Essay Procrastination ~ Sleeveless Wonders

With the revival of the gilet it is excusable to whip out your scissors and slice your sleeves off for summer. While the days are getting warmer the gilet offers the perfect in-between cover-up before we can scrap the jacket for good.

All I could think of when I first saw this waistcoat-come-jacket adorning every mannequin on the high street, were those horrific black padded puffa jackets (minus the sleeves) that my mum used to put me in; yes I looked like the Michelin man. So I let out a great sigh of relief when I discovered that the new-age gilets are merely sleeveless versions of the most coveted spring jacket styles. So here’s the dilemma; do I get scissor-happy and start chopping my way to gilet-heaven , or have another excuse to hit the high street to get the sleeveless counterpart to each of my spring staples? I think I’ll choose the latter...

On the top of my list has to be the denim/biker combo which is not only perfect for layering on cooler days, but will happily squeeze into your bag when the temperatures surprise us. This Topshop gem will toughen up the floatiest summer dress with it’s gorgeously textured acidic dye.

Cheryl sold the leather gilet to me instantly. Keeping it simple with jeans and a skinny belt, this rock chick staple speaks for itself. And surely having no sleeves makes having a bit of leather in your wardrobe a tad easier on the purse strings? Try this simply sumptious version from ASOS.

Release your inner wild child with these Topshop gilets in neutral safari hues. Whilst it seems a tad unpractical to brave our typical English weather in a sleeveless mac, you’ll be the one laughing when the sun makes an (albeit rare) appearance. The gilet just seems to answer all our in-between season dilemmas. Layer up when its cooler, layer down when it’s warmer; simple as. It may take a little while to adjust (I can’t help but feel like I’ve forgotten something with I don a sleeveless blazer) so for the moment I’ll let my arms adjust to their new found freedom in a little denim waistcoat and a long sleeved tee...until it gets warmer that is.

Miss Bentley

Essay Procrastination - Colour B4 Review

I have naturally dark hair, probably one shade off black. I've dyed it every colour under the yellow sun. Apart from blonde. I would never do blonde. However much Agyness Deyn/ Taylor Momsen make me think it might be a good idea.

Around six months ago, despite my mother's warnings, I dyed my hair jet black without realising that you can't simply dye over it, but you have to wait for it to grow out. This was a problem as my hair is no longer the short pixie cut it was when I dyed it on a weekly basis.

The black hair suited me fine with my stupidly pale complexion and permanently red lips, but after a while I got very bored with the sleek and harsh styling that matches the colour and craved some natural brown curls. After one awful mistake where I managed to dye only my roots red and leave the rest of it as dark as ever I consulted various salons, only to find out that the colour stripping process was not recommended because of the damage to the hair, and the very student unfriendly price.

So imagine my surprise when my sister strolled along and told me that for only £12.99 I could literally go back to my roots. She showed me the Colour B4 product and I was, like many people I have spoken to about this, very skeptical. But I really had no other choice. The first obstacle was actually finding it. I went to some of the smallest and largest branches of Boots in central London but couldn't find it anywhere. So I went online and ordered it there, and Boots' courier delivery meant that it arrived the next day.

So, straight away, when I really should have been revising I wrapped myself up in a binbag and headed to the bathroom to undye my hair, with the help of my oh-so-heterosexual boyfriend. The first thing that struck me was the smell. The worst smell you can possibly imagine to come out of a bottle, and not something you would ever smother your scalp in unless you were truly desperate. Which I was. The worst thing was that the instructions specifically state that there should be no breeze, so we couldn't even open the window to stop the awful suffocation.

In total the process took about 45 minutes, with several repetitions of the covering, waiting, washing, and by the end of it I felt like an asphyxiated prune. But the relief when I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair was still on my head, and the joy when I plucked out a hair and held it to the light to see the unfamiliar brown shining back at me made the entire experience worthwhile. Before and after pictures as promised:

BEFORE

ATFER

I dried my hair and left it tousled and hanging casually around my shoulders, happy to finally look relaxed, and hugely shocked at how well the product had worked! The final result is a bit patchy due to my period of gingerness before I went to the dark side. I think I'll leave it like this for now, but the instructions state that it can be dyed immediately.

