Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek: Exactitudes

While reading one of the recommended books for our course (Marketing Fashion by Harriet Posner), I came across a website that caught my attention.

Exactitudes is developed by photographer Ari Versluis and stylist Ellie Uyttenbroek, and documents style tribes through a series of images. The two creatives find random individuals and photograph them in a studio, and when a trend occurs, they present them collectively as a style tribe.

I thought this website was so cool because of how precise some of the trends were. They don't just identify a similar theme; some of the individuals are practically dressed the same, just in varying colours. I didn't realise how many specific trend groups there were! If you fancy checking it out, just click here. Enjoy!

Aderyn x

Missguided Undies

I have a thing for cool underwear. That, and homeware. So whenever I find out that one of my favourite brands is expanding in to one of those two departments, I get excited! After far too long of only stocking 'shapewear', Missguided has finally brought out a range of super cool yet ever so pretty lingerie. And I want it!

White Lace Bra - £20; Burgundy Lace Bra - £20; Black Overlay Bra - £20; Black Side Strap Knickers - £8; Nude Plunge Teddy - £25; Black Body Harness - £12

Long gone are the days of bras that actually support your boobs; now it's all about lacey and strappy loveliness. This gorgeous range from Missguided is totally worth the saggy boobs I'll have when I'm sixty! I'll be honest, I don't know anyone that would put themselves through the struggle and discomfort of wearing a teddy, but you can't deny this one is gorgeous! And there's nothing I find cooler than seeing a girl out in a slouchy t-shirt with her harness bra poking out. My Christmas list has officially expanded!

What do you think of Missguided's lingerie collection? Leave a comment below.

Aderyn x

My Lust List

If I'm going to treat myself to five things this month, I'll make sure it's these:

BEING A MAN at Southbank Centre (Fri 27th - Sun 29th Nov)

This exhibition looks at what it means to be a man in 2015. Over the three days, topics such as mental health, education, ageing, race, rape, religion, fashion, porn, fatherhood, body image and bromances will all be covered in a variety of talks, hosted by influential and inspirational men from across the globe. You may wonder why I, a woman, would want to attend an event about being a man. But that's exactly the reason; I am a woman. I know what it is to be a woman, I understand being a woman. I rarely consider what it is to be a man.

With such a sudden boom in feminism, awareness of the inequalities women face is dramatically increasing. But feminism isn't just about women, and I think people sometimes forget that men experience discrimination too. It would be fascinating to hear men openly and unashamedly discuss the issues that they face in day to day life, and what worries them.

If this sounds as amazing to you as it does to me, you can purchase tickets here. It's £15 for a one-day pass, and £35 for a three-day pass. There is currently 50% off for concessions.

WOW - Women of the World Festival, a similar event, is running from the 11th - 13th March 2016 at Southbank Centre.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2

I've read the books, I've seen the rest of the films, and I can't believe this is the last one. Mockingjay Part 1 left us on quite the cliff hanger! I can't wait to see the events of the final installment - even though I know what happens!

Quite often the issue with these types of films, is that I expect the adaptations to follow the books word for word, which is obviously never the case. I'd always recommend watching the films before you read the books. This may sound unusual, but it allows you to appreciate the film for itself, without prior expectations. Then you can go ahead and read the books!

There are so many films that have been released recently including Pan, The Martian and Spectre, which I am dying to see. It's probably worthwhile that I invest in a Cineworld Unlimited Card to keep the cost down on my endless cinema trips.


A RAINS WATERPROOF JACKET

Can you believe I don't have a waterproof jacket? This should probably be top of my wish list as we are well in to autumn now, and I don't think mother nature is going to hold out for me much longer. If she can just wait till I have saved up for a Rains coat, that would be fabulous. I always find that men have way more choice when it comes to cool waterproofs, but Rains has got women covered! Their selection is huge, and they have the practicality to style ratio down!

ANNIE'S BURGER SHACK

If I received a penny for every time I've heard someone mention Annie's Burger Shack to me since arriving in Nottingham, then I might actually be able to afford one!

This apparent gem is tucked away in the Lace Market, and holds a huge menu of burgers, from your standard cheese burger, to the Sunday Dinner burger; complete with Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and veg! A friend of mine has been and loved it, so it needs to be checked out.

