On Saturday night, Beyoncé became the first Black female headliner at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. In a performance that she called “very important for me” and that was politically charged, as has become her style, Beyoncé’s brazen tribute to Black history and Black culture has inspired mass reactions that reverberated across the internet. How could it not, after she declared Coachella forever changed: it is now Beychella.
In case you missed it, here are some highlights of how Bey made the stage at Coachella distinctly her own. She came to slay, and managed to light the whole desert on fire.
She paid tribute to the HBCU experience
Known for vibrant marching bands, show-stopping drumline performances, competitive choirs and Black Greek life, Beyoncé paid homage to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Since the debut of Black Panther, whose star is an alumnus of Howard University, America has a newfound interest in the legacy of HBCUs. From probates (aka pledges) stepping and strolling to being accompanied by a full marching band, Beyoncé’s entire stage show portrayed elements of HBCU culture. Her custom college letter sweatshirt that read BAK created so much interest fans hit the internet to investigate its meaning and where they could score one.
She sang the Black national anthem
Beyoncé broke into a beautiful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” a song crafted in 1905 by J. Rosamond Johnson using a poem written by his brother, James Weldon Johnson. Dubbed America’s “Black national anthem,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was embraced by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1921 as its official song and continues to be a hopeful reminder of how far African Americans have come.
She paid homage to iconic Black activists Fela Kuti, Nina Simone and Malcolm X
Woven throughout Beyoncé’s performance are strategically placed sound bites and musical references. You heard the voice of Malcolm X giving his reverent speech “Who Taught You To Hate Yourself,” about the need to respect and protect Black women, and the earnest vocals of Nina Simone singing about lost love in “Lilac Wine.” The soulful singer-songwriter was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night. The band also played a rousing rendition of Fela Kuti’s 1976 title track “Zombie.”
In Black culture, we are conditioned to have a reverence for our family and family traditions. Beyoncé was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and in Lemonade, we learned her mother has roots in Louisiana. Beyoncé returned to her Southern roots by infusing Texas trill, bounce music and New Orleans brass band sounds. In addition to a cameo by her husband, Jay Z, and reuniting onstage with her musical sisters Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé also performed special choreography with her sister Solange.
Beyoncé and Solange dancing to Get Me Bodied. I never knew how much I needed this until now. I love these legendary sisters. #BeyChellapic.twitter.com/qptNpH7iNj
In Beyoncé’s world, women are dancers, section leaders, instrumentalists, headliners, bosses, and moguls and all representations were reflected in last night’s performance. A sample of a reading by feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie underlined Beyoncé’s overall message of women’s empowerment. She reflected on her achievement: “Thank you Coachella, for allowing me to be the first Black woman to headline Coachella. Ain’t that about a bitch?” Though it was a moment to celebrate her win, her response emphasised how absurd it was for the world’s largest music festival to be reaching the milestone so late in the game.
Whether or not you are in the Beyhive, the knowledge dropped during the superstar’s Coachella concert and her spirited celebration of Black women and Black culture was a masterclass that everyone needs to see.
Call it the Peaky Blinders effect, or perhaps it was all Dior's doing, but the baker boy cap is back, replacing the beret as your bad-hair-day saviour and statement-making plus-one. Primarily the uniform of dock workers, newspaper boys, and farmers in the 1910s and '20s, the stiff-peaked hat has been worn by everyone from Jane Birkin to Jeremy Corbyn since, and has now made its way onto the heads of off-duty models and street stylers alike.
Baker boy caps were styled with aplomb by back-in-the-day babes; in 1968, Brigitte Bardot taught us how to style our vinyl trench coat with her head-to-toe-leather look, complete with hard-as-nails cap. A few years later, Barbra Streisand in What's Up, Doc? wore a puffed-up checked number with long blonde tresses and mini dresses, while Jane Birkin spruced up a slouchy knit and denim get-up with a relaxed hat and wicker basket (another SS18 accessories trend to get excited about).
Later on, the baker boy cap fell into embarrassing dad territory (see AC/DC's Brian Johnson), with the exception of Diane Kruger, who has been an advocate for the nonchalant piece since the '00s. When AW17 rolled around, however, designers proved their wearability. John Galliano and Prada offered oversized suede caps, while Miu Miu paired canary yellow jackets with their baker boy pieces. Then, in the same way she made the beret the headwear du jour that season, Maria Grazia Chiuri had us head over heels for the baker boy cap at AW18 this February. Girls came down the catwalk in checked blazers and oversized sunnies, slogan knitwear and tulle dresses, all capped off (sorry) with the hat, a surefire sign that the trend is here to stay.
It's street style-approved, too; just one scroll through Bella Hadid's off-duty looks and you'll find more than one baker boy cap, styled with athleisure, suiting, denim minis, you name it. Teddy Quinlivan paired hers with denim, black accessories and a simple tank top in an understated move, while Zuo An Xiao proved that a more formal look– a sheer blouse and flowing culottes – works just as well with the casual cap. As for us? We're looking to Lou Doillon, who regularly oozes Parisian cool by wearing hers with a Breton tee and blazer. Whether you team with a ballgown à la Dior, or your denim overalls, the baker boy cap is the surprisingly easy-to-wear accessory we didn't know we needed.
In today’s digital world, smartphones and social media have become an essential component of our love lives. Not only can they play a vital role in starting new relationships, they also enable current ones by allowing us to communicate 24/7 with our SO. While there are definitely benefits to this connected love, a recent study suggests devices are often a cause of strain and arguments between partners.
According to the latest Kaspersky Lab research, 82% of couples stay in touch with each other online when they’re apart, and of those, 62% agree that it helps them feel closer to their partner – especially when they don’t live together. Nevertheless the study states that devices, and the way we use them, lead to fights, with over half (55%) of respondents admitting that they’ve argued with their partner over spending too much time on a phone or computer.
Being ‘always on’ means we’re switching off from real intimacy
These results suggest that most of us don’t appreciate being neglected and want our partner’s attention. Integrative psychotherapist, couples counsellor and life coach Hilda Burke says it boils down to the device user not being fully present. “Digital device 'addiction' is a pretty common issue among the couples I see, with typically one complaining that the other constantly checks their phone while they're out or spending time together,” she tells Refinery29.
“Being ‘always on’ means we’re switching off from real intimacy with our loved ones. While digital devices can serve a purpose to keep in touch when we’re apart from those we love, when we’re actually with them they often serve as a distraction. The most flattering thing in the world is to have someone’s undivided attention, however, since most of us are constantly within earshot and arm’s reach of an array of bleeping and buzzing, it’s becoming an ever rarer commodity.”
“Me and my husband have argued over my use of my smartphone in social situations a number of times, for example at family get-togethers or functions,” Manisha, 30, tells Refinery29.
“Smartphones do interfere with relationships, we rely on them so much and perhaps are sometimes too engrossed with what's going on in the online world, rather than being in the present moment. Now, I don’t check my device when I am at family events with the in-laws. However, he is on his device all of the time, and I always remind him to take some time to switch off.”
My partner and I have had a fair few ‘heated discussions’ about his smartphone use
In a study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, individuals who were more dependent on their smartphones reported feeling less certain about their relationship, while those who felt their partners were too dependent on their smartphones felt less satisfied. The study showed that it’s common for people to feel jealous of their partner’s smartphone, as if it were the “other person” in the relationship.
The frustration of being phubbed (phone snubbed) can make us feel like we’re not worth our partner’s time, or that they’re not interested in us. “My partner and I have had a fair few ‘heated discussions’ about his smartphone use, in particular his obsession with playing games,” says Ruth, 29. “He plays this one game and because it requires so much concentration, apparently, he won’t look up from it or speak to me at all while he’s playing. His eyes are glued to the damn game. What makes me feel shitty is that the way he plays excludes me and makes me feel like I need to walk on bloody eggshells. God forbid I’d interrupt.”
Before you go blaming smartphones entirely, Burke reminds us that ultimately it’s down to our behaviour. "Whether technology's effect is good or bad depends on the user. It's important that we shouldn't be slaves to technology; it should help us. The Dalai Lama is right on point here – it's not technology, smartphones, digital anything that negatively impacts relationships, it’s how we use them."
If devices are getting in the way of your relationship, Burke suggests establishing boundaries over device use. “It’s healthy to have a discussion and some consensus about when and where (bed is a good place to start) both parties agree that devices should be switched off. The main thing is that both are in agreement over appropriate use.”
Matte lipsticks have reigned supreme for some time now. This is mainly thanks to a certain Jenner sister, who has made a fortune out of painting her full pout in every imaginable colour, from classic nudes to daring brights. But one of the most fun parts of beauty is the constant innovation and evolution, which sees us slathering on cool jelly cleansers, exfoliators without a grain in sight, and cotton sheet masks. The latest technology? Powder lipstick formulas.
Our first thoughts? The hassle: the mess, the lack of precision, the fallout. When By Terry's Lip Powder Essence landed on our desk, though, our doubts were removed. The powder comes in a narrow screw-top tube, and the applicator is thinner than a cotton bud. Designed to mimic a pen, it enables a neat and exact application, which works best when used as a liner to shape the lips first, then turned on its side to fill in the colour. The shades available are limited – there are just four – but gorgeous and highly pigmented. Pink Kiss is a bubblegum pink, Nude Flirt is a suedey pink, Chill Wine is a burgundy purple, and our favourite, Red Carpet, is a vibrant orangey red.
Photo: Courtesy of TERRY
So far, so good. The science behind the formula is pretty impressive, too. "The breakthrough powder-to-liquid technology has been created by coating water essence microbubbles with highly concentrated pigments," Olivia Sharpe, By Terry's digital coordinator explains. "The microbubbles then explode on contact with lips, miraculously transforming from powder to liquid."
You're best off layering the product to build pigment and resilience against food, drink and kissing; once on, it doesn't budge. In fact, it takes an oil cleanser to remove it – perfect for long work days and into-the-early-hours evenings. "It's the premium pigments within the formula which provide the high-impact colour, while the silica and water powders cling to the skin’s surface and lock the pigment in place, thereby delivering long-lasting and smudge-proof hold," Sharpe tells Refinery29.
Having tried many a lip product, though, we know that 'long-lasting' usually translates to 'drying'. While the silica adds hydration, the reapplication of the powder does make lips drier than usual, and there's nothing like feeling self-conscious about your lip colour to throw you off your work presentation. However, on second try, buffing lips with a toothbrush beforehand (to stop the colour clinging to dry bits) and a heavy dose of paw paw ointment, and it's a much smoother affair.
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
By Terry isn't the only brand to launch a coloured lip powder, although it's certainly heading up the trend. Chanel dropped its limited edition Poudre à Lèvres back in February, a compact palette containing a balm and Naples-inspired vivid red powder. The balm is non-greasy and proves the perfect base for the powder (we recommend using blotting papers to remove any excess product), which can be dabbed on with the provided brush or smudged on for a more worn-in effect. The powder can also be used on eyes and cheeks, too, for a rosy finish.
While powder lip products are certainly fun to apply, highly pigmented and thus statement-making, they are more dehydrating than regular lip formulas (although no more so than matte lipsticks). If you're after durability and pack-a-punch colour, they're well worth having fun with – and that's what beauty's all about, right?
When Pharrell Williams says someone’s worth paying attention to, people tend to listen. The N.E.R.D front man and all-round creative genius has a knack for spotting real talent, so when he tapped dancer Mette Towley to star in the video for his comeback record "Lemon" last year, it was bound to be the start of something special.
The video, which also marked Rihanna’s first proper step into rap, opens with a shot of the Bajan singer shaving off Mette’s curls. From then on, Mette captivates the viewer with some serious dance-like-nobody’s-watching moves. This is typical of Mette’s joie de vivre; in the words of Pharrell: "She walks around with a psychic force."
But who is this unprecedented psychic force, and where did she come from? Born and raised in Minnesota, 26-year old Mette (pronounced "meta") is on a mission to use her art as a form of protest. Protest against the status quo, against racism, against women’s bodies being seen as public property. Whether it’s her unflinching gaze or her super controlled, self-assured, can’t-touch-this dancing, Mette’s method is her message. She’s in charge.
This artistry runs through everything Mette does, and is born out of her unbridled passion for self-expression. Which is why the dancer was also tapped by G-Star RAW, the cult denim brand of which Pharrell is Head of Imagination, to be ambassador for its new range, G-Star Shape.
Jeans aren’t known for affording flexibility – especially not the kind of moves you see on Mette in "Lemon" – and yet the new G-Star Shape has introduced a whole new concept to the usual denim offering. These new jeans fit like a glove and feature pioneering pattern construction and extra-stretch denim, which allows them to move freely with the female form. Thought you could only get that from a pair of Lycra leggings? Think again. Then there's the curved, high-rise waist band which prevents gaping and gives a comfortable, 'second skin' fit. Just like Mette, we're sold.
Read on for four Mette Towley quotes (from her new G-Star Shape promo video) which give you an idea of why we’re so into this rising star and everything she stands for...
"I've seen such a wave of change. The grey space is being filled with people that look different."
As one of the biggest new names on this creative scene, it’s great to see Mette standing up for what she believes in. This change can be seen everywhere from the catwalks to the streets; finally the world has woken up to the idea that our differences should be celebrated.
"The spectrum is more vibrant than ever."
And may it continue to become more vibrant, as people of every shape, colour, size, gender and sex continue to express themselves in any way they see fit. We hear you Mette.
"There's no box for what beauty is anymore."
We’ve been championing this for a while, but it’s so exciting to see this message going mainstream. No longer will young girls have to grow up thinking there is only one type of beautiful, or thinking there is some sort of box you have to fit into.
"I feel most empowered as a woman when my strong silhouette isn't asked to compromise."
Ultimately, power and freedom come from being yourself, whether that’s in how you choose to dress for work or how you choose to dance in a club at 2am in the morning. Wherever you are, it’s about being true to yourself and dressing on your own terms.
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Warning: Some readers may find this essay distressing. Help numbers are at the bottom.
It was the early hours of the morning but the asphalt felt scorching hot under the bare soles of my feet. I was in a dissociative state of disbelief, tears streaming down my face and the smashed remnants of my phone in the palms of my trembling hands. My skin was red but the bruises were flowering underneath from where his fists had struck flesh from neck to hipbones, my arms sore from when he’d pinned me down on the hotel bed. I ran down the streets like my life depended on it; in a lot of ways, it did.
How did I get here?
It’s easy to forget the answer to that question. In the same way that, several years ago, sitting in the courtroom in the witness box, shielded by a flimsy paper screen, I momentarily escaped the confines of my chair and became a spectator on the pew alongside my father, my best friend, and his parents. My first-year university exams were around the corner, and my ex-boyfriend’s lawyer had just asked: "When was the first time he hit you?"
It had been picture-perfect. I was in my final year of boarding school and in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend, who had already graduated. My family lived overseas but my close friends had become like sisters.
But then there he was. Popular, athletic, good-looking in the sort of way that lingers because you know it spells trouble.
By the time he started to become physically abusive I thought that bringing his actions to light would brand me 'the girl who cried wolf'
For whatever reason, he took an interest in me. And, over time, I began to reciprocate those feelings. It was scandalous, as everything is at that age; things did not end well with my boyfriend back home but within a matter of weeks I had replaced something irreplaceable with a charming surrogate who had his own car.
I didn’t know it then but that choice would change the course of the future I had been so meticulously building.
At first, there was no cause for concern. Every evening we would sneak out to make out in the park. I’d spend the weekend at his parents' house out of town; I’d be there on the sidelines at sports matches, cheering him on. A standard school romance.
Okay, so he had mild anger issues. I ignored it for a while. He would speed down the streets like a maniac – but boys love to race. He would tell me he wanted me to be curvier – but he just wanted me to look my best. He would show me videos of him burning the corpses of animals he had shot – but that was just sport, right?
Eventually, things became harder to ignore. His steroid use, his cheating, his substance abuse problem, his constant degrading statements about women, his clenched fists. I stuck around for a number of reasons; the main one, I admit, being my sense of pride, which overrode reason. I was a victim of self-imposed Stockholm Syndrome. Gradually, our relationship became a toxic cycle, devoid of trust and full of bitterness. I felt trapped and he felt trapped but neither of us was willing to let go.
Which is when I became a ghost; the girl full of confidence and brimming with positivity was gone. I felt empty and overpoweringly alone. My quest to find out whether my boyfriend was cheating on me (he was) had isolated my friendships and granted me the title of 'drama queen'. By the time he started to become physically abusive I thought that bringing his actions to light would brand me 'the girl who cried wolf'. He was good at apologising the next day, even better at pretending it never happened, and triumphed at placing the blame on me. There was nothing left so I believed him. I believed myself to be the cause of his anger, I believed I deserved it.
Being a 'drama queen' led to my becoming a statistic. It put me among the 25% of women who experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Among the 1.2 million women in England and Wales who reported experiences of domestic abuse in the year to March 2016. As a 'drama queen' I do not forget – I refuse to forget – that two women are killed each week in this country by a current or former partner.
I saw him once more, long after we left that courtroom. Amid the crowds in a train station, I felt him before I could see him. The restraining order may have been intact, but the fear enveloped my body in the same way it did that fateful morning; all I wanted to do was run.
I saw him once more, long after we left that courtroom. Amid the crowds in a train station, I felt him before I could see him. Fear enveloped my body.
This is what happens when someone tries to break you. The scars fade but they leave invisible imprints on your perception of every stranger, every man who asks you to stay the night, every Uber driver who picks you up when the world is cloaked in black.
Over the years you master the illusion of strength. You join marches, protests, read books and become educated on the fight of the women who came before you, while looking proudly at the women who are leading the fight now. But the past haunts the present, and there is an underlying fear that maybe you don’t belong after all, that maybe because you willingly forfeited your autonomy many years ago to someone you believed held more power, you lack power of your own.
We often talk about the actions that annihilate our trust in others but simultaneously forget the lingering effects of the aftermath.
I have a hard time accepting that this happened to me. Like many women who have found themselves in similar situations, I have an even harder time accepting that I am not at fault for getting caught in the avalanche. Most of all, I have a hard time forgiving myself; but I am trying.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please contactRefuge's helplineon 0808 2000 247 or email helpline@refuge.org.uk
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The word "hipster" may be overused these days, but it's still a somewhat useful way of describing a certain type of person/thing/place, especially if it involves beards, tattoos, exposed brick and expensive coffee.
While New York's Williamsburg or east London's Shoreditch may be the first places that spring to mind upon hearing the word, neither place is actually as "hipster" as it might seem. At least, that's according to a new ranking of the "most hipster" cities in the world by MoveHub.
The Hipster City Index ranks 446 cities across 20 countries on five key "hipsterdom" indicators – the number of vegan eateries, coffee shops, record stores, tattoo studios and vintage boutiques per 100,000 people – and Brighton has come out on top for 2018, beating Portland and Salt Lake City in the US.
The popular east Sussex seaside town came in the top four cities in the world for three of the five indicators, with 37 vegan eateries, 125 coffee shops and nine record shops per 100,000 people.
Considering that Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's only MP in the UK, is one of Brighton's members of parliament (along with Labour's Lloyd Russell-Moyle), it's no wonder the city boasts a plethora of vegan restaurants and vintage boutiques to cater to its eco-conscious residents. It's also home to the zero-waste restaurant Silo, one of just a few of its kind in the UK.
Brighton and Hove has a population of around 289,200, a large proportion of whom are students (17,300, although it has an age segregation problem) and members of the LGBTQ+ community. It's known as the "unofficial gay capital of the UK", with 11-15% of its 16+ population identifying as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
David Farrell, 26, who lived in Brighton between 2015 and 2017, described the city's LGBTQ+ scene as thriving. "The sheer quality and range of options in LGBTQ+ nightlife in Brighton was particularly pronounced for me as I moved there straight from Moscow. Everybody should go to Club Revenge at least once – that place helped make me who I am today."
While Farrell said he had no doubt Brighton would score highly on the hipster ranking, he was surprised it took the top spot. "What about Shoreditch? Honestly, work permitting if I had a choice I’d definitely move back to Brighton at some point. It has a lovely vibe and as long as you don't take the pretentiousness too seriously, it's a great place to live. I loved pottering around the streets and seeing beautiful graffiti art, and the shops had some lovely unique pieces."
Georgia Murray, 25, who lived in Brighton for three years while she was a student at the University of Sussex from 2010, also said she was somewhat surprised by the city's place in the ranking. "Yes, the city has all the trappings a 'hipster' would be attracted to – a vegan food scene, fantastic gig venues and record shops, vintage clothes and furniture fairs every weekend. But at the same time, it's been celebrating these things for decades, way before the word 'hipster' was used to describe Shoreditch-dwelling bearded men with a penchant for ukuleles," she said.
"Brighton didn't feel hipster when I lived there, it felt extremely left-leaning, activist and hippy. You were more likely to see people playing with fire in the park than you were drinking craft ale, to be honest."
It was the perfect place to be a carefree student, she said, and she would regularly hang out at the beach, the South Downs countryside, the thousands of pubs and clubs, Iydea for vegetarian food, the North Laines for vintage shops, and go to gigs at the Green Door Store. But there were drawbacks: "It's a very white city, so while it has so much to do and see, it's not as diverse as its left-leaning politics would suggest."
