Sick leave

I suppose it's like a footballer breaking their leg or a singer getting nodules, I have been unfortunate enough to obtain an injury which affects the one thing I truly love to do. Something that prevents me from blogging.

I have repetitive strain injury in my wrist thanks to too much typing - I think it's a mix of my beloved blogging and doing 4 essay based subjects at A-Level. Regardless of the fact that it's probably the lamest injury ever, I'm still very aware that my main focus should be on getting it better. As you may know, RSI can cause permanent damage, and a life of permanently not being able to blog is a lot worse than a week of not being able to blog!

So yes, I will be gone for a week or so, until I'm able to type again without pain and the possibility of hurting myself long term.

Thank you all for understanding and I can't wait to be back again soon!
Bethany Paige X

(In case you were wondering, I'm typing this one handed and it has taken a disproportionately long time!)
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Street style: LFW day two

There's nothing that quite compares to the atmosphere at London Fashion Week. There's an interminable buzz about Somerset House, that seems to pick you up and carry you along with it. It washes over you, extinguishing all thoughts of anything else unrelated to the fashion moment, and pulls you towards the streams of the well dressed.

It being my first proper LFW - last year I wasn't able to spend as much time among the crowds as I would've liked - as you can imagine, I was somewhat excited. The fact that I didn't actually attend any shows didn't phase me in the slightest (although to many of my friends it seemed pointless) as I had but one thing on my mind. Today was all about London street style.

If you've attended LFW previously, then you'll understand how vast I'm talking when I say that the selection of fashionable individuals to photograph is huge. More than huge in fact. Every single person in and around Somerset House, seems to know exactly how to balance trend, personal style and sheer beauty. I suppose that's what you get when you condense a group of fashion fanatics together in such a localised area! Everywhere you look is a seemingly perfect outfit.

Somewhere along the line I was able to compose myself, stop looking around like a child encountered with a three storey sweet shop and actually get some snaps! Enjoy.

(Yes, that is indeed Jameela Jamil) 

  

Left - My beautiful friend Emma //// Right - My OOTD 

Bethany Paige X

LFW schedule

As I'm sure you know, London fashion week starts tomorrow (cue excited squeal from just about every fashion blogger)! Similarly to every year, I've mapped out all of the LFW S/S14 shows that are an absolute must see for me. Those shows that I will willingly drop everything to watch on live stream!

I thought I'd put my schedule up for you all so that if you want a reference point on what I would recommend keeping an eye out for throughout the S/S collections, it's all here! 

I'm also heading off to London for the day on Saturday to soak up that unforgettable LFW atmosphere and grab some, hopefully even more unforgettable, street style snaps. So, stay tuned!

Bethany Paige X

Something that needs to be said

Generally speaking I think it's true to say that being a fashion blogger usually induces a pleasant, if sometimes surprised, response from peers. After introducing such a hobby to friends and family it becomes an interesting talking point, people ask for your advice whilst choosing outfits and perhaps most prominently, they make their admiration for your commitment very clear. This has been my experience anyway. 

Recently more and more people who I know on a personal level seem to have become aware of my little corner of the internet. Either that or I've only just realised they're aware of it! I won't lie and say that I don't enjoy the compliments Paige of Fashion receives. All bloggers will understand just how gratifying it is to get such a positive response regrading something you've put that much effort in to!

That's how most people are when they discover that I write about fashion in my free time - Complimentary. And if not complimentary then they're indifferent. Still it's an unfortunate fact that to a select few people, the term "fashion blogger" carries very negative connotations. Some seem to instantly brand our ever growing community as "image obsessed". 

I'm going to put it bluntly: I don't care what you wear. 

You could wear the latest designer clothes, clad yourself in Primark or walk around in a bin bag, it doesn't bother me (although I would probably think you a little odd if you were to sport the bin bag look)! In fact, if anything, as a group of people fashion bloggers are probably less judgmental as far as clothes go than you average person. I feel as though we're more accepting of a range of styles, purely due to the huge variety of fashion blogs that we're exposed to.

I appreciate clothing and if someone is dressed in a way that I like, I would most certainly compliment them. That doesn't mean in any way that someone dressed in a style that's not to my personal taste would be looked down upon. After all, why would it affect me how you dress? 

Still, some people don't seem to understand, labeling us as a bunch that label others. Ironic really. 

