Fringe

Sorry, I've got Paris fever. Whilst looking at the French catwalk collections for A/W 2010, I came across the Lanvin catwalk action. What made me laugh was that Jared Leto was in the front row. Jared Leto of My So Called Life fame. Teen 90s television shows really were the best, I used to love Heartbreak High and Blossom. Not forgetting the Nickelodeon goodies like Sister Sister and Saved By the Bell (although these gems were only watched when my parents got cable to spice up our TV for a while). It's amazing to me that the 90s are now a retro decade. The programmes, the fashion, the music and even the technology is outdated now. Of course it's over a decade since the 90s existed but it still feels like five minutes ago.

Anyway Alber Elbaz designed lots of gorgeous clothes which draped upon the Lanvin models. I really like the structure of his designs and tribal inspired pieces. Elbaz was inspired by the city and his birthplace Africa which I think shows in his designs. I love the hair on his models. Fringe is in.

My So Called Life. Nostalgic for some good (or bad) old 90s programmes, combat trousers, strappy tops, two-tone hair and All Saints or The Spice Girls depending on what camp you were in.

Why has Jared Leto not aged a bit? I repeat, this man is still 18, I'm sure of it! His mohican marks his position as lead singer in some band. But he will always be Jordan from My So Called Life to me.

Ooh sexy shoes.
Fierce. And that's just her cheekbones.

As I said, fringe is in. And feathering apparently.

Full length and brown. It shouldn't work but it's gorgeous. There's lots of full length things on the catwalks just now, we may all be wearing maxi's in the Autumn.

Scary looking necklace and lots of eyeliner. You wouldn't mess with her.

We love an all-in-one. And nice gloves.

This nude dress is beautiful and the draping reminded me of one Holly Golightly wore below.

Fred baby.

A bit of colour, at last! Shoulders are still in then...

More nude. And there's that scary necklace again. It looks like some sort of weird animal's teeth. Hmm.

Image sources: Style dot com

An Icy Picnic

The Chanel 2010/11 Autumn Winter collection was shown in a maze of icebergs which Karl Lagerfield had transported from Scandinavia. He doesn't do anything by halves does he? The fur however was not real. As I love polar bears and all things furry this collection appealed to me a lot although as the collection becomes available at around the end of July I'm not sure this amount of cosyness will be a great need. It was needed last week though and ever since the 18 December when snow fell in Aberdeen and it remained freezing for months. Let's hope this collection marks the end of that cold snap. Until next winter anyway.

Alexa was in the front row and even though I had just put her in my 'nice but not worthy of much praise' category she goes and wears risque cycling shorts and carries a Chanel picnic basket. A picnic basket? I want to know what she has in the basket, cheese and tomato sandwiches, sausage rolls, mini quiche? Whatever she has in it I hope she munched it all as that girl looks like she needs a good meal the skinny minnie. How did she make cycling shorts look chic? Maybe after her picnic they wouldn't look so chic.

I want that picnic basket.

Classic monochrome and ladylike Chanel with an arctic twist.

Polar Bear but not as cute.

Retro dress.

David Walliams fiancee Lara Stone in a ladylike Chanel dress.

Bet it's a bit hot in there!
More wearable than other parts of the collection. Like the different textures.

Finally a bit of skin on show! Gorgeous dress.

The Ice Queen? Bride Chanel Chic

Simple cosy shapes.

Ice Ice baby. Love the backcombed hair on all the models.

Image Sources: Style dot com

Happy Snapper

David Bailey has become an icon of the sixties even though he made his name photographing so many icons himself. At the age of 22 in 1960 he shot for Vogue for the first time and his photography has revolutionised the face of fashion photography ever since.

We had a great digital journalism class yesterday wondering around the university grounds snapping lots of gorgeous things in the sun. The sun looked beautiful on the river. I really enjoy looking at photographs, I am definitely a happy snapper but don't have the skills of Bailey. Maybe if I had got to snap John Lennon or Mick Jagger things would have been different though.

Pure Sixties Pure Bailey is a new selling exhibition featuring Bailey's work at Bonhams in London and is on from 7 March to 7 April 2010.

Jean Shrimpton looing suitably sultry.

Catherine Deneuve. Bailey brought humour as well as beauty to photographs.

A Rolling Stones contact sheet. Oh to have been Anita Pallenberg or Marianne Faithful seducing and inspiring these men. Groupies just aren't the same nowadays - or the bands aren't, I'm not sure. This looks like it would have been a fun shoot to be on.

Mick and his lush lips.

I'm off on a mini holiday to Glasgow for four weeks in April on a work placement. So it's not really a holiday, in fact I'm hoping I can charm my employers so much that they may offer me employment in the future. This is a long shot but it's worth a try. Now must get thinking on work outfits for the big city - as in Scotland's biggest city.

Fresh and white. reduced to £20 in Warehouse.

Cross body bag from New Look.

