Sugarhighlovestoned

It's February, it's pissing it down, I work in Arctic conditions it seems. There is no sunlight, it's too windy to wear any kind of hat apart from a bloody beanie. I'm starting to resemble the Michelin Man due to the sheer amount of layers I'm piling on.

 HOWEVER I've been desperately employing the medium of imagination in order to get through these gloomy days. Endless pictures of American hippies in the early 70's are majorly helping as well as fashpiration coming from www.sugarhighlovestoned.com Check out there little fashion films as well as lookbooks, serious clothes porn. 

Also I've had this belly dancing outfit for years which normally only gets summer outings, however to cheer myself I decided to wear the skirt as a cape. The sequinned waistband makes a great collar and over this coat make me look like a completely mental 70s fortune teller. Which I think deffo sums up my current vibe. Oh and you can't see in this picture but I have a massive spot right between my eyebrows.... I've solved this problem by sticking a bindi over it. Now that is problem solving skills! Onwards! On a stylistic voyage! 

How to... Wear a cape!

Do you dream of being a superhero? Perhaps Sherlock Holmes is more your thing, or maybe you are into fortune telling? All these dreams can be fulfilled via the power of the cape! However heed my warning DO NOT wear in extreme winds here is my cautionary tale. 

I was walking along to the theatre ( yeah, I know even I questioned my sanity walking to the theatre in cape. Prick) It was so windy and I was walking alone, next thing I know I'm engulfed in a cloud of purple velvet and cannot see a thing. I desperately try and grapple with the waves of fabric to no avail, bearing in mind it was half five on a Friday night, so at the same time I'm trying to dodge the public. Eventually I wonder blindly into a shop window to avoid pedestrians and finally managed to untangle my face and full sight was regained. Deeply uncool! 

Anyway aside from health and safety issues in my opinion there is nothing cooler than a cape, whether you are rocking it with a Victorian twist, or as a mental psychedelic babe then you will be loving life. I mean you can swish around pretending to fly, what's not to like? 

  

Perving on Stevie Nicks and her clothes Porn.

Oh the joys of the English wintertime! Goosebumps, to many layers, red faces and hands and skin blasted either by the cold or central heating. Joys. So after a decidedly dull day at work yesterday spent perving on pictures of Stevie Nicks.... dam you and your albility to wear a cape AND a top hat and not look like a prick. And Janis Joplin via Pinterest to keep myself from slipping ini the realms of despair. I decided in order to survive these desperate winter months to dress in a manner which plants me right back in California circa 1967! Well if it was chilly in California, details whatever?! That's the beautiful thing about putting on clothes every morning. Beyond keeping you warm they are a medium of which to express a feeling, project a vibe or evoke feeling of another time. Fantasy basically. And it worked, yeah I'm stood in Brighton in front of council flats, this is my reality, but in my mind I'm at some hippy festival in the late sixties. Deffo not going to spend the evening superimposing myself onto a picture of Woodstock. Not going I do that..... 

The perfect accessory.

I love a good accessory, who doesn't? And there is no better accessory than a cool pet, I'm not talking a handbag dog, I'm talking a dog to go for walks with, so you don't look like a weirdo walking in the rain on your own crying. Jokes. Anyway it's January it's par for the course. In other news how simple is this outfit? And I cannot get enough I this shirt, I've always ignored classics, I considered them too dull. However the collar and cuffs on this baby far surpass my wildest shirt dreams. So there we are despite the accessory of a great dog, I've gone for a classic item. Don't worry it won't be long until I'm back to my glitter and cape times. 

Oh and I'm outside the Coffee Counter in Brighton. The cutest new coffee shop complete with retro video console. Go there. Do it, keep out of the rain!

How to... Wear double denim!

Double denim, a crime against fashion or a brave choice? Whatever your feelings on the subject it's undeniable that this combination is controversial! A very good male friend of mine recently arrived at my house wearing strait legged jeans and a classic style denim jacket. He divided the room. My opinion? He went down in fashion history as a very brave man! 

Now here you can see I'm taking a rather subtle approach to this look, the denim shirt with just a collar and raw edged fabric poking out from underneath my jumper is a tiny nod to this look. And I think it works a treat. However when going nuclear with this vibe it's worth considering the risks. You can look like a cowboy, a nineties throwback, a member of Bewitched or a faded and failed musician. To be honest I personally think that all of these can be credible looks, although its been said before that I may not be the right person to ask when looking for the general opinion on a look! 

Lets just say that's its brave, and brave is good. Plus it's bloody practical. Who doesn't own a shedload of denim?! But my absoulote favourite and coolest way to do double denim is black fitted jeans with a blue denim jacket. Too cool. Who says I can't be subtle?! 

