No, contrary to the common belief, one size does not fit all. It's a myth, of course it is. How can one size fit all when a size 10 dress doesn't even fit all size 10s?
It's because there is one thing shops seem to forget when sizing up their clothes; boobs. I don't have a large stomach and I don't have broad shoulders but I have boobs and, when shopping, they are a really pain (and no that's not just from wearing a bra).
My boobs are the bane of my life when it comes to clothes shopping; nothing too tight but nothing too loose. Not too revealing but still comfortable. (Urgh girl with large boobs complaining about her struggles. Sorry, it's probably annoying but just be thankful that your boobs are in proportion to your body.)
I guess it's not just boobs they forget, it's legs too. Let me and my short and stumpy legs shop in peace. Please. The correlation between height and size is wrong and, generally, just very confusing.
Clothes are complicated. Very complicated; dresses especially. How am I supposed to find a dress that fits when my lower half is screaming size 8 and my upper half a 10. Size 10 isn't massive, that's not the problem. The problem is that women come in all shapes and sizes and clothes shops just don't cater for that. I struggle into my size 8 tops knowing full well they may rip at any moment during the awkward putting on process. Or getting it off. They are both a struggle. It's no fun, trying to squeeze into outfits because, even if you had the money to get it in a bigger size, it then wouldn't fit the rest of your body.
To add to insult, there are clothes which look gorgeous. Petite summer dresses which you look at and think 'wow I want that. I want to look that cute'. But it just isn't meant to be. People have ideas in mind when they design clothes, of course they do but sometime things shouldn't be available if they are just going to look dreadful. Some clothes are designed for smaller sizes so don't try to make the same style dress suit a size 6 and a size 16, it isn't going to work.
Being short doesn't help the issue. Apparently if you're short you are a size 6/8 and tall a size 10/12 (we'll talk compared to my feeble 5"6 (that sounds about right, I don't know my exact height). Anything long is a no go; dresses, play suits, dungarees. You name it and I've probably tried it on and stood on tip toes trying not to fall over my own feet.
Are small people not allowed clothes? Please explain this to me. It's highly unreasonable for me and my short legs.
The other week I tried on a long play suit. Well, I say 'tried on' I attempted to try it on. It was unsuccessful. I got just below my hips before I thought to myself 'there is no hope struggling, this is not getting past my hips. My hips. My hips which stick out, like every other girl. Why is it so hard for retailers to comprehend that if something needs to go past my hips in order to be put on then it needs to be bigger. This was a size 10 play suit (one which, in all honesty, I probably would have tripped over anyway.)
Shopping is stressful enough as it is, don't make me guess which size I need to pick up today. Why is it that I can still fit into size 8's in New Look but have to buy size 12's at Topshop? Two whole sizes is way too broad, how the hell am I supposed to know which is the more accurate one? (Although in this case it's obviously New Look because I don't have the body that Topshop account for.)
It's no wonder really that clothes is almost always a no-go as presents go (unless it's for a man, then sizing seems to be miraculously easy) and let's not even get started on online shopping.
I guess I'm stuck. Lured in by New Look's summer sales and Primark's affordable (and reasonable, I'm not one to buy a £20 top, I don't see the point) prices. Trapped in the world of inaccurate sizing's and frustrating shopping. A world where size 6's are A cups and size 14's are D cups (sorry all, that's not quite how it works).
So don't worry lads, it's not just you being stupid, women's sizing makes no sense and confuses us too.
--- Aimee ---
Tuesday 26 July 2016
Monday 18 July 2016
Truck Festival (Take 2)
Ah Truck Festival, how wonderful you were (again). A weekend filled with laughs, music and festival food (Wok and Roll where were your tofu noodles at? I was looking forward to those but it was ok because the burrito from elsewhere made up for it.)
Attending with a first time festival goer my dad, it was quite an experience. Whereas a avid festival goer myself (yes, one previous festival makes me an avid fan) not much of the festival life bothered me, my dad's two complaints were the quality of the toilets (eh, understandable) and the lack of kebabs (less understandable).
It started off not so great when, after being at the festival for a few house I realised I had forgotten my hairbrush. What a moron. Saved by the high ponytail and the girl who leant me her brush (thanks you absolute babe) it proved to be less of a problem than I had first thought. It was, at least, less of a problem than the 'instant' porridge my dad had brought that was only 'instant' with milk and a microwave (someone didn't read the small print).