So for those of you stuck in an unhappy and dark h-area (couldn't resist, sorry), finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Jessica Wilde

Essay Procrastination- Grace Kelly Style Revival

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time. The world of Grace Kelly just seems so elegant, so effortlessly stylish and so gorgeously feminine, that I have been hankering after a Doctor Who-esque time machine to transport me to the 1950s and preferably straight to Kelly’s wardrobe. With just over a week until the V&A unveils its collection of the style icon’s most memorable outfits, it is only right to devote a little space to the most stylish woman to grace our screens.

Looking back at Kelly’s most celebrated films, such as High Society and To Catch a Thief, it is undeniable that her outfits have experienced a renaissance on this season’s catwalks. Sporting a super stylish safari look, complete with sandy Capri pants and elegantly tailored shirt, cinched in with a rustic leather belt, Kelly embraces the casual femininity that is central to today’s trends.

Undoubtedly Grace Kelly has set the tone for today’s feminine Americano look, whether it’s classic tailoring or casually belted shirt dresses, all impeccably accessorised with head scarves and up-to-the-minute over-sized handbags.

With the enviable ability to jump from utility chick to Grecian goddess, Kelly brings sexy Hollywood glamour to our screens in a matter of minutes. Even after her acting days were over at the tender age of 26, Grace continued to set a precedent in the style stakes, making appearances in Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent haute couture gowns, to name but a few.

At least we’ll get the chance to relive Kelly’s remarkable on-screen career, not to mention her inspirational on-screen attire at the V&A from the 17th April. I’ll be donning my leather gloves and oh-so-Grace Kelly sunnies to go and drool over one of the world’s most wanted wardrobes. You never know, it could well inspire your summer season style...

Miss Bentley

Spotted outside Koko

Olivia Basic ~ 1st Year ~ History and Russian

We love this because ~ The retro print coat stands out against pretty much anything, and it compliments the colour of the dress perfectly. Coat removed and the sparkle from the sequinned jacket makes the dress party-appropriate, whilst the classic hairstyle and deep red lips maintain the ladylike vintage essence at the heart of the outfit.

Student Budget - Million Dollar Face

So the title of this post may perhaps appear slightly oxymoronic to you. How can I be advising you on ways to spend your student loan wisely and be telling you to go for a Million Dollar Face?

Allow me to explain. We all want to look good pretty much all of the time. But with a student loan to live off of and no time (desire) to get a job, constantly updating the wardrobe from shops other than Primark is only a distant fantasy. So how am I suggesting that one look consistently stylish and well-put-together without the luxury of never repeating an outfit? Simply keep your make-up fashionable. And that doesn't mean following the latest trend of that lipstick or this eye liner, instead it means the trend that is always in: being beautiful.

I don't mean to sound cheesy/clichéd/patronising here. I am simply pleading with the girls who will happily spend £50 a pop on a high-street item they will end up hating after three wears but won't part with more than a miserly fiver on the cosmetics they will cover their face in every day for several months, believing that clothes are less transient than a flawless face. Girls in question, please rethink! Do you choose your facebook profile picture because your outfit looks best in it, or because your face looks pretty? Obviously the former is a consideration, but I'm not sure you'd select a photo where your new jacket looks glorious but your face looks like a Victor Frankenstein creation.

Good quality make up is a worthy investment. On the whole, buying premium or even high end brands over the cheapest option means that the make up will be more luxurious for your skin, easier to put on and last much longer (which, if I was pushing it, I would say makes it more cost effective). There are always professionals on hand to ensure the right colours for your complexion and the right products for the skin type; a personalised service to help create your very own flawless face.

Whilst the effect of new make up may not be as immediately noticeable as a new outfit, you'll receive almost confused subtle compliments: "you look healthy", "did you do something to your hair?", "did you get a facelift?" etc. And imagine the joy when someone states "I love your new lipstick", and you can reply with a flick of the hair, a cheeky grin and a simple "Thanks Darling, it's Chanel".



Yes, not only is designer make up a good quality investment for your face, but it's also a great way to release some of the tense desires for more expensive high end items. So I'll probably never have a 2.55, but my entire make up bag is filled with Chanel. Coco practically designed my face.



