FUNCTION OR FASHION?

I've been encouraged to get a pair of Doc Martens since about the age of 10 as I'm part of a family of Doc-lovers, and nearly ten years later I've caught the bug and done just that. I've never been a fan of the classic Doc styles hence why it's taken me so long to get on the bandwagon, but the new styles that the brand have recently released sparked an interest. Initially it was the Jadon's that caught my eye - a take on the classic Doc boots but with a significantly bigger platform, aligning itself with the chunky shoe trend that is doing the rounds and doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. 

After scrolling ASOS, as I usually find myself doing when I want some style inspiration or an excuse to make a new purchase, I came across the Farylle chunky leather boots and decided that they were the Docs for me. The combination of the chunky platform, the oversized metallic loop holes and the metal cap toe is the perfect bridge between a more fashion-forward and unconventional pair of Docs, yet still flying the flag for the brand that's known for longevity, comfort (eventually) and timeless style.

The outfit pictured above is the sort I feel most comfortable in - a slight play on the classics in the way that the shoes and the graphic tee have a bit more to them compared to your average pieces, and they boast more of a boyish and relaxed fit which is something I like to channel a lot of the time. 

It's pieces like these that I tend to find get the most wear and with a global discussion about the environment and how we as humans are having an impact, this is an important thing to consider when making a purchase, specifically in terms of the ability to mix and match items to create different looks, or whether something will stand the test of time in terms of style and quality. 

Dr. Martens went from initially being a functional work boot, to a shoe brand that symbolises nonconformist attitude, self-expression and alternative style. As a brand they've seen societal and cultural shifts which they have worked through and become a part of, such as the explosion of British youth culture in the 1960s and 70s as well as ever-changing music scenes. Throughout all of this they've been able to maintain the high levels of quality that the Griggs family first championed back in 1901.

Mais

FASHION CAN'T EXIST ON ITS OWN.

Fashion can't exist on its own. Fashion isn't a single subject, but a combination of almost every subject. Take maths for example - involved in the creation of every piece of clothing on the planet. And then there's english - relied on for the marketing and communication of fashion. Geography too - heavily linked to the distribution methods and consumption patterns within fashion. There are more obvious examples, namely art, textiles, economics and business, but these subjects carry no more importance than the likes of maths and geography in regards to the fashion industry. Every subject plays an integral part to how the industry is run, and without their contribution to fashion, it simply wouldn't function as all the varying aspects work together to create what we know to be fashion.

Politics and fashion arguably have a less obvious link in comparison to the examples mentioned above, but when they do collide the force of fashion is evident, as demonstrated in the case of fashion designer Katharine Hamnett, who still to this day combines these two fields to project powerful messages across the world.

Undoubtably, her most famous example of this aligns with the most iconic moment in her career and involves former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and a T-shirt that reads '58% Don't Want Pershing'. It all started in 1983 when the British government decided to install U.S. nuclear warheads on British soil. This was a result of the Cold War where the clash of communist and capitalist ideologies resulted in conflict. As an allied country to the U.S., Britain deployed nuclear weapons on behalf of America.

This was deemed to be a controversial move as it was a decision that neglected the opinions of the electorate so Hamnett, along with many others, rightfully deemed it to be undemocratic. This resulted in Hamnett using her career as a fashion designer, as well as a timely invitation to number 10 Downing Street, to communicate her opinion on the issue. Little did Hamnett know that her brave stunt, where she removed her coat just before greeting Thatcher, would be seen across the world, even before social media was rife, truly demonstrating the potential power of fashion. The T-shirt gave Hamnett power where she otherwise wouldn't have had it - it acted as a political protest which, in this case, was far superior than spoken words.

As previously mentioned, thirty-five years on and Hamnett's work is still in full force with her latest topic of discussion being Brexit where she continues to showcase her left-wing views through slogans such as 'Second Referendum Now'. By combining fashion with politics Hamnett is allowing for important conversations to be had where they may not have regularly taken place. Often times artists and designers have a much greater influence than traditional outlets such as the government and pressure groups because of the way their messages are communicated. Particularly in today's climate it seems that capturing the attention of the majority, particularly in relation to subjects like politics, more specifically Brexit and climate change, is essential in order for change to take place.

The broad spectrum of fashion is fascinating. Fashion doesn't and can't exist without contextual influences and varying subject matter and the complexity of the industry seems to be something that goes amiss in general conversation.

Mais xx

CREAM CORDS.

White tends to be the colour solely reserved for the summer but after finding a pair of cream/white corduroy trousers on the sale rack at Mango during a shift, something I've been trying to hunt down for a while, wearing white in the colder months made more sense. 

