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  1. GO

    Thursday, October 13

    So I started work this week, fairly ill. It's Thursday and I've had to have the day off because I feel so rubbish. I'm clearly not cut out for this work malarky but hopefully after my couple of weeks of go go go I'll be back on track and won't be coughing incessantly in the office. On the plus though I get to write a new blog post which is ever so exciting because I've been wanting to do one on polka dots for SO long. I've also had some really lovely comments from the friend pool so thanks guys, it means a lot to me that you like the stuff I'm banging on about =)

    Dotty and spotty wear aside for the minute, I just want to say how excited I am for this musical collaboration: Burial and Massive Attack. Burial has only gone and remixed MA's unreleased 'Four Walls' and the big one from their "Heligoland" album, 'Paradise Circus'. Some of you may recognise this one as the theme to the BBCs series "Luther" which has the rather wonderful Idris Elba who plays the legendary Stringer Bell in "The Wire" which is one of my favourite TV series ever.  So basically, this chain of events makes for one totally brilliant collab. Also, Burial for those that don't know, is an London ambient/dubstep musician. Here's one of my favourites for those who might like to suss him out:

    Burial - 'Archangel' from the album "Untrue"

    He's had 2 albums along with remixing the likes of Jamie Woon, Miike Snow, Thom Yorke and Bloc Party. The collaboration of these two sets of incredible British musicians therefore is definitely a cause for celebration. 'Four Walls/Paradise Circus' hasn't really been released anywhere for the general public other than the momentary pre-order of 1000 vinyl copies by The Vinyl Factory which have all immediately been snapped up for the generous sum of £25. For now however only the 11+ minute "video" to 'Four Walls' has been put up on YouTube. So here you go:

    Burial/Massive Attack - 'Four Walls (Burial Remix)'

    While I'm here, I will just mention a couple of other big songs in my life right now. They're in the charts and everything so no judging. Firstly:


    Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris - 'We Found Love'

    No official video yet. Funny story behind the video though if you haven't heard, check out the literary skills of the Daily Mail to read up on the antics of a very angry farmer. Also on my radar is this RAC remix of Sunday Girl's 'Love U More'. It sounds terrible, but it really isn't at all. Promise. 

    Sunday Girl - 'Love U More (RAC Remix)'

    And finally to explain my title, Delilah of Chase & Status 'Time' fame has released her own music. Her new solo track 'Go' is currently number 17 in the charts and she's used some of the lyrics from Diana King's 'Ain't Nobody' but although you might be expecting a d'n'b note to it, it's just totally mellow. However I have since Soundcloud-ed faster remixes so if you're wanting something with more instrumentals, you know where to go. Until then though, I'm going to end my music bit with the official video. It's not an exciting one in the slightest, but enjoy all the same:


    Delilah - 'Go' 

    But onto the polka dot trend. This is a trend that I didn't anticipate myself actually liking, but as it has begun to proliferate I've decided that I quite like it after all as long as you don't end up looking like Minnie Mouse. Which could happen. So who, what, why and how. 

    Who: D&G, Gucci, Stella McCartney and Oscar de la Renta
    What: The best items to be adorned with the many many dots and spots include the standard blouses and dresses (as long as you don't look too much like your gran) but also trousers, belts and hosiery. Although you kind find the pattern on shorts and skirts, I kinda feel that you look a bit like you've regressed back to the frilly party skirts of your childhood. And since it's coming up to winter, shorts with printed dots are giving a bit of a desperate Summer vibe. 
    Why: Because they make being an adult fun! I know I just said that skirts adorned with them can end up looking a bit childish, but if you add them to some 70s style flared trousers or to a pussybow blouse then it gives the impression that yeah, you might like fashion (or not), but you're having fun too. 
    How: Here's the time for the photo bit and where I will try to find some more affordable items for you to add to your A/W wardrobe as well as a few ideas with what you could wear them with.

    Blouses and Tops:

    I'm going to start with this category mainly because it's the easiest one to source but equally hard to get just right. One of my favourite polka dot looks is the sheer blouse:

    Reiss - Kara Bell Sleeve Shirt (nude) - £89

    Sorry about the old price tag, I'm moving on to cheaper things noooow:

    Whistles - Polka Dot Sleeveless Blouse - £30 (sale)

    Warehouse - Pinspot Front Tie Blouse (bright green) - £45

    Topshop - Navy Polka Dot Crochet Collar Swing Top - £34

    So there we have a bit of a selection. I've also seen some lovely tops in New Look and H&M but the links for pictures on these sites are hard to do so go have a gander yourself. The tops I've chosen are mainly with the smaller dots than the giant ones that are about. I think the best larger polka dot tops you can get though are if you go for a rummage at vintage fairs or shops in your home or university town. Since the polka dot was pretty big in the 80s, you're bound to find some fantastic finds if you just go and look for the more original. I have a lovely vintage navy blue dotty blouse that I found in the depths of a basket at a vintage fair in Leeds so it can be done! Also, I wouldn't recommend mixing polka dots. Ie. dotty tops with dotty bottoms. 