Don't forget that clothing trends aren't the only ones in the designer world that we long for. Remember Chanel's Jade nail polish that sent the world on a wild beauty chase? And then next season it was their Particulaire shade? If we'd only known how 'in' they'd be, those designer trends could have been on our fingers at the same time as our icons for a fraction of the price of the new must-have bag. If you want to get ahead, Chanel's most recent shows used the pastel pink limited edition sister shade of last year's Jade, called Jade Rose. Get polishing.

When the next installment of the loan comes through, rather than rush straight to Topshop, why not hop on a bus to Oxford Street and wander into any department store that takes your fancy. On the ground floor you will be greeted by lavish scent of beauty and plenty of trained lovelies to help you find the look that suits you. So your outfit might only have cost £20 from a tiny little charity shop, but luckily your face is worth millions.


Jessica Wilde ~ @littlemisswilde

Essay Procrastination - Fashionable TV

Fashion TV, especially reality TV, is the number one essay procrastination technique. As a result of extreme overdoses of Project Runway and America's Next Top Model I feel (and act) like Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks - or TyTy as I like to call her - are my best friends.



Thanks to certain illegal online TV channels I have watched all of the past seasons of said programs, and have persuaded many friends (and perhaps even my boyfriend) to indulge in my favourite in-lieu of essay activity. One even called me almost hyperventilating when Tim Gunn appeared on How I Met Your Mother. This distraction/ addiction is the most catching I have devised.



But this activity does have a down side. Namely, one's self esteem. Stuffing your face with copious amounts of cheese and crackers and swiss chocolates throughout a marathon ANTM session watching the size zeros strutting around really has guilt-filled repercussions. And the creations devised on Project Runway make me overcome with self-doubt and pointlessness as I consider that I will never be able to work a sewing machine, let alone have Heidi Klum wear my design on the front of Marie Claire (I LOVE YOU ANTHONY).

Less pressingly, such fashionable television also presents me with the overwhelming problem of clothes-envy. There are many examples I could use but I feel that one perfectly demonstrates this feeling so strongly that it must be a universal emotion. Gossip Girl. At the fore of this green-eyed viewing pleasure is Little Jenny Humphrey aka Taylor Momsen. At only 16 she's the only member of the GG cast to style herself. Shocking, as she always looks by far the best, yet not surprising as there is little distinction between her on-screen and off screen looks. Both of which I desire to the extent of tears. She could almost make me go blonde!



But the best thing about Gossip Girl fashion is not simply the prodigal princess bitch but the diversity within the characters. I don't always want Upper East schoolgirl Grunge, sometimes I feel like a strangely Brooklyn based LA take on noughties Boho (cue Vanessa), or some strangely classy sex appeal (hello Serena). But more often than this, if I don't want to obsess over the teen rock star look then what I probably want to do is stare at Blair Waldorf the modern New York definition of a Lady. I'm drawn magnetically to her headbands and not a hair out of place, her perfectly fitted dresses and most of all her beautiful, dapper gentleman of a lover.



Yes, Gossip Girl is the perfect procrastination for us to want the girls' clothes and their men. And even if you are happily settled and can't bear the thought of perving on innocent actors then we are offered a hearty dose of men's fashion to focus on. Chuck Bass works the suit like no other, and Dan Humphrey is the new Seth Cohen (thanks Josh Schwartz for your fine-tuned imagination) and the definition of what all socially sidelined indie males should aspire to be. But Rufus, the aged rockstar and Lily's trophy hubs, catches my eye in the fashion stakes. The sexy older man with a cheeky extra button left temptingly open and that leather choker. It's so fashionably awful yet so so so aesthetically pleasing.


Jessica Wilde - @littlemisswilde

Wishlist - Anne Hathaway's Eyebrows

Okay, so this is a particularly random addition to the wishlist. But for almost two months now I have been drawing my eyebrows in daily and it has moved into the realms of total obsession. They grow every day to such an extent that drawing them in has become rather time consuming and my mum (certain this is my lazy way to avoid plucking) doesn't understand why I put so much effort into simple avoidance when I have a fringe that pretty much covers them.

