Vested Interest

So, today I felt like going for a bit more of a classic look. More conventional than some of my school outfits in the sense that it's a little plainer and less unique, but it still sticks out like a Prada handbag in Primark when I'm amidst the see of 2 piece grey and black suits that are commonplace in the sixth form common room. This outfit is also much cheaper than a dull £120 pinstripe suit from M&S. The tweed jacket is ancient- at least 40 years old I'd reckon, considering that it used to belong to my Granddad (shocking, I know). I found the tie in a vintage charity shop for about £2 and the light blue shirt is only £7 from Tesco. In fairness, the chinos were a little more- about £30 from Topman, but when you wear a hand-me-down jacket, you have an excuse to splash out a little on some nice chinos (and, *cough* a £50 pair of brogues *cough*).

Since the revolutionary beginnings of the 1960s, one colour combo that has retained its commercial popularity and stylistic appeal is perhaps the simplest: black and white, or monochrome. The monochrome look is a simple, fashionable and chic look which fits any season. It has a certain timeless quality to it- it can be reinvented in different shapes and lines to give a totally new, but equally striking look.

A classic Quant monochrome creation, ca 1962

Although the monochrome colour scheme was an integral part of Chanel's designs (particularly in her felt and tweed skirts) since the 1920s, it did not attain widespread appeal until it was popularised by the likes of Mary Quant and Andres Courreges in the late 1950s/ early 1960s. Unlike Chanel's designs, which had a sort of elegant quality, the designs of the 'Op Look' were cut in striking shapes and bold patterns. This was cutting edge fashion- the designs of Quant and Courreges and their contemporaries were totally revolutionary and unprecedented.
Ever since the days of the 'Space Age' fashion of the early sixties, the monochrome colour scheme has remained very stylish. Here's a slightly more modern variant of the monochrome style:

Louise Gray A/W 2012

Talbot Runhof A/W 2012

I love the clashing patterns of the Louise Gray design. I think that the print demonstrates the ethos of the 60's designers really accurately- that monochrome should be used to create a bold, striking look- whilst giving the look a slightly more modern twist with the crazy, futuristic graphic print combinations. The Talbot Runhof mini dress also has a sort of retro style to it- the shape of the dress is quite angular and straight- the dress renders the wearer virtually figure-less. The checked-cum-gingham print really draws attention to the dress and the feathery collar is a welcome addition to the design.

More evidence for the timelessness of the Gingham look- almost 100 years since she pioneered the look, Coco Chanel's label is still producing elegant and sophisticated monochrome outfits.

As I am currently suffering from a slight cash flow deficit I decided I would make a wishlist of the clothes I like, rather than actually buying them. And seeing as I've been somewhat enthralled by vintage looks recently, I felt as though a return to the high street was in order. So these are some of the things I would really like to buy- I've tried to keep to a fairly realistic budget, as though I were actually buying the clothes, though you'll notice I let fantasy get the better of me with some items...

Navy striped vest top- £12 (River Island)
Red slim fit trousers- £14.99 (H&M)
Dark green cardigan- £14.99 (H&M) (yes- £14.99!!!)
Unsung hero devon men's casual brogue boot- £60 (Very)
Orange aztec belt- £15.99 (River Island)
Armani Leather bracelet- £165 (the Jewel Hut)
Grey cable knit Beanie- £10 (River Island)
Tweed flat cap- £10 (Boohoo)
Braces- £12 (Topman)

Altogether, I think the outfit combined to give a very contemporary, chic, stylish look. It's also rather cheap- the H&M items are an absolute bargain, and if you exclude the fancy bracelet and replace the brogues with something a little cheaper (though £60 isn't bad for brogue boots!), then you have the basics of an outfit for about £50 (a little more with the braces and belt). Each item has its own merits- the aztec print belt is very funky, and will create a nice contrast line between the bright, bold red of the trousers and the stripes of the vest top. The darkness of the cardy will go nicely with the brightness of the trousers, and guarantees the wearers' warmth. The hats are lovely too- the Beanie says edgy indie, whereas the flat cap says smart sophisticated. I hope you like it!