    Dresses:

    This is one of the best ways to incorporate polka dots into your wardrobe, but beware of the red and white look, because like I said before you will look like Minnie Mouse. I've seen some lovely dresses on the likes of Alexa Chung but I'm fairly sure that her's are vintage finds. If you're handy with a sewing machine the long vintage dresses that you usually find can easily be taken up by you handy self. When it comes to vintage, as a side note, check out Rokit as well as the obvious eBay and as I've just discovered, Oxfam have their own online shop now as well! If you're not into the vintage rummaging however, Boohoo has some real surprises in store. Here are my favourites:

    Boohoo - Louise Polka Dot Skater Dress (mocha) - £20 (also available in navy, berry, mustard and rust, if you've seen my previous posts you'll know how much the colour names make me smile)

    Boohoo - Rachel Polka Dot Flocked Sheer Bodycon Dress - £15

    ASOS - Collar Spot Dress (nude) - £15 (sale)

    So there you have some dotty dresses to get yourself started. The middle dress shows that you can wear them out in an evening too and still look seriously sexy. I love the collar on the bottom one and the top one is perfect for both casual and drinks out depending on how you want to dress it. 

    Trousers:

    Yes. You can get polka dotted trousers. Are they for everyone? No. They certainly aren't for me, mostly because I don't think I'm brave enough but hey, you go for it! Here are some ideas if you fancy it:

    Jaeger - Spot Jacquard Trouser - £130

    Topshop - Polka Dot Wide Leg Trousers (oxblood) - £45

    ASOS - Spot Peg Jersey Trousers - £25

    I think if you were going to get me to wear polka dots on my legs, the bottom one's would be the way forward. The Topshop flares are a bit too much for me personally, but if you're blessed with height, do it. And the top ones are ideal for almost any occasion, bring some A/W flare to the office. But I think you'd need a job to afford the Jaeger ones in any case. 

    I'm going to end on an Accessories note. An area I'm not very good at as unlike many women, I'm not massively into shoes but I'm going to give a couple of polka dot shoes which can be a great way to add a bit of the trend to a plainer outfit as well as a couple of other bits and pieces:

    Accessories: 

    ASOS - LOCO Spot Bow Ballet Shoes - £25

    Topshop - Cross Over Platforms - £110


    Miss KG by Kurt Geiger - Ash (black) - £50 (sale)

    Boohoo - Liv Polka Dot lace Panelled Body - £16

    Accessorize - Polka Dot Mini Bag - £18

    Nordstrom - Commando 'Big Dot' Sheer Tights - £21.59

    So there you have it, a beginners guide to Polka Dots. Go big or go small, or simply not at all. There's a fine line between adding a touch of childish charm to adult clothing and looking like you're heading off to a children's teddy bear picnic. And as much as the latter might be a lot more fun than real life, no 20 something looks good like that. 

    And so on that note, I'm going to dig out all my current polka dot stuff (tights and blouse) and see what I can do with them. And I will leave you to judge my music taste on the usual iTunes shuffle gamble:

    Oh dear, it's a bad one. Sorry guys:


    Slipknot - 'Duality' from the album "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)"



    Posted by prandicle at 16:59 | 0 comments | | |

  2. This Shade of Autumn

    Monday, October 3

    I know I said that I'd be doing a lot more blogging last week. That didn't happen. But I've had some lovely feedback from the friends so thanks guys! There will be more name dropping in this post as promised but that comes later. I'm going to admit that some of this blog will be dedicated to a bit of bragging about a shiny new jumper and a find from the depths of my uni unpacking (yes, I still haven't unpacked everything yet). And maybe a cheeky photo or 2 of said items. Cindy asked me to do some Heritage this week. I will do my best but I don't know much about this trend so I'll be learning something too. I'll also do some work on aztec prints/Americana (you'll see why).

