Normcore

Like postmodernist, self-conscious metafictional writing that tries its best to move away from the conventional story, the Normcore clothing ‘trend’ is somewhat similar. The ‘trend’ moves away from the conventional idea of fashion trends and peacocking by deliberately wearing basic unassuming pieces. It’s a ‘non-trend’ that tries to avoid pretension- a move from 90s grunge to basic normality- the deliberate pursuit of the ordinary.

To me this is reminiscent of my Dad in the late nineties always pairing jeans with a white tucked in T-shirt, a black belt and trainers. Which, in all honesty, is exactly what he wears now- who knew Mr. D was so stylish? He mixes it up a bit in the winter by wearing fleeces- something else in the approved list of clothing that constitutes as Normcore. I might start calling it Dadcore.

Personally, I do live in a pair of denim cut offs that were once my Mums, and would definitely wear them with a plain top- but not in the deliberate avoidance of trends. I would also have to throw something garishly over-embellished on top. I don’t think I could stand a vague array of basic greys, whites, blues and blacks staring back at me from my wardrobe, or, (snob warning) feeling so damn average! My personal clothing thrills come from seeking stand out one-of-a-kind pieces that I know no one else will have- the opposite of the desire to blend into the crowd.

Normcore is supposed to be a symbol of anonymity, and the slightly fluffy notion that ‘difference comes from within’ and that difference should not have to be translated through clothing- I’m not convinced. Will this really catch on? Since (pretty much) the dawn of time people have used clothing to convey difference and to denote subcultures. There’s a reason ‘Highschool Stereotypes’ is a fancy dress theme. 

Charity Shop Finds II

So yesterday I went venturing out for a snoop in Les Bourgs Hospice charity shop once again to try my luck in finding some new bits and pieces. They had half price (half price at charity shops?!) on all of their woollens and so I made the most of this and stocked up on some amazing vintage finds for the winter. Firstly I found this lovely ribbed, high neck jumper which is also 70% lambswool which I think will definitely keep me toasty when moving to Manchester comes along this autumn! I love the pearl embellishment on the shoulders and the ribbed knit keeps this on trend, this cost just £2!

My favourite find was this absolutely incredible vintage navy wool jacket/cardigan with a black velvet collar and pocket flaps. This is fantastically made and, again, the knit is 100% wool. I love the gold buttons which add a bit of brightness to the jacket and, although a size L, this will look great unbuttoned as an oversized piece this winter. Again, this only cost £2! The velvet definitely drew me to this when I first saw the collar peeking out of a jam-packed rail, I’d say I’m somewhat of a velvet magpie when it comes to clothes which you shall see by my other finds…

This jacket is another unique velvety vintage piece which I snapped up for £6. I think I will take out the shoulder pads as they make the shape of the jacket just a little too boxy on my petite frame. I love the maximalism of this (just love channelling Henry VIII)- the all over gold and burgundy embroidery, the gold knot buttons, and the black velvet background; this is opulence and OTT at its best. Perfect for this seasons winter wardrobe.

Lastly I got this dusky pink velvet (again!) turban type thing which will be great for when I eventually am a grown up with a well-paid job and I go on a skiing holiday. However, for now it might be best for the harsh Northern winters that I’m going to have to get used to and will do as an alternative to some earmuffs. I don’t usually ‘do’ pink (and I don’t think I actually own any pink clothes!) but I got talked into this by my Mum and so we shall see if it actually gets any wear. If not, I’ll give it to my friend Kate who loves a nice bit of winter headgear (I’ll refrain from posting any photos of the woolly pompom headband circa Fresher’s 2k11).

This trip to Les Bourgs was perhaps my best trip yet- all my finds were incredible vintage quality for virtual pocket change. I’m a massive advocate for self-sourced vintage items, my boyfriend would call me a style snob but don’t we all love having a few things hanging in our wardrobes that no one else is going to have? And at such good quality? It’s so true when your grandma says that they don’t make clothes like they used to… ;) 