The camping side of things was actually pretty good (as good as camping can be that is) and it only took two attempts to fit the tent into the bag (pretty impressive if you ask me)
There were three major band highlights for me this year (oddly one for each day.)
On the Friday we saw Neck Deep and it was amazing. After seeing them in April (thanks Jack) I knew it would be brilliant and it did not disappoint. Handing over to the crowd for a verse of 'A Part of Me' made me melt inside. Utterly beautiful. It was one of those moments that there just aren't the words to describe the sensation. It was all worth it, even if it did result in a semi lost voice.
For me, the second highlight came on the Saturday night. Manic Street Preachers headlined (shout out to my dad for coming to the whole weekend when this was the only band he wanted to see.) The atmosphere was terrific. Opening with 'Motorcycle Emptiness' (I have never felt more alive than I did during this beautiful number) and ending with 'A Design for Life' the set could not have been better. Dragging my dad into the mosh pit (it wasn't the best mosh pit granted) proved to be very fun and not too injury worthy.
The third came with Kodaline's performance last night (although the water fight in the crowd prior to their performance was also pretty memorable). Despite not being an avid fan, I was able to enjoy their songs and the brilliant atmosphere which came with this. In all honesty I could have easily burst into tears during either 'The One' (an absolutely epic love song) or 'All I Want' (the saddest break up song I have ever heard. 'But if you loved me why did you leave me'. Everyone can relate to those lines, it is just magical.)
So that was Truck 2016, hoping to see you next year and if there is one thing that this weekend has taught me it's that you should never go braless if moshing may occur, it is not comfortable. (And also don't take chocolate to a festival and leave it in a tent, especially digestive biscuits but that is probably a given.)
--- Aimee ---
Attending with a first time festival goer my dad, it was quite an experience. Whereas a avid festival goer myself (yes, one previous festival makes me an avid fan) not much of the festival life bothered me, my dad's two complaints were the quality of the toilets (eh, understandable) and the lack of kebabs (less understandable).
It started off not so great when, after being at the festival for a few house I realised I had forgotten my hairbrush. What a moron. Saved by the high ponytail and the girl who leant me her brush (thanks you absolute babe) it proved to be less of a problem than I had first thought. It was, at least, less of a problem than the 'instant' porridge my dad had brought that was only 'instant' with milk and a microwave (someone didn't read the small print).
The camping side of things was actually pretty good (as good as camping can be that is) and it only took two attempts to fit the tent into the bag (pretty impressive if you ask me)
There were three major band highlights for me this year (oddly one for each day.)
On the Friday we saw Neck Deep and it was amazing. After seeing them in April (thanks Jack) I knew it would be brilliant and it did not disappoint. Handing over to the crowd for a verse of 'A Part of Me' made me melt inside. Utterly beautiful. It was one of those moments that there just aren't the words to describe the sensation. It was all worth it, even if it did result in a semi lost voice.
For me, the second highlight came on the Saturday night. Manic Street Preachers headlined (shout out to my dad for coming to the whole weekend when this was the only band he wanted to see.) The atmosphere was terrific. Opening with 'Motorcycle Emptiness' (I have never felt more alive than I did during this beautiful number) and ending with 'A Design for Life' the set could not have been better. Dragging my dad into the mosh pit (it wasn't the best mosh pit granted) proved to be very fun and not too injury worthy.
The third came with Kodaline's performance last night (although the water fight in the crowd prior to their performance was also pretty memorable). Despite not being an avid fan, I was able to enjoy their songs and the brilliant atmosphere which came with this. In all honesty I could have easily burst into tears during either 'The One' (an absolutely epic love song) or 'All I Want' (the saddest break up song I have ever heard. 'But if you loved me why did you leave me'. Everyone can relate to those lines, it is just magical.)
So that was Truck 2016, hoping to see you next year and if there is one thing that this weekend has taught me it's that you should never go braless if moshing may occur, it is not comfortable. (And also don't take chocolate to a festival and leave it in a tent, especially digestive biscuits but that is probably a given.)
--- Aimee ---
Friday 15 July 2016
A Fed Up Feminist
'So women want to be treated equal but still want us to hold doors open for them?'
Oh sorry, did it inconvenience you to be a helpful person; not a gentleman, a person.
In 2016 do people really still believe equality is about holding doors open? Really? Like proper educated individuals?
