… a word from the Editor & Blogger

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Hurrah! After much moaning and groaning and what feels seven months of winter, it almost feels like we’ve bypassed spring for full-on summer.

I’m not complaining. It means plenty of jaunts over to the Balearics with little more than a passport, bikini & sunglasses in my Gucci belt bag.

With summer having arrived almost overnight, I’ve made a pact with myself to start running again to shift a few pounds. I’m already spinning in cycling shorts – more about that look in this issue. Plus, trying to cut back on bread and wine, which is almost impossible when you’re sat in a beautiful restaurant overlooking the Med.

This week I’m packing for a forthcoming weekend in Ibiza with my fellow fashionista Nicole from Left Bank Six,I also have great news from my fellow fashionista number 2, Vanessa Townsend from Heels Boutique,who announces the massive expansion of her shop in Essex. Vanessa has a new range of Balearic inspired sandals, guaranteed to add that boho vibe to your summer/ holiday wardrobe.

Perfect for Ibiza and Mallorca. Contact Vanessa for prices and more ranges available at www.heelsboutique.com

Add code AMANDA for a 10% discount.

This week we reveal the new H&M collaboration and the designer Tee you should all be wearing this season. Enjoy!

The Return Of Cycling Shorts

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Mrs.West recently continued to use her celebrity to promote her husband’s label, this time trying out a pair of blue YEEZY bike shorts, or ‘cycling shorts’ as we call them over here.

I’m all for the nostalgia of a fashion revival but not when it comes to cycling shorts. I thought they died with Princess Diana?

It’s an ‘athleisure’ relic of the 80s, long since forgotten about, but with the revival of mulletsand legwarmers, it was only a matter of time before these hideous creations returned. And it’s all thanks to Kim Kardashian herself.

They are notoriously unflattering, delivering curves in all the wrong places. The elasticated waistband and hemline create bulges at the knee and belly plus they’re generally made of non-fire resistant material and are sometimes see-through. If they absolutely have to be worn, then they should be restricted to weekly spinning class. Not worn with a blazer / open shirt / hoodie and beret – as seen on Bella Hadid recently.

Teaming cycling shorts with heels is possibly the biggest fashion crime in history but KK has not been seenwithout them this year. But to be fair Kim, she makes a powerful statement here. The appeal lies in opting to wearing something so ugly and defiantly pulling it off!

So, it seems, bike shorts worn with a baggy sweatshirt, chunky trainers and jumbo sunnies, looks bizarrely RIGHT.

Flattering? No.  But when did that ever stop a fashion trend?

The Versace Tee

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Branded slogan t-shirts have become a firm fixture of the fashion influencer’s superpower.

It all started with Gucci’s white interlocking ‘G’ logo tee, which swamped our social media feeds at the end of 2016. Every high street store (as well as the fake goods market) has copied this, unfortunately, so time to move on…

2018 is all about Versace, thanks to the brilliant TV series “The Assassination of Gianni Versace – American Crime Story”, which I have been watching religiously. So it’s no surprise that this season’s Insta-hit tee comes courtesy of the late designer’s OTT Italian brand.

The t-shirt was part of Versace’s Spring/Summer 2018collection, which his sister Donatella designed to commemorate the 20thanniversary of her brother’s death.

The super glam SS18 show featured the five original 90s supermodels (Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen and Carla Bruni) wearing Versace’s iconic metal mesh dresses.

Using a font and logo design dating back to Gianni’s heyday in the 80s,

the last few months have seen the t-shirt really take off in fashion circles. Bloggers, models and actors are all wearing the Versace tee in various pastel colours, with pink and baby blue as the favourites.

It’ll set you back a mere £270(almost 300 euros).

It’s currently available to buy online at Versace.com, Farfetch.com, MyTheresa.com and Net-a-Porter.com

 

Moschino At H&M

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Let’s get ready to rumble! It’s time to join the masses sleeping rough on Regents Street this November.

For the past thirteen years, H&M has rolled out big-name designer collaborations that cause high street mayhem and chaos.

Are you ready for 2018?  Well, here’s six months’ notice.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know Coachella has been in full swing, and the Swedish high street giant used the Californian festival as their big “reveal” moment.  They’re teaming up with the Italian brand Moschino for this year’s collab, available in H&M stores and online from November 8. And what makes this year’s partnership exciting isn’t just the high-end-aesthetic-at-purse-friendly-prices appeal, but also the design talent behind it, Jeremy Scott.

