Don't try to hide it.

Denim jacket: £63, NW3 by Hobbs, Vintage Wrangler jeans: c/o Brag Vintage. T-Shirt: free, American Apparel. Leopard print boots: £27, Topshop (similar here). Bally bag: £9, vintage. Belt: 20p, charity shop. Watch: gift, Rotary. Necklaces: elsie belle, vintage, Topshop. Lipstick: Topshop Really Ruby.

Well, if your front garden overlooked this, could you pass up the opportunity to use it for outfit photos? Admittedly, walking along the river felt like we were in the middle of a wind tunnel, but, messy hair aside, it's a nice change to my last set out outfit photos. Making like Charlie, I took my Brag Vintage jeans out for a spin in East London, as we headed a little bit further down the Thames to see Everything Everything at one of Nokia's Lumia Live Sessions. I've seen them before, but ironically the much bigger city hosted the more intimate gig in Trinity Buoy Wharf. Getting there by clipper from London Bridge (certainly not something you do every day), Sabby and I bumped into Lucy and her pals before heading to the front to see EE whack their falsetto out like no other, and making sure to get a few photos on the Lumia 820, which seems to have instagram filters as standard - making for more acceptable selfies, am I right? We were guided back home by the light of the O2 (surely I'm not the only one who still calls it the Millennium Dome?) and a certain pair of golden arches, content with a pretty much perfect evening combination of cocktails, live music, and good company. Nothing can beat a good post-gig buzz, and I've got two weeks till Arctic Monkeys, then another till Knife Party, so not long to wait for my next one!

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Meet The Milk.

the milk at brownstock
Although music festivals make for some pretty damn amazing locations for outfit photos, there is obviously the music part of the weekend to contend with. There were plenty of artists on my "to see" list that I managed to tick off (I'm talking Mark Ronson and Benga), ones that I will see as many times as it is legally possible (erm, hi Fratellis and crรจme de chรจvre, I'm not creepy, promise), and then there's one that I tweeted about six months ago to ask if they'd be playing the festival again. I planned to see locals The Milk for the third time the moment they were added to the line up, and was lucky enough to sneak backstage to have a chat with frontman Rick and lead guitarist Dan before they graced the Brownstock stage on the Saturday afternoon.

the milk brownstock 2013

I first saw you at Brownstock a few years ago, and you've been back a few times, is it the local crowd you come back for?
We played it twice as an unsigned band, and four years ago, after a promotor saw us at a gig in Chelmsford, we came back with a record contract. It helps that we live locally, of course, and homecoming gigs are always going to have the best crowds. We're friends with Mat [DJ/Promotor] and he really looks after the artists, which is a bit different to V, the bigger local festival. We've played V twice, and the atmosphere is so different; it's amazing to come and play a homecoming gig to a massive crowd with the added credibility of playing a bigger festival, but when it comes to the big versus boutique festival debate, we firmly side with the underdog. It might surprise you to hear that one of the best gigs we ever played was in Hull! Brownstock's great because you get your friends and family hanging around backstage, and it's my nephew's first festival. V's good, we used to rent a flat in central Chelmsford and could hear it from the back garden, but Brownstock is a real contender.

the milk brownstock performance


Do you ever change your set for a local crowd?

Not really; we play what we want to perform, which is a mixture of new and old stuff, because the crowd's not going to be interested in listening to something if you're not into playing it to begin with. It's 45 minutes of playing to both fans and people who've never heard of you before, so it's more like a musical experience Telling a story? Nah, more like working your way through a musical piece - ranging from fast tracks to ballads. It's a set, not a story, but there is definitely a beginning, middle, and end.

brownstock artist interview


If you're playing new tracks, will your next album be similar to the first? I love the gapless nature of "Tales from the Thames Delta", which joins tracks with Greater Anglia voiceovers and ring tones, any intentions of doing more of the same?