As a rule, I'm always in a good mood on Fridays. Hence, I like to wear outfits which are a little jazzier than, say, Tuesday's outfit. So, this Friday morning, out went the regular, dull black and beige chinos, in came the fancy burgundy ones. In place of a plain or plainly patterned shirt I threw on a snazzy Aztec style short sleeved shirt. I'm still not entirely sure what print it is, or where it actually comes from for that matter, but it looks really striking when contrasted against the luxurious shades of dark red I wore it with. I found a dark, wine red tie, cropped at the end with floral patterned sections, to go with the shirt. On top of it all, I wore a dark grey tweed jacket, with very subtle red highlights, which I thought went really nicely with the red trousers and tie, and contrasted well with the shirt. As always, a solid, versatile pair of brogues discreetly compliment the look. Hope you enjoy!

So, today, being a lazy student, I decided to keep the same black chinos and brown brogues from last time but jazz my top half up a bit. I sacrificed the warmth of a cozy v-neck jumper so that I could show of the lovely bold red gingham shirt I picked up for £10 at a local shop. I'm not entirely sure what it's made of, but whatever it is, it's really comfy! I threw, or rather fastened, on a denim bow tie of my own creation. The tie is really simple to make and, if like me you (embarrassingly) can't actually tie a bow tie, it's much quicker and easier to put on! next time I make one I'll put up some instructions, but basically its just a 6 by 4 inch denim cut out (I cut my denim out from jeans I had tie-bleached, as I think the blotchy white patches look really nice) folded in half, sewn around the folded edge; then pinched and tied around the middle; sewn onto an elastic strip with a button at one end. On top, I wore a funky tweed jacket (£15 from Rockit in Camden) with red highlights which go nicely with the red of the shirt. Et voila! I hope you like it! (please feedback if you think the bow tie works or not!) xx

I often feel like there's not enough opportunity these days to express creativity in a professional environment- particularly where fashion is concerned. School is no exception to this rule- after 5 years of the classic drab, bog-standard school uniform, there are a mere 2 years (cut short by several months of study leave) in which one has a chance to choose one's own clothes- within reason, that is- before the undisputed freedom of University. I am now at the beginning of my second year in sixth form, and I spend at least 15 minutes each evening planning out my outfit for the next day. About half way through my first year I found the courage to break with the traditional 2 piece business suit, and began a period of experimentation with tweed jackets, and I haven't looked back since. I like to think of a school as a microcosm for the fashion world, particularly men's fashion (without the denim, of course)- boring shades of grey and black are everywhere, and people usually conform with most popular look- in the case of my school, a dark grey pinstripe suit, with white shirt and skinny black tie. However, as with the fashion world, a few more ambitious dressers stick out, and I always aim to be in this minority. This is what I wore today:

'strike a pose'

(slightly better lighting in this one...)

So there you have it- not my most exciting school look I assure you, but it definitely meets the required level of formality- as much as I would have loved to have worn some houndstooth trousers, I thought simple black chinos might be more appropriate. After all, too much attention isn't always a good thing- especially in a common room full of unimaginative, illiberal, conservative-minded school boys (and teachers, for that matter). I think the bow tie goes very nicely with the jacket (tweed, it goes without saying) and the wide tuxedo-style collar seems to add a nice sense of occasion. In keeping with the blue theme, i wore a light blue shirt with a blue jumper to keep warm. I love to roll my sleeves up so that it shows a little of the jumper/shirt- I think this highlights the fact that the sleeves are well and truly rolled up; sort of says: 'style other comfort' (especially on a cold day!).

Tweed jacket- £15 from Rockit in Camden Town (huge selection of Tweed jackets here, all at £15)

Jumper- £15 from Primark

Shirt- £15 from M&S

Houndstooth bow tie- £12 from Camden (somewhere!)

Chinos- £38.99 from Topman

Brogues- £50 from Clarks

Stay tuned, more school outfits to follow!

A trend seems to be developing among designers at the moment- many are retreating to a more minimalistic look reminiscent of that which was popularised by Mary Quant in the 1960s- take Prada, Dior or LVMH designers for example. However you only need to glance at some of the collections at Paris fashion week (commes des garcons, Vivienne Westwood, etc...) to see that there is mutiny in the ranks. At the forefront of this rebellion is Jean Paul Gaultier, who, in his latest SS13 collection, paid homage to the superstars of the 70s and 80s- a time when 'minimalism' was not a word in a fashion designers vocabulary. These are some of my favourites: