Boy

Perhaps I'm odd but I often wonder what my life would be like if were a boy. Don't get me wrong, I'm very much glad that I'm female but being so aware of, and passionate about, gender issues, I can't help but wonder at how different things might be? How different I might be? Or not? How I might look? How I might dress?

Yes, dress is one of the main differences I consider as it is so important to me as a woman and I'm so conscious of the difference in expectations of men and women. Of the different limitations. Of the difference in access.

I think in most ways, I'd be very much the same person that I am now. I think this would be true, too, of how I dress. I mean, I don't wear dresses or skirts that often as it is. The colour palette I gravitate towards isn't particularly representative of traditional colours associated with any gender. I'm really all about comfort, ease, clean lines, pleasing textures and good fit.

So, I decided to put together outfits that I would rock if I were a boy...and realised they're basically what I wear now. I still love a lot of black and navy. There's a preference for solid colours over patterns, a love of knitwear and a good leather jacket. Pants like jammies are good as are brands like Cos, Saint Laurent, Acne, Zara. I'm still craving New Balances and the perfect weekend bag. Still the same Colette - although, according to my Mam, I would have been called Jamie.

This is how Jamie would have dressed.

Also, no way could I afford to dress the way I'd like to as a dude. Those clothes be expensive!

What do you reckon? Would I have been a chic-ass man?

The Other Lolita

Lolita the novel and movie based upon it may make many people pretty uncomfortable but it is undeniably iconic. Particularly the heart-shaped sunglasses. The following is an outfit inspired by Americana fashion of the first half of the 20th century as well as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the costume design of the movie-adaptation.

Sunglasses - Topshop - Jeans - H&M - Top - Topshop - Shoes - Nine West

Looking back at Outfits Past.

Fashion blogging mostly began with people posting images of their outfits online. While I enjoyed and still enjoy these types of blogs, the internet is now so saturated with fashion blogs that I feel like you need to be able to offer more than the ability to take a cute picture. Unless that's what you're known for and you'd be shooting yourself in the foot and alienating your audience by doing a 180.

My own roots are mostly in outfit posting. When I began this blog, nearly two years ago now, around 75% of my posts were outfit posts. The first thing I ever put up was a lowdown of the style in Buffy but a lot of what I put out there in the interim was OOTD. Gradually this became less of a focus. I was interested in talking about high fashion, reviewing shows, looking at trends and themes in fashion and more recently I decided I wanted to do all this while taking everything less seriously. Of course, I want to retain a certain level of professionalism but I also want to be able to make fun of myself and just have fun with fashion and junk. So, while levity is more of a concern, I've come to focus on particular areas such as photography, shows, reviewing products, OOTD, finding bargains, playlists and things I'm feeling.

Thinking about where I'm at now made me look at where I was previously. I've never gone on a deleting spree despite my certainty that past posts/outfits may be cringey. Yet, when I looked, they weren't that bad. In fact, though I no longer dress the same way, I can appreciate them. So, I decided to take a selection of past OOTDs as encouragement to do some more in the future. If nothing else, they're fun as a visual diary of where I'm at in my life.

I'm less with the fashion regrets over the past few years - you need to go back quite a bit for the true horrors of faux pas in my life - how about y'all? Any major mistakes? Particular periods of problematic choices?

The Fine Line Between Dude and Douche (And how I crossed it)

So, I swear I looked like less of an ass on this day. But by the time I got home it was already dark and I hadn't shot an outfit post in so long that I went with it anyway. Ergo sunglasses at night. I'm not normally that guy - honestly. My hat, skirt and boots are Topshop, the sunglasses are from River Island bought in a sale for a euro and the coat and jumper are vintage and stolen from/given to me by my mother. Oh, and these Thermal tights are the best. Like, they'll survive a nuclear apocalypse with the roaches - I managed to rip open my leg without damaging them. 

The Lost Outfit Post.

I had forgotten that this even existed...an advent calender in the background and the amount of clothes stolen from my mother suggest it was while I was home for Christmas...christ, nearly a year on!

Outfit post - That rare and wily beast.

An outfit from the other day - quite cutesy but made up of classic, timeless pieces. It's a good example of the days I wear something very put together when all I'm doing is emailing and stuff at home. The boots and bag are some of my all-time favourites and are pretty stand-out pieces on their own. To avoid the look becoming overly busy, I maintained a largely neutral palette of browns, greys and cream. The blue of the dress is the only real colour. A Ralph Lauren piece that is a show-stopper on its own, it equally styles well when layered with other pieces. The material is shirt-like and so crisp and lovely. 

On a side-note, sorry I've been so crap about posting. I've been both busy and mopey - a deadly combination! Expect more in the coming days.

Dress - Ralph Lauren - Jumper - Vila - Belt - Zara - Beret - Penney's - Boots - New Look - Satchel - I can't find a label. 

Afternoon Tea.

Afternoon tea in Killashee House with the family and the granny a couple of days ago. The cakes are pretty damn good and the building is super interesting and pretty. Light seems to fall perfectly everywhere around it.

Boots - Topshop - Jeans - Topshop - Shirt - Dunnes - Jacket - random boutique.

Clarity.

The heat has made my scant beauty regime all the more non-existent. Really all I wear now is scent and body lotion - and even that is used very sparingly. As a result of my limited usage, perfumes last a long time for me and I've recently returned to this simple Lacoste perfume which is musky and subtle.

Funnily enough, all of my beauty products of the moment coordinated with the largely white outfit I wore the other day. Inspired by French style and ease and my icon of the moment, Ms Hardy, it's a little retro, a little boyish and very simple.

Boyish Beachwear.

It's very warm in Ireland at the moment - and no one knows how to deal! I've been sticking with loose, androgynous clothing that doesn't need to try too hard because ain't nobody got time for that.