pretty passions, fine fashions

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #15

2012-03-17T14:23:00.002-07:00

Trend Alert!- Meow

2012-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

From top left, clockwise: Designer labels feeling the feline love last year // Cat Closet from adarkershadeofred.tumblr.com // Jason Wu for Target: available now // Wedges from http://lonely-soles.tumblr.com/ // Miu Miu Spring 2010 // Charlotte Olympia's famed cat shoes // ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) at Forever 21:
available now// Cat Jumper // Victoria Beckham in a dress of her own design //

Haute Couture

2012-03-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Each season the world's most luxurious looks come down the runway. These are not just the ready to wear designer brands (ie. Gucci and Prada.) These outfits are in a whole new league. The name's couture. Haute couture.
OK. That was so cheesy.

There were a million shades of blue at the Chanel couture show which took place on a concocted commercial plane. Quite an ordinary surrounding was distorted into a fashion show situation with the plane aisle widened to make a runway and the seats turned to let the front row fashionistas gaze on. The classic elegant androgyny is as much in this show as it was over half a century ago when Chanel's original ideas were put into the practice. The elegance is obvious in the trademark suits and the couture dresses. However, the androgyny comes from the slightly slouched attitudes that the models have with their hands in the drop waist pockets that looked a bit (as Karl Lagerfeld put it) "like boys whose jeans are slipping off." The blue shades are turned to chic, cool colours whereas this colour is stereotypically a boy colour so again the gender boundaries are nudged.

From one fabulous Parisian brand to another. Chanel hated Dior and his "New Look" but the modern day creative directors Lagerfeld and Gaytten have taken both brands on their own journeys that often mirror the original ideas but have a different take each season. The Dior couture show for spring/summer had a vintage look to it. The craftsmanship was beautiful but who could expect any less? The full gowns were fabulous and the '50s style dresses complied with the "Vintage Americana" trend. Monochrome prints were in abundance but how could we possibly forget that red dress?

Image Source

This dress (left) is worth a staggering $30 million dollars and is embroidered with 750 diamonds. It is the world's most expensive dress that exceeds the price of all high quality couture. When it comes to the priciest dresses it always comes down to the diamonds. You could buy the most stunning Chanel or Dior couture gown and the price tag still would not compare to a diamond studded dress. I would love to one day save up for a custom made couture gown, but then again, who wouldn't? They are so grown up princess-y.

(all catwalk photos in this post are from style.com)

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #14

2012-03-10T14:26:00.001-08:00

Pretty Passion.

(image source)

Thegreatest love story of all time. William Shakespeare's most famous play. Andthe film that triggered the most emotional empathy from the viewers in a studythat took place in 2008. This research showed that the audience's"mirror" neurones were triggered when watching the scene in BazLuhrmann's 1996 adaption of the tragic love story in which the two star cross'dlovers take their lives. Often, the things in life that reach usemotionally are the things that stay with us for the longest. I must admit that I was tentative about watching an adaption set in modern times as it seemed like the events in the play escalate the way that they do because of the time that it happened. I watched thefilm for the first time last week. We had just finished reading the play so wewatched the film in class. Two days later I bought it on DVD and along withCoco Before Chanel, Grease and The Help it is now one of my favourite films ofall time. This film has everything that makes a good film and the costumes are fabulous.

Fine Fashion.

(images from style.com)

Theomnipresent allure of nocturnal decadence at Gucci this autumn continues mygrowing adoration for their ready to wear looks. The glitz and glamour of the1920s has evolved into what Frida Giannini said she had in mind when designingthe collection; nineteenth century decadence. The flowery prints had a dark twistto them making sure that they are not too summery. I loved the mulberry purpleshades as well as the forest greens that provided an alternative to blackwithout breaking the mood of the collection. There was a sort of romanticism tothe show but not in a cute way. Out of all the autumn collections I have seen so far, this one is without a doubt my favourite.

Happy Birthday Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions!

2012-03-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

As much as I would have liked to make a little 1st birthday cake for my blog, I have been preoccupied revising for a maths test and worrying about the science GCSE results that we are getting tomorrow. Therefore I had to use this photo from here. Because of the aforementioned reasons this post will have to be shorter than I had wished as I think that 1 year is quite a big thing. I am glad that I have kept Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions going as I had hoped that I would. I have posted 237 times and throughout those posts my writing and my style has progressed and evolved. It is now 365 days since I first posted to you in this post on Coco Chanel who I still find equally as inspirational as I did when I wrote the post. I watched Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky at the weekend and Chanel does seem to be portrayed as a bit of bitch in that but she had a difficult life and worked hard to make a lot out of nothing which is very admirable regardless of her tendency to have affairs with married men and not feel guilty! Since I started my blog I have gained 66 loyal followers whom I am thankful to for reading what I have to say and commenting regularly. NOW LET'S PARTY!

LOL JK: back to revising.

Italia

2012-03-06T12:14:00.003-08:00

Gucci.

-Black

-Dark Red Lipstick

-Black Paisley Prints

-Black Leather Gloves

-Black Suede Heels

-Black Knee-high Boots

-Black Florals

-Citrine Yellow Flower Print

-Blazers

-Centre Partings

-Dark Purple

-Gothic

-Gowns

-Velvet

-Sheer Black

-Feathers

Alberta Ferretti.

-White and Black Clutch Bags

-Belted Coats

-Flat Centre Parted Hair

-Pinstripes

-Pointed Shoes

-Reflective Sunglasses

-Leather Gloves

-Billowy Sheer Dresses

-Fur Coats and Gilets

-Leather

-Sculptural Dresses

-Black Ankle Boots

-Embellishments

-Suits

-Maxi Lengths

-Masculine Details

-Jewel Colours

-Black

-Masculine/Feminine Contrast

-Feminist Meanings

-Woman Empowerment

-Monochromatic Palette

Ermanno Scervino.

-Riding Hats

-Forest Greens

-Knee High Boots

-Fur Collars

-Leopard Prints

-Tan Leather

-Jockey Inspired

-Preppy

-Hot Pink

-Jodhpurs

-Fur Coat

No.21

-Clean Cuts

-Greys

-Burgundys

-Forest Greens

-Jade colours

-Sparkles

Francesco Scognamiglio
-Greys
-Blacks
-Leathers
-Fetish Inspired
-Sheer
-Motifs
-Shirts
-Tapered Trousers
-Pleats
-Mini Dresses
-Luxury

MaxMara
-Khaki
-Metallic
-Horizontal Stripes
-Monochromes
-Porter Caps
-Camel Colours
-Silky Fabrics
-Creamy Hues

3 Ways to Wear River Island Floral Jeans

2012-03-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

(all from River Island)

Today at school one of my best friends told me that she had a fashion dilemma.She had tried on some jeans at the weekend; they fitted well and she really like them but was unsure because she thought that perhaps they were a bit too daring. I, however love the daring look (as long as its not on like Lady Gaga meat dress scale; that's a bit too far.) This evening I had a look at them and came up with these three outfits to help her decide. All the items can be purchased at the moment at River Island for under £50. In the top look I have incorporated the duffel bag (the bag of the season), pastel colours (the shades of the season) and of course the wonderfully whimsical horticultural jeans. The second one has a more dainty atmosphere to it. The girly white top with the wicker bag and the boat shoes nod towards vintage glamour and the jeans add a slightly wacky edge to the stereotypical femininity. The bottom look is fresh, like a spring day. Each colour is pale and light bringing a hint of purity to the overall mood.

Are you thinking of buying something but are not sure?
Have you recently bought something but don't know what to wear it with?
If you answered yes to any of those questions that I would be glad to help by styling the item like I have done above. Please just leave a comment below or email me at:
x-sophii97-x@hotmail.co.uk

P.S. I also love the shorts version. They are perfect for summer and slightly less of a bold statement but beautiful nonetheless. Again, they are all from River Island. This outfit has more of a hip hop vibe.

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #13

2012-03-03T15:19:00.002-08:00

Pretty Passion.
This week I felt inspired by the whole online atmosphere of fashion month through looking at fashion blogs, reading magazine sites and style.com. None of the fashion weeks have directly affected me but I find it all exciting and inspirational nonetheless. I might not be involved at the moment but like most fashion bloggers fashion week is an event that I dream of attending. For now though, if you're like me, you can regularly visit the Vogue website. I prefer this to style.com when you want to be updated after each show as it happens. You can also see an exact schedule of shows just like one that would be sent to you if you were a VIP fashion editor! For now, whilst you wait to be discovered create a comfortable sanctuary, prepare a drink, grab a notepad and make some notes with a front row view of the shows from your very own computer screen.
Fine Fashion.
Last summer my shopping list was based around Vogue's spring/summer trend guide; with some of the pieces altered to suit my style. However, one piece that was not mentioned in the trend guide was dungarees. Nevertheless, I felt an impulse to buy some. I just thought that they would look perfect over some swimwear on holiday by the pool. And they were. For winter I did the same thing and this time the item that I dreamed of was a Cambridge satchel which I got for Christmas and I now use as my school bag. Now, however, for this summer, the item that I am lusting over are flatforms. River Island have quite a vast array of summery styles. To discover your true style, sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck but you think it's a pig. It's a pig. If it looks frumpy and seems ugly but you think that it's chic and that it will look good. You should buy it.

