Festival Fun From Primark

Hi guys,
I'm not going to any festivals the year (unless a day trip to Lollibop Festival, the music festival for under 5s, counts!) but if I did then I would be styling it in head to toe Primark!

The new Primark 'life is a festival' edit is gorgeous and just looking at it is enough to make me wish I had tickets to rock out at a festival or two this summer. Think boho styling in wide legged cotton trousers, cute-as-a-button playsuits, and gorgeous loose fitting midi dresses that will be flattering on everyone. I think sometimes I forget that I'm a chubby 30 year old mum, because I want to dress like the pre-pubescent teens in this campaign:




Image 1: Bikini top £6, trousers £12, sandals £12, sunglasses £3. 
Image 2: Playsuit £5, hat £8, rings from £3. 
Image 3: Playsuit £7, hat £8, sunglasses £3.
Image 4: Bag £14, Shorts £10. 
Image 5: Dress £12, bag £4, boots £15, headband £3, sunglasses £3

I love the Aztec prints, the focus on monchrome, and the beautiful ethereal use of white too. The collection has a very nineties feel, whilst also having overtones of the very first boho wave from the early noughties too. It's youthful, carefree, grungy. The embellished bags are gorgeous as well as being completely practical, and would look great outside of the festival environment: I want that backpack for hands free trips to the beach this summer! Fashion-wise, summer is actually my least favourite time of the year. But some of these pieces are almost enough to persuade me to embrace summer dressing and flash a little flesh.

Are you going to any festivals this summer? And have you given any thought to what you'll be wearing yet?

Love Tor x

SS13 In Primark this week: Heading to a festival

Hi guys,
I suspect that, as everywhere prepares for the arrival of the new season (despite the fact we haven't actually enjoyed this season yet: where is the sun?) this will be the last SS13 Primark post. I've already seen a couple of the autumn jackets that will be appearing in store next month, and based on that, I think next seasons offerings will be quite exciting. Bring on AW13!!

In the meantime, the latest arrivals into Primark are just perfect if you're heading to a festival or two over the next couple of months. From practical duffle bags to hold all of your clobber to the now ubiquitous floral festival headband, if you want something new to give you that off-duty rock star look, Primark is the place to be this week.

Everything on the product picture has either landed in Primark over the past couple of days, or is due to arrive by the end of the week: Blue candy stripe barrel bag, £6
Belted floral maxi dress, £13
Acid wash Aztec skinny jeans, £13
Flower headband, £2.50
Box chain spike necklace, £8
Studded skater skirt, £10
Aztec flap satchel, £9

All you need to add if your favourite band tee (which will look perfect with that studded skater skirt!), a lightweight mac and a pair of wellies, and you're ready to go! Being festival ready has never been so easy!

Are you heading to any festivals this season? If so, which ones are you going to and what will you be wearing? I'd love to hear all about it!

Love Tor x

PS - Did you know you can now buy a selection of Primark clothes online, over at ASOS? Perfect if there isn't a Primark near you, or you just can't face heading into those messy stores! My only concern is that because the quality of the fabric in Primark varies so wildly, you wouldn't be able to check that until the product arrives, and could end up spending a lot of time on returns. Still, if you're interested, here's the link!

Getting festival fit with a little help from Henry Holland

It seems that I have turned into a major convert to the H! by Henry Holland collection at Debenhams. Last week I was lusting over the capes and satchels from the A/W'10 collection. Next week i'm going for a sneak preview of the high summer collection. And today i'm turning to the H! range for outfits that will make me look festival fabulous!

Festivals are synonymous with summer, and despite my dislike of tents and mud, even I get involved! This year I will be rocking out whilst sporting a monochrome floral jumpsuit with oversized shades (for a touch of easy glam) and if it gets really warm, this denim dress over my swimsuit and a big straw hat:

Jumpsuit: £40

Denim dress: £28

My choices from the H! range are very much influenced by my boobs, otherwise I would want even more from the current collection: possibly because it is a youth range, many of the dresses and play suits are cupped, and these are aimed at someone with a generally smaller bust. If that's you then your possibilities from the H! range for looking festival chic are pretty much endless:

I love the first floral bustier dress and it would look perfect for a sexy festival look teamed with gladiator sandals and oversized shades. I also love alot of the retro-looking swimwear from the collection, which is why i've included the swimsuit: fingers crossed we have a summer that's hot enough that we can wear swimwear as outerwear this year!

Love, Tor x

If I could go to any festival this year it would be Vintage at Goodwood

Vintage at Goodwood is the first festival to combine music, fashion, design and retail. Which I find very exciting!! The email about this landed in my inbox a few days ago, and I have had to take a little time to ruminate on it, because as well as loving fashion I also love music. I realise the two go hand in hand, but combining the two into an event of this kind could either be a very good or a very bad thing. I ultimately decided that, if they do it right, it would be wonderful!
As well as all the usual things you find at a festival, there will also be three daily runway shows featuring vintage designers to future trends and a unique custom-built ‘High Street’ to feature the world’s largest vintage market alongside pop up outlets from John Lewis to Oxfam. I think it will be wonderful to see vintage and highstreet sitting side by side, and could really open peoples eyes to the benefits of textile recycling and adding vintage or second hand clothes to your wardrobe. It would be worth going for the shopping potential alone!

Wayne Hemmingway (of RedorDead fame) is one of the organisers of the event, and he said: "We have carefully curated a celebratory festival in complete contrast to the staid status quo, that re-unites music, fashion and culture; that is unashamedly about dressing up rather than down and being comfortable rather than compromised. There has been nothing to date like Vintage [at Goodwood]"

It sounds fabulous, and i'm especially excited by the five on site clubs recreating each respective decade with unparalleled authenticity to complement the main stage. I can see myself shaking my tail feathers in the sixties one! The event will also see the launch of Lily Allen’s new fashion label Lucy in Disguise, although she won't be performing at the festival.
I know it hasn't been finalised yet, but I just hope the line up of the bands improves a little: I'm sure this one could change my mind, but I always go to a festival for the music first and the fashion second. I think the thought that has gone into the line up is fantastic, which acts chosen from each of the eras represented in the event, but so far the bands booked aren't that exciting. To my mind at least, there is no real headliner. And I think the balance between the fashion and music has to become a little more, well, balanced!

The fashion is more than taken care of though, so if you're looking to shop your socks off, get dressed up in the fashions of your favourite era, and party down with a little live background noise going on, then this is the place to be!

You can find out more about the event on their website, and also read the event manifesto, which will tell you all about the event much more clearly than i ever could! The £150 weekend + camping tickets are a little rich for my purse, but I am thinking of splashing out £55 for a day ticket. I think it will be a great day out!

Love, Tor xx