Equality, believe it or not, cover issues a bit more serious than feeling like you have to hold a door open (you will never get those 10 seconds of your life back, what a tragedy).
It's time to rise and shine and smell the oppression (it probably smells like Lynx). Stop complaining about opening doors and start complaining that women are oppressed (it really would be a much better use of your time and I won't feel the urge to punch you.)
As a top that I fell in love with yesterday read (it was love at first sight), Fuck the Patriarchy.
Yes, there is an image of masculinity which is pushed upon but does it really impact you that much? Are you going to start working out because of the pressures in society or because you want to impress females and yourself?
Are you forever forced to be skinner in order to be pretty? Are you scrutinised for saying you love your body when society thinks otherwise? Are you made to buy bigger sizes at clothes shops (it really knocks your confidence) who cater for size 6 models because this is their ideal?
And why is it that almost any clothes shop feel the need to make women's clothes either; partially see through (where is the practicality?), lacy (come on, we all know lace is supposed to be sexy), low cut (we all know the degrading vocabulary which correlates with this), short (I'll probably be slut shamed for wearing a skirt anyway, do you need to make them so short?), uncomfortable (I don't think fashion is always worth it's pain), awkwardly sized (no, my hips and boobs aren't in proportion to the rest of my body, can we please stop assuming they are), sexist (yes Primark I'm talking to you with your pink love heart shaped football shirts, give it a break), tight (I'm always going to sweat so could we please make this less obvious when I do) or grey (talk about the sweat patches! Grey tops should not exist.)
Are you confined to the tiny area between too much makeup and not enough? Between too masculine but not feminine enough? Between too tall and too short? Too skinny and too fat? Too loud or too quiet?
Maybe I don't need to fit any criteria because I'm not trying to impress anyone. Why is anyone ever described as 'too' anything? What criteria are we trying to meet? It can't be perfection because society will never let us be perfect, or even feel it. Comfortable in our own bodies, where's the profit in that?
Do you have to face being degraded while being referred to as 'honey' or 'sweetie' or 'darling'? No, I'm not a 1950's housewife who is happy catering for her husbands needs so stop treating me like it. I don't care if you are male or female, don't refer to me in a way which states 'aw nice try, you did your best' or, more sexist-ly 'you did well (for a female)'. We all know that's what you mean. 'You did very well but you're a woman so you can't be that good can you?'
Do you get mocked for wanting equality? Do you get told to 'calm down' because you're a woman angry with her society? I think I have a perfectly good reason to be angry, stop making me feel bad for doing so. No, somebody is NOT on their period, somebody is fed up of being oppressed.
Do you grow up needing to learn how to be 'wife material' or are you instead told how you're going to 'break hearts' when your older? Do family friends comment on you being a 'fine young lady' (which we all know means being delicate, polite and attractive.) Are you pushed (from an early age) to believing you must have a family to be deemed someone who's 'made it'? Forced into believing a stable family home with kids (after marriage of course) is the ultimate goal. Are you questioned on whether you will be able to balance kids and a job? Will you be questioned upon offloading you kids for the day whilst you go to work (you've got to pay for the kids somehow).
Is your gender associated with being weak and incapable? In need of helping (a damsel in distress if you will). In need of a man to make her feel complete (just read a book or watch a sad film, it's much cheaper).
Do you have to fight for equality or do you already have it?
--- Aimee ---
Oh sorry, did it inconvenience you to be a helpful person; not a gentleman, a person.
In 2016 do people really still believe equality is about holding doors open? Really? Like proper educated individuals?
Equality, believe it or not, cover issues a bit more serious than feeling like you have to hold a door open (you will never get those 10 seconds of your life back, what a tragedy).
It's time to rise and shine and smell the oppression (it probably smells like Lynx). Stop complaining about opening doors and start complaining that women are oppressed (it really would be a much better use of your time and I won't feel the urge to punch you.)
As a top that I fell in love with yesterday read (it was love at first sight), Fuck the Patriarchy.
Yes, there is an image of masculinity which is pushed upon but does it really impact you that much? Are you going to start working out because of the pressures in society or because you want to impress females and yourself?
Are you forever forced to be skinner in order to be pretty? Are you scrutinised for saying you love your body when society thinks otherwise? Are you made to buy bigger sizes at clothes shops (it really knocks your confidence) who cater for size 6 models because this is their ideal?