Scott is not a ‘subtle’ designer, to put it mildly. He is a merchandising and pop-culture master. His collections are usually a riot of colour and pattern, along with a healthy dose of kitsch. Since taking over the creative reins at Moschino in 2013, the self-described “people’s designer” has used Barbie, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Optimus Prime as sources of inspiration (and literal imagery on garments). He has also reimagined the house logo as everything from McDonald’s-esque golden arches to a Super Mario Bros.-inspired blocky font.

We wait with baited breath to see what the H&M collection holds in store.

The Moschino H&M collection will be available online and in select H&M stores worldwide on November 8.

… a word from the Editor & Blogger

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So here we are, post-Easter hols and (in my case anyway) grinding on with that annual pre-summer diet.

And the backdrop is weather in the UK that’s best described as somewhere in between “grey drab” and simply “rubbish”.

So, what to do?

The default position is dropping everything and heading without pause onto a flight to the Balearics. Something that’s a no brainer at this time of year, whilst Med flights are still in their early season “cheap” phase. However, post-Easter another inexpensive getaway option is Dubai. It is, after all, a winter destination. As a result, its early summer flight fares plummet just as Med flights can become jaw-droppingly pricey.  So, in two words, “Dubai” and “booked”.

It got me thinking about many of the Muslim, burka-wearing women one sees in Dubai, at the malls, on the beach etc.

A few years ago, I went to a beauty salon with a girlfriend in Dubai, and was amazed at how the women step out of their burkas once inside the salon and out of male gaze, revealing hugely glamorous faces, figures and hairstyles.

I love the fact that women from Muslim countries, wearing the Hijab, can remain mysterious, solely revealing absolutely beautiful eyes and faces, plus really experimenting with new make-up trends, as the face becomes the main attraction.

These are just a few examples of the incredible make-up artists found on Instagram.

I think you’ll agree, every picture is pretty stunning?

I am really looking forward to that upcoming Dubai trip.

Onto this week’s instalment of Amanda Zips It up and we head for all that sparkles in the sun, fashion low-points from on-line giants and the silent vibrator just landed. Yes really.

Enjoy.

Thanks again to Guest Ed Mira Manley For Sunshine & Glitter this week.

Bad Taste At ASOS & PrettyLittleThing

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ASOS is (almost) always the go-to online fashion haven when you need a new outfit for a Saturday night or want to find the perfect pair of shoes to match that dress. With hundreds of options, it seems like you’ll always find what you’re looking for.

But sometimes ASOS’s ideas hit rock bottom. This hideous lingerie set is the latest to have us crying out “what the hell happened!”

The bra looks like it was designed blindfolded, unsure of which strap goes on which shoulder. It looks neither comfortable nor sexy.

The criss-cross green lace doesn’t offer any support to your boobs, and one strap looks like it would dig into your shoulder. And the knickers look like they were abandoned midway through being stitched up on the sewing machine.

The asymmetric trend may be popular at the moment, but let’s keep it to dress hems, rather than underwear.

Another fashion low this week comes from PrettyLittleThing, who have launched a pair of denim knicker-shorts, which they claim create the perfect festival look. Exactly which festival, I have no idea, because the thought of these at Glastonbury teamed with muddy wellies makes me feel, well a bit nauseous. Let’s just assume they mean California-based Coachella.

The Mid Wash Denim Knickers, at £15, have a ridiculously high-rise leg, complete with a thong-style back – leaving very little to the imagination. And, physically ‘touching cloth’.

Needless to say, many shoppers have taken to Twitter to air their despair.

Along the lines of “WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY”

Or “I suppose if you’ve got it, then flaunt it”.

Sunshine & Glitter

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Glitter is a nightmare. Having spent over almost 15 years partying at Judgement Sundays and Fridays in Ibiza, our house over there was always littered with glitter residue the morning after the “Ibiza night before”. It takes weeks to get out of your hair, as well as sticking to carpets like glue.

But some girls (and boys) love glitter and there’s definitely something very ‘holiday’ about the stuff. So imagine trying to mix it with sunscreen on a trip to the Balearics this summer. Yep, glitter sunscreen has arrived and it’s absolutely perfect for music festivals and the Ibiza pool party season.

Sunshine & Glitter have released Sea Star Sunscreen, which comes in Gold, Rainbow and Pink Glitter. It’s also SPF 50 and water resistant for up to 80 minutes.

For those heading out to festivals this season who also need a little protection from flies and mozzies, Sunshine & Glitter additionally offers a 2-in-1 glitter sunscreen and bug repellent.

