Unless you live in Outer Mongolia, you’ll know that now is all about London Fashion Week. However, rather than it being the usual glamorous round of fabulous catwalk shows in the capital’s coolest buildings, LFW has turned into one huge political protest.

Protesters recreated a united ‘death’ outside various LFW venues, covered in blood, raising awareness for issues such as the huge landfills which labels like Burberry have been known to create. Make no mistake, the controversy surrounding “fast fashion” continues to grow.

Legacy model Naomi Campbell made a bold statement at her Fashion for Relief gala, wearing a dress with blood pouring out of a bullet hole. Apparentl,y to draw attention to youth unemployment and lack of education.

The 49-year-old supermodel hosted her annual charity event during London Fashion Week on Saturday night, to raise money for the Mayor’s Fund for London. Some of the biggest names in fashion and showbiz attended or walked the catwalk, from Stella Maxwell to Leomie Anderson, but none made as big a statement as the hostess herself. 

Many luxury designers lent their creations to the event, such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Dior, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen, with more than 60 models showcasing their designs on the catwalk.

Naomi, who founded Fashion for Relief in 2005, had earlier walked the red carpet in another striking dress, which was completely sheer with only sequins strategically covering her modesty. Fashion for Relief aims to fight poverty and disadvantaged people around the world and has raised millions in donations over the past 14 years.

Yes, I know.  Summer is all but done (says she, sunbathing in the garden), but with this UK Indian summer, I still have a degree of justification for discussing swimwear. 

I’m officially giving you the heads up for summer 2020, because THIS is the next trend you’ll need to prepare for.  And I’ve had less intrusive internal examinations.

Cast your mind back to the beginning of this summer. You’ll recall that the Brazilian cut bikini – bum cheeks out – was/is everywhere. Apparently worn regardless of shape, size or age.

Well, just when we were beginning to reassure ourselves that the Brazilian trend was some sort of blip in the fashion space-time continuum, an American swimwear brand has gone and confirmed all our fears.  The swimwear witnessed in summer 2019 is a style that just refuses to go away. But in 2020, it will be all OUT FRONT.

Revival Swimwear has sent models down the catwalk at New York Fashion Week in some of the most extremely high-cut bikini bottoms I’ve ever seen. It hurts just looking at them.

First up was a black belted one-piece, which looked normal enough at first glance with its demure neckline and buckle detail.

But the extremely high-cut bottoms would threaten to flash your “intimate area” if you ever dared to wear them out in public. And for reasons I can’t comprehend, Revival has also brought out the risqué one-piece in white – just in case it couldn’t be any more impractical.

But it doesn’t just end with one-pieces. Scooping up the award for “Bikini Most Likely to Give You Dodgy Tan-lines” is the brand’s equally high-cut and circular studded swimwear.

Along with an extremely uncomfortable-looking set of bottoms, both items in this two-piece have circular gaps which may just make you delete all your holiday pics.

High-cut bottoms aren’t the first wildly impractical swimwear trend we’ve seen this year. The under-boob seems to be as popular as ever too.

November, please hurry up and get here so that we can all safely snuggle up in knits, sweats and Ugg’s.

Welcome to this week’s instalment of Amanda Zips It Up. You might have noticed that I was absent last week; and for once it wasn’t down to a Balearic jaunt or birthday bash. I was poorly with a bout of ‘gastric flu’, which is highly contagious.  So, family and friends all ended up with a lovely dose of vomiting and diarrhea too. What a lovely post-summer gift.

But on closer investigation, I think I may have IBS. That’s Irritable Bowl Syndromeif you didn’t realise.

Key symptoms are a bloated belly, cramps and erratic bodily movements; caused by many things, including lack of sleep, poor diet and exercise.

Sorry if that’s putting you off your breakfast, but it’s actually quite common. 

“Diet and foods” is a subject that’s never black and white, despite our attempts to simplify and categorise. However, understanding the basics of food can help explain the bigger picture of diet, as well as safeguard against the many diet myths out there (e.g. that carb-free diets are necessarily good for your gut).

Not everyone’s IBS troubles them in the same way, and different people respond to different therapies. Managing IBS is not a one-size-fits-all approach. 

Here’s my brief guide.

Onto this week’s instalment of Zips It Upand we kick start with the return of DM’s – that’s Doctor Marten boots. Also, we explore the netted tiered skirt as made iconic by Carrie Bradshaw; plus if you’re a Peaky Blinders fan, the I have something to make this Christmas very special. 

It’s become the most iconic look of the most iconic fashion-based TV series ever.

