Having received a flurry of PR emails regarding brands I would never feature on Rarely Wears Lipstick, I thought I’d take a moment to explain why. This site is a personal blog and, as such, any fashion content is a reflection of my own personal style. Those who know me well will already have a pretty good idea of what that means, but I have decided to sit down and spell it out in a blog post… my style manifesto.
I will not be a sucker for trends. Don’t get me wrong, I adore beautiful examples of well-interpreted fashion trends and am always filled with joy when they coincide neatly with things I already have in my wardrobe. However, although Vogue may say that ‘ice cream’ pastels, denim, trench coats, and sheer fabrics are in for SS18, I just can’t let myself get suckered in to buying a garment merely because it’s on trend. This is partly because my own personal style is very much ‘vintage inspired’, and also because I cannot buy something that will only last one season. Which leads me on to…
I will try to be more sustainable in the way I consume fashion, always thinking carefully before making a purchase. I aim to ask myself “do I really need this?” and, if so, “does it need to be new?” Second-hand shopping (or swapping with friends) takes a bit longer, but often helps you think about your potential purchase a bit more. If it needs to be new, can I buy it ethically? If not, I must always buy it to last. This also goes for the way I feature brands on my blog, with no posts on “this season’s must-have!” or proclaiming “it’s so cheap, you can buy twice as many”. You can, but why would you?
I just don’t do sportswear. OK, so I’ve posted a review or two of sports bras, but you know that lingerie is kinda my thing, right? Activewear, however, really is not. You’ll never find me in the gym, and any dance classes I’ve attended have usually been while wearing what others would term ‘street clothes’. Yes, I have one pair of expensive yoga leggings, but you will never see me in them unless we are attending the same class. You will also never see me in a waterproof jacket… well, perhaps if I get a dog sometime in the future.
Colour is life. There are occasionally days when I simply can’t face coordinating an outfit in the morning and so will plump for all black, but those days are few and far between. A splash of colour cheers me up so very much, whether it’s simply on my nails/lips/accessories or across my entire outfit, and I hope I never ever grow bored of it. It still surprises me that colour coordinating an outfit is not something that everyone can do – perhaps I should run masterclasses?
Having just done a wardrobe clear out, I find myself looking at clothes differently and changing things up a bit away from ‘tshirt and jeans’.
I’m definitely finding myself more drawn to colourful items than I have been in the past, simply because they make me happy. And thankfully I’ve never really been ‘on trend’ because I’ve never really been into fashion all that much… but maybe 2018 is the year I finally discover my sartorial elegance??
If it makes you happy, wear it! Colour is definitely good for cheering up the wearer and many people they come into contact with during the day too. I’m looking forward to seeing the results on Instagram!