Vive la France!

For this look i decided to layer and accessories just to give more of an interesting look.
A busy outfit is eye catching, memorable and sometimes can be inspiring.

Being in France, i am limited with what i can wear, this is because of two reasons.

1: I've left most of my 'out there' or different clothes back home in England. The 22kg allowance really wasn't helpful, especially when you need to pack for an entire year abroad. So this limits my blog and style a little bit until i can get home and do more outfits and looks.

2: The second reason is that the French don't really approve of my look. At all.
When people talk about France I think of chic business men off to work in a full matching suit and women walking their tiny dogs in Chanel coats with the latest designer craze handbag hanging off their arm.
It really isn't like this at all. Tracksuits and Sportswear seem to be the only thing people ever wear, men, women and children passing me in the street in their Adidas tracksuits and Nike trainers. Diesel is about as fashionable as these people get. I'm not wanting to tarnish everyone with the same brush, there are some people who dress very chic and 'french' but it's often the wife of a rich business man sat in a restaurant watching the world go by, or a tourist.

This hasn't stopped me being myself, but i have realised that i've 'watered down' my look a little bit. However, it'd take more than a year aborad to get me to conform to the unmatched sportswear.

So this outfit is a pretty good representation of my style.
I love a busy look and mixing textures and layers.

To break up the grey colours i added badges and pins, this adds more colour to an outfit, aswell as putting your own personal stamp on the look. Instead of placing my pins all in one place, i decided to spread them around my clothes, Vest, Headband and Shorts to tie the outfit together.

Headband: Grey Wool
T-shirt: You Think You Own The World, Vivienne Westwood
Denim Vest: Pale Denim, Topshop
Shorts: Customised
Belt: Black and Gold Print, Vivienne Westwood
Badges: Prince Charming Set, Vivienne Westwood
Pins: 'Let It Rock' Heart and Skull Orb, Vivienne Westwood

Street Style

Last December i was doing a bit of late night christmas shopping in Leeds when i was approached by a random girl, she had a camera and asked me if she was ok to take my picture because she 'loved how i was dressed.' She was doing an article on street style and said that my look was great for it. I reluctantly agreed as i had just thrown a load of clothes on and didn't really feel that i looked that nice. So i awkwardly stood there whilst she snapped a few pictures of me in the street. She asked a few questions, took my details, and that was that.
A month later i opened 'City Dweller' magazine, lo and behold, there i was in the fashion section. Fair enough the picture wasn't the nicest of me, but i was well chuffed that i'd actually been put in a magazine.

Sorry for the grainy quality of the picture, it's just a crappy iPhone copy.


In other news (Don't worry, these 'talky' kind of posts aren't going to be a regular occurrence) i've signed up to Lookbook.nu

It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like, an online database to upload all of your looks and outfits on. People can rate your style and things like that. I figured it would be a good idea for me to have aswell as this blog. If you have a spare 5 minutes and would like to take a look, then you can check it out here: http://lookbook.nu/eccentricabundance


Here's my first upload:

Life's a Beach

So summer came and went pretty quickly this year, maybe it was because of all of the loose ends i had to tie up before moving to France, or maybe it was just the fact that British summer is a total of three days of sunshine. Regardless of how sunny it was, i still dressed like i was about to walk out into 30'C heat.
Summer is probably my favourite season, everybody is always so much happier and the colourful clothes come out of hibernation.

In this entry i decided to do a quirky 'beach look', as most of the time, if you go to a beach you're going to spend a little while walking around, even if it's popping to the nearest shop for a bottle of water. So why not dress it up a little?

My first outfit was just simply a t-shirt and shorts, i used the handkerchief as a bandanna to add more colour to the look and attached a brooch to add more texture & to make the look more interesting.
Tying the bandanna to one side of the head instead of behind gives the look a little extra tszuj and more of a summer feel. Tying the knot bigger would have made it look a lot more feminine, so i wouldn't really recommend it for guys.

T-shirt: I am not a Terrorist, Vivienne Westwood
Handkerchief: Prince Charming, Vivienne Westwood
Brooch: Diamante Orb, Vivienne Westwood
Shorts: Grey Cotton/Flannel, Gypsy
Sandals: €10, French Market

T-shirt: I Heart Crap, Vivienne Westwood
Handkerchief: Prince Charming, Vivienne Westwood

Braces: Dark Brown Leather, River Island

Shorts: Grey Cotton/Flannel, Gypsy

Sandals: €10, French Market

Look two was a similar outfit, except i tweaked it here and there to make it more distinct to my style.
For instance i removed the handkerchief as the bandanna and re-used it as a mini scarf, it's the perfect size not to overwhelm the outfit for a summer look. Aside from changing the t-shirt, i turned up the hems of my shorts and added leather braces. Usually a flanelled material like my shorts would have a different shade on the inside, if they're not lined. Turning up the hems can be a great way of adding more texture and shades to your outfit and creating a more interesting look. The braces are completely aesthetic, unless you would prefer to wear them up, which i will explain below.

