the other kate

La Lanphear (I only exaggarated the proportions a tad!)

I am cringing even as I type this but, were I held to gunpoint and told to name a personal 'style icon' I would probably utter the name Kate Lanphear, the current Senior Style Director at US Elle.

You would never guess it though from the way I dress as I don't try to emulate her sartorial style. I'm not blind. What she wears as a towering, willowy slip of a thing would look very, very different on my rotund frame. And lets not get into the ridiculous amount of accoutrements on those wrists. Few can pull off that rock chic look with conviction and I am not deluded enough to believe I am one of those few. It's more her philosophy and approach to dressing that I embrace.

So, what is this philosophy I speak of? It is the idea of adopting a personal uniform which takes precedence over following the latest trends. Like Kate, I favour classics with a twist and unique pieces over resembling a stylistically, schizophrenic fashion victim. This is not to say my wardrobe isn't constantly evolving nor that it is free from containing a number of questionable purchases. It just does so in a far more subtle and steady rate than the average 'fashionable' young woman's. I'm also a big believer in melding the old in my closet, with the new and this ability to seamlessly pair this season's look with tired old wardrobe staples is where la Lanphear excels.

So why choose Lanphear over the French Voguette battalion who adhere to perhaps an even stricter uniform? Easy. Emmanuelle Alt, new editrix at Vogue Paris and her mignonnes (Melanie, Geraldine et all) go for the safe approach. A Balmain jacket is a thing of beauty but the silhouette of power blazer and skinny jeans does get old. Lanphear is able to make her monochromatic wardrobe look constantly fresh by injecting flashes of brilliance from up and coming designers teamed with an arsenal of statement making accessories. And that hair! Could limp brunette locks strike fear into a cut as fierce as Kate's? I think not.

The final drawcard of Kate's style is her individuality. Unlike many of her contemporaries, the pieces she wears are not those same items that saturate the fashion rags, which makes her look less contrived, endearing her to people like myself who would rather wear a paper bag than look like everyone else on the street. After all, isn't that what real personal style is about in the end? Individuality?

new discovery

www.manrepeller.com

What can i say about this laugh a minute blog I came across the other day than it is an absolute scream! New York native, Leandra Medine, calls us out on some of the more bizarre sartorial choices that we women make but cause men to scratch their heads in complete befuddlement. The moniker assigned for such items is aptly termed man-repeller. Reading through, I realised that I too belong to the sisterhood of man repellers. My wardrobe provides a glaringly blunt testament to that.

Case in point
I own a single pair of regular black trousers and a single pair of almost-but-not-quite-regular jeans. Everything else (pants-wise) in my closet, falls victim to one or multiple man repelling attributes including but not limited to; drop crotch, harem ; paper-bag waist; high waist; wrap-around. I even own a pair of pants that can best be described as genie jeans! (They are in actual fact chambray, but you get the picture). The only thing that my collection of man-repeller pants have in common is that they are all comfortable, they don't cling to your lady bits AND they add interest to your ensemble (they also add more than a few kilos to your hips/thighs/derriere but who gives a hoot?) .

Having already circulated this blog around work to rave reviews (even though the site appears to be banned on our servers...must be the title...or perhaps the ahem, colourful language...), I decided to honour my fellow harem pant sister with a quick sketch of herself dressed in a selection of SS/11's more man-repelling pieces. Mind you, with her long, long, long limbs, crazy eyebrows, lustrous locks and incredibly lust-worthy shoe collection (hello miu miu) she falls into the category of women who are almost capable of making a paper bag resemble couture but I thought I'd give it a go with the result above. Not only would your sanity be questioned in this ensemble but the subsequent man-repelling power you would yield could possibly power a small village for a year (could it be transformed into electricity, that is).

Man Repeller Medine wears; shirt and belt by Balenciaga; jacket by Proenza Schouler; shorts by D&G; headgear, necklace and shoes all by Marni. No one said man repelling had to be an inexpensive endeavour!

If you haven't already, check out THE MAN REPELLER in all her glory here.

PS- I have just read yesterday's post and it seems someone else had the same idea. Oh well, it was still massive amounts of fun!