Chanel | PRET-A-REPORTER | Fashion & Style Blog by Edita Lozovska

Edita wears | Thigh High

Location: London, UK | Posted in Personal Style November 30, 2016 27 Comments

Dress: c/o Madam Rage, Coat: Shein, Boots: H&M, Bag: Chanel, Watch: c/o Abbott & Mosley
Images: Ahmed FayedLord knows I wish I had a boyish figure, especially when it comes to my legs. I thought if I worked out, my thunder thighs would miraculously transform into elegant, Twiggy-esque pins. Instead I got the Britney thigh muscles and I felt utterly disappointed with my body. And I do understand that most people would kill for Britney muscles.

So my thigh journey continued. I lost a lot of weight and started looking skeletal, minus the thighs. They still thundered on, no matter how ridiculously small I turned myself into.

So I started option number 3 – 50s A line skirts and maxi skirts. I figured as long as no one can see my gross thighs, who can prove they are as bad as they are in my mirror? It’s like if you partied with the Kardashians, and didn’t snap a selfie with them – did it really happen?

Of course, sticking with option number 3 was starting to get hard in summer months and it made me feel extremely self-conscious. Any brand that approached me to model or blog for them would get radio silence from me as I was petrified they’d ask me to wear something above the knee. I still remembered the chills I’d get at the thought of that.

This all of course started at a single comment that perhaps I shouldn’t wear that skirt and that “if I worked harder on my legs, one day I could allow myself to try a mini skirt”. Don’t get me wrong – this comment is all I still hear in my head as I look at the images above. All I can see are thunder thighs and how my legs are awful compared to someone else’s. Anyone else’s, for that matter.

We all see our selves in different ways. Had I not mentioned what’s going on in my head, I doubt anyone would notice my legs or even think to comment on them.

So what has pushed me over the edge and drove me to face my fear of going for such a scandalously thigh revealing look? Being annoyed at myself that I had become a victim of a comment, of someone’s view, of someone’s dislike of my body part for 27 years. It had to end one day, right?

Wrong. A step like this is winning the battle – but the war still rages on. I’ve learned to be better to myself and distance myself from constant self criticism. Waking up everyday and feeling nothing but fixated on how disappointed I feel about my appearance is not a good way to start a morning. So this is what I started doing to boost my self esteem:

I stopped buying clothes that are too big for me. They made me feel smaller. Do I need to feel smaller? Nope. I need to feel comfortable. If not that, then just fabulous.
I stopped being fixated on my thunder thighs. This was really hard. But the second I let them be, I started feeling free. I suddenly remembered why I loved fashion and outfit creation.
I switched my mindset. So what that someone doesn’t like something in me? Do I have to follow suit and dislike myself? Of course not. Plus, I am surrounded by people who have zero problems with my legs. Or any other body part.
I faced my fear. Although I still have to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to be where I want to be in terms of feeling self-conscious, it was a step in the right direction. A few more mini skirts or daisy dukes – and perhaps I will get there.
I focused on happiness. Spending time with my boyfriend, friends and eating carbs made me happy. So I did just that, and I still do.

A massive shoutout to Abbott & Mosley. This brand brought that luxury feel to relatively affordable watches. Marble faces, beautiful leather straps and rose gold dials all made this particular watch true Instagram candy, not to mention lust-worthy accessories.

While I have your attention, a wink to Madam Rage, who sent me this dress. It inspired me to stand up and face my fears and self-consciousness. If that’s not a good dress, I don’t know what is.

Edita wears | Fascinate Me

Location: London, UK | Posted in Personal Style July 14, 2016 47 Comments

Fascinator, Blazer (similar here): c/o Biba (via House of Fraser), Bag: Chanel, Jeans & Sequin Top: ASOS, Fluffy Sandals: Boohoo
Images by Ahmed FayedFascinators are pretty things. I can’t imagine an activity more fun than trying on a bunch of headpieces. But are these beautiful masterpieces doomed to come out of our wardrobes only once a year, or worse, once in a lifetime? Are the skeletons in your closet wearing your fascinators more than you? Is there actually a thing called wearing a fascinator casually without looking like a Carrie Bradshaw wannabe? All legitimate questions that needed to be answered.

Biba has informed me about their latest collaboration with Vivien Sheriff, a British millinery legend. I got extremely excited because here was my chance to delve deeper into the enigma that was the casual fascinator. Without further ado, I wore it, I experienced it and here is what I found:

1. You don’t have to be at the races to wear one. This Biba fascinator is pretty classic. It wouldn’t look out of place at a wedding, evening party, christening – any formal gathering. But to me, this wasn’t enough. I wanted to go out to dinner wearing it without looking weird. There was no force on Earth that was going to stop me. So I did. I matched it with a pair of boyfriend jeans, a leather golden blazer and a sequin top. This is the secret recipe: Mixing low key with a touch of evening wear. If you balance it right, the fascinator will add individuality to your look.

2. You don’t have to limit yourself to dresses only when planning on wearing a fascinator. You can if you want to – but don’t feel that this is where the fun ends. No, no. We’ve just started. Think outside the box. After all, you’ll need that box once you’re done with the headgear for the day. Jumpsuits can be accompanied by headpieces, as can beautifully-tailored suits, or in my case – denim. To be blunt, if after the party or soirée you are remembered as the “one with the hat”, you didn’t quite nail it. If you are remembered as the “one with impeccable style”, you’ve reached legendary fascinator-wearer status.

