Boot-iful Things

I have a busy weekend ahead of me, flogging some lovely clothes, shoes, and paper goods at a little "boot-ique" fair called Loved Worn & Reborn. Taking place from 2pm - 5pm on Sunday, at Brighton's St Luke's Church Hall on Exeter Street, it promises not only vintage fashion galore, but also mulled wine, manicures, and festive foodie treats; perfect for a chilly December afternoon! Check it out on Facebook, or go here for further information. I just hope I don't end up spending more money than I make.

I've been pricing up my wares this evening, and mourning the potential passing of some really beautiful clothes. Here are just some of my picks from my little stall - five of the items that I think I'll miss the most; I hope they find their way to a loving new home!

Brocade swing coat with bracelet length sleeves, £25.

Vollers PVC under-bust corset with 22" waist, £15. I am way too, err, womanly for this these days. 

Gorgeous handmade vintage paisley dress (which makes me feel like a character in a Russian folk tale), £20.

Vintage black and white dress with collar, £20; the costume Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland should have worn!

A handsome Vivienne Westwood Anglomania skirt, £35.

If you come along, you can also expect to see me flogging fashion by French Connection, Reiss, Whistles, Burberry and more, as well as some great vintage pieces, from the paltry sum of £5. Accessories will start from a quid. I was planning to sell the handmade dress pictured below, too, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I really have loved and worn these items, and sometimes it's too much of a wrench to sell them. I've only worn it out once since I bought it, and it doesn't sit right at the back, but I can't give it up! Pesky materialist ideology penetrating my feeble psyche... Looks cute though, right?

O Tidings of Commerce and Joy

Today, as one or two tantalising flakes of snow fell gently upon my fake fur coat, I saw a small boy buying a sledge, and a van unloading a batch of Christmas trees. It was so insanely festive, I almost wept!

Black leather strap detail ribbed knit palm warmers, Topshop, £20

Truly, Christmas is a-comin', and I can't wait, not least because my husband and I will shortly be off to New York for a spot of seasonal shopping and seasonal snuggling. I'm thinking ice-skating, twinkling lights, and the holding of stylishly gloved hands in the park. I'm particularly excited, though, about basking in the loveliness of Manhattan's festive window displays. Check out these beauties, as featured on NYmag.com:

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/11/holiday_windows.html#photo=1x70523

Slytherin Chic

So, the new Harry Potter movie is out in the UK on November 19th. Woohoohoo! I am insanely over-excited. Myself and a small but enthusiastic posse will be descending on the local Odeon dressed in regalia reminiscent of our favourite Hogwarts house - Slytherin, baby! I mean, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are sweet kids and all, but I am not feeling the clean-cut, Abercrombie and Fitch vibe. They dress like the kind of people I would have avoided like the plague in school. If you have a subversive streak, a love of punk music, or eccentric taste in clothes, I can't help but think that Slytherin is the place to be. Sans pseudo-racism, of course.

I haven't quite settled on what to wear yet. For the boys, of course, it will be dark, slim-fit suits, button-down shirts, and slick hair, a la the delicious Draco Malfoy. I can imagine a couple of them slapping on the guy-liner for that evil-dude-about-town look, too.

There aren't many female fashion role models amongst the Slytherin women, though. The young Pansy Parkinson has a cool Natalie Portman in Leon thing going on, with a sulky face, a bad attitude, and a sharp black bob.  

But. whilst the bad-ass swagger comes naturally (!), a new haircut seems like too big a commitment for one night of fancy dress shenanigans. More likely, I'll be taking a cue from Helena Bonham-Carter's Bellatrix Lestrange and Jason Isaacs' Lucius Malfoy; her pale skin, back-combed hair, and aura of Shakespeare's Sister-esque 90s cool and his layers of textured black and creepy jewellery.

Somewhere between pagan witch and dominatrix seems about right. If you're thinking of pulling a Slytherin this November, then, I say go for gothic-tinged accessories, dark and richly textured fabrics, and - of course - the House colours of silver and green. Here are some of my picks:

Oversized metal snake ring, Asos, £8

Black long fur coat, Miss Selfridge, £85

Long leather gloves, Jigsaw, £79

Wool mini, Boden, £55

Bird skull circle necklace, Urban Outfitters, £16

Minkpink crushed velvet maxi-dress, Asos, £44 (was £55)

Knitted spiky dress, Topshop, £45

Egg timer necklace, Urban Outfitters, £22

TBA self stripe lounge trousers, Asos, £100

More bangs for your buck?

As a (faux) redheaded lady, I was pretty enamored with Mulberry's Spring-Summer catwalk show; all the models were in beautiful auburn wigs! Aside from the colour, the most noticeable thing about the styling was the blunt, heavy fringes.

Mulberry SS2011, photo from Elleuk.com

Very awesome, and keeps the forehead cozy in the winter months. What's not to like? I want one!

The only thing that's holding me back is the hat issue. I'm really taken with some of the turbans that Asos are flogging are at the moment; so glamorous, and way more fun than the usual knitted beanie. I just have trouble imagining them with a heavy fringe...

Bow head band turban, £8

Velvet turban, £8

Jewel and feather turban, £36

What's a gal to do? I want fashion hair, sure, but not at the expense of fashion head-gear.

If only every problem in my life was this ridiculously frivolous.

Oversized Knits

Another good option when it comes to styling a maxi dress, the oversized jumper is also deliciously season-appropriate. As retailers start prematurely piping irritating Christmas music into every shop in the land, invest in something that'll help you learn to really love the winter.

Labrynth knits jumper, French Connection, £85

Knitted chunky stripe jumper, Topshop, £40

Chunky knit jumper, Peacocks, £13 (was £18)

Pipin gold lurex jumper, Reiss, £110

These beauties would advance my grungey, Angela Chase-inflected winter look no end. In fact, I already own the Peacocks one, and it looks great worn with my hair piled high, a couple of longer-length necklaces, and my New Look work boots. It's almost enough to stop me thinking about next summer!

Future Perfect

I've spoken before about the strange temporality of fashion - the way that it seduces the consumer into perpetually living in a world of future possibilities. Before the clocks have even gone back, catwalk shows the world over have me pining for the summer solstice; I still haven't bought my winter coat, and I'm already dwelling on sunglasses and sandals. It's perverse!

To be fair, though, I'm not actually thinking about what to buy for SS 2011. Rather, I'm looking forward to being able to recycle. My PhD funding runs out next summer, and I'll be needing to save every penny, so I'm chuffed that New York Fashion Week happened to throw up with some trends that resonated with my existing wardrobe. Take 70s-style sunhats. Here they are at New York Fashion week:

Tracy Reese.

Badgley Mischka.

Marc Jacobs.

And here's the one I was wearing this summer:

Accessorize.

Winner! As you can see, I already have some great big retro Topshop shades, too. They'll remain safely tucked away in my dresser drawer for now, ready and waiting for 2011's call to arms. I'll have to figure out what else I have in my wardrobe that can be re-styled, but with the statement accessories sorted, I'm hopeful I'll be able to pass style muster, whatever my budget..

In the Hood

I've recently been trying to persuade my crafty hubby to knit me an enormous snood. Should my whining and nagging not prevail, however, I could certainly be tempted by this little beauty:

Hooded scarf, Cos, £35

This hooded scarf was featured on the Guardian's style pages yesterday, and I am really rather taken with it. It's two parts sportswear to one part sci-fi, and it'd help keep my ears out of the cold. What's not to love? Plus, I'm a little bit obsessed with grey wool at the moment, for some reason.