Christmas Jumpers - Hit or Miss?

Love them or hate them, the popularity of Christmas jumpers does not seem to be waining! And just like when I was a child in the 1980s, it seems that when it comes to a festive knit, the uglier the better!

Somehow over the last few years, there has been a huge resurgence in the Santa, snowman, reindeer, penguin or Christmas tree emblazoned sweaters with a whole host of extras like 3D noses, glittery antlers, jingling bells and even real lights!

The Cosby Show was probably one of the first places these crazy jumpers appeared, as Cliff Huxtable was renowned for his loud, clashing and down right cringy knits.  Not forgetting Chevy Chase  in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the 1980s loved these iconic sweaters!

But it wasn't until 2001 that they started to grow in popularity once again. Personally, I think you can either thank (or blame depending how you look at it!) Colin Firth in Bridget Jones' Diary for our reignighted love of the ugly Christmas knit! It was around this time that "Ugly Sweater Parties" became a bit of a phenomenon and the love has gown every year since.

We now have charities such as Barnados and Save The Children that hold Christmas Jumper days every December where participants wear a Christmas jumper to work and make a donation in return. It's a fantastic idea that has taken off all over the country and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Here at My Vintage, we have everything from original 1980s vintage Christmas jumpers dripping with beads, sequins and glitter - to our latest take on the trend which are these adorable Christmas print swing dresses/tunic tops. From Father Christmas print to penguins and snowmen, these are a really girly and comfortable alternative to those thick and scratchy jumpers!

Whatever your chosen Christmas wear, we are bound to have it in our Darwen shop or on our website www.myvintage.co.uk - ho ho hope to see you soon!

Over and out!
Em x

Disco Fever - 70s Vintage Glamour

It was in the New York nightclubs of the 1970s where disco began to take hold. Dance music was electronically enhanced with pounding catchy beats and layered orchestral sounds, and the urge to dance was just too strong to give into!

With this musical craze came a real shift in evening fashion and in 1976, Studio 54 really set the scene. The dancefloor was filled with women wearing shimmering and sparkling fabrics, hot-pants, leggings, leotards and super glam dresses. Hair was big and getting bigger, make-up was bold and glittery. This was the time when a woman really wanted to stand out and be noticed! Favoured colours were electric blue, lilac purple and fuchsia pink and man-made fabrics such as lamé, satin, sequin, polyester and velour were most definitely in vogue.

Whether wearing shiny tiny hot-pants and sequin boob tubes, or long draping dresses with dipped backs; this was a time of showing plenty of flesh, usually enhanced with a little shimmer or glitter of course. Designer such as Halston, Bill Blass, YSL and Chloe were the rulers of the stunning Grecian inspired dresses that fell beautifully from the neckline or strapless top. Sashes made from silk scarves and metallic belts and strappy heeled sandals completed the look for the fashion forward girl about town.

In street style, the disco look incorporated skinny shiny trousers in a rainbow of coloured satins, sequinned tops and lots of ruching. Towards the end of the decade, shoulder began to broaden and shoulder padding was most definitely on trend. Alternative looks for the younger disco crowd included silk shirts worn open over shimmering swimwear and leggings or oversized 'boyfriend' t-shirts sporting Roller Disco motifs. Disco was most certainly the last great look of the 1970s and really encapsulated the thrill seeking glamour of this revolutionary decade of vintage fashion.

I've always loved anything that sparkles and shimmers, so the vintage disco clothing from the 70s is amongst my favourite of the iconic looks we stock at My Vintage. Here are some amazing examples of funky disco chic that look as good today as they did almost 40 years ago!

You can shop 70s vintage clothing 24/7 at www.myvintage.co.uk or at our Darwen shop on The Circus.

Don't hate the Eighties! Vintage Fashion Special.

The eighties has a really bad reputation when it comes to fashion, but if you delve a little deeper than neon leg warmers and ra-ra skirts, 1980s vintage fashion has a lot to offer in 2015...

The 1980s evening dress is a real classic that works for two very particular reasons. Firstly, the sleek and feminine lines work to accentuate and flatter a woman's curves and secondly most of the fabrics are very female friendly. I'm talking silks, sequins and lots of viscose.

