Getting Our Goth on at the British Library and Camden

If you were to ask me what my favourite place was, it would be a draw between Camden and the British Library, both for sentimental reasons. 

Go back 7 years and you'd find a 15 year-old Stephanie adorning a heavily studded belt and checkered Vans, rocking out to My Chemical Romance in a bedroom smothered in Kerrang! posters. So I'm sure you can understand why to me, Camden was an absolute goldmine. 

The Camden Market Fire of 2008 brought heartfelt tears to my eyes. This place was a home away from home where I could spend my hard-earned Saturday job money on badges, stickers and t-shirts of my favourite bands. 

It was during this time that me and the BFF George formed our awesome partners-in-crime friendship, so whenever we meet up in London, Camden is always our first port of call. 

It was also during this time that I discovered my love for literature and all things Gothic. Studying A-Level English Literature introduced me to the world of Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein and my absolute fave, Angela Carter. This love of the Gothic lead me to discover Alexander McQueen, and hey presto - my love of fashion. 

Going on to do English Literature at university has made books an integral part of my life, so when I saw that the British Library was holding an exhibition called 'Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination' I gave a nerdy squeel, and me and George decided we HAD to go .

This is one of the best exhibitions I've been to. Not only did it allow me to reminisce over my literary education, but discover sides of not only Gothic literature, but film and culture in general that I wasn't aware of. 

Featuring handwritten drafts of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this is an absolute geek-fest for any literature lover. I actually collect antique books, and it was so hard for me to just stand and look at the gorgeous first editions on display. They've even got a real fricking vampire slaying kit! 

We spent a good two hours in there, and I would say if you're a fan of literature, the Gothic, or anything dark and macabre. Get your tickets and go. They're only £10 and it's definitely worth it. 

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How to Poo-Poo on the Plus-Size Movement, by JD Williams.

Since my last rant about The Independant's Chloe Hamilton and her view on Zoella / female role models went down so well with you lot (you obviously love a good vent as much as I do), I thought I'd do another one. 

This isn't something I expected to make a regular thing, but since last time I just keep noticing occurrences in regards to fashion and us ladies that puts an angry bee in my bonnet. 

This week's groan is in relation to that debate-instigating term 'plus-size' and how certain brands are managing to unravel any ounce of positivity that surrounded the term and it's movement. 

Body image and the plus-size figure will always be a topic for discussion, but this particular post comes in the wake of JD William's recent response to Victoria Secret's 'Perfect Body' campaign. 

For those who haven't been following the story, Victoria Secrets recently released their 'Perfect Body' campaign, with this image (see below) 

Now I'm sure I don't have to explain why this campaign and it's title is hugely insulting to so many of us girls out there with 'imperfect bodies.' 

I find it side-splittingly ironic that Victoria Secrets is calling a wide section of their own demographic imperfect since their sizes go up to a UK size 18, yet none of the women featured here seem to be above a size 6, because heaven forbid we should see what real women look like. Good lord no. 

Anyhoo, obviously this sparked outrage and a Twitter backlash was established with the hashtag #iamperfect, and multiple girls trolling Victoria Secrets stores wielding boldly hashtagged signs. 

Since then, Victoria Secrets have scornfully gone back to the drawing board and renamed the campaign 'A Body for Everybody.' So they've gone from a boldly insulting title to an empty, referring-to-no-one-and-nothing-at-all-doesn't-even-make-sense title.

I feel Victoria Secrets have been forced to learn their lesson in this instance. My beef lies with JD Williams and their ridiculous attempt at a retaliation, which is this (see below). 

To add insult to injury, JD William's retaliatory campaign is called 'Perfectly Imperfect'. When I found this out, I did one of those winces we all make when watching the Apprentice as someone makes a very bad, cringe-worthy decision. 

Now JD Williams call themselves 'specialists in the area of larger size womenswear' on their website, and don't get me wrong, this advert by itself as an advertisement for lingerie by any brand is uplifting. It's refreshing to see a fuller-sized figure in a lingerie campaign, and all these women look stunning, 

HOWEVER...

the fact that neither of these brands understand that the words 'perfect' and 'imperfect' should NOT be thrown around by lingerie or clothing brands AT ALL baffles me. 

Just a heads up to JD William's marketing team, the word 'imperfect' means, and I quote: 'not perfect; faulty or incomplete.' 

