Are we all just copycats?

Celebrity culture is huge. We want to know what they are doing, who they are with and what they are wearing all the time. We are a nation of stalkers that want to be fed information about our favourite celebrities twenty four seven. These obsessions have even gone so far as, surgery. Wanting to surgically change our look, to look like the people we aspire to visually the most. We have become induced into a world of copycats.

Everywhere you look there is a magazine, a television show telling you how to look like your favourite celebrity so how can we be to blame for wanting what they have? After all who wouldn’t want their ever-flawless nature that they seem to exude whenever they are photographed. No one can deny that the clothes, hair, make-up and accessories aren’t (most of the time) something to be envious of.

But how far has our ‘copy cat’ fixation gone? In January 2009 a couple started up a blog ‘What Katie Wore.’ It is a 365-day record of what Katie wore. The idea behind it is to wear a different outfit everyday for a year. Joe writes the blogs and Katie wears the clothes. A year later of, ‘what Katie wore’ and the blog is still going strong and the following is huge. Why are we so fascinated in what some ordinary person wears going about their everyday life? Is it because we are a nosey nation or our copycat infatuation?

This February VOGUE.com started a section ‘Today I am wearing….’ Each month they feature a different celebrity style icon/trendsetter and ask them to blog what they are wearing everyday for a month. For those of you that don’t know it, the section includes one or more photographs and a brief description of the garments in question. So far the likes of Alexia Chung, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Olivia Palermo have all featured and this month Daisy Lowe is showcasing her undoubtedly wonderful wardrobe. There is no denying that this segment is a popular hit, as I know myself many that browse the celebs and their fashion choices. But they are not always as open about their little browsing session as some may assume. Maybe because they want to maintain an image of individuality and originality.

While some hide their style icon fascinations beneath the woodworks others have no problem with broadcasting their love for their favourite celebrity on television. The American television show ‘Style her Famous’ takes ordinary people and gives them a celebrity inspired makeover, transforming ordinary women into glamour goddesses. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re missing out, you can catch the show over here on Channel Four. We all need a bit of inspiration every now and again and where better to take it from than those godly creatures that seem to have no imperfections and a continuous stream of exquisite garments. But what happened to wanting to look like you? Maybe just with better clothes, glossier hair and perfect make-up to match.

In many of the weekly magazines such as Glamour, Look, Grazia, a week does not go by without them each containing a section titled something along the lines of ‘Get the Look.’ Within each there will be a section telling you how to steal her style but with a High Street price tag, how to do your make-up, where to get it from and what hair snap shots you should take into the salon. And if waiting a week for such spoon fed style information isn’t enough there are plenty of websites to help you out. All it takes is typing the celebrity’s name into Google and you’ll be sure to discover what line of jeans, make-up, sunglasses etc your fav celeb is wearing.

Are we all addicted to celebrity inspired obsessions or do we just have a passion to strive for perceived perfection which we look to our favourite celebs to guide us to? The question you have to ask yourself is how much of a copycat are you?

Graceful Glamour

Since the 17^th of April until the 26^th September the Victoria and Albert Museum are celebrating Grace Kelly and the style icon that she was.

The exhibition tells her story through her spectacular wardrobe. It features dresses from three different eras of her life, from Hollywood actress to wife, from princess to motherhood. It is a fairytale story of how a Hollywood actress transformed into a real life Princess.

This ‘sell out’ exhibition symbolizes everything she was; beautiful, elegant, classic and serene. It celebrates all the things missing in society today. As you look around, the eclectic mix and range of ages of its audience become obvious. From observing it would seem that this exhibition appeals to all. But if the glamorous style of Grace Kelly appeals to all then why is no one bothered about maintaining a level of old school glamour today?

Silk taffeta, glazed cotton and silk chiffon dress stand on mannequins pretty and serene behind the glistening glass. Each dress, each outfit is flattering to the female form not hiding but accentuating womanly curves. Shades of cream, yellow, orange and burnt pink make up the fabulous floor length evening gown section, while cabinets filled with every accessory a girl could need, from hats to gloves, bags to brooches captured your eye. ‘Something for everything’ was the thoughts that went through my mind.

