I am a WINNER!

Ooo, I'm very excited as I have received my very first blogging award from http://sweetlisette.blogspot.com/ !(If anybody does know how to make a link clickable - the picture at the top isn't working - please do tell me, thanks!)


Thank you so much Lisette, you are indeed very sweet! I will follow the instructions that came with the award when I am not about to drop off my perch with tiredness!

Thanks also to all my followers (nice and cliched, but I am grateful!) - I wrote a while ago that my blog was about as popular as Hitler (obviously a bad thing), but I feel that it is definitely more popular than Hitler now - and that can only ever be a good thing!

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like...

Here is a picture of myself on my very first day at University two years ago, looking rather like a chipmunk crossed with a scarecrow (my typical look of late, sadly) but I have not simply put a photograph of my 'fabulous' face for you all to 'admire' - oh no. The fact is I am on my bicycle and, oh yes, I do love to ride my bicycle at all times - and so should you!

A lot has been written lately about bicycles and a crop of blogs - perhaps most notably the one based in Copenhagen - have emerged on the very topic. Bicycles seem to add something to every photograph - an outfit seems to become significantly more stylish and au courant if a bike is involved. And on a totally non-fashion level, I truly believe that there are not many feelings better than going on a lovely bike ride through the countryside, wearing some lovely shorts and feeling the wind in your hair. That is, of course, only in theory, as the truth is that real bicycling is often far less glamorous and sports clothing is never at the top of my style agenda. Although my very first appearance on (television) camera took place on a bicycle and I'm sure my 7-year old self looked extremely glamorous (!), I do envy my University housemate Clair who cycles the three or so miles onto campus every day (whilst I drive in, like a fatty) and always arrives without a single hair out of place. I didn't realise it was possible to have bicycle envy until this year, but apparently it is!

But from fashion shoots, to the very vintage English countryside image of a spinster cycling to evensong with a bike basket, to Audrey Hepburn (plus small dog) on a film set, to the Chanel bike which I would give, quite literally, anything for, to Francoise Hardly in striped shorts on hers and even to Angela Lansbury in the opening credits of Murder, She Wrote (the ultimate television programme), you will always look better on a bicycle (as long as you're not actually cycling)!

Not an Enormous Harry Potter fan, I haven't even read all of the books...

...But I want to go to Harry Potter world NOW, please!

Jack Kills (fashion)

Jack Wills... What on earth can I say about Jack Wills? The 'label', typically the preserve of the wannabe-Sloane Ranger who considers 'sweatpants' the height of chic, seems to have come (relatively) up trumps with their latest collection.

Although they have not turned their back on the £60 tracksuit bottoms and £80 hoodies (which, I think, are just too cheap - sarcasm...) which are emblazoned with self advertisement (it must be fabulous to wear a hoodie with 'Jack' slapped across it if you're name is Jack but otherwise not so much), they have some cracked out some actually pretty decent pieces which look more fashion than wannabesloanetastic. I do hope they continue to move in that direction - it would perhaps lead to a Sloane Square and Kings Road more representative of its heyday rather than crawling with individuals rather than a heard of hoodie and tracksuit bottom-wearing, enormous haired sheep. One day... perhaps, but I don't hold out much hope.



Rather kitsch and 1950s influenced rather than the standard navy and pink stripes (not that I am entirely against navy and pink together per se...)

Tres classique. I want.

Fairly standard, but still rather cute

Preppy, but American prepesque which is far preferable to the English prep 'look'

Again, classic but cute - although in stealing this picture from the website, I noticed that you can only see the back of them, haha - excellent photography!

Perhaps not entirely fashionable, but I can totally picture myself skipping around a field with lambs whilst wearing it. Yes, I know I am strange...

I have something very similar in my wardrobe from Topshop last year - perhaps they ripped it off?! Regardless, I think it's fabulous - I love a bit of jaquard, depsite the fact that my friends say that when I'm wearing it, it looks like I'm dressing up as a carpet. Lovely.

And when you thought it was all going so well, they go and spoil it all with something hideous like these long johns. My God, aren't they hideous?! Suitable for golfing attire of elderly mad men and not much else, dear oh dear. And that, dear reader, is why I won't be financially supporting the haus of Jack Wills any time soon...

