My Personal Style Resolutions #15: Skinni Peach

Hey Licentiate readers! My name is Dawn and Im the little lady behind Skinni Peach (the skinny on all things peachy). My blog is heavy on beauty ramblings with hints of fashion bits here and there. I write the beauty and fashion pages for RSVP Magazine along with spa reviews and a few features too. Sarah asked me to jot down my style resolutions for this sparkly new year – so.... have you got ALL DAY? The only thing holding me back is my pathetic bank balance!

My Style At The Mo: It varies. I’m in love with anything feminine. The 1940’s and 50’s are my fav eras and my wardrobe is full of dresses inspired by these decades. I’ll be buried in my skinny jeans and at the mo I’m stuck in a floral rut. Anything floral, I gotta have it, it just screams, “Hey, I’m a lady!!.” Give me anything peach or nude and I’ll be yours forever!

2011 Style: Even though the winter chill still whispers through the air the new Spring lines are hitting the high street soon and this year Im loving the spanking new trends. Lace, nudes, print, feminine chiffons, colour blocking, wedges and orientalism...I WANT IT ALL!! But there’s a few things I have my eyes on (although their all COMPLETELY out of my price range, but a girl can wish!). My style resolution this year is to embrace every trend in some way or another. I’ve picked my cream of the crop below...do we share a trend love?

Valentino Lace-trimmed cashmere-blend shawl – the perfect nude colour with an oriental twist.

Diane Von Furstenburg Opal leather wedge sandals – NEED these!

Reiss peacock lace dress – bang on the modern romance trend with the right amount of lace and chiffon to boot.



Betty Jackson Dress – staying on trend with the colour blocking sticking with my fav 50’s inspired twist.

Oasis Pussybow blouse – I bought this 70’s-esque blouse during the week so my style resolution is on the right track!

My Personal Style Resolutions #14: Glamrocks Luna

Firstly big thank you to Sarah for letting us be guest bloggers on The Licentiate! It is a privilege to be asked. We are two fashion bloggers / stylists/ very excited to say vintage online shop owners!! You can check out our blog here. Follow us on facebook and on twitter. If anyone fancies a little New Year's vintage shopping here is a link to our shop tabitha!

Now all the shameless plugging over let's get down to business! The pair of us sat down and discussed our style resolutions for the New Year. The only thing we can conclude after a long chat is that we are getting old! 2011 is going to see us taking more time and thinking about what we are buying. Gone are the days of walking into a shop and buying an item because you love it. It is time to start thinking more about picking clothes, accessories and shoes that will tie into our existing wardrobes. It may sound a little sad but its true.
In fact, a certain half of this blogging duo was a fiend for spotting something shiny or floral or aztec printed and just buying because they "reaallly needed it"..which has resulted in an awkward situation of every time they open their wardrobe they have a pattern induced seizure.

So, what we're trying to say is there is no point having tons of items in your wardrobe and not being able to create an outfit with them. What is needed is some staple items and a little creativity.

It's also a good idea to stick to a colour palette that suits you. This needn't be boring, like oh I can only wear grey or green is my colour. It could be as simple as picking frosty or warm tones depending on your skin tone / hair colour etc.

We have also mastered the art of male shopping. "Ehhh what?" you ask...

Well men have an amazing ability to wake up and say "Oh i really need a white tshirt". They then go to a store, pick out a top in their size then bam, approx. 56 seconds later they are walking out the door t-shirt in hand.

So a good way of doing this (plus it completely cuts down on impulse shopping ) is to decide what stores you're going to hit ,scour their website and have a wish list ready to just pounce on the items and leave before you decide to "just take a look at the shoes for a second... Oohhh they are amazing... and reduced, ohh......." etc etc.

At the same time there are vintage shops offering amazing one off clothes that are wacky and bright and sequined and tattered ,totally bananas but completely deadly.
When things like this come along and you must have them, just make sure you have a good staple in your wardrobe to pair them with..for example denim shorts / skinnies / plain blouse .

