Teddy Boots

I've been looking for a pair of black ankle boots for ages, preferably leather with a biker look and then I came across these Zadig and Voltaire boots. Not only are they studded but the studs are mini skulls and the inside is lined in red with a zip up the back. They are fucking incredible. Only problem is the £430 price tag. I would lie, cheat or steal for these.

Green is the new Black

A Folky weekend at the Green Man Festival

I think one of my favourite parts of the weekend was bobbing around to the folk band Bellowhead, the audience was dancing the gig to songs named Whiskey is the life of man and London Town. Just shows the kind of old fashioned band they were. I never thought instruments such as fiddles and bagpipes would ever rouse a crowd like that but it was a hell of a lot of fun.

The people watching was also pretty incredible as I imagine it is at all festivals. So many interesting and crazily dressed people walking around. Just made you want to go up to everyone and ask them random questions about their normal lives.

My green man pal Olive setting off the festival look with the flower halo.

The wishing tree, one of those twee things that festivals like this and the Secret Garden Party have.

Glimpses of Strangers

 For our trip to Assisi on my family holiday in the Italian countryside I thought i'd emulate the great Jean Shrimpton who shocked society in the 60s by wearing a plain white dress to the races, she didn't even wear a hat. The scandal! Assisi is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen, all cream 12th century stone that has recently been renovated so for a medieval town it was wonderfully clean. It reminded me a little of Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings (yes very geeky reference) because of the way it was walled in and part of a hill. Despite its beauty, in terms of photographs the town had little appeal for me since it has always been people who peak my interest.

My sister Alexandra was the muse of my Italian trip, I just couldn't stop taking photos of her especially when she wore my 70s felt hat. One delicate quality that was given to her by the damaging in all other ways Downs Syndrome is that she will be eternally angelic and childlike and I think it shows in these photos.

What is it with my old man obsession? All the time that I wasn't photographing my sister it was strangers that were targeted. And what makes it worse is that I'm not audacious enough to walk up to people to take their picture, I would get my father to stand in front and to the side of my intended subject and just gradually swing the camera round. It wasn't very subtle! All I can think is how would I react if a Chinese tourist came up to me on Oxford Street and  tried to take my picture, I'd be horrified!

I liked the dynamics of this photograph set off by the way the woman was leaning, I took quite a few pictures of people at this fountain. I found it interesting to sit at a nearby cafe and wonder what they were wishing for when they dropped their coins in.

The Pastel Indian

I thought i'd defy the incoming winter by doing an outfit of colour block using pink and blue pastels that I'd not usually wear, especially not together. London can sometimes be a grey and dreary place so it's fun walking around in this. This Topshop skirt I absolutely loved when i tried it on as though it's seems modest because of its length its got a thigh split on each side which makes it more interesting, even more so on windy days.

Winter Style Blues

For a lot of women winter brings the welcome return of jeans and my personal all time favourite items jackets and coats. (It's summer and yet somehow I've already managed to buy two winter coats, one of which is thick fur). However for others winter is thought of as a pretty dull time for fashion, though the fashion magazines get thicker around Autumn the imagination withers as the cool bohemian look dies and skinny jeans and leggings are brought out of the wardrobe. Having myself for the first time got really into the summer spirit with clothes and having a feather braid in my hair and henna on my hand I feel a bit overwhelmed by the return of winter and worst of all, the return of the dreaded Ugg boot. They're like the crocs of the cold season.

The jacket below which i found whilst browsing ASOS got me excited about the colder months ahead. It's a new brand called Nishe. The whole collection appears to use different decades as inspiration and that appealed to the geeky historian in me. The jackets have a Victorian look to them and the dress below sixties "mod" inspired and might have been worn by Twiggy. This is followed by a suit outfit that you might expect the Queen to where at a royal event. Though it's not all to my taste I appreciate the originality of the collection, it's all a breath of fresh air from the typical military style that normally comes out around this time of year.

Skeletal Rock

Rediscovered a pair of glasses I'd worn on Halloween last year, those and some Them Crooked Vultures music inspired this outfit, love rock grunge once in a while.

It's comprised of a pair of Converses (new and not the kind of thing I'd ever buy, still undecided on whether to keep them), old cropped leather jacket from ASOS, ripped shorts from Bitchin and Junkfood and t shirt from a market in Bangkok some added rips.