2014 Was't All That Bad...

The end of the year often leaves me stewing in a pot of reflective doom. You're still stuck in a festive coma, feeling a bit too heavy from one too many festive leftover sandwiches, looking back at what you actually managed to achieve this year.
I sat there, feeling like the lower end of a 'hot or not' barometer, thinking about everything I failed to accomplish in 2014. No I didn't lose the 10lbs that I said I would on my New Years Resolution list, no I didn't get to travel to some exotic island and get a real tan, I didn't manage to get a Glasto ticket, and no I still haven't earned enough to buy myself a Burberry trench coat (or found a really rich boyfriend to buy one for me.)
Overall, it feels like 2014 was a bit of a fail.
It's easy to categorise fashion bloggers as self-obsessed narcissists. After all, it doesn't get much more narcissistic than posting pictures of you posing in clothes on the internet, does it?
But one of the reasons I began blogging my style choices is because of the memories fashion can hold. A photograph of certain outfits can pull back a special memory you had forgotten about and by keeping a visual style diary I can easily pull out these memories that are entwined with my clothing.
Fashion has always been a big part of my life because of its power to change your mood, confidence and outlook simply by by changing the way that you are dressed. Looking back through my sartorial choices of 2014 has pulled out memories of what those outfits meant to me, the events I had worn them to, and how it made me feel in that exact moment. So scanning back through these photographs has made me realise the things I did accomplish, like being nominated for a Cosmo Blog Award, interning at The Times during LFW, being flown over to Amsterdam for my training at my job at Fashionchick.co.uk, opportunities to work with incredible brands I have always loved, and going to fashion events and meeting people I never expected I would have.
This year I've met so many inspirational people and it's been great to watch them grow and succeed. It's pushed me to evaluate the things I did well this year, and the things that I did fail a bit at (I'm still waiting to be swallowed up by the fitness trend...), and what I want to push myself with in 2015 (expect more lifestyle, beauty and maybe even some vlogs!)
Looking back at 2014 really wasn't that bad at all...
Now I'm not sure about you but this cliche end-of-year love-fest is beginning to make me feel a little bit sick, so here's my favourite looks from Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter of 2014.

Spring 

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Pinstripes and Pin Collar Shirts

ASOS Coat | Hawkins & Shepherd Pin Collar Shirt* and Swarovski Pin Bar* | Topshop Leather Trousers | Daniel Boots* | Zara Bag

What do you think of when people say pinstripes?
I'd hazard a guess that your thoughts fall onto your mum mid 90s wearing a skirt suit after she landed that new IT job. I'm not sure about you, but that's never been a look I've particularly wanted to emulate. We've had granny-chic before, but early 1990s mum-chic? I don't think the world is quite ready for that yet.
But with 90's mania still in full swing, what better time to welcome the pinstripe back from fashion exile than in the form of a full length tailored coat? Shaking off its basic boardroom reputation, pinstripes feel more Stella McCartney style scandi-chic than 90's city banker. 
When asked my top style tip I'll always say never underestimate the power and versatility of a simple white shirt. Whether fitted and preppy or oversized in a Breakfast at Tiffany's kind of way, it's a guaranteed classic that's always going to work, so it seems like a natural go-to pairing for pinstripes.
But sometimes classic can get a little bit boring... Taking a trip further down the fashion timeline, this pin collar shirt by Hawkins & Shepherd twists the classic down a paired-back glam 1920s avenue with its smart tailoring and glittery Swarovski pin bar. 
Now if someone asks you to think of an outfit influenced by both the 1990s and 1920s you're probably going to be left with a terrifying mental image of pure style sinning, mashing up a decade of decadent dazzling glamour with another decade known for its stripped back minimalism and sportswear. Basically, a flapper girl wearing a bucket hat and a tracksuit jacket.
The reality? More of 20s tailoring dream played against some subtle striping.
No skirt suits in sight.

 

Contouring: & Other Stories Face Contour Cream

Who's to congratulate for Kim Kardashian's beauty transformation?

Ever since Kimmy made enough money from her bodacious butt, that infamous sex tape, and working for Paris Hilton to be able to afford an actual makeup artist, the beauty world has gone crazy trying to imitate the contoured look that she's been seen with ever since.

We all know contouring is about shading and defining the face by accentuating the cheekbones, making large noses and foreheads (or fiveheads in my case) appear smaller, and brightening up parts of the face. When done well, the result is basically like you've spent an hour playing on the Sims to create the ultimate version of you.

