a muse

Couldn't believe I ran into Inma the other day, because we'd been planning to meet for a coffee when we were back from summer holidays anyway. I'd met her street shooting her last spring - she's here for a while, she's based in Spain - and I've been trying to go back thru my posts and find when I posted her to link it, but I can't find it. I found the shot, tho (below) and what's uncanny is, she's wearing the same jacket & sneakers in both shots.



I know she was just dressed casually for the street - which is the whole point - and I also love the way she can get away with dressing so tomboy, because she's so feminine. You literally can not get a bad shot of that girl: I've decided, she's one of my muses, and I'm going to use her in some street fashion shoots in the near future. She doesn't know this yet, of course!

It's funny, the colours she wears - black with grey & red, purples - are so right for her skin and hair, and so wrong for me. I like simple lines & masculine tailoring, too, but I'm more a navy or black and white girl, or neutral or pale pink. And white: I'm so not giving up white!



I wonder at what point we come to know what works best for us: I think I was drawn to a certain style as a very young child. Whenever I try to veer off, I can just get it so wrong. I'm tempted to post my most recent fashion disaster: two identical 50s wide skirt spaghetti strap dresses (with bones), one in lemon yellow, one mocha with sweet pale blue polka dots. What was I thinking! Saw myself like one of those slender 'New Look' models from the early fifties. Instead, I looked like a lemon meringue on two popsicle sticks, and, in the case of the polka dot one, a sofa. A puffy, polka dot sofa. Luckily, they were very cheap, because they're going straight to Oxfam: practically new.

Which style is a disaster for you? Would love to hear stories, and if you dare, send me a jpg @ jill@haybooks.com. The winner gets the polka dot frock, and the runner up gets the meringue! Or, maybe I should try it on Inma first: I bet she looks great in them both.