Graduation Day

2012-03-01T15:00:00.001-08:00

(image source)

Beauty and intelligence; possibly the two most desirable assets after money. Most people would usually follow on from this sentence saying that very few people have both but a recent study by London School of Economics shows that good looking people do actually have higher IQs. Take Kate Beckinsale for example, she studied French and Russian Literature at Oxford.
A key example of a woman in the spotlight with the looks and the brains is model, Lily Cole. She studied History of Art at Cambridge and on the 30th June last year she graduated with the highest possible honour on the course.
University fees have been in the press a lot lately. I believe that they are now ridiculously high. With the world of work as competitive as it now is, university is becoming more and more important. However, it is not essential. Company magazine did a feature last September on successful women who had not been to university. Tori Lowe, senior buyer at Topshop, could not decide what course to study at university so she took a year out to consider it but then decided not to go at all. Rio pass now works as a people's champion at Innocent drinks company. She started studying A Levels but "lacked passion" so dropped out and started a part-time job in a clothes shop. Amy Garrett has made TV adverts for PG Tips and Boots, however, she left school at fifteen with just four GSCEs.
My friends and I were talking in a very pessimistic way about it all the other day. Most of us plan to go to university and then college or the other way round so we will probably be in the education system for another ten years even though we only have three years left in compulsory education. Then we will be in debt for ages as well as probably being unemployed for a long amount of time due to the competition. Then we will work. Then we will die. Oh happy days!
I probably will go to university but that is just because I know what I want to do and I think that university is definitely on that career path. Journalism is also very competitive so a degree is pretty much essential. However, I do respect people who make the decision not to go to university but get their dream job through working hard anyway.
Now, that's all the deep current events out of the way. Let's take a look at some fashion and celebs.

1. Lily Cole, stunning model, graduated from Cambridge last summer.

2. Spencer Hastings from Pretty Little Liars seems to have it all; the money, the style, the beauty and the brains. Who wouldn't want to be like her?

3. Was it just me that loved the red robes in High School Musical 3? Check it out: you can buy dolls!

4. If you graduate from London College of Fashion make sure you wear some awesome shoes to prove how you managed to graduate!

5. Gotta love a bit of Mickey.

6. In the media, pretty girls are often portrayed as the dumbest, like Naomi in 90210. I decided to choose the photo of her wearing the t-shirt that says "Geology Rocks" which she wore to embrace the smartness/nerdiness of her boyfriend.

7. Ashton Kutcher might not have been using his brain when he decided it would be a good idea to cheat when he is really famous and it was kind of obvious that when it came out everyone would think he was a love rat but believe it or not he is clever enough to major in biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa.

Coat, £80, New Look.

Beret, £6.95, Amazon.

Shoes, £39.99, Converse at Office.

Tights, £6, River Island.

Dress, £64, Vero Moda at ASOS.

Brogues, £198, Jack Wills.

Dress, £98, Jack Wills.

Blazer, £160.66, J Crew.

Tights, £15, Joules.

Bag, £42.34, Longchamp.

Necklace, £46, John Lewis.

Earrings, £49.99, H.Samuel.

My Preppy Look

Dress, Republic.

Necklace, Primark.

Blazer, New Look.

Brogues, Primark.

Inspirational People: Princess Diana

2012-02-29T10:34:00.001-08:00

I actually know very little about Princess Diana. She died a few weeks after I was born. My mum said that she got up in the middle of the night because I was crying and she was about to change me and she turned on the TV. The screen said "Princess Diana 1st July 1961-31st August" or something like that. She was shocked and didn't know what to think. That feeling that we all get when we discover the death of a famous figure. I felt that way when I heard of Amy Winehouse's death and some people would have felt like that when Whitney Houston recently left us. This is off topic but after Whitney Houston died, someone posted a photo on Facebook which was a photo of a starving African child next to Whitney Houston. The writing in the image said, "One person dies and a million people cry. A million people die and no one cries." That really made me think, but like I said, it's a little off topic. However, Princess Diana did do a lot of work for a variety of charities.

Princess Di was inspirational for a number of reasons. She did a lot of charity work (already mentioned) and, high profile or not, that is always very admirable. As well as working with charities, she spent a lot of time with her children (more than most royals had done in the past): Prince William and Prince Harry. When William was still only a baby she took him on her first full tour of Australia and New Zealand. She dismissed the family's nanny, chose William and Harry's schools and clothes, planned outings and took them to school as often as possible. She fitted her duties around her sons. She was a dedicated, affectionate mother.

As well as the above she was also a great style icon. One of my favourite looks was her yellow dungarees worn with a floral top with a peter pan collar that she wore in 1980 to watch Prince Charles play polo (1). Another chic ensemble was the high neck red dress with a dainty pattern on it which was paired with matching red accessories that she wore to Nicholas Soames and Catherine Weatherhall's wedding in 1981 (2). The oversized tweed skirt suit worn on her honeymoon was an interesting choice but it worked to perfection in my opinion (3). See more of her style successes below.

(images from vogue.co.uk)

Get The Look:

Red Dress, £28, ASOS.

Swirly Earrings, £8.50, Dorothy Perkins.

Red Court Shoes, £17.99, New Look.

Cream Shirt, £38, Topshop.

Pastel Suit: Blazer, £44, ASOS.

Pastel Suit: Skirt, £44, ASOS.

Maxi Dress, £38, Topshop.

Clutch, £15, boohoo.com.

Pearl Earrings, £4, Dorothy Perkins.

Gold Square Hoop Earrings, £4, Topshop.

Floral Suit: Blazer, £65, ASOS.

Floral Suit: Trousers, £40, ASOS.

Jumper, £69, Jack Wills.

Shorts, £79, ASOS.

Quotes

"Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can."

"Hugs can do great amounts of good."

"I lead from the heart, not from the head."

"I want to walk into a room , be it a hospital for the dying or a hospital for the sick children, and feel that I am needed. I want to do, not just be."

"If you find someone you love in your life, then hang on to that love."

"Life is just a journey."

"They say it is better to be more and happy than rich a miserable , but how about a compromise like moderately rich and just moody?"

Other Inspirational People on Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions:

Summer Dressing: By The Pool

2012-02-26T09:25:00.002-08:00

Earrings, New Look, £6.99.

Top, Republic, £6.

Bracelet, Miss Selfridge, £3.

Clutch, ASOS, £16.

Shoes, Topshop, £46.

Skirt, River Island, £18.

I love the whole vintage Americana thing going down at Prada this season. However, the distinguished car print is not yet available in high street equivalents but there is no shortage of crop tops and pencil skirts; the perfect pool side recipe for this summer. It is so '50s glamour.

This is what I wore by the pool last summer:

Summer Dressing: In The City

2012-02-25T16:20:00.003-08:00

Items in this set

Here I'm imagining that the weather is moderately cool. Perhaps you are dressing for London or maybe Paris. For Milan or New York you can make a few simple adjustments. Wear a sleeveless chiffon top for the day and lose the boucle jacket for the night. The clothes are budget buys but the bag and shoes are classics that are incredibly versatile and instantly make any look grown up and sophisticated.

18th Century

2012-02-25T15:57:00.001-08:00

If you take into consideration how many of today's films that are most notable in fashion for their costumes are set in the 18th century it is surprising how this era often seems overlooked. Of course, with it being such a long time ago it is difficult for a modern woman to relate to every aspect of life back then but it is still recent enough for it to not be entirely alien to us. It would of course be a struggle and a huge set back in women's rights if we went back to living how they did in the 1700s . The class divide was huge, but the wealthier females (the ones who the films tend to be about) would have worn corsets everyday and large skirts that would often leave scarring like the wedding dresses in Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. The fashion goes against everything Coco Chanel stood for but there is still such a storybook fairytale like intrigue with 18th century style. Practicality aside, there is such a magical ambiance around an extravagant (if not entirely uncomfortable) 18th century gown.

Marie Antoinette and The Duchess; two modern film interpretations of two influential, interesting women in the 1700s. They are both too similar. They marry a rich man with a title and lead miserable life due to this man. Women are so suppressed by heavy gowns and society's rules that there is nothing Marie or Duchess Georgiana can do about their situation. They remain rich girls in pretty clothes, who lead scandalous lives that make brilliant 21st century movies. Of course, it is the clothes that really make them so brilliant. Marie Antoinette is written and directed by Sofia Coppola in such a glamorous way. It really is modernized but not in a tacky ruin-the-whole-story kind of way but a chic, fabulous way. From the opening scene of luxury with modern music to the mischievous way that Marie Antoinette is portrayed; it has all the ingredients for an award winning film. And that it was with an Oscar for Best Achievement in Costume Design among others mostly for either costume design or directing/writing. The Duchess is much to do with fashion because Georgiana was very much an 18th Century British style icon. She was witty and intelligent and always setting the new trends. I have bought the book of The Duchess and will let you know when I have read it. I am hoping that her love of fashion will lead to vivid description of costumes like the ones in the film.

There are two ways in which to channel the modern 18th century woman. A bit of a contrast right? How do you blend today's women with a woman from 300 years ago? Well, the first way is the maxi gown. These have been abundance for the past two years now and this season is no different. Luxurious fabrics and rich tones are the most opulent and upper class. Think couture gowns like these beauties from Alexis Mabille, Maxime Simoens, Dior, Elie Saab and Armani Prive. I think it is fair to say that Dior is the gown guru. Ever since the world famous "New Look" Dior has been building up its collection of gowns. Coco Chanel hated the label because she brought back everything that she had fought so hard to get rid of; corsets, extravagant dresses etc. Coco Chanel might be legendary and inspirational but she could not get between a girly girl and the allure of a fabulous gown.

