Alice Porter 12/15/18 Alice Porter 12/15/18

A Gift Guide for Your Mamma | 3rd Day of Christmas

*some links used in this post are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks*

On the 3rd day of Christmas at Words By Alice, there’s another gift guide! This one is tailored towards mums, although would also work well for nans and friends (who are potentially older) who would benefit from some relaxation and a little bit of luxury. I always tend to buy my mum presents that are tailored towards de-stressing. My mum does so much for me and she is always busy so I always think it’s nice to buy her, slightly more luxurious, presents to help her relax.

Let’s start with books. I personally feel most relaxed when I’m completely engrossed in a book, it’s one of the only times when I can silence all the crazy thoughts in my head. So I think it’s a great present to gift someone to help them relax. My favourite book of the year (although Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a close second) is Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, This is a beautiful novel about a couple, Yejide and Akin, living in Nigeria who are struggling to give birth fours year into their marriage. One day, Yejide’s family arrive at her house with a young woman introduced as Akin’s second wife, who they have ‘recruited’ because of the couples’ fertility problems. From this point on, Yejide is determined to become pregnant, whatever the cost. As a book, it’s educational, thought-provoking and emotional and will have you hanging on to the edge of every word. I think it would be the perfect book to gift to your mum, especially because of its subject matter, but also because it would be a great book to spend a few days losing yourself in in the post-Christmas/pre-New Year period whilst eating leftover Christmas dinner and your body weight in chocolate.

There’s a whole lot of beauty and skincare products in this photo because they’re not only the most cliche ways to relax, but one of the best in my opinion. It’s always nice to buy someone something they wouldn’t buy for themselves, especially if it’s something that’s a little luxurious. On that note, the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is such a great present to buy for someone. Using this product has improved how I sleep so much and, as someone whose anxiety usually materialises at nighttime, has generally just made my life better and easier. People don’t believe that it actually helps you sleep but it does so by buying this for your mum you’ll literally be giving them the gift of sleep. The one photographed here is mine but I’ve bought one for my mum in the past and she loved it!

Another relaxing product, that has actually come from my Liberty Advent Calendar, is the Susan Kaufmann Lavendar De-Stress Oil. I’ve been using this in baths and on my body and because it’s such a luxurious thing that I wouldn't really buy for myself, I think it’s such a nice present to buy for someone.

In terms of skincare, in the past I’ve bought my mum the Oksia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. It’s a cult item in the skincare world that works for all skin types but a little bit on the pricey side, so, again, perhaps something people wouldn’t want to buy for themselves. A face mask is always a good option for a gift that aims to relax, this Skin Laundry sheet mask is another one I received in my Liberty Advent Calendar that I might pass on to my mum anyway, as I don’t think it’s right for my skin type. But the packaging is beautiful and I’ve heard really good things about the brand, so it’s definitely worth considering!

I also think any kind of bath/shower product is a failsafe and at the moment I am loving all the & Other Stories body products, such as this Sicilian Sunrise Body Wash pictured here. Perfume, too, is a go-to gift for many, but for good reason! I personally cannot justify buying perfume for myself (usually) so I love to receive it as a present. I actually did buy the perfume in this photo for myself when I was in Paris, as a little souvenir. It’s by the brand Bon Parfumer and the scent is so unique. Plus, it wasn’t too far on the expensive side for a perfume (I think it cost me around €35) but it looks and smells like it should be.

And, of course, you can’t go wrong with a candle, especially a Diptyque candle. My favourite Diptyque scent is Baies but I’ve finished that one so included in this photo is the Figuier candle, which I also really like. Diptyque is expensive but the packaging and the unique scents do justify the price (kind of) for me. If you don’t want to spend that much on a candle though, you definitely don’t have to- I’ll include some more affordable ones in the latter part of this gift guide with further recommendations.

I’m almost done, I promise. Just one last thing- this Space NK airport scanner machine-friendly (I’m sure there’s a better way to describe it than that) travel bag. These bags look so chic and double up as toiletries bags that you can take in your hand luggage through airports- practical and good lookin’. If your mum travels a lot or even if she just needs a new make up bag that can also be used for travel, I think these toiletries bags are great.

Here’s some more recommendations of things that aren’t photographed here:

Books:

Beauty/Skincare/Body:

Homeware/Candles (etc.):

Alice Porter 12/14/18 Alice Porter 12/14/18

The Best Christmas Jumpers to Buy Now | 2nd Day of Christmas

Jumper- COW VintageJeans- Topshop (Bought on Depop)Shoes- Vegan Dr Martens*some links used are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks — Jumper- COW Vintage
Jeans- Topshop (Bought on Depop)
Shoes- Vegan Dr Martens
*some links used are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks

Hello and happy Christmas Jumper Day! I know many of you will already have bought your Christmas jumpers, and will hopefully be wearing them today, but for those of you who haven’t, I thought I’d create an edit of what I have found to be the best Christmas jumpers on the market.

Before that though, let’s talk about what Christmas Jumper Day actually is and how it came about. On Friday 14th December (AKA today) the charity Save the Children are encouraging everyone in the UK to wear their Christmas jumper, whether they’re at home, school or work. Along with this, they ask you to donate £2 each to raise money for the charity and the children it helps. As the website states, a £2 donation could pay for the antibiotics to treat five children suffering from pneumonia, which is one of the biggest killers of children.

This post is in no way sponsored or in collaboration with Save The Children, I just think it’s a really great cause because 1. you’re literally saving children’s lives, and 2. you get to spread all the festive cheer in the form of a novelty jumper.

I bought the Christmas jumper I’m wearing here either last year or the year before from COW Vintage in Liverpool, so sorry if you wanted to get your hands on it! It’s my favourite one I’ve found as it wasn’t too pricey, it incorporates a whole lot of novelty elements to it but it’s also pretty flattering because it’s cropped so it looks great with high-waisted jeans, as styled here.

I decided to wear it in these photos even though you can’t buy it because, despite this being a post that is encouraging shopping, I wanted to include some sort of reminder that you don’t always have to buy brand new items or buy anything at all. I personally don’t think I’ll be buying a new Christmas jumper this year (although watch this space, as I’m very tempted by the ones below) because this one is just fine for me, considering I only wear it a handful times during one month of the year.

However, if you don’t own a Christmas jumper yet or yours is in need of an upgrade, here’s an edit of the best Christmas jumpers, from the novelty, to the glittery, to the slightly more subtle, I’ve found available to shop online:

My personal favourite is the Warehouse striped jumper with the Christmas cat. It’s subtle enough that you can style it for everyday wear but it still very much has that novelty element through the cat imagery! Let me know which one of the Christmas jumpers I’ve chosen is your favourite and don’t forget, if you already own one, to wear it today! You can donate to Save The Children as part of their Christmas Jumper Day here. See you tomorrow for another gift guide post!

Alice Porter 12/13/18 Alice Porter 12/13/18

A Gift Guide for Your Best Gal Pal | 1st Day of Christmas

Welcome to Words By Alice’s 12 days of Christmas! If you haven’t heard over on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/some other form of social media, I’m going to be posting a new blog post every day for 12 days, from today (13th December) till Christmas Eve! I’m sure you’re going to be well and truly sick of me by the time Christmas Day comes around but for now, I hope you can enjoy the novelty of day one!

(DISCLAIMER: I’m very aware that this isn’t the *official* 12 Days of Christmas but I break up from Uni for Christmas today and starting today means I can finish on Christmas Eve, so I think it works pretty well- I hope you do too!)

Anyway, I thought I’d begin these 12 days with a gift guide, specifically one for your bestie! Because, let’s be honest, they’re the best people to buy for. Often you can just buy them something you love, knowing (hoping) they will love it too. There are so many different categories of gifts that you could buy for a best friend, from books, to beauty, to clothing and accessories, to novelty and personal items- I’m hoping I’ve covered most of these categories here!

Starting with books, something that is going to feature in all the gift guides I have coming up this year (yes, there are more) and my favourite things to give and receive. A book always feels personal, especially if you’re giving one you’ve read and love, and it really is the gift that keeps on giving, as you can talk about it with your friend as they’re reading it and bond over how much you (hopefully) both loved it. The books I’ve included in this photo are ones that I have read this year and think would make great gifts. Charly Cox’s debut poetry collection She Must Be Mad covers so many things that young women (from generation Z to millennial) deal with and it’s as fun of a read as it is emotional and relatable. The Anxiety Solution, as you may have guessed from the title, is a self-help book, one that helped me through some difficult patches this year and that I regularly return back to. If you know someone who has been struggling with anxiety this year, this could be a thoughtful and useful gift for them. Plus, the cover incorporates various shades of ‘millennial’ pastels, so what’s not to love?

Moving on to beauty and skincare, my go-to brand for myself and for gifting purposes is, of course, Glossier. It’s relatively affordable, the packaging is always adorable and the product is genuinely great in my experience. If you’re feeling a little spendy this year, Glossier ‘You’ is the perfume that smells different on everyone who wears it. I’ve never worn it without receiving a compliment and, although perfume can be a tricky one to gift sometimes, I think the adaptable nature of the scent means there’s no one who won’t like it. If you and your bestie have set a budget, go for the Balm Dot Com. My favourite one is the Birthday Balm Dot Com because it’s hydrating and sparkly, which is 100% the look I’m going for. If you’re still stuck on which Glossier product to go for, I have a blog post ranking the Glossier products I own from best to worst.

There are some other beauty/skincare brands that I love and are equally aesthetically pleasing as Glossier, such as Mario Badescu. My favourite product of theirs is the Rosewater Spray, it’s as bougie as it sounds and quite the indulgence, making it the perfect gift. Another brand that ticks all my product quality and aesthetically pleasing packaging boxes is Isle of Paradise, a tanning brand I have discovered this year who have actually made false tanning somewhat cool. The Light Tanning Drops included in this photo are subtle but putting a couple of drops into your moisturiser adds some serious glow.

It’s always a little risky to buy clothing for someone, no matter how well you know them. Accessories, on the other hand are a little easier. A scarf is something that most people will wear, in their hair, tied to their bag or just… you know, round their neck like they’re designed for. A silky scarf always feels really luxurious as well so it would be such a nice thing to receive. I was sent the one pictured here by the brand Style By Portobello, who handpick vintage scarves and deliver them to you! This totally takes away the time-consuming element of vintage shopping but still allows you to get something totally unique, purse-friendly and environmentally and ethically A-OK for a friend.

Finally, a notebook. It’s a classic gift but for good reason. Who doesn’t love them? I could probably create an edit of about 1000 notebooks I love but I picked this one up from & Other Stories recently as a gift from me to me recently. It’s not currently on the website but it’s still in stores.

The items discussed and photographed here are ones I already own. But here’s an edit of many other things that you could buy for your best friend this Christmas…

Books:

1190137_oliver-bonas_gift_everything-i-know-about-love_1.jpg

Beauty/Skincare:

Clothes & Accessories:

Other Random Bits (Homeware/Stationary):

Choose_Light_Luxury_Matches_from_MOSS_1050x.progressive.JPG

Alice Porter 11/25/18 Alice Porter 11/25/18

Everything I Like Is Bad But Is Feeling Guilty About It Helpful?

