PICKING ON PINK

Pink the stuff of seven year old girls dreams and dolls houses.Pink the only colour in the colour wheel that is subject to ageism.Pink poor,poor colour pink often finds itself (or herself,hmm?) tied up with THAT classic stereotype:*clue in close relation to the whole dumb blonde one...shall we blame her,the world famous Barbie doll?The colour pink isn't sophisticated,it's silly in comparison to all the other hundreds of colours,and after one has exited their childhood years the colour pink should be erased,packed up,abandoned and all together forgotten about along with Ken and Barbie.Alas pink is the only colour (to my knowledge),which has become somewhat a bit of a taboo.I know for sure I'm not the only woman who is a wee bit obsessed with the colour.There's lots of us out there who swoon over a LPD (little pink dress)and have easily more than two pink items stashed away somewhere in the wardrobe.Hiding no doubt behind or underneath the more grown up shades of fashions.Why do we feel so compelled to conceal our love for all things painted pink?Will it ever be socially acceptable to blatantly boast of being completely smitten and tingled...pink?Or will we(my fellow pink fans) be mocked and she (pink) be forever dismissed as nothing other than uncool and destined only for an eternity of plastic-fantastic Barbieness?
Wrong.Seems she our secret favourite colour may just be having a mini fashion moment,horrahs!This time shes returned all grown up in lace,leather,metal studs and killer heels.So Barbie back off,pink just got too hot for you to handle...

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ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

'Was my suggestion really that absurd?',I ask myself as one of my customers enters the changing room looking a wee bit daunted by the prospect of test driving (so to speak) a dash of deep magenta,to spike up her selection of black-on-black winter warmer basics.I'm not dissing those essential A/W basics at some point or other they will become our best friend as we layer up,preparing ourselves for the inevitable snow blizzards,however why opt for the black skinny jeans when you can enjoy a sharp hit of super brights?Waiting the other side of the changing room door,I suspect the woman is not much impressed by my decision to,let's go with edit?Her original garment options of black-on-black-on- top- of- yet- more -black,I felt compelled to intervene on the simple basis that as a fashion sales/style advisor I'm sick to death of spotting women taking the easy A/W option of black,urgh frustrating.Hello ladies black isn't even a colour,come on!
"Wow,it works,Mmm I've changed my mind I'm leaving black behind...thought I'd look daft in such a bold colour this time of the year and everything.Thanks very much for being a great,great help!"Panic over with,she likes and I'm chuffed to see her take the coloured skinny jeans over to the till point,leaving behind the many shades of erm,black on the rejection clothes rail...


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Why do we find it so very difficult to bin the black?Okay it's pouring it down outside,still must we allow such miserable weather conditions dampen and distort our crush on colour?When the weather is bleak I can't help but crank up the colour volume,the higher and brighter the better job it does of distracting my attention from the thick blackish grey clouds that loom up above my head.To eliminate and altogether erase colours from our A/W style diet fails to make any logic to me...swapping reds,pinks,blues,yellows etc's for sorry shades of grey?Self inflicting seasonal affect disorder on ourselves and our colour/print deprived wardrobe,eh,what is all that about?Why is not wearing black such a stubborn style/fashion hurdle that many of us can't grasp thus tumbling into a depressing downward spiral of darks-blues,greys,b-l-a-c-k-s forever playing it safe.Sticking like glue to our good old,trusty,reliable and familiar autumn/winter plain cardigans and of course black jeans/leggings and jeggings let us not forget those biege ugg boots.YAWN'AH.Is it not about time we depart from traditional dull A/W trend and traditions?I'm not demanding you to dive into an array of loud clashing prints and neon wellies (though that does sound like fun and very appealing),dip your toes into coloured opaques,coat your nails with gold varnish paint,buy that bright blue duffel coat.If your a little autumn/winter colour timid and fearful of fully committing yourself to such high doses of colour and print?Why not experiment and dabble with the humble accessory?When your feeling more confident and brave,step into a pair of killer red suede shoe boots.Before you know it your soon be not-wearing-black.Boom.On the bright side you have arrived.

AUTUMN HEARTS

I adore autumn!There's numerous reasons why I heart this chilly season I love how the pavement is graffitied by mother nature with splashes of orange,reds,yellows and coppers courtesy of the delicate leafs which shower down,an exciting reminder that Halloween and fire work night is around the corner.Enough of the tree hugging deep musings...on a more shallow style note,autumn indicates the end of a wave of fashion sins (stop reading now if your a maxi kinda gal)i.e tiresome 'classic' summer statement pieces.Which never fail to utterly bore the hell out of me.Leaving the wardrobe and I feeling a bit jaded and bemused.Paisley printed maxi dresses, espadrilles,and tribal themed accessories I'm talking to you!Meh meh meh-meh.
That's all I wish to say to you lot.I really hope those fashion magazine A/W trend predictions fall flat on their face...maxi dresses following right through to autumn:don't go spoil my autumn fun trend setters.And boooooo to the maxi massive crews out there who insist on keeping this trend going strong,just please take a moment to consider the under average height woman (*cough* yes that would be bitter I)for the maxi causes nothing other than misery for us.For they will forever be out of bounds,due to the hazardous indications involved.Tripping and tumbling over the long hem...it's about time us shorties and maxi haters unite,kick up a fuss and crank up the A/W trend rebellion.Say no to maxi skirts,maxi dresses and the maxi mania in general,it taunts us all summer long and to discover it may just stick around and taunt us during autumn/winter is like Vogues idea of a sick,sick joke.
Whilst it's still mild and ever so slightly sunny outside be bold,be brave and do the unthinkable my friends...go short.Allow opaque and knitted tights to be your new best friend,yes there's a very high and real possibility of receiving amused frowns from strangers.And yes they will regard and write you off as being both highly delusional and stuck in a state of seasonal denial as you shiver after work waiting for your train/bus/taxi to roll up and save your knees and ankles from frost bite.But were in this fashion revolution together,I'll go first with this Mondays totally weather inappropriate outfit (see below).






