Gucci 1940s fur collar, Autumn/Winter 2011

Now that a few people know that I have a fashion blog, it means I do get random requests for fashion advice! This has so far ranged from “What cover-up should I wear with this dress for a wedding?” to  “Which denier of tights should I buy so my legs are covered enough?” (Er, this is the kind of thing you should either know by now or should be asking your Gran about.)

Some are easier to answer than others – but I got a question recently that was a no-brainer: “Shall I buy this leather jacket with a detachable faux-fur collar? I’m not sure if it’s me…” To this I was able to say a resounding “Yes. Buy it immediately, it will go with everything.” And that, is basically the theme of this blog post.

Miu Miu 1940s dress, Autumn/Winter 2011

It’s about now that we start to think about the dreaded ‘C’ word, realise we’re all skint and that we’ll have to fish out the same dress we wore two years ago for the office Christmas do. Nothing much wrong with that if it’s a little black dress, but let’s face it, it would be more fun to get something new.

Fear not. The faux-fur collar is the answer and will become your best (furry) friend over the next 4 weeks if you choose to tie one around your neck. It is the easiest way to make an old dress look like new and is very ‘now’ as it will be a firm nod to the 1940s trend that has been championed by Miu Miu and Gucci for Autumn Winter 2011.

Faux-fur collar from ASOS

Mine is from ASOS and was a tenner in the sale. (This feather one from Miu Miu will set you back £440.) I’ve added it to a dress I bought a few years ago from Dorothy Perkins, which has a lace panel at the top. It seems that black lace dresses are standing the test of time – they are still all over the high street right now. I think this gives the dress a cheap and cheerful update and strikes just the right balance between demure and glamorous.

You can also wear the collar over your winter coat on the way to wherever you’re going, updating your coat at the same time. Then when all the Christmas fun is over you can wear it over a cardigan or jumper on chilly days in the office. You can really get a lot out of it!

I also have to tell you more about the shoes. They are possibly the most beautiful shoes I’ve ever owned. Purchased as an early Christmas present, courtesy of a family donation, (cheers parents!) they are also the most expensive I’ve ever owned at £89.99. But boy are they great. Burnished gold snakeskin platforms – the classy 70s kind, not the stripper variety – with a satisfyingly clunky heel. What’s not to love?

They are from the most un-coolest shoe range ever: Mary Portas for Clarks. But I DON’T care…they even have a cushion inside for ultra-comfort. I’ve tried them out doing some samba dancing at a wedding and they were great (but that’s another story….)

Gold shoes from Clarks

Masculine-inspired looks

Hello again, it seems I have neglected to update my blog since April – where has the time gone! To be honest though, summer fashion always passes me by a bit. If I go abroad I tend to do breton stripes, capri pants and other attempts at ‘off duty Coco/Bardot’ – regardless of what is supposed to be the trend of the time. And if I stay in the UK? Well, let’s just say I still manage to wear my brogue boots and black tights every other day, in accordance with our clichéd British weather. My only nod to S/S 2011 trends have been the previously mentioned pleats, some nude/terracotta coloured items and a midi-skirt that I know will see me through the Autumn (with those tights again!)

So now we’re all talking about Autumn/Winter 2011 and what trends do the designers have in store for us for the next few months? This season we’re looking at a mash-up of fetish from Louis Vuitton (buckles and leather harnesses anyone?), 1940s revival gear in glorious jewel hues with lashings of (faux?) fur from Gucci and the ‘androgynous’ look,  which is what I’ve been trying out recently. Dolce & Gabbana, usually known for their ultra-feminine and figure hugging dresses, have given this a go as well – featuring chiselled models with quiffs and braces. All rather ice-cool.

Malene Birger Autumn Winter 2011

But you know the score by now. We need to work on this a bit! What can you do if you want to try this look but don’t have a boyish figure or simply find it all a bit starchy? How can you loosen it up while also fitting it around a rounder shape? Fabric. In my view, it’s all about fabric! Swapping a stiff bright-white shirt for a buttery vintage silk blouse is a step in the right direction. Then replacing flat-fronted, suit-style trousers with a pair of cocktail trousers in a slinky fabric (a curvy peg shape from 2010, if it matters) means I’m almost done. Not bothering with the constraints of jackets and waistcoats that designers insist on will only succeed in making it look all the more effortless – always a good thing. (Just think: ‘What would Coco do?’)

Boy meets girl

So, to break it down – my silk blouse is from a local vintage shop and was a dream purchase not least because of its (faux!) pearl encrusted collar. The velvet ‘tie’ is a length of ribbon from ebay (or cheat and get a clip on one from asos), my trousers are by Love Label and the tan brogue shoe-boots are from Office – they are my favourite purchase of the year so far. I wore this out to a museum opening recently and it was cool to feel dressed up without wearing a dress for a change.