So, these are our resolutions for 2011... Obviously, we're going to fall off the wagon now and then with a pit stop in Penney's resulting in 40 euro of pointless nonsense being bought, but we're ok with that . It's inevitable. Just like my heathy eating resolution will probably come to a crashing end with me ordering everything in Eddie Rockets one day after work because I cant cope with another lettuce leaf.

But we'll have tried, and that's all that matters right?

We hope you have a healthy and happy New Year!!

Lou and Una

Pic via weheartit

My Personal Style Resolutions #13 Blondorexic

My name is Sian, and I run Blondorexic - it's a mash-up of outfit posts, editorials and pictures I find inspirational, with the occasional video thrown in. I like to look at the transition fashion makes from design, to runway, to street, and I try to bring this across in my blog. My main inspiration source is film. I'm also studying History at Trinity College Dublin, and tend to base my outfit posts on a student budget.


2011, unlike most New Years, definitely seems to be a year for change. Normally I don't even bother making resolutions, and, besides style resolutions, this year was exactly the same with one difference - I became a productive person. Both my bedroom and wardrobe have gone through a complete overhaul in the past week - a far cry from my usual post-Christmas food-induced stupor that renders me completely useless until the return to college.


So with this can-do attitude in mind (wouldn't Obama be proud!), I firmly decided upon my 2011 Style Resolution: The Five Piece French Wardrobe.


When I first read about this on afterdrk.freshnet.se, I thought it was far too extreme a wardrobe diet for someone who buys as many clothes as I do to undertake. However, on closer inspection, the Five Piece French Wardrobe could be exactly what I, and my fellow recession-damaged shopaholics need. The main rule of the diet is to only buy five new key pieces per season (ie. ten per year), not including basics. It's up to you to decide on the rest of the rules, like if you want shoes to be included as one of the five pieces, or hats, or jewellery...you get the point. I had wanted to start buying less, but better clothing, so this 'diet' seems perfect.

In a dream world, my five key pieces for this season would be...

A Vintage Yves Saint Laurent brown leather clutch. (click to see) It's the perfect summer clutch - classy enough for nights out, casual enough for barbeques, and big enough to fit all of your summery things in.

via luisaviaroma

Nina Ricci Draped Nabuk Wedges. Again, another item that could carry you throughout Spring and Summer, and could be succesfully worn with any number of different outfits. I'd wear them with black ankle socks, denim cut-offs and an oversized black shredded tee, YSL clutch tucked stylishly under my arm, of course..

via net-a-porter

See by Chloé scalloped cotton and silk-blend jersey dress. I think getting a dress is very important when following these rules, as it's an entire outfit in itself. This is another really versatile piece - nude goes with everything, black goes with everything, Chloe goes with anything...  How could you go wrong?

via topshop

Premium Red Suede Strap Biker Jacket. Living in Ireland, a good jacket is necessary even in Summer. This cranberry red suede is absolutely irresistible - it would be such a delicious colour on tanned skin. I did say in a dream world..

via luisaviaroma

AQA Contemporary Opals Ring. No girl can resist jewellery, and my personal favourite is a statement ring. You can't get more statement than this opal beauty from AQA; have that resting on your finger and nobody will even glance at the rest of your outfit.


Whether I have the willpower to stick to the Five Piece French Wardrobe and resist Primark's catwalk copies remains to be seen, but, just like the majority of the Irish people, what my wardrobe could really use is a diet after weeks of over-indulging. Hopefully my wardrobe's willpower is stronger than that of the majority of Irish people.


Happy New Year!

Sian. x

My Personal Style Resolutions #12: Rose Tinted Uncertainty

Rose Tinted Uncertainty is a blog filled with loads of things from heels to screen prints, petticoats to freckles. Everything that fills up the ever girly, ever curvy and ever obsessed with fashion world of me (Rhona), founder of Rose Tinted Uncertainty, is on there.


What’s in a shoe? Your foot… obviously, and that is what I want to talk about, my feet and more importantly my shoes.


