JustJode 101 : Who am I?

The three word question dreaded by the insecure, the undecided, the weak.

Who am I?

To be perfectly honest, the question used to throw me, practically throttle me over the edge for a number of reasons;

1. I am the most indecisive girl ever. (I choose to blame it on my mutli - racial background for the cause of that!)
2. I am scared to be me. Everyone who seems to be proud of being 'me' has a face plastered with orange foundation, and hair swamped with fake extensions. The complete opposite of moi! Lets face it, in such territory anyone would feel partially naked and defenseless in front of those people unless you possess Hercules' balls of steel!
3. My life is literally a life-form adaption of a buffet. I am always changing courses, and randomly select and immerse myself into different projects, and opportunities. The word predictability doesn't really exist in my dictionary.
4. Did I mention predictability isn't really my forte? What IS however is a fat slice of rhubarb pie, now that is in my buffet!

So, each month I will attempt to answer that question, honestly and truthfully, and see whether this summary of myself evolves. I'm not a lover of philosophical phrases, but life is a roller coaster. Both frightening  and exhilarating in its own right. Sometimes, I believe that right should be shoved up Jessica Simpsons ass, when the going gets tough. But thankfully, the tough gets going in the end!

So belt up, prepare yourself for the ride! 

JustJode xox

P.S. Apologies for the Boyzone remarks, going through a stage of reminiscing the Nineties ballads! What can I say, Ronan Keating gets me. 

Return to the Blogging Scene

After a long unfortunate departure from this blog, I have returned!
JustJode the blog may have suffered some neglect,  but JustJode in reality has invested a lot of time lately into 'Just Jode', me myself and I!

My blogs primarily been about fashion forecasting, but now I want to personalize my forecasting, to encompass my life too. Why? Because recently I have realized that each life is individually distinguished for a reason; we each have different pathways, obstacles, and goals. Nothing is linear, but a big fat squibble.

And now I intend to squibble out my life in blog art form!

JustJode xox

DESIGNER DOUBLES : Valentino for the Valentina

The love bug has officially swept across the high street, infatuated with the Valentino touch.  The it label adored by fashionistas across the globe, this designer brand has redefined romanticism, as demonstrated in the 2013 Spring collection. Reinforcing the classic beauty of the feminine shape with a subtle touch of androgony and structure, Valentino brings Ms Valentina into the 21^st Century, with high street brands following suit.

The true definition of finesse, Valentino continued their legacy of feminine romance within their 2013 Spring collection, exhibiting faultless craftsmanship and precision within each look. Exuberating a sense of infinite beauty, the haute couture range rejoiced Romanticism in conjunction with the  season of love, with intricate embroidery, and lace detail to give attention to the feminine silhouette, whilst maintaining an austere simplicity.

The fashion guru has truly reinvented the definition of love with a modern twist, and the high street have followed suit in true admiration. Still reinforcing nude and white palette, Valentino focuses on the radiance of the Valentino women, with midi length dresses, and faultless templates. The High Street’s Spring Collection range has clearly grasped inspiration by the Valentino’s monastic, yet romantic collection, with lace, sheer, and nude colours becoming a recurring fashion trend in stores.  Lipsy have done a solid enactment of the Valentino flair by not swaying away from his trustee palette of classic nudes and whites to add emphasis on the natural hourglass shape, subtlety coveted with sheer, and lace to complement the natural subtle seductiveness of a woman. Reminiscent of the Renaissance Age, the High Street brand injects some needed modernization by using the bodycon dress; the new LBD in town!

Inevitably less intricate and embellished rendition of the 2013 Houte Couture Collection, Lipsy in particular seemed to grasp Valentino’s sense of feminine radiance, by injecting classic statement pieces to draw attention to the natural feminine curve, which neither needs nor requires embellishment for assistance. 

The Valentino touch trickles down into daywear and accessories, with Topshop embodying the Baroque trend, giving every woman the chance to strut down the street with the poise of a fierce fashionista! Topshop replicates the divinely studded nude shoe, as seen on fashion icon Alexa Chung, emitting the Valentino charm a woman yearns for.