Shorts from Warehouse. I feel like I'm going somewhere really hot for my placement - forgetting that it's actually Glasgow and an umbrella will be more appropriate!
Comfy flats from Miss Selfridge.

All play no work

Playsuits, body suits, jumpsuits, all-in-ones, romper suits, whatever you want to call them are everywhere right now. To start with I thought I would never wear anything which resembled what I used to wear when I was two years old. But of course like skinny jeans and faux fur, fashion (nearly) always wins. I'm never going to wear real fur though Anna Wintour.

Playsuits do pose a problem though. The problem is peeing. It's quite awkward taking off your whole playsuit to pee especially if it's a bit complicated, buttons are not your best friend after a couple of drinks. Leotard type all-in-ones solve this problem with little poppers in the crotch area which can be undone. I suppose there's pros and cons to the playsuit. There's no doubt they look gorgeous on so who cares if you spend half an hour on a bathroom trip trying to sort your outfit out.

Lace body suit. Look it's a thong! I would expect nothing less from American Apparel.

Cute '40s style playsuit: H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams.
Accessorize playsuit. Looks super comfy.

More American Apparel all-in-one. I really like the scooped back.
This jumpsuit looks super luxurious. It's from Reiss, it's called the Jagger. Nice.

The Jagger jumpsuit.

In other news...

Gossip Girl is back on our TV screens on the 10th March. Yippee!!

Oscars Night and Polar Obsession

Great news for my favourite guy Jeff Bridges winning an Oscar last night. On other notes, there were as expected lots of fancy dresses on show for the red carpet. All the stars probably spend a whole year figuring out their outfits. Some get it right and some get it wrong but I'm in a really happy mood today so it's a positive blog. My favourite star was Sarah Jessica Parker in her Chanel Couture dress. Aaah how gorgeous is that woman? She is Carrie from Sex and The City to me always. Although I think the older generation including Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep looked absolutely stunning as well. These are my top picks:

Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka Couture. It looks like a princess dress! She looks great in it.

Carrie, sorry Sarah Jessica Parker looking stunning. I would love to see her wardrobe.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. This dress makes me want to be on holiday, it's so colourful and fun but sophisticated at the same time.

Meryl Streep looks great. Her dress is by an American 'Project Runway' contestant Chris March. That should score him some massive fashion points. The dress really flatters her figure.

Carey Mulligan looks gorgeous in Prada. She suits that blondie crop so much. Dying to see 'An Education', must make an effort as The Belmont Picturehouse is still showing it. I think it's an afternoon showing though. Anyone fancy bunking off work to join me?

National Geographic photographer and Biographer Paul Nicken has written a new book called Polar Obsession which is filled with photos from his travels all over the Arctic and Antarctic. These photos are stunning. There's a few more on Guardian dot com.

Isn't he gorgeous?

Image sources: Guardian dot com

It girls

As it's Sunday and I am inevitably suffering from a 'too much wine last night' head I've done nothing today. Except an attempt to practice shorthand and some reading; The Sunday Times Style Magazine in particular as it's the bumper fashion issue. There was an article in it called 'Why everyone adores Alexa Chung' and it explained why she's the latest it girl and why she topped Vogue's best dressed list 2009.

I like Alexa, she always looks really in control and seems quite witty but really, Vogue's best dressed? You see she always looks great because she weighs about 2 stone and has legs up to her ears but her style is, how should I say it, well lazy. I can say this because she dresses like me in a way as I'm lazy too. Lazy dressers are characterised by formulas such as sloppy grungy Tshirts tucked into skirts/shorts or anything that's very short. Easy going cardigans with pretty dresses. They don't match anything because mix and match is better (and easier) than match and match. Lazy dressers don't have to worry about glossy Cheryl styling that takes half a day to perfect. Make up is barely there and hair is gloriously unkempt.

Obviously Lazy dressing is a good thing and is much easier than grooming and glossing and this makes it easy to follow. This is why Alexa is a style icon. The thing that pushes Alexa off the top of Vogue's best dressed for me though is that she doesn't take enough chances. If we're going to have a best dressed then it should be someone who takes risky chances which can mean ending up circled in Heat magazines worst dressed page now and again. It is a matter of opinion after all. For me I think someone like Alexa's friend Daisy Lowe would be a great candidate for best dressed. What do you think?

I love this outfit. All Alexa's outfit choices are easy to wear. Whether you look as good as her is a different thing altogether though.

She loves a baggy shirt tucked into shorts or a skirt. Those denim cut offs are never off.

Classic Chung. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I loved this leotard last year. It seemed to kickstart endless amounts of leotards and leopard print alike in the shops.

This Topshop dress looks great on her especially with an up-do

Sex bomb. Agent Provocateur show. Ok she didn't go out wearing this but she must have so much confidence to strut down a catwalk (barely) wearing this.

Image sources: Daily Mail dot com