Beauty = Pain

So I start my first fashion internship tomorrow. I'll be spending two weeks in the press office of a high-end London department store. I am looking forward to what should be an interesting experience but am stuck on one thing: what the hell do I wear? A couple of days ago I had an informal meeting with a girl for the press office but as it was sort of an interview I just went for simple clothes, nothing too over the top or flashy, just a simple dress that I wore at my old job quite a lot.
As soon as I arrived I realised my mistake; this was a job in fashion, normal rules do not apply. The girl I met was very "on-trend" or whatever you want to call it, she was wearing a pair of very high heeled platforms, skin-tight shiny leggings and bright coloured loose tops. She also had long, seemingly impossible glossy hair and that natural make-up that usually takes ages to get right. I was completely intimidated and immediately wished that I had ignored the blisters that my feet where covered in from the weekend and just strapped on a pair of heels. Needless to say that as soon as I got confirmation that I would be getting the internship, I started worrying about what on earth I would wear. My personal style is kinda rockabilly, 50's style and although that is sort of in style right now, it's not really a look that I think will fly in this particular office. At the same time it would not be wise to just completely copy the other girls look. Anyway I am not into brights really, especially not pinks, greens, yellows and oranges, I mostly like black, maybe a bit of red or if I'm feeling particularly brave a little flash of blue. Plus copying her style would make me look just a little bit stupid. I think to be safe it's all about the rock chick look, layers, lots of black and some dangerous high heels. The plan is to look fashionable and cool without looking like I tried so hard I hurt myself. Plus ultimately I need to feel comfortable and confident. I don't want to feel like the little unfashionable mouse like I did at the meeting but I also don't want to look like a try hard, because that will make me even more comfortable. I guess it's all about trial and error, that and probably a lot more blisters.

Mad about the Girl

I love 'Mad Men', in a kind of obsessive, watch 4 or 5 episodes in a row, watch the seasons over and over again way. It's smart, edgy and oh so stylish. The first season is set in 1959, the second in 1962, which means some really, really great dresses. The kind of dresses that cling to every curve but don't actually show a huge amount of flesh. The show may be called Mad 'Men' and focus around the male executives in an New York advertising agency but it's the woman in those wonderful dresses that steal the show. When the Office Manager, Joan Holloway, struts across the room in one of her slinky little numbers the whole room stops and stares, she is poised, confident, sexy and together. Sure she is trying to impress the boys, because deep down she knows she will never be the one with the corner office but you get the impression that she has worked that out and is happy just to be who she is. Unlike most of the woman in the programme, she doesn't cook dinner or wait up for her man, she just gets on with her life in her own way, all whilst working that wonderful hourglass figure. She manipulates men with her curves. Although she is not the only woman on the show who wears beautiful dresses, she is the most eye-catching and the strongest of the female characters. I think I might be a little bit in love with her.
Anyway I was thinking about the way she dressed and after a long winter of wrapping myself up in ugly clothes in an attempt to stay warm, I decided to try a little experiment. Not for the boys but for myself. I have a reasonably large collection of late 50's style dresses, as it's period that I love and for a long time it was the look I most emulated. Then I stopped, no one else could be bothered to make the effort so I gave up too. But really I enjoy making the effort so I decided to start again. For the last couple of weeks I have been wearing my 50's style dresses to work, everyday. And admittedly it seems to have made me feel more confident. I might not have the Joan curves (I wish), to really, truly fill the dresses but I do somehow feel more professional, more together and much more of a woman. Sure I am just an assistant, just like the ladies in Mad Men actually, (although in my office 3 out of 5 of the managers are woman), but someone I feel more efficient, more like my idol Joan. All I need now is the curves and the fabulous wardrobe.

Devil Woman

Recent rumours that Anna Wintour's time at American Vogue could be coming to an end, may have an element of truth to them or they may just be idle gossip. However I think it would be safe to say that if she is indeed leaving I get the sneaking suspicion that it will be completely under her own terms. I recently read the unauthorised biography about her "Front Row", written without her consent but featuring opinions from many people who have known her over the years. It was certainly an interesting read, going right back to her youth in London and in the course of reading it I discovered many things about the mysterious lady that I didn't previously know. She didn't actually complete her expensive, private education and her career wasn't as quite as unblemished as she makes it out to be. However there is no denying that she great at what she does, that she has had a huge impact on the world of fashion and that she is a great example of a successful working woman. Some of the stories in the book, especially the ones in which she reduces colleagues to tears, make her come across as the bitchy boss from hell, just like Miranda Priestly, the editor from The Devil Wears Prada, who is supposedly based on Ms Wintour. However whilst reading the book I did wonder if really she was actually all that bad. I mean obviously she was a bit of a nightmare boss but she was a dedicated, determined, with a strong vision of what she wanted for her career and for her magazine. Right from the start she knew she wanted to be the Editor in Chief of American Vogue and she worked and worked until she got there. Given that you know that when she does finally give up the position it will be on her terms and no one else's.
Throughout the book I did wonder whether she would have been regarded as such a nasty piece of work if she had been a man. Mind you maybe she wouldn't have been so highly regarded either.

