5 Trends That Everyone Hates But That I'm Not Mad At

So, anyone who knows me well probably has seen me in items of clothing that they really don't like. I've had friends ask "what the hell are you wearing?" upon seeing me, even when being reunited after a very long time. I've had my little sister accuse me of dressing to embarrass her (when we were both teens and far angstier). I've had "goth", "emo" and "loser" shouted at me in the street. I've had boys in my class label a beloved pair of shoes "witch boots."

I take all of the above as compliments.

I don't care if you don't like something I'm wearing because I do. I'm the one wearing it, not you. Besides, as a pretentious asshole, I do enjoy the idea that people simply don't "get it". I'm sorry you're not as fashion as me. Too bad for you.

But seriously though, personal preferences are fine. We don't all have to like the same things. Yet, there are some things that I find myself defending on the reg because most people label things blindly as "ugly" and I simply don't think that the world is often that black and white. Sometimes, things are ugly-cute. So, here are five things that everyone else hates but I'm not mad at.

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1. The Fashion Mullet.

I know. I hear the sharp intake of breath. I'm starting out strong with this one.

Tbh, if you asked me a year ago about mullets, I would have made a stank face but I've had reason to consider. The mullet has recently become popular again in Korea and has been rocked by actors and kpop idols and it made me realise that, if styled well, it ain't that bad. In fact, it can be quite cool. G-Dragon's mullet? Awesome. Seventeen's The 8's? Adorable. Nam Joo Hyuk's? Chic.

I'm no advocate for any Billy Rays or rat tails but a well-style mullet? I can get down with that.


2. Kitten Heels.

Look, you can bitch and whine all you want but if they were good enough for Chanel and Audrey Hepburn, they can't be all bad. Yes, there are ugly kitten heels but there are a hell of a lot of nasty-looking stilettos. Don't tar all kittens with the same brush.

@lespionneparisfemme

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3. Crazy Oversized Clothes.

I like to dress comfortably but still with style and edge. The easiest way to achieve both is to have a statement piece among comfortable and practical items. So, a crazy oversized hoodie or coat or tee that has a cool design or bold colour is a life-saver as it can do all the talking for me, while I lounge around inside the garment. It's an ideal sitch. The key is proportion and balance. You don't want to swim in fabric or have your clothes wear you but, when done right, oversized garments are a super cool way of updating an existing wardrobe and look.

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4. Dad Trainers.

Again, it's a comfort thing and a careful choice thing. There is a such thing as the right kind of ugly. Just like there are some faces that aren't conventionally attractive but still captivating or lovely or both, there are objects that are the right amount of wrong.

So, no, I won't be forking out for those Balenciaga beasts but I would consider something with a similar spirit and more refined feel - and just think about the arch support! Marvelous.


5. Bum bags.

I slagged my dad about his for years and now I'm eating my words...

Bum bags were once awful neon signs pointing out someone on holiday who didn't know how to dress themselves but they have been utterly reborn and I'm super into it. Simply wearing them differently changes everything. Moving them from the hips to across the chest or back or cinching in a waist of a sick blazer is an easy way of injecting a streetwear vibe into an outfit and making it cooler.


Well, I'm sure I've disgusted enough people at this point but my point in all of this is basically that I used to have a much more simplistic view on things - in life, in general, but also about fashion, in particular. However, time and other people's brilliance, great ideas and views have taught me that you can always be proven wrong about things you never though could work. You're welcome to like and dislike things but, remember, a little tweak can transform something entirely and make you see it with fresh eyes.

Let me know if you guys agree or disagree or if there is anything that you love but everyone else seems to deem ugly!

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AW17 Hair Trends with Viviscal

I've raved about Viviscal a lot in the past. Like, A LOT. I credit it for my naturally fine and thin hair suddenly being labelled as thicc by hairdressers as of a couple years ago. Shortly after this blog became a fashion and beauty blog, Viviscal was one of the first beauty brands I started working with. I began a round of their supplements and (now discontinued) serum and my hair was changed forever.

