feeling inspired

I met with a good friend the other day (she'll know who she is) I knew we would get onto the subject of my angst about not having a job. She asked all the right questions without judging or advising and it came back down to what do I really love and have a passion for- fashion/style. we discussed the new film Jane Eyre and Downton Abbey and whereas her uppermost thoughts were about the historical content mine (although interested in the history) were predominantly the fashion and style of the periods.


Anyway I felt inspired and so went to the V and A yesterday and saw the fantastic Postmodernism exhibition, a bit short of art content but really interesting about the culture, music and fashion all part of my style heritage.


I then went to House of Fraser to have a look at the Mary Portas collection. I tried on loads of things with a lovely young assistant and even met Mary herself. Anyway they do have some lovely stuff not too expensive but some of the sizing and cuts are a bit tricky. I know sometimes arms don't fit but didn't realise I had big forearms felt a bit like a trucker! All in all a very good trip (although some of the purchases will be going back following advice from Mr Cameron about paying the credit card back). speak soon Julia

hello I am back

summers over and cant wait for the sept mags. best time of the year. especially for those of us who love autumn fashion.

affirmation

you can't beat a good girlie weekend to raise your spirits and have time to discuss anything from the credit crunch and the state of the euro (well we were in France) to the state of each others underwear. I was told off for taking a few 'going out tops' even if we were in sub zero temperatures on the slopes. I can't help it, I can wear fleeces in the day but if I wear one all day and night I begin to feel a bit frumpy.



Fleeces are like elasticated waists you really really don't want to do them all the time but god are they comfy and warm! Its all about making some effort and I think this is where you can apply the 80/20 rule. You have to have down days e.g pj's til 10am or no makeup for a least a day a week. I dont know why but my face always feels better if I have a few bare days but I have friends who couldn't do this. I also know that if I did this for work I would get comments like--'do you feel ill?' In my last job I worked near selfridges and on the one occasion I went without makeup and got the 'ill' comment. I had to go to the makeup counter and apply foundation, blusher and mascara to feel alive!



I think you will always have an achilles heel and this is where I have to apply the 100% rule otherwise i will feel crap. For example mine is my nails and to take control of their state (weak and flaky). I have to have a manicure every 10 days to prevent them from looking terrible and have taken to looking at others people's nails and being very envious when I see healthy looking neat short nails. (I dont like them long and rarely have a colour).

For other people their achilles will be their hair or skin and this is another advantage of staying over with girlfriends is the sharing of information re products.

whether this is cheap but effective or expensive and effective (or not) its good to get affirmation from your mates and having the confidence to wear those going out tops if you want to

Colour

Its amazing how our mood can be reflected in the way we dress and conversely how the way we dress can make us feel. I like colour, but it wasn't always like this as a young thing in the 80's I did alot of black as I felt it made me look slimmer and it was an easy option. As I have grown up I need colour to put a glow on my cheeks.

Someone who is not afraid of standing out is Grace Jones I went to see her this week. she is the ultimate show off and really made me wish I could wear hats. she wore a different one for each song--wow. she looked fab and is nearly 60!

A few years ago I had a job that I fell into and all started well. I had to work closely with someone from the Arts Council and she was always very complementary to me and the way I dressed. As a year went by I began to hate the job and when I made the big decision to leave and go freelance this colleague commented that she knew something was up as my clothes had got duller and duller. Some people find colour tricky as they don't necessarily want to stand out but I am amazed how different shades of even muted colours can transform someone. Some people can look stunning in icy blues and silver-put these colours next to me and I look ill. I have to have bright autumnal colours such as orange (lucky me this season) and lime green- as long as it's not together and complimented with a base colour like dark brown. I would highly recommend having a colour analysis session even if it is confirm your gut instincts.

I have had this done twice, once just after having 2 of my children and the other time for a leadership course for work. Even though they were both different companies they came up with pretty similar recommendations for me. What stood out was some of the resistance in the groups. Some people find the whole issue of clothes and fashion difficult and cannot believe they haven't got it right.

