Oh my giddy God, it's been sooo very close this month that I really don't know how excited I should be about this!

This BOTM has definitly had the most votes we've ever had, and it's almost too close to call - so congratulations to both wonderful bloggers who were involved! You should be very proud.

So, the votes are in, and the graphs show a 50/50 split between our two wonderful competitors The Fall and Laddered Tights, but, the vote totals themselves are ever so slighltly different.

Big congratulations, then, to Louise of Laddered Tights, with 507 votes to The Fall's 498!

The next BOTM will be posted tomorrow, for people to get entering, and next month the site's theme will be Keep Calm and Carry On in aid of exam stress, so look out for our lovely giveaways and to some relaxing, lovely posts!

Have a wonderful bank holiday,

LoveLoveLove

- A -

Guest post by Bunny of Bunny Habits

 Fashion Icons. A topic discussed on many a fashion blog and in many a glossy magazine, for many a year. 

Grace Kelly. Jackie O. Audrey Hepburn. James Dean. Marilyn Monroe. Who can argue with any of these classics?

To me, an icon is someone who makes a significant impact in their field, going above and beyond to change the way we look at things. They stand out. They break new ground. They have influence that transcends generations. 

The people listed above certainly filled these criteria. They helped popularise certain styles, inspired creations by world renowned designers, pushed boundaries and upset the status quo to change the face of fashion. Each did so in their own personal way – an icon isn’t someone who follows, but who leads and innovates. 

So who is around today that will have such a bearing on future fashion? Who will be remembered for their individual contribution to sartorial style?

I suppose that contemporary inspiration has to be subjective, so here I am going to give my personal choices of who I believe could be looked back upon as fashion icons in years to come.

 
Image: HERE  

AUDREY TAUTOU – For me, the personification of modern French chic. She wears stunning clothes and looks amazing in them, whilst appearing completely effortless. But chic doesn’t mean dull with Audrey, who mixes the classics with a statement necklace, a jaunty shoulder, or a leather skirt.

Image: HERE

CHLOË SEVIGNY – Dressed up or down, she is always distinctive and eclectic. She has modelled for major labels like her namesake Chloé and high street store Uniqlo, but it’s her own outfits that get her noticed. In fact, she always looks so fabulous it can be a little heartbreaking to watch her play a Mormon polygamist in HBO’s Big Love, kitted out in austere prairie-style garb.

Image: HERE

JOHNNY DEPP – Scarves, beads, cuffs, hats, glasses - now here’s a man who knows how to accessorise. Rarely seen on the red carpet in a ubiquitous tuxedo, Johnny is inspirational for any guy wanting an eye catching wardrobe.

Image: HERE

KATE MOSS – Whether rocking head-to-toe Chanel or skinny jeans and a t-shirt, Miss Moss is one of Britain’s most popular and enduring supermodels. Her own line at Topshop has flourished with her canny understanding of what elements of her look can be translated for the high street, imbuing staples like denim hotpants, flowery dresses and leather jackets with her personal style.

Image: HERE

MICHELLE OBAMA – America’s First Lady has the privilege of being one half of the world’s ‘most powerful’ couple. Being so visible a role model, it’s important that she looks classy yet approachable. Her striking beauty and penchant for bold colour and prints ensure that she always outshines the guy on her arm in the fashion stakes.

Image: HERE

PHARRELL WILLIAMS – Part of the team behind luxury clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, Pharrell looks super sharp in timeless jeans, shirts, waistcoats and vests, but always adds some personality with killer accessories. Another one for the boys to emulate if they’re after something out of the ordinary.

Image: HERE

QUEEN ELIZABETH II – Just look at the Queen in these black and white shots. Animal print, socks and boots, lace mid-length dress… talk about a trend-setter! And even today, no one on the planet can co-ordinate an outfit or sport a silk scarf like Liz.

Quick note from Amy: please don't forget to express your opinions about the BSB meet-up idea! :)

I've often wondered what the point of Style Icons is. I've never really been the kind to look at someone famous and suddenly decide that they're the one person I'd like to dress like, but there have been instances when I've come across someone who I think is so impeccably dressed, or so incredibly cool, or just so plain awesome that I'd like to dress like them every once in a while.

I think that one reason we look to others to help us create our style is that we're looking to take a little of them and make them us: we pick remarkable people whom we admire for a number of reasons, and we try to emulate their style, hoping it'll make us more like them.

