The British Style Collective Are Coming To Liverpool!
If you're a fashion obsessed junkie like myself, then you'll be so excited to know that The Clothes Show, in association with Alcatel, will be landing in Liverpool in July for a three day city wide takeover at Liverpool's most iconic landmarks! Your one ticket will give you exclusive access to the 5 amazing locations: The St. Georges Hall, Albert Dock, Liverpool One, Alcatel Fashion Arena and The Baltic Triangle.
During the three day event you will be able to see spectacular shows in the amazing St Georges Hall, shop over 300 stalls in the shopping mall giving you all the hottest new trends and enjoy the catwalks from a host of British and international online and high street brands. Not to mention there will be a ton of celebrity guests and seminar panels of which I'll be speaking at each day!
For more information on the event, or to buy tickets head over to British Style Collective site!
With plenty of festivals under my belt and the bargain hunter gene running though my veins, It's only fair to share my festival hints and tips with the rest of the world. So, if you're looking to stay fabulous on a budget this Summer, this little festival guide will be your nifty go to check list for creating that super sassy style, without breaking the bank!
ONE
Online shop apps are a goldmine for previously owned festival buys that have most likely only ever been worn once, but are listed for sale a fraction of the price! Give the search function some abuse and you're well on your way to picking up some cool & quirky garms. Not in the market to buy? List your own festivals pre loved items from previous years & use the cash for your spends on your next festival.
Take advantage of that online prices are cheaper and often have deal! Glitter, bindis & colourful wigs are a festival must! I've put together some of my favourite offers below:
If you’re a blogger, it's definitely worth asking companies who you work closely with if they're looking for festival collaborations or discount codes. Taking advantage of all the festival weird and wonderful sights, definitely makes for great content. Win win!
FOUR
Plan your outfits in advance! This might sound like a no brainer, but if you're trying stretched for cash, creating a mini capsule wardrobe can be the answer to all your problems. Make a list of the vital items and mix and match your way through each day! Outfit repeating? No one will ever know! Key festival clothing:
FIVE
Feeding yourself at a festival can be quite expensive! I usually take half my food amount in the form of instant noodles and let myself enjoy the rest of my meals from tasty food venders once we've ventured out the tent. Definitely look for food and drink offers on around the festival or even before you go! Promotions are always going on around the place and you can often bag yourself a good deal if you can be bothered to find them!
SIX
Every year I purchase a couple a couple of concentrate cordial pocket size bottles to take with me. These have been a life saver when for when water just doesn't qunech that thirt. My friends often use them as a mixer for their drinks to save them from carrying heavy bottles of cola/lemonade into the festival!
SEVEN
Don’t buy expensive rain macs. More often than not, most aren't waterproof (I've learnt from past experience) and they become really annoying to carry round once the rain disappears or you're dancing away in a tent. You can pick up some disposable ponchos for around £2.50 for a pack of 5. Bargain!
EIGHT
Go over your daily routine in your head when you're packing and imagine yourself going through the process of each item/product you use. This can be your mental check list to make sure you've got everything!
Confidence. To be a blogger, all round confidence levels have got to be quite high and the amount of confidence that portrays through your posts and online social presence can be pretty important to a certain extent. For starters, you're essentially putting yourself out there online for the world to see.. and for some bloggers (this applies to anyone using social media really). But, what happens when you shy away and let the fear of others judging you get in the way of potentially creating amazing content? I've put this post together to let you know how I got my confidence levels to go from 1 - 100 by hearing a couple of sentences that really hit home.
When I first started blogging, my Mum was my photographer (you can find my 2010 images HERE). We took my images out in the garden & anyone that walked past would without a doubt look over to be nosey. This sent me into a state of panic and I'd stand there, shy, confidence levels at plummeting to zero, waiting for them to pass by.
"So, what? Who cares what they think?" - The most overused confidence boost phrase, ever!
There's nothing quite like cat calling and men hanging out the doors of a pub shouting 'Wheeeey, are you a model or something?' to boost your confidence, is there? This is what you get when you choose to shoot in the Northern Quarter on a busy Saturday afternoon. I mean, cat calling and comments from half pissed men ain't the nicest on a normal note.. But when you're trying to look fierce AF working those Public Desire boots for the blog, it just ain't gonna happen is it? Well, at least not when you're getting asked to pose for a selfie with the guy that's ventured out from the pub (yes, true story. Gross, I know).
It was these experiences from the gen pop that halted my progress as a blogger. Yes, my images had improved from the flower bed & grass backdrop that were once my signature.. But, I decided to start searching for more remote locations. Roof tops, under bridges, side streets.. you name it! Locations with minimal people, meant minimal comments. But, my images became just like my locations... Minimal!
I like to reflect on which direction my blog is going in and by doing so, I often become unhappy with my posts or imagery. Natural, of course.. Who doesn't love improvement? Inspiration is key and I often look to other influencers who can inspire me when I'm shooting with my photographer Raych. This then mainly consists of her lying on the floor for half the shoot, trying to get that 'blogger shot' (Sorry Raych). But, inspiration alone wasn't enough for me to conquer my fear of people staring at me on the street .. I needed to find out how these vloggers deal with the stares and the comments day after day! So, with that in mind, I decided to reach out to one of my favourite daily vloggers and asked for some advice:
'Someone looking at you, is never ever going to have a negative effect on your life! The only negative effect it will have, will be that it will hold you back from what you're trying achieve. People are curious, of course they're going to stare.. But think about the times you look at someone doing something on the street.. It's just curiosity, never judgement. & If it is judgement, you'll never see that person ever again anyway.'
This personally, hit me like a ton of bricks! Why should I shy away and stop what I'm doing because of someone else's curiosity. I know for one that whenever I look over at someone, it is simply that.! Just to look.. You know, because I am a little nosey! And for me to get so worked up and bothered about it, is quite frankly...silly! For years I've let it effect me, effect my blog! It's amazing just how much one sentence can completely change your outlook on things. It's crazy how blogging has helped me develop my style, individuality and now my confidence! I apply this mentality to all aspects of my life and I am without a doubt very comfortable in my own skin because of it.
Never let anyone else's thoughts/stares/comments effect you! You do you giiiiiirl (or boy) 😝
