The Last Post!

After 241 days (and 6 nights) and some fine feature posts, the end has arrived all too soon! Tomorrow I must venture off to Spain, with only a mere suitcase (and it's 23kg of contents) to clothe myself with. 
But this daily journey has not been without its highlights! Fleece has been made fashionable, the safari shirt is a thing, veiled box hats are now suitable for university, princess night should be annually celebrated, leopard print has become a neutral print and double denim has never looked so good.
And here's some of the clothing in action!

Day 15, reclining in the living room den, post-construction.

Day 3, doing some washing.

Day 138, browsing in H&M and trying on a ginormous hat.

Night 54, at the Modern Languages Society ball, mid-dance floor balloon nabbing!

Day 135, having lunch in the refectory on a revision day.

Day 137, having a revision break in the sun with my biscuits and ridiculous hat.

Day 177, after having my official graduation photo taken (matching nails to hood!!)

Night 104, the only photo of me at that evening social, and instead of  posing nicely with my housemates, I'm deciding which cheese and pineapple stick to devour.

Night 152, on the Otley run with Princess Jasmine!

I hope, stylish ones, that you have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing (e.g. lots), and I hope I have inspired confidence in you all, as this blog has in me. I have worn items I never would have worn if it were not for documenting myself daily; I have pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone and ignored everyone who thought I looked ridiculous or laughed at me. Because I can wear what I want, and more importantly, I feel smashing doing so! Feeling good in yourself and in a garment is a hundred times more happy/appealing/attractive/everything than simply having a nice garment. You are the wearer, and it is important to remember that you should clothe yourself in good feelings and confidence as much as comfy, wonderful fabrics!

Thanks again for reading, and I'm sure you're all looking fabulous as always!

Besos, 

Pard and Cov 

Day Two Hundred and Forty One

Claire is wearing a pair of gold hoop earrings [Superdrug], small tortoise shell sunglasses [Zandra Rhodes, from a charity shop] matching red jacket and pencil skirt [Butter Knits, from a charity shop], leopard print crop top with leopard heads [Topshop] and yellow canvas hi-top trainers with orange and purple rabbits [Converse, from a friend].
Covadonga is wearing a lilac paisley print roll-neck top [St Michael, from a charity shop].

Today is the last day!

So I'm wearing my, now, smartest and potential interview outfit in my wardrobe! I picked this up in my favourite charity shop for a pound (ladies wear sale)!! It's such a punchy energetic colour; a lady in another charity shop complimented me on it. I like the fact that it's a short sleeved jacket, it's summery and it has small square pockets on either side. The buttons on the jacket are gold with little anchors on; wonderfully 80s and old-school charming. Finally the pencil skirt fits perfectly!

I've paired it with my leopard crop top, as it's good to have a favourite as well as something new! And something from a friend in my hi-tops. It's like a wedding except there's no blue! 

I hope the suit will power me through some future interviews, despite it's lack of power shoulders. 

Day Two Hundred and Forty

Claire is wearing a denim coat [charity shop], long denim dress [charity shop], wooden parrot necklace [jumble sale], black patent belt with gold buckle [charity shop], black and white Doc Socks [Dr Martens shop] and tomato red Dr Martens [Dr Martens shop]. 
Covadonga is wearing a blue, pink and woven beaded necklace [Accessorize].

The penultimate day of the blog, and I'm ending in style, naturally!

Today is double denim of epic proportions, because if you can, why not!? 

All about the excess in here.

I like wearing matchy-matchy things, it makes a change to my orchestrated clashing of prints and colours. I've ignored the traditional DD rules of light and dark denim and gone for similarity instead; I mean matching coat and dress sets were a thing in the 60s right?

This dress is a good staple; being denim, it's hard wearing yet comfy. It buttons nicely up to the neck and fits well despite it's length and slightly square shape. Utility and beauty. The only issues, a missing last button aside, is juggling 2 collars. Hopefully the closest to two things fighting over my neck I'll ever be; both are blue and pointy, like a cartoon shark fin. It can get edgeh, but it can get a bit cluttered too!

I've added my recent fete find of a wooden beaded necklace with a parrot dangling on it. During a recent clear-out I gave up most of my wooden beaded necklaces, they just weren't me anymore (I'm into precious metals now, an expensive phase which requires me to buy gold tarnished things instead) but I liked the parrot and the primary colours. I'm sure it could double as a pram toy for a toddler. A word of caution though, getting hair caught in between wooden discs is painful and to be avoided!

Day Two Hundred and Thirty Nine

Claire is wearing a blue and cream leopard printed wrap dress with big cat heads [charity shop], denim coat [charity shop], black and white Doc Socks [Dr Martens shop] and tomato red Dr Martens [Dr Martens shop]. 
Covadonga is wearing a men's denim jacket [charity shop].

I apologize for my bizarre facial expression, who knows what I was thinking when the shutter went off...

I've got it all wrapped up today in my wrap-around dress! The nice thing about wrap dresses is that they fit a wider range than most dresses, it all replies on the length of the wrap bits. This one is almost better than a leopard printed wrap dress as it has cheetahs and tigers on it too! The only thing better than one pussycat is 3! 

