EVERYDAY BILL.

When trying to come up with an idea for day 2 of Billie week, I received a rather life changing comment from someone. I wont lie, it hurt, who could have thought that 8 little words could do so much damage to my fragile self-consciousness. If you haven't guessed it already, I was told that I was the most mainstream girl that said person knew. It was like a dagger to the little place dedicated in my fragile heart to my passion for fashion. Anyways, I had a lot to think about after hearing that and came to the conclusion that if others were going to consider me mainstream, I would just have to embrace it and what better way would there be that showing you all my everyday, as hard as it may be to say, mainstream look.

If you can bear to look at the pictures above you'll see the layers that consist of today's outfit. Rather boring I must admit, but I can't give up much of the precious 20 minutes that I have each morning before I leave the flat. If you would please direct your eyes to the first image, you'll see me, staring down at my tshirt as if it's the most interesting thing in the world (it's not, but if you pull your top down like so it makes you look a lot slimmer). I was given this top by my sister about a year ago and I've loved it ever since, I would definitely say that it's one of my staple tshirts, even if I don't wear it enough. Now, as you start to look towards the foot of the image, you'll see black tights and a black H&M mini skirt, essential to every wardrobe. There's not much else I can say about them, because they are so important to own.

In the next image, you'll see the same outfit but with a little addition. I can't tell you how long I've been trying to style this baby but I suppose today was my lucky day and I had the genius idea of going really basic for once (as basic as I can go). I suppose when I decided to put this baggy tank top on, I was trying to go for the female Morrissey* look, without coming off as extremely pretentious.

Onto the third and final picture, you can see the most crucial items of my wardrobe, my beloved coat and boots. I honestly don't know what I would do without them because I do literally wear at least one of them every day. Neither are particularly attractive, but they do make my outfits mine and not just any old cliché. That said, I don't think that everyday people pay that much attention to what I wear, but it would be a lie to say that I don't make any effort, so to those who notice my clothes, thank you. B.x 

_________________________________________________________________________________
*Yes, I know it's the second time this week I've referred to him but I currently have Hatful of Hollow on repeat. And anyways, he dressed great. 

A TASTE OF THE BILLIE PIE.

I know I've been absent for a ridiculous amount of time but, fear not! I have returned! You guys are in for a treat this next week, for this week is dedicated to the one and only me (hence the cringe-worthy title). Of course the main focus will be fashion, but I guess you are all familiar enough with me by now to know that I do go on a bit.  As you all already know (I hope), one of my favourite things to do on this blog is interview my friends and family about the way they style/dress themselves. I think it really does connect the real world with the fashion industry, I want you to consider me as a young Morrissey*, doing the most ordinary thing because it's time ordinary people spoke out. Well, I thought if this week is about me, why not interview myself?....

How would you describe your style?

Ever changing, I don't feel that I could ever really brand myself with one sort 'style'. I don't really believe that we have to stick to one sort of trend anymore, which is great for me because I don't think I would be very accepted otherwise.

Do you have any style icons?

The thing is, I don't really have style icons, because I find everything very inspiring when it comes to fashion I can never really fixate on one or two people. For instance, I find music can have an extreme affect on my wardrobe, which I know sounds extremely pretentious but it's just one of my annoying habits. I also have little obsessions, like the club kids. 

Do you have any staple items of clothing? 

I'm a big coat person and I love my leather aviator coat that my dad gave me earlier this year and I absolutely adore my doc martens. I pretty much wear those two items everyday. They're not particularly glamorous, but neither am I. 

Are labels important to you?

I don't really hold much value to high street labels, I can tell the difference between them all, but I don't think it's necessary that if I'm going to get a pair of trainers that they have to be Nikes because quite frankly, I'm much happier to pay £20 less for a pair of dunlops. But top-end fashion is another story! I am in love with big labels like Chanel or Moschino and take time every season to look at their latest collections. 

Are there any shops you always go to?

Yes, if I'm ever shopping in town I always go into H&M and Zara, but more often than not I'll go into places like Sports Direct and Select, not because I'm sporty in any kind of way but I find that it's a really great place for pretty much anything. In short, I only really shop at the cheap ones, but not really Primark. 

Well I think I should leave it there for now, I don't want to give away too much now especially considering as it's only supposed to be a TASTE. I hope this suffices til a later date (definitely before the week ends). B.x

_________________________________________________________________________________

* Reference to Morrissey on the topic of why The Smiths were called The Smiths. 

IN THE WORDS OF JERMAINE STEWART..

                               

As Halloween draws closer, the assumed arrival of themed lingerie floods cheap department stores like primark etc. I suppose that this grand show of "fun" underwear drives most women into a strange frenzy causing them to think that if you have cat ears on it's not slutty. That said, I don't think you should ever be totally oppsed to that sort of fancy dress because what's the point of dressing up if you can't do what you want? I'm also a massive fan of club kids and the way they dressed - and they weren't particularly modest...

Nevertheless I still don't think Halloween is a particularly good reason to dress like without dressing .Of course you could reply with "It's just a bit of fun, fridgid!" but let's be honest you can still have fun without looking like a slapper. Who said that once you reach a certain age you can no longer dress up as a zombie bride or a pumpkin without it being sexy? Do you really have to get your nips out to have a good time? Can we no longer be appealing to other humans in clothes?

             
 
It would be easy for you to say that this was just another feminist statement but in my opinion it's just common sense. Living in the city center at this time of the year, I'm alwyas surrounded by freshers going out for the first time without having to worry about bumping into their parents, freedom like this induces some fucking ridicullous attiude in people and sadly for them, terrible outfits. It's like onsies - dressing up as a sexy cat is not cute or funny, you just look stupid.

