A Onesie? Or Just an Adult Babygrow?

The first casualty of colder weather is fashion, but does that make it alright to wear the adult baby-grow? 

Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue.

Amy Childs, Star of The Only Way Is Essex.

After recently listening to 'Women's Hour' on BBCR4, I started to question myself as to whether onesies were indeed fashionable, or whether they were something to be worn indoors on a chilly winters evening.   Amy Childs, star of 'The Only Way Is Essex', and British Vogue Editor, Alexandra Shulman, were interviewed and, as you can imagine, they both had very different opinions on the outfit.

One Direction.

Since October 2012, sales of onesies have increased by 155%  in the high-street store Debenhams. 

Some women have been spotted wearing them with their hair curlers in on recent shopping trips. Meanwhile, men have been caught sporting the outfit on long haul flights and suffering in them during hungover lectures. (ahem!)

Whether this is due to their comfort or their fashion status is unknown, but with celebrities such as Cheryl Cole, One Direction and  Tom Daley being papped in the lounge-wear, is it really the new 'must-have' wardrobe item?

Amy Childs explained that the onesie is "bang on trend" and "SO in fashion." But which brand of onesie is she talking about? Primark's £15 version? One-Piece's £149 version? or maybe she's saying it to promote her own design, the 'Amy Onesie'.

Alexandra Shulman argued that onesies had been in fashion before, but not necessarily under their current title. She explained that the'onesie' had previously been called a 'jumpsuit', a 'boiler-suit', as well as a 'play-suit'. She went on to say that she thought that onesies were made to be worn inside, but that "it’s a free country and if you want to have your style reference being Tellytubbies it's over to you." She then stated that a onesie would never feature on the front cover of Vogue. 

I will admit that I do own a Primark onesie, but I would never wear it out of my bedroom. I use it as my overall for when I'm getting ready for a night out but that's it, and I doubt that I would ever invest in another onesie as I don't see them as fashionable. Being 6ft1, I don't fancy looking like I've been stuffed into an outfit made for someone half my height. Although in saying that, the new onesie that is featured on the Long Tall Sally website  is quite tempting... 

Regan x

Country Side Alliance

In the next few months the Stage 2 magazine will be released, so as part of our coursework this semester we had to design and carry-out a fashion shoot.

I was in a group with Jenny Livingstone, Martin Masson and Morven MacSween and I couldn't have asked for a better team to work with! We all had similar ideas for the shoot, as well as like-minded thoughts towards the models style. 

The shoot was a brilliant success, and a big thanks must go out to our photographer and model for bracing the Scottish weather. I would also like to say a HUGE thank-you to Scottesque for supplying some of the signature pieces for our shoot, as well as 'Humbugs' Sweet Shop in Rosemount for allowing us to use their store as one of our locations. 

I should also thank Morven's lovely mum who fed us with sandwiches and home-made cakes before our shoot in the brisk outdoors. 

So without further ado, here are a few sneeky peeks of the shoot...

Enjoy!! 

Regan x

If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

...You're Sure For a Big Surprise: The Designer Bears of Children In Need

So last night I arrived home to find Children In Need on the Television. Within two minutes of being home, the tears were streaming down my face as I watched numerous children tell their shocking stories.

On a cheerier note, the BBC Children In Need campaign have, so far, raised £27m for the cause, with the fashion world getting highly involved. 34 'Pudsey Bears' were created by world renowned designers and have been put up for auction to raise funds for the charity.

The star-studded 2012 line-up included: Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Loewe, Sibling, Mulberry, Giles Deacon made with Swarovski Elements, Katie Hillier, Henry Holland, Louis Vuitton, Jonathan Saunders, Selfridges, Alexander McQueen, Smythson, Victoria Beckham, Prada, Donatella Versace, Missoni, Pucci, Gucci, Norton and Sons, Diane Von Furstenberg, Fendi, Balenciaga, Anya Hindmarch, Vogue, GQ, Kate Spade New York and Tom Ford.

Giles Deacon's collaboration with Swarvoski created a Pudsey Bear that contained £20,000 worth of crystals, and sold for £24,000.  Meanwhile Louis Vuitton's 28" leather bear, designed by Marc Jacobs, sold for £20,000.

The designer Pudsey Bear collection has raised over £150,000 so far, but there are still a few bears that are available for auction. So if you have a spare £2,000+ to spend, use the following link: http://www.designerpudsey.co.uk/

If you can't afford that much, then you can have a wee look at the BBC Children In Need Shop: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/bbc-children-in-need/_i.html?_fsub=2809422016

Regan x

Jack Wills: Still Reaching Their Target Audience?

I used to be an avid Jack Wills shopper, and going to high-school in St. Andrews didn't help with the obsession. Jack Wills had opened their new store in the perfect location. Mingling with St. Andrews University students, the 'wannabe' school pupils also opted into the brand. 

 I guess the clue for their target audience is in the name, 'University Outfitters', but I personally feel that Jack Wills are losing their original consumers.Their stores are mainly located in university cities, but is the love of Jack Wills beginning to fade for students? 

Firstly, the 'Fabulously British' store is not cheap  to buy from, and as most of us know, students don't exactly have a lot of money to splurge on designer/brand products. 

Any students that I know personally would feel that buying an item of clothing from Jack Wills would be  an investment, and they would much rather save their money for a crazy night on the town...well maybe that's just my friends! 

Looking at other online forums, Jack Wills are widely associated with the stereotypical 'preppy, private school kids', much like their American counter-parts 'Abercrombie and Fitch'.  These companies aim to sell their products to people who wants to achieve the perfected look that Jack Wills models portray e.g. flawless complexion, skinny build, perfect hair. It is this group of aspiring people that they sell their products to.

 Yesterday, I saw a Facebook image of four girls, age 13, posing head-to-toe in the brand, holding their staple JW carrier bags. Working weekends in St. Andrews, I see many under-16's strutting their stuff  in Jack Wills apparel.

This is one of the main reasons I stopped buying into the brand. Watching kids wearing the clothes that are supposed to be designed for people my age is off-putting, especially when their petite sizes fit kids that have not yet reached puberty. 

Another reason I believe that Jack Wills are not reaching their target audience is from a recent trip to a bar in Aberdeen. I watched a guy cross the bar in an over-sized JW hoodie, but as he turned around, I noticed he had a full sleeve tattoo and tunnels in his ears. Now I know for certain that isn't the type of customer Jack Wills intended to attract. 

Looking at Jack Wills most recent store catalogue, they are really emphasising the whole aspect of university, by putting together 'looks' that are associated with the university lifestyle, these include; "Campus Casuals", "The Coffee Run" and "Friday Formal". 

I've also noticed they have started to offer 15% discount to university students providing an NUS card. 

They have also decided to hit the American market by opening stores and sponsoring the Yale vs Harvard sporting events. 

Best of British luck! 

Regan x