Not a Valentine's day post

It may not surprise for you to know that valentine's day has not been my top priority today, my attention has be entirely on my one true love - fashion. In fact in my eyes today isn't to be considered valentines at all, it's "the day before London Fashion Week begins". It's the day before the biggest names in fashion flock to my own capital city to debut and watch the fashion shows that will shape the trends. It's the day before twitter, instagram and blogger explode with enthusiasm for designers and their beautiful A/W clothes. It's a look into the future of fashion.

Of course I won't be at the real shows (oh I wish) but thanks to the technological age we're in, a lot of the shows are lived streamed online. So, until the day when I will be sitting in the front row, the comfort of my sofa seems to be the second best thing! I've managed to narrow down the shows within the next few days that are absolute must sees for me. I'm hoping to be able to watch as many as humanly possible in between my birthday celebrations, and my phone alarms are lined up ready! Dedication or ludicrousness? I like to think a bit of both.

My must sees:

Find the complete LFW schedule here. 

I'll be sure to keep you all updated with my style musings throughout the shows both here and on twitter (@PaigeOfFashion) so watch this space.

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Blow out the candle and make a wishlist

Am I the only one who still gets insanely excited about approaching birthdays? Regardless, in less than 3 days it will be mine and I'm absolutely buzzing! I can't help it, birthdays will always be excitement arousing for me. There's something about the cake, present unwrapping and having the people I love around me that makes me revert to my childish self. Although this does seem to happen more than I care to admit, including whilst out shopping. I go on big shopping sprees roughly twice a year, the day after boxing day and the day after my birthday (February 17th) and this year I intend it to be no different .On Sunday I will head into town, birthday money in hand, ready to raid the rails of some of my favourite shops and inevitably buy far too much. Before then however it seems only right to blow out the metaphorical blogger candle and make a birthday wishlist.

Here are some pieces I'd be glad to add to my wardrobe:

Ring detail harness - £30 Topshop

Ever since I saw the simply stunning designs on the Hervé Léger S/S catwalk I've been lusting after harnesses. Unfortunately, they aren't exactly widely available and when they are they're unjustifiably expensive. Enter Topshop. This gorgeous black harness with ring detail is absolutely jaw dropping, and only a fraction of the price of some of its designer counter pieces. It's hard to imagine looking anything but like a rock star in this.  

Black split tube skirt - £22 Topshop

Sparkle & Fade basic split midi - £28 Urban Outfitters 

I've been wanting a side split pencil skirt for a while now purely because I think it's a welcome addition to in any wardrobe. The versatility of the two pictured is undeniable. In summer with a basic t-shirt and in winter with thick tights and an oversized jumper. Perfect. 

Pink Plastic A-Line skirt - £25 Topshop

Perhaps a little less versatile than a black skirt, but none the less still beautiful! It was only in my last post that I mentioned my adoration of this coming season's plastic trend, then I found this pink plastic A-line skirt from, of course, Topshop and fell in love with it a little more. 

Vintage renewal 90s denim dungarees - £40 Urban Outfitters 

90s. Denim. Oversized. 3 words that are like fashionable music to my ears! These Vintage Renewal dungarees from Urban Outfitters are basically the definition of everything I love, and having them in my wardrobe would certainly not be a bad thing. I'm also lacking in casual clothes at the moment making their credentials even higher. 

Casio gold face watch - £40 Urban Outfitters 

Another item I've been after for a while now is this Gold Casio watch, and after getting my black one for Christmas it's got first place on my accessories wishlist. 

Meyers light up sneakers - £83.87 Nasty Gal

Here comes that childish side again. Plastic light up trainers! I can't help but remember the light up school shoes that were so popular throughout my childhood, and wonder whether perhaps that's what drew me to these. I love the slightly clear plastic material and the super modern look they would give any outfit. Did I mention they light up? 

Soon enough I will be 16 and will also hopefully have a few new items in my wardrobe to show for it. 