Ugg-ly Weather

For several years I refused to give into the fashion for Ugg and Ugg type boots. I always thought of them as ugly and I never understood why anyone would choose to wear them over other types of footwear. I also never understood why you would spent over £100 quid on a pair of ugly shoes when you could get some really gorgeous ones instead. However I have caved and bought a pair, not Uggs but a pair of rip-off ones. I still refuse to pay that much money for ugly shoes. I bought them for one reason and one reason only, my feet were freezing. I have a weakness for sandals, big chunky ones with straps but not much else. These do not keep my feet warm and are all but useless when it's minus 2 outside. So I gave in and bought a pair of fuzzy warm boots with the intention of wearing them on the coldest days and under trousers. They are unflattering, not very nice to look at and they fell clumpy to wear but my god are they warm. My toes are toasty when I wear them. I do feel like a bit of a sell-out for buying them and I will not be wearing them unless I absolutely have to. As soon as it starts to thaw a bit outside (which doesn't look like it's happening any time soon) I will be returning to other shoes, prettier shoes. I will certainly not be doing what a lot of girls seem to do and keep wearing them all year round. I don't think my feet would ever forgive me.

Selling your soul.

The January sales, most of which actually now start on Boxing Day, may be great for buying things like t.v's and sofas, but fashion wise they are usually a bit hit or miss. Sometimes you get lucky and find a spectacular bargain that you can't wait to brag about, but most of the time you'll end up with something you never wear, nothing more then a spectacular waste of money. From my experience the best fashion sales seem to be in department stores. This is probably because they have so many different brands in them, and a more seasonal turnover then high street fashions. A brand like Armani Jeans, DKNY or Ralph Lauren tend to have less of a turnover then somewhere like Topshop and the items are often a bit more classic then hugely fashion forward. Buying a pair of reduced sequined leggings might seem like a great idea now but in a few months there is every chance you won't want to be seen dead in them. However something a bit simpler and classic, that is of high quality will last you for ages and if you got it for a bargain then it seems like the best purchase you ever made. Also getting something that cost £100 for £40 is always going to seem like a much better bargain then something that cost £45 going for £25. Plus I went into my local Topshop today to look at the sales and it had all gone a bit Primark in there, with clothes all over the floor and a huge queue. Although this is a bit of a generalisation it tends to be a bit more civilised in a department store and people do tend to be a bit more spread out. But don't take my word for it.

Pyjama Wonderland

I seem to have lost the ability to dress myself. Obviously not in the most basic sense of putting clothes on my body and covering myself, more in the sense of doing it in a stylish way and putting together an outfit that actually looks good and works. Between the misery of the cold, dark mornings, the stressfulness of work and the urge to hibernate I just don't have the energy to do anything other then sleep. As soon as I get in from work I'm straight out of my clothes and into my pyjamas and if I had the choice I reckon I would stay in them all the time. Unfortunately I don't have this choice as I have to go to work and they have rules about what I can wear, and my pyjamas do no count as a choice. When it's cold all you want to do is be as warm as possible, when you're sat at a desk all day all you want is to be as comfortable as possible. Warm and comfy does not equal stylish, or at least I can't seem to make it add up. I either end up shivering in dresses and tights or looking slightly odd in far too many layers of knitwear. I don't seem to have the energy for high heels and seem to alternate between two pairs of shoes, a pair of biker boots and a pair of trainers that I swap out for ballet pumps once inside. Plus why do all the stylish shoes this season seem to come without toes?
What I need is some super stylish pyjamas, maybe something that resembles a Le smoking tux, then I could just wear it all the time. I may need more then one set though.

Strike a Pose

There is no denying it, we live in a celebrity obsessed world. They look out at you from the T.V when you turn it on, down on you from the shelves of your local newsagents and their names pop out at you every time you go online. And they know how you feel about them because they are totally cashing in on it. If your a fan of Victoria Beckham, you can wear shades from her sunglasses line, jeans from her denim range, a dress from her new line of those, you can read her biography as well as her book about style, and spray yourself in one of her perfumes as well. And those are just the things that have her name on them, never mind all the things she's endorsed and all the fashion labels she's known to wear. She's even had a guest appearance on Ugly Betty. In short, she may well be a person but she's also a brand and mostly a fashion brand. I have to admit that I have a sort of admiration for Mrs Beckham, she has previously stated that she was never the greatest singer but that she loves fashion and now has the opportunity to turn her hand to that. I'm not a fan as such and don't own any of the above things that's she's put on the market, I just admire her for being honest about who she is and what she does. She seems to genuinely love fashion and although her style might not be to every one's taste, she's doing her own thing and I'll always respect that. Plus I'll always admire a woman who takes the rubbish out in 5 inch stilettos and if she ever actually takes out the rubbish I'm sure she does it in heels.
However I think fashion's love affair with celebrity has gone a bit far and in the last week there were a few examples that proved this to me. One: Cheryl Cole will be on the cover of Vogue in the new year, Two Madonna will be featured in the new Louis Vuitton campaign, and Three Pamela Anderson will be in the new Vivienne Westwood advertising campaign. All of these facts left me baffled. The first two are pure, unadulterated and disappointing attempts to make more money. These two woman have been featured in the press a huge amount in 2008, both for their marital problems. Madonna's divorce is one of the biggest celeb stories of the year and it's disappointing to me that two well-respected names in fashion would sink this low to sell a few more mags and bags. The third thing, well that's just completely random and I will reserve judgement until I see the ad's because usually Queen Westwood gets it right. All in all I just think that it's all a bit excessive and that far too many talented 'normal' folk in the fashion industry are losing work to these famous people who already have enough money.