City and country.

Claudie Pierlot studded boots | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool fashion blogger | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool fashion bloggers | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool Georgian quarter | www.itscohen.co.uk
North West bloggers | www.itscohen.co.uk

Townie


City vs country: tale as old as time, etc. etc. When I was teeny tiny, we lived on a road where one end had a park and the other had a golf course, but was a 20 minute walk from the nearest tube stop. Then we moved to the arse end of nowhere a hamlet which had three pubs and no shops. Following that, I moved to Liverpool for university, then my family moved to the edge of a small town, I upped sticks to Munich for a bit (lol) and now I've settled in Manchester for a year and a half. All the above shows when I started to get a bit bored of writing out my life story but also illustrates how I tend to navigate towards cities rather than the countryside.

I find that there's a distinct difference between northern cities and their southern counterparts. Trust me, I love Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton just as much as your average girl, but when you start to edge past Birmingham the pretensions edge off, just that slightly. Where you wear your city as a badge of honour, much like a family crest of arms, when you pay your half a mil for a house in the home counties, there's still pride in Manchester, Leeds, et al., but the badge is more a tarnished pin badge, worn on your lapel among your other loves (probs the Stone Roses). It's just a bit more understated, and people seem to shout about it less. It's taken for granted that you live in the greatest place in the world, so there's no need to text in to the Metro and go on about it.

Anyway, as I'm coming to the v real conclusion that I'm going to stay in Manchester for the next few years for real, this is making me think about the other northern cities I need to get to know better. The above photos illustrate Liverpool (which I definitely don't need to walk any more, but know I'll be back anyway), but I plan on adding Newcastle, Halifax, Harrogate and Hull to my 'places I've been' list before long.

With that waffle over and done with, I'm going to get out of my pyjamas and do something with my Sunday. And yes, that does mean eating a lot.

What I Wore


The Kooples leather jacket. The Last Shadow Puppets tee: £20. Carven shorts: £69 (on sale, similar but cheaper). Claudie Pierlot boots: £172 (on sale). Marks and Spencer bag: £42 (on sale, I see a theme...).
12 Comments

She was a day tripper.

New Look embroidered bomber jacket | It's Cohen Blog
Liverpool fashion bloggers | It's Cohen Blog
Topshop bug embroidered boots | It's Cohen Blog
Liverpool bloggers | It's Cohen Blog
Liverpool fashion blogger | It's Cohen Blog

Pretending to be a Liverpool fashion blogger again.


Photos by Laura.

Blue skies = boozy opportunities. As soon as the clouds cleared, Laura and I headed to Liverpool as she'd never been and I didn't need an excuse. Seemingly on a tour of its most instagrammable spots, we headed straight to Oh Me Oh My's roof garden for a gin in the sun, and one hell of a view (see the insta shot below). This place had been on my to-visit list for a bloody long time, so we took the sunny opportunity with both iphone-holding hands and got the shot in no time at all.

On the hunt for food, we next headed to instagram-famous Love Thy Neighbour on Bold Street. I headed here with Jade the last time I was in Liverpool, but knew it'd be up Laura's street because what's not to love about a living ceiling and great branding? As always, service was shocking, but at least we had something pretty to look at while we were waiting. After wandering up to the Georgian quarter (always ma fave, luv u the Quarter) and taking these photos, we headed back central and ended up at the Clubhouse for a glass of wine before catching a train back to Manchester. Not bad for a 'we'll see where this takes us' day, eh?

I definitely need to make an effort to visit more northern cities, but I just can't help heading back to Liverpool again and again. Any recommendations on where to head next? I keep fancying Leeds and York, but just got to get my act together!

What I wore.



What's on Insta.


A post shared by Rebecca ๐Ÿ˜ˆ (@rebeccacohen_) on






A post shared by Rebecca ๐Ÿ˜ˆ (@rebeccacohen_) on
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I just sort of always feel sick without you, baby.

Matalan denim jeans | www.itscohen.co.uk
Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool Wolstenholme Square lights| www.itscohen.co.uk
Marks and Spencer ruffled blouse, Alexa Chung | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool suitcases, Hope Street - Paul McCartney| www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Tracey Emin| www.itscohen.co.uk
Hello Tasha blog | www.itscohen.co.uk
Matalan blue high waisted skinny jeans | www.itscohen.co.uk
The Cow and Co Cafe, Liverpool| www.itscohen.co.uk
UK Fashion Blog | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool fashion bloggers | www.itscohen.co.uk
The Quarter restaurant, Liverpool | www.itscohen.co.uk
Marks and Spencer ruffled blouse | www.itscohen.co.uk
The Co and Co Cafe Liverpool cakes| www.itscohen.co.uk
Matalan high waisted skinny jeans | www.itscohen.co.uk
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral | www.itscohen.co.uk
UK fashion blogs | www.itscohen.co.uk

