The off the shoulder top was made famous by my gal BB and is one of the biggest trends this summer. It's one of the easiest pieces to style up or down and its perfect for transitional weather. I've made a wishlist of my favourite bardot tops from four high street stores. I personally love the tie up bardot top from Topshop and the blue jumpsuit from Miss Selfridge, let me know your favourite in the comments below :)
You must think I'm crazy talking about jumpers in July but these band jumpers from Hades are just too damn cute to wait until Autumn to show you! I discovered this brand when I seen a picture of Carrie from WishWishWish wearing the pink Smiths jumper. Hades is a British knitwear brand that was established in 2015 and uses Scottish lambs wool. Their current winter collection is called 'Some Girls are Bigger Than Others' and is based on the celebration of cult status bands and musicians. The collection reminds me of Bella Freud's famous 1970 Jumper. They are priced at £160 so they are cheaper than Bella Fraud but still a little upmarket. The collection is available to shop on the Hades website or at Liberty London. Liberty London have an exclusive version of each jumper from the collection. The inner fangirl in me wants to buy them all ...
a photo diary of things I got up to in June (insert beach related emojis here)
last week I visited Chris and we went to Barry Island in South Wales, we were lucky enough to go on the sunniest day of the week :) a lot of the fair wasn't open so we took a walk along the beach and got some chips, you know typical seaside things
Barry Island Beach
We also played some mini golf, it was so much fun even if I did lose :(
as you can see it was pirate themed hehe
we also went to a cocktail bar in Cardiff that day called Lab 22, they had a prohibition themed night with twenties style cocktails and a live jazz band, unfortunately we couldn't stay for the band but we are definitely going to go again this month
this was literally this nicest cocktail I've ever had
it was super hot at the start of the month so I did a little sunbathing which was perfect after finishing my exams :) I also got a temporary job as a waitress in a diner so I was working for a lot of June
I also went to another beach! one closer to home this time though
one of the reasons I love summer is because I love summer music, my favourite bands to listen to in summer are The Stone Roses, Melody's Echo Chamber, Peace and Alvvays
Brighton born Black Honey have been creating a lot of noise in the British indie scene since their gig at The Great Escape in 2015. A year later their homecoming gig was met with a loyal local following and national press interest. DIY magazine describes the bands confident return to the Brighton stage as an unstoppable performance. The band have gained notoriety for their volatile stage presence and eccentric Americana. They are often seen hauling plastic flamingos onstage and staging Tarantino-esque photographs with rising photographer Charlotte Patmore. The mid-Western image extends to their single 'Spinning Wheel' which opens with a verse reminiscent to Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang before launching into a reeling Spaghetti Western riff. Front woman Izzy Baxter's love of Americana has caused her to be compared to the likes of Blondie and Lana Del Ray. However, in an NME article the band assert that they are "quintessentially British" and have recently announced a UK tour this Autumn to promote their latest EP Headspin. Black Honey's recent tour with Catfish and the Bottlemen and rumors of a possible record deal makes them one to watch this summer.
Black Honey - All My Pride at The Great Escape 2016
The Big Moon
London band The Big Moon have the potential to be one of the biggest break through acts this summer. Since the release of the 2015 single 'Eureka Moment', they have been steadily touring the UK indie circuit, supporting The Maccabees and The Vaccines on a couple of dates. The release of The Road EP earlier this year reveals the band's potential for mass indie appeal. The debut EP sounds as fully fledged as any established band with pop pleasers like 'Sucker' and 'Nothing Without You'. Front woman Jules Jackson's nack for writing catchy singles is equally matched by her impressive vocals, brilliantly showcased on the EP's self-titled track 'The Road'. Despite only being new to the gigging scene, their stage presence is wrought with a playful confidence that is translated though guitar shredding duels and onstage banter. Their latest single 'Cupid' is another banging hit that according to an interview with DIY is about a failed romance involving a boy who dresses up as an angel. The Big Moon will play a host of summer festival dates including Latitude, Kendall Calling, End of the Road and Glastonbury.
Dream Wife are a Brighton based band that are heavily influenced by nineties girl groups and London's growing art scene. The trio - Rakel, Alice and Bella - formed the band a year ago as part of an art project for a gallery exhibition. The project involved creating a fake girl band that played with concepts of femininity in pop culture. The exhibition created such a stir that Dream Wife booked a number of gigs around the UK and became signed to Enfer Records. The members' background in art and love of pop culture continues to shape the band's image and sound. The influence of nineties grrrl goddesses Bikini Kill is clear in the single 'Hey Heartbreaker' which opens with a taunting hey hey hey before releasing a riot of guttural cries and scything guitars. Dream Wife also cite The Spice Girls, Grimes and Debbie Harry as influences in an article with The Guardian which describes them as an "Icelandic Brightonian three-piece with the attitude of New York punks and pizazz of disco queens". Dream Wife harness the energy of nineties girl power for their theatrical live performances. The band's glam pop image is conceptualized in their videos with the help of London creatives such as Maisie Cousins, Sam Boullier, Eleanor Hardwick andAidan Zamiri. Dream Wife's self-titled EP is now available to stream or purchase. Dream Wife will support Black Honey on their UK tour this Autumn so you catch two great bands for the price of one, tickets are on sale now
