A very Asos Christmas
There is a trend among fashion websites to launch printed magazines. And I have to admit that from Style.com to H&M and now Asos, I am impressed not only with the amazing quality of editorials but with the overall content as well. Today I got home to find the new Asos magazine delivered for me. As if I didn’t have enough reasons to overspend on their website. However, the mag is full of great edits and ideas for party outfits, gifts and new beauty after party saviours.
The best thing about it is that I discovered accessories and pieces I would have never found because I don’t have the time to look at everything and I usually just search for stuff I want or need. Like that exquisite red floppy hat there.
Or those lovely boots:
What I also loved about the fashion stories inside Asos magazine is that they might be the first and only guys to shoot Chloe Moretz like she is- a child. The whole idea, outfits and styling was very age appropriate.
Finally, with or without this mag, Asos is online’s wonderland for sure. And the place to shop for Christmas presents. I predict these boots will sparkle under a lot of Christmas trees this year.
Trends
Fashion week is now over and I think this is the right time to talk about trends. Not necessarily the ones for S/S 2012 but how we deal with them in general. When I was about 15 I used to only wear trendy clothes and throw them away after a season. This is a terrible habit and fortunately I grew up an realised stylish women never do that. First of all they have a personal style that can’t be changed with trends and they stick with whatever suits them best. The real fashionistas only buy a few key pieces every season in order to add trendy elements to their wardrobe but always look for the timeless coats, boots or bags.
The first thing you should know when it comes to trends is how to read them. Always check the online style bible in order to watch new collections and all your favourite designers. It’s good to get used to them all and then pick 5 to 10 designers that you feel represent your style and take inspiration from their work. Some people have a gift for trend forecasting and are always one step ahead but luckily for you, all fashion magazines, sites and blogs do trend reports so you can see what colours, shapes, fabrics or themes define a new season. If you stick with the good quality magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, there’s no way of getting it wrong.
One of the biggest mistakes you could make is try ro wear ALL the trends. It is impossible for every designer’s fantasy to suit your lifestyle, body shape or taste. Don’t become the slave of trends and learn to adjust everything in order to make it perfect for you. I, for one have never been a huge fan of minimalist clothes because I don’t have that super androgynous body and I need skirts, dresses or trousers that will flatter my feminine shapes. If you always try new things and work out what makes you look fantastic and what doesn’t, you will know in an instant which trends to adopt and which ones to stay away from. I for example, look more at French and Italian designers rather than British because I prefer their elegant, glamorous and more poetic creations.
What always helped me choose the right clothes was having ‘the book’. This is a file I create every season and add magazine clippings, my favourite looks from different collections, key accessories or even not so wearable looks that I use as inspiration when thinking of my own outfits. I also go to the book whenever I find myself staring at my clothes and not being able to pull a decent outfit because I am having a bad day. But the book serves me the best when I need to go shopping. I actually never shop without flipping through it and remembering that no matter how much I adore flare trousers and no matter how trendy they are, I am only 5’4”.
And if you shop on the high street never buy clothes that are copied from runway shows because they will always look cheap. The best thing to do is search for those garments that are only inspired from a designer’s collection and remember that certain clothes are only made for high street and therefore will never be good quality or even trendy.
Here are some bits from my A/W 2011 book:
Making a lovely home
For some, their house is only a place to take a shower and get some sleep. For others- myself included, a house is a home. I grew up in a modest yet beautiful flat with paintings on the walls and wooden floors. My parents collected art and didn’t buy Ikea furniture. Right now I might be too young to afford Renoirs and a piano but I still want my home to be warm and lovely. The first rule in order to achieve that is for your house to reflect your personality. Fill it with the things you love rather than stuff you are never going to use or enjoy looking at. If you love your magazines so much that never want to throw them away, don’t. You will make a very stylish coffee table out of them at some point.
Be a lady and learn to arrange flowers. Never buy roses or even worse, lilies- carnations or peonies are good choices if you want to avoid being tacky. Go to flower markets (Columbia Road in London) and make your own bouquets, but never mix more than three colours. If you don’t feel confident enough, just pick white flowers. And if you don’t own amazing china vases, use transparent bottles. Fill your house with flowers and leave plants for your office space.
Decorate only with either art or tasteful souvenirs brought from your travels. Never buy ‘decorative objects’ because there isn’t anything more kitsch. Always think simple and white: delicate curtains, or even better, no curtains at all, simple lights, fruit baskets, fabric throws for your sofa and armchairs, soft single coloured cushions, white unscented candles that you can pour your favourite essential oils on, small rocks and seashells you picked on the beach, photographs, drawings made by children. Avoid oriental or fur rugs, too many colours and tons of objects that will always be covered in dust.
Mix designer pieces with furniture found in flea-markets, minimalist with rococo and baroque as long as you don’t go crazy with the colours. But never ever buy furniture in sets- you know my feelings about anything matchy matchy. Also, be inventive with creating your own decorations like beautiful framed photographs, a glass bowl full of leaves and small pumpkins in autumn months, or a velvet tablecloth. But pick one or two corners to keep all your small objects, don’t leave them scattered all over the place.
Buy zinc boxes from Muji and store everything from DIY tools, light bulbs, cleaning products to ugly but necessary things like a printer or cables. Attach a little label on every box so you know where to find something you need and this way you stay organised, neat and stylish while minimizing clutter. Also, keep beautiful chocolate or biscuit boxes for letters postcards or notes.
Choose white walls and paint only one of them in a colour that you love. This way you can easily change it whenever you feel like trying something new.
One of my favourite and most important rooms is the bathroom. This place is a sanctuary that needs to be perfect, relaxing and filled with nice smelling potions. Believe it or not, I prefer all white bathrooms with old-fashioned tubs and lots of glass jars and candles. This goes for towels as well: white or dark navy blue. No other colours accepted. Handwash should be kept in a glass or ceramic dispenser rather than the horrible plastic bottle it comes in. Same goes for soap, tissues and pretty much everything else. I love transferring my face and body lotions in small jars rather than keep them in plastic pots.
Be inventive while keeping everything personal. Whether you play with the seasons and decorate accordingly, or tie a pile of Vogue magazines with red ribbon and put it under the Christmas tree, always think about what you like, what you are passionate about and make that reflect in the way you decorate your home. And if you need a little inspiration, check the list I compiled for you:
2. Dreamy beds
3. Balconies
6. Decor8
10. That bedroom
11. Workspaces
12. The Selby
