From L-R: Alicia, Julia, Martha, Dan, Melissa, Ollie, Bea, Pippa
BUSTIN A MOVE, OR MAYBE TWO
THE RISE OF THE TARTAN!!! Oh how I have missed you! Yeah...yeah... I know it's technically 'still' summer and whilst we squander at the ever-disappearing range of summer clothes, slipping from the rails; the shop floors are being smothered with AW14 lines, and oh my, I can't help but get over excited whenever I spot a bloody good piece of Tartan. This time around though, good old Charlie Robson picked out this winner...you fashionista YOU! Topshop's Tartan Skort. Looks a lot like a kilted mini skirt from the front, but is most definitely shorts when looking from the back. A green, woven tartan made with deep, indulging forest greens, the creme de la creme of warm winter colours.
The skort? This little skirt/short combo is too comfy, however due to being such a BAD A$$ BITCH my ass doesn't want to fit into a size 8...honestly though I love it when that happens. Bain of my life...LITERALLY. Anyways, although the size 10 comes up larger around the waist, I still opted for these and obv matched them with one of my staple pieces this season - the cropped turtle neck tank. TOPSHOP you do aim to please don't you! For a mere £10 you can get them in an array of colours, of which I now own 5 and well, they go with everything! £50 well spent in my eyes unless your my dad and the question "where does all your money go Bea?" springs to mind........
Whilst I've had my fair share of raving this summer with Ibiza still not getting ticked off my list (boo you whore), it feels like this is the end of my festival frolicking this summer. Last time I checked...summer went sour; I mean the frizzy hair paired with the unpredictable weather is becoming far more than just a nuisance. The 'WHAT DO I WEAR TODAY' fiasco is becoming a serious issue. It is too humid to wear a puffa jacket but it's pouring with rain; so you either NEED some form of hood/hat/umbrella or anything to cover your damn hair! Not even good old John Freida can help me here.....which is why I decided to go eau naturale for SW4 (and no that doesn't mean I went naked..)! Embracing my natural curls has been serving me extremely well recently and I am growing to love it more and more! It is SO funny how: as you get older you realise that 'things' you wouldn't do or wear are now becoming far more appealing and so totally acceptable!
Saturday's look was...well this time I am going to go from the bottom up. I literally can't get enough of these frilly socks! They just accentuate every outfit. My green frilly socks were yet another one of Bea's BARGAIN BUYS! I stumbled across these bad boys in the queue for paying, in which I discovered they were only £2 a pair...OBVIOUSLY I bought about 6. This particular style is a fold over design, like what you wore in prep-school. The socks pair perfectly with my biker boots by folding them over my boots. As for the skater skirt...you have all seen this before, my bargain buy from back in December last year! I whipped it straight off the sale rail for a mere £6...winning!
The cropped turtle-neck tank...STAPLE ITEM THIS SEASON. I am now the beholder of this top in white, black, burgundy and dark green and I bloody love it! Turtle necks are so cute paired over/under and with pretty much anything. I tend to wear them under dresses and paired with skirts...mainly because I tend to NEVER wear trousers see here.
If you're as edgy as a circle, try these circle frames....these shades are quite punchy and can alter an outfits image entirely.
There are just two more music festivals booked into the diary for this year:-
- The Zoo Project (YES that means dressing up as animals RAWR)
- Ceremony Festival (comes from the creators of FOUND Festival situated in Finsbury Park)
Festival season is well and truly off to a swing with many of the most popular festivals such as Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Tomorrowland, ULTRA, Coachella and EDC Las Vegas already seeming like a distant memory for some. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit any of the American festivals this year (which I intend to next year... I will be 21 by then OH YARR). As a keen festival-goer, I have had my fair share this year, with Kingsday in Amsterdam being a sublime kick off to my summer madness!
Festival fashion is definitely something I am very conscious of! Music is very influencial to present day fashions and styles, as we see a lot of 90s and 80s trends resurface, especially around festival season (summer), with house music currently influencing upcoming and present fashion trends. This season we can see the rise of the 'Rave Pattern' due to the ever-expanding house music genre. Therefore my outfit for EDC differs to the Boho Chic look I may adorn for a festival such as Glastonbury, which you automatically associate with folk fashions and a more Bohemian look.
EDC is one of my favourite festivals, not only do they rake in some of the world's biggest DJs but there is a carnival full of rides, candy floss, giant flowers and what not (...absolute child right here). The production is the best I've seen with the most eclectic show of lasers, lights and fireworks! This year's venue boasted the world's biggest 360° LED show with a line up to match; including Avicii, Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki, Route 94, Laidback Luke, Steve Angello and many many more..
