let others do with their interests.

Paris Attacks

Its been all over the news and is something that everybody is talking about. What got me most about these attacks is a husband who lost his wife in the attack at the Bataclan. On a post he put on Facebook he explains how ' On Friday evening you stole the life of an exceptional person, the love of my life, the mother of my son, but you will not have my hatred'. This really touched me to see this man who must of being going through a pain that is unimaginable to me but he still refuses to give these people what they want. Many peoples reactions on social media were the same and retaliated, which is exactly what these people want. However this man didn't and he refused to give in to them which I think shows what an incredible man he is to be able to do that.

He goes on to explain how him and his son will continue with their lives and will not live in fear of them because that is exactly what they want and he will refuse to give them it. 'Then we are going to play like every other day and all his life this little boy will be happy and free. Because you will never have his hatred either' the man goes on to talk about his son and how although they have taken his mother, he will not hate them because that means that they have won.

How a man who has just lost his wife has the strength to do something like this I do no know, I certainly could never do it. The bravery that this man has to say that he will not hate them is amazing to me. Everything he says is true and we should not give into what these people want, they will not take our freedom away from us. What happens next? We don't get to go up to London at Christmas time out of fear that something may happen. If we all lived our lives in fear then we are letting these people win and we can not allow this to happen. Don't give them what they want, that only fuels their cause.

This mans tribute to his wife is heart breaking and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and all of those who lost someone in the Paris Attacks.

'We Should All Be Feminists'

I am a feminist, I think we all know that by now! Its something I feel passionate about and something that drives me. A lot of people think that feminism is something to be afraid of and is a negative thing, but I think it is very miss understood. I recently read a book called 'We Should All Be Feminists' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie it is a modified version of a speech she gave on feminism and without sounding to cliche it really inspired me. She describes her upbringing and how someone very close to her called her a feminist but used in it a negative way as if it was a dirty word.

When I asked my boyfriend are you a feminist he replied with "I don't know what it is, but I know you are". Maybe I have gone on a little bit too much about feminism but its something I'm passionate about. The discussion came up in my tutor group, bearing in mind I go to an all girls sixth form (yes its very bitchy) and I was shocked at the amount of girls who hated the idea of Feminism, I know that sounds sexist expecting girls to be a feminist, but being a feminism doesn't mean you are outspoke or rude. It means that you believe in equality and that women should be allowed to do whatever they want and be able to do the same as men. If you haven't read this book you really should and even if you don't like reading its only 48 pages so its really not that difficult!

If you haven't seen Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speak before then you really should!

Im an Essex Girl

I know I said I would write a lot about fashion and that would be all that my blog is about, but I love to write about things I'm passionate about otherwise whats the point in it? I always found that at school when in English the supply teacher would say 'write a letter to your head teacher about changes you wish to make the school' I mean come on, do you really expect me to do that work?

1. Nothing is going to happen whether or not I write the letter

2. The supply teacher will most probably loose the work

3. Nobody does work in supply lessons

4. Whats the point in writing something I'm not interested in

Give me a 1000 word essay on whatever I like and I'll happily oblige. So here I am going to write about something I feel passionate about. I was in what I find a pointless lesson at college when the new photography teacher, who by the way was the head photographer at Vivienne Westwood (I know how did she end up working in a college in essex I really don't have a clue), started talking about a previous idea she had with in her school. A group of year 13's held a protest outside parliament about Essexism and the stereotype that Essex women have. 

On wikipedia the definition of an Essex girl is 'a female viewed as promiscuous and unintelligent, characteristics', Being a girl from Essex I strongly disagree, if this is the true perception of women from where I live then I can assure you I do not fall under this category. Okay I'll admit in my year nine days I went through the orange, fake tan, eyelashes at parties and very thick make up. It took me a while but slowly my perception of my self began to change, my self image I didn't want to fit in this stereotype and I certainly didn't need to wear fake tan when it was -15 degrees! Anyways getting back to it, this is something I feel strongly about this is the area I was born and raised and the perception of women in my area is being dragged through the mud.

As soon as you google 'Essex Girl' the images that comes up is full of orange and girls dressing to out bluntly, slaggy. I don't want people to think that is what I am like just because of wear I am from, I hope to change this and my fashion shows I am not like the typical 'Essex Girl'. Fashion really can
change peoples view on you.

