Career spotlight: Soldiersailor in the hot seat
October 12, 2010
Every once in a while, it’s highly recommended to stop completely and take check of what’s going on in your world, or rather – career.
This is exactly what I did on reading the finished interview I recently had with recruiters GXY Search. Unusually, this time round saw me in the hot seat.
The result? A great little piece (if I do say so myself) that will forever remind me to pause and say “Hey, I’m doing alright”, whenever moments of self belief attempt to get the better of me. Sometimes it really does take the impossible task of stepping out of your own shoes to realise just quite how far you’ve come. Try it yourself – you might just like what you find.
You can read the full interview here, and once you have, feel free to share thoughts, questions and comments right here on Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor. Happy reading.*
*With a little bit of luck, by the time you read the feature, the typos are no more as per my request…
We’ve been talking…you better get blogging
April 29, 2009
I haven’t met a blogger yet that’s not guilty of finding an excuse to prevent them from keeping their blog up to date; myself included. So when I gasped in horror today as a colleague told me they hadn’t written a post in almost five months, I also drew a silent sigh of relief thinking that for the majority of the time, I’ve kept the soldiersailor ‘mantra’ of at least one post per week.
The discussion of posting regularity was followed up with the ‘guilty as charged’ blogger emailing me the above photo. Her friends sent it to her so she’d er, get the message. They clearly think highly of her writing and want to see more. Even though i’ve yet to see her posts, her friends are right and a bit of friendly encouragement can go a long way to keeping the (often easily deflated) blogging momentum up.
Part of the conversation included a mutual agreement that blogging ‘aint for the lighthearted or non-committed. It does indeed take work. A lot.
In respect to this point, and as a devotee to quality rather than quantity when it comes to Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor, a soldiersailor post will never not be researched. This may mean that although posts may not come thick and fast, they will never not be thorough and with a bit of luck, will consistently deliver compelling reading. Therefore, and in an ever so slightly contradictory nature to the definition of a blog – “a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video” – (thanks Wikipedia), Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor will continue to be updated with what I (soldiersailor) define as full length features. Articles, editorials, chapters, whatever you like to call them, they are not snippets of fast and fickle information but full pieces of work in their own right.
Thanks to today’s office chat and the new found support of a team of fellow (and very fashionably bloggers), I’m pleased to have discovered a renewed lease of life and reaffirmed commitment to Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor - which was far from ever failing. For those both new and old to TTSS, welcome – stay tuned, watch this space…a bit of an overhaul in commitment is winging it’s way to you bringing you only the very best in vintage clothing, electro music, film and fashion all rolled into one – even more regularly.
As it says on the tin (or rather in my ‘about’ page) “hopefully you’ll find something new here, from a collection of my findings, that perks up your ears, eyes and outlook on life”.
So why not stay tuned for the next soldiersailor episode?
Nastygal opens first US store
March 15, 2009
Across the pond, there’s good news.
Much loved vintage brand NastyGal are opening their very first store in Berkeley, California.
Mentioned before on Tinker Tailor, NastyGal are a haven for all things vintage and fabulous. Their offerings include everything from dresses, jackets and shoes to accessories and even some rare vintage designer pieces at not too extravagant prices. And for added value bonus, each item is carefully selected with current trends captured so as to ensure extra hot finds.
There’s no set date for the store to open as yet but if you’re lucky, owner Sophia Amoruso may make you an appointment prior to the big opening day.
Since 2006, Nastygal have come a long way and with a legion of Facebook and Twitter followers, there’s no stopping them. If your stateside, quick enough and can prove your fashion worth, they’re looking for an intern too – the perfect opportunity to have first pick of a very impressive vintage collection.
Sadly, for those here in the UK (including myself) we’ll have to make do with drooling over the website at maybe hope that with enough tweeting, facebook groups and admiration from afar, Nastygal will cross the pond to a very lucrative London market.
Meme: Seven things you didn’t (want to) know about me.
