Fashion Week Madness & How To Keep Up In Real Life

'Is it me, or does fashion week seem to happen every ten days?'

Camilla Long, Twitter

I can barely keep up either! Except that over the past year or so the fashion and business press has been littered with articles stating that with the dawn of the smartphone social media has made the concept of the fashion show slightly defunct. It goes without saying that fashion in the age of Instagram/Facebook/Snap-chat/Twitter means all secrecy erodes, excitement is long gone and mystery stopped in its stilettos as soon as it slinks on to the catwalk and straight into everyone's news feed.

Down on the ground, right now in fact, Fashion Week is still going full (fur?!) pelt: the clipboard nazis, the fear of who sits where, the grand unveiling, the bated breath, the lights, the music. It used to be for the fashion editors dark-glassed eyes only, however now on Instagram Live, Josephine Public can watch it at exactly the same time too. Which, by the way, I am all for - it's just a change from days of yore.

Most fashhags are already over what we're wearing right now - todays coats are tomorrows fish wrapping etc and by the end of THIS week they will be well on their way to having their wish list whittled down for Spring Summer 2018 (EIGHTEEN!) which it feels like we are sort of in now but in real life we are at the tail end of SS17 and purchasing AW17 at the moment. All the apparel you probably want for AW17 (which with the British weather: Winters warmer, Summers longer) you will be wearing well in to actual time AW18 (which came out in SS17 real time AW16) and by the time you feel like wearing it, you've got the cash together and got down the shops it most definitely will have already sold out.

Then there's the Cruise Collections - KEEP UP!! These are the "inter-season" or "pre-season" offerings (we're sooooort of in this now) sometimes referred to as the 'travel' or 'holiday' wardrobe for those tricky months in between the recurrent twice yearly collections when you HAVE to go to Barbados on a yacht. It's enough to worry anyones pretty little head and often leaves me feeling a bit Ugly Betty. Then there's the See-Now-Buy-Now concept which makes me want to lie down in a dark room - its like a merri-go-round or one of those mad dreams where you can't quite catch up. 

I even find the idea of buying a magazine that says 'January Issue' in December pretty hard to fathom. In the fashion world it seems like time is being wished away. When I worked in the industry I was constantly living in the future, longing for time to pass and playing the waiting game until the new handbags and glad rags would be ready to buy. It takes the anticipatory joy out of clothes somewhat.

Back on planet Earth we are having to buy our bikinis in February to wear in August (when the LAST thing you want to do is take your clothes off) and then buying our winter coats in July to wear in December (when the LAST thing you want to think about is wrapping up warm) and honestly WHO (apart from really serious Fashun people) is that organised or knows what they are going to feel like wearing so far in the future? When you finally get around to shopping for a summer holiday or it starts snowing, you're left with the last turkey in the shop situation: bikini tops in a size 6 and bottoms in a size 18 amongst a hell of coat hangers, on a rail in a corner of the shop which might as well be labelled The Land That Time Forgot.

So I've been thinking about this a lot (can you tell?) and if this is your area and you know what you're doing, then seriously, the highest of fives - but if you have a mere appreciation of all this wonderful fashion nonsense but don't live and die by trend reports then I have come up with some golden rules for having enough of the right thing to wear all year round and approaching it a different way. Embrace the fact you can see future trends emerging on social media platform(s shoes!) so you can pounce when you see something you like and very soon you'll realise you too have your very own Fashion Trend Prediction Crystal Ball! The key is to wear things you really, really like and dance to the beat of your own drum, in a nice dress. Clothes are meant to be a joy for whatever shade of fashion you are and anyway, in the words of goddess Lauren Hutton: 'Fashion is what you're offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose'
Amen.

1. BUY THE IMPORTANT THINGS OUT OF SEASON

Sorry, I know this is annoying but it is what it is. I know I've just explained why this is hell but it's truly worth it. Looking at woolly jumpers when it's sweltering outside makes me feel sick but I took delivery of this coat on the hottest day of the year and felt like a maddo. I am thrilled that I have it now the weather's getting all bleurgh. It also helped me look forward to Winter. If you see an amazing  jumper in a charity shop in high Summer - buy it. If you see a beautiful sundress when it's minus a million outside - snap it up! You'll thank yourself later.

Coat from Saks Potts. Ribbit! 

Jumper from Kate Spade bought in a heatwave!
Earrings from my goddaughter!

Won this on eBay by accident last Summer. Was much cheaper because most
people in the Western Hemisphere aren't buying Winter coats then.

2. BUY VINTAGE, PRE-LOVED & SECOND HAND

It can be cheaper - it can also be eye wateringly expensive - but no-one else will be wearing it and its like hunting for treasure. You can build up clothes that transcend seasons and trends! I love Etsy, eBay, Carboot sales and charity shops.

As my mother always says...all fashions come around again so something that doesn't feel quite right now might be right on the money next year or maybe even next week - you know how fashion is...

An outfit entirely sourced through eBay and vintage suppliers!

Vintage YSL

More vintage YSL. Also known as my pension. Not joking.

Vintage from Lime Green Bow. Best vintage in town, if not THE WORLD! If you know, you know!

3. BORROW STUFF

Find a willing/generous/unknowing sister/mother/brother/girlfriend/boyfriend to borrow a few bits and bobs from. A coat, a hat, a dress, a shirt. This is quite a nice way of replenishing your wardrobe in the short term and then giving it back when you're over it!

I've temporarily adopted this dress...

Borrowed a hat, borrowed a scarf.

4. SPEND YOUR MONEY ON SHOES & ACCESSORIES THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

You can be wearing a binbag (Sooo AW17) but a pair of earrings or snazzy handbag will totally make your outfit! 

Lele Sadoughi perspex ring and Topshop kimono

Shoes for some occasions. 

I love my Les Petit Joueurs handbag which fills me with joy!

Earrings from Annie Costello Brown. Similar in Mango at the moment. 

Shrimps Antonia Bag which is on my wishlist!

Always accessorise with a scarf! My favourites are from Tina Sparkle.

5. RECYCLE & RE-WEAR THINGS YOU'VE ALREADY GOT

Ignore this rule. I hate this rule.

Argh!

Argh!

Arrrrrggghhhhhhhh!

However, I would say, I never understood people who bought things then had them altered but I've discovered the joy of alterations. Find a good tailor near you and have clothes taken up, taken in, taken out, chop bits off or add things on. It completely changed the way I've looked at clothes that I've had for ages but have't worn because they're not quite right.

6. DRESSES ARE GREAT

They are so great to just fling on and be a complete outfit without too much thought. My favourite brands for dresses at the moment are Ganni, Rixo, Saks Potts and Shrimps. Brightly coloured, silky, cottony, colourful and so easy to wear for girls and boys!

Dress from Saks Potts. 

Read more at http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/542820/the-40-best-style-quotes-of-all-time.html#PJDDlBP71C80EZju.99

Ganni Bijou cotton dress. Was asked if I was Amish. Still love it.

Raspberry silk vintage dress from BUS STOP! Hermes belt from Pimlico Car Boot...

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR: DESIGN & MAKE YOUR OWN CLOTHES...

Watch this space...........!!!

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