Panic On The Streets Of London

My blog tends to be about fashion or music, but this is a topic which I simply could not leave alone. I feel so many emotions as I write: Fear, as I wonder what will happen next, and where it will happen. Frustration, that people have been banished into their homes, and have been forced to run their lives around this scum. And finally, my most powerful emotion, anger. I just can't believe the images I see before my eyes. How can fellow Londoners do this to their city and the people who keep the city running? I bet there's been many a time these rioters have had to pop to the local convenience store to buy something, when nowhere else is open? And this is the thanks these poor shopkeepers get. Completely trashed, burnt out shells are all that remain of many of these shops in the areas affected. These shopkeepers often work between 50 and 80 hours a week to keep these shops running, and have worked for decades to build them up. And now they're left with nothing.

 These hooligans claim to be fighting for a cause, apparently they are fighting against the police for 'the rights of black and asian people', which is quite frankly a load of rubbish, as many of the people whose businesses and homes have been affected are infact black or asian. But they're not making any kind of stand. The real reason they are taking part in these riots is purely to create havoc. To ruin people's lively-hoods and to loot as much as they can possibly get their grubby little hands on.

 In all the time I've lived in London I've never felt afraid to go out and go about my business. That's what Londoners love about their city; the freedom. To go anywhere, do anything and at any time. At the moment this has all been taken away from us. This is what infuriates me so much. We're all running our lives around them, and it seems nothing is controlling the rioters.

 Personally I think action needs to be tougher. The police need to be given more authority to give the rioters the punishment they deserve. The turkish men protecting their homes and businesses in Dalston have the right idea. Sometimes that kind of action is what is needed to deter these idiots. The army should also be involved. The world has gone mad about human rights. Well, I'm sorry but these little shits don't deserve ANY rights. They are better off dead. They are doing nothing for our country. Just layabouts. I just don't know when this will all end? Now it's spreading up England, and apparently the riots have now reached Glasgow too. It feels like we're in an apocalyptic movie. Everywhere closed. I guess the best thing to do, as Simon Pegg's character says in Shaun of the Dead, is to 'Go to The Winchester, have a pint, and wait for all this to blow over'.

Keep safe, Kez xxx

Nailing It.

Just thought I'd do a quick blog post! My mate Charlotte from Absolutely Nailed knows about my love of fruit patterns, so the other night she painted my nails for me. I think they look brilliant! They feature strawberries, cherries and grapes. 

Sorry it's quite a blurry photo but my camera was running out of battery. She's got me so into this nail art malarky that I've gone and bought some nail pens from ebay myself! Make sure you check out Charlotte's blog.

Kez xxx

Ready To Start

Hello all! Me again!

 I write to you about a week and a half (yes, I took my time, but I work 5 days a week I'll have you know!) after what I can only describe as one of the best gigs I've ever been to. The atmosphere was electric. They've been my favourite well known band for about four or five years now, and I've always wanted to see them live. They are the one and only ARCADE FIRE.

They were supported by The Vaccines, Beirut and Mumford & Sons. All of which were incredible. The day had a festival vibe about it, and apart from one sharp shower (which convinced me to buy an Arcade Fire t-shirt) it was a gorgeous summer day. Here's a few videos of these artists.

And so all that was left to do after these three amazing bands had finished was stand (literally 2cm away from the person infront and behind, it was that packed) and wait for Arcade Fire. When they came on the crowd went mental! Their opening song was Ready To Start, perfect!

 And the setlist was just tune after tune -as you can see below.

Setlist

1. Ready to Start  
2. Wake Up  
3. No Cars Go  
4. Haïti  
5. Intervention  
6. Rococo 
7. Speaking in Tongues  
8. Crown of Love  
9. The Suburbs 
10. The Suburbs (Continued) 
11. Month of May 
12. Rebellion (Lies) 
13. Neighborhood #2 (Laika) 
14. We Used to Wait 
15. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) 
16. Encore:
16. Keep the Car Running
    

    Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
17. Sprawl II

A few more lovely AF videos!!

Encore:

So there you have it!!! SOOO good, if you ever get a chance to see them, do make sure you go. You won't be disappointed.

Kez xxx

Getting Fruity

Hello! As I work in a vintage shop, I am lucky enough to get the first pick of the vintage goodies we get in our delivery. I won't lie to you, I have a bit of an addiction to patterns, in particular patterns involving clocks, and also FRUIT. I love fruit. So imagine my pure childlike excitement when this came into our 107 Brick Lane shop!!!