By adding the braces to the outfit, you can create more depth and make it look more chaotic by adding badges, pins or even safety pins.
I love accessorising with badges as you can instantly add more colour and interest to your look.

Badge Set: Prince Charming, Vivienne Westwood

Dungarees

Contrary to stereotypical belief, you CAN wear dungarees and not look like Cotton eyed Joe.
To think that they've plummeted in popularity since the 80's is a bit of a shame, you see the odd pair here and there, like in Topman or River island, but i personally would like to see them return to trend with designers such as John Galliano and Yohji Yamamoto, creating unique overalls/dungarees in their own unusual prints and patterns. Maybe it's something to watch out for with 'A Child of the Jago' in the future?

So for this look i decided to avoid 'Different ways to wear dungarees' and to just simply focus on how they can add interest to an outfit by simply wearing them 'one strap up, one strap down.'

I just recently bought these trousers from a boutique here in France [There really aren't many good ones around here, so i was happy to at least find something other than jogging bottoms]
They are carrot cut and slightly drop crotch with 'tie up bottoms' to give a tighter fit around the calf of the leg. Not forgetting the 'dungaree' attachment to the top and braces.

Without the headband, this outfit would be a very 'toned down' look for me, simply jeans and a t-shirt, however i feel that by just adding that red band it coordinated well with the Active Resistance t-shirt and gave the outfit more of a unique twist.


Headband: Red & White, Vivienne Westwood
T-shirt: Active Resistance Rembrandt, Vivienne Westwood
Jeans: Salopette Drop Crotch, Diesel
Belt: Snake Skull, Jeffrey West
Shoes: Limited Edition Spikes, Converse












By simply wearing one shoulder of the dungarees it gives more of an individual look. Layering can always create interesting and eye catching looks, especially if it's something that isn't normally 'in fashion' or is retro, like Dungarees. But does it really matter if your current style is in agreement with what a glossy magazine deems as 'fashionable?' My view is that if it makes you feel good and you like wearing it, then who are you harming by doing so?

Chaos and The Rolling Stones

I'd been searching for this 'Chaos' headband for years. Imagine my excitement when i actually stumbled across it on Worlds End? My fingers couldn't type fast enough to order it!
This look i put together is one i would wear either through the day or on a night out, maybe with a few tweaks here and there if it was for the latter.
I'm a big fan of customising and cutting things up. It gives a unique and personal touch to your outfit, but also gives an old item of clothing a new look, saving you money!
It's the same as making your own clothes, you can have your say with exactly how you want it to look and make it to suit you, as opposed to buying a generic t-shirt and wearing it straight off the hanger (not that there's anything wrong with that)
The best thing is, anybody can do it.

My Rolling Stones vest used to be a 'medium' T-shirt, it was way too big for me to begin with, and everytime i washed it, it grew! One day i decided to take a pair of scissors to it, much to the disapproval of my mum: 'You're cutting up a perfectly good t-shirt. You looked lovely in that. Eeee!'
So i cut the sleeves off and quite liked the way the vest fit me, it was baggy, but because it no longer had the sleeves it looked way better (The sides didn't get cut out till i got my tattoo and wanted to show it off)
I have done this to many other vests, which i'll upload at a later date.
I either wear this vest layered over another vest or t-shirt, or in the summer/ on a night out i'd just wear it on its own. It's starting to deconstruct a little now, with a few holes here and there, but i like that about it.

The leather gloves are falling apart, they have no palms anymore, but it gives a good aesthetic to the look combined with the vest, plus i still manage to slip them over my fingers.
Fingerless and Palmless gloves, it could catch on!

Headband: 'Chaos' Worlds End, Vivienne Westwood

Necklace: Skeleton, Vivienne Westwood
Vest 1: Rolling Stones, Customised
Vest 2: Too fast to live, Too young to die. Climate Change, Vivienne Westwood
Trousers: Customised
Gloves: Customised
Socks: American Apparel
Shoes: Limited Edition Spikes, Converse


























The socks work well with the jogging bottoms as they have a slight 'sporty' look. Matched with my converse they blend the outfit together in a slightly grungy rock look. I'd only ever wear my knee high socks with either a pair of Converse or High Tops. With pumps they would just look wrong and with trainers it would look like i was coming home from Football practice. It's a fine line, but sometimes i don't get it right either. If in doubt, leave them out.

Beige isn't boring

Beige and pastel browns are colours i love to wear. They complement my skin tone and are really easy to put an outfit together with.
I'm colour blind, and sometimes it gets a bit difficult to tell certain colours from others. However, beige is one of those colours that i never have a problem with.
Creams, pale browns, golds and caramels are really fun to mix around with and layer over eachother.
The handkerchief at my waist adds a little more colour to the outfit, breaking up the pale browns.