Saint Laurent: A Short History

After finding a beautiful Yves Saint Laurent (now known as Saint Laurent) blouse in a charity shop, I decided to delve further into the history of the designer and the brand. I volunteered in Morocco last April with Alice (here's her fashion blog) and we took a visit to the The Majorelle Garden in Marrakesh. The Majorelle Garden is a botanical garden and artist's landscape garden, designed by the expatriate French artist Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s and 30s. Yves Saint Laurent owned the garden with his partner Pierre Bergé from 1980 and he often visited to find inspiration and refuge. I personally found the vibrant gardens inspiring and they made me more curious about the brand than ever. Here’s a few photos from our trip…

To further power curiosity about the French designer, the film Saint Laurent made its debut at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Saint Laurent is co-written and directed by Bertrand Bonello, starring Gaspard Ulliel as Yves Saint Laurent and Jérémie Renier as Pierre Bergé. The film focusses on Saint Laurent's life from the late 1960s to 1976 during the peak of his career. The film competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at The Cannes Film Festival and is scheduled for release on 24 September 2014. Here’s the trailer…

At the age of 18, Saint Laurent moved to Paris and enrolled at the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and soon after, in 1957, aged 21, Saint Laurent was appointed as the head designer of the House of Christian Dior. "Dior fascinated me,” Saint Laurent stated. "He taught me the basis of my art.” Saint Laurent went on to found YSL in 1961 with his partner Pierre Bergé. YSL has been long considered one of the world's most prominent fashion houses- renowned for iconic pieces, such as the 1966 Le Smoking tuxedo suit for women. This piece was a unique design that gained mass recognition in fashion and popular culture- igniting and popularising minimal androgyny for women and leading the way for eighties power dressing and the trouser suit. Saint Laurent was also a leading figure in mainstreaming the idea of wearing silhouettes from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. During his career peak in the 1960s and 1970s, Saint Laurent was considered one of Paris's elite and enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle filled with partying and recklessness. To balance out his time in Paris, when he was not actively working on a collection he spent time at his villa in Marrakech, Morocco.

In 1983, Saint Laurent became the first living fashion designer to be honored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a solo exhibition but soon afterwards became reclusive and lived with poor health until his death from brain cancer in 2008. In more recent times YSL’s ready-to-wear line was rebranded Saint Laurent by newly appointed creative director Hedi Slimane. A look through the Saint Laurent 2014 a/w collection shows the brand is ever strong with awe-inspiring pieces- I personally love the 60s inspired embellished mini dresses and cape combos polished off with a pair of black opaques (my go to on a winters day). Check out my favourites... 

Photos by Isidore Montag 

Charity Shop Finds

Now that university deadlines are over I've decided to try my hand at regularly blogging fashion and lifestyle posts. I’ve come back to my home island for the summer (before moving to Manchester in the autumn) after graduating from university, and, like every time I pop home, I can’t resist a delve into the depths of my favourite charity shop- Les Bourgs Hospice. One of the things I love most about charity shopping is trawling through jumbled rails and delving into boxes of miscellaneous potential treasures. I never come out of there empty handed and this particular trip was no different.

My favourite find of the day (and possibly best find ever?!) was this gorgeous Vintage Yves Saint Laurent blouse for a measly five pounds. It’s a little big for me but will work perfectly tucked into something high-waisted or worn oversized over some skinny jeans or trousers. Its sheer material makes it current and the deep red will suit my favourite MAC lippy (Dubonnet)- I will definitely be wearing this come autumn.

The rest of my finds were also somewhat wintery. This black velvet top was only a pound and it has the most flattering sweetheart neckline and is something that I know I’ll be wearing as a wardrobe staple. I was drawn to this burgundy body-con style dress because of the flattering colour and unusual texture- a little something to save for a date night.

Lastly I got some cream linen shorts (which I definitely should have ironed before photographing!) originally from Mango which will be great all summer with a tan and can be dressed up or down with heels or with sandals. I can’t wait to give them a test drive- but first will take them up a few centimetres to make them more flattering on my little legs! 

I always find charity shopping to be so worthwhile, my best advice is to look out for things that you wouldn't usually go for and definitely check out rails of clothes in different sizes to your usual size-you might be pleasantly surprised! 

The Islander goes to: Sark

Last weekend I took a travel across the waters once again with my parents to see the infamous Sark Sheep Racing. An annual event that usually entices other islanders to Sark. Having not paid a visit to Sark in a few years and having never experienced The Sheep Races this was the perfect opportunity! After a very turbulent boat trip (I am NOT a good sailor!) we arrived at Sark in just under an hour, despite the swells of the sea, the sun beat down all day long at the 'race track!'

