HOW MY LOVE FOR THE SPICE GIRLS SEEPED INTO MY CLOSET.
So here's a story, from A to Z...
You wanna get dressed with me? You gotta listen carefully.
As a young girl, a large part of my time was spent playing dress up, hiding in the costume bin during a classic game of hide & seek, & making up dance routines in the basement with my sisters. The family boombox was quite familiar with all of the early 2000's classics - ya know Hilary Duff, Rihanna, The Pussycat Dolls, a little Nelly Furtado & most iconic of all, The Spice Girls. As my family is blessed with five women, naturally a re-creation of the fierce girl band was in order, every time the "Spice World" hits rang through the house. We each had our favourite girl, our favourite role to play during each anthem. My favourite, of course, was Posh Spice. Extremely glamorous, exquisitely minimalist & luxuriously fashionable. Victoria Beckham was posh in every sense of the word - & I was sure as hell determined to be. Those precious music video reenactments had me feeling like a true superstar &, looking back now, were probably the inspiration for my eccentric sense of style & love of spice.
Prior to this entry, I had never really given much thought to the source of my fashion inspiration. Nowadays, it doesn't take much to find yourself bombarded by crazy news, thrilling publicities, & over edited photos - with social media at every turn, everything is literally in our faces 24/7. It's hard to know what's actually inspiring us & what has been meticulously spoon fed to us by the media & their modelesque minions. But when I peel off the layers of saved Instagram posts, magazine clippings & youtube hauls, I realize there isn't simply one person or specific trend wearing the title of "sole style inspiration". In fact, I would say that my fashion sense is inspired by FIVE super spicy girls.
STYLE ICONS. BAD ASS BABES. EXTRA SPICY GIRL GANG.
That's right. THE SPICE GIRLS - all freaking five of them.
Loud, vivacious, bold & fiercely commanding.
These five girls combined were a force to be reckoned with back in the early 90's & still to this day. Girl Power oozed from their pores, as their colourful & playful energy grabbed the attention of all. This girl gang rocked famous power poses, beautiful radiant smiles & fashion choices that never disappointed. The reference to "spice things up" surely came from this dynamic group, as you never knew what they were going to do next. Of course some form of continuity in each of their characters was expected, yet these women were not afraid of taking risks when it came to fashion. Massive platforms, bedazzled dresses, statement crop tops, cheetah print suits, & a tasteful amount of skin - they did it all.
What I love most about this wild gang is the variety. Each girl has something unique to offer. One day, you can be wild and loud like Geri, and on another, be sleek & poise like Victoria. Some call it fashionably bipolar, I call it the perfect way to capture my loud yet pleasing personality.
From Posh, Ginger, Baby, Scary and Sporty, a girl could switch up her look in the flick of a ponytail - in my case, I just stick to the clothes.
The moment I realized how much of an impact the world famous pop stars had in my closet was on my 20th birthday. The special day had landed on a Wednesday that year, meaning there was exactly five days from then until the end of the weekend. Five days, five Spice Girls, one super excited Celine. I was going to throw myself the most extravagant Spice Girls themed birthday week ever.
Along with a couple other friends, I planned on dressing up as a different Spice Girl each night of the week. First up - POSH (obviously). Little black dresses, sleek & strappy heels, & a whole lot of attitude. Posh Spice brings out the boujee drama queen that lies in my wardrobe & loves anything that sparkles. It was the perfect look for a lovely dinner out with friends, & the perfect kick-off for the most grand b-day bash yet.
Next up - BABY. Thursday night called for a classic girls' night out. Loads of dancing, tiny babydoll dresses & adorable hairdos decorated in scrunchies & bows. Baby Spice is all that is carefree, cute & fun. She's the inspiration for the days I pull out my fave mini skirts, pastel shades, child crafted jewelry & teddy bear plush coats. She's like the girl next door but with a little more leg.
Friday fright night...you guessed it - SCARY. Another night out, but this time filled with far too many unexpected adventures. Scary Spice is all about living life on the edge, embracing your wild side & wearing as many prints as possible because life is too damn short to actually give any fucks. This badass babe inspires the over-the-top, mega hoop wearing, screaming at the top of your lungs, cheetah print loving part of my fashion sense.
Scary Spice makes me feel unstoppable - like I could take over the world just by lacing up my platforms.
