Wear it like Beckham (Victoria)

I’m having some copycat fun, today, wearing a few of my own togs inspired by Victoria Beckham’s style. But, first……..most of us never stop experimenting or tweaking our signature style.  Casual glamour is my thing.  And, it always has been.  As the decades have passed, I haven’t really changed my look.  I’m still wearing variations of the same things – a great jacket, cool jeans and a snazzy pair of kitten heels – or chunky boots.   It’s true enough that confidence comes from other areas in our lives other than what we wear.  But, what a tonic for our self esteem – when you feel an outfit works, fits well and, most importantly, it’s comfortable.

Here’s a great quote from the amazing fashion icon, Iris Apfel.

“You don’t find out who you are unless you work at it.”

I am still enjoying the journey!  I’ve always admired those who seem to know and understand their own individual style. Our style influences can begin early in life, sometimes without realising it.  One of my earliest memories of being syle inspired was back in my primary school days. I was waiting with my year group to go into lunch when the coolest girl swept by. She was three years older than me, so around twelve to thirteen years old. She was wearing a pair of pull-on, elasticated knee-high white boots and a long cardigan. This looked so cool to my young eyes. Cheryl and I later became firm friends in senior school. My memories, then, were of us both lounging around in her room, listening to Mike Oldfield’s, “Tubular Bells”.

The cool Biba photograph of Ingrid Boulton with her trademark dark burgundy lipstick adorned her bedroom wall. This, for me, was such a happy time. I have great memories of us both experimenting with different makeup and trends of the day, usually getting it spectacularly wrong. I very sadly lost my dear friend to an illness a few years ago.

In my early teens, I started to take notice of the high fashion surrounding my mum in her place of work. She would wear wonderful creations by designers of the day, such as Frank Usher, Bill Gibb, Halston and Pierre Cardin. I was like a kid in a candy shop looking through the latest stock of the season in the showroom.  At home, I was frequently caught swishing around in her outfits. My young eyes were also opened to the high-end glossies like Vogue. I was fascinated by the layout, style and incredible photography of these magazines, a giant step up from my weekly edition of “Jackie”, the hugely popular British weekly magazine for teenage girls.

Later, as a teenager in the seventies, my favourite fashion haunts were located in Newcastle and Sunderland. The first was “Victoria & Albert” (Boutique), where I worked as a Saturday girl. As a schoolgirl, with very little money, it was here that my eyes were opened to a younger-based style. I had the huge bonus of being gifted freebie clothes to wear. My favourites were the hippy, flowing boho dresses; velvet, tight-fitted jackets; tight hipster flares; and, my “go-to” – a dark green oversized mohair jumper, worn with tights and my sky-high, brown leather platform boots…… I remember mum remarking, “Are you really going out wearing that?” I still have a weakness for a fluffy oversized jumper.

Some Fantastic Boho Style From Free People

There was also “Bus Stop”, opened by the highly renowned fashion designer, Lee Bender. The outside paintwork was bright red. The interior was spectacular, too.   My other favourite fashion haunt was “Plus Four”, which was great for denim.  It was here I bought my first pair of denim dungarees. A style I still enjoy wearing, today. Would this be frowned upon by the sometimes brutal style police, whose maxim by some is:

“You should not wear a look or item that was worn by your younger self”?  What nonsense! If something suited you, then, why shouldn’t it suit you now?

We don’t change that much, do we? It may be a slightly updated version, or given the odd tweak, here and there. But, what the heck? Feeling good and being comfortable in ourselves is key.

The seventies is still my favourite fashion era. In the eighties, I wasn’t a fan of the ruffles, shoulder pads, bat wing sleeves and big hair do’s. Have you got a favourite fashion era you reminisce about?

VB began her clothing line in 2008. From there, various stages seemed to follow, both in herself and the clothing line she produced. I didn’t really tune into her style until around 2012. Then, I really began to take notice. The reason being I saw her wearing outfits I could see myself in. The items which caught my eye were the flattering, longer length, wide/flared leg trousers. We are around the same height, and I loved how this style elongated the leg, giving height. I also thought the fitted dresses looked super flattering. I was inspired by the A-line midi skirts which are my favourite hem length. Victoria paired these skirts with beautiful roll-neck or sloppy cashmere jumpers. This, and the sharp tailoring of her suits, worn with a simple crisp white shirt, inspired me. I certainly tuned into her functional, feminine, minimalist looks.

Which brings me to a few VB-inspired outfits. The first is this grey wool suit, which I picked up a few years ago from the “Zara” store when their sale was in progress. The jacket attracted me, first. Then, I was lucky enough to spot the trousers in my size, later. As you can see, this suit has been such a versatile addition to my wardrobe. And, because of the cut and quality of the cloth, it still looks brand new. I received a few comments about the good quality of the material and style. I think you will agree that it has been a huge bargain.

A grey suit isn’t just corporate workwear. And, it’s far from boring.  This suit has certainly become a staple in my wardrobe, especially when there is a need for something a little more dressy.  The jacket is double-breasted and sits mid-thigh, which I find to be a flattering fit.  The great tailoring complements most items in my wardrobe, and, as you can see in the following pics, both the jacket and trousers can be mixed and matched so well.

With Wide Leg White Jeans

With Blue Barrel Style Jeans

 

And, Lastly, My Holy Grail Eyeliner

My older eyes have called for some kind of definition in a softer, more focused way. I have found that a good eyeliner is the answer. The problem is that my hooded eyelids need a robust, quality product that doesn’t make me resemble a panda after a few hours of wear. I have wasted time and money trying lots of eyeliners, and this Kajal eyeliner by Victoria Beckham stays put.  It is a pure coincidence that VB is the theme to todays style…..The reviews for this product speak for themselves.

I have just reordered my second one as I am running low. It is worthy of the outlay, and the colour I use is Cocoa. If you do treat yourself, be sure to order the VB sharpener as well.

We have two more weeks before the usual Christmas furore will calm a little for most of us. I will be back with one more post before the end of the year. Take care!

Disclosure:

This is not a sponsored post. All items and opinions are my own.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my post, which may contain some affiliate links. If you click through to the product, there is no cost to you. The small commission I may earn helps me with the costs of running my blog.