One person whose style I admire more than most is Emilia Fox - either as herself, or in character as Nikki in Silent Witness (my not-so-secret-OCD). She's intelligent, she's living her dream, and she manages to make any outfit look remarkable.

Images: HERE

I think that one of the reasons I admire her style (which is really poorly illustrated in these photos!) so much is that she tends to wear timeless classic pieces such as gold jewelry, jeans, heels and delicate, feminine blouses, but she somehow manages to make them look remarkable - like they're more than just the normal kinds of things you could buy on the highstreet.

Images: HERE and HERE

Another person whose style I admire is Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter. She's an amazing person - having been a life-long fan, and then having been cast in her dream role in the films - and I also admire the fact that, despite her fame, she's never compromised her style. She's always been truly individualistic, and she's never been afraid to be herself. In an industry as brutal as acting, she's remarkable in my book!

Image: HERE

Fashion and style can also be used to make a statement, and I think that, when the statement is right, it should be. The woman on the left is Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks. She's someone I admire generally, but not for her style - she made a stand against the war in Iraq, and it cost her her career, and almost cost her her life.

What's remarkable in this photo is the top she's wearing: a redneck country singer called Toby Kieth wrote a song, after she made her stand, calling on people to hate her for her views, and so, as a way of getting back at him, she went on stage wearing a top with the initials F.U.T.K. written on it.

The thing I admire most in that, though, is that she didn't say what the words stood for: she said it meant whatever you wanted it to mean, and scores of fans began making their own tops, and saying that they meant things like "Friendship, unity, truth, kindness".

They were used to make a political point, and they were used to bring people together. They were remarkable in that they didn't care, and in that they were brave, and I think, over all, that that's so much more important than style.

So, whe you're picking someone whose style to emulate, pick them because they have remarkable style, but also because they're a remarkable person. Choose wisely.

LoveLoveLove

- A -

As the fabulous French designer, Yves Saint Laurent said, "Fashions fade, style is eternal".

When preparing for this post I "googled" a definition for a style icon. Some said that it was someone whose style was timeless (maybe, eternal?). On the other hand a style icon might be more personal. It might be someone who inspires you and how you dress yourself.

Coincidentally (for anyone who might be interested!) I am currently running a series of Style Icons on my blog, if you would like to check them out, please do here. This series is made up of icons who might not be personal to me but they are all women whose style I rate. Here, though, I am going to tell you about my personal style icon(s):

If I had been in one of those US high school flicks, I would've been one of the geeks. Not so much because I studied hard or achieved good results but because of my appalling dress sense and awful frizzy hair! Even during my first few years at university things didn't get much better. I discovered hair straightners in my first year but still spent two and a half years wearing a "uniform" of jeans and t-shirts. That was until I became acquainted with Carrie Bradshaw!

Yes, my style icon is a fictional character. Since my first sighting of Carrie Bradshaw five years ago I have been utterly in awe. I love Carrie's kooky and quirky style. As Coco Chanel said, "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different". For me, Carrie is irreplaceable. But it is not just this that I love about Carrie's style. Carrie's style is modern and feminine without being a bimbo. I love her use of vintage and modern and her layering. I love her love of shoes. I love the fact that Carrie makes it okay for women to shop and spend (all of) their disposable income on clothes and shoes and bags:

Guest blog by Maria of Frills and Spills

 Since I realised at the age of about 12 that I was NEVER going to be tall and slim with long, straight, blonde hair, I looked around for style icons whose style I could more easily replicate. When I started watching Gossip Girl in 2008 and first saw Leighton Meester playing the Queen bee, Blair Waldorf, it was a EUREKA moment; here was a girl who had fairly pale skin and dark curly hair. Blair was someone who was proud of her overtly feminine style accessorised with flawless make up and perfect hair. Whilst I am a lot curvier than Leighton Meester, the basic components of my outfits are fundamentally the same; a perfectly fitting pencil skirt, gorgeous jewel colours and beautiful jewellery.

Image: HERE

Indeed Blair’s wardrobe is often compared to the classic elegance of Audrey Hepburn and I think it is fair to say that it is possible for all of us to incorporate that into our wardrobes despite not having the same amount of money to spend as the socialites of the Upper East Side. Off-screen, Leighton herself is much edgier and wears clothes that are the antithesis of the preppy perfection epitomised by Blair. She still has flawless hair and skin but her style is much rockier and cooler. She wears a lot of digitised and abstract prints in more muted colours, such as at the outfit she wore at Louis Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week.

