Christina Hendricks: curvy role model or another unattainable ideal?

Source

Last week the UK government's Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone MP, caused controversy when she suggested that Christina Hendricks - who plays sexy secretary Joan Holloway in the TV series, Mad Men, and wears a size 14 - is a perfect role model.

The controversy surrounding the comments was, I admit, more of the media's own making than anything that Featherstone herself had said. Yes, she had said that Hendricks was a good role model but she did not decree that she was a good role model for every women or that there should only be one such role model. She was merely making the point that curvy women should be celebrated and that it is potentially dangerous for young women and girls to aspire to the size zero models that often grace the front pages of magazines, such as GQ. In fact, what the Equalities Minister said was, “There is such a sensation when there is a curvy role model. It shouldn’t be unusual.”

I agree. To a point. And that point is that each and every woman is different. Certainly curves shouldn't be frowned upon and those women lucky enough to have hips and a fuller chest should be celebrated rather than feel the need to diet. But we aren't all that lucky to look like Christina Hendricks.

My petite frame and flat chest mean that no matter how many corsets I put on, I will never look like Hendricks' alter ego, Joan Holloway:

Source

Lynne Featherstone's comments come as she discusses the Liberal Deomcrat Campaign for Body Confidence which she launched in March this year and which follows on from the Lib Dem's Real Women Campaign.

Sepaking in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Featherstone said, “I am very keen that children and young women should be informed about airbrushing so they don’t fall victim to looking at an image and thinking that anyone can have a 12in waist."

“Advertisers and magazine editors have a right to publish what they choose, but women and girls also have the right to be comfortable in their own bodies. At the moment they are being denied that.”

She said she was planning to hold a series of meetings with the fashion industry later this year to tackle issues including airbrushing.

The issue of airbrushing in the fashion industry is not new. It seems that once a year or so one magazine makes a stand and features a cover photograph of a star who hasn't been airbrushed or a "real woman". To be honest though, I don't think there are many women who, given the chance, would opt not to be airbrushed, be they a size 6 or a size 14. We all spend time - sometimes hours - making ourselves up each morning and before we go out for an evening. I don't think it's all that different: we're all trying to portray the best possible image of ourselves to the world.

What are your thoughts on this thorny issue? Who is your role model?

Words: source

Style Icon: Battle of the Wives Round 2

In the wake of the British General Election a week ago today and the appointment of a new Prime Minister earlier this week, as well as the poll (to the right of this post!), I thought it was high time to showcase the styles sported by the two leading ladies of the election campaign.

First up, the outgoing first lady of British politics, Sarah Brown:

But I think Sarah really looked fabulous when she stood beside her husband outside Number 10 for the last time on Tuesday evening:

Samantha Cameron, wife of the new British Prime Minister, has had a bump to contend with as well as the photographers on the election campaign:

Again, SamCam - as she is affectionately referred to by the media - chose a blue dress in which to enter Number 10 and also looked fabulous:

Remember to vote for your favourite political wife in the right-hand column before the poll closes tomorrow (Friday).

And I know that I have not included the new Deputy Prime Minister's wife, Miriam. I promise a whole Style Icon post very soon.

More soon. Love, SG

Photos source: Daily Mail 

Monday morning pic-me-up and the winner is...!!

Source: Flickr

Happy Monday! (Or something like that!)


I am spending this week getting more and more excited about my upcoming trip to Paris on Friday and keeping my fingers crossed that they don't close UK airports again. I am planning a trip to Ladurée for some of their macaroons. If anyone has any other recommendations for 48 hours in the French capital, please leave a comment here!


In other news:


After SamCam was voted Best Dressed Woman In Politics two weeks ago I thought it was time to open the polls to you, my dear readers.


In the right-hand column you can find a poll which will be changed every week for the next month or so to find a winner of the Style Icon series. Please make your vote now!