Earlier this year I went on a date with a man who I hadn't seen for a year. I'm not sure if he had issues where he felt the need to be awkwardly openly honest about everything, but he was kind enough to tell me "Sophie, you don't look as chiseled as when I last saw you"

Now I'm not sure about you, but I think he might have been trying to tell me that I had put on weight... In reality, I'd just ran out of my favourite contouring product, MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Coffee Walnut, apparently rendering my cheekbones totally invisible.

So I sat there, cocktail in hand, feeling 11lbs heavier than I was AND as though I had the makeup application ability of a drunk clown.

Recently, to the dismay of my distinctly average cheekbones, not only did I run out of my Studio Sculpting cream but it turns out it's been discontinued. I prefer contouring creams for their ability to buff into the skin more seamlessly than a contouring powder, so that wasn't an option. What's a girl to do? Sink into a Kim Kardashian circa 2006 makeup aesthetic created from cheap lipgloss and an overdose on blusher?

& Other Stories to the rescue. An unlikely contender against cosmetic giant MAC, the super cool Scandi-fashion brand has produced a contouring cream as part of its beauty range that seems an almost identical dupe of MAC's Pro Sculpting cream in Coffee Walnut. The creamy consistency blends seamlessly into the skin and can be layered up to create stronger definition.

For �10 it more than makes up for the fact MAC's version was discontinued. Sadly, it's no longer available online, but I can imagine with the popularity of contouring it'll be back in stock soon. Or try and pick up some from the store at Oxford Circus.

Now excuse me whilst I indulge in this pizza and continue tricking people into believing that I am far more chiselled than I really am.

The Lazy Girl's Guide To Dressing: The Belted Coat

Zara Coat | Topshop Leather Trousers | Daniel Boots * | Zara Bag

We've all been there. Whether it's after an epic night out, or an all night hardcore marathon of Netflixing Orange is the New Black, the morning comes and we hit the snooze button one too many times. Whilst blissfully dreaming of your parents buying you a Chanel Boy Bag for Christmas you're completely unknowingly slicing into those precious getting-ready-minutes.
Cue the post-snooze wakeup panic wave of 'oh crap I'm going to be late for work/school/lunch date' and I have absolutely nothing to wear.
Let me introduce you to the Lazy Girls best friend: The Belted Coat.
Part dressing gown, part blanket, part coat, this is the season that comfort dressing got stylish. It's basically the fashionable daytime equivalent of wearing pyjamas and loungewear (but won't render any bizarre glances for wearing it publicly)
Layer it over a pair of jeans and a tee in all of it's blankety, oversized glory for the chicest way to face days of pure laziness and cant-be-botheredness. The result is something surprisingly glamorous considering the lack of sleep and rush you got ready in. 
There are many reasons why this Zara coat has been a life saver for lazy moments since I picked it up way back in August (although it was actually way too hot to even consider wearing it...) Its classic camel colour is timeless, the belted silhouette has that old-school vintage glamour feel, and the oversized fit means it can hide a multitude of sins (like a dirty jumper or the effect of festive binge eating...)
Finally, it arguably has the ability to eclipse the lack of sleep by being chic enough distract any onlookers from looking at my actual face.
It's got me questioning whether I need to ever bother getting up early again...
Here are my current favourite belted coats. I'm just praying that the Topshop Boutique Blue Blanket coat will be slashed in the sale...

My Favourite Festive Lipstick: NARS Audacious Annabella

All tucked up in a roll-neck sweater, I'm feeling festively cliche in shades of snowflake white and spicy redcurrant. If there's one thing that I cannot live without this season (or any season for that matter) it's a good red lipstick. What I love most about red lipstick is its ability to change your look almost instantly - and often your mood with it - in just a few precise swipes. Feeling sniffly? Red lipstick will brighten you up. Feeling hungover? Red lipstick will make you look less like a dishevelled zombie. It demands attention and is the easiest way to inject a bit of classic glamour into any look.

Flitting between summer favourites Mac So Chaud (the ultimate matte fiery red-orange colour) and Nars Heatwave, I felt as though my winter lipstick palette was lacking and needed a real festive twist. As the days have turned cooler (so cold recently it feels like the air is trying to kill me) the shades of reds have intensely heated up. After picking up Nars Audacious Annabella lipstick from my Sunday Service experience at Urban Retreat at Harrods, I felt like I'd been given the perfect early Christmas present. Described as a 'Bold Poppy Red', Nars Audacious Annabella is a deep warm red, perfect for the festive season.

