New York Fashion week and 'Cutesy' fashion

It's hard to escape all the 'hubbub' around New York fashion week. I've been idly checking out style.com and other sites to look at pictures of the shows. As I've mentioned before I like to look to more affordable sources of clothing than the catwalk as I know I'll never be able to afford the pieces I see on it. But that never stops me from looking really, I guess it is daydreaming to look at such items and daydreams are always a guilty pleasure.

This leads me onto the main issue of this post. 'Cutesy fashion'. I know a lot of the catwalk shows I like are never going to be those considered as groundbreaking or innovative, I'm never likely to be seen drooling over Balmain or Rodarte. I guess thats just how taste goes, or perhaps it's more to do with following fashion which is something I don't really do. I like the clothes that I like regardless of whether it's in fashion or not.

Right, on to the show in question which was Erin Fetherston, see now I remember her collection for the American store Target and being rather annoyed that a British store hadn't done a collaboration. I even watched some of the items on US ebay but never bid. So I've been aware of her work for a while especially with celebrity wearers such as Zooey Deschanel flying the flag for her work. It was no surprise for me then, when I was quite enamoured with the show and liked the fact that she'd pushed her aesthetic into being a little more daring.

All images from Style.com

I love the hats and the structured skirts and I'm really liking the EGL styling with the platform mary janes and 'sexy' tights (EGL - elegant gothic lolita, I know these pieces aren't typical but I just feel there are echoes of it in the collection). Basically this collection feeds a lot of my tastes - peter pan collars - check, structured skater skirts - check, bows- check, white/sheer tights - check and mary janes and patent....yep -check!

But part of me always feel slightly a bit ashamed when I'm drooling over these kinds of clothes, possibly because I know they're looked down upon by more discerning fashion fans and perhaps because they're quite easy and relatively safe for me to wear. A flared skirt and a peter pan blouse are safe ground for me, but wet look leggings and structural heels are terrifying (perhaps for good reason, I don't think I should ever be seen in such things!). I'm also aware of how girlish these clothes are, they're not very womanly or grown up. I worry sometimes that I am retreating from the grown up world by wearing more whimsical childish clothes. After seeing the Fetherston show I can see that these kind of clothese can still be quite womanly, even sexy and I think some good heels are something I'm going to be investing in!

I don't think it's wrong to like 'cutesy' fashion and I know i'm by no means in the minority but I guess seeing all the other shows with their 'fierce' (I wish I could use that word, but it's just not me ha) pieces does just make me feel like an over grown child sometimes!

p.s. honourable mention to the Karen Walker show, it wasn't cutesy! I've always liked her work and she seems to be going from strength to strength