Well cheers then JD Williams, because as happy as I am to see buxom beauties heading an underwear campaign, your title is a thorn in my side. I don't look like any of the models in the Victoria Secrets campaign, who are deemed as 'perfect', and I don't look like any of the models in the JD Williams campaign, who according to the brand are perfectly 'faulty and incomplete', whatever that means. 

So what does that make me? Some sort of abnormal, misshapen mutant?

What JD Williams haven't realised is that in an attempt to shame Victoria Secrets, they've shamed themselves by making the same mistake. 

JD William's size range goes from 12 - 30, yet in their campaign the only sizes I see are sitting at the slimmer end of that scale. 

Here's what I would have done. 

A few months ago, Kiss Me Deadly (a vintage inspired, retro lingerie brand) held a fashion show for their latest lingerie collection. Guess who the models were. Their fans. That's right, fans and buyers of the label applied to be models for the show, and those that got through were of a range of shapes and sizes. The show not only proved that the underwear could be worn by anyone, but that us real women who don't look anything like any woman on a lingerie advert can still wear the items and be beautiful, seductive and damn right proud. 

Now I myself still struggle with my own body image and I would not be the best person to lead a campaign of self-love and healthy self-esteem. However JD fricking Williams, on my journey to get to that place I have embraced the subtle yet powerful plus-size movement that has been growing as of late, and I really don't need you categorizing me into the box of  Victor Frankenstein's scraps. 

Rant Over!

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Purple Haze - From Ombre to Purple with Elegance by TLC Salon, Bedford.

So I had a bit of a hair change recently.

Purple. Yes, purple. 

As much as I loved my ombre and how it was matching the Autumnal leaves and winter vibe, I've been craving a change for ages. 

I'd been a redhead for almost 5 years, and going down the 'unnatural' colour route is something I've always wanted to do. I'd spent all Summer jealous of the pastel haired beauties that filled my Instagram feed, and decided that when the Winter months arrived, I'd set about my mission. 

Now I'd been considering this transformation for months, and embarked on many a Pinterest inspiration spree. The first thing I'd say to anyone thinking of making such a drastic transformation is do your research. Really consider your skin tone and what colours will work well with it, and how it will work with your everyday style. 

As you may have seen from other hair posts, there's only one person that I'd trust to touch my hair and that is the lovely Natalie, responsible for my barnet's appearance since 2008. 

Currently working at the Elegance by TLC salon in Bedford, I placed myself and my three tubs of Directions 'Plum' dye in her trustworthy hands. 

Obviously first things first: bleaching. Due to my dip-dye this was a complicated process, with two sets of  bleach being used: On the mid-lengths where the red dye was Nat used bleach and 40 Vol peroxide, leaving it for 60 minutes, whilst on my roots she used bleach and 20 Vol peroxide and left it for 20 minutes. You have to be really on top of your timings here. Nat noted at what time she started putting the bleach on the back sections of the mid-lengths, as they would have to be washed off earlier than the front sections. 

As you can see, the bleach took to my roots pretty well (I discovered on this day that I would NOT make a good blonde).

Once the bleach was washed off, on went the dye. Three pots later and I was well and truly coated. The processing time for Directions is between 15-30 minutes. We left it on for 30 minutes, to ensure that my hair would soak it up. 

A wash, lots of conditioner and a blow dry later...TA DA! 

Directions is pretty easy to use. My main  reason for doing this post was to help those who are confused with the bleaching process. There's no way I would have been confident enough to bleach my hair myself. I know some salon's can be expensive, but if you're unsure about bleaching and you get it wrong, you'll have to pay twice as much to fix it than if you'd gone to a salon in the first place. 

I must admit, considering this is my first 'drastic' transformation, it was a bit of a shock at first, and I'm still getting used to it, but I do love it. 

I hope this post has been of some help to anyone considering a doing something similar. If you have any questions, just leave a little comment below : ) 

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Dishoom London: The Trendy, Budget Friendly Indian Restaurant

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my favourite restaurants: Dishoom. 

Finding somewhere to eat in London is always a stressful endeavor. We all love to explore something new when we go to London, yet so many of us fall into the disappointing trap of sticking to the old and familiar. But I myself will admit it's hard to find a balance between the generic, uninspiring chains and pretentious rip-off gimmicks.