I miss the days when people would go out dressed as a gangster and look hellah dope without having to beg it in a tie and a bra. I love spending time chosing which character I was going to dress up as and then having to rummage around a crazy amount of shops to look for all the bits and bobs that create the perfect costume. If you're last minute I can see the appeal  of slipping on your lace body-piece and a sailor hat, but if you just take a little time and look around your wardrobe, I promise that you'll be able to create a conversation-piece-costume instead of something that isn't at all shocking, only blends you more into the crowd!

So, before you go out tonight in whatever costume you have planned, take time to look in the mirror and ask yourself "Do I look like I'm going to a Halloween party, or do I just look like someone who left the house in a rush and forgot their clothes?". I hope this shows you how you really look in that outfit. B.x

CLOTHES I'LL NEVER EVER WEAR.

A friend of mine made a good point today when he said that there were so many clothes that he had no intention of ever wearing before but have now become staple pieces of his wardrobe. Being rather opinionated, there are so many things that I have put onto my absolute no-no list, each with a justification might I add. These are the clothes I could never ever imagine myself wearing....

1. ONSIES (EXCLUDING KIGURUMI'S, DEPENDING ON THE OCCASION)

I have to admit, I am extremely disappointed with the human race for this ridiculous trend. I don't think there
is any appeal in wearing something made for a nappy-wearing 1 year old, the fact people think it's cute or funny just projects the slow decrease in intelligence and slowly closes the chapter of good comedy. That all said, I do find that in certain circumstances the animal onsies can be useful, lets say a low key Halloween costume for example, then again I really don't think that I would go as a cute furry animal for Halloween - it's not really my style. In a nutshell, there are no words to describe how aggravated I get when I see tweets from girls (or boys in some cases) saying something like "OMG so comfy in my onesie!!!! all I need is someone to hug me :(" , when I read such statements that people feel necessary to tell the world I seriously start to question how safe the world will be when the next generation of world leaders, I just hate onesies.

2. BAROQUE PRINT (SPECIFICALLY BAROQUE LEGGINGS)

This is quite possibly the most repulsive print to have ever come into fashion, the worst thing about it has to be the fact that you really can't get away from it. Having to see bright colours, gold chain and animal print details mixed together makes me feel nauseous and gives me a bit of a headache to be honest. Another good reason why it sucks would have to be it's impracticality. Pairing so many colours means that you can only really wear it with black and white tops which is just silly if you are looking for something that you'll be able to wear again and again because you'll not be able to restyle it. Before you judge me for disliking such a big trend, you might like to know that I have actually tried a pair of Baroque print high waisted  jeans before and they fitted fine, but my gosh were they ugly!! I don't care that it is similar to the chain print of Versace - I will never wear such an abomination!!

3. EMBELLISHED MAXI-DRESSES

It's not that I dislike this kind of maxi-dress it's just absolutely not the sort of thing that I would ever feel comfortable in, christ it was hard enough in my prom dress which was just a really simple red shift dress. I suppose, and this is going to sound really terrible, I find that this style of dress is really tacky. Of course it depends in who & how you wear it, but 8 times out of 10 it goes terribly wrong. I feel a need to remain optimistic about this particular item of clothing as it appeals to many women around the world and does look nice in certain settings, it's just not for me.

4. JACK WILLS/SUPERDRY HOODIES

Living in the city center I am constantly surrounded by university students who never really get out of their heavily labelled leisure wear, in particular the two named above. Having to watch these clans of chauvinistic intelligentsia types strut around sainsburys and shout at each other while choosing their preferred liquor of the evening, to prepare for their 3rd week of binge drinking has absolutely put me off owning such a stupidly priced sweater. The designs of these hoodies aren't even nice! Not to mention they were probably made in a terribly unethical way and altogether not worth the £45 you paid for it with. We can't only blame freshers for wearing these egoistic jumpers, because many people commit this fashion crime. A perfect example would be a girl I used to know who boastingly told me the story of how she had gone into the Jack Wills store for a bag and came out with a matching bottle, pencil case and phone cover! You don't understand how difficult it was for me to look remotely interested when she was telling me that story.

5, SNAPBACKS

This is only a personal preference, I don't really have a problem if other people want to wear them but I really despise that thing that some girls do when they take a guys snapback and wear it around as if it's some form of medal. It's not and you look silly.


Sorry if this has offended you in some way, but if you've been making these types of fashion mistakes I think you deserve it. B.x

FASHION IN FILM

I don't believe that anyone has never, not once in their lives, been inspired by a character from a film/book/play's costume. I do it all the time, in fact I can become quite fanatic about films, so much so that I can re-watch them like 3 times a day for a week. Inspiration from such things has been around for yonks when you think about it, take for example, Marilyn Monroe. The beauty spot, red lip and winged eyeliner is an everyday look that many women rely on. The same can be easily said for  men, maybe not Monroe, but James Dean. His infamous red bomber jacket in 'Rebel without a cause' comes in and out of fashion like my dress size goes up and down (all the time). But no matter how popular or classic these pioneers of significant fashion in film are, I've never really been interested in dressing like them.

I suppose that the films that have really inspired me (fashion wise) have been pretty unconventional and mainly focus around one era. It could just be the genre of film I watch most but I like to think that my tastes are quite broad even if my style isn't.

1. THE CRAFT (1996) 

A film about chicks who get into witchcraft but it goes wrong, it's ticks all the boxes! I think after watching this film I decided that I wanted to go to LA and start wearing only black, grey and white. I totally dig the effortlessly cool vibe that you get from each of the characters and would love to be in their clique even if it gets messy towards the end. If you've seen this film, you probably felt the need to get into witchcraft afterwards innit? Because I definitely did. Their school uniform plays a big part on the costume in this film, so I suppose that it doesn't vary in a particularly obvious way, but subtle changes can make their outfits look like a different set of clothes. These clothes may seem like the sort of thing you could wear everyday, but, I can guarantee if you weren't of a petite size you probably wouldn't look as good as they do, hence why I don't go out in cropped jumpers and knee high socks. I do believe though, that you can rearrange the style to suit you more. I don't see anything wrong with a little copying here and there but, I think if you're trying to take style from a film, copying the whole shebang would kinda look like you're wearing a costume.

