Collette from Daiquiris and Denial is not a fashion blogger, she’s a personal blogger. And she’s my oldest friend (20 years in September, yo!). In my opinion, a) she needs to blog more and b) more people need to read her blog. Stat.
When Sarah asked me to write a guest post for her, I was initially delighted. Then the panic set in. What would I write about? You see, this is a fashion blog, and I’m not in the least bit fashionable. In fact, the very word brings me out in a rash. I’m pretty much clueless. I don’t follow trends. The designers I can name I could count on one hand. I spend the majority of my week in a uniform for work, sans makeup, hair scraped back. To be honest, I am possibly the last person you’d look to for for good quality fashion talk. Still, I accepted the challenge, and here I am before you, a virtual cretin.
Through my panicked haze, I remembered my little saviour. “How To Walk In High Heels (The Girls Guide to Everything)” and “A Girl for all Seasons (The Year in High Heels)”, two books by Camilla Morton, gifts I got many moons ago. Okay, so they are highly cheesy, but they have been an unlikely source of guidance. I’ve used them to *blag* my way into pretending I know more about fashion than I actually do at one time or another. Some might call it cheating, I think it’s the perfect solution for me. I don’t necessarily want to learn about fashion, but I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb either.
“How To Walk In High Heels” is like a self help book for those who want to do everything with style and grace. From tips on getting ready for any impromptu occasion in less than five minutes, to the perfect wardrobe to pack when going on holiday, this book has it all. It also has little articles from well known figures in the fashion and celebrity worlds on topics like picking the perfect hat and enhancing your finer assets (written by the one with the pert bottom, Kylie). I’ll admit, before reading this book, Manolo Blahnik was just a name that was referenced in in every second sentence in Sex and the City. Now, thanks to his guidance, I know how to pick the perfect pair of shoes.
“A Girl For All Seasons” takes a different approach. The book is divided up into months, which guide you through culture, fashion, history and so much more according to season. Wedged between each chapter is a “Foot Note”, Morton’s anecdotes about the history of different types of shoes. Yet again, this book is chock-a-block with helpful hints and tips for the modern woman, from caring for your pearls to “doing” haute couture to being “festival chic”. My favourite part of the book is the “Muse of the Month” section, with mini bios on ladies such as Ella Fitzgerald, Cleopatra, Frida Kahlo and Audrey Hepburn.
But the real question is, do I think these books are inspiring? Frankly, yes. They might be some of the cheesiest things I’ve ever read, but at the same time, they’re filled with a wealth of knowledge. I’m quite stubborn and set in my ways, but after re-reading these again it’s time to shake things up a bit. At the moment, I wouldn’t know Penneys from Prada. With the help of these books, I can talk the talk, but I haven’t quite mastered to walk the walk. I can pull off pretending I know about fashion, now maybe it’s time to actually step out of my comfort zone.
Daiquris and Denial on twitter.
When I was asked to write a post about something I had upcycled, I was really excited. I’m a creative person, right? In my mind, my wardrobe was bursting with recycled gems, old ballgowns shorn into minidresses, cutlery warmed and bent into bangles, old bookends make with driftwood from the beach. Right? Right?