Top- Charity Shop, Second Hand (similar

here

)

Jeans- Vintage YSL, Armstrongs Edinburgh (similar

here

)

Coat- Charity Shop, Second Hand (similar

here

)

Shoes-

Converse

Bag- Zara (old, similar

here

)

Necklace-

ASOS

As a society, and more specifically as a generation, we seem to be becoming more and more aware of how many aspects of our lives are harmful, whether that’s sustainably, ethically, psychologically- the list goes on. Every couple of months there seems to be a new realisation on how a fundamental part of many of our lives is not as innocent as we thought.

Fashion and buying clothes? That’s the second biggest polluter in the world. A mindless scroll through Instagram? The cause of all your insecurities. Reading a book, surely nothing wrong with that? Think again, do you know how many trees are killed to make one book? Eating anima... Oh wait, I’ve got this one down, I’m vegan so we’re all good there. Wait what? Palm oil is destroying rainforests and is in a whole lot of vegan products including... Oreos?? It all feels like too much.

I’m not saying that we should just be ignoring all these facts and statistics and that people are being ‘snowflakes’ (I hate that term) about these things- we shouldn’t and they’re not. Our consumption of fast fashion is excessive and is causing too much harm to our planet; social media can negatively affect people’s mental health (although this one isn’t as straightforward as others in my opinion, read my blog post discussing this here); kindles are much more environmentally friendly than a hard or paperback and palm oil is destroying rainforests. But I love buying and styling new clothes, social media is a HUGE part of my life, palm oil is in a lot of vegan products and is very difficult to avoid and well, to be honest, I just really don’t like kindles... perhaps I’m being a little stubborn with this one.

These justifications all sound a little trivial, I’m aware. But trivial or not, all of these things with negative impacts on our world are big parts of my life that I don’t know how, nor do I necessarily want to, be completely rid of.

(DISCLAIMER:Obviously there are countless more aspects of life that have negative impacts but these are the ones that I think are most relevant to my life, which is why I’ve used them as examples.)

So what I’m saying is, it’s impossible for me, and I’m hoping others too otherwise this post is pointless and I’m seriously weak-willed, to just cut anything with a potentially negative impact totally out of their lives. For me, even reducing my consumption/usage of these thing also proves difficult. So instead, lots of people, me being one of them, are talking about making a ‘conscious effort’ to reduce their intake of something/s that are harmful. But sometimes, at least for me and seemingly for some others, this just seems to be away of saying ‘I’m aware that this is bad and I know I should change my habits but I don’t know how to and therefore I probably won’t or at least not enough to make material change’.

Changing your mindset is one thing but changing your habits is another, much more difficult thing to do. So how do we do it? I honestly have no answer. In fact, I have many questions! And I think raising awareness of all of these things is great but what we really need is solutions that aren’t extreme but are practical, do-able steps that people can follow to try and change the way they live. I’m aware that in writing this blog post just to say this, I’m being a little hypocritical. But I don’t feel qualified to provide any answers and if anything this post is a cry for help and a call to arms to people who might be reading this who have managed to stop buying fast fashion or cut palm oil out of their diet to help us all and provide tips that don’t scare anyone, including me, off (I think I mentioned my weak will earlier?)

It’s also just a post to vocalise how I feel about the current climate being one in which we have to think about the ethical implications of everything we do, which can often make us feel a little bit helpless. And this is how I feel right now. I really want to find ways to deal with all of the problematic things I mentioned earlier and all of the other problematic elements of my life and habits that I haven't mentioned. But I also don’t feel like I can suddenly change pretty much every part of my life, big and small, which comes with a sense of guilt that isn’t really helpful or productive.

For example, I recently set myself a challenge of not buying any new clothes in November and failed a few weeks in (damn you Black Friday). But, for the most part anyway, telling myself I couldn't buy any clothes only made me want to shop more and left me with a list of things I was going to buy when this terrible month (I'm joking, kind of) was over, so it did anything but change this habit of mine and seemingly only made it worse.

I think manageable steps will work better for me and this is what I want to try and focus on but it still feels like I'm failing because I'm not doing enough in doing this. I feel like this despite the fact that manageable steps have proven to be more sustainable long-term for me. For example, every piece of clothing I'm wearing in this photo was bought second-hand, and I didn't even put these pieces together intentionally. So why do I feel guilty about not doing enough?

Changing our habits slowly doesn't bring the same sense of gratification as totally giving them up does, but I think sometimes the latter method is used only to prove yourself; for example, not buying any clothes for a month, posting about it all over social media, and then buying double the amount of clothes you'd usually buy the next month. I'm not writing this method of going cold turkey completely off as I'm sure it has worked for some people. But the narrative that the only way we can keep our conscience clear is by giving up things completely and the sense of guilt that comes with not doing this is unproductive and unsustainable.

Like I said, this post isn't providing answers. It's purely an attempt to vocalise how I feel about the societal guilt surrounding more and more things in our life and to consider how productive this is. Making a 'conscious effort' doesn't feel like enough but going cold turkey isn't a feasible option for many people, so how do we change our habits in a positive, sustainable way without feeling guilty about not doing enough? I'd love to hear your ideas on how we should deal with all the issues society is discovering with its ever-growing ethical, environmental , psychological (etc.) awareness without having to feel a sense of shame about everything we do. Let me know in the comments or on social media, and please share any links to resources you've found helpful on this topic!

Alice Porter 11/18/18 Alice Porter 11/18/18

Charity Shopping Tips & Tricks

Despite the fact that more and more people are trying to make better sustainable and ethical choices when it comes to shopping and the fashion industry, charity shopping is still so underrated. Some people think it’s pointless and that they won’t find anything they like, others just can’t get past the stigma that perhaps still surrounds it (that stigma being that charity shops are for old people). But I’ve been making the most of charity shops for the past couple of years and have found some incredible pieces there (including my favourite ever pair of jeans photographed here), so this post is an attempt to try and convert those of you who still aren’t buying from charity shops and to help those of you who already are really make the most of them.

All the pieces on this rail, and the ones on my body, in these photos are some of my favourite pieces I've bought from charity shops and many of them are some of my most worn and loved pieces, from this faux fur coat, to my favourite pair of jeans to the various pieces of knitwear. And the best bit? I didn’t pay over £10 for any of them. The majority of them cost under £5. The jeans I’m wearing that I’ve definitely worn over 100 times cost a mere £2 times- how’s that for cost per wear?

There’s definitely a knack to charity shopping, although some of it is just luck, in order to avoid going home empty-handed, so I hope these tips will help you crack it and encourage you to head down to your local charity shop next time you have a free afternoon...

1. Carve Out Time

As a general rule, you’re not going to be very successful if you only ever ‘pop in’ to a charity shop when you have 5 minutes. This is because, firstly, you’re not allowing yourself much time to root through all of the clothes in there and, secondly, you’re not going to be in the right mindset to do so.

I always plan my trips to the charity shops, sometimes days in advance. Doing this usually means that I get excited to go charity shopping, which means I’m very much in the mood for it when the time I have allocated myself comes around! I think this is essential and it's the main reason why I always plan. It means you’re very willing to dig through piles and rails of clothes to find those gems and makes the ‘chase’ enjoyable rather than frustrating. Also, because you’ve carved out this time purely for looking round charity shops, you won’t feel guilty about it or like you need to rush yourself, making the experience even more enjoyable!

As well as carving out time, visit charity shops as regularly as possible! They're constantly getting new stock and obviously the best stuff is going to go the quickest so the more often you can get there the better. I try and spend an afternoon there at least monthly but I would do so weekly if I had the time!

2.Ignore The Sizes and Always Try On

This one is an essential for all kind of second-hand shopping. If you’re checking the size of everything to see if it will fit, it’s going to be a time-consuming and frustrating shopping trip for you. If you see something that you like but you’re not sure it will fit, take it into the changing rooms and find out for sure.

The black trench that I’m wearing in these photo is a size 16 (I’m a size 8-10 for reference) but it fits just as I’d like a trench to fit. I actually almost didn’t take it into the changing rooms with me because of the size but I’m so very glad that I did!

Sizes change over the years and so does the way in which we like our clothes to fit. This means that you can’t browse a charity shop like a high street store because the clothes generally aren’t made for current sizes or current 'trendy' fits. Obviously this is a general rule as there is some more recent pieces of clothing in charity shops too but even with these, as I do whenever I’m shopping really, I tend to ignore the sizes as they’re literally just a number that many brands get wrong!

3.Dress Appropriately

As mentioned, trying things on is really important so you don’t want to be wearing an outfit that’s super difficult to get on and off. You also don’t want to be wearing shapes and colours that you don’t usually wear as you’re looking for things that will fit into your wardrobe, so wear an outfit that is fairly representative of the pieces in your wardrobe.

I tend to wear a really basic outfit, usually my favourite pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, my go-to coat and my Vans. It’s easy to get on and off and I can generally tell that, for example, if a shirt doesn’t look good with my jeans, I’m not going to get any wear out of it. Or if a pair of jeans don’t work well with my Vans, I’m also probably not going to wear them. Wearing an outfit you like that is made up of staple pieces means that you’ll be able to see how any pieces you’re trying on will fit into your wardrobe.

Oh, and always bring a belt! As I said, sizes don’t really matter. Some things you’ll try on might need a belt or a bit of tailoring so to make life easier for yourself just always have a belt with you so you can check if things would look better slightly altered.

A beautiful blouse that I picked up in a charity shop in Barcelona whilst on the hunt for polka dots.

4. Look Out For Colours and Prints

Usually clothing in charity shops isn’t presented very well. Racks are packed full with so many items of clothing that you can barely really see any of them individually. So it’s not really necessary, or possible, to look through every single item of clothing. Instead, just look out for colours and prints that you like. Maybe even figure out a colour palette that you’re trying to incorporate into your wardrobe or that you're already wearing a lot a before you go and then look out for these colours. I certainly did this before my most recent charity shop trip where I picked up the camel top I'm wearing and the camel jumper on the rack and I've already got a lot of wear out of both the pieces!

Doing this means you don’t have to look through everything and can find things that are your taste simply. Obviously there might be other things that stand out to you that don’t fit into this colour palette and obviously don’t feel as though you can’t buy these, buy whatever you want! But by having a colour palette in your head it makes the experience a little less overwhelming and more productive.

5. Location, Location, Location

All charity shops are worth visiting in my eyes because you never know when you might get lucky, but they do vary in price and stock depending on the location you find them in. City centre charity shops tend to be a bit more expensive- I think this is because the people who work there might be more aware of how much the clothes they receive are worth and also just because they're generally busier. I also feel that the good stock goes very quickly from city centre charity shops because of the aforementioned reasons.

The best charity shops, in my opinion, are the ones in small towns, preferably a residential area where lots of elderly people live, as not only does this mean that there will be A LOT of charity shops but it means that you're more likely to be able to find vintage pieces and things that haven't been worn as much because of the huge amount of clothing these branches receive. There are at least 8 charity shops in the small area where I live when I'm at home and these are always my favourite charity shops to visit as I'm always the most successful here.

