Marbled Mood

A rather disco-tinged silhouette here, weirdly 1970's for me; I guess its indicative of me trying to loosen up and try new styles. This blouse was so unusual in its pattern that I managed to overlook the ugly colour-way, and embrace its bishop-sleeved, pussy-bowed glory. The pattern recreates those fantastic, feathery, marbled papers you find in antique books, in shades of muted taupe, brown, beige... from a distance it just looks a shiny pewter though. Worn with burgundy accessories and purple nails for a jolt of colour.     

Vintage blouse, M&S shoes, ASOS trousers, self-made bag, vintage and handmade jewellery.

Roksanda's Reform

Anyone else swept away by Roksanda's latest offering, a gorgeous, softened up vision of femininity? Shirring and smocking were used to create volume and definition, in a muted colour palette modernised with jolts of yellow, cobalt and fuchsia. Maybe it's because I've just finished reading Heath, Art, and Reason, but I got major Pre-Raphaelite/Artistic/Aesthetic Dress vibes, most notably due to the generous sleeves, relaxed, languid silhouette, and of course the shirring/smocking. The girl in the pink dress above surely just walked out of Liberty's circa 1897, or out of a Walter Crane illustration? There was an earthy, crafty naivety to the collection, with touches of raffia and rope. Embellishment was spare, and when used remained within that realm of subdued, natural beauty so favoured by early Aesthetes. Print was also largely absent, and when it did appear, took the form of simple, abstracted floral, just as Aesthetic dress would avoid the gaudy, ornate patterns of fashionable Victorian dress (and interiors). Naturally, this being a designer collection of elevated quality, the fabrication is perhaps a little luxurious for our original Aesthetic dress proponents, whose mission early on was as much a political statement on democracy and women's rights than mere aesthetics.      

Of course, Aesthetic Dress, off the back of Rational Dress, was one of the first examples of sub-cultural style to attempt subversion of the fashionable and societal norm- in this case of the habitual encasement of Victorian women's bodies within restrictive, uncomfortable, and unhygienic clothing. Fashion has relaxed within the current decade, and there is evidence of the pin-thin ideal losing its grip. Here, Roksanda caters to those less interested in flashing a figure attainable by very few, but offers a view of fashion that is both comfortable and beautiful (without turning to the athleisure trope that has at this point been done to death and clearly never appealed to me). Those exaggerated sleeves may not be for everyone, but her gowns offered the flattering option of gathered natural waists, or the looser empire line. Wear over trousers with heels, or with sandals and hair-undone, the effect is the same- relaxed and elegant. So would I wear any of it? Absolutely. But of course, I'd probably ruin the simplicity with a plethora of jewels, as is my wont; and what is more, the pic'n'mix nature of fashion these days would allow me to do so. Unlike the era of the Aesthetes, Fashion is no longer based on a single narrative, but takes multiple forms. Roksanda is by no means an anti-fashion label (I'm not sure those exist in any capacity), yet clearly she has more than just an aesthetic to thank the Aesthetes for.         

All catwalk images from vogue.com. 

Other images, from top-bottom: Liberty catalogue, 1905; 1890's velvet dress; 1895 tea dress; Julia Margaret Cameron, Pre Raphaelite study 1870; Walter Crane, The Tempest; Liberty catalogue, 1908; James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Symphony in Flesh Colour and Pink: Portrait of Mrs France Leyland, 1872-3; Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Monna Rossi, 1867; Jane Morris and daughter, 1874.

Something Old, Something New

It's not often I find myself coveting modern jewellery; aside from obviously preferring the aesthetics of antique/vintage jewellery, I just feel like if I'm going to spend money on something, I'd rather buy something with history and that is somewhat exclusive (I don't think I've covered a contemporary designer since I posted about Muriel Grateau, eight years ago). Two jewellers have recently compelled me to share their work though- both come from a background in sculpture, and both create pieces that whilst modern, exude a hint of history. 

✤ Joy Bonfield Colombara, in her 'Fragments' series, isolates and deconstructs classical sculpture, with jaw-dropping results. I cannot get over how good the rings are, exploded and presented frame-by-frame.   

From another collection, I admire the use of hallmarks in the 'London Signet' ring, taking something usually hidden and more of an afterthought and making it the main design element. In Joy's own words, the signet ring traditionally served as a "3-d signature", used in conjunction with wax to seal and sign letters. Surmounting a boxy signet ring, Joy has used hallmarks as a statement of her own identity, including the leopards head hallmark corresponding to the city of London, her initials, and the lion passant guardant and 925 hallmarks to indicate silver quality.

Images from

- joy-bc.co.uk -

- instagram.com/joy_bc -

- joyshands.tumblr.com -

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✤ In a similar vein, the work of Gabriella Kiss also possesses a touch of the sculptural and antiquated; the use of anatomically correct fauna (or you know, actual stuffed dead animals) has always struck me as particularly Victorian, and the hand motif has long been used in jewellery. Her sleeping bird earrings harbour a surprise pearl within their feathered folds, exhibiting a surreal yet reserved quality, as also seen in the dripping hands earrings. 