If all that is a bit too much for daytime then simply choose a shirt you like, perhaps with some polka dots, as then you’ll be hitting two trends at once. Win!

Navy pleated dress, Love Label

Anyway, this month we are looking at pleats. I find them to be delightfully prim and ideal for when you are having a ladylike moment. Marie Claire have listed a dizzying array of different varieties of pleats, including box pleats, knife-edge pleats and accordian pleats. If anyone knows the difference between an accordian pleat and a knife-edge pleat (or if anyone cares) please leave me a comment!

My dress is by Love Label (from Very.co.uk) and has quite crisp pleats. Thankfully it is made of the kind of material that keeps its shape perfectly even after washing, which is essential for any pleated purchase I think. You don’t want to have to iron them back in or something! I like the long, sheer sleeves and the pussy bow detail, which is demure in spite of the shorter length. I am also addicted to navy – this dress would look a bit funereal if it was in black, for example. I have added my own belt as it was a little loose on the waist, which is from my local vintage shop. I obviously have on my trusty tights and black ankle boots from Office. Not terribly Spring-like, but did you see the hailstones the other day?!

I was going to include a photo of a dress from the Henry Holland catwalk show for Spring/Summer 2011, but I got so distressed by the extreme thinness of the models I saw when researching that I couldn’t bring myself to include the photo here. Instead I’ve linked to it here, as it is a lovely dress anyway. Instead, here is a rather cheeky looking model wearing a good example of a cool pleated skirt, from the Asos Curve range. It hits two trends at once as it is also midi-length, so that’s a big win in my book. Also check out Elle’s street style feature, for examples of dressing down pleats by teaming longer skirts with Converse trainers or brogues.

Brights spread in February's Marie Claire

Yes, yes, yes, thank you D&G for stating the blindingly obvious! Florals for spring? Sigh. Even Meryl Streep’s magazine editor character (Miranda Priestly) in The Devil Wears Prada said: ‘Florals? For spring? Ground breaking.’ And I’m inclined to agree.

Although some of the brights and colour blocking  that are going to be massive this spring/summer are a bit eye-watering, at least they’re interesting. Technically, I think colour blocking should include a couple of clashing colours worn at the same time (red and green? yellow and purple?) but it’s probably better for us mere mortals to choose just one bright colour and keep the rest simple.

Some glorious examples from the runway include Dior’s South Pacific-inspired collection, with beautiful peacock blues and hot pinks and Gucci’s slick jewel colours.

Jewel colours - Gucci Spring/Summer 2011

My outfit for this month is definitely one of a kind! It started life as a vintage 1970s floor-length cocktail dress with long sleeves. I bought it in Sao Paulo from a brechó (vintage shop) housed in a disused church and decided it was ripe for a bit of upcycling. I removed the sleeves and cut off the bottom in quite a haphazard way, as I wanted to wear it onstage for a gig with my band (therefore it needed to be a bit punk/messy). As a result I wouldn’t want to show you the back of the dress as it has been hacked up, pinned back together and generally customised to within an inch of its life!

I love the colour – green is such an under-used colour and more blondes should definitely give it a go. I’ve kept the rest of it fairly simple, with black tights and kitten heels (ankle boots would also be great, but mine are currently at the shoe doctor) my bashed up leather jacket (Pop Boutique), plaited belt (Urban Outfitters) and gold chain necklace. I toyed with the idea of red wedges but decided in the end it wasn’t for me. Bright red lipstick is totally me though, so I say add some extra colour that way if you don’t feel too brave.

Lighten up a grey day with a bright dress

How to do the longer length - Elle, February 2011

So it’s now 2011 – and my Tight Fit Girl blog is one year old! A new year, so a new set of fashion rules to examine, possibly adapt and with some -  ignore altogether (see Elle’s feature on ‘Everyone’s wearing tangerine’ - I rest my case). I was going to do a post on slouchy women’s tux-style outfit - complete with polka-dot cravat - that I tried out on a recent trip to an art gallery.  However, this outfit does require a degree of effort to wear - it’s the kind of thing you enjoy wearing out but take off as soon as you get in the house and replace with some PJs. 

So as January wore on, I started to lose the will to dress up in this outfit again and today I settled on showing you the outfit I wore to Tescos to buy brunch! Not the usual way I try out a new trend, but I was in the mood for something comfy and reasonably warm, so I ended up having a go at the ‘new’ longer hemline that has been appearing for the new season.

