Sixth form style

Individuality keeps fashion interesting. Without the constant changes that surround style from person to person every season it's undeniable that the world we live in would become somewhat flavourless. Fashion as a concept would become essentially non existent. I dread to think of the boredom! Unfortunately, I suppose you could say that in some ways I have to face that exact lack of clothing character every Monday to Friday thanks to my school uniform. Don't get me wrong, in comparison to some others I've seen our school was surprisingly clever when designing ours. None of the uniform is particularly unflattering and the colours aren't too offensive. Still, it's painfully dull! I can't help but feel confined by it. 

Luckily for me though within a few months I will be starting sixth form and with it a uniform free life. Of course my school still enforces (lots of) rules, but other than that I will have free range of my wardrobe 7 days a week. It's all quite exciting! With the date quickly approaching I thought it was only right to experiment with a few interchangeable items that could act as key pieces in my styling for sixth form. I stuck to black pieces that anyone could style to work for them and that are extremely easy to add your own personal edge to. 

Black lace ups and a satchel:

ASOS Mom Jeans in Light Vintage Wash £35.00, KNITTED CHAIN INSERT JUMPER £25.00 Topshop, GREY CREAM LACE TRIM SOCKS  £3.50 Topshop, ASOS Double Buckle Satchel £17.50, Hester Patent Flat Lace Up Shoes £20 Boohoo.com

ASOS Skater Skirt in Cotton £20.00, Calvin Klein True Love String Tie Socks £8.00, Number 86 tee £20 Topshop, ASOS Double Buckle Satchel £17.50, Hester Patent Flat Lace Up Shoes £20 Boohoo.com

A skater dress:

ASOS Skater Dress With Slash Neck And Short Sleeves £20.00, Casio Mini Digital Watch £35.00, ASOS Backpack Bag With Zips And Punchout Detail £38.00 NOW £30.00, ASTRIX Chunky Lace-Up Boots 40.00 Topshop

ASOS Skater Dress With Slash Neck And Short Sleeves £20.00, KNITTED TWO TONE BOBBLE CARDI £40.00 Topshop , Gisella Plain Slipper £15.00 boohoo.com, ASOS Satchel Bag With Scallop Trim And Buckles £22.00

A tube skirt:

BLACK DOUBLE LAYER TUBE SKIRT £20.00 topshop, Suki Sweater by The Ragged Priest £50 Topshop , CHUNK TUBE COLLAR £22.50 Topshop, SNAKE PRINT FABRIC RING £8.50 Topshop

BLACK DOUBLE LAYER TUBE SKIRT £20.00 topshop, PALE BLUE PEPLUM SHIRT £32.00 miss selfridge, TOPSHOP ABE2 Ultimate Chelsea Boots £65, White Stud Tassel Duffle Bag £16 Newlook

Which outfit is your favourite?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Neons in spring

Apparently it's spring, and as polar as the weather may be I can certainly feel the style shift beginning.  I for one am starting to pack away my winter wear, regardless of the chill, and am beginning to rediscover my spring/summer wardrobe. Tights are getting thinner, jackets are coming off and S/S13 catwalk inspiration is becoming more prominent day to day. Everything's getting a fresher.

In my opinion nothing says "spring" quite like acidic neons (just ask Osman, Simone Rocha, Sister by Sibling and House of Holland) and as I ditch my A/W wardrobe I can't help but be drawn in. The idea of pulling on a pair of phosphorescent flats is surprisingly appealing! It's safe to say though that neons are hardly the easiest of shades to pull off, especially with my skin complexion. Having bright yellows anywhere near my face truly does nothing for me which got me thinking about how I could style spring's brightest shades to suit me. The best way? Keep it simple. I took inspiration from another of spring's biggest colours - bright white - and twisted the two trends together to form a style that still encompasses the playfulness of neons but in a much more wearable way. Apart from the occasional splash of colour, perhaps in the form of a clutch or some heels, I will be keeping things minimal white this spring.