1980s Vintage Laurence Kazar Red Sequin Cocktail Dress UK Size 12/14

Some of our favourite evening dress necklines jump right out of the 80s including the cowl neck, slashed neck, cut out back and high neck. There is also of course, that cute prom dress style of dresses that give a nod toward the 1950's whilst staying short, tight and flirty. In 1986, Christian Lacroix created this style with fitted bodices and skirt puffball skirts. It was a refreshing change for women who has spent years wearing classic floor length gowns to black tie events. Now the the economic boom for the youth and Yuppy culture flying high, cocktail parties and soirees were much more fashionable, and these just screamed out for younger, shorter and cuter styles of dresses.

Designers started to go over the top with their creations and soon there was no such thing as too many sequins or bows that were too large. Frilled tops, dropped waist skirt with tutus, back bustles, pastel colours, beads and ribbons all featured heavily for anyone who was anyone.

1980s Vintage Gina Bacconi Pink and Black Prom Dress UK Size 6/8

In 1987, Yves Saint Laurent and Emanuel Ungaro took the hemlines even shorter. Early Ungaro versions featured rouched satin skirts in rich chocolate brown, contrasted with cerise pink details such as rose corsages, sashes and trains.

I absolutely love 1980s evening dresses (with the odd exception of course!) and not least the fully sequinned shift dresses in bright jewel colours or the over the top fishtail skirts and asymmetric necklines. It'd pretty difficult to find a high street party dress today that doesn't have some 1980's vintage influence, and the more the start to explore, the more surprised you'll be.

Original 1980s Radley Peplum Cocktail Dress UK Size 10

So put crimped hair, glow sticks, white socks and rainbow lycra out of your head and start thinking of the endless possibilities of 80s fashion. I guarantee there will be something you like when you really start looking. You may even end up with a fantastic 80s dress for your Christmas party this year!

1980s Black Evening Maxi Dress with Metallic Strands

We have a huge and impressive range of 1980s vintage clothing here at My Vintage, browse the online rails at www.myvintage.co.uk or pop in to see us at our shop in Darwen town centre.

Over and out!
Em xx

The 1960's - Out of this World

No doubt inspired but the Yuri Gagarin space race of 1961, cutting edge fashion houses such as Courréges and Pierre Cardin began to bring futuristic collections to the catwalks. Using limited colour palettes, shimmering silvers and glossy whites; these 'space age' clothes were based on that fantasy vision of life in the modern year 2000. The pretty, whimsical and superfluous decorations were shunned in favour of short straight skirts, simple a-line tunics and flat leather boots and shoes. Minimal was the buzz word.

In 1964, André Courréges showed his 'Moon Girl' collection which was full of straight lines, boxy shapes and most definitely no frill in sight. Skinny trouser suits with front slits to fall open over flat boots, simple square cute coats with basic pockets and buttons and of course the very shortest of short skirts. Accessories were also 'space age' with goggle style sunglasses and astronaut inspired helmet-style hats.

In an already androgynous style era, the hard and straight lines of these collections and the more angular models that were chosen to show them off, led to a trend in his 'n' hers clothing. It was the must have look for young hipster couples who would have identical looks to show they shared absolutely everything.

I love the modern take on 60s Space Age fashion and here is a quick checklist of the most important features of this trend:

• Mini pinafore dresses.
• Monochrome and graphic prints.
• Plastic detail and accessories.
• Asymmetric cutting.
• PVC coats.
• Metal and chain mail incorporated into garments.
• White, silver and shimmer.

We always have a great range of 1960's fashion here at My Vintage and if you fancy stepping into their preconceived version of the future, come and see some of our collections - they are truly out of this world!

You can shop 24/7 at www.myvintage.co.uk or visit us in store on The Circus in Darwen,

Halloween Makeup Tutorials and Outfit Ideas from My Vintage 2015

I'm pleased to say that most of the cheap, tacky Halloween costumes we've seen regurgitated for decades, have been rapidly losing popularity over the last few years. It excites me greatly to see so many imaginative and unusual dress up ideas emerging and I have to say that watching scary and quirky makeup tutorials on YouTube is most definitely one of my guilty pleasures (that and Ru Paul's Drag Race honey!)

To give you all some fresh inspiration for this year's spooky extravaganza, I've teamed some of my favourite makeup looks from various beauty bloggers and mags, with the perfect outfits straight out of My Vintage.

If you don't find your perfect Halloween get up in this lovely lot, I'll be more shocked than Uncle Fester in the electric chair!

1) Freaky Mermaid Chic
Who doesn't love a mermaid though? But if Ariel is a little tame for your Halloween party then why not try this ridiculously easy way to create shimmering fish scales on your face...

I love this look, so easy, so pretty and so effective! Thanks @KaitlinMekel :)

Now, to complete this unicorn mermaid Katy Perry gorgeousness, here are my top 3 picks from the huge range of stunning vintage and retro clothing at My Vintage...

1950s Vintage Mermaid Sequin Top from My Vintage

1970s Vintage Sequin Evening Maxi Dress from My Vintage

1980s Vintage Monsoon Silk Prom Dress from My Vintage

2. Ventriloquist Dolly
This is ridiculously cute, but also kinda creepy! Here is a really easy but effective tutorial for that crazed living dummy look to start us off...

Thanks a million for that Miranda, aka Slashed Beauty - I love it!

To perfect this look, we need to go for super cutesy and dainty doll so here are the top 3 items I have selected from the My Vintage range...

1950s Vintage St Michael Babydoll Nightie from My Vintage

1950s Style Pink Chiffon Doll Dress from My Vintage

Cute Swallow and Rose Mini Dress from My Vintage

3. Wednesday Addams
I know, I know, it has been done before. But she is just so cute, and this tutorial from the brilliant Alexys (lex) Fleming is brilliant and has some really amazing, but simple to recreate, details...

And when it comes to what to wear, these 3 My Vintage gems are ideal...

1960s Vintage Susan Small Monochrome Dress from My Vintage

Vintage Inspired Monochrome Stripe Blouse from My Vintage

1970s Vintage Monochrome Day Dress from My Vintage

4. Comic Book/Pop Art Lichtenstein Girl
This is oh so effective and is much easier than you might think! You also need minimal product and it can be done with things you already have in your makeup bag! Destiny Godley has created one of my all time favourite tutorials here...

This look is screaming out for bright and kitsch clothing, here are the top 3 I've picked out from My Vintage...

Gorgeous Vintage Gina Bacconi Prom Dress from My Vintage

Vintage 1970s Kitsch Novelty Print Dress

Vintage 1980s Bold Print Shirt Dress from My Vintage

5. Zombie Pin Up Girl
This has got to be my favourite! Who doesn't want to dress up in a pretty dress and petticoat but still look scary for all Hallows Eve?! Maria Escalante has done an awesome half and half makeup look here and boy is she cute!

We have loads of gorgeous pin up dresses to choose from, I've selected 3 that flatter all figures!

50s Style Black Polka Dot Swing Dress from My Vintage

Rockabilly Horror Girl Swing Dress from My Vintage

Stunning Red Siren Wiggle Dress from My Vintage

Oh and just one other thing, I cannot be held responsible for any marriage proposals or indeed indecent proposals you receive when wearing the dress above - we don't call it the disclaimer dress for nothing! #smokin

I hope you loved my choices and if you do try any of them out, don't forget to tweet or Facebook me with your pics!

Over and out
Em x

The Peplum - Modern Trend or Old School Style?

You'd be forgiven for thinking that peplum dresses, skirts, and tops were a new trend, springing up in high street collections over the last few years. But like many current trends, the peplum frill is actually a lot older than you think and features quite heavily in vintage fashion...


Originating in Ancient Greece, the peplum was originally worn by both men and women. Greeks wore lose fitting peplums, like short skirts, tied over their tunics and made from wool.


Fast forward to the Renaissance and once again peplums were reinvented , only this time round they were more structured and extended from the hips, in contrast to the draping style adopted by the Greeks. They were still worn by both genders.


The peplum as we know it in 2015, stems from the 1940’s. Ladies would wear both tops and dresses that featured peplums. This shape and style was popular as it created a nipped in waist and more curvy hips. This gave the wearer that coveted hourglass figure that we all still aspire to today.

Having been off the radar during the androgynous 60s and the hippy 70s, a brand new peplum became on trend fashion again in the 1980s. It was the decade of excess of course, and peplums would often have many layers, fold or pleats for even MORE fun! More variations were seen, including some dresses where the seam at the waist would taper down to a V, contrasting to the traditional straight across waist of the 1940’s peplum

Like many trends, this disappeared and and went through another re-branding and renovation in 2012 and there are many ways to wear a modern or a vintage peplum today.
If you want to wear a modern trend the unique vintage way, have a look for a gorgeous vintage peplum dress or top at My Vintage.

