Glasses

My eyesight has deteriorated considerably since last time I was checked 2 years ago, and only when I wear these new glasses I realise how blind I've become. I'll miss my old Harry Potter (brand, not style) glasses, as before I thought I could swap between all three glasses, but now I realise that the prescription difference is probably too great.

Red || Brown: Specsavers

 But not in a million years will I ever wear THESE.

A cause of considerable controversy, those large, thick-framed glasses have been a big trend these few years, and not only amongst the visually impaired. Most people have some kind of opinion on them. I once heard someone call them 'personality lenses' - bitch, please. Flowery phrases hide not the absurdity of its concept.

To be honest, I don't ever remember getting any grief for wearing glasses, though I started wearing them all the time at about 11. Perhaps the novelty of the bespectacled had worn off for potential bullies, but it does mean that I don't hate fake classes because I'm embittered.

This is a common comeback fired at ex-victims of bullying who argue against fake glasses, and because I've never experienced it myself, I cannot comment on the effects of spectacle-related ridicule on a person, and thus the validity of this argument; and I respectfully suggest that those similarly fortunate as myself do the same.

Even for one who does not partake in many sporting activities, glasses are a definite inconvenience. They slip down my nose, constantly accumulate grime, and threaten to bless my eyeballs with a million shards of metal and glass whenever I wish to head-desk, take a nap at a table, or whenever a ball comes flying at my unsuspecting face.

Indeed, fashion is often impractical, but to me, glasses are not an accessory. The reason I don't often wear jewellery is not only because it gets in the way, but also because I simply cannot be bothered to put it on, as the added aesthetics are often not worth the inconvenience. An accessory is, to me, something that makes an outfit look better, but is not essential to my walking out the door. Without my glasses, I will more likely be walking into said door.

It is true that some people indeed look better with glasses; nevertheless, those who honestly look better with those huge, distracting frames are few. There are many beautiful people who look fabulous in them, but at the end of the day, they are beautiful, and tend to remain so, whatever plastic abomination blights their sightly visages.

Separating the topic of big black plastic frames and fake glasses, I don't like big black glasses mostly because I think that they are fugly. If you're half blind and you choose to remedy this with such frames, that's your choice - beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

But whether they are priceless platinum-lined Ray-Bans or 3D glasses with their lenses popped out, I just disagree with the concept of glasses for those with perfect vision. It is faking a physical impairment. Is this supposed to be attractive?

I await the day which sees us all in braces, hearing aids and wheelchairs, all for the sake of fashion.

"It's floating down from your sky"

On Sunday morning, there was the slightest dusting of snow, which I was lucky enough to enjoy since I woke up so early that day. I was rewarded with a whole Sunday of the most glorious sunshine after a whole day of rain on Saturday. Since then, the sky's returned to its normal drab, grey state, though the temperature is considerably higher.

Cardi: mum's wardrobe
Dress: New Look
Skirt: Malvin, TK Maxx
Tights: Pretty Polly, TK Maxx
Boots: Clarks
Coat: Tesco

Dress: New Look

Lace skirt: Malvin, TK Maxx

Quite similar to a previous look of mine, I've winterfied this dress by whacking on my boots, which are almost half as old as I am, wearing a long-sleeved cotton top inside, and nicking my mum's warm wool cardigan. Also, I've slipped on my lovely lace skirt as an underskirt, to give the dress a little more shape, keep my thighs just a little warmer, and add this delightful frilly lace detail to the dress.

I've got a post on lace skirts in the works, which will hopefully follow soon!

Park

Few activities have quite the therapeutic effect of a walk in the park. In ours, there are charming attractions such as the river to feed the ducks at; a bowling green full of old people; a bird cage full of, funnily enough, birds; and a peculiar curved pit in the ground full of sk8er boiz. In pink trousers. (I may not have photographic evidence, but this is the truth.)

An especially brave one

Summer tulips
I managed to find some time to shoot an outfit last week on Sunday, but I'm quite busy with schoolwork first week back after half term. Hopefully I'll have the photos processed by the end of this week.

Resolution

Or lack of, as the case often is.

My new year's resolution was not to buy any more clothes for myself until my birthday in March. My only relapse so far was this cute halterneck thing from Debenhams, made from my favourite kind of stiff cotton and my favourite kind of skirt shape, for £12.60 from £42.

Dress: Red Herring, Debenhams

Cardi: Katharine House Hospice, with all the labels cut off

I can't wait for high summer (as high as it gets round here, anyway) to wear it with my Converse, which I got mainly for the awesome ankle pads. I know Converse are very popular and 'mainstream' which I think is why I think they get some hate in certain places.

 Shoes: Converse, TK Maxx

Frozen canal

In order to soak up the first watery winter sun we've seen in over a week, we went for a walk along the canal. The path was encrusted with the leftovers of last weekend's snow, probably partially melted and refrozen many times. A lot of the surface of the canal was frozen over; some parts of the ice, we speculated, were probably thick enough for a slender person to crawl across. (Not that we tried.)