How have we lost the glamour, elegance and grace that Grace Kelly had? When you look around the streets if it isn’t grunge that you see, it’s geek or boho chic. Whether it is military, denim, body amour, sportswear or fantasy nothing looks quite as glamour happy as the 1950s. Unpolished nails and hair akimbo tread our streets in military boots and pumps with bags that we could carry our kitchen sink in and sunglasses that hide our face are in favour. I cannot really talk myself as I am preferable to these things but I do miss perfectly polished nails in pastel pinks, soft bouncy silky looking hair and dresses that are feminine and pretty. With new style icons such as Alexia Chung, Agness Deyn, Dasiy Lowe what does one expect. I just hope that we can look back and celebrate our wardrobes in the same way.

Why do bad things taste so good?

I have noticed from being around my girlfriends that we are always contradicting ourselves. We tell each other how we want to lose a stone here and inch there whilst we sit in front of the television with a cup of tea scoffing copious amounts of chocolate sweets and biscuits. But no one and nothing will stop us from doing so and God forbid someone would actually try, ‘I’ll start behaving tomorrow’ you tell yourself.

Bad things tasting so good goes much further than just a few naughty chocolate bars and popcorn. I have noticed that it applies to everything. When our bank balance is looking rather miserable and the last thing we should be doing is shopping the urge to go shopping becomes far to big to control and where do you suddenly find yourself? Standing in line at the cashiers desk waiting to pay for that top or dress that you firstly have no need for and simple cannot afford, but the purchase just feels so good and so right and who needs to eat right!?

There is also something to be said for a night out. When deadlines are looming and the work is mounting up your brain can think of nothing better to do than go for some drinks with some friends or worse still go on a night out. You know that you shouldn’t but your brain is telling you that you’re not going to get anything done tonight so you might as well go out, enjoy yourself and start tomorrow. But you never do.

The justification we kid ourselves with in order to do these things is, unreal. So why is it that bad things taste so good? It is because when we know we shouldn’t we crave to do so. Most of it is psychological and is about how we have been conditioned since birth. Children are often told not to do things when they are misbehaving so what do they do? They retaliate in the only way they know how. They do the things that they are told not to do. We psychologically associate the things we like with fun. I mean you don’t associate a stick of celery with a birthday party but cake and sweets you do.

The other issue is procrastination and association. We procrastinate from doing and sorting the things we need to because we associate them as bad things. No one finds being broke fun just as a 3000 word essay isn’t going to be the greatest crack. So we counteract these things with good things. Unfortunately until we start thinking of work as something fun and regard chocolate as yummy as celery, bad things are simply always going to taste so good.

My Little Obsession

Cute or pretty, glamorous or practical there is something so magnificently appealing about headbands. Whether your hair is short or long, curly or straight, big or flat they are the ultimate accessory brightening up any do.

Like most girls there is one thing that I just simply cannot stop looking at. It doesn’t matter how many I have or how similar they are, there will always be room for one more. That’s headbands. They are our multi-tasking friend that is always there to lend a helping hand even when we are having a bad hair day.

It is so hard to resist the lustrous silks and sleek satins that grace the sides of gorgeous wrapped headbands that are set off by glittering beads and beautiful bows. Or there are the Grecian plaits of gold enriched fabrics intertwined and placed around the head. How could anyone not be head over heels for headbands?

Looking around I can see that I am not the only one. There are many hair band culprits out there. Whether it be a tied scarf or a string of pearls everyone seems to be loving the look which has evolved over many years, dating back to cave men times when they accessorized with teeth and bones. I wouldn’t go as far to say that I’ve noticed people donning the caveman trend but certainly variations of the Ancient Greek wreath.

From wreaths to headbands this joyful little accessory has undertaken a journey through time beginning with the Ancient Greeks who created wreaths out of olive branches. It was the Romans that stylized wreaths using precious metals and, fascinatingly, wood too. But like all trends it laid dormant for a while until the 1800s when headbands were thrown back onto the scene this time with a twist. Women began decorating them with feathers, jewels and flowers. With the headbands back in business the swinging sixties introduced a hippy uni-sex style of wild flowers, ribbons, silks and scarfs. But it wasn’t until the 1900s that fashion designs took this little historical style gem and transformed it into a serious fashion accessory both elegant and stylish.

With an assortment of headbands gracing the scene it is even harder than ever to resist. Around 2004 when Boho Chic was at its height the bohemian, hippy influences created an influx of headbands with the likes of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Nicole Richie donning the look, it only popularized this fashion.