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1950s Fashion - Beneath the Dreamboats and Petticoats

For most of us, when we think of 1950's fashion, we think the classic cinched waist line and huge circle skirt, filled with petticoats and crinoline. That killer New Look shape, created by Dior after the Second World War, has got to be the epitome of mid century style. It's most definitely the shape I am asked for most at My Vintage and one that I tend to stock the most of!

Original 1950s Vintage Damask Print Cotton Wiggle Dress UK Size 10

But underneath all the puffed out petticoats, there was so much more to fifties fashion, most of which are still with us in 2015...

One of the most prevalent features of 50's fashion was prints. Beautiful painterly florals, illustrated and cartoon style novelty designs and technology inspired geometrics and atomic patterns. These amazing prints make so much of the vintage clothing I come across so instantly recognisable. These gorgeous prints featured on a range of fabrics, starting with silks, satins and cottons but leading to the new light nylons of the era. These materials were so very popular as they dried overnight, this made clothing cheaper and easier to was and that was a big deal to the girls of the decade.

1950s Vintage Rose Print Chiffon Prom Dress UK Size 6

Christian Dior may have created the New Look shape, but he always said that fashion should never stand still. This led to him introducing collections that each challenged preceding silhouettes. From 'Tulipe' to 'H-Line', 'A-Line' and 'Y-Line' - these collections were so popular that manufacturers from leading fashion houses such as Givenchy, Nina Ricci and Balengiaga rushed over to invest in patterns and were sometimes even known to smuggle garments back so they could be copied!


Meanwhile, over in American, a new market was blossoming. Ready to wear separates for the younger market; namely blouses, jumpers, tops, skirts, knitwear and jackets. What really made these different was that they no longer needed to co-ordinate. Mix and match became a real thing, and was commonly know as "sweater dressing" This brand new trend became an alternative and internationally accepted way to dress and that's why it provides so many of the vintage garments from the 1950's that we see today.

50s Vintage Sequin Shift Top Mermaid Blue UK Size 10

Apart from the many rails of beautiful reproduction 1950's clothing we have at My Vintage, we also have many stunning original pieces from the era. Unique and one of a kind, there are few things quite as special as an original 1950's wiggle dress or a novelty print circle skirt. Pop in to see us or have a browse online to see some of our current 50's pieces and more.

Over and out!
Em xx

Catch Up | Light 'n' Lazy Makeup Tutorial

Hi guys and girls, well it's been aaaages hasn't it?!

You probably know by now that I have been really unwell for the past couple of months and spent about 4 weeks in hospital. Pleased to say I am over the worst and on my road to recovery.

Here I give you a general catch up and show you my quick, easy, lazy makeup for looking good even when you don't feel it!

See you soon
Em
xx

How to LOVE other people's photos of you.

So we've all pretty much nailed the selfie now, right? I don't know many women who haven't mastered the art of good lighting, raised camera and duck face pout of course!

I am really good at selfies hahaha. Here are some of my favourites...

I'm sure you also have some selfies that you are comfortable with, that make you smile and that you'd be happy to show to anyone... And that's why they are probably (like mine) used as your social media profile pictures.

So why is it that most of us feel very differently about photos that other people take of us? Is it the lack of control? Is it that they aren't bothered about our best side or most flattering angle?

Well there is actually a proper grown up scientificmabobs explanation for this. We have one very frequent but surprisingly inaccurate source of seeing ourselves, and that is the mirror. We are so used to seeing our concise mirror image, on average around 70 times per day, that seeing a completely different angles/ratio/distance image is a bit of a shell shock.

Now you might be in the minority of women who are so completely happy with their appearance and comfortable in their own skin, that anyone could take a photo of them from any angle and they wouldn't mind in the slightest. If this is you then you have my admiration and utmost respect. You are very few and far between though...

So to recap, a selfie recreates the mirror image of us that we are used to seeing on a regular basis. A photo that someone else takes of us represents how other people see us everyday. From a variety of "bad" angles that we are never even aware of. That's why your friends and family will usually be shocked if there is a photo of you that you hate - as that's how they usually see you.

So how can we get over this? Well, like any fear, the best way to tackle it is to face it! We did a little bit of research on this and discovered that there is also a scientificmabobs way to deal with it.

The theory is called "Mere-exposure" and can also be known as the familiarity principle. The idea is simple - the more often you are exposed to something, the more you will like it. So when it comes to photographs you hate, the only way to start liking them is to keep looking at them. OVer and over again, for as long as it takes. But it actually won't take that long for you to start tolerating the images before you will actually begin to like them. And what could be better than liking yourself and the way the world sees you, that little bit more? Not much I'd say.