There were these odd patterns, like transparent rivers, trickling from the banks and from floating oddities in the water. I'm not quite sure how they formed but they also looked like trees.

I would have taken more photos, but it turns out that my half an hour of looking for the big DSLR camera was wasted - Mir sneakily nabbed it last time they came over. I can't help but feel a little annoyed, but I really shouldn't, because technically it's hers anyway. I may know nought about photography, but even I and my non-existent knowledge can dazzlingly deduce that the big DSLR Canon is more effective than the little point and shoot I have beside me. I will, however, make do in the mean time.

Shorts and tights

Wow, I had no idea how difficult it'd be to find 6 looks I like enough to talk about! But I've persevered to dig up what I think are some awesome looks utilising the infamous shorts and tights combo.

|| Nancy Z. || Zoe S. || Dana L. ||

|| Nadia E. || Lua P. || Imogen D. ||

Wearing shorts with tights admittedly takes a little getting used to, since the very nature of the combination is somewhat oxymoronic. When I try it, which isn't as often as I'd like, I am thinking, 'am I cold, or am I hot?'

But despite its impracticality, I still think it's a great way to dress up during the colder months, and show off a bit of leg. If you layer some long socks with them, you're even warmer, and should get some points for creativity too.

I can't really think of any 'rules' to help one rock this look, except just try it out, with shoes and all, in front of a mirror and see if it looks 'right'. I think it's easiest with evenly washed dark denim shorts, as they're quite versatile in colour and go well with the staple black tights.


  Click for LB

I personally only possess 2 pairs that lend themselves to this trend. I'm most comfortable wearing it with boots to cover up a bit of leg, and to show the boots off, too. I also prefer wearing shorts with slightly more translucent tights, 40 denier for example, so it doesn't look so heavy. I have, however, recently purchased some lovely thick grey tights from Tesco, which I will have to try with shorts some day.

Button bracelets

I first got the idea from my old friend Kyt, who got some rainbow buttons from eBay and strung them into an elasticated bracelet years ago. I searched DIY tutorials and simplified them to hell so even a simpleton like me could handle it.

These I made as Christmas presents in each of my friends' favourite colours. With it, I threw in a bead ring (which I did not make but found for £1 each from Edinburgh Woolen Mill,) which I packaged in a (terribly hand-sewn) drawstring pouch.

I've always had a great appreciation for presents handmade by the giver, as I know how time-consuming and personalised it can be. In primary school I had bags of time for making presents, but I made these well in advance, not that they take long to make - 5, 10 minutes?

The hardest bit is going to the indoor market on a Saturday to get the materials. 16 buttons from the haberdashery shop with the smiling Indian lady, and 50cm of narrow ribbon. I am so lazy and cheapo there isn't even a proper fastening - the ribbon's just tied in a butterfly knot.

Arrange 2, 8-button-long sequences (I like to arrange them so no 2 identical buttons are adjacent), and thread them onto the ribbon, first with it facing you and the next, with it facing away, taking from each sequence alternately. Tie a couple of knots in the ends so the buttons can't go awandering. That's it.

Moretz

Chloë Grace Moretz I copied from a photo in a Vogue magazine in the library last December I think. I don't care for actors usually, but Moretz is so cute and Hit Girl is so badass so I had to do it.

 Moretz on DeviantART

After a couple of days the magazine disappeared, but thankfully the photo was online anyway (what isn't nowadays?) so I didn't get round to finishing it 'til this year.

Onto the bandwagon

Onto the bandwagon I do myself hurl, for in the end I am, dear, but a sad vain little girl.

I know nothing about photography, baking, art, music, la haute couture, writing or being interesting. But apparently blogging is fun so now I begin in earnest. Ready Steady Let's Get Started GO

Bag: mum's cupboard

Boots: Clarks, belonging to my mum

knee-high socks: Pringle, TK Maxx

Tights: mum found them, they're probably ancient

Dress: M&S, a Christmas present

Belt: sister's, getting quite bashed up now

Cardi: mum's, part of her uniform

Boots: Clarks, mum's boot collection

These beautiful Victorianesque button boots don't get worn enough by either my mum or me, and despite the high heel, they're actually quite comfortable. Perhaps I am simply just getting more and more accustomed to heels, but I don't think I'll ever feel as home in them as some. Anything that physically moulds me to an uncomfortable shape or position repels me slightly.

I am noticing that I'm wearing less and less of my own clothes now. Our whole family's got man shoulders so we can pretty much share wardrobes, and dressing like a granny even if you're a young spring chicken is more and more 'in' nowadays.

While I do love the colour, and opaque tights in general, I will be on the lookout for ones just like those, as they're too short for me. They're probably very old, from China, and just aren't very elastic, unfortunately.