Let's Get the Introductions Over and Done With (mine are usually quite long and i don't want you running away from my blog! Lordy even this title is possibly the longest blog title ever...)

WARNING! I’ll probably bounce from ghetto to cockney to mildly intelligent sounding throughout this blog but don’t worry this isn’t because I have any kind of mental illness, I’m just a bit... mental... and to be fair I’m from the east end, have so far spent half my life in a tracksuit and also have an English degree (which I probably shouldn’t admit because it will look more shameful when I make mistakes! Which I without a doubt will)

I’m Kayleigh :) Some call me Pixie, others call me Fanny, my dad calls me Ginge and what the bitches call me I have no idea... I try to stand at a distance so their outfits won’t cause my eyes to melt from their sockets ;)

I absolutely love fashion, particularly vintage, and I want it to rule my life from this point onwards. I adore the way it makes me feel every day when I walk out of my shabby door into my crappy street. Unfortunately I chose to do an English/RS degree, only realising in my third year that I want to have a career in fashion! DAMMIT WITH A CHERRY ON TOP! Yes it does sound quite poo but I have spent the last year trying to sort my life out with a fashion radio show, styling and organising a charity fashion show, sketching designs (as basic as you will ever see them!) and creating and customising clothing which is now my Rosie Rags Clothing range!

Let me point out peeps I do not claim to have any kind of exceptional knowledge of the fashion industry, and certainly not the vintage world. I’m still in the process of learning myself. What I will say is that I literally think about fashion 24/7, for example I actually remember a little while ago we were watching an old Western movie and at a serious point in the film all I could think about or comment on was how amazing the main guys belt/gun holder-thingy was. I have a great eye for it and very strong opinions (sometimes too strong). I know what I like and I know what I could very easily vomit on. For me fashion isn’t a pretentious showy concept but instead something that excites me from day to day and allows me to express who I am without worrying what others think. Yes, I do think trends are important, but I will only follow them if I truly love them; I’m not going to stop wearing shoulder pads just because Vogue tells me to. I appreciate individual style (to some extent of course) and admire so many people I see day to day in London. I feel very lucky to live in such a fashionable and inspiring city!

In terms of my own personal style I mostly own pieces from the 80’s. I can’t help but be attracted to funky jumpers with houses on and random sparkle, jumpsuits and playsuits with dots and stripes, adorable dresses and of course shoulder pads! I pretty much love anything with random quirky prints on them so the fruit trend that is occurring at the moment (think Prada and Charlotte Olympia) makes me feel like I’m in heaven!  Despite my love of the 80’s I don’t dedicate my style to it. I don't have a perm or wear chunky jewellery and I will pick up anything from the 20’s to the early 60’s, although rarely from the 70’s (a little too much free flowing and floppy for me, although I do think they look wonderful on others).

The amazing thing about vintage is how pretty much every piece is unique and you know it has actually contributed to that decade you love so much!

When it comes to hardcore vintage shopping you’ve got to be willing to rummage, rifle, be patient and have the arms of a strapping young lad to find that true gem. I generally have no patience (ask the boyfriend!) but spending most of my teen years in T K Maxx and charity shops has made me an expert rifler, but hopefully minus the muscles. As I’ve said before, Beyond Retro (mainly Cheshire St) is my heaven on earth, but my other faves are Berty & Gerty and St Cyr Vintage (both in Camden). For someone who claims to love vintage that may not sound so impressive, but to be honest I find my best bits on eBay and in charity shops and for a lot cheaper. I’d also recommend going to vintage fairs, my favourite being Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair where I bought a load of things for very little money including a long faux fur coat for £25!!! Bloody bargain!

Moving on before I actually end up writing a novel about the life of Kayleigh (which would clearly be fabulous ;D) I want to let you know that through my next post and all the super duper others that follow I plan to let you into my world of fashion and unfortunately into my crazy mind. I’ll be posting loads of random shizzle related to the vintage fashion world like the opening of new stores, news, designers, super finds online or things I see while I’m out and about, updates on my wardrobe, vintage fashion events, celebrities, shopping advice, new trends and anything else I find along the way! Please come with me on my ginger journey through the world of vintage fashion!

BIG FAT P.S: check out my Rosie Rags Clothing page on Facebook where you can take a gander at all my latest creations and my older bits n bobs and even make requests!