iPhone Shots

The other day I spent the day snapping a few photos on my iPhone for this Instagram post, and it really got me inspired. I remember when blogging went through a stage of being so polished and editorial, and it seems to have taken a step back from that now. Aspects such as shooting on film brought a rawness back to things for me, but what is better than actually sharing your day/life through the one thing we are never without; out phones. It sort of brings in the element of a challenge too with thinking about what could make a good photo from your surroundings. I really love this post and these photos, I edited them a little in VSCO but love how instant it all feels (sort of like going back to the roots of Instagram). I think the more variation of photography on a blog the better; some digital with that blurred background we all once chased to intensely, the grain of a film that is now inescapable (weather via 35mm or an app), and the certain flatness of a iPhone photo. 

With all the photo editing apps at the moment you can do so much. My limited photo editing skills (working really hard on them) are trumped by the endless filters on VSCO. And while I will always slightly turn my nose up at those apps that replicate a film photo (can't help it, I know film is super expensive to work on but I love the fact you don't know what images you have straight away, for me that's all the magic of it) I do think it's amazing just how much you can do on a phone! Maybe that makes me sound a bit like an old lady but shooting this post really got me thinking about it all. 

Feeling Connected

Hey you guys and welcome to a new week! I am writing this on Sunday evening after having just watched the football, right before I start packing for my LA trip tomorrow. Yesterday (Sunday/today right now/this is confusing) I hosted an event with Vestiaire at Soho House which was amazing. We talked about sustainability in fashion which is something I think about more and more, but more importantly I got to meet a handful of you guys. I cannot tell you how motivating that is. I read every single comment I get on every single platform, and while I don't come close to managing to reply to them all, I find it so important to make sure I see every single one (and want you to know I don't miss any of them too) - but meeting you all face to face is just so different. I am so lucky to get so so many positive comments, so many thoughtful, motivating and supporting words from you all, which I am so grateful for. But when I meet you, and I know what the women who are commenting these things are actually like, it makes it mean so much more. Every person I have ever met who reads my blog who I get to chat properly is incredible - so kind, with so many different careers, endlessly complimentary and very stylish. I have to pinch myself that I have an audience like that, and being told that you guys find me inspiring or love my work means more to me than I can say. The past year has been incredibly up and down, and sometimes I have found it hard to create content or remind myself of why it's important, and getting to chat with you guys has spurred me on so much. So many of you said how important it is for you all to see the ups and downs too, even if I can't always share the details, but it's no surprise that watching someone live a supposed dream life without any turbulence wouldn't be enjoyable. I want to think of a way to meet you all more often, maybe without the backing of a brand and something I organise and fund myself as a little thank you. I am sort of thinking out loud here but leave this idea with me!! 

All in all I am kicking off this week feeling inspired and motivated. I am headed to LA tomorrow for 5 days with Linda and cannot wait. We haven't had a trip for just the two of us for a few months now and this is feeling long overdue. We are going to shoot so much content, shop (Reformation here we come) and generally laugh a lot and put the world the rights. I can't tell you how excited I am, and as always I am pinching myself that I get to travel the world with my best friend for work. All the LA content will kick off next week too, YAY. 

T-SHIRT: OLD | TROUSERS: TOPSHOP

PHOTOS BY TOM MITCHELL

Weekend Fun

Sharing some photos from last weekend which was one of the best weekends I have had in ages, and subsequently this is one of my favourite posts in a while. Saturday was one of those days where I was so content the whole time, which is the best feeling. I laughed so much, got to work on a cool project along the way, watched the football and some live music. We got to watch England win (sadly a streak that didn't last, but it was incredible while it did last), which we did at the pub while being drenched in beer at every goal. From there Katie and I went to British Summer Time festival to watch The Cure who were AMAZING!!! I mean so good. I have been listening to them non-stop since then because I cannot get enough. I was there with Samsung testing out their new phone which is what some of these photos are taken on (the camera on it is amazing), and also had my trusty Olympus Mju-II in tow to capture some film moments. There are so many photos here I want to frame because of how good the memories are here - little things like when you spend the day being just the right amount of drunk, with the best company in the best heatwave I can ever remember us having. I also bloody loved my outfit. It was roasting hot so it was all about loose fitting pieces. My Mango shorts that I have actually only managed to wear once, with this Free People shirt I got last September - it's so lightweight it's perfect for hot weather and will be coming to LA with me next week. I wore it open with my fave soft bra from Weekday underneath, lots of gold necklaces and these amazing sunnies from Elizabeth and James I got in the sale in Joseph on the same day (obsessed with them). All finished off with my slip on Vans which I am having a serious love affair with for the past week, and hair scraped off my face because people with fringes will know that a sweaty forehead and a fringe are not good friends. 

SHORTS: MANGO (sold out, similar here) | SHIRT: FREE PEOPLE (old) | SUNGLASSES: ELIZABETH AND JAMES | SHOES: VANS | NECKLACES: KKLUE, CHUPI AND MISSOMA

Slip

Here today to share two new dresses I was sent over the past few weeks that felt a little different to my usual style; the slip dress. Despite it being such a minimal and classic piece, which is normally right up my street, I have never really been the biggest fan. But thanks to my current bingeing of Sex and The City, Carrie Bradshaw is the blame for my change of heart. So we have two here, one I styled up in a casual day to day way, and the other something a little more evening appropriate. I have to say they are the perfect piece for this heatwave because they are easy to throw on and keep you feeling really cool, and while I am normally a fan of a shorter hem length there is something undeniably chic about a midi length. 

The first one I have was sent from Reve en Verte, a luxury ethical brand who are completely transparent about their supply chain (you can read about it here) - this gorgeous orange shade is sadly sold out for the next few weeks but it is available in other colours here. I think the thing that I always found hard about slip dresses is the way they are sort of in-between tight and oversized, and it's something I always found awkward on my body. However, I really feel differently about that now - I actually find it super flattering. They sort of manage to skim wherever you do have curves, while remaining a looser fit on all the right parts too. For this orange number I styled it with my (now very worn in) Superga trainers. The amazing colour of this piece and the shine of the silk makes it so stand out that any shoes would work really because they are going to go sort of unnoticed - hence me opting for the most comfortable option. 

DRESS: c/o REVE EN VERTE | SHOES: SUPERGA | SUNGLASSES: RAY BAN c/o BRAND ALLEY 

Secondly we have something a little more sexy from Bec & Bridge. I think these two dresses show how different something so similar can feel - the leg slit on this obviously makes a world of difference, and while I would wear this with some Vans for day to day, it really does lend itself to being styled for a more evening look. Please do ignore that huge bruise on my leg too that the slit frames so perfectly, I have a few around that height from a new skill I gained where I constantly walk into tables, it's a right laugh. Again, I find this super flattering - the slight drape on the neck works really well with bigger boobs, and I love the detail of those super skinny spaghetti straps. For reference the darkest photo here shows the colour the best, it really is a metallic silver shade, which again makes it fit more into an evening category for me. I went full 90s mode and styled it with some strappy heels I have from Tibi, I think any style of strappy sandal is the best option with a dress like this one. 

So all in all I think I am converted to slip dresses. I know both of these ones sit at a pricey end as they're both silk pieces, and I have to say I think it does bring a certain luxury into the item and makes it hang off the body in a really flattering way. Whether it be more of a special occasion piece or an everyday one throughout the Summer (they look amazing with cropped jackets thrown over too when things get a little cooler), I am hoping to get lots more wear out of these ones! 

DRESS: c/o BEC & BRIDGE | SHOES: TIBI c/o ZALANDO (sold out, similar here) 

PHOTOS BY TOM MITCHELL.