The windy city, we meet again. I can't vouch for Chicago's status as breezy, but I honestly think Liverpool can give that city a run for its money when it comes to hair blowing in every direction. I have one umbrella left in a bin somewhere in Spinningfields which battled gallantly with the weather, but certainly came off worse. RIP. After a Serious Text Discussion regarding what the weather's like, I settled on my newest pair of jeans and trusty old trench coat (gloriously dumped on the floor for these photos, so glam) to revisit Liverpool on one of the sunniest days of the year so far. Still windy. Still so windy.

As soon as my train pulled into Liverpool Lime Street, I headed straight off to meet Tasha and Soph for coffee at Cow & Co Cafe, a small place sheltered from the river Mersey on Cleveland Square. When it was trusted to me to make a decision on where to go (why guys, why), I had a quick search of Independent Liverpool and settled on this little place after hearing it was a good'un on Sade's recommendation. I went for a bagel with beetroot, feta and raisins (can I have 5?) and latte while the other girls went for a brownie, custard cream chocolate concoction, all of which comes highly recommended from a table of discerning eaters - and the staff didn't even moan at us for taking an unprecedented number of photos. I've never been to Cow&Co before, despite knowing someone who lived a stone's throw away, but I'd definitely give it a visit if you're in town and fancy going somewhere a little off the beaten track.

Afterwards, we headed away from town and wandered around the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral as Soph had never been. I haven't got much more to add from my last post there, but it's a pretty special place. Let's not talk about how much I wanted to go to the Cream event last night and only found out it was happening after it'd sold out. Tiny little tear being shed, right now.

To round up the day, I pulled Sade out of the library and spent a good three hours with her in the Pen Factory, because I haven't gone day drinking for a good while. We didn't manage to cross paths last time I was in Liverpool, so we had a long ol' chat about life and less big topics of conversation; is there any better way to spend a Saturday than with friends a bit of gin?

As I mentioned to pretty much everyone I met up with, it's odd to go back to Liverpool now. When I lived there, I knew it like the back of my hand. Recently it's been going through a little bit of a renaissance and there are new cafes and bars popping up all over the shop, and it's like it's a whole new city every time I step on the train. At first it made me a little sad that "my" Liverpool wasn't the one I knew, but since I've got over it started to trial the new places, I can honestly say the city is going from strength to strength.

Places photographed:
Cow&Co CafeWolstenholme SquareAnglican CathedralSuitcases installation
15 Cleveland Square, L1Right next to Cream, L1St James Mt, L1Hope Street, L1
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The bombed out church.

laura ashley trench coat
oasis fringed jumper
liverpool fashion blogs
oasis denim a-line button down skirt
liverpool cathedral gif
adidas spezial black white
liverpool fashion bloggers
oasis artisan fringed jumper
liverpool fashion blog
Oasis artisan fringed jumper: £27, with staff discount, now has 30% off! Oasis denim skirt: £5, sample sale. Laura Ashley trench coat (old). Adidas Spezial: £27.

Do you know how much is takes to not hum the first line of that Wombats song every time I pull into Liverpool station? A lot, I promise. I don't head up North as much as I'd like as it can be really bloody expensive, but a chilled train journey and knowing that I had the next week off set this trip up for success. The plan for this trip was to meet my university friends in Manchester, but I thought I'd pop up a day early in order to catch up with some scousers (one hardcore, one honorary) and have an overdue wander round the Mersey capital.

Within minutes of dropping my stuff off at an airbnb, I was being educated in pizza fries. I kid you not, I knew Jade knew her local delicacies, but these were on a whole other level. We spent our Friday evening catching up over a whole lot of good stuff at Portland Street 358 (as featured on Jade's instagram enough times to make me say "we've got to go" when she suggested anywhere else) before an Adele-fuelled trip back into town.

After a loooong sleep (surprising, considering I was right next to a bar who were hosting a terrible live band. Who needs earplugs when you've been working flat out, tho?), it was brunch and catch up time with the beaut Sade, who was also kind enough to take these photos for me outside the bombed out church. We, of course, went to the old faithful Leaf before heading our separate ways.

Have any of you guys visited Liverpool recently? Or, even better, live there? I'd love to get your tips for the best places to go (and I don't just mean Someplace, because I think I only need to try those absinthe cocktails once...)

PS, if anyone can help me work out how to make the tables in this post mobile responsive, hit a sista up.
7 Comments

So just chill 'til the next episode.

