Breaking into the fashion industry

Guest post by Hannah Lawrence at Inspiring Interns

Getting a job in the fashion industry is not just about your love of shopping (though that doesn’t hurt). To break into such a competitive industry is tricky business. Living for the style pages, having a monthly subscription to Wonderland and being able to spot a Vivienne Westwood design from a mile off is a good start but to really stand-out in an oversubscribed industry you need that little bit extra on your CV.

Read more

Bicycle Rider

(Photo: A Linus Bike)

This morning I’m going for a bike ride. To the post office. To post a postcard with Prince William, Kate Middleton and a Union Jack on it to my friend in Germany. I’ll be dragging my pride and joy, with its squeaky front wheel, broken bell (ssssh, I don’t think that’s allowed), twice repaired brakes, replaced pedal, and wonky handlebars (this would be a good time to wish me a safe journey) out of the garage for my first ride of the summer. But before this momentous event happens, I had a chance to find some dreamy cyclewear that’s best shared with friends. Let’s become bike nerds together!

Read more

Magnums & Swimming

We’re just days away from June, just days, and the second J-beginning month of the year means one thing to me: it’s officially summer. To jump straight into summer without pausing to see if the sun will shine, let’s think about swimwear. This summer I will be tanning my mozzerella skin in the tropics of Manchester and Dublin, with a possible scorching weekend visit to a friend in Luxembourg with it’s many famous beaches, that’s right isn’t is? The pretty coastal country? So what better way to get in the mood than by drooling over lucious bikinis and all-in-one swimming costumes that I can neither use nor afford? Maybe eating some ice-cream? On the list for afterwards. One of my favourite summer smells is the lycra, sea-salty scent of the bikini, drip drying in the bath and you can tell that these summer-licious swimwear pieces from Anthropologie will not only look a million euros, but they will smell oh. so. summery.

Read more

Imaginary Reading Ghost Stories in the Library

Are you a ghost story fan? Do you like to be scared half to death by Gothic plots, white shadows and uncanny mists? I do not like ghost stories at all, I scare far too easily, and in fact the other night I was convinced that there was a ghost knocking on the my third … Read more

A Tee Tie For the People?

If you think about it the tie is an odd piece of garment. As far as clothes go it is both physically functionless and a hassle to eat soup with. Not to mention a source of many an embarrassing memories for an inept 16 year old Faisal for whom the intricacies of a ‘Double Windsor’ knot remained elusive for years. Now, I’ll readily admit that this is a straw man argument and that we don’t wear it because of its physical function but rather as an indicator of formal wear, occasion or ‘professionalism’. It has become so accepted in the Western world (and increasingly globally) that the tie is a symbol unto itself.

Read more

Design Competition Down Memory Lane

Remember this post about Australian t-shirt designers Das Monk? Ok, I’ll let you off the hook, it was a long time ago. Well, this group are back on the horizon, and this time they’re on the lookout for raw, unadulterated talent. According to their website, Das Monk are hunting for the next visual genius to … Read more

Imaginary French Intellectual

Can you believe that it’s approaching mid-year already? Maybe ‘mid-year’ is taking it a bit too far, but still, it’s almost March – and I’m still using each Monday morning to re-start my New Year resolutions. Back in December I promised to come to you with some exciting news in 2011, and here I am with it, and more importantly, an imaginary outfit that fits perfectly. I passed a big exam just before Christmas which means that I will (fingers, legs, eyes, ears crossed) be Dr. Kate of literature in the not too distant future. The exam went very well thanks, it was an oral one, but I’m sure I would have made an altogether more intimidating impression if I had worn the above outfit instead of the ‘plain as those little fairy cakes that have no icing on top’ black top, black trousers, black boots, and facial expression of fear outfit I opted for.

Read more

Imaginary New Year’s Eve for Homme

Someone I refer (worringly) a lot to over the festive period once sang these words. All together now:

When I was young my father said
“Son I have something to say”
And what he told me I’ll never forget
Until my dyin’ day.
He said “Son you are a bachelor boy
And that’s the way to stay.
Son, you be a bachelor boy until your dyin’ day

Yes, it’s Cliff the Richard again. The staple of the British Christmas. Anyway, to get back to the matter in hand – this song is the inspiration behind the latest and last imaginary outfit of this year. Oh don’t be sad, just wait to see some of the New Years treats I have lined up my sleeves. We might not have any money come Jan, but what the heck? We can still dream.

Read more

Five products you can use to embellish your t-shirts

Feeling creative?Plain old t-shirts are boring.  They need a splash of color or a piece of fabric attached to them to make them interesting.  There are a number of products available that can enhance the appearance of your regular duds.  You can find the following items online or at your favorite arts and crafts store.  They are:

Read more

Imaginary Christmas

Christmas does feel like an imaginary kinda time, so I thought it only appropriate that the season should be marked, not just with hairy silver tinsel, twinkly lights and too much Cliff Richard, but also with an imaginary outfit. I am drooling over this one, more than ever. I’m not sure how glamorous Christmas is where, and if, you celebrate it – it’s not so glam in my ‘hood, but I think there is a little bit more attention paid to clothes and general tidiness.

Read more