I say we can't all be good at everything and if there is someone out there who can help (OK at a cost) why not. My latest quest is to have a really good makeup lesson for the grown up me.

so if anyone has recommendations I would be grateful. Julia x

Dress Codes

I suppose its because it new year and the media likes to jump on the zeitgeist of resolutions but when reading the Sunday papers this morning I was struck by the way we like to be told (advised) what to wear- well for a season at a time. What I find amusing is the papers I read are for adults and probably targeted at those of us at an age who aren't out til 5am on a Saturday night- but the models wearing the aforementioned 'must have' spring fashions look like they are all about 17 and obviously don't realise that we've done pirate trousers about 25 years ago.

This brings me to the point of today's message -dress codes. I have recently started a new job, I won't say who the company is but I have a fair amount of responsibility advising people who have even more public responsibility. When I was given my very extensive and informative induction pack I was amused by a sheet that states the 'dress code' and includes, suits, skirts and dresses no shorter than knees and plain shirts/ t shirts. I think dress codes are ridiculous as the scruffiest people are often the ones who are wearing the 'dress code' outfit. These rules also lead to people buying cheap suits that don't fit very well (I always have the problem of having to have arm lengths taken up) I am also being a bit hypercritical here as the best suit I ever bought and still wear is one from H&M. My point is dress codes do not necessarily make someone look smart, corporate and boring maybe. This is also a big problem for men who will wear a suit and tie and crisp shirt (maybe) but will team it all up with a pair of shoes that look like they haven't ever seen polish.!!

I also don't agree that by wearing something plain and grey this will stop people getting distracted, a bit of colour makes everyone's day a little more cheery especially in a recession.

I say keep the individuality as long as the clothes are clean and don't offend anyone. Today's media advice for the Spring look is 'to go' with 'brights'. Do you think I'll get away with a pink and orange suit as long as it covers my knees? Julia x

jumpsuits

O dear the poor old fashion world is in a spin because of the credit crunch. some of the designers were relying on dripping gold and 80's shoulder pads and opulence for the spring season, but Marc Jacobs has come up trumps with 20's and 30's fashion--lucky all you with boyish figures! also don't be fooled that women in this era didn't resort to corsets. They did!!

What is worrying is the references to harem pants and boiler suits--I only ventured down this path when I was pregnant in the 80's. It was such a liberating experience also having a baby in the early 90's and wearing my bump with pride instead of underneath a voluminous clown suit!!

O well back to today's topic-- the credit crunch and fashion. Has anyone thought of making stuff again as we did in the early 80's? As I discussed before I have just completed a great fashion course at the V and A and think a practical course is now a good idea. It would be great to make things that actually suit and fit and use good quality material. We also wont have to go into Primark (cheap, good copies but ethical stance?? and depressing mess) or M&S (reasonable price, crap material and very dodgy colours).
let me know what you think? Julia

Psychofashion-the start

What an extrordinary year. I decided to do something creative and it has been one of the best decisions for a long time. I did a 10 week history of fashion course at the V&A. This also meant I got to go to london once a week. The course was as much a theoretical and cultural social history of Europe from about 1650 to the present day as a fashion course. The V&A is amazing and we got to see and have explained many of the exhibitions and collections there.
I have decised to share my thoughts about fashion with particular reference to why women and men wear and covet 'stuff' that makes them feel good (or in some cases bad). This isn't about feeling young--we are all getting older its about feeling good/strong and confident.
I have always wanted to do do something in the fashion world and can remember when I was about 16 a friend said you should be a model. I knew then that was never going to happen--I am 5 foot 4 with curves but at the time if I could have had guidance I would have been a stylist but went in a completely different direction.Anyway doing the course has made me want more education and I am on the hunt for my next course, meanwhile I am enjoying watching any tv historical drama through new fashion conscious ( knowledgeable) eyes.