The dress is just too gorgeous for words! It is 100% pure silk and so floaty, I want to wear it all the time! It has a high neck and comes down to my ankles, and what's an added bonus is that it has pockets, something which I love in a dress.



I chose to team it up with my tan H&M wedges, and my Rokit tan woven belt. Other accessories I've used include my wide brimmed 70's style straw hat, my multicoloured earrings, and my lucky find 50's style cat eye sunglasses which were bought from a charity shop in Camden (I was buying a bag full of buttons and this pair of sunglasses randomly was inside).

I'm also thinking of getting some plastic grapes and making them into a head piece to go with this outfit. What do you think?

Kez xxx

Summer Street Style (I do love a bit of alliteration!)

Hello all! Here's my first installment of my street style blogs. Every so often, inbetween my blogs on other topics, I'm going to post some of the best dressed Londoners/tourists I've come across! I don't want to make my blog purely street style, I think that's a bit boring really, there's so many out there. So I'd rather have a nice mix. I've just chosen to include this as these styles give me inspiration for outfits I can create myself.

First up, this lovely lady. I saw her across the road from Rokit on Brick Lane and just had to get a photo of her gorgeous outfit! I love her choice of pastel shades and the floatiness of her beautiful sheer skirt. The victorian style blouse gives this outfit vintage kudos, and the flowers in her hair complete the feminine look.

The aim of these posts is also to demonstrate that it doesn't matter what age, size or budget you're working to, you can still look stylish. This lady was in her mid-late thirties, is blessed with a great figure and proves you can still be stylish as you mature. Although she is nowhere near old, it seems like a lot of women around that age feel they either have to tone down their fashion sense - be a bit conservative (boring!) - and seem to lose some of that creaivity in their wardrobe, or they go the complete opposite way. The way no woman should go, it's like a midlife crisis. When the words 'mutton dressed as lamb' spring to mind, you know it's not a good look. This lovely customer was gracious enough to let me get a quick pic. She wears a caramel coloured short sleeve blouse with a white polka dot midi skirt (you can't really see a pattern in the photo) and some amazing tan suede wedges. The handbag is a nice touch as it can be worn over the shoulder or just be hand held as in the photo. Altogether this neutral combination gets a big thumbs up from me.

This little darlin was so sweet! She was really polite and was really pleased that I liked her outfit. I thought I'd make the most of the nice weather whilst outside looking after our weekend market stall and looked for some fashion inspiration. I love the really wide collared 60's/70's floral shirt. Such a pretty pattern! Teamed with these charcoal city shorts it makes a perfect casual day outfit. I love the colour clash with the bright sunny yellow tones softening the harsh charcoal. Nicely done.

And finally, this lovely number. It's a really pretty bright floral 80's jumpsuit, simply teamed with a slouchy tan bag (and a juicy fruit smoothie!). It's quite minimal, but it's better that way. If she over-accessorised the outfit would look too cluttered. Perfect for a day in the sun!

So there you have it, street style on Brick Lane over the past few weeks. Look out for an upcoming blog on Arcade Fire, an over excited post all in the name of fashion, and hopefully if I get myself motivated some tutorials of some kind. All coming up so keep coming back, and don't forget to follow!!

Kez xxx

here comes the summer!!

Hello my lovelies! It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry I've been neglecting my blogging duties! But if you read my last post then you'll understand a lot of stuff has been going in my life right now, and to be honest it wasn't really that great. However, lets not dwell on the bad and instead focus on the good! You can't keep a good woman down. Plus, I'm lucky enough to live in one of the most amazing cities in the world, and have the greatest family and friends. Some of which I'm blessed are still here.

 So, on with the blog post. I was inspired for this post after my recent trip to The Southbank. At the moment it's all decked out (no pun intended) with a seaside theme; think sand, deckchairs and copious characterful beach huts. As you sit on the sandy 'beach' and listen to the 'waves' (yes it's just the Thames) you'd be excused for believing you really were at the beach. Except you might not want to go for a paddle. God knows what you could catch from doing that, it's worrying to think what lurks in those murky waters.