I will let you into a little secret now. Here are some pictures of me that other people have taken, ones that I HATED at first but have now grown to like with this very effective method...

Those of you who have met me will probably wonder why I ever hated these. But I did. I can confidently say now though that I really like them and no longer see the problem myself either.

So, your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to find those photos you hate that other people have taken of you and keep looking at them over and over again. You'll more than likely go from "Ewww" to "Hmmm not too bad I suppose" to "Actually I quite like that" much quicker than you think!

Let me know if this works for you and how much better it's made you feel.

Bye for now
Em xx

Jamelia - Your Argument is Flawed. Here's my Big Fat Story...

I really hope you can spend 5 minutes reading this blog post, no matter who you are, where you're from or what size you are. It's a very upfront and honest perspective that not everyone will understand, but I'm hoping I can change that...

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last week, you'll be fully aware of failed pop star Jamelia's controversial comments regarding plus size clothing, and the huge backlash she has received in the aftermath.

I actually cannot be bothered to quote her but in essence her opinion (which she has explained she is paid to give) is that "extreme" sizes below 6 and over 20 should not be available on the high street and should only be sold in specialist shops. She explained that these sizes are unhealthy and that women who fit in them should be made to feel uncomfortable when they go shopping.

I have read many blog posts since then from many members of the amazing plus-size blogging community and have agreed with them all, But in my opinion (which I don't get paid to give) there's a big point that's being missed here and one that not everyone can relate to, but I'd like to share it...

JAMELIA - THIS IS ALREADY HAPPENING AND IT DOESN'T WORK.

I was a teenager of the 90s, when the world was a very different place to what it is now. I didn't get my first mobile phone (a rather splendid Nokia 3310 with Purple Ronnie fascia) until I was 18 and apart from spending 20mins waiting for the internet to dial up before being thrown off again (cos my Mum wanted to ring my Auntie) there wasn't an online world or a social media community to be part of.

Like most teenage girls have always done, I spent many Saturdays in town shopping with my friends. But I was a lot bigger than all of them so my options for clothing were very very limited. There was literally one shop in Blackburn that I was able to buy clothes from, and that was Evans. Back then, Evans catered for Mums, most of their clothes were flowery, frumpy and a far cry from fashionable. So who could blame me for being embarrassed to take my friends in there as a 14/15/16 year old girl? I felt exactly how Jamelia wanted me to feel. I was uncomfortable, ashamed and embarrassed. There was one "specialist shop" that I could shop in and that was it. So what did I do? Well just like my friends, I had money to spend, I started working at 13 doing bits of part time work here and there and saving as much money as I could. At home things were hard. My father had passed away when I was 4 and my Mum had lost a successful business through no fault of her own. She was going through difficult times and there was very little money around. Little money meant little food but I hadn't gotten to the size I was without being a big food lover! So with a pocket full of cash and nowhere to spend it that didn't fill me with dread, I spent several years buying nothing but shoes, handbags, make up and one other thing - FOOD.

I was too young to understand what low self esteem and depression were, but that's exactly what was going on. And like any good fat girl I was absolutely brilliant at self-medicating. As I trawled through pages and pages of glossy magazines filled with amazing looks I could never achieve, suddenly the only thing that made me feel better was a litre of ice cream or a family sized cream cake. Funnily enough that resulted in me gaining even more weight! So being "fat-shamed" didn't make me get healthier as the wonderful Jamelia seems to think it would, it made me fatter.

I then discovered alcohol and was out drinking with friends at least 3 nights a week. In fairness, I danced a lot of it off but I still continued to gain weight and when you're already way over Jamelia's acceptable size 20, a few more dress sizes really makes no difference at all.

When I was 19 I met my soul mate and partner Simon and we fell madly in love, within a couple of years we were living together with a baby on the way and I had everything I'd ever wanted. That still didn't stop me hating myself every single day, covering those feelings up to the outside world with my humour, boisterous personality and gift of the gab. I had my amazing, beautiful, perfect baby boy in 2004 and had then reached my heaviest weight, fashion was far from my mind and I spent the next few years buying whatever I could find on eBay that would fit and "look OK"

I suffered from horrendous post natal depression and behind closed doors it was a very very difficult and dark period of my life. Getting bigger, feeling worthless and at some points wondering why anyone wanted anything to do with me as I was just so inadequate and quite frankly, useless.

