THE CLARA EFFECT

I'm a bit of a recent convert to the Whoniverse (that's British TV show Doctor Who to non-Whovians), but oh boy am I converted. The latest series has just started and I'm tuning in every week to see the latest Doctor (with his thick, angry eyebrows and Scottish snarl) and his companion Clara. Petite, doe-eyed and with a rather fierce fashion sense, Clara's got perhaps the glossiest hair and the most fabulous boot collection on the BBC. I'm hardly an edgy dresser (think ballet shoes and cardigans) but I've obviously watched one too many Doctor Who episodes recently because on Thursday I woke up and went all Clara-esque. Reaching into my wardrobe, I pulled out the most monochrome, androgynous, fierce outfit I could think of. Grey, white, black, leather, suede, studs - all topped off with a little gold bow necklace. Oh, and a cat. An outfit is never truly complete without a cat. Thanks for being so uncooperative, Charlie.

Kitty xx

TAKE ME TO PARIS

 // top: Old Navy // Jeans: J Crew // sandals: New Look //

// sunglasses: Ray-Ban Wayfarers // watch: Fossil //

I'm not a t-shirt girl and I haven't been since I was 11 years old buying pink tees covered in cartoon chimps and featuring phrases such as 'just monkeying around'. As a general rule I'm not an overly casual dresser, but since I've already broken that rule this summer by bringing Birkenstocks into my wardrobe I thought I'd indulge my rebellious streak and buy myself a t-shirt.* Yet even I can't get too casual, and so when I saw a t-shirt featuring the word 'Paris' on the front I realised I'd found the perfect balance between casual and classy - doesn't Paris just class everything up?

Cue some slightly awkward outfit pics (will I ever get used to this whole posing thing?) outside in the hot August sunshine. I find closeups so much easier than full-body shots... am I the only one? You regular readers will notice that once again I'm wearing those tan sandals... they've been my ultimate Summer 2014 staple. 

In other news, I've launched myself into a new story idea and have been doing a fair bit of writing this week. I always struggle knowing how to explain what I'm writing to people - "story" just sounds amateurish, but to say I'm writing a book makes me feel squeamishly precocious. I usually just stick to "I'm writing stuff..." and hope that I don't sound too pathetic. 

Kitty xx

*Yes, this is pretty much the most rebellious I ever get. Oh, she bought a t-shirt! Quick, alert the riot police...

THOUGHTS ON CLOTHES

// dress: GAP // shoes: Franco Sarto // watch: Fossil //

// lips: Sonia Kashuk Velvety Matte Lip Crayon in Poppy Nude //

A couple of lovely friends suggested that I post more about what I'm wearing, not because it needs to be pose-y and vogue-y, but because they know me and know that I find pleasure in clothes. Outfit posts are a bit of a grey area, however, as they could easily slide into that uncomfortable category labelled 'self-indulgence'. It is indeed a rather self-indulgent thing to ask someone to take photographs of you as you twirl and tilt to demonstrate your (hopefully) most flattering angles, and then to later edit and crop and select images of you to post in succession on the internet. It could all get very self-congratulatory very fast and that's why I hesitate to make outfit posts. Yet, on the other hand, I love clothes. Sometimes I worry about saying that so frankly because such a statement is usually followed by thoughts like shallow and materialistic, but I do - I enjoy pulling together outfits. I love colours and silhouettes and patterns and shapes and fabrics and - most of all - I love how wearing lovely clothes makes me feel. I don't think this makes me a materialistic person, I think that this just means that I enjoy beautiful things. I have an artist's mind and so visual aesthetics are important to me. That's just the way it is, and enjoying clothes is just part of who I am, and this blog is just a way for me to express myself, so I am going to tell myself that it's okay to make outfit posts. It's okay.

So, after that rambling spurt of self-psychoanalysis, I will allow myself to post about my outfits but:

I'll try not to take myself too seriously (let's put a limit on pouting, mmm?)

I'll use them as opportunities to share creativity,  not as 'look at me I'm so fabulous' fashion spreads

I'll to be honest (minimum photoshopping, and no pretending I don't have bad hair days)

I'll try 100% to be me

I won't apologise or feel guilty about making outfit posts. They can be a reflection of me just like posts about art work or days out are. I will be passing my camera to someone and I will be asking them to snap what I'm wearing and I will be trying to arrange my limbs in a way that is camera-friendly and I will be doing all of this because I do rather enjoy clothes.

What I choose to wear is just another part of who I am - and that's okay.

Kitty xx

P.S. This particular outfit is what I put on during a swelteringly hot day for a job interview. I sweated most of my makeup off and my hair grew a halo of frizz, but boy oh boy was this ensemble comfortable. Thank goodness for shift dresses and bare legs.

MY WEEK

1) I've completely finished for the semester, and am thus officially halfway through my undergraduate degree! Just think, in two years I'll be ________ (fill in the blank). 

2) The weather was crazy! We had a day of 26 degrees celsius weather, a couple of storms and power cuts, freezing rain, and then suddenly lots of sunshine. The good part about this week's chaotic climate is that it seems to have levelled out to warm sunshine. At least, we've had nice weather for two days in a row, and I'm crossing everything and hoping...

3) I literally spent most of the week home alone in my jammies. Yes, I was studying and watching films and reading for pleasure, but it was refreshing to not do hair and makeup and outfits. Just me, sofa and PJ's.

4) I watched this week's Doctor Who episode Hide and had a lot of fun being unnerved and squealing at jumpy moments. Forget bad special effects and trying-but-failing-to-be-scary aliens, this episode was good and creepy. And of course Matt Smith's just brilliant, but does that need saying?