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My items...
Heart print skirt,£4.50 thrift
Blouse,£8.00,Peacocks
Shoulder purse,£3.00,thrift

TAKE AWAY STYLE

Clock watching something I excel at come almost lunch time at work.Eyes fixated on the clock stalking the big hand as it Very.Slowly.Ticks away and around every second going just that tiny bit slower than the last,'tut.Has the clock just froze?Come on already budge,move just please do something,ah time stop being stubborn.'
Okay ten minutes to pass,keep busy must keep busy or else time will draaaaaag out,hmm what to do with myself..?I'll divert my attention to,to..to the bloody clock again...urgh nope no good them minutes aren't passing by as quick as I'd like right now.If them minutes are even passing at all?I may just grab a ladder,climb up and give that frigging smug clock a good shake,perhaps that will encourage the big hand to finally hit the old 12 o'clock.May receive some funny looks though,so best not.
Yikes did you see that?It moved the big hand actually moved,them tick tocks are getting louder and it's like music to my ears.Tick tock tick tock tick...1pm laters I'm outta here folks!
Run upstairs,two steps at a time invade locker grab jacket,bag,purse and ready-set-go!Tis lunch time and I am starrrving.For a sale.My feet pound the pavement,one problem.I'm not the only one on a lunch break,and other busy working ants keep getting in my way,move it.This girl is on a mission.And if you don't step to one side,out of my way things will get ugly.Come on,come on keep a moving peoples stop blocking my route.Route being Newlook by-the-by just don't tell Peacocks I'm having an dirty little affair with out retail enemy/competition on the sly at lunch time.
You may call it infidelity,I prefer to think of myself as a hero of the highstreet? We all have targets/budgets to meet which is tough during these cash strapped times
and I'm doing my very best to keep those tills ringing for all!Besides I'm smitten with several floaty pieces at Newlook,pieces my purse wouldn't allow me to stretch to during those bygone summer months.I don't find the idea of abusing store cards much appealing(such evil store card is currently both dominating and destroying my
fashion addict friends life,ever partial to shoes and now paying more than triple the original price for a pair of suede platform booties dating far back as July.
Pro tip* wait my wise ones,sales are never too far away your time will come.Store cards are not your new best friend,she will stab you in the back and possibly erase your bank account too)signing up to a store card is, essentially signing up for a debt death sentence!Anyhoo's I see it,I see it!Ekk the big bright red sale banner splashed across the stores window,swoon heart is beating faster,the suspense is killing me.Here I am,I've arrived and only for a split second do I consider turning around and out using my cash for it's original purpose-lunch,'umm sandwich or sales..?'the scale in my head is tilting towards the sales,my mild hunger pains shall not over ride this decision,meh I'll grab a smoothie on my sprint back to work.
Time is running away whilst I speed through the rails desperate to find a bird print silk blouse I kept crushing on back in August.I discard all other temptations that stick out from the bulging sale rails poking me in the arm almost gaining my attention testing my willpower but failing as I remain focused on the task at hand...snagging that bird blouse which surely must be hiding somewhere within all these reductions.Come out,come out where ever you are?Well what do you know I spot one on the rejection rail by the fitting rooms,anticipation is crippling,'If there's a God or any good in this world,birdie top will be my size.' Squinting one eye half closed I gingerly flip reverse the swing ticket and choose to ignore the size 10 hanger.Pretty please be on the incorrect clothes hanger...I can't look.I have to look,'keep your shit together,and whatever you do do-not-cry if the tag reveals the ugly truth and no cursing size 10 women either.In short don't make a scene'
Result it's a size 12,it's mine all mine ha-ha-ha (insert cartoon villain evil laugh)
bird in the bag and hunger pains interrupting and spoiling my moment of glory I dash back to work slurping down an extra thick fruit smoothie and swallowing a whole kitkat chunky.Guilt from my love affair with our competition (Peacocks vs Newlook) kicks in,I feel compelled to purchase something just as a form of apology we kiss and make up via one stunning cream crochet lace chiffon frock (see below)






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Sale items...
Silk bird top,Newlook,£5.00
Dress,Peacocks,£15.00 plus staff discount i.e bargain indeed.

THE GIRLS A GEEK?

Hmm should I even admit to absolutely frigging enjoy indulging in all the weekend newspaper fashion supplement's?I literally feel this huge big old empty void during my weekends whenever I fail to pick my stash of fashion supplement's from the local newsagents.Heck I've even been known to go to extremes.Such as bumping someone out my way,in the desperate bid to bag the last Sunday newspaper...I'm not proud of it,however I just can't cope with out my weekly instalment of the brilliant and witty Mimi Spencer (gawwwd I heart her,and Mimi is now at the beginning of You horrahhs 'bou time too You magazine!)and the'Fashion Foward'features.Yesterday my heart fluttered with You's choice of librarian inspired pieces.As I have this secret ambition of becoming a librarian,Okay so the secret is now out of the bag and no longer really much of a secret.Seriously in my life back up plan list (I.Do.Love.A.List)libarian is plan D.I'm considering editing my back up plan list though and adjusting librarian to plan C after falling head over heels in love with You's librarian fashion feature (see below)The styling made my heart swoon so much so in fact I was drooling on the pages.With a clashing array of leopard and polkdot prints,giant bows,bright stripes,fun chunky plastic bangles/statement bling'in rings,and a neon dose of yellow lace to boot.Thus making my librarian ambition so much more cooler,acceptable and,well,stylish too!





images courtesy of You mag