2. CLUELESS (1995)

Words cannot describe how much I want to be Cher in this film, the romance, endless amounts of money and naivety appeals so much to the really girly side we all have. Not to mention, Paul Rudd is such a hotspice in this film. As for fashion in this flick it's not that different to that of 'The Craft' but the use of labels and colour is enough to place the films miles apart in the clothes department. I would love to be able to use the words "But this is an Alaia!" mid-mugging but I highly doubt that I would be that cool to even know what an Alaia was if I went to their school. I'm completely obsessed with the knee-high socks and argyle two piece skirt suits no matter how unappealing they may be conventionally. I suppose in my own style I don't really express my love for 'Clueless' that much, but in an ideal world, their life would be mine!

3. CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)

No matter how twisted the people are in this film are, there is no doubt that the outfits are on point! I love the dark and slightly sexy vibe that swamps the Merteuil's wardrobe throughout the film. I think the way they dress the young characters (I think they're around 16 in the film) in such grown up clothing projects exactly the sort of life that Charles de Laclos was experiencing when he wrote 'Les Liasons Dangereuses' in 1782. The world of decadence that is presented in the clothing is enough to make anyone jealous and for me, it makes me want to dress like a super strong business woman, even though i'm the complete opposite. This absolutely has to be one of my favourite films, so if you haven't seen it yet, you're totally missing out.

4. THE CROW (1994)

Owh! Every time I watch this film I get so emo at the end because it's devastating to watch the film and be like "Brandon Lee is so cool and awesome" and then realise that he died making the film. Nevertheless the movie is still completely badass and doesn't compare to any other action-karate movie made so far. The costume is totally Gothic during the whole film which is something that I love to see in cinema because I think that most people are afraid of working with such a shunned subculture. I personally think that goth fashion is really awesome, I don't think that I really reflect that much but I dig the music and dress sense a lot. I think the character with the best style in this film has to be Sarah, she's like this totally kick-ass 12 year old who goes around on a skateboard and wears Doc's all the time. The style all-together pretty unconventional, I really love the use of chokers and torn tights instead of your more popular everyday items of clothing that you might get in most other action films.

5. LA HAINE (1995) 

I personally believe that this film is a cinematic masterpiece and makes me proud to be French. Filmed totally in black and white, 'La Haine' follows Vinz, Saïd and Hubert around Paris after a friend is brutally beaten up by a policeman in the riots and falls into a coma. The plot follows them around and observes each of their reactions as time passes by in the ZUP and Paris. To be honest I think that the fashion in this film isn't intended to be as awesome as it is and it can be interpreted as you want to. The area in which they are living in is supposed to be the "scummy" parts of Paris  (I disagree) so I suppose that they have been dressed in what would've been considered as chavvy but quite frankly, I don't see it. I think that it could be because that style has become quite trendy in the last couple of years. This has to be one of the greatest films ever made and if you're the sort of person that says "Ugh. I hate world cinema." I highly recommend that you watch this before you come out with such a ridiculous statement again. 

Those are just a few of the many inspirational films that have totally revolutionized my attire. I would like to thank my sister for showing me the majority of these films and without which, I would probably still be obsessed with twilight! Also, if you look at her style, you'll definitely see some of the films spoken about in her fashion sense. That's all for now - I hope this was as fun reading as it was writing.B.x 

My dislikes.

I try not to be negative on this blog because I would prefer that it stayed lighthearted and funny, but somethings just REALLY piss me off...

1. MISINTERPRETATION OF FEMINISM (if the title puts you off - just stay in your house and please don't come out)

The reason that I've put this one at the top is because recently I have heard a ridiculous amount of people my age say things like "I am absolutely not a feminist" or "I just think people who call themselves feminists are really annoying" and most worryingly of all "I disagree with feminism". I swear to god every time I hear something like this I have to leave to room before a part of me dies. The truth is, the people who say these sort of things are most likely feminists themselves (unless they are completely backwards), they just don't understand what it means. Personally, I believe that people are afraid of the word, associating it with being lesbian which is, quite frankly, ridiculous considering we live in the 21st century, so what are you afraid of? I don't really understand why people get so worried/offended by being called gay, it's happened to me gazillions of time and well, last time I checked, I'm still straight and a massive supporter of equality for all sexual orientations. The misinterpretation of feminism is widespread, it's so depressing when you think about it really, because all that feminists ask for is equal rights for men and women. Of course there are some people out there who demonise the name but the fact of the matter is, women have, for a long time, been oppressed by a male dominated society. This doesn't mean anything like 'all men are pigs, women are amazing in every single way, therefor we demand that from now on all of the male population must become our slaves' if that were the case, I wouldn't write this because that is morally wrong in all manners. I suppose a good example of people being afraid of the word feminism would be my sociology class, around a week ago we were all asked by the teacher if thought we were feminists. Being highly opinionated on the matter, my hand shot right up while I had to sit around in some sort of shame as i watched the rest of the class think about what they were about to do as they lifted up their hands just a little and then quickly put them back on the table as if they were never up. I hope that one day scenarios like this wont exist but, that will never happen if people don't really understand what feminism means, so let me tell you again, FEMINISM MEANS EQUAL RIGHTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN. That is all. 

PEOPLE WHO SAY "BORIS JOHNSON FOR PRIME MINISTER" BECAUSE THEY FIND HIM FUNNY.