Other than Brighton, no other UK cities made it into the "hipster" top 20, although some did make it into the top 50 – Manchester (27th), Edinburgh (32nd), Belfast (40th), Glasgow (42nd) and Bristol (46th). Big cities with populations over a million, like London, New York and Berlin, didn't make the cut because they'd need to have an abnormally large number of "hipster" hotspots.
The US is home to the most "hipster" places in the world, taking 16 of the top 20 spots, with Portland scoring highly for its vegan restaurants and world’s first vegan mini mall, and Salt Lake City for its tattoo parlours and annual international tattoo convention.
Meanwhile, Portugal's Lisbon was one of the only European cities to place in the top 10, owing to its high number of vintage boutiques and vegan food scene, and the Finnish capital, Helsinki, scored highly for its high density of vintage stores and coffee shops. The Helsinki Coffee Festival is one of the biggest in Scandinavia, attracting thousands of cool, bean-loving northern Europeans each year.
The 20 "most hipster" neighbourhoods in the world
1. Brighton and Hove, UK 2. Portland, USA 3. Salt Lake City, USA 4. Seattle, USA 5. Lisbon, Portugal 6. Fort Lauderdale, USA 7. Miami, USA 8. Orlando, USA 9. Helsinki, Finland 10. Spokane, USA 11. Tampa, USA 12. Eugene, USA 13. Minneapolis, USA 14. Atlanta, USA 15. San Francisco, USA 16. Rochester, USA 17. Bordeaux, USA 18. Pittsburgh, USA 19. Las Vegas, USA 20. Richmond, USA
The new IFC film Mary Shelley brings to life the story of the famed author. Shelley’s biography was just as tragic and as fantastical as the story for which she’s famed: Frankenstein. And although Shelley’s life would be marked by loss and heartbreak, she stands as feminist icon who fiercely fought for recognition for her work.
Shelley (portrayed in the film by Elle Fanning) was raised with an impressively liberal pedigree. Her father, noted philosopher William Goodwin, is considered the architect of modern anarchism. Her mother was none other than Mary Wollstonecraft, a pioneer of feminist thought at a time when women were considered, at best, property. She wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which was published in 1792, just shortly after the American Revolution. In the book, Wollstonecraft made the incredible insight that women are actually people, and are deserving of the same social rights of the time. She also argued that men and women should follow the same conventions regarding modesty and sex — a prototypical version of the double-standard idea. If women weren’t allowed to have premarital sex, why should men?
Sadly, Wollstonecraft died shortly after giving birth to Shelley. But her father raised her with his radical political ideas, and she was influenced by her mother’s writing. She eventually married a Percy Shelley, a political poet who left his wife to be with her. It was in this rich atmosphere that she decided to pursue a career as a writer, and she consorted with famed thinkers of the day, including Lord Byron.
Shelley wrote Frankenstein after, she claims, the idea of the story came to her in a dream. She was challenged by Lord Byron to produce a ghost story, who believed that women couldn’t produce a work of horror. History would prove Shelley to be the victor of the competition; Frankenstein is one of the most beloved horror books of all time, and has been adapted into several films and inspired a clothing line.
Still, despite the book’s popularity, Shelley still had to fight for recognition of her work. She endured publishers who believed that her husband actually wrote the story. While he provided some editing work on the book, Frankenstein is, as Fanning’s Shelley declares in the trailer, “It is my story.” Shelley would be forced to publish the book anonymously. Her name was later added in a second edition printing.
Later in life, Shelley’s success allowed to her to perform quiet charitable acts for other women. Shelley lived by the principles of her mother until her death at age 53. She blazed trails for women in literature, and proved that imagination doesn’t have a gender. At the time, this idea was revolutionary. Writers of all stripes benefit today by her contributions to the field — through her fighting spirit, she was able to make some progress for women. “My choices made me who I am,” says Fanning in the trailer, “and I regret nothing.”
Whether you're the one getting married or you're celebrating two other people who are committing to each other, wedding season typically involves a lot of planning. There's the dress (or bridesmaid dress), the registry (or gift-shopping), the sickeningly cute Instagram wedding hashtag (#WeSaidIDo), and, for some people, a weight-loss plan — or, at least, the pressure to start a weight-loss plan.
In fact, a 2008 study from Cornell University found that most engaged women (70% of the study's participants) envisioned an ideal "wedding weight" that was, on average, 23 pounds lighter than their current weight.
Kelley Kitley, LCSW, says that the idea of "sweating for the wedding " has become so ubiquitous because, unsurprisingly, people want to look as perfect as possible on the big day, and plenty of people equate weight loss with looking good.
While this trend isn't exactly new, millennials might feel more pressure than other generations. A study published in Psychological Bulletin earlier this year suggested that millennials are more likely to be perfectionists, thanks in part to social media. Now, more than ever, it's easier to compare ourselves to each other, and often not in the healthiest ways. It makes sense: Many of us can relate to seeing someone's sun-soaked beach wedding on Instagram and wanting to recreate it (or do it better).
Katharine Phillips, MD, a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, says that some people, even if they don't necessarily want to change their bodies, might feel like they should.
"Some people overly buy into the idea that they're supposed to look a certain way, when in reality there is an infinite array of body types and sizes," Dr. Phillips says. "The constant pressure of media messages can fuel a type of thinking error called 'should statements,' meaning that we think we 'should' look a certain way or be a certain weight, even when it's not realistic or right for us."
It doesn't help that weddings often involve so many photos that you'll frame in your home or share with your family and friends for years to come. Plus, being captured on camera can open a Pandora's box of insecurities that are only heightened if you already suffer from body image issues like eating disorders or body dysmorphia. And, just like we may have noticed wedding photos that found their way onto our Instagram feeds, we might be worried that others will judge our photos harshly.
Some people overly buy into the idea that they're supposed to look a certain way.
"[People] believe the photos to be representative of a blissful or 'happiest time' of their life and might believe they need to look their absolute best," Kitley says. "Plus, I’ve heard people say, 'These are going to be pictures you will look at for the rest of my life, so I want to look my best.'"
But, losing weight isn't a prerequisite to a wedding, and losing weight is definitely not a requirement in order for you to look good. It's far more important to be healthy, and to enjoy yourself, no matter your weight.
"There is so much more to be grateful for and excited about for your wedding — the partner you chose to spend your life with, the friends and family who are coming to support you, the honeymoon you might be taking," Kitley says.
If you find yourself feeling pressure to lose weight before a wedding, Dr. Phillips suggests reminding yourself that people are there to celebrate two people that they care about, not what you might look like.
"Tell yourself that you don't need to look perfect (no one does) and that the focus of the wedding will not be on you and your weight. Refocus your attention on connecting with friends and new acquaintances and enjoying the celebration," Dr. Phillips says.
Coachella will never not be the place to try the daring trends that give you pause in your real life — and this year was no exception. Walking the fields every day, we saw no fewer than 10 pairs of ass-less chaps, Beyoncé's makeup artist told us he loves the boldness of the glitter highlighter look worn all over the grounds, and every time we turned around there was another modern take on rainbow hair. It's safe to say that the urge to experiment is in the water here.
From pastel washes (thank Lucy Hale) to technicolor wigs, there were countless ways to sport colourful hair on display this first weekend. It was clear that some planned their looks far in advance — standouts included bright pops woven into box braids and light pink and purple allover colour — but the most popular look was a misting of spray color... and we know why.
Sephora, for the second year in a row, set up a free beauty tent that attracted attendees with its makeup bars and blasting AC. Numerous girls walked out of the tent with a whisper of colour in their hair throughout the weekend, which makes sense, because Hush, a brand that makes dope colour sprays that feel soft, not chalky, was set up inside. The brand's Prism Airbrush Spray comes in seven colours, like purple, pink, and blue, and gives any texture a subtle hit of colour, which meant that even those who didn't think ahead could get in on the colourful action.
Click ahead for a look at some of our favourite colourful hairstyles spotted over the weekend.
Not to self: Buy that shake-n-go wig you've always wanted, because you will have a reason to wear it next year.
Colour-spiked box braids were wildly popular again this year — and even better when done in spring-y shades of pink, green, and purple.
Spray, like the Hush formula, makes getting subtle colour at the last minute easy.
Most attendees opted for pink tips from the Sephora tent, but we love this take on pink roots, too.
This dreamy shade makes us yearn for a tropical vacation — or is it the desert dust? Either way...
This rooted look is giving us modern vibes.
We spotted this festival goer from across the installations and, quite literally, sprinted to see her hair. Tip: Pick two colours that are also present in your outfit for a coordinated look.
We fell for this girl's pink wash of colour from a few meters away — and it's just as good close up. You'll need a bleach job first (unless you're a natural blonde), but once you're light, the colours are endless.
Another example of how matching your 'do and outfit can take the whole look to the next level.
We also recommend matching your hair and sunnies, like this woman did on Sunday.
Once you get over the megawatt glow, your eyes can fully take in the dreamy pink hair.
Another great example of what a spray can do: add just enough colour to make you do a second take.
Washes of pale pink were huge this year...
With or without a root, the look was trending like crazy.
Go bold with a hot pink shade of spray. Hush's on-site brand rep said that the pigment washes out of brown and black hair immediately, but it might take two to three washes to remove bold colours from naturally-blond or bleached hair. (Say it with us now: "Oh this faint hue? Just my Coachella vibes fading through the week.")
Travel and accommodations were provided by Sephora for the purpose of writing this story.
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Making environmentally conscious shopping decisions in today's retail landscape isn't as easy as it should be. With Earth Day, April 22, right around the corner, we're paying a daily homage to notable up-and-coming labels that are rooting their ethos and manufacturing processes in creating sustainable products.
Say it with us: environmentally responsible, pretty, and size inclusive. It's real. Lara Intimates, a sustainable underwear brand based in London, is trying to bridge the gap between ethical craftsmanship and cute, comfortable products within the lingerie industry.
Trendy underwear on the outside, reclaimed, luxury surplus fabrics on the inside, the two-year-old label is not your run of the mill cotton-based "sustainable" company. London College of Fashion alums (and friends) Faith Leeves and Cindy Liberman launched Lara Intimates in 2016 after spotting a notable lack of sustainable craftsmanship within the industry. Liberman says: "So much design, sampling, and production (for lingerie brands) was done overseas that our skills weren't valued. We decided to create a sustainable, premium alternative to the high street."
Under the website's "About Us" page you'll find a statement outlining Liberman and Leeve's steadfast design approach: "We couldn’t find a responsible lingerie factory at a price we liked, so we started our own," it reads. "We are socially and environmentally conscious at every stage of our supply chain." Made up of an all-female team, Lara Intimates' factory in the middle of Central London creates all of the brand's products in small batches by colour and style. According to the designers, everything you order from the label is made in studio utilising "unused material from large factories or brands," while elastics and packaging (i.e. garment labels, swing tags) are "made and dyed by responsible suppliers in Britain." In short, most of Lara Intimates fabrics are deadstock, meaning instead of creating their own textiles, they recycle and reuse factories' excess for their garments.
