Forgot Password?

REGISTER TO BECOME A MODEL

The Modern Day Marie A

Marie Antoinette, regardless of her spoilt upbringing, lack of education and severe selfishness, got a fair few things down as a queen. She may have had little to no concept of value for money, but being royalty (and pretty damn cute) she could do what the fuck she wanted, and quite rightly so. So what if the people of her country couldn’t even eat bread, she had hair that scraped ceilings and dresses extortionately large-living a life that only exists in our wildest fashion fantasies.

She had a love for the luxurious and an insatiable craving for all things divine. Forward thinking for fashion, she indulged her every style whim and is an inspirational figure to any modern woman wishing to find excuses to splash the cash purely on themselves. She took on decadence in traumatic revolutionary times, so in our current economic crisis I think it’s the perfect opportunity to adopt a similar ‘I couldn’t give a shit’ attitude and revel in spending way above our means. Thus with my muse in mind, I am stripping away the constricting credit crunch to marvel the absurdly priced, the extravagant and lavish luxuries we’d all want if we were filthy rich/royalty/living in a parallel universe where diamonds are 49p each.

Breathe in…in a Corset

Whenever anyone mentions corsets to me, I conjure up images of burlesque dancers, 19^th century Parisian strumpets and of course Miss Marie herself. Corsets epitomize 18^th, 19^th and early 20th century femininity…voluptuous women hinting towards promiscuity in a socially confined role that kept them in the domestic sphere (thus craving some much needed male attention…and why the hell not!). Spilling over the rigid bone structure, the corset brings to attention the female assets men are unneccassarily obsessed with (seriously- I don’t get it?). Classic and timeless, any woman can wear one and immediately hype up their sexuality. I have fallen in love with Maya Hansen’s Amelie Corset which is irresistible to both men and women. The pearls, the pink brocade fabric combined with bows…how very ‘Marie A’ in one item. As is the price tag (its £195, *coughs*…lets move on.) FairyGothMother have a beautiful plain black corset with lace trim, drop crystals and bow detail at the bust which would look stunning teamed with either jeans or a black pencil skirt. Cost? Who cares, we shall have it anyway! (£225)

Diamonds were her Best Friends

Well that’s not exactly true towards the end, considering the infamous affair with the diamond necklace (she didn’t even want it), which was the deliberately plotted catalyst for her untimely downfall. However, it has been long established that diamonds have and always will signify abundance of wealth and refined style, thus they are key factors of our fantasy couture wish list. With diamonds in mind, I headed straight to Tiffany & Co and I fell in love, again. This time it’s with an Oval Sapphire Buckle Ring which is, at £82,500, worthy of any monarch and modern Marie A’s hand. This ring, boasting a brilliant blue sapphire surrounded by square and circular diamonds all set in platinum, would not only become my best friend but my most guarded possession. If this is not enough for your insatiable diamond desire, then why not splash £309,000 on Jean Schlumberger’s Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond necklace. Set in both 18k gold and platinium, this piece is literally covered with precious jewels and looks like you have a stone encrusted plumage of an exotic bird draped around your neck…lovely!

Hair Affair

Marie A was renowned for many things, but namely her alarmingly huge hair. This was a new trend which Marie took to new heights (pardon the pun) in order to raise herself (and again) above her envious peers. Not only did her barnet reach 3 feet high, but was also covered in bizarre ornaments, one being a model of a French vessel. How very random. In dedication to our stylish icon, I have had a peek at the most eye catching hair accessories for the modern woman (sadly, a small ship was not amongst my favourite items, more's the pity). Topshop raise the hair boundaries with a large pink satin bow without raising the overdraft limit (its only £25, hurray!). This bow, whilst clearly holding tendencies towards Minnie Mouse, will brighten up any drab outfit and put a smile on onlooker’s faces.

For a little less Disney and a little more couture, Monsoon has a glamorous Flower Garden Comb that will catch your eye and a man’s attention when placed in your effortlessly tousled tresses. It’s in keeping with Marie A’s love for luxury, but at a meagre £12.00, it is most definitely not in keeping with her ability to over spend and is a steal for us modern monarchs (in our heads, obviously…although my daddy does still insist I’m a princess).

Dresses to Dine in

Thankfully, fashion has moved on somewhat from 18^th century and the modern woman is without the twenty billion layers of fabric padding out her lower half. However, I am still very much impressed with the French courtier fashion, which saw an abundance of expensive exotic materials and a keen eye for seriously intricate detail. Feathers, lace, bows, beads and silk - anything and everything would be added to enhance the ‘richness’ of one’s attire. I have found the dress that stimulates my need for both beads and feathers, and it’s from Warehouse. This mini takes on the decadence of such courtier visions, with a hint of flapper and a huge touch of modern class. Teamed simply with bare legs or black tights, it is effortlessly ‘darling’ and needs nothing more than a sweep of lip gloss to make you baby-doll perfection. At £150, it is a garment worthy of the price tag.

If you prefer a more ‘dressed-down’ glam, then Peaches Geldof’s PPQ Sweetheart dress is an adorable purchase. The printed puff ball skirt combined with the bow on the bust and sweet frilly cuffs makes this dress ‘grown-up’ cute-giving the wearer a chance to explore her inner little girl (I was a grade A brat, so would probably not do this ‘butter-wouldn’t-melt’ look any justice). At £160, the cost is pretty cute too.

Bourgeois Bags for your Boudoir

Bags, like any woman will know, are extensions of your personality. Men may moan at the capacity bags miraculously have to store all our shit (and their keys, so they can shut their face), but we know they are secretly envious a man-bag is still un-cool. A bag can make or break an ensemble, so it’s a necessity to get it spot on. For the perfect arm accessory, I look no further than Lulu Guinness-whose designs are so chic, luxurious and impossibly individual, I want her whole collection. (Yes, the WHOLE collection…in case my partner reads this.) If I’m forced to choose, it would have to be her Red Snakeskin Lips Clutch which drags any outfit into the 21^st century with the vibrant red colour and the effortlessly cool lips design. There is a reason stars like Angess Deyn were spotted holding onto this classically glamorous bag. For only £255, it’s not a question of whether you have it, but how quickly it can be delivered to your boudoir.

Alternatively, go for the Mulberry Bayswater Handbag - iconic of the Mulberry style, oozing confidence in purple coated canvas with studded detail. It deflates your purse by £386.49, but you won’t care when you can hide the hollow purse away in such a stunning piece of arm candy.

Nicola Louise Watson

23/01/09