The Hair Essentials - A Celebration

When I was about ten years of age, I had a serious thing for butterfly clips. Yes, at that age and especially around that time, (ten year olds are after all probably too cool now to wear such an accessory faux pas), butterfly clips were the 'in' thing, along with Pokemon and sticker books. As per usual, I had to go that one step further and looked quite frankly like I had raided Claire's Accessories in some mad 'all you can wear' hairclip frenzy and even earned the rather unfortunate nickname from the playground bully - 'Christmas tree'. That didn't stop me though, I still piled on the flowers, enormous garish things, one may even had come free with a magazine, and the glittering clips and believed my self to be every inch the 'individual', a word I learnt about the same time and had became quite obsessed with the idea.

Things haven't changed. I might have ditched the plastic butterfly clips and sunflower hair slides but I still like the idea of something adorning my hair. I'm not much of a hat person, I like the odd beret but that's about it, so instead I like to experiment with ribbons, bows, headbands, the odd hairclip, the occasional hairband and even more so of late. I just think 'Why not'?

It's kind of stating the obvious that headbands and ribbons/bows have been popular with indie/street/Facehunter esque people with quite a while now but I still am entirely fascinated with the concept and only wish to see even more people doing the same. To put something in your hair after the age of 12, was always going to be a daring idea but with more and more people proving that it can actually be done with out looking like an overgrown little princess, no time is better then the now to celebrate hair accessorising.

I admit I am going over covered ground here as I mentioned the rise of the headscarf in my previous post but I just can't help but love this wonderfully old - fashioned accessory. Agyness looked particularly old - school in her plastic head covering. Grandma - chic at its best, for sure.The hair ribbon has seen such a rise in popularity in recent months that surely it is only right to celebrate this quirky piece of kitsch accessorising. In my opinion, Amy Winehouse's best contribution to society has been her 60's kitchen sink soap opera style hair ribbon. As usual, Facehunter provides endless inspiration.

The pretty headband is a personal favourite for it obvious Grecian connotations. I love Kirsten Dunst's Flapper style band too. The pretty headband adds ethereal/feminine beauty as well a certain element drama to any outfit.

The hippie headband has become the hipsters' favourite piece over the past year or more but still despite perhaps the slight case of 'hippy headband overkill', the hippy headband still manages to look well just plain cool.

Last but certainly not least, is a selection of the more 'out there' hair pieces. I think almost everyone must harbour that secret desire to take a large piece of pastel tulle and create a giant bow ala Louis Vuitton.

"Lives in a house, a very big house in the country"

It is no lie that I like to dress up and fully embrace the somewhat costume drama element of fashion. I adore dressing as though I have stepped out of time machine or off a period film set. Recently when I was flicking through Vogue's catwalk report, rather unimpressed mind you - military, statement coats and get this, black , how very radical, something did manage to jump out at me in a flashbulb 'this is how I'm going to dress for the bulk of the winter' moment - posh, British manor country attire. Suddenly, I felt inspired and the mere thought of silk scarfs and tweeds was making my heart do tiny somersaults, so much so, that the next day I was wearing exactly that.

The best way to describe this style is to think of a lovely, well dressed elderly lady, perhaps at the races. Imagine too, afternoon tea in wonderful old English estates and out - doorsy exploits in vast, green acres. For clothes, I'm thinking tweeds, thick wool jackets, knee length skirts, cardigans, the occasional frivolity of a frilled blouse, grand, old - world jewellery - pearls, brooches, gold - , blazers, even better with leather elbow patches, checks and of course, the customary silk headscarf.

If you really want to make a statement, scour dusty attics for hunting caps like at Carolina Herrara. Feathers make the perfect finish to countryside ensembles.

An unlikely, but none the less apt style icon for this look, is Queen Elizabeth II. Her Balmoral headscarves are incredibly chic and to be honest, I'm hankering for a return to this sort of modest, ladylike dressing. I would not be surprised if headscarves turn out to be the new 'bow in the hair' with cool Facehunter type people.
There is, of course, a certain regal element to this style as not only do I recommend escaping to enormous country estates and counting Queen Elizabeth as a style icon, but early Princess Diana was the perfect lady of the manor too. Ruffles, wool cardigans, pearls, scarves, thick coats, fussy blouses and horsey attire were all staples for the young Diana as well as being a plenty on this seasons' runways.

It's on her wrist

Is is no lie, that I like my bit of 'bling', (yeah, I don't think I can get away with referring to jewellery as 'bling' either.) Of late, I have rediscovered my love of bracelets. I find with jewellery you go through phases of loving either bracelets, rings, earrings or necklaces. When I was younger, I used to love bracelets, that is, before I discovered the frivolity and excess of earrings. But, whereas earrings can be bought and relegated to the jewellery box withing weeks, there is a far more personal relationship with bracelets, you can keep them for years provided they are of relatively decent quality.