 Anyway, I'm rambling. The point is that it got me to thinking about beachwear and holidaywear. I personally love mixing vintage up with a modern or edgy twist, but I also love true vintage outfits. So in this post I'm going to share with you some of my most loved looks, with the key pieces I'll be wearing to the beach (in the summer as many of my days off as possible are going to be spent getting a cheap train to the coast!) and for my holiday (fingers crossed, Paris. If I can afford it!)

 First off, these bad boys! I'm beginning to build up quite a collection - as you can see - mainly because they're just so wearable.

 Pair with some simple simple cut off or turn up denim shorts buy here for an alternative to a bikini at the beach, or wear with this seasons trend, the midi/maxi skirt for a relaxed yet a little bit rock n' roll kind of look. They keep you cool when it's hot, and notice the low cut sides (I love a flirty flashing of a bit of bra. Slaaag). Mine are all from the Rokit Recycled range and you can get yours too by clicking here, or even better still if you live in the big smoke, pop in past Rokit Brick Lane and I'll be more than happy to show you our brilliant selection.

 For me, nothing screams out spring/summer like a bit of floral and lace. I love how it's so incredibly feminine, and these items never go out of fashion. Don't always believe those fashion magazines. They're always telling you it's a 'NEW' trend, but I guarantee that if you checked their S/S trends for the past few years these trends will have been in there. Besides, it's more fun to start your own trends.

 A varied wardrobe (much like a varied diet) is necessary to get the balance right. That's why I think it's a good idea to have dresses/skirts in various lengths. Have at least one mini, one midi, and one maxi. That way you can mix up your styles a bit more, and explore differnt eras. For my mini, I love my 60's orange one I bought in Torquay from a place called Camden Market funnily enough!

 My midi's; the blue one is an original 50's number, perfect in the sunshine, and the pink floral one I bought recently from my friend. It screams out picnics in the park!

 And finally my maxis. My lace one is from Beyond Retro, and the other is a 70's maxi from a really quiant shop in a place called Totnes.

 I'm also loving the fruity trend at the moment. I have these earrings which are just a small touch,

 but check out these beauties from H&M (click here too)They also have a tshirt with bananas which I saw instore. This a great trend to rock on your holiday, so summery!!

 Accessories are the key to making your look work, whatever your look may be. Yes, so it's hot and sticky, and you probably don't want even the thinnest of scarves round your neck. But you can still use that scarf in your getup, why not try tying it in your hair? This way it keeps you cool with your hair out of your face and off your neck, and gives your outfit instant vintage kudos. Whether it's a big 80's bow (very Madonna, see Desperately Seeking Susan!)...

 ...To a more 40's/50's pinup look, this does the job! It's also great for those of us who dye our hair, as it hides your roots when they're coming through. And lets face it, what with all those barbeques, holidays, festivals etc going on through the summer, you don't always have time to dye your hair!

 Here's a few other bits and pieces. Scarves, blouses, dresses, beads and birdcages, flowers and my gran's 50's handbag.

 And that my friends, is my little guide to my favourites for the season! Do comment, and make sure you click to follow the blog aswell, I'd love to hear about the trends you'll be rocking this holiday season!
Kez xxx

This Is A Low

I remember feeling so carefree; in my world there was nothing to worry about. That's what the adults were there for. I, on the otherhand , was wrapped in my own little cotton wool bubble. I was safe, protected, and most of all happy. As I skipped along the promenade at Llandudno, I could feel the gentle summer breeze . I was smiling and every inch of that smile was sincere. This was when I was seven or eight years old. I don't feel like this anymore.


 When I got up that morning the bitter hail stung the windowpane. I felt numb. It wasn't my life surely? Everything that had seemed so good as a child had turned sour. Friends and family tried to cheer me up, they were fabulous, and I don't know what I'd do without them all. But nothing changed the way I was feeling. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to cry. I wasn't sure if I had the energy to cry.


 I went out a few nights later with friends I hadn't seen for far too long. The alcohol only helped to numb how I felt. A Florence and the Machine song came on which my friend and I love, so we hit the dancefloor. At one point I just spun and spun and spun. And for those few seconds in which I was spinning I felt so free. Like I had felt when I ran down the promenade as a child. As soon as the song stopped, so did the carefree feeling. And so it's got me wondering. What can I do to get back the carefree feeling? At the moment I find it so hard to even smile. Sorry for being so depressing. Kez xxx