Bold, bright and heavily pigmented, the colour is entirely opaque in just one stroke, eliminating any need to layer up. For such a strongly pigmented lipstick the finish has a surprisingly soft sheen without looking overly glossy, as opposed to a matte finish which often has the tendency to dry out your lips. The texture is total lipstick bliss: it applies to the lips like soft and delicious (red) butter.

And the staying power? You get about six hours wear providing there's no serious eating, drinking, or kissing involved (it should come with a warning that it is HIGHLY transferrable...) It also has a slight tendency to bleed, but for the head-turning colour it's well worth making a few double-checks in your iPhone camera.

As a lipstick fanatic (I love soft nudes, bold reds, fiery oranges and moody berry colours) I'd love to know what your favourite festive lipsticks are!

Should we just ditch the Boyfriend?

Mango Coat | ASOS Jeans | ASOS Shirt (similar here) | Zara Bag | Daniel Boots* (similar here)| H&M Hat (similar here)
Grey, oversized, and actually rather shapeless, this Mango coat is my favourite purchase so far this winter. But despite my love of big and roomy coats this season (excellent at hiding Saturday night's pizza binge), there's one word that has been sticking in my head and it's beginning to turn quite sour...
Boyfriend.
Boyfriend coat.
Boyfriend jeans.
Boyfriend shirt.
What unites these individual items of clothing is their unconventional sizing: large, roomy, and therefore obviously, boyfriend-y. It's a label that I'm not entirely too comfortable with. No, it's not that I'm not some angry feminist that hates boyfriends. I love them. In fact, the more of them the better. It's when the term boyfriend is used with clothing that disturbs me just a little. Why does a female piece of clothing that is larger and less conventionally tailored have to be described as being boyfriend? Heaven forbid someone might think we are actually wearing a real life man's coat... As a fashion journalist, I know the importance of having an expansive fashion vocabulary (or that thesaurus.com is a fashion writers best friend), but lately, with all the debate about gender equality, I can't help but wonder is there no better adjective to use that is gender-neutral?
Here's a task for you: grab your dad, brother or lover, and dress him up in something of the boyfriend variety. Suddenly the term boyfriend doesn't seem right anymore when you have a man standing in front of you squeezed into very small proportions looking somewhat surprisingly girly and emasculated...
And when was the last time you saw a trendy type of man wearing a pair of jeans that looked anything remotely like women's boyfriend jeans? I think it was back in 2007 at some terrible club that you nicked your sisters ID to sneak into ( he was dancing to Cascada and drinking a WKD...) Now most of these well-dressed men are wearing skinny styles or slim-fit. But we don't see anybody labelling them as men's girlfriend jeans based on their figure-hugging fit...
Despite the push for gender equality, men wearing women's inspired fashion is still surrounded by taboo. Why is it that it's okay for girls to wear boyfriend clothes, but not the other way round?
My best friend once had a boyfriend that would steal her vintage floral shirts to wear with a faux fur coat that had also once belonged to her (he wore eyeliner and had long black hair, to create a more colourful picture for you.) And back when I was 16 all of the cool indie boys bought their jeans from the women's section in Primark (the men's were simply not tight enough, they would tell me.) But these were complete anomalies. The lines between masculine and feminine fashion should be blurred, without labelling clothing with a gender.
So what I really want to know, amongst the sea of boyfriend coats and jeans and jumpers, is when are we going to start seeing an influx of girlfriend coats and girlfriend jeans for men? 
What I'm really looking forward to is the day a man comes home saying "Babe! I bought this amazing girlfriend top today!" And lo and behold he waltzes in wearing some teeny tiny crop top with tassels and hopefully a glittery pony on it.
Hmm. I wont hold my breath...

Three Ways to Wear a Black Leather Midi Skirt this Christmas

Girls Night Out







RJR @ Debenhams Skirt* | Topshop Crop Top | & Other Stories Necklace | New Look Heels | H&M Bag

The Family Event






RJR @ Debenhams Skirt* | Vintage Polo Neck Jumper (similar here) | Zara Scarf | Carvela Flats (similar here)

The Work Do





RJR @ Debenhams Skirt* | Zara Top | H&M Boots | H&M Bag | & Other Stories Necklace

There are many benefits to being a freelancer and working from home.

