I was not fashionable when I was 12

I was not fashionable at 12. Hell, I’m not fashionable now, but I do understand how the fashion industry works andhow trends appear. I’m 21 and attended my first London Fashion Week when I was19. Ophelia Horton, who has recently appeared in Company Mag and writes Who’s That Girl blog, has already been to two LFWs, and she is 12 years old. She has a beautiful sense of style that is emulated into her blog. At just 12 years old, she seems to have already discover her quirky identity that so many people are still experimenting to find. Jealous much? I'm already addicted to her blog.

Fashion is not something that has ever come easy to me. Ironically, I hated fashion (gasp, I know). I neverwanted to wear what other people were wearing, and so ended up wearing winkle-pickersshoes to school and Doc Martins as a kid.  Then, I reached that age where image actually mattered.  I couldn’t just hide behind mybadly grown out blonde hair anymore, I had to put a little more effort into not looking like a complete misfit/tramp. So, I dyed my hair red, bought somepurple ankle boots and invested in my favourite ever skirt: a black tulip skirt. With my Auntie’s collection of be-jewelled belts, I made this skirt mystaple for any night out. Eventually, I out grew it (that’s a lie, my hips and arse actually outgrew it) and so my love of clothes grew.

Like I said, fashion has never come naturally to me. Today, I regularly make horrendous fashion mis-haps (which are usually pointed out by my boyfriend, don’t try and deny it A, you hated my black school girl esque loafers). But what I love about trying new styles is that I am forever trying to find what my own unique style actually is, which at 21 I still don’t really know.

What I do know however are what clothes fit my body shape: peplums for someone with high hips and little love handles like me are definitely a no-no, so are tight body-con skirts (hello little miss huge thighs). I know that because of my tiny size 3/4 feet, shoes with a rounded top will just make them look squished and smaller. I know that my waist is my smallest part and so accentuated this allows me to fool you all into still thinking I’m a size 6 ;) Although to be fair, you’re not stupid and can blatantly see that I put on a stone and half in university, yes I know, believe me it hurts me more.

Part of me wishes I was a natural fashion icon-to-be like little Ophelia, I mean c’mon she’s already featuring in Company Magazine. Yet, the other half kinda likes all the fashion phases and styles I’ve passed through over the years. And yes, I do mean that slightly awkward emo-type phase that most early 90s kids came across during their early teens. A phase that saw me dye parts of my hair bright pink and then purple the year after. A phase which saw me dye my natural light brown/ highlighted blonde hair, practically black. A phase which developed my love of black which has become my go-to colour for practically everything, buying into this summer’s pastel trend was like selling my soul.

I actually still have one of the first every pair of cons I bought as a teenager. I say one because I somehow managed to lose one between my house and packing for uni…

Fashion always has and always willbe inspired by things that excite and interest me. When I first starting falling in love with the fashion pages of magazines like LOOK and Company, Iwould circle all the items that I adored and would base my style on versions ofthe outfits they featured.

However, more so than any fashion magazine, I often took inspiration from my father’s band, The Peruvian Hipsters,which saw him wear skin tight leather trousers (no lie). In fact, when I bought a pair of skinny pin stripe jeans when I was a kid, my father asked if they did them in his size. Even to this day, I will put on an outfit only to have my mother respond “I used to have one of those jackets when I was younger”. It seems I am subconsciously channelling the fashion sense of my parents: who grew up in the highs and lows of being in a band (and being band’s groupie, yesmother;) ) in the 80s.

I guess what I’m trying to say isthat we all have our own paths into fashion and no matter how many times manyof us say we are not fashionable or we don’t follow fashion, it’s incredibly hard in this day and age not to take inspiration from things around you. Yes, even an emo, a goth and a punk are technically fashionable, meaning they all buy into the lifestyle and fashion sense of those they admire to look and dress in a certain way.

To this day, my dad still only wears skinny jeans: he is 51.

My 19 year old brother recently came home with an 80s “three ducks” jumper that even my father looked suspiciously at and my 8 year old brother refuses to cut his long, Paul Weller inspired haircut. Even my boyfriend has better fashion sense than me, something which has always drawn me to him. He is usually the one who wears something that no one else has even noticed yet and I admire him for this, although I hope he isn’t reading this so I don’t have to admit that ;).

So whether you’re a born fashion icon or you’ll grow up to be one. Fashion will come in time, and even if youdeny that it has an effect on you now, this multi-million pound industry has itways of influencing your outfit decision without even you noticing. Be inspired by things that you love and wear the things that no one else would dare to; just because it’s fun. So what, we all make mistakes and when you’re a little older like me, you’ll have something to write about.

Mia x 

I shall leave you with some fashionable photos from my younger days. Sense the sarcasm ;)

p.s yes they are my own Thomas the Tank slippers, not a bother's, cousin or friend's.