The second option for 18th century dress code is slightly more pro feminism. The 1700s was when pirates were at large (cue the next movie to discuss; Pirates of the Caribbean.) The below catwalk photos are all actually from 2007 but they provide general swashbuckling style inspiration for when you want to find your inner pirate in a more legal way than sailing the seas and taking hostages. Military jackets, skulls, knee high boots and oversized feathers all add a touch of the high seas to high fashion.

(all catwalk photos from style.com)

Which look do you prefer?

What good films have you seen set in the 18th century?

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #12

2012-02-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Pretty Passion.
Last month I watched The September Issue and The Devil Wears Prada back to back. Afterwards I felt inspired by both of them. I know it is a very heated debate that The September Issue is actually just like the real life version of The Devil Wears Prada but I love both of them so I don't have a problem with this. The Devil Wears Prada is such an iconic classic. Nearly everybody who has seen it. Like Mean Girls it is just one of those chick flicks that you have to watch.
Fine Fashion.
I was very proud of myself when I thought of a rather creative title for this week's Fine Fashion about pastel colours. Drum roll please..."Light as a Feather." Of course, I am talking about Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior's omnipresent idea of pastels as the colours of the summer. My favourite pieces were in a pastel glacier blue but the lemony yellow is growing on me. Frosty hues do not need a contrasting orange-brown skin to compliment them. Frosty shades of colour look super modern on frosty-pale skin. However, light colours will keep you cool in the sun. You might want to buy some pastel-y clothes soon because in the UK we seem to be having our summer days super early this year (February, seriously, what is that about. Only a few weeks ago it was snowing.) Midi dresses are my favourite style for pastels; longer lengths add to the feeling of fresh summer purity. Pleats are chic as are broderie anglais details. You can wear them in any situation and they are ideal for summer. Wear in the garden, on the beach and perhaps even to work. Although these pieces are sweet, more frosty tones are the most stylish this season.

See where to buy the above items by clicking here.

Trendy Muse-ic

2012-02-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

If any photograph epitomizes the link between fashion and music in the world of today it is this one. Karl Lagerfeld and Florence Welch standing side by side whilst the models, draped in clothes that are so elegantly present; the sort of elegance that can only be pulled off by the fashion house of Chanel. Karl and Florence have their arms round one and other symbolising that this is not the first time they have met. They have actually become quite close. Florence sung at Chanel's fabulous spring/summer '12 catwalk show. This show in particular took the fashion world by storm. The creative buzz was omnipresent and I think it reminds everyone why we love fashion.

The newest musical prodigy on the fashion scene is Lana Del Rey. She is this month's British Vogue's cover star. It is her Vogue cover début; the sort of thing that occupies the dreams of us mere mortals. Lana had her first big hit with Video Games which was released last October. Personally, I adore her voice and her style of music. You can listen to her new single Born to Die here or you can purchase her album by the same name here. She has definitely made her mark in the fashion world. Her track "Video Games" was played at Christopher Kane's spring/summer '12 London show, she sang at a Dior gig in Beijing and also at a Mulberry party at the Chateau Marmont. Her make-up always makes a statement; the artistic designs and the long pointed ends on her nails and the interesting shapes of her eye lashes and eye make up. She has some very strong facial features and knows how to work them to her advantage. The make-up in the above collage is the actual make up from her Vogue cover. I think of Lana's style as cute and pastelly like her Vogue shoot and like the chiffon shirt on the album cover for Born to Die but she adds edgy details that include make up. Her songs are not lovely and sweet and happy but they are haunting. They are beautiful nonetheless but in the kind of beauty that is more difficult to understand and interpret.

Other Trendy Muses

- Rihanna

Her hairstyles are always changing, her songs are always controversial and she is said to be executive producer for a new TV show due to air in the spring. This show will aim to find a new fashion designer and will be available to watch on Sky Living. She says, "I always had a great love of fashion."

- Adele

This woman is the star of music at the moment; stealing the night at the BRITS and the Grammy's. Being that famous and dressing nicely go hand in hand but Adele is so inspirational because she is so beautiful but not stick thin. Although she is curvy she still dresses fabulously and always looks happy and healthy.

- Lady Gaga

You can read my post on Lady Gaga here. She is clearly an icon that will go down in history; for her dress sense perhaps even more than her music!

- Eliza Doolittle

In January of last year, Eliza was signed by Select models. She has modelled for Nike and Moschino. You can see her Select model portfolio here.

Summer Dressing: On a Night Out

2012-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

Catwalk photo from style.com
Suit, Topshop, SOLD OUT
Shoes, ASOS, £21.50
Clutch, River Island, £28

Forget the LBD and its more colourful sisters. This summer its all about pyjamas; yes pyjamas. You can go out in them and relax on a night out just as you would at home. Well, not quite. These pyjamas have class, style and sophistication with the best of them made of silk with bold prints (paisley is a runway favourite.) Pyjama suits that suit the evening are tricky to find but suits with a bold print work just as well. There is something refreshing about this trend. It is so comfortable and functional yet it is also a big statement as it's a giant leap from the ordinary evening mini dress. My personal reassurance that this will work is that it is not dissimilar to a jumpsuit and possibly it has evolved from that as the jumpsuit was a chic evening wear choice last summer and jewel toned jumpsuits were at Gucci in their autumn/winter '12 collection.

For a fresh summery allure the pyjama suit is just what the fashion doctor ordered.

Last summer I went on holiday to Cyprus where the evenings were warm so I dressed like this:

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #11

2012-02-18T15:35:00.001-08:00

Pretty Passion.
It's been out for over a month and already I am on the prowl for items that fit into the trend categories in it as I am sure many other Vogue ~~worshippers~~ lovers are doing also. Pale and Interesting, The Great Gatsby, Pyjama Party: just a few of the creative names that conjure up spring/summer catwalk images in my mind. But now, not only catwalk photographs invade my brain but cute high street finds as well. My ever growing Styloko scrapbook contains my favourite pieces that may find their home in my closet before August comes around and I take them with me to Portugal. I love shopping for summer. The Vogue Catwalk Guide for spring/summer is what helps me decide what to take with me on holiday in the summer. Last year it was midi skirts, tangerines and blues but this year it will be pastels, whites and animal prints. Without further ado I present you with my amended Vogue Trend Guide that features all the high street equivalents to the best looks from the runway. Enjoy and I hope this also helps you with your packing. I know summer seems like ages away but you can never prepare too early and I love thinking about all those blue skies and sunny days ahead.

Fine Fashion.

Dress, £39, Rare at Topshop.

Necklace, $40, Unique Vintage.

Headband, £30, Debenhams.

Square Ring, $41.95, Fantasy Jewellery Box.

Other Ring, $42.95, Fantasy Jewellery Box.

Clutch, $50, Miss Selfridge.

Shoes, $40, Zappos.com.

Gothic

2012-02-12T16:02:00.002-08:00

Dolce and Gabbanna
Spring/Summer 2012

The conventional dress for the spring is bright and full of flowers to blend with the blossoms as they bloom. But do you really want to just blend in with your surroundings? Once again, florals are a trend for the summer season but this time some designers have decided to put a slightly unorthodox twist on the classic sun dress. It may not be gothic in the sense that images of vampires and Victorian graveyards conjure up in your mind but it does make me think of more of a distorted spring. Probably the sort that we would have hear in Britain; one that is swallowed up by the clouds and the rain. Pessimistic as it may sound, it is an ominous fact that there will always be rain in England. The contrast from previous floral patterns and the distinction between monochrome and rainbow makes me think about the contrasts and distinctions between the grotesque and the beautiful and the good and the evil. It is true that spring is not all bright daffodils and fluffy bunnies like you see on your average Easter card. Bad things happen in the spring too; dark things. However, the flowers remind us that there is still hope and happiness whilst the black tells us not to just ignore the bad things that happen. This trend is classy and sophisticated also. Whilst pinks and yellows are fun and happy and create images of picnics and rolling around on bright green grass, blacks and whites could easily be worn to the office or in the evening to a formal dinner party. To spice up the look add a bright contrasting pair of shoes and a bag; preferably red. Then add some silver chandelier earrings and you're good to go.

Slim Barrett Baroque Tiara

Costume designer, Slim Barrett has an array of medieval inspired collections that are a nod onto the gothic side. His Baroque Tiara has been purchased by the Victoria and Albert museum after being used on the catwalk for Anthony Price. Personally, I feel that there has been a gothic side to every era before the 20th Century. After that people were inspired by the past and used it to become what is known today as a "goth."

Goths have been in the media and there are a fair few celebrities who have either been goths or still are. In general, goths are accepted into society in a normal way and they are not the most discriminated minority. I suppose it depends on how far you take it. It could just be a teenagery stage or you could go really hardcore goth for the rest of your life. Some celebrity goths are Taylor Momsen and Avril Lavigne.