3. You do have to feel comfortable and confident when wearing a headpiece. Hats can be delicate as they can be overpowering. You can hide that feeling you get when your high heeled shoes start to hurt or unbutton those jeans after a heavy meal (yes, ladylike), but if you feel even a tad disheartened by your headpiece, there’s no way of hiding that. Thankfully, there’s a remedy to prevent this from happening in the first place. This is fashion: chill, smell the flowers and have fun with your fascinator. There are already too many moments in our lives when we need to be dead serious, this is not one of them. Drink that extra glass of vino, laugh that extra decibel louder – you are in a fabulous headpiece, you CAN. If this doesn’t make you someone else’s #goals, nothing does.

Final thoughts: Inspired to try on a headpiece but are afraid to look ridiculous in it? Then let’s go back to my point about that extra glass of wine. I’m kidding. My genuine advice would be popping down to the nearest millinery or vintage shop and trying on as many headpieces as you can, the kookier, the better. We’re building up your immunity here. If you found one that complements your facial features, we’re in business. If not, simply continue by trying on smaller, more modest pieces. The fascinator that you’ll gravitate towards will almost always be an interpretation of your own personality. Are you an exotic bird of paradise or a classic geometric minimalist? You’ll be surprised how much you find out about yourself from the headpieces you’re naturally drawn to.

Do you wear headpieces casually? Let me know in the comments below.

Edita wears | The Trench Dress

Location: London, UK | Posted in Personal Style June 1, 2016 68 Comments

Trench (Worn As Dress): H&M, Heels: Boohoo, Bag: Chanel
Images by Ming ChanTo describe my personal style, I’d like to put a picture in your head. Have you watched a cartoon called Dexter’s Laboratory as a kid? Remember that episode called Lab of the Lost where Dee Dee and Dexter venture out to the “old part of the lab“?

In that particular episode, you may recall seeing some of Dexter’s first ever inventions, those that were flawed and forgotten. These were the ones that forced the boy genius to improve and achieve more. I see my personal style and this blog just like Dexter’s secret laboratory; most recent posts being “my greatest creations“, while the first outfits merely a synonym to the “old part of the lab”, where I rarely venture to – I think I may need a Dee Dee myself to help me go there. Yikes!

My personal style is always evolving, it’s much braver and more daring than it used to be when I just started archiving my outfits. It’s a daily experiment. In fact, it scares me to think that this article in two or three years’ time too will end up along with the “old inventions“.

But we’ve got plenty of time still, so let’s talk about it. This is my attempt to nail the minimalist trend. Can you think of an outfit more minimal than just some shoes and a trench coat? This silky H&M piece made me feel that it would be genuinely rude to add anything else. And goodness me, I wouldn’t want to be rude!

The final question is: Can this look be recreated for a person who is less keen on being described by a 2003 Britney Spears lyric to the song Outrageous: “Trench coat and my underwear / Let’s go with this freak show“?

The answer is, yes it can. Take Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine’s recent look for example here (she is wearing clothes underneath as a reasonable human being should), Chiara Ferragni’s of The Blonde Salad pink Sonia Rykiel coat or indeed Mira Duma’s fabulous Valentino coat-dress outfit (I will leave it to your imaginations to establish if they Britney’ed it or not).

Whatever trench-as-dress style you end up going for, it seems that you are in epic fashion company. Plus, you’ve always got me and I come with cookies. Or kookiness… And a box set of Cartoon Network series.

Edita wears | East x West

Location: London, UK | Posted in Personal Style April 26, 2016 57 Comments

White Shirt: Boohoo, Pumps: BCBG, Trousers: Lipsy, Bag: Chanel, Cuffs and Earrings: H&M, Vest/Cape: Vintage, Ring: Lulu Frost
Images by MaheenI love mixing and clashing, juxtapositioning and surprising. This outfit may seem complicated at first, but when you deconstruct this look, you come to the shocking conclusion – it’s a white shirt, skinny trousers and a throw on top. It could have been a leather jacket, it could have been a trench, a parka or a coat, but instead it’s something much more theatrical, traditional and unexpected. This look doesn’t change the rules, it abides by them completely.

This is how I see East x West outfits: Glamorous, functional and unapologetic. I am often told that I need to be brave to wear the styles I wear, but really I disagree. What is so controversial in wearing clothes that are not like everyone else’s? Why do I even need to explain myself to those who “don’t get it” and insist that I need courage and confidence to pull those off? I have never realised that having fun required bravery. I am happy to be the swan in a flock of pigeons. I know that this will always mean that I am looked at, but as long as I know that I am also looked up to by a mere few, it is all worth it.

So to all fellow bloggers who have been whistled at from passing cars, made to feel uncomfortable or given unnecessary attention for wearing what you genuinely love, just remember who’s the pigeon and who’s the swan.

Edita wears | All About The Evening Dress

Location: Birmingham, UK | Posted in Personal Style March 8, 2016 63 Comments

Dress: Biba (c/o House of Fraser), Jacket: Vero Milano, Bag: Chanel
Images: Dee Ulusoy

Evening wear can be tricky AF: So tight you can hardly move, so long you can trip and fall or so loose that one false move and you are completely exposed. This is where the double sided tape comes in, followed closely by the the stick-on bras, the spandex, extra pads and slimming mattifying tights. All of these sound like you are actually mummifying your own body. Ugh, not nice. Imagine remembering to do all of the above before actually putting that damn dress on? You’d be excused if you just decide to stick to your PJs, a warm duvet, a pizza delivery and a quiet night in.

This is precisely why this dress was such a godsend. I had to do virtually nothing. I put on make up, lazily curled my hair and slipped this dress on. That’s all there was to my very Veronica Lake look. I officially christen this dress to be my sloth-to-siren frock. If you find a dress that makes you feel wonderful without any sticky tape or chicken fillets, make sure it ends up in your wardrobe. The event that requires it to be worn will naturally follow, promise.