You can spend hours trawling through review sites, and never really find what you're looking for, and I honestly believe the best way of finding out about new places is word of mouth. I'd seen a few people on Facebook talking about this restaurant, so when me and the boyfriend were in London in the Summer for our anniversary, we decided to check it out.

I loved it so much, that when in London on Tuesday with my best friend, I just had to take her there, 

The first thing you'll encounter when going to Dishoom, both in Shoreditch and Covent Garden, is the queues. I see queues to a restaurant as a good indication of how popular the place is. Whether it's lunchtime, a weekday evening or the weekend, there will be queues. But trust me when I say they go down pretty quickly and it's worth the wait. You'll be served samples of they're non-alcoholic beverages in the meantime though: the hot chai is delicious. 

If there's room, they'll send you to wait at the bar with a buzzer until your table is ready. Make the most of this and check out their cocktail menu: all their cocktails feature an Indian twist and are made right in front of you. I would recommend the Chaihito: A mojito with chai spices. Embrace the atmosphere, and before you know it your table will be ready. 

The second thing I'd suggest you take in whilst you're there is the decor. I fell in love with it instantly. I'd describe the interior design as following a strong 1920s Bombay direction, with dark woods, coppers, pastels and monochrome. Vintage Indian portraits and paraphernalia deck the walls, and the whole venue has an exotic yet homely vibe. 

 FOOD. Let's talk about the food. I swear I'm addicted to Indian food. It's my cuisine of choice, so I've tasted a fare few curries in my time. The first time I went, I tried their Dishoom Calamari to start. Being Greek, I've had so many variations of Calamari, but this was by far the most interesting. I don't know what spices they put into the batter, but they made it quite sweet, which was then combated by garlic and chilli. Delicious. 

This time round, me and George (the bestie) got the Chicken Ruby Curry and the Mattar Paneer Curry. I'd tried the Chicken Ruby before after being told by the waiter that it was the best thing on their menu, so I had to get it again. 

Both these curries are soooo flavoursome, they'll put your local curry house to shame. The bowls you can see in the picture look small, but I could barely finish mine. The sauces are rich and fragrant in both. The chicken melts like butter in the mouth, whilst the paneer is creamy and soft and soaks up all the flavours of the sauce. We had a bowl of rice and a plain naan with these. The rice is fluffy, and the naan is thin and crispy and lightly brushed with butter. 

This seems like a really cliche Indian meal, but the subtle twists in flavours and the execution of simple things like the naan bread mean it's set way above your normal curry and rice. To top that off, this entire meal came to £11 EACH!! 

I'm sure you'll admit, for one of the trendiest, most popular restaurants in LONDON, whose food is something you'll forever crave after your first visit, that is an absolutely steal!!. 

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Brand Lust: Miss Rebel A/W Wish List

As of yesterday, I feel that Winter weather has well and truly arrived. I had to travel back home from Halloween shenanigans having left my coat at a friends, and boy was I feeling the chill. 

In the last two months, I think we've all been sitting on the uncomfortable fence between getting the most out of our Summer clothes before they're shoved away for another year, and excitingly purchasing our new Autumn / Winter wardrobe. 

Through The Blogger Programme, I have been introduced to a new and emerging clothing brand: Miss Rebel.

I love discovering small brands like these simply because they prove that on-trend fashion can be reasonably priced. I've seen some brands that I fell in love with back in the day get way to big for their boots, so when a brand like Miss Rebel emerges, I pounce on them straight away, and spread the word. 

So I've put together a little wishlist from Miss Rebel's latest A/W 2014 collection just to show you what they have to offer and to inspire you, if not to check them out, then to get looking for small, emerging brands and to support them. 

Outerwear

(top left to bottom right) 

Faux Fur Trim Cape - £30

Scallop Hem Rain Mac - £20

Faux Shearling Fur Jacket - £32

Black Faux Fur Cape - £35.99

Dresses

Classic Zip Back Shift Dress - £18

Bardot Bodycon Dress - £13

Bones Bodycon Dress - £9.99

Bottle Green Tartan Swing Dress - £7.99

Jumpers

Spike Shoulder Jumper in Black - £9.99

Boucle Belted Cardigan - £29.99

Pugs Sweatshirt in Wine - £9.99

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My Reaction to THAT Zoella Article

Zoella, Zoella, Zoella, What a whirlwind this girl is. 