And why is it that almost any clothes shop feel the need to make women's clothes either; partially see through (where is the practicality?), lacy (come on, we all know lace is supposed to be sexy), low cut (we all know the degrading vocabulary which correlates with this), short (I'll probably be slut shamed for wearing a skirt anyway, do you need to make them so short?), uncomfortable (I don't think fashion is always worth it's pain), awkwardly sized (no, my hips and boobs aren't in proportion to the rest of my body, can we please stop assuming they are), sexist (yes Primark I'm talking to you with your pink love heart shaped football shirts, give it a break), tight (I'm always going to sweat so could we please make this less obvious when I do) or grey (talk about the sweat patches! Grey tops should not exist.)
Are you confined to the tiny area between too much makeup and not enough? Between too masculine but not feminine enough? Between too tall and too short? Too skinny and too fat? Too loud or too quiet?
Maybe I don't need to fit any criteria because I'm not trying to impress anyone. Why is anyone ever described as 'too' anything? What criteria are we trying to meet? It can't be perfection because society will never let us be perfect, or even feel it. Comfortable in our own bodies, where's the profit in that?
Do you have to face being degraded while being referred to as 'honey' or 'sweetie' or 'darling'? No, I'm not a 1950's housewife who is happy catering for her husbands needs so stop treating me like it. I don't care if you are male or female, don't refer to me in a way which states 'aw nice try, you did your best' or, more sexist-ly 'you did well (for a female)'. We all know that's what you mean. 'You did very well but you're a woman so you can't be that good can you?'
Do you get mocked for wanting equality? Do you get told to 'calm down' because you're a woman angry with her society? I think I have a perfectly good reason to be angry, stop making me feel bad for doing so. No, somebody is NOT on their period, somebody is fed up of being oppressed.
Do you grow up needing to learn how to be 'wife material' or are you instead told how you're going to 'break hearts' when your older? Do family friends comment on you being a 'fine young lady' (which we all know means being delicate, polite and attractive.) Are you pushed (from an early age) to believing you must have a family to be deemed someone who's 'made it'? Forced into believing a stable family home with kids (after marriage of course) is the ultimate goal. Are you questioned on whether you will be able to balance kids and a job? Will you be questioned upon offloading you kids for the day whilst you go to work (you've got to pay for the kids somehow).
Is your gender associated with being weak and incapable? In need of helping (a damsel in distress if you will). In need of a man to make her feel complete (just read a book or watch a sad film, it's much cheaper).
Do you have to fight for equality or do you already have it?
--- Aimee ---
Tuesday 5 July 2016
Defining Emo
Define emo.
What springs to mind? Black? Metal? Piercings? Goth?
'This song makes me feel so emo'. Yes I have said that on many occasions when listening to classics such as Welcome To The Black Parade (how can you not feel emo listening to that?)
If I was to define 'emo' I would put it somewhere between screamo and punk; easier to understand than scream but deeper (and darker) than punk.
According to the reliable source that is Google, an emo 'is overly sensitive and full of angst or adopts a certain style characterized by dyed black hair, tight t-shirts and jeans'.
So, am I an emo?
I'm not ashamed to say that I dyed my hair black to be more emo, but I've come to the realisation that I'm not any more emo than a 5 year old boy who listens to Take That (who are/were (are they even together any more?) a pretty good band - this isn't me hating on them.)
Anyway, I don't know who I was kidding thinking a simple box (well two, oh the joys of thick hair) would magically transform me from the shy kid in class to a rebellious and, well, emo one I guess.
I guess a part of me wanted a change so I could at least pretend I was a different person. I still think that it makes me feel as though the friends I used to have really don't know me know, sometimes people don't recognise me and I'm happy about that. I'm happy that people who used to know me don't recognise me because I'm not the same person anymore and people should know that.
But honestly, I couldn't be emo if I tried.
I'm more like that shy kid that secretly (secretly meaning not hiding it, just not talking about it) listens to punk (or whatever the hell the music I listen to is actually classed as).
How can I say if I'm emo or not when I don't even know what an 'emo' is?
I'd like to think I'm too nice and approachable to be an emo (although I have been informed that people think I'm a bitch and am not approachable at all...oops). But is being 'emo' even about the type of person you are? Is it not more about the music you listen to? Even then which bands are exactly 'emo'?
