Bristol is all Whistles and Balony

With all this depressing economical nonsense going on it is great to see two new stores opening in Bristol this week, both at completely opposite ends of the fashionable scales.

The first is Whistles, which is coming to Park Street this week, taking the place of the cheap and cheerful shoe shop Jade. The curved glass windows of the listed building will be perfect for showing off the surprisingly cutting edge fashions that Whistles now offers, see S/S 10 below.


When I was younger I remember Whistles as being one of those grown up brands that could only be worn by career women of a certain age but I have been pleasantly surprised by their last few seasons. This revamp is thanks to Jane Shepherdson, the former Brand Director of Topshop, who took Whistles under her wing in 2008 and reinvented it as a fashion-forward brand for chic essentials and one-off pieces.

I'm not sure when exactly the store is opening but I do know it will retain the character and original period features that make it such a beauty to look at - more info as and when I have it.

The second shop to be opening it's doors this week is a Ship-Shape favourite. I loved Cox & Baloney from the moment I saw it in Woolies market, below, which you can read all about here. So successful was their stall at the indoor market that the owners made the leap to go solo in their own store, situated on Cheltenham Road, near Colston Girls School.

The store actually opened its doors for trading on Saturday but will be having an official launch party this Saturday, 17th July, and will be full of vintage and reworked treasures plus lots of new and exciting collaborations. Owners Amy & Joney really made the space at Woolies their own and although there have been a few sneak peek photos of the new store I can't wait to see it in the flesh and no doubt bag myself a bargain to boot!

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.

Emily Blunt's fashion forward film

British actress Emily Blunt has be a guilty pleasure of mine since I first laid eyes on her in The Devil Wears Prada a couple of years ago. She is a fine actress and often ends up with some fantastic costumes to wear on screen, her latest film being no exception.

I went to see Wild Target before Glastonbury but haven't had the chance to blog about it till now. Given its British credentials and Bill Nighy and Rupert Grint staring alongside Blunt, I would have thought the film would have received a greater fanfare from the national press. Regardless, from the first comedy caper style trailer my boyfriend and I were hooked. He likes Emily Blunt too but I don't think it has much to do with her clothes...

Image courtesy of snitchseeker.com

The film centres around a con artist (Blunt) and the hitman hired to bump her off (Nighy), with Ron Weasely hanging around for good measure. As film begins Blunt appears, riding a vintage bicycle complete with wicker basket, in a red coat and fabulous red heeled brogues. From this point onwards she appears in some stunningly beautiful outfits and manages to look stylish even while on the run.

Costume Designer Sheena Napier was in charge of putting together Blunt's look, which included pieces from the high street. Yumi Clothing supplied the red coat, mentioned above, and a black 'Hela' dress seen at the start of the film. With a Yumi store on Clifton Triangle you can replicate the look yourself for the streets of Bristol.

Due to the lack of positive press surrounding this film there is very little information out there about Blunt's wardrobe, which has a sense of downplayed glamour and edginess to it that really does magnify the 'London style'. A combination of leather, silk, sequins and (fake) furs are layered together to create a unique look that Blunt works to her advantage as a enigmatic thief.

Colourful shoes and tights carry the look and despite her groomed hair and make-up the look never feels over done. I wish I knew where this outfit, above, is from though - the combination of beaten up leather jacket and canary yellow skater skirt are pure edgy perfection. Want, want, want!

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

Damsel in 'dis Dress

Well, if I'm honest this post has not turned out the way I thought it would, namely because I didn't think my dress would be holding me hostage! But before I get into my wardrobe mishap, I should probably start at the beginning...

This lovely white and yellow floral print dress with cut out detail is something I've had my eye on since spotting it on the web a few weeks ago. I love the cut, the print and the heart detail and whats more, this dress was advertised at just £22. Not from Primark or similar, but from the F+F collection at Tesco, of all places!

I very rarely buy any clothes from supermarket collections, mainly because I don't live within any stores large enough but also because I've never really rated the designs or quality. However in recent months I have been pleasantly surprised at the caliber of deigns coming from F+F and George by Asda. The major brands seem to have really embraced S/S 10 trends and there have been some very slick designs, particularly in the summer dress department.

This floral number had been in the back of my mind so I was delighted when I spotted it last night on a late night visit to Tesco. In a true 'meant to be' moment, there was just one left in my size. After quickly trying it on I was sold and hurried to the till before anyone else spotted my find. Naturally I thought it would be perfect for an outfit post, which brings you up to speed with where I am, sat on the sofa and stuck in my dress.

That's right, stuck. After taking a few snaps, see below, I went to change out of the dress and found the (supermarket quality) zip was stuck and would not budge. After being laughed at by the boyfriend via Skype, I've been forced to wait until he gets back from work to rescue me...

Graduate Fashion Week

For every fashion student there is a pinnacle event that signifies the end of your degree and three years of hard work, blood, sweat and (quite often) tears; Graduate Fashion Week.

Now in it's 19th year, GFW is still the best place to see emerging British talent and put your fledgling brand on the fashion map. As always Bristol's University of the West of England (UWE) will be sending their best designs down the runway, including Amber Hards' creations, below.

Amber, along with fellow UWE student Vanessa Harris, has been shortlisted for the Fashion Innovation Award which is sponsored by Hammerson, the owners of Bristol's very own fashion behemoth, Cabot Circus.

The award is aimed at students who take a more 'cutting edge' approach to their designs and Amber made the cut by creating a knitwear collection inspired by the form and movement of jellyfish. Intricate methods and hooking techniques combined with innovative yarns secured a place on the shortlist and this is not the first time that UWE students have made an impression at GFW.

Above: Sketches show the intricacy of Hards' knitwear designs

In 2007 UWE graduate Nick Thomas won the River Island Gold Award for his knitwear collection and in 2005 UWE alumni Jess Noy won the same award for her deconstructed denim collection.

The event itself attracts plenty of press attention and with schools such as Central St Martins taking part, some shows are sold out weeks in advance - the likes of Christopher Kane and the late Alexander McQueen have had their graduate collections snapped up off the back of GFW and the shows are truly inspiring for students and industry insiders alike.

Graduate Fashion Week runs from 6th - 10th June at Earls Court and the UWE show takes place at 7pm on Sunday. For more information and tickets click here.