My New Years resolution is to wear more heels (it’s the same as last year) and to teach my feet that heels are their friend and not their foe. For a girl who loves heels it’s very upsetting to know that my feet don’t agree…

I’m getting on in years (almost 21!) and I am slowly but surely turning into a woman. But I want to be more than a woman, I want to be a lady (really really badly) and as well as being polite and kind (I promise I am  working on them) a lady wears heels. So you can see my dilemma, I have feet who want to stay young and wear little girl mary-janes and converse and will not listen to the rest of my body which is dying to be a lady. Stubborn little feet, aren’t they?

So my cunning plan is to get loads (don’t know where I’ll store them) of mid-heeled shoes for the daytime. Cute little fifties style ones, as well heeled brogues and loafers. This way my feet will be slightly raised all day and when I wish to wear my stilettoes it won’t seem such an ordeal for my stubborn little feet.

I know what you’re thinking, “flawless plan Rhona, you’re a genius!” But unfortunately there is a reason why it is the same resolution as last year. I bought loads of heels last year but nearly all of them were really high so I had little to no mid heels for the day. This of course resulted in the same problem as the year before- really sore feet when I ventured out in my stilettoes.

So I have to restrain myself and buy only mid-heeled shoes (unless I come across an amazing pair of high heels that I will have to get or face a painful death- but only then). It will be hard, I am addicted to shoes and I’ve no job so it isn’t as if I can buy both high and mid-heeled shoes.

So it is a good thing that there are loads of fabulous mid-heeled shoes available in Office. Fair play to them, they are all so beautiful! I will take all of these please…

All shoes from Office

Hopefully this year I will keep on track…

Rhona xx

Blog:  http://rosetinteduncertainty.blogspot.com/
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My Personal Style Resolutions #11: Blink and You'll Miss

Hello! Kellebelle here from Blink and You’ll Miss. My blog is a mixture of personal style blog posts, general musings about fashion and some little rants thrown in for good measure! X

My Personal Style New Years Resolutions

Sometimes I feel I can get stuck in a bit of a fashion rut this time of year. You know the way it gets – picking the cosy, snugly, shapeless jumper over anything that resembles ‘chic’.

I get up for work at 5.30am to be in for 6am and I find it hard sometimes to throw on blazers or any non-cardigan shaped item! Plus at that hour of the morning it takes all my will-power not go into work in my pjs and hoodie!



I’ll do anything really to get a few extra minutes in bed, breakfast in work equals an extra three minutes in my leaba so I lay out my clothes the night before. But again, the blazer that looked so nice the previous night now feels like cold cardboard against my skin so it’s flung into a far corner in favour of some woolly knits!

When I used to work on the later shifts I was always a bit dressier in work; heels, blazers etc. So my resolution is to look like I didn’t get dressed in the dark wearing whatever was nearest the radiator. Toasty!



This year, 2011, I’ve decided is going to be different! Well, the days will eventually get brighter and the snow (I hope!) is well and truly gone. I think my work wardrobe is in need of a bit of a revamp - of course I don’t want to banish the knits altogether and they can make a nice faux-duvet on my desk!

Photos: Topshop

My Personal Style Resolutions #10: SoooAli

In between studying History of Art and Architecture with Early Irish, Ailbhe loves traveling, cooking and above all, fashion. Her habits are funded by a part-time job as a lifeguard. Somehow she finds time to update Soooali.com with personal style photos, editorials and interviews.

My resolutions follow the calendar of the fashion world and therefore come twice a year! I find it difficult to remain determined all through the year and so doing this makes my resolutions a little easier to stick to. Okay, okay I'll just be honest here, I always fail after a month and I have less time to feel guilty if I change resolutions every few months! Now of course the 'find a solution for world peace' and 'get rich in order to buy a Chloe handbag... I mean, give money to charity' are ongoing resolutions for the rest of my life. Don't we all have a couple? But for next year here is what I plan on doing... at some stage or another:

1. Start a diet, go the gym, uh what other punishments are we humans supposed to endure?

2. Stop making lists and start doing what's actually on them. I am such a procrastinator.

3. Vow to write every appointment etc in my moleskine. I can be scatty at times.

4. Get rid of my leopard print obsession. Immediately. Leopard print scrunchies were the limit. They are not attractive.



5. Get into the 70's trend though I'm a little afraid to embrace the flares again, memories of parachute pants haunt me!

6. Finish a bottle of nail varnish before buying another in the exact same colour...even if it is another brand! Yes that is a picture of just a few of the polishes I own...ahem.