Street style versions of long dresses

I think it all kicked off with Jil Sander and her minimalist column skirt and plain t-shirt combo. Of course copying this look exactly requires that you have the figure of a baby giraffe, so initially this wasn’t a trend I wanted to get on board with. I only really got excited about it after seeing February’s issue of Elle and their ‘how to do the longer length’ feature, which showed street style (albeit of models and fashion types) versions of this trend in everything from cotton day dresses to floaty, see-through chiffon numbers. This was more of a fluid and easy-to-wear look, rather than the cold structural styles from the catwalk. Now everyone from Primark to Prada have adopted this longer hemline – basically this means anything from on-the-knee, to skimming the floor. So now Elle online is proclaiming ‘Everyone’s wearing long dresses’ with lots of variations to give you some ideas. 

Working the granny-meets-boho-meets-Narnia look for Spring/Summer 2011

So, onto my version. I have gone for a bit of a granny-meets-boho look, with a nipped in waist and my current favourite boots – brown lace ups with a chunky heel. Needless to say, this is not really a boy pleasing outfit (or ‘Wan for the boys’ as Gok would say. Ahem). But really, life is too short to be thinking about such things! I’d say this was perfect for hanging out with your friends and drinking tea. Or gin. I got my dress from the Hell’s Kitchen flea market in New York, my brown plaited belt is from Urban Outfitters, the cardigan is from Dotty Ps (that’s the granny bit!) and the boots are from Ebay. I’ve tried to bling it up a bit with a major cocktail ring from Accessorise and a heart pendant from a street vendor in Rio. (The hair bow is possibly a bit Chronicles of Narnia, but nevermind).

I also have my eye on this ace long day dress – in black -  from ASOS so I think I might be wearing more longer hemlines in the months to come…

Risky red for your Christmas partywear

In the fashion press, Instyle (below) have been telling us that ‘…red is the new black’ (sigh!) and Stylist magazine noted that ‘The red dress was declared winter’s party must-wear’. I think red is a bit of a risk at any time of the year, but at Christmas you are walking a fine line between ’Vibrant Party Girl’ and ’Santa’s Little Helper’. I’m hoping that I’m managing to achieve the former with this red wool number from Primark, which includes ace little brown    (p)leather buckles on each side. This bit of detail can allow me to pretend that it’s possibly Vivienne Westwood rather than bargain basement high street. It is amazingly well cut for a £15 dress and is even lined in red satiny material.

Buckle detail

However, the element of risk goes up further with it being from Primark as there is a strong possibility that I may see someone else in the same dress (this seems to happen frequently with clothes from there!) If this happens Christmas cheer will be abandoned and eyes will of course be duly scratched out.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Versus

This month I’m giving a nod to the ‘great outdoors’ or the ‘English heritage’ trend, which is both cool and (reasonably) practical for winter. This basically involves; cord, tweed, knitwear, shearling and a cracking pair of lace-up boots, preferably in a hiking style.

Burberry Prorsum aviator jacket

The fashion holy grail for A/W 2010 is of course the aviator jacket, furry, leathery, warm and chic when slung over anything from a boring t-shirt to a slinky dress. But as (like most of us) I don’t have a spare £2000 burning a hole in my pocket, instead I opted for taking my ancient leather jacket and customising it with a piece of luxurious fake fur from John Lewis.

My top is actually the aforementioned BHS nightie (bought years ago to wear onstage while going through a Courtney phase) and is probably not that great for wearing outside right now, but are we not pioneers of fashion who must fly in the face of practicality in the name of style? Anyway, my cord peg trousers are from ASOS, my necklace is from a street vendor in Brazil and my ankle boots are vintage from ebay. Put it all together with a dash of deep berry lipstick and you get something slouchy, stylish and (fairly) warm. Check back in a couple of weeks time for my Christmas partywear blog special!

A budget version of the great outdoors fashion trend

I’m pleased about the resurgence of leopard print – especially the femme fatale styles from D&G’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection. Even though I already have a dress in said pattern, I couldn’t resist this cardigan in Mr. Man’s wardrobe.  I’ve seen a lot of fashion writers saying “Ooh leopard print, it’s a bit Pat Butcher/Bet Lynch but you can get away with it.” I think this is a bit ridiculous – as unless you actually dress like a hard-faced soap character/barmaid in general (blue eye shadow, stockings, huge, gold plastic earrings) you’re not suddenly going to look like one if you wear a bit of animal print!

