Vogue Says Women Are Allowed To Have Breasts This Season

Women of the world rejoice! Vogue says we are allowed to have breasts! Yes, you got it, breasts are in this season. What we are supposed to do next season is anyones guess but lets not be ungrateful. A man can have a penis all year but breasts are, y’know, inconvenient. Just ask Fashion Designer Marios Schwab who told Tatler “I’m not a big fan of breasts. They’re a challenging constructional point.” Well, Mario, how about not designing for women then, because you know who don’t have breasts? Men.

Catherine Balavage

Vogue says in this article titled Return of The Bosom: “So if boobs are not yet an out-and-out fashion trend, they are becoming a frequent exception to the rule.” Should someone make fashion know that women’s breasts aren’t detachable? Maybe a post-it note or something? This piece clearly shows that Kate Upton is a feminist icon. Yes, you can model and be a female role model. She was deemed “too obvious” for fashion. Now some fashionistas grind their teeth every time she is featured on the cover of Vogue, as she is this month.

Vogue goes on to say: ‘Men love boobs – that’s a well-documented story we needn’t explore here. But for women, as is true for fashion, the relationship is more complicated. In short, breasts are difficult to dress. During couture week, Jourdan Dunn exclaimed on Twitter, “Ahahahahahahha I just got cancelled from Dior because of my boobs!” But, she reasoned, “I’m normally told I’m cancelled because I’m ‘coloured’ so being cancelled because of my boobs is a minor : )”‘

 

Wow. Breasts may be difficult to dress, but only because designers are so bad at accommodating them. I mean, what’s next? Hips, arms, thighs? If you can’t make women’s clothes with breasts in mind, you are clearly an untalented idiot. Something Sarah Millican wrote an amazing essay on after being trolled after the BAFTA awards.

 

In my other life as an actor, my breasts have lead to the most amusing moments in my career. I didn’t develop breasts until I was in my twenties but when they came they didn’t hold back:  my size now is 32DD. Which makes costume designers hate you. When I was a UK size 4/6 (I am now a size 8), wardrobe loved me, but when I developed breasts I would stand in the middle of the room while various costume people asked each other, ‘What are we supposed to do with those?’ The answer was usually gaffa tape them down. I am so thankful I am a strong person and that was done to me rather than someone else. I can look at it with amusement, other, emotionally fragile or vulnerable, women could possibly have developed an eating disorder. I have spent a lot of time being dressed up like a boy for parts. I have no idea why. Just hire a fricking boy if that’s what you want.

 

In fact I am rather sick of fashion expecting women to make their bodies fit the dress, rather than the other way around. Even the thinnest woman has curves, only boys are drawn in a truly straight line. We are not ornaments or hangers. In what other aspect of our lives do we pay money for something that isn’t made to suit us and our lifestyles? Instead we are expected to diet our entire lives just for the joy of wearing clothes designed by people who obviously hate the female form, and don’t even lie about it. Yet, still we punish ourselves.

 

Of course not all designers are like this. Valentino clearly loves women. As does Roberto Cavalli. Dolce & Gabbana say in the same Vogue article: “We always try to create clothes that enhance a woman’s curves. We like to think that a Dolce & Gabbana girl wants to be very feminine, sensual, strong and fierce of her body.” So let’s take a stance in the only way that really gets things done: with our money. Any designer who hates women’s bodies should not have a penny of a women’s money.

Whilst researching this piece I came across this article Hadley Freeman wrote on this subject. Check it out here and this website, a body gallery of how women really look, was interesting too.

 

What do you think?

 

 

Galvanina… A Unique New Italian Organic Fruit Drink

With the temperature topping 23 degrees, it seemed the perfect day today to review Galvanina, fresh-to-the-market organic drinks with the romance of Italy deeply embedded in the branding.