The tutu, or tiered netted skirt, has become a symbol of the much-loved character, Carrie Bradshaw– our beloved (and the original fashion blogger) of the 90s’ legendary Sex and The City.

Who can forget the opening credits to our fave fashion box set. Carrie, in her pink Tutu on the streets of Manhattan. It became an instant classic.

Whilst those days are over, the look hasn’t died and it’s back at Left Bank Six this Autumn. Now you can recreate the look in every colour, along with your leotard, blazer or biker jacket.

Pair with spikey heels or Doc Martin boots.

It’ll be the talking point at any dinner party and a vintage piece to keep forever. Mine’s hanging up on the wall for all to see. In pink, of course.

Here’s the selection at Left Bank Sixand they come in at £85.

InCream, Blush, Flesh, Black or Charcoal.

Contact Nicole or Sophie at Left Bank Six 

55 Elm Road

Leigh-On-Sea

Essex 

01702 716113

Topshop is selling a dupe of Dr Martens’ iconic Jaden boots for a quarter of the price, and I can’t get enough of them.

Yes, Topshop has come to the rescue of both bank balances and wardrobes with this latest style dupe, as DM’s are still costing a rather hefty £170, or thereabouts. The Topshop black boots are almost identical to the original-styled Dr Martens, that some of us remember from the late 80s. And get this: at just £42, they’re a quarter of the price of DMs.

• OSLO Chunky Lace Up Boots, £42 from Topshop

Complete with a chunky platform heel and lace-up design, the high street brand’s OSLO boots are almost an exact match their Dr Martens inspiration.

Better still, the Topshop Oslo boots are also available in a snake-print design, which pair perfectly with some black skinny jeans and an autumnal chunky knit or classic blazer.

Original DM boots are only distinguishable by their iconic yellow thread.

• Jadon Boots, £170 from Dr Martens

The snakeskin design only cost £42

• Snake Chunky Lace Up Boots, £42 from Topshop –

Can’t get enough of the new series of Peaky Blinders?

Well, how about taking your fandom to the next level and inviting the Shelby brothers into your bathroom? Well, sort of.

Superdrug has just announced it will be launching a Peaky Blinders grooming collection, with gift sets available to snap up in time for Christmas – for those trying to get organised in advance.

The range, launching in stores this week, features a Garrison Tailors Wash Bag Gift Set, £20, which includes the bag, a shave cream, a post-shave balm, a body wash and a very dapper tortoiseshell comb.

You’ll also be spoiled for choice as other options include a Hip Flask set, £12 and a hair styling set, £16.

There’s also a fancy Body Wash & Bottle Opener box, £10, where the fancy opener is shaped like an old-school razor.

The whole range will launch at Superdrug on 11th September, so grab them fast and prepare to feel incredibly smug when the Christmas shopping chaos begins.

In the meantime, binge on that box set.

WELCOME TO THE END OF AUGUST.

I’m currently in an unusually stormy Ibiza. Despite the storms, it’s still very warm here on the White Isle, and of course the UK has just experienced the hottest August Bank Holiday weekend ever.

I’ve already featured anti-hot weather “setting sprays” and “chafing balm” for us ladies. Now here’s something to help your man out in boiling conditions – freezable pants.

• Snowballs Cooling Underwear For Men, £59 from Amazon 

Snowballs Underwear is “scientifically backed cooling underwear”.

The pants come with ice packs – dubbed “SnowWedges” – that are frozen before being popped into a pouch over the groin.

According to SnowBalls, the “SnowWedges” are ready for use after less than an hour in the freezer. After that, they’ll keep things cool for 30 minutes.

For a fairly hefty price, customers get two pairs of cotton boxer briefs and three freezable inserts.

Too expensive? You’re better off holding a cold drink with ice between your legs. But don’t accidentally spill it.

Onto this week’s instalment, and on this occasion we discuss Fred Perry’s Polo shirt signifying hate, the night bra to prevent chest wrinkles and the new Buckle trend.

The Proud Boys are American far-right tattooed neo-fascists, frequently identified by their love of Fred Perry polos, “Make America Great Again” hats, and ‘unapologetic Western chauvinism’

Fred Perry‘s classic laurel wreath polo shirt is instantly recognizable—a staple of men’s wardrobes since the brand debuted in 1952. Though Fred Perry attire was regularly sported by the likes of JFK, the brand also has a history of being hi-jacked by darker forces, particularly a sect of skinheads who aligned themselves with far-right extremist group the British National Front in the 1970s. 

