Jekyll & Hyde

I have to admit the content and inspiration for my personal style which I express through this blog is quite sundry. It isn't that I am undecided over what or who I what to be, I'm not 16 anymore, I think I can finally say I know who I am, kind of, and I am not just trying to fit in with the other kids. It varies so much because of the way I grasp fashion and style in general, I look to it as a way of being able to be somebody else, quite often something I'm not. 

For example, I'm drawn to tweed, chunky knits and elbow patches because I have a penchant for elderly men, losing my grandad at such a young age left me with a large desolate hole inside and ever since I've subconsciously tried to fill it through the admiration and endearment of others that I come across whether it be on the bus or just when I'm around my boyfriend's grandparents. Of course no one will ever be able to fill that hole and the unexplainable and monumental love I have for my grandad but whenever I come across them in my day to day life it gives me a warmth and makes me feel closer to him. I do the same by wearing these sorts of garments, the kind you'd find on an older gentleman, to get nearer. It isn't really something I've ever connected until now, realising the link between my fascination with this kind of style and something so deeply personal to me. 

Others have less emotional depth to them and are more to do with the mentality and persona I seem to gain when fitting myself out in certain attire. The preppy, cute look can be pinned down to my fascination with youth, the innocence, the uncomplicated way of life where your biggest worry is completing your homework in time and making friends whilst bubbling below the surface you are on a personal path of discovery. I am already able to chuckle at the so-called troubles and worries of my teenage years, at how naive I was, leaving me wishing I could travel back in time and tell myself to let go, that the worries of today won't be there tomorrow. Dressing as this such character allows me to time travel without actually defying time and space, giving that teenager another chance.

Image via Viktor Vautier

This is then where the leather and studs come in, stereotypical characteristics that encapsulate punks, the bad and general candid carefree attitudes. I won't lie, I have a dark streak in me but I doubt there are many people who go about without one, it is just human nature, it's the animalism in us. This dark streak however is locked away and not for show, yet films & literature often tell us that such badboy characters are cool, living life on the edge, breaking the rules. Despite owning a dark streak of my own, it's not even close to being Judd Nelson, Franco in Freaks & Geeks or James Dean cool so I turn to fashion and in a bid to recreate said attitude with a needle and thread. This look seems to work as a placebo, easing worries and helping me to feel more carefree about life, something that should always be encouraged. 

Image via Studded Hearts

These are a few examples of the motley personas I get inspired by, it isn't just about the appearance, there is always more to it, which is why I can often appear so undecided and diverse in what I choose to wear and what influences me. 

This reasonably long written post originally started out as an explanation to why the items in the image below have appeared on my blog the same day I've been raving about delicate, stunning Twenties garments. I wrote it all to explain why I can't be so direct and send my blog down one pathway where readers are secure in knowing what kind of clothing I will be wearing tomorrow because I, myself, don't even know that yet. I don't have one set style. So with that all in my mind, today I want to be a flapper girl by night and dressed in baggy white T's, boyfriend jeans and a bomber jacket by day.

Leather black bomber jacket (Topshop), White tee (Cheap Monday), Dark blue alpaca bomber jacket (Topshop Boutique), Black & white bomber jacket (Stella McCartney), Baggy slitted boyfriend jean (Alexander Wang), Both shoes (Office)