Gerard Way stated that emo, to him, was 'fucking garbage' and 'a pile of shit' (his words not mine). Yet My Chemical Romance still feature majorly in discussions on the topic of emo music. It begs the question on who can define which genre(s) a band belongs to? Doesn't it depend on the album or even the song?
In my opinion The Black Parade is an emo (or at least what the majority of people class as emo) album whereas Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (what a rad album name) is not emo, nah (na, na na na, na na na), it's not even close.
But people have different opinions. Pop lovers think anything angrier than James Blunt (another fab artist - not a dig) are heavy bands.
Here's the thing, if you are ruling out any band who you class as 'emo' you are probably missing some truly great music. Some music is loud, some is angry, some focuses on real issues; it doesn't make them emo. Listen to different music and live a little, bring out your inner emo.
And, as I close this blog post (I'm not really sure if what I currently have has any purpose so I figure I'll end it here before I keep rambling on about things that might not even be emo), I realise the two most emo things in my room are my Green Day calendar (who aren't even emo) and my winged eyeliner (which I like to think is stylish and not just the singular aspect which groups me with other emos.)
I'm not emo and I never have been; oh well it was worth a try.
--- Aimee ---
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What springs to mind? Black? Metal? Piercings? Goth?
'This song makes me feel so emo'. Yes I have said that on many occasions when listening to classics such as Welcome To The Black Parade (how can you not feel emo listening to that?)
If I was to define 'emo' I would put it somewhere between screamo and punk; easier to understand than scream but deeper (and darker) than punk.
According to the reliable source that is Google, an emo 'is overly sensitive and full of angst or adopts a certain style characterized by dyed black hair, tight t-shirts and jeans'.
So, am I an emo?
I'm not ashamed to say that I dyed my hair black to be more emo, but I've come to the realisation that I'm not any more emo than a 5 year old boy who listens to Take That (who are/were (are they even together any more?) a pretty good band - this isn't me hating on them.)
Anyway, I don't know who I was kidding thinking a simple box (well two, oh the joys of thick hair) would magically transform me from the shy kid in class to a rebellious and, well, emo one I guess.
I guess a part of me wanted a change so I could at least pretend I was a different person. I still think that it makes me feel as though the friends I used to have really don't know me know, sometimes people don't recognise me and I'm happy about that. I'm happy that people who used to know me don't recognise me because I'm not the same person anymore and people should know that.
But honestly, I couldn't be emo if I tried.
I'm more like that shy kid that secretly (secretly meaning not hiding it, just not talking about it) listens to punk (or whatever the hell the music I listen to is actually classed as).
How can I say if I'm emo or not when I don't even know what an 'emo' is?
I'd like to think I'm too nice and approachable to be an emo (although I have been informed that people think I'm a bitch and am not approachable at all...oops). But is being 'emo' even about the type of person you are? Is it not more about the music you listen to? Even then which bands are exactly 'emo'?
Gerard Way stated that emo, to him, was 'fucking garbage' and 'a pile of shit' (his words not mine). Yet My Chemical Romance still feature majorly in discussions on the topic of emo music. It begs the question on who can define which genre(s) a band belongs to? Doesn't it depend on the album or even the song?
In my opinion The Black Parade is an emo (or at least what the majority of people class as emo) album whereas Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (what a rad album name) is not emo, nah (na, na na na, na na na), it's not even close.
But people have different opinions. Pop lovers think anything angrier than James Blunt (another fab artist - not a dig) are heavy bands.
Here's the thing, if you are ruling out any band who you class as 'emo' you are probably missing some truly great music. Some music is loud, some is angry, some focuses on real issues; it doesn't make them emo. Listen to different music and live a little, bring out your inner emo.
And, as I close this blog post (I'm not really sure if what I currently have has any purpose so I figure I'll end it here before I keep rambling on about things that might not even be emo), I realise the two most emo things in my room are my Green Day calendar (who aren't even emo) and my winged eyeliner (which I like to think is stylish and not just the singular aspect which groups me with other emos.)
I'm not emo and I never have been; oh well it was worth a try.
--- Aimee ---
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Truck Festival (Take 4)
Nearing the end of festival season in the UK, it is probably about time I got round to posting my annual Truck Festival piece. 2018 marked...
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Oh Truck Festival here we are again and once again you were a dream. A wet, muddy and miserable dream perhaps but a dream nonetheless. ... -
In a world full of competing females on Instagram with there perfect bodies and their trendy clothes you won't find me in the nearest To...