Hello, happy Sunday.
I seem to have made a habit of starting blog posts with ‘it’s been a while…’ and here we are again. I don’t know about you, but life seems to be going simultaneously fast and slow these days - how we are in July (??!) is something that baffles me on a daily basis. Along with political decision making, rich people going into space and the England boys making it to the final of the Euros (It’s coming home lads!).
Anyway, my constant confusion aside, I have sought a lot of solace over the past few months experimenting, namely through the medium of clothes. If this blog hasn’t already made it clear to you, clothes have always been something I’ve got a lot of enjoyment from. That might seem bizarre to type out loud, but as someone that loves to flit between aesthetics and has her mood boosted by a quick #ootd change, using clothes to become something totally different has always been a source of joy for me. Also less messy than dyeing my own hair.
I’ve also been reflecting on my sources of inspiration, and how they’ve changed fashion-wise over the years. Anyone who was on Tumblr in the 2000s - 2010s will recall the onslaught of content we were fed; amidst memes and Lana Del Rey lyrics, ombre galaxy sweatshirts and Jeffrey Campbell litas were the talk of my dashboard. Honorable mention for disco pants.
As Instagram and more recently, Tik Tok have quickly become the social media platforms of choice for fashion inspiration, it’s been interesting to watch trends emerge and fizzle out, often just as fast. That coveted item that was all over your feed one minute becomes old news the next. So what’s driving this constant clothing conveyor belt? Beyond being deeply flawed in a multitude of ways, fast fashion companies are adding fuel to the fire of over consumption and shortening the life cycles of trends that they create. The ones that show up on your news feed again and again and again and again. Just bought that new graphic mini dress? That’s so five minutes ago. Here’s an ad for this one instead.
So what’s my point here you ask? Apart from being pissed at fast fashion companies that can’t pay their workers a fair wage, I guess this is just a little nudge to look beyond the trends. OK, believe me as someone who is v. partial to a trend or two, I know how tricky this can be, but once you start finding inspiration from sources other than the explore page, it can become a heck of a lot easier. Depop/Ebay/Vinted are a great place to start. Plus without the pressure of keeping up with the literal Kardashians, you begin to find a freedom in putting what you actually want to wear on your body. And after all, what could be better than that?
Anyway, talking of putting what you want to wear on your body, I’ve included some of my recent ~summery~ looks below - which is your fave?
Shirt - Depop, originally River Island
Skirt - Depop, originally Motel Rocks
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
Shirt - Depop, originally Vogue
Bralet - Depop, originally Boohoo
Jeans - Primark
Shoes - Lilley’s
Bag - Xmas gift
Blazer - Depop
Top - Depop, originally Boohoo
Jeans - Depop, originally Primark
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
Top - Depop, originally Zara
Trousers - Depop, originally Topshop
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
Shirt - Depop, originally Boohoo
Bodysuit - Depop, originally Missguided
Jeans - Primark
Shoes - Lilley’s
Bag - Xmas gift
Shirt - Ebay, originally H&M
Bralet - Depop, originally Boohoo
Trousers - Depop, originally Pretty Little Thing
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
Blazer - Depop, originally Topshop
Shorts - Depop, originally Asos
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
Blazer - H&M
Jeans - Depop, originally Primark
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Ebay
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Shirt - Depop, originally Boohoo
Jeans - Depop, originally Primark
Shoes - Asos
Bag - Xmas gift
The best way to start 2021? An Arctic Monkeys inspired lookbook of course.
So even if this year started a little differently than 'New Year's of past, I hope it was a good one for you nonetheless. I spent it watching the Bachelor, drinking an obscene amount of prosecco and resisting DMing Harry Lawtey on Instagram.
Anyway, I spent the first half of the day doing my v. favourite thing: playing dress up. Music has always been very influential in my styling choices, so it was only a matter of time before the ultimate crossover episode of two things very close to my heart - clothes and Arctic Monkeys, namely Alex Turner. Having really gotten into making Reels lately, mainly as a way to channel some kind of creativity, I could not resist combining my love for one of my all time fave bands, and my wardrobe. It was the natural thing to do.
So here are five of my top AM inspired outfits, along with the songs that sparked the look.
Which is your favourite?
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