I'm rather a traditionalist when it comes to leopard-print, I like natural looking in black, brown, yellow and tan. I'm not a fan of those neon and rainbow coloured ones; give me plain, vanilla pard! This however, is just on the right edge of my taste with it's subtle periwinkle blue and black; I believe it stops the dress form being too busy, or worse, tacky.

Finally, I bought a denim coat for a fiver yesterday! I think it's kind of swish and seventies style. Also a bit swashbuckling! It has dull gold buttons on it with large cuffs which makes me feel a bit like a pirate!

Day Two Hundred and Thirty Eight

Claire is wearing a white and yellow dress with polka dotted overlay [Leeds Vintage Kilo Sale], black and white Doc Socks [Dr Martens shop] and tomato red Dr Martens [Dr Martens shop]. 
Covadonga is wearing a yellow wooden-beaded necklace [Spanish table top sale]. 

Today's dress is worn partly on principle, as I didn't want the blog to end without wearing it! This is the 'sweet dress', coined as it looks like some kind of lemon sherbet wrapper. It's pretty bizarre and hands down one of the most ridiculed pieces in my wardrobe. I tried it on at a vintage sale and I loved it! The colours are very happy and summery (I wore it to a Church fayre today)! The shape in itself is odd and a bit complicated. The item is composed of a yellow dress, which is white at the back, attached to a yellow polka-dotted coat over it, which buttons with a frill. The low cummerbund doesn't restrain my stomp too much luckily, but my ruffle shimmys attractively! 

The downside is, it's so downright peculiar looking that people stared at me all day. A pair of 11 year-old looking girls actually laughed at me. Well, at least I wasn't wearing a top which had SELFIE written on it. The newsagent lady on the other hand said I was well co-ordinated. And I think it looks great in the photo. I might just have to hide it away again until I'm over 50 or I attend a wedding, perhaps the world is just not ready for this slice of Pard.

Style Icons

I wore my Frida Kahlo t-shirt yesterday and it reminded me of one of the most important aspects of fashion, aside from the wearer who chooses is: other, inspirational, people!
Everyone's style changes and the people who inspire them likewise change. I used to be an avid skinny jean and long sleeved top wearer, before the end of my first year of university when I started wearing long skirts and dresses, and frankly, never looked back (and not worn a skinny jean for about two years). A lot of that is thanks to Frida!

A style icon is all well and good, appreciating and emulating what they wear is obviously the idea, but even better than that is having a fully rounded idol, someone who can inspire through what they wear.

Frida Kahlo is my idol.
I've studied her for several years through art and as part of Hispanic culture. Her biography (Frida by Hayden Herrera) is an inspiring read and her art, which I have been lucky enough to see some of, remains powerful. She survived, and most definitely lived, through illness, injury, miscarriage and her husband of two times, Diego Rivera. She was an incredible, and at the same time incredibly human, woman. This article, from which the picture is taken, highlights how strong the relationship between the female body, insecurity, power and clothing is. She clothed herself to hide her polio damaged leg and align herself with the Mexican people and culture. It is not just her clothing that inspires me, it is the powerful way in which she wore it. The political and social message she made through them and the stand she took for herself, as a powerful woman (the Tehuana dress she adored comes from a Mexican region with a matriarchal society), against her physical pain and her embrace of life in all its colour and emotion. Not even a lower leg amputation could stop her from being glorious.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/uncovering-clues-in-frida-kahlos-private-wardrobe/

Moreover, I'm a fan of Advanced Style. Those women probably feel younger than I do and I truly look forward to being over 60 to do what I want and not have to answer to anyone, and to just wear what I want! It's great that you don't have to be young to be fabulous or appreciated anymore. 

However, style icons don't need to be famous! I lived with some, look at this lot!

Taken by Will Stanley Film and Photography

Once found, a style icon, whether a passing phase or a life-long obsession, can be a wealth of fashion and life inspiration: be inspired Stylish ones, just as someone probably is by you!

Day Two Hundred and Thirty Seven

Claire is wearing a tiered navy dress with red polka dots [Laura Ashley, from a charity shop] and tomato red Dr Martens [Dr Martens shop]. 
Covadonga is wearing a matching navy bolero with red polka dots [Laura Ashley, from a charity shop]. 

Older women dig this dress, like seriously dig this thing! I had three ladies compliment me; the first was on a bike who stopped behind me as I was peeling my banana (I thought she was going to tell me off for blocking the way). I have never been so well dressed in the eyes of the mature lady!

I'm betting it's because it's Laura Ashley! This two piece set is as flamboyant as it gets. I feel like a flamenco dancer, but my shadow appears to be that of a Victorian harlot! The skirt is very full, and unlike some tiered skirts that scrimp on fabric, these ruffles are each a separate layer of fabric. There's a lot being held up by those thin straps at the top! I would usually steer clear of items that rest on the hips but this one is corseted, it has bones and everything so it's quite flattering. The only issue is I don't have enough boobs (three would probably suffice) to hold it up properly, either that or my shoulders aren't high enough.

It's a show-stopper for my legs though, even if my torso doesn't quite agree! It;s been great swirling around and kicking my ruffles in front of me!