It's still the same kind of sound, but we're not going gapless again. That first album was a bit like a DJ mix of everything one after another, but now we're making moments. That technique was drawn from the soul music we listened to a lot at the time, and the idea behind it was that you listen and you keep going through the whole album - a bit like a live show, really. It maintains that level of energy throughout. The recording was pretty old school, we did it all in one take rather than play separately. We did it in this medieval barn with stone walls, resulting in a sound that isn't too clinical or sanitised; our producer did say it was full of "happy mistakes" and we loved the little imperfections. It's more a show of being musicians than getting it perfect every time.

the milk interview 2013

And, as musicians, does that mean you don't get the festival experience any more?
We played Glastonbury on the Friday this year, and just said that we weren't going home. After finishing our gig on the Left Field stage we had the rest of the weekend to explore the rest of it - the perfect Glastonbury experience. Billy Bragg had asked us to play, and that's a pretty good start, so we made the most of our weekend.

the milk tales from the thames delta


The Milk's first album is currently available on iTunes (and is one of my most played), and click here for more of my Brownstock coverage.
37 Comments

Be like the bluebird who never is blue.

Closet mirror print dress: c/o Stylistpick. Denim jacket: aunt's. Satchel: Brit-Stitch. Shoes: mum's. Necklace: vintage. Lipstick: Topshop Mischief (sadly discontinued).

Do you ever put on an outfit and think of a blogger immediately? Well, I do. Every time I wear my circle skirt I think of j rox, something that involves clashing colours is certainly a Lucy speciality, Carven brings Kristabel to mind, and I always remember Amy's smock dress phase/obsession when I put mine on. When I opened the box this dress was packed in, I immediately remembered Olivia's post, which I described to her as "the pastel Brighton one with the ladylike dress". I may not have been Brighton-bound for this post, but one afternoon trip to Hylands Park with my mum mid-September did mean that I had an excuse to wear something a little more fancy than my current jeans and t-shirt uniform, and I'm never one to pass up an opportunity to get dolled up (even if it is just for a cup of tea).

Tonight I'm headed to the wharves of East London for a gig (no surprise what I'll be wearing) as it's been far, far too long since I saw live music. The rest of the week will involve a lot of dancing as I pretend to be a fresher tomorrow and then get to see my best blogging chums this weekend in Birmingham. Come Sunday evening I'll be cowering beneath my duvet claiming all I need is a good book and a hot chocolate. Well, at least until I'm told otherwise.
22 Comments

Stop the world I wanna get off with you.

Stop the world I wanna get off with you.
carnaby street sign
tesco boots
fickle tattoos
Stop the world cos I wanna get off with you
Stop the world I wanna get off with you
london autumn ootd
Stop the world because I wanna get off with you
Striped tee: £7, H+M. Shorts: £69, Carven via Cricket. Leather jacket: The Kooples. Boots: £25, Tesco. Navy panama hat: £26, Urban Outfitters. Necklaces: Elsie Belle and vintage. "Ship happens" temporary tattoo: c/o Fickle.

Navy, stripes, and leather? I really am taking this autumn dressing to heart. I wore this ensemble for a trip along the central line to meet Charlie (her blog is wonderful and full of impeccable styling, definitely worth a click through!) for a wander round the shops and a bite to eat, before a night in with several episodes of Gossip Girl, ice cream, and pink wine - all in all, I make that a good day!

You may have noticed something peeking out of my sleeves... Don't worry, I haven't actually got a tattoo as I can barely make my mind up for a week, let alone make a decision about something so permanent, but it's one of Fickle Tattoo's temporary offerings. Warning: they don't like being rubbed against leather (hence why mine's come off slightly), but we wore them out on Saturday night and I've been told that my friend's is still going strong. I got mine off completely with a little of my make up remover's persuasion, so there's nothing to stop you inking (or, erm, dampening your skin) up. And I have to quickly mention these boots as, on their first wear, I managed to walk a fair amount of soho, then a trip to Westfield without so much as a blister or sore ankle - not too shabby for a teeny £25, is it?
17 Comments

Autumn.



I am so ready for Autumn. The promise of Summer's intoxicating smell of Calippos and suncream (read: fake tan) is alluring as soon as the snow has turned a disgusting mixture of soot and wet, but the novelty wears off the moment people are politely reminded to keep their tops firmly on when going to the supermarket. In Britain, there's mass hysteria when people realise our week-long rays of sun are on the way, and it results in disposable BBQ sales rocketing and a lot of neon clothing. If there's a heatwave, not only is it front page news, but it becomes the public's excuse for dressing like they've come straight from V festival, only with curly blows and less mud. Now it's time to put that bum cleavage away, because it's leather weather.

