OOTD: A taste of the future

It's odd to think about the fact that within the next few months my life will have completely changed. I will be leaving behind my path for the past five years which ultimately lead to GCSEs, and will begin my trek in the direction of A-Levels in year 12. Even more so, it's strange to contemplate a school life in which some of my closest friends may not be. Many of those who I've grown to love are likely to be heading off to new schools, leaving a space where their beautiful personalities used to be.

As sad and scary as the thought of the future may be, I possess an overwhelming feeling of optimism. The prospect of doing subjects that I absolutely love - English Lit, English Language, History and RE - makes me more than excited to move on in the world of school.

Something that seemed to even further fuel my sanguine expectations was taking part in my 6th form experience day. I got the opportunity to have taster lessons of the options I'm taking and also had the chance to meet some of those who I will be spending the next 2 years with. Just as I hoped, the teachers were successful in provoking enthusiasm within me and made me want to soak up literature and historical dates and prominent social events and religious philosophy instantly. The whole day meant that I'm now capable of seeing beyond the lengthy summer holidays without an underlying sense of worry. In fact, I can stare forward with a smile on my face.

As though the idea of no longer having to do subjects which have stirred hatred within me for the past few years (maths and chemistry mainly) isn't enough, I also get to say goodbye to wearing a school uniform. Since we were essentially taking on the role of sixth formers for the day we of course got to wear our own clothes. A perfect OOTD opportunity, I'm sure you'll agree!

Dress- Charity shop, Denim shirt - Charity shop, Trainers - Topshop, 

Glasses - gift, Necklace - H&M

Are any of you heading off to sixth form or college in the next academic year?

Bethany Paige X

Prom: The night of nights

I've been looking forward to my prom night since at least 5 years ago. I suppose it was growing up with the romanticised depictions of American proms flashed over the Disney Chanel that caused it! Something about the whole event just seemed magical. For the past few months the excitement has been ever growing, all leading up to the long awaited night which happened to fall yesterday.

I thought it was only right to share my  prom wear with you along with pictures of some of my absolutely gorgeous friends in their absolutely gorgeous dresses!

My dress was a champagne lace with black floral embroidery. It had a short underlay and was ever so slightly higher at the front than the back which made it perfect for showcasing my cutout black pumps. The whole outfit had a laid back vintage feel, which I love and so continued with a messy fishtail plait. 

kelsie and myself

Rebecca, Maria, Kelsie and myself (right to left)

Rebecca, Maria, Kelsie and myself (right to left) and the rather snazzy car

Shana, Myself and Kelsie (right to left) at the venue

I couldn't have asked for a better or more stylish prom night with all my favourite people.

Bethany Paige x

Current obsessions

It seems like far too long since I've shown you all what I've been lusting after on the high street! I decided that today, whilst relaxing and preparing for prom, I had the perfect opportunity to do just that.  In today's list we have a pair of basket ball shorts, a neon nighty and a tartan suspender skirt. An odd collection indeed, but some of the most amazing pieces I've been in love with for quite some time. 

Topshop

What do you get when you mix a goth and a vintage loving girly girl? This dress of course! Despite its dark colour and slightly eerie touches, the dress is profoundly girly. I imagine it with floral headbands and delicate sandals.

Topshop

I don't like sports. In fact, I hate the majority of it. I do however, rather like these denim basketball shorts. I won't be running around in them but I would wear them with a plain white t-shirt and some gold chunky jewelry and trainers. They could even work with a pair of simple two strap stilettos to step up the style factor a little more.

Topshop

You all know how obsessed I am with white at the moment so, as you can imagine, when my eyes fell upon this sleek almost origami skirt I fell head over heels. Its versatility is undeniable. I just need it in my life!

Tosphop

This kind of looks like a neon nighty. I find that quite appealing for some reason. I can see this with a pair of chunky trainers and some insanely un-elegant jewelry to contrast with the delicate silk! In terms of a lazy summer dress, this is one of the best I've seen.