So, here's my tips summarised:

Carve out time to visit charity shops
Visit regularly
Ignore sizes
Always try on clothing items
Wear staple, basic items on your visits
Wear clothes that are easy to get on and off
Always take/wear a belt
Choose a colour palette and focus on looking for that
Favour charity shops in residential areas over city centres
Forget the stigma around them because they're an absolute goldmine!

I hope this post has been helpful, whether it's encouraged you to make a visit to your local charity shop or has given you some new ways to improve your already regular visits. By choosing to buy clothes from charities instead of from the high street every now and then you're protecting the environment, your bank balance and giving money to worthy charities rather than the likes of Phillip Green when you're shopping on the high street.

Alice Porter 11/11/18 Alice Porter 11/11/18

How To Get (Back) Into Reading

As an English Literature student whose current sole purpose is to read fiction, people often tell me that they want to get into reading, whether they've fallen out of the habit or never made one. Despite the fact that I've always loved reading since I was little and now have to do it as part of my degree, there are still times when I also get out of the habit. I never stop enjoying it I just sometimes forget how much I enjoy it.

This was particularly the case during high school when my priorities were very different to what they had been before this period and what they are now. It took actually reading a book that I liked in school (which didn't really happen until I was around 16 as I think before then I'd read a total of one book as part of my studies and that was Holes by Louis Sachar that I honestly think we spent around a year reading as a class) to get me back into reading. My love of reading was re-ignited by studying English then, but most people who talk to me about wanting to start reading aren't really ever going to study English Literature again, so they're not going to have the same opportunity as I did to really get back into it.

So, I thought I'd make a post on how to get out of a reading slump (whether it's a month, a year or 10 years long). They happen to me all the time even though I know how much I love reading so I always have ways prepared to get out of them

FYI: I'd just like to point out that reading isn't for everyone and, if it isn't for you, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Through spending a great deal of my time with other English students, I've come to realise that liking reading is often held up on a pedestal, signifying not only your academic intelligence but your emotional intelligence. But this just isn't true- liking books really doesn't automatically make you a better person! Some people just don't like books and never will. If that's you, don't feel pressure to read this post or to read a book.

But... on the other hand, if you've never given reading a proper go then you may as well try, maybe you just didn't start with the right genre for you? For me reading is a source of escapism, relaxation and positivity so don't rule it out just cause you've never tried it. Although I feel like a bit of a hypocrite in saying that as I've never properly tried an olive and never will- the smell nauseates me :)

Anyway, here's my tips...

1. Always Have A Book With You

This is probably the tip that really got me back into reading or at least led me to start reading a lot more often than I originally was. People often say take a book with you if you're going to be on public transport, which you definitely should do, but don't just stop there, take a book literally everywhere. Whether you're just popping out the house to go to the supermarket or you're going on a weekend away in which you're planning on being extremely busy (and even drunk) all weekend, you never know when you're going to be delayed, in a queue, or forced to be waiting around for something.

After establishing the habit of taking a book everywhere with you, you then have to make a habit of picking your book out of your bag rather than your phone when you have a spare minute or 10. I still struggle with this all the time but I always feel much happier and like I'm using my time better when I choose to pick up my book instead of my phone, so I try and keep that in mind.

So whether you know you're going to have time to read a book, or you're certain you definitely won't, never leave the house without one, because life is unpredictable and you never know when you might thank yourself for doing so!

2. Set Yourself a 'Reading Time'

Half of the struggle of not reading is just forgetting to; letting Netflix roll on to the next episode without the thought of turning it off even popping into your head, letting 5 minutes of Instagram scrolling turn into an hour. There's so many distractions in our life, many of them digital, and books don't have push notifications like so many of these other things do to remind you to use them. You have to consciously decide to start reading, even if the idea of staying on Instagram feels easier.

So, to combat this, work reading into your routine. Set a time every day when you're going to read. For me, this is in the evening time just before I go to bed. Others do it in the morning, some people on their lunch break, whatever works for you! I personally like doing it before I go to bed because it really allows me to escape into another world and leave all the worries and stresses that are in mine behind, so I can have a restful night's sleep. But I know some people can hardly read a paragraph before they go to bed without falling asleep mid-sentence, so just try different times out and see which ones work.

Remember not to feel guilty if you don't feel like reading sometimes though! At times, you just won't and turning it into a chore won't help. Try and remember the positive reasons as to why you want to read and hopefully they'll motivate you to stick to your 'reading time' but if they don't, no problem, try again tomorrow.

3. Find a Good Book That You Actually Want To Read

Now this one sounds obvious. And it is. But I feel like to get back into reading you have to become infatuated with a book, in order to really feel like picking up another one. So it's important that you start with a good one. Don't set yourself the task of reading that classic Dickens novel that you've always wanted to read. That one can wait. Start with a page-turner that's going to get you hooked and excited!

Think about the types of films and TV you like to watch and find your favourite genres in books, whether it's crime, romance or dystopia. If you're really passionate about about something, from feminism, to sport, to music, find a book with themes that incorporate your interests! These are the things that you already enjoy so use them to find a book that you'll like.

Like I said, I'd recommend getting back into reading with a page-turner to get you excited, so here are some of my favourite page-turners of all different genres:

4. Read With Others

For me, talking about a book is often just as enjoyable as reading it, which is a big part of the reason why I chose to study English Literature at university. But you don't need to be studying English to talk about a book you've read and, often, it's a lot more enjoyable and less pressurised and pretentious to talk about books more casually.

So why not join a book club? Whether it's an IRL one or an online one, it will be a good way of not only holding you accountable to read but also to make reading a more sociable thing. I used to run a feminist book club for Girls Against and I loved running it as it meant that I always engaged with the book we read so much more than I usually would and, therefore, enjoyed it more. I had to stop doing it because I'm currently reading 3(ish) books a week for UNI so the pressure of having to read another one a month on top of that was a little bit too much. But obviously my reading load is unique so hopefully joining a book club won't involve that type of pressure for you.

If you feel as though it does or just don't think it will be your thing, then it's worth just getting a friend or two involved and see if they want to read the same book as you for the next month or so. You can then text and talk about it as you go and when you've finished it without the formalities of an actual meeting to discuss it. A good thing to do, if you have a friends birthday coming up or, dare I mention the C word, for Christmas, is to buy two copies of a book you want to read and think a friend will enjoy, one for you and one as a gift for them. It's the gift that keeps on giving for both of you!

5. Try Audiobooks

Finally, if you just cannot find the time (although, I think it's always worth making time to read) or if your attention span isn't allowing you to read, try to start out with an audiobook. You can listen to it while you're driving, cleaning or getting ready in the morning but it still requires your attention. Some people prefer this to actually reading books but I also think it could be a good way of training your attention span up to the point of being able to read a written book.

I've personally never properly clicked with audiobooks. I did listen to Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love earlier in the year and enjoyed that more than I think I would have in written form, but I haven't found any other audiobooks that have had the same effect on me. So if anyone knows of any I'd love your recommendations! Despite the fact that I'm not head over heels for them, audiobooks definitely do work for some people so they're worth a go. I think Audible offer a free 30 day trial so that might be worth looking into!

I really feel like settling down with my book for the rest of the night after writing this post so I hope you feel the same way! Like I said, reading is such a positive thing for me and, as much as I love social media and our digital age, I think the way in which reading has fallen out of fashion because of it is a shame and a loss for a lot of people. So even if you're only considering it a little bit, definitely give reading a go, whether it's an old friend of yours or one you've never truly got on with, there's a book (or a thousand) out there for most people.

Alice Porter 10/21/18 Alice Porter 10/21/18

Where I Find Style Inspiration

Jumper- ASOS, Skirt- Old Zara Dress (similar here and here),Shoes- Vans, Bag- Old Zara (similar here), Necklace- ASOS

I have been feeling so inspired by and excited about fashion/styling lately. I think it's partly because we're having a very mild autumn, which means I can actually wear autumn/winter clothing that I like without freezing! But it's definitely also because I've found so many new ways of finding style inspiration. The outfit that I'm wearing here was very much inspired and something I had wanted to put together for a while. It's so 'inspired' that it basically is copied, but that's a whole other post (one that I've already written, about the difference between copying and taking inspiration).

Anyway this outfit was basically inspired by two outfits I saw on social media (see below) and it got me thinking about where I get my style inspiration from. So I thought I'd share it on my blog! I don't think it's anything revolutionary but it can be interesting to see how other people decide what to buy and what to wear and it's also part of my effort to think more consciously about why I'm buying my clothes and if I truly want/need them.

Found on Instagram via @glameramo

2. Found on

1. Pinterest

I am so late to the party with Pinterest but, now I've finally hopped on the bandwagon, I love it! I find Pinterest such an inspiring place to be. It's really just about finding images that you like and there's no obligation to engage with anything you don't want to. Plus, because it's basically a search engine, it's so easy to find exactly what you're looking for whether that's 'autumn style' or 'check blazer and midi skirt' so it always helps me find new ways to style things I already own. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired I always just scroll through my Pinterest feed and come out the other side wanting to put outfits together. It's actually one of the only forms of social media that I use for style/fashion that makes me want to shop my own wardrobe more than I actually want to buy new things because you can really curate it so images come up with people wearing similar things to those that you already own. My 'Autumn Style Inspiration' board has been my go-to place for inspiration whenever I can't decide what to wear.

2. Instagram

Again, there's nothing revolutionary here. I use Instagram for style inspiration like most other people. The save button was one I used to make use of quite often but now I have Pinterest, I tend to curate boards over on there rather on Instagram now. So, Instagram is mainly just a place that is constantly providing me with inspiration because I'm constantly on it (whether this is a good thing or a bad thing). The thing that can be tricky with Instagram is, unlike Pinterest, I'm always liking things and I think, because I'm not curating my own board and a like is something I never have to look back on again, I'm a lot more frivolous with the photos I'm liking and therefore it's hard to tell if I really did actually like the thing that I just virtually liked. A very complicated sentence, but hopefully you understand what I mean, Instagram can be much more mindless than Pinterest. But, nevertheless, because I spend so much time on Instagram and can at least curate who I follow, I am always feeling inspired by the photos on there and it's definitely the most consistent form of inspiration for me- it's like a constant flow that keeps the wheels of inspiration turning.

3.IRL Shopping/Browsing

I know I mentioned earlier that I'm trying to be more conscious with what I own and what I'm buying, but I can't deny that shopping is a big source of inspiration for me, particularly in store but also online (especially when brands release editorials; my favourites for this are Mango, & Other Stories and Zara). But the buzz I get when I'm walking around a store and seeing clothes laid out in an intentional way really does make me feel inspired. And whether it is how the shopping experience has affected me (which I think it's at least partly this) or just the novelty of new clothes, I always feel excited to style outfits when I get home from a day of shopping, in a way that shopping online just doesn't allow me as much.