Viviscal quickly became my favourite haircare brand and I work with them frequently. Recently, I came away from an event with more supplements and they went into my samples pile for later perusal. When a good friend told me that she was having trouble with her hair due to stress caused by a very bad work situation, I immediately offered the supplements to her and she, too, came to swear by the brand. And, so, when I was told I could bring a plus one to their latest event, I instantly asked Kim along. It was a fashion showcase of hairstyles taken from AW17 runway shows and one of the best organised and most elegant events that I've been to in a while. 

We arrived at the beautiful event space upstairs in the Cliff Town House, which was flooded with late evening light streaming through the big Georgian windows and grabbed some very pretty pink gin concoctions. Arriving with someone was a nice change for me as I don't mind flying solo at events (I often do or only pop in and out to fit them into my schedule) but can sometimes spend the whole thing watching the door and waiting for someone I know to arrive, while I stand in a corner, stuffing my face. This time I had a partner in stuffing my face!

Then came the actual show, done by the team at Brown Sugar and lead by their founder, Mark O'Keeffe. It featured looks from the AW17 shows of the likes of Chanel, Balmain, Paul & Joe, Jeremy Scott, Versace, Balenciaga and Prada. All of the looks themselves were actually fairly simplistic. However, the health and shine of the hair, however, were more important and the key to their success. There could be no better brand to present them, therefore, than Viviscal.

One of my personal favourites was the Regal Pony, as had been showcased at JW Anderson and Alexander McQueen. A long, sleek and exceptionally equestrian pony that must be neatly slicked back, the Viviscal Densifying Elixir proves to be an essential in its construction as it is perfect for taming fly-aways and smoothing the hair. Another look that caught my eye was a loose mid-length waves hairstyle, that reflected what was seen at Balenciaga, Prada and Céline, among others. Pretty but casual, it is a look that is all about an easy-breezy appeal that is anything but easy achieve for me but probably not so hard for others - heated tools and I don't hang out very often so I'm not very good with them. But, if you have been using or are going to use heat on your hair, Viviscal supplements and products are really useful for maintaining the strength and health of it. Natural hairstyles dominated runways and the best way to have naturally beautiful hair, is to take care of it. 

I often like products but I rarely swear by them, however, I readily swear by Viviscal. It really, really works and while trends come and go, healthy hair is always stylish. Check out the pictures below for AW17 hairstyle inspiration but check out Viviscal's range of products for better hair x

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SS15 - The Looks I'll be rocking.

Working in the industry, I do keep an eye on trends - you kind of have to stay informed. But I don't take them as gospel. I like to put my own spin on things, to dress for my lifestyle, to accentuate the things I like and minimise the things about myself I'm less fond of, to avoid trends I just really don't like. This is something everyone should try and do, in my opinion. Because there is nothing worse than someone who tries to shoehorn themselves into clothes that really don't work or that make them uncomfortable.

So, once again, I'm talking the trends or interpretations of trends that will be inspiring how I'll be dressing this season.

Fresh Flares:

I didn't think I liked flares. And then I reconsidered. Mad patterns and colour are never going to be my thing but a contemporary re-imagining is just the thing. They're super-flattering and balance out curvier figures. With a cute turtle neck knit, you get a seventies vibe with a much more sophisticated finish. Same applies for crop tops and little band tees for warmer weather.

Classic Rock:

Hedi's sexy vision of a hyper rock and roll seventies, is another variation of this trend that I can get behind. Gimme my moto, black skinnies and a massive hat any day. It's easy, endlessly cool and timeless. These pieces are investments and go with everything so you don't need to feel guilty spending a little bit more.

Purity:

This isn't real a particular trend for the SS15 season but rather a current through fashion in the past few years - a move towards simplicity, minimalism. A little normcore. But seriously easy to wear, requiring little to be done in the way of hair and make-up and very pretty. 

New Denim:

Denim is a staple, a classic. There isn't really a season that goes by where it's not on trend. However, there's a particular emphasis on it at the moment. I'm loving the slightly kookier and newer interpretations. Think smock dresses, shirtdresses, tees etc. Denim everything, please.

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Re-Imagining the Seventies

Pastiche is a scary word to art/design/fashion/architecture historian and designer alike. It's a concept that may be somewhat alien to many. I mean, when we were re-appropriating the nineties, it was as simple as donning our flannels and chokers - or was it?