Miss Guided

Did someone say clueless? Ah yes, it was the 90s loving section of my brain calling out to this Miss Guided beauty! It was inevitable that I would fall in love with this tartan suspender skirt, let's be honest. I don't think I need to explain why, you all know the extent to which I will go to to achieve a 90s look!

Lashes of London Edit

Yes, I do have the skater dress in this print (here)... Would it be greedy to want the shorts too?! The adorable unicorn print and neon trim is just too irresistible. Plus, they're on sale!

What are you lusting after at the moment?

Bethany Paige X

Feng shui

If you're a regular visitor here at Paige of Fashion, you probably noticed what you're about to read as soon as you opened this post. Never the less, I'll tell you anyway - I've had a bit of a blog clear out and redecoration!

Truth be know, I was just a little bored. Since I've been blogging for almost a year and a half now with no change whatsoever regarding layout - except perhaps the introduction and later expulsion of some buttons - I think it was time for a bit of a change. As you can see, the logo has morphed into a mint coloured beauty and that colour scheme now continues throughout. I for one love it!

I also decided that today would be the perfect opportunity to branch out Paige of Fashion. You can now stay in touch through Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a few other social networking sites. So feel free to like, share, follow and pin away! (Top right of page)

Never fear, despite all of the changes made today, the content of Paige of Fashion will continue in the same way. Yes, you're still going to have to put up with my fashion ramblings!

I hope you all had a suitably summery day!
Bethany Paige X

OOTD: Unicorns and monsters

Ever since the reveal of the Lashes of London Edit, I've had my eye on two items in the collection - The unico shorts and the unico dress. As you can imagine, when Lashes opened up a jaw dropping giveaway to win the adorably nostalgic tea dress, I jumped at the chance. I tweeted, shared and kept my fingers crossed.

It's safe to say that I was suitably shocked when I found out I actually won the competition (cue happy dance)! Despite the absolutely huge number of entries, I managed to secure the dress I'd been dreaming of for weeks. That's the kind of thing my dreams are made of!

After numerous excited tweets (picturing the packaging and then the front and then the back), I hung the beautiful dress up on show in my room. I just had to wait for the perfect OOTD opportunity before putting on the unicorn print, neon trim, backless beauty. Today was that day. I paired my win with black H&M monster boots and a chunky gold chain. The sugary nature of the dress and frilly socks (just seen) with my hair in a ballerina's bun contrasted perfectly with the harsh accessories which included my Casio style watch.

 

 

 

 

Dress - Lashes of London, Boots - H&M, Necklace- H&M, Watch - gift, Socks (frill just seen) - Topshop

I hope you're all having a lovely week so far,
Bethany Paige X



Delevingne inspired 'do

Yesterday I set about making myself look like Cara Delevingne. Well, not quite. I did however, set about creating a Delevingne inspired 'do!
 

 

Slicked back ponytails are having a bit of a moment and it's the perfect style for staying cool this summer, in both senses of the word! As far as hair styling goes, this is one of the simplest looks to create, even for those of us who aren't exactly trained in the field. Here's how:

 

The starting point:



 

This tutorial will work best for medium to long hair and to prove that even the curliest of locks can be tamed, I performed the steps on my very own mane.

 

You will need:

 

Straighteners

Heat protect spray

Mousse

Hair putty or gel

Hairspray

Plus a hair brush and a strong hair tie

 

Step one: Straighten

 

Straigten your hair making sure you've used liberal amounts of heat protect spray. Mine's Toni and Guy. Don't worry about the parting of your hair but ensure that you've brushed out any knots so that it's smooth and easy to style.

Step two: Tie

 

Using your brush to pull the hair straight back, put it into a high pony tail. Don't worry about any baby hairs of flyaways, we'll tackle those in the next step.

 

Step 4: Mousse and hold

 

 

It's time to be brave and go crazy with the mousse! To give you an idea of how much to use, I did 5 handfuls as pictured above. Slick it through the hair to secure any flyaways and give a sleek finish. Then tackle baby hairs and use your putty to pull them back. Make sure you focus on the side, top and back of the head and run one handful of mousse through the ponytail itself.