Every day is a weekend- Tuesday night (and Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and Monday) is the new Friday night! You get to work in your pyjamas. Or in a ballgown. There are no rules in my office (AKA bedroom.)No morning commute on the Northern line tube (I find PDA uncomfortable with boyfriends or lovers, so that level of breathing-down-your-neck and accidental snuggling intimacy is far too much for me to handle at 7:30am)It's flexible. Sample sale? Always the first there. Work can wait until the evening when there's some discounted Dior on the cards.

But year after year, there is one thing which bothers me about working from home. I don't have an Office Christmas Party. On the plus side this means no getting horribly drunk and kissing the strange IT guy who always smells like baked beans, but it also means I don't have any real reason to dress up and get glamourous. Of course I could run an office party in my bedroom, but with a houseplant and cuddly cat toy as the only guests on the list, it's unlikely I'd have much gossip to chat about afterwards.

At least Debenhams are on hand, setting me the task to style up one black leather midi skirt from the RJR range for three different festive occasions: a night out for cocktails with the girls, a family occasion, and a work do. At least now I had an excuse to play dress up and pretend like I had some nice party to go to (as if I really needed one...)

Girls night out means one thing: glamour. Rather than totally overdoing it I kept it simple and black. All loose and flowing, the skirt has so much drama that it deserves to be the centre of attention.

A family event calls for casual comfort. Cue a cashmere sweater, flats and a scarf so large it doubles up as a pillow for when you get sent to sleep by your batty old Grandma ranting on about one of her collectible dog ornaments mysteriously disappearing.

And as for the work do, well, it's got to be slightly conservative. A bold printed top and classic ankle boots does the trick. You'll be covered up, responsible, and a credit to your workplace. Just don't overdo the Champagne...

Take a look at the full feature here on

The Daily Debrief at Debenhams

Casual Dressing: Converse

Mango Coat | Vintage Polo Neck (similar here) | Zara Bag | ASOS Jeans | Converse*

I once dated a guy who told me that he preferred girls in skinny jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and Converse. Of course it's a classic combination, but at that moment in time when he delivered his womenswear preferences I happened to be dolled up in a gorgeous Topshop Boutique Silk dress and Kurt Geiger heels. It probably doesn't come as a surprise to you that I wanted to throw my espresso martini in his face over his lack of appreciation for my efforts. There I was, trying my best to look all 90's minimal glamour and all he really wanted was a plain Jane.

Casual dressing has never been my thing (as a five year old I would wear prom dresses just to go to the corner shop) but with the huge infiltration of normcore (it still hurts to use that term) and the fact it's just so comfortable and easy, the casual has become unavoidable.

Street-style photographers and paparazzi seem to have developed an obsession with chasing down 'off duty models' between catwalk shows wearing a pair of skinny jeans, an oversized tee and a leather jacket, so it's no surprise that there has become an element of laid back glamour pinned on to the most basic sartorial choices.

But I can't ever be a total plain Jane. So when Cloggs got in touch with me to take part in customising a pair of classic Converse, I couldn't resist turning the laces a bright neon pink with a set of Dylon Fabric pens. With the addition of a bold pink lipstick (Nars Audacious Claudia lipstick incase you were wondering), black skinny jeans and hazy grey layering, this is casual dressing meets casual glamour.

Plain Jane who?

Can I Really Pull Off Over The Knee Boots?

Topshop Control2 Boots | Mango Coat | Zara Jumper | Topshop Skirt | Zara Bag | ASOS Sunglasses

Over the knee boots are my forbidden fruit: something that I always really wanted, but never thought I could (or should) have. The chocolate cake to all dieters. The tall-dark-handsome-man my best mate just started dating (sorry...)

Why? Whilst the models in Vogue and street-style stars with lean-queen proportions seem to pull these boots off in a state of what can only be described as over-the-knee nirvana, a more bottom-heavy and curvaceous me would more likely fall into the territory of moderately-priced-dancer in a Magaluf strip club.

But despite tweeting this a year ago, and writing at the top of my New Years Resolutions for 2014 "get skinny enough not to look like chubby hooker in over the knee boots," I seemed to have had a change of heart.

No, I certainly haven't lost any weight this year (*cries into burger*) despite joining two different gyms and coaxing several free sessions out of the personal trainers, but I did disregard all of my own personal views to try out this trend, probably due to overexposure to over the knee boots on Instagram.