Taylor Momsen: Get the Look

Dress, £52, Motel at ASOS

Boots, £95, Topshop

Eyeliner, £4.49, GOSH at Superdrug

Hang-up Lipstick, £13.50, MAC

When I picture Taylor Momsen, she is still a sixteen year old girl who wears a ton of make-up, dresses in a uniform of t-shirts and suspenders and openly jokes about sex toys on live radio but when I started to Google her style for this post I found this look which I find rather more sophisticated than the others. I really like the MAC lipstick that I found and there is no denying that these 6.5 inch heels have the WOW factor.

Get The Look: The Victorian Goth

Fascinator, £25.47, NORDSTROM.

Dress, £39.99, Amazon.

Purse, $29.50, Amazon.

Boots, $54.00, Pearson's Renaissance Shop.

Many Gothic styles originated from over a century ago in the Victorian era where people wore lace up boots and gothic, swirl embellished gowns whilst carrying precious stone encrusted coin purses. There is something spooky about the past. Many dark thrillers are set in the Victorian era where hanging was still legal and what now look like ghostly mansions were constructed. If we look even further into the past we will find evidence of witch hunts and gruesome tortures that all too often occurred. However, the subculture that is gothism did not begin until the 1980s. It originated from gothic rock music. The Pearson's Renaissance shop is perfect for anyone who has a taste for spooky styles of the past. Among dresses and accessories are eerie cloaks and knight's adornment and equipment.

Get the Look: The Modern Goth

Top, £20, Topshop

Cape, £199, Beyond the Valley at Farfetch

Skirt, £32, Topshop

Shoes, £460, Alexander McQueen at theoutnet.com

Purse, $30, Amazon

Monochrome flowers might be in style on the catwalk but on the high street gothism is being channelled through the medium of crosses. Black will always be in style as Coco Chanel once said, "Black wipes out everything else around" meaning that the wearer will stand out although because it is such a plain colour and so popular, it does not stand out much. Nevertheless, gothism is not all about black and cross t-shirts, dresses and jewellery are the main focus of the high street's gothic antics. The purse in this collage gives the overall outfit a costume style touch.

The Hardcore Goth

See all items on polyvore.

Corsets, platforms and skulls should grace a serious goth's darkened wardrobe. I like the vintage black shirts as well; peter pan collars and pussy bows are best. The main outfit in the centre of this collation is the leather skirt, fishnet tights, creepers and peter pan collar top. This look is not too gothic but I really like it so put it in the foreground anyway. I love creepers at the moment; black ones, leopard print ones, dalmatian print ones: all of them.

Gothic Event- Le Bal des Vampires

Carine Roitfeld threw a clever costume party to celebrate her biography Irreverent. The fashion celebrities all came dressed in gothic styles for the party had a vampire theme. Carine herself wore a gorgeous Givenchy gown with dramatic make up. The decor was also wonderful; fur and blood red velvet.

Best Gothic Books

Teen vampire novels seem to have taken over the world right now but there are many other gothic related classics that are still widely recognised today. I included the future classic, Twilight seeing as that is the original famous teenage vampire novel (even though Vampire Diaries came first but never mind.)

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer

Best Gothic Films

Many thrillers have a gothic ambiance to them; especially the ones set in scary mansions. Below are some of the best:

Bride of Frankenstein

Sleepy Hollow

The Others

The Haunting

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

Best Gothic Music

The term goth originated from '80s music but which artists are the most successful today? The below names were taken from the 2012 goth charts.

Lacuna Coil

Alcest

To/Die/For

Nightwish

Anneke Van Giersbergen

Gothic Styles on the Catwalk- spring/summer 2012

Images from style.com.

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #10

2012-02-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

Pretty Passion.

(image from wikipedia)

I have been wanting to call Vogue my pretty passion ever since I first started the weekly pretty passion, fine fashion but it inspires me every month so I was not really sure when to use it. However, I think the time is now right. The March issue is the second biggest of the year and contains a large mass of trend reports and new ad campaigns. This year Lana Del Rey is on the cover. I love this because she is so new to success in the music industry so once again Vogue are ahead of the trends but this time not only in the fashion industry but in music as well.

Fine Fashion.

(image from style.com)

Referring back to Vogue again when I write about this but last month when they released their official spring/summer catwalk trend guide, the biggest spread was honing in on pastels and this Dolce and Gabbana dress is what jumped out of the page for me. That probably sounds odd as pastels are very pale so tend not to jump out the page as much as the past colour blocking trend did but when I let my eyes skim over the delicately beautiful array of looks, this was later on the dress that stuck in my mind. I got straight on the trail of finding a high street equivalent and luckily I did in none other than River Island.

Absent Friends

2012-02-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

(all images from google)

Last night I went on one of the most spontaneous trips of my life so far. During the morning at school my friend asked me if I wanted to go to the theatre after school and I told her that I was going to Starbucks with someone but she said that would be fine and I could go anyway. I assumed it was local but soon discovered it was in London. It was all quite rushed but in the end I got to London and watched a show called Absent Friends.

The style was '70s galore; flares, roll-necks, paisley, platforms. It was all there. The stunning Kara Tointon was in the opening scene with a baby in a perfectly pretty vintage pram. Kara herself wore a roll-neck, navy velvet flares, brown ankle boots and a string of pearls whilst she also carried a round tan brown bag. The second character to arrive on the stage was dressed in a paisley maxi dress. This caught my eye as I had read an article in Vogue about paisley just a couple of days before. I kept thinking that I really wanted her dress but I would cut it shorter. River Island do a nice paisley dress here. The third character came in and started talking about shoes right away before getting out some burnt orange suede platforms (could anything be more synonymous with '70s style?) This character wore a blue chiffon midi dress with brown court shoes.

Overall, the play was a fabulous experience. I recommend seeing it and I'm glad I went.

Business Enterprise Day

2012-02-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Coat, Next.

Shirt, Topshop.

Gloves, Tesco.

Bag, Cambridge Satchel Co.

Skirt, New Look.

Boots, Primark.

On Tuesday we had a special business day at school where we had to dress in work wear. At first I was a bit annoyed because usually on these sorts of days we get to wear whatever we want and they don't happen often and it seemed like they were crushing our creativity but in the end we did get a lot of freedom in what we chose and I wore the above. There were prizes for the best work wear and they went to the people in matching suits mostly. However, I was dressed quite formally compared to some others. I wanted to wear a basic chiffon shirt without all the ruffles and frills but I don't have one but I actually think that this shirt looks quite good in the whole ensemble. I also threw on a white structured blazer over the top to complete the outfit.

During the day we had to create and market biscuits. I made the packaging, others worked on advertising, some made the biscuits and some did all the business side of things. Today we got the results and my team came third out of twelve teams which I was very happy with. The biscuits we made were called round-a-bouts and our slogan was "it's a round-a-bout time."

Much Ado About Fashion

2012-02-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

"What a deformed thief this fashion is."

BORACHIO

    That shows thou art unconfirmed. Thou knowest that
    the fashion of a doublet, or a hat, or a cloak, is
    nothing to a man.

CONRADE

    Yes, it is apparel.

BORACHIO

    I mean, the fashion.

CONRADE

    Yes, the fashion is the fashion.

BORACHIO

    Tush! I may as well say the fool's the fool. But
    seest thou not what a deformed thief this fashion
    is?

Shakespeare is not of course directly associated withfashion and when I picture him I always imagine him in that same redElizabethan tunic sort of thing that he seems to be wearing in possibly themost famous picture of him; the Shakespeare image that is known and recognisedaround the world today. However, when I read the play, Much Ado About Nothing last year at school I planned this post based on the fact that whenever I searched for fashion quotes the quote, "What a deformed thief this fashion is" always came up but since reading the play I now know a bit of background of it.

We are now reading Romeo and Juliet, possibly Shakespeare's most famous play and one of the greatest love stories of all time. Although I like English I wouldn't say that I enjoy reading Shakespeare but I am enjoying this play and was excited about reading it. Mostly because it was at the top of the top ten plays to read in Classy by Derek Blasberg and the 1996 remake film (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) made it onto Glamour magazines list of 20 most fashionable films. Although, we started to watch this adaption today and I thought that the Hawaiian shirts were a massive faux pas on the Montague's part (as was the pink hair) and there was nothing special about what Juliet was wearing. Nevertheless, it was a good film but we have only watched an hour of it so far.

Much Ado About Nothing is, well, what we would today call a rom-com because it is a romantic comedy whereas Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy (somehow rom-tra doesn't quite have the same ring to it.) MAAD also explores the idea of feminism depending on how you look at it. Beatrice is a very headstrong outgoing woman whereas her cousin, Hero is rather petty and needs someone to depend on. Women like Beatrice were unusual in Shakespearian times but today there are a lot more independent, headstrong women and rightly so. The idea of modern feminism is so hot right now.

People always moan about how most of what we learn at school will never be useful in our lives and I totally agree and most of the time I'm moaning (in maths and science anyway.) But guess what? Analysing Shakespeare has come in handy. Nerdy as it sounds, I am currently skimming through the notes that I made in class last year because I can't really remember that much about the story. I have just come across a sheet which is to do with our own views on love where we had to mark some statements as true or false. It is strange to see that some of my views have changed from when we actually did it last spring. Some of the statements are:

"Men and women should marry persons of a similar social and economic status as themselves."

I said true because having social and economic similarities can help to make a relationship work as the couple have more in common. You then also know that one of the couple is not just marrying for social or economic status. However, since then I have changed my mind. I think false. You should marry whoever you love. Cliché I know and I think that might be why I avoided that explanation in the first place!

