Thoughts for the future

I want to write.

I don’t even know what I would, or could, write about. So much of my life revolves around reading text-emails, websites, blogs, magazines-that it has become difficult to imagine an original topic with which to begin. 

I can barely type anymore. This current rambling has been pockmarked with errors which I’ve had to return to correct. This doesn’t bode well.

I’ve recently begun harboring the thought of writing a book. 

I love reading.

Books can take you to another world. Watching a film or TV series immerses you in an alternate reality but it is not one of your own making. As you read the words of a book your mind inadvertently begins to assemble the four walls of an imagined environment. The textual description is but a guideline for what your imagination can conjure.

I want to write something which becomes a form of escapism for the reader. I want to have that kind of profound effect upon another’s existence. You know that feeling when you crawl into bed at night or curl up on the sofa under a blanket with a mug of tea, or glass of wine, and your favourite book? I always exhale a long and heavy sigh as if the thoughts and activities of the previous few hours can be evaporated as the breath exits my body. 

Once that has gone I’m drawn into the page; into the words and the story.

It’s not that, like a child, I believe in the fantasy of a dreamworld, but that I appreciate the vivid difference between what you see with your own eyes and what you see in your mind’s eye. As you walk the streets in a dull stupor, headphones providing a rhythmic soundtrack to your steps, the people and places surrounding you are almost a sepia blur. You don’t really pay attention. You don’t engage. You walk. Left, right, left, right- who did I need to email back? When you read a book-even if the description is of something mundane-your senses become immediately heightened. A man walking through a park is no longer a solitary and anonymous figure of your peripheral vision but an object of intense scrutiny and intrigue. You want to know what he’s feeling, how he’s dressed, why is he there? The colour of the sky is now a vital detail. The smell of the damp air a significant part of the atmosphere.

Obviously not all books have such a strong effect on you. Some you read just to pass the time on holiday so the style of writing is irrelevant. Others you read for work or factual interest and so you are not looking for a gripping and emotive story. But you surely know what I mean when a book is so great that it feels as if you are a part of it. When the hero or heroine scales the heights and depths of elation and despair and your heart and soul go along for the ride. These are the books that leave you almost with your own feeling of crippling sadness as you scan those last lines and realise that those are the final words. The story has ended. Your journey has stopped. It is a post-party come down of the worst kind because you are simultaneously hit with the stark awareness that the adventure never actually existed.

I recently finished reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. At this point I should not have to implore you to read it by saying anything further than that it is one of those truly great books.

This is what I want to write.

Winter Styling

I find that Winter is an incredibly hard season to dress well for in terms of creating a sleek silhouette and chic image without looking too drab. Excessive layering can add unnecessary bulk to your frame, whilst the simple jeans, boots, coat combo frequently looks too bland and uninteresting. To provide some inspiration for Winter casual day dressing I compiled a selection of my favourite styled looks from net-a-porter- most of which feature items from Alexander Wang and Elizabeth and James. There's nothing too fussy, eclectic or extraordinary in this styling but it shows some effective ways to layer basics and jazz up a look with some well chosen accessories.

Two ladies who know how to layer up for winter without losing that fashion edge are Rumi of fashiontoast and Ashley Olsen (see olsensanonymous for more pictures).

Say hello to the real world.

As you grow older and time passes it is inevitable that change must happen. You cannot remain stagnant. That photo snapshot in time is a moment that will never recur. You will never be the person that you used to be.

Change is never more evident than when you move into a new phase of your life and the harsh reality of the present sends you reeling.

I used to think that I could be a carefree youth for years on end; running, laughing, joking with friends and never looking back. I used to frequently crack the pithy one liner: 'You're only young once, but you can be immature forever'. To a certain extent that is true. Your heart can remain in the giddy rose tinted light of youth but the bite of the real world, and its lessons and responsibilities, eats away at your mind.

When I moved to London I welcomed the world of 'adult responsibility' in a warm embrace. Five months later (Oh God, has it been five months already?!) and my prior assumptions are seeming increasingly naive. The thing about the real world, the adult world, outside of the confines of University life and the requisite reckless behaviour, is that you stand alone. You budget (or in my case don't) your own finances, you are reliant on yourself to do well at work and the gleaming future of big houses, big cars and big wardrobes (that's my future life anyway) is solely dependent on your own success. Your parents (if they are as generous, warm hearted and loving as mine) may provide emotional and financial support where necessary, but inevitably it is up to you.

I do not hesitate to admit that I am incredibly ambitious. I have a career plan and I know what I want to achieve with my life. Mediocrity is not it. Women have been berated and labelled as bitches for displaying a firm resolve and ruthless drive when it comes to succeeding at work and the truth is that those who berate and label are just scared. Scared that they will be trampled on and overtaken on the race to the top. They fear ambitious women. They should do.

