She's in fashion

You probably wouldn’t guess it to look at me most days ,slobbing about in my everyday uniform of t shirt, jeans and trainers, or as my partner calls it “ little boy chic “ that I’m a big fan of fashion and have been since I was old enough to drag Vogue out of  the paper shop rack.

So as you can imagine I’ve been pouring over the new styles coming down the catwalks of the world in my favourite glossies for the past few weeks.

Hedi Slimane’s designs for Y.S.L with their nod to the 60s mod and Edie Sedgwick  is a particular favourite of mine at the moment tapping into my love for the era my parents grew up in, but let’s just get one thing straight before there’s any confusion .

For me it’s about the design, the style and the inspiration that go into every collection that I love but you certainly won’t see me buying into the other things associated with the industry.

You’d never see  me splashing the cash out on anything that boasts a designer label , toting my stuff around in the latest it bag or putting my name on a waiting list for something  only to discover it’s no longer the “ in “ item to be seen with when my name finally reaches the top of it.

No, I’m the person who will search out the looks she likes from charity shops, boot sales and vintage fairs for a more unique and original look minus the hefty price ticket.

But the main thing I don’t buy into in the fashion world is that your body shape should determine whether you’re out or in.

Growing up in the era of the super waif, having large boobs and a less than stick like figure should have had me crying into my alcopops as I stood next to my pocket sized best friend trying on a vintage school pinafore with a view to wearing it as a mini dress while I could only dream of getting even one leg into it.

Similarly being christened Blubbercus and Megabelly by my lovely male siblings should have in theory made me a sure fire candidate for an eating disorder in my teenage years.

But while I’ve had my ups and downs figure wise, quite literally, having been a range of different sizes from 12 – 18, I like to think I have always maintained a realistic outlook into feeling happy in the skin that I’m in.

I know that I’m never going to be Twiggy because I love my food too much to dedicate my life to being anything less than that size 12 I used to be but I also know once my figure reaches what is affectionately termed as “Elvis , the Vegas years “ that it’s time to do something to get me back to a weight that’s healthier for me.

And likewise I know there are some beautiful healthy slender girls out there for whom the figure they were born with is something that comes naturally without the aid of exercise and dieting.

However, reading about the latest” it” size to be , the triple zero, it does make me question the industry that supports this as the perfect figure we should be trying to attain to look good in their clothing ,whether maybe, just maybe the only people who should be wearing garments with the waist size equivalent to that of a 6-8 year old should be those who fall into that age category.


GIRL FROM THE NECK DOWN COLUMN- MEDWAY MESSENGER 6/10/14