    Heritage 

    So heritage. And no, this isn't all about museums and tweed, it's way more stylish (sorry Rachael).This seems to be a favourite of my history of art lover by night, TA by day friend Cindy. It is also amongst the eccentricities of Vivienne Westwood, Burberry Prorsum and Paul Smith. Therefore it isn't the hottest of trends as the bigger names seem to be less interested in the British outdoors, but this does not mean it's not worth channeling in order to look like your wellies have collected years and years' worth of mud on. So the key items to have include:

    1. The Coat

    Barbour - Womens Barbour Vintage Beadnell Waxed Jacket (Olive) - £229.95

    This is may be one of the best Barbour jackets if you're looking for warm, waterproof and with the heritage streak. It may be a cliche, but it can also be called a classic. Barbour have their own Heritage collection ranging from the classic wax jacket, to tweed overcoats all the way down to trousers in the jodhpur style. Another coat to note would be this fetching tweed one:

    Topshop - Tweed Boyfriend Coat (charcoal) - £85

    Topshop is often one of the first places me and my friends often look for our Winter coats and it's not too hard to see why. My only issue is that the lining often falls apart and the pockets always develop holes, which means my prized 50p soon finds itself jangling around with my keys in the lining. If you have money to burn though, check this beauty out:

    French Connection - Berry Tweed Short Blazer - £190

    Ignore that price tag, you know it'll make you happy. This blazer is perfect for bringing this trend into the everyday office or night at a bar without looking like you're about to jump on a horse. 

    2. The Boots

    Ted Baker - Illaria Rubber Wellington Boots (black) - £75

    Really. Wellies are indeed the way forward for this trend to look completed. The good thing about this pair is that although you may be tempted with the price tag to go for a pair of good old fashioned Hunters, these don't have the branding that says 'countryside', the just look good. This means is that there is far less chance of you getting funny looks while you wear your wellies to work. If you are concerned though, then give these Topshop ones a go:

    Topshop - Classic Riding Boots - £140

    But, let's face it, with that price tag, you should go somewhere a bit more respectable for shoes... Pixie boots are better for those without endless legs though so try these for size:

    River Island - Black Chelsea Boots - £40

    With £100 knocked off the price and with a bit more versatility, go for it. 

    3. The Shirt

    The right shirt seems to be a crucial point in these outfits. The coats are great for adding the trend to an outfit, but what happens when you take the coat off when you get to the pub with the open fire? Hopefully you'll be wearing something underneath said coat, and I would recommend one of these beauties:

    American Apparel - Plaid Chiffon Oversized Button Up - £52

    I love this one simply because since it's sheer it adds another modern touch to the whole heritage look. Also, the risk with heritage shirts is that if you pick the wrong print you can end up mixing Cowboys and Indians with aristocratic Britain. Whoops. This plaid print would look perfect with some stone coloured trousers, or possibly jodhpurs if you're feeling brave. If you aren't AA's greatest fan, Motel has one which is similar for £38 but it's a bit bluer. 

    Motel - Helter Blouse (plain biscuit) - £42

    And speaking of Motel, got to love this shirt, it's absolutely perfect for the Heritage trend with the addition of the pussybow which I personally cannot get enough of. Except for the fact that the bows never seem to stay done up. 

    4. Skirts and Shorts: 

    I don't really think that dresses go especially well with this trend. A tweed like dress ends up looking a bit like you're entirely serious about heritage and that you live in a wing of a country house. Not that this isn't a good air to have about yourself but you're likely to disappoint people when you show them your semi in the suburbs. So here I'm just going to suggest a couple of items that could go with the shirts, boots and coats and make for one wonderful outfit. 

    Ted Baker - Dobbi Pleated Shorts (mustard) - £99

    Sadtimes for the price tag. But look how unbelievably pretty they are. Ted Baker seems to get a bad rep for quality but I've never had any issues. Maybe I've been lucky or there have just been a run of stories. Obviously don't wear these with the pussybow shirt. Bows galore. A checked shirt would look super pretty or team with a plain black top plus some high boots and a tweed jacket/coat. Go go go. 

    Motel - Sally Skirt (wine) - £19

    This price makes me a lot happier and the colour would look lovely with the Motel shirt I put up too. With a more masculine tweed coat you're on to a winner. 

    Rare - Mini Tulip Skirt (grey) - £10

    Finally, a really rather reasonable price tag. This isn't quite as on trend but it's a lot easier to find. Also, as long as you team it with the right tweeds and wine, olive and navy/black colours, you'll find yourself a fantastic outfit. I'm just going to stick a warning tag on here: 

    Do not, under any circumstances, buy a tartan skirt. 

    So there we have a run down of Heritage and some key pieces to consider and work on yourself. It's best not to be head to toe in tweed or Barbour but find a couple of items that you really like and see what you can with them. 

    Now, just to share some ideas and items that I have regarding clothes and make up.