This is only a little thing because there isn't much to say. No matter how lovable Boris is, he is still a Tory and most certainly not fit for prime minister. It's ridiculous how little attention people are willing to pay when they find someone funny or appealing in all types of ways, i'm not saying that I am completely clear headed because the truth is, everyone falls for simple pleasures like Boris the Buffoon. I wonder how people who are willing to state their love for Boris react when they find out about the 4267 premature deaths in London due to air pollution, there is a huge lack of progress and there is only really one man who has the authority to do anything about it, you  friend, Boris. There are many other issues with Boris' aims/policies but I found this one to be the most shocking due to the unbelievably high death rate. So I urge you, please think before you declare love and devotion for a simple rich boy. 

Ok, so it's only 2 things today but, I can assure you that this wont be the last time about things I dislike on wewantshops, not because I'm cynical or a sad angry chick who just vents on everything. If you don't believe me, you can read my last few 'current favourites' posts. I hope I haven't got you down or made you aggro but I hope that you can understand some of the things I spoke about a bit better. B.x

ShOp - THE INTERVIEW

Words cannot describe how terrible I feel for leaving it over two months before I posted this! But if you've been reading this from the start you'll know that one of my first posts was about ShOp. Back in those days I was always to scared to ask anyone questions I would just spend time giving my own opinion about things (which in some cases - is much easier) and getting my facts wrong!
Moving on  - if you can't be bothered to go that far back to see what I said about ShOp in the first place - it's my favourite vintage shop/art space, mainly because it's the first one I went to so I feel at home (kinda) when I pop in and Jayne and Brett are so so so lovely! Which is a nice change from your usual pretentious people who run vintage shops ( You know what I mean - right?). So - without further a due - here's what Brett and Jayne had to say about running their biz...

Why did you open ShOp in the first place?
Jayne : Well, it's not very exciting really, but me and Brett met...Romantically and we both didn't like our jobs at the time. Brett was a gardener and I was working in computing, not anything exciting, literally a phone-monkey. We were both really bored and we originally wanted to open a cafe together - like an all-night cafe - but then we found out there was a lot of legislation and it would be a lot more expensive than we thought it would be..
Brett: But the cafe would probably have still felt like ShOp does and still have an element of vintage to it. There were all sorts of ideas going around - we had thought about having a section to sell vintage in there.
Jayne: But it just turned out too complicated and we realised that we weren't really interested in having a cafe and we were more interested in the furnishings - so we thought it would be a lot more simple and a lot more interesting to have a shop! 
You still serve tea and coffee though which is nice..
Jayne: Yeah, there are definitely still elements of shop being a little bit like a cafe. 
It's great because it's a bit like a lounge - y'know a nice place to hang out..
Jayne & Brett: Yeah absolutely. 
You have expanded shop and moved from next door which is now the art space, did you ever think about just keeping it as one really big shop?
Jayne: This actual premises is just one premises but the landlord had put the wall in there (points to the right of the counter - where there is a wall with a door leading to the artspace) so at the time we didn't really have a choice and when we were in the space next store they were using this area for storage so we had no choice, so when we eventually got this space as well, we just thought it would be quite nice to have a shop and an art space as well, together but separate.
Brett: Because at a time we had the art space in here but it became a bit jumbled and a lot of people didn't really get that the art space was in here..
Jayne: Yeah we'd get people coming in looking for an exhibition and we would just have to point at the wall and say "It's those pictures there"
Brett: Whereas now there is more of a defined line so it works better.
Do you think that having a shop on Christmas Steps is a good place to have a vintage shop or would you rather have had it somewhere that's a bit busier?
Jayne: It's been a bit of a double edged sword really
Brett: We did chose to have it here, well I was always looking around this area but we did look at a few on colston street, but there was never really an option of anywhere else. Then again we're not really business people so it wasn't really a priority. 
Jayne: But I think that now we're here, we couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Maybe in our first year when we were like "oh shit - it's really quiet" but now I don't think we could ever change. 
Brett: But I also think that if we weren't here it wouldn't really be the same thing, I suppose if you were more business minded you might chose somewhere else.
Jayne: We go with our heart rather than our head
Would you ever think about making a clothing line for ShOp?
Brett: It's definitely something we have thought about but we are very much about vintage and retro clothes aren't we?
Jayne: Yeah, the thing about retro and vintage clothes is that I really like the design and I just think that if we were to make clothes it would probably turn out quite vintage anyway so it would be slightly pointless..
Brett: Well, we have wanted to sell some before because Jayne does a bit of sewing, for example Jayne has made, using vintage patterns and vintage fabrics and we  have sold some of it, but if we were to make clothes - that is where it would go. 
Jayne: And it would take 6 months to make 1 thing.
Brett: but we probably wouldn't do it very much because there is a recycling element to ShOp as well.
And finally, would you ever make ShOp a chain?
Jayne: Yeah, we keep it like this but still very small
Brett: Yeah, we'd have to be very careful. I wouldn't want more than one in every city.


I hope that this little interview has given you an insight into why ShOp is one of my favourite shops, they always have brilliant stock which is always updated on their blog (link below) and there is never a lack of cheerfulness in ShOp so it would be a pity on your behalf if you didn't pop in and buy something. Also, while you're in the shop you should definitely become a member, you get a really decent discount and updates about all the goings on at christmas steps. Most recently mumsie and I went down to watch some old films and have a curry while it was projected on the steps, I love free things like this and you always see people enjoying themselves no matter what the weather is like! B.x

http://www.talesfromshop.blogspot.co.uk/

Current faves pt.3

FASHION
 If you read my second to last post, you'll already know that I'm pretty keen on club kids and that whole style. Unfortunately that generation of club kids aren't about anymore, after the whole murder thing the scene has pretty much disappeared. It can be hard moving on, but sometimes it can lead to better things, so with great pleasure I introduce to you, Niki Takesh.

Vibrant colours and shiny fabrics, I first noticed Takesh in her 'Shit Stoner Girls Say' video and fell in love with her appearance. In my opinion I think she looks really cool and comfortable in something that on other people might be considered ridiculous, it's almost like her life is a fancy-dress party, something which makes me really envious. I put a link to he tumblr at the bottom of the page, I usually think tumblr is boring and kind of sucks but hers just fills me up with nostalgia and jokes.



