Cowboys and Ladies

Raiding through your wardrobe can sometimes be a chore. Purely because you believe you don’t have anything of any value, style or that hasn’t fit you in about a year. So, what’s better than grabbing a friend, rummaging through your rails and trying stuff on with someone who will give you a whole new prospective?

Chelsea has vocalised before on how clothes can be an extension of yourself. For us, it can be one of the most expressive art forms with a personal meaning, which is why we don’t stick to the rules. If anything, we have our own rules. If you like it, wear it and defend it.

 Chelsea is wearing a pair of high waist, floor length culottes I made about 3 years ago, with a 90s short sleeve shirt (which looks like an old Abbey National uniform) and a cardigan from little two piece crop jumber/cardi combo I found for about 50p. Good find.

Yes, I went for the Cowboy look. The skirt is Topshop sale. The shirt, again from a charity shop, has been altered with an Aztec patterned collar. And that fringe cowboy collar, which I absolutely love, is a child's fancy dress costume. I know, I know... but who cares!?

Cheeky teaser....

EXCLUSIVE!!!!! Here is a little video of some of our shoot in Snoopers Attic as well as shooting here we did loads of street style picks and some gorgeous bedroom shots, soon to follow but here is a cheeky teaser…….

The Tour

THE CHELSEA FLORAL SHOW is officially open!

CHELSEA FLORAL SHOW is the creation of our very own Chelsea Newton Mountney. Her collection is a gathering of bespoke 40s Pill Box Hats, reworked vintage cardigans, one off pieces and a whole selection of embellished sunglasses, coming in all different shapes and sizes. Anything you buy from this collection is unique. And that’s what we love here at Its Hideous!

You can find the little bundle of joy up in Snoopers Attic, Brighton. The attic its self is situated upstairs in Snoopers Paradise, home to antiques, furniture, vintage crockery, vintage clothes, hats, shoes, jewellery, retro guitars… you name it, they pretty much have it. It’s wonderful.

Along with THE CHELSEA FLORAL SHOW, is a wealth of beautiful collections by a range of very talented designers. So here is Chelsea with a little tour to tease you.

We also have a few photos of all the types of gorgeous finds up in the Attic.  So, Enjoy!

Soundtrack to my life.

I am no way a music expert, or at all on the “scene” but I know what I like and as with clothes my tastes majorly vary on how I’m feeling and want I want it to fulfil. A complete failing of mine is that I don’t do relaxing very well, now I know it sounds ridiculous but I try and practice relaxing haha. I have to force myself to actually sit down and watch the tv, I mean relaxing means just sleeping right?! Anyway music really helps with this and I love the idea that we are constantly creating a soundtrack to our life. Now don’t judge my choices, we all like what we like so let’s celebrate that us all having varying tastes means that we might find something we haven’t previously heard, so open your mind, these are my current three favourite albums/artists……

Ladytron- Seventeen comes from the Light and Magic album its fucking epic, imagine wearing really sharp fucking outfits and dancing in a club full of people that don't smile haha.

 

Love- Forever Changes, an iconic album, makes you want to lie in a meadow in the sun, its rather psychedelic, lets crack out those flares and floral blouses people.

 

Kate Nash is rather frowned upon I feel, she has amazing style, strong views and keeps coming back strong, so lets stop dissing her, its visible that she has a ton of different musical influences, however much that comes across in a raw fashion. Listen to her latest album- My Best Friend Is You.

 

Women are Funny AND Intelligent? Well, that is news to me...

Of course, I’m being sarcastic. And if you didn’t get that, you need a lesson son. 

Here’s the thing, in the last year the amount of female positive exposure in the media, the news, TV Shows, magazines and just general chit chat has been incredible, with shows like Miranda, Anna & Katy, New Girl, GIRLS, Two broke Girls; I mean look at all that Girl Power. Strong, funny, smart women are in abundance, but I can’t be the only one who already knew this, surely?

It feels like every few years, there is this surge of media attention on women, a trend if you will, that disappears as soon as it hit the front page of Take a Break magazine. One show follows another show, then another and then it’s forgotten. Yes people, women are funny. Do I have to mention those who have been around for years, decades even? Well I’m going to anyway. Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Tamsin Grieg, Tina Fey, Jo Brand or how about the amazing sketch show Smack the Pony, which I loved and was probably a little inappropriate for my age when it was its on, but god do I love those women. I’m surrounded by smart, witty women every day; I don’t need to be reminded every time I turn onto Channel4 with a montage of faces flashing before my eyes and ol’shouty man repeating “Funny Women!” like it’s a shocking statement. Ok, I’m starting to sound like an angry suffragette. But you get the picture. 