    1. The Aztec cardi/thing.

    While in Matalan today I stumbled across this. This was only the second time I have ever been in Matalan simply because it's not in the centre of Norwich so I kinda forget to visit it down by the river. I wasn't too hopeful in finding something but there it was. I had to settle for a 12 because obviously it's rather popular with the 8-10s. It's a fantastic item for Autumn and down to Winter because it's light but scarily warm. The aztec cardi is a really good way to bring some colour to an otherwise boring outfit. I'm a fan of the all black and now this will make me look less like I'm on the dark side and more on the fashion-y side of life. Cheeky photos ahead. It's still crazy hot here and a stripped off after an interview and still haven't got changed. Therefore I will tell you that I am wearing underwear, it just looks like I'm not.


    It looks fairly shapeless here but the photo I took from the front had a bit of a flash of underwear. So here it is off me and on to the bed:

    Matalan - Aztec Print Cardigan - £25

    I also mentioned that I discovered a beauty in my uni bags of clothes. I bought this dress from eBay almost a year ago but I remember thinking it looked horrid but now it has the perfect use: to mature my wardrobe a bit. Also the camel colour is always a good one for autumn and winter. My new obsession is trying to find the perfect camel coloured coat. 

    Topshop Dress/eBay with Exposed Zip

    So there you have this rather wonderful thing that I'm going to give another chance to. And here I would just like to have a brag about a dress that the man in my life bought for me. It isn't really on trend anymore, but I have this thing about florals and you could argue that this has a autumn floral feel to it. Also, it's just so darn pretty:

    A present from the man

    I always wanted this dress and tried it on about a year ago when it was in store but I had bigger boobs and it looked ridiculous. I settled for one like it recently for my BFF's birthday but had a mope that I couldn't get this one. Then my boyfriend presented me with a package a week or so later with this one inside. Big grin. It looks incredible on although I haven't had a chance to go out in it yet because we are all being middle aged and favouring wine and films to clubbing at the moment. 

    One other item to mention and recommend though. I hate buying foundation. It's on a par with buying new jeans. No no no. But I had a wander into M.A.C and actually asked for their help before they lept on me. This wonderful woman helped me narrow down my search:




    I took some of her ideas with me to M.A.C and settled on this one:

    M.A.C - Studio Fix Fluid w/SPF 15 (22) - £23

    It may seem expensive but after having allergic reactions to my old one and with it clogging into my pores I thought the best way forward would be to invest in something special. I love it and it stays on for hours and hours. I use concealer too (Benefit's Erase Paste) but this has excellent cover and SPF factor if we happen to have anymore freak 30'C October days...

    So that's all for today. I'm away for most of the week in London seeing my fantastic friends Elly and Charlie. And to have an assessment day for volunteering abroad. Eee. Just going to end with some recommendations song wise as well as the iTunes shuffle bonanza. Get these tunes:

    Firstly, there isn't a video or anything of this one. It's a mash up by a fantastic guy who goes by the name of LeeDM101. It's called 'Jerk Me Around' and mashes 'Jerk it Out' by Caesar's Palace with Loleatta Holloway and Ben E King. This is his blog. If you Google the song name it comes up with download links. 
    Also:

     
    Leona Lewis ft. Avicii - Collide


    Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You (Gemini Remix)


    Girl Talk - Once Again


    Bon Iver - Skinny Love (Das Kapital Remix)

    And to the iTunes shuffle:


    I Monster - Daydream in Blue

    A bit of electronica from the beginning of the millennium. The video is a rather unexpected surprise...










    Posted by prandicle at 16:04 | 1 comments | | |

  3. Levels

    Monday, September 26

    So, yes, I know. Seriously long time, no posts. It's been a pretty crazy couple of months and this really hasn't been on my radar. Now however I'm feeling guilty about it and I desperately need a project since I have now left full time education and I'm now hanging out in the real world with very few short term goals. I'm craving writing on a scale I never knew I could ever feel. I miss seminars and sharing my ideas with a group of like minded people, as discussing the poetic rhythm of a novel or the pitfalls of the rehabilitation of offenders isn't exactly something my general audience at home wish to hear about. I even thought I could start some sort of bookclub with my fellow graduated English students. But then I remembered that I'm not middle aged and that this would very much be a last resort. Yoga apparently is the next step. I miss uni fantastically. I keep receiving texts from my friends now back in Leeds with the oh so sweet words of 'INTERGALACTIC PLANETARY PLANETARY INTERGALACTIC' (Law, 2011). I'm making my way back up North for a weekend in October and a few days next week in London but sadly the real world is hitting me hard. One of the worst things about not being a student, being very much unemployed and not having any money, is that I have suddenly had to grow up. My mentality, thanks to uni, has definitely matured. I can quite easily say that I am no longer an 18 year old know-it-all fresher and nor would I want to be one again. Unfortunately however I have realised that at 21 and as no longer a student, I need to dress more like an adult. In other words, I think it may be time to subdue the florals, lower the hems and mute the colours. Not in a boring Next way, but in more of a 'hey look at me and please please hire me because I'm a responsible adult, not an over eager, over academic student'. This graduale shift therefore has led me to the first post I've done in a while and with an overarching focus on fashion, with an iTunes shuffle at the end.