 

Step 5: Finish the 'do

 

 

To finish the look spray all of your hair with enough hairspray to cover it. And Tada, a Cara Delevingne inspired slick ponytail! How very high fashion.

 

Bethany Paige X

The pointless pursuit of fashion

She visits numerous art museums every month, copious operas and the kind of events where champagne in crystal flutes are handed as she glides through the door. She lives in a fairly large house and rides horses in her free time. She enjoys reading Jane Austen and the occasional modern novel, as long as it's intellectually stretching. And she most certainly does not bother herself with the trends that flitter in and out every season. Fashion is after all, an inconsequential, trivial and altogether irrelevant fact of life. She's the archetypal well cultured woman, the kind of person you would never find wasting her time flicking aimlessly through the pages of a fashion magazine.

It's undeniable that we live in a world more full of culture clashes than at another time. We're constantly presented with the opportunity to absorb the wonders that not only our country holds, but the world as a whole. Collectively we strive to learn more about music, theatre, art and culinary wonders. As a whole, our current situation in terms of culture is remarkable. However, I do think there's one rather huge factor of our everyday culture that gets frequently pushed to one side. Of course I'm talking about fashion.

As a fashion blogger it's hard to believe this to be the case. We tend to surround ourselves by trends and clothing on a daily bases so that it all merges into our own little worlds. How could fashion possibly be considered, well, pointless? The truth is, people underestimate the power and affect that fashion has on their lives every day and label it as sheer vanity.

A lot of people like to think that they steer away from fashion due to its frivolous nature. However, one must question whether they've actually put much thought in to such a life statement.

As much as you may like to think that you don't hop on board with "mindless trends", most of us shop on the high street. We buy from Topshop, Newlook, Primark, M&S and Miss Selfridge. Where do all of these shops get their inspiration for new collections? The catwalk. Those pastel colours you wore last spring were inspired by Louis Vuitton, you have Dolce and Gabbana to thank for the jewel encrusted tops of autumn 2012 and the neon rope bracelet you picked up got its colour from the catwalks of Stella McCartney. So, as it turns out, a lot of our wardrobes are likely to be full of high fashion descendants that we're entirely unaware of.

Even if you are one of the few people that cut themselves away from the high street, steering clear of garish colours and the unneeded glamour of fashion, then it's still something that will affect you on a huge level. Perhaps not now, but after we've all left this earth, our culture and what was in vogue will be a huge aspect of how our lives are examined. Historians will look at what trends were big during particular times and how they effected the population in general. Among the study of art, theatre and food, fashion will remain as a prominent marker of each generation.

Those who create beautiful music and art are commended regularly by the press and the general public. It's undeniable that music and art creation is something that takes a plethora of talent. Yet, outside of the small circle of high fashion lovers, those who are capable of creating a whole collection of pieces for their fashion houses seem to get forgotten. They spend hours designing, sewing and creating; I would argue that they are artists themselves.

Regardless of this, there will still be many people out there who will chime in with comments such as "but fashion has got ridiculous, some of the things you see on the catwalks these days". And yes, some of the clothes that are flaunted down the runway are truly insane and I would never wear them. I do however, adore them. Much like winners of The Turner prize whose art work you wouldn’t want in your home but appreciate, I'm able to acknowledge the work that goes into the extravagant pieces I wouldn't choose to have in my wardrobe.

So now, if you take a look at fashion, the way it effects our lives daily, the effort that goes into each individual item and the legacy it will leave us with, I must question whether it could still be classed as a vain pursuit? As far as culture goes, isn't it one of the ultimate landmarks?

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: As casual as it gets

Today is a good day. It is the first day of summer and I'm wearing new jeans.

Remember this post? A collection of beautiful boyfriend jeans that I have been lusting over for months. Well, I have finally got a pair! If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know just how excited I've been about getting my hand on these beauties, which I was given as a treat for the hard work I've been doing over the past month. I've known I've been getting these ripped boyfriend jeans from Zara for weeks so, as you can imagine, it's been torture having to wait until the end of my exams! Finally putting them on today was a moment of pure happiness. Trust me, that's not an exaggeration.