The festival was hosted in Milton Keynes at the Milton Keynes Bowl. For all you Londoners that think it is an absolute trek (which it is), it aint all that bad y'all, as for £30 you can get a return coach from London Victoria straight to the venue which is easy as pie...nom nom nom. Even better so, you get to enter the festival through a side entrance meaning waaay smaller queues, and trust me, in that heat I WAS THANKFUL. Whilst there are still things that need improving, with EDC London not by any measures reaching the standards of the iconic EDC Las Vegas show, it was bloody fantastic and I had an absolute blast! If you are an Electric Dance Music fan I would highly recommend it and for those of you lucky enough to attend EDC Las Vegas this is what you're in for...
We were incredibly lucky with the weather this year (although my pictures don't give it justice) with temperatures soaring to 30°C and GOSH was it hot. Julia opted for a bikini top, bloody great idea, but OBVIOUSLY it didn't even cross my mind on one of the hottest days of the year so far.....................
I splashed out in Topshop a few days before, indulging in a vicar-necked crop top, a laced raincoat to shield me from the rain (which clearly didn't come in handy and still hasn't been worn...classic) and some khaki frilly socks. Oh how I love my frilly socks! A total bargain for £2 a pair...I bagged myself two pairs and whilst I was tempted to buy more I knew I was just being a total Knockoff Nigel (basically when you think you are saving money but just end up buying more than you need because it's cheap as chips). I whipped out the good old raving boots, comfier and more flattering than wellies, yet still durable enough to brave the mud. TOTAL LOVE.
P.S. Sorry Dolls! I took all the photos on my iPhone 5S an OBV they have all gone grainy :( There is no way I would ever take my DSLR to a festival so excuse the quality my darlings!
I picked up this bloomin marvelous backpack for a mere £9 in PRIMARK and my gosh has it served me well. Better so you can literally just shove it in the washing machine again and again! This is my Bargain Buy of the summer! TOTAL LOVE
I love to throw a peace sign when posing for a photograph which all my friends love to laugh at me for... known as the 'Bea Pose' modelled by my good friends Julia and Ollie....
I absolutely adore this flower crown from topshop! Different to my other Flower Crowns in the way that it slips on like a headband and ties underneath with pink ribbon. I wore it with hair 1/2 UP 1/2 DOWN. A great festival accessory - comfortable and affordable! £12 TOPSHOP
My friend AJ is one hell of an artist! Last year he painted our bodies for SW4 and it looked bloody amazing. You can imagine the bickering between 15 of us in one house we were all fighting against the clock and each other to get it done whilst getting ready. Whilst this is nothing to compare to last years work of art, we stumbled across a *PAINT ME* station where you could take as much neon paint as you wanted and cover yourself basically. There were no brushes or any other tools, so AJ had to improvise and trust me it was difficult... he did bloody well! Congrats my love!
Thanks EDC, you were great! Until next time.........
Avicii Headlined EDC UK and finished with his Number 1 hit "Wake Me Up" which was SO INSANE...the production was the best I have seen yet!!!
WHAT I WORE:
Daisy Denim High-Waisted Shorts - Missguided
Vicar-Neck Crop Top - Topshop
Khaki Frilly Socks - Topshop
Biker Boots (or as I like to call them my 'Raving Boots') - Topshop
Flower Crown - Topshop
Denim Wash Backpack - Primark £9 *MUST HAVE*
Comme des F***down Flatcap - Brian Lichtenberg (or copies found on ASOS and VICE)
I, myself am a complete day dreamer and most of my time is spent with my head somewhere up in the clouds. Today's look tells the fictional story of a young woman who is lost in the enchanted woods, completely engrossed by mythical creatures, but in reality she is just on the journey to chasing her dreams. This look illustrates pink as being the main colour focus, with the augmentation of navy blue in the form of a velvet peter pan collar and detailing on the shoes, it portrays Romanticism and feminism. My floral hairpiece (which you can order off Ebay, they're handmade and not too expensive - see here) is that must-have, go-to fashion accessory which is always a winner at festivals plus it's so cute!
The dress itself is designed by my newest discovery, Sister Jane; with their tag line being 'Fashion for Dreamers' you can see how and why I fell in love with the brand from the minute that I stumbled across it. In addition to this, the 'collar' in all its forms is reciprocated season by season. Sister Jane releases a new season every 6 weeks, making trans-seasonal dressing a hell of a lot easier! Sister Jane aims to keep up with all the latest trends whilst remaining whimsical and eccentric, Sister Jane currently has a concession on the LG floor of Topshop's Flagship Store in Oxford Circus, or try Portobello road where there is a newly opened Sister Jane boutique or alternatively check it out online here.
As for my shoes...well what a bargain! I came across these in the January sales and what a result, I bagged these metallic Mary-Jane's for £20 in the Topshop Sale. Mary-Jane's, or as my Stepmother likes to call them; Dolly-Rockers are a vintage style shoe, which seems to repeatedly come back into fashion due to its non-chalant style dating back to those of the 60s! Try these paired with Topshop's frilly socks for mixing up the look.