    I've had my eye on the A/W 11 trends for a while now. My observation of the end of year fashion started with that subtle movement of the hairy jumpers and the 50 denier tights into the once prime position of the printed maxi dresses and the neon bikinis. Although I rejoiced at the time (have to take up maxi dresses, 5'2" is not a model height and no tropical beach holiday this year to wear said bikinis), I must say that for the first time, I'm not really looking forward to Winter. This is not, owing to popular opinion, because I am what can only be described as Bambi in the presence of ice, but because I was a lot more excited about the S/S 11 trends than the A/W ones. I do like my darker colours, black just looks good on everyone to me, but it's that pesky "rust" colour which pops up this time of year that can upset me. Rust is orange. Essentially if you're not of an olive or darker complexion this colour seems to wash you out and make you look like you're trying too hard to be "on trend". This is one of the worst possible situations. I just had a quick browse of the new ASOS collection. I clicked on jumpers and hooray, ORANGE appears. A particularly awful one is an orange blocked with cobalt blue. You too can now look just like an over-coloured and over-flavoured cocktail. However, if you click on this monstrosity, you discover that they have failed to advertise that you can buy it in 2 other colours: "aubergine" and "blue". (I would also like to point out that the colour descriptions for the former one are yes, you guessed it, "rust" and "teal".) Here is a photo - I'm fairly sure that you will agree that rust, in the world of fashion is simply a marketing tool to make orange less scary to the average woman. Orange is scary. Especially when blocked with "teal":


    Looking at the aubergine and blue one though I find that although the colours may be more pleasing, the actual jumper itself looks like a Year 9 Textiles student has cut up 2 different jumpers and sewn them together. Poor show ASOS. The prevalence of "rust" continues throughout the search of jumpers but I do spot that there is also a fantastic palette of blacks, greys, navys and the more majestic jewel colours (such as burgundy, petrol blue, crimson, emerald and primrose/mustard yellow) which are very much an ongoing trend. There are a whole load of trends at the moment and I want to cover a few, but in separate entries so that I actually have something to do with my excessive spare time. Therefore, I want to cover the rather beautiful, yet often daring Jewel Box Colours in this part of today's entry and how I have slotted them into my wardrobe. So, with no further ado here are my favourite Upper/Lower High Street Jewel Tone items:

    1. Crimson/Ruby - I'm starting with my least favourite colour. This is only because red doesn't suit me. Apparently it should, but it just doesn't. Regardless of this however, red (the non fashionista name for 'crimson', 'ruby' or 'scarlet') can be one of the many ways to stand out this season. I think the only way you'd get me to wear red this season is with this item:

    American Apparel - The Wool Cape (Valentine) - £145

    Sorry for the quality - Here's a link to the AA website: http://store.americanapparel.co.uk/Rsawn301.html. Yes, it's super pricey especially since AA is not especially well known for it's quality. However, I love this item. It's perfect to add a block of ruby (or 'valentine') red into your wardrobe for a stroll round town or to a bar for an evening. Also, since you won't be wearing it all day/night you don't have to worry about standing out too much. I also know that it's a cape which I can't say is the most appealing item in the world. Give it a chance though. This one is fantastic because it isn't too cape like, it has a zip therefore it doesn't run the risk of drowning you out too much and it also seems to combine femininity with masculinity fairly well. The only downside since I have been in the rainy and windy North for the last 3 years, is that there is no hood for weather in which your umbrella would not survive. Another mention for a more formal look is this dress: 

    Vila - Verine Dress (Lava Rust) - £54.95

    I have to say, my favourite thing about this blog today is my discovery of the fantastic variety of names for colours used by the fashion industry. It's like looking at a Dulux colour catalogue. This dress is perfect for the office, for a bit of shopping, dinner out with someone special or afternoon tea with friends. I think this one ticks a lot of boxes mostly because the structure is quite flattering to curves especially and therefore useful for a number of occasions where you can both show of your figure as well as conceal a 3 course meal. See French Connection for their Signal Red Lookbook. 

