The loss of Amy Winehouse

This week I have been writing my next music post about women in the music industry behind the scenes and in the spotlight. It's not quite finished, but due to today's tragic events I felt the need to write something else first. The loss of Amy Winehouse.

This talented lady brought some great music to the world, the experiences in her life made for some great lyrics and songs, especially on the 'Back to Black' album. Unfortunately, like some talented people in the world, Amy had her demons. Once she had success she was never out of the tabloids and it was hardly ever about her music. The people I know who've seen her live say her voice was astounding. She should be remembered for that voice and not all the other stuff.

At this stage the cause of death has not been made public at least, but it was no secret she had drug and alcohol addictions. It's so sad that someone so young with so much talent can damage themselves to the point of death. Anyone who says she should have got help obviously has never had depression or an addiction. Most addicts want to get better - Amy had been to rehab many times. Her family tried to help her the best they could, but in the end the addictions took her life.

I think I've been quite shocked by this although according to some Twitter statuses I've read, many people are not surprised and said it was only a matter of time. That saddens me. No one, no matter what they do in life, deserves to die at 27. The music world has lost a great talent. I know her next album has been put back and put back. Who knows what they'll release now she's died.

Janis Joplin was also a talented singer with many demons and addictions. A drug overdose took her life at the age of 27 too. Their stars should have shone for a lot longer than they did, but music was better for having known ladies like Janis & Amy.

Forget the drugs and everything else, I hope Amy is remembered for her music and not her 'tragic life'. For me, it's all about the music. Rest in Peace Amy, you may be gone, but your music will never be forgotten.

Leggings - The Rules

I am a wearer of leggings. They are comfortable and good with a dress or skirt that may be a little too short to wear if not for leggings.  However, I continually see people of all shapes and sizes wearing them incorrectly, so here are a few rules I think all those considering wearing leggings should be made aware of:

1. Leggings are not, I repeat NOT a replacement for trousers. The material is too thin to show one's behind in a pair of leggings. This cannot even be excused by the slimmest of people with the best figures. You would not wear a pair of tights with only a T-Shirt, so why wear leggings with just a top?
2. Do not mistake a pair of leggings for something that can make you look taller or thinner. They aren't magic, they're just leggings!
3. The ideal length for a pair of leggings should be mid calf or below. Anything above that will definitely do the opposite of making you look taller or thinner. Remember the awful cycling shorts under skirt look in the 90s? Need I say more? If you don't remember it, just look up some videos on Youtube by C&C Music Factory or someone of that ilk. Enough said.

 These are the rules I go by anyway. Rule no. 1 is the most important and the least adhered to. I'd love to post them in the changing rooms of many a high street store, but I'm not planning on world domination just yet!

I Love Shoes

Some women own more pairs of shoes than there are days in the year. I heard someone being interviewed on the radio recently who said she owned between 400-500 pairs of shoes. The presenter was aghast! This lady was a singer who earned enough money to buy all of these shoes so why shouldn't she? Men often obsessively collect things - whether it be sci-fi memorabilia, records, antiques, sport merchandise and so on, so why shouldn't women be collectors too?

It's somehow seen as indulgent to collect shoes. Why is it not so indulgent to collect any of things I just mentioned? What practical use do any of these pieces of merchandise have? At least with shoes you can wear them. Of course I won't categorise records as frivolous merchandise as they can be played and listened to, or put in frames on a wall. I also have quite a record collection myself!

I am a shoe collector. No matter whether I am having a thin or a fat day I can wear a nice pair of shoes to go with whatever clothing I choose to put on. What's wrong with that? I do think you can judge a person by their shoes, that's not being mean but if someone makes an effort with their shoes you know they pay attention to detail. 

I suppose I see fashion on the whole as a form of art. What we choose to dress ourselves in can be a reflection of our personality. Those of us who care about what we wear from head to toe are in some small way showing ourselves as art on a daily basis. If you do this routine of deciding what to wear every morning, you are an artist of sorts. Why not have plenty of shoes to choose from to reflect how you feel on any given day? 

Some pairs of shoes I own are pure works of art, they really are. People would tell me that's a silly thing to say about footwear but I truly believe it. I don't own any shoes by Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Louboutin or Gina, but for the high street shopping mortals amongst us there are still amazing shoe designs to be found out there. My favourites are Irregular Choice, Red or Dead and Kurt Geiger. I am going to give Irregular Choice their own blog post soon as they deserve it! The main thing I can say about these three brands, along with many others is that they make beautiful & interesting footwear that are not only works of art, but mostly pretty practical and comfortable to wear too. That's not too much to ask from a pair of shoes really is it? Art, beauty, and practicality, what's there not to like about that.

Future posts on shoes will also include photos, as you can't write about things of beauty without showing them too!

First music post / rant

I love music. In fact I was a fan of music way before I became interested in fashion. As a teenager I spent all the money I ever earned on records, and then CDs. These we can get all the music we want. We can spend money on other things. True music fans will spend their money going to gigs & festivals. If I could have had 'free' access to music when I was 17 I would have saved up my hard earned Saturday job earnings on going to Glastonbury. The equivalent price of going in those days was about the cost of 9 or 10 CD albums, which is what I spent most of my money on. I never went to Glastonbury.

The problem with music now being so freely available is not only has it been devalued, but it makes people less disconcerting about what they listen to. If I was 17 now I would have so much more music than I did in the mid 90s when I was that age. I would not have listened to the same handful of CDs I owned over and over. Thing is, those albums have sentimental value to me now even if I rarely listen to them these days. To a lot of people music is very disposable - especially when you can get it for nothing most of the time. Why would you pay for something you can get for free?

Here's the problem. Music isn't free. Music is art, musicians are artists. They need money to buy instruments, travel to gigs, have time in a studio to record so people can hear their music to give them more exposure and create a fan base. You could say that some art galleries are free, so looking at art is free. If you use that analogy with music the equivalent is sampling tracks on Spotify or iTunes, when really what you're doing is taking the painting from the gallery and not giving any money to the artist. Ok that's a bit extreme, but with art you still have to pay for a postcard of a painting in a gallery gift shop, they don't give it to you for nothing! 

While the value of music continues to decline, there may come a time when the only people who can afford to be musicians are funded by mum & dad, or a boring day job which will take valuable time away from them nurturing their talent. At some point in the not too distant future the only physical music you can buy will be performed by generic talent show clones. Scary thought, terrifying in fact! Along with the fact that there may not even be any shops left to buy this disposable drivel from. I'd love to know how many people who've bought these records in the last ten years still listen to them now?

The great thing about music is that it's created by people from all backgrounds, wealth and privilege, but the more it's devalued the less that will be the case. We don't need another 7 Coldplays, one is enough, though some may say one is too many!

These days I find listening to the familiar is a comfort of sorts - I enjoy discovering new things but am also happy hearing music I know. Some of it is nostalgia, some of it is therapy and some of it is just plain awesome. I'm someone who now lives in a house where the living room walls are lined with Ikea benno towers full of CDs. The irony being that the music I listen to is ripped onto my computer and stored on my iPod.

Music is still music, and it means a lot to many people in this world. I could not imagine life without it. Unfortunately many people could and that terrifies me. 
We need music. Keep music alive by going to gigs & festivals.
If you really like a band support them whichever way you can; buy merchandise, gig tickets, limited edition records. If you don't, they may not sustain their ability to make the music you love. 

My next music post will be more light hearted, and there will no doubt be some fashion observation before the weekend is over.