Trend Repeat

Everyone is blabbering on about Autumn/Winter 2010/11 fashion.  What's more, during this blabbering they are completely disregarding summer (I know it's optimistic but it's August so I'm hoping for more sun) and wishing it away so they can wear long boots, wool coats, shearling etc.  Yes, it looks good, but you know what?  It's been done.

Victoriana, womanly cuts, A-line, fur...  I love fashion but I sure wish people wouldn't go on and on about things being all exciting and wonderful when in fact they are rather similar to last year.  Sorry, I sound bitter, I'm not.  In fact, I love fashion, but is anyone else getting deja vu?

Beauty's going all copycat on us too.  Time to drag out that red lipstick again!  Vogue's rundown of how to wear the look worries me.  " Draw on a deep Cupid's bow.  Take the colour slightly beyond your natural lip line."  Beyond your natural and drawn on reminds me of a clown or a five year old playing dress up.  I'm very blonde, very pale and have teeny rosebud lips... Anyone that knows something about beauty care to offer me some advice on how this is supposed to work?


Dolce and Gabanna Image from Vogue

"Hurrah! Scientific evidence that men prefer curves."

"Hurrah! Scientific evidence that men prefer curves."  Grazia are shouting it to the rafters but I can't quite stop my cynicism.  Whilst they're right about wide hips being linked to good health and good child bearing this surely doesn't translate to a size 20 woman whose waist has been lost to cupcakes.

I must state (before someone reads this and shouts at me) that I am a healthy size, I don't have problems with my weight and I don't judge those that are bigger than me.  However, whilst I have been blessed with a a fairly shapely houseglass I'm not pretty sure that indulging in donuts will create child bearing hips, it will more just create muffin top.

Don't diet, don't gorge, just be yourself and make sure you dress properly for your size.  Surely that's more important than what any man thinks?  Therefore, whilst cinching in my waist with a belt and allowing a loser dress to cover my currently bloated stomach I indulge in a lemon cupcake (my favourite) complete with butter icing, lemon curd and white chocolate curls.

So, in the spirit of the Oscars, here are some beautiful celebrities enhancing their curves in stunning dresses...

Kate Winslet, Selma Hayek, Helen Mirren and Vera Farmiga

DIY Plaits...

After wearing my hair in plaits all summer in a bid to prevent the fact camping prevents the use of straighteners (and being spoken to in Dutch a lot...I am blonde.  I do look a bit like a milkmaid.  I am not Dutch.  Shocking I know!) I am glad to finally see that plaits are back.  Ok this may be a bit belated as they have been 'back' for a while but I should clarify...I am glad that DIY plaits are back.

When reading Vogue's beauty pages every on trend hairstyle 'how to' quoted something along the lines of "it should look like you've done it yourself".  This is marvellous as I DO do it myself.  My plaits are not neat, I cannot do French plaits to save my life (and therefore I am incapable of having plaits run delicately through my hair...across the front or into an up do) and therefore they continuously look a mess.  Like I've done them myself.

Grazia tells me this is all due to Alexander Wang's S/S 2010 catwalk.  Thank you Alexander Wang...with the new short layers permeating my hair I'm pleased to have an excuse when people comment (and they inevitabily do) that I have a bit of hair sticking out jussst there.  "I'm supposed to!  Alexander Wang says so."

The Wang Plait, followed by Hanne Gaby Odiele and Cheryl Cole rocking the look