7. Buy more investment pieces...i.e. stay away from Penney’s for a while and save some money.

8. Sort out my wardrobe and get rid of all the fluff in between. Oxfam is going to have a feast!

9. Start looking after my skin; it gets a lick of water every now and then. I have so many products, but never follow through with all the fuss. The wrinkles are appearing though, so it's about time!



10. I guess my main resolutions have the underlying theme of consume less and save more. If I achieve that one little bit I'll be happy.



Finally thank you Sarah for having me, this is my first ever guest post and it was really fun to do. I love reading your site and wish you all the best in 2011!

ali@soooali.com

http://www.soooali.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soooalicom/149143378460661
http://twitter.com/Soooali

My Personal Style Resolutions #9: What Will I Wear Today

Jennie here from What Will I Wear Today. WWIWT is a collection of sisters and friends who have created an outpouring of rantings, musings and observations in the form of a fashion blog. There is much wry humour, some personal styling, a fair bit of cheeky filming and some pretty cool illustrations – all the ladies like to throw their hat in the ring by utilising their own skillsets.

Come one, come all; tis a place of sartorial safety, fashion community and stylish distraction.


As I sit here and write this, I'm already doubtful as to how realistic my resolution is. I should give it up. I could give it up. But I don't actually want to give up my dirty ‘ol habit. It's hugged me in a warm embrace over the years; shielded me from the cold, buffered me from judgement, swaddled me in love.

What is this grubby little fashion faux pas? Why it's the Tracksuit my dear friends - that heinous, arch-nemesis of fashion. That slovenly ying to the well-groomed yang of fashion.

I love every kind of tracksuit; I’m not fussy. Zip ups, hoodies, feiffer pants (fat heiffer - for those ‘dirty chicken baguette and a packet of Monster Munch’ days), oversized tee's etcetc. And I'm not talking gym gear - oh no - I have pristine, aero-dynamic, streamlined gym gear that has a very distinct identity and a separate shelf in the wardrobe. Nope, my dressed-down look is messy, mis-matched and maddening to my fashionable alter-ego. Sometimes I like to perceive it as 'street' and 'hip', but deep down I know I'm closer to the Cat Lady from the Simpsons or Vicky Pollard (my nickname in the office during these periods is 'Spare Change?')

Why do I embrace this seemingly slovenly look? Because I am a woman of two halves, of diverging principal, of competing agendas. Basically I'm an either/ or kinda gal. I'm either in powerhouse, full-frontal fashion mode: replete with my dangerously architectural Finsk wedges, my Marcus Lupfer printed t-shirts, my leather hotpants, my Moshino belt – (no place for practicality in this fashion offensive,) - or I'm lounging around in my striped trackies, flouro t-shirts and men's baseball caps. My heels lift me up (hnar hnar) my hoodies keep me grounded. Sometimes I just need a break from it all. To step away from the maddening crown and the hustle and bustle of the fashion industry… the only way for me to check out is by wearing my joggers. And at the end of the day, if Alexander Wang, Ashish and Stella McCartney all got on board, the trackie look can’t be too much of a bad thing?

Ashish

Alexander Wang

So you know what? I'm going to completely retract my style resolution - or dissolution if you will. I'm quite happy with this Jekyll and Hyde power struggle. What I would like to remedy however, is an increasing budget to fund these two projects and perhaps therein lies my resolution: commit to my mild scratch-card persuasion full-time.

My Personal Style Resolutions #8: Things I Fell In Love With Today

LolaDee is a crafty blogger and broadcasting student, with a love of vintage, photographs, personal style and pretty things who blogs about the things she falls in love with every day.

