Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Style

We all know that I adore 500 Days of Summer, and since then, I have had my eye on Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He’s cute, there’s no doubt about it. But what puts him above the other actors of his generation who appear in monthly magazine publications is his style. Someone somewhere knows how to dress him. From cute sweater vests and skinny ties in 500 Days, to well cut suits and cool t-shirts, JGL has got the fashion thing down. Every guy I know wants to dress like him, and every girl I know wants their boyfriend to dress like him.

Not only does he have fashion style, but ol’ Joe is starting to make an impact in the production world with his ‘hitRECord’ manifesto. Bringing together film makers, artists and musicians online to create shared content that if sold, benefits all contributors.

Posted By: Cat

Go Fug Yourself: Fugs and Pieces

Oh those fug girls, how they make me laugh. I've been reading gofugyourself for years and it keeps getting better and better. The site is basically two very witty and fashion-loving ladies who like to dissect the outfits worn by celebrities and either commend them for their (or their stylist's) good taste, or ask them rhetorically how much crack they've smoked to leave the house in such a ridiculous getup. 

The ladies over at Go Fug Yourself have started to post something a little different on Fridays. Fugs and Pieces is little things from the internet that are funny, interesting, heartwarming or down right disturbing. Its everything you need to see without spending hours surfing for it. I love it. I look forward to their shared links every Friday. An example of this weeks Fugs and Pieces. And from the list, a little treat: When vandalism is funny.

Enjoy!

£1 Primark Ring

I’m not going to lie, I’m a huge Primark fan. I know they have shady practices when it comes to the production of their clothing, but I am a student with little money and being able to buy accessories for £1 makes my life a little bit brighter. I wish I wasn’t this shallow, but I’m afraid I am just a little bit.

Oversize rings are cute and give an outfit a little oomph. I rarely wear jewellery other than necklaces, so when I want to have some effect, I choose a chunky ring. This one is perfect as it’s white and goes nicely with a faux pearl necklace set I have. And it’s ONE POUND. £1 won’t even buy you a litre of petrol now.

Give your hands some impact.

Posted By: Cat

Ear Muffs

After some unseasonably warm weather, we’ve now hit winter in the UK. I love the sunshine, but there’s something lovely about getting wrapped up in a coat, gloves and a hat and braving the cold.

I’m a big fan of hats, but sometimes you don’t want to go into class or work with hat hair. This is why this year, I will be rocking the ear muffs. They’re cute, kitsch and you don’t have to worry about messing up your perfectly styled (or in my case not) hair.

My ear muffs are the ones above. They are from accessorize who have a great selection this year, although they’re a little pricey at £16 a pair. I had mine as an early Christmas gift so I didn’t feel so guilty. I think that a lot of high street stores in the UK are running their own selections though – ear muffs are in!

Posted By: Cat

Headbands

Yes, yes, this is nothing new. Thanks to Gossip Girl, the headband has been in a revival for the last eighteen months at least, but it’s still going strong and I still like it.

A headband comes in many shapes, sizes and colours. There’s the straightforward coloured plastic band which is functional and compliments any outfit. I like the predictability, you put it in and it’s there to stay. The little combs keep it firmly in place and it’s no nonsense; no straying of strands or slipping.

The scarf band is the pretty one, the attention grabber and show off. The heavy pattern compliments a block colour outfit and looks stunning. Its summery, its bold and its very Gossip Girl. The downside to this one though, is that unless it’s heavily secured with hair grips, it’s likely to slip off your silky hair and then you have a battle to get it back before someone spots that its sitting round your neck.

The braided band is a mixture of both, it’s pretty and eye-catching, but its practical and it’ll sit still for far longer than the scarf. The fashion seems to be to wear this one on your forehead, but I am not for one minute following that look thank you. As usual, Rachel Bilson looks super cute in this:

Its not going away, so get involved and make your hair a little more exciting.

Posted By: Cat

Spring

Spring has sprung in the UK! This is very exciting news because our good weather is few and far between. For the last couple of years our summers have been complete wash outs, so this year I’m going to enjoy spring while I can, just in case it’s the only warmth we get.

