Titania's garden

Never underestimate the addition of a pair of knee high socks.

For something so basic, they can completely transform and revamp a look. The key is to try and play them down as much as possible - subtract the sex factor/britney spears oops I did it again, and instead use them to add a quirky point of difference to a potentially plain/safe ensemble. Key rules to abide by : dont combine with body con, team with floaty, loose fitting skirts or dresses to play down the socks as best you can. Warning, they are attention seeking. Just today, provoked a white van to slow down at a pelican crossing, and inform me that I had just made the driver's day. This is exactly the reaction you want to try and avoid. But to be fair, white van drivers will hollar at pretty much anything that has a hemline higher than the knee...

Anyway, winter insists wearing knee high socks over 10 denier tights - thus keeping the illusion of bare legs without branding you insane. Then again, who am I kidding - the amount of warmth retained by a pair of 10 denier tights is highly questionable - if anything it purely conceals the corn beef effect of legs gone blue!

Wear with oversize knitwear, a granny cardi owned by my mun in the 70s  provided the perfect ratio of warmth to tomboy, whilst the addition of harsh black accessories - cut off gloves/snood/tassle 'Dougal from magic roundabout' bag kept the look from becoming too country bumpkin, Land Girls-esque.

And for no reason at all but to highlight it's beauty - out of nowhere on the way home, I came across a gorgeous little florist, lit up like a mirage from a fairytale. Marylebone's equivalent to the cupboard entrance to Narnia perhaps. Well..a knee high socked up schoolgirl can dream.

Snug

Since my last post the weather has plummeted to freezing - but anyone who has followed my blog in the past knows - I adore any reasons to layer up - tis the season to be jolly! I think my loves still focus on pretty much the similar concepts to last winter - with the addition of more snoods - (ultimate travel pillows that make falling asleep on the tube a much more pleasiurable experience) chunky knitwear - oversize with tassels hanging off them where possible, plus huge wooden buttons, oversize gilets in any texture to layer over little leather jackets. Colour palette is black, white, leather look - matte and shiny, gunmetal grey, faux furs and LOTS of leopard print.

My book has more book marks than pages

Just realised it is almost a year to the day that I started The Messy Perfectionist - although then it was called Kiyomi Style -cannot believe how quickly this year has flown. I remember sitting in Shoreditch House courtesy of Patrick, devouring yet another egg white and spinach omellette and trying to come up with a name for this blog. I had no idea about blogs back then, and we spent ages trying to think up something suitable. I then popped to the ladies to powder my nose; by the time I came back, Patrick had set up the domain Kiyomi Style and it was good to go.

So recently - Guy Fawkes & Halloween took place. Both a legitimate excuse to wear ridiculous amounts of glitter. Bonfire night I managed to create the look of a human sparkler - molting glitter on anyone who came within a 12 inch radius of my head (some unfortunate men will have had some explaining to do to their other halves when they got home, the queue to get into the display meant a lot of awkward unwanted close contact) I also had to remind myself not to stand too close to any bonfires - backcombing and hairspray make for a highly flammable barnet.

Fingerless gloves are still a necessity, although clip in coloured hair extensions, as Cherry models in the last photo - (finishing touches in the cab on our way to Supperclub, Notting Hill) are the new source of experimentation.

Wrapped in white sheets, like an angel from a bedtime story

Sometimes when you least expect it, signs are sent out the blue to remind you the universe is on your side.
 Dont waste time wondering what could have, should have, would have been.
 Life's too short and everything happens for a reason.

Came home to an unexpected parcel, including a collection of pictures - the kind you imagine dreams to be made of as seen through a soft focus camera lens. It is true, some things are better said with pictures.
Pictures and heavily beaded All Saints accessories that is. Cannot wait to incorporate these into my life.
 This post is dedicated to Josie Brown - for all your inspirational food for thought over the past few weeks. Your parcel was like a little ray of sunshine x

I cant let you be, because your beauty wont allow it

As previously mentioned, slogan vests and tees are my nemesis. I adore them, but they seem almost impossible to find of the right cut. I've had to wear an elasticated belt to tuck the lengths of excess vest into for this look. Stuck to off whites, stone and dove grey with nails of cement. After having a weekend of issues, my father took me for a long drive. There's nothing like riding shotgun alongside your dad with windows wound down, blasting soundtracks that remind you of your childhood and watching the sun set to put everything back into persective.

The sentiment of coloured mirrored ornaments

Have simplified accessories down to the bare minimum, diluting necklaces to the plainest in the collection, and bracelets cut down to a single bangle. No rings today.

Clothing has also been simplified to loose layers, hues limited to black, white and varying tones of the mink spectrum.

 Barry M's mushroom polish, Zara tassled wedged hooves, and leather leggings. Personally I think it's always necessary to wear taupe with white, in order to lift the palette and keep it from looking drab.

Sometimes simplicity is best. Perhaps a current reflection of a much needed feng shui of the mind and soul at present.