As I write this I'm drowning in a sea of shoes, dresses and a ridiculous amount of tights, in an attempt to de-clutter my wardrobe in time for the new year. I'm one of those freaks who lives by making lists, so this time of year is definitely my comfort-zone. Here are my personal style resolutions (these come sub-categorised under 'NY Resolutions: The Beautify-Me Part' in my resolutions list - because yes, my lists do have sub-categories... I did mention I'm a freak).

1. Dust off the sewing machine...
...that I bought this year with high hopes and subsequently never used, find some cute fabric and make, make, make! I've always wanted to make my own clothes and the new year seems like the perfect excuse. With my slightly (or, very) empty pockets and more time on my hands to create my own designs, I will be having fun drawing inspiration from high-street trends fused with vintage classics. Or at least that's the plan... I'm sure I will blog about the successes, but more often than that (probably) the many disasters.

Source

2. Charity shops
Once again, taking inspiration from my weightless pockets, I will be regularly venturing into Cork's fine selection of charity shops, to find homeless - lufflies at cheap prices and also so I can stand on the moral high-ground for a few minutes in the knowledge that my well-spent money will in fact make a difference to someone somewhere.

3. Vintage
When I'm not making my own clothes or scoring bargains in charity shops, I hope to find some timeless treasures in some of Cork's vintage shops or online. I see good vintage as a worthy investment because if its lasted this long already, it will probably serve me well also. That and the fact that its unique and more often than not, completely adorable.

Source

4. Wardrobe Remix
Finally, I want to make better and more versatile use of the clothes that I have. Lets face it, everyone's broke, so now the real fun is to be had in mixing and matching outfits based on what we already have and how we can accessorise to make them work for the season that's in it. If Sheena Matheiken of the Uniform Project can wear one dress every day for a year and still look amazing, then I think I can manage to make better use of my own wardrobe. Something tells me that this might call for a series of 'Wardrobe Remix' posts on the blog, which sounds like a fun challenge to me!


Source



Thanks to Sarah for inviting me to post my personal style resolutions Have a wonderful 2011. I hope to see you stop by my blog in the new year.

LolaDee xoxo



Blog: http://www.loladee.com/

Etsy: http://www.loladee.etsy.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lola_dee

Blog Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Things-I-Fell-In-Love-With-Today/115834181764177

LolaDee Handmade Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LolaDee-Handmade/132635796785543

My Personal Style Resolutions #7: My Third Cousin

My Third Cousin is a dialogue between distant family members sharing their style snippets and views on 'fashion, art music and whatever takes their fancy'.  One a vintage vixen, the other an avowed Wangette: both are well versed in the art of the outfit post.  Sarah Commane takes us through their personal style resolutions.

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2011 will herald a new style era for My Third Cousin; she has vowed to give vintage a chance. This, my friends, is something I have been annoying her about for a while and despite her 'but its old' retort, she has finally given in. Yes, I am dragging her to the nearest 'old clothes shop' (her words not mine). My Third Cousin will be converted to my mantra of 'vintage dress, nice tights, modern shoes. I’m dressed'. This little formula has saved me too many times to count.

Source

However, where there is give there is take. My Third Cousin is taking my money. She has convinced me to buy at least one good pair of shoes now I’m not too sure what she means by this but I’m guessing she isn’t suggesting a trip to Clarks. I love Jeffrey Campbell shoes and this might be the direction I take this resolution in. Well, hopefully.

Source

Also I have made myself promise to sort out my Wardrobe - eeekkk. I’m pretty sure this will involve being buried under some much neglected clothing from the gothic years of my life.

The final style resolution to be undertaken is to do with blogging and to improve, grow and have fun with our blog. Heres to a stylish 2011.

http://mythirdcousin.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/MyThirdCousin

My Personal Style Resolutions #6: Think What You Like

Who’s yer woman?