What I’m getting at is it feels a bit patronising, like a pat on the head and an “Aww, well done”. I don’t want this positivity to go away, but I think everyone gets it now. So stop going on about it, before it becomes a novelty. Like the ‘Harlem Shake’.

Woman, Out!

*Spoiler Alert!*

Exciting times! It's the opening of THE CHELSEA FLORAL SHOW. My little creations are now in Snoopers Attic upstairs in Snoopers Paradise, Kensington Gardens, Brighton. Need some springtime accessories or just some inspiration? Then this is the place to be. Packed full of amazing vintage clothes, crammed with gorgeous handmade designs and one off pieces, check it out!!!! If you can’t get down there then check out the collection (tour and pictures to come) or just to have laugh at Chelsea, if nothing else.

I've got a secret.

I’m going to share a secret, BLACK LIQUID EYELINER, ok I know what you’re thinking, we have all rocked the liquid eyeliner flicked out make up thing. But the secret to cheap, easy and fast nail art is this amazing black stuff, buy the complete cheapest you can, forget expensive nail art pens, this stuff is easy to use, and one coat of clear polish over the top and you are sorted, just a bit of extra practice is needed to get thin strait line but its soooooo worth it!!!! You can do daises, stripes, Aztec prints, its bloody endless whatever your favourite print is you can re-create on your nails. It’s the quickest way to follow a trend, update your look or just express some artwork. Your nails are a canvas people!!!!!!

Is it actually the end of the world?

Is actually the end of the world? With the ghastly cold weather continuing all over the county I’m pretty much wearing everything I own all at once in some desperate attempt to keep warm. Normally we wouldn’t go on using heating this long, so everyone is skint, The grey days put some kind of “let’s all baton down the hatches” mood over everyone, therefore I think a bit of 1940’s wartime styling is required. So when I’m treating myself but not wearing a woolly beret I’m rocking Victory Rolls. Seen on female propaganda of the era they are an easy and quick way of giving any look a more vintage vibe….. Hooray! Type them into youtube and there are a ton of tutorials and they seem to be randomly on trend with a number of current ‘celebrities’ styling out the trend. So let’s all roll with the times…. (Get it?)

Fantasy Dress Up

Last night my boyfriend and I drank mojito’s and watched an old bbc documentary about David Bowie. I’ve seen it like ten times, it’s started my obsession with the incredible artist that is. Anyway hence todays outfit, all in black,(most unlike me) with the disgustingly over worn wet look leggings, I’m thinking about putting an official ban on them but they do seem to be a bit of a staple. Studded office boots, oversized 80@s embroided shirt, and a hat that I found in a bin. Pure Class. Anyway it’s an obvious escape, and there is nothing wrong with your outfit resembling costume, or being part of your own personal fantasy! They say visualise to materialise but maybe lets dress for the person we want to become. Every version of them. Now go get inspired the great musical chameleon himself.

Craft just got punk.

Right I think it’s time we all got our craft on, a new season is approaching however much the fucking rain and wind tries to ruin our day, I will not give up on the hope of lovely springtime outfits! I’m thinking homemade flower headbands, cute dresses made out of old curtains, jewellery that you’ve pieced together from random charity shop bits and can actually show off because you don’t have to wear ten jumpers on top of it! To kick start I’ve got some pictures of something that makes being inside on these dark days a little bit more enjoyable…… some framed pages out of a 1950’s mag, sounds shit, but adding artwork to you walls in this manner is such a cheap way of having a change. And our ethos here at Its Hideous is all about making the everyday and the dull, interesting and inspiring!  So whatever you want to frame, do it…. Whether it’s a collage of you and your mates, your favourite ad campaign out of vogue, or just a load of letters cut from a newspaper arranged into your current mantra then give it a shot! Might as well make the walls more exciting while we are stuck inside! D.I.Y doing it yourself just not just mean fixing shit around the house, it’s about doing it your way, with your rules, so whether that is knitting yourself a tea cosy, or deciding that you’re going to steer yourself in a new direction, then get punk and do it yourself!

As you can see my take on photography is rather punk haha...... off centre placement and shit lighting! a new camera will soon be in my clutches!

And the soundtrack to your craft.......