Almost never

You go through  phases of falling in and out of love with pieces in your wardrobe. Its like dipping into a jumble sale every time, I dont know half the items that are actually in there.. Rings are my new obsession. The bag was found in a charity shop for £3 a couple of years ago. Its originally from Clarks. And there was me thinking my purchases from there stopped after my feet became too big to be measured on that robotic ridiculously oversized mechanism. For a classic mini satchel type solution, it makes a nice change from carrying a mary poppins endless bottom sized bag, its perfect for bank card, keys and hoola. Oh and the camera of course.

The feather attachment is actually an earring that looks better on clothing than hanging from my ears.

Disturbia

Unpredictable weather means you can either veer on the side of caution, covering all the bits that summer usually allows you to expose, or you can gamble and wear the bare limbs and the non waterproof pumps. British weather means its fair play to gamble, but you might aswell accept that if it looks like its going to rain, it will. Have ruined too many of my favourite ballet shoes that way, including a pair of chain mail flats that were amazing, but got wrecked as a result of foolish optimism. To be fair, we were in Barcelona, so the idea of rain at the time was to be considered absurd. 

Instead, the mental insitution boots went on, still attracting unwanted attention. How something so unconvential can generate such a response is beyond me. 

 The feather addition is actually an earring pinned to the cami, that felt it necessary to poke me everytime I sat down/laughed/slouched. Acts as a good posture improver though.

Anonymity

1. Frozen yoghurt lunch mid 'black chipped nailpolish rescue' manicure. 2 clashing prints thrown together. 3. broken in wedges on the train home the morning after the night before. 4. Want, but will ever own? Status unknown.

Deconstruct

August, a ridiculous time of year for torrential rain, considering it is supposed to be the height of summer. Eventually it cleared, leaving the sky looking like it was on fire.

By night fall, ventured to Hoxton for a friend's birhday. With all of it's artisic injections into every aspect of decor, this one offered graffitied cubicles which would make for awesome back drops to photos. Taking a second to recover from a dance induced stitch, I managed to take a couple of shots whilst powdering my nose in the little girl's room.

Some kind of unknowing fool

Following on from feather talk, pictured is one of the dream catchers from Barcelona. I miss Barcelona, the beach, the culture, the laid back attitude and the beautiful sunkissed people. I spent a lot of time there a couple of years ago and it has been a while since I returned. Even if it's just for a few days to rekindle my romance with the city. My friend recently bought another bar to add to his collection out there so hopefully I can make it out before summer is up.

 Clutching the latest issue of Vogue, Kate Moss makes her 30th appearance on the front cover. And boy has she still got it.

Your visits are getting shorter

Not one of my favourite outfits, but for something to throw on when the weather forecast says 100% chance of rain, my granny cardi is still one of my favourite reach fors. First time ive worn leather look leggings in about two months. Had got accustomed to wearing bare legs this summer, which is unusual considering how erratic london's summer's usually are. I also realised I have barely worn any of my summer floral dresses like usual, all are still held hostage in the garage at my parents' house. I need to make time to actually dig them out, otherwise i'll be back in opaques before I know it. I love the liberating feeling of wearing bare legs in the summer, so best to make the most of it whilst we can.

Catching dreams

Went to a beautiful bar where the walls were covered in huge vintage mirrors and the lights hanging from ceiling were adorned with feathers. Theres something about feathrs that add a dreamlike element to anything and everything. Headdresses, jewellery, clothing, accessories. I always think feathers evoke feelings of freedom, perhaps its the link to birds in flight and the sky. I dont know. Possibly one of the best souvenirs I ever bought were the dream catchers I bought from a market stall in Barcelona 4 or 5 years ago. Rather than hanging them above my bed, I pin them to clothing to add that native americana influence I so often speak of. They're also a good talking point. A Boots pharmasist once asked if I was from The Never Ending Story (?!) The only problem is trying to keep feathers pristine. Im going to have to invest in some more as the ones I curently have seem to be falling apart. I still have yet to wear a feathered headdress a la Erin Wasson, but the summer is far from over, there are plenty more dressing up oppertunities.

One of you has to fall

Stig (of the dump), street urchin, gypsy child, and Medusa. All nicknames I've adopted over the years borne out of bed hair, frayed hemlines, grubby make up hands and tendancy to wear bare feet outside. I would love to have inherited Medusa for my ability to turn men to stone, but alas it originated in the playground, when my 8yo frizzy hair had yet to discover GHDs and greek mythology was clearly current curriculum material. Snakes/frizzy hair....

Obviously there is a time and place to be the polar opposite to the glossy Gossip Girl type. I used to temp in the city, and being a newbie to the office environment, went to my recruitment agency interview wearing my idea of city attire..Although my cv was up to scratch, the agency from then on would always warn me prior to any office work they secured, 'please dress boring, and big hair is not allowed emma.' Four years after no contact I called up for some last minute work and to see if they remembered me. 'Oh yes, the trendy (bless that word) dancer who hated wearing a suit.' Thank god I didnt end up in banking where my parents wanted me to be.