At this point, I was also holding down a very stressful sales job and surrounded by a very negative workforce, that only served to bring me down even more. I ended up having a breakdown and becoming very very ill for 6 months. This was a massive turning point in my life as I had mental space to really think and reevaluate my life. It was then that I decided to take a risk and open my vintage boutique to compliment my online shop www.myvintage.co.uk
Boy, did this begin to change my life...

Suddenly I was being true to me, doing what I love the most and also giving options to so many women of different shapes and sizes. I stock anything from a vintage size 4 to a gorgeous size 28 and sometimes beyond. I have had women cry in the shop of pure happiness as finally they have been made to feel welcome and feel beautiful, not ostracised. I've also been able to reach out on social media, finding incredible women who write about their feelings and their fashion, things that I can really relate to. I now have so many more shops and labels that I can buy amazing fashion from and it feels great. I've found my inner peace, inner confidence and there is absolutely no stopping me now. I'm even at a point where I now hold confidence and empowerment classes. These have absolutely NOTHING to do with size, they are about women feeling good about themselves and enjoying their life at last, subsequently achieving great things. I've also been HUGELY inspired by the incredible Tess Holliday (aka Tess Munster) over the last year, and she has been a real catalyst for my hugely improved mental health and wellbeing.

And guess what Jamelia? I've actually started to loose weight too, meaning my mental AND physical health is improving. All because I'm learning to love myself and subsequently I don't want to punish myself. And no, this really isn't any of your business but it is FACT, not opinion. The fact is, shaming made me fatter and self worth makes me healthier.

So, Jamelia (and anyone who agrees with her) your opinion is completely flawed and quite frankly, bullshit.

Em
xx

Defeating Trolls and Effing Beauty Standards!

Well it's been another rather eventful week in the world of me and My Vintage!

As many of you already know, as part of our positivity and confidence movement, we have introduced Feel Good Fridays, where we encourage other women to wear something that they might not normally be brave enough to and to get those selfies rolling, hashtag #feelgoodfriday of course...

Last Friday, I decided upon a rather pretty Primark kimono jacket that I was gifted for Christmas but hadn't worn yet. I'd been avoiding it as it's a pale colour (that I'm not always comfortable with) and being a little bit sheer, it shows some of my upper arms, which is a huge issue for me. I put together this cute little outfit and I felt absolutely great, as well as getting SO many compliments...

I was thoroughly loving all the compliments I was getting (who wouldn't?!) and it was lovely to hear that people liked my outfit.

So there I was having a lunchtime scroll through my Instagram feed and I see this...

No, I think to myself, that must be a typo. She surely isn't being THAT rude? So I ask...

And sure enough...

So now I'm thinking - OK, not only do we have a troll in our midst, but she is now being a little confrontational! However, I tried to remain as calm and professional as possible and here was my (not at all sarcastic) retort...

And so the "conversation" continued...

Back tracking, much?! And just when you thought I couldn't get any more condescending...

Now there were MANY other comments made as my friends and followers began to get onboard and say their piece! I was happy for them to say whatever they wanted and if you do want to read everything that was said then please do hop onto my Instagram feed and have a nosey! But please note there is some very colourful language!

Needless to say, the troll retreated back into her cave without further notice and the whole episode really did give us an afternoon of laughs. But let's be serious here - does my posting of a photograph on Instagram actually give anyone the right to insult me? I think not.

If this had happened a year ago I would have laughed it off in public, got home and had a good cry, deleted the photograph from every possible location and never ever worn that outfit again. But I genuinely didn't feel any of those negative feelings. And to be honest, that gave me a real boost as I realised that I really had come so far on my journey to loving and appreciating my body and being at peace with myself. So I guess she kinda did me a favour!

The incident also drew in many comments from my friends on Facebook, which was lovely and supportive. I honestly didn't feel like I needed reassurance but it was nice to know that friends cared enough to speak up. It was on of these friends who contacted me and suggested we do a really fun tongue-in-cheek photoshoot the next day. Andy is a great amateur photographer and also someone I trust and feel comfortable with so I jumped at the chance.

The idea was just to reinforce the whole Feel It Wear It Own It philosophy and the message behind Eff Your Beauty Standards, whilst also (literally) sticking a finger to the aforementioned troll and any that may follow her!

Here are some of my favourite shots...

I think between Andy, Lucy and myself we really did get our message across and we also had an amazing laugh!

Troll defeated. Beauty standards effed! I think we reign victorious don't you?

Em
xx