Image: HERE

I think anyone who can incorporate different aspects of their personality into what they wear should be applauded. Leighton Meester is often criticised for NOT wearing the same styles of clothes as Blair but surely that is just being overly prescriptive? I like the fact that I can dress like I have stepped out the pages of a 1970s Laura Ashley catalogue one day and then wear a retro 1950s style the next. Our style is constantly evolving and I think anyone who takes risks with their style, like Leighton Meester, has the right idea. For example, there are many people who restrict the style of clothes they wear which can sometimes result in the dreaded style rut.

As ever though, I think consistency of style is key as is dressing to suit your figure. For example, if you have a more androgynous figure, overly feminine shapes may not be as flattering. Obviously, experimentation is the best way to find your style and define it but certain things will never suit. Overly loose clothes and thick black eyeliner just don’t work on me so I have to find other ways of expressing my inner rock chick, such as wearing a cropped leather biker jacket rather than painting on the eyeliner. I think too many people just follow trends like sheep rather than adapting them to fit in with their lifestyle and wardrobe. If you have to walk up country lanes to get the bus into college, 6 inch “fierce” shoes are just not practical and so are a wasted effort. I try to only wear clothes that I am comfortable in and that truly express my unique sense of style. Obviously trends are there to have fun with and to update your capsule wardrobe but if you only buy trends then you don’t have a wardrobe that reflects YOU. I only buy clothes that I LOVE so the only difficult thing about getting dressed is deciding which of my beautiful clothes I will wear that day. However, beautiful clothes don’t need to cost the earth, one of the prettiest and most versatile items in my wardrobe cost less than £4 from a charity shop!

Image: Maria

As Coco Chanel once said “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” So what are you waiting for? Go out and become your own style icon!

When it comes to two women who who have an influence in the fashion industry who I would love to meet, I could never pick anyone other than the two beautiful ladies I'm going to write about now. Both have incredible style but much more than that; they were and are real women, with real problems and real lives. Their amazing spirits are clear to see in film and previous media in Audrey's case and on TV and in the way she comes across on her radio show in Fearne's.

Fom being a little girl the idea of "proper ladies" was ingrained in me, I watched movies from the 40s and 50s with real leading ladies like Marilyn, Judy and Doris, but for me there was always one that stood out. When you think of Audrey Hepburn the above is quite possibly the image you see, because to many including 7 year old me, she was the real lady. As I grew up I realised just what her role was in this film but I adapted with my image of her. Her little black dress was a staple but she was real, she was ladylike, she was sexy, but not overly so. She was a real style icon, unlike many "celebs" you see nowadays.

During my teens I like most other girls, had a bit of a bad relationship bit fashion. When I started going to college though I think I began to come into my own, with "celebs" such as Jordan splashed all over the media at the time I didn't really have any english style influences, then this girl blossomed from saturday morning kids presenter to fashionista! Fearne Cotton is a sweetheart of British TV, an accomplished presenter and radio 1 DJ, fa too many girls want to be her. Her style can be described as rough edgy ladylike, much like her personality and thats why I love her

But more than anything though I think girls nowadays shouldn't try to copy celebs or people they meet in terms of their style, instead we should adapt what we love about these women and team it with what we love about ourselves

Style is a very personal thing. Your style will be a little different from everyone else's, as it is an is expression of YOU. There's little point pretending to be someone else, because you'll only be completely confident when you are dressed as yourself (and as we all know, confidence is the ultimate key to looking great regardless). Whenever we think about people who are naturally stylish we really look for someone who is comfortable in the way they are expressing themselves.

It's not about following the fashion trends. Style is almost a separate concept to fashion... fashion is the tool, but style is how you use it.

Personally, I'm still working on both those areas. My wardrobe doesn't excite me much right now. I know the sort of pieces I'd love to invest in but my finances won't allow it. In fact, many months ago I placed myself on a strict shopping ban, which has forced me to come up with new ways to wear old things. It's times like these a girl's gotta get creative.

Of course, creativity is not something that always comes easily, especially when you're meeting friends in an hour and you're still in your undergarments. Yet some of my favourite outfits have been things I've thrown together during those moments of panic, when I have to just dress for the moment and not think twice about it. (I'm beginning to think my style is based on chaos theory.) Such creativity, however, requires inspiration from somewhere.

