Bejewelled

Here's something a bit different for you: my work outfit of the day. On Monday I started my month's work experience at the British Museum. Also on Monday, the heaven's opened and what was a beautifully warm August could easily have been confused for a November day. Surrounded by leaden skies, sleeting rain and swarms of black suit-wearers, I felt the need to pull out my brightest, jewel-like clothes and stand out. While I love the autumn and autumnal dressing - there's no better feeling than snuggling up in a favourite jumper on a chilly day - it does prove a challenge. Between the wind and rain, I often find myself retreating to the safety of jeans. I am trying to break out of that mindset but, at 6 am, (when all I want to do is hide beneath my duvet) it's hard!

I'm loving working in London. The people, the places, the energy - the people on my bus must think me very strange for being so chipper so early! I'm a country girl at heart (the fact that, in cities and towns, pizza is actually delivered all the way to someone's door is a major revelation to me) but I hope that one day I can work in London full time. During this month, I'm doing work experience in the Britain, Europe and Prehistory Department. So far I've been juggling my aspirations of becoming a fashion/arts journalist (which I've wanted to be since I was in year 5) and my more recent wish to go in to museum work; specifically fashion curation. This stemmed out of my love for the V&A and my countless visits there to their fashion exhibitions. I'm fascinated with fashion - not just in a superficial way, by which I mean knowing what's 'In' or 'Out' - but by exploring it as a marker of society. Exhibitions I've visited recently (such as Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the V&A, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the Barbican Centre, and the Origin of Fashion Magazines at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam) look beyond the surface of fashion, treating it as I always think it should: as both art and pieces of social history. The intersections between politics, economy, social opinion and artistic creation found within fashion is why I think it's vastly important that exhibitions exploring it continue. Masquerade masks from 16th century Venice or the influence clubbing wear has on high fashion; both are as equally fascinating and important to me.

I'm still juggling between the two career paths. Now that I'm entering my final year at university (eeek! How has the time flown?!), I'm beginning to feel like I need to know what I want to do. Whatever I chose, I hope to always be able to be creative and to be able to write about the things I love. This blog has really helped me with that - there are so many more things I want to write about and explore!

Sorry for the rambling, well done if you got through that essay! - Esther

Outfit details:
Blouse, skirt and boots: H&M
Necklace: Accessorize