An Address To All Men Who Seem To Have The Urge To Share Their Opinion On Women's Appearances On The Streets, Where Said Opinion Is Unwelcome.

Disclaimer: Men are also harassed on the street and that is equally unacceptable - the focus of this article is simply based on my own experiences and feelings as a teenage girl.

Catcalling in the street - it’s offensive, unnecessary and downright uncomfortable. When I put my clothes on in the morning, not once do I think ‘oh golly I do hope some misogynistic a**hole will comment on how I look today’, I dress hoping to look how I want to look, whether other people like it or not. I know that on some days I’ll wear a baggy shirt and my tracksuits because I’m not in the mood to wear anything that doesn’t closely resemble pajamas, but there will be the days where I feel really good and want to dress accordingly.  It does not then boost my confidence when a creepy guy in his car pulls up alongside me in an attempt to grope me, frankly, it freaks me out, makes me feel vulnerable and on the most part I find it considerably distressing. 

“But it’s just harmless flattery, why do you have to be so sensitive?” Well me, I’m glad you asked that question (purely for the sake of the article, I'm not glad that question crossed your mind because no one should think like that you imbecile. I am now going to tell you why you, yes you, are in fact an imbecile.). It is not flattering. It’s not supposed to be flattering. It’s an assertion of male dominance in the form of dehumanizing and hyper-sexualizing someone. Aside from being demeaning and obnoxious, hollers and whistles lead me to think that the person emitting these wonderful National-Geographic re-enactments sees me as little more than a walking target for their arrogant assault. I mean, lets face it, “I really wanna hook up with that guy who whistled at me from his car” - said no woman ever. Every girl is accustomed to the occasional beep of a car horn going past, we brush it off saying it’s not a big deal, but it feels that the situation is escalating recently and men are becoming bolder on the streets. Last month a freaking hearse driver whistled out of his window at me. Not. Cool. It was only then that I began to look past my general disgust and consider just how inappropriate it is. Girls live their lives being objectified everywhere they go, any time of the day, by whoever wants to. The worst part is that once you’ve been harassed on the street you feel embarrassed. You shouldn’t. The amount of times I’ve gone bright red and spent the rest of my journey with my head facing the ground is countless and it's just not on. Why should women feel embarrassed about their bodies? Women should be able to walk the streets with confidence and pride without the constant objectifying onslaught of the alpha male.

More than that you never know when a verbal catcall/assault can turn into a physical attack. This fear prevents us from fighting back and giving the sleaze-bags a piece of our minds. I can’t say how fed up I am with the behavior some men deem appropriate. It’s time someone taught them how to behave like civilized human beings. Luckily, alongside the increased amount of street harassment is the ever-growing platform of social media, which allows each of us to share personal experiences and start to work together to stop this. So please bombard your twitters, instagrams, facebooks, blogs, tumblrs etc with personal experiences, it will help bring attention to this and hopefully bring it to a close.

Megan Rose.

Recent Purchases.

I'd like to say my lack of dedication to posts is due to an incredible work-drive, but I think I've seen nearly everything Netflix has to offer and spent a worrying amount of time snacking in bed... So I thought a good way to catch up would be to post a few recent purchases of mine:

American Apparel cable knit

Whistles lace top

These trousers are my favourite recent buy, they are from Massimo Dutti and I can't wait to wear them in the summer to festivals and while traveling 

Dress from &OtherStories

Will post again soon, I promise!

Megan Rose.

Veronique Leroy Paris Fashion Week Fall 2014

I'm officially ready for winter again, I have already become bored of summer clothes and the promise of the 2014 fall trends is calling me. One of my favourite shows seen at PFW, perhaps because of all the ones I have seen it is the most my style, with high necks and big coats, was Veronique Leroy's collection. It fits my approach to winter perfectly, as I tend to favor big billowing boyfriend coats, turtlenecks and tailored trousers because of course you can never really go wrong with the 'drowning in layers' look. 

The classy, parisian style was exactly what was to be expected from designer Veronique Leroy as past collections have always avoided the 'girly' approach while maintaining a distinct feminine edge. Colour was introduced through tweeds and thick fabrics, while layers varied in opacity and texture, offering a variety of possibilities for winter dressing. 

There is a contrast between geometric patterns, metallic sculptural belts and floaty cuts that gives the collection more of an edge than the more conventional fall collections. Meanwhile bursts of coral combined with classic tweed and jacquard on jackets introduce further juxtapositions that make the clothes stand out from others at Paris Fashion Week.

Clothes for the colder months will always be better than summer, as there is more to wear and therefore more to shop for. I myself have a coat problem, last winter alone I bought 4 which apparently is not normal, so that may be why I look forward to bundling up. Either way it's clear there is a lot to look forward to later in the year.

Megan Rose.