    2. Yellow/Mustard - like "rust", this can well be one of those colours that can wash you out. However, I'm going to cautiously suggest that any hair colour looks good with this colour except red, and by red I mean Rihanna red not ginger. I just want a moment though to show off my mustard trousers. Potentially my most daring item of clothing that I own. I am a massive fan of Moschino and I found these beauties on eBay a good 6 months ago. Everyone laughed. Everyone took the piss and now I can say HA - I have both mustard coloured, on trend, high waisted, peg leg trousers, and they're genuine Moschino. I will admit that they were a bit of a shock when I opened them and there is the question as to what on earth you wear with them (unfortunately "rust" looks good) but despite all these qualms, I may be in love. Here is a photo of them:

    Sorry - iPhoto refused to save this in portrait

    Onto a couple of mustard suggestions. Firstly, if you can find mustard trousers and are feeling brave, go for it. Wear a black top to contrast (you won't look as bee like as you'd think) or a rust one. More on the brown side than the orange though. I found these one on a quick search on ASOS:

    ASOS - High Waist Peg Trousers in Cord (mustard) - £28 on sale

    On to a couple more options from the ever questionable Topshop. I love Topshop clothes. But the shop is well up it's own arse and every couple of items I buy from there fall apart almost instantly because the stitching is so poor Nonetheless, if you're looking for high street mustard, here are some ideas from Topshop:

    Topshop - Knitted Aran Collar Cardigan (mustard) - £48


    Topshop (Rare) - Skater Belt Dress (mustard) - £32

    French Connection - Lucky Snood (oak tree/black) - £20

    So, a jumper, a dress and a snood. I actually love the snood. I saw it in store not that long ago and I am almost certainly going to buy it. Mustard is a lot of fun, and as shown with the snood and the jumper, you can have removable items as with the red/ruby so you don't feel you're overdoing it on the colour. For some high end designer inspiration, check out Fendi's A/W 11 catwalk collection. Also, I just want to add in here that gold is a nice addition as well. I've been wearing it on my nails lately, in particular No. 7's Stay Perfect Nail Colour in 'I'm Exquisite'. I just have to note that "exquisite" is a pretty perfect word. With mustard, black is the best colour to contrast with. Along with red, rust and white. 

    3. Berry/Amythyst and beyond - I first have to give a mention to my wonderful friend Cindy. A while back, in the middle of the summer, I find her cooking in this fabulous maxi skirt in a berry colour. She tells me it was from ASOS but unfortunately the colour she bought it in has since sold out. I guess you could call it a raspberry colour to be exact. This lighter colour ranging all the way down to a deep 'amythyst' is definitely on trend right now. I'm not going to call it purple, because this sums up to me my 11 year old self's pink and purple bedroom. Currently, I'd start with the raspberry colour and as autumn progresses into winter, I'd lean more towards the darker side. Also, darker for going out. I personally think dresses and skirts look best in this colour so here are a couple of choices:

    ASOS - ASOS Petite Exclusive Mini Dress w/Cross Back Cut Out Sides (berry) - £25

    Do the world a favour though and don't wear black boring heels with this dress. Try either elaborate black heels or maybe even orange/rust/yellow/mustard. 

    Motel - Becka Skirt (violet) - £32

    Amethyst I have found is one of the harder colours to find flattering clothes in. You also run the risk with looking a bit like The Purple One in a Quality Street box if the material is too shiny. After all my searching, I honestly think my friend's maxi skirt is one of the best items I've seen in the berry/amethyst colour but sadly, it has now sold out. 

    4. Blue/Petrol/Cobalt Blue - blue to me appears to be one of the less worn colours in the world. Denim is always out there and seems to be the staple blue item in pretty much any British man or woman's wardrobe. 
    It is also an odd colour to wear as it often seems people put white with blue and you start looking a bit nautical. I'm going to admit that I only have one very blue item, besides jeans, in my wardrobe and this is a crushed velvet 3/4 sleeve, rather short vintage dress that I bought in a vintage haul on eBay. It was totally by chance and since then I have found it to be a very useful addition. However, here are some less obscure suggestions for the blue look starting with a link to Very for an on trend 60s look. I'm not sure what this dress would look like on however, I can imagine that it may well drown out a few people and others may be inclined to belt it which defeats the whole 60s look. There is also this blazer from New Look which again adds a somewhat temporary splash to an outfit (sorry for the lack of actual photos, these sites won't let me copy and paste). As suggested by the photo, this blue goes really well with cream as the main focus with the blue to pop. 