Gossip Girls very own Blair Waldorf is to blame for the current continuous stream of schoolgirl bowed, ribbon, turban hairpieces. The fashionita has turned a style quirk into a fashion trend with her continuously present hairband.

We can hardly complain when there is literally a style for everyone and there is no denying they are the most functional accessory, besides a watch and bag a girl could own. Whether you’re treating a bad hair day, festival hair, trying to keep your mane pinned down or just jazzing up an outfit they are perfectly brilliant.

Day Six

Menswear!

The final day, menswear day, all the girls were very excited by today’s events because its just boys, boys, boys. The collection that everyone was buzzing about was finishing off the week and at a different venue somewhere near Shoreditch. Vivienne Westwood’s son was showcasing his menswear collection which was the excitement of the day, that and the potential that Vivienne Westwood might be there.

A Child of Jago

‘A Child of Jago is a child of the street. The destitute and illegitimate progeny of a hopelessly rundown environment’

The location already set the scene for what was in store. A raw red brick building in east London set on a quite back street, wooden benches lined the side of the catwalk, while white sheets hung from one end and photographers scrambled at the other. As expected the venue was packed, with Vivienne Westwood and Janet Jackson taking front row seats. A man played an instrument along the catwalk while singing to the audience which added to the shows unpolished ambience. The atmosphere was relaxed and pumped. Everyone drank and chatted merely waiting for the fun to begin.

The collections had everything from baggy t-shirts to suspenders, tailored suits to boiler suits, leather, wool, leopard and more which unique and artistic. A strange unusual of models stepped down the runway from old to young but it did not matter.

Leather jackets worn over printed tees, woollen jumpers with tribal print and linton tweed were thrown together in a rather make-do and mend fashion creating a somewhat rough and ready look. Bowler hats topped off the outfit in moss greens, grey, red and metal.

The music changed to a French sounding tune as barriers, silk scarf’s knotted around the neck and shirts with jackets appeared down the runway. Another change in the music; this time a rockier sound echoed through this underground haven and into the collection. A velvet waistcoat; dickybows and blazers appeared. The tailoring was sharp the fabrics woollen, checked and sometimes with metallic moments. The designs were formal yet fun. Trimmed waistcoats and blazers made for an elegant and sophisticated appearance.

There were also a few female designs thrown into the mix, sporting first the tribal knit wear followed with suspenders and a dominatrix leather coat.

The overall show was amazing because it was fun and had on eccentric and real feel. It was a ‘deliciously poisonous dose of punk attitude and deadly dandy swagger.’

Rounding up womens wear

William Tempest

The room was packed with the likes of Peaches Geldof and Sophie Anderton in the front row. The collection was entitled ‘Under the Abaya’ inspired by Islamic architecture and the legend of the Queen Sheeba’s journey to Israel. The show kicked off with a series of black satin dresses, the fabric was folded and manipulated to create different shapes and volumes. They were feminine, classic and sharp which were powerful, tailored and structured. Metallic dresses clung and moved to the body in sandy hues.

William played with contrasting fabrics, the colour palette inspired by an Egyptian postcard was a combination of deep blue, black, emerald green and sandy tones. Emerald green and aquamarine dresses cut with geometric panels sashayed down the runway while a black mini dress draped down one side with a sweeping black fabric scraping the floor this ended the show.

The collection focused on nipped in waists and accentuated hips and shoulders. He contoured the fabric to create interesting shapes and used a mixture of colour, silk, satin and leather fabrics to create texture.

Day Five

It is the penultimate day but it is the final day of women’s wear and today is going to be good. Ada Zanditon, Alice Palmer and the much awaited William Tempest are all showing and everyone is very excited.

Ada Zanditon

Ada Zanditon - Imaging a winter sun set of purples, pinks and blues, ‘Echolocation’ was reminiscent of a warm rainbow of colour. The body con printed designs added a feminine flair and alluring touch.

The collection was not only playful in colour but in shape and structure too. The architectural panels and waves on body con dresses in greens, blues and moody sun set tones added vavavoom to the wearable collection. Smoky grey big collared jackets with tied waist belts wrapped up the show.

Alice Palmer

Alice Palmer - presented ‘Batman’ a woollen collection made from a simple palette of white, black and grey. Although the colour scheme was kept simple her designs were sharp and strong with angular edges giving off a rock chick vibe.

The pointed shapes woven with wool created interesting structure. Spiky studded jumpers and leggings made the collection striking and unique.