At 24 years old, this blogger/vlogger/internet fashion guru has taken the world by storm. 

Even as a blogger myself it's hard for me to comprehend her fame. With more social media followers than some of today's biggest celebrities, and multiple appearances on chat shows, it was only a matter of time before the doom and gloom parasites of today's media latched onto her success, and turned it into something bitter. 

In case you haven't read it, I'm referring to this article by Chloe Hamilton on the Independant's website. Written only a week ago, it's already sparked huuuuge debate on the topic, however I wanted to dedicate a bit of time to thinking through my response before I got involved, seeing as my instant reaction was one of pure rage (there would have been many an expletive). 

As I have such an angered and passionate response to this article, I thought I'd break it down by responding individually to specific ridiculous notions Hamilton throws out there, in the form of a good ol' bullet point list, otherwise this would be one long, illegible rant. 

• 'Her eyes are enormous. She looks like a startled bird; albeit a bird with the gorgeous, flowing locks of Rapunzel, the high-pitched giggle of Tinkerbell, and a name so irritatingly Disney-fied it makes my stomach churn: Zoella.' 

Firstly, Hamilton, remember your article is all about 'role models'. I can't help but feel that these insults disguised as backhanded compliments contradict your entire premise about body image, considering your opening sentence is a dig at Zoella's looks. Not well disguised either may I say, as the venomous tone here stings as you read. Also, seeing as you're not aged between 10 and 14, you're not Zoella's target audience so of course she as a brand doesn't appeal to you. That's like moaning that the Disney store is too immature for you. Fine, if that's how you feel. Don't go in, don't buy the stuff, but there's no need to so bitterly announce your opinion to the entire world. 

• 'Zoella is a beauty and fashion vlogger – the latest creation spat out by the YouTube machine [...]'

So I take it Hamilton's not a fan of Youtube. I find it so odd that of all the things 'spat out' by 'machines' that are apparently bad 'role models', Hamilton chooses as her journalistic prey a 24 year old girl who has built her brand from scratch to not only give young girls advice and support, but to be a mental health ambassador. For Hamilton to write this whilst X Factor, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and America's Next Top Model are to this day exposing young girls to a world of competition, objectification and popularity seems laughable to me. 

• '[...] she’s trodden an easy-peasy path to fame and fortune.'

Please oh please tell me what this point is based on! Firstly,it's taken Zoella 8 years to get to this stage. As with most 

bloggers, such as myself, you have to start from the bottom and get your name out there. Turning your measly old self into a nationally recognized brand isn't something that happens overnight, and speaking as someone who's only just got a toe on the ladder, it isn't easy either. Sure if you've only just tuned into the Zoella hype it seems that she's come from nowhere and is living a life of luxury, but don't for a second think she didn't dedicate hours upon hours to making those videos and writing those posts and getting herself out there. You know what is easy though Hamilton, sitting at a desk being paid to rip to shreds other people's successes and hard work. 

• '[...] she told a reporter that if she could give her teenage followers one piece of advice, it would be to fret less about their appearance [...] as though unaware that she’s forged an entire career by prattling on to young girls about how to look good '

Steady on Hamilton. Will you look at the bigger picture for goodness sake! Look at the world we're living in. Young girls will ALWAYS be interested in make-up and hair and clothes. It's a part of growing up. Even in the days where there was no internet or TV, little girls would watch their mum's wearing sparkly dresses and lipstick and wish to imitate them. I would much rather young girl's watch videos of how to achieve a hair style or a smokey eye they've always wanted to do ANYWAY from someone like Zoella, who also promotes a healthy mind and attitude to life, than some of the so-called 'role models' out there e.g Beyonce . If  with each of her video's there's one less girl watching Nicki Minaj on MTV and one more watching Zoella, then things are going in a good direction I feel. Call Beyonce a female role model / feminist as much as you like, but the moment she gets on that TV screen dressed in next to nothing knowing there are young girls watching her, admiring her, that whole notion goes out the window. 