           
MUSIC

The latest NEW thing I've been getting into has to be Gwilym Gold's first solo album - Tender Metal. It's the sort of music that I can listen to for hours on end (which I did actually do) and you literally hear something new every time you listen to it because the album runs on this app or music system whatever you want to call it, called Bronze. This basically means that the album is on some sort of programme or something (I'm really shit when it comes down to technical stuff) and the music is always moving about (I think), like changing synths and moving the beats around etc. The only bummer about this is that you need to have an iPhone/iPad/other apple formats. But have no fear, because if you are like me and have to scrounge around in all your old purses to find £2.00 for lunch tomorrow, you can always listen to the 12 hour set that he did on mixlr the other day, but I wouldn't recommend staying inside for 12 hours just to listen to that (even though it is really good).

           

I understand that the next band I'm about to write about isn't really current but to me, their music is always current (not cheesy).  Having started 6th form a couple of weeks ago now, the teachers are starting to dish out the homework left right and centre. I personally hate sitting around in silence no matter the situation and I usually listen to music when I do my homework, but the only issue with that is that when I leave my music on shuffle I always end up not doing my work and dancing and singing instead (don't worry - I always make sure I'm alone). This album doesn't make me do that, I can just sit around and concentrate or I'm really feeling it(and the house is empty), have a little boogie.

                          

I went to see Blur with my mam on August 7th and I have to say, it was the best gig ever. I don't really know if it was my favourite because they're one of my favourite bands or if they are just amazing on stage. You should''ve seen the way that they were jumping around everywhere (Graham Coxon did a backwards roll mid-guitar solo - so dope), they didn't look a day past 20, let alone in their 40's. I'm so glad that I did get to see them, even if I hate venues bigger than the academy. It was just the best.

FILM/TELLY
So, last night my homie Jemima and I watched  Léon: The Professional, no jokes, this was one of the best films I have ever seen. Natalie Portman is absolutely the epitome of cool in this film and Jean Reno makes me kind of want to become a hitman. If you haven't seen it, go and watch it now.

As far as telly goes, I think your opinion of me will totally change, but I don't care. I'm proud to say that Here comes honey boo boo has become a part of my life. I don't really know why, but I am quite a big fan of reality tv and this is one of the best out there. I think the family is really sweet and kind of disturbing at the same time, I also think it's really jokes how the little girl has an addiction to cheese balls. The only other thing I'm going to say about Here comes honey boo boo is before you criticise it, watch it and then you can know quite how addictive shows like that can be.

MISCELLANEOUS

I've been showing this to all my friends and family now for around a month, so I think it's time I showed you. Without further a due, here is the CDZA music collective with a history of whistling:







      
*if you didn't whistle along to Me & Julio down by the schoolyard - what is your problem?*

Their whole channel is filled with other smooth compilations like this one, so if you get a chance you should definitely have a look at all their videos. It's such a talented group of people and I'm really pleased to have found them because it would be a shame to miss out on something like this.

That is all for now - I hope you've found at least one thing that you like because I think they're all pretty amazing. B.x

Niki Takesh tumblr : http://n1ki.tumblr.com/

Gwilym Gold set: http://mixlr.com/gwilymgold/showreel/

Mel, 17.

 

My friend Mel is funny, intelligent and naturally beautiful. I've been interested in devoting an article to her for quite a while and when I did eventually interview, I wasted time and procrastinated about putting it up. This will be her second appearance  on wewantshops (her debut being Aisha's article) and I hope this isn't her last, here is what she had to say...

 

How would you describe your style?

Quite casual. I dress for how I feel so it's usually quite simple.

 

Do you have any style icons?

Not really, I don't dress fashionably enough to have a 'style icon', but I do like how some people dress, for instance, Millie Mackintosh from Made in Chelsea, I think she dresses really nice.

 

Do you have any staple items of clothing?

These jeans! They're my Levi's that my dad bought me.

 

Are lables important to you?

Well, sort of because I really want a mulberry handbag and things like Chanel No.5 perfume and other classic items that I would love to own, but I don't really follow designers as such, like I wouldn't be able to point at a dress and be like "Oh my god, that's <insert big time designer>" 

 

Do people pay too much attention to lables?

Probably, there is a certain point where I think you can get over the top, but I can see the appeal of owning such famous items.

 

Do you think that fashion is a girly thing or does it appeal to both sexes?

I don't think so, this is gonna make me sound like such a twat, but before when I was little it was mainly for girls, but now it's completely different. Of course most of it is for women, but I wouldn't consider it a girly thing, it's become quite cool for a guy to be into fashion.

 

Do you have any shops that you always go to?

I don't really shop very much! I'm really bad at shopping and I just don't really do it. I'd rather just take my sisters old clothes. I do really like American Aparell, but I don't have enough money to shop there all the time. They do the exact sort of clothes that I like, just simple, staple items that you need in your wardrobe.

 

A lot of people say that American Aparell is overpriced, do you agree?

To be honest, I think I'm really bad when it comes to prices, because if it's more expensive, I kind of want it more because to me that just says it's good. The problem is that it's probably not any better than primark, but the price just automatically makes me think "this is a staple item" and I lust after it a bit more. Mind you, I don't buy that much from there because it is so expensive, but I suppose that makes it more desirable to me because you can only have a few things.

 

When it comes down to clothing, do you think people should buy more cheap clothes or buy less for more money?

Yeah, personally, I would buy less but more expensive. But it's so hard because when you see two similar items being sold at different prices, you know that the more expensive one of them has probably been made in a better way, but you just want to go and buy the cheaper one because you don't have the money at that exact time to buy the more expensive one.

 

Do you believe that your clothes can affect your popularity?

