I FINISHED PRETTY LITTLE LIARS & NOW I WANT A NEW JACKET

Pretty Little Liars encouraged distrust and intrigue, and that was only my reaction to their outfits.

Much like 'Sex & The City', clothing exists as an omnipotent character amongst the foursome, acting as an extension and exemplification of the differing traits that come to epitomise each of the girls. It errs on caricature at times, the belts, the jewellery, the seeming infatuation with animal emblazoned t-shirts, more is more is more. The personality of each character is summarised in their outfits in a very literal sense which is often too obvious. Aria is the 'kooky' one, see here how kooky she is by her seemingly mad-hat outfits, and look there, Spencer likes books and ponies, she therefore cannot be seen out of a polo shirt and brogues. 

Yet, something happened in Season 6. Their character troupes materialised through their clothing in a less blatant manner. As much as I understand the theatrical license afforded and expected on TV, there was something disappointing about how unbelievable their outfits were. Am I the only one who didn't wear 6" platforms to school?! And their funeral wear, hmm questionable. 

After seasons of ignoring their distracting outfits, it was refreshing to take inspiration from a show that is largely founded on multiple unbelievable situations, a host of genius-physcopaths and (spoiler alert) an unknown evil twin (please feel free to write your thoughts on that 'English' accent below). 

As much as I loved Emily's mix of leather trousers and plaid, Aria's endless collection of statement jackets aided me greatly in this 'in-between seasons' time of year. 

If you ever thought that all you needed was a black leather jacket, you are sorely mistaken. Why settle on black when pastel iterations exist to instil outfits with unexpected verve and fun. Sometimes these jackets were solid block colours, other times they were multi-hued. Moto style, bomber style, embellished, patterned, denim, even tie-dyed. She wore it all and now I want it all. 

With the weather as changeable as it has been and I assume, still will be (this is the UK after all), I find her penchant for cover-ups very apt and totally accessible. Her outfits remain decidedly 'kooky' but far more fashion and a little less costume. It marks a definite shift in her character's progression in both age and style, one that is completely relatable. Some of my outfit's past are definitely both lol-worthy and cringe-inducing. Clothing is so much a signifier of personal development and I see experimentation with jackets as a very timely style update. 

Classics benefit from a little panache at times. Jeans and a t-shirt speak of an undying cool, but basic is sometimes uninspiring and requires a little zhuzh. Take for example Aria's blue jeans and red body, which in enough itself speaks of a Riviera insouciance, but teamed with a black leather jacket replete with leopard print sleeves and POW! a double-take worthy outfit is made. And her yellow tassel earrings up the ante further. Secondly, take my next example - though blue and green supposedly should never be seen without a colour in-between, Aria's outfit scoffs at this mantra. A simple baby blue body and skinny jeans are revved up with a vibrant green embroidered bomber jacket, accessorised with an of-the-moment name plate necklace. Both outfits are simple enough to be recreated tout suite with a little assistance from your jacket friend.
     

After committing more time than I care to admit finishing all 7 Seasons, my take-aways are: 

1. That I will never look at a black hoodie without shuddering again.

2. That I will always be nice to people - especially twins...

3. That I have a new-found desire to multiply my jacket collection. I figure that the simple addition of a jacket increases the outfit possibilities of my pre-existing basics. Therefore increasing my entire wardrobe's cost per wear. So, effectively spending money in the short term, saves me money in the long term. 

Was that convincing? Regardless, I'm off to buy this and find my next Netflix addiction...

(Photos: taylor-miller.com, glamour.com, stepupanddressup.com, accesshollywood.com, pinterest & H&M.com) 

AN ODE TO GETTING OLD BUT NEVER GROWING UP

This week it was my birthday.

(Here's one I made earlier...)

I am now at an age where I will forget the specifics and refer to myself rather as a twenty-something.

They say that age is but a number. Yet ageing is a real bummer. As I fall ever further into my twenties, I feel each passing year becomes a countdown of sorts. Like a timer set for a specific purpose, that remains elusive to me. It's an anxiety that despite the celebrations and copious amounts of chocolate cake, plagues me.

Milestones encourage reflection, a pin in the map of your life. Think of all the New Year's resolutions to do better, be better, read more, drink less, save, spend on experiences, be active, be grateful... Promises founded on good intentions but often come to act as a means of measuring short comings.

Setting goals is a healthy part of personal development, as is self reflection, but perspective is important when evaluating your accomplishments. I think a lot of feeling like an under achiever is due in part to our social media inundated lives, the Instagram effect if you will. It's hard not to live comparatively to the filtered lives of everyone else - who are obviously having more fun, more success and more luck at taking selfies than you.

Herein lies the need for perspective. I don't really know what other people do in their day-to-day lives. But I'm pretty sure that they all have days when their hair is reminiscent of Edward Scissor Hands, that there skin resembles a craggy rock surface and that their day is as exciting as watching grass grow. What I'm also sure of is that these are the moments that won't make it on to their curated profiles. And I don't blame them. Putting your best life out there is the norm. These are moments worth capturing, reliving and reflecting on. It's like a montage of your best bits. But the worst bits, though not Insta-worthy, are worth remembering if only to acknowledge the less than ideal moments that you've overcome. 

Ageing is inevitable. Living everyday to the fullest is unrealistic. Some days will suck, others will suck less. At times you'll feel like you're winning, in the next minute not so much. But the peak might be higher than the pit is low. And that is life. Our quest is to find fulfilment, whatever that may be. Year by year we might get closer or realise that our 'end goal' is just the beginning, it may change as we develop or remain a stalwart that we work towards.

Consider every wrinkle a new patch in the quilt of life. Every set back a rerouting to an unknown adventure. Every bad day a precursor to a better one. Let the ticking clock be the beat that you dance to. And that elusive end goal the thing that empowers you. Have a day in bed. Let your hair be unwashed. Forgo makeup. Life is best lived in those in-between moments that are often overlooked.

Here's to many more years, many more hair styles (bad and good), many more laughs and just as many tears. I hope that 26 is just as exciting and equally mundane as 25 was.

(Photos: @brokentart & unknown)