Outfit inspiration: 

Largo Studded Sandal - Neon Yellow £52.18 Nasty gal , WHITE WRAP MINI SKIRT Now £12.00 River Island, CROP PLEAT BACK SHIRT £35.00 Topshop, Zara Neon Box Clutch £24

Intergalactic Skirt £42.93 Nasty gal, TOPSHOP Knitted Textured Crop Jumper £30, TOPSHOP ARABEL Cut Out Buckle Boots £85, TOPSHOP LACE TRIM ANKLE SOCKS £3.50, Cambridge Satchel Company Exclusive to Asos 14" Patent White Satchel £120

Monki Sam dress £34 (€40) - monki.com, H&M Sandals £30, Acne Zeol Envelope Clutch £265

Are you going to be wearing neons this spring?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Cinderella taught me that shoes can change your life

The correlation between shoes and the way I feel is quite simple - The better the shoes, the better I feel. For example, if I woke up in the morning and was to slip on a pair of brand new Topshop wedges I would feel considerably more amazing than if I were to step into some pumps that I'd tortured for 5 years with over wear! Beautiful shoes are like a power source to all women, they make us stand taller, literally and metaphorically speaking. There's nothing quite like a new stiletto to add kick to a business venture, a new pair of running shoes to make you go that extra mile, or a chunky heeled boot to keep a casual outfit from become perhaps too casual. In Marilyn Monroe's words "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." 

Recently I've been attempting to conquer the world one step at a time by expanding my disappointingly small collection of shoes. Luckily for me I have had a wealth of foot dressing opportunities at my fingertips with everything from pumps to plimsolls, and platforms to peep toes available for me to lust and ponder over online. 

The objects of my current admiration: 

WESTERN MULTI BUCKLE WEDGES £60.00 Topshop , SORAYA LACE UP WEDGES £90.00 Topshop, ALIVE FLATFORM TRAINERS £45.00 Topshop , Slash Cutout Wedge

£177.00 Nasty Gal,  Largoss Studded Sandal £104.35 Nasty Gal, 

Aneese Pink Floral Block Heel Shoe Boot £35.00Boohoo.com, 

FUN TIMES Sandals £35.00 ASOS, SONIC Pointed Heels £32.00 ASOS, FIREFLY Leather Flat Sandals £45.00 ASOS, HOMETOWN Heeled Sandals £40.00 ASOS, SUPPOSE Mary Jane Heels

£35.00 ASOS

Which piece of fabulous footwear do you like the best?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Clothes are the best motivator

As far as fitness is concerned I'm rather lacking. Apart from my daily walk home from school and PE lessons it's extremely rare for me to go out of my way to exercise purely because I don't have the motivation! I go through phases lasting a couple of days where I'll do some squats and jogging on the spot for a few minutes as a futile attempt to get more fit, but it never lasts very long. Any attempts at running turn to jogging and then walking within mere minutes. In fact my fitness levels are quite laughable. However, it seems as though I've finally found my exercise drive. I'm not sure why I didn't see it before - clothes!

About a week ago I got given a bag of clothes that someone didn't want anymore for me to look through and sift out gems to add to my wardrobe. Among jeans in the wrong size and some questionable shirts I found a few baggy T-shirts, the kind that look great with high waited shorts, one of which said "Keep running". It's by Karrimor and is obviously a work out top with that amazing breathable fabric lining its inside. It was also brand new with all of the labels still attached, so I thought it was only right to snap it up! Surprisingly once I put it on I felt the undying urge to get active in some way, perhaps because it's more than a little hypocritical to wear the top whilst lounging on the sofa. So I did. I donned my barely used running trainers and shorts and went for the most successful run I've ever had. Since then I've been exercising each day and it's been great. Honestly, exercise has been fun!

I think my sudden ability to be physically active is mainly due to the use of some rather stylish fitness wear. Maybe it sounds strange to but over the past few days it's become apparent to me that the difference in exercising in baggy track suits and worn trainers against exercising in new sports shorts and running shoes is truly huge. Quite simply, when I look good working out, I feel good too! Suddenly it's become clear why people spend so much money on clothes for the gym, and I'm finding myself lusting after trainers of all things. Now that's a first.

Nike dual fusion - £60 (JD Sports)

Nike C72 legend 2.0 duffel bag £35

Nike cyclon running jacket -£80

Nike dri fit knit long sleeved top £40

Nike icon printed woven two in one shorts £28

Nike sphere bomber £70

Nike Tempo track 9cm shorts £18

Don't worry, Paige of Fashion isn't going to become "Paige of fitness", I just thought I'd share with you my latest style musings which happen to be surrounding exercise. Do any of you feel it easier to complete a work out whilst wearing certain things?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige x

The jeans and t-shirt situation

I go through phases each year where I completely stop wearing jeans. I'm not sure why but for roughly a month at a time I'll wear skirts and shorts and dresses and anything really to avoid wearing the "wardrobe staple". Then after a while I snap back into jean mode and my skinny Levis and high waisted mum jeans once again become a regular feature of my relaxed wardrobe. At the moment I've just come out of a jean drought and am consequently wearing them almost constantly! Unfortunately the sudden change in my everyday attire has made me realise how lacking in casual tops my wardrobe is. Apart from a few baggy t-shirts that I throw on for PE or to sleep in, I have next to none. 

