Hypothesis: Harajuku is Over The Top.

I was flicking through the March '08 issue of Teen Vogue (Yes, I do have the April issue), one of my favourite fashion magazines in the world, and one which I always swear by in terms of style, creativity, fashionability and innovation. All in all, a great magazine for teenage girls around the world who seek some artistic inspiration in terms of fashion, as well as a means to broaden their own creativity and awareness about the fashion industry and fashion cultures.

Anyway. I was happily turning the pages while sipping on a nice cup of jasmine green tea when I experienced something that must have been similar to a heart-attack, choking and dropping my cup of gorgeous-scented tea to the ground (thank god it was a carpet, Mum would've killed me if I'd broken one of her Dutch china cups!) (hang on, it was MY carpet! I'll find time to clean it up later).

I began to stare in horror at page 126, titled "Street Chic Tokyo: Harajuku Girls", which sat open before me.







































*cough cough* I'd always known that the Harajuku style was slightly "out of the ordinary" and that layering and combining interesting colours and items of clothing was en vogue in Japan. I'd already seen previews and samples of the eclectic fashion culture that went on in the country of the rising sun, notably through Gwen Stefani's video of "What You Waiting For?".

Gosh, on my trips to Asia, I'd even force my parents to go the malls, being absolutely in love with some of the clothes I saw, and with how amazing people looked.

But never, NEVER, in my worst nightmares had I pictured those clashing, OTT outfits which Teen Vogue was so kind as to feature in its pages, which I had once revered and adored (well I still do; I just try to forget that this incident ever happened within the pages of my favourite magazine ever). But to think that the all-knowing Teen Vogue could say that these atrocities were "Street Chic"? Tut, tut, tut.

1) Overload of pinks and clashing colours.

2) Gosh, these accessories must weigh at least 10kg on these girls. Who would ever walk out of their home wearing 5 million headbands, barettes and crunchies in their hair ???

3) Oversized dresses and 'shirts' that look like granny pyjamas.

4) Heart-shaped and panda bags (that look like dead, stuffed Pokémon) and hats that make their owners look like three year-olds.

I could go on listing all the fashion crimes I have seen (and which will forever be plastered in my traumatised mind) on that small, glossy page.

I guess that these Japanese girls, in that sense, are really artistic, trying to go beyond the limits of the art of fashion by being daring and bold, however hideous and horrid the clothes may be. I respect that. But these outfits... Brrrrr... Who could have known that the main characters of Pokémon would one day spring into life ?

Conclusion: Harajuku, the way I have seen it on page 126 of Teen Vogue's March 2008 issue, is WAY hideous and OTT, and should never be seen on the face of the earth.

Hypothesis: Coloured tights are fun.

My new craze of the moment, along with knee-high socks, are coloured tights. Up until about a month ago, whenever I wore a skirt and it was so cold outside I could see icicles dropping off people's noses, I'd wear plain, boring, transparent, black tights. Either the silky ones so my skirt wouldn't ride up or just the 'mousse' ones because they tended to tear less.

I was a black-tight clone, and life was drab. Until, one beautiful Saturday afternoon a month ago, I decided, "Right, from this day onward, I shall revolutionise my life." I stepped into Camaïeu and got stunning red opaque tights which would forever spice up my outfits on skirt-days.

(Well those on the picture are actually from American Apparel but they look pretty much the same)

But I would not stop here. I decided to walk into H&M and that's when I spotted more. Superman-blue shiny tights, as well as minty-green ones. I NEEDED them. I needed colour back in my life as I was having severe withdrawal symptoms from visual stimulus.

I wear the blue or green tights (they are very very bright indeed, and my friends claim they can see me from the other end of the city) with dark-wash thigh-high denim skirts for a casual look, or with black thigh-high dresses and black flats for more sophistication. (I contemplated wearing the tights with silver ballet-flats but was worried I would look like a Wonderwoman clone.)

As for the red tights, I assemble them with a short dark blue pleated skirt, black and white stripy sailor top and pig-tails. American Eagle meets Sailor Moon, I guess. But not too many colours, wouldn't want to look like a circus clown.