But don't think their efforts have put them a step behind. Lara's founders are setting out to prove that existing as a fully sustainable brand doesn't spell out doom for being competitive and effective. When asked whether there have been any unanticipated difficulties in their manufacturing process, the response was a resounding no. "We make and source everything locally, so our logistics are extremely simple," Liberman explains. "People always ask if it's cost effective to manufacture in England, but we're proof that it's possible! The hardest part about starting your own brand is creating a distinct personality and value set. I think local and sustainable practices really set us apart and make our customers loyal."
Echoing its mission, Lara Intimates extends beyond responsible practices into offering revolutionary bra sizing for the millions of women wearing the incorrect bra size (hi, yes, most of us). Liberman tells us: "We heard women constantly complaining they can't find bras that fit properly or comfortably. The majority of our customers are actually women with larger busts (D+) that want wireless bras with support." Sharing a story about a young female who recently came into their studio on the hunt for a 28F bra that wouldn't be equivalent to the uncomfortable, poky wire bras she's worn her entire life, Liberman shared that one fitting with Lara's Coral Bra was love at first sight for the woman, who ended up buying three. "After the fitting, she messaged us on Instagram saying she was seriously considering breast reduction surgery, but 'now that I have found your bras, I love my boobs again.' That's how I want every woman to feel in our pieces — like they love their boobs!" While the brand's current size range runs from 28A to 36E, the founders are working to expand the offering from 26A to a 36J.
Ahead, get to know some of our favourite pieces from Lara Intimates. And if you're looking for a more IRL experience, stay on the lookout: Liberman and Leeves recently converted a retro mini bus into a mobile shop to road trip around in next season. "It's bright pink with boobs painted on the outside and has two fitting rooms. This summer we're road tripping across the United Kingdom, offering bra fittings to as many women as we can!"
Lara Intimates Wren Bra, £60.00, available at Lara Intimates; Lara Intimates Classic Brief, £20.00, available at Lara Intimates.
Lara Intimates Baby Bra, £62.00, available at Lara Intimates.
Lara Intimates Clio Bra, £72.00, available at Lara Intimates; Lara Intimates Classic Brief, £20.00, available at Lara Intimates.
Lara Intimates Coral Bra, £58.00, available at Lara Intimates.
Lara Intimates Thong, £20.00, available at Lara Intimates.
Lara Intimates Crop Top, £55.00, available at Lara Intimates.
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"They tell you that the pill will set in quickly, but the urgency of how quickly you need to get home I don't think is emphasised enough," says Claudia Craig, 23, who nearly miscarried on the way home in a taxi after taking the medical abortion pill at a clinic last year.
"About 10 minutes into the journey home I started cramping and feeling really faint and queasy. Luckily I only lived a 15-minute drive away, but I was counting down the seconds until we got home. When we arrived back I almost collapsed in the kitchen. I made it to the bathroom but not to the toilet, and my abortion started on the bathroom floor."
In light of her experience, Claudia has started the #homeuse campaign with the Women’s Equality Party, urging health ministers Jeremy Hunt and Vaughan Gething to change the law to allow women to take the abortion pill at home.
A medical abortion is a non-surgical procedure typically carried out at up to nine weeks of pregnancy. It’s a combination of two pills – mifepristone and misoprostol – taken over the course of two days, which cause a breakdown of the uterus lining and contractions to expel the pregnancy.
Last year, Scotland changed its abortion legislation to allow women to take the second pill (misoprostol) at home. In England and Wales however, women are still required to take misoprostol at a surgery or clinic. Many now argue that this is simply an outdated hangover from the 1967 Abortion Act, when abortion was exclusively a surgical procedure.
"It is time that England and Wales caught up with other countries that have approved home use. These rules date back to the 1960s, and they do not reflect the medical advances that have happened in the last 50 years," a spokesperson from the Women’s Equality Party told Refinery29.
"Home use is recommended by the World Health Organization, and studies have found no evidence of adverse medical effects."
"This is important because these outdated rules are putting thousands of women, like Claudia and the others who spoke of their experiences, through a wholly unnecessary ordeal by making them travel after taking misoprostol. There is no good reason for it."
Statistics published by the Department of Health show that a medical abortion is the most common way for women in England and Wales to end a pregnancy, accounting for 62% of all abortions in 2016 (up from 30% in 2006).
Professor Wendy Savage, who is a member of Doctors for a Woman’s Choice on Abortion and a prominent campaigner for women’s reproductive rights, told Refinery29 that there were no medical benefits to the law remaining the way it is. "I’ve not done a survey but those doctors involved in abortion work are united in their desire to see women able to take the pill at home," she said. Other prominent British doctors such as Professor Lesley Regan, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, have also argued for women to be able to take the pill in the comfort of their own home.
Many women do not make it home, many women cannot afford a taxi, and many women start miscarrying on public transport. It's awful, yet could be changed overnight.
In 2016, the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published the results of a study of women in the Republic and Northern Ireland who had used the services of Women on Web, a Dutch nonprofit which provides pills and advice to women seeking an abortion in countries where it’s illegal. Ninety-seven percent of the 1,023 respondents who successfully ended their pregnancy at home using the pills provided felt they had made the right choice.
The Women’s Equality Party says the Department of Health has acknowledged its campaign but urged it to do more. "The Department of Health has responded to the campaign by claiming that it will continue to ‘monitor the evidence’. If it was looking at the evidence, then it would see home use is safe, effective and will save women distress and discomfort. The sooner the health secretary recognises that these rules are nothing more than an anachronism, the sooner he can make the simple change needed."
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Clive Spence-Jones said that women should be placed at the centre of the debate but that there were reasons why they had previously been required to take the pill in-clinic. "It’s all about looking after someone in what is a very traumatic moment in their lives," he said. "I think what matters, however it’s done, is that we are looking after people, which is making sure they are taken care of and given pain relief and that they understand what is likely to happen next in terms of miscarriage."
The law surrounding reproductive health, particularly abortion, is under review in numerous parts of the UK. On the Isle of Man, where abortion is currently illegal in most circumstances, there are plans to review the law in light of a public consultation which found the majority of the population supported reform; meanwhile, Ireland's referendum on repealing the Eighth Amendment, which makes abortion illegal, will be held on 25th May.
"Forcing women to return sometimes repeatedly to the clinic for each separate dose can represent a real barrier to care," said a spokesperson from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, "particularly for women in already challenging circumstances, and needlessly subjecting them to the risk of bleeding and miscarriage on the way home is quite simply wrong."
"Home use of misoprostol is safe, effective, and used extensively across the world."
The law in England and Wales permits women who are experiencing a miscarriage to administer misoprostol at home; but women who want an abortion will have to attend a clinic to take the same drug.
"As has been demonstrated by the likes of BPAS and other medical professionals, the evidence shows that home use is safe, effective and more comfortable than the current situation," Claudia told Refinery29. "I was lucky because many women do not make it home, many women cannot afford a taxi, and many women start miscarrying on public transport. It's awful, yet this could be changed overnight."
"Sex is nothing anymore. Sex doesn't mean anything. Sex is just a pleasure," says a male college student named Loden, from Florida, in the opening sequence of a new Netflix documentary about one of the key aspects of today's dating landscape: casual sex.
Obviously, not every young person is into casual sex, or able to detach themselves emotionally from the physical act of sex, but reams of research show that there has been a sea change in the dominant attitude towards sex among young people who have grown up with the internet (porn being a huge factor), the inescapable nature of sexual imagery, and dating apps.
Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution, available now on Netflix UK, makes for eye-opening viewing even if you're a member of the generation being put under the microscope and casual sex is part of your life. Award-winning filmmaker Benjamin Nolot follows groups of British and American students during spring break in the US, uncovering some of their attitudes towards sex and gender.
Your ultimate goal is to take her back and have sex with her. As a guy, that's your goal every time
"It's a totally different world nowadays. It's easy to have sex with girls, they're down just like guys are down," says an unnamed young man who sums up how the process works: "You meet a girl, you hang out with her, you flirt with her, you maybe make out with her... and then you can tell right away if she's down or not. Your ultimate goal is to take her back and have sex with her. As a guy, that's your goal every time."
Then there's the guy who boasts of sleeping with four "girls" (it's always "girls", never "women") a night, another with a bracelet pronouncing him "DTF" (down to fuck), and another who brags about enjoying the "challenge" of sleeping with virgins.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
While none of this behaviour is shocking in itself – particularly if you've been on nights out in university cities in the UK – in a post #Me Too world, witnessing some of the straight male entitlement over women's bodies and the sheer brazenness of their behaviour caught on camera shows we have a long way to go.
It's no wonder that many of the women featured claim to have "given up on love" or believe it doesn't exist. Women are treated like slabs of meat, asked by the men if they "can get a hug?" (or more) and if they're "down" (for sex) within the first five minutes of meeting; they're ranked solely by their looks and are generally treated with zero respect. "Our generation has given up on love," says one young woman. "It's easier to find a fuck buddy than a boyfriend."
Dakota, a college student from Florida, says the bar for their male hookups' behaviour is so low that if a man texts them the following morning, they're considered a rare "great guy" – despite that being, by most people's standards, common courtesy. "People will completely dismiss any emotions that go along with sex because it's not supposed to matter anymore. It's not supposed to be a big thing."
Dakota's theory is that the main difference between the sexual revolution of the '60s and now is that the link between sex and emotions has been severed completely. "[Sex is] no longer about love or relationships." And that's the case for both men and women, the documentary concludes.
"Traditionally, it has been men who have driven that kind of culture. Men who have wanted to be able to 'score' without complication," says Dr. Robert Jensen, a professor of media law and ethics quoted in the documentary. In our "hookup culture", however, women are also active participants who accept the rules of the game.
To its credit, the documentary doesn't glamorise casual sex and goes some way in exploring how, for most students, it is rarely an "exciting, one-time experience full of desire and pleasure". It calls out the toxic masculinity promoted in porn, video games, music and more, as one of the main reasons why men consider their sexuality (and the number of women they've slept with) to be a key signifier of heterosexual manhood.
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
“Masculinity in this culture is about a notion of male strength and women play into that," says Sut Jhally, a professor of communication and founder of the Media Education Foundation. "Women are one of the ways in which [men] express that power and on whose bodies [men] express that power. Many men then become “players” to assert their place in the world, feeling the need to sleep with a lot of women to be considered a “real man”. It's through the physical act of sex that many men gain self-esteem and validate themselves among their peer groups, gaining the all-important proverbial bro fist-bump in the process, he explains.
In the same way that both women and men are disadvantaged in a patriarchal society, a hookup culture that valorises casual, emotionless sex blights these men's lives, as well as those of the women who feel objectified and pressured into acts they’re not comfortable with.
What do you mean get to know her? Get to know her name and where she’s from and then it’s down to business.
The pressure to sleep with as many women as possible brings "its own level of anxiety", says Jhally. “Men are full of these insecurities and anxieties about not measuring up,” with many feeling pressure to be sexually “on” at all times and from an increasingly young age. However, it's difficult to feel sorry for many of the men interviewed in the documentary, particularly after they reveal their tactics for sleeping with women.
“Compliment a girl, she’ll fall for it, especially with the accent,” says a British student named Ben, while another called Shep says girls are "troopers" if, "once you’ve banged them they... put their clothes on and do one.” Another asks: “What do you mean get to know her? Get to know her name and where she’s from and then it’s down to business.”
Photo: Courtesy of Netflix
When making the film, Nolot said he was struck by the ownership the men seemed to feel over women's bodies. “It’s clear that as a society we tolerate this in all kinds of contexts. Liberated draws attention to the connection between pop culture, hookup culture and the normalisation of sexual violation. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements has brought us to a cultural tipping point, which for us makes the Liberated release exceptionally relevant.”
The fashion industry is a notoriously hard market to crack. And for many young aspiring designers, getting a collection into stores can often feel like an impossible dream.
That’s where ASOS Fashion Discovery comes in. Since its launch in 2016, the competition has garnered a devoted audience of fashion fans and helped launch the careers of some very exciting young designers.
Open to labels which have been trading for less than five years, this is very much about the fledgling fashion startups. Winners receive £50,000 in funding and their collections will be sold on ASOS for at least two seasons – and they'll have exclusive access to some of the best brains in the business.
Right now the latest iteration of the competition is down to its final phase, with 10 Fashion Discovery finalists waiting to find out which two will be this year’s winners.
And in the true spirit of ASOS, this isn’t a closed-industry event; the public can also get involved, by voting for the winner of the coveted People’s Pick award. The designer who takes home this prize will have an edit of their collection sold on ASOS for a season. If they bag the main competition prize as well, they’ll be awarded an additional £10,000 instead.
So without further ado, let us introduce you to this year’s finalists. You only get one vote, so make it count…
Hailing from west London, Tolu Coker puts an emphasis on timeless unisex designs. Employing print and texture in modern fashion sometimes means compromising on quality, but that’s something Tolu Coker refuses to do. Celebrating the production process and helping with the public’s conscious education means Tolu Coker doesn’t take any shortcuts.
“I love how clothing can bring people together and empower us all, so starting my own brand to continue that process and journey was inevitable,” says the designer, who also moonlights as an illustrator. Which probably explains her wish to speak to people through her clothing. Slashed denim, lace, prints; they're all angled to convey ideas and start conversations.
Bans Illustration was born out of Brixton, with a focus on self-love and wearability. “I like to think of each of my pieces as having healing qualities for whoever wears them,” says Bans, whose sense of humour often masks some deeper motifs within her work.
The brand was born as an art project and evolved organically from there. “I've been an artist for as long as I can remember,” says the young designer, who’s always pleased when her pieces turn heads as she walks down the street.
Every now and again a designer comes along to challenge the status quo. This is exactly what Essie Buckman is hoping to do with her Vogue Italia -acclaimed brand Fortie Label.
The 20-year-old, who counts Rihanna as a fan and was chosen to appear in the 2017 Central Saint Martins BA press show, is busy using her designs to "demolish outdated stereotypes and unify women". This is fashion with a real cause, and we’re into it.
Inspired by luxury brand Delpozo and its use of bold shapes and colours, designer Desree Akorahson set about starting her own label. With the help of a few friends and an old sewing machine, her creations are now under the eyes of ASOS’ expert panel.
Drawing inspiration from the '60s, Akorahson encourages creativity and self-expression through her work. With bright primary colours and laser-cut details, you'll know an Akorahson design when you see it.
“Everyone should have some CARBS in their life,” says designer Jessica Deacon (a self-proclaimed glitter enthusiast). With a playful and bold wearer in mind, Deacon’s designs aren’t aimed at any specific demographic or age group, just people who like to have fun with their clothes.
“I used to really struggle to find clothes that I liked – usually, if I found something I loved that was unique, I couldn’t afford it!” says Deacon. “I design what I want to wear but can't find.”
With a host of unique, bright and playful pieces, CARBS’ designs are the perfect antidote to monochrome and minimalism.
Katie Gementera designs for the statement-makers. Inspired by childhood and drawing on themes of nostalgia and playfulness, Gementera employs contemporary silhouettes and whimsical accessories to create her designs.
Counting herself as part of a generation which carefully considers its identity – often under great scrutiny – Gementera has no plans of being put into a box, saying she sees her clothing "evolving with no constraints of staying within one brand concept".
"I'm inspired by anything from art to movies to photographs," she continues. "Even one small detail can trigger a whole collection." Watch this space.
Another shortlisted designer who’s preoccupied with the female condition is Sullen Girl. Inspired by photographer Larry Clark, Sullen Girl turns female stereotypes into bold, unapologetic and wearable statements.
With his game-changing designs, the designer says he "wanted to create a collective identity for girls – to give them something which would make them feel empowered". From '70s British punk fangirls to old Chinese martial-art film posters, the references behind Sullen Girl’s silhouettes are diverse and consistently fresh. Expect the unexpected.
Gender neutral clothing has been a priority for many fashion brands over the last few years. LYPH has a focus on this too but it comes not just from a desire to be on trend, but rather from an obsession with design and functionality, and a rejection of conventions. LYPH is all about creating playful, unisex cuts.
The concept of sticking to one type of look is alien to LYPH – they’d rather merge trends and silhouettes, and imagine something new every time.
Another finalist with a view to shaking things up is Krasimira Stoyneva. With designs tailored to the risk-takers, Stoyneva makes clothes for people who aren't afraid to express themselves through personal style.
Crucially, ethics is at the forefront of the brand; she creates all her clothes using sustainable, synthetic hair and pushes the boundaries of art and fashion by being innovative through her use of unique materials. For Stoyneva, the way to further the sustainability agenda is to put collaboration at the heart of everything: “I intend to collaborate with other sustainable designers to be able to offer more exclusive ranges and extend my vision to new products.”
And finally we turn to east London, where Walthamstow-based Wesley Harriott is using striking silhouettes and multifunctional fashion to create a new type of fashion brand. Harriott doesn’t just see himself as a designer but as a storyteller. “I have created my brand as an outlet for those narratives,” he explains.
Once again, this is a brand with a noble cause: “At the core of Wesley Harriott lies a vision to tell stories of empowerment and to offer style that amplifies a woman's perception and presence,” says Harriot, who challenges fashion’s sometimes limited view of womankind.
Even at a time when minimalism is fetishised on Instagram and "organising consultants" like Marie Kondo can become globally famous for their decluttering advice, most of us still hold on to unwanted clothes. Maybe we know they'll never fit but can't bear to throw them away. Maybe we're too lazy to sell them online. Maybe our look has changed and we're due a complete style overhaul.
In any case, it would be more useful for us to recycle these garments than to let them fester at the back of our wardrobes – and now a new app promises to simplify the process, which isn't always easy to get right, and encourage eco-friendly behaviour.
The reGAIN app, which launches today and is free to download, enables users to recycle their unwanted pieces in return for discount vouchers at big fashion brands and retailers. How does it work? Download the app and ship your old clothes, shoes and accessories to the company for free from over 20,000 drop-off points across the UK.
Users then receive a discount coupon that can be redeemed at stores including Missguided, Asics, New Balance and boohoo , as well as lifestyle brands and experiences including Expedia, Hotels.com and EVE Sleep.
reGAIN will only accept one drop per customer each week, with a minimum of 10 items in each shipment, to keep its carbon footprint as low as possible. Once the clothes have been delivered to the app, it ensures they're either reused and reworn, recycled, upcycled or burned for energy production.
The app's recent research found that despite greater public awareness of the importance of recycling and the need to develop a circular economy, a worrying number of us are still throwing unwanted clothes in the bin. The equivalent of 50 trucks' worth of unwanted clothes is dumped into landfill each day – that's 300,000 tonnes every year, reGAIN says, and it estimates that as much as 95% of those items could have been reworn, recycled or upcycled.
According to its study on over 2,200 adults from across the UK, more than 10% of people throw their clothes away rather than recycling them or donating them to charity and in London the figure is as high as 27%. Almost three-quarters (73%) of people admit to wearing only half of the garments they own. This suggests something must be stopping us from letting unwanted clothes go, and reGAIN believes incentivising recycling with vouchers is the answer.
“We are realists, not idealists," said Jack Ostrowski, founder of Yellow Octopus, the company behind the app. "We know that we can’t stop people from buying clothes, but we can incentivise them to change their habits and divert hundreds of tonnes of clothing from UK landfill. Our goal is a world in which clothes never become waste."
Many individual clothing brands, from H&M to Zara, already have their own clothing recycling schemes and encourage their customers to think about the circular economy on a small scale. But apps like reGAIN have the potential to make wider change, urging people to think about their fashion consumption in a new way.
The pivot should come as no surprise: Faux fur has evolved from a once trashy, often cheap and itchy material to a luxe, highly affordable, and believable version of its real opulent self — one that’s so soft, glossy, and realistic that consumers and brands alike are finding themselves hard-pressed to tell the difference. Increase your margins, streamline your sourcing, and stem the hate mail in one swoop? What’s not to like?
So maybe designers aren’t declaring themselves fur-free for purely altruistic reasons. But if the outcome is the same, who’s really the wiser? Unfortunately, just because a piece of fashion is animal-free doesn’t mean it’s not hurting animals in more insidious ways.
If you believe that it’s morally wrong to kill or use animals for the benefit of human consumption, that’s a perfectly valid (and fiercely debated) personal moral opinion — but it’s not exactly measurable or even scientific. Sustainable fashion advocates have resisted incorporating animal welfare into their measures because there’s simply no way to quantify it. And what science-y information is out there is either put out by animal rights groups or the fur industry, neither of which can be trusted to be fully unbiased or to tell you the whole truth: One study, which was commissioned by a pair of animal rights organisations, says that a fur coat is worse for the environment; a competing study commissioned by the International Fur Trade Federation says a faux fur coat is worse.
So who’s right? Or more accurately, which choice of fur — or “fur” — hurts animals and the planet the most? Really, it depends on a host of factors, which we’ve broken out with some checks and balances below.
Is the fur from a carnivore or herbivore? The pro-faux study showed that producing one kilogram of mink fur has a higher negative environmental impact than producing one kilogram of other textiles in 17 of the 18 environmental categories, including climate change, eutrophication, and toxic emissions. But as they point out in the study, most of those negative environmental effects are because of the enormous amount of meat-based feed minks require. (Yes, these seemingly adorable creatures are actually agile hunters.)
Let’s also consider how many of us are realistically thinking about buying a full mink anything? More likely we’re pondering a pom-pom keychain or a pair of fur-festooned shoes or gloves, and it’s probably rabbit fur, one of the most ubiquitous (and affordable) types of fur out there. Considered one of the more sustainable types of meat to raise, the rabbit is an herbivore. And it’s pretty widely documented that the quickest way to lower your personal carbon footprint (and by extension, the carbon footprint of your fur) is to consume less meat.
The gist: If we’re talking a kilogram of rabbit fur versus a kilogram of polyester...well, the rabbit fur might actually win. Things get even better if you’re talking about alpaca. But with mink? Avoid.
Was it from a farm or wild-caught? Maybe you’re considering buying a Canada Goose jacket, which has a hood lined with coyote. The coyotes are trapped in Canada after roaming around in the wild. Free-range fur, if you will, addresses the second largest environmental concern in mink fur production: dealing with manure. Plus, coyotes have spread from their traditional territories all the way east after their biggest predator, wolves, were extirpated from most areas. Some conservationists are concerned that they are preying on the baby caribou and exasperating the decline of this vulnerable population. (Kill a coyote, save a baby caribou?) Ironically, however, experts believe that aggressively trapping coyote won’t help the population of moose and caribou, because coyote are so abundant that unleashing an army of eager hunters on them wouldn’t even make a dent.
The gist: It’s not great for individual coyotes, but coyote fur is better for the environment (and the animals that coyotes eat) than a similar faux fur hood lining.
How long do you plan on keeping that new fur thing? As with most fashion, how sustainable your purchase is largely depends on the overall quality of the piece, and how often (and how long) you will wear it before it heads to the thrift store. Real fur coats are investments, nostalgically passed down through families from grandmas to granddaughters, or can be resold in vintage shops. Head over to Etsy and you can procure plenty of fur coat AND trims to to spruce up any ordinary winter coat.
Instead of comparing fur to non-fur textiles, the pro-fur study compared a real mink fur coat to a faux fur one, assuming a real fur coat is typically kept for 30 years compared to a faux fur coat that’s kept for six. With that assumption, it showed that a faux fur coat poses four times more risk of damage to the ecosystem, 2.3 times more risk of adding to climate change, and 2.7 times more risk of impacting resource consumption. (Risk to human health was about the same, though that switched in favour of faux fur if you decide that people usually keep a faux fur coat for eight years or more.)
The gist: Don’t pat yourself on the back if you buy a $30 fur coat that may inevitably fall apart next year. But if you honestly believe you’ll wear that faux fur coat for more than a decade, go for it.
Is the fur upcycled? Because people are generally less likely to toss a pricey fur coat, it’s not hard to get yourself an upcycled version. There are services that will take your mother’s massive coat from the ‘80s and slim it down, luxury brands that reincarnate fur into more modern concepts, and even fur accessories made from actual roadkill. And don’t forget, vintage stores are jammed with racks of fur coats that sell for a song.
Of course, some argue that wearing upcycled vintage fur still promotes the wearing — and thereby wanting — of any type of fur, but with faux fur looking more and more convincing, that argument doesn’t hold up well to scrutiny.
The gist: Secondhand fur cuts down on the need for new production. And it's hard to argue with something that prevents from adding more fur — or faux-fur — pieces into the market.
Will it ever biodegrade? One thing all of these studies lack is a component examining waste from real fur versus faux fur. Real fur, since it's organic in nature, will eventually biodegrade. (That’s why it deserves such special upkeep and storage.) But we’re not really sure how long faux fur, which is mostly made from acrylic or polyester, will take to break down — if ever. Polyester is essentially just plastic spun into a thread, and plastic could take anywhere from 500 years to more than 1,000 years to biodegrade.
On a similar point, the fashion industry now stands accused of filling the stomachs of fish (and people) with synthetic microfibres, tiny pieces of polyester, acrylic, or rayon that wash into our water systems every time we (or a clothing manufacturer) put a synthetic piece of clothing in the wash. They’re so tiny that they flow past water treatment plants and are now, according to a worldwide study, found in 83% of tap water samples, and are laden with heavy metals and toxins. This is such a new issue that there's a lot more intensive research that needs to be done in order to actually determine which types of synthetic fibres are the worst offenders.
The gist: If you hate plastic and love the oceans, real vintage fur would be the better choice.
The gist: If you can find a nutria fur accessory, go for it. You’re doing a solid for Louisiana’s wetlands.
What about climate change? The fashion industry contributes to one thing that's sure to be a huge animal killer: climate change. Eight percent of total global emissions are attributed to the fashion industry alone (more than air travel). But when Quantis and ClimateWorks put out their own exhaustively researched report on the fashion industry’s contribution to climate change at the beginning of this year, they were more explicit on their exclusion of the most controversial material: “furs and exotic leathers were not included in the study due to their minor mass flows, correlated with the resource investment required to access corresponding data.” In other words, researching the tiny fur industry’s environmental impact was simply not worth their time.
The gist: If we really care about ALL animals — not just the fuzzy, cute ones — we need to focus on the fashion industry’s most dire issues: factories being powered by dirty energy, the proliferation of microfibres in the ocean, and toxic effluent (a.k.a. wastewater) being poured into rivers.
So, why are we focusing so much of our energy and ire on fur? It’s not just because it’s currently well in favour across Instagram feeds and slinky fashion editorials. Maybe it’s because, as a brand, going fur-free is a lot easier and cheaper than helping your factory in China transition to wind power, and will garner you more press. (Most consumers simply cannot be bothered to read about energy retrofits, or the information isn’t that easy to find in the first place.) Maybe it’s because it’s not possible to create a shocking video showing the slow displacement of endangered frogs because of climate change.
Or maybe it’s because, “I’d rather go naked than wear petroleum-based, microfibre-shedding polyester products” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Either way, as consumers who care about fashion and the future of the planet, we all have choices to make. But when it comes to decisions that take a variety of ethics, statistics, and priorities into consideration, it's crucial we're relying on real information — not faux ones.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The clothes and FROW may steal the show at London Fashion Week but we love getting down to the details. A good look is made great with nails, hair and makeup, perfected by a slew of backstage professionals manicuring every last nail and ensuring not a hair is out of place. For AW18, we kept an eye on emerging nail art created by the innovative nail techs behind the scenes. Here are three nail trends we liked and how to recreate them at home.
Power Polish
Statement-making nail art, as seen at Gareth Pugh, Ryan Lo and Vivienne Westwood, celebrated bold women who are unapologetically vocal. At Gareth Pugh, nails were long and dark with sharp pointed tips.
Photo: Ian Gavan/BFC/Getty Images
Red nails make a statement. Try this maroon shade from butter London – apply two coats for maximum opacity and seal the colour with a high-gloss top coat.
butter London Ruby Murray Lacquer, £8.95, available at Nail Polish Direct
(Vegan)
Add some length and sparkle to your look with this red and black instant manicure designed by House of Holland.
House of HollandLuxe by Elegant Touch Stiletto Nails in Ruby Tuesday, £14.99, available at ASOS
Get ahead of the futuristic fashion trend with these iridescent falsies.
Elegant Touch Holiday Nails in Bora Bora, £7.95, available at Elegant Touch
Orange Crush
This season, orange accents were seen in clothing, makeup and nail art at Manish Arora and Sophia Webster. From bright hues to softer corals, the versatility of orange brought energy and freshness.
Photo: Nicky J Sims/Getty Images for Sophia Webster
To achieve the two-tone ombré design at Sophia Webster, apply Vinylux Electric Orange from the base to mid-nail, then blend yellow from the middle to the tip of the nail with a small fan brush.
CND Vinylux in Electric Orange, £6.90, available at Just My Look
If you’re not one for neon, try this sweet coral-toned polish from Zoya.
Maximalism and minimalism continue to compete to be the defining aesthetic of the moment. But why can’t we have both? The collections from AW18 combined minimal apparel design with dramatic nail couture. The crystal-covered manicure was a trending look at Manish Arora, while Libertine went avant-garde with fringe accents and three-dimensional nail art.
Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for CND
This nail art kit from Gems & Jewels has everything you need for a straight-off-the-runway manicure. Sprinkle some glitter or carefully place rhinestones onto wet nails. Apply a glossy top coat to seal the gems in place. The gel polish starter kit is sold separately.
Gems & Jewels Platinum Ice LED Gel Polish Nail Art Kit, £25, available at Beauty Bay
For a subtle sparkle, try this silver glitter varnish on top of your favourite, go-to shade.
Nailberry in Star Dust, £14.50, available at Nailberry
(Vegan)
These nail stamps from Moyou London are great for a unique, geometric design.
Moyou London Crystal Clear Stamper & Scraper, £9, available at Nail Polish Direct
Dress up any look with this glitter polish from Smith & Cult. Layer a few sparkles from base to mid-nail, over a solid jewel-tone polish.
Smith & Cult in Shattered Souls, £19, available at Cult Beauty
There’s that moment when you’ve just woken up and your dream felt so real that you briefly wonder if (or wish) it actually happened. The majority of us quickly realise it didn’t – how could it when you’re safely tucked up in bed? However, the estimated 2% of adults who sleepwalk can’t always be so sure.
Like most millennials, Amy, 26, is a big texter who rarely actually talks to friends or family on her phone. "In fact, I actively avoid it – my missed call list is proof of that – if they really want me they will text, is how I see it. The problem is, as someone who has sleepwalked for most of my life, I often find I text people while I’m sleeping. I write totally coherent sentences, but the topics can often be random (for them at least). I’ve texted friends about issues that have bothered me, things that I’d decided I wasn’t going to bring up to avoid possible conflict, only to then let loose over text. The aftermath of that is never fun. Then there was the morning I thought I’d dreamt sending a flirty text to a co-worker, only to discover I actually had. I concocted an ‘I was drunk and texted the wrong number’ story to get out of it, but couldn’t look him in the eye after that. I’ve tried leaving my phone in another room when I go to sleep, but I simply ‘sleepwalk’ to retrieve it – so I’ve had to tell friends about my nocturnal texting, just in case they receive an odd message from me. The only issue now is I have to convince them I’m actually awake if I purposely send a text late at night."
This isn’t that unusual. It is possible to carry out very complex activities like texting during sleepwalking episodes, explains sleep expert Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director of the London Sleep Centre. "Sleepwalking is a broad term for what is actually a disturbance to the steady brainwave patterns we experience when we are in deep non-REM (non-dreaming) sleep. This disturbance leads to an arousal that doesn’t wake sleepwalkers up but induces a sleepwalking episode."
