Au neutural

Wearing: Thrifted blouse and scarf, Target shorts and Dr Martens boots.

It's no secret that I love mixing prints, but normally I'm more comfortable wearing a lot more colour. Unless of course it's the middle of semester, I forgo washing my hair, I have an assignment due and some kind of presentation to give. In which case clothing isn't part of the equation and I become the most basic human being and more or less exist rather than actually live. So it felt a little strange and somewhat challenging coming up with a cool outfit in a neutral colour palette. I've been dying to buy some silk scarves since I saw the 'How to tie a neck scarf' video by Man Repeller on Youtube (for you intellectuals out there, you can also read the blog post here) Now I obviously lack the cool sunglasses needed to complete this look, as well as any sign of pigment as evidenced by my moon face and long pale legs, but it's still just as effective. Also I feel like I was unconsciously channeling Chloë Sevigny Fall 2012 campaign for Miu Miu. Minus the amazing boots, David Bowie make up and cropped hairdo.

Young Professional

Wearing: Blouse and shoes from Asos, trousers from Target. 
 
Last week I presented my research to the academics from my faculty and managed to memorise everything that I wanted to say. All in all my presentation went for fifteen minutes, followed by five minutes of questions. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to present my research to others, but I also managed to impress the structural geologists and gophysicists. As a paleontologist, and the only one from my cohort studying fossils I was bound to stand out, but I'm so relieved everything went well. My supervisors were also pleased that I was able to place my work within the context of previous research, and emphasise why the project was important. Dressing in an outfit which made me feel sassy and confident was a big help though, these shoes were a little uncomfortable new, but that kind of helped me not fidget or move on the spot. While we were never explicitly told what the dress code was, I was more interested in those who were wearing business casual. This is obviously really different than what I tend to wear day to day, but I do love the blouse I bought!

Does this black match?

BEHOLD THE EMBODIMENT OF QUINN MORGENDORFFER THE ORACLE OF ALL WISDOM!!!

Wearing: Thrifted jeans and fuzzy cardigan, Deadly Ponies bag, Dr Martens boots, gifted bangle, Katzi stud ring, Alex Monroe daisy ring.

For the last several weeks I have been sorting through coal as large as boulders and finer than grains of sand. Consequently my clothes are often covered in a fine dirt at the end of the day and I consider myself lucky on days when it doesn't smudge my face. Wearing all black was the easiest way to combat but this still remain an air of mystery and elegance. However, this does not reflect my personal style and on these days I do not feel my most confident. Experimenting with texture allowed me to feel creative, but it's wearing my rings and bracelets that gave me my greatest satisfaction. Although it's slightly too big for my rather child-like wrists I loved the weight and gravitas of this ornate bangle and stacking my rings upon one another. Rather tentatively they matched the hardware of my handbag which really ties this outfit together.

Athleisure

Comfort and style have been brought together in perfect synergy as part of the athleisure trend. The trend, introduced to me by Freshpair varies from that of sport luxe which seemed to prevalent throughout 2013 in its shapes. Tracksuit materials and puffer jackets create a bulky silhouette shrouding the female figure, followed by a loose skirt or trousers and culminating in a pair of chic heels or simple runners. Wearing something comfy underneath, such as a supportive bra is also an integral part of this trend.  Athleisure also seems to differ in that brands are not splashed across jumpers or sneakers but the style of say the shoe seems to speak for itself. Its much more versatile and understated and sure to be a big hit amongst street style photographers. Warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere means the inclusion of more mesh materials and the normalisation of basketball shorts as part of everyday life. But for those who can't bring themselves to align directly with sportswear it means wearing comfy sneakers.

1 & 15- Street Royal. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 10- Sporting Life via Rookie Mag. 4- Photo by Petra for Rookie Mag. 9- Untitled by Claire Milbrath via The Ardorous. 11- Models backstage at the Jacquemus spring/ summer 2014, photo by Lea Colombo for Dazed Digital. 12- Photo via Gabifresh. 13- Patwa, Geordie Wood. 14- Miranda Kerr for Vogue Korea July 2013 by Eric Guillemain.

