St Paul's Carnival

Ah, what a weekend! Those of you that live outside of Bristol may not have heard of St Paul's Carnival but it is an annual event that has taken place in the area of St Paul's since the 60's. Celebrating Afrikan and Caribbean culture, all the local schools and businesses come together for a parade that brings color and life to the streets.

Locals and visitors alike line the streets to watch, dance and eat copious amounts of jerk chicken, all washed down with a can of Red Stripe. As an area St Paul's doesn't have the best of reputations and for 364 days of the year the streets are quiet but that all changes in July when everyone and their grandma comes out to celebrate.

This community event signals the start of summer for many Bristolians and the costumes of the parade are one of my personal highlights. The carnival is a place where you are sure to bump into old friends and make new ones, where everyone is friendly and the smell of community spirit is in the air. If you missed the event or would like to volunteer your support for next year's carnival then be sure to check out the official website, above, or the carnival Facebook group.

I took a few snaps of the fantastic costumes, below, but to see more pictures from past events click here.

Life begins at 40...

... or so it would seem for Glastonbury. This year was the festival's 40th birthday bash and I had the delight not only of attending but also working for Worthy FM, the official Glastonbury Festival radio station.

I loved every minute and although I didn't have much time to blog while I was there, I did note a few festival fashion do's and don'ts...

Do... bring footwear for every occasion. This year we experienced something of a heatwave. Add to this that not a drop of rain fell for the WHOLE festival and you begin to question why there were folks traipsing around in their wellies.

Don't... walk around with bare feet. That is just taking it too far...

Do... sport your floral garlands with pride - these head pieces are cute, feminine and are guaranteed to bring out your inner hippy. Avoid floaty florals though, and instead toughen up with denim and monochrome.

Don't... think that by shaving a small chunk of your hair of a la Alice Dellal you will transform into a supermodel and socialite too. The amount of girls I saw with this undercut look was depressing and surely will only lead to your gran suffering from a mild heart attack the next time she sees you.

Do... bring a bikini. Be it swimming in the mud or bathing in the sun, this practical piece of kit will come in handy on countless occasions.

Don't... forget the sun lotion. Burnt flesh is never a good look and will haunt you forever in your post-festival photographs.

Do... have fun with your look. Festivals are about fun, adventure, friends and the occasional spot of music. Who cares what you look like in your charity shop sailors hat or clashing patterns? So long as you're having fun and you're comfortable that is all that matters.

Wax On, Wax Off

I still remember the first Barbour jacket my father bought, an investment for taking our dogs for long walks along the river behind our house: the starchy, waxed cotton, the oily smell and the injection of country into an otherwise jean-heavy wardrobe.

Now waxed cotton jackets are enjoying a surge in interest in the female market, thanks to the likes of Lily, Peaches and Alexa, below, sporting the look at British festivals.

Alexa works a Barbour and Breton combo at Vfest. Image courtesy of Clareification

It is not hard to see the appeal of a decent waxed jacket for such an occasion - festivals can be a messy, muddy business and what better to survive than with a garment that is waterproof, mud proof and could probably pass for a picnic blanket in times of need. I have been hankering for such a jacket for a while now and as Glastonbury is fast approaching I thought I would see if I could hunt one down.

The Barbour brand is over 100 years old, British born and bred and a staple piece in the wardrobes of farmers, land owners and country bumpkins across the land. I can't quite afford the price tag for a brand new jacket so I went to the next best place; RePsycho on Gloucester Road.

As predicted this retro/vintage store came up trumps with a large selection of well-loved (read:battered) wax jackets including a decent selection of original Barbour's for £40. Many of these were traditional men's jackets which just swamped me but this label-less women's jacket, below, I ended up with more than does the job, and was a snip at £30.

Though not a Barbour, it is in great condition, has a gorgeous paisley lining and actually vaguely fits me. It is a little big but I think this just adds to the twist of pairing such a masculine garment with floaty, romantic dresses.

I'll have more on festival fashion and what to pack later in the week but for now I'll leave you with photos of my lovely new wax jacket...

The buttons have a bird on them but other than this there is no indication of the make of the jacket

The paisley lining picks out the warmth of the chocolate brown leather collar

Alice by Alice Temperley S/S 2010

Hello Bristol! I'm back on (freezing cold) English soil after having spent the best part of the last 48 hours in transit. While I like the 'rollercoaster' aspect of airplanes (that would be taking off and landing), I'm not a massive fan of everything else in between; the food, the screaming children, the sardine-style seats...

So to take my mind off my seven hour flight (which turned into nearly ten thanks to the snow) I curled up with some fashion magazines and was delighted to find a new collection by Alice Temperley in the January issue of Marie Claire (US).

Simply entitled 'Alice' the collection is full of nautical stripes and military influences with a very British rock and roll edge. According to the designer, speaking to Marie Claire, the girl who would buy this collection 'listens to The Killers, Gorillaz and The Cure - she likes to mix things up'. Apparently Temperley cites the likes of it-girls Georgia Jagger and Alice Dellal as her inspiration but I think the London feel will be something accessible to the masses, evoking a kind of year-long festival style. Love it.

Street Chic: The Old Duke Jazz Festival

Name: Scott
Age: 24
Occupation: Aimhigher Co-ordinator
Location: The Old Duke, Kings Street

Scott wears: Aviator sunglasses from Next, printed white t-shirt and black cardigan from River Island, jeans from River Island and purple double tounge hi-tops from Converse.

Fave thing about Bristol: Summer festivals and drinking in the sunshine.