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The Galvanina Collection comprises of Sicilian Lemon, Ruby Orange, Clementine and Red Grapefruit and as my favourite citrus fruit drink is lemon, I firstly tried Sicilian Lemon, slightly sparkling and cloudy, reminiscent of traditional lemonade and presented in a beautifully embossed 100% recycleable bottle. The Italian manufacturer recommends you ‘lightly tilt the bottle from side to side to revitalise the juicy pulp’… certainly not a mixture you have to shake hard to wake up! Refreshing and perfectly citrus sharp with delicious sherbet notes, Sicilian Lemon Galvanina is made to an old family recipe that uses only Mediterranean lemons, harvested by hand, from centuries-old citrus groves. These juicy organic fruits combine with mineral-rich, gently bubbling spring water for a fresh and thirst-quenching drink, that dances between sweet and sour on the tongue, perfect over ice.
First discovered by the Romans some 2000 years ago, the sparkling spring water in Galvanina organic fruit drinks is an extraordinary natural wonder. The snow and rain that falls on the Apennine Mountains collects in gentle pools before embarking on a long journey. As it slowly filters through sandstone and clay, flows along winding channels and languishes in cool, dark chambers, the water is naturally carbonated and enriched with a perfect balance of mineral salts. After 30 long months, it gently bubbles out of the spring mouth on San Lorenzo Monte.

 

Clementine arouses the senses of almost Christmas-like aromas, a truly unique flavour and highly drinkable. Clementines are bright, fresh and vibrant fruits, boasting a distinct flavour, rich in delicate honey and orange blossom notes. Galvanina uses only the juice of organic clementines grown in Sicily’s picturesque, traditional orchards, warmed by the sun in the day and cooled by coastal winds at night. You could try serving Sicilian Clementine Galvanina as an indulgent afternoon treat with cake.

 

I quite like my grapefruit drinks strong, but Red Grapefruit Galvanina is a delightful marriage of bitter, sweet and sparkling. Galvanina use a variety of organic grapefruits that have ripened slowly and naturally in the sun before being hand-picked. Their pulp is also conserved for a natural, fruit-rich texture, which enhances the juice’s aromatic intensity and effervescent spring water for a lively, thirst-quenching citrus drink. Indulgently serve Red Grapefruit Galvanina with creamy desserts and cheeses.

 

Ruby Orange was delicately sweet, made using the juice and pulp of handpicked blood oranges that have ripened fully on the trees. Cool nights, hot days and organic farming methods give this rich, garnet-coloured fruit a natural sweetness and make it extra juicy, zesty, fresh and sparkling on the tongue, an exceptional all-natural spritz. Enjoy Sicilian Ruby Orange Galvanina over ice with a few freshly torn mint leaves.

 

You can visit the ‘fresh ideas’ page each month on the website to find fantastic ideas for not only mixing the fruit drink with alcohol like Limoncello to make enticing cocktails and quenchers, but ideas on how to cook with Galvanina… amazing!

 

It’s such a shame that you have to hide the product away in the fridge to keep chilled as the unique bottles have a really nostalgic style and would look great displayed in your kitchen before consumption or using as a vase or decanter after, an idea which a couple of major coffee manufacturers have cottoned on to lately.

 

I decided to wait until I’d finished my review to investigate the price points on this range as I’d got a figure in mind as to what I’d consider reasonable. This is where I got the biggest surprise of all… and it was a very pleasant one. Available at Selfridges and Waitrose, the product retails at £1.59 for 355ml and £2.79 for 750ml, quite unbelievable considering the quality of the product and the gorgeous bottle.

 

The Galvanina Collection provides the perfect ingredient for mocktails for warm afternoons, over ice as a non-alcoholic aperitif or a punchy fruit base for evening alcoholic concoctions, and at only 47 calories per 100ml, this refreshing new Italian drink is certainly delizioso!

 

http://www.galvanina.co.uk/
Facebook.com/GalvaninaUK

Chelsea Flower Show 2014

The Chelsea Flower Show 2014 is in full swing and a number of celebrities have made an appearance at BrandAlley’s Italian Renaissance themed garden. Amy Willerton also appeared and posed as Venus in a giant clam shell. Top to bottom: Jennifer Saunders and Edmondson, Mary Nightingale, Tim Wonnacott, Amy Willerton, Anneka Rice, Lesley Garrett, Mary Berry and Nick & Jessica Knowles

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chelseaflowershow timwonnacot amywillerton annekarice lesleygarrett maryberry nickandjessicaknowlesDo you like the Chelsea Flower Show?