Dior And I

I was sitting in bed one night waiting for the advert to finish playing on youtube and the trailer for 'Dior and I'  began to play. I instantly had to watch it, never before has there been such a close insight into an actual collection process. However it didn't show in many of the cinemas around me and studying for exams didn't leave me much time to go up London and see it. My boyfriend took me out for my birthday and we went to this amazing cinema at Baker Street, if you haven't been there, then why? It is amazing! nothing like the cheap £4 cinema its with old red velvet seats, and proper popcorn. Anyway enough about the cinema!

This film itself is about Raf Simmons the creative director of Dior and his mission to create the Couture collection in just 8 weeks. The dresses and suits he makes is just amazing, definitely every girls dream! The film is mainly set in the Dior House watching all the seamstresses hard at work making the clothes. What I love most about this film is how Raf uses Christian Dior as his inspiration and how he use to create his pieces and carries this on and fulfils his legacy. He isn't like most creative directors he is very shy and doesn't like being interviewed much or to walk after the models have in his collection. He is often seen as a minimalist but this collection proves he is not his pieces are truly amazing and is every little girls dream. The dresses are beautiful, as you can see.

This movie really gives you an inside to the couture side of Dior and how tradition and the legacy of Christian Dior is carried on. This film helped me decide that Dior is my favourite designer not just because of the clothes but because of the way the designers create the clothing with such passion and love of what they are creating.

Vogue House

'We have never previously agreed to show the cameras into the magazines'- Vogue Editor in Chief, Alexandra Schulman.

Exciting news!! The Vogue House is opening its doors for a two-part documentary to celebrate its centenary year, I know pick your phone back up its happening. I don't know why I find this so exciting but I do, it gives you an insight into magazines and how they run behind the scene. Sort of like how my favourite film, of course you know what that is...(incase you don't, its the devil wears prada, obviously), shows you inside a high end fashion magazine and how it works and is run. Although I'm pretty sure Vogue isn't quite run the way Miranda run Runway. Devil wears Prada is what inspired me to work for a fashion magazine, this is obviously fiction so to see a real fashion magazine and how it is run, its like Christmas for me (don't judge! I know its sad!). Soooo keep your eyes peeled for the new series!

This is what a feminist looks like...

Okay so this is a bit different to my previous posts, I am going to talk about feminism. Previously I spoke of Emma Watsons interview in ELLE last year, it made me see just how important this is. Ever since her speech at the UN for her campaign ‘he for she’ I realized how because I am a girl I am not allowed to do certain things because of my gender.                       

Girls aren’t expected to be brave or strong, they are to be protected by boys, which I don’t think is right. For years in the past women were treated as less valuable than men and although we are now legally the same, we get the same pay, the same rights we are not treated the same in society. I think what is a commonly mistaken of being a feminist for boys is that is bed. Feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes.  Many people think feminism is about women being greater then men, but its not its about us being equal.

Alot of men in the public eye have expressed their support of the ‘he for she’ campaign and how they are showing themselves as feminist. I think this helps other men realize it isn’t bad to be a feminist, it’s actually a good thing. Celebrities supporting the cause are Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne, Tinnie Tempah, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. 

fashion magazine... only advertisements?

I don't think so, maybe to people who aren't interested in fashion yes they do have a lot of advertisements. Fashion magazine have so much more in them then just pictures, I love the ELLE columnist Victoria Coren. She talks about just about everything and anything its not always to do with fashion either it can be about current affairs such as the election or the fight for feminism. Coren always inspires me in whatever she writes about and makes me realise some things even little things are important. For me it is nice to hear somebody else view on society, current affairs or any topic she chooses to write about. I hope one day to be a columnist like her and give an effect on readers, like she does to me. Okay cringe moment has passed, moving on...

When I bought my first fashion magazine it was the March 2013 edition with Victoria Beckham on the cover, she is one of my many favourite fashion icons and I just bought it because, well... it looked so pretty! It was very glamorous and glossy and the masthead was in pink which I loved as (falling into the stereotype) it is my favourite colour! I remember walking out of the Tesco at the top of my school road feeling proud and confident and, although I had plenty of room in my school bag I denied it and walked to school with ELLE proudly under my arm. I walked into my form room and slammed it down on my desk and looked as everyone awed over the free gift I got with it which was a 20% off voucher for Kurt Geiger, which I then spent my next two hour IT lesson, looking for shoes I could buy with my 20% off (I didn't get them in the end). 