Having the urge to switch on all the lights in the house can be harmless, albeit irritating for people trying to sleep, but finding yourself half-naked on a walk in the middle of the night can be pretty scary, as makeup artist Lucinda, 29, can attest.
I’ve begun to sleepwalk again and this time I’m more worried than ever.
"I used to sleepwalk as a child but I couldn’t ever remember what I’d done, and for the most part my parents found it quite amusing. They weren’t laughing much when I went through the stage of walking into their bedroom convinced it was the loo and peeing on the carpet every night, though. That only lasted a few months; apparently the only other thing I would do was sit up in bed and have conversations with people who weren’t there. Fast-forward 20 years and I’ve begun to sleepwalk again, and this time I’m more worried than ever. A few months ago, I walked out of my flat, got in the lift, exited my building and started strolling down the road. Luckily I had a friend staying over who thought she had heard the door open and close, and when she realised I wasn’t in bed next to her she did a quick sweep of the flat and discovered I was gone. Thankfully I hadn’t gone far at this point so she spotted me out of the window, threw on some clothes and came outside to ask what I was doing. I told her I was going to work, and got quite agitated when she insisted I go back to bed. The next day things started to fall into place. I’d done this before but woken up and run back to the flat, not mentioning it to anyone because it had always happened when I had drunk a lot and I didn’t want a lecture. Now that I’ve realised alcohol triggers these ‘dramatic’ sleepwalking episodes I’ve decided to curb my weekend drinking, for fear that I could bump into the wrong person or walk into the road the next time it happens."
The embarrassment and confusion surrounding sleepwalking means that, like Lucinda, many people don’t seek help or talk about their experiences with others. Lorraine, 45, can relate. As a regular sleepwalker, she had never experienced night terrors until she and her two children were involved in a car accident.
"Both night terrors and sleepwalking fall under the umbrella of parasomnia (sleep behavioural disorder), in which the subject reacts to a perceived threat. Screaming, crying and thrashing around in bed are common but so too are violent acts to oneself in a bid to ‘escape’ or to others in an attempt to ‘protect’ oneself," explains Dr. Ebrahim.
"For years after the accident I would sit up in bed, heart pumping, arms out, with my hands clenched around an imaginary steering wheel as if I were driving," says Lorraine. "I’d then attempt to perform an emergency break to stop us from having a collision. I’d wake up at this moment every time, sweat dripping off me, often with my husband looking on, not knowing what to do. Even after I got rid of the car we had the accident in, I still experienced these night terrors. I’d often attempt to leave the house and get into the car and actually drive, which was incredibly scary, so my husband would have to hide the car keys and leave me a note telling me where I could find them. I never spoke to anyone outside of my family about what was happening to me, and so it wasn’t until my children got a little older that my general protective anxiety subsided, and so did the night terrors. Much to their amusement I’m still sleepwalking but my fixation with driving is no longer an issue."
This makes total sense to Dr. Ebrahim, who cites stress as a major precursor to sleepwalking: "There can also be a genetic predisposition to sleepwalkingllll, however, stress, sleep deprivation, alcohol consumption, and obstructive sleep apnoea, seizures, and restless leg syndrome can cause more frequent episodes." In order to prevent sleepwalking, you first have to figure out if your disturbed sleep is caused by an underlying medical condition; if so, treating said condition should stop the bouts of sleepwalking. "If stress, lack of sleep or alcohol are your triggers, stress management techniques and lifestyle changes should be implemented," he advises.
For years after the accident I would sit up in bed, heart pumping, arms out, with my hands clenched around an imaginary steering wheel as if I were driving.
First off, look out for patterns in your sleepwalking episodes. When do you sleepwalk most: after a night out drinking, after an argument with your partner or when you’ve not slept much the night before? Identifying your triggers can help you avoid them. Improving your sleeping habits in general is also a good place to start. Aim for a minimum of eight hours, and ditch devices before bed as the blue light they emit energises the brain, which you don’t want when you’re attempting to power down. Keep your bedroom dark and cool, have a warm bath, or try 10 minutes of meditation before getting into bed. Orgasms can help too, as the 'love hormone' oxytocin (which increases during climax) aids sleep. If simple lifestyle changes don’t do the trick, medication may help.
"Antidepressants were the only thing that helped with my verbally abusive sleepwalking episodes," says lawyer Abina, 33. "My boyfriend and I have been together for five years, and for the last three I’ve spent at least one night a week calling him every name under the sun, shouting and screaming at him, accusing him of cheating on me or lying to me – none of which I remember in the morning. It wasn’t until he filmed me one night and I watched it back the next day that I realised how bad it was. I’ve never had any issues with my sleep before, but I do work in an incredibly stressful profession and as I’ve progressed in my field the nightly abuse has gotten worse. We live in a one-bedroom flat so I have tried sleeping on the sofa to see if not being next to each other would keep him out of the line of fire, but I end up waking up in bed the next day and discover I’ve gone into our room, had a go at him, then gone to sleep. It put a major strain on our relationship, surprisingly more for me than for him. He refused to tell me what I would say each night because he didn’t want me to feel bad about it, but that just made me more anxious and worried. I tried sleep-inducing foods, meditation and sleep sprays in an attempt to sleep more deeply but when those didn’t work I went to see a specialist, who prescribed me an antidepressant that increases my serotonin levels and has helped with my overall anxiety and my abusive sleepwalking."
It was on plastic chairs in a faded consultation room that we were first told of your existence. The T-bomb had entered the building and that was that. The consultant repeated the words: "Try not to worry."
I have seen you many times – a white shape on MRI scans. But I admit to underestimating what you were capable of. Naïve as to quite how much you could change my life.
You’ve been prodded and poked with tools, my skull opened while I chatted about fish fingers; the "safe" beige tea I’d chosen to eat before a big operation. You said "no thanks" to surgery, being stubborn and awkward (in and around bits of me that really matter). There were only microscopic amounts of you removed for diagnostic purposes.
Your ill-defined edges mean you were unpredictably difficult; inoperable. You are tiresome, and exasperating – your presence is felt in the way that I walk, the stick that I use, and the (anti-seizure) medications I take daily.
Fears I once held are insignificant now and I am thankful for that. Before, I worried about things I couldn’t control, like losing my job, death, and the expectations of others. It is freeing to live without these fears – I have challenged myself and understand what perspective is now.
The familiarity of work and my career – once my largest focus – have been put on hold due to treatment spanning more than 12 months, and now I have found that I am reinventing myself.
My grip on independence, something I once held tightly, has loosened. I was weak and vulnerable, and had no choice but to accept help.
Previously equal in all senses, I have become "cared for" and the dynamics with my dearest have subtly, but irreversibly, altered. Friendships have been challenged – some are stronger, and others more strained.
I think of our "big trip" to Australia, and the meal we had on my 28th birthday; we chatted to the couple at the table next to us who were celebrating the end of her chemotherapy treatment. She wore a headscarf and their joy was palpable. Although we were strangers, we posed as couples and took photographs of each other, forever capturing that moment in time.
Illustration by Cecilia Castelli
My birthday was like many others, only further away from home. Unable to grasp the prospect or weight of what this means to me now, from the other side of the world, I put it to the back of my mind.
I have celebrated too: after finishing seven weeks of chemoradiotherapy, and then later, when we were told you hadn’t grown.
More rounds have followed, and now we know that there is slightly less of you there.
You have brought my family and friends together. Our stiff upper lips now delicately supple, the L-word casually dropped into chats and messages. Annual amounts of laughs and moist eye contact squeezed into weeks and months.
My body and brain, once taken for granted, are appreciated now. The one I had before could run and dance. Now, it is slower, more unsteady; it is rebuilding itself. It means more.
Those who love me hate the uncertainty you bring. They are angry about the unfairness. And although statistics from doctors have been mooted, everyone is only “hypothetically speaking”. It is too soon to say with any conviction what you may do in the future.
To ask you what your plans are would be to imagine it is all set in stone. So of course, I won’t. I won’t.
Sarah Gaffney-Lang is a Manchester-based operations manager turned writer and lifestyle blogger. Sarah was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged 29, and underwent surgery soon after. Now 31, Sarah has spent the last 18 months undergoing radiotherapy, chemotherapy and rehabilitation treatment. Recent scans (in March 2018) have indicated that the tumour is now ‘stable’, and will be closely monitored. You can find the really important stuff about Sarah, like what she is eating, drinking, and wearing, over on her Instagram.
Welcome toMoney Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.
This week we're with a freelance content producer who lives on a houseboat with her husband in London. Although it means her housing costs are cheap, she does have to move every two weeks and pay to get the toilets emptied. So how much does she save in the end?
Industry: Freelance content producer Age: 32 Location: London Salary: £35,000 Paycheque amount: £3k average (£0 some months) Number of housemates: 1 (partner, also freelance, bills etc. split equally)
Monthly Expenses
Housing costs: £68.70. I live on a narrowboat, which I own with my husband, so instead of rent or mortgage, we pay a yearly ‘continuous cruiser’ canal licence (£956.74) and boat insurance (£692.45).
Loan payments: £650. I pay a lot towards clearing credit cards but I also spend on another interest-free card and bounce my debt between 0% balance transfer deals. I try not to think about the house of (credit) cards I have built.
Utilities: £90 in winter, £50 in summer (diesel, gas, coal, logs). Electricity is free from our solar panels.
Transportation: £0-£200 depending on where the boat is that month. I bought a secondhand Brompton on Gumtree for £700 after my sixth bike was stolen. If we’re in a central London location I cycle everywhere, but we have to move every two weeks and cover at least 20 miles in a year so there are periods of time we don’t even technically live in London. When we’re on the outskirts, I’ll spend £11.60 a day (the TfL cap) commuting to meetings or shifting in central, or more if I have to get a train in. I need to be in town most weekdays.
Phone bill: £55. I have a £40 a month contract but always need at least a £15 bolt-on because you can’t get regular Wi-Fi on a boat.
Entertainment: £20.98 for my share of Netflix and Spotify and Audible. We share our Netflix login with our friends in return for their Sky Go one.
Savings? £12k but loads of that is saved to pay my next tax bill so I have no idea how much of it is actually ‘mine’. I sometimes google ‘what pension is best for a freelancer’ but have yet to do anything more than this. I have a Help to Buy ISA but there’s nothing in it.
Other: Toilets £12.50. We have to pay to have our toilets emptied. Glam. It costs £25 for both tanks (we’re super fancy and have two loos) and we do it once a month or so.