Tragic News for all Concerned

I found out today that I have an exam on my birthday this year. And not just any exam either, it's Italian AKA the worst exam I'll ever have to take as I am officially useless at Italian despite my efforts... And that's not the worst part - no! The birthday in question will be none other than my 21st. Fantastic. Oh yes, and I neglected to mention the exam will be at 9 o'clock in. the. morning. I am the biggest night owl of all time so this just adds to the horror of the already dreadful situation. I hadn't really envisioned spending the last birthday of my youth in a smelly exam hall, attempting to understand some gibberish rather than having a fabulous time with my family and friends back home in the shire (of Kent) but no. Not this year.

Although I've always been very pleased with the positioning of my birthday (which is on the 22nd June if you're interested, feel free to send cards & presents!) as it's usually sunny and smack bang in the middle of the year (which is fabulous in that it's half way to Christmas on my birthday and half way to my birthday at Christmas. Perfect!), it's not the first time this utterly tragic situation has occurred. No, I had a physics (physics!) exam on my 16th birthday and despite the fact that physics is quite literally the worst subject known to man (or just to me, depending on your opinion), it wasn't entirely disastrous as I got taken to the Ritz for tea afterwards to make up for the horror of my morning exam.

However, this year will be different. I am at university at Warwick which is not so much in Warwick (which would natch be fairly acceptable) but far closer to the 'joys' of Coventry. And there is no Ritz in Coventry. Perhaps a Ritz hostel but definitely no Ritz hotel.

The truth of the situation isn't quite sinking in yet although I have been telling off my Mother for having me prematurely and not at a 'sensible time' - ie. two weeks later in July, when I was due and when exam season will be well and truly over.

Oh well, it's not (entirely) the end of the world. I still fully intend to dress myself up to the nines (less so for the exam hall), do an Alice in Wonderland-style 'unbirthday' at a time more convenient to those bloody scheister (sorry) examiners at the university and perhaps even write on the exam script -


'Dear Mr. Examiner,

Please try not to be too much of a scheister and fail me too badly - it's my birthday today!

Thanks dear'


What fabulous birthday plans!

Ask Me Anything...

I'd never heard of formspring until literally last week - apparently it's been around for ages... However, I am jumping on the bandwagon (I seem to be doing that a lot lately) - better late than never, as I always say!

http://www.formspring.me/Saskatoon22

A Life Philosophy...

There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.

Bernard-Paul Heroux


Do you ever feel that there is simply nothing more pleasant in the entire world than a nice cup of tea?

Wouldn't you rather just sit somewhere peaceful with the delicious delicacy warming your hands and reflect on the day you've just had rather than do anything else... at all?

In today's culture of vulgarity, promiscuity and ridiculous amounts of peer pressure, wouldn't you just rather give up the drinking, the drugs, the 'wicked' nights out and just stay at home, put on your 'Jane Austen character attitude hat' and drink a nice cup of tea and think happy, pure, peaceful thoughts?

I truly believe that there is no greater pleasure available than a cup of tea. It should be embraced to the full extent - tea parties, tea time etc should be compulsory for all. It can't fail to make the world a better place.

I'd quite simply rather have a cup of tea.

Jumping on the Oscars Fashion Bandwagon (or Caterpillar Fancy Dress)

Because I am officially a 'student', I spend approximately 99% of my time procrastinating, and the remaining 1% actually working. This moment in time is being dedicated to my very favourite hobby of procrastination; rather that than writing a 'wonderful' essay on the overly thrilling debate concerning the possibility of the existence of pre-modern atheists (or not). I know, I know. Horrific.

Anyway, I have decided to write about Sunday night's Oscar dresses... I remember doing a house assembly on the subject at school when I was about 14 (house assemblies were a tradition at my bobby dazzling school - I'm not sure if the same applies to every other school but rather than talk about anything serious, I always chose to talk about fashion and costume. Oh dear - or oh good, depending on how you look at it). These assemblies always went down pretty well and so I thought I would revisit my small 14 year old self and get cracking with some Oscar dress reviews.

I don't often get overly excited about 'celebrity style' (or about celebrity culture overall - apart from Angela Lansbury - more on that another time...) and these Oscars were absolutely no exception. There were literally only three or four dresses which passed my very tough 'style-o-meter' (I have never used that expression before and you can rest assured that I will most probably never use it again), the others were absolute bobby dazzlers (and not in the good sense). I will give my opinion on a few now - because, as I have said before, my loyal followers (myself) care so much for my amazing opinions... Oh well, it sure as hell beats writing about olden day atheists...