4. People Watching

Another in real life method of inspiration! Although social media is essentially the virtual way of people watching I guess? But people watching in person, in the least creepy way possible, is a really great way of finding style inspiration. I don't think it's an intentional thing and I'm not really the type of person to park myself in the window seat of a cafe and take in the clothes people are wearing. But being out and about, especially in 'cooler' areas of city centres such as the Northern Quarter in Manchester or the Bold St and Baltic Triangle areas of Liverpool, always sub-consciously makes me feel inspired. I have been known to hunt down pieces after seeing them on other people or made it my life's mission to find something similar (something I did with this polka dot skirt, which is actually a dress, after seeing the original on Georgia) and most of these hunts stem from real life experiences, despite the example I've just given. The online world makes it so easy. We are handed shoppable links quicker than we can ask for them, which can obviously be really useful and time-saving. But I think hunting for a particular/similar piece that you've seen someone look amazing in IRL is more of a creative, exciting and rewarding process that will really get you feeling inspired!

I hope you've enjoyed this post and maybe even found it useful in some way. It's certainly got me excited to get styling some outfits. As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently trying to dress and, even more so, shop more consciously than I have in the past and thinking through the reasons why and ways in which you dress the way I do is a really important part of this. Because I'm never going to be a minimalist or a person who doesn't want to shop, but hopefully I can stop being the person who buys something that I will wear once purely because it's cheap or impulsively makes an ASOS order because I'm bored! Baby steps are still steps and hopefully they will all add up. If you haven't seen Stacey Dooley's brilliant documentary 'Fashion's Dirty Secrets', which I'm sure you've heard about, do go and watch it because it will make you think differently about the fashion industry, something we all need to do

Alice Porter 10/14/18 Alice Porter 10/14/18

Should We Bare Our Souls Online?

Jumper-

& Other Stories

Skirt- Topshop (currently sold out but they're re-stocking it quite regularly at the moment- I will post a link to my Twitter when/if it is re-stocked again)

Necklace-

ASOS

Today's post was going to be an update on how I've been dealing with my anxiety, something I've been planning on writing for a few weeks. When I realised it was International Mental Health Day on Wednesday I thought this post would be even more apt. But it was ironically that day that made me change my mind. Although it's a great way of helping raise awareness of mental health issues, it meant that a lot of people were sharing their own stories of their own mental health problems, which, again, is a good way of helping to add to the evergrowing conversation around mental health. However, for me, I found listening to other people's stories overwhelming and triggering. It was one of the first times I've really had to make myself to put my phone down and stay off social media for the day/night because it became quite a negative space for me.

This got me thinking about how much of my life I wanted to be sharing on social media. On my blog in the past, I've been happy to talk a lot about my personal experiences and, by doing so, I've been able to connect with people going through similar things, which has definitely been really positive. But after feeling so overwhelmed by hearing others' stories on Wednesday, I began to rethink whether sharing so much really is the best thing to do.

The conversation around the ethics of sharing on social media has been growing so much over the past few months. From Katherine Ormerod's new book 'Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life', and the corresponding Instagram hashtag, to Pandora Syke's recent article for Man Repeller, it's definitely a topic that's hot on people's tongues. Much of the conversation around this subject argues that we should be presenting more honest perceptions of ourselves on social media, better reflections of our 'real life'. I can definitely see how the facades of social media can be harmful for many people, seeing people live seemingly perfectly lives and feeling like yours just doesn't live up is definitely a negative thing. But, for me, this just isn't the case. I use social media as a form of escapism, just I use books, TV and other forms of media. I think this was why being faced with so many 'real-life' stories similar to mine felt so difficult for me. I like seeing a 'glossy' version of people's lives on social media and I'm very, very aware that everyone's Instagram feeds are a highlight reel of their life (although I do like seeing a bit of 'real life' over on Instagram stories). I like using social media as a way of pursuing my interests, from fashion to books to food and reading and seeing photos around these topics definitely helps me switch off and feel more positive. But as real people, should we be sharing our real lives on the internet all the time?

Most people at the moment, it seems to me, would probably answer yes. The word 'responsibility' comes up a lot when talking about how bloggers and 'influencers' should be using social media and obviously there is some sense of responsibility attached to the job title, like there is with any job. But should people really feel as though they have to share every single aspect of their lives with strangers online? Is it helpful if they do? I don't have any answers. I don't know how I feel about it. At the moment, I think maybe users of social media should take responsibility for their own usage, unfollowing people who make them feel negative and limiting their usage of social media if they know it's not good for them. Because, for me, Instagram, most of the time, feels like quite a positive space for me (even if I waste far too much of my time scrolling) and I can only see it becoming more negative and triggering, personally, if people were to start sharing the more negative aspects of their life on there, especially if they were only doing so because they felt they had to.

I'm not advocating for social media, specifically Instagram, to be a completely honest or dishonest portrayal of 'real life', I think I'd like it to be somewhere in the middle, which, with most people I follow, is where I think it's at now. I think it all comes down to personal choices in terms of posting and following. Maybe for me it's positive to talk about some of my own negative experiences online but generally not helpful to read about other people's? Is this contradictory? Yes. But is this ok? I think probably yes. Because if other people, like me, don't feel good about reading other people's struggles or 'real life' issues, then they can unfollow me. Maybe I wouldn't even follow myself? Now this is really getting morally confusing. You can tell I don't know where my mind is at on this subject. But I thought I'd put my confused thoughts out on to the internet anyway because I think there is an interesting conversation to be had about this topic and I'd like to contribute to it, even if I'm doing so unhelpfully.

I'd absolutely love to hear your views on the topic of sharing online. Do you feel a responsibility to make sure your Instagram page is a completely honest version of you? How do you go about avoiding the bits of social media that you find negative? Let me know in the comments or send me a message over on Instagram or Twitter.

Alice Porter 10/7/18 Alice Porter 10/7/18

How to Follow Trends Without Losing Your Personal Style

Photography by Ami Ford.

The content of this week's blog post is primarily style-based, which is a little bit unusual for me. However it seems very apt as I've been ridiculously excited about autumn/winter fashion recently and it's all I can think about/spend my money on. Even now I'm excited at the thought of getting dressed today so I can wear my new Topshop midi skirt. Anyway, we're one paragraph in and I'm off on a tangent. Lets get back to the point of this post, following trends without losing your personal style.

I wouldn't really say that I've got my personal style down to a tee and if you asked me to summarise it, I wouldn't know how. But I know when I'm wearing something that feels like 'me' and I know when I'm wearing something that doesn't. I think that's essentially what personal style is. But something that can get in the way of your personal style is trend pieces, especially the ones that everyone on Instagram is going crazy for. Sometimes, when seeing a piece on your favourite blogger, it's difficult to tell whether it's the piece they're wearing that you like or if it's how it looks on them that draws you to it. I've wasted a fair amount of money in the past on trend pieces that just weren't for me and didn't align with my style, mostly because of the reason above and also because sometimes seeing something so much can actually make you think you like it.

Anyway, I styled this outfit based on some of this season's current trends while still maintaining a sense of my personal style. So, based on this outfit, I'm going to provide some tips on, in my opinion, the best ways to follow and style trends.

1. Style Your Trend Pieces with Your Staple Pieces

I think one way that people's personal style can become lost by trend pieces is when their entire outfit is made up from them. This is why I struggle to get on board with co-ords sometimes, such as leopard print co-ords or the matching flared pants and crop tops, because I feel like by wearing them I could lose my personal style. But if you pair your trend pieces with your staple pieces, there's always going to be an element of 'you' within your outfit. Here I've paired 3 trend items, the cargo pants, leopard print shoes and hair clips, with 3 staple items, a simple black cami, a simple gold necklace and a classic croc print shoulder bag. Part of this tip is also ensuring you have those staple pieces in your wardrobe (mine would probably be a white t-shirt, a pair of straight leg jeans, my Vans and a leather jacket) because they are always going to make your style feel like 'you'.

2. Think About It and Experiment

This tip relates back to my earlier point about seeing a trend piece on someone who's style you like and thinking you want it for yourself. Before following a direct link to buy the item, think about how it would fit into your wardrobe. Come up with at least 3 ways you would wear the item. If you can't do this, you shouldn't really be buying it in my opinion as it's inevitably going to be one of the items that sits in the back of your wardrobe. I wasn't sure how the hair clip trend was going to fit in with my personal style, as I tend to really enjoy wearing my hair loose and a little bit messy. But I thought about it for a couple of months and tried some different types of hair clips on in store before finally deciding to give it a go. I'm quite confident wearing hair clips now as I thought a lot about how I would wear them (and even dedicated a Pinterest board to them) before buying some. But I feel as though if I would have bought them as soon as seeing them on someone whose style I admire, this confidence wouldn't have been there.

FYI: I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with not liking a trend at first and eventually allowing it to grow on you, as long as this isn't just because you've seen it on so many people. Your style might have slightly changed from when you first saw it or you might have discovered new ways to style it. Just make sure you're consciously thinking about the reasons why your mind has changed to avoid wasting your money.

3. Pair Trendy Patterns with Staple Shapes or Trendy Shapes with Staple Patterns/Colours

This is a rule I try and stick to although, of course it's completely fine to try new shapes and patterns. However it is a good way of ensuring trend pieces you spend money on aren't too out there that you're going to be scared to wear them. What I mean by this tip is, for example, if you want to buy into the leopard print trend, choose a piece that is in a shape that you're comfortable wearing (such as an A-Line skirt or a blazer). Or, alternatively, if you're buying into a trend based on style or shape, such as the silk/satin midi skirt trend, choose one in a colour that you're comfortable wearing.

I wasn't 100% sure about the animal print trend (I'm still very skeptical of the snake print trend, I don't think it's for me) but I have eventually picked up some leopard print bits that I've definitely got wear out of, such as these Primark shoes. These shoes were only £6 so they weren't much of an investment piece anyway but, even so, I don't think that's a reason to buy things without thinking about them because firstly, little things add up and, secondly, I want to own things that I love not that I just feel indifferent towards. And I knew I was going to get so much wear out of these shoes because I have them in yellow and wore them to death during summer. So I knew they were going to be a really good trend-based update to my wardrobe for autumn/winter.

4. Know What The Trends Are

This might be the most important tip because if you don't know what this season's trends are you aren't going to be able to follow the previous tips. Also, most of the time it's important to think of trend items as such so you know not to invest your money in something that's only going to be around for a season or two. By being consciously aware of the trends, you can consider when you see something you like, if you like it because it's a popular item that lots of people have been wearing if you like it because it's something you'd personally feel great in. My favourite way to keep myself up to date with the season's trends is by reading articles and watching videos about them. Megan Ellaby does great videos every season on trend pieces, here is the link to her autumn edition. Karen also did a really great video on the same topic.

I hope this post has been helpful and will inform any shopping you're planing on doing over the next couple of months. I've definitely bought into a few of this seasons' trends such as satin midi skirts, cardigans and leopard print but I'm always conscious of which pieces are going to last me a long time and which pieces aren't and I try and spend my money accordingly. Let me know in the comments or over on social media what your favourite trend of the season is!

Top- Urban Outfitters (old, similar here)

Trousers- New Look via ASOS

Bag- ASOS (sold out, similar here)

Shoes- Primark

Hairclips- Accesorize

Necklace- ASOS

Alice Porter 9/30/18 Alice Porter 9/30/18

Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing

Photography by Ami Ford.