Big events in life make you re-evaluate your priorities. No event in my life has been bigger than the recent arrival of a beautiful baby boy. Do not fear, he's not mine! Well he is. He is my wonderful, perfect, sweet and tear-inducingly innocent little godson: Oliver Jack Webber. Born on November 24th to my amazingly strong best friend Luci- he is a little ray of sunshine. More than that, he is a glaring beam of light shining through a magnifying glass and burning into my life. He is my realisation that I'm not a kid anymore.

I need to grow up.

CATWALK REVIEW- WHITE

The season of Spring is all about rebirth, reinvention and new beginnings. What better way to wipe your sartorial slate clean than to begin the year with a wardrobe of white?

After many frozen months enveloped in the comforting security of black it is a breath of fresh air to slip into something crisp and white. From fun and flirty styles to elegant simplicity-the catwalks showed just how easy it is to work the trend for white.

Lace and broderie anglaise were the fabrics du jour at Dolce and Gabbana creating an aura of joyful femininity. Girlish rompers, baby-doll dresses and pleated mini skater skirts were a nostalgic reflection on the innocence of youth while sheer panelling on dresses and long skirts revealed a cheeky glimpse of fifties style underwear-proving that white lace need not be a dusty relic from days gone by. The modern woman in white lace is neither dowdy nor dull- she is playful and provocative; not such an innocent girl.

For a more elegant but equally feminine take on the trend for white look no further than Calvin Klein. The soft simplicity of Francisco Costa’s designs proves that less really is more. Pieces such as these are timeless classics. The silhouette is kept long and lean, whilst the fluid draping of silk falls effortlessly on the body to create graceful movement. The floor skimming maxi dresses are seamless and sensuous- understated and beautiful.

CELINE

CHLOE

Minimalism is the modern way to wear white, but if you are looking for a more structured way to work the trend, take notes from Chloe and Celine. Long, loosely draped and widely hemmed trousers were the stand out motif from these collections. Paired with a basic tunic, shirt or razorback vest these looks are the epitome of tailored, ladylike chic. At Chloe an added touch of femininity was provided with smart but sweet tie-waisted dresses and below the knee, pleated A-line skirts. The Mad Men look is still going strong but is given a new lease of life in stark white- gone are the fussy prints and heavy fabrics- this is a fresh new woman.

The masculine tailoring of Celine is echoed for a younger generation in the street casual aesthetic of Alexander Wang. Playing with the dichotomy of construction and deconstruction, Wang creates an athletic uniform of wearable pieces. Multiple fastenings and pockets adorn the garments in a utilitarian manner, emphasizing the wearability of the collection. Fabrics such as cotton, linen, jersey and denim are used in a refreshingly new way. Overalls in sheer cotton are both casual and modern.The ubiquitous white shirt is given an edge when paired with a bleached denim gillet and cropped jersey harem pants. This is daily dressing for the hip young urbanite. 

It is clear that, whatever your personal style, the new season trend of white can be adapted in many ways. From ladylike chic and masculine tailoring to flirty playsuits and athletic overalls, white can work for you.

(ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF STYLE.COM)

Uniqlo Press Day

A week ago I had the opportunity to attend the Uniqlo press day. Although Uniqlo has a great designer collaboration with Jil Sander and offers well made cashmere pieces at affordable price points I have never got particularly excited about the brand. Nevertheless, I welcomed the chance to see the new season collections ahead of time and was pleasantly surprised by the garments on offer.

The pieces from the main collection were very well styled in two rows of mannequins displaying both men and womenswear. I think that the reason I have never been drawn into the store is due to the stark simplicity of the pieces. When you enter a shop to see rail after rail and shelf after shelf of identical, singularly coloured garments it becomes very hard to get excited about the product and imagine potential styling options. I have obviously just never accepted and embraced Uniqlo for what it is- simple but relatively well made separates at affordable prices.

From seeing the following mannequins I am feeling more inclined to give the store a chance.

Although all of the following looks are quite conservative and preppy they all echo the masculine tailoring look which has become so characteristic of the hip Brit youth.

Trousers are evidently still very much the motif of the modern woman's chic daily wardrobe. From wide legged flares to cropped cigarette pants, this is the most straightforward way to step into 2011.

The ubiquitous trench. Still very much a staple, even in this, its most basic and unadorned form. Always a classic. Equally, the trend for matching varying shades of biscuit, brown, caramel and toffee is still a fuss-free approach to Spring dressing.

Socks and sandals will forever remain a trend which I shall not take heed of.

Shorts in the city. A fresh approach to urban living?

The denim on denim look as seen at Chloe and Ralph Lauren last season. Despite the fact that I do not have the toned, young Britney style, tummy to pull this look off I still think it's a winning combo for casual day dressing.

A noted change in direction from the casual austerity of the mainline collection is the designer collaborations-most notably that with....BARBIE.

Uniqlo will soon have on sale this capsule collection of Barbie themed t-shirts. Kitsch. Cute. Perhaps ever so slightly too sweet, but still charming and fun. I think the grey cupcake style may be a comical addition to my weekend wardrobe.