Okay so I have to admit that once I first started buying these magazine it was because of either the celebrity on the front or the free gift, but after I bought ELLE with Emma Watson on the cover and my boyfriend was an hour late meeting me (its okay he had a good reason for it!) I read the feminist issue and I loved it, it really spoke to me, I'll talk about that in another post. After that my mum bought me a yearly subscription to ELLE I began reading it properly and I have now realised after all this time what I had been missing out. It wasn't just all about the advertisements they had amazing articles in there! They addressed different issues about feminism and anorexia, all different types (of course there was a lot to do with fashion too, I'm not complaining! I  loved it!). 

So seriously I promise Vogue and ELLE aren't all about the advertisements! There is some amazing journalism in there and you should definitely have a look at some of the articles.

do devils wear prada?

I guess you can say my obsession  with fashion all started with the devils wears prada the film, yes I cheated I watched the film before I read the book. Picture this my seven year old self going up an escalator in the shopping centre and I see the poster for it the first time. It looked so elegant and sophisticated all at the same time, I was over whelmed with it and I begged my mum to take me to see it at the cinema but being the over protective mum that she is I was not allowed because I was not 12 which was the rating of this film. When I finally got to watch it, it instantly turned into my favourite film and still is today (along with several others) me and my best friend watched it every time we had a sleepover.

I loved the people in it the 'runway girls' that is where it all began, the dream of becoming one. Cringe! I know but its the truth, I wanted to be one. I loved the character Miranda Preistley she was so ruthless and harsh but she was amazing at her job, and always put Runway before herself and that is what I loved about her. The dedication she had with fashion and the passion, even if she did make a few people cry she did it for the magazine and for it to work. Obviously she's fictional and some people may say it crazy to find her aspirational but I do, it was her drive and love for fashion that made me so interested in it.

The makeover scene for me with Andy when she walked in with chanel boots and her hair and make up done to perfection was one of my favourites. Everyone stopped and stared at her because of the clothes she wore. It made me see how people were treated differently because of the clothes she wore. This could be a good thing or a bad thing but if you work in fashion you can't walk on to a shoot with a skirt you nan give you for Christmas five years previously. So no wonder Andy got judged for her 'hideous skirt' but it made me see how fashion can really help you identify your true self and for people like me show others who you are.

For me I am not very good at meeting new people, never have been I just don't know what to say. Some people will think I'm quiet and conserved but those who know me know that I can be very loud and outspoken, but if I wear something you get an idea of me and who I am. My real personality is shown through the clothes, saying I love your top, where did you get it? (without trying to sound like Regina George) is an instant ice breaker.

Okay I've gone a bit off course now but I mean this is what the film showed me, how much I would love to work in fashion and help me choose my career path. The idea of working in fashion, going to fashion weeks and meeting designers, going to
shoots, writing! It all appealsto me. I just didn't know how I would get there and I still don't!

first go.. wish me luck

Okay so my first go at blogging... okay and also my first lie the first time I tried I was thirteen and lets just say its something I wish to forget. Lots of pinks and sparkle on my layout and talk of Justin Bieber, don't get me wrong I still love pink and sparkles and the biebes but it doesn't really give much of a level of sophistication for myself so here I am three years later having ago at it.

So why am I having ago again? I recently read in ELLE about a fashion intern who has written a piece for ELLE back in July and who has a blog. When I read it I found myself laughing, she is incredibly funny and witty and I guess you can say that is where I found my inspiration to write this. I will be quite happy if I get even one person to read this, so if you are reading this I thank you. I love fashion I always have done, i'm not an expert I don't own many designer clothes or accessories which it is what many fashion bloggers have but hey i'm 16 and work in a shop? not exactly a millionaire but I do have high hopes of working in fashion when i'm older, keeping my dreams high I guess. I don't intend for this blog to be about myself i've never been one to share, but I do love talking about fashion which is what I intend to do.

Even in my english GCSE exam I found myself writing as if I worked at ELLE rambling on about why it is important to me etc, I am yet to find the result of this and will keep you posted on how amazing or disastrous this decision that was.  So I hope you enjoy my future posts!