It doesn’t end there either. After a long day in the sunshine or pool, we all need after-sun lotion and hair conditioner. Thankfully, that is also covered.  Awesome Sauce lotion and Hair Slay hair Detangler are available to keep folk sparkling even after the sun is down. PLUS… Sunshine & Glitter also stock a glitter lip balm.

This collection is perfect for anyone who has absolutely no intention of washing out those sparkly particles from their entire body for weeks on end, throughout the summer. For me, however, this is all one massive nightmare. But to be fair – it is biodegradable, so shouldn’t leave too much of a trail. Good luck.

The Silent Vibrator With Health Benefits

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Hold the press.  The world is about to witness the first silent vibrator.

As we know, most vibrators are as loud as electric shavers – a sound that many women consider a turn off. Now, space technology has come to the rescue. The German company Laviu Gmbh, has produced quiet sex toys that will not buzz and instead pulsate soundlessly – utilising the same technology used in the solar sail on the Rosetta space probe.

The Laviu has a silent but powerful pulsation and is constructed out of medical silicone. Women who tested the prototype claimed to be “satisfied” by this new sensual experience.

Let’s face it, vibrators are really not taboo anymore, and are more of a standard lifestyle product. With this less edgy image, the company raised one million euros from investors and crowd funding pages to launch to market.

Laviiu Gmbh has already received more than 650 pre-online orders and won an innovation award.

And if that wasn’t enough to keep you satisfied, how about a vibrator which also promises to boost orgasms by working out those pelvic floor muscles.

Bloom by We-Vibe is a vibrator designed to be an “enjoyable” approach to pelvic floor exercises. Training this key set of muscles will not only boost your sex life, but can also prevent dreaded incontinence and the prolapse of a woman’s internal organs that can occur after childbirth.

Researchers say all women should take regular pelvic floor muscle training to avoid any symptoms in the future, so this vibrator will allow women to be proactive about maintaining their pelvic floor health as well as (hopefully) delivering sexual satisfaction.

Now that’s definitely what we call a Double Whammy!

… a word from the Editor & Blogger

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Welcome to this week’s instalment of fashion and lifestyle, as we hit April and the long and winding road to Summer has its destination in sight.

Having just popped over to the Balearics, the temperatures were heading north, which kicked me into summer mode. Until being brought crashing down to earth upon returning in London, that is. Rain (and single digits) dominated the grey and miserable skyline.

The Easter chocolate fest is over, thank God. When it’s raining outside and the fridge is full of Easter eggs, it’s a dangerous distraction.

But I can see clearly now, as we count down to the Ibiza summer season, with spring and summer fashion filling our shops and wardrobes. The pre-summer diet goes hand-in-hand with that, of course.

In this issue we learn the language of Fashion, with the A-Z of Fash pack lingo, explore the Foreskin Facial, which has taken Hollywood by storm, and check out Overalls For Men – the new fashion statement bang on trend.

Thanks to my Guest Ed Mira Manley for the Overalls article this week.

Overalls For Men

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Functional outdoor clothing has been inspiring menswear design for a few seasons now. Think Prada’s nylon anoraks and Louis Vuitton’s hiking boots, plus lots of other pieces generating a macho “man in the woods” image. Without getting down and dirty, of course.

But the best “outdoor” fashion revival to happen so far has to be Men’s Overalls. (Sniggers)

Overalls were created at the end of the 18thCentury as cover-up protection for working men, first mass-produced by Levi Strauss.

128 years since overalls’ birth, they have retained their functional role as genuine work wear, as well as being reborn in pop culture and fashion. I’m pretty sure I wore “dungers” to the odd rave in the early 90s. But now the bib-front onesie for men is THE fashion statement for 2018.

Actor Chris Pine was recently spotted at Heathrow Airport wearing a Carharttversion, storing his passport and travel documents the overalls’ bib pocket. Nice.

Every teenage boy’s favourite label Supremehave released their next seasonal collaboration with The North Face, including overalls in metallic silver, yellow gold, and rose gold.

This trend could be down to Rihanna, who featured army-green overalls for men at her Spring 2018 Fenty x Pumacatwalk show. Or maybe overalls’ newfound popularity is thanks to Chance the Rapper, who always seems to wear overalls at public appearances, though his take is less outdoorsy and inevitably trendier.

Wherever you trace the trend back to, it looks like men are going to be getting busy in their overalls in 2018.

Get them to paint the garden fence while they’re at it, girls.

By Mira Manley

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