Sk8er Gurl

Skaters. Trainers. Pumps. Espandrilles.

We can no longer deny it. Flats have flooded the highstreet and are having their fashion 'moment' this Spring/Summer.

Usually this would perplex me - a 'heels' girl through and through. Espadrilles remind me of uncomfortable childhood shoes worn on holidays where sand got in between your toes and rubbed. Pumps put me in mind of awkward primary school gym classes where the boys and girls kept as far apart as physically possible, each group thoroughly disgusted by the opposite sex. And while I have enjoyed the trainer trend of late at an average price of £80 for a new pair of Airmax/Free Run/Flex it's a bit too much like hard work for my bank account to get into all that.

But skaters. Now skaters are something I can very much get on board with. And boy, have I?

I started small with a cheap and cheerful pair from H&M in leopard print canvas. At £12.99 I thought they were a simple enough way to dabble in this trend and see if it was for me. Within hours I was hooked. I put them on Instagram and got at least 10 'likes' before I could even click off the app.

So loved, were they, that when a friend went to buy them online and they'd sold out I was enlisted to go and get her a pair from my local store and post them to her. (I did, of course - share the joy!)

Amazingly a few pairs are back in stock but move quickly if you want some - only sizes 5,6 and 6.5 left....HERE.

 

After this my appetite was whetted and I had to have more. Cue ASOS.

When my mother saw these she was a little taken-aback. I asked for her feedback. Bracing myself (I could feel the confusion radiating from her) she said, "Well, you certainly can't wear a skirt with them. You'll see straight up it!" Good thing I'm more of a trousers and shirt girl then, eh?

These were a pinch more than the H&M pair at £20 but I still think this is very reasonable. I've barely had them off my feet and they are giving me a lot of joy every time I wear them. Plus they're the perfect dancing shoes; last night I went to see Janelle Monaé in concert and wanted to dress up but with comfortable shoes that would see me in good stead for a boogy. These fit the bill perfectly. Some glitzy earrings, a bejewelled top and Red Stripe in hand (it was a gig after all) I felt a million dollars. Get yours HERE.

And now we come to my latest pair...

These bad boys have been on my wish list from pretty much the day they were released online. They sold out almost instantaneously but I am a believer in replenishing so kept checking back, almost daily at times, and today my determination was rewarded.

Let me introduce my baby blues from Topshop - another £20 wonder purchase. (OH, if you're reading this then...um...sorry?) 

I am over the (blue) moon to have them in my life - they are so pretty. The Topshop website reviews say they come up a bit small but the 6 (39) fit me perfectly. In fact, if anything, in comparison, the ASOS space shoes were a bit more snug than these at first but have now broken in beautifully. These Topshop perfections are available HERE.

Here's to a summer full of sunshine and skaters.

How about you? Got yours yet?

Bloomin' Excited

So here we are again, another night before the week ahead has come round and most folk are feeling the benefits of the extra day off work for the Bank Holiday and enjoying the relaxed vibes. Not I...Oh no. For my weekend has been less 'long' and more 'long hours on site.' A building site to be precise. I can almost hear you asking what on earth someone who works in fashion was doing on a building site all weekend but it was for a good cause. Those of you who follow me on Twitter (@2dyefor_) will have noticed a few mentions these past few days regarding a new bar opening at the end of this week. Well I can finally say a bit more about it and give you a few preview shots - you lucky lot!

The reason I have been on site is because of OH. He's a self-employed architect and his company have been hired to design and create a new bar in Manchester and, true to form, he's created an incredible project which will look idyllic but needs all hands on deck to get those finishing touches living up to the mental image he has for it.

The bar is going to be called Bloom and is based right in the heart of Manchester on Hardman Square in Spinningfields and opens on 31st May. (3 days away.) There's a lovely article about it here on the Spinningfields website.

Pre-vines

OH and I are both real perfectionists so when he mentioned the live ivy outer walls needed concentrating on there was little else I could do than volunteer my weekend away to help the project along. So that's what I've been doing. All weekend I have been up and down ladders training ivy up the side of the bar so that the finished result is a living green box. And it looks ridiculously cool.

Vine training

Now that we've hit Monday night it's safe to say I am exhausted but there's no better reason for it than to help out a good cause. The actual bar will be owned and run by James Wrigley who already owns Fluid Bars and DockBar so he's a well established guy and will only be going from strength to strength. He's been a friend of mine for years so I was thrilled when he and OH teamed up on this latest piece and what they have created promises to be an urban oasis where you can spend time with friends, listen to good music and enjoy a few drinks and even some hot and cold meze style dishes.

Outdoor concept

The very pride-inducing board on site. OH's company.

What's so great about this bar is that, unlike most summer pop-ups, it has a fully covered indoor area and covered and uncovered outdoor seating areas. I think this is a great concept as we can all agree that Manchester's weather can hardly be counted on but this has all been taken into consideration so OH has created several spaces for anyone to enjoy whatever mood the weatherman happens to be in.

Interior coming along nicely

As mentioned it officially opens 31st May but a huge amount of us will be down there this Saturday (1st) along with some DJs and general first weekend revellers so drop in and say hi if you're in the area. Even if you aren't, make the trip. Trust me - it will be worth it.

In the mean time stay tuned for launch pics and follow the bar on Twitter for the latest updates and preview shots @BloomBarMCR