Your First Festival and Cheesy Chips

With the harsh monochrome sky above me today, I struggled to think of what to post due to the lack of sunshine. I thought about the things that make me happy and I realised that I have never made a blog post about the festival that I went to last Summer, Boardmasters, an event that kept me grinning from ear to ear everyday that I was there. You must be thinking why are you doing a festival post in March? The season is coming round quicker than you think and most people are purchasing their tickets or have already so I thought I'd give a little about my experience at this particular festival to hopefully spark some ideas as to what festival you would like to go to this year.

Festivals aren't for everyone, but they are most certainly great for those who love them and people's opinions differ as to why they are so fantastic. Around 50% of people who go to festivals go for the music, whilst the other half come to socialise, I personally think it's a bit of both. Carys and I originally decided to go because our favourite band Catfish and the Bottlemen were playing and the line up was suited to our music taste - we got to see Faithless, Rudimental, Bastille, Clean Bandit and Groove Armada - to name a few. But sadly not Catfish because of recording commitments.

Nevertheless this had no impact on our time. Not because we aren't fans, but because festivals aren't just a great opportunity to watch your favourite artists, but also for finding new ones. We were fortunate enough to discover Fickle Friends, an Indie Funk Pop group and from that we found new songs to listen to on the bus, and went to one of my favourite gigs where we got to actually meet the band - to me that is a dream come true.

In general, even if none of the people we'd planned to see were on, there was always music on everywhere, and it was all fantastic. Sometimes the line up isn't the best forecast for how good of a time you'll have, because you could end up finding new artists anyway or be so smashed you don't realise what you're doing.

To the other 50% of the population who go for the social aspects, it really was a chance to meet new people and we ended up meeting five new friends who I'm sure we'll know for life. Even if you aren't looking for 'BFFLs', people on a whole at festivals are so friendly and fun, possibly because of the level of alcohol they are in-taking, even if you went alone, you certainly wouldn't be alone for long.

The 'vibes' I guess people call it will differ from festival to festival. Some festivals like Download will be a 'rockier' vibe to others due to the Heavy Metal genre being played there. Other's like Wildlife or Bestival are quite hippy and chilled. Boardmasters was by the sea, and I mean right by the sea, and in Cornwall at the beginning of August. This gives a good chance of sunshine and warmth and because Newquay is the surf capital of the UK, the feel was very, yep you guessed it - surfy. So consider why you're going and what sort of atmosphere do you want, because the only aroma that you'll find exactly the same in each festival is the aroma of a "herbal" substance - everywhere.

I was quite shocked at how many people were 'intoxicated' shall I say ( maybe not the guy in the grey hoodie above), probably due to my young age and very little exposition to things like that, however you soon realise who you don't want to be around and where you don't want be if you aren't interested in that sort of thing. It shocks some, but not others, it really depends on the individual, but I wasn't harmed at all and if I noticed something that made us uncomfortable we just walked away, the only thing you can do (then went to get cheesy chips).

To wrap things up, Boardmasters was amazing and I can't believe how lucky I was to have gone and experienced what I did, I'm not going back this year as I'm on holiday but I have put here's a link to the line up (it's amazing). I will be going to Reading Festival in August though, and I hope to do more festival themed videos nearer the time like essentials, outfits and tips.

Til next time.

Clueless

Today I felt like doing something different, something a bit more fun and carefree. Fashion seems to have created so many "rules" in the past few years, however this is starting to change and for the upcoming season and things seem to be more effortless and expressive. In honour of this change, I thought I'd do a blog post on an outfit inspired by one of the greatest hits of the nineties - Clueless. The fun-loving, rom-com that is widely adored for its 90's preppy style that we all love. This is a slightly more modernised take on the original matching plaids and gingham that could inspire you for a fancy dress idea or a cute, retro outfit to revive the 90's prep in you.