But it's more than that. I need huge dark eyebrows to survive. When I look at people all I see is eyebrows, even more than I see clothes. I'd rather leave the house naked than without a brow that would make Keira Knightley swoon with jealousy. My eyebrow addiction was containable until I saw Alice in Wonderland earlier this month, and then it boiled over. Study the specimen in question

Eyebrow implants are actually available now. That is a massively tempting prospect. Big eyebrows were all over the catwalks and they are the easiest way to make your face seem sculpted and angular whilst looking natural without piled on blusher. Until Anne Hathaway's eyebrows come up for auction on the transplant black market I will have to survive with my pitiful painted on substitutes.


Jessica Wilde ~ @littlemisswilde

Spotted at Sports Night

Maria ~ 1st Year ~ ESPS

We love this because ~ the colour/material/fit of the playsuit suit her perfectly (and clearly we're a bit obsessed with them at the moment) and this is just the right amount of simple glamour for Sports Night. Obviously we would have preferred something a little sexier on the feet, maybe some chunky wedges, but we forgive her because it was raining and one must always remain practical.

Spotted off Campus in Cambridge

Sarah Battista ~ Anglia Ruskin

We love this because ~ it might just have been because this was the week that Lady Gaga blessed us with the amazing new Telephone video, but these larger-than-life shoulders and the really-not-there-at-all sequinned hotpants (all courtesy of topshop) seemed like the best idea anyone could possibly have.

Essay Procrastination- To Jump or Play?

Hot on the heels of spring, I’ve started to become uncontrollably excited about what the new season has to offer. Having stepped out the other day, perhaps all too eagerly in a little summer frock and jacket, a freak snow storm followed by monsoon showers firmly reminded me that winter was NOT over. If you’re like me and suffering from those relentless winter blues, it’s time to jump on the summer band wagon and embrace this seasons essential; the all-in-one.

Being only 5’3 and in every danger of getting it very, very wrong, I am still yet to take that leap into the world of the jumpsuit. I love the idea of throwing on a playful romper and feeling gorgeously feminine and sophisticated, but the fear of looking half my age has managed to put me off every time. After spying these little beauties I’ve decided it’s time to give the all-in-one a second chance...

Derek Lam has tempted me back to the laid-back playsuit with oh so cute floral prints teamed with devilishly alluring, ultra-feminine shapes. Whilst fit for a night on the town, these all-in-ones are guaranteed to bring out the mischievous child in you. This season the romper-suit is certainly not to be taken seriously. Bright aztec prints, ditsy florals and bold colours make this seasons staple as frivolous as its name implies. Even I might embrace the frivolity that Lam’s creations have thrown our way. Shame the student loan won’t stretch to one...

The high street has given us just enough to satisfy our stingy student cravings. Let yourself go with this sweet offering from Urban Outfitters. Sumptuous spring flowers adorn this ultra-feminine onesy for a flirty take on the traditional play-suit. Or get your tribal paints and tassles at the ready for this vivacious romper from ASOS. A steal at £35 you can’t go wrong with its dynamite Aztec print to breathe new life into your wardrobe this season.

For evening, take the tone down with elegant yet understated jumpsuits. Gorgeous sultry satins in subdued, neutral hues are this seasons answer to the traditional LBD. Strewn across the spring summer catwalks, all-in-ones oozed sophistication. Lanvin draped Grecian goddesses in luxurious silks with harem style bottoms. Admittedly not the easiest style to pull off, I know I might just be staring longingly at these........

Zara has stepped up to the mark with this demure evening ensemble; effortlessly chic shape- check, natural earthy tones- check, impulse to grab your bag and head to Oxford street NOW- check. This one certainly ticks all the boxes. For a sexier take on Zara’s picture of perfection, try this bombshell from ASOS to release the glamourpuss within you.

While the ever-so-cute ditsy playsuits are the definition of summer fun, they just don’t seem to be satisfying my usually sweet tooth. I think the understated sophistication of the full-length, red-carpet worthy variety will be my first venture into the world of the jumpsuit. So excuse me but I’m off to shops to get in on some all-in-one action...

Miss Bentley