"People choose with whom they will fall in love."

False because if you fall in love with someone but they do not love you back then that does not mean that you stop loving them but if you had the choice then surely you would choose to stop loving them. I still feel the same way.

The History of Festivals

2012-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

If you compare an ancient religious ritual to today's musicfestivals (Burning Man, Glastonbury et al) there will be many obviousdifferences; the religious ceremonies, the activities available and theoutfits. However, some things stay the same; in Ancient Egypt, peoplewould sing and dance and listen to music at religious rituals and many otherancient festivals would include lots of music just like today's music festivalshave live acts. From 4500 BC there is evidence of singing and dancing atreligious festivals but they would also have elements of religion andpolitics. Below are three very different festivals and a brief history of each one.

Oireachtas naGaeilge

The first really successfulrecreational festival took place in Dublin in May 1897. It was called Oireachtas naGaeilge and it attracted thousands of visitors in its first yearwhich was far more than anticipated. In 1897 it was a half day event. The afternoonactivities involved mostly literary competitions and poetry and short storyreadings. The evening was then taken up by a music concert. Many believe thisfestival to be the birth of the music festivals that we know and love today.Before then, the only recorded festivals where music, singing and dancing hadbeen widely accepted were religious. Oireachtas na Gaeilge was advertisedaround Britain in Gaelic and English telegrams and rail-road authoritiesoffered return tickets for the festival goers. Oireachtas na Gaeilge isstill around to go totoday. It is now known as the Irish language festival and is predominantly literary competitions and mediaawards; an arts festival that celebrates Irish culture. It runs for a week andfeatures performances, demonstrations and competitions. One of the maindifferences between the 1897 Oireachtas na Gaeilge and today's festivalsis that they are less focused on music and more on literature but they do havesinging and song writing contests as well as discos to suit a younger targetmarket. You can book tickets for this November by visitingthis website. The webpage comes up in Gaelic but it can be translatedto English in the top right hand corner. You can find more information aboutthe festival on the website.

Glastonbury

This is the festival that I really want togo to. You can go without an over eighteen when you are sixteen. It is not onthis year but next year it will be. I think I will save up and arrange to gowhen I'm eighteen though because then I will hopefully be able to experienceeverything and get my money's worth. It is probably Britain's most famousfestival because it has all the most contemporary acts from all over the world.Beyonce was part of their line up last year; which big star will be next? Thefestival made its début in 1970 and had an attendance of one thousandfive hundred. It only cost £1 to enter whereas today it costs over £200.Glastonbury celebrated its fortieth anniversary last year with many specialevents. Maybe it would be a good idea to go in 2020 because there fiftieth anniversaryshould be even bigger. For more information head over to the festival's website.

Burning Man

I think that this festival has the most interesting history. Ithas built up over the years and has had many documentaries and the like. Iheard about this wild Nevada festival in Vogue's Great Escapes issuewhere model, Tali Lennox Fruchtmann took her dad there. She said that somepeople would think that a crazy thing to do as this festival is so hardcorethat some people literally run around naked. Nevertheless, she said thather father was more like a very cool friend. The event first took place in 1986 whenLarry and Jerry James built an 8 foot man sculpture and burnt it in honour of Summer Solstice. Thefirst Burning Man had only 20 participants. It took place on Baker Beach in SanFrancisco until 1990 when it moved to Black Rock Desert in Nevada. It wasnamed the Burning Man in 1988. In 1989, the police arrived at the site of theBurning Man and as it was still not an official event they tried to stop it. In1990 a society of carpenters help to construct the man. The police arrive againin 1990 and and ban the burning but they reach a compromise and that iswhy the festival now takes place in Nevada in a desert because it does notget in anyone's way. It has now become so much more than a festival for somany people. It is artistic and encourages self expression. Some people goto meditation courses in India to find themselves and some people go toThe Burning Man festival in Nevada where people roll around in the mud and makea city only to destroy it. Burning Man is not for the faint hearted: the siteeven contains a survival guide. However, the fact that it is in a desert meansthat each year a city of art and sculptures and wildness is created in a weekand then the tens of thousands of people leave a week later, not leaving atrace behind. Then they reunite next year to do it all over again. This isdefinitely not a regular music festival but it sounds like a fabulousexperience nonetheless. Each year there is a different theme that usually has adeeper meaning behind it (e.g. the environment.) In 2009, the festival had43,558 participants and the theme was evolution. Burning Man is a culture, acommunity, a way of life. To read more about Burning Man's very intriguing history click here.

See my other festival posts:
Packing the Essentials
What to Wear-Look No.2
My Festival Look
What to Wear-Look No.1
A Virtual Journey
What to Wear-Look No.3
The Journey
At the Festival- A Short Story

Links a la Mode

2012-02-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

This week and the week before Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions was featured in IFB's Links a la Mode. Last week I should have posted about it with the same thing as below but with the links from the week before but I didn't realise that I had to. Anyway, I got chosen for the second week even though I didn't follow to rules properly. Nevertheless, I am posting it now so here we go.

Stylish Beauty

Edited by: Meghan Donovan of WIT & Whimsy

One thing I’ve always practiced is the belief that fashion and beauty go hand in hand. I blog about makeup and skincare sometimes just as much as fashion and believe beauty balances or emphasises a look. This week’s Links a la Mode showcase that many other IFB bloggers out there believe the same. So this week, take notes, there’s lots to learn from the following posts.

SPONSOR:

New at Shopbop: ALC, Enza Costa tops, A Peace Treaty, BB Dakota, Noir, Mania Mania, Theodora & Callum,Phillip Lim, Prism Sunglasses, Blue Life, Raoul , James Perse & Reem Acra Dresses

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

Don’t miss this month’s issue of inHer Glam Monthly! Sign up in the sidebar by entering your email address and get glam delivered directly to your inbox!

Like what you see? Then share with your friends and followers by hitting the ‘Like’ button above and using the social media links below!

Sn-OK

2012-02-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Finally it is snowing where I live. It am so happy that its snowing. I did not care much for it when it was not here but now that it is I feel so excited; ecstatic even.

The Evening (when the snow began to fall and gracefully settle on the ground)

The Morning (lots of splendid snow)

Snow Style

(polyvore)

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #9

2012-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Pretty Passion.

(image from weheartit)

I first heard about this documentary (which at the time I thought was a fictional yet factually based film) when I was eleven years old and started at my new school. My form room was a Media Studies room and there was a poster on the wall. I did not notice it that much and did not really know that much about the fashion industry then.
Over a year later I bought the September issue at the same time as I bought Coco Before Chanel. I had been working my way through Glamour magazine's most fashionable films list and those two were on there. It was on the day of my 13th birthday and I think the HMV deal was 2 for £10. I first watched The September Issue later on that day. I felt really stupid when I found out that it was a documentary and that I had not realised that. I was a bit annoyed at the time as I was no where near as interested in Vogue as I am now and I have never even bought a copy. However, a few weeks ago it was a Saturday or Sunday and I felt an urge to watch it. This time round it really inspired me. I had watched it a couple more times after the initial disappointment but this time I decided to make it a pretty passion.
I would recommend it to anyone who is interesting in Vogue or the fashion industry in general. It gives you a VIP look into the fashion industry and really shows you how important and influential Anna Wintour truly is. It has been called the real life Devil Wears Prada and there are aspects of Miranda Priestly in Anna but fashion is a bitch eat bitch industry and she is proof that you have to be tough to survive. However, underneath the strong façade, she is actually a human being like everyone else. She just has a very professional attitude and knows what she likes and how she likes it.
The fashion industry has been opened up so it is not just the elite that know about it. The internet means you can understand lots more, bloggers are actually part of the industry and The September Issue lets you see, for the first time ever, how Vogue's September issue is created and the incredibly creative, passionate, innovative, diligent minds that aid this process. The fashion industry is not the only industry that is more open nowadays. The music industry now includes YouTube and the talent that people post on there. The publishing industry now has numerous self publishing methods in which some authors have been very successful from doing. The fashion industry has bloggers. You can now make your own dreams come to life without the help of anyone else. All these industries are no longer so elitist and impossible difficult to get into. I could say that I work in the fashion industry because as a blogger I minutely contribute and I get to do what I love.
On the cover it says "Fashion is a religion. This is the bible." This is a very apt statement and Vogue is often referred to as the fashion bible but you can read more about fashion as a religion here.

Fine Fashion.

(image from weheartit)

I have 176 unopened Vogue emails in a file that is separate from all my other emails because they send out newsletters so frequently. However, from time to time I will open them for blog post inspiration and outfit ideas. After clicking through a link to a gallery of pictures called "Winter Sun Seekers" I found the likes of Pixie Lott, Marc Jacobs and Rihanna all abroad on beautiful beaches or perfect pools in sunny situations. I was bored so tried to recreate all the looks and saved them to a styloko set. There was no pattern in celebrity trends apart from the zebra bikini; worn by both Rosie Huntington-Whitely in Miami and Kate Moss in the Caribbean. I found a few look-a-likes but my favourite was the Calvin Klein pair from ASOS. However, the bottoms have sold out. I am sure there will be more around nearer the summer. I am going to try and buy one in time for the summer because I'm going to be going to Portugal!