And finally, Stella of Ex Libris won the 24 hour Sunday Girl Accessories giveaway. Check back soon for another giveaway!


More soon. Love, SG

In Vogue?

Everywhere you turn in the UK at the moment someone is talking about the impending General Election.


Indeed, the Guardian have been running a Fashion Election Special series, including the Westminter location shoot below. As well as a Sarah vs Samantha article, which is very similar to the one I did last autumn which you can read and compare here!

Source: Guardian online


No ones knows yet when it will be called but that hasn't stopped anyone and everyone talking about it. Suddenly it is fashionable to talk about politics. Politics in the UK has never been fashionable. Really. In the United States on the other hand, everyone from film stars to designers jumped on the Obama-McCain bandwagon. US Vogue Editor, Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker co-hosted a fundraiser for Barack Obama during his campaign in 2008. Now here too, everyone wants to be seen cozying up to Brown, Cameron or Clegg.


Yesterday I opened my post box and happily found my copy of Vogue magazine inside. (In case I haven't made it clear before; I love post! Any post. Except bills, of course!)


So yesterday evening, after a day of cleaning, washing, tidying and general housework - plus a little shopping - I sat down with a glass of wine and my Vogue to indulge in some frivolous day dreaming over the beautiful photos of beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes. And there, right in front of me, is an article about who will be supporting whom in the up-coming General Election. Seriously?! This is supposed to be fashion.


So when exactly did it become fashionable to be interested in politics?


As a politics graduate I was under the impression that the subject was distinctly unfashionable. An impression garnered from years of people looking blankly at me when I told them what I studied. (And, of course, my own opinion from years - literally, years - of attending politics lectures!)


But things, they are a-changing.


For me, this will be the first General Election that I will have voted in. I could have voted in 2005 but I was living in Italy and didn't register in time for a postal vote! Oops! Over drinks recently the group I was with started to discuss the first General Election that we had any real recollection of. I have a vague recollection of John Major's win in 1992 when I was eight years old but my first real memories are of Tony Blair's victory at the polls in 1997. Since I was 13 I have lived under a Labour government. For others at the table, Margaret Thatcher's win in 1979 was their first memory of a General Election and they spent their formative years living under a Conservative government. I don't know if this makes any difference to which party people are likely to vote for at the next General Election.


Today, many people seem to switch political allegiance every five years. Throughout much of the twentieth century most voters stuck with one party or another with few so-called swing voters but in our current political climate and with the three main parties seemingly so similar voting intentions are more fluid.


Much has been made in recent years about the throw-away culture of current society, in particular with the rise in popularity of cheap and disposable fashion. Perhaps our political leanings have been influenced by this and perhaps political views are now seen as disposable as our clothes.
 
I'd love to hear your views on this subject.


Of course, if you're fed up with all the politics talk why not check out the fashions of politics' first ladies in my weekly Style Icon series?

Style Icon: Jackie Kennedy

She is undoubtedly the original First Lady of Fashion.

The wife of the 35th President of the United States, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassiss.

Both Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni have been compared to Jackie Kennedy however neither has managed to capture her innate sense of style.

Courturier and family friend Oleg Cassini was chosen to design the First Lady's wardrobe, a decision which proved pivotal, as all eyes fell on Jackie and she and the President toured the world.

Tragically widowed at the tender age of 34, Jackie Kennedy's style extended beyond the White House as she continued to be a style inspiration to women all over the world for decades afterwards.

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

How to... shop till you drop and still "be green":

Clearly I was ahead of the times...


Earlier this month Dame Vivienne Westwood urged BBC Radio London listeners to stop shopping for six months in order to avoid unnecessary waste.


London Mayor Boris Johnson has launched his climate change for London campaign with a number of stars, including Westwood, lending their voices and support to the cause.


Well, Dame Vivienne and Mr Johnson, I'm one step ahead of you - I already gave up shopping for six months! It was not easy. But it is certainly possible. You can read about how I got on here.