I'm finally back with a new blog post after a brief hiatus due to a busy couple of weeks and some personal struggles, which I will go into more later in the post. But I've been wanting to write on this topic and share these photos for what feels like forever now and I'm finally getting round to it today. These photos were taken by the incredible Ami Ford, whose work I had admired from afar for some time and so was delighted to be able to shoot with her, and I'm so happy with the outcome! You can find her on Instagram here, Twitter here or visit her website here.

Today's post is inspired by these photos and specifically, the location that these photos were taken in. This was perhaps one of the busiest road in Manchester on the Sunday afternoon we were shooting on, meaning I really had to have confidence in what I was doing as posing in the middle of a very busy road in a bright yellow midi dress with every passerby staring at you with confused/baffled looks can/could have been an uncomfortable situation. In fact, posing for photos in any situation, even if there are only one or two confused onlookers, and sharing them on social media is quite a daunting concept generally and something I'm still trying to become totally comfortable in.

Anything that you do that is a little bit different, especially if it involves self-promotion, is probably going to be scary and weird. Since becoming more confident in doing my own thing, my life has only improved however I'm still not 100% there yet at all. So much so that, after a little (read: huge) wobble after moving to UNI last week, I considered not writing this post as I didn't think I was qualified to discuss this topic. But then I realised that if I wait till I feel totally comfortable in myself and my interests and habits, I'm probably never going to get round to writing it as I don't even know if it's possible to feel that way to such an extent. So I thought I would use this post to discuss the areas of my life in which I'm trying to become more comfortable in doing my own thing whilst also providing some tips to help others do the same.

INTERESTS AND IDEAS: STARTING MY BLOG

The first area in which I've really had to push myself out of my comfort zone is, as you might have guessed from the first part of this post and from previous posts, starting and running this blog. Having a blog, especially one that is fashion/style-based, means you’re constantly having to promote yourself and, at times, bare your soul to the internet, not knowing who's going to see it or what reaction it's going to get. These are the reasons why it took me so long to properly commit to having a blog but, as with most things, now I have it these two things, and everything else that comes along with it, are not so scary at all.

I do still feel a little bit uncomfortable with the self-promotion thing and it's definitely not my favourite part about having a blog, especially in person, but it's something that I've got used to and definitely don't feel scared or embarrassed about anymore. The only advice I really have for starting something you want to do whether it's a blog, a YouTube channel, a music career etc. is just start it. Everyone says this but it's so true. You're going to have to get over being embarrassed about it and, if it's something you feel passionately about and enjoy, you'll get over it so much quicker than you think. Plus, if you're surrounded by good people then they'll support you and if you aren't, at least it will help you realise that there are some shitty people in your life who don't need to be there.

SOCIAL AND PERSONAL LIFE: GOING OUT AND DRINKING ALCOHOL

The next part of my life where I've had to try and do my own thing, and probably the most difficult part for me, is learning how I like to spend my time and realising that this is not how most people my age, in my situation like to do so. Yep, this is the part where I reveal that I'm 19 going on 90, far more inclined to spend my Saturday night watching Strictly Come Dancing then getting drunk and staying up till 5am. I've not always been like this, I used to love a good night out and a drink, admittedly before it was legal/acceptable for me to do so, and I think that's part of the reason why it's mostly not for me anymore.

Some people don't ever grow out of getting drunk and partying but a lot of people do and I think because I started out so early I am just a little bit bored by it now and definitely not excited by it. The other reasons why I've retired from being a party type of girl are much more difficult to navigate as they're purely health related. I've struggled with IBS and anxiety, as you'll probably know if you've read my blog before, for over 2 years now and they are both extremely negatively affected by drinking alcohol and a lack of sleep. I'm not going to go into it too much, because you really don't want to know about my digestive issues, trust me, but after drinking 3-4 ciders on Thursday night, I was not only fairly drunk (I've always been a lightweight but my lack of drinking has only accentuated that) but I spent the entirety of Friday with horrendous stomach pains, meaning I struggled to stand up by the end of the day, plus any feelings of anxiety are multiplied by 100.

This has been quite difficult for me because, as a student, the main activity that my friends engage in is drinking alcohol (FYI: I don't judge them for this at all, everyone enjoys different things and they're just as entitled to enjoy drinking as I am to not enjoy it). However, in my experience, the best thing you can do in these types of situations is be open with people. No one is going to get annoyed with you if you tell them how negatively you feel about doing something (even if your reasons for this aren't health-related) but they might if you cancel on plans last minute with an obviously-fake excuse or constantly decline their plans with no explanations. My friends are always so kind to me about not drinking or not going out and try to make effort with me to organise different types of things to do, meaning I rarely have to force myself through awkward and anxious nights and even worse morning-afters, something that was a weekly affair for me during my first year of UNI when I refused to be honest with anyone about it.

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: DEALING WITH ANXIETY

The final thing I want to discuss is dealing with mental health issues and I know this sounds weird because 'doing your own thing' does not usually equate to having anxiety. But I think the most important thing in dealing with a mental health problem is accepting it and being confident that you know what the best things to do for you are and doing them, no matter what anyone else thinks. If you want to eat a pack of biscuits for tea because that's the only thing you feel hungry for and you don't have the energy to make anything else, do it (this is a case study from my life, specifically during the last week). If you feel like you need an extension on an essay or any sort of mitigating circumstances, talk to someone at your school/college/UNI about it.

You're the only person who knows exactly how you feel and you can't be embarrassed about your needs or the way you're feeling and avoid them because no one else is going to be able to guess what you want to do and help you. Something I found difficult last year and over the past week since moving back to UNI is feeling like I need/want to come home because being at UNI makes me anxious. There is such a stigma around going home from UNI, in my experience, because people feel as though they need to 'stick it out' to prove their independence and that UNI is the best years of their life. I felt the same way last year and forced myself to stay for UNI for weeks even though I knew a weekend at home would do me the world of good and I was very much in a position to go home. Now, mostly because of the incredible support of my friends and family, I feel absolutely no shame in coming home for a weekend or even every weekend, because if that's what I need to do to get through the days without a panic attack then that's what I'll do.

I realise this post has been a little bit of a ramble but it's something that I've wanted to speak about for a while and, clearly, have a lot to say about. I hope it's inspired you to do something this week that you want to do for you, whether that's starting a blog, saying no to something you don't want to do or booking an appointment with a counsellor. Be sure to leave me a comment or message me on social media if you want to discuss this topic further or talk about my experiences or your experiences. My DM's on Twitter and Instagram are always open!

Alice Porter 9/19/18 Alice Porter 9/19/18

Paris on 35mm Film

Alice Porter 9/16/18 Alice Porter 9/16/18

Three Days in Paris | The Best Food, Shopping & Sights

So I've been back from Paris for a week now and I still can't stop thinking about the dreamy three days I spent there with my friend Maisie. This was probably the least 'touristy' holiday I've ever had and I felt like I experienced local life as much as was possible in three days. We spent most of our time eating, shopping and going to different exhibitions and found so many gems, so I thought I'd share what we got up to here, ranking the things we did categorically! I'm not going to talk about where we stayed because, honestly, that was probably the worst part of the trip. We stayed in an apartment just outside of Montmartre, the location was fine but not as central to Montmartre as we would have liked, that had no real bed (we slept in a mattress on the floor) and a fridge that either made a loud buzzing noise or leaked. Our accommodation by no means ruined our experience though as we spent barely any time there. So anyway onto the recommendations! Oh and just a heads up, I'm vegan so all the places we ate at are either vegan or vegan friendly.

SHOPPING

1.Shakespeare & Co

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This shopping recommendation is the only one that isn't fashion-based but it has to be my number one because I loved everything about this bookshop. It's been a dream of mine to go here for some time as an avid book-lover and it did not disappoint. The location right next to the Seine is dreamy, with second-hand books for sale outside and the interiors are even better- they even have a resident cat! They stamp any books you buy with a 'Shakespeare & Co' stamp which was such a nice touch and they also had really beautiful copies of all the books you could conjure up. If you're a reader, or even if you're not, you have to go here.

2. Killiwatch

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I found Killiwatch on the premise that it was a vintage clothing store but it's even better. Not only does it have an amazing, curated selection of vintage clothing but it also stocks clothing by independent Parisian designers. When I visited there was construction work going on inside the store which, I must admit, tarnished the experience a little bit. But not so much as it's still sat at number 2 on my list purely because the amount and the quality of the clothing in there. I ended up picking a vintage scarf that I'm using as a hair scarf and a jacket by an independent brand, Tinsels, that is 100% linen & cotton- what a dream. If you follow me on Instagram you've probably already seen them but if not I've posted a photo of them here.

3. The Frankie Shop

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Number three on my list was a close competitor with Killiwatch but I've decided to rank it lower because of the price points of The Frankie Shop, which I couldn't really afford. The Frankie Shop stocks designer clothes plus some of it's own-brand clothing and 100% of the pieces in there are beautiful. The prices are reasonable (eg. around the €130 mark for a good quality jumper) but were out of my price range on this trip. However I did end up picking up a perfume which has such a unique smell to it for only €35 which was a bit of a bargain. If you have money to spend on good quality, beautifully designed clothes then definitely head to the Frankie Shop but, if not, it's still worth visiting as it's a beautiful store.

4. Merci

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Merci really does have it all. I would probably design it as a concept store but it has everything from furniture, to clothing to a half cafe/half vintage bookstore. I didn't buy anything here but it was a lot of fun to walk around and we did sit outside to have one of their homemade lemonades as well.

5. Sézane

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Sezane is a French brand that sells clothes for the Parisian woman and everyone who aspires to be like her. The clothing is beautiful, classic and it's all made sustainably. The Sézane Apartment in Paris is seriously beautifully designed and, with citrus infused water available as you walk in, it's definitely an enjoyable and relaxed shopping experience. I didn't buy anything, not because of lack of want but lack of money, but, as they've opened their first UK store in London, I definitely hope to in the future. The only think I didn't enjoy about this shopping experience is the fact that I did think the staff there were a little bit contemptuous, but maybe this was just a bad experience on my behalf.

6. Mona Market

Finally for my shopping recommendations is Mona Market. This is in the same area as The Frankie Shop and Merci and we actually just stumbled across it. It's a concept store stocking furniture and trinkets that are basically what my interior dreams are made of. It was wicker heaven and I'd honestly trust the visual merchandisers of this store to design my perfect home with no guidance.

SIGHTS

L'Atelier des Lumières

This is known as Paris' first digital art museum and it is an incredible experience. Artwork from various different artists, modern and classical, is projected all over the ceilings, walls and floors of a warehouse-like room. It's a completely immersive experience and something that I'd 100% recommend doing if you're in Pairs.

2. 'Les Magasins Des Petits Exploratuers' Exhibition at the Quai Branly Museum

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This exhibition is all about the post-colonial idea of 'the other' and after studying this in depth during my first year of university I found it so interesting. It looked at literature, film and other ways in which the Western world has presented the Eastern world as 'other', especially for children, and the effect this has had. Whether you've heard of this concept before or not it's a really educational and interesting exhibition. Plus the exteriors of the Quai Branly are incredible as they have planted an immense amount of greenery all around the museum.

