Socks and Sandals.

telegraph, erikahelinski.blogspot.com, wwd, style.com.

I acknowledge I am late on the bandwagon but after browsing lookbook I have been thinking about socks and sandals. After being seen on the catwalks for Dior, Daks and notably Burberry during the Spring/Summer shows, it was thought by the general population that this trend would stay on the catwalks due to the Jesus socks and sandals connotation. However, then the Alexa effect happened.. in fairness she has been wearing socks and sandals since well before they appeared on the Burberry runway, although her interpretation of the look has caught more attention since it became an established trend. The models for her Madewell collection (hitting stores in August!) rocked chunky grey socks with either clogs or platform sandals Alexa style.

Despite the fact Alexa, models and the ever cool Chloe Sevigny can pull this off I have been wondering whether us normal less than 5ft 10, short legged individuals can pull this off. The ever cool Frida J of lookbook.nu and the blogger Esther above wear this look with heels and short hemlines, possibly the essential way to wear the trend for the vertically challenged. Brown shoes seem to be the best for this trend with a grey or camel woolly sock which are artfully rolled down to ankle level to avoid the hockey player look. I think however, confidence is the key to this trend, it is nonchalence that allows these girls to look cool in a previously shunned look. Well this along with avoiding the black shoe, white frilly sock combo so favoured by those at primary school.

Despite Alexa and the bloggers pulling off this look with style, I feel I will leave this one alone for the moment with the supposedly innocent face of a thirteen year old at twenty one and legs which could do with a go on the stretcher, plain old sandals it is then...

Harry Potter.

I have a confession to make..

I am a Potterhard.

I have read all the books a million times and every time a new movie comes out (despite the fact they always suck) I get really excited.

I'm sorry twihards but Harry Potter beats your books ass any time. I mean IT HAS ITS OWN LAND.

I mean really Stephanie Meyer, you anti feminist 'author', I could live without whiny teenage protagonists, vampires with control issues and don't even get me started on Jacob Black. The fact that Twilight contains the line, 'you are my own personal brand of heroin,' makes me feel a little sick. I mean way to rep up the single population Meyer. Plus do sparkling vampires really help anyone? Where as if Harry Potter was real with magic, Hogwarts and Dumbledore, well the world would be a better place. I truly believe that (loser).

Despite the fact I just graduated, I am going to save to go to Harry Potter land one day and also make up for my deprived of Disneyland childhood by getting that autograph book full of signatures.

I want Butterbeer, my own wand, a picture with a man dressed as Dumbledore and maybe a wizards hat. (yes I'm 21).

Stylish Ladies.

I feel I have been stuck in a slight style rut lately, I am not feeling as inspired as usual and I think this is in part due to the amount of time spent in my pyjama's during my dissertation and exams.

I was thinking last night of who has inspired me over the year's and rather than films or celebrities, my mind wandered to the many hours of television I have watched and the characters who inspired me.

Here are the top five...

5. Betty Draper, Mad Men

Chic, nipped in waists, florals and married to Don Draper.

Enough said really.

4. Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl

Eric Damon may have made Blair into a glorified Grandma these days but in Season One those headbands, curls, Lolita dresses and colourful tights were everywhere a few years ago. The Queen B inspired everyone from Marc Jacobs to the high street and I have always really wanted that Marc by Marc Jacobs dress from Thanksgiving.

3. Marissa Cooper, The OC

Yes Mischa is a hot mess nowadays, but go back to 2003 when she played the poised, chic, sometimes alcoholic Marissa Cooper and you will see the character who inspired my fifteen year old self to wear a legion of cropped cardigans, skinny jeans and sequins. The abundance of Chanel she wore certainly helped the viewer ignore her whiny, addictive tendencies.

2. Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City.
Those corsages, the name necklaces, the Oscar de la Renta dress she wore to Mcdonalds, the floral dungarees and most of all her shoes. Carrie Bradshaw inspired a generation of women and disgusted their men. Here she is at her most stylish clad in white with the delectable Aidan Shaw, the man who I'm sorry she should have married.

1. Cassie, Skins
THAT outfit with the white dress, red sparkly tights and gold tap shoes.
The hats, the prints, the gold mini dress from the pilot.
Cassie inspired a generation of faux hipsters long before the irratating goth Effie came along.

Who are yours?