The High Street rocks the Valentino legacy in true style, at a snip of the price. The spring pieces are a true embodiment of the classic female hourglass shape, showcased with tailored yet simplistic nude dresses, and sheer panelled garments to add a sensual touch .A feminine touch for the Valentines season. Whether or not a fan of the Valentine season, embrace your inner Ms Valentina at a budget price!

JustJode xox 

STYLE SINS : Thou shall not be a scruffy student!

Although  fashion trends are becoming more wild and abstract , I am utterly perplexed by the new fashion trend hitting the uni scene like the plague: the 'Scruffy Student' look. Meeting to the expectations of its name, students would deliberately step out onto the streets with a jumbled  assortment of  of clothing to appear fashionably edge, but instead would look like a jumble Sale found in Camden Market. Being a student myself, I can understand why students may become less conscientious on the way they project themselves at university, being lumbered with colossal amounts of work, and neverending readings to do. But does this really excuse a lack of passion for fashion?

Passion? Yes. Fashion? Kinda. Style? Hell to the No. 

Fashion can be brought, but style is free. Its a unique feature manifesting inside all of us, a by-product of our personality and interests Despite the tight budget and even tighter work deadlines we face, it is never excusable to step onto the streets looking like Courtney Loves double act. 

Style Sin Number 1 ladies :Thou shall not look deliberately scruffy and unkempt! 

This is not a moment to be preaching Drake's "YOLO" excuses ladies. No "Hell Yeah, Hell Yeah", its not "F***ing Right"! 

University is the perfect opportunity for you to explore life and find yourself, both in a philosophical and fashionable sense. But looking like unkempt (and well...dirty!) has never written in anyone's destiny, and it never will be.

I'm a firm supporter and believer in expressing your individuality, and being comfortable with your look, but there is always an exception to the rule, and this is definitely one of those special exceptions. Yes, comfort is a vital factor when constructing an outfit for the day, but that doesn't suddenly make it excusable for you to look like a Jeremy Kyle cast-off in public. A long day of studying and lectures on a Monday Morning may feel like you've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but it doesn't mean everyone else has to know - or in this case see for their very eyes - your personal perils. 

The general message: being a 'Scruff' will not benefit you in anyway! So save those creased up tees and trackies for indoors, and more importantly save yourself from being a fashion offendee! Replace these garments with simple,yet versatile fashion pieces, that can be adapted and be worn in a multiple of ways.  Here are some of the key pieces you can adapt and wear numerous times that both tick the comfort and stylish boxes. Talk about two for one! Now thats a bargain a girl can't resist!

-The Simple White Tee; a fail-safe garment, you can never go wrong, whatever the season!
-A good pair of jeans; note the word "good" - you need a pair that fit good accordingly to your personal body shape! Shake what yo' mama gave you and invest in a simple tailored pair of jeans; I guarantee it will remain a key piece in your wardrobe for years.
-Leather Jacket; your trustee friend, whatever the weather!
-Leather look leggings: an upgrade from the legging sensation that will immediately update your outfit!
-A simple LBD; can be worn both day and night, with the right accessories!

Being a student doesn't make it acceptable to dismiss the fundamentals of fashion!

Justjode xox

My article got published on LSE Fashion Blog!

I have only stepped onto the blogging scene for less than a month and already one of my article's got published on the LSE Fashion Blog!

I am both honoured, and elated by this news. Being a member of the Fashion Society myself makes it all the more special as the society has been fighting endlessly to build on their media department  and have recently gained a section on the LSE Newspaper. They have an amazing blog informing about the current fashion news, and insightful perceptions about fashion trends. Check them out on http://lsesufashionsociety.wordpress.com ! 

Justjode xox

Style, not Fashion.

Why is it that we can write about fashion, but not about style?
The answer : simply because we can.