I like the shabby-chic look of this outfit, i think if i used darker colours it wouldn't all pull together as well as it does here due to the holes in the cardigan and dark brown smudge prints on my jeans. I matched my bronze necklaces and two belts into the outfit to layer and add more textures to the look. Using a thin piece of brown cord for a head band.
[I LOVE Headbands and Bandannas, they totally work for me and liven up any outfit]

Headband: Brown cord, no-retailer
Cardigan: All Saints
Necklace 1: Teeth, Sakdidet Road
Necklace 2: Skull, Alexander McQueen
Handkerchief: Vivienne Westwood
Jeans: Anglomania + Lee, Vivienne Westwood
Belt 1: Skull, River Island
Belt 2: Black and Gold, Vivienne Westwood
Boots: 3/4 Pirate Boots, Vivienne Westwood

I slightly changed this look by adding a vest, making it more acceptable for everyday wear. I tied the brown handkerchief around my wrist instead of over my belt. The open cardigan looks more casual and both of the belts become more visible.

Another look i wanted to show is a less 'everyday look' and more of an idea for the beach or during summer. I like using everyday objects for different uses, such as safety pins as bracelets and shoelaces as headbands. This idea came to me as i was putting this outfit together. It's not particularly a conventional look for guys, but if you have the confidence to pull it off it can look pretty good.
I used a pale brown scarf as a head band and loosely tied it at the back, letting the tails fall over my shoulder. I then accessorised it with two badges, to give a bit of colour and again to break up the monotony of beige

Head scarf: Cotton, Non-branded
Badges: Prince Charming Collection, Vivienne Westwood

First Official Post

Okay, so here we go. . .

This is my first outfit i'm going to upload.
I've had this top for about 6 months, i loved it ever since i first saw it in Vivienne Westwood Leeds. When i finally went to buy it, to my luck, it was the final one on the mannequin. I shouldn't have really bought it, but everything was telling me to, even my debit card.
It's a size L/XL and with it being 100% cotton it stretches way down to my knees. But this is why i like it, the oversized/comfy look is something i love to wear, the neck can be pulled over into a hood.

Top: London Orange, Vivienne Westwood
Necklace: Teeth, Sakdidet Road
Belt: Vivienne Westwood
Shorts: Customised
Trainers: Limited Edition Spikes, Converse

I wore this outfit today. I'm currently living in Provence, in the south of France with Ben for my third year at university.
Out of the three options: Teaching Assistant, Study at University or Work Placement, i chose Teaching Assistant.
The locals don't really see many foreigners or 'outsiders', as our town is quite far away from any main cities, so needless to say this outfit drew a few funny looks.

Old outfits

This outfit was a really big favourite of mine, i didn't buy it all at the same time, i had the trousers about a month before i bought the matching shirt.

Headband: Red & White, Vivienne Westwood
Shirt: Anglomania + Lee Wetlook Black Shirt, Vivienne Westwood

Trousers: Anglomania + Lee Wetlook Black and Yellow Squiggle Trousers, Vivienne Westwood

Boots: 3/4 Pirate Boots, Vivienne Westwood

Myself and Ben are constantly playing around with dyes and changing our hair colours, Sometimes it's hit and miss, but other times it works in our favour. This turquoise was thanks to 'Grin' closing down in Leeds, the manager gave us 11 pots of random dyes and free contact lenses.

Headband: Red and White, Vivienne Westwood
Scarf: Prince Charming, Vivienne Westwood
Earring: Red Heart, Vivienne Westwood

2010 continued . .

Another 'elevator' photo, this is purely because it was the biggest mirror in our building and i could almost get a full length shot.

 

Vest: Rolling Stones, Customised
Trousers: Grey Joggers, Customised
Socks: Blue Sport Stripe, American Apparel
Shoes: High Tops, Firetrap
Watch: Bargain, Leeds

Coat: Palm Print, Vivienne Westwood
Shirt: N/A
Bow Tie: H&M
Trousers: Yellow Squiggle, Anglomania + Lee
Belt: Vivienne Westwood

Styles from 2010

Here are some photos from a random photoshoot my boyfriend and I took part in. We were asked to do it because of our style and look. We began individually, but took photos together as the photoshoot progressed.







T-Shirt: Marilyn, Blue Rinse
Coat: Anglomania Bomber Jacket, Vivienne Westwood
Trousers: Hareem, Non-branded
Belt: Skull, River Island
Gloves: Fingerless Leather, All Saints
Shoes: Nike
















This outfit was more Pirate inspired, mixing styles from both high street and designer labels.

Vest: H&M

Arm Band: Vivienne Westwood
Trousers: Suede, Zara
Belt: Skull, River Island
Boots: Pirate Boots, Vivienne Westwood

Creating my style blog

I have no idea what i'm doing with this, but i guess i'll just play it by ear and see how it goes.

Like i've explained in my 'About Me', this blog is a photo journal of my fashion sense and style, it's a way for me to gather all of my ideas and inspirations in one place and to catalogue my clothes. My personal style is quite different to 'the norm' and i feel that instead of just wearing my clothes for myself, i would like to record them in photographs and post a 'What i'm wearing today' blog.

I'd like to begin by uploading photographs of previous outfits and talking a bit about them.

Headband: Non-brand

Brooch: Vivienne Westwood Orb

Vest: All Saints

Necklace: Vivienne Westwood Large Dog Tag

Belt: Vivienne Westwood

Jeans: Non-Brand

Shoes: Firetrap