POINTED TOE BOOTS

Sometimes I just fancy channelling my inner Russell Brand. This is one of those times. I've been wanting a pair of pointed toe boots for so long, but the fear of people saying 'you've bought ANOTHER pair of black ankle boots?' has put me off. But this ASOS pair are clearly not just any black ankle boots. They're going straight on my Christmas list! Anyone who loves me, you can buy them here.

What are you lusting over this month?

Aderyn x

What Is Modern Romance?

Our first group brief on the Fashion Communication and Promotion course was to create a colour story from the following colour groups; neutrals, pastels, brights, and complex colours. Our first group decision led us to picking neutrals as our starting point. Following on from there, we chose to focus on pinks and greys as our colour palette.

We felt these colours were very on trend at the moment, particularly in homeware. Through this, we came up with the word 'modern'. We also agreed that they were quite romantic colours, as with lots of neutrals, they are soft and pretty. This gave us the word 'romantic'.

Our next task was to come up with a concept for our colour story, which we would eventually illustrate through an image. So we asked ourselves, what is modern romance? We looked at university culture; exploring one night stands and drinking, as this was relevant to us all as university students. We thought about Tinder and online dating, and how this is becoming an increasingly popular and acceptable way to meet people. And finally, we considered sexual fantasies. The release of the very popular 'Fifty Shades of Grey' has made these types of fantasies something a lot less taboo. Now whenever I pick up a women's magazine, it will feature women talking about their experiences in the bedroom.

We used all these factors to come up with our final image. All the objects used in our photoshoot were in the colours of our palette, either bought that way or painted by ourselves. I felt we had an interesting concept for our colour story. I would have liked to have been able to capture a more professional looking image, but we faced restrictions with camera equipment and lighting. Thankfully, the lecturers cared more about the concept behind it than the image itself.

Aderyn x

Urban Outfitters Haul

Taupe Turtleneck Jumper - £32 £22, Cheap Monday Stripe Turtleneck - £40, Cooperative Grey Trousers - £46, Light Before Dark Pinstripe Trousers - £49

Being surrounded by lots of amazing clothes at work makes it hard not to want everything! I'll admit that I entered the fitting rooms with 11 items strung over my arms, so I'm quite proud of myself for narrowing it down to 4 pieces. With winter on the way, purchasing two jumpers and two pairs of trousers made me feel less guilty about spending my (lack of) money. And I can't get over how soft the Cheap Monday jumper is!

What have been your favourite A/W purchases?

Aderyn x

Film Review: Suffragette

Suffragette, based in 1912,  follows a small group of working class women who are fighting for the right to vote. Featuring performances from incredible female actresses such as Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep, this film brings awareness to younger girls of the ongoing struggle we have faced, and acts as a reminder to older generations as to how far women have come.

I feel this film has come at a great time, when feminism seems to be at an all time high. At the beginning of the film, Mulligan's character, Maud repeatedly says 'I'm not a suffragette', which is still relevant today, with many people thinking of feminism as a dirty term that suggests they are man-hating, aggressive lesbians. This is of course not the case! Thankfully, support from the likes of Emma Watson, Lena Dunham and Beyonce, is transforming the idea of being a feminist in to something to be proud of. Even male celebrities, such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, are backing the cause, showing that feminism is not exclusive to women.

I recently watched BBC Three's 'Britain's Biggest Sexists?' where I learnt of something called the Bechdel test. This judges films based on the criteria that at least two named female characters engage in a conversation with each other about something other than a man. Having looked in to this more, it is shocking to see how many films fail this test. 

The ending of the film is very interesting; it lists the years that different countries gave women the right to vote. I was surprised at how late some of the dates were, in particular the last one; it said that women in Saudi Arabia are hoping to get the vote this year! So if you watch this film thinking 'women have come so far, why is feminism still relevant?', then this will answer your question. 

Although I enjoyed Suffragette, it isn't the type of film that would ever top my favourites list. It's just not my go-to genre. I'd definitely recommend this film to everyone, as I think it is important for people to understand the Women's Suffrage Movement, and this is an enjoyable, easy-to-understand dramatisation of this. My friend's absolutely loved this film, so it's clearly down to personal preference, but for me, I didn't leave the cinema with any lingering strong feelings.

If you have seen Suffragette, what did you think of it?

Aderyn x