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X

Clearly styish

As the skies begin to get clearer this spring, it seems so too will the clothes. There's no bigger fabric for S/S13 than transparent plastics and clear perspex for a playful take on the season's looks. Gone are the days  when sheer fabrics were considered the height of revealing, and in their place completely see-through garments with only the slight hint, if any, of opaque detailing. Designers including Charlotte Ronson,Valentino, and christoper Kane had models parading in plastic clothing down their S/S runways, with the likes of Givenchy, Dior and Stella McCartney leading the way for rigid perspex accessories. 

I must wonder whether this is one of the most genius trends of the season for fashion lovers everywhere. After all, why would you want to hide your warmer weather wardrobe under jackets, or your new pedicure in classic pumps? It can only be seen as a waste. With such as stylish solution however, the possibilities this spring are endless.

Charlotte Ronson:

Bomber jackets were the plastic picks at Charlotte Ronson. Their transparent natures take the normally punk inspired jackets into airy territory  making them the perfect spring cover-up. They also have a hint of sports luxe about them, meaning more casual looks are also easily achieved. 

Valentino:

Valentino made plastic romantic with this clear trench coat that seems to be the target of affection for many a fashion follower. It's an unexpected pairing that works as a breath of fresh air from the usual thick or silky fabrics used in such coats. 

Stella McCartney (right) Gucci (left):

If there's any bag to have this season it's the perspex clutch. Stella McCartney used deep yellow, almost gold, tones to give and extravagant edge, whilst Gucci kept theirs sharply modern in completely clear plastic. Also note the lack of bright nail varnishes, keeping the look sleek. 

Givenchy: 

The modernity of Givenchy's accessories this S/S is undeniable. Geometric shapes and metallic touches bring the shoes and neck cuffs even further into the future. 

I think it's time to embrace the artificial, don't you?

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Happy first birthday

12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,766 hours, 525,945 minutes, and 31,556,736 seconds. One whole year of fashion blogging. A whole year of research and writing, of picture finding and sharing, and of lovely comments making me smile. Today is officially Paige of Fashion's first birthday! 

This time last year I decided to start a blog, completely unaware of the world I was entering to, with just a love of fashion and a hope of sharing my love with others. Maybe it sounds cliche, but over this past year blogging has become such a huge part of my life that the idea of living without it seems impossible. I'm honestly not sure what I did with my time before Paige of Fashion was born! 

It's never a chore having to write a post. In fact quite the opposite; it's a pleasure. I look forward to sitting down in the evenings with a fresh punch of inspiration, to compose something that I hope is read and enjoyed by people everywhere. Not only that, but blogging has been one of the biggest learning curves in my life to date. I've found my writing style and learnt how to express myself more successfully. Reading as many blogs as I possible also gives me an insight into the fashion minds of other people, and inspires me to try different things that I probably wouldn't even have thought of. 

I think that the key to blogging is having dedication to what you love. You have to push through that awkward, early stage when you're posting and it seems like nobody is listening, and realise that you're still enjoying it and have no reason to stop. If I wasn't absolutely set on the idea of sharing my thoughts on style 12 months ago, it's blindingly obvious that I would have given up a long time ago. Dedication to fashion and writing is something that I'm not lacking however, as you may have noticed! 

So now, one whole year since that first post, I can only express my gratitude to be a part of such an amazing community. I like to think of this as just the beginning.

Bethany Paige X

Rain, rain go away.

The unfortunate thing about living in England at this time of year is having to battle against the inevitably bad weather. The tornado-ish winds and drenching rain mean disheveled hair, bedraggled clothes and black mascara circles around eyes. Not the best of looks I'm sure you'll agree. Walking home today in the rain made me realize just how impractical my current everyday coat (pictured here) is in such weather. The fabric it's made of is anything but waterproof and consequently I ended up absolutely soaked by the time I got to my front door. 