If you don't think you can manage six months, or, like me, have done your six months of no shopping, what next? It's all very well not buying anything for half a year but what about the other half of the year. Do you suddenly forget all of those noble 'green' reasons you gave up shopping in the first place? (NB - not sure my reasons were ever very noble or green but whatever - I did it!)


Well, you can still shop and "be green". I think.


Dame Vivienne Westwood advises that people shouldn't buy clothes unless they absolutely had to and that then that shoppers should only invest in quality pieces that would last.


That's the first step. Only buy what you absolutely need. This might be a little restricting, particularly in the beginning. So why not allow yourself one frivolous piece a month whilst you wean yourself off the shopping bug. That way you have to really think about what you buy and will hopefully choose something you really want, as opposed to something you think you want or want for that moment!


You should also - obviously - be allowed to replace items. Say your favourite, much loved and, therefore, much worn pair of jeans develops a hole in crotch, say, you have my permission to buy a new pair! But if, say, I button falls off a shirt or a dress, sew it back on! I've even been known to sew up holes in the toes of tights, particularly the pretty patterned ones I own. (I just make sure not to wear them with peep toes!!)


I don't know many women who feel that they have everything they "need" in their wardrobes. So, if this is you, make a list of the absolute essentials that you feel your wardrobe is lacking and when you go shopping, take this with you. This should then act as a guide.


Of course, charity shops and vintage shops are - technically - ethical. But that doesn't mean you should go mad. If you don't absolutely love the item, don't buy it for the sake of it or just because it is "green" to do so. It won't be if it just ends up sitting in your wardrobe until your next clear-out! Plus, there might be someone else looking for that exact piece who will love and wear it.


In summary (because I think I have waffled on a bit here!):


Ask yourself these questions when you're considering buying a "new" item:


Do I need it?


Do I love it?


Will it go with the other items in my wardrobe? (If you have to buy new shoes etc to wear it, don't buy it!)


Will it last? (I.e. is it well made and will it still work next season?)


If you answer yes to all of these - go on, treat yourself!!


For further reading, check out Style Eye's post and Vogue's article.


In other reading, for the weekend, why not check out twentyteneightyfour's post “It’s not about fashion, it’s about style.” Which might also help you to realise that it's not all about the latest fashions.

Style Icon: Michelle Obama

The world's eyes were on her husband following his historic win at the polls in the American Presidential election in 2008 but Michelle Obama is no wallflower and has certainly not hidden behind her husband's shadow.


She never gets it wrong, whether it is a Presidential Ball, the school run or a state visit.


If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

Style Icon: Sarah Brown

Gone is the frumpy housewife of old and in its place is a fashion savvy woman who has learnt to dress for her figure and educated herself on designers to boot. The tranformation of the Prime Minister's wife, Sarah Brown, has certainly catapulted her into the style stakes.


I admit that I am not Sarah Brown's biggest fan but I do admit that the makeover has been quite remarkable. And good for her.


Sarah shows women across the UK that they can look good if they find the clothes to suit. Indeed she looks absolutely radiant - and stunning - in the Erdem dress she wore to introduce her husband at the Labour Party Conference last autumn (top right).


She also looked positively glamorous when presenting David Tennant his award at the National Television Awards (top left with Mr Tennant!).


If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

A Tan To Die For

Fashion has a lot to answer for. Once upon a time a tan was deemed common but today it is seen as the height of fashion for many young women. But at what cost?
There has been a tremendous amount of press coverage recently over the dangers of the use of sunbeds and a number of campaigns to encourage young women to think twice before stepping into the booth for a quick fix.


I am as pale as pale can be. And I never really go brown in the summer. And I hate it. Or I did. For years I wished I could tan better in the summer. I won't lie, I thought about using a sunbed on numerous ocassions but never actually had the guts to do so. (My mum would've killed me!) But I know many people who have used sunbeds. And it's an addictive habit. When I have managed to get a tan in the summer it has been a real confidence boost and the minute that it starts to fade I start to crave the colour again.