5) I got to draw rainbow dinosaurs. My little sister Ru was creating a huge time line of how the world started and needed help doing a few illustrations. I don't know whether I should admit how refreshing it is to draw multi-coloured pre-historic creatures as an alternative to the intense, conceptual artwork I produce on a weekly basis at Uni...

This week - a Very British Tea Party! Stay tuned,

Kitty x

{Dress: Banana Republic; Cardigan: Joe Fresh; Shoes: Franco Sarto; Necklace: Monsoon Accessorize; Watch: Fossil; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban Wayfarers.}

PENNIES À LA PARIS

First it was a pair of  Ray-Ban Wayfarers. Then it was a black blazer. Then a pair of leather riding boots. Then a polka dot Cath Kidston satchel. The more conscious I've become of my wardrobe and personal style, the more I've searched for some must-have wardrobe 'staples'. This weekend I ticked off another item on that list when I found the perfect pair of Penny Loafers. I've been rooting around for a pair of these for years now to no avail and I at last discovered my dream loafers in an outlet shopping centre in Upstate New York. I paid half price for a pair of G.H. Bass Weejuns, and it was only when I did a wee spot of research back at home that I realised I'd bought the genuine, original 1938 Penny Loafers. Double success! Quick fact: back in the glory days, you would slip a dime inside the slot of each shoe in case you needed to use the public telephone while you were out and about. Dimes later changed to pennies and voila! the Penny Loafers were born. They say you should still put some pennies in for good luck, so I dug around in my purse until I found some leftover British coppers. They work simultaneously as a nice detail and as a permanent reminder of my roots... am I over-thinking this a little?

I've been thoroughly enjoying the style guide Parisian Chic by Chanel muse Ines de le Fressange - a birthday present from my Aunt and Uncle - and so naturally I paired my loafers with an outfit a la France. I'm also in love with another birthday present of mine: a lovely Rose Fossil Watch from the Parentals. It all seemed to be the perfect recipe for feeling rather chic, but unfortunately a horrible head cold and a downpour of rain meant that this little photo sesh was rather a let down. I'm simply looking groggy on my doorstep. All in all, pitifully underwhelming. Not to worry: I'm sure the wannabe Parisienne in me will be making a comeback on a healthier, sunny day.

Au Revoir!

Kitty x

{Blazer and Top: Banana Republic; Jeans: American Eagle; Bag: Thrift shop find; Watch: Fossil; Shoes: G.H. Bass}

HAVING A MARILYN MOMENT

Last night I watched My Week With Marilyn. Yesterday afternoon I browsed the new Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic. Last week I looked through Vintage Vogue dress patterns. Last week I borrowed my friend's book on 20th Century style. Last month I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's. 

The Vintage Vibes have been bubbling away inside of me, and today they came to the surface with two dashes of Va and an awful lot of VOOM. Today I gave myself the Marilyn touch, and I'm telling you, it felt GOOD. 

This past week I bought myself a navy boat neck jumper on sale for $7 at Gap. I also noticed my bright green A&F trousers (also a bargain - reduced from $78 down to $12) in my chest of drawers. A navy and green dress in Banana Republic caught my eye and got me thinking... and voila, my outfit was born. Watching Michelle Williams shimmy across the screen in My Week With Marilyn certainly got me in the mood to do some shimmying of my own, and to shimmy like Marilyn, I needed flicks of cat-eye liner, lashings of red lipstick and a back-combed, hairspray-ed do. So I got to work, only to find out that before there could be any photographic evidence of my Marilyn Moment, I had to go out with the family. Reader, I am proud to say I did it. Minus the lipstick, I went out all retro-ed up and it felt pretty darn good. May have looked like I walked off a Mad Men set but hey, as my Dad told me: I'm young and I'm an art student and I can get away with being a little eccentric. 

When I finally got behind that camera, posing has never come so naturally. I thought of Michelle William's Marilyn cheekily asking, "Shall I be her?", and then, with a pout, I decided I would. 

Verdict? This may not be the end of red lipstick and big hair...

Kitty x

{Jumper: Gap; Trousers: A&F; Black Sunglasses: Forever 21; Red Sunglasses: New Look; Purple Scarf c/o of my Grandma; Red Scarf and Leather Jacket c/o my sister; Navy Coat: Miss Selfridge; Pearl Necklace and Black Ballet Flats: Joe Fresh; Leopard Print Heels: ASOS; Purse: Chapters.}

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

 Yesterday I had a complete hair change and I froze to death in the park wearing my Dad's old jumper. Oh, and I remembered (too late) that hair does a really good job of keeping the neck warm. No matter, though - I love my new hair. In these pics, I've yet to make it 'me' though - ever notice that the hairdresser always blow dries and combs and fixes things in ways you never ever do yourself? Some people love having their hair styled by the folks at the salon, but I always prefer my own, ritualised little ways of getting my hair how I want it. In my experience, I never fully get the feel of a new haircut until I have to wash and style it myself. Today was my own little adventure of wash, blow and style.

On very cold, overcast days, the first thing I want to grab is an over-sized and over-aged thick jumper. The second thing I want to pull on is a pair of pj's, but I could never let myself leave the house in those, so a jumper will have to do. This old-school beauty was made by my Auntie for my Dad way back in the Eighties. Somehow, my Auntie managed to knit my Dad's signature into the pattern, which is the red scrawly writing smack bang in the middle of the jumper. It takes the idea of having a 'signature' item of clothing to a whole new level! I'm no knitter, but even I can see that the result is pretty pro. I discovered this vintage find (can something my Dad wore in the Eighties be considered vintage yet?) only recently, and I am rather attached to it already. With the winter landscape, the new short hair, and a baggy homemade jumper, I felt a little like one of the siblings in the Home Alone series.

Old wool, new 'do' - good combination, I think.

Kitty x

Before the chop - farewell for now, bun!