My blog is Think What You Like, and my name is Aisling. I’m a freelance journalist, Beyonce

obsessive and garlic enthusiast. I write the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine beauty column,

and I do a few bits for the Evening Echo in Cork. I’m most likely to be found tapping away at my

laptop, rustling around in a fridge or in bed, my favourite place in the world. Prepare for a no-holds-

barred look inside my warped mind/wardrobe.

I’m not going to lie to you. Most of the time, I feel like I live on the island that fashion forgot. If you asked my friends about my fashion sense, they’d laugh so hard they’d slip into a coma.

I never claim to know anything about fashion, and I certainly don’t claim to dress well. I go for whatever is safe, whatever suits my figure and whatever happens to fit me well.

I’m eternally jealous of those girls that can put outfits together in the dark and wind up looking like Olivia Palermo’s more stylish sister. But what makes me feel less of a fashion-failure is the knowledge that there are probably more girls like me than girls like Olivia.

In 2011, I’d be lying if I said I was going to go in all guns blazing and start buying vintage, styling myself on obscure models and wearing stilettos to Dunnes. Here’s what I’m actually gonna try.

Source

Resolution One: Drop two dress-sizes

When I look in the mirror, I don’t see a size 12, 5’9’’ average looking girl. I see a fat mess. And I assure you, I don’t have body dysmorphia. I’m just honest with myself.

A few years ago, I was a size 8 and could pretty much work anything. But then belly got me. And huge breasts tracked me down. Oh, and double chin took a shine to my face and stuck around.

I find myself turning down any clothes that are tight on my tummy, anything with a high neck and anything that gives me the dreaded muffin top. I do this so as not to cause widespread offence to people, but it leaves me with few fashion options.

So in 2011, I want to lose weight, which I know will give me more options. I won’t have to worry about covering my belly. I won’t have to worry about looking like one giant boob. I won’t have to opt for tracksuits 6 days a week. It’ll be great.
 



Source


Resolution Two: Go shopping more often, and spend less

But Aisling, that’s a big whopping paradox?! Bear with me, reader.

I tend to wait until there’s an occasion, then rush out and buy a last minute outfit. Big mistake. I make hasty decisions, I don’t consider value, quality or wearability and I end up choosing things I’ll wear once and never again. Not to mention I spend ridiculous money in the process, which I cannot afford as a penniless writer.

Panicked shopping sprees don’t work, I reckon. Unless Rachel Zoe is accompanying you, it’s likely you’ll get lost in the sartorial abyss and buy things you wouldn’t let your dog wear. Building my wardrobe piece by piece in a calm, controlled manner has always been an aim of mine, and 2011 is the year it’s gonna happen.

Source

Resolution Three: Be adventurous, but not someone else

You’d be forgiven for thinking my wardrobe belonged to an Amish person. I play it ridiculously safe, choosing items that can fulfil multiple functions, and winding up with plain EVERYTHING. No patterns, no embellishment, no wild colours, all muted tones and simple lines.

I have a morbid fear of accessories. I wear variations of the same outfit pretty much every day. ALL my ‘going-out’ outfits are black. I’m in a rut, and I need to start taking chances or I’ll be stuck in it for the rest of my days.

I need desperately to stop being so plain. If I had an amazing figure, being plain wouldn’t be so bad, because my body would make up for it. Same with my face – if I was stunningly beautiful, I could distract people with my gaze and they wouldn’t notice what I had on. In 2011, I’m going to start buying things that I’d usually shy away from, and try to express a bit more of my personality through my clothes.

I feel like a vibrant, colourful person trapped in the body of a capuchin monk. Change is needed. So, if you’re a stylist, personal trainer or unreasonably generous multi-millionaire and would like to help a misguided, would-be fashionista get her shit together, do get in touch.

FB Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Think-What-You-Like/158573477502976

Twitter: http://twitter.com/aislingmkeenan

Blog: http://thinkwhatyoulike.wordpress.com/

My Personal Style Resolutions #5: Blaubushka

Blau von T from Blaubushka here; the lovechild of a wolf and a unicorn. Blaubushka is the fashion blog for the modern mistress of a world of feminine whimsy and all things whiskey. While Sarah is off an adventure I'll share with you a rant on my new love of the old.