My love for this swimwear only grew when Vogue's catwalk guide came out at the beginning of February stating that animal prints were a big trend this season. I have already bought a sheer leopard print maxi dress that looks very Salvatore Ferragamo and Michael Kors and I have a furry leopard print onesie from Topshop that I got for Christmas. My next step to take in this trend is to get a zebra bikini then I will have it covered.

Trend List Part 1

2012-02-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Get ready for it. This is the official Pretty Passions, Fine Fashions guide to spring/summer 2012 trends. What will you buy this season? Where will you buy it? I hope that I can aid your summer shopping with this post.

1) Fifties USA

Cue plasticised leather midi skirts, cat eye sunglasses, crop tops and bralets and polite plaids. Prada was the leading label in this trend.

You will be pleased to know that Topshop have added new lines to their sale and the shiny leather skirt is now half price; reduced from £80 to £40. I am going to have to get it. Not sure how to wear it? Take inspiration from Bottega Veneta; a cute cardigan or jumper and this skirt make such a charming couple. The jumper (£25, Topshop) adds a classier, more mature vibe to this look. The skirt (£40, Topshop) conjures up thoughts of 1950s car glamour whilst the rucksack ($49.90, Zara) resembles a black leather biker jacket like the ones worn by the T Birds in Grease, a film synonymous with the '50s. The bag also punks up the outfit at the same time as the jumper softens it, making it equal.

I purchased some cat eye sunglasses last summer and they are back again from the second summer in a row. Something tells me that this style will be hanging around for a while. My mum bought some D&G tortoiseshell ones whilst I purchased an almost identical pair for only £5 in River Island as well as a black pair for around £7 in a small boutique locally. This year, however, bright colours make the best statement. At Bottega Veneta they had a red pair and at Rochas they were blue. The bigger they flick up and the thinner they are the better. Make sure the cat-eye shape is very definite to be bang on trend.

I steered clear of crop tops and bralets for a while because I thought that they were a bit trashy but this season the catwalk dictates that they are not and who are we to argue. I loved Prada's yellow car print bandeau top paired with a pink and yellow pencil skirt. Meanwhile, at Nina Ricci there was an all white look going down. This one, I have tried to copy with this top from Republic that I purchased at the weekend. This also matches the whole white lace trend that has been constant since the royal wedding in April last year. I am going to wear it with my white skirt from Marks and Spencer's this summer- it's too cold right now. Topshop also do a wide range of bralets (floral, daisies, denim.) I tried on four before deciding on the Republic one! Pencil skirts are sort of merged into this section of the trend as most crop tops have been paired with pencil skirts by designers.

The way to wear plaids right now is to go all out and wear them head to toe. Match the pastel trend with pale colour schemes or classic school girl ginghams and tartans. I really want to get a matching blazer and cigarette trousers either in tweed, plaid or tartan.

SHOPPING IDEAS:

{Lace Midi Pencil Skirt, £19.99, New Look}

{Miso Leopard Print Tube Skirt, £18, Republic}

{Paprika Embroidered Bandeau, £17, New Look}

{Plasticised Skirt by Boutique, £40, Topshop}

{Pretty Floral Bralet, £14, Topshop}

{Yellow Lace Pencil Skirt, £20, River Island}

{Daisy Soft Button Front Bralet, £24, Topshop}

{Pink Lace Bandeau Top, £12, River Island}

{Porcelain Flower Print Corset, £30, Topshop}

{Ditsy Denim Bralet, £28, Topshop}

{Tortoiseshell Effect Cat Eye Plastic Sunglasses, £10, Next}

{Roseanna Lulla Plaid Pants, £126.76, shopbop.com}

{NW3 by Hobbs Rye Short Plaid Jacket with Faux Leather Trim, £108, ASOS}

CATWALK LOOKS:

{Prada}- yellow car print dress, blue car print top, car print leather pencil skirt, yellow car print bandeau top, pink and yellow floral pencil skirt, cat-eye sunglasses.
{Proenza Schouler}- shiny leather striped dress, patterned top, leather gloves, shiny skirt, polo shirts, shiny leather striped skirt, black bralet, printed skirt, cat-eye sunglasses.
{Nina Ricci}- navy leather jacket and skirt, navy bralet, denim fishtail skirt, denim bralet, sheer blue cardigan, white bralet and skirt, cat-eye sunglasses.
{Rochas}- pastel plaids, plaid dress, plaid coat, cat-eye sunglasses.
{Jil Sander}- plaid suits, purple plaid, blue gingham.
{Marc Jacobs}- gingham shirt, plasticised skirt, gingham jacket.
{Bottega Veneta}-plasticised skirt, oversized bag, cat-eye sunglasses.

2) Let it Shine

Jewel tones are no longer at the forefront of fashion and the Christmas decorations might be down but that does not mean that all the shine has disappeared from our lives and wardrobes. I love this trend because it is the one that Chanel dominates. There show has been labelled by many insiders as the best one for the creativity of the actual event. Karl Lagerfeld designed it and created an icy scene with icebergs and Florence Welch singing. Reflective metallic slip dresses and suits make up the trend but I also love this shirt from ASOS. It gives you an idea of the sort of shades that I am talking about. You can see more examples at Christopher Kane, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Giles, Max Mara and Moschino.

SHOPPING IDEAS:

{Vero Moda, Shiny Satin 40s Shirt Dress, £12.50, ASOS}

{Carla Metallic Dress, £8, boohoo.com}
{Sodamix Shiny Pattern Dress, £10, House of Fraser}

CATWALK LOOKS:

{Christopher Kane}- blue underwater shiny dress, embellished shiny top and skirt, metallic silver top and skirt, shiny sandals.
{Marc Jacobs}- gingham tiered shiny slip dress, white shiny dress, shiny layered skirt, ochre gingham shiny dress.
{Chanel}- shiny turquoise and white tweed, grey shiny rain mac, grey shiny trousers, grey shiny shoes, silver shiny shoes.
{Mario Schwab}- dark shiny maxi dress, sheer black blouse, shiny silver pencil skirt.

3) Beloved Blossom

OK, I know it is so stereotypical for flowers to be in style at spring/summer but once again they are and, let's face it, spring/summer would just not be spring/summer without a few flowers on the fields and on our clothes. This season it is all about being totally swallowed up in masses of big flowers on suits and dresses like at Balmain, Rodarte, Valentino, Marni, Erdem, Chloe and Prada. However, Christopher Kane went for a more original approach that I have fallen in love with. The most gorgeous dress is a sheer shift dress with pastel coloured flowers all over it. Another spring/summer 2012 favourite on the runway was monochrome flowers. Winter took colour into its hands with jewel tones so now summer is stealing black and white from winter and turning it into florals. Both seasons managed to get a good grasp of the balance between the two seasons.

SHOPPING IDEAS:
(all Topshop)

{Chintz Floral Dress, £26}
{Floral Print Lace Dress, £40}
{Rose Grunge Button Dress, £36}
{Texture Flower Skater Dress, £48}
{Lace Racer Cute Skirted Dress, £48}
{Red Rose Flippy Tunic, £26}
{Chintz Border Tee Dress, £46}
{Giant Pansy Stripe Bodycon Dress, £30}

CATWALK LOOKS:

{Adam}- white floral maxi dress, white floral mini dress, whites, pinks and blues.
{Rodarte}- maxi dress, '60s style, daisies, sky blues, sunshine yellows.
{Valentino}- gowns, pink and girly, sheer, delicate embellishments, monochrome.
{Erdem}- shirts, trousers, suits, slips, blue, three quarter length sleeved dress.

Travel Style

2012-02-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

We have waved goodbye to the first month of 2012 and have travelled from January to February. But what is a girl to do when she must travel further? To a different country even? And what is she going to wear?

I spoke about escaping to other countries to get away from the January blues around this time last month and I wrote about flying to more tropical climates in "Escapism" and a bit in "Moonrock" but I am now revisiting this theme to talk about what to wear on your way to these dreamy destinations. Usually I choose style over comfort but travelling is an exception to this rule. I have tried to keep each outfit stylish as well as comfortable nevertheless. The difference between how I would usually dress and how I dress when I travel is this: usually I try to stay on top of the current trends but when I travel I tend to opt for more timeless styles which I think is a good rule of thumb. All three outfits below you will hopefully be able to wear with comfort for years into the future. I have included the same plain white t-shirt in every look to show that although they are possibly the most boring item of clothing ever, they are also very comfortable and versatile. I will probably refer back to this post in the summer when most people go on holiday. I am probably going to Portugal in August. However, for those of you that are travelling soon, I hope that you find this post useful. Happy travelling!

