Gemma Cartwright writes...
On Sunday I will be sat on a stage at Graduate Fashion Week next to some of the most important people in the fashion industry. One of them is the man responsible for my dream handbag. Another is associate fashion editor at Harpers Bazaar. For obvious reasons, I want to make a good impression and though I really should be doing that by planning what I'm going to say, in reality I've been more preoccupied with planning my outfits. I'm not the only one. With all of the in-house CQ team heading to Battersea Park to cover the event, I've never heard the phrase "what am I going to wear?" so many times in one week...
It's events like this that cause me to panic shop, buying stuff that doesn't suit me / doesn't fit properly / is completely out of my price range in a vain attempt to look like I 'fit in'. I spent all of the bank holiday trawling Oxford Street with a very tolerant friend, wearing out my visa buying loads of stuff I don't really need. I know I'll end up wearing something I already have in my wardrobe (in fact I've already whipped out my old faithful black pencil skirt) but it doesn't stop me looking for that one showstopper to wow the fashionistas.
Panic shopping is the reason so many of us have things in our wardrobes that we'll never wear. I have friends who'll buy three dresses for a night out, saying they'll take back the ones they decide not to wear. Inevitably they never get round to returning the unsuitable items, and they end up hanging in their wardrobes for the next three years unworn. If it doesn't scream 'buy me' the moment you see it, don't settle. It's always better to wear something you love twice than wear something you're lukewarm about for the sake of a trend or a fad.
I will not be trying out fads at Graduate Fashion Week, that's for sure. Though the whole event is about creative new ideas and what's still to come in the world of fashion, the last thing I want on four of the busiest days in my work calendar is to be wondering around feeling like a bit of a tit because I'm wearing metallic leggings or an ill-advised maxi dress. Nope, I'm whipping out the little green shifts, saying hello to my trusty black boots and rediscovering my favourite printed tops. Safe, moi?
Gemma and the CQ team will be reporting live from Graduate Fashion Week for Catwalk Queen and Graduate Fashion Week Live. Gemma will also be on hand to discuss careers in fashion at the 'Audience With - Careers Clinic' on Sunday 3rd June and on the River Island stand in the main exhibition hall on Monday 4th June. For more information, see the official Graduate Fashion Week website.