Since then, Fred Perry has worked hard to escape this negative connection by recruiting global brand ambassadors, such as tennis star Andy Murray and the late great singer Amy Winehouse. In the era of Trump, a bolstered far-right movement, a new chauvinistic group called the Proud Boys—a fraternity of white guys whose mantra includes violence against peaceful protestors—has adopted the Fred Perry polo (in black) as a part of its unofficial uniform, much to the chagrin of Fred Perry.

In a statement, Fred Perry chairman John Flynn said: “Frankly I could send you a press release, but no need. A little investigation into Fred the man and Fred Perry the company would reveal a lot”.

“Fred was born the son of a socialist MP [and] became world tennis champion at the time when tennis was an elitist sport. He started a business with a Jewish businessman from eastern Europe. The brand was adopted by the mod movement and systematically has been associated with a diverse group of subcultures from reggae to punk to Brit pop. So, the Proud Boys are counter to our beliefs and the people we work with.”

It is a shame that the Proud Boys, who claim to be accepting of black and gay people, but whose very existence is based on violence and pride in white males’ contribution to Western society, would try to steal something as cool, classic and timeless as a Fred Perry polo.

Earlier this year, neo-Nazis tried to co-opt New Balance sneakers after the brand’s soft endorsement of President Trump. Thankfully, it didn’t stick. So when it comes to Fred Perry polos, let’s not allow the Proud Boys to take ownership. 

If you’re a decent, non-racist, non-chauvinist guy, wear your Fred Perry polo with pride.

A night bra that fights wrinkles has been launched.

It’s a problem all women face as they get older – wanting a tan but having to deal with the wrinkles it causes to our skin. This especially visible on our chests, made worse by sleeping on our sides at night.

Now a bra has been specifically designed to be worn at night, to keep breasts lifted and separated whilst the wearer sleeps.

Called La Decollette, the bra’s inventor, Rachel de Boer, comments that for years she secretly slept in an old bra to which she had sewn stuffed socks that nestled between her breasts, keeping them apart so vertical lines did not develop.

“It started out as my secret, I didn’t want to talk about my wrinkles or the first bra I made, which was ugly. I slept like that for seven years and then I turned 40, told my friends and they admitted they shared the same problem.”

When her friends asked for help, De Boer made five more versions of her night bra. Her friends were so enthusiastic about the results, they encouraged her to quit her day job and commercially produce an anti-wrinkle night bra.

The La Decollette has been a hit in Europe and is now on sale at Selfridges for £45. I bought mine on Amazon. It consists of a soft, padded, rectangular piece of fabric that covers the decolletage from the neckline to the top of the rib cage, sitting between the breasts to keep them lifted and separated.

The cupless bra prevents the breasts pressing together while the wearer sleeps, which Ms De Boer suggests is the probable cause of vertical wrinkles on women’s.

Marilyn Monroe is believed to have maintained her curvaceous 36D figure in the same way. Some endorsement..

Ariana Grande wore a sexy LBD with buckled fastenings when she returned to Manchester on Sunday.

Her outfit was a hit with the crowd at the Pride event, which marked her second visit to the city since the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

But it’s not just the 26-year-old singer who has “strapped in” for the summer, Kim Kardashian has been seen out wearing buckles as well.

Featuring strapping and cut-outs, the style is not for the faint-hearted — and the high street is not buckling under pressure to follow suit.

This bold trend could be a little belter. Here’s the best of the rest.

• Beige bodysuit, £19 Topshop 
• Black buckle skirt, £12, Pretty little thing 
• Bronze heels, £25, Schuh 
• Earrings, £4.80 (sale), Boohoo 

The bralette is worn out, but be brave, it’s all part of the look.

• Black bralette, £59, House of CB
• Pink shorts, £15.99 
• Earrings, £5.99 New Look

This colour is fun and summery and the buckles complete the look.  It’s very Kim Kardashian.

• Pink dress, £30, Boohoo 
• Orange heels, £38, River Island 
• Earrings, £3.99, New Look 

The jeans should fit really well. No baggies or muffin tops.

• Blue silk top, £16 River Island 
• Blue jeans, £35, Boohoo 
• Red patent heels, £45, Head Over Heels by Dune 
• Hoop earrings, £10, River Island 

Think see-through – and neon! I wouldn’t wear this but I can see girls wearing it on holiday or to a festival.

• Neon green crop top, £18, Boohoo 
• Green cycling shorts, £12, Pretty Little Thing 
• Earrings, £6, Nasty Gal 

Wear it in Ibiza – if you’re brave enough.

• Pink bodysuit, £20, Pretty Little Thing 
• Red trousers, £13, Primark