We are told again and again that "the only safe tan is the one from a bottle". Well, I have used plenty of bottles of fake tan but when you have the option of a quick fix on a bed as opposed to the labourous task of applying fake tan and running the risk of streaks, I know which one I would rather! (I have had many streak experiences!!)


According to a debate in the Welsh Assembly today (yes, I am a geek!!), the fashion industry encourages young women to aspire to a tan. I'm not so sure. I think a celebrity culture has certainly made a tan the norm and indeed the ideal for many young women but the fashion industry themselves do not use tanned models, indeed I would argue that if you look at catwalk models they are often pale skinned beauties.


Even if the fashion industry is not to blame they do perhaps hold the key to changing the trend.


It is great that Nicola - off of Girls Aloud - has joined the campaign to ban the use of sunbeds for under 18s but we need more young women in the public eye to take the lead. It's all very well for one women to stand up and say that a tan is not fashionable but magazines are still filled with photographs of bronzed beauties.


Of course, whilst the white look might not be "fashionable", surely the tangoed look is no more attractive!? I found this photo on the Daily Mail's site - which do you prefer?

Heat magazine has launched its Dazzle Don't Frazzle campaign which is suppoerted by Nicola Roberts. (Join the facebook group here). Check out Polka Dot Stripe Rachel's post on this here.


And what of fake tans? Well I admit that I do sometimes find myself slapping on the orange stuff!! Whilst I can bare with the whiteness of my arms and face, my legs - after a winter of hiding in tights - are such a bright white that you would need sunglasses to look at them!!! So I have been known to use a little fake tan on my legs in the summer months.


So this year, I will do my bit for you ladies and will in the coming months spend some time testing various fake tan brands and will let you know which work and which don't! Look out for these reviews.

Style Icon: Samantha Cameron

Our fifth style icon in the series is Smythson's Creative Director and the wife of the Tory leader, Samantha Cameron.


Samantha proves you don't have to be a French First Lady to know how to dress well. She regularly graces the pages of Vogue and why not? She rarely puts a foot wrong in the style stakes.


Samantha is not just a politician's wife, as Smythson's Creative Director she regularly demonstrates her fashion credentials. Indeed she looks every inch the style icon in the red Vivienne Westwood dress (top left) at the Glamour Woman of the Year Awards. And yet at her husband's side she is just as fashion savvy - the M&S dress worn to the Party Conference last autumn was carefully considered and yet glamorous nonetheless.


My month of political wives' style icons continues next week with Sarah Brown, be sure not to miss it! If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

Style Icon: Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

2009 was the year of the ""political wife".


Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was one of those making a fashion statement everywhere she went. Of course, being a former model helps somewhat. But there is no denying her style. An Italian French First Lady was always going to show up her counterparts.


On her visit to the UK at the beginning of 2008, Carla's entire outfit (third photo from the left), from the 1960s pillbox hat to her grey wool coat and black leather gloves, was designed by the French couture house, Dior – a diplomatic choice, given that it is headed by the English designer, John Galliano.


Today's style icon continues the French theme of January but (cleverly!) introduces a new political theme for the next few weeks! Check back for next week's political style icon. If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.


Tell me, who is your style icon?

Waffles, politics, six and a little boy peeing

There is a smell wafting through the open office window at the moment that smells just like a waffle stand in Brussels. Amazing.


Did I mention before that I lived in Brussels for three months a few years ago when I was doing an internship at the European Parliament?


I learned to love Brussels in that time. I'm not sure it is a city that you immediately fall for, like Paris or Rome but it certainly grows on you. Indeed it is a city of contrasts. On the one hand, it is famous for beer and the city's "mascot" is a little boy peeing and on the other, it is home to the European Parliament and European Commission offices. It is also home to French Belgians and those from Flanders which makes it a clash of cultures. Of course, it also houses an international population, from the African quarter to those in Brussels who work in one of the international institutions. The clashes and contrasts make for an exciting and interesting place to live and as I got to know the city better, so I learned to like it and finally, love it.