The outfit really depends on the shade and how lightly-coloured the tights are.

If you're thinking of wearing wacky, bright shades like fuschia, sky-blue or lime-green, go low-key and darker on the colour of your outfit. I'd say black is a safe bet for a dress, but as I've said, dark-wash denim is great too. Grey or white would make other people blind.

If you're thinking of wearing darker coloured tights, though, like dark burgundy or dark forest-green, you can go a bit more sunshiny on the general outfit or dress you're wearing. If I'm wearing really darkly-coloured tights, I like to wear a dress that's got a lighter shade of that colour. Like the lightly-coloured tights, however, they'll brighten up any outfit, so you can even wear these dark shades with more sombre clothes.

While accessorising your outfit, in some cases, wackiness may call for more wackiness. But don't go overboard with accessories: remember that coloured-tights are an accessory themselves. A rule I keep in mind is, a maximum of two accessories when I wear funky-coloured tights. When I wear my superman-blue tights with a denim skirt and a black top, for instance, I go for big, silver dangle earrings and perhaps a bright blue scarf. But that's it. You wouldn't want people going off to the ophtamologist every two seconds on your account.

Conclusion: Coloured tights can be fun with careful accessorising and good colour-coordination.

Hypothesis: Preppy is chic.

Style icons: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Reese Witherspoon, Christina Ricci, Jacqueline Kennedy, Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf

Watching TV based on the lives of American bourgeois teenagers had already opened my eyes to the idea of preppy. "Cruel Intentions", featuring Ryan Phillip (who is probably one of the hottest guys on the planet) and Sarah Michelle Gellar, "Gossip Girl" (the coolest teenage series in the world) with Blake Lively and the GORGEOUS Penn Badgley, "Legally Blonde" with Reese Witherspoon, to name a few cinematographic renditions of preppy lives.

So what is preppy? Wikipedia, my favourite, most reliable, resourceful and trustworthy source (*cough cough*), states: "The term originated as a description of someone who attended private university-preparatory schools, commonly associated with the eastern United States (ndlr: read Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby!); as well as those who attend some of America's prestegious private colleges and universities. These characteristics include particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, accent, dress, mannerisms, etiquette, and entitled life view."

In other words, what we would call Bon Chic Bon Genre (BCBG) in France.

Preppy, in fashion terms, defines people who care about their appearance, but don't go OTT (Over The Top), always managing to come up with the simplest of outfits yet looking elegant and chic. Preppies are not superficial and don't obsess about their looks. They are simple, conservative, elegant, classic and, probably most importantly, and which really encapsulates the art of preppiness... classy.

Here are some items you'll probably need if you want to try the preppy look.

Polo shirts
Whether they are brightly-coloured, pastel or more sober, polo shirts are a must! Try to own several so that you can wear them anytime with anything. Blue, pink, red, lime, turquoise... The polo shirt is immortal.

Button-down shirts
Like polo shirts, you can wear button-down shirts with ANYTHING. I personally like long-sleeved ones because you can wear them all-year round with any outfit, whether you want to be really dressy or more casual. I prefer white button-downs which you can combine with any jumper, cardigan, skirt, or dress.

Cable cord or argyle sweater
Like the polo, the sweater will never die. Not only does it just keep you warm, but it is also very easy to wear, whether thrown over a simple shirt or tied around your shoulders.

Khakis
Those will instantly make you look more dressy and fresh as a daisy. Keep them simple: straight cuts and slightly loosely-fitted so that you can move around.

Dark-wash jeans
Simple boot cut or cigarette. Avoid baggy ones at all cost! They must be nicely fitted.

Classic shoes
Favour simple and comfortable shoes: loafers (mocassins), ballet flats, flat sandals, deck shoes... Those are classic preppy-style shoes. Want to spice up your outfit? Have them in really bright colours, such as fuschia, apple green, sunny yellow, or bright turquoise.