Maybe I've been trying to convince myself that the sun is just around the corner and I have no need to buy something a little more suitable, but now I think I'm starting to realize that I'm kidding myself. After all, in the UK it seems to rain all but 10 days a year! So perhaps it is about time to buy something that actually fulfills the purpose of a jacket. If you're anything like me though the term "practical" rings alarm bells. "Practical" conjures up images of tracksuit bottoms and trainers. "Practical" is the opposite style, right? Well, not quite. After doing a little research I was able to find some absolutely gorgeous jackets that will still withstand the classic English weather. It looks like it's time to take the plunge into practicality.

Topshop - Tie dye parka £65

Topshop - Pink clear plastic jacket £36

Miss Selfridge - White leather biker £165

Topshop - Don't hate appreciate jacket £55

Nasty Gal - Camille Trench Coat £55.53

Nasty gal - Luster anorak £157.76

Which of these is your favourite? 

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X

Bargain backpack

Of all the things I've learnt after years of clothes shopping the most important has to be "Never go into a shop without money". It's at this moment I've found that you're most likely to fall head over heels for something that's completely beautiful but you obviously can't buy. Leaving something that would fit perfectly in your wardrobe has to be one of the worst feelings ever, but for some reason I managed to convince myself that having a quick look around one of my local charity shops this Saturday would be fine. Foolish, I know. As you've probably guessed I did find something that would fit perfectly in my wardrobe, I did fall head over heels for it, and I did indeed have to leave it behind.

However, no need to despair. Surprisingly the shop was open on the same Sunday afternoon (thank you Scope) and I was able to convince my Dad to give me a lift up there to get it (thank you Dad). Again, rather luckily, no one had snapped up my beautiful bargain and I practically ran to the till with it.

The target of my affection:

The target of my affection is this undeniably cute tapestry backpack. As you may know I have a bit of an obsession with thrifting due to the vintage pieces you can get at such affordable prices, and if this isn't the perfect advert for such things then I don't know what is. It was an a mere £5! I absolutely adore the fabric and the small amount of leather and gold detailing on it. This bag is seriously like a tardis too. It's quite big anyway but inside it gets even bigger and I was able to fit all of my school books and my laptop in there today without any trouble. It has two pockets on the front which I kept my makeup and hair bits in, and then of course the large, main section at the back. It's by the brand Gabriel which I've never heard of before, if you do know them let me know in the comments. 

The backpack has official been christened my school bag after today's test run and I can't express how happy it makes me. My old bag was loosing a lot of its studs and was terrible in our recent bad weather since it's the complete opposite of water proof. Plus, I don't think I can argue with feeling that little bit happier about walking to school on an early morning. I suppose that's the power that clothes and accessories have on people. 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and a not too hideous Monday. Let me know what your best charity shop find is in the comments, I'd love to know.

Thanks for reading, 

Bethany Paige X 

Are you serious?

Ashish described his inspiration for the S/S13 collection as "the archetypal math geek, who is more concerned with quadratic equations than the number of ply in a cashmere" If understanding quadratics is what I need to get my hands on his clothes, then frankly I better start studying because maths certainly isn't my strong point. One thing that is a strong point of mine however is understanding fashion, and I have to say that this collection is one of my personal favourites for Spring/Summer. In principle the clothes shouldn't work. I mean think about it, double denim, sequin socks, lop-sided hair scrunchies, reconstructed oversized shirts and to pull it all together chunky, bright white Reeboks. Is he serious? Well, as the sweater suggests - yes. It somehow works, all the way from the scruffy hair to the blindingly bright trainers. 

The clothes look as though they've been put together by teenagers going through a rebellious stage of cutting up their clothes and wearing their college boyfriend's sweater. Cuts are baggy and have a touch of PE kit about them with jersey fabrics and loose fitting shorts. Ashish also succeeds in contrasting fabrics by mixing denims with sequins in equal amounts to form some rather gorgeous trousers and a jacket. Then there's those asymmetric shoulder dungarees with a number print, which take the math geek aspect up a notch further. Overall, a completely lust worthy collection in my opinion.

What do you think of the collection?

Thanks for reading, 
Bethany Paige X