I've never considered the idea of my style icon before. So when I was asked to sit down and think about it, I realised I would have to admit that I get the bulk of my inspiration from... Sex & the City.

But wait! Before you write me off as a silly woman, let me explain...

Sex & the City gave us four different women, each of them with their own distinct personality, and as part of that package, their own distinct style. You'd never see Charlotte dressing like Carrie, and you'd never see Miranda dressing like Samantha. Their styles reflected their characters. Despite the series starting out as an examination of single women & their relationships, fashion took over as the show's main focus and made it a hit.

Sure, I realise these are fictional characters designed by professional stylists, but the point I make is this: dressing like someone else is fine, if you want to look like someone else. But if you want to look like you on a damn good day, find your inner style. Be daring. Be creative!

Overall, I take the most inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw. She has an eclectic, mismatched style that is fun and very much her own. Don't get me wrong, I find the character herself frustrating (she's neurotic, selfish in relationships, and who can afford those shoes on a columnist's wage?!)
Yet you can't deny the gal has good personal style.

Carrie Bradshaw might be fictional but my point is, she always dressed like Carrie Bradshaw. 

This is something I keep in mind when coming to terms with my own style. I don't aim to dress like anyone in particular, and I don't deliberately set out to copy a look or an outfit. (I'm certainly the wrong shape to be emulating most of what Carrie wears). I like to take pieces of things I've seen and liked, and which I know will suit my personality. Sometimes these things won't work, but with time and confidence I find I have a clearer idea of what my style is.

Many times I've thrown things together that I would never have considered if I had not, for a second, had Carrie's bold individuality in the back of my mind, and thought, "Hell, that's what I feel like wearing, let's give it a shot."

If I like it, and I know it works for me, I am not afraid to wear it!

Carrie being Carrie (and some of the looks I've worked into my own style):

Heels with casual wear (love the "sports luxe" look)

Blazers over tshirts.

Fake pearls with everything!

So what I owe to Carrie Bradshaw is the inspiration to experiment. Only by experimenting, and by daring to try different things, have I found what works for me. (Plus it's fun!)

Perhaps there is something slightly wrong in looking to a fictional character as a style icon. Then again, perhaps it is rather succinct, given that icons are there to inspire us, rather than dictate what we should wear. I suppose I consider Carrie Bradshaw a style ethos, rather than an icon. The ethos being: dare to be you, and go with it.

Fashion is fun, but our style is, and should always be, personal.

When I found out my article you see before you was to be based on a style icon, I couldn't have been more excited. The first person that came to mind for me was James Dean; in my opinion the most trend-setting and modern icons of his time.

James had one of those attitudes that had everything to do with his style--- a stylitude, if you will. This man couldn't have been a better idol for myself. He was undeniably a "cool cat" wearing untraditional pieces such as his blue jeans, fitted T-shirts, his "Texas" vest, or red windbreaker--- regardless, he stood out. Not only did he dress the part of "cool", he oozed it just walking down the street to the market.

As I said, this young man's style was more than just what he wore. He walked down the street not only with his daring sense, but he also had that sexy-cool "swagger" that most men dream of today. And lets not forget that cigarette that seemed to always be clinging to his bottom lip for dear life. His hair was always either greased back or slightly messy in an undecidedly "Johnny Depp" demeanor. But even Johnny doesn't hold a candle to James. Regardless, James always looked cool. James' immortal style had a hold on his every day life too, from his clothes to his fast cars he loved to race down winding roads. Sadly, James' cool cars couldn't keep up with the rest of his demeanor.

So how do you grasp James' sense of style? One must always feel comfortable first of all. If you don't feel comfortable dressed as James, the look isn't for you. Don't fret, just move on. Surprisingly, this style can be transformed from a men's style to a women's style quite easily. You may already be almost there! Anyone can look at James and think "Ok, I get it. Jeans, shirt, jacket. Done!" No. The jeans are a slim-fit boot-cut, always, and usually darker in color. Shirts must be tight or form fitting, the simpler the better. He was also known for his basic single-color windbreakers, usually red. Add a lovely pair of classic Ray-Ban glasses for the added touch. Insert cigarette. For men, you would opt for a leather black boot. Something vintage would work best--- 2nd hand clothing store anyone? For women, throw on some black soft-leather heels, a "worn" purse, and maybe even an adorable fedora for the added touch. And don't forget the Porsche 550 Spyder.... But hopefully you can drive it a little bit safer than James could.