Matisse Cut Outs - Day Trip to the Tate Modern

Well exams are finally over and I can begin posting again, apologies for the huge absence of any updates. I used my new freedom to go to the Matisse Cut Out Exhibition which I've been desperate to see since it first came out. So me and Mumma VP spent the day along the South Bank shopping and visiting the Tate Modern, of course working our way upwards from the bottom (a visit to the cafe is a necessity at any of the Tate museums) beginning by sharing a caesar salad and drinking fresh orange juice for much needed post-exam energy. 

The beautifully curated selection of Matisse collages flows steadily from room to room as the colourful compositions increase in scale but remain consistently intense. The walls are bursting with dancing figures, birds taking flight and blossoming flowers, so bold and overwhelming each room blows you away. The fact that these are crafted delicately from paper, scissors and pins adds to the extraordinary nature of the art, as does the reduced circumstances in which Matisse made them, as he was confined to a wheelchair by 1941 and thus unable to use an easel. Refusing to accept these limitations, Matisse began what has been considered his "second life" in collage, using blocks of colours to discover a new style of form and composition that developed and expanded over the last 13 years of his life. The increasing ambition of his art in this period is demonstrated as he works in the exhibition become more daring and of a larger scale. 

Sincere apologies for the appalling quality of my phone photos.

The delicate balance of colours is what makes these artworks so impressive while the juxtaposition of the shapes demonstrate how carefully judged and calculated these pieces are. This consideration of each piece of paper he placed within each composition is what allows the stars to shine out and the figures to burst from their frames despite their 2D format. 

The work I was looking forward to see the most was Matisse's Blue Nudes, collages I have loved since we had to make our own in year three (mine was a spectacular failure feautring what I can only assume are extra limbs) so seeing them in real life was the main reason I went to the exhibition. They really are incredible works of art, with carefully constructed forms. They were definitely the highlight for me.

Megan Rose.

Springspiration

Alexander Wang ss14

I'm debating whether to go blonde or not...

I need more red in my wardroobe. All I have at the moment is a vintage sweatshirt that got ruined in the wash. I'm a bit of a clothes hoarder and haven't yet gotten rid of it.

Petit Bateau x Satu Maaranen

For the next three years, Petit Bateau is supporting the winners of the Grand Prix du Jury at Hyères Festival, giving them free reign on a collection with the brand. The first capsule line, designed by the 2013 winner Satu Maaranen, will be available in stores from April 29th. Maaranen has been revisiting Petit Bateau designs with the modern and oversized dimensions that were so popular in her winning collection of 2013. 

I will be looking out for this in stores.

The abstract toothpaste-inspired print that features on the designs contrasts with Petit Bateau's traditional stripes. This sharp juxtaposition on the garments lends a modern twist to the line's relatively repetitive designs up until this point. This new collaboration could introduce the brand to a new client base, something much needed by this point.

Megan.

Louis Vuitton FW14

I remember when I first fell in love with Louis Vuitton. It was in 2008 when I was about 11 years old, when I saw the Spring/Summer show, which opened with 12 leading old-school models, all dressed up as nurses, complete with lace masks and caps. The show, as I discovered later on, was a Marc Jacobs and Richard Prince, which explains the nurse look clearly influenced by Prince's work. Nothing was kept in the ordinary, jackets with exposed backs and bags in a spectrum of acid colours, created a complete muddle of random styles which somehow came together in a sort of organised chaos. At the age of 11 this seemed to be just about the coolest show ever, I think the bright accessories triggered my somewhat annoying and extremely embarrassing neon stage.

The models backstage.

From left: Stephanie Seymour, Eva Herzigova, Rianne Ten Haken, Anne Vyalitsyna, Carmen Kass, Natalia Vodianova, Angela Lindvall, Isabeli Fontana, Karolina Kurkova, Lara Stone, Nadja Auermann and Naomi Campbell.

At the end of Paris Fashion Week SS14 Jacobs announced that he was leaving Louis Vuitton and the new head designer was announced as Nicolas Ghesquiere. I have to say he has made me fall in love with the brand all over again, with Ghesquiere focusing all creative energy on what comes down the runway. He has left behind the style of past collections and shows, hosting this one in an open and minimalistic space. He has begun to blend his own love of innovative treatment and the brand's commitment to noble fabrics and tradition. For instance the boxy clutch bags mimic the famed Louis Vuitton travel trunks. For me, the collection's strong point was the jackets and coats. That may be because I'm a coat fanatic but the leather and fur made timeless pieces without going overboard. 

This coat is most likely my favourite piece in the show. It's just about the coolest thing to walk down the runway since John Galliano's Fall 2010 Couture collection for Dior (All I want in life is to walk around the house in one of those masterpieces)

More coats from the collection.

This is by far my favourite FW14 Collection and has established my faith in Nicolas Ghesquiere's new leadership of Louis Vuitton. The colour palate will definitely be featuring in my winter wardrobe, and hopefully so will those fur collars and ankle boots!

Megan Rose.