Monday night Misdemeanors

Last week I ventured out of my design cave to meet one of my girlfriends for our weekly relationship/life/career catch-up session, but sadly my dinner was interrupted by some serious outfit mishaps by those around me. I’m not usually one to blog about the unfortunately dressed but I feel that this is something I need to bring up as they are “mistakes” I’ve seen made by several individuals in various locations and someone needs to say something.

Now I know it was only a Monday night and I’m not expecting everyone to adorn their best apparel, but there are a few rules that need to be abided by when venturing into a social scene for dinner.

Let me start with the men (and this is something I see time and time again, and is on my instant dump list, should a man ever do this to me) thongs are not, and never will be appropriate attire for dinner. The only exception to this rule is if you are in a backyard or at a Barbeque, otherwise it is a big N O from me. Secondly, I feel that perhaps this is an old fashioned way of thinking, but hats are not to be worn at the dinner table. We all know it takes only a few minutes to style male hair, so guys please go to the effort, it’s not a big ask. I only harp on about the cap business because in the space of 10 minutes and one restaurant I saw two cases of “hat at the table” and I think it shows a lack of respect to the people accompanying you.

My next beef is about bras, now although I’m a massive fan of all things undergarment there is a time and a place to show it off (namely the bedroom). I have a major problem with bra straps hanging out of a top, especially when it is a different colour to the top. You see it a lot on the young girls, and I admit I probably at one stage of my adolescence enjoyed wearing a red lacey bra under a black singlet top, but it’s definitely something I thought most people grew out of after the age of 14. If you are wearing a singlet top (or dress) then at least match your bra straps to the colour of the top (or dress). In all honesty you should endeavor to wear a strapless bra with it so you don’t have four straps attacking your shoulders like a deranged spiders web, but I know this is an impossible ask for some people. The other bra boo-boo I see too often is a black bra under a white translucent top, especially when the wearer continually draws attention to it by pulling it up every 5 minutes and fiddling with the back strap. If it doesn’t fit you properly, you shouldn’t be wearing it.

The only thing worse than seeing a bad outfit is seeing someone knowing their outfit doesn’t work. You can always pick the ones; fidgeting with their clothes, playing awkwardly with their accessories; usually wearing a particular stain of pink on their face that’s says “Why did I wear this? I’m so uncomfortable”.

I don’t understand why people don’t simply choose an outfit that reflects both their personality as well as a sense of style? There is so much out there to help them, books, Internet sites, television shows, blogs, all out there to help the common person feel more at ease with something that is an inescapable force that must be dealt with every day. Fashion is all around, it rules the world, so stop fighting it and start working with it. It is irrelevant what you look like, what your body type is or what your occupation is, style is something everyone can have and I wish it upon all those around me. Go forth and be stylish Brisbane!

Who knew?

I have now been a graduate for several months and I have to say that the initial shock has worn off and the cold hard reality of unemployment has gripped me and is beginning to squeeze the life out of me. You see, contrary to the QUT adds assuring its future graduates that everyone will be banging down your door to offer you a job, reality is really very different. The reality is that actually, unemployment (or worse, being in my position, having two jobs where neither can give you hours for there is no work) is what most graduates should prepare themselves for.

Unfortunately getting a job is actually really very difficult, being young and eager is not really always a good thing. Having done a million things whilst studying is intimidating to some employers, and being young makes it extremely difficult to secure a managerial position. Currently I'm looking for a retail management position, and despite having worked in retail for four years and having been trained as a manager for two different companies, I am constantly hitting the same wall: "despite you having plenty of experience, we feel you are not the right fit for our company" with no more explanation than this commonly used phrase, I am left asking why, why, why?? What am I doing? You aren't even giving me an interview!

Today I went for a second interview with a company (they gave me an interview but still said the above mentioned phrase after our little meeting) and I think I now finally understand. They look through my work experience and question me on all that I've done, then they look at me and with an uncomfortable tone say "and you've done all this and you're only 21?". Yes I know, isn't that wonderful? Shouldn't that prove how valuable I will be to your company? Well apparently not, but that's OK, I have not lost faith.

I believe that perhaps I'm hitting these rejection walls not through a lack of skill and understanding of the industry, just that I haven't found the right job yet, and that is why I am writing this blog.

Tonight I have decided to well and truly put myself out there. Although I know mainly only friends read this, on the off chance that someone looking for a new employee happens to stumble across my blog they will see that I am in fact perfect for their open vacancy.

Above is my resume, and although this isn't everything I've ever done, it definitely outlines what I've done, so you can understand what I'm capable of. At this time I'm looking for a full time position in the fashion industry. My interests are in styling, selling, retail management and merchandise, obviously I also love to write. If you know of anyone looking for someone like me please send them here or send me an email (the link is in my info section).

