No Debutante - Mish Mash

Have you ever had one of them days when you put on one of your most favourite items from your wardrobe only to discover it really isn't your favourite anymore? I had this discovery this morning about 20 minutes before the school run and went into a sheer panic about what I was going to wear ( I know this is not a big concern for many people but I do like to pre-plan an outfit).

 I had put on my big red oversized American Apparel batwing hoodie only to discover that it felt like I was wearing pyjamas. I guess over the years this old favourite has become a bit out of shape and I have probably just moved on style wise but in it's sportsluxe reign -  circa 2010/12 -  I bloody loved it! 

I remember a similar thing happening with a sixties style summer dress I had a few years back that I wore to death and then it got so threadbare that I had to stop wearing it. Thing is I (as is fashion) am a fickle thing and was so over it by the time I had made the decision not to wear it again.

 I guess, the old trusty American Apparel hoodie will live on as a bit of 'lounging around the house' wear,  poor old sweatshirt, it was an 80s fashion statement when I bought it! I am so over it already.....

Here's the outfit I chose to wear instead I shall not attempt to label the look, it's usual No Debutante mish mash up style, the other day somebody on Pinterest had repinned one of my Personal style pics onto a board called 'What?' with the caption underneath reading simply.....'there are no words....' which instead of taking personally, I had a little chuckle about it and only found myself even more encouraged to dress the way I do, as fitting in with the masses isn't really my style!

I'm off to see Vikki Mac tonight and get my hair all pink, platinum and lovely in time for my next club night 'Bang' which is on Saturday! Exciting times!! Expect some new hair shots tomorrow!

Styling by No Debutante. Todays Photographer is Mika (aged 6)

Thanks for reading my blog!

ND xx

No Debutante - Go Wild

Today I realised that I really am totally over buying expensive magazines.

This weekend I am going on a long bus journey to London (trains are too expensive too) and thought I would treat myself to a magazine only to be shocked by the price and deciding that I can actually find most of the content digitally on their own website AND find just as inspiring fashion features online too via blogs that I follow, Pinterest, instagram, google +....the list goes on. Magazines just can't compete with the constant fashion updates and trends happening every second on social networking sites and this is a hard thing for me to admit as I work in magazine publishing, which is sadly a dying trade.

 I am also sad because I am a self confessed magazine lover, I love to pick up a magazine, turn the new pages and the smell of the print but I will not pay £6 plus for it unless it is the most awesome magazine in the whole world!

I have imported many issues of the Japanese street style fashion magazine Fruits, it is really inspiring and looks at fashion in totally different and playful way. For me personally it changed my sense of style alongside my other deceased favourite The Face.

How can these more expensive magazines compete, who is buying them these days? Even high street stores have got in on the magazine act, you can pick up reasonable instore mags at H&M and Topshop these days and they aren't half bad y'know AND they are free! I love many of these expensive magazines but I cannot justify the prices and compare them to other digital sources which are free.

 

In conclusion on whether to buy or not buy magazines anymore, I have decided to continue to purchase the more independent and quarterly magazines like Pigeons and Peacocks and TLG which are cheaper in comparison to the not to be named (because I still hold a torch for it) magazine I picked up today. I will continue to buy the seasonal catwalk trend issues of Vogue and may occasionally buy a £6 mag if I am loving it or if I simply need a magazine to take on my holidays.

 In short magazines, you are a dying trade and we can pretty much get what you're offering everyday for free, please don't whack your prices up so high, it's suicide!

 

Here's what I wore to work today.

 

 

I added my first Personal style photograph to my Instagram profile today which was very exciting, I have decided I'm not gonna promote my Instagram Profile publicly until I have a few more things for you all to look at but if you'd like to follow me anyway, I am, of course, nodebutante. Daily fashion updates promised!

 

Look at the sunshine in the photographs!!

All photographs taken by Lucian and Mika my sons on my new Samsung Galaxy phone.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

ND xx

 

 

No Debutante - Inspired by Ashish

As you have probably seen on my last blog post I have entered the Company Style Blogger Awards 2013. I am, of course, hoping to win with my niche being a fashion blogger over 30s in the Best Personal Style Blog section. My good friend and fellow blogger Dilly Foxtrot facebooked me, telling me I had to enter my blog, which was a great compliment! Thanks Dilly!

 

I will need to keep the personal style blog up-to-date as much as possible if I am going to get shortlisted for the awards. Wish me luck and nominate me here http://www.company.co.uk/magazine-hq/stylebloggerawards2013

 

During the last week I have been inspired by my Brimful Of Ashish post from last week  check it out here http://no-debutante.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brimful-of-ashish-ss-2013.html and have recreated the Ashish SS 2013 collection my way, many of the garments from my Primark Sunday post are featured in this weeks outfits.

Side top knot with scarf

 

 

Denim details and white embroderie anglaise

 

Tailored denim with sheer print details worn with oversized jeans and hidden wedge high tops (instead of the Ashish white Reeboks).

Headband worn as a scrunchie

Oversized layering

 

Crop top over denim shirt and tapered jeans worn with tube socks

OK, so I think I managed to cover washed out denims, rolled up tapered jeans, mash up denims, layering, sheer panels, ankle socks, tailored shirts and jackets, I even had my Dierdre Barlow glasses on at work (I forgot to pop them on for the photographs!) and the vital scrunchie topknot! 

Thank you Ashish for the inspiration!!

 

All clothing from Topshop, Primark, Galeries Lafayette in Tokyo, American Apparel and Vivienne of Holloway.

Styling by No Debutante and inspired by Ashish SS2013

 

ND xx

No Debutante - Kiss and Make Up

 I have been experimenting with mixing up my style a bit, I am currently very into the 1950s...again....but I like to mix things up with other items in my wardrobe to update the look for now. Here I have mixed a long over sized preppy cardigan with my good ol' H&M fifties style leopard print dress and worn it over my 1950s cut Vivien of Holloway jeans (layering dresses over trousers is a big look for this AW) just to confuse matters I have accessorised this outfit with my Dr Martens boots.

Now my hair is longer, I can start to experiment a bit more, I thought I'd try out a high top knot for short hair - not an easy thing to achieve but I think I may have pulled it off here. I had to keep the little bunches as the lower part of my hair is still growing out the undercut, nearly a year later!

I used my Babyliss curling wand below to curl up my hair in preparation for my Halloween costume at the Hoochie Coochie where I was Djing later that day. My hair looks a bit like a wig in the second image, I'm not sure about it but thought I'd show you for variety if nothing else! A Hoochie image to follow at the end of post, be patient!

(below) The day after Hoochie, I am hiding a hangover well and have been inspired by the latest issue of Pigeons and Peacocks to load my hair up with hairgrips. They put in twice as many as me but I was hungover and couldn't cope with it!!
I have been inspired by Louise Gray's childlike vs punk hairstyles, using cute clips and ribbons as accessories for bunches etc, Sylvie even got involved with the double hair clip trend, her hair is getting longer than mine, if only she'd leave those damn hair clips and bands in for more than 5 minutes....she tried to brush her hair the other day, how cute is that?? I don't think my sons even considered a hairbrush until they were about 5 years old!

As promised here's a sneaky peek at my Hoochie Coochie Halloween costume. We were  clearly Kiss Zombies!! I had pinned up the curly hair and toned it pink and orange using eye shadows - an easy thing to do on platinum blond hair! I'm off to a secret launch party this evening, I shall be back with some images and goodies (hopefully) very soon. ND xx