Autumn trends

Autumn trends by seoana featuring an army jacket

Book worm

Hi my name is Seoana and I am a bag addict. 
Big bags, small bags, satchels and clutch bags - you name it and I'm sure to have it. Even the plainest outfit can be instantly injected with a shot of style with the right tote, and until I have the funds to afford my dream designer carrier, I take a 'more the merrier' approach to this most useful of accessories. Until fairly recently that is, when I took the brave decision to cull my collection and whittle it down to a few essentials. 

Since being at uni/employed I've been rotating three options, all big enough to accumulate the daily clutter necessitates; diary, make-up, umbrella, kindle, kitchen sink etc... 
What I haven't had the opportunity to use lately are my favourite type of holdalls; that stunning little ensemble that completes an evening's attire. Clutch bags - or any small bag that is pretty enough to be worthy of working alongside a killer dress and heels - are just big enough to fit in cash and keys, and most definitely could not to be mistaken for a common 'day-bag'. However when I started thinking about outfits for my birthday next month (I like to plan ahead) I realised to my horror I had left myself with a very limited choice.

Since moving out of my student house, there is no longer the option of three wardrobes to raid. I have to make do with my own sorry collection, which is shamefully small. So when I had a flick through the latest issue of Company, my heart skipped a beat when I saw these little beauties. 

I'd seen a handful of celebrities sporting these novel (HA, get it) clutch bags, including Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman and Emma Roberts. Taking geek chic to a whole new level, these cute clutches take famous stories and use their covers as decoration. Options I've seen include Lolita, The Great Gatsby and Jane Austen's Emma. Being a self-confessed book worm I was keen to get my hands on one, however when I saw the price tag attached to the Olympia Le Tan designs, I knew that until I had published my own successful story, there was no way I could afford one.

And so, the charming handmade creations from P.S Besitos are just what I need to satisfy my kitsch craving. From children's classics like The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Alice In Wonderland, to classic cook books, there are enough literary purses to fill a library. And at only £40, it's definitely tempting to do just that. I'm left to wonder how long it'll take before some clever crafter fashions a Harry Potter version, and whether I'll be able to decide between the seven books...

Bird is the word

Swooping onto the catwalk again this season has been an invasion of all things feathery. Once again, wings are the in thing, as all things birdy have been seen across apparel and accessories. 

From parrot-like brights, to soft and ethereal feather prints, this look has been countlessly interpreted to provide a flock of choice in both the designer and high-street stores. If head-to-toe print isn't your thing, there is a wide range of dainty accessories to channel your inner nature-lover.

As I researched the fashion further, I was overwhelmed with the gorgeous decorative accessories that were available to feature in your home and crafting. Wall stickers, stationery, fabrics, magnets, tea-towels...it's easy to inject a touch of fashion into your everyday life. www.notonthehighstreet.com, my new go-to site for quirky gifts, feature tons of unique home accessories that will set your heart a'flutter. www.willowandstone.com offer a range of pretty prints and birdy stationery, that will make writing lists much less of a chore. I for one am eagerly awaiting the day the magazine goes to print, so that I can 'sample' some of the cute little post-it-notes. Perks of the job and all...

I'm all for comfort dressing. There's nothing better after a long day (/hour) at uni than chucking the outfit that took all morning to prepare in the washing basket and slipping into some PJs. It's practically a tradition in our house, you step through the door and into your trackies. Our lounge is littered with an assortment of blankets and pillows, duvet day is everyday. 
But I don't think I'm quite ready to embrace winter's latest weird and wonderful trend, Pyjamas.

Sure, we've already seen slouchy silk tops and harem trousers dominate the catwalk last season, but this is taking things a step further. This is a combination of barely-there slip dresses and matching printed tops and trousers. Loose-fit, of course. Underwear as outerwear is a thing of the past, fashionistas should be showing us what they wear in the bedroom, literally. Corsets are a lost relic, as is anything remotely figure-flattering. Androgyny has reached a whole new level.

(l-r BCBG Max Azria, Proenza Schouler, Karen Walker, D&G)

(Celine, Louis Vuitton)

Well designers, I'm sorry to disappoint but my house-mates and I have been rocking this style for years now. We pop down to Sainsburys on a weekly basis in our garishly-patterned, ill-fitting apparel, getting many a look of admiration (not disgust) from passers by. So all those months of head-scratching and frustrated sketching have gone to waste, your hot new trend has already been done to death. 

