Fashion... Just for a BRIT of a change...

Hi!!

So what have you all decided to give up for lent? I am sat here eating Twirl bites and watching Les Miserable clips on Youtube, so you can clearly see I have given up none of my favourite things. And I can't give up fashion because it will interfere with my work - sooo... What I would like to give up is going to the Job Centre - I went today to see about backdating this whole Job Seeker's Allowance situation. Henry VIII was still there - see previous post for explanation - and he greats me with "first claim - are you excited" to which I give obligatory but forced laugh - he then asks me again as though answering this question is imperative to my claim. I said no. What? Pancakes and lies don't mix well. He then said "are you nervous... because you should be" and then laughed to himself. Unless we have slipped into a parallel universe where instead of being in the Job Centre I am actually in a pub waiting to go on a date with you, then no I am not nervous. Even if I was in said parallel universe, nervous wouldn't be the correct word...nauseated would be. Anyway, all in all was a pretty pointless experience - will let you know if I get anything from it.

BUT!! I cannot be down in the mouth because last night was the BRITS!!! Firstly we just need to deal with the fact that this Adele quitting for five years thing seems to actually be true seeing as when she picked up her award for best album she said "bye, see you all next time round I guess!" to which the crowd naturally booed. Please do not go Adele, you are our broken heart fixer. How else are we going to explain when we sometimes feel the need to have a little cry in the car, then stop next to the boy we used to date and have to explain - "Just listening to 'Someone Like You'" which they then think is about them and decide to ask no more questions??

Right - the Brits is tooooooo important to squish into a little post - so I am postponing L until tomorrow. Please send all complaints about this to the Job Centre. Anyway, lets break this fashion extravaganza down into people and trends (all images lovingly borrowed from The Guardian unless otherwise stated http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/gallery/2012/feb/22/brit-awards-red-carpet-arrivals):

Jessica Rabbit - Lana Del
Rey

RED!! Besides walking on the red carpet, quite a few of the lovelies were wearing it. I am still unsure what I am feeling about the red sheer/embroidered gown Jessie J was wearing. I can't decide if it is her or the dress I am rebelling against. With the hair and the eyes it was all just a little Christina Aguilera in the Lady Marmalade video.... Lana Del Rey did however look like the real life version of Jessica Rabbit in a stunning but simple red Vivienne Westwood gown. With her hair that colour, just flowing simply and with her uhum full lips, well she is a female force to be reckoned with. Christina Perri did the same thing as Jessie with sheer and embroidery/sequin cover ups - I like Jessie's more - I know I even surprised myself with that. Jessie's looks better made and classier, Christina's looks kind of cheap... I really liked that Pixie Lott had gone for a classic black number and paired it with bright red accessories - another twist to the all red look. The look was perhaps a little too old for her though? She looked beautiful, but maybe could have gone with something more youthful and fun.

Dazzling - Rihanna

Highly/unusually embellished - Rihanna: girl where have you been!! I really liked what she was wearing last night - a heavily beaded long dress - not too dissimilar in cut to the one she wore to the Grammys (which I wasn't keen on because it was rather plain/cheap looking). She look striking in the dress which matched her skin tone...and her shoes! Get it girl. If this is what her Giorgio Armani capsule collection is going to be like I have judged her too soon (this dress is Givenchy - not from her collection). Also Alexandra Burke was wearing a creation embellished with a wooden neckline, which is SO on trend. Get wood in any part of your ensemble - bag, heel, jewellery or clothing if you can. So cute, so sustainable. Nicole Scherzinger (the only Pussycat Doll we remember according to James Corden) also pulled out all the trend stops with a pastel (YES!), lemon (YES!!), highly embellished (YES!!!) strapless dress - damn girl.

Woman in Black - Adele

I was disappointed with Kylie's dress - I thought it was boring and rather prom looking - royal blue strapless YSL dress. And, however much I LOVE Adele and everything about her - I wish she would try something that wasn't a long black dress. Don't get me wrong she looked absolutely STUNNING!! Maybe when she pops back in a few years she will have met Mary Katrantzou...