Belgium is not a very big country and, as I have found whenever I have travelled in continental Europe, rail travel is relatively cheap. So during my three months I endeavoured to see a little more of the country. One Sunday afternoon I found myself in Antwerp. Again, like most places in continental Europe, much of the city was closed for Sunday but it was a cool place to wander around. Since visiting I have read up more about it and really want to go back. Antwerp is the breading ground of a many a fashion designer, most famously the "Antwerp Six", Walter Van Beirendonck, Ann Demeulemeester, Dries van Noten, Dirk van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs and Marina Yee. These six - with a seventh in tow (Martin Margiela) - graduated from the Belgian Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the city at the beginning of the 1980s and travelled to London and Paris together, showcasing their unique avant-garde style of fashion.

The city is home to MoMu - ModeMuseum - the popular fashion museum. The building (above) is also home to The Academy of Fashion and the Flanders Fashion Institute. If you are ever in Antwerp, check it out - I intend to!


Whilst researching the city and finding photos, etc, I came across this blog - Antwerp Fashion Observer. I think this demonstrates how Antwerp has produced such amazing designers and will continue to do so.


Hope you've enjoyed this. More soon. Love, SG

LUST LIST: Samantha Cameron's recession-chic shoes!‏

I love love LOVE the shoes that Samantha Cameron wore, not just once, but three times to the Conservative Party Conference last week!!

And at £29 from Zara, they are totally affordable! They are completely testing my will power!

Mrs Cameron gets it spot on!

Samantha Cameron accompanied her husband as he addressed the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester yesterday afternoon, in a £65 dress from Marks and Spencer.


Samantha has spent the week at the conference in a number of outfits straight from the British high street. This particular dress is from the housewife's favourite's 125th year anniversary collection which was out earlier this year.


After Sarah Brown's designer outfit at the Labour Party Conference last week, Samantha chose to demonstrate her recessionista credentials.


She teamed the grey polka dot dress with the £29 Zara heels that she's been photographed in a number of times this week. Perfect.


For anyone who might be wanting to dash out and grab the dress, it is unfortunately no longer in stock but M&S have confirmed that a navy verson will be in stores shortly.


More soon. Love, SG

Sarah vs. Samantha: battle of the wives‏

Their husbands might be getting ready to battle it out in the polls but Sarah Brown and Samantha Cameron have been doing battle for some time already in the style stakes.

Conference season is traditionally the time of year when the political parties do battle, so it is interesting to compare what the wives have been wearing whilst out supporting their husbands.

The fashion headlines today are focused on the choice of designer of Sarah and Samantha: Erdem Moralioglu. 


Canadian-born Erdem Moralioglu is a graduate of London's Royal College of Art and the rising star of the British fashion scene. In 2005 he won a Fashion Fringe award for a capsule collection and two years later the British Fashion Council’s Fashion Enterprise award. He specialises in beautiful feminine dresses in watercolour florals.


Sarah Brown chose to wear an Erdem dress from the pre-Spring collection when she introduced her husband, the Prime Minister, at the Labour Conference in Brighton last week. While last night, arriving at the Tory conference in Manchester, Samantha Cameron accompanied her husband in an Erdem jacket from last autumn's collection.

The dress chosen by the PM's wife, in an abstract, poinsettia-print, silk organza, is beautiful, however, the cut is not altogether flattering on Sarah Brown's pear shaped figure which is a shame.

Samantha Cameron manages to mix designer with high street and pulls it off with aplomb. She chose a simple and yet elegant outfit to complement the suit which her husband is wearing. And it works well.

