I might have already had moments of summer holiday boredom, waking up and not really knowing what to do, but during May I managed to find some internships so I'll be busy 10-6! If you've ever searched or applied for work experience you'll know it's tricky and you either hit lucky or have to keep sending out application after application. I expect to get some questions but my advice is to start at the top and as early as possible to apply to places that you'd love and dream to work at, and then find sites that advertise placements in areas that interest you. You have to look outside the box and not just think of your favourite high street shops. I can put my blog on my CV but really want to make a good impression and prove myself, and they're in London so I'll have to get my London head on. Lesson one: if people look crazy on the tube, they probably are. Giving the benefit of the doubt will just result in people falling on you. I learnt that on Friday! I did however meet a reader, hellooo!
So I'll have to act like a Londoner for a month and once I sort out accommodation (anyone have a spare room to rent out there?), I have to sort out what to wear! I'm fine in Birmingham going around the shops or heading to classes in Manchester, but London is a whole other kettle of fish. Firstly you must have transport friendly clothes as the tube crowds move so fast and you never know when you'll turn the corner onto a whole flight of stairs or an escalator so tall it will make you wobble on your flats. Also due to English weather the tubes can get hot and stuffy on a random sunny days like Friday was, and you'll go from being crushed in a crowd to being blown away by an oncoming carriage. After this you have to arrive to work as clean and fresh as possible and go the whole day feeling comfortable but looking professional and, in my case, stylish. As an intern it's not like I'm catwalking but I can't just turn up in a 5 minute outfit; I need to do some forward thinking and take items to London that are formal enough but are casual and comfortable for the commute and whole day. It seems in London there's a restaurant, bar, or event on every corner too and I'll have to learn the meaning of a 'day to night' outfit if I ever want to see friends after for dinner.
Also I have no idea what people wear to work if it's a media/fashion environment. There's no need for power play or dress codes (I don't think) but when you're representing yourself and the company you work for, you must have a degree of smartness. I say smart because my grandma used to use the work smart, as in 'ooh you look very smart', to describe looking nice, but in the way you look bright, your clothes look clean and pressed, and you generally look neat and tidy. That's what I need to go for!
So I was very happy to randomly come across an Elle UK (favourite magazine x a trillion) blog called What Elle Wears To Work. Also if you subscribe to their blog feed, you subscribe to all their blogs and they're really personal and full of inspiration, not news. The WEWTW blog is full of photos of the Elle staffers, from editors to interns, taken every Monday. I like the day because on Monday you're fresh for the new week but it's still a stressful first day, so it seems an even representation of what probably goes down each day! I've picked out a few looks with points I'll try to channel. Many other looks team classic things like plain tees with cropped trousers and structured jackets, but I can't do plain, casual things at all. I just can't. Me in a slouchy plain t-shirt just looks terrible! So I've picked more detailed looks, but check out the blog for more styles.
Natalie Wansbrough-Jones: ELLE Senior Fashion Editor. Wearing an all-over light colour is hard but it looks so subtle and smart, and the Christopher Kane top is very pretty but toned down by blending into the whole outfit. I'd consider wearing maybe a lace white top with a light coloured skirt and tights instead of always teaming light tops with dark skirts and tights.
Laura Davies: ELLE Sub Editor. Never underestimate the power of black tights! I'll team all my overly patterned and girly things or anything a bit too short with black tights. Also I'll probably invest in some really good quality tights as semi-sheer or tights that bobble easily just don't make the cut.
Bonnie Rakhit: ELLE Market and Merchandising Editor. What great maxi skirt inspiration. I still can't bring myself to buy a long, black skirt as I'm not sure I'll immediately wear it. Also the material and opaqueness of the skirt is really important, and the length, so I'll try to pick one up at Topshop or Oasis where I can try before buying. As I have to fund my own accommodation and internships are not paid, I have to be really thrifty this summer and can't afford to buy anything I won't get optimum wear out of!
Lucia Roberts: ELLE Fashion Intern. I probably wouldn't pull off this outfit but I really love it; so subtle yet the shapes are really different.
Amy Lawrenson: ELLE uk.com Web Beauty Assistant. Notice how a beauty assistant is wearing natural makeup? It looks like she might be wearing a lovely peach/nude lip colour but apart from that, none of the Elle team are wearing extreme makeup. I think I'll start an eyeliner ban as black mascara is enough definition for me, and I really need to buy a better foundation. Right now even NW15 is way too orange for me. I'm hankering after Nars Sheer Glow so badly. But I wanted to mention the scarf. I think a draped scarfs can give a really mature look, not that it's aging in any way but by casually throwing on a designer scarf you look prepared and sophisticated but in a really casual way.
It's funny to note that loads of the staff are wearing clogs too! So fast on the trends.
Melina Haralambous: Senior Digital Marketing Executive. This is the way I would wear coloured tights; with other block colours. That way the tights aren't part of an overly complicated outfit and don't scream out.
Bonnie Rakhit: ELLE Market and Merchandising Editor. OK I had to feature this lady again and twice because her maxi outfits are so great! Finally some inspiration that isn't grungy. Plus she is wearing a shearling coat merely weeks after the A/W shows, and a denim shirt. And see the scarf? By wearing Louis Vuitton in a sophisticated scarf, the outfit looks more grown up and streamlined.
Megan McCluskie: ELLE Bookings Assistant. What a sweet outfit! The dress is vintage and looks work-ready with black tights and shoes. If the tights were worn out and sheer in parts the whole outfit wouldn't have the same effect.