I'm not entirely sure whether my above selections have been swayed by pre-destined trends decided by magazine editors over a good cuppa about three years ago, but all I know is that as the weather turns colder this year I'm looking to jewel tones, stacks of jewellery, and tortoiseshell accents. You'd think (I did, at least) that after finally taking the plunge and investing in a leather jacket I would be content with that, however I've just discovered BLK DNM's Karen Elson-fronted campaign and wouldn't mind adding the one I picked out to my collection. Other wardrobe staples include chelsea boots (I still miss my favourite pair) and a breton tee, but I'm trying to add more texture in the form of leather and lace to add interest to the muted palette which comes hand in hand with the colder months. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect winter coat too, so here's hoping I find that one pretty soon as it's set to get chilly as October rears its head. And, you know, any excuse for a hot chocolate is a good thing in my books.

Post written in collaboration with Avenue 32. All wishes for these to be in my wardrobe my own.
8 Comments

I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain.

Rainy ootd duck umbrella rain ready outfit laura ashley necklace laura ashley trenchcoat polka dot umbrella laura ashley trench rainy outfit vintage bally chelsea boots rainy ootd
Trench coat: c/o Laura Ashley. Blouse: £4.50, Jack Wills, via charity shop. Pencil skirt: £1.50, Jigsaw, via charity shop (I know, I need to sew the hem up!). Chelsea boots: £8, Bally, via charity shop. Umbrella: mum's (similar here). Necklace: c/o Laura Ashley. Rings: Topshop and vintage. Nail varnish: rainy day, Topshop.

This blog is slowly but surely turning into a series of weather observations, but when you're British that's hardly surprising - it's a bit soggy, isn't it? Although I can never be bothered to carry an umbrella round as they're so encumbering when wet, sometimes I'll have to admit defeat, particularly when I came across my mum's old Mary Poppins style duck umbrella. Underneath its boughs (or, um, metal rods) I wore a classic trench coat, which Laura Ashley asked me to style up, along with four other bloggers. It's hardly difficult to decide what to wear with something as classic as a trench, particularly as the camel goes with pretty much everything. I chose a completely charity shop ensemble (coming to a grand total of £14!), keeping the palette muted to show off the piece I entitled my "raindrop" necklace. I mean, if you're going to go with a theme, you might as well go 100%.

I also had a chat with the Laura Ashley girls about the new furniture collections a while back, so feel sure to click through and listen to me rambling about chandeliers!
15 Comments

Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks.

Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Wearing my sky blue Lacoste and your knee socks
Leather jacket: The Kooples. Denim smock dress: £36, ASOS. Customised leather half-pint bag: c/o Brit-Stitch. Contrast knee socks: £5.40, ASOS. Anna boots: £76.50, Topshop. Necklace: won in Dina's giveaway, Toujours Toi. Lipstick: Topshop Really Ruby.

Never one to pass up an Arctic Monkeys reference, the knee socks have been back with a vengeance over the past couple of weeks. Paired with my trusty leather jacket, I felt rather toasty as I headed along the Jubilee line on my way to Wimbledon to meet Camilla and Jazmine for dinner at Aubaine. However much I love Wimbledon, it's not an area I very often explore, and the last time I visited was for Jazmine's birthday. This time she knew I was coming, however, and when Camilla arrived she showed us around the village, and led us straight to the charity shops! Is there really a better combination than good company, food, and some of your favourite ladies?

Smock dresses are a relatively new thing for me as I tend to belt everything, or at least have something that's vaguely flattering, but sometimes it's nice to wear something which you can just throw on and not worry about how much you've eaten for tea (or the McFlurries I picked up on the way to my friend's later that evening). I've been living in this little asos number recently namely because my wardrobe is currently behind a box that requires a lot of effort to move, but also as I've seen both Lisette and Lizzie pull it off admirably. Despite having made it my bag of choice recently (read: there's too much stuff in it to transfer the contents daily) my brit-stich half-pint bag has only just made it into some outfit photos. When asked if I wanted to trial their new 'Make-Your-Own' feature, I toyed with the idea of pastels for about two minutes before reverting to my failsafe navy and white combination - just imagine it with a striped tee! I've also noticed that Brit-Stitch are running a competition on their facebook page to win your own customised bag, so good luck if you enter!
19 Comments

Hello, I'm Rebecca: social media exec, new-ish coffee drinker and loafer-wearer.
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