Kiss also creates pieces which isolate facial features - a nose, or ear for example. My favourites focus on the eye, as they are reminiscent of Georgian love token miniatures, where painted eyes were mounted in rings and brooches. The bands are inscribed with Latin mottoes, adding another subtle touch of history.  

Images from

- quadrumgallery.com -

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✤ Honourable mention goes to fellow LCF graduate Qian Yang of YQY Jewellery, who has seemingly moved onto rather different designs now, but whose graduate collection was so, so good (if a little unwearable). The 'Ceramic Repair' collection features pieces inspired by the Japanese practice of kintsugi, whereby ceramics are repaired using gold, leaving golden traces of breakage and repair as evidence of an objects history. Who doesn't want massive porcelain dolls enhanced with gold on their fingers? 

Image from

- facebook.com/YQY.Artefact -

Hello

Beautiful Edwardian graduate; empowerment via education ♡

It’s me again. I realise I’m likely speaking into the ether, as any followers have by now abandoned me. That’s fine, nearly two years is a long time to wait for a post. The hiatus was unintentional however, and I do intend to resume posting semi-regularly. For those interested, and perhaps in the spirit of cathartic over-sharing, the past year or so has been rather difficult. You may recall this blog started years ago as a project to help distract me from anxiety and eating problems, and its revival appears to mirror its roots. Since I last posted: I enrolled on my dream MA course at the London College of Fashion; moved to London; worked part-time in my dream store whilst studying full-time; battled health-issues whilst trying to remain sane- having neither the time, money nor inclination to socialise; relapsed into long-abandoned mental health problems; had to turn down a dream internship due to said problems; and nearly gave up the course. Add to that a dose of lost-friendships, various medications, heartbreak, and shattered self-confidence, and the desire, time, and motivation to blog was all but lost. Apologies if this is reading like a self-indulgent, woe is me soliloquy; I do realise I speak from a position of privilege, and importantly just how lucky I am to have support from amazing people. But it’s scary how easily I slipped into a reclusive shell of my former self. Look after your health people!

Fortunately I am stubborn, and didn’t give up. After the year from hell, I’m proud to say I gained a distinction in my Masters, having written my dissertation on Victorian chatelaines and their use as a technology of surveillance/discipline à la Foucault (humble-brag, I know, I know). The contrast between my under- and post-grad experience was huge, and I had to pinch myself sometimes whilst writing essays on Fortuny, Victorian Pockets, Egyptian Revivalism etc, applying Social and Cultural Theory to fashion (or ‘costume’, ‘dress’, ‘adornment’- where you make the distinction is down to you); or when handling pieces of fashion history, such as a Worth gown worn by Mary Curzon, or the shoes of the recently-widowed Queen Alexandra. Unfortunately, my issues meant that I didn’t really get to immerse myself in all that LCF and London had to offer. Ironically, whilst studying fashion, I was probably at my least inspired and experimental, pretty much just wanting to disappear into the crowd. I have been quite active on Instagram, sharing some of my experiences, and a lot of jewellery, but to be honest I’m sick of social media and over the past two years I pretty much lost my spark. Well, fuck that. You have to hit rock bottom to rise again, and I’m excited to resume sharing some looks and inspirations. So, wall of text over; the next post will be picture heavy, full of some spectacular jewels. 

Follow me on Instagram if you want more regular updates, predominantly featuring jewellery, antique prints and illustrations, and whatever else catches my eye. Oh and my cat. And hardly any selfies, promise. 

Black and Blue

Nearly two years ago I saw raven-haired actress Olga Kurylenko in a powder blue Pucci dress and fell in love with what I saw. She looked stunning with her black hair contrasting against the palest of blue, sparking  within me a slight obsession with the combination. 

I'm yet to find my perfect powder blue dress but I have a lovely fur stole in said colour which I cannot wait to start wearing when the temperatures drop. Whilst the weather is still mild I've been rather attached to this laser-cut Bolongaro Trevor blouse in a lovely pale, almost slate, blue. The intricate cut-outs are pretty amazing and the front ruffle reminds me of those dodgy shirts men wore to prom/disco/weddings in the 1970's. Pops of true red really complement pale blue, something seen throughout the Temperley SS13 collection and those of Valentino and Erdem too (see below). The black and white lace up sandals are another summer obsession of mine. I so wish I'd bought them in silver too. In my next post I'll show you how I styled this blouse for a wedding outfit...coming up soon!

(silly face, sorry)

Blouse (Bolongaro Trevor), trousers (H&M), shoes (SixtySeven)

Olga Kurylenko in Pucci/ Elie Saab Couture SS 2013/ Street style from Elle.com 

Temperley SS 2013

Erdem Fall 2014 and Fall 2010

Valentino SS 2012

Guinevere Van Seenus by Steven Meisel, Vogue Italia January 08