Subconsciously, we change re-emerging trends of yore the moment they become comfortable in our wardrobes once more. Otherwise, they read as a costume. They go from fashion-forward to farcical. We change styles to suit our lives - which are not the lives of the past. Or maybe we weren't even born yet when the clothes were first worn, so they don't mean the same things. The point is, it is not the past, so everything we touch is tinged by present or intended future. To try and ape this lost mind-space, experience and feelings is to do everyone a disservice. It stagnates possible growth or change or development. It treats us as fools. Because we, as humans, are not objective creatures and cannot report a full version of the past. Things mirror and embody the time and place that produces them. They are a physical history. And so, they must not be made in false accounts of history.

The seventies we see on runways and ad campaigns is not the of the past but of 2014-2015. It is ours to make relevant again. It is an entire decade to pick and choose from. And political and cultural associations of the past attached to garments can also be re-examined and made germane once more.

One could very well design a completely personalised version of the period that resonates with someone who did no see it the first time around.

But how is our seventies new, fresh?

It is pared back, for one. We seem better at preventing (for the most part) repeats of the sartorial mistakes of the past - if not others. Bows and lace appear but maybe in lesser quantities or on a smaller scale or one at a time. Hair is a sleeker, healthier version of its former self - though teased into similar styles. Make-up is less heavy-handed. There seems like an overall increased sense of intent, planning, coherent styling. And then there's that wonderful thing about hindsight - the ability to pick and choose, avoid or embrace. Prints or fabrics of the past can be revived via contemporary silhouettes. Utterly dodgy trends can be wilfully forgotten.

Saint Laurent SS15 presents us with one vision - of slinky rock and roll sex-pots in teeny shiny dresses or breath-taking babes in androgynous tailoring. Sleek hair and combining multiple points of reference avoided presenting a cast of Studio 54 rejects. Miu Miu showed something a little more proper - pattern clashing homeliness and fur-collared coats with boxy handbags. Fresh materials and contemporary styling (think barely-there bandeaux with high-waisted skirts, tamed by long over-coats) gave old silhouettes and concepts new life. And Valentino gave us something of lost innocence in colour-blocked pretty pastels, sweet crochets and flowing, high-necked gowns worthy of prom scenes in teen movies set in the seventies.

Punk seems absent thus far in this reborn vision of the decade but who knows what the future might hold? It's not a period I'm normally drawn to but I'm enamoured with how it's been interpreted this time around. Which just goes to show that it's been made relevant to me and my life - exactly what I've been saying any trend needs to do if it is to endure.

(1&2- Saint Laurent, 3&4 - Miu Miu, 5-7 - Valentino. Images via vogue.co.uk)

MY AW14 Trends.

So, yeah, trends come and go and, as a fashion blogger and aspiring fashion journalist, I have to be aware of them. That doesn't mean, however, that I tend to take them all that seriously. More often than not, I adopt current silhouettes along palettes and themes of my own devising. This way, I still feel as though I'm looking relevant but not slavishly doing as everyone else is. Plus, highstreet fashion is constantly aeons behind the runway anyway. Fashion is an industry and a machine and in order to be economically viable it ploughs on ahead at an intimidating pace, you can try to keep apace with it or weave your own path.

Styling is a great way to breathe new life into looks because things are constantly resurfacing in new guises. For example, the turtle neck is back again this AW. Personally, I'm enjoying the idea of styling it with easy-chic pieces, restraint and then an unexpected flash of lace. Bring a bit of gothic into contemporary urban clothing.

Staple items cropping up that I know I want to invest in are midi-skirts, trench coats and cloaks. There's space for these things in my wardrobe and, if the right ones are chosen, they'll serve me well for years to come as they are timeless pieces. Sometimes it's good to invest as well as indulge in fleeting fancies - though those are important too!

Basically, what I'm trying to say, in a round about way, is I've devised and decided to embrace  my own (well, one is more of a common way of life for many) adaptations of trends for this coming season. These are the six modes of dress that I'll be rocking. They are, in no particular order; Too Kawaii to Function (Or Sailor-Influenced Cuteness, Basic Witch (aren't I funny), Neo Irish, All Black Everything (said way of life), Trench Girl Chic and Pastel Sabbath.

So, which one is your favourite? How are you putting your spin on AW14?