May I Present, The Past and Present! guest blog post by Evie May

May I Present; The Past and Present!

Recently the fashion industry seems to have been very eclectic and spontaneous when it comes to both trends and trend setting. They’ve been picking their ‘muses’ from a vast range of people from Beth Ditto to Agyness Deyn and in the same way the trends being sported on our catwalks seem to be as opposite as those two beautiful women!

Recently I’ve noticed that the past seems to have come back into vogue when it comes to clothing. ‘Vintage’ seems to be the new buzz word on the fashion scene and everyone seems to have been flocking to their nearest charity shop or vintage boutique in order to grab a beauty from times gone by to add to their wardrobe.

I’m a big fan of vintage clothing and think that eras such as the 40’s and 50’s truly did produce some of the best clothing in fashion history but what I find really interesting is when people take aspects of today’s fashion and mix it with the past.

Some of the fashion today can lack the glamour and majesty of the past eras however we must not discredit modern fashion all together! People like Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood really have pioneered modern fashion, and in my opinion their couture pieces are like works of art.

However having said that we all have a day where we just want to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but what happens when you inject a bit of the past into a look from the present? I often find that by teaming a pair of 50’s heels and a 50’s headband with an ensemble such as a jeans and t-shirt, you not only look great but you feel good too!

Fashion is about leaving your mark, declaring to the world ‘this is who I am’ so by mixing up eras you are not only paying homage to that fashion, but you are taking the best bits of them and making them your own! I like to stand out when it comes to my clothing and I find this is the perfect way to do it! Celebrities such as Florence Welch and Paloma Faith are prime examples of how mixing up fashion can create a really strong and effective look. Florence for example usually channels a lot of 70’s clothing but mixes it with a modern day twist.

Florence always turns head with her clothing and her look has even made her the muse of designers such as Karl Lagerfeld! She looks amazing whether she is in a lavish Chanel gown or simply sporting a minimal look like a top and skirt. The key to Florence’s look often lies with her choice of accessories and I think she knows that whether it is a 70’s hat or a 50’s coat, a tribute to the past can really enhance a modern outfit. Paloma however does the opposite and often looks like she has tumbled out of the wrong era but uses modern accessories to develop her look. She wears a lot of clothing from the 40’s and 50’s but will match it with something such as a Westwood piece or a Piers Atkinson hat to add her own quirky twist! I’d say I’m more like Paloma when it comes to mixing up eras, but unfortunately I don’t have such a vast collection of beautiful vintage clothing quite yet. A girl can dream though right?

It can often seem like a chore to try and search out the perfect vintage piece, however recently the high street seem to have been investing in producing a lot more vintage style designs and who’s to know whether your fabulous new dress is from an obscure vintage boutique or from somewhere like Urban Outfitters, I won’t tell if you don’t...

Another misconception about injecting a bit of vintage into your wardrobe is that it has to cost the Earth but if you try places like charity shops, eBay or Asos Marketplace I guarantee you’ll find some vintage beauties without pay over the odds, and in a lot of cases it can even work out cheaper than buying something from somewhere like Topshop or River Island, and you’ll know that other people won’t be wearing the same thing as you! Overall I think eclectic dressing is the key to any good wardrobe because if you limit yourself to just one ‘look’ not only will it be hard to obtain and keep up with that way of dressing, but it won’t really be very interesting for you either! I think by mixing styles, era, colours and much more in fashion you can create a really unique look and just have fun with it! Fashion shouldn’t be taken too seriously and sometimes it is better to be silly with your clothing rather than just sticking to the ‘trends.’

You can find Evie May's blog here http://www.what-evie-wore-next.blogspot.com