Magazines today are crammed with rules and guidelines about "Whats Hot", and "Whats Not", but what's truly not hot is the underlining message behind these articles.  We're more inclined and somewhat pressured to abide to the latest fashion trends that the fashion publications dictate, rather than wear our own style. And I would not blame you in the slightest to be an offender of this crime; I for one can be considered as a serial offender in this instance! In a society full of mayhem and distress, its almost soothing and reassuring for someone else to dictate to you what you should be wearing this month, rather than you thinking about it yourself. But consider this, we can be dictated about what fit of jeans we should wear, or what's the new "it" colour, but there is no truly justifiable reason as to why we should actually abide to it.

What are the fashion houses gonna do. Shoot me?  

What you will be murdering however is your personal style. Style can neither be purchased or borrowed, its a gradual evolution, a by-product of your personality and interests. The outward defining the inward you. Your style is like your own personal scent. It smells different, lingers on you different, and most importantly defines you differently than it would on the next woman. Consider when skinny jeans dominated the fashion scene a few years ago. Yes, on women with figures like Kate Moss with never ending legs they looks eye-wateringly sensational. On the rest of the muffin-top nation, like myself, it looked like two sausages bursting out of its skin!

This article is not surging for a radical movement for all women to rebel against the fashion houses, and deliberately not follow any trend that emerges onto the scene. 
1) That is stupid, and 
2) Did I mention that it's stupid?

I'm encouraging you to wear your style and not let the "it" style wear you. Your identity is nothing a fashion media publication can inform or guide you on, all they simply state is the current seasonal trend  that will become a fashion-hate in a few months time. So, if anything wear the trend, but spray it with your style scent, costing at $0 found only by you! Its all about Style NOT Fashion. 

Now that's "Whats Hot" in my eyes. 

Justjode xox

New Year, New Wardrobe?

With 2013 dawning upon us, millions of women will aspire for a new and improved version of themselves, making it a great incentive for a brand new wardrobe and an empty wallet (preferably from Louis Vuitton or Prada, a girl can dream!)

But why waste your money on an entire new collection of clothes to better yourself? For an improved you, use your imagination and money productively and cautiously. Look through your wardrobe and question yourself on the following;

Which 3 key items would boost my style up a gear?
Perceive your wardrobe as a house, its contents the furniture. What pieces of furniture could be added to turn your house into a home, a better representation of your individual style? What item would bring an extra bit of ' Va Va Voom'? 

Does my wardrobe have the core fashion essentials?
A house can never become a home without the essentials (let alone livable!). With no bed, no sofa, no TV, your house is empty and bare. So how you expect your wardrobe be too? Pull out your notebook and make a checklist on whether your wardrobe has all of the key ingredients of a true fashionsita? Does it have a good pair of jeans tailored for your body shape? A nice crisp white shirt? A leather black jacket? A LBD? If not you know what to do.
With essential staple pieces such as these, you'll be prepared for any event thrown upon you! These essentials are both timeless and versatile; you can always build upon them with accessories, and can be reassured that they will never go out of fashion. 

Do you have any fashion fiasco's hiding in your closet?
In a house, you take out the trash on a regular basis, or it will become a complete bombsite. So why should your wardrobe be any different? You cannot expect to improve on yourself, or your style if you're still laden with excess baggage. It has disaster written all over it. So give your wardrobe a full one on one inspection and get rid of any items that either ;

1. Does not suit your style
2. Does not suit your body shape.
3. Does not fit you. PERIOD.

Do NOT chuck out any items on the reason that "its no longer in fashion". The fashion world is like a cycle, its consistently changing and evolving, but it will always return back to the start. Look at 2012 fashion scene. We had a 1920's throwback with the peplum dress. Don't be surprised it''ll dominate the fashion world again in the future.

Do you really need to buy anything at all?
This question is for headed specifically at all you shopaholics out there! You've shopped til' you've dropped at those Christmas Sales, and now your wardrobe is bursting more than Christina Aguilera's jeans. Your wardrobe isn't like Narnia - it doesn't expand, at at this rate it will explode!

So don't be delusional with the concept of "New Year, New Me, New Wardrobe".(Unless your Courtney Love, then that's a whole new different can of fish!) Invest your money into key pieces that gives your wardrobe the X Factor, this isn't 60 minute makeover honey!

Happy New Year!

Justjode xox