 

 

TM Lewin Autumn/Winter Collection for 2014

TM Lewin

Ladies are very lucky when it comes to fashion with an array of wonderful items landing in stores and we can update our look at a touch of our perfectly polished fingertips. Men or men wanting classic clothing on the other hand don’t have that much to chose from. A real downside to the basic wardrobes of many men, but fortunately TM Lewin are upping the anti with their newest collection for Autumn Winter 2014 being launched this September. I had the pleasure of being invited to this brands press day last week, to take a look and also be able to sure all the goodies with you guys. With my camera in hand I headed off to this fabulous event in the heart of London.

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TM lewinFrom cool winter jackets, with stunning suits and delightful accessories there really isn’t any excuse to look shabby now guys! The main focus of the season is layering and adding different textures, prints and structure but within the same colour block.

Adding really basic and classic items to an outfit can give it a finished touch, but when you are talking TM Lewin you are also dipping your toes into real brand quality, style and panache with confident, edgy and trend setting elements.
Tm lewinThey are still holding on to key classic items like the pea coats and cool ties but adding a fresh feel to the entire collection.

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This brand has always been one of the best around and now I feel its jumped up a notch in the fashion food chain. Gorgeous looks that will get heads turning for all the right reasons. The attention to detail is absolutely spot on too with looks that will suit all age ranges. They will last a lifetime as they are so wonderfully crafted and with 100s of shirt patterns being created each month you chaps will be able to update your closets as much as us ladies.

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This brand has been around since 1898 and still is by far one of the best in the world.Tm Lewin

While I was there we all chatted about fashion and how it relates to feeling good, happy and positive. “Clothes make the man” (Hamlet) This phrase implies that how a person dresses tells you something about who they are as a person and TM Lewin have got that bottled up nicely with this collection.

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TM Lewin

They are also tremendous hosts and we are a variety of canapés that where created by the Winner of Masterchef form last year, Nathalie Coleman. Crafted with distinction, style and quality just like TM Lewin themselves.

I am looking forward to this season so much and I hope you chaps are too. Ladies they have a rather impressive collection for you too but on this particular day it was the mens collection was the highlight of the day for me.

Follow me on Twitter @sarahbacchus and visit my photographic website www.sarahbacchus.com 

Sarah Millican Responds To Criticism About Her Appearance On The Red Carpet

The red carpet can be a brutal place for women: their talent is put to one side and they are based entirely on the sum of their parts and ability to dress. This is what happened to Sarah Millican at last year’s BAFTA Awards.

“I’m sorry. I thought I had been invited to such an illustrious event because I am good at my job. Putting clothes on is such a small part of my day. They may as well have been criticising me for brushing my teeth differently to them” She wrote in her Radio Times Essay.

 

Sarah  millican responds to trolls  BAFTA Awards

Trolls on the internet attacked her red carpet look, calling it “disastrous” and “nana”-like. She was hurt but choose to respond and point out the sexism of a woman being judged on her appearance rather than celebrated for her achievements.

“I’m not a model (I’m a comedian), have never learnt how to pose on a red carpet (I’m a comedian) and I have pretty low self-esteem.”

She also had this to say about her John Lewis dress:

“Fancy expensive designer shops are out for me as I’m a size 18, sometimes 20, and I therefore do not count as a woman to them.”

“It was like a pin to my excitable red balloon. Literally thousands of messages from people criticising my appearance. I was fat and ugly as per usual. … I cried. I cried in the car.”

Then she got angry….

“Why does it matter so much what I was wearing? … I felt wonderful in that dress. And surely that’s all that counts.”

 

Cate Blanchett also got sick of the sexist double standards after the cameras kept scanning her up and down at this year’s SAG Awards. She asked, “Do you do that to the guys?”

Funnily, Millican, points out the sexism of the situation: “My husband wasn’t asked who he was wearing, which disappointed him. Mainly because he was dying to tell ANYONE he was wearing an Asda tux.”

