Kinky Knickers - Buy British!

I want a pair of Kinky Knickers! Made in Middleton near Manchester by formerly unemployed young people using gorgeous Nottinghamshire lace, these naughty lil' knickers are truly MADE IN BRITAIN!

Kinky Knickers are the latest brain child of flame-haired heroine of the British high street, Mary Portas (love!) and are the subject of her latest TV project 'Mary's Bottom Line', which concluded tonight on UK Channel 4 (you can watch it on 4oD) It follows Mary as she tries to re-invigorate the failing British textile industry by designing and making the one thing we all wear - knickers! 

These aren't just beautiful pants though, they're knickers with a social conscience! They're entirely designed and made in Britain. They use lovely British Nottinghamshire lace and are manufactured in a little factory in a small town 'up North' by a motley crew of apprentices that Mary found in the Dole queue. These knickers not only support British manufacturing, they give formerly unemployed people a job and with it a sense of pride and self-worth!

 If that wasn't reason enough to buy these beauties - they also happen to be gorgeously cheeky, retro and just the right amount of naughty...perfectly British! Want!

Alas, although I suppose its a good thing - Knicker Knickers are out of stock everywhere! I think they're worth waiting for though so I'll be front of the queue when they're back in stock! Get in line ladies (and gents - these would make naughty but nice presents ;)

For daily stock updates check out http://www.maryportas.com/news/2012/03/29/kinky-knickers-stock-update/ 

Retro Miss - Vintage Victory Rolls

About a year ago (partly inspired by Kate Middleton's goregously flowing locks) I decided it was time for a change in the hair department and began growing out my much loved pixie crop. Now, with shoulder-skimming tresses, my hair is at last long enough to do something with and so this is my first tentative attempt at a hair tutorial...

As I've mentioned before, I love all things retro and in particular the style and fashions of the 1940s and 50s - cheeky, flirty, pin-up, munitions-factory Americana! This retro up-do, complete with victory rolls and cute little french braid, is my attempt at all that!

This style works best when my hair has some curl in it - today I used a hot roller set but it works equally well with either depression rollers (rags) or sponge rollers (as below) I don't use any particular set, just make sure to roll under!

You'll need...

A hair brush, rat-tail comb, curby grips (bobby pins), hair spray and a hair accessory (optional)

Start by brushing through your curls and then use the rat-tail comb to section off a piece at the front of your hair (I leave my fringe or bangs loose) depending on the length of your hair you can afford to take most of the side section.

At this point I use a little hair spray on this section, just to tame any fly-aways and make the hair easier to work with. Wrap the ends of your hair around two finges and then roll in towards your head. This can be a little fiddly and take several attempts! My lovely friend Amy-Lea (who happens to be a budding vintage/pin-up model - http://www.modelmayhem.com/2454803) always has perfect Victory Rolls but if like me your technique is a work in progress check out the wonderful vintage guru Lisa Freemont Street...

Once you're happy with the shape and position of your Victory Roll, secure it with a couple of grips...

Now repeat on the other side - don't worry too much about making them perfectly symmetircal...you'll drive yourself to distraction believe me!

When you've got your Victory Rolls in place its time to get braiding! Take a small section from behind one ear (it doesn't matter which ear) divide it into three sections of equally size and start braiding around the back of your head, as close to the hairline as you can get. It sounds complicated but just use the basic French Braid technique - this tutorial is a great guide if you get stuck...

Once you're happy with your braid secure it behind the Victory Roll on the opposite side to where you began the braid - I use grips and lots of hair spray for this...

Then all that's left is to hide the end of your braid with a hair accessory - my preference is for flowers but a bow would be very cute too! And that's it! 50's Americana is a big trend this S/S 2012 so why not channel your inner pin-up with this retro up-do :)

Xx

Spring Denim Wish List

Happy second day of Spring! (I was supposed to post this yesterday but best laid plans...) Denim is massive this season and I'm in love with all the gorgeous pastel shades and acid washes so this seemed like the perfect time to blog about a few of the denim goodies that I'm lusting after!  

Denim Pinspot Tie Dye Body, Topshop, £25  

MOTO Coral Dip Dyed Hotpants, Topshop, £34

Ditsy Denim Bralet, Topshop, £28

Pink Marbled Denim Jacket, Topshop, £30

The above can all be found at

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556&catalogId=33057

Starting the weekend early...

Mid-week cocktails at Popolo's with the lovely uni ladies :)

Love to Lana Del Rey!

I have a confession...I have a lil girl crush on US songstress of the moment Lana Del Rey! I've had her album Born to Die  on repeat ever since I bought it last month and I love her sexy, retro Rosie the Riveter meets Brigitte Bardot aesthetic!