• 'It’s maddening that a girl who has made it her business to tell teenagers how to put make up on, or get their hair just right, now feels she’s in a position to admonish them for “fretting” about their appearance. '

Has this woman even watched Zoella's videos? Does she even understand what blogging even is? The whole premise of blogging / vlogging is sharing with the world YOUR thoughts, YOUR likes, YOUR interests, YOUR way of doing things. Not THE thoughts, THE likes, THE interests , THE way of doing things, as Hamilton makes out. That's why there are so many fashion and beauty bloggers, because each one has their own way of doing things, their own way of thinking. Being a blogger and reading blogs is a realm in which inspiration is shared on a huge scale, If I don't like the way Zoella does her top knot, I can go on Youtube, type in 'top knot tutorial' and find a way of doing it from another vlogger that suites me. Just like in Zoella's anxiety videos, she specifically says that she's not giving people advice or instructions, she's literally sharing her way of coping, in the hope it may help someone. 

• '[...]if she feels so strongly about the pandemic of insecurity raging through the tweenage generation, doesn’t she vlog about going to school without make-up, or encourage kids to spend their pocket money on books or days out with friends, rather than on the latest liquid eyeliner to hit Boots’ shelves?'

If, from the moment Zoella decided to blog, she'd only written about not wearing make-up and spending pocket money on books, there's no way in hell she would have become this successful, not that she set out to be this successful in the first place. Like most, it was a hobby that developed. With that in mind, as a hobby, why the hell shouldn't she write about what she wants to write about. The fact that there were people out there interested in her hobby has worked in her favour. Massively. But she's not squandering the exposure she's been given. Instead she's using it to promote mental health awareness, which is actually a hell of a lot more than the twonks in Parliament have done about the subject. Without her content matter, there would be no fan base, and there would be no way of reaching such a large group of young girls with such a positive message. But then again Hamilton, you wouldn't have been able to produce this appalling article. Swings and roundabouts. 

• 'She wants young girls to worry less, but she unwittingly exacerbates their body anxiety as they strive for her level of perfection, often falling short.'

Stop right there *Angry Holly Willoughby voice* If Zoella didn't exist, young girls would soon find someone else to admire / desire to look like .OK, Zoella's pretty, and thin and has nice hair and a decent life that she works for. But that's it. She doesn't have butt or breast implants, she's not starving herself on some ridiculous diet, she doesn't have a stylist running behind her everywhere she goes, or a 24hr personal trainer. Whether Hamilton likes to admit it, of all the women young girls look up to nowadays, Zoella's one of the most real. You can't discredit her just because she's pretty and skinny. Also Hamilton, you can get off  your high horse, because it's your bloody industry that has instilled this need to have these unattainable looks in young girls. Newspapers are constantly belittling women for the way they look, and then the next minute parading them on front pages. Newspapers and magazines fuel the fire, so don't take it out on Zoella when the industry you work for has created something that 'infuriates' you. 

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Outfit of the Day: Autumnal Hues

 

 

Primark Fedora Hat - £8

Lost at Sea Coin Collar Necklace - £12

H&M Dappled Purple Split-Hem Maxi Dress -(sold out) 

Forever 21 Open Knit Cardigan (sold out in black & red, other colours available) - £18

Asos Netted Tights - £8.50

River Island Cut-Out boots - £30

It's been so long since I last did an Outfit of the Day post, which I apologise for. I also want to apologise for the fact that almost half of the items I'm wearing in this post are now sold out. I only bought the dress two weeks ago, and the other dress I bought with it is still on their site, so I was a bit baffled by that. 

Anyhoo, despite that, I hope this post has been in some way a source of style inspiration. I'm not adjusting very well to Winter layering after a good 4-5 months of a basic capsule Summer wardrobe. 

I'm loving the long open-knit cardigans that are about at the moment. I've never really been a cardigan person, but the casual yet textured blanket styles that I'm seeing are more my kind of thing. 

I love split-hems, and I'm trying to make mine as winter friendly as possible with the help of some statement tights, however on those really cold days, I'm layering up with as many opaque pairs as I can find. 

I don't think I'll ever tire of these River Island Cut-Out Boots. They're from River Island's Autumn/Winter  2013/14 collection, and I can't get enough when it comes to chunky black shoes, so these will probably be staying with me for life. 

I may be a bit late on the hype, but I've fallen head over heels in love with Forever 21. Whenever I step foot in their i'm never disappointed by the range of trends they have on offer, and they're not expensive at all, so you can expect to see a lot more of their stuff on here in the not too distant future.

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