I love spring. The blacks and greys of winter fashion can be folded up and put in your bottom drawer and the bright dresses and vests of sunny weather can be worn with a smug smile. ‘Yes, it’s warm, and yes, this fabulous dress cost me £6 from Primark!’ The re-emergence of the flip-flop is also and exciting time for me, breaking them in again after six months of trainers and boots is always painful for one day, then rewarding for 100 more.

Spring is the time for blossom, cute baby animals and warmer, lighter evenings. I love driving home with the sun baking me through my car windows because my car is too old to have air-con and it’s too noisy to have the windows down on the motorway. My ipod playlists become poppier, my shoes become plimsolls and I have permanent marks on my nose from my sunglasses.

The best thing about Spring though, is that you can go to the park with your friends, have a picnic and chill out in the sunshine for free. Thank you Mother Nature.

Posted By: Cat

Lady GaGa

Her music I can take or leave, but Lady GaGa herself is pretty darn fabulous. The name alone is wonderful, Lady GaGa. It promotes images of royalty but also of ridiculousness. I love it!

Even though Just Dance and Pokerface are constantly on the radio, I am not yet tired of Gaga, because she does things like this:

Yes, that is a zipper over her eye and yes, that is fabulous. I love that she is all about the image and performance. She embodies what it means to be a performer. She’s on all the time. She thinks about every aspect of her persona and that will make her an icon, just like Madonna with her conical bras before her. On her recent trip to the UK, GaGa was often photographed leaving clubs wearing things like this:

I live in the UK, and let me tell you, February is pretty chilly here, certainly not bra and skirt weather. It seems as though wearing a shirt and trousers is offensive to GaGa, only one or the other must be worn, never both.

I found this on her official bio at her website: ‘GaGa adds with a wink in her eye, “And, now, I’m just trying to change the world one sequin at a time.”’ Oh Gaga, change the world you will. Soon we’ll all be zipping one eye shut before we bust out our bows made of hair.

Posted By: Cat

Aviators

This spring I have developed a sunglasses habit. I keep buying them, and I’m not even sure why. What I do know, from the two pairs sitting on my shelf, is that my buying tendency is towards aviators. I have a navy/black pair and a white pair. I rock the dark pair with leggings and long cardigans and the white pair with this cute white and navy dress I got last week.

The navy/black aviators are all business - they say ‘yes, it’s sunny and I think I’m cool’; they get the job done. The white rimmed ones are my ‘LOOK AT ME’ pair. They are not worn regularly, but instead compliment certain outfits. I feel their time might come while away on holiday in June, but there’s two months worth of sunglass buying time between now and then, so who knows.

You don’t need to be a cop or a pilot to look good in aviators, just wear them with confidence.

Posted by: Cat

Leggings

When typing leggings into Google, I was greeted with a plethora of pictures featuring Lindsay Lohan, which almost put me off writing this entry. I have never been a leggings supporter, and have firmly stood my ground remembering that in the 90's, when I didn't know better, I even had a pair with stirrups. Stirrups people.

So when they came back in fashion, as with most things better best forgotten, I kept away. My black tights were staple enough; I'll just wear jeans thank you, etc. Then yesterday, on impulse, I brought two pairs for £6 because I can't resist a bargain. 

I hate to say it, but I love them. They fit like a dream and are super comfortable. I wore them to uni today with a cute long t-shirt and long black cardigan and someone commented that I looked great, which I'm pretty sure hasn't happened before at school. 

After all the snow we've had this year, Spring is in the air and its turned warm. Because warm for us is still only the 50's, there's still a chill in the air so leggings are perfect for that 'half my legs are warm but the other half are brave enough to salute the sunshine'. Below the knee is just fine, but I'm still not sold on the 'wet look' leggings that are currently en vogue; baby steps. 

Topshop have a leggings section on their website, so maybe they're here to stay. Embrace the leggings! 

I have never typed the word 'leggings' so much in my entire life.

Posted By: Cat

My friend Dan

All the way from the ATL, my friend Dan has amazing talent of the creative variety. We may live over three and a half thousand miles away from one another, but she always remembers me and sends me the cutest cards and gifts.

For my upcoming birthday, she made me a hair band and necklace. As well as sending a Vera scarf and homemade card. I love homemade cards and gifts. I would rather have one thing homemade than something brought from a shop worth hundreds of pounds. When you make something for someone, you put in effort and while you make it, you’re thinking of them.