ITEMS:

Ribbed Funnel Neck Top: Topshop

White shirt: Urban Outfitters

Gingham skirt: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Heels: Juicy Couture (similar here and here)

Green Blazer: H&M (can't find on website or alernative :()

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Multi-Way: The Bodycon Dress

When I was about 7 to 9 years old I used to turn t shirts into skirts and wear layers of vests in order to experiment with my wardrobe. Obviously this was no a great look, but I look back and love how oblivious I was to what was "acceptable" and just wore what I wanted and tried to find new ways of wearing different clothes. Of course I've grown out of the blush-worthy t-shirt skirt, but I've also grown out of trying new things and mixing it up. Since the beginning of my teens I've had this ideal that something could only be worn one way, which just isn't what fashion and style is about.

Luckily before a concert the other week, my best friend Carys reminded me that there are so many things you can do to just one piece of clothing, and that you don't need to go by the book. This inspired me to create a new series called "Multi-way" to come up with new ways of styling an item of clothing which in long term will save lots of money and lots of what-do-I-wear panic.

The first item is a black, knee-length, bodycon dress. I got mine in the summer last year, but I have found an alternatives that will work here, although any black bodycon dress with a light material of your choice works. So here's three ways to style a bodycon.

The first unorthodox way to wear this bodycon is like a bodysuit under skirts for a night out, because of the lovely racer back of this dress, it adds some dimension to the outfit and ensures that it brushes your skin like a bodysuit would. I paired it with a scuba, box-pleated skirt and some blush pink heels to keep the look simple but stylish.

Or to make the look slightly comfier, I slapped on a pair of trainers that make the look more on the "urban" side

The second look is the flip side of the first as the dress is being used as just a plain bodycon skirt (inspired by Carys) and the velour crop top adds a new texture making the look more interesting and dynamic, perfect for keeping you a bit warmer on a night out. The caged heels are quite 'out-there' in the context of this outfit I think, but it's easily adjustable with a pair of classic stillettos

The next way is basically the same as the first, bodysuit way, but I've styled it in more of a casual way for summer (optimistic) and I think the casual feel of the denim contrasting with the formality of black makes the outfit wearable for all occasions. The racer back hand-in-hand with the Vans also gives the look a sporty feel.

 I hope this inspired you to find new ways to wear a bodycon dress, or any other soon-to-be versatile piece in your wardrobe. Keep and eye out for another installment of this series.

Happy Mother's Day!


Items;

Scuba skirt - Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Velvet Crop Top - old (similar here)

Blush heels - Missguided (in blue here) (updated version here)

Caged sandals - Miss Selfridge (alernative here)

Denim Skirt - Urban Outfitters

Handbag - Kate Spade

Vans - This year's equivalent

Rings - mixture of Topshop and Vintage

Lush Haul - Mother's Day & Spring Collection

Stunning swirls and effervescent enchantment are what Lush is all about. There's something very special about a delivery that oozes with fragrance before you even open it. Lush is a great comfort as having a bath is a great way to unwind and have some "me" time, something highly relevant in my life. They have sadly swiped the Christmas festivities off the shelf, however all has been replaced with their new Spring and Mother's Day items. I didn't buy lots because I don't go and the website and intend to buy a lifetime supply of Lush products (although I'd like to), but here we go!

The first item is the Rose Jam Bubbleroon. This is just the perfect product because it combines the beautiful biscuit build of a macaroon with bubbles and a sweet Rose smell. A Bubbleroon works like a bubble bar from Lush (crumble it under running hot water) but in an even cuter form, you can break a chunk off and get to use it over a few baths or if you're feeling 'wild' you could crumble the whole thing in. These have been a new launch for over 6 months but I've only just got my hands on one so I'm looking forward to this one!

The second item is a bath bomb called the Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb (yes I like roses) which is a part of the Mother's Day collection and of course it explodes in your bath and is filled with goodness that leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and smelling incredible. I do love their Bath Bombs and they always have an amazing effect on the skin.