As per usual my first thought was - Topshop, and so I ventured to a section of the website I've never been before and typed "t-shirts" into the search bar. Not surprisingly they were able to provide for my newly discovered thirst for casual tops and have a wealth of stylish tees for those jean days. It's a shame I can't buy them all! 

Number 86 tee £20

Kaboom crop tee £14

Burn out letter tee £22

Skater Boy Tee £22

Earth vest £23

Hamburger tee £25

Half and half fluro tee £32

• Petite cute cat tee £16
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Which one is your favourite? 

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Two small favours

Paige of Fashion officially has a Facebook page (Applause, streamers, celebratory dancing)!

I finally got round to creating the page after much contemplation this week and I'm really looking forward to getting it completely up and running! That's where you guys come into it, I'm asking you the small favour of perhaps popping over to Facebook and giving Paige of Fashion a like. It really would mean a huge amount to me. I'll be regularly updating to give you information with new blog material as well as sneak peaks at future blog posts and other exciting opportunities. So this is your chance to get even more involved with Paige of Fashion, to like, share and comment to your heart's content! Click here to become a fan. 

I have another small favour to ask you before you go back to your evening, one that will also only take a minute I promise! If you're a fan of my blog and enjoy the posts, it would be amazing if you could vote for me in The Company Blogger Awards under "best teen blog". It's really simple just click here and paste my link in the "blog URL" box. It's so quick and easy but would mean the absolute world to me! 

Have any of you got Facebook pages? I'd love to become a fan if you do, let me know in the comments! 

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Another celebrity fashion line

It all started in April 2007 when Kate Moss was unveiled in the window of the Topshop store Oxford, in that unforgettable flamingo red column dress. Greeted by a crowd in the 1000s all wanting their own piece of Moss Style, she exposed her first collection of 10 for Topshop and, as could only be expected for such a style icon, the whole line sold out within a few hours. Kate Moss had once again started something big. 

Advance 6 years and it’s hard to walk down the British high street without being hit repeatedly by a barrage of celebrity endorsed or designed products. It’s become almost customary for celebrities to lend their names to the affordable brands that are so popular in the UK, in fact it’s somewhat more shocking for a successful socialite to not have a clothing range these days! The power that celebrities in society hold gives them the perfect opportunity to shift merchandise within minutes. After continual advertisement on twitter to their millions of followers, the fans are all too willing to splash the cash for a piece of their icon’s wardrobe.  It seems as though our generation would be willing to buy anything just as long as it had the name of even someone vaguely famous creatively scribbled on it. One can only question however, whether this willingness has led to the overwhelming number of collaborations available today. It seems the market has reached its unstyish saturation point. 

A few years ago the idea was still fairly fresh and exciting to the fashion world. Then we were hit by Pixie Lott for Lipsy, Amy Childs for Bank, The Kardashians for Dorothy Perkins, and of course the most recently controversial collaboration – Rihanna for River Island. After its debut at LFW it’s had its fair share of bad reviews from the press. It’s undeniable that the collection was very RiRi however it was branded as, well, a little too revealing. Still, it was a big hit among her fans, with what I can only imagine as members of the Rihanna Navy spending their clothes allowance on the pieces. Pieces that actually aren’t that spectacular and are extortionately overpriced. 

Designing and wearing clothes well are too entirely different fashion games. All designers work for years to get their name in the industry, going through college, university and then interning with other design houses until the day they finally get some kind of break, hoping that it will be the making of them as a brand. It seems like celebrities get an easy ride in the altogether quite vicious world of fashion, a free pass into designing if you will. There’s an expectation that those celebrities who can dress themselves (although one has to question whether the use of a stylist is present in some cases) can also design. Rihanna is recognised for her stylish ensembles but she’s had no previous experience in design and suddenly she’s at London Fashion Week, 1 hour late may I add. It seems a rather ridiculous concept if you ask me.

