The Best of Kate

A few days ago, Croydon born and super model Kate Moss turned 40, as hard as that may be to believe. I planned on doing a celebratory post on the 16th but unfortunately numerous things got in my way - Thank you A-Levels. It seemed like such a waste of an opportunity to drool over pictures (90s pictures in particular) of everyone's girl crush, Miss Moss, so I decided to create a belated birthday post reminiscing over my favourite Kate based pictorial moments. Better late than never, right? Especially when these beautiful images are involved in the equation!

Kate, looking youthful at just 14 for her first shoot with Storm

 

Portraits of Kate 1990s 

1992 Calvin Klein 

1993 Calvin Klein   

1993 First Vogue cover and featured editorial 

1993 with Miss Campbell 

1993 In Under Exposure by Corinne Day for Vogue 

1997 Vogue shoot

John Galliano Catwalk 1997 

Carat Kate 2000 

19th Vogue Cover 2005 

2007 Kate shoot 

Hope and Glory 2008 

Kate Does Playboy 2013 

What's your favourite Moss moment?
Bethany Paige X

Skort revival

You say Skort, I think golf. It's an involuntary image that my brain formulates at the mere mention of the word. I think polo shirts in sickeningly pastel shades and bright white caps with pony tails fed through the holes at the back. And sensible flat laceups. Overall, such a reaction makes me inclined to avoid them from a style point of view. Unless I decide to one day take up golf. You never know I suppose! 

Recently though, I've realised the skort population growing, as they make their way off the putting green and towards the streets whilst gracing the legs of stylish ladies. More specifically, the legs of my fellow fashion bloggers. And perhaps for the first time in my life, I'm not so often making the immediate association with a certain open air game but rather a dozen or more bright fashion concepts. I've noticed that the skort may have some serious style potential. 

As per usual, Topshop have been facilitating my recent growth in lust, providing us with all the skort styles a girl could need (now there's a sentence I never thought I'd say). From well structured black snakeskin to grunge influenced tartan, it seems that there may just be a skort for every lady out there! 

(All Topshop between £30 and £40) 

What do you think of the skort fighting its way into the style world? 

Bethany Paige X

DKNY do it again

I have a slight problem. Every single time certain models pop up on Twitter or Instagram I tend to drool over the pictures for a good ten minutes. Considering the social media junkies that my favourites are - Cara, Jourdan, Malaika - it's becoming a real issue! Every hour or so this occurs and sends me into a state of model madness. Honestly, I can only just about cope. 

So now imagine my reaction when I saw pictures containing two of my favourite models together, wearing one of my favourite designer brands and forming probably the most beautiful image know to mankind. If you're into Fashion you'll probably know what I'm talking about already - Cara and Jourdan in the latest DKNY ad campaign. 

Since Cara has featured heavily in the two previous campaigns (SS 2013 had some of my favourite ever ads, in case you were wondering) it's no huge surprise that she made it into this one too. Much to the pleasure of many a fashion lover, I'm sure! However, with the revelation that co stating along side Miss Delevingne would be Miss Dunn and Miss Cummings, I was sent into quite a state of beauty induced paralysis.  

Left to right - Eliza Cummings, A$AP Rocky, Cara Delevingne, 

Jourdan Dunn and Dylan Rieder

SS 2014 DKNY

What do you think of the new campaign? 

Bethany Paige X

The New Perfection

You would have to have had pretty bad internet connection all year round to not know about the world famous "thigh gap". It's the desire of teenage girls everywhere who feel the need to change their body shapes in order to conform with what we as a society now consider to be "beautiful". An expanse of negative matter between the thighs that is entirely unattainable for, yet remains on the wishlists of, various females brainwashed with help from Tumblr and Twitter. But it seems that the days of the thigh gap may be coming to a close or perhaps will be gaining a partner in the form of 2014's new "body trend" - The Bikini Bridge. Yes, it is as ridiculous as it sounds. 

Apparently, the new take on body perfection is having a small waist along with hip bones that are prominent enough for bikini bottoms to be suspended between them. 