Back to bubble bars, the next is rather majestic as it is the Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar. It looks like a Refresher and smells like sickly sweets (in the best way). This works the same as the bubbleroon, crumble, hot water, bubbles! Because of the size you could use this over a few baths and enjoy the nostalgic aroma continuously.

The final item is the Think Pink Bath Bomb and is one of the least expensive ones so good if you want to nip in to the shop quickly and leave knowing that you can still grab a latte from Starbucks. It has a beautiful floral smell, so very appropriate for Spring or as a gift for Mother's Day. 

I'm surprised I didn't buy a variety of scents so sorry if you hate sweet or floral smells, however this is the trend at Lush during Spring and Summer. Nevertheless Lush will have more than just rose scents in stock this season.

Hopefully you enjoyed this blog post and that you have a fab week

Modern Classics

Happy Sunday everyone, today's post is an outfit one which incorporates a mixture of old classics and modern essentials in one, creating a great transitional outfit into Spring, touching on the 90's minimalism trend of SS16.

Firstly I added a crisp classic white shirt to a fairly plain outfit of a sleeveless polo neck and a denim skirt. However rather than wear the shirt the traditional way, my best friend had previously styled me with this shirt tied and I feel it gives a modern twist to an old love.

Due to the frost that would form on my shins during Winter I added plain black tights, which could easily be removed during the warmer months. To add to the modern twist I slipped on my New Balance 373 to keep the look current and casual, and most importantly comfy. Sunglasses are always a staple for any outfit of mine, especially these black ones that are like a classic in my collection.

I was feeling more adventurous and after being inspired by an editorial spread in ELLE magazine a couple of months back, I decided to add a denim shirt in replacement of the white shirt. Although more 'out there' denim is still a classic piece and I love the combination of both denims together, especially with this shirt being buttoned up almost completely and tied rather than open. The polo neck still peeps through the top, giving a slightly industrial look. 

Grey Polo - H&M

Skirt - Urban Outfitters

Denim Shirt - Vintage (similar in SALE)

White shirt - Old but very similar here

Sunnies - Old (similar here)

The Boyfriend Coat

Hi everyone, hope you're all well. Firstly I'd like to apologise for not blogging in so long, the amount of work mixed with lack of inspiration made it hard to come up with outfits and put together a blog post. But I'm back and will continue to blog, sticking to a schedule of posting every Sunday evening.

Today's post is an outfit one where I styled (literally) my boyfriend's coat with a relaxed '1980's Goalkeeper' sweatshirt to make a comfy and casual outfit. The over-sized trend has been re-incarnated from the 90's for the past few years now and as you can tell from my previous posts, I've never actually followed that trend. I think that's because I've been afraid of looking like a boy because of my not-so broad shoulders and hips. However I've learnt that there are definitely ways around making baggy look shapely.

Firstly, the coat. it's a really lovely quality coat from ASOS that probably looks best on men but also creates the over-sized, relaxed look that I wanted for the walk. The buttons down the front allow you to choose a smarter, more polished(ish) appearance or you could wear it undone for added casualness

Some people like to wear baggy with baggy which I think looks really cool, and if it works for you then go for it but it's never looked good on me personally, so instead of ripped boyfriend jeans, I've chosen the black Jamie jeans from Topshop which are super skinny (but sadly out of stock - click here or here for alternative). These show the shape of your legs, hips and bum in the right way, showing more shape to your body to contrast with the baggy top.

Because the outfit was styled for a walk, I had to wear my new comfy trainers by New Balance. I love the black and grey together because it mutes down the obviousness of the brand's symbol 'N', and of course these colours come from the Parisian Chic palette - love.

I accessorised with sunglasses which was just totally inappropriate for February but there was a thin ray of sunshine through the clouds so any excuse, and also some rings that were from Topshop (similar here).

Yes so that's the entire outfit that I wore on my adventure to buy creme eggs and hot cross buns - yum.

(finding the creme egg)

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