Someone needs to explain to me how Florence is the only woman in the world who thinks she can wear pale colours and not look dead. Maybe it is just because she always goes with Chanel or (like last night) Alexander McQueen creations. I <3 your designer choice sweet girl, but not the colours - get some vibrant red or emerald green on you and watch everyone hate you for being so fabulous.

A Little Too Mixed Up

You will either agree with me or hate me for this next statement - I was SEVERELY disappointed with Little Mix - their outfits did not co-ordinate in anyway and the colours clashed - not in a cute edgy way either. There were too many trends - snakeskin, pastels, tweed, clunky shoes - but they were not done right. Just choose one or two and make sure you focus on those... I know they are new, so I will let them off, but this time next year I want to see a HUGE improvement - got it!!!

Work It Ed

I thought the boys all looked cute - Tinie Tempah always cracks me up. All the boys but Plan B I should say - who to be honest seemed kind of out of it - and I think was wearing a suit he had worn before....ewwww. I LOVED that Ed Sheeran sang in a t-shirt and jeans but then came on in a 70s looking prom suit. He really is just the love of my life. The One Direction boys looked nothing if not dapper - maybe they can speak to Little Mix about co-ordination.

CHER-ing my sequins with...

...Louie Spence

Luckily stars were all for eco-friendly clothing this award show and Cher Lloyd and Louis Spence made sure nothing was wasted when they created their outfits. Share a bolt of fabric, save the world. How about use your own fabric, save the world from a terrible outfit... Worst dressed by far (bar the foxy Louboutin spiked shoes Cher is wearing) [Cher image from The Sun online and Louis Spence from holymoly.com]




Hope you all enjoyed the Brits as much as I did. Now to think about whether I should give up carbs for lent....hmmm do I enjoy pasta or body con more...on that note I think I better pop to Jane's Pantry before it closes. Ciao.
Becky xx

Man, I Feel Like A Woman!

Good Afternoon all,

I have spent the morning doing what all should do on a grey sad day - staying in, reading Vogue and eating a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich on ... WHITE BREAD!!!! Shock horror I will never be admitted into the fashion world if I eat such things. To be honest I can think of worse foods to spend a lifetime on my hips than a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich. I can think of worse people to spend time there also...

I have been listening to the new 'IT' girl of music Lana Del Rey all morning after reading about her in March's issue of English Vogue. Lana, a girl with a porcelain face situated in the middle of fox red hair has the air of a model. She is one of the "my parents' sold their souls in exchange for me to be incredibly rich, talented and beautiful" club (along with the likes of Emma Watson and January Jones - come on you cant just be born with a body like that!!) ... jealous, me? Anyway, she will go far in the fashion world because Vogue says so: "I was convinced that she would be a great Vogue cover girl, even though she is probably one of the newest stars in her field that the magazine has ever had on the cover".

Lana Del Rey intrigues me a little bit. She has called her own look "gangster Nancy Sinatra" which I think is pretty hilarious. Her music videos have a certain 'home-made' quality to them, which I am loving. Very 'Etsy' of the music entertainment world. We all like the setting on our camera that makes the background fuzzy like we are in a dream, but it makes Lana look other worldly; this is why she will be snapped up quicker than you can say "have you had lip fillers?" as the face of a top brand. Especially because beautiful girls in normal settings taken by normal cameras seems to be the advertising tool of choice at the moment. Marc Jacobs started it and now everyone from Celine to Moschino are using models in pictures that look a bit like that one you took of your best friend that time you went on a day trip to Barry Island...obviously you need to squint a bit.

How far has the fashion world come now that glossy magazines often dont have a photo taken in a studio anywhere in them? If im going to shell out £600 for a pair of Louboutin's I want to know how they will hold up when I am chasing  my lover down the gravel drive of our London mansion as he drives off with Serephina our cleaner, not how they will look under the powerful lights of a studio with a 90lb girl in an awkward pose wearing them. Luckily the fashion world seems to be sharing my view now and is coming up with the most creative campaigns (often squeamishly funny situations for men) you have ever seen. Those who think women are demeaned by fashion photography, look at last year's Gucci campaign which saw non descript men serving beautiful women wearing power suits and then turn to the Givenchy shoot which sees the women in sinfully tailored cream trousers suits, with the men in the skirts. A cheeky wink wink to the powerful women of the world me thinks.

