hands chained to clouds

I think I can officially accept that it is summer now; the clammy humidity of the city sticks to your skin as you walk, and the sun beats down most of the day, at points making it too painful to sit anywhere but in the shade. Obviously, being England, our summers are probably some of the least intense, but for someone as pale as me, and totally unaccustomed to the heat, even 25 degrees can be a bit too much. I love the summer though - I've spent previous summers exploring London, running through fields to escape imminent thunderstorms, lazing in parks and heaths and just generally being very relaxed and 'teen', which is something I really want to do again this year as it is my last summer before legally being considered an adult. I think Wednesday was the hottest day of the year so far, and after sweltering my way through double art (forever thankful to my teacher for supplying us with capri-sun to aid our survival) I went to the nearby outdoor pool with some friends to cool off in the freezing water. Nothing beats the feeling of being unbearably hot, then jumping into an ice cold pool. Thursday was equally summery - my friend and I had no lessons in the afternoon, so left at lunch and went to a design exhibition before trawling through some of my favourite vintage and record stores. I also just made a smoothie, which is another thing I love about summer - the chance to drink icy drinks without being judged (I have always been one to order an iced coffee or frappuchino even in winter). Friday was also summery, with birthday celebrations for friends at the ponds, with picnic food, lemonade and music (plus a good hour at least spent walking through the heath as we managed to get completely lost trying to find our way there).

Anyway, these photos are from two Sundays ago, which I spend sleeping in after a late Saturday night, then running through Brick Lane looking for last minute clothes to take on my holiday/school trip in a week or so. I also bought a kale and pear smoothie and felt very east London. I wore a shirt from Blitz, waistcoat and shorts from Beyond Retro, shoes from Office, jacket from my mum's late teens and brooch and bag from Style by Portobello. I received my second box from them only to find two of the most 'me' things possible to find - a gorgeous tapestry bag (I adore patterns, tapestry especially) and an amazing brooch which is ridiculously my style and goes with literally every single one of my shirts. I really love how the boxes are chosen so specifically with the recipient in mind, so you really would get the most for your money as you (or the person the box is for) is much more likely to love every piece in each one!

I've been keeping the Dazed fashion page open on a tab on my laptop for the last few weeks, and I think it's safe to say that some of the collections and articles I've been reading have definitely influenced my style recently (and the outfit pictures above). One of the primary inspirations for me has been Moschino's SS16 collection, which featured crazy, colourful baroque-inspired patterns and styling, with a modern, pop twist. The baroque-meets-pop vibe had me by hello; I love texture and clashing patterns, and the extent of accessorising made me seriously want to cry a little bit (with happiness obviously). The modern, colourful take on such classic, aristocratic style really represents the obsession our generation has with history; the kind of past-meets-present, glorification of what we call 'the golden years' is a widespread trend, and this glorification of an incredibly old style exaggerates and demonstrates this craze, showing us just how much the past is becoming fashionable in today's modern world.

Another collection that makes me feel feelings is Gucci's SS16 collection. The start of a new phase for the design house, the collection draws on the slight vintage feel to Alessandro Michele's first collection for AW15, amplifying and really bringing it to light, holding nothing back and letting his romantic, bohemian and 70s-inspired styling truly take centre stage, without losing any of the smart tailoring and silhouettes of his previous work. The clashing prints, silks, huge collars and glasses are such a huge part my own taste so this collection speaks to me on a whole new level, and I am probably going to be spending the next few months trying to replicate the looks in any which way I can.

Anyway, in other news I finished another journal! My first small pocket-sized moleskine, it was surprisingly easy to fill up and I found it's small size almost more inspiring as each page was less daunting than a bigger book. Here are a few little photos of my favourite pages (it took me so long so I'm so proud it's finally finished).

I hope you all have a lovely week - check out Style by Portobello for some amazing hand-chosen vintage subscription boxes, perfect as a treat to get you through each month or as a present for a friend or family member. Also I will be back posting a little more regularly soon, life has been hectic (as usual) but the peace of the summer holidays isn't that far away!