This first look I like to think of as practical; the savvy traveller. She is well equipped with a stylish time piece (£159.19, Michael Kors at JulesB) so that she does not miss her flight or any other important deadlines for that day. She is also wearing a jumper (£195, Burberry Brit at mywardrobe.com) which will keep her warm in cold countries but with a t-shirt (£19, Precis Petite at Debenhams) underneath in case she gets off the plane in a hot country. The blazer (£959, Burberry Prorsum at farfetch.com) adds a touch of business-like smart to the overall look. Even if you are just going a away for a break, make people think that you are going on an important business trip by dressing like you are. Some people say not to wear jeans (£165, Etoile Isabel Marant at net-a-porter) when travelling because they are uncomfortable but I personally have never had a problem with them however, if you have do not hesitate to transfer them for leggings. As for footwear, the last time I went on a plane I made the mistake of wearing gladiator sandals. It was not the first time I had worn them on a plane and my feet had never got bloated before but this time they did and it was horrible. I had lines on my feet from where the multiple straps had dug in for days afterwards. Comfortable boots (£162.37, Vince Camuto at Bloomingdales) appear to be appropriate for most places but I would definitely not recommend them if you are flying to a hot country or if you are prone to getting hot easily for it is not nice to have your feet stuck in big boots when they get hot. Large sunglasses ($195, Ray-Ban) help to disguise tired, puffy eyes. Just thought that I would add in here that British Vogue have recently done an article in their beauty section about how dark circles are not always a bad thing but they have also recommended some good lotions and potions to help them fade. A functional carry on bag (£14.99, H&M) is a must and this one from H&M has three inner pockets for storing mints, pens, sweets and other necessities. It also has 23 by 32cm of space for storing travel games, magazines/newspapers, your iPod, books and notepads for the journey.

Patterned leggings (£20, Miss Selfridge) have caused a storm on the high street in the past few months and you can see mine here. I especially love the monochrome looks because they are so modern, go with everything and sort of work with this season's sporty trend. They are stretchy and comfortable too (leggings are the perfect alternative for jeans, like I mentioned above.) Again, we see the same white t-shirt (£19, Precis Petite at Debenhams.) A cardigan is easier to put on and remove than just a jumper and this one does not even have any buttons so you can just throw it on and off. However, I would recommend a jumper if you know that it is going to be really cold. I really want to get some white converses ($50, Macy's) and have done for a while. I think that this summer is my chance. The Olympics is coming to London and sportswear is big in fashion world so some investments need to be made in that direction. I used to own some sequinned All Star Converses but I grew out of them and now I want to get the classic pair. At the moment I have some Adidas hi-top/converse style trainer which are bright pink and bright orange; they're really striking and I love them but would like something a bit more versatile and white goes with everything. Ever since Kristen Stewart at the MTV awards in 2009, many have been inspired to rock the trainers and a dress trend for a laid-back and edgy yet incredibly chic look. A large black handbag ($352.50, Berge Riga at Endless) will serve you well throughout the years. Not only does it go with everything and fits everything in it. It can actually look pretty hot too.

I think that this look has an off-duty model vibe to it and I am loving that ambiance at the moment. I really want to get some chic model-esque ankle boots like the ones above ($49.49, Very Volatile at Endless.) I have gone for a money saving approach here by making the outfit up of bargains so that you will have enough money left over to splurge on this beautiful Mulberry bag (£4000, Mulberry.) I love how the boots, bag and jacket (£30, H&M) all match perfectly. A biker jacket is another thing that I have lusted after for some time. I had a dark brown leather look jacket but I lost it (sounds stupid, I know.) I recently bought a waterproof coat from Topshop that looks kind of like a shearling leather jacket. I remember when shearling leather jackets were really fashionable around two winters ago but I now prefer the more subtle, plain look with perhaps a few zips and studs. I have included jeans (£36, Miss Selfridge) again but, as with before, you can always swap them for leggings. I think that skinny jeans kind of complete the off-duty model look and it is difficult to pull off without them so jeggings are a good idea. I have these ones from River Island. Obviously, we have the same t-shirt as before but just in case you missed it, here is the link again (£19, Precis Petite at Debenhams) however, you can buy a plain white t-shirt from a range of shops and it is probably a lot cheaper in Primark but it depends on the quality you want. I do not really mind what quality a white t-shirt is as long as it fits its purpose.

Summer Access

2012-01-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

Inspirational People: Lady Gaga

2012-01-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

Outrageous. Courageous. Adventurous. Scandalous. Lady Gaga has all the traits of a style icon that will go down in history. Her outfits are always under scrutiny. Some love them and some hate them but there is no denying that they are brave choices. I like some of her McQueen looks but the meat dress that has now become synonymous with Gaga herself was something that I thought was going a bit too far and I know that I am not the only person who feels that way. It was all over the newspapers and magazines and almost everyone around the globe has heard about it.

The modern icon shot to fame after her début studio album, aptly called "Fame" sold over 15 million copies globally (I bought one of them and it is one of the best albums I own.) She has over 1.3 billion combined views of her videos online. On Facebook she has over 47 million likes and she has over 18 million Twitter followers. She has won 5 Grammy awards and has seen a total of 12 Grammy nominations. She has got 2 million Guinness World Records, sold approximately 23 million albums and 64 million singles. She is on Forbes' list of "100 Most Powerful Celebrities in the World" and "100 Most Powerful Women in the World." And those are just a few of her achievements that I found most interesting; there are many more outstanding achievements just from this one lady.

The thing that I now find increasingly annoying is that whenever another singer tries to be different of even wears a leotard everyone's like "she's trying to be like Lady Gaga." On Natalia Kills' latest single "Kill My Boyfriend" (which is really good by the way, I would recommend listening to it.) lots of people have commented saying that she is trying to be like Lady Gaga. It's like "no." Nobody will ever be the same as Lady Gaga but I think it's silly that people always accuse others of trying. I personally think that Natalia Kills has a lot more class than Lady Gaga but is not quite as outgoing in her style ventures.

Lady Gaga's music videos are almost as controversial as her style and the music video for Love Game was banned in several countries and the video for Telephone had to be edited so that there was a clean version whereas her video for Judas was also very controversial among Christian groups. Her longest video yet is for Marry the Night which is an amazing 13 minutes 51 seconds long. Below, I have recreated some of her music video styles in these collages. Starting from her first video, Just Dance which was released in 2008.

Just Dance was Lady Gaga's first major hit that shot to the top of the charts and made her instantly famous. I can vividly remember the day when I first heard of Lady Gaga. I was in my kitchen (I can't remember exactly what I was doing but I was definitely in the kitchen) listening to 4Music (or maybe VIVA which was called TMF back then) and Lily Allen's The Fear had just ended. I had been singing along to the Lily Allen song as it was my favourite song at the time. Suddenly, this new song came on at number one and it was by an artist that I had never heard of before. I contemplated switching channels because I was not very open minded to new music back then. However, I got into it and really enjoyed the song. At the end I had to check who it was sung by. "Lady Gaga" said the screen. "Just another new singer" I thought. Little did I know that she would turn out to be so much more; an icon of my generation. That is why I will never forget my first memory of hearing her song on the TV in my kitchen on that day.

Created on Polyvore. View items here.

To see more of Lady Gaga's style and find out what she wore wear regularly head over to this website.

Quotes

"Some women choose to follow men and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you it doesn't love you any more."

"Trust is like a mirror, you can fix it if it's broken but you can still see the crack in that mother fucker's reflection."

"You have to be unique and different and shine in your own way."

"Well, that's your opinion, isn't it? And I'm not about to waste my time trying to change it."

"They can't scare me if I scare them first."

"Love is like a brick. You can build a house or sink a dead body."

"Don't ever let a soul in the world tell you you can't be exactly who you are."

"Do not allow people to dim your shine because they are blinded. Tell them to put on some sunglasses, cuz we were born this way bitch!"

"If you don't have any shadows your not in the light."

"I used to walk down the street like I was a fucking star...I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be- and then to fight so hard for it everyday that the lie becomes the truth."

"People will always talk so let's give them sumthin' to talk about."

"Live your eyeliner, breathe your lipstick and kill for each other."

"When I wake up in the morning, I feel like any other insecure 24 year-old girl. Then I say, "Bitch, you're Lady Gaga , you get up and walk the walk today."

"I am focused on the work. I am constantly creating. I am a busy girl. I live and breathe my work. I love what I do. I believe in the message. There's no stopping."

I think that the thing that draws me towards Lady Gaga as an inspirational figure is her focus, drive and overall work ethic. All her wise words (see above) relate to this and anyone with a dream can be inspired by them because there is a recurring message that screams, DON'T GIVE UP.

Pretty Passion, Fine Fashion #8

2012-01-28T03:37:00.000-08:00

Pretty Passion. You might have noticed in my previous posts that many of the images that do not belong to me are linked back to a website called weheartit.com. I am a fan of this site for constant inspiration through images; whether those images are fashion related, wordy or a demonstration of fabulous photography, the site never fails to impress, inspire and influence me in my day. Many of the photographs in the collages on my bedroom walls are from weheartit. You can see these collages in my 2012 BRING.IT.ON. post. The layout of the site is neat, clean and easy to operate. It shows you the images with no extra unneeded fuss. The right hand column shows clearly what the most popular tags are so that if you click on them you are taken straight to pages of images with that tag. You can also search tags in the search bar at the top of the page. When I first created my account on the website, I had complications with being able to "heart" images however, it is fine now so I don't know what was going on at the time and hopefully it won't happen again. Like Pinterest and Tumblr you can create your own collection of inspired images that you love or "heart." All the pictures on weheartit are from other sites and linked back to the original source so you cannot upload your own images directly to the site. I find that I can waste hours just browsing through photos and the site makes it very easy to do so and you can search almost any topic. Also, when you do search something more specific you get the choice of seeing "most recent", "most popular" or "best match" first. When you see an image that you adore you have to choice to "heart" it, share on Facebook, tweet it or post it on Tumblr. However, you cannot comment but I do not find that this in any way affects my opinion on the site. I have "hearted" 249 images (which is 13 pages) but this figure grows on a weekly basis. You can gain followers if you "heart" images that they too like but I do not bother with following many people because the images rarely were created/taken by the person who posts them on weheartit and you can view all the images without following anyone.