Seriously though, I can't see this style dominating the high-street any time soon, except in the nightwear departments. While I'm not adverse to a cheeky flannel button-down pajama-esque shirt, I certainly won't be donning a pair of trousers to match. Unless it's in the comfort of my own home. 

Note to Santa: Bring me some pretty, cosy pjs please. Preferably the Celine pair, but Marks & Spencer will do. 

Colour My Life With The Chaos Of Trouble

After being alerted to this news story by my dad, and seeing as it coincided perfectly with today's events, I felt it was necessary to share it.

John Mosley raised £2,000 for charity by having this 'Where's Wally' themed tattoo of his home-town of Norwich across his back. It took a spine-tingling 24 hours to complete and features 150 different characters, including Darth Vader and a pair of Roman soldiers.

Having had my first tattoo a while ago, I'd been itching to get under the needle again. Yes, I may turn into a pale, quivering, nervous wreck when faced with having one tiny pin-prick for a blood test, but the idea of being stabbed with ink fills me with nothing but glee. Endless hours in front of the TV  have also led to a mild obsession with the 'Ink' TV series'; Miami Ink, LA Ink and London Ink, following the work of three tattoo studios and their artists. Watching people getting masterpieces etched across their bodies on a daily basis has only fuelled the need for more of my own, and having bribed my parents into funding any new additions in exchange for my cooperation in the doctor's surgery, I had settled on my designs and was ready for more of that pleasurable pain.

A quick trip to the tattoo studio to query an appointment led to me having not one but two more tats. Pictures will appear at some point, once the layer of bepanthen and cling film is removed. 

It's strange to think how socially acceptable tattoos have becomes in the last decade, everyone from teachers to pensioners are getting them these days. No longer restricted to the biceps of sailors, or making a statement across the pale skin of punks, it's as easy to get inked as it is to get a new hair cut or pierce your ears. It makes me wonder what the next step is for body modification. You can change the colour of your skin, and as Lady Gaga has recently demonstrated with her bizarre facial horns and shoulder implants, the shape of it. We can dye our hair, change the colour of our eyes, and alter any part of our body that we don't deem to be acceptable with plastic surgery. How long until we're having face transplants in our lunch break? With science and technology offering us more opportunities for change as the years tick by, will human's even appear as we know them in a hundred years time? 

I guess I won't be around to find out, so I can only imagine. A world full of Gaga-esque pointy-faced freaks? Maybe I'll be glad to be gone...

Seoana xoxo

Flash Delirium

Ahh fashion. Always ready to break its own rules. 

A bra strap showing - once an unfortunate wardrobe misdemeanour that no fashionista would be caught dead committing. Fast forward to last summer and we were all expected to be prancing around in our lingerie with the 'underwear as outerwear trend'.

Don't mix prints. Otherwise you'll look like a blind clown who got dressed in the dark. But this season it's all about mixing every pattern, colour and texture under the sun, in a rainbow amalgamation that will have passers by reaching for their shades.

The latest rule to be broken, colour clashing. More specifically, two of the brightest, most opposing shades on the colour chart. Unless you've been living in a cave with no internet/newspaper access for the past month, you'll have seen the usually revered style queen Cheryl Cole rocking this fashion 'faux pas' at the American X Factor auditions. Teamed with hair that looked like Farrah Fawcett caught in a wind turbine, it was a brave look to attempt.

Now I'm not saying this is why Simon Cowell decided to ditch her from the X Factor sharpish...but well, yes that's what I'm saying. Bad move Cheryl, you look like the 70's on a very bad trip.

But it seems that Chezza isn't the only one to be experimenting with these dazzling hues. 

A very pregnant Jessica Alba recently stepped out at an awards ceremony swathed in these shades, as did Kim Kardashian at a launch at Debenhams. 

They certainly looked better than poor Cheryl, even if Kim's curves did appear to be on the verge on escaping from her outfit.

So when did this happen, when was it OK to don these opposing tones?

There is one lady to thank, and that is legendary designer Diane Von Fustenburg. The embodiment of glamour, her DVF brand is coveted by women across the world. And so if she declares something in fashion, you don't argue with her.

Her Spring 2011 collection takes summer brights to new extremes, combining eye-popping pigments with classic silhouettes that are waltzing right off the catwalk and into celebrity's wardrobes. 

The trend hasn't gone unnoticed by the media, both Paris Vogue and Marie Claire paid homage on the covers of their upcoming issues.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the high-street's spin on the style, I'm thinking H&M will be the place to go to emulate the look on the cheap? We'll see!