So I thought I'd put it out there, and I doubt I'm alone in saying this, I would never base my opinion of someone on the way that they dress or look. 

Bethany Paige X

Ladylike extras

If there's one theme that runs solidly through the AW13 collections, it's femininity. From the soft pink colour schemes, to the tailoring perfectly suited to best enhance the female form, everything exerts as sense of ladylike beauty. It's as though the fashion industry have gone very much back to their roots, where anything lacking a nipped in waist in a pristine fabric was entirely unheard of!

Of course, among the belted coats, A-line skirts and crisp shirts, just as important are the ladylike extras. Despite the best efforts of many other accessories, they're all overshadowed by the classically feminine additions that designers such as Tory Burch, Prada and Nina Richie created.

It's arguable that without the feminine finishing touches, the whole concept would fall apart. After all, the trend exudes a sense of composure and without the accessories to complete the look, it wouldn't be very composed at all, would it?

Thankfully, such sumptuously and archetypally female accessories aren't only available on the designer market. Although they do present a "lady of the manor" style glamour, the budget of such a title isn't also required due to the British High street.

Top left to right - £40, £42, £30 all Topshop////Bottom left to right - £21.99 and £17.99 missguided.com, £29.99 Miss selfridge  

Top left to right - £58, £20, £60/// Bottom left to right - £89.99, £59.99, £49.99

  Top left to right - £14, £10, £6.50 All Topshop////Bottom left to right - £45, £10, £10

I hope you all have beautiful weeks,

Bethany Paige X

OOTD: Back to school

After a ten week long summer holiday the day finally arrived - My first day of sixth form. As I mentioned in a few posts previously, I'm fortunate enough to be attending a school in which year 12s and 13s don't have a uniform. I'm basically living every teen fashion blogger's dream, right?! So, regardless of the fact that I had to say goodbye to my truly fantastic summer holiday, having the opportunity to express myself through clothes everyday somewhat softened the blow. 

For my back to school OOTD I had to balance both comfort and of course a stylish first impression! I used my 90s "Mom jeans" as the base of the outfit. I then wore my new grey, silk effect, vest with my Kimono as the main focus layered over the top. On my feet I wore black running style trainers, which are obviously extremely comfortable but also great at adding a touch of modernity to the outfit. To finish the look was my vintage Casio watch. 

Jeans - thrifted, vest - Primark, kimono - Primark, 

trainers - Primark, Watch - Casio

I hope you all enjoyed your first days back or are looking forward to them if they're still to come!

Bethany Paige X

DIY: "fake" nose ring

"Dee, when your allergies act up, take out your nose ring!"

I'll be honest, until a few months ago the concept of having a nose ring never really appealed to me. I suppose I'm not really hard core or rebellious enough for that sort of thing! After all, the only piercings I have are in my ears! Recently though, I've felt compelled to get my nose pierced too. As is often the case, you can blame Clueless for my new found obsession. Thanks to the fabulous 90s style of Dionne, who rocks a nose ring throughout the film, the whole idea seems suddenly more appealing. She made me realise its style potential.

 

 

Still, I'm far too much of a wuss to actually get the piercing! So, I set out on a mission to fashion a nose ring that doesn't require the piercing itself. After a few hours of research I was able to combine the various Youtube tutorials I found together to form what I consider the easy way to DIY a "fake" nose ring.

 

Here's the result:

 

 

 To make your very own pain free nose ring, here's what you'll need:

• One pair of heavy duty scissors (or jewellery making pliers)
• An old piece of metal jewellery with loop attachments as shown above (connecting chain to key) 

 

Firstly, choose a metal connection hoop from the item that you wish to use. Find the point at which the metal hoop joins - there should be a small gap - and place each scissor blade either side of the join. Using a cutting motion, widen the join and slip the hoop off the jewellery piece.

 

 

Once you have the single hoop, use the scissors to clasp one edge of it and twist it slightly to form an upward curve as shown bellow. This will stop the metal scratching the inside of the nostril which could be more than slightly painful!



Try the ring on and adjust as necessary. The part that you curved upwards should sit comfortably inside the nostril and the other end on the outside, so that it's tight enough not to fall off (but not so tight that it hurts)!

That's literally it. The easiest DIY ever, right?!

 

 

Just call me Dionne.

 

Let me know if any of you give it a go!

Bethany Paige X