Rebecca gets Back to Black

My wardrobe looks like a circus exploded in it. I am subjected to wearing suits and formal work clothes Monday to Friday, so in my own time my maxim is the brighter the better. My staples are coloured dresses, sequins and anything else shiny. However, this winter, as I wander the High Street (which is disappointing to say the least) I am finding myself drawn back to black (used to wear a lot as an angsty, weight-conscious teenager).

I don’t know if this is age creeping up on me or a reaction to a pretty big fail by most of the high street stores for A/W 2010, but I seem to be going black and minimal in my fashion choices.  It may also be after reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy on holidays – perhaps I am channelling my inner Lisbeth Salender?  Whatever, I am feeling the grunge look. The refined grunge look I might add – I am not a fan of ripped tights or Taylor Momsen’s racoon eyes.

So I think the focus of my Back to Black Attack is this black leather skirt from Pepe – spied it in BT2 and it screams sophistication rather than try-hard. It’s also available on ASOS – I loves it…I just need to work up the courage to wears it.

I think this dress from Manoush is FABULOUS and could see myself and this dress propping up a bar with a killer pair of stilettos . I love the way the focus is on the bum and not on the cleavage. I am also loving Marks & Spencers tights at the moment and think a pair of the dramatic lace ones could work very well with this outfit. They have some plum/purple ones that could alternatively add a nice contrast.

It is pricey. But,  I did say this winter I am going to try and put together one of those ‘capsule wardrobes’ (such the fash-pack buzz word) and a black dress is a staple right?

These boots from ALDO are bitchin’. They have just the right touch of Victoriana/Gothic going on to fit in with my current clothing mood. I also love boots with lace -ups as they are easier to fit on over leggings/treggings/jeggings (when did we stop wearing trousers?).

I am in love with these embellished black leggings from River Island and think they would look fantastic with one of the many leopard print tops on the High Street. And big hair. These leggings scream big hair

I will be teaming all of the above with my trusty black eye-liner from MAC and hoping to pull off a return to black.  It’s not as simple as piling on a load of black – it may be slimming, but too much and you start getting handed the number for the Samaritans. A lot of black with a lick of class – that’s what I’m after

What Will She Wear Today?

it's ok...it's mulberry

Just a little something The Guardian’s providing us to busy ourselves at lunchtime today. Click http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2010/sep/15/fashion-mulberry to get your copy and have fun pretending you achieved your childhood dream!

One Parka: Two Sleeves. A True Story

I got meself a parka. A staple must if you will. I went for pretty-grungy and festival-grungy. Even though I didn’t make it to a festival this year. The SHAME.

The Promise Of The Playsuits

I refuse to bid fair well to my most treasured item of summer clothing, the playsuit. My playsuits have got me through so much these past months.  Casual barbeques, slouchy beach trips, grungy festivals – even formal gatherings. I am nothing without my playsuits. My love affair with playsuits started some months ago when my mother so graciously brought me home a lovely navy playsuit with beautiful yellow and white detailing for a mere 25 yoyos. Along came the black and white floral – very casual surfer chick and from a small market shop in France. Only a tenner. I kid you not. Some more to join the pack was a lovely choral one (purchased from the same market shop in france), a very beachy denim hollister piece and a polka dot black and white bargain from Pennys, ‘borrowed’ off a friend. (yes you MAY get it back some day).

Le Fashion News for Le Cool

So some exciting stuff happening fashion-wise this week. Legendary 60’s label Biba is launching in House of Fraser this evening. Sumptuous, glamorous colours and textures, all in the signature styles.

AND…wait for it, wait for it – SCARF EXPERT in Brown Thomas at the weekend and DENIM EXPERT in BT’s. So, if like me, you couldn’t knot a scarf to save your life or are in a permanent state of builders bum, head on down to bargaintown.
Check out my LeCool write ups (with more information) here.

The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Dress.

Over two years ago I bought a beautifully made, beautifully fitted, beautifully cut, B-E-A-U-T-IFUL dress from a lovely little boutique in Naas called Emporium Kalu. It was a spur-of-the-moment purchase after passing a SALE sign on the window. Obviously not being able to pass it, we stepped in to the pristine shop where the shop assistants were so dressed up and stunningly made-up,  it was embarrassing to go into with anything less than a 4 inch heel. After looking through the few clothes that were left, I found a perfect dress – it was gold brocade, had cute black straps and a little black bank around the waist that gave it a vintage-y feel. Having a ball coming up the following month, I had the perfect excuse to leave the shop a lot happier, bag-clad and 150 euro poorer (It was D&G though). What I didn’t know when I left the shop, was that it was to be one of my best buys EVER. It is, apart from my dirty old black pumps, the most worn item in my wardrobe.

Harajuku Girls: Not so crazy afterall?

Womens Wear Daily found themselves on the streets of Toykyo recently and discovered a whole slew of young ladies who eschew the Harajuku style. The ubiquitous Harajuku way of dressing embraces manga, anime, surreal fantasy and hyperactive colour palettes. The city is synonymous with Power Puff and Hello Kitty street style, and girls dressed up as boys dressed up as girls dressed up as superhero characters.

Let’s go to the hop

Coco Rocha was invited by ElleUK to do a 25-page shoot for it’s 25th birthday.

I can honestly say it’s one of the most sexy, evocative, electrifying, want-inducing shoots I’ve seen in years.

It’s an hommage to the Jane Fonda movie “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” which is all about a dance marathon held during the American Depression. The idea was dance til you drop.

And man was the shoot convincing. I feel like taking a puff of my Ventolin just looking at these pics.

Style Advice from a 7 year old. I kid you not.

Animal print, sequins, layers, colourful ankle socks and matching nail varnish. Who’s that? Me I hear you say? Why no, not I, but Anna Mc Ginn – the youngest of the Mc Ginn family. Seven years old and a Sartorial Beast in the making.

Catwalk report – plus lots of reasons to beat the Autumn Winter blues!

I hate to admit it, and if I’m honest I am still in semi denial about the fact that summer is coming to an end but on the upside the dreaded sales are coming to an end (whoop) and Autumn Winter trends are taking over, with lots of new yummy trends to get my teeth into (extended whooooop) Every cloud has a silver lining eh!!! Working in a boutique, I’m like a kid in a candy store with new stock arriving every day!

Over the coming weeks I plan to do a focus on different key trends and micro trends that take my fancy, but after trawling through Harpers Bazzar, Vogue, Instyle, style.com, Image and our very own Stellar I thought I’d give you ‘What Will I Wear Today?’ readers a quick rundown of what we’ll be wearing over the coming months…. Sure, we’ve got to deal with long dark evenings, what seem like even darker mornings, cold and yucky rain and the dreaded umbrellas blowing inside out dilemma… but hey nothing a new a delicious new pair of booties won’t help us overcome…. ahhhh yes shoes the answer to all my woes..

Anywho folks here’s a quick trend overview. I’ve picked my favourite ten…