3. The Louvre

A visit to the Louvre was probably the most 'tourist-y' thing we did and the best thing about it for me was the architecture of the Louvre itself, as I'm not a big fan of classical art. I'm glad I went but the tickets were pricey so unless you're particularly interested in classical art or you'd like to see what the pyramids look like from the inside, I wouldn't insist that you go to the Louvre.

FOOD

Brassiere 2eme Art (Janine Loves Sundays)

I'd heard amazing things about this little vegan cafe and was highly anticipating eating there and it did not disappoint one bit. Everything from the aesthetic to the food was incredible! It had a typical French cafe feel and we sat outside in the sunshine to eat. I went for the Nutella waffles with a vanilla milkshake which completely satisfied my sweet tooth and Maisie had the pizza, which I also had a slice of and I can quite confidently say that it was the nicest vegan pizza/cheese I've tried. It's also super close to lots of the shops I talk about (Killiwatch, Sezane and more) so it's the perfect place to eat lunch in between shops.

2. Le Pain Quotidien

I'm told that this is a chain that has branches in London too but this little bakery/cafe felt so very Parisian. Plus they have great vegan options! They have branches all over Paris but we stumbled across the one in Montmartre for some afternoon fuel in the form of cake. I had their vegan blueberry muffin which was delicious.

3. Hank Burger

This vegan burger place is really relaxed, kind of like a nicer version of a fast food place and fairly affordable. The vegan burger I had was really good and they even had vegan mayo on tap (I'm not a big mayonnaise fan but if you are this is probably a good place for you). They also have a bakery and I sampled one of their cookies which was also delicious.

4. Cook n' Saj

This little cafe serves middle eastern food, has great interiors and very friendly staff. Maisie and I both had falafel wraps which were really nice and filling. It was really chilled out in the cafe itself and this is a great place to go if you're looking for a guaranteed good meal in the middle or at the end of a busy day.

I really hope you've enjoyed this post and have found some useful recommendations. I created my own Google Map for our trip with all the places we visited and some others that we didn't quite make it to, which also might come in handy for you if you're visiting Paris too. You can take a look at it here. Let me know in the comments if you've been to Paris before and if you have any other recommendations, as I'm looking for any excuse to go back, or let me know, if you do end up going to any of these places, what you think of them!

Alice Porter 9/11/18 Alice Porter 9/11/18

A Summer Type Of Girl

It really feels like the end of summer now. As much as I've tried to drag it out, it's now usually necessary to wear a jacket when leaving the house and I have no more trips booked. But I can't really complain, I've had so much fun and made so many memories this summer and I'm glad I've made the most of what is my penultimate 'official summer holiday' as a student. I've also been working quite a lot and making some money, most of which I've spent on decorating my second year university room. Anyway, I wanted to write this post to commemorate and look back on this summer and talk about why the summer months really are my favourite part of the year.

As a January baby, you might not expect me to be such a summer lover, but I am renowned for always wanting what I can't have. I do love Christmas but apart from that, the winter months just don't do it for me. So many people talk about how much they love winter fashion, and I must admit I am getting very excited about buying some new knitwear, but, generally, in the UK it's too cold to wear anything remotely stylish and so I end up wearing the same outfit with the same ugly coat all the time. The thought of snuggling up by the fire in a blanket with a book also appeals to me but honestly this actually happens to me three times at a push and most of my experiences of winter involve waiting for the bus in the freezing cold/rain and dreading leaving my bed in the morning. But enough of my complaining about the winter, let me tell you about why I love summer so much, and why this summer was one of the best.

I guess I always associate summer with time off, time off from education that is. Summer is the time when I can do all the things that make me feel like myself and this always leaves me feeling so reinvigorated. It's also associated with travelling, which is one of my favourite things to do, and, this one's not always a given in the UK, sunny weather, which is inarguably better than cold weather and I refuse to dispute this with anyone. My happiest place is probably lying on a beach in a bikini with a book and I don't think there's a time when I feel more relaxed than this. Summer for me isn't an excuse to be lazy though. Despite taking time off education, I always make the most of summer to allow me to be creative, travel and really make the most of the free time I have to spend with friends and family. I think pretty much all my favourite memories have been made in summer and I was worried that this year because I have been working pretty much full-time that this wouldn't be the case, and summer just wouldn't be as good. But, as much as working has exhausted me, it has by no means ruined my summer and this one has still been one of the best ever. I think this proves that it's not just the time off that makes summer so great for me, it's the ease that comes along with it, whether that's simple dressing, spontaneous plans or the fact that I find it so much easier to be happy when I'm woken up through the sun shining through the gaps in my blinds.

This summer I have travelled more than ever before. I feel so unbelievably lucky to have been to so many incredible places and if you'd like to hear more about them in detail then head to the travel section of my blog here to catch up on travel guides and my travels documented on 35mm film. I thought in this post what I would do is share some of my favourite memories from this summer, home and away, so I can always remember to be grateful for everything the past few months have had in store for me.

The start of summer for me feels like my holiday in Corfu with my sister and my mum- this was the ultimate girly, relaxing holiday from spending our days by the pool to our nights on the balcony in our pyjamas dancing to terrible ABBA tribute bands. I was still in the midst of my exams at this point but managed to really put them to one side and enjoy this holiday, which was so important for me in my process of remembering that academic excellence is not the be all and end all of life.

When my exams were over I headed to Parklife Festival, which, as a weekend, is one of my favourite memories from summer. I met up with new and old friends and danced the weekend away and I still have the remains of glitter dotted in and amongst my belongings to prove it. Parklife is also an amazing memory for me because I remember every single bit of it because I was more or less sober for the whole weekend! I've talked about this briefly before but as someone who deals with anxiety and chronic stomach issues, me+alcohol = bad news, so to be able to enjoy this festival without feeling judged sober was a big feat for me.

Then came a period of about a month that I spent at home and at work and enjoyed the UK's glorious heatwave. My favourite memories from this period mostly took place in beer garden's with friends and also in the garden soaking up the sun (and attempting and mostly failing to put up a paddling pool) with Sam. This is what I mean about summer weather making seeing friends so much easier and spontaneous! Everyone wants to go out in the sun when it's there so everyone generally does.

The main event of July was my trip to Barcelona, a city I absolutely fell in love with and an AIRBNB that was my dream home for when I'm a 20-something. I fell in love with the city, the people and, more than anything, THE FOOD. Oh the food. I will never stop talking about those vegan Nutella donuts. I consider booking a flight over there almost daily just to grace my mouth one more time with those heavenly creations.

The first week of August for me was spent in Bath with Sam's family, a beautiful city and a really relaxing trip, proving that you don't need to go abroad to escape everyday life. Note to self: must go on more UK-based holidays. I came back to a week home alone as my family flew out to Fuerteventura a week earlier than Sam and I so I could get some shifts in at work but it seemed like no time until I joined them out there. This felt like a quintessential family holiday for me, with all the good bits and the bad...but mostly good. I got through three books (relaxing holidays like this are always an excuse for me to read as much as possible) and spent some quality time with my family and Sam and also ate a lot (that's definitely a theme of this summer).

I got back from Fuerteventura and within less than a week I was in Paris, on my final trip of the summer with one of my closest friends, Maisie! I've been to Paris before 4 years ago but I fell in love with it even more this time. There is a mini guide to Paris coming your way very soon so I won't go into it too much but let's just say that Paris truly has my heart.

So yeah this summer has been pretty amazing to say the least. And not just because of the places I've been but because of the people I've spent it with (sorry for the cringe). During the academic year I am a hectic mess so I am so grateful to have these summer months not only because of the weather but because it reminds me how important spending time with the people in my life really is. But I'm still going to try and stay positive for the autumn/winter months, however hard that might be for me. Not to wish my life away but I feel like I'm already making plans and counting down the days for summer 2019, I just can't help it!

Dress- Mango

Necklace- ASOS

Shoes- Topshop

Bag- Zara

Alice Porter 9/8/18 Alice Porter 9/8/18

Bath on 35mm Film

Alice Porter 9/1/18 Alice Porter 9/1/18

Fuerteventura on 35mm Film

Alice Porter 8/16/18 Alice Porter 8/16/18

The Importance of Shopping Sustainably and Independently

The Importance of Sustainable and Independent Fashion/Shopping

I've been wanting to write this blog post for a while now and have been really excited about it, hence me posting it in the middle of the week as a bit of a bonus post. The reason for this is the incredible top I am wearing in these photos. I picked it up at a store in the Gracia region of Barcelona, called the 8pm Store, conveniently situated just next to the apartment we were staying in, off my cousins recommendation. The 8pm Store is an independent concept, fashion store, stocking clothes all of which have been designed sustainably in Barcelona as well as an art exhibition. The clothing in the store was so cool and being in the store itself was an amazing experience. Plus, the owner was so friendly, explaining to me more about the idea and logistics behind the store, also gifting me a free postcard from their last exhibition, which was such a nice touch and really made me feel happy for the rest of the day.

This experience got me thinking about why it is so important to support independent fashion. I would never have had an experience like that in a high-street store and because fashion is a really creative thing for me, it's so inspiring to have a shopping experience like I did in The 8pm Store. Another really great shopping experience I had was also on my travels this year back in March when I went to Edinburgh at Armstrongs Vintage. I was also recommended to this shop by a friend, this is definitely the best way to find places to go when travelling from my experience, and it was probably (definitely) the best vintage shop I've ever been to. It was huge and the choice was incredible, from costume dress to the most incredible vintage denim. This is where I picked up the jeans I'm wearing in this photo, they're by YSL and cost me a mere £20. I have pretty much always been looking for the perfect pair of white jeans and these are them. I had to get them taken up, which wasn't expensive, but altering is definitely always worth it as a piece that fits you properly will mean you want to wear it more often and longer.

I realise I've spent the first half of this post gushing over these two shops, they're seriously worth the fangirling though, so I'm going to move on to what this post is actually about, why shopping sustainably and independently is important. We all know the horrors of fast-fashion, from horrendous factory conditions to the colossal environmental effect, so I'm not going to guilt-trip you with any statistics. Especially because I still very much buy clothes from fast fashion retailers, it's the most convenient and affordable way to shop and as much I've tried to avoid it, I just can't at the moment, partly because financial reasons and partly because of selfish ones. So, instead, I'm making a conscious effort to support sustainable and independent shops and brands more often as well.

The most expensive sustainable fashion tends to be the brands who have built themselves on this ethos because it's expensive being ethical in every single way and that's just the way it is. I'm talking about the likes of Reformation and Everlane. The 8pm Store falls into this category of store though and although it's more expensive than your average high-street store, it's still really affordable. The top I'm wearing in this photo, which is handmade and of incredible quality, cost me between €35-40 (I can't remember the exact amount), which is definitely more than I would spend on a piece like this at a high-street store. But I was willing to pay not only for this top that I love, but for the experience of being in the shop and the sustainablity behind the piece. This is something that can be hard to take into account when you put a similar piece from an independent, sustainable designer next to a Topshop piece for a fraction of the piece but I personally think, if you're able to, it's 100% worth supporting the former for the reasons I've just mentioned.