As soon as we set foot on dry land we were bundled into tractor-pulled trailers to get carried up the long and winding hill that leads you away from the small harbour. Here's a photo of my Mama looking lovely in the sunshine.

As we wandered around the village I couldn't resist posting a postcard to a friend through this Olympic Gold letter box. A resident of Sark won gold last year in Dressage and so the island was awarded with this.

 We then leisurely made our way through the dusty roads to the main event! As I mentioned in my previous post about Herm, they do not allow cars and they same rule applies to Sark too. There is rarely a moment when you are strolling through the streets when you can't hear the distant sound of a tractor or the clippity clop of horses hooves.

 And their off! There were many races on each day and the event lasted the whole weekend. You could go and bid £1 on your favourite sheep to win. Jockeys were strapped on in the form of teddy bears and a gentle old sheep dog nudged them in the right direction. The banana suit in the background is just an example of the fancy dress of the day- The Sheep Racing is always an excuse to get piddled!

Sadly my favourite to win, Ewesain Bolt let me down despite his amazingly well thought-out name. However my mum won back £1.50 on her £1 bet on Whoopsie Daisy!

After watching our share of The Races we had more of a wander around the beautiful sights of the island. The Window in the Rock (or Port Du Moulin) is one of my favourite views ever. A health and safety nightmare, The Window in the Rock is a tiny square naturally cut out of the cliffs and looks out over this view, there are no railings or barriers so one slip and you'd be a goner! Luckily I remained as sure footed as a mountain goat and managed to take this beautiful photo of the views from there.

This little visit to Sark was only a short one and I was disappointed not to have the opportunity to go over to 'Little Sark' during the day but this is a bit of a long walk unless you hire bikes for the day. (My mum always jokes that a small birthmark that she has resembles the shape of Little Sark and also claims that she saw a ghost there when she was younger!) With more stunning views it is adjoined to the main island and is well worth a visit if you are staying for the whole weekend. Until next time, Sark!

The Islander Goes To: Herm Island

Living in the Channel Islands means that we have loads of new places to visit just a hop, skip and a jump away from home. Last weekend I made the most of the glorious sunshine we’ve been having and travelled the twenty minute boat journey with a friend to Herm from our home island of Guernsey.

Herm is a diddy little pebble in the English Channel and stands at just three miles long! It has only fifty inhabitants and vehicles are prohibited apart from tractors and quad bikes.

We turned left at this sign and started our trip with a wander down the sandy golden paths to Shell Beach, a long stretch of soft sand with little boats bobbing along the shore.

We sat for hours and soaked the scorching sun into our pores and relaxed with a picnic. Watermelon has got to be the most refreshing fruit you can eat at this time of year...

After a full afternoon of lounging we decided to pack up and shift to another beach a little further away, Belvoir Bay. Here we grabbed an ice lolly and took the opportunity to take a few quick photos!

Before heading back we then took a long walk past the fields full of cows and through the less trodden paths around the southern cliffs of the island. From here we could see the private island of Jethou, and saw the coast of Guernsey off in the distance as the day drew to a close.

You can walk around Herm in about half an hour or so and it is an absolutely stunning get away whether you live on Guernsey or are visiting the Channel Islands. The Travel Trident sets off regularly every hour until five o’clock. However if you are enjoying a late meal at the weekend, boats will occasionally run at eleven-thirty to accommodate the party goers! See you soon, Herm!

Gallery magazine feature.

So this weekend I decided to come back to my homeland, the island of Guernsey for a break from the stresses of university and was told by a friend that they had seen me in a local magazine. I had completely forgotten about being 'style stalked' back around Christmas time (straight after trying to put contact lenses for about 40 mins at the opticians-that's what I'm blaming the hideous face on!) and if anyone reads this, thanks for the compliments on my legs! ;) 

I had a read through of the magazine and it's so interesting because of the fact that it is so relevant to island life and it really is amazing how many people you can recognise in the photos and also some of the writers names. 

 I thought that I would use this opportunity to devote more time to this blog and get started on some outfit posts and generally keep things more up to date. I'm hoping it will improve my writing and hopefully help me get involved with the lifestyle section of the university newspaper.