Laundry £30. We use launderettes as we don’t have a washing machine. To begin with we did it ourselves, but honestly, who has time to sit for three hours watching the machines so no one steals your pants? An Ikea bagful is £30, between two, twice a month.
Fitness £55. I use ClassPass mostly for the posh showers with Cowshed products, and the occasional go on a pair of straighteners.
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Day One
7.40am: Wake up. The boat’s a bit cold because we didn’t leave the fire on overnight. Get ready for work, locating clean clothes in the tiny wardrobe, then boil the kettle to wash my face and douse myself in dry shampoo. It’s not a shower day today. Husband can’t get up until I leave because it’s too stressful to have both of us getting ready in the small space.
8.15am: Cycle to the office I’m working at near Oxford Street. Love cycling in London, so much better than the Tube.
8.40am: Hangover kicks in so I buy a flat white and piece of toast and peanut butter from the café next door to the office. Beat myself up about not having a reusable cup (sorry, planet), and forget to ask for staff discount. Do I hate myself? £3.90
12.30pm: One of the girls in the office has a Nando's Black Card and it’s the best thing ever. Order a halloumi and mushroom burger and all the sides, and pay NOTHING. This is LIVING. Shame it’s my last day here.
3pm: Go for another flat white and another takeaway cup as hangover is a day-long one and Nando's has not cured it. Remember discount! £2.47
6pm: Remember I bought half-price Itsu for lunch the other day and rejoice that I left it in the work fridge. Hope it’s not off. Care not as it’s basically free because I paid for it on a different day. Not sure if that counts (FYI it was £2.50 in the half-price sale).
6.15pm: Cycle to Victoria to get the train to roller derby practice in the arse end of nowhere (Carshalton, £11.70 return). Couldn’t pick a closer team as I don’t live anywhere. Buy another flat white on the way because I read that caffeine before you exercise is good, and a Nakd bar for energy. £4.20. Bank transfer the club my £7.50 subs on the way.
9.30pm: Get the train back to Victoria after practice, then cycle back to Little Venice where the boat currently is. Realise it’s half-price Itsu time and seems a shame to waste it. Buy a couple of boxes of sushi. £6.99
10pm: Husband has put the fire on so we enjoy Itsu with alcohol-free beer we’ve had knocking around for ages and watch Netflix. We’ve run out of wet cat food so I give the cat a bit of sashimi as a treat. You can when it’s half-price.
Total: £36.76
Day Two
9am: Working from home today, which is a good job because the water pump is making a weird noise. Panic for a bit, then turn the entire water system off and go on the Facebook boating group to ask if anyone knows someone who can fix boat plumbing. A guy happens to be nearby so he pops in and promptly says it’s knackered and disappears. Not sure what to do with that information and decide to cycle to the library to work. Forget to eat lunch.
5pm: Get a call from the guy, who’s managed to source a new pump and is at the boat. Rush back to let him in. He fixes the pump, but it’s £130 for parts and £70 for labour. And he prefers cash. Ouch. He also diagnoses a future problem with our electrics, which I choose to ignore for the time being. Pay using the joint account. (£100 from me.)
9pm: To celebrate the new water pump we head out to the local pub in Little Venice, which has a regular comedy night. The tickets are pretty steep at £15 but we’ve moored in the area a few times and it’s always been sold out so we’re pleased to finally be making the most of the area. After all, how often are you living in Little Venice? Dinner is wine and a baked Camembert. The show is ace. £21
10.30pm: When we get home I realise it’s too late to wash my hair. Hairdryers are banned on the boat because they use the most electricity of anything in the entire world (apparently) so in the winter I have to sit by the fire until it’s dry, so I don’t sleep with wet hair and die of exposure. Another dry shampoo day it is.
Total: £136
Day Three
8.30am: Buy a giant bottle of dry shampoo on cycle in to the office, should probably add this to essential boat costs tbh. £5.99
1pm: Go to The Detox Kitchen with my friend and stump up £8.50 for a box of salad. What is life? I’m starting to get a caffeine-withdrawal headache so buy a flat white, £2.47, on the way back to the office.
5pm: Get to the Bridge Theatre early so I can do some work, buy a ginger beer for the extortionate price of £3.50. Regret not getting a real beer. Manage to make it last two hours until my friends arrive for pre-show drinks. We’re seeing Julius Caesar and have standing tickets, which my friend bought, so I give her the cash I forgot to bank transfer her (£25, not bad).
7pm: It’s one friend’s first baby-free night since she gave birth so I buy a bottle of wine to celebrate, £21. We forget to eat.
10pm: Show finishes and we are buoyed by the fantastic performance so we divide another bottle between three of us, £7. I am on the edge of being too drunk to cycle home, but I do anyway.
Total: £73.46
Day Four
8am: It’s Saturday but I get up early to work because freelancers don’t do weekends. Tether my laptop off my phone but this job requires significant data and going to a café requires getting dressed, so I just buy a £20 bolt-on to top up my data allowance. Wonder if watching the entire series of The Good Place really used that much data. They’re only 20 minutes each. Can I write that off for tax? I do write about entertainment…
10am: We’ve been at Little Venice for two weeks so it’s boat-moving day today and a couple of our friends have decided to join us, which is such a novelty I go to a Sainsbury’s Local for provisions. I suck up the inflated price because there are no other shops in walking distance. Buy chilled beer and prosecco because we don’t have a fridge, and general snacks, £31.70. Seems rude to ask them to contribute.
12pm: Because it’s the weekend, the canal is busy and we have to get in the queue for the water point to fill up our tank (free, included in our licence). The flow is bad so it takes two hours. We buy coffee and sit on the roof watching the tourists watch us. £2.95
3pm: Friends join and we have an unexpectedly smooth onward journey, securing a rare spot in Primrose Hill. Delighted, we pop the prosecco and sit on the roof, while the cat explores his new territory and poses for photos with the tourists.
4pm: Run out of booze and head to the pub.
5pm: See the incredible roasts going past.
6pm: Eat giant roast sharing platter between four.
7pm: Things escalate.
11pm: Bill arrives and is huge. Put our half (£109.86) on my interest-free credit card because it has the highest limit, and forget to ask husband to pay me back.
11.30pm: Take friends back to the boat to continue afterparty but there’s no booze left on board and we’re all steaming so we have tea instead. Good decision.
Total: £164.51
Day Five
8am: Too hungover to get up and work.
10am: Still too hungover.
12pm: Husband goes to the football and cat refuses to let me go back to sleep so I get up. Decide I can’t do any concentrating work so decide to do boat DIY instead. There is always something boring and practical to do on a boat.
1pm: Make my own coffee like an absolute money-saving guru. Grind the beans (cheaper than pre-ground) in a hand-grinder (not enough electricity for a powered one on board), and use the hob because we don’t have enough electric for a kettle. Can’t make a flat white because despite the McDonald’s ads I still don’t really know what one is. Have it black. It’s delish. Why don’t I do this more?
2pm: DIY requires power tools so I need to turn the engine on (the engine makes electricity as if by magic and means I can use normal 240v appliances). Crouch outside in the rain in my pyjamas, coaxing the 30-year-old diesel engine into life. For a change, it starts first time. I rejoice and spend a happy afternoon with a jigsaw attempting to create a work area for me to write the novel that will make me my millions – because clearly the only reason I haven’t written it so far is the lack of a dedicated space.
7pm: I’ve made a horrendous mess and neither of us has done the washing up so we decide to go out for dinner. We’re in Primrose Hill so google where to go and eat. After all, how often do you get to live in Primrose Hill? Manage to get a table in Lemonia and share bottle of wine, along with the Greek tapas. We put the bill (£98.72) on the joint account.
Total: £49.36
Day Six
8am: Wake up sweating because we left the diesel heater on all night and all the windows closed. This is a wonderful sign of approaching spring.
9am: As it’s lovely and warm I can sit at my excellent new workspace. Immediately get splinter and wish I were better at DIY/could afford to have someone make me a new workspace. Do work that doesn’t require the internet and then spend an hour working on the fabled novel. Don’t eat breakfast but spend nothing.
12pm: Feel incredibly accomplished so celebrate by going to Camden market and buying something nice for lunch, £6.50. When are we ever in walking distance of Camden market?
1pm: Get a flat white, £3, on the way home because I want to be super productive this afternoon so no time for manually grinding coffee beans. Find cat whoring himself out to passing tourists, taking pictures with him in their arms in front of my boat. We should definitely charge for this.
7pm: Cycle to meet one of the teams I work with for drinks and enjoy the rare perk of company-paid prosecco ‘til it runs out. Make my excuses and leave. Cycle home as not too drunk. If only more days were like these.
9.30pm: Nail half-price Itsu on the way home. Winning at life. £6
Total: £15.50
Day Seven
9am: Working from home today. Want a shower but it takes 45 minutes for the water to heat up. Do I need to be clean, really?
9.30am: Realise I haven’t showered in three days (my self-imposed limit) and remember I have ClassPass so decide to go to an off-peak yoga session. Find one five mins' walk away and it’s TriYoga, which has fancy products. Yasss. Congratulate myself for living the #freelancedream.
Accidentally buy £6.95 mylkshake as I’m leaving. It’s delicious. I regret nothing.
12.30pm: Make my own coffee again like a total boss and miraculously find we have both eggs and bread on board so I have eggs and soldiers, then worry about the lack of greens in my diet.
1pm: Go back out to buy a green juice to alleviate health anxiety. Living in zone one is dangerous. They don’t have green juices in zone seven. £6.95
2pm: Decide it’s time to do some work. Realise laptop is out of juice and we’re moored under a tree so the batteries are low. Go to a café near Camden lock to work. Buy most of their cakes and possibly earn less than I’ve spent. £13.50
8pm: Go home when they close and build the fire in the stove for the evening. Use the last of the kindling and notice dwindling bag of coal. Isn’t it spring yet? WhatsApp Pete, who sells everything, and spend the last of my overdraft on three bags of coal and one of kindling, £35. Hope one of the companies I’ve invoiced pays me soon or we might freeze.
After all that I don’t want to cook so I WhatsApp husband to get Itsu on his way home – how often are you in walking distance of an Itsu half-price sale? Do the washing up listening to a podcast, because obviously, we don’t have a dishwasher.
9.40pm: It’s ITSU TIME! Good haul tonight. We have mastered the art of the half-price Itsu sale – hover 15 minutes before, spend 10 minutes being ‘very indecisive’ holding several different sushi boxes, then give up all pretence and sit with them until it’s sale time. He’s put it on the joint account which I never check, so it’s like it’s not real money. (For the purposes of the diary he tells me it was £19.20 between us.)
9.45pm: Use husband’s tablet that has its own internet connection that I don’t understand to watch Sopranos using our friend’s Sky TV login. Husband has bought wine despite being expressly told not to. We finish the bottle.
