she opened strange doors that we'd never close again

Happy Wednesday! I can't believe it's mid-week already. I've only been back at school for a few days but am already getting back into the usual grey swing that is my weekly routine. Getting up in the dark is still difficult, coming home to a hot mug of tea is still comforting; nothing has really changed except the fact that it is now a new year...and my last year of compulsory education. I had always assumed that I would just jet off into a career before I was 17, but as I've matured the necessity of qualifications and higher education in our modern society has been made ever more apparent to me. I also quite like the idea of staying in school too, as I feel a lot less grown up than I thought I would feel at 16.
Anyway, I had a textiles practical day today, and so had to spend the entire school day working on my practice piece for my final garment. I'm supposedly making a dress with a built-in corset, however I think quite a bit of adjustment is needed before it is anywhere near ready to be done in my proper fabric. It was much better than my normal timetable though.
I felt it necessary to wear my David Bowie top from the V&A shop today, to celebrate the birth of the Starman himself. Over the last year in particular his music has become increasingly more important to me; something about his evolution, both musically and physically, fascinates me. Basically I am very grateful that 67 years ago today a whimsical, artistic messiah-to-be was born.

 

I wore my cardigan from Clothes Show that has quite definitely become my favourite cardigan, with my shirt from Clothes Show, top from the V&A, skirt from Blitz, shoes from Rokit and socks from Topshop. My uniform of late has consisted of variations of this outfit, as shorts are apparently deemed inappropriate (?!) and cardigans and skirts are very comfortable combinations.

(images from here)

On a completely separate topic, I also feel it is necessary to talk about the London Collections: Men shows that have been taking place this week. Today saw the presentation of Burberry Prorsum's A/W14 collection, which has, in my opinion, added the perfect splash of pattern into the often plain field that is men's fashion. Beautifully tailored trousers were paired with sleek jackets and overcoats, to which a printed shirt, unbuttoned and open, was added, along with a contrasting patterned bag. The effect was effortlessly smart; so casual and nonchalant in appearance, and yet so finely detailed and well finished that the pieces sell themselves as the highest quality of clothing. Patterned scarves were draped around the model's shoulders, and the odd suede cowboy jacket even made an appearance. I absolutely adore this collection and kind of (really) wish it was a) for women and b) in my price range. Actually, I don't even need it to be designed for women; with those sort of patterns and gorgeous bags, I'd wear the whole collection anyway.
In other news, my cousins have just returned from a holiday to New York, where they bought me a gorgeous new journal from Barnes & Noble. I recently finished my first, and so couldn't wait to start playing around with this one. Here are a few pages from the two, and if any of you are interested in journalling yourselves I suggest you check out this post Maya wrote for The Pulp Zine, as she is the queen of all things journally and hers are incredible. I also have started using my pocket scavenger book that my parents bought me for christmas. It's so relaxing to do and is a nice way to keep those little scraps and things that you want but are not sure where to put.

I'm going to visit my cousins in the countryside this weekend, and so am looking forward to taking some proper pictures for you guys again. Until then, hope you have a good week.

ellie xo