Five things that inspired us this week and determined the way we dressed:
1. Broad City
For the girl who doesn’t mind talking number 2 and occasionally (or more frequently) enjoys lighting up after a long day, Abbey and Ilana – the complete babes who write and star in the subversive comedy Broad City – are your new heroes. The pure philosophy of genuine female-to-female platonic love is what really rocks my boat. Ilana foregoes the concept of appropriateness, and perhaps more endearingly, seems oblivious as to why this would ever seem unusual. Her touting of Abbey’s ‘chocolate eyes’ and perfect butt are motivated by pure admiration, and not the regular backhanded female hooey that seems all too familiar. Plus the sound track is awesome and anything that preaches hilarious as being synonymous with ‘sexy’ is something we should all be investing in. Come at me, season 3.
2. Chet Faker’s Gold video
If I’m being totally honest, I found this during my bi-monthly scour through YouTube for ‘cool new music’ as I’m generally a rubbish young person in terms of keeping up with what’s relevant. Whatever. Thankfully, I didn’t have to force my hand too much stumbling upon Australian Chet Faker’s downtempo electronica sound (thanks Wikipedia), and was instantly hypnotised by the pure and simple genius of his Gold video. Needless to say my roller-disco skates had been ordered on Amazon by the next evening. This somewhat time-forgotten skill is mastered beautifully in the flawless choreography of the video, and rendered utterly contemporary by the three gorgeous dancer’s laid-back style of adorable tube socks and hot pants showing off those toned pins. Admittedly the skates remain in their box, but I defy anyone to watch this and not cede to the exact same impulse. Good luck getting any work done. I had this on repeat for hours – seriously.
3. Hallward
I know: what? But let’s face it: as the end of term terrifyingly closes in on us like an interstellar collapse, Hallward increasingly and assuredly becomes the number 1 spot to hit up. Sacrificing dinner for deadlines, staying past 8pm, 9pm, 10pm becomes a hard-faced necessity. Braving the icy Nottingham nights means mastering the art of layering. Which colour polo neck will I wear today? I mustn’t forget those cute mittens my mother knitted for me last Christmas. Scarf? Check. Hats galore: beanies, pom poms, troopers… Try not to forget the whole studious aspect of the venture though and polish up the lenses of your adorable Buddy Holly’s, remember to match your socks for when the shoes eventually come off. Also, yay, Starbucks seasonal red cups are finally gracing the mounds of lecture notes and dusty books that plague our desks. Silver linings.
4. Chloë Sevigny
Once proclaimed the ‘coolest girl in the world’ by The New Yorker, Chloë Sevigny gained accolade as a model and actress with a steady stream of eclectic movie roles and fashion gigs dating back to her début in 1995 controversial, squirm-inducing movie Kids. Deemed a modern fashion icon, Sevigny is now a highly respected designer, the ingenuity of her cool low-profile-non-celebrity celebrity status. She was recently spotted out in New York reminding us that the 41 year old (I know), is still the master of New York cool, having always maintained an authentic and genuinely unique personal style.
5. Paris
An obvious choice perhaps, but one most worthy of a spot following on from the news this month; the world has responded by championing the very essence of French life, and being home to fashion’s capital, it would be damn unreasonable to not pay homage to the city whose enduring style we all endlessly covet. Forget berets. Forget Breton stripes. It’s that effortless glow, those dishevelled subtly ombré-d locks and tailored blazer or biker jacket thrown over pretty much anything that never gets old. The key is in the details: an immaculate manicure, no-fuss jewellery, and your favourite eau strategically spritzed behind your ears to lessen the pure anxiety that comes with greeting a French person: the dreaded cheek kiss. Whilst you figure out which way to tilt your head, at least you’ll know you look the part and smell good doing it.
Amrit Santos
Image credits: Broad City. Broad City/Comedy Partners, Vevo/youtube.com, laclosette.com, Jacopo Coccia/ flickr, University of Nottingham