Friends (or followers) please help little EC get on her feet, it's a jungle out there and I seem to only have pinking sheers.

Yours faithfully

EC <3

Graduation Garb

Picture this...

It's your graduation night, you arrive early as instructed to go and collect your gown, hat and hood. As you stand in line in your new, specially picked out graduation dress (that despite the fact that it would be covered by an over sized Harry Potter-esque cloak, you still spent considerable time choosing) you see someone saunter past you in a black crop top, dirty hair and ripped denim cut-offs, also donning the same cloak you are soon to receive. Your mouth falls open in complete shock and you look over to your friend who looks equally as mortified as you do and you ask, WHY?!

Alas, this one girl (who looked more suitable for a music festival than for her graduation) was not in fact the only person clearly not giving a flying pigs tail that they were graduating that day either!

I have to say that most of the students in the Creative Industries that graduated on Tuesday night looked exceptional (one girl was even wearing a ball gown, admittedly, perhaps she went a little too far the other way, but that's beside the point) but what shocked me were the people that rocked up in t-shirts, jeans, and other equally horrible, ungraduation type clothes.

Several people (guys and girls) walked past me and I just wanted to grab them, shake them and scream "did you realise you're here to graduate from University today!?! Put some effort in!"... I can honestly say I restrained, but it was hard.

I don't think my brain could comprehend allowing me to go to an important life event dressed in a ratty t-shirt and hideous jeans and I can't help but think the Universe would make sure I ran into a bus or something equally tragic if I ever attempted such a thing.

I suppose all that really matters is that myself and my gorgeous girlfriend (who graduated with me) looked spectacular in our cute-to-boot grad dresses.

I'll conclude this post with a warning, if I see you at an event that is calling for a well thought out/ effort required type outfit, and you look as though you've just been mowing the lawn, please be advised that I may feel the need to give you a dirty look, or if you really deserve it, give you a good slap.

That is all...Rant complete.

Back in Action

Well, you will probably have noticed that I didn't win my 7 day challenge. Unfortunately a mixture of drink spiking, flue and no Internet caused me to fail the challenge like Charlie Sheen fails to be funny, my apologies to anyone who was genuinely wanting to read a weeks worth of blogs.

But I am now at home, waiting for my flue to get worse then get better and while stuck in bed and unable to attend to the rest of my life I figured I would blog. Main case in point is to follow up my rant about Vogue's December issue. It would seem that American Vogue heard my call and I was delighted to pick up the November issue and see a gorgeous Anne Hathaway looking ravishing in an Oscar de la Renta burgundy silk faille dress with red underlay, simply accessorised with her beaming smile and her captivating Bambi eyes. Thank you for this American Vogue, seems you could give me one thing that our home-grown couldn't, mind you I still have a small bone to pick with you.

Your segment "FLASH Talking Fashion - Tone Deft" made me feel a little queasy (and not just because I have the flue) I felt like this page was an ad for "overthetop-diets"! Not one 'stylish' woman on this page looks healthy, to make matters worse, none of them are smiling, this tells me "to be fashionable this season, you must look sick and wear neutrals" great style lesson, thanks for that.

To add to this I only have one other complaint but please understand that overall I really did love this issue but why, oh why, does EVERY shot taken, feature the models mouth open? I understand that this kind of sultry pout can be sexy and alluring, and most certainly this will sell product; but this is no a sexy pout (the Bambi shot on the front of Harper's is definitely excluded from the below rant, she looks gorgeous). The pout I'm referring to makes the model look one of two ways; either like a complete bimbo - incapable of breathing through her nose like a normal human being, or (and this is usually created when the head is titled forward and hair covers some part of the face) the girl from The Ring. I suppose I could point the finger at the Marc Jacobs campaign to demonstrate exactly what I'm talking about. I thought the idea of a stylist was to make the clothes look desirable, am I wrong? The new Marc Jacobs campaign (featured in the above mentioned issue of Vogue) feature what appears to be a nuclear Holocaust at Hogwarts, worst part of all? The clothes are actually quite pretty. Sadly though, an advertising campaign like this doesn't create desire in my eyes, just gives me bad dreams.

Ok, rant complete, I must add that I picked up the December issue of Harper's, and I have a few things to say.

One, thank you for my Christmas gift, my new tote will be perfect for my Summer beach trips. Secondly gorgeous cover, I am LOVING Bambi at the moment, and that Paris shoot is just perfect. Thirdly, thank you, thank you, thank you for the content. There are certain things I feel a fashion magazine needs to have in their December issue; Christmas gift guide (check), a party looks guide - as everyone has Christmas parties to attend (check) and some great articles - between putting up Christmas decorations and organising presents I always have down time and love a good read (check) well done Harper's, this issue may have just converted me.