Various pictures, including those shown above, have been making waves throughout the internet. The reactions have been a mixture of lust and disgust. I was the later of the two. Whilst researching #bikinibridge on twitter since I only found out about such a thing today, I stumbled upon perhaps the most ludicrous picture I have ever seen: 

Ignoring the suggestion that to be considered a man you need to work within the construction industry, equally as ridiculous is the idea that to avoid being artificial you must have a bridge. This quote comes in joint first place with my hatred of "real women have curves". After expressing my thoughts on the image I was further disgusted by the response I received. 

"It's the truth babe, I understand that you're jealous though, Hun ;)" were the words of one twitter user, who has now been removed from the site. I'll also add, she was a grown woman. In response to her I simply stated "Firstly, I have nothing against those with a "bikini bridge" but I don't think it defines whether a woman is "real". Secondly, I don't comprehend how you know whether or not I have one and as a consequence know whether I could be jealous. And finally, I would like to thank you for attempting (and failing) to make me feel bad about my body." I feel as though that summarises my thoughts on the matter fairly accurately. 

I have to say that I'm thankful for the thick skin that I have grown regarding negative comments aimed towards my body. If I had been like many other beautiful girls my age and was full of insecurities, that tweet could have been truly damaging. Don't misunderstand me, I have nothing at all against those who do have a bikini bridge. For lots of women it's a completely attainable target or even their natural shape, so I appreciate that they are embracing it. However, what I don't appreciate and find absolutely vile is the thought that to be feminine and beautiful, it's a necessity. Some women just won't have the ability to healthily achieve such a figure. I can only imagine the negative thoughts this would put into the minds of self-conscious females. Even more so, I dread to consider the actions that could follow such thoughts. 

Perhaps that's what gets me the most about these body trends - the lack of thought by people that should know better, supporting images that are unattainable for many women and can lead to a deeply rooted self-hatred.

So, I will finish with this: To every girls that has a bikini bridge, you are beautiful. To every girl that doesn't have a bikini bridge, you are beautiful. To every girl that has a thigh gap, doesn't have a thigh gap, is size 4, is size 20, has small boobs, has big boobs and does or does not have a body in keeping with society's current idea of perfection, you are all beautiful.

Bethany Paige X 

Well done, Urban Outfitters.

This blog post goes out to Urban Outfitters. A brand absolutely dedicated to their customers and more importantly, to giving out a positive image and confidence boosting ideas to those viewing their products. A brand that is often described as "controversial" but I see as merely individual. A brand that continues to amaze me with their creative genius.

Yesterday UO came under direct fire again from my fellow fashion bloggers, teenagers and adults alike all absolutely disgusted by a certain cropped tee. I can't imagine why. This particular monochromatic fashion statement was simply covered in the word  "depression" in various font sizes. Apparently it can be seen as offensive but, being a fan of fashion myself, I am unable to see why depression can be branded as anything but a trend. So, well done Urban Outfitters, for standing up against those who think that mental illness is a serious matter. Clearly they have no style whatsoever, right?

'Super depressing tee from Depression topped with an allover logo graphic.'

I suppose that's the kind of reaction that the brand expected to encounter from their target market - young females and teenage girls like myself - with regards to the cropped "depression" t-shirt. Unfortunately for them, this is anything but the case and I hope you realise the sarcasm with which the last two paragraphs were written. To say the absolute least, along with many of my fellow fashion lovers I am completely disgusted by their allowances for such an item to make it onto their website. The fact that a mental illness could be used to sell a product and brand it essentially as a fashion statement, is beyond my comprehension.

To be fair to UO, they are not as at fault as it may first seem. The tee is actually by the brand "depression" and isn't a creation of their own. But still, from one of the highstreet giants and a brand that has been a firm favourite of mine until extremely recently (yesterday), I struggle to understand how it got through the various measures I assume are in place to avoid such incidents and somehow made it online. I also question the logic behind the brand that decided such a name would lead to any kind of popularity in sales.

I wonder whether it is the glamorisation within the media and the world of fashion of illnesses such as depression and eating disorders (Yes, we haven't forgotten about that "eat less" jumper from back in 2011, UO) that leads to a lack of belief surrounding them. It's not hard to imagine that after seeing every day products branded with these phrases, their meaning could become somewhat distorted, particularly for those less educated on the topics. Maybe they have their own part to play in the fact that people will ignore cries for help and pass them off as "attention seeking". After all, if it can be used as a fashion statement, it can't be anything too serious, right?

