PVC and DMCs

It goes something like this. Plastic water bottles and takeaway coffee lids bad; patent, pvc and plastic-coated clothes good. I’m not sure what Leo would have to say about my latest obsession with anything that resembles (in texture and colour at least) a madam’s kinky closet, but I can’t get enough.

I’ve already tried to take the fear factor out of the tighty-shiny skirt  and bought a pair of PVC trousers that would once have only been acceptable for Halloween, and now it’s the turn of the trench. Thanks to Alexa Chung’s new Archive collection for M&S, I now have yet another piece of plastic goodness which weirdly, I think might just be easiest piece so far to work into your wardrobe. For me, the way to balance out all the potential S&M references is by keeping everything else oversized and distinctly cosy with chunky jumpers, baggy jeans and suede accessories. As soon as I saw this trench from the Alexa collection I knew I had to have and went straight into store and snapped it up the day it launched (along with this dress and shirt). The first collection didn’t grab me as much but this was full of pieces that reminded me of my sister’s 80s wardrobe in a really, really good way.

As 2016 moves into its final chapter (good God roll on 2017) and the world is still reeling from what has seemed like a downward spiral since January culminating in that orange oompa loopma with bad hair, no political experience and opinions that make your stomach turn geared to take the reins of the most powerful country in the world, there’s something comforting dressing like an extra from The Matrix. Sadly, there is no red pill this time to realise the world is but an illusion… Still, onwards and upwards of course because while 2016 might have won the battle, it sure as hell hasn’t won the war. The war on hope, positivity and kindness that is.

The one great thing that seems to have come out of this year that I can see so far, is that a generation of impassioned and educated young people has emerged through the mist of dirty politics and game-changing votes, and social media has provided a soapbox and a safety net to find and speak to a community of like-minded souls. Yes, it can be eye-wateringly annoyingly to be faced with so many self-elected experts online but isn’t it great that we have so many spirited opinions out there and the freedom to express them (in a constructive, non-abusive way of course). It can feel disheartening to feel like the world and sometimes those around you, are operating from a place of fear and blame rather than love and respect. We can even catch ourselves saying and doing things we don’t necessarily want or believe because we’re just plain scared of the unknown, but ultimately hope, positivity and change are always within reach. We may well be needing a whole lot of those things next year too so let’s try and keep that in our plastic-coated back pocket for the forseeable future as life continues to prove with painful clarity that there are indeed no guarantees.

Coat | Archive by Alexa at Marks & Spencer 
Jumper | H&M
Jeans | Levis 
Boots | Adenorah X Jonak 
Necklace | H&M
Bag | Old Joseph 

 

Ph. by Frances Davison