The main issue I faced? (Not including my thigh circumference)

Finding the perfect pair. It seemed everywhere seemed to be stocked with flat heeled boots (purrfect if you really want to look like puss-in-boots), Stiletto heeled boots (if you really want to unleash your inner-dominatrix publicly), Pirate boots (too flappy at the top, a bit too Captain Jack Sparrow for me), and Chunky Platform heeled boots (I'm just not that into emulating Posh Spice before she became the modern VB incarnation we all now love.)

This left one question on my mind for months:

Did a pair of black suede over the knee boots with a small but chunky heel exist anywhere on the planet that wasn't going to withdraw �500+ from my penniless purse?

All hail Topshop. Queen of the High Street. Topshop's Control2 over the knee boots have padding in the leg to hold the boots in place, and have the perfect sixties-esque 3inch heel.

The biggest surprise? They were oddly flattering and I didn't look like Pretty Woman post-pizza binge.

Success.

The Tartan Suit

ASOS Check Blazer | ASOS Check Trousers | Christian Louboutin Shoes | ASOS Sunglasses | ASOS Top | Zara Bag

Tartan suits are a bit of a weird one.

They are an unknown territory that I previously assigned only to very dapper men who know their tailoring, or tall and thin models who have very dapper boyfriends they could 'borrow' tartan suits from and wear with all of the nonchalant elegance of a rock-star-ballet-dancer.

I am not a dapper man. Or a model or a rock star. And I gave up ballet dancing when I was four years old because they would't let me wear a pink tutu to class. So in a complete lapse of sensibility and self identity I ordered a tartan suit anyway hoping for the best... and this is what I got.I came to realise that there is a very fine line between a gritty-grunge-chic aesthetic and emulating TV presenter extraordinaire Lorraine Kelly circa 1992. The vital difference between the two lies in the colour palette of the checks, the tailoring of the suit, and the accessories you wear with it (I stand by the fact that Louboutin's are capable of resurrecting any poor sartorial choice. Lorraine darling: take note.)A major criticism? The trousers. They fit on the hips, rather than the waist. Cue flashback to my youth when 'hipster jeans' were all the rage. And not as in trendy East-Londoner hipster jeans. I'm talking about those awful low-rise, hip-hugging, muffin-top-inducing, g-string-revealing jeans that should be suppressed deep in our memories along with Furby's and that time your boyfriend cheated on you with your best friend at the school disco...

Inside the Studio with Matthew Williamson

Ask anyone working in the fashion industry what's so great about London Fashion Week and they'll tell you it's all about the designers. Words like fresh, gritty, and edgy are thrown about to describe the homegrown city talent. Still, LFW can sometimes viewed as inferior to the classic Paris and Milan fashion weeks, but there's something so innately different about the London fashion scene that you cannot find anywhere else.

London has no boundaries. There are no limits. 

Elements of electricity and dynamism fuel the creativity of the capital. London has the environment that nurtures homegrown talent, providing a platform for new designers to develop and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of fashion, design and technology. In a city of diversity and constantly streaming inspiration, it is a young designers playground for experimentation.

Here we find Matthew Williamson.After showcasing his first collection at LFW in 1997, three years after graduating from Central Saint Martins, he is a classic example of native British talent putting London on the fashion map.

"Our brand has a super clear DNA it's rooted in that sense of bohemian, jet-set sensibility so that's always the cornerstone, the anchor of each collection." - Matthew Williamson.

The SS15 collection was a revision of Williams' signature roots. Kaleidoscopic colour palettes were fused with eclectic prints, giving a relaxed bohemian Seventies energy. Feather-weight silks twist, lift and billow in the breeze. Fluorescent-paradise shades in peacock blues, hibiscus pink, and sunset oranges painted trademark maxi gowns and pencil skirts.

Every designer needs a muse. Matthew works alongside Georgie MacIntyre, his Artistic Director, who shares his visions of print and textile mastery and design.

�My job as artistic director really is to inspire Matthew and help him realise his vision. More recently we've worked a lot closer on the inspirations and designs.� Georgie MacIntyre.

For SS15 the vision is clearer than ever: a Seventies revival drenched in the rich colours of a hot summers day. The whole collection was crying out for an exotic beach break on the white sands of Ibiza.

Harrods and the BFC are currently profiling four of the best British designers. Want to know more? Go inside the studio.