Even better, Millican had this to say about the dress she wore:

“I made a decision the following day that should I ever be invited to attend the Baftas again, I will wear the same dress. To make the point that it doesn’t matter what I wear; that’s not what I’m being judged on.”

 

 

Brides Embrace Grey Wedding Dresses After Kim Kardashian’s Vogue Cover

She is not exactly known as a high-fashion icon but it seems that notorious Vogue cover really has given Kim Kardashian some of the credibility she craves, along with some fashion kudos. eBay has seen a mammoth 260%* surge in sales of grey wedding dresses since Kim Kardashian’s recent appearance on the cover of Vogue (with fiancé Kanye West), wearing a similar design.

 

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Despite growing rumblings about ‘Kimye’s’ upcoming ceremony in France, the chosen design for Kim’s wedding dress is still tightly under wraps. But it’s the stunning grey number she wore on the fashion bible’s April cover – with a sweetheart neckline and nipped waist – that British brides-to-be are coveting, proving that this surprising trend is one-to-watch this spring.

Credit: Vogue. (http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-cover/)

Credit: Vogue. (http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/kim-kardashian-kanye-west-cover/)

Muted grey tones, punchy floral designs, pastel blues and girlish greens were among the big hitters at the London Bridal Show in April, all prompting many women to reconsider the conventional white dress. Sales of these fashionable colours have similarly increased on eBay, with green wedding dresses up by 72%, blue gowns by 95%, and floral prints up by an incredible 107%*.

 

 

Quotes About Marriage

The problem with marriage is that it ends every night after making love, and it must be rebuilt every morning before breakfast. – Gabriel García Márquez.
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Believing in marriage and not in divorce is like believing in joint stock companies and not in bankruptcy. – Neil Ferguson

 

Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution? – Groucho Marx

 

Where there’s marriage without love, there will be love without marriage. – Benjamin Franklin

 

If I get married, I want to be very married. – Audrey Hepburn

 

When you make the sacrifice in marriage, you’re sacrificing not to each other but to unity in a relationship. – Joseph Campbell

 

When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory. – Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Every good relationship, especially marriage, is based on respect. If it’s not based on respect, nothing that appears to be good will last very long. – Amy Grant

 

I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. – Rita Rudner

 

My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me. – Winston Churchill

 

Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.
– Martin Luther

 

Don’t marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can’t live without. – James C. Dobson

 

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. – Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge. – Bill Cosby

 

Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who’ll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you’re in the wrong house, that’s what it means.- Henny Youngman

 

One advantage of marriage is that, when you fall out of love with him or he falls out of love with you, it keeps you together until you fall in again. – Judith Viorst

 

To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you’re wrong, admit it; Whenever you’re right, shut up. – Ogden Nash

 

If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married. – Katharine Hepburn

 

I’d marry again if I found a man who had fifteen million dollars, would sign over half to me, and guarantee that he’d be dead within a year. – Bette Davis

 

Never get married in college; it’s hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you’ve already made one mistake. – Elbert Hubbard

 

A good husband makes a good wife. – John Florio

 

Marrying an old bachelor is like buying second-hand furniture. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

 

When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her. – Sacha Guitry

 

For years my wedding ring has done its job. It has led me not into temptation. It has reminded my husband numerous times at parties that it’s time to go home. It has been a source of relief to a dinner companion. It has been a status symbol in the maternity ward. – Erma Bombeck

 

Bachelors have consciences, married men have wives. – Samuel Johnson

 

Love: A temporary insanity curable by marriage. – Ambrose Bierce

 

Marriage is an adventure, like going to war. – Gilbert K. Chesterton

 

When a man opens a car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife. – Prince Philip

 

Men have a much better time of it than women. For one thing, they marry later; for another thing, they die earlier. – H. L. Mencken

 

There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. – Homer

 

The first time you marry for love, the second for money, and the third for companionship. – Jackie Kennedy

 

There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded. – Princess Diana

 

Marriage is a series of desperate arguments people feel passionately about. – Katharine Hepburn

 

The true index of a man’s character is the health of his wife. – Cyril Connolly

 

What I Learned From Failure

On the set of debut feature film, Prose & Cons, which had a lot of set backs but is now being edited. Filmmakers Catherine Balavage and Steve McAleavy.