Just one more thing before I go, whoever shot the Tiffany's campaign in the opening cover of this months Harper's, well done - it truly is a fairytale, and one I wouldn't mind experiencing this Christmas.

Dear Vogue

As I was staring at the wall of magazines in the Supermarket I naturally dove straight for my one true love - Vogue Australia, as I have been an avid reader of the iconic magazine since I was a little girl. Sadly though I was stopped in my tracks, I picked up the magazine and before giving it the loving gaze I would usually greet my old friend with, I dropped it like it was made of molten lava. The image on the front cover was.... how can I put this? Horrendous! Scary even!!

I understand that fashion tends to circulate and trends like the miniskirt or red nail polish come in and out of fashion for various reasons, but I just can't for the life of me understand this new trend. The "Unwashed/Scowly/Gap-Toothed" trend. It's bad enough as a young woman trying to follow fashion trends and aspire to the waif-thin look and ridiculously expensive clothes I will most likely never own, but to push the boundaries to the point where beauty becomes unrecognisable in these women does my head in! I am a firm believer of classic beauty, in saying that I can appreciate a model if she has an interesting look, but I just can't understand how looking half-dead can be attractive. Let me brake down what I observed when I saw the cover of Vogue this month, and why my heart broke.

To me Vogue covers have always been the ones to aspire to, to style a Vogue cover has always been my dream (and still is) as in my opinion they always have the most glamorous, gorgeous, dream-like aesthetic and are always an inspiration to me and ignite a passion within me to continue delving into this hugs world known as "Fashion", and this is exactly why I almost cried looking at this cover.

The first thing I notice is the lipstick, it's a deep red, and to me red lipstick has always conveyed a sexuality about it, but this colour just makes the models skin look even more sallow and her facial features, even more harsh. The next thing I notice is the hair; now I'm an ambassador for the "I just rolled out of bed and didn't do my hair" look, but regrowth + unwashed + tangled and knotty? How is this attractive?

And by now, we're all use to seeing impossibly thin models on the front of our magazines, and we have come to accept it as the norm, but do we really need to be confronted with a "please feed me" facial expression too?

Vogue, I will always love you, but it's the December issue, why couldn't we have someone who at least looks like they're enjoying some kind of holiday cheer, not someone who tends to remind me more of a drug addict than a fashion model.

It's the Christmas issue, where are the smiles, the beach, the happy times, the "I ate too much over the Christmas brake" models? I would have been happy with a jolly Miranda Kerr showing off her Christmas joy, after all isn't Christmas all about the birth of a little miracle?

When I look at this image it doesn't make me want to buy the issue, it doesn't make me even want to have anything to do with the Fashion industry. Please Vogue, make January beautiful, there is nothing more fashionable than a smile, so make it a good one.

Sincerely,

(Still an avid fan)

EC

Whats going on?!?

Badly dressed men of Brisbane I have a bone to pick with you, a fashion shaped bone. It has occurred to me that there seems to be an overwhelming amount of guys in Brisbane that have decided that looking (and smelling) like a sanitary bin is now fashionable. I'm sorry, but no! If you approach me and I smell you before I actually talk to you, I can guarantee you will not get far. The strangest part of all this is that they actually think that their long unwashed hair, b.o. smelling tee and ripped jeans are actually really very fashionable. WHY!?! The worst part is when I see a guy that has the potential to be really quite attractive and has even managed to get the clothing right but has long dirty hair and smells like he lives in a tip! Why are you doing this, guys please, women love men that smell like Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein, if you set the standard for yourself to be unwashed, then please only approach those that follow your (lack of) hygiene routine, I really don't want to know.

Also while I'm on the rant train, ladies listen up! I love a nice comfy pair of jeans as much as the next person, but please don’t wear them if they don't fit you properly, there are two things I've seen way too much of this winter and I feel like someone needs to say something. Firstly, if your jeans are too tight and you muffin out the top, DO NOT wear a MIDRIFF! We, the public don't need to see that, if you feel you must wear these jeans then wear a top that covers the muffin, in fact I hate seeing midriffs on girls that have good bodies as well (I am a firm believer that the only time I want to see your belly is at the beach, but not everyone agrees with me on this one). Secondly if your jeans hang under your bum, loose and baggy then chuck them in the dryer or buy a new pair. Jeans are suppose to be snug around the bum, you are not a skater boy, you need to pull your pants up, it looks like you've had an accident in your pants but can’t be bothered to change.

One last thing for my rant, I know it’s cold and it can sometimes be hard finding appropriate footwear to keep your feet warm, but Ugg boots should not be seen in public. There are so many gorgeous boots on offer, you really have no excuse!

So let’s try and pull our fashion savvy socks up Brisbane, I know there are many of you doing the right thing and going out looking fabulous, keep it up and hopefully everyone else will cotton-on.