January 17, 2009
I hadn’t heard the term meme until earlier this evening when a friend tagged me into one. So, after discovering that a meme is essentially a digital chain letter, be it a photoshopped image or a link that becomes viral, it seemed rude not to help it on it’s way.
The task involved in this particular meme is to think of seven little known facts about yourself and post them for all to see. It’s taken a while, but I’ve finally scraped together seven points my friends, family and fellow bloggers may never have known (or chose to have known) about me otherwise.
1. I own 22 vintage dresses (not including the ones for sale). I’m surprised, I thought it was a lot more. I think I can safely say the number will continue to grow and with intentions to open a vintage boutique in the future, what more justification does a girl need?!
2. I’ve tried internet dating. And it’s not for me. Less said about that the better…
3. I’ve technically had plastic surgery. When I was thirteen, I had a squint corrected in my left eye. Pretty brave for a thirteen year old I think. And, best of all (or at least at the time), I remember being told so from the hottest guy in my year. The second part to this operation was to have my other eye lid lifted and corrected but I never had it done. Those that know me might or might not have noticed this. It gets worse if I’m tired so it’s always easy to spot if I’ve had a late night!
4. I own a Kandinsky painting. Well, sort of – it’s tattooed horizontally across my back and has been there for eleven years.
5. I narrowly escaped losing a finger. I’m a big fan of horses (and used to have one) but not when they attempt to eat your finger. To see the sights of Bruges a couple of years ago, we hired a horse and carriage. After stopping half way to give the horse a break, I spotted another very lovely looking horse which promptly began to eat my little finger. It’s a long story but the short of it is that after three trips to hospital and plastic surgery consultation, it lives to tell the tale, complete with scar. Bizarrely, I still love horses just as much.
6. I don’t really watch TV. Music is my drug. I’d choose listening to music every time over the TV but am rarely caught singing, especially on karaoke.
7. Born in a barn. Ok so not quite, but when my sister and I were little, we had our own lambs and fed them with returnable glass irn-bru bottles fashioned into milk bottles. My sister also had chickens and went on to bring home all sorts of injured animals including a seagull named Kehar (after Watership Down). He live in a trailer until his broken wing recovered with a bit of help from my dad. Or at least that’s what he told us, but I think my dad may have helped nature take its course and didn’t want to scare the kids.
When you get going, there’s quite a few things that come to mind and I could easily add a few extra points that would serve to make me all the more…unique? However, at the risk of death by boredom, I’ll pass the seven step challenge onto my friend Andy and eZine Zani’s Editor Matteo.
Clare: 1. Finger eating horse: 0.
Update: To keep the ball rolling, baton bouncing and incidentally – blog posting, I’ve roped in a few of my new lovely fellow bloggers. So, its over to Melissa and Olivia for some juice on what you (and probably I) never knew about them. Time to get sharing a gulity secret or two!
Image thanks to Thirsty 5
Winding down on a Sunday evening, I put the radio on last night in time to catch the last hour or so of Radio One’s Sunday Surgery. No stranger to the show, I’ve often tuned in by chance and been fortunate enough (or something) to listen to everything from teenagers confessions of sexually transmitted diseases to the delicate subject of last nights show; suicide.
Initially, I didn’t realise the topic of this session presented by Aled Haydn Jones of Chris Moyles show fame (standing in for regular host Kelly Osbourne). Heavily focused on the subject of depression, the show was actually based on an insight into suicide yet additionally, articulately and informatively gave a comprehensive insight into the illness that is depression. For those of you with family or friends suffering from depression, I strongly suggest you click here to listen to this edition of the Sunday Surgery whilst you can. Although the show is focused on discussing the serious nature of suicide, it also has some very useful information on depression. Radio One’s producers should be congratulated for devising such and informative show that not only offered help to those sorely in need but for heightening the awareness of this mental illness, so often misunderstood, to friends and family desperate to offer support. If you know someone that you think may have or has been diagnosed with depression, it’s worth checking out Sunday Surgery’s coherent website to see how you can help.