The modern corduroy comeback properly took off roughly two years ago during the revival of the 70s style, and for me I knew I wanted to take part in the trend in the form of trousers. I have always felt most comfortable and like myself in trousers, and with this pair in particular they are the perfect mixture of flattering but by no means skinny. They're actually a flared pair of trousers but more often than not I role them up for more of a boyish look. If I'm going for something a bit more put-together wearing them as they're intended to be worn does the trick for me, which is what I did last weekend.

Tonal outfits have been something I've always admired from afar, that being when similar colours are intentionally worn together, but after pairing these cords with an oversized white t-shirt it just seemed to work. Adding in my white Nike's resulted in an all-white look which has got to be one of my favourite outfits that I've worn in recent months - a subtle statement that also looks somewhat effortless. YES to that.

I haven't stopped wearing these trousers and I look forward to finding different ways of styling them up.

Mais xx

MY EXPERIENCE WITH SYNESTHESIA.

Synesthesia isn't something many people have heard of, and until the age of 14 I hadn't heard of it either, even though it has been affecting the vast majority of my thought processes my entire life. 

Synesthesia is the communication of two regions of the brain that do not typically communicate, creating involuntary sensory links that would not otherwise be present in the average human brain. In my case, I associate all letters, words, numbers, names and people with a colour. So for example, for me Monday is pink and Tuesday is orange - it always has been and it always will be. And for the musician Lorde, weekends are brown (whereas for me, they're blue). Other forms of synesthesia include associations between smell and colour as well as taste and sound, but the list of associations goes on. Now, whenever I explain that I have synesthesia the conversation always results in me being asked to allocate someone a colour which is always entertaining.

I distinctly remember the day I found out what synesthesia was - I was sat in the kitchen with my dad when I randomly asked him what colour his 'Tuesday' was. He was baffled by what I had asked him and long story short, we did some quick Google searches and discovered that I am amongst the approximated 4% of the world population that has synesthesia. 

There has arguably been a link established between creatively-minded people and synesthesia. Many famous musicians have the condition including Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Duke Ellington Charlie XCX, Billy Joel and Lorde and many have vocalised about how this has affected their careers and the way they perceive music specifically.

I often wonder if the reason I've been so driven towards working in the fashion industry for most of my life was initially because of my relationship with colour. With fashion being so visual and colour being a crucial part of the industry, perhaps I gravitated towards this career path because of the way my brain is wired.

In terms of my everyday life, I don't really think about my synesthesia because I've never experienced life without it, but it still affects the way I perceive every word, letter, etc whether I realise it or not. I have always found that it's really helped me with my memory as associating certain things with a colour means I am able to remember it much more easily with not a lot of thought. In school I always did well in spelling tests and number association tasks as well as remembering general facts for an abnormally long period of time - so academically it really has favoured me which is something I'm grateful for. I've always been drawn to the more creative and essay based subjects in school and the degree that I'm studying for now is proof of that and I do believe this has something to do with my synesthesia. It can sometimes create confusion though. For example, if the number '8' was written down in pink that would completely throw me off as in my head it's green and that's not up for dispute when it comes to the way I think about this number.

I'm interested to see how my synesthesia will continue to affect me as I get older, specifically in regards to my hopeful career in fashion. I can't imagine my life without synesthesia and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's something I thought I would share as it's not commonly discussed but most people tend to be fascinated when they first hear about it.

Mais xx

WINTER NEWNESS.

With the combination of Christmas gifting and the start of sale season I've acquired a few new pieces in the last few weeks. I feel like I'm the last person on Earth to get their hands on a pair of Nike Air Force's but with my beloved chunky Topshop trainers looking worse for wear, a new pair was needed to act as a replacement. I opted for the new Sage addition Air Force's as they have a slightly chunkier platform meaning they're a more apt replacement for my old trainers. So far they've proved to be a perfect replacement and I can't imagine what I'd wear on my feet on a daily basis if it wasn't for a white pair of trainers.

For a while I've wanted an overcoat and this has only been reinforced by my newly attained part-time job as a Sales Assistant at Mango. Even with my staff discount though, the post-Christmas Day ASOS sale led me to a Mango overcoat which filled my void perfectly with a better price tag to match. The thing that drew me to a coat of this style is the relaxed sophistication and multiple styling possibilities with my preferred way of styling being pictured in the post - that being with my favourite ASOS Farleigh jeans, a classic roll neck, my new trainers and my well-loved cross body bag that has accompanied me on all my recent nights out. A roll neck frames the V-shape of the coat and acts as a solid layering piece as overcoats aren't the most practical when it comes to warmth. Since the coat is double breasted it appears formal once the buttons are done up and the waist it tied, but if it can be helped I prefer having it unbuttoned for a more slouchy look. The neutral tones that run through the coat make it easy for styling which is something that appealed to me as it can act as an everyday piece which is what an investment piece, such as this, should be used for.

All of the images in this post were taken whilst I was on holiday with my family over the New Year period. The photo above was one I took whilst we were there so I thought I'd share all of the pretty sunset colours and the gorgeous view.

Mais x