Peplum and Princesses

Marc Jacobs SS 2012

Every girl dreams of their princess moment ... don’t they? They dream that they will be rescued by their Prince Charming on a white horse. That they will get to wear an elegant ball gown in real life and waltz at balls and live the Princess Dream.

Perhaps this Princess Dream was brought about by various childhood Disney movies where the princess would always end up living happily ever after with her prince. Or possibly the multiple versions of princess Barbie which have been updated and revamped over the years.

The reason why I have been musing over princess moments is not due to K Mid hitting the headlines again (the modern day princess of the moment) or February being the month of love, it is more what is in style for Spring Summer 2012. The one trend that reminds me of princesses and dresses at balls is Peplum.

The Peplum style can be seen from the catwalks of Givenchy, Gareth Pugh and Marc Jacobs ... to name but a few.

Givenchy SS 2012

Gareth Pugh SS 2012

Women are inclined to dress to flatter their shape and this peplum style accentuates a part of the body which women (for the most part) wish to cover up; their hips. We live in a world dominated by celebrity and the hips are a part of the body that tabloid press ridicule over and over on female celebrities. Those ‘bad bikini’ images where ‘flaws’ of celebs are circled in order to humiliate them to the masses seem to favour big hips and thighs in their choice of mockery.

If these pap shots are anything to go by – too much in the hip area equals negativity. Even the phrase “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” reminds us of the modern day obsession in keeping the hips trim and slim. This is not what the peplum style achieves; rather it accomplishes the complete opposite and seemingly accentuates the hips.

Not long after seeing images of peplum style fresh off the catwalk, I thought of Disney’s Cinderella in her ball gown. Cinderella in her ball gown is like a cartoon version of peplum trend. She oozed elegance and worked the ‘in at the waist out at the hips look perfectly’, but she also had a super tiny waist which us twenty first century uncartoon like bitches are unfortunately not blessed with.

Cinderella in the peplum style ballgown ? Yes. Average chicas without tiny waists, having curvy hips working the 2012 peplum style? No. Just no.

So for the majority of us peplum will not look good; it will give the effect that we had a moment on the lips, adding a lifetime to the hips. (Who wants that!)

Surely the peplum is a trend that should stay put in fairytales and the world of happily ever after (and tiny waists!).

This is one trend which we can exist without and can channel our fashion hot mess through other current trends ...

Sporty chic anyone?!

Winter Vamp Bites Again

So his influence for Fall 2010 Givenchy was said to be skiing and scuba, however the dark colours in the collection by Riccardo Tissci, which are predominantly present in the majority of Fall collections were reminiscent not of a bright and cheerful sporting event but rather of a winter bright, yet silent and bare landscape. This impression may be due to the use of black, red and lace. An inevitable association with the employment of black and red in fashion instinctively evokes the vampire. Was he considering the representation of red with blood against the black? Or have I just experienced too much of vampire in common society?

Vampires seem to be present everywhere, whether through fashion, books, music, film, television; an obsession appears to be present. I have sunk my teeth into the books, scrutinized the movies, bought the soundtracks and am cautiously approaching (with stake in hand) the vampire on television.

From the eighteenth century the notion of vampires produced a mass hysteria in Europe and its influence over art and culture developed. This flame has been rekindled today within art and culture and might we perhaps experience another mass hysteria?

Rather than anticipating a mass hysteria of 'what will I wear' now that it's Fall, another type could ensue. This Fall may bring about a mass hysteric dash to the high street to re create the vampire look straight from the catwalks of the fashion capitals.

Time to embrace the pastels and bronze yourself for this season, whilst simultaneously envisaging your inner vamp once the sun sets on summer and the winter begins to bite.

It Don't Matter If It's Black Or White

And from dark to light ...

We look outside our windows in Glasgow and Brussels ( and more ... ) - our landscapes are draped in snow - so in keeping with the landscape being draped in white - let us camouflage with the snow and drape ourselves in what white the Spring Summer 2010 RTW collections had to offer ...



Givenchy














Erin Wasson










Chanel