Shine bright like a diamond

Wearing: Turban Hats4Ladies (etsy), earrings and bracelet from Marina FINI, vintage blazer, Miss Shop dress and thrifted heels.

I wore this outfit a few weeks ago now when I went thrift shopping (and surprisingly found nothing I liked), but then went to a friend's house for dinner. Dinner was delicious and then we played a game of pictionary whilst trying to explain what it is we as student geologists do. Hanging out with friends is always nice AND I got to play with his pet cat Misery. Everyone agrees it's possibly the greatest name for a cat. Anyway crazy cat lady shenanigans aside, it's always nice to be able to dress up every now and then and this is probably the most heavily 80s inspired outfit I've worn since I first got into fashion at about age fourteen or fifteen. There's also a definite flair or sassieness, probably due to the influence of the ladies and gentlemen featured on Advanced Style.

Acne Studios Pre-Fall 2015

Conceptually, Acne are one of my favourite brands. They have an obvious cult following around the world and exude 'cool' from every pore. Yet whenever I scour eBay looking for cheap second hand pieces I always feel uninspired when the clothes are removed from their fantastical environment of runway shows and ultra chic look books. There isn't really a concrete reason as to why I feel uninspired when viewing the same object, other than curating and executing an idea is the key to any brand or blogger's success. It's for this reason that Fall collections are probably my favourite- since there are so many ways of layering and styling each piece. Acne have always done an excellent job creating crazy new shoes which seem strangely futuristic in comparison to their classic woolen coats. 

I'm obviously obsessed with the tongue in cheek 'Say No To Drugs' coat from this collection, but the tights and sneakers combinations is worth borrowing. Tbh I haven't bought a pair of chunky sneakers since I was in high school and styling them terribly but I'm kind of inspired now. Goodness knows I have to make the best of the next couple of months of mild weather before Summer starts and it's too hot to go outside. Another reason why I fawn over Fall collections but meet Resort/ Spring-Summer/ Cruise with some kind of dread and apprehension. For those with a 1960s mod fascination, Acne also made some slamming knee high boots with kooky concealed platform heel and silhouette. I wonder if these clothes are as dreamy in person as they appear under the intense studio lights.

*Images via Vogue.com

Raf Simons Spring 2016

Raf Simons continues to mystify me- although he is frequently touted as a genius I can never figure out what all the fuss is about unless I read through what others have said of him. I suppose that largely has to do with my age and the relationship I have with personal style. Or that having been told all my life that youth invalidates experience I find myself unable to analyze his work. Whatever the case may be I find myself having to file these collections under the "you'll appreciate this when you're older" category. That's under the assumption that I will eventually abandon my brightly coloured power clashing aesthetic and come to appreciate the shape and cut of my clothes. For now all I'll say is that I loved the heavy chains slung over the shoulder and carried next to the bags for Spring 2016. They reminded my of heavy vintage Lucite necklaces, ballooned to greater proportions and appropriated for a different purpose. As a child I often caught myself wistfully wishing I had a shrink ray to change the size of my plastic beads (of which I was obsessed with) to wear in all manner of ways. It's true what they say- somethings never change. 

*Photos via Vogue.com

Poison Ivy

Wearing: Vintage jacket, Romance Was Born skirt, thrifted top and heels.

Please excuse this throwback to an obnoxious 1980s game show host, minus the tall quiffed hair but I was in a mood where I wanted to wear lots of purple and green. This colour scheme also encapsulates many Poison Grass type Pokemon as well as the Batman villain and total badass Poison Ivy- ergo uninspired blog post title. Even though it's Winter the garden has remained lush and vibrant which has really inspired me to spend more time outside. By far the best part of this year has been spent learning more about nature, particularly plants and fungi, in order to better understand how ecosystems interact as a whole. Basically nature is great and so inspiring and I can't imagine a point where I'd be so jaded I'd be incapable of appreciating its beauty.
Also, it's about this time of year that someone either online or IRL tells me that I need to cover my dark circles or do something about the bags under my eyes. Huzzah! I've come up with the perfect solution (although I'm not the originator):

Today I thought I'd share my beauty tip for
1. Buy glitter.
2. Cover dark circles.
3. Free yourself from the patriarchy.

Growth

Wearing: Marina FINI earrings, Vintage jacket, thrifted blouse, school uniform skirt and Dr Martens boots.

I've been obsessed with personal development and growth over the last couple of weeks. It's been difficult for me but I've finally reached a point where I can be honest with myself about my personal relationships and when to move on. To celebrate my new found freedom I dressed like a plant witch, although to be honest I look more like a character from Dynasty. This has largely to do with my slightly padded shoulders and the amount of clashing prints in this outfit. Most of my time has been spent learning about plants lately as they are an integral part of my honours thesis. I've also learned more about mushrooms than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. It just goes to show that life never really turns out the way you thought it would be. Also, I thought wearing body glitter on my eyelids was a good idea but after about an hour or so the glitter had slowly migrated onto my cheeks. I'll probably find glitter in the bathroom and around the house for the next month.

 3- Eleanor Hardwick for Rookie Mag, 6- Susie Bubble wearing Simone Rocha X J Brand, 8- Don't Go Into the Woods via Rookie Mag, 10- Rookie Mag Road Trip Diary: Week Three.