Dan has her own blog at Dan Dan Noodles  in which she posts some of her projects and tutorials. She also writes a blog for The Vera Company here: The Vera Company

In the past, she has made me this necklace and headband, which are staple accessory choices for me. The scarf is the aforementioned birthday gift. I tied it using one of her tutorials on The Vera Company blog.

Thank you Dan, you are truly awesome.

Posted By: Cat

Fringe Braiding

Before I start, for any American readers of this blog let me clear something up – here in England, we call bangs a fringe.

I’ve had a fringe for just about as long as I can remember. I like it. You can hide behind it when you feel shy. It can be blunt, swept to the side, pulled back with a clip, or my new favourite style: braided.

Sometimes fringes are annoying, and they get in your eyes and irritate you when you’re working, or if it’s a windy day. Last week I decided to braid it along the side or my hair line to keep it out of the way and it looked cute. It’s quirky, but practical. I’ve have compliments on how pretty it looks.

Lauren Conrad is a big fan of this look too. Hers is a little more complicated, but its the same effect.

Posted By: Cat

Uggs

Uggs.

A lot of ladies wear them, maybe gentlemen do as well, I don't know. People call them ugly. People call them cute. I heard on the radio the other day girls who wear them come across as high maintenance. However, a week and a half ago I became a part of the growing population of ladies who wear Uggs.

I actually tried to do research for this blog entry.

Yesterday, I was giving out hot chocolate to students as a part of SCSU's winter kickoff, and I tried to count the number of girls who we were wearing Uggs. I gave up at around five girls. There were plenty of girls wearing them, but after two minutes of counting I realized I wasn't really looking at their faces, just their feet. I couldn't really differentiate between them.

Today was the real test for the Uggs though. Today it was -25 degrees, which is pretty intense. The uggs kept my feet super, super warm. The rest of my body was freezing to no end, but my feet, in which upon I wore no socks, (as per the directions written on the card that came with my boots) was the warmest part. I actually gave no thought to my feet at all.

So, did I only buy them because they're popular? That's a tiny part.

Did I only buy them because famous people wear them? Maybe a little.

But, are they the best purchase of the winter? Oh my god, yes.

Posted by: Nicci

SnorgTees

There are approximately 402829 websites offering to sell you snarky, cute, pop-culture t-shirts, Snorgtees just happens to be one I ran across a while ago and felt compelled to purchase from.

Their designs are printed on American Apparel t-shirts which are good quality and wash well. The prices are great, even with international shipping costs added on. I brought three shirts and everyone has commented on how cute they are. This is the favourite:

So if you’re in the market for some kitch day wear, try http://www.snorgtees.com

Posted By: Cat

Stupid Glasses

I have a love for ridiculous eyewear.

Luckily, now is a time in fashion when wearing heart shaped red rims, or oversize frames that help you to resemble an insect is acceptable. I have a strange yearning for turquoise Wayfarers, but I have nothing remotely cool to team them with. I have a pair of French Connection shades that I paid way too much for and are far too large for my narrow face, but I wear them everywhere. I wear them when it’s cloudy outside and I’m driving home. My face feels naked without them.

I blame the media. They have shown me Rachel Bilson in cute red Raybans, Sienna Miller in aviators and Girls Aloud in huge Dior wraparounds. Is my brain so mal-programmed that I believe I will be as beautiful as these women if I wear these ridiculous attention seeking frames? Perhaps. I know is wrong, but as I sit here and type, a pair of white heart shaped shades are asking me to by them. Oh dear.

Posted By: Cat

Stripes

Stripes are my fashion du jour. Without even trying, I seem to come home with a striped item of clothing each time I go shopping. My love for stripes however, is restricted to lines of the horizontal variety, no vertical nonsense for me thank you. I understand that horizontal stripes widen the body, which can be hazardous, but the juxtaposition between the blocks of colour is too much of a temptation for me to ignore. T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, tanks, black and white, grey and black, blue and yellow... I just don’t care.

I wonder where my love of stripes comes from. Perhaps it’s the reason I like cake so much, the cake/icing/cake/icing combo creates a stripe effect which my brain finds irresistible.

Perhaps one day I will grow out of my love for stripes, but until that day, I am happy to run around like a zebra.

Posted by: Cat