Unless you've been living under a stone for the last few months then you've probably heard of her...

...Her first single Video Games and the gorgeously nostalgic video that accompanies it went viral when it first appeared on the Internet last year and has been playing on British radio ever since! It was still hanging about in the charts when her second single Born to Die was released early this year and her debut album of the same name went straight to number 1 in the UK and number 2 in US. She won Best International Breakthrough at the Brits, where she channelled old Hollywood glamour in a stunning Vivienne Westwood dress... 

appeared on the cover of last months British Vogue....

and the new Mulberry Del Rey bag is inspire by her...

Despite all that, Miss Del Rey has had ALOT of bad press! The world and his dog jumped on the Lana-bashing bandwagon when it was revealed that she was in fact Lizzie Grant, the privately educated daughter of wealthy parents and that she had previously released an album (which sank without a trace) under her real name...shocking...I have no idea why everyone has been giving Lana such a hard time over this...lots of budding artists struggle to make it big first time around and actors, musicians and entertainers have been adopting stage names forever...Elton, Cliff, Gaga!

If you aren't a Lana devotee yet then I suggest saying no to the haters and giving Born to Die a listen or two...because, well basically its amazing! Lana describes herself as a gangster Nancy Sinatra and she kinda hit the nail on the head!

The album feels like old fashioned Americana without actually being old fashioned! The same themes (a red dress, a white bikini...a bad-man boyfriend) appear over and over again, which give the whole thing has this gorgeous sort of cinematic quality! There really isn't a track I don't love but if I had to choose a favourite it would be the clever, sexy Off to the Races...or maybe Lucky Ones...or Diet Mountain Dew...or Dark Paradise....  

L
Xx

New shoes, baking, art and general waffle

A VERY belated Happy New Year!

So I know I've been an unbelievably lazy blogger of late...actually since December! An evil dissertation proposal and the general hectic-ness of the festive season are my only excuse...I started 2012 with the best of blogging intentions...

I intended to post about Sherlock and the general amazingness of Benedict Cumberbatch (His name for a start!)

...the gorgeous new Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao Cologne (A Christmas present from my very generous Mama)


...the beautiful BBC adaptation of Sebastian Faulks Birdsong (loving Eddie Redmayne and Clemence Posey)

 my bargain January sales mini haul (courtesy of Urban Outfitters and Topshop) ...and Lorraine Pascal's yummy White Chocolate Fudge Cookies and Nigella's scrumptious Carrot and Walnut Cupcakes (just some of the goodies I've been baking!) I'm afraid they were demolished before photographic evidence could be taken! 

Alas...somehow I never quite got around to any of that! But today I'm getting back on the blogging-bandwagon...

Introducing my latest ASOS purchase...gorgeously Spring-like lilac Hi-Tops...I must admit to feeling slightly Fresh Prince when I wear them, but who doesn't love that show anyway! Continuing my Spring wardrobe update, I spent last Sunday hacking up some old Tees...

A few weeks ago I went to a preview party at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art where they're currently staging two shows featuring the work of American artist Andrea Zittel and British artist Elizabeth Price.

Andrea Zittel's Lay of My Land is an exhibition of two half's. The main space focuses on Zittel's work at A-Z West in the Californian desert and the Utopian structures she calls 'Wagon Stations', which explore what humans need for survival in different ways...I'm going to admit that this is the kind of contemporary art that I don't get...however the other part of Zittel's exhibition is more up my artistic-street...

...these crocheted works, which include garments, pictures and streamer-like strands which loop across the room are beautifully and intricately constructed and speak of the baron desert environment in which they were produced!

 Here showcases Elizabeth Price's immersive video installations which use digital moving images, text and music. Again, I have to admit that I really have no clue what these works are about...User Group Disco could be about how we categorise objects and how everyday objects impact our lives...at least I thought so until Ah-Ha's Take On Me started playing and then I was lost again...Choir seems to be about the architectural features of a Church Choir, which I get...how that relates to an fire in a Manchester Woolworth's in the 1950s I don't know but it sort of doesn't matter! These works, shown in a pitch-black room with the volume turned up to the max, are totally immersive, surreal and disorientating...which I suspect is the point!

Lay of My Land runs until 20th May and Here until 27th May 2012 at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

And finally...cos I've waffled on enough...I went to see The Woman in Black last week...if, like me, you're sick of horrifically gorey horror movies and fancy less blood and guts and more truly terrifying scares then this is the movie for you...just don't go alone!

L
Xx