The Kooples leather jacket. Topshop 'tell someone who cares' tee: £22 (short sleeve version online). Vintage suede skirt: £8, charity shop (suck on THAT asos and topshop). Oasis chelsea boots: £41 (now on sale!). Rimmel Kate Moss 08 lipstick.

Photos by Jade.

It's when I'm sitting in bed, with a cup of tea nearly too cold to drink, without make-up on and with a grey "Spring" sky outside, that I'm glad I have a massive backlog of photos ready to go. So, the beady-eyed Instagram followers be thinking "but I thought you hadn't been to Liverpool for ages?" would be correct - this was over a month ago, but let's pass it off as a #TBS, leave the eyeliner far, far away, and save the PJ's of the day for another desperate outfit post.

I headed back to my university city on the first fair weather weekend of the year with two unnecessary coats in tow. First stop was Bill's with Jade, having a four hours too late breakfast which went down just like the treat it was. We then popped over to the Georgian quarter (fave 4eva) to snap these photos before I met up with my friends in the Quarter for a catch-up over crumble. We left the sweets behind as we headed into town to avoid the Harvey Nichols beauty bazaar get an outfit for the oncoming evening of green-lit bars and, I quote, "the dungeon". A lot of dancing later, we were waking up to a much-needed Moose before everyone went their own ways. Weekends in Liverpool are always fleeting, but that's just the perfect excuse to head back soon.
15 Comments

When the zeros line up on the twenty-four hour clock.

university of liverpool graduation
French Connection blouse: gift (similar here and here). Charity shop pencil skirt: £1.50. Christian Louboutin Nude heels: £75, via charity shop. Links of London necklace: gift. Rotary watch: gift. Chanel "Gabrielle" lipstick. Chanel "Dragon" nail varnish.
albert docks liverpool
cavern club liverpool memorial
liverpool albert docks
paul mccartney statue cavern club
Charity shop lace blouse: 50p. American Apparel woven skirt: £33. Russell and Bromley flats: 50p, via ebay. Ralph Lauren sunglasses. Rotary watch: gift.
the quarter restaurant liverpool
antony gormley another place crosby
university of liverpool english ba graduate
university of liverpool fashion blog
university of liverpool graduation ceremony
university of liverpool students

No, you didn't miss anything, these are just some of the photos I never got round to posting from my graduation. On Friday, it will be a year exactly since we threw our mortar boards into the clear blue sky, and what with all those in the year below sending snapchats and selfies my way, it seemed as relevant a time as ever to write a little throwback, of sorts. I always wonder whether these kind of posts are a little self-indulgent (the last one I wrote was waaay back in October), so feel free to scroll through the photos and move onto a prettier blog, of which I've listed plenty here, or hang around for a while, there might be some lols.

When I graduated, I was a little optimistic, which I can 100% guarantee is how the majority of undergraduates feel when they collect their degrees on stage. The usual things ran through my head about how I'd be employed within a month or so, be saving up to move out, and be livin' the dream in London. In short, I knew fuck all (technical term) about the reality of the job market, and found it pretty tough to come to terms with being one of the 2.51 million (May 2013, the month I left uni) out there who hadn't landed feet first in my chosen career. If you'd have told me that I'd be moving to Germany before the year was up I would have laughed plain in your face, and still to this day I'm a little surprised I did it, particularly considering I wasn't in the best frame of mind and physical condition to deal with the stress and upheaval of moving abroad. But, six months later, I came back with words like Katzenjammer under my belt and a whole load of new friends from all over the world.

Bumping back to reality was a bit of a bummer. Although it was rad to be within walking or train distance of everyone, it was frustrating to come back with no real idea, yet again, of what was about to happen. I completed two weeks of jury service, followed by two weeks interning at Cath Kidston's head office over in Shepherd's Bush, then four weeks at Oasis closer to home in Shoreditch, which has since been extended. Attempting to continue my social life (a what, now?) and not let this blog fall completely by the wayside (which I've come pretty close to many, many times in the past few months, and still wonder now whether perhaps getting eight hours sleep might be of more worth than replying to emails) has proved to be pretty tricky, particularly on an intern's budget, but that steadfast british resilience keeps seeing me through, and my need to be melodramatic quite clearly continues.

It's just a little funny to think of how much has changed in a year, since that landmark-to-me-moment. I've lived in two countries, been in five, met countless amounts of people, published 95 blog posts (including this one), and have 17 sitting in my drafts folder never to see the light of day, bought three stripy tops, been to four festivals, seen arctic monkeys three times, eaten a few litres of hummus, and got one job.

So yeah, sorry this #tbt isn't on a Thursday, but when have I ever done things by the book?
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Hello, I'm Rebecca: social media exec, new-ish coffee drinker and loafer-wearer.
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