Originally from Wallis, the cardigan was second hand even when he bought it, so its certainly been value for money and it’s still in great condition. The t-shirt is also his. You can’t quite see the slogan at the bottom but it says ‘Eat the rich’ and is from Worn By - a cool online store that sells t-shirts with copies of designs that famous musicians have worn. This one is a design that Patti Smith wore in the 70s. I have my own t-shirt by Worn By as well - a ‘Doctor X’ design copied from a Debbie Harry outfit. 

Leopard print for Autumn/Winter 2010

I bought these trousers when I couldn’t wear them yet because of my plaster cast – they are from Love Label. I’m not convinced whether I like them yet as they are what some people have called a ‘difficult trouser shape’ and admittedly seem to be slightly MC Hammer in style (Mr. Man had a distinctly bemused expression when taking my photo.) But I will persevere as I like the fact that they are really high waisted and are made of a lovely silky fabric, making them great for going out. My specs are from Ebay and even though they are fake and probably slightly ‘fashiony’ I don’t care – they are fun to wear! (Everyone at London Fashion Week apparently had a pair daaahrling!)

During London Fashion Week recently, there were a few flashes of animal print from Burberry and Vivienne Westwood - so it looks like this trend is here to stay for Spring/Summer 2011. So don’t be afraid, leopard print is grrrrrreat.

Dolce & Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2010

Mini evening cape

Yes, capes really are the way to go for A/W 2010. Dave Lizewski (aka Kick Ass), may have thought they were naff for his super-hero alter ego, but we know better, right? I realised recently that I actually own about four capes – this is probably a bit excessive. But in my defence, this has been a continuing love affair for many years so that’s why I have so many.  

Capes are great as they are not only a ’stand out from the crowd’ item, they also can be intensely practical and useful for different occasions. I have: a sublimely ridiculous cape/tippet made of amber coloured feathers with a cream sash (suitable for the stage only),  an elbow length, cable-knit cape for work when the heating fails (brrrr it’s freezing in that office), a shoulder length velvet-ish cape with fancy edging and a collar (best accessorised with a garish cocktail) and a black hip length coat/cape for swishing about outdoors (my partner calls this ‘the child-catcher cape’. Nice.) I can’t tell you the joy of sweeping into your local butty shop at lunch-time while wearing a cape, red lipstick and a feather hair band. Capes make weekday afternoons fun. Fact. 

Wool outdoor cape

So what is the fashion-y catwalk take on all this? The Telegraph is calling it the ‘star’ of the A/W 2010 wardrobe and featured this slouchy Aquascutum version. Vogue were frothing at the mouth over capes made of ’look at me’ shaggy emerald fur, embroidered fabrics and austere, plain, blanket styles.  

I am showing you two of my capes – both black, but I think they are better being plain otherwise it all gets a bit over the top (OTT, moi?!) I bought the shorter, evening cape from a vintage stall and the longer cape is from M&S Limited Collection, which I got off ebay a year or so ago. I’ve added a big brooch to the longer one to give a bit of detail – it’s an ‘old gold’ metal flower which I got from Oxfam. The hairband finishes it all off nicely with a touch of green-black feathers.

My fave from the current crop of capes is this 1960′s inspired number by Issa featured in Marie Claire - it’s been put together with metallic trousers and a mega-quiff for a sort of vamped-up Breakfast at Tiffany’s look that is really cool. So while some will mock and misunderstand, (childcatcher? Pfff!) I say go for that cape and be proud! 

p.s. Standing on one leg in a heavy wool cape, on a sunny day, is not to be recommended.

Issa cape for Autumn/Winter 2010/11

Now this trend won’t come as a massive newsflash I’m sure. Metallics are a staple that come back time and time again and are always a great option for a special occasion, when you can bear to part with your LBD. I went to my first ever award ceremony recently (didn’t win and had to do a ‘gracious loser’ face) and was desperate to find a cool cocktail dress that wasn’t a) frilly, b) strapless/prom dressy c) black. This was more difficult that you might imagine, as absolutely everything seemed to fit into at least one of these catagories. I finally found this slinky dress on ebay, that not only fitted with the current metallic and utility/military trends, it also tipped a wink to my obsession with old hollywood glamour.

It is from Next and I love the feel of it as it is 100% silk, plus the wrap around shape works well for the curvier figure. The muted ‘old gold’ colour feels glam without being too over the top – seeing as we were going to a conference centre, not the Oscars. On the night I teamed it with Johnathan Aston flesh coloured tights with 1940s-style black seams and black peep-toe heels with gold bows from Office. My beaded hair band is from Urban Outfitters. If we look at the catwalk, this stunning metallic side-tie dress from Christian Dior shows that old-school, high-octane glamour never goes out of style.

Gold silk dress for old Hollywood glam

High-octane metallic glamour from Dior