I would say it's less your clothes and more your actual style, but I suppose that it's more of your personality because you have to be a certain way to pull off a certain style. But altogether, yes, if you dress 'cooly' and on trend you're probably gonna get more friends because people want to dress like you.

 

Do you think your family life affects the way you dress or do you just decide by yourself?

I definitely think they played a part in it because they would never tell me what to wear. There are so many pictures of me from when I was like 5 where I'm wearing a leopard print top and neo leggings with my hair in a really massive top-knot. So I suppose that has affected me in a way because I still just wear what I want

 

Do you think that makeup is just as important as what you wear?

I think it depends on who you are, I have loads of friends who are considered to be some of the prettiest girls in our year and they don't really wear makeup. I suppose that because they've never really worn makeup they're more comfortable in their own skin and no one really notices if they are wearing makeup or not. But I also have other friends who heavily rely on makeup and are also considered to be some of the prettiest girls, but because they wear all this makeup they're kind of trapped in this loop where if they didn't wear makeup to school one day people's perception of them might totally change.

 

 

Reading over this interview I've had a lot to think over myself i.e the extensive amounts of money I waste on cheap clothing just because I don't have the will power to wait a little while to get something well made and altogether nicer. Another thing I really admire about Mel's style is her ability to not care. I would kill to be like that, the amount of bother I've been going through each morning trying to sort out something to wear for 6th form is ridiculous. What's even worse about that is the fact that I tend to go for the same sort of thing everyday, so it all just ends up being wasted time and either way I feel ridiculous whatever I wear. B.x

 

 





CLUB KIDS.

After what feels like a light year away from my keyboard I figured I should write about something which i'm quite...passionate(!?) about. Michael Alig and his club kids are one of my secret obsessions because lets be honest - i'm not going to go around telling people that I idolize transvestites and hardcore drug-use. I suppose the worst thing about this infatuation I have with club kids is probably the care-free way they seem to live, for instance take James St James (Renowned celebutante & first peg of Michael Alig's "ladder to fame" as implied in the film 'Party Monster: The Shockumentary') for the better half of his 20's his funds were supplied by his parents allowing him to go out and buy all the clothes/drugs he wanted which would eventually land him in the middle of something quite horrific.

For all you who haven't seen the film 'Party Monster' (Macaulay Culkin's best work yet) club kids secured themselves a position in modern history not through fashion or a certain type of culture, but by murder and lies. On Sunday March 1996 Michael Alig and Robert "Freeze" Riggs killed Angel Melendez after a huge row over drugs and cash. I guess when you tie yourself up into a world where you rely on drugs and booze it's inevitable that when something shit happens it just blows way out of proportion.

I decided to write an article about club kids when I realized that this kind of life has come back into the mainstream. Funnily enough, it doesn't make me feel any better or worse about  my little obsession, in fact I suppose you could say I'm worried. I'm worried for what the future generation of club kids may do. Luckily for me there is always the possibility that the revival of club kid culture is only a 3month craze and will soon be over.

Fashion wise - I get so much inspiration from club kids. It might not necessarily their get-up that really affects my style, but I totally agree 100% with the message they were giving with their style at the time. The huge leap the took out of the 'norm' could inspire the most conservative of people. Sure, at first glance they my look like attention-seekers but I don't really think that, that was all that they were trying to get from the huge publicity gained from. Without really knowing it at first they inspired thousands of people - including me. They have always shown creativity and a sense nonchalance to other people's opinions - not to mention I find all that fancy dress being weaved into evening wear dope, I don't know if I would feel particularly comfortable in the exact same style as the, but I would happily drag bits out of their groove.

I swear I'll write some more posts more regularly. Also - if you haven't watched either of the party monster films I highly recommend you do that asap. B.x 

IN THE EYES OF MARCH - ONLINE STORE

I always find my self writing about similar styles of stores - no doubt I love them all - but when it comes to something new, I become passionate about writing once again and I suppose this is why In The Eyes Of March appealed to me. Not only does she create beautiful accessories,hair falls and yarns but Chelsea's products are all built with care, something that you don't find everywhere. Reading over the interview, I was relieved to have gotten a reply from someone who had created something that had less to do with fashion and more to do with creating something, a piece of art rather than just a necklace. Anyways - you'll see what I mean when you read the interview... 


Why did you start up an etsy store?

 My whole life has been about creating and making things. I have jumped for one genre of art to the next and often times back again! But it was the Spinning Wheel and fiber art that took my heart by storm. My mother-in-law gave me my first spinning wheel in 2009, I taught myself to spin and could not stop. I made a couple dozen different yarns over the next year and my friends liked my work and kept pushing me to sell it. Of course, I thought I was a no talent hack, so I always shot down the idea. One of my best friends and fellow Etsy seller, finally convinced me. She told me all about Etsy and how it worked and how it is so much better for independent artists, like us! Independent Artist, huh? I never thought of myself as an artist before, but I was convinced. I had been buying from Etsy for years now, so why not start a shop! 

What inspires you to create new pieces?

Inspiration comes from all of the places in life. Sometimes, it is the familiar words of a favorite old author, like Lewis Carroll, my greatest muse in life! I grew up with Carroll's stories and poems, the "Jabberwocky Hunts" in the backyard with Oompah (grandfather) were always my favorite. Sometimes inspiration comes from childhood toys, movies or books. My entire line of Lego Jewelry is based on my child hood. I love Lego's and when I was little my Dad and I used to build Lego Castles, Villages, and more. My Dad has since passed away, but making the jewelry allowed me to relive those memories and gave me and my inner child a chance to play once more with beloved toys! Stories and movies, are a great driving force in my life, and if the movie came from a novel then all the more better! If you really look at most of my products you will be able to see the hint of a book or a movie. As most people I am inspired by my religion, I am Pagan and often times my art takes on a magickal aspect. My line of Voodollz and some of Mermaid's Bayou Collection is centered in witchcraft and my religion. And perhaps, not lastly...being a Mermaid and living a life partly in the water, has given me a muse that few people have. To be immersed in water and just listen, feel, and see the world down there is amazing and if you can not find beauty there, you wont find it anywhere. I guess you could say, My World inspires.

