Jubilee Weekend

Queen Elizabeth II

1952 - 2012

My Fashion Pet Peeves

Unfortunately I haven't been able to post recently, as exam season and an operation rendered me incapable, but I am now rested and refreshed and will commence posting again! 

During my recovery, the weather was beautiful - one of those rare weeks of British sunshine that we yearn for every year. Typically, now I have recovered enough to start venturing outside, the weather has turned on us. Combined with my slow recovery, the grey overcast sky is enough to leave me in a pretty bad mood which has resulted in this post: MY FASHION PET PEEVES.

1. Irregular sizing:

To be quite honest, I'm not exactly sure what dress size I actually am. Although I tend to fit into a UK12 from most places, my wardrobe contains a variety of sizes ranging from UK8 - UK14. As for S, M, L sizings, I rarely know where to start. The British high street desperately calls out for a standardisation of dress sizes. Not only do the irregularities cause confusion, it can also be quite off-putting. When shopping, having to go up from your usual size can actually be a bit depressing, whereas finding you need to go down a dress size is a wonderful feeling. It's enough to drive you crazy, and can unnecessarily add time to a fitting room session, whereas opting to skip the changing rooms can create the exasperating hassle of returns and refunds. If the clothes industry simply regulated sizings better, a lot of time, irritation and distress could easily be prevented.

2. Lack of choice for unusual sizes:

I hate to admit it, but I am somewhat of a freak, due to my extremely small feet. In general, I am somewhere between a size two, and a two and a half. Thus, it is actually quite difficult for me to find shoes that were not designed for a small child that do not gape on me. Heels in particular prove to be a challenge, and I often end up opting for styles that are completely covered in to prevent my feet from falling out, or I have to pad them out with insoles. However, I am not alone, and I am not the only person I know with disproportionately small feet. Therefore I find it difficult to understand why more shops or websites have not seen fit to produce fashionable adult shoes for those of us who are not so well endowed in the foot department. There are companies who produce 'teenage' high heels, but generally (and quite rightly for shoes aimed at a pubescent market) they are fairly small heels rather than the skyscrapers I tend to prefer. I'm sure there must be a similar problem at the other end of the scale, with large-footed girls struggling to find elegant heels that do not look like they have been designed for cross-dressing consumers. It does not seem fair that a wide range of choice is not a luxury to which everyone is entitled.

3. Double denim:

Once seen as one of the most heinous fashion crimes, the last few years have seen a resurgence of double denim as an 'ironic' favourite of the indie crowd, and S/S 2010 even saw the 'trend' on the catwalks of renowned fashion houses such as Ralph Lauren and D&G. Quite frankly, I hate it. Pair your jeans with a smart blouse or a quirky sweatshirt. Accessorize a denim shirt with a patterned skirt or leather shorts. That denim jacket will look cute over a floral summer dress. Just do NOT wear any of these items together. At any time. It is not ironic; it is ugly and lazy, and it looks like you lack the ability to piece together a reasonable outfit comprised of more than one material. For me, double denim should be sent to a room 101 dedicated to the 1980s and 90s, and it should stay there.