Overall, I think it is definitely worthwhile visiting weheartit when you feel as though you are in need of some inspiration. In fact, I should have included it in my 3 Steps to Temporary Happiness.

Fine Fashion. On the catwalk Giambattista Valli, Gucci, Michael Kors, Holly Fulton and D Squared all conducted monochrome zebra print looks in their shows. However, I feel that Proenza Schouler was the one that really made us take a step forward in a yellow zebra print long sleeved mini dress. Although coloured zebra print is the modern take on the trend, the celebrity take on the trend is the bikini. Both Kate Moss and Rosie Huntington-Whitely sported a zebra bikini on their recent holidays. The one above is by Calvin Klein at ASOS. Unfortunately, the bikini bottoms are sold out but they do very similar ones for only £3.00; celebrity style without the celebrity price tag. Above you can see two different ways of wearing it. A zebra print bikini can be complimented by a beautiful tan or an aristocratic pale skin tone but not burnt red skin so make sure you wear a T-shirt like the one in the collage above if you have skin that burns very easily. The "USA" t-shirt from Wildfox comes in a few other designs and I love them all because they will protect your shoulders from the sun (as it is easy to burn your shoulders if standing in the sun a lot) without looking frumpy like big t-shirts sometimes do. Plus, you can also get a tan on your stomach and show off your summer body. It might seem odd that I am already writing about beach style but it is hot in some parts of the world right now. Although, living in the UK it is easy to forget that hot weather exists.

A Red Carpet- Hollywood Style

2012-01-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

Not to stereotype but if we say that every girl dreams of being on the red carpet in a custom made couture dress with fans screaming her name and photographers snapping her perfectly made up face (that has been done by one of the best make up artists in the industry of course) then I would not be far off the truth. It is an illusion that many imagine; playing it out in their minds. Although I am doing drama GCSE I am not that delusional to think that that is my ticket to the red carpet. I feel as though I am aiming perfectly high enough in my goal of becoming a fashion journalist which is also on the stereotypical "unrealistic" scale and I hate it when people say that so I am not discrediting people who have a serious ambition at acting. However, trying not to sound too patronising, having a single ambition "to be famous" is a bit pathetic. It is a passion for acting that is more important; even if you have a few rubbish jobs. I would not mind working for the smallest company ever as long as I'm writing about something that interests me whilst I have that far off dream of being editor in chief at Vogue like an actress would be happy in a few small commercials but dreams of being a Hollywood superstar.

That was a bit long-winded but the point is, there is nothing wrong with fantasizing; dreaming. Which is what I was doing when making this collage.If I were to take to the red carpet, this is the sort of thing that I would opt to wear. I would choose classic, timeless Hollywood glamour; at least for my red carpet début. After that I would go for something more daring; maybe a bit of McQueen. I hope that one day I will be in a situation when I can wear a gown-like dress. I also hope that one day I will save up to get a couture dress, or maybe I'll just buy some vintage Chanel... Anyway, that's another dream altogether.

Inspirational People: Walt Disney

2012-01-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

(images from weheartit)

Imaginative, intelligent, magical and "the most significant figure in graphic arts since Leonardo DaVinci." In 1966, Walt Disney, one of the greatest imaginations of the 20th Century passed away but even now, almost half a century later he continues to awe and inspire. It is a gift to have a fabulous imagination however, it is a rarity that that imagination comes also with a great business mind and a certain optimism. It is rarer still when those aforementioned qualities are accompanied by compassion and love for family and friends. Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller once said, "Daddy never once missed a father's function no matter how I discounted it. I'd say, "Oh Daddy you don't need to come. It's just some stupid thing." But he's always be there, on time."As he spent a lot of his time creating entertainment for children he must have liked them but as I said, he spent "a lot of his time" doing so and it is amazing how he still managed to play a very active role in his children's lives. I am actually writing this whilst listening to the Now That's What I Call Disney CD that I got from my parents for Christmas after I told them how much I wanted it every time that the advert came on TV.

Disney was born in Chicago in 1901. He loved art and would often sell drawings to neighbours to earn some extra money. In 1918, when Disney was sixteen he joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas to France where he spent a year driving an ambulance which he covered in Disney cartoons. When Walt returned to the UK he pursued his career in commercial art by starting out at a company called Laugh-O-Grams which eventually became bankrupt. However, whilst working there, Disney became a recognised figure in Hollywood after creating his highly popular "Alice Comedies" which were about the adventures of a little girl, named Alice and her cat. He won his first Academy Award from "Flowers and Trees" which was the first full colour cartoon. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became his first full length film in 1937. Snow White is one of my favourite Disney films, mostly because it was the first one. Pretty much everyone knows the story of Snow White and the Disney pictures are the first images that come into most people's minds when they hear the title of the story. The film was produced in the Depression and it cost an amazing $1,400,000 to produce. I think that this figure proves how much effort must have taken to put it together and how much determination the makers must have had. Disneyland opened in 1955 and has entertained millions since then; including royalty, celebrities and normal people. Honestly, if you ever get the chance to go, it is a brilliant experience. I get butterflies just thinking about how magical it, so trust me, it is not just for kids. The park is inspirational in itself, as is the monument of Walt Disney holding hands with Mickey Mouse. I have been to Disney World (the best one) in Florida once and Disneyland Paris twice. People like Walt Disney are a gift to this world. His timeless positivity and imagination shine through and make the past, the present and the future a brighter place.
To read more about Walt Disney click here.

5 Ways to Wear Mickey

Items in this set

My admiration of Walt Disney sprung from my love of his most classic character: Mickey Mouse. When I was eleven two of my favourite things in life were Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate and Mickey Mouse. I think that that is where my love of vintage came from; I just loved the classic/original versions of things and seeing where ideas first came from and how they evolved into so much more yet remained not dissimilar from the original. My Mickey Mouse clothing collection contains three tops, but the above one being my favourite. I got it from the Disney store (yes, they do adult clothing there.)

Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and is a figure as internationally recognised as The Queen of England or Marilyn Monroe. Walt Disney himself provided the voice for Mickey Mouse until 1947. I so have Mickey Mouse's autograph (although I can't say I have The Queen's or Marilyn Monroe's!) Mickey Mouse is now in his eighties. That's pretty old for a mouse but I am sure that he will live on for centuries into the future as Walt Disney will in the presence of his company, his films, his quotes, his characters and his parks. By the way, many sources have assured me that the rumour that Disney had his body frozen so that he can be brought back to life if science can find a way to do so is just that, a rumour. It is not true.

The Evolution of Mickey

Plane Crazy was Mickey's first appearance but the first film to actually be distributed starring him was Steamboat Willie which I probably the most famous film starring him. His look changed quite a lot in the few months between Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. Plane Crazy was shown to a test audience in March 1928 whereas Steamboat Willie was shown eight months later in November.

"He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner."

Plane Crazy- the first film featuring Mickey Mouse.

In Plane Crazy, 1928

In Steamboat Willie, also 1928

In the 1950s TV show The Mickey Mouse Club
The mouse that we know and love today.

The EPCOT park stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt Disney's wishes were that he could build this "community" and introduce different types of city planning to try and build a perfect community with businesses, community areas, schools and all the features that a city would have. Everything was going to be perfect; all cars were to be driven underground so that there was no danger to pedestrians, there was to be no slum areas and everyone would be employed. There are lots of flowers and lakes at EPCOT to show the start of the project. However, Walt Disney died before the vision was embraced. The business decided not to embrace the idea. I think this is really tragic as knowing that Walt Disney had all the traits that would be perfect for pursuing such a venture. Perhaps the world today would be a better place if the experiment had opened up new ideas on how to govern villages, towns, cities, countries, continents and maybe even the entire world.

Luckily for me, as I like to include a quotes section in my "inspirational people" posts, Walt Disney has many inspirational quotes and here are my favourite:

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
-

"Laughter is America's mostimportant export."

"Why do we have to grow up? I knowmore adults who have the children's approach to life. You see them atDisneyland every time you go there. They are not afraid to be delighted withsimple pleasures."

"I have been up against toughcompetition all my life. I wouldn't know how to get along withoutit."

"Of all of our inventions for masscommunication, pictures still speak the most universally understoodlanguage."

"A man should never neglect hisfamily for business."

And of course, Mickey Mouse is aninspiration in himself so here are some of Disney's quotes about probably theworld's most famous mouse:

"I only hope that we don't losesight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse."

"Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbolof independence. He was a means to an end."

In case you weren't convinced from mywords of praise of Disneyland, then you might need to hear it from Disneyhimself. If you want to feel a part of the magic and the inspiration then thereis no better place to do it than in Disneyland:

"I don't want the public to seethe world they live in while they're in the Park (Disneyland). I want to feelthey're in another world."

"We did it (Disneyland), in theknowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financialdisaster - closed and forgotten within the first year."

"I first saw the site forDisneyland back in 1953, In those days it was all flat land - no rivers, nomountains, no castles or rocket ships - just orange groves, and a few acres ofwalnut trees."

"It's something that will never befinished. Something that I can keep developing...and adding to."

"Disneyland will never becompleted. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in theworld."

"Disneyland is the star,everything else is in the supporting role."

"It has that thing - theimagination, and the feeling of happy excitement- I knew when I was akid."

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