The cropped style also presented me with the perfect opportunity to wear my Topshop neon print trainers. I matched the orange on my shoes with my H&M lipstick in "Figi Fling" and wore my oversized 75 jersey. The whole outfit has a relaxed feel about it which makes it perfect for the lazy day I'm having.

 

 

Lipstick - H&M, top - Unknow, jeans - Zara, trainers - Topshop.

 

How do you wear casual style?

 

Bethany Paige X

School's out, scream and shout!

Yes, you read that correctly. I did indeed just make a High School Musical 2 reference. And a very well deserved one if you ask me.

Today was my last day of exams, which of course means that my 10 week summer holiday has now begun! Being at the end of year eleven and having finally completed my GCSEs, I now have a beautiful stretch of time ahead of me with no work whatsoever. It's going to be quite the contrast the strict revision schedule I've been on for the past few months. As you can imagine, I'm rather happy about it!

The best thing though, is that I'm now free to blog. You've probably noticed me drop off the radar a little recently, purely because my priority has been preparing for exams (yawn). Nonetheless, I'm now back. You're officially stuck with my fashion ramblings for the foreseeable future. I'll be updating a lot more and Paige of Fashion will be restored to it's former, pre exam, glory!

 

A summery mood board is the best kind of mood board. 

So, without further adieu, let summer commence!

Bethany Paige X

Ricky Wesley Harriott: Clark Kent or Superman?

“The Wesley Harriott woman is a powerhouse.” Looking through Ricky Wesley Harriott’s most recent collection it’s clear that as a designer he’s devoted to breaking down barriers. His clothes seem to provide the ability to diminish classic connotations surrounding the female sex, and instead replace them with archetypally male characteristics. His two tone, slightly sporty aesthetic with androgynous elements makes the wearer seem independent and confident in her strength and ability. In the Designer’s words “The Wesley Harriott woman is powerful to the point that her sexuality at times is blurred by the fact she’s a sheer force”

Ricky says he’s always been captivated by strong women and that he drew his inspiration for his S/S12 collection from the female superheroes he followed within comics as a child. The very collection that focused on the sheer power women can hold is what got him into Sky 1’s Styled to Rock, where he designed for some of Britain’s most influential figures in music. After talking to him though, it seems perhaps the superhero theme runs a little deeper than one would first see. “I find my character as a designer compared to how I am everyday quite different. When I'm designing I'm in the zone, I'm excited, I'm expressive and bold. In real life I'm really shy, quiet and not always so confident. Designing allows me to say and express the things I may not vocalise.” It’s almost as though Ricky is the Clark Kent of the fashion world, and Wesley Harriott his alter ego, the soon to be the superman.

His clothes inspire and solve the problems that the modern day woman faces. The now trademark monochromatic pallet – “Colour frightens me; I'm always scared that my forms and clean lines will get lost in colour and print.” – means that the clothes work effortlessly between the occasions females are expected to float between. Also, as is a requirement for the working woman, the clothes are as practical as they are stylish - “I love sports fabrics, fabrics that embody durability, utility and strength”.  

“I am so proud of that collection [Wesley Harriott SS12]. It was the collection that got me on 'Styled to rock' as well as the collection that set the tone for where I want to go next.” And where is that? “My ambitions roll further than runway fashion in the future, I would love to design costumes for characters in a video game, like Final Fantasy, that would blow my mind!” For now though Ricky’s sights are set on creating a line of sweaters that he’s hoping to have online soon, which will no doubt be a big hit among his ever growing fan base. “It's kind of a thank you to all the Styled to Rock fans who supported me, I really want them to have something from me to them.”

 

 

 

And the winner is...

Prepare your party poppers and warm up your cheering voices, the results are in and it's time to announce the official winner of the Paige of Fashion 150 followers giveaway!

Drum roll please.

And the winner is... Emily Marysia!

(multiple comments by the same author were counted once

and those who didn't complete the 3 steps or entered late were not counted)

Congratulations Emily, you've won yourself a subscription to Company Magazine and all of the other goodies that were up for grabs! I'm super excited for you!