Is etsy a great way to start out a fashion business?  

 I think Etsy is a great start for any independent artist, not just fashion. I didn't start out buying clothes on Etsy, it was the crochet patterns and fibers that I was after. But after learning the site and always getting awesome product from other sellers, I started buying clothes. I was never one for department store fashion and Etsy gave me what I wanted. Interesting clothes and unbelievable outfits, now whenever I need new cloths I go straight to Etsy!

Would you say that your personal style is similar to the pieces you create to sell?

 Everything I create is a piece of me, a reflection of my personality, and glimpse into my heart. If I wouldn't wear it, I wouldn't make it. I started making my own hair falls, because no one else made them the way I wanted them made. I wear hair falls ALOT, they had to be full, durable and comfortable!!! Sometimes I will make something for just me and by the time I am done, I want to make more, so others can share in my creation. I am my Art and my Art is me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and if you know anything about me, you will be able to look at my art and see into my soul. 

Do you have any particular fashion designers that you might get inspiration from?

No, I do not have TV, or read magazines, or have any clue about the current trends or designers. I just create things that bring me happiness and hope that they will bring joy to someone else! 

How long does it take you to create one set of hair falls?

One set start to finish...about 2 to 6 hours depending on how long and full, if I need to embellish it and if I need to make a crown. Usually I work on them in stages in large groups. I put together one Collection and over the course of a few weeks, I work on each set one stage at a time. Starting out at Stage One: Sorting Yarn and finishing, sometimes, with Stage Eight: Creating the Crown. They can be time consuming, but it is worth all the time in world. 


You see what I mean now? I truly believe that In The Eyes Of March has something more to offer than your everyday etsy store. My favourite item on the site has to be the glow in the dark Lego Lightsaber earrings, I think they're cool, fun and kind of perfect if you're a movie geek like me! Also - if you're like me and love having 'one-of-a-kinds' the Lego earrings are perfect because no two pairs are the same! I hope you've found this post as interesting as I did - you can find Chelsea's store if you click the link here - www.etsy.com/shop/InTheEyesofMarch - I highly recommend that you check it out. B.x 

VOTE FOR PHIL

            

For those who don't know - I've interviewed Phil before, apart from having really interesting things to say about fashion and etc. Phil is a talented musician. Looking back on the interview that I had with him I wish I asked more questions about his career...

Anyways - Phil is entering the Green Man Unsigned Competition, which means he'll get to have his own set at the festival this year. To win he has to get as many votes as he can. So, what you have to do is go onto this link (http://www.greenman.net/unsigned/phil-king)  and vote for him - it's literally a click and then you're done! Also, Phil totally deserves to win and it would be a shitty festival if he didn't - just saying. So go and vote now!!!B.x 

CANDY PANTS - ONLINE STORE

I don't know if it's just be who does this, but I spend ages on etsy looking through different stores just to see if they have anything offer that I wont find on the high-street at a similar price and when I came across Candy Pants I felt as though I had found something that would appeal to everyone. Their nostalgic shorts, dresses and artwork are every girls dream - it allows you to be a mature young person and be proud of your cartoon obsessions at the same time! So, as per usual when I find a store that I like, I contacted the woman behind the machine and this is what Catherine had to say...

Why did you start rejuvenating clothes?

I started rejuvenating clothes because I'd always had a style of dresses and tops that I could never find and got sick of it!  I had decided to try to create what I had in my mind myself. It's also is pretty much the epitome of recycling!

Have you always wanted to work in the fashion business?

I think I've always wanted to work in the fashion business in some way, shape or form. I remember sketching idea for dresses in my little notebook when I was around 8. It's always come naturally to me.

Is etsy a great way to start out a fashion business?

I'm so glad I found Etsy because it has so many amazingly talented artists and designers that get to share their creations. It's a great community of people!

Would you say that your personal style is similar to the pieces you create to sell?

I would have to say my personal style is very much like the clothes I design and create. I love girly, colorful, sparkly things and I never really grew our of it! 

Do you have any particular fashion designers that you might get inspiration from?

I usually don't pull inspiration from other designers, although Betsey Johnson does have my heart! I'm usually very inspired by things that used to ( and still do) make me happy as a child. The patterns on children's bed sheets are always so fun and I figured I could take them and turn them into something a grown up could wear and still look really cute! Disney, vintage, and bright colors play a huge part in my inspiration as well. I just want to design clothes that make a statement, are really fun and fulfill nostalgic people's closets. 

I suppose that interview really sums up why I love this label so much! I think it's so great how Candy Pants (in my opinion) is like Catherine's dream come true, kinda like a Disney story. My favourite pieces out of all her creations has to be the Mickey and Minnie mouse shorts and the Harry Potter dress (pictured above), they look really vintage don't they? I suppose one of the real reasons why I love the Harry Potter dress is because it makes me feel quite patriotic, which is extremely rare for me. I also really love the idea of using bed sheets to create items of clothing, it's one of the best types of recycling that I've seen in years, it's so original and slams down any sort of oldschool style tshirt that might come out of urban outfitters any day.


I am in love with this store and highly recommend that you check out their etsy & like their facebook page. B.x


www.candypantsclothing.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/Candypantsshop

HEELS.

(from left)
Internacional - £22.99
Nine West - Gift
Kurt Gieger /Thrifted - £5.00
Thrifted  

For someone who doesn't particularly like/wear heels, I feel as though I have one too many pairs. To you four pairs of heels may seem like nothing, but for someone like me, who only gets the same pair out every year, four is loads. I suppose the reason why I never really buy them or wear them is because I see no point to them. I'm already 5ft8.5 (1.78m) and if I decided to start walking around with an extra 5inches I'd feel like a bit of a freak to be honest.