It has never been a more exciting time to be in fashion! The model in the Lacoste advert is yawning, the men have their faces covered by masks in Lanvin (another little hat tip perhaps) and the Balenciaga image looks like they have taken a poor college student, dragged her out of bed and dressed her in something she could only dream of owning! So unique and original!! Next step: put biker chic in a ballet studio, fairy tale costumes into wearable glamour (im talking luxury red capes a la Little Red Riding Hood, not creepy outfits you would find at Anne Summers....) and panniers under skirts!! Ok the last one is a joke...although Karl Lagerfeld did fabulous things not too dissimilar a few years ago.

So many ideas, so little time. Let's hope this interview goes well for me tomorrow!
Becky xx

PS - Jonathan Saunders has won the Vogue Designer Fashion Fund competition that they run every year awarding the winner £200,000 to make it big (or in most cases bigger). Think of what Erdem (a previous winner) has done for us ladies and then realise that this award showcases major talent...watch this space.

Strike A Pose

Afternoon sleepy heads - I am guessing most of you/your boyfriends/friends/family (delete as applicable) stayed up to watch the Superbowl last night? And what a corker. The only time you can really say Spandex is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen heh? Having met a few American football players in my time...and a couple soon to be NFLers as well I must say, they are as partial to a little tight skinned bodywear as last night's half time act herself. The Superbowl must be the only sporting event where the uniform and the entertainment is camper than a weekend with Alan Carr...and I am guessing he wears A LOT less padding.

Anyway, I cant help it - all day I have been battling with whether or not to blog on it - but I have to...Madonna and the Superbowl half time show. You have most likely read everything you can handle about this already today, but she is a fashion in herself so I feel I have no choice but to comment.

The first three items to be commended on the agenda: Philip Treacy headdress, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy wardrobe and Bulgari jewellery. It is impossible to look foolish when three of the biggest names in their respective fields are dressing you. This was perhaps Madonna's thoughts as she has worked with Tisci before and rightly so decided he was a better choice than looking like a 13 year old goth in her own line. Stick to what you know I suppose. Although I was, as always, in awe of the fashion on display here, I felt it a little disjointed. It appears that Ancient Egypt and the 300 movie have had a love affair and given birth to Madonna. Luckily it all made sense later when Cee Lo Green came on dressed like he was in Sister Act....huh? I just didnt like the transition between King Leonidas, cheerleader and then Whoopi Goldberg. They arent really related...or perhaps it is just me that thinks that? Judging by the press today it is not...

Dont get me wrong, I will forever be in love with the Madonna classics and if anyone bought me a Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra I would wear it with pride, but perhaps this is where Madge should draw the line. End on a high? If you have read my past posts you can see how I RAVED about W.E the movie Madonna co-wrote and directed; perhaps it is time for her to continue her journey into film and leave music to the people who accompanied her on stage last night - M.I.A, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO and Cee Lo Green.

The actual fashion itself with magnificent. Tisci had created a hand embroidered gold cape that was draped to perfection over a black mini dress with studded belt. An embellished black coat finished off the look. The jewellery was simple gold and diamonds, hopefully not overlooked by those of us who dream in Bulgari. Finally the headdress was breath taking and I am looking forward to seeing how many knockoffs I see floating above the crowd at Cheltenham race week. If there is one thing to be said about Madonna - she certainly doesnt do things by halves. And lets be honest, who among us hasnt fantasized about being a goddess?

She is still a style icon and a business woman to be reckoned with. Dont get me wrong either, that girl looks GOOOOOD. The performance, as always, last night was spectacular and in most cases has drawn more interest than the actual final score (21-17 to the New York Giants, if anyone wants to know). The only issue is that nearly all the articles today have said that she is getting too old for this. Her moves werent what they were although in some ways her body is better now than it was in her coming out days.

I suppose the real and final question is: is 50 something too old to be wearing over the knee leather boots with fish net tights? I guess life is a mystery and everyone must stand alone when it comes to this issue.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday.
Becky xx