Indeed Samantha Cameron is such a fan of the designer that in her role as creative director of the stationery brand Smythson, she has invited Erdem to create a selection of notebooks and diaries that will launch next month. The collection will include limited-edition set of notebooks and diaries featuring his beautiful fashion sketches and signature silk graphic flower prints. I can't wait. Check out Smythson's blog for more information.

Who do you think is winning in the style stakes?

More soon. Love, SG

No Ban On High Heels

As London Fashion Week celebrates 25 years, London Mayor, Boris Johnson - infamous for his not-so-perfect and scruffy dress sense - launched the proceedings at a cocktail reception at Somerset House.


Despite the controversy it caused last year, Boris wore the same crumpled Paul Smith suit and Marks & Spencer shirt that caused a diplomatic incident at the Beijing Olympics. He may not be the sharpest dresser but it is obvious that he is comfortable in his appearance and that is no bad thing.


He went on to tell the gathered fashion crowd that, "As long as I am Major of this city, there will be no ban on high heels". Well, hallelujah!


More on LFW soon, very excited to see what Burberry has in store on Tuesday!


My picks of the Week are;


Sunday (20/9); 1300 Matthew Williamson; 1700 Julien Macdonald; 1800 Vivienne Westwood Red Label;


Monday (21/9); 1000 Luella; 1430 Christopher Kane; 1745 House of Holland; 1945 Twenty8Twelve; 2045 Pringle of Scotland;


Tuesday (22/9); 1830 Burberry.


Love, SG

How to... combine fashion and politics

My two passions in life; politics and fashion. Until recently the two seemed to be juxtaposed however the tides seem to be turning as women like Michelle Obama and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy emerge.

'The essence of the well-dressed woman should never be exaggerated,' Margaret Thatcher declared as Prime Minister in 1985. 'Appearance is the first impression people get of you. And it does matter. It matters tremendously when you represent your country…'

How true.

While it is not unusual for First Ladies in America to make it on to the pages of Vogue magazine, when Michelle Obama graced the cover of the style bible earlier this year (March issue) she was described as "The First Lady The World's Been Waiting For."

Appearance does matter. And first appearances matter all the more when you are trying to win an election. While no one is advocating that women politicians or political wives turn up to the Commons in jeans, tee and trainers there also seems little need for the boring boxy suits favoured by many female MPs today.

Indeed, during the Presidential campaign in the US last year Hilary Clinton pulled out of a Vogue shoot for fear of appearing too feminine. Politics is often seen (wrongly, I might add) as a man's world. This has to change. Women in politics should not be afraid of their femininity, indeed they should embrace it. In a man's world' it is vital to stand out from the crowd and what better way than as a woman?!

Those women in politics who look best are those who make the most of what they have. Those who do not try too hard to be something they are not. Here are my 10 dos and don'ts of dressing right for women in politics:

1. Do NOT go for the standard 'boxy' suit, in fact, if at all possible, do not wear a suit at all.

2. Do NOT stick to a twin-set and pearls combo - might win you votes with the blue rinse brigade but maybe not even there!

3. DO pay for a decent hair cut that can be easily styled - nothing too short and nothing that will go frizzy in the rain.

4. DO go to a decent make up counter and get make up that suits your skin type. If you are pale or prone to shiny skin, ask for something to combat this - nothing looks worse on TV, you either look ill or like a greasy teenager.

5. You do NOT have to wear heels (check out Carla Bruni-Sarkozy on her trip to Britain).

6. Black opaque tights are your new best friend - keep a spare in your desk drawer! (They have amazing slimming properties!)

7. DO wear trousers if you are more comfortable but make sure they are tailored.

8. You do NOT have to wear shirts, a simple tee looks just a smart under a jacket.

9. DO invest in two smart classic coats, one for summer and one for winter. A trench in summer and a wool coast for winter will see you through the seasons.

10. DO accessorise!! A bright coloured bag here, some statement earrings there - have fun with your accessories!