To all of you that weren't lucky this time, stay tuned for any future giveaways here on Paige of Fashion. I really appreciate all of you commenting and tweeting away, and thank you again for the amazing support you've given me to get me to this point!

I hope you all have lovely weekends!
Bethany Paige X

June Haul

Study leave: A time for studying. And shopping. 

For the last few weeks I've been in a whirl of revision and exams (18 so far if you were wondering). However, as my schedule begins to cool down and I have just 2 exams left, I've had the opportunity to take my revision down a gear and relax a little more. With almost a week before I have to go back into the exam hall, my Nan and I headed into town and went on an unexpected shopping spree! Of course, I have to show you all of the absolute beauties I picked up.

Midi ring:

£4 Topshop 

I'm not usually a big ring wearer, but this had to be an exception. It sits just clear of my knuckle and is a dainty gold band with a heart. In the middle is the letter "B", signifying my initial obviously. I just think  it's one of those lovely pieces that I could wear every day and to be honest I'm quite likely to do so!

Cat print ankle socks: 

£3.50 Topshop

Cue collective "awh". Who knew that you could buy something so cute to go on your feet? These printed ankle socks are basically cat themed foot candy! I don't really know what to say, I just fell in love.


3 for £8 cute socks: 

£8 in total Topshop

I think I may have found a new weakness - cute socks. The wonderful Topshop were able to cure my craving though with these delicious ankle socks for £8 altogether. They're bound to be worn with a range of shoes this summer and they're a lot more exciting than my usual plain whites! I got two pairs with lace detail, one in blue and one in white, and a pair of cut out lilac ones with a hint of glitter.  

Clear clutch with pink detailing: 

£3 (sale) H&M

Ever since writing this post a few months ago, my love for anything clear has grown even more. I love the fact that this zip clutch bag has hints of neon pink and a little pouch to match which I can keep my phone and money in. In honesty, I think this may be a large makeup bag, but let's pretend that's not the case!

Neon yellow and white jewel earnings: 

£3.95 H&M 

Neon yellow and white in one pair of earrings. Two of my favourite summer colours in one pair of earrings. Just add the oversized jewels and these were a dream come true. I had to buy. 

Coral Lipstick:

£3 H&M 

I kind of just bought this lipstick because I wasn't sure whether the colour would suit me and I wanted to test it without buying something too pricey. It turns out that the bright coral does work well on my skin. The plan was to go and buy something of a better quality in this occasion, but surprisingly it was really great! It's not as long lasting as I would like, but the lipstick has a beautiful sheen and overall finish. I decided to stick with this in the end! 

Black liner:

£3 H&M

Not such an interesting product here. It's a simple case of me loosing my eye liner a few weeks ago and being desperate for a new one! I've used this before and know that the quality is fairly good. You can't argue with such a fantastic price either.

75 Jersey:

Unknown (tiny) shop £5

I have been lusting after this top for a good few months now and if you're a regular reader you may have seen it featured in a few posts. When I found a similar one for a quarter of the price in a little shop, as you can imagine, I was beyond happy. It's a mesh material in black and white and is a really nice baggy fit. With a denim skit, jeans or shorts it would look fantastic. You will be seeing more of this, I promise!

Mesh sport luxe sandals:

Topshop £35 

Again, a colour combination to die for! These shoes are almost a mix between sandals and trainers... I'm not quite sure what they are, I know that I love them though. They're unbelievably comfortable and I can see them molding perfectly in to my warm weather wardrobe. With my River Island white pencil skirt and a simple cami top. Easy peasy. 

Orange, blue and grey trainers:

Topshop £35

Yes, you're seeing things correctly. I did successfully go shopping without returning with a pair of shockingly high heels. In fact, both shoe choices are quite the opposite. I've had a thing for trainers recently and the irresistible mix of clashing colours on this pair was too tempting. The bright panels and soles are toned down slightly with the grey background which means that they will be surprisingly versatile. Comfort and style? I can't complain. 

I think the trainers may be my favourite purchase of the day, but what's yours? 

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Don't forget, there's only a couple of days left on my 150 followers giveaway! Enter away ladies.