Animal Crackers part two.

I was right, animal shirts are on their way in. Thank me later for bringing it to the world of fashion's attention. These are exciting times, the nest thing for you to do would be to get your ass down to pop boutique (Manchester, London, Liverpool) and grab one.
I just need to figure out how to wear mine without looking like a real geek (yes you could argue that I already am)

Back to the Future

Here is a fashion fact for you- the 1950's NEVER go out of fashion. The 60's, 70's and 80's come and go, the 90's were shit, but my gosh the 50's!

Yes. I'm this sad. I watch Grease with the sound down for fashion tips. Even after the fashion disaster that was my prom dress my heart still goes all a-flutter when I see a rockabilly skirt. Right now I suggest you get on down to Primark and get the awesome 50's style blue and white stripy sun dress. Just don't wear it anywhere near me so we don't look like tools. I don't usually condone Primark, but this dress makes a lass feel like Patricia Franchini in A Bout De Souffle.

Also, and this is the most important thing I will ever tell you- Keep your eyes open for old-skool Letterman Cardigans. I've been looking at eBay, but the shipping costs to little old Manchester are astronomical.

Next week: Something good, possibly name dropping another of my A2 Film Studies focus films. Who knows.

Don't be mocking my moccasins!

That's right boys and girls, the latest word from the sartorial world is that moccasins are hotter than Fielder-Civil's crackpipe (That's my way of linking this week and last week, more on that later).

I know it's hard to believe, but I bet by festival season (Leeds tickets out soon, omg)you'll all be wearing a lovely pair. Personally, I would go old school and wear a Native American style pair like these:


(Its a terrible picture I know, but my google skills are limited at this time of the day)

Maybe we won't go that far, but I know the brown ones are in. Why else would Yan wear them?

This picture shows exactly how they should be worn. Ribbed socks are in. He's even wearing chinos. I'm not sure about the orange t-shirt though. We'll re-think that one. But girls, I really want to see you in moccasins soon. I've taken to wearing them around the house (okay, they are technically slippers, but I'm still cool).

In other shoes news, brightly coloured shoes (for men- see photo in previous post) and old fashioned loafers (for women) are in. Apparently. Fashion, eh?


PS- Another week, another guide to fashion via British Sea Power. Have you heard the acoustic version of Open the Door? It is truly excellent. Word.

the NME is my Enemy

I could spend this week's (rather belated, I admit) post quoting Anti-NME Art Brut/Goblins lyrics all over your eyes, but I thought, hey, no, I'll write a blog about Amy Winehouse instead- yawn.

Yesterday morning I was cheerily informed by Metro that Ms Winehouse had been given the WORST DRESSED award from the NME, cue a few thousand terrible puns about her plans to launch her own fashion line (in actual fact a cosmetics range). Well done popular press, well done.

I'll admit that I hated her the first time round. I probably didn't even know who she was, but I probably hated her even so. But that comeback! Middle of the road radio two-ish soul singer comes back with a song about rehab and a million tabloid stories about drug addiction, collabs with Mark Ronson and we have a megastar on our hands.

But this is all about style, right? And there's no denying that Wino's been setting a fair few trends since she said "no no no" to rehab in late 06. Big Hair, heavy eyeliner, nautical chic, high waisted pencil skirts are all de rigeur at the moment. Coincidence? Largerfeld doesn't think so. I don't think so. All this press speculation simply ups her cool, especially when you're an impressionble 18 year old. Indie kids across the land need to forget Kate 'n' Pete and instead rock the Amy 'n' Blake look down club NME (As if they're not already)

I know I will be, just as soon as I hit Primark for my new "spring" wardrobe. Holla!




PS- In case you were wondering, the NME awards is a bag of shite- Nicky Wire can suck my fucking cock. And that's a Brut/Goblins quote.

Oxfam Glamour

Everyone knows that all the cool people get their clothes from charity shops, but who do you know that actually does? Aside from a few things, I have never found anything worth buying in a Charity Shops.

Once someone asked me if I liked the "vintage" stuff in Topshop. Me, not knowing them very well just mumbeld something or other whilst silently concealing my rage. And there's your problem- trendy kids do not want to wear something that used to belong to someone's grandmother, so instead they buy a nearly identical item from Topshop for four times the price.

Even I am not immune to this, I have two very similar "tea dresses" (very in this season), one being from H&M and the other from a local Oxfam. You all know which one I will be wearing to see the Futureheads on Friday. I'm afraid that unless you find something really cool, charity shop chic just doesn't work. Thank God I have a mother who keeps things for years and passes items she deems no longer cool onto me (by this time they have become kind of ironic cool)


Sorry for the lack of pictures this issue, kids. We can only hope that next weeks will be less of a disorganised rant...

Sugar Coated

Everyone is telling me that trench coats are a must this season, and a must in any woman's wardrobe. Lucky for me, my old trench coat appeared the other day on a clearing out spree. I tried it on, and hey, it doesn't look that bad- save for the colour, a sort of disgusting mossy camouflage green- but something's not right.

I dunno what it is about trench caots, in theory, they should look kinda sexy and cool, like some film noir-ish detective. But they just don't. Google trench coat and this comes up:

Apart from the terrible colour of most trench coats, and the association with a variety of paedophilles, this is the very worst thing about trench coats, and should put everyone off buying one.


But I've got a feeling that I'll be wearing mine a lot this year, in fact I'm already planning outfits around it. Sun dress, cardigan, black wool tights, black plimsoles. I'm feeling really springlike already, from today I'm ditching the black dress coat in favour of a smart trench. Lovely.

White Trash!

Another week, another vaguely ironic new look, ho-hum. This week I'm all about a sort of trashy 80's Maddona Punk thing, as worn by my favourite androgynous model Laura Hollins (AKA Agyness Deyn- I know her real name ‘cos we're from the same town, holla!)

She looks a bit of a mess here, but let me break this look down for you.
1) Long t-shirt or jumper. The best kinds are the ones that are massive and really out of fashion, as opposed to ones you'd find in New Look, try TJ Hughes or something….Band t-shirts are defiantly acceptable here, but none of your skinny ass girl fit Paramore t-shirts, I wanna see someone rocking a massive hair metal t-shirt in a completely ironic way. Believe.

2) Leggings, or at a push thick wool tights, preferably in a light colour. Fat thighs all round, woo-hoo!

3) Doc Martens, old-skool walking boots or, if you're boring, black chucks (I have a niggling feeling that black chucks are on their way back in- you heard it here first!) Possibly also wear knee length walking style socks, British Sea Power style, but I'm not sure on this one yet, keep your eyes on it though.

4) A Biker-ish Jacket is probably the most important part of this look. Agyness wears a leather one with a sheepskin collar, but there’s a load of cheap fake leather jackets hanging around at the moment so all you animal loves are safe.

Ok, so you have the look down. I'd say wear it with your hair curly, or crimped (are the Mighty Boosh to blame for this years "hot hair look"??) and tied back with a scrap of fabric or a fat ribbon. Accessorise with a long chain, one of those gold hearts would be fine, try some silly 80's bracelets and chunky hoops earrings (gold of course- the earrings)You could go for 80's makeup as well, but you might be locked up on charges of fashion insanity.


Next week: How the Fresh Prince of Bel Air has the answer to all your style needs
or not, depending on my mood at the time.

(Updated on Feb 5th, I ain’t never satisified!)