On the set of debut feature film, Prose & Cons, which had a lot of set backs but is now being edited. Filmmakers Catherine Balavage and Steve McAleavy.

People talk about success a lot and it got me thinking: all of the things that have made me a better person, that have made me grow and become more successful, I learned from failure. I know what you’re thinking; what am I talking about? What can you possibly learn from failure? Well the truth is: everything.

 

Here are some of the things I now have because of failing: a successful online magazine, which I started after years of failing to work as a freelancer for the big magazines and newspapers, a fiance, who I will marry soon after failed dates and a failed relationship, a successful acting career after many failed auditions and rejection, a life in London after moving down once before and having to return home after running out of money the first time, finishing a book after five years of procrastination and false starts. I could go on, but what is clear, is that everything I have in my life I didn’t get the first time, or the second: I got it because of what I learned from failure and some good ol’ perseverance.

 

Here is what I learned from failure and how I applied it to my life.

 

Perseverance

I have had times when I failed so badly that I have spent entire days working from my bed. I have moped, I have even cried. But I always won in the end, or found something better, because I refused to give up. After leaving drama school I would commute between my parents home near Glasgow and London. It was exhausting and expensive so I decided to move. I went down to London on the night bus, I had no place to live, no job and I knew no one. I managed to find a studio flat in Highgate (£595 per month rent nine years ago) and get some ad hoc temp and promo work. However, I couldn’t find enough work to pay the rent and bills. My parents even had to come and take me back to Scotland as I had stuff in the flat and no money at all (thanks mum and dad!). I regrouped, found a job in Scotland that I could transfer to London and moved into a much cheaper house share. This time it stuck: I have never looked back and have made a life in London despite the fact that I knew no one in London and had no contacts either time.

 

Humility

When I was younger I wanted to be a writer or an actor. I have managed to be both now but when I first started trying to write I tried to get a job everywhere. I called up every newspaper near where my parents lived in Scotland, as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh. ‘Not only are we not hiring’, they said, ‘We’re letting people go.’ It was disheartening. I sent hundreds, probably even a thousand, CVs, letters, emails, calls….I failed miserably. I could not find a writing job in Scotland and although I could not see it at the time, it was a blessing. It also removed any resemblance of ego. Humility is a very important quality in life. You are not special, you are only one person amongst billions of others. A casting director also said this to a group of actors years later: ‘You are not special’. It’s true, and it helps to know it. The world does not owe you a living


Strength

A similar thing happened when I started acting. I left drama school and sent out hundreds of headshots and resumes to every casting director in the UK. I mostly got no reply, but after doing this a number of times, I started to get one or two. Getting an actor career off the ground is very expensive and I was faced with constant rejection. It took my years to even start getting good auditions and then even more years to start getting good parts. But I learned how strong I am, and that I just won’t give up. And that is all you need in life: strength and perseverance. This was especially true when I made my first feature length film as a writer/co-director/lead actor, but it is finished now and being edited.

 

What Works And What Doesn’t

With failure you learn what doesn’t, and what does work. You also learn about your strengths and weaknesses and can put all of that knowledge into action. I learned that cold calling people would only get me so far and learned to network. It made a huge difference.

 

Limits, And How To Pass Through Them.

The thing about limits is that you can push through them when you need to. I have done things I never thought I would be able to. Like performing on the West End, performing Shakespeare in the park, organising a launch party for this magazine pretty much all by myself and then managing to fix it when the venue pulled out at the last minute. The day before I had to email or call hundreds of people telling them about the change in venue and then was up late into the night making up hundreds of goodie bags. It was a tough and stressful time but the launch party was amazing, over three hundred people turned up and had a great time.

 

Of course, everyone has their limits but knowing when to give yourself a break and look after yourself is indispensable. Burning out helps no one. Then after recuperation comes the bounce back. You have to know when to give it a little bit more to achieve something amazing, and when to take some time out.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post. I would love to know your thoughts and what you have learned from failure. Please comment below or email frostmagazine@gmail.com