I have always been attracted to the idea of wearing millions of bracelets on the wrist and have even frequently experimented with the idea. There is something wonderfully quirky and eccentric about it be it the punky goth girl or the rich, grandiose middle - aged woman. A few months ago, Vogue UK ran an article about one journalist's love of her bangles. It was a very interesting piece, especially for someone who fully understands the said love affair, but even more so as here were women who wore their lives on their wrist. The bracelets these women wear illustrate the happiness and hardships that they have been through. As ludicrous as it sounds, I was totally blown away by such a wonderful, thought provoking idea, to think each bracelet, coincidentally almost like a charm on a charm bracelet, tells a tale. Henceforth, I think it gives reason to us all to hit the shops, be it Topshop or Cartier, and splash out on some wrist candy.

Madonna's bracelet action in Desperately Seeking Susan lives on in kitsch, colourful bracelets and of course, black jelly bangles, that epitomise Madonna's post - punk, 80's wild child look in the film.

After reading about celebrities and their bracelets in Vogue some months back, I was particularly captivated by Film Noir icon, Lauren Bacall's, bracelet love affair. It was with great wonder then, that I noticed, after much google images trawling, that it is rare to find a picture of Bacall with a naked wrist as subtle yet ever so grand gold bangles, forever frequent her slender arm.

My version of spree vs. save, bracelet style.

Bracelets are not purely a thing of yesteryear as at the moment celebrities are rarely seen without some form of decoration adorning their wrists.

After some trouble scanning her wrist, Kat decided to lay some of her bracelets out like this. Ha ha, no, I don't wear all these at once!

One year in Vogue

A year ago today I was stepping into the unknown realm of blogging and I sit here now unable to conceive that it has been that long. Thank you for visiting and for commenting, I still cannot believe people read what I have to say! Here's hoping I'll be blogging for a while longer yet, it has been too much fun (albeit some pressure!) to stop.

In celebration of She's in Vogue's first birthday, one will have to celebrate in style and what's more style then the latest haute couture looks fresh from the catwalks. Of course only flamboyant and full length for us, darlings.

Raphael, McQueen and a multitude of Dresses

My recent holiday in Italy meant a lovely and very welcome abundance of Renaissance art. To be honest, in the past I have been rather narrow - minded towards Renaissance art, considering it to be dull, lifeless and overly religious. It was with great surprise then, that I found my self in complete awe with so many of the great works and with the immense galleries quite often knocking the breath from my lungs. Detail of the Profane love from Titian's Sacred and Profane Love

Of course not only were the styles and techniques; the chiaroscuro and sfumato, Classicism versus Mannerism etc. etc. all utterly captivating but I also just love the depictions of clothing of that era. Deep, plumy colours, blood reds and smoke - crumpled royal blues. Rich rolls of thick, scrunchy fabric, sweeping capes and tumbling shawls. Gauzy, sheer maiden dresses and plump -sleeved Madonna gowns. Ornate and dazzling jewellery, gold - ringed curls and swollen cheeks of creamy peach. The otherworldly glow of pinks and teals, intricate corsets and the wondrous billowing of enormous dresses. With all this swimming happily about in my mind, it was with great delight then, that so many pieces from both the s/s and a/w collections reminded me of this so very sumptuous decked out era.

Who would have thought Raphael's most famous work would have me thinking of Alexander McQueen?! The drapery and asymmetrical one - shoulder designs at Hermes and this royal blue ballet dress at McQueen echoed the legendary depiction of Plato and Aristotle conversing in flowing gowns and thick drapes of fabric.

The mint green Marchesa is perhaps my favourite of all the dresses I chose for this post. It's elegant and classical and reminds me of a Renaissance maiden dress.

I love the Raphael painting Lady with a Unicorn and find the olive and russet colouring very autumnal. Similar shades are used in Cecelia and I love how the coils of Zac Posen beads reminded me of this work.

Red is a favourite colour of Renaissance dress. Symbolising, royalty and passion it always makes a bold statement. Alexander McQueen's a/w collection was full of drama and opulence corresponding aptly with Renaissance art.

Botticelli's Primavera reminded me of Sonia Rykiel's s/s sheer nymph dresses. The Three Graces dancing on the left hand side of the painting represent the three phases of love - beauty, desire and fulfillment.

The blue gown that the Madonna wears in this painting reminds me of the airy dresses of shades of blue that floated about this season.

For some reason these mood boards are not enlarging even though they should. Apologies!