Last year I became very fond of using the Parks & Recreation motto "Treat Yo'Self" any time I wanted to go shopping, and that's a motto I've decided to carry with me into 2018. I went up to Glasgow last weekend to see Paramore for my 25th birthday and while I was up there I had plenty of time to hit up my favourite shops and buy some bits and pieces.
I bought a pair of ripped knee jeans a couple of years ago, conveniently around the time that I got into The 1975 which suited the aesthetic very well. I haven't worn them for a while because I feel like the time is coming when I sit down and the thigh splits open, which sadly happens to most of my jeans (the last time it happened they ripped open while I was trying to get tickets to an intimate Depeche Mode show. I didn't get the tickets). My nearest Primark hasn't had a replacement pair in my size at any point when I've visited over the last few months and other high street stores sell them for three times the price, so I've waited patiently to find them back in stock. They had them over the weekend but I also spotted these dark grey jeans with more holes and chose to buy them instead to make a change from my usual black.
£12, Primark
As you might have noticed from previous blog posts, I love a lacy blouse to wear to the office, and I also love all things velvet. For those reasons, I was pleased to discover this purple lace blouse marked down to half price in my size in Primark. It has a cute little velvet necktie and it's a lovely colour - they had it in black too.
£7 (sale price), Primark
As well as Primark, I also stopped in H&M which is probably my favourite place to pick up cute pieces. The new store on Buchanan Street is so huge that I barely even looked at the non-sale areas - there were so many sale rails that I ended up dragging half a dozen things into the changing room anyway. This black jumper is light and sparkly and I liked the cross-over in the front - it's something I can wear to work on dress-down and maybe even business dress days, and for the sale price it was hard to refuse.
£4 (sale price), H&M
I've been looking for a Nirvana shirt for a while; Primark never have my size left and H&M band shirts are usually more pricey than I'd like. So, I was really pleased to find this In Utero vest reduced to only £3. Like the beloved Motley Crue vest I got for the same price in the store a few years ago, it's oversized and wrecked looking and I imagine I'll be wearing it all the time.
£3 (sale price), H&M
Other things I picked up:
Leopard print tote bag, £1.49, H&M - the only bags I have at the moment are from bands that I don't listen to anymore or look dangerously close to falling apart so I've been looking for a new one for a while. Primark only have Harry Potter ones when I look (not for me, at all) so it was nice to find this - and it matches both of the camisoles I bought!
Camisoles, £1.80 (emerald)/£2.50 (striped), Primark - ideally I'd like a black and white striped t-shirt but I can't find one that doesn't have a weird design feature, so this will do. I wear one of these vests most days so I'm always happy to pick up more exciting colours.
Pink cardigan, £6, Primark - I like to throw on a cardigan for a cool day in the office. This one has a round neck so if I button it all the way up I can also wear it as a top in itself, which feels very 50s.
Sequin bumbag, £6, Primark - I got really jealous at festivals last summer of anyone who had a bumbag for their things instead of having to look after a shoulder bag, which is what I usually take to shows. It's not festival season for a while yet but now I'm prepared! This bag has pastel rainbow sequins which are silver on the underside for two looks in one and I feel like it's perfect for the 80s fest I want to go to this summer.
Some non-clothes:
Cigarettes After Sex by Cigarettes After Sex - I've fallen in love with this group and Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby is my current favourite song, so I picked up their album. The advert I saw for it described them as 'dream noir', which is what I'm all about. They're soothing and hazy, like the vibe of Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, and despite their terrible band name I'll be telling anyone who wants to listen about them.
Stripped: Depeche Mode by Jonathan Miller - I almost bought this book last summer before I became fully obsessed with all things Depeche and regretted leaving it in the store, so I've been praying to find it in HMV and luckily there was a copy left on the shelf waiting for me. It's a thick book covering the first three decades of Depeche Mode and I'm anxious to get started.
Classic Pop & NME - I always pick up NME in the city and this issue is the 100 artists to watch for 2018 which I'm going to do my best to check out. Classic Pop focuses mostly on 80s bands and this issue mentioned both Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Depeche Mode on the cover so it sounded promising - and something to read on the train home.
In case you were wondering, Paramore were outstanding. They played so many of the songs I was hoping for, including Hard Times, Told You So, Idle Worship, Grow Up, Still Into You, Rose Coloured Boy and Ain't It Fun - when Told You So dropped I danced harder than ever before. I waited over 10 years to see them for the first time and now I've been twice in 12 months and I'm ready for them to come back anytime.
Finally, here's one of those cliché Instagrammable shots of Glasgow, taken on my walk home from the Paramore show:
- R