As a direct result of listening to the show, I’ve signed up to volunteer with the hugely worthy cause Samaritans whom without, millions of people in need would have no-where to turn to when they need it most. I hope that with depression running in my family and first hand experience, I too can help raise awareness and make understanding depression easier for those who want to help friends and loved ones.
The Surgery – Radio One every Sunday from 10pm to 12am.
ASOS Magazine Goes Digital
October 9, 2008
I’m very pleased to share the news that ASOS have launched a digital version of their hugely successful magazine and for extra brownie points; they’ve even made it clickable.
A fun, fashionable and clued-up read it’s one the few brands that have successfully delivered the ‘magalogue’ concept combining editorial and mail order. As a regular ASOS reader, it’s probably the only shamless marketing tool I’ve actually ever bothered updating my details for if I’ve moved address. That in itself is one mean feat conquered for any direct marketer.
Covering everything from hot hotels around the world to menswear, the requisite dose of celebrity spotting and of course, their latest and greatest garms; ASOS have yet again sealed their bid to become a super brand by stepping up the competition and launching the magazine online. As a rapidly growing trend to move from print to web, this is something that many brands would like to commandeer; however due to technical issues and often expensive software design provided from masters of the e-catalogue Scene7 or Think Tank it’s still a form of media that not everyone is quite ready to embrace.
Historically speaking, digital magazines can be a bit risky in terms of functionality; they may look great but if you can’t physically turn the pages at the click of a mouse, then reading them can become cumbersome. However, ASOS have been clued up enough to design three ways to read the brochure; turn the pages by clicking and dragging your mouse as you would do a real magazine, click the next (or back) button or more standard, download the PDF version. Have a look at their flat plan here. A really cool piece of design, thumbnail pagination of the magazine can be directly clicked into enabling the customer to literally buy off the page, serving to up the ante on their desired magalogue theme. Just one question, why does it link to a US version of the site and show the price in dollars? Surely a schoolboy error and unless you’re a hardcore fashionista in need your latest fashion fix, it might put you off. Well, maybe if it wasn’t ASOS.
So well done ASOS, who deserve a gold star and a bottle of champagne to congratulate them on doing a very good job at something few have had the confidence or finance to invest in.
Now if only they’d sort out their product codes in the magazine not working online…
Update your cool with yearbookyourself.com
October 2, 2008
It’s a really simple website that requires you to load a photograph of anyone you’d care to humiliate publicly be it yourself, a friend or like I’ve roped in, the rest of the office. The site will then do exactly as it says on the tin and present a full catalogue of what your year book would have looked like from 1950 to present day.
Check me and the team out…who said we weren’t cool?
I was pretty cool in 1954
Sam or Johnny Vegas in 1988?
Does social networking hamper our ability to bond?
October 1, 2008
I recently met someone who blogs practically for a living, which then provoked me to consider if all of the social marketing activity happening in this technology obsessed world, detracts from us being able to integrate as social beings in person.
With the creation of all sorts of distractions such as MySpace, Bebo, numerous blogs about nothing in particular and of course, the queen bee of the privacy invaders that is Facebook; we’ve never been more able to hide behind a virtual façade.
Now, no-one likes confrontation, but is it right for these ‘networking’ websites with applications such as ‘meet new people’, ‘compare people’ and ‘my hottest friends’ to replace actually meeting someone in a bar, park or tube and actually coughing up the confidence to ask for their number? Surely nothing webwise can replace that effervescent thrill of butterflies? On the plus side, those who are merely a mouse on the dating front will benefit from this non-confrontational platform to ‘poke’, play and ‘throw’ whatever they like at someone without the embarrassment of actually having to have to ‘talk’. Not to mention all of the other stalking activities you wouldn’t even contemplate practicing in the real world.
So I guess the question you have to ask is does social networking hamper our ability to bond in person? Well, I’m still in the process of working that one out, I’ll let you know what I discover once I’m able to put the ‘Texas hold ‘em’ to one side, worked out my ‘stripper name’ and hatched an answer out of my virtual ‘growing gift’.