Ribbon belts
Avoid really chunky buckle belts and bling which will clash with your look. Like the shoes, you can opt for funky-coloured ribbon belts to brighten up your style.

Skirts and dresses
The plainer the better. Pencil skirts, pleated school-girl type skirts, plaid skirts, tennis skirts, etc. Wear them with a button-down shirt or a polo and a jumper or cardi thrown across your shoulders for maximum preppiness.

Socks!
That is a detail a lot of people trying to achieve the preppy-look tend to overlook, as there are many types of socks (I actually can't be bothered to list all of them, so bear with me). At the moment when wearing skirts and dresses, I'm really into knee-high socks that people say are typical of private school girls' uniforms. Any colours will do there again but you have to be careful of how lightly-coloured they are. Lightly-coloured knee-high socks such as light pink ones or white ones may end up making you look trashy, depending on how dressy and sophisticated you look already. I personally like black socks with diamond patterns. But BEWARE! Knee-high socks are dangerous, as, if associated with the wrong outfit, they may make you slutty (it is a sad truth that people associate them with the 'naughty girl' look)
If you want to achieve the nice little girl look, go for ankle-high fold-over socks which look amazing in white with dark mocassins.

Accessories and jewelry
Be low-key. Discreet and simple are the key. For earrings, go for the discreet diamond or silver/gold studs or pearl earrings, which will make you look more chic than huge loops or massive dangle earrings will.
Necklaces - pearls, pearls, pearls! Again, small, low-key, thin, discreet, sweet. They'll lighten up your eyes and your smile.
Thinking of wearing rings on your fingers? Go for small and cute. (I guess I could be classified as an anomaly since I wear a chunky celtic silver ring on my right index!)
Hats - be simple. Berets are my favourite, as I own about five million in different colours, and you can wear them with anything, whether really dressy or really casual (avoid wearing a beret with trainers though). Woolen beanies are fantastic too, but I maintain the beret-fetiche.

Hair
Well-brushed and clean, with the parting on the side. Can be wavy if you want to and it isn't already, but big and messy are a no-no! You can wear a small barette or hair pin to brush meshes from your face. French plaits are nice, so are 'chignons' and ponytails, but be careful with the last two as they can make you look like a cleaning lady. My ultimate favourite: the head-band! I own about three million, all in different colours, and they have now become my trademark. Easy to put on and will make you look classy even if you're wearing the most hideous outfit. Ribbons and bows are a bonus, but not too flashy.

Coats and jackets
Duffle coats, woolen coats, polo coats, trench coats - thigh-high or right above the knee but no shorter, preferably in dark colours (I go for black, which, again, goes with anything). Double-breasted coats are my favourite (Carol is my current love), as they will always look chic. With dark leather gloves - sophistication à la Audrey Tautou ! If you want to wear a jacket which stops at the waist - old-school blazers (Ralph Lauren is great) or cord. Denim is acceptable but not typical of preppies as it is not the most elegant of fabrics. Avoid anoraks at all costs - you'll just end up looking like a chav.

The trick, as I've said, is to look chic, clean-cut and sunshiny. Like any fashion style and statement you have to go slowly, and not go 'all preppy' in one go - people will just say you're fake. Make it a gradual fashion change. Once you've mastered the preppy style, you can go all 'Picasso' and experiment with accessories and ways of wearing items of clothing.

But to be a real preppy (apart from the whole Ecole Normale Sup - Ivy League - Oxbridge education), you must have the vibe that goes with it.
That means you have to be sunny, smiling and nice.
Have a shower everyday, brush your hair and your teeth, wash your face at least twice a day.
Not too much make-up: make it natural and simple. That means a bit of flesh coloured lipstick, some concealer, some blush for that fresh rosie-cheeked look. I only wear lip-balm!

Get good grades at school, play sports, do extra-curricular activities, choose your friends carefully, be caring, be social, have a good reputation.
Basically, be a good girl. Without being too much of a goodie-two-shoes: you should be assertive, confident and outspoken, and able to say 'no'.

Conclusion: Preppy is only chic if you achieve the right clothing and the good attitude that goes with it.