Keep it simple, stupid

Wearing: Target turtleneck and skirt, Asos faux fur coat and Dr Martens boots.

I wore this outfit on the weekend and although it's fairly conservative for me I still got a few looks. I'm not sure if it's because it was a strange hour of the night or what I was wearing, or a combination of red hair and pink lips but I think at least one lady was trying to smile at me. It might have also been because I was with my boyfriend who's white and even though I'm mixed and halfway some people might still have a problem with us? I don't know, it's pretty confusing trying to guess what someone is thinking. Anyway I needed to wear a warm jacket because we went out to the city to celebrate a friend's 21st. It was a friend from work but we often hang out to play video games and order pizza and he's crazy good at just about everything. We ate at B’Churrasco, located on A' Beckett Street which served yummy Brazilian barbeque-style cooking. Our dining experience included fourteen different meets served on sword-length skewers, thankfully there weren't any vegetarians but the banana fritters were absolutely delicious.

Jacquemus Fall 2014

While the majority of runway shows and collections I discuss focus on fastidious detail and embellishments, sometimes it's nice to get back to the bear basic case in point Jacquemus. The French designer caused quite the stir at fashion week last season featuring a collaborative makeup look with Berlin-based artist Sebastian Bieniek as well as nods towards the #FreeTheNipple campaign. But before all of that there was simplicity, silhouettes and strong coats. While it would be tempting to place these pieces in a more artfully composed context and background that is the very reason why editorials exist. Instead Jacquemus lays his clothes bare worn simply with plain white Adidas sneakers (probably to the models' relief) and makeup au naturel. This simply enforces greater emphasis on the slightly exaggerated shapes and silhouettes of both the coats and floating panels on mesh. However, creating slightly bulky or cocoon-like hoods is nothing new. Japanese designers such as Hiroshige Maki, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamato have literally carried out this type of work for decades. Therefore I shall not praise Jacquemus as being progressive, but merely a continuation of these practitioners within a restrained colour palette and the addition of irregular shapes and patterns.

Dissecting the collection into sections according to colour not only allowed for the audience to sit and digest everything but a visual landscape when viewed at once. This is at the expense of being able to create a narrative which accompanies the clothes enhanced by music and set design. I can't even imagine the soundtrack that would follow the models as they move back and forth and I am in no way inclined to find out. Normally through a natural curiosity I am compelled to immerse myself in previous collections and watch old videos of a runway show but I am not filled with any real passion when viewing these clothes. Instead I view them objectively, like I would a set of data or other line of scientific evidence. It's only when I view them again in an editorial or photo shoot that I make any kind of emotional attachment with their strange silhouettes and other worldly shape. I think what was missing were cute pastel backgrounds and a metaphoric gold gilt frame with which to view these pieces. I can appreciate that this was not the intention of Jacquemus but it feels strange to see such vibrant clothes showcased in a dimensionless space.  

The clothes themselves were interesting, but as I mentioned before one can't help but feel like this as all too familiar and a gentrified rehash of the innovations of Japanese designers. Pieces such as the turtleneck with two neck holes which can be worn a number of ways is sadly nothing new and flattened statement seams were also akin to the 2D Comme des Garcons pieces everyone frantically searches for online. All this without the same makeup and hair styling Rei Kawakubo insists upon as a necessity to the experience of her show made Jacquemus pale in comparison. While the suits and dresses did offer something different the coat shape, structural integrity and collars were all pieces I felt I had seen before, merely in a new selection of colours. What is interesting is that these clothes demand a minimalist approaching to styling but a hefty dry cleaning bill and loads of space for storage. In a way they are nothing more than an ideal rather than something which can exist in the real world, although my favourite Susie Bubble was captured wearing the coat from the final look and did an exceptional job.  

Images via Fashion Glossary UK