If the only thing you can think of when I say Ellie Goulding to you is the song ‘Starry Eyed’, then I implore you to go and visit her Instagram before you read this, and then maybe you’ll understand my reasoning behind this article. I have a number of fashion heroines but considering the amount of screenshots of her outfits I have saved on my phone, she definitely takes the cake. However, before I talk to you about Ellie, I’ll introduce myself first.
If someone were to describe my personal style in a word, I can guarantee that the one they wouldn’t choose is ‘girly’. Even when I was younger, I thought dresses were nice but I felt awkward wearing one, and they were reserved for only the most special occasions. I have a number of skirts in my wardrobe, but they’re either tartan or monochrome. I own pinks and pastels but they’re in the form of boyfriend sweaters and sports jackets. I just don’t really do ‘girly’. In actual fact, as I write this article I’m wearing ballet pumps for the first time in a year (it was on a random impulse), and I miss the cushy feeling of the usual Nikes that go around my feet. Nights out involve skorts, black boots and mesh tops; day-to-day and you’ll find me in trainers, jeans and a t-shirt with rolled up sleeves. So why am I bothering you with the details of my personal style? Well, it’s because it’s pretty similar to my fashion heroine. Ellie Goulding epitomises, for me, this one phrase: “that is what I would wear if I had the money”.
I was dragged at 6am by an ex (this article is all in thanks to her) to go and see Ellie at a private gig at Manchester’s HMV in late 2012. She had her hair dyed pink at this time, and was wearing a fluffy pink sweater with shiny black shorts and patterned tights. Her outfit was a blend of dark and sweet, and I found myself thinking “I didn’t know she dressed like that”. So I started following her on Instagram, and watching her old performances on YouTube. Everything about her style intrigues me. For her own ‘special occasions’ such as gigs and events, she wears mostly black or white, short shorts, leather and creepers. Rehearsing and relaxing she wears the coolest oversized branded t-shirts, snapbacks and limited edition Nikes she receives as part of her sponsorship deal with them. The thing I love the most about her style is that it’s the perfect mix of grungy and street-style, which looks effortless– and not just because she’s famous. In essence, she wears the kind of things I wear, except at a higher cost. That having been said, she’s pretty fond of Topshop and I will openly admit to purchasing a pair of leggings she owns from there. Guilty as charged.
I would never copy someone’s exact style, because what’s the point, you’ll never be them. There have been things she’s worn that I’m not the biggest fan of, but I like that, because it reminds me that I have my own style that doesn’t reflect hers. The good thing about having a fashion heroine is that if I’m ever stuck for inspiration, and I’m not sure what direction I want to take my wardrobe in next, I can take a look at what she’s been wearing recently and go from there.
So that’s my fashion heroine in a nutshell, who’s yours?