Keep Calm and Embrace Thrift.

Having just invested in my first SLR I find myself low on cash, but almost in an enlightening way; departed is any pressure to buy this seasons 'must haves' and arrived in its place is the challenge to create new looks from my existing collection with minor additions from thrift and vintage stores.

Delving into the back of my closet it feels like I'm meeting old friends I haven't seen for years; Hello leather jacket, metallic pleat skirt and lemon tea dress, lets catch up! I wont deny my fondness for the high street but with its popularity has come an almost uniform attire each season; everyone looking the same and possessing a Venn diagram of overlapping staples. My revolt has begun. I want to experiment with what I have and not get caught up in the 'must have...must buy' hype of high street.

Kate Moss combing the markets

I'll admit to being mostly inspired by the Kate Moss Style Book by Angela Buttolph which explores the formative years of Moss' style and the time spent in Portobello market. One point it raised is the way that vintage and thrift stores can have clothes just thrown together; the juxtaposition of patterns, colours and textures seeping into your subconscious and broadening your ideas of what goes together. That's my ultimate aim; to attain the confidence and vision to think outside traditional views and high street trends and just embrace and enjoy clothes for what they are.

Blau x

Image via We Heart It

My Personal Style Resolutions #4: Vagabond Language

Vagabond Language is a lifestyle blog, chronicling the life and style of a twenty-two year old Irish girl living and studying in Glasgow. Zoe likes to read, she wishes she was the heroine of a Nancy Mitford novel. The blog was started in the Spring of 2010, in the hopes of meeting kindred spirits.

When Sarah approached me to do this post it came at the right time, as I was already considering my personal style resolutions for 2011, that is, if my clothes still fit me after the gluttony of the festive season!

This year I made a concentrated effort to be more considerate of what I buy – what its made of, where it comes from, quality, style, etc. I refuse to pay too much for an ‘on trend’ acrylic sweater from Topshop when I could buy a vintage 100% wool jumper on etsy for the same price or less.

I think with all the glossy magazines out there, pushing the latest catwalk to high street trends on you, the pleasure of shopping and dressing yourself has diminished. Our parents looked good and they had less disposable income (as my own like to remind me, anyone else?). This year I volunteered in an Oxfam shop in my town (Oxfam Sligo!) and I really embraced the charity shop culture. Previously, I used to do a monthly charity shop thrawl with one of my friends in Dublin. However, its in the small towns that the bargains and gems are to be found. There’s nothing more thrilling than finding the perfect blouse or blazer in a charity shop after a long search.

Many trips to charity shops may present nothing, but that’s missing the whole point of the experience. Consider for a moment all the ridiculous things you’ve come across in past thrawls, that bonkers artifical flower arangement that actually turned out to be a hat or the size 18 green viscose jumpsuit, they gave you a giggle and I bet you tried them on too! Not to mention that charity shops are nowhere near as crowded as high street stores and you're less likely to bump into someone you know, trying on the same dress as you, eek! This month I think I may have found the perfect pair of tweedy pants that I’ve been keeping an eye out for all year. For £2 in my local Shelter. They’re Italian made and fully lined, I can't wait to find the perfect cream shirt to go with them next!

My main resolution this year is to be more frugal. To forsake the temptation of the high street and its disposable trends.

My style icons are timeless, many of them fashion muses.

 - The teddy girl, a working class revolution. A brooch or a ribbon; simple touches, carefully placed, add a degree of playful femininity to an outfit, they transcend the everyday and become dandyfied.

(Source)

 - Diane Keaton is an obvious one, but I just love her masculine aesthetic, best demonstrated in Annie Hall, where she was permitted to wear her own wardrobe, rather than be ‘styled’ for the character. She is the ultimate girl next door; her teeth aren’t perfect, she forsakes make-up, she has flyaway hair and her clothes look slightly worn, in the best way. It means she’s lived in them!