However, most of the time I'm just not able to buy expensive pieces, which often means I resort to the high-street. But another option is something that I love and have found some of my favourite pieces I own from, charity shops. They're so unbelievably cheap AND you're supporting a good cause by buying from them. My favourite pair of jeans cost £2 from a charity shop and the cost per wear is definitely in the minus' now. Although charity shopping can be time consuming, I'll often set out an entire afternoon or morning to go and look around the charity shops, it's so rewarding and can help you save so much money that it's 100% worth it. I know people are sceptical of charity shops but you won't believe the gems you'll find in there and most of the things haven't been worn or have barely been worn so there is no need to worry about that aspect of it. Obviously, as well, it's by far the most sustainable way to shop.

Moving on to the second part of the title of this post, shopping independently. This is something that I am very good at whilst travelling but pretty poor at when at home. At home I'm all too temped to revert to the trusty high street but on holiday, shopping independently is an amazing way to get to know the place you're in. The predominant way that I shop independently at home is through charity shops and vintage shops. Both of the places I am based, Liverpool and Manchester, have a great array of independent clothing stores that don't fall into the categories just mentioned and are a little more expensive but I think it's just getting into the habit and mindset of shopping there.

Nevertheless though, I still try and make an effort to shop independently because, as I mentioned, there's nothing better than having an amazing shopping experience and independent shops definitely offer that more than chains do. Plus, they give a place character. Whenever I go away, whether it's in the UK or abroad, I always try and steer away from what I'm going to call the 'chain area' of the city and venture out to the areas that actually feel like you're in a different place. I'd hate anywhere I live to not have this feel at all and if we don't support these independent businesses then they'll no longer exist.

Here's a list of some of my favourite independent stores, from fashion to all sorts of other things with links to their websites/social media:

The 8pm Store, Barcelona (Fashion/Art)
Armstrongs Vintage, Edinburgh (Fashion)
COW Vintage, Liverpool, Manchester and Various Other Places (Fashion)
Utility, Liverpool (Home/Gifts)
Chapter One, Manchester (Bookstore/Cafe)
Fred Aldous, Manchester (Art/Gifts)
Park St in Bristol has the best independent vintage shops, I can't choose just one from the one time I've visited (Fashion)

I hope you've enjoyed this post and that it's given you some encouragement to head down to your local independent clothing store, or try and shop a little bit more sustainably! You won't regret carving some time out to visit your local charity shops or vintage shops to grab a bargain. Even if you go high-street shopping afterwards, you've probably saved yourself some money by buying something second-hand and you're helping to save the world a little bit at the same time, so it's a win-win. I'd love to hear your favourite independent shops or the best ways, in your opinion, to shop sustainably in the comments or on social media! As mentioned, I'm by no means perfect with this and am not claiming to be so any tips and recommendations are very welcome!

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Top- Dreamers Not Allowed

Jeans- Vintage YSL, Armstrongs Vintage

Shoes- Vans

Sunglasses- Mango

Hair Clips- Accesorize

Necklace- Alex Monroe

Alice Porter 8/12/18 Alice Porter 8/12/18

Girls on Film: Natalia

Today on my blog I'm introducing a new series called, as you can probably guess by the title, 'Girls on Film', where I interview girls/women in my life about themselves. I have so many amazing female friends in my life and I thought this series would be an amazing way to celebrate them. I personally love reading posts getting to know random people with a series of (slightly invasive?) questions and I hope you enjoy it too. I also wanted to do something more with my love of film photography so with these interviews will be photos of the girls in question taken on my film camera. The first interview is with one of my closest and longest friends, Natalia. We actually did this interview well over a month ago (maybe even 2 months ago) so apologies for the lateness. The photos I initially shot of her were lost in a roll of film that came back empty so there has been some delays. But without any further delays, here is the interview...

A: What are you currently up to in life?

N: I'm off to a Sports Ball tonight, which I'm looking forward to! I study Drama & English Literature (at university)...yeah.

A: I obviously already knew these things so I didn't really need to ask them but... (laughs). Do you have any plans over summer?

N: Just chilling (laughs), I'm going on holiday in July for a week to Spain, near Gibraltar. We're not going on holiday this year (with family) because we're going to America next year.

A: Where?

N: Well, either that or we're going to Bali because it's my Dad's 50th next year! So Bali or America but we're not going on holiday this year because of that. We're leaning more towards Bali but (if we went to America) we'd go to like the West Coast, because we really want to go to California and stuff.

A: Amazing! Where do you feel most yourself and/or what's your favourite thing to do?

N:I prefer being at home and I come home from UNI quite a lot. You can't talk about things at UNI that you can talk about at home.

A: Yeah if I'm ever explaining anything to friends at UNI I have to provide back stories to everything. Ok, so if you were guaranteed survival and were given basic needs, what 5 things would you take to a desert island?

N: My dog, to keep me company. I'd want to take my phone but only to listen to music. I'm not sure what else...

A: Well think of it as if you're going to be on your own for the rest of your life... if you were going to take one book?

N: The Girl on The Train, I love that book. The book's so good, it blows your head off more than the film. You're shocked and then shocked again and then have to retract the first experience of being shocked.... I'd also take a bottle of wine! And a speaker, can I have a speaker? That's it, I'm done!

A: So what was that? Your phone, your dog...

N: Phone, dog, speaker, wine and the book.

A: Who or what inspires you the most?

N: Probably my dad. My mum does too actually! But my dad ever since he was was 14, when he'd work, he'd get up at like 4 in the morning to do jobs since he was 12, because they didn't have enough money or anything so he's built it up for himself. And he works really hard now, I barely ever see him because he works away so much. He's always in Scotland or in Lincolnshire he's never at home, he has to get up at 4 in the morning every single day and he just plods on with it. And I don't think I could do that.

A: Me neither, especially for his whole life!

N: I know! But both of my parents are really inspirational to me.

A: Where do you hope to be and what do you hope to be doing in 10/15 years time? So, what I mean is when you're 'settled'?

N: So I'd be 35!! That's not okay. My mum had had me and Ben by then.

A: But on HQ (trivia) last night it says the average age that people get married is 35, so people are doing it a lot later now.

N: People are waiting till their older now aren't they. When my mum and dad got married my mum was 21!

A: That was the norm though!

N: She met my dad when he was 19 and they got engaged 6 months later (laughs).

A: But if someone met someone when they were 27 and they got married to them when they were 29, that wouldn't be unusual! The norm has just changed!

N: 35... I would want to be married by then, I don't know if I would have had kids by then. I feel like I'd be about to be settling...

A: Where do you think you'll be?

N: Down south, London.

A: Like city centre?

N: Yeah, hopefully acting on the stage. But I'd probably do another job first to save money because acting isn't a solid job.

A: What would be your dream show to be in?

N: Anything on the West End, I'd love to be in Wicked! And only because it's amazing... West Side Story.

A: Yes that would be the best one! Especially if you were one of the Puerto Rican girls, that would be so much fun! What about kids, do you want them?

N: I want 3. But I feel like I'll have one and be like... NO MORE (laughs).

A: Okay I just have one more question, what are you reading or watching or listening to at the moment?

N: Hell's Kitchen! Me and Joe are obsessed with watching Hell Kitchen, it's hilarious. I've been watching baking shows, I have no interest in baking. Nailed It, Great British Bake Off, just started that yesterday, Hell's Kitchen. Nailed It is hilarious because it's people who can't cook or bake for their lives and they make awful cakes and compare them to really extravagant, professional ones!

A: Oh that's amazing, I'd love that! Are you listening to anything good or anyone knew at the moment?

N: Avelino.

A: Oooh... I'm just checking that it's recording because I don't think I'll remember that name (laughs). Are you reading anything? I was only going to ask for one out of the three but I'm just gonna go ahead and ask them all...

N: Not leisurely, but I'm reading The Lonely Londoners (by Sam Selvon) for my course about race in the 1950s.

A: Oooh, is it good?

N: Yeah! It's good!

A: Anyway Nat I'll let you go because I know you need to!

The conversation then inevitably continued for 5 minutes before she left but it's nothing that's relevant to this post! But I hope you've enjoyed this post as there are more 'Girls on Film' posts to come! I actually interviewed my friend Ellie at the same time as interviewing Nat so expect to see that very soon. I'd love to hear your feedback on this series and be sure to let me know of any more questions you'd like me to ask in future! Do you want it to be more personal, more about a specific topic? Let me know in the comments or via social media! Thanks for reading and you can follow Nat @nattiewilliams on Instagram.

Alice Porter 8/5/18 Alice Porter 8/5/18

You're Not Stupid Because You Like Fashion

The ethos behind my favourite ever website/blog/publication, Man Repeller, is 'where an interest in fashion never minimises ones intellect', which is one of the reasons why it's one of my favourite places on the internet. For a long time, an interest in fashion and/or clothes has equated to being a little bit dim, to put it nicely. After all, the most intelligent people don't care about what they look like, right? Steve Jobs wears the same clothes every day! Wrong. Being interested in fashion, whether it's fashion styling, writing or simply shopping, has nothing to do with how intelligent you are. In fact, some of the people I admire the most because of their intelligence (cough, cough Pandora Sykes, my ultimate dream girl in every area of life) have built themselves or their careers through fashion, or use it to define a big part of themselves.

I've always wanted a career within the fashion industry, but as my life took a more 'academic' path and I really started to care about my academic performance, which also led to a boost in my grades, I began to doubt whether this type of career was for me. This was almost sub-conscious, perhaps partly because I know it's a competitive industry, but I think mostly because I thought I should do something more by the books, and, as an English Lit student, something specifically to do with books. Maybe I still will end up going down this path career-wise but I'm definitely more open and more interested in a career within the fashion industry, thinking of it as something that will allow me to reach my full potential in so many ways and something that I would be proud of, not ashamed of.

Many people think putting outfits together and photographing them is a waste of time and vain but, for me, it's a really creative process. It provides me with a space to be creative and, although I'm not always completely comfortable in front of the camera, it's something that I really enjoy altogether. It's not something that everyone can do, whether that's because they don't enjoy it/don't have the patience for it or because they simply are not good at styling. I'm not trying to say that I have a talent for putting outfits together or anything but getting dressed in the morning is a creative process for me and, especially on days when I'm glued to my desk doing UNI work, I really appreciate and enjoy this moment of creativity.

Wearing school uniform was something I absolutely hated, and wearing the same clothes for work at the moment has a similar effect on me, and unlike other peers who would say that they missed the ease of their uniform, being able to choose my own outfit every day, as little of a thing as it seems now, was so liberating for me. I don't have anything against Steve Jobs, or anyone else who wears the same clothes every day, and I'm not saying he's not creative (he definitely is) because everyone is creative in different ways. But just because I spend 15 minutes (sometimes much, much longer) deciding what to wear in the morning, that does not make me any less of an efficient or intelligent person and it is not something to be looked down on and I think it should be seen as creative as writing and drawing and all of the other generically creative acts, because it feels that way for me.