Of course there are some collections that have been rather lovely, a desirable line or two among the usual mess, but then the question of how much involvement the celebrity had begins to arise. As much as they would like to boast that they were completely and utterly involved in the design process, that they were there every step of the way and that they put a lot of hard work into it all, it’s hardly believable considering their already busy schedule. It’s quite obvious that the main designer behind each and every celeb line, is in fact not the celebrity at all.  It does make one wonder how the designer really putting the collection together feels about the lack of recognition they're getting. I'd assume not to great. 

The excitement I felt when hearing about celebrity collaborations has worn off after the disappointment I associate with them now and the sheer number made available ever month. I for one think it's time for the high street to take a break from inviting the famous through their doors, and to start focusing on their main lines, and for celebrities to stick to what they're known for. I can only hope that they will take my advice. 

Thanks for reading,              

Bethany Paige x

Always be a unicorn.

"Always be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn then always be a unicorn" - the motto of dreamy designer Sophia Webster that is most certainly reflected in her A/W 13 collection. The accessory exhibition was unveiled at London Fashion Week early Monday morning and for those lucky enough to get an invite, including bespoke shoe snow globe key ring, it gave them the opportunity to enter a world of pure fantasy. Well, with a name like "I'm a rainbow too" it was inevitably going to be the case! From unicorn horned tip to fashionably crafted toe, the collection's playful nature seems somewhat of a breath of fresh air from the uniform simplicity that rung true for so many other shows. 

Outrageous accessories including holographic unicorn, artist easel, and speech bubble bags took center stage at the exhibition and maintained Sophia's trade mark sugary sweetness. Her famous heels of course didn't disappoint. Cutout sides, metallic sheen, aztec patterns and the occasional pair of thigh high boots all proved why she's known for her innovative shoe designs. 

Pastel colours gave the scenes a wispy, water colour effect, reminiscent of a summer sunrise, that further presented the dreamy nature of the collection. The playful prints and textures aren't hard to identify as being inspired by "My Little Pony", however perhaps a more shocking stimulus is the 90s film Clueless. Maybe that's what drew me to the designs, that slight hint of yellow plaid that provides the nostalgic feel of my personal favourite film. The whole collection seems to bring out the playful, slightly childish side of fashion. I for one completely love it!

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Scrunch it

90s hair has somewhat of a bad reputation. Among "the Rachel" and huge perms left over from the previous decade, was a hair accessory that still today seems to cause obscene amounts of controversy within the world of fashion.The scrunchie - A simple band of elastic surrounded by fabric that somehow encases a wealth of what I can only imagine must be horrific style memories. The mere mention of the S word seems to send shudders down the spines of anyone above the age of about 25. They witnessed the scrunchie first hand before its more recent revival, and it appears that the experience has left a not so stylish scar.

It seems over the past few seasons that British fashion has developed the tendency to rehash 90s trends. However, predicting the revival of the scrunchie, thought to have died with the decade, is something even the biggest fashionistas couldn't have been successful in doing. When this particular hair accessory is spotted on S/S13 catwalks though, the fashion world pauses and takes note. When the undeniably cool likes of Cara Delevingne wears one, the fashion world stops entirely and reevaluates their previous dismissal of the scrunchie. 

Even with possibly the biggest model of the moment sporting a scrunchie, some aren't convinced to say the least. "The scrunchie is back" usually prompts a chorus of "NO, not this time" from women remembering teen years spent wearing them. Personally though I don't see what the fuss is about. What really is so bad about the scrunchie? They seem to bring an air of fun to fashion. Apart from the fact that they don't hack your hair out in the same way as normal bands, the designs available make them a valuable accessory to own. Colours and prints can be matched or contrasted with your outfits to pull them together. One has to question whether the negative stigma attached to the scrunchie has somewhat fogged the vision of it this time around for many. 

Of course certain styling tips do have to be followed. Firstly, dead straight and perfectly preened hair is not acceptable in this situation, big messy buns and curly ponytails however are. Secondly, please avoid neon colours and wearing more than one at a time. That's all, the rest is up to you to decide dependent on your mood and your outfit. The opportunities are endless. Even if we do look back in 15 years and wonder what on earth we were thinking, at least it will give us something to laugh about. Plus, as a very wise man once said "fashion is made to become unfashionable". 

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X