    And this going out look:
    Vero Moda - Key Hole Drape Back Low Side Dress (shiney cobalt) - £22

    and here's the back (but in black)


    I actually adore this dress and at such a fantastic price why aren't you getting it right now? Also available from ASOS. I may even get this one it's so darn pretty and the cobalt colour is absolutely gorgeous. 

    5. Green/Emerald - this is my final yet favourite colour so apologies if I get too excited. Green is probably my favourite colour in general. It doesn't even particularly suit me but it's almost as versatile as black yet appears to be shunted into the sale rack far too often. First, let me demonstrate how beautiful green can be by directing you to Jaeger. Just take a look and tell me that their definition of green/emerald isn't simply wonderful. It's almost royally green. This is my most admired item, like New Look and Very though I can't paste but I found it on ASOS along with a £23 reduction in price:

    Boutique by Jaeger - Textured Stripe Jumper (emerald green) - £115/£92

    I would like to just sneak in my new green trousers though because although these may not quite be emerald, they do add the much needed green-ness to my wardrobe at at £10 from H&M how can you possibly go wrong? Apologies to everyone who has seen me recently for wearing them pretty much every single day:

    H&M - Treggings - Online £7.99, although I swear they were £9.99 in store


    Sadly for us mere mortals however, the truest emerald colours out this season reside in the designer end of the fashion spectrum. If you'd like to cry over some gems though check out Jil Sander - Navy, Pucci and Diane Von Furstenberg's catwalk collections. Even the best emerald coloured shoes are living with Kurt Geiger. Never mind. It seems that emerald green actually lives up to it's bejewelled price tag for the very best hues. 

    So here I shall come to a close on the jewel box but prepare yourselves for a closer analysis of some more A/W trends in the very near future (tomorrow). The jewel tones are, to me, a really exciting group of colours, and I hope that I've shown that they don't need to be reserved for evenings spent at swanky London bars, because, let's face it, only the minority of us do that. I think that the mustard hues are the most versatile, bringing a bit of sunshine to the darkening mornings that are closing in on us. 

    Here then I shall end with an iTunes shuffle (and a cheeky music recommendation to make you feel so very happy): 

    The recommendation:


    Matt & Kim - 'Daylight'

    Also, the title of my blog today refers to 'Levels' by Avicii (uh-VEE-chee according to Wikipedia) - massive love for this. 

    And the iTunes shuffle for optimum embarrassment:

    A.R. Rahman - 'Mausam & Escape' (Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack)

    Well, that was surprising. I paid for this. That's how much I like this album. And if you haven't seen the film and/or read the book, do it. 


    Posted by prandicle at 17:42 | 0 comments | | |

  4. Mash It

    Wednesday, June 22

    I have spent a good proportion of the last couple of days searching for clothes and scanning for new music as my iTunes is currently full of Top 40 guilty pleasures. Therefore I decided that I needed the input of intelligent music as well as intellectual clothes in order to fit into my new status as graduate. I'm planning to enjoy this summer in the usual regalia of denim shorts and an array of crop/sheer/non existent tops and floral dresses but I'm getting increasingly aware that my wardrobe needs to be updated to a working 21 year old's rather than a student's, even though I'm yet to find a job. So as usual, I'll make a start with some music that I have discovered on my adventures into the Internet followed by a quick run down of my material desires. 


    Anyone that knows me will probably know that I'm a YouTube obsessor. Not necessarily for music, just everything. I can spend hours on there watching everything from parts of American documentaries to music video parodies. In this respect I can sometimes get a little annoyed when someone finds something fantastic before me, it's just the competitive side of me. When my friend Robyn came to stay with me in Leeds a few weeks ago someone posted this on her Facebook wall: 