Urban Outfitter's t-shirt with "eat less" slogan 

Unsurprisingly the brand were faced with a justified onslaught of twitter hatred. "Disgusting", "appalling" and "disgraceful" were just a few of the censored words flying through the twitter-sphere yesterday after the top found its way to the surface of the UO website. I took comfort in the fact that I wasn't the only person who felt that the shop had not just crossed, but obliterated the line.

So, Urban Outfitters, congrats on having to pull another top for taking "controversy" a step too far. Yet again. You've now offended  Irish people thanks to your "Kiss me I'm drunk, or Irish, or whatever" top, Jewish people with help from a t-shirt with the words "everybody loves a Jewish girl" and dollar signs printed on it, African American people due to your board game "ghettopoly", anybody suffering with any form of eating disorder and those with genuine mental illnesses (who do not treat it as an accessory, by the way). 

Just a few ideas for the future: How about a t-shirt with "heart disease" printed in snazzy font on the front? Or maybe a pretty little tank top further encouraging girls that being healthy just isn't stylish enough? I'll leave those with you. 

A previous UO lover, 

Bethany Paige. 

First paycheck prep

We may only be 5 days in, but I have to say that 2014 is shaping up to be pretty amazing! I don't wish to speak too soon, but according to the events that have unravelled so far this year, it's going to be a great one. 

On Wednesday - otherwise known as the first day of 2014 - I handed in my CV and had a conversation with the manager of a new Italian restaurant near where I live. She gave me the opportunity to partake in a trial shift and then yesterday I got a job offer! After searching for a job for almost the whole of last year, I'm sure you can imagine my happiness. Plus, with work comes money. And with money comes the ability to buy pretty things. 

It probably won't surprise you to know that as soon as I got the job, I began thinking about what purchases I will be making with some of that first paycheck! I was expecting myself to go quite crazy with my desires but the list is actually small considering the situation, so I thought I would share!

Mac prep and prime - £12.50

Topshop running trainers - £15 (sale) 

Kukee pinky promise necklace - £3 

kukee moon ring - £3 

Elf lock and seal - £3.75

The first thing I plan on buying when payday swings around is a Mac prep and prime stick for lips. I've been wearing more lipsticks recently - as my previous OOTD shows - and this beauty is supposed to be worn under lippy to make it last longer and stop it from flaking. Since it has amazing reviews from my fellow bloggers and makeup enthusiast, I thought it was time to invest! I also plan on buying a similar product by elf which is made to help keep all makeup in tact, including lipstick. It may seem odd to buy the two at once, but at just £3.75 it's quite a  steal. Plus, I figure that if I use both at once my lip colour will be bordering on indestructible! 

I also plan on getting these two absolutely adorable pieces of jewellery by Kukee. Not only are they beautifully priced but I think I would wear them to death! The childlike nostalgia of both makes me simply adore them. Which leads me into my final item of adoration - these entirely predictable for me trainers! I doubt they need much explaining since I just seem to love any trainers that Topshop produce. I already have an orange and blue pair but that's probably not going to stop me purchasing this knitted and suede foot candy. 

I hope you've all had as good a start to the year as me, 

Bethany Paige X

Lips all caked in wine

I've always felt that lipstick can change how you feel drastically. For example, when I used my new Topshop Lip Bullet for the first time, I seemed to transform comfortably into the slightly gothic Beth that makes an appearance every now and then. This visit from my alter ego gave me the perfect opportunity to test run a few more of my recent wardrobe additions.

Most excitingly, I wore my simply divine white boots. As you probably remember, I was lusting over them for quite some time and I finally got them this Christmas, causing an extreme case of excitement! I paired them with my new maxi pinafore which I picked up in Forever 21 over the Christmas sales, worn over a simple black t-shirt and sheer tights. I finished the outfit with my weight in gold jewellery, some glittery socks and my much loved velvet scrunchie.

Dress - Forever 21

T-Shirt - Primark 

 Lip colour - Topshop Lip Bullet in Wine Gum

Necklace - H&M 

 Shoes - River Island

Rings - Amazon 

Watch - Michael Kors

Bethany Paige X