layers&swathes

Not Goodbye… Just See You Later

layersandswathes — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:23:00 +0000

Hey People,

Its with bittersweet sadness that I have to abandon ship for a while (not forever)

I got a new job in Trend Forecasting and unfortunately Layers&Swathes would result in conflict of interest.

Starting this blog was one of the best decisions I have ever made – I definitely hope to come back to it someday.

I will miss you all – stay in touch? I’ll still be tweeting at layersnswathes

L&S xx

p.s – the video below changed my life (dramatic but true) – if you’re feeling stuck, trapped or creatively devoid, I suggest watching it…

So Much Better Than Hallmark.

layersandswathes — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:40:33 +0000

How clever are my good friends Josh & Cara? They made the below card of my face on Lady Gaga’s body for my birthday! Its actually quite transformative – I have this sudden urge to throw all my subtle wallflower garms out the window and head STRAIGHT to Chanel/the hairdressers. Who’d a thought a lilac tint would suit me?

It got me thinking more about how I’m a stylist who needs a stylist. I was trying to explain to Josh – who frequently asks why I don’t look more like an “outrageous fashionista” (I think he thinks we should all look like Anna Della Russo) that when one spends their entire ~~day~~ life thinking about what other people are going to wear, you tend to forget yourself…

I thank Josh for styling me in this card – its given me some food for thought about trying some power dressing. I certainly wouldn’t fuck around with me suited up like that – especially during Fashion Week!

p.s – if you think the below is good, check out Josh’s party skills here!

Who Wore It Better? Liu Wen vs Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

layersandswathes — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:09:04 +0000

Now there’s a name I never thought would make an appearance on this blog (Palmer-Tomkinson)! Obviously referring to the Phillip Treacy hats, I’m going to have to go with Liu Wen on this one if only because hers looks less like an arrow pointing toward a shnoz that’s had one line too many.

In other news, I have to apologize for the lack of posts recently. I just got a new job which is terribly exciting but has also been time consuming. Once settled, I’m hoping to create a schedule where I am providing you dear readers with my bullshit at least twice a week ;)

Similar Vein: Hussein Chalayan & Helen Bullock

layersandswathes — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:30:55 +0000

The question remains… Who had the original idea?

Over To You, London Boys.

layersandswathes — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:22:10 +0000

Yippee – London is going to have its very own Menswear Fashion Week!

It was just last week that I was discussing with a colleague how London’s men are showing women up in the fashion stakes. A quick walk around the East and you’ll find countless uniquely dressed chaps and very few ladies. This could be for so many reasons but I think the main one is to do with how men relate to the new fashion media versus women. By us pouring over magazines, blogs, celebrities – we are essentially setting limitations to our stylistic creativity, unable to break the mold of leather trousers, jumpers, shirts and skinny jeans. We are constantly and unconsciously being told what to wear. The vast amount of choice has placed us in a style-rut that not not even Louis Vuitton’s SS12 candyfloss femininity can save. On the one hand, we have finally embraced colour but getting women to experiment with a new silhouette, a new uniform is a retailers’ hardest challenge. Two years on and I’m still deathly afraid of the midi-skirt – let alone a pleated midi-skirt in a bright colour.

Conversely, Men, who generally don’t obsess over fashion in the same way we do, are having some serious fun. They don’t necessarily endure the same pressure to switch up the silhouette but just a quick roam around Selfridges’s denim department and you’ve got carrot leg, peg leg, twisted leg, straight leg, skinny leg. And guess what? They are wearing them in purple, green, maroon, citrus yellow and claret red. I’ve seen a whole rainbow of desert boots with contrasting soles on the tube this week. I’m seeing men in beautiful tailoring – and not because they are bankers. I’m seeing men in Harris Tweed and lots of different hats. Men who look as though they’ve stepped out of an appointment with Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane and men who make vintage look brand new. Men wearing bow ties and glorious statement socks. Men in women’s coats and men in clashing prints. In short, just to reiterate, fashion right now is all about the boys.

I always wonder what fashion historians in years to come will make of our generation – What are the defining moments? With gender-blending and traditional roles totally skewed, could it be the emancipation of men’s style? Could the importance of men’s fashion as an industry ever take over from women’s? I guess we are just going to have to wait and find out…

Click below to see these bad boys nice and large – the details are superb.

images via Tommy Ton for GQ, Street Style Aesthetic, t-shirtandtails, The Cool Hunter & The Style Scout

A Huge Michael Jackson Fan & Proud.

layersandswathes — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:12:40 +0000

I probably watch this video of Michael’s Pepsi commercial once a month – isn’t it beautiful?

Letting Go via The Tao Te Ching.

layersandswathes — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:58:37 +0000

“The Tao Te Ching says: When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need. Have you ever struggled to find work or love, only to find them after you have given up? This is the paradox of letting go. Let go, in order to achieve. Letting go is God’s law.” ~ Mary Manin Morrissey

via Rebekah Shaman

images via Vanessa Bruno

The End Of Trend?

layersandswathes — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:06:39 +0000

What a lovely surprise to see that Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci had repeated the incredibly popular Rottweiler theme for the Pre-Fall 2012 collection. Could the message be that instant fashion and the ridiculous speed in which trends circulate are becoming a thing of the past? If this were true, I think it would urge people to invest in luxury brands that bit more…

Bill Blass’ Likes & Dislikes In A Woman:

layersandswathes — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:06 +0000

Here are a couple of things I like and dislike in a man:

My Dislikes:

1. Men who wear muscle t-shirts.
2. Men who have sex with cars.
3. Men who are constantly throwing things in the air and catching them in their mouths. Are you a seal?
4. Men who walk around with those obnoxious wireless ear pieces even when not driving.
5. And the absolute worst – Men who spit in the street.

I was going to spend another 15 minutes coming up with things that I like about men but all I could manage was “men who occasionally wear cravats” and “men who will go on a frozen yoghurt hunt with me at 2am in the morning.”

Ok boys and girls – its your turn! Do you agree with Bill Blass? Let me know your reasons for liking and disliking things that men and women do…. GO!

SS12 – The Season Of The “Anna Wintour Look”

layersandswathes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:29:00 +0000

One thing that struck me immediately after reviewing the SS12 shows was how well suited the silhouettes were to Anna Wintour’s style.

First, lets look at some quintessential Anna looks:

her skirt length always below her knee, her love of prints, her narrow waist… sound familiar? Here are some key SS12 looks that look totally Wintoured:

Anna in Bottega Veneta

Anna in Dries Van Noten

Anna in Prada

Anna in Celine

Anna in J Crew

Anna in Marni

Anna in Jonathan Saunders

Anna in Derek Lam

images via Elle.com