    This is called Lights by Norwegian Recycling. Norwegian Recycling is one guy called Frans Peter Bull Enger and in his own words is currently 'intrigued by the possibility to write lyrics and express articulated views and opinions by using the words and voices of other artists. I also emphasize the visual aspect by releasing videos to accompany my tracks'. Being a bit of a fan of Kanye West et al's Flashing Lights it was wonderful see that a guy had created a whole song, all about lights, taking a good proportion of focus off the ever egotistic Kanye. Watching it with my friend Robyn we were both outrageously pleased that there was a Blink 182 sample in there. Oh and some old school Modjo's Lady. You can't help but feel really bouncy with this song and how well it's blended together and I really think that it does 'write lyrics' using a range of artists. Mash ups are a really tricky genre to get right in my opinion. I have a massive collection on my iTunes but only a handful I enjoy listening too. I think the first one I ever heard was years ago on an MTV show (the name escapes me) but it was a mash up of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit with Destiny Child's Bootylicious. Sounds crazy? You're right. Listening back to it right now on YouTube I am pained. But then that might simply be that the quality isn't fantastic. It does surprisingly blend, just Beyonce's voice kinda grates on you in contrast to Cobain's.  Also it seems to be a weird juxtaposition of genres in the video - gyrating UV male bums and the mop dancing caretaker. Speaking of mash ups though, I found this beauty in the depths of Audio Porn: Aaliyah vs The XX. I am an absolutely huge fan of The XX and Intro is one of the best opening tracks to an album I think I've ever heard. Whenever I hear that it's been sampled I'm immediately trying to find it and this is no exception. I've heard a lot of crap but there are some good remixes and samples out there and I think this is up there with them. Another one that my friend Rush discovered is a mash up of The XX with Notorious B.I.G which has completely grown on me. I know nothing about B.I.G but I know that this sounds weirdly right - Wait What - Dead Wrong Intro:



    Audio Porn is fantastic for some crazy mash ups and another one I discovered recently is Echo and the Bunnymen vs. Florence and the Machine, Killing Days:


    But enough of this mash up business, onto a few more tracks that I've discovered and will massively rate starting with something a little on the same lines but more of a Cuban remix than anything else. I may be massively behind the times but whilst on the drive home from a party at the weekend, following the chilled notes of the Black Keys my friend Rush asked if I'd heard of a nonprofit Cuban influence upon Western music collaboration entitled Rhythms del Mundo. Clearly my face said it all. He immediately played this wonderful tune, a jazzed up, Cubanised version of Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved:



    We then went on to discuss what a bad rep Maroon 5 seemed to gain over the years. I never had any of their albums, only a handful of tracks but I always loved to hear This Love. They're a bit boring, bit mainstream, bit middle class, middle aged but I have a bit of an attraction to the lead singer. So yes, check out Rhythms del Mundo, their album(s)' profits benefit the organisation Artists Project Earth and every little helps when it comes to saving our planet.

    And onto something totally brand spanking new in the guise of Explosions in the Sky. So I know I said in my last post that I'm not really into instrumentals. This is one of the few exceptions. I think it's because everything these guys do is completely epic. It isn't just using a computer and pushing some sounds together which seems to be a large proportion of music production at the moment, but they actually appear to involve themselves entirely in their music and it seems to be a real labour of love for them. One of my personal favourites by them is Glittering Blackness on their first 2000 album How Strange, Innocence: 

    My absolute favourite part of this is around the 2:43 mark onwards. They call their music 'cathartic mini-symphonies' and I think that this is exactly the best way to describe it. To me they are a real set of musicians, 3 guitars and a drum kit. Onto the new stuff though, these guys, despite all the epicness of their music, have never produced an equally epic music video, or one at all at that. While on Wired this evening I saw that this has all changed and now there is an 8 month in the making music video with a minute per month to show for it under the title Last Known Surroundings. An almost completely perfect video to enhance the listening experience. So if you haven't ever heard of them, check them out immediately and if you have, go watch this and become an even greater fan than before. 

    Finally, onto a wee bit of fashion before I head off to bed (I need to a) stop writing before bed time and b) maybe start posts with fashion and end with music occasionally). As I think I mentioned in a previous post I was aiming to get round to creating a DIY cut out denim shirt. Today, I found that denim shirt and cut it to pieces. Stylishly anyway (I think). I feel that I want to keep cutting bits out of it but right now it's exactly how I pictured it and I'm happy with the end result so I'm thinking of finding another shirt tomorrow to cut up a bit more in different places. Keep in mind that I have almost zero experience of textiles other than a few cushion covers in year 9 so it was just basic snipping. As it's denim I'm not finishing it off, just leaving it to fray a bit and see how that goes as I don't think I'll be wearing the shirt that much. Here are a couple of pictures: 

    Ignore the gold belt. What a disasterous choice! 


    Overall I'm quite pleased with the end result. I really really want to take the top of the back out too but I think it would overboard on the cutting up front. I'm so looking forward to wearing it out/to my driving lesson...

    So anyway, I'm shattered and like I say, driving lesson in the morning and so to end with an iTunes shuffle special (note, I didn't put a music video to the last one because I do not in any way recommend listening to it.) For today's song iTunes has chosen: Vampire Weekend - M79 from the self titled album. Much better than last week and so I will end with giving the music "video" for it: 


    I've chosen a live one because the violins make it that much better. 

    Posted by prandicle at 23:13 | Labels: , , , , , | 1 comments | | |