(Source)

 - That being said, I find Woody Allen a style inspiration too. Jam jar glasses, check shirts and courdroy blazers/trousers, yes please! Comfortable but still retaining an aura of intellectualism.

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 - Next is Shelley Duvall in her 1970s hey-day. An unconventional beauty and dresser, embracing bold colours, patterns and textures with giddy glee. I want to have such a refreshing attitude to clothing, dressing for fun! I love her eye lashes, very mod.

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 - Finally… The British Bardot?… Julie Christie.  She’s everything I want to be, but am generally too sloppy/lacking in grace/sexual allure ever to attain. I envy her svelte figure, her smile, her hair and make-up, such a sixties sex kitten, full of bounce, health and vitality! This is a girl you want to hit the tiles with in your local discothèque and she probably wouldn’t break a sweat! Men want her, women want to be her. I want her to do my hair. Ms. Christie has lost none of her elegance or beauty decades later.

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I can’t end this without mentioning a fictional character, books and films are where I find most of my inspiration.

 - Cassandra Mortmain, heroine of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle.  Living in a decaying English castle, Cassandra can only dream of silk gowns while her eccentric family life constantly interrupts her daydreams. Cassandra finds beauty in the little things, despite her straitened circumstances. Wearing a simple dress, a cloche hat, some cardigans, oxfords and her journal, Cassandra is not deterred from embracing her romantic and imaginative spirit.

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Other mentions – Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Sissy Spacek, Katharine Hepburn, Molly Ringwald in all of John Hughes films

I've only recently discovered the Argentinian model Tati Cotliar and her haphazard tomboy aesthetic. It's fun and fancy free and I love it! Looking at the shots here, the individual items all seem lovingly acquired over a period of time, a favourite pair of shoes, tights from the high street, blouses and waistcoats discovered in second hand stores from all over the world, all combining in a colourful encore.

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Read more from Vagabond Language at the blog or on twitter!

My Personal Style Resolutions #3: S-oh S-ew!

Jo from S-oh S-ew!, a streetstyle and fashion blog, tells us all about her New Years Resolution.  Jo is a music student and her blog has been shortlisted by British Vogue in their Fashion Photography Blog Competition.  She's got a fantastic eye for outfits, so it's only fitting that she pays tribute to a true fashion visionary and sartorial aesthete.

New Year's always brings an onslaught of (welcome and unwelcome) emotions and reflections. Resolutions are made on the strength of all the improvements we wish to make in our lives and some of us re-evaluate what's important for us to prioritise in the year to come. While best laid plans and intentions will, inevitably, fly out of the January window for most of us, I have decided to embrace a sartorial challenge in the spirit of all things 2011.

This year, I am going to try and push the boundaries in terms of what I wear and try to be a little more adventurous in my attire. For me, that may mean as little as donning a hat, wearing that purple lipstick or having the courage to get dressed up for a party when I know most people will be in sweats. I’ve used the excuse for far too long that in my hometown it'd just look funny to wear the things I admire, but New Year new confidence I say!

I'm currently reading Blow by Blow, a biography of Isabella Blow (the British fashion editor, pioneer and icon) and her unashamed dedication to outlandish outfits is a great example of how to wear what you like wherever you are...Her spirit and life were from another time; she brought a vision and attitude to American Vogue that was so removed from everything they embraced at the time and ultimately this made her loved and hated by those around her. She was unapologetically herself and that is surely resolution worth holding on to this year. Clothing is , if we choose it , a reflection of who we are and , I believe, the sooner we are brave enough to display it on the outside the sooner we realise our true potential inside too.. Here are some of my favourite photographs of Isabella which I will be sticking to my bedroom wall as a visual source of fortitude. Here’s to style and courage for the New Year!

Photo: Steve Meisel

Isabella's wedding to Detmar Blow. Photo: Cheltenham Echo

Blow wearing a Philip Treacy hat

Photo: Steve Meisel

Jo's Blog http://s-oh-s-ew.blogspot.com/