I carry absolutely zero shame for having an interest in fashion anymore and that's why I wanted to dedicate this post to Man Repeller. Because Leandra (the founder of Man Repeller) has created a space where women can have intelligent and important conversations, whilst also writing and reading about the phenomenon of gym shorts as a 'thing' (this is a real, and good, article currently on the site).

I try to create a similar space with my blog, but obviously in this case it's just me talking to myself. The posts vary from fashion-based, discussion-based to many other things and I feel just as confident in writing about them all. Man Repeller also allows me to feel justified in writing about more than one thing on my blog and not having a niche, something that I've tried to create and failed. I want this blog to be a reflection of me and because I am a multi-faceted human being, that means I am going to write about lots of different things, usually uniting them with posey photos of me, such as these ones taken in Liverpool's St John's Gardens.

Anyway, I ran off on a bit of a tangent there (what's new?) but I just wanted to write this post to try and dismantle the stigma around fashion . I hope I've helped you to shatter any negative perceptions of those who are interested in fashion you might have had, and I hope that if you are a fashion-lover (that sounds so 2012) that you embrace it and feel proud of it! It means you're creative and gives you an amazing way to construct your own identity in whatever way you want... But that's a different post all together! Maybe next time!

Top- Mango (old, similar slogan here, similar colour t-shirt here)

Skirt- Miss Selfridge (old, similar here)

Faux Leather Gilet- Topshop (old, similar here)

Shoes- Primark (probably still available in store)

Alice Porter 7/29/18 Alice Porter 7/29/18

In Defence of Love Island

Photography by Ell Field.

Love Island, on paper, isn't my type. I was adamant about this last year. I don't really like reality TV, or TV in general that much so I didn't see why this daily reality TV show would be for me. All of my friend's watched it and were trying to convince me to join in but I wasn't even willing to put one of my eggs in the TV show's basket. For the first few weeks, I stayed loyal to the fact that I'd never really liked reality TV and I just KNEW that it would be the same with this TV show. But I well and truly mugged myself off. After seeing snippets of it last year through my sister and boyfriend watching it, I slowly became interested. That interest grew and now I would call myself a dedicated fan of the show and I am so happy that my friends' grafting in trying to convince me to watch the show paid off, because I love it so much. Ok, I'm done with casually slipping Love Island lingo into this blog post (for now...), so please carry on reading, especially if you don't watch the show and were very confused by that introduction.

Despite the show gaining popularity like no other over the years, I've spoke to so many people who still have reservations about it, ohhell, I was one of them last year (ok ok I promise that was the last reference, especially to Dr Alex who I am not a fan of). These reservations are usually/always based on the fact that watching it every night for 2 months is a waste of time, which from an outside perspective is a valid point. But in this post I am going to explain why watching Love Island, and the show's existence in itself, is not a waste of time. With the show's final being aired tomorrow (*sobs*) and the fact that I am wearing a dress that was worn by Liverpool's very own Hayley on the show which is now part of Missguided's 'Love Island Collection' (even though I bought it last year before it was part of it but let's just ignore that), I thought this would be an apt place and time to express my love for the show and explain why I am annoyed at my past self for refusing to watch it until half way through Season 3.

The first argument against Love Island that I want to talk about is that it's a waste of time to watch it because it's a waste of time to watch any type of TV, but especially this kind, every night for 2 months, because this is the one that was most valid for me last year. I'm not trying to say that watching Love Island every night boosts my intelligence and makes me a better person because, quite frankly, it doesn't. But it provides me with a form of escapism like no other. In fact, watching the show is my ultimate escapist activity, switching off from my own life completely and becoming engrossed in the lives of others for an hour. As someone who can become obsessed with doing work and being productive, Love Island is the best method I've ever found for switching off, and the fact that it allows me to switch off every day for an hour just before I go to bed, is perfect. Not only this but it happened to start this year on the day of my last university exam, meaning it really got me into the swing of taking time to myself over summer. For people who can switch off and relax easily, this might not be a big deal. But for many, I think Love Island provides an hour a day in which they can stop thinking about everything else going on in their lives, which can be so beneficial for many and I think is a reason why so many people love the show.

The second main argument against Love Island is that the content of the show is vain and contributes absolutely nothing to our society, expect perhaps perpetuating negative attitudes. As I briefly mentioned earlier, you are not going to get the same benefits from watching Love Island as reading an encyclopedia but that's not why anyone watches it. But despite the fact that Love Island is an escapist activity for me and for many, the issues that are inherently wrong with the show itself and that arise from the activities within the villa provide important societal discussion points. For example, the TV show does have a body image issue, this one is non-negotiable. Everyone in the villa has the 'ideal body' and, of course, this can have a negative effect on more vulnerable viewers. But the fact that this is the case has started a huge discussion on the subject, on social media and beyond and perhaps brought the issue to the attention of those who might have dismissed it in the past. I hope Love Island rectifies this issue in the next series by recruiting contestants of different shapes and sizes, reflecting the real world in a real way but, as much as I don't like to use this as an excuse, no TV show, or book, or anything is perfect and sometimes being able to use something as a point of discussion and criticism can be irrevocably useful.

Love Island has incited some really interesting conversations this year, from body image, to race, to female friendships and other feminist issues. A weekly podcast that I've loved listening to is 'Under Cover Lover', an unofficial Love Island podcast that dives deep into all of these issues and that has encouraged me further to watch Love Island critically, something I can't really help but doing anyway. The fact that I can watch something in this way, having these interesting conversations about it whilst also still living my escapist dreams is the perfect scenario and the main reason why I think Love Island is so brilliant.

If you have been watching Love Island, I hope you're not too sad about it ending tomorrow. If you are, do what I'm going to do and go back and watch the previous series on Netflix and/or send me a message so we can chat about it (I could do this for hours). I'd also love to hear who you are rooting for to win! I'm a loyal (no Georgia-reference intended) and die-hard Jack & Dani fan but I was shocked to hear that more than one of my friends is rooting for Kaz & Josh, so I'd love to hear your opinions. If you haven't watched Love Island this year, you're probably a bit late to start. But I hope this blog post has convinced you that it's not a waste of your time, whether you're looking for something to calm you down or if you love partaking in a bit of critical conversation. There's always next year to start watching it... or ITV Hub but don't say I didn't warn you of the binging that will take place if you go for the second option.

Dress- MissGuided

Bag- Very (No longer available, similar here)

Sunglasses- Primark

Alice Porter 7/22/18 Alice Porter 7/22/18

Are Words Dying Out?

Photography by Ell Field.

I'm back today with a more 'thoughtful' post (i.e writing about something that's been on my mind that has nothing/very little to do with the photos I share alongside it). These types of posts, as opposed to posts about fashion and style, tend to be my favourite ones to write and tend to be received the best upon sharing so you'll probably be seeing much more of them on my blog. I've even created a new category to my blog called 'Thoughts & Musings' to allow myself this space on my blog, so do head over there after reading this post to read more of these types of posts. Also, final sort-of disclaimer before starting the post, you may have noticed that I haven't been posting on my blog as much recently, which isn't down to lack of wanting to do so but a lack of time as I have been working A LOT. For now, my aim is to get up a blog post once a week on Sunday evenings but don't be surprised to see an extra post up (probably on Wednesdays or Fridays) on the weeks when I'm working a little bit less.

Anyway, let's move on to the discussion point of this post, something that's very close to my heart, words. I've always been a reader and a writer, both in and out of school. As an English Literature student, I spend most of my time doing these two things during the academic year and as an avid reader and someone with a blog, I spend most of my free time doing the same two things. I simply love words (hence the name of this blog), whether I'm reading them or writing them. But in an age where most of our communication and entertainment is in the format of photos, videos and even voice-notes, are words simply unnecessary? As you can probably guess, I'd argue against this and although I love Instagram, Netflix and Snapchat as much as the next person, I get the most satisfaction through reading something that is above the 140 character (or is it 280 characters now?) limit and writing something longer than an Instagram caption.

This post isn't designed to be an insult to anyone who doesn't enjoy reading or writing because not everyone does, and I'm not going to act all high and mighty just because I do! To my shame, I'm really not interested in anything remotely science-y and I even find Blue Planet (maybe stop reading now if you're a big fan) pretty boring. Everyone has different interests and they're definitely not always as simple as preferring English to Maths or History to Science but sometimes people simply do not like reading or writing and that is fine. The problem today, in my opinion, is that many people don't know whether they do or not because today's fast-moving, visual-orientated society doesn't give them a chance to find out. When I was listening to The High-Low podcast the other day (10/10 would recommend), someone sent a question in asking about how to improve their attention span in order to be able to read for longer, worried that social media had essentially shrunken theirs. The discussion that ensued following this was so interesting. Pandora and Dolly discussed how social media essentially provides quick-fixes to everything, allowing you to consume so much varied information in one go, which is perhaps why the 'task' of reading one book that is on one topic sounds like too much and boring for many people. After this, they thankfully assured their readers that it is impossible for our attention spans to 'shrink' and that, with practice, almost anyone can become an attentive reader. Despite this, it is still interesting to think about how social media is changing our habits and our ways of thinking.

Even as someone who loves to read I still find myself reaching for my phone rather than a book 90% of the time, a habit that I'm trying to change, and skipping through articles to the 'important bit' and ignoring most of what has been written. I think this is part of the way modern life is becoming more and more fast-paced and social media is obviously becoming such a big part of it. Since starting my blog I've found that I'm on my phone even more now but, because I use social media to promote and go alongside my blog, I can kind of count it as being productive. And it is a lot more productive and positive than it used to be, but I know that turning to a book or an article would be much more beneficial for my brain and my mental health than scrolling through Instagram for the 20th time that day.

Finally, I wanted to discuss how the gradual death of words is affecting blogging. I only started my blog a few months ago but it's already clear to me that people would rather scroll through my Instagram than scroll through my blog, which is fine because scrolling through my Instagram is less time-consuming and probably a quicker way to get to know me and see what I've been up to. Does this mean that blogs are going extinct? I don't think so. I think/hope that there will always be people who love to gobble up words as much as I do and therefore blogs will always be able to survive through them, if not on such a large scale as photos do on Instagram. I think there is an element of compromising as well because putting a blog post up without photos is pretty much a no-go, which is saying something in itself. This can sometimes be annoying for me because sometimes I want to discuss something and don't have the photos to go with it but I also understand this need for a visual aid and enjoy it myself. I compromise with this by just adding photos to a blog post that are, more often than not, unrelated to the topics that I'm discussing. And this seems to go down with readers of this blog just fine!

So until words truly do die a death, which I know the book-lovers of the world would never allow to happen anyway, I will continue writing on this blog, whether anyone reads it or not! And if you are someone who likes reading or writing but perhaps has fallen out of it, there's no time quite like the present to start again- you could even take a look at my blog post on the best holiday reads for some reading inspiration! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how social media is affecting our reading and writing habits and maybe even some ways to ensure that you still get your dose of words in the comments or on social media.

Top- Topshop

Skirt- Topshop

Shoes- Topshop

(yes, I really like Topshop)

Bag- ASOS

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In Defence of Love Island

Are Words Dying Out?

Alice May Porter

aliceporterfreelancer@gmail.com