Ps. This is almost a week after the event - decades in fashion terms - but don't blame me, blame blogspot - my pictures absolutely refused to upload. Disaster.

THE GOOD


This got rather a lot of criticism in the press for looking like a 'loo roll holder' (vulgar) but in actual fact I really like it. I think that Amanda Seyfried looks very stylish and the look harks back to the 'golden age' of Hollywood glamour. Very chic and glamorous - an excellent combination.

Whilst not usually a fan of Cameron Diaz's outfits - she often looks rather scruffy - I think she looks great here. It's more the hair than the dress though, to be honest, it looks fantastic and is inspiring me for the summer!

I love my cliches and I'm about to use an absolute bobby dazzler now - Diane Kruger quite literally never puts a foot wrong when it comes to clothing. This is beautiful - so avant garde, individual and different from the standard actress uniform of a little black dress, I think it must be her Europeaness which makes her so stylish. Perhaps not her best look ever ever, but it certainly works for me.

Whilst I will readily admit to never taking any notice whatsoever of Demi Moore (I will quite readily admit that I've never seen one of her films and probably never intend to and have never seen her wear anything particularly thrilling), I thought that her Oscar dress was literal perfection. The colour, the shape, the detailing, just the general 'atmosphere' of it are absolutely wonderful. I can't really express how much I love it and what I wouldn't give to have it in my wardrobe... I would say, for me, this was the best dress of the entire 2010 Oscars. Beautiful.

THE BAD


To me, Kate Winslet's outfits are always dull, dull, dull. To the rest of the fashion press, she looks 'fabulous'. I'm sticking with my own opinion on this occasion. This dress is an asbolute shocker - she looks like she got stuck in a toaster and couldn't make it in time for the Oscars and so decided to go in fancy dress... as a toaster. Disastrous.


Oh dear. So unflattering - it reminds me of when I got wrapped in bubblewrap and ended up looking like Tweedle Dum (or Dee, for that matter). The fabric is horrendous and it just does not look good. At all.

I don't really know why I've put this one in the 'bad' catergory to be honest. I don't think Charlize Theron's dress was as bad as the assembled fashion commentators of the world made out. It is obviously a bit 'out there' and doesn't come close to the dresses in my 'good' section, but it's okay. Perhaps I should change this to the 'Okay' section? Perhaps not.

AND THE BUGGERY UGLY



Oh dear God. Where do I start? Mariah Carey cannot dress at all. This would look out of place even at a Saturday night in Essex at a particularly chavtastic nightclub. All of the fashion press agree it's an utter disaster - so unbelievably un-Oscarlike I have to use another cliche - what was she thinking?!

Surprisingly, this dress did not crash and burn as I expected it to when I first set eyes about its monstrous being. It. Is. Hideous. The sparkly top of it is pretty nice but the rest of it looks like a costume trying to be a caterpillar just going into its cocoon and failing badly. It's just caterpillar fancy dress. Not good. AND she was in Avatar - AKA the worst film ever made. I demand those two and a half hours of my life I spent watching its utter awfulness back. So even if her outfit was perfect I'd always think, "That's the woman who was in that truly heinous war film with blue people".

Fashion Heaven

I have just visited the Guardian 'Life & Style' section (as I do on a daily basis) and have come across what I consider to the absolute epitome of style heaven - Rosamund Pike channelling Grace Kelly in Monaco. I simply had to blog about it (despite my total lack of readers) because it is quite literally amazing. My admiration for those two women knows no bounds - Pike's portrayal of Helen in 'An Education' was so clever and amusing (and not to mention incredibly stylish) that it practically made my 2009 (I am that tragic) and Grace Kelly is an absolute hero, both in style terms and in general. I do feel that Rosamund Pike is the modern day Grace Kelly (a cliché I know, but I don't think any other actress around today fits the bill to quite such an extent) - she is a truly fantastic actress (I've seen her on stage a number of times) and certainly reminiscent of Kelly. This photo shoot, then, makes me think I've died and gone to fashion heaven - I only wish I could have still been interning at the Guardian when it was going on!








(When I grow up, this is what I want to look like. It is the absolute pinnacle of style and pure coolness - there is no better word. Fantastic.)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2010/mar/13/fashion-fashion-designers?picture=360318742

Kitler

My blog is about as popular as Hitler. Fantastic. (I am being sarcastic.)

Wish List

(Or I wish I wasn't a poverty stricken student...)