Guest blog by Maria of Frills and Spills
Since I realised at the age of about 12 that I was NEVER going to be tall and slim with long, straight, blonde hair, I looked around for style icons whose style I could more easily replicate. When I started watching Gossip Girl in 2008 and first saw Leighton Meester playing the Queen bee, Blair Waldorf, it was a EUREKA moment; here was a girl who had fairly pale skin and dark curly hair. Blair was someone who was proud of her overtly feminine style accessorised with flawless make up and perfect hair. Whilst I am a lot curvier than Leighton Meester, the basic components of my outfits are fundamentally the same; a perfectly fitting pencil skirt, gorgeous jewel colours and beautiful jewellery.
Image: HERE
Indeed Blair’s wardrobe is often compared to the classic elegance of Audrey Hepburn and I think it is fair to say that it is possible for all of us to incorporate that into our wardrobes despite not having the same amount of money to spend as the socialites of the Upper East Side. Off-screen, Leighton herself is much edgier and wears clothes that are the antithesis of the preppy perfection epitomised by Blair. She still has flawless hair and skin but her style is much rockier and cooler. She wears a lot of digitised and abstract prints in more muted colours, such as at the outfit she wore at Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week.
Image: HERE
I think anyone who can incorporate different aspects of their personality into what they wear should be applauded. Leighton Meester is often criticised for NOT wearing the same styles of clothes as Blair but surely that is just being overly prescriptive? I like the fact that I can dress like I have stepped out the pages of a 1970s Laura Ashley catalogue one day and then wear a retro 1950s style the next. Our style is constantly evolving and I think anyone who takes risks with their style, like Leighton Meester, has the right idea. For example, there are many people who restrict the style of clothes they wear which can sometimes result in the dreaded style rut.
As ever though, I think consistency of style is key as is dressing to suit your figure. For example, if you have a more androgynous figure, overly feminine shapes may not be as flattering. Obviously, experimentation is the best way to find your style and define it but certain things will never suit. Overly loose clothes and thick black eyeliner just don’t work on me so I have to find other ways of expressing my inner rock chick, such as wearing a cropped leather biker jacket rather than painting on the eyeliner. I think too many people just follow trends like sheep rather than adapting them to fit in with their lifestyle and wardrobe. If you have to walk up country lanes to get the bus into college, 6 inch “fierce” shoes are just not practical and so are a wasted effort. I try to only wear clothes that I am comfortable in and that truly express my unique sense of style. Obviously trends are there to have fun with and to update your capsule wardrobe but if you only buy trends then you don’t have a wardrobe that reflects YOU. I only buy clothes that I LOVE so the only difficult thing about getting dressed is deciding which of my beautiful clothes I will wear that day. However, beautiful clothes don’t need to cost the earth, one of the prettiest and most versatile items in my wardrobe cost less than £4 from a charity shop!
Image: Maria
As Coco Chanel once said “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” So what are you waiting for? Go out and become your own style icon!