This time last year, when my head still had hair on it, my lusciously long locks were tinted a beautiful vibrant red, perfectly suiting the theme for Saturday's look - GINGER. Along with the fourth night of my super spicy birthday extravaganza, it also happened to be St. Patty's Day. There was absolutely no green whatsoever, but this look was as bright & flashy as our beloved Geri. Outrageous shoes, metallic everything & anything, a bold lip & a dash of spice. If it's completely ridiculous & barely covering a thing, it's gotta be Ginger Spice.
Ginger Spice is the life of the party, the girl with countless crazy tales & the one who makes heads turn. In my trunk of treasures, Ginger is a transparent vinyl dress with heels to match, a pair of cobalt blue knee-high boots that I take off half way through the night, a fully beaded top that radiates under the lights, & a head of fire red hair housing a mind that seeks thrill & passion.
Last but not least - SPORTY. My inner Sporty Spice comes out when I'm ready to hit the dance floor after hours in rehearsal, or when I'd rather wear a bra top instead of a full length shirt just to feel a little more fun & free. Tear-away pants, sports tops, high ponytails & classic sneakers - Sporty Spice is basically the pioneer of athleisure fashion.
If there's one thing that the Spice Girls taught me over the years of countless dance parties, dress up adventures & road trip jam sessions, it's to have fun! Plain & simple.
Find joy in life's simple pleasures. Wether it may be singing all of the words to your favourite song as you ride shotgun in your best friend's car, or celebrating another trip around the sun while you dance the night away on an empty dance floor, or spending hours in your closet putting together the perfect outfit! Simply remember to live each moment as spicy as can be!
TAKE RISKS. IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT.
BE LOUD. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, SCREAM IT.
SPICE IT UP. LITERALLY PUT HOT SAUCE ON EVERYTHING!
...cause a bland world isn't that fun.
To quote five hella wise & wild women...
"Hey you! Always on the run. Gotta slow it down baby, gotta have some fun!"
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!
XX C
Please enjoy some spicy b-day bash throwbacks, in the form of adorable polaroids.
* unfortunately SPORTY couldn't make it for the final polaroid.
...she was too busy being hungover after a wild b-day bender.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETSY-MAY SMITH @maybphotog
OUTFIT ANTHEM: THE ENTIRE SPICE WORLD ALBUM - THE SPICE GIRLS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35hpYSZdyz4&list=PLACF0916B7C5899C8
OUTFIT DETAILS:
POSH
BLACK/GREEN GLITTER DRESS - EVA B VINTAGE
URBAN OUTFITTERS FAUX FUR JACKET - EVA B VINTAGE
BLACK BOOTIES - BUFFALO EXCHANGE
CAT EYE SUNNIES - ALDO ACCESSORIES
MINI HANDBAG - EVA B VINTAGE
NECKLACE - EVA B VINTAGE
EARRINGS - PUNJABI MARKET, VANCOUVER
BABY
PINK FAUX FUR COAT - VICTORIA'S SECRET
SATIN & LACE BODY SUIT - THRIFTED
WHITE TENNIS SKIRT - AMERICAN APPAREL
KNEE-HIGH SOCKS - AMERICAN APPAREL
EARRINGS - THRIFTED
FILA SNEAKERS - BROWNS SHOES *not photographed but part of the look!
SCARY
CHEETAH BATHING SUIT TOP - VICTORIA'S SECRET
ZEBRA PRINT PANTS - @BETSY
PLEATHER TRENCH COAT - EVA B VINTAGE
PLATFORM TRAINERS - NEW ROCK SHOES
BEDAZZLED SUNNIES - EVA B VINTAGE
MEGA HOOPS - EVA B VINTAGE
SPORTY SPEEDO BRA TOP - EVA B VINTAGE
TEAR-AWAY PANTS - VALUE VILLAGE
FANNY PACK - EVA B VINTAGE
EVERLAST WINDBREAKER - VALUE VILLAGE
HOOPS - ALDO ACCESSORIES
NIKE AIR FORCE ONE SNEAKERS - EVA B VINTAGE *not photographed but part of the look!
GINGER
BEADED TOP - THRIFTED
METALLIC SKIRT - URBAN OUTFITTERS
FISHNET SOCKS - TOPSHOP
TRANSPARENT VINYL HEELS - EVA B VINTAGE
BELT - EVA B VINTAGE
EARRINGS - AD HOC BOUTIQUE / FUNKTIONAL
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