Oh yeah. Just casually hanging out in my kitchen with my denim outfit... 

How to.... Wear frills.

Frills, the perpetual attire of children under the age of ten, harlequins, fussy secretaries and Austin Powers. Now all good looks if you ask me, however I know the rest of the world does not feel like this, I cannot think why?! Anyway I have again been delving deep into my stylistic skills and come up with this kind of sixties schoolgirl frilly shirted vibe. Which I think you might agree is pretty understated considering the degree of frill on this collar. I did resist dressing up as Jimi Hendrix as well as not going down the 70's librarian route. So all sensible and good. Lets embrace the frill and please don't judge me if I say I felt a little bit like Blair in Gossip Girl. 

I think I might make it a new theme of mine to have cutesy/scruffy/interior  photoshoot settings, can that be my style?! 

How to...... dress like a man.

So in the spirit of New Year I have decided to take a fashionistic adventure on behalf of you all. I will be trying out some very questionable looks and ideas to see how they stand up in practice, or just go down at your local Tesco's. Some will be ridiculous, some I hope to be practical and a couple I might just manage to look mildly cool.

So here goes, I did want to start with how to make a Christmas cracker paper hat look cool. But I decided that they suit every face shape anyway. Also I really hate them.

The look- Suit.

The suit, the choice of every man from the1920's onwards in was a standard piece of wear until it was decided that men could be oh so racy and embraced casual sports and work wear as everyday clothes. However the female versions leave rather a lot to be desired. So why I hunt for a actual male suit that fits my shoulders I have pieced together this little number from charity shops. The jacket is ex H&M but I paid a pound for it! And the trousers are 1990's Laura Ashley. However they are a size 8, I haven't worn a size 8 since I was seventeen and I have to say I don't remember it being so small. Haha.

Now I have to admit that when it comes to clothing for appropriate situations I am not really the right person to ask, however I'd rock this at work with a velvet drape coat over the top. Or really butch it up by tucking the trousers in some DM's and wearing a military beret. Love that vibe. However if it was really up to me I'd love to be able to get away wearing it without a shirt underneath and no shoes, but then that's just my photographic fantasy to be played out in black and white images while smoking a cigar. Just me then.

So go on Ladies (and gentleman) I think its time we all embraced our more traditional masculine side and rocked the suited vibe, its a classic.

Apologies for the shit Urban Outfitters style pictures. Due to a series lack of friends I had to take them on a camera attached to a rather dodgy tripod.

Fashion Reference Treason.

God I'm glad that Siouxsie Sioux is not dead, because if she was she would be turning in her grave. Has anyone seen the Dear Siouxsie collection for Topshop? A selection of "punk" inspired clothing? It actually makes me shudder. Yeah we are all inspired by things, historical references, blah blah blah. However there is only so much watered down awfulness I can take. You could argue that all design or fashion is petered down from strong stylistic references. God knows I display inspirations visually all the time. However there is a massive difference between the individual wearing black eye liner and back combing their hair because  they just watched a Cure video, to massive super brand delivering a very poor adaptation of the look known as Punk. I feel sick, excuse while I go vomit up musical references.

 

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/category/clothing-427/dear-siouxsie-2517850

Change your look as often as your knickers.

Ok so I'm sitting in a dressing room at New Venture Theatre applying way to much make up, wearing a scimpy summer outfit. Nice. I would never ever, EVER show this much flesh in my real life, but a change is as good as a rest. That's the thing about style, it can change depending on boring stuff like the weather or a new piece. But everything in your entire life affects how you present yourself. Heartache and love, a new job, a new band a new discovery, whatever. The point is that that's great! Embrace it! Change your look as often as you change your knickers! Be affected. I realised that the last two weeks I have either dressed like a bloke kinda 30's does 80's or a bit of a 60's schoolgirl. My clothes are actually screaming I am so vulnerable and Girly. Or look how strong I am, go on I dare you, challenge me! And you know what? That's ok. It's gonna change again. 

Faux hipster ramblings.

What is it with 'hipster' term which keeps getting banded about?! Is hipster the new scenester? Does it just mean that you take an interest in art and creativity and you let that influence your entire life? Or are you a hipster if you just take a interest in style? Or perhaps it means you hang out in cute coffee shops and in 'alternative' clubs  How would I know? I mean I spend the majority of my time learning lines, writing, sewing and bothering people about giving me acting work. Well in between that and playing at working in a shop! Anyway today's look is a 1960's pirate princess kinda vibe as a work mate so kindly pointed out.