Also, heels are really not my style. I'm not saying that I'm the sort of person that only wears trainers and jeans but I can't stand to be restricted by what i'm wearing! Whenever I'm walking around in heels (especially in the street), I'm always stumbling about the place and grabbing on to anything I can (and yes, in some cases I have grabbed on to strangers as I've fallen down), I'm clumsy anyway I don't need something to make that more predominant! 

Aside from my accentuated clumsiness and freakish height that is given to me by heels, I do love them. I think they look beautiful and feminine (not to mention, they make anyone's legs look amazing), but I do feel a bit exposed in some ways and that's most probably because my mum (anti-fashionist and supreme feminist) would always remind me that heels were invented by men to keep their women from running away and leaving them. That nugget of information will stick with me for the rest of my life and has done for the last six years, it's now become somewhat of a curse for me because all I think when I have a pair of high-heels on is "you look fucking stupid Billie, now take them off and put on some trainers". I suppose I shouldn't of taken that statement so seriously when I was younger, but for some reason I can't shake it off, just like I can't get myself to chuck out one of these pairs of heels. Because the way I see it, every pair of heels I through out a piece of my girly-ness goes out with them. 

The only real reason why I started to think about heels today is because, my prom is in six days and I still haven't mastered the walk. I can do it around the house but as soon as I step outside, I'm all over the place. Prom is such a public occasion, I'll be in front of my peers the whole night and pretty much everyone will see me making a fool of myself! I am totally screwed. Oh bother. B.x 

p.s - for those wondering - I'm wearing the gold platforms on the far left to prom. Wish me luck! 

CSENGE

Dress/Top - New look
Shorts - Made by Csenge

Csenge and I walk to school together everyday and she always looks pretty first thing in the morning. Her sharp bob hangs loosely around her neck when we start the trek up St. Michael's hill (for all you that don't know Bristol - St.Mikes is crazy steep and really long) and she doesn't even get out of breath. I don't know if you can tell by the pictures, but Csenge is a dancer - I have to say - Cseng has the moves.  Seriously, she runs like an antelope, it's more of a glide than a run! Anyway, here's what she had to say about clothes and such things -


What are your favourite things to wear?
Well Dancing takes up a lot of my time so when I do get to go out, especially parties and stuff, I try and look nice but I'd just rather go out in like baggy tshirts and shorts.

Yeah same - Would you say that when you're dancing there is a particular uniform you have to wear or is it quite liberal?
Well before it used to be just wear something you can sweat into,but because I do training in Swindon now you have to wear footless tights and a leotard, all your hair has to be tied back. It can be really frustrating if say I have a ladder in my tights and I'm like "Oh no! What if they're going to chuck me out of the lesson?"

So could you turn up to a contemporary dance auditions in leggings and a tshirt?
No, you'd have to wear something tight that shows your muscles and how your body works, because that's what people are looking for in the audition and they want to see how your muscles work and how you use them. So if you turn up in something really baggy they just send you home


Because you're always in your dance clothes when you're dancing, do you think you've begun to just dress like that anyway?
Occasionally when I go out I'll tend to wear a dress that's a bit tight, but I'll wear my leotard underneath it because I don't want to look like a slut. But when I usually go out I tend to wear something different.

Do you have any fashion icons?
I always watch 90210 and there's this character silver that I do think I look up to and dress like her
Not to mention, you really look like her...
Yay!! She's definitely the person that I get fashion ideas from. But I try not to exactly copy her and keep my self original, so people can't really tell that I'm not trying to copy her.


How would you describe your style in three words?
I'm not too sure because I'm not really vintage but I'm not really urban either... I don't really know, I haven't really thought about it.. oh! I never dress formally. It's quite hard to say, I don't really know.

You grew up in Hungary, would you say that there is a difference in style to over here ? Because I've noticed that in a lot of central European countries that the style is a lot more classic, whereas in England you can kind of wear what you want.
Well not really because, Hungary is a really remote country,  I mean I don't think that many people know Hungary exists! And there isn't a lot of money back there so people tend to go for what they can afford really. I mean, when I look back at pictures of me and my old friends and I see what we were wearing, I can kind of see that fashion is important there but because there isn't as much money as there is here, you just try to be as fashionable as you can with the money that you have. So people just kind of go for Primark style clothes.

So would you say there is more pressure on being fashionable in England than in Hungary? And is that a good or a bad thing?
I think it's probably the same amount of pressure but the fashions are kind of different. But I think that altogether there is probably more pressure here because more people have more money, meaning that they can afford more things so it's more important to look nice. Say if you don't follow fashion people judge you right away without actually knowing you, you just end up being outcast if you don't dress 'nice'.

Since you've moved to England, Do you think the same way about fashion as you did in Hungary?
No, I think moving has definitely opened my eyes to fashion. It's like, when I moved from Hungary I thought that people wouldn't care how you dressed in England, which is kind of true because you can wear what you want but in your head you always have this idea of what impression you want to make. There's a lot more pressure than actually wearing what you want to wear.

What is your favourite shop?
Well, there's actually quite a lot! I really like urban outfitters and topshop. I don't really have a favourite shop, because there is so many kind of things that I like and I want all of my styles combined that I can't really find one particular shop that sells what I always want.

Finally, Do you think that in general people feel pressured to look like models/celebrities?
I think it depends on the person, because some people get really influenced by what they see on TV, probably more in our age group. Everyone has their little icon, that you kind of keep secret because then everyone might think you're just copying them. But I think people tend to be more influenced by each other and how their friends dress, rather than going all out and trying to be individual.
__________________________________________________________________________________


I'm always so interested in fashion in other countries and especially places in Europe because it is so close yet so culturally different in many ways. Interviewing Csenge answered all my questions and it was great talking to someone so into dance!

Anywho - must be off! B.x