#best british fashion magazines

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Fall For Me (Poly! Sleep Token x Fem! Reader) - Part I

Well, it happened... After trying to evade the hype for so long they finally got me 😂😂 This story has had me in a chokehold (haha, get it?) since I started toying around with the idea of it. Hopefully you guys enjoy it, let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list for future chapters and/or Sleep Token one shots!

WARNINGS: None

Part II

My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!

Credit to @spookyghostjelly for beta reading, ily bb 💗💗💗

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You sat with your feet propped up on the counter, one of the magazines you had yet to sell spread open on your lap. "Be fashion forward this fall." You read out loud to the empty store in a mocking tone as your eyes grazed over the pictures of chunky sweaters, jeans, and boring, brown leather boots. The bell over the door jingled as a customer entered the store, your eyes darted up, expecting one of your regulars. You were met with the sight of someone in a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over their head. 'Great,' you thought to yourself, 'just when I thought I was going to have an easy evening.' You watched the man carefully, waiting to see what exactly he was going to stick in his pockets. Now, you normally turn a blind eye to shoplifters up to a certain extent, everyone deserves to have something to eat. But, being an independently owned store you could only take so much of a loss on your inventory. To your surprise, the man didn't pick up a single item. He took his time looking over the contents of each shelf, his hands never leaving his sweatshirt pocket. "Can I help you find anything, sir?" His head turned slightly in your direction, but not enough for you to see his face.

"What time do you close?" You were caught off guard by his British accent, it was an uncommon occurrence to get outsiders in your small backwoods town.

"Eight o'clock." He nods his thanks and hurriedly exits your store, almost bumping into one of your regulars on the way out.

"Everything alright?" He asks as the strange visitor leaves your store.

"Do you know him?" You ask quietly, as if he would somehow be able to overhear you despite having rounded the corner of the building already.

"Yeah, he's one of those… those cultists that set up shop in the woods." He explains. You were a bit shocked at the realization. You had been seeing headlines in the local newspaper for months as curiosity rose around the small group of men that had built a few Cabins on the very edge of town. Reporters didn't dare venture into their camp for an interview, but that didn't stop them from snapping a few pictures from the safety of the treeline. Four cabins sat at each corner of a small clearing, a large fire pit dominated the center. From what you could make out they seemed to have some sort of root cellar and a lackluster garden, which would explain why you hadn't seen any of them in person until this afternoon. "You be careful, (Y/N). Freaks like that might just try to sacrifice you to some goat demon they worship." He warns. You can't help but roll your eyes at the outlandish statement.

"Mark, those boys haven't done a single thing to bother anyone since they got here. They've been out there for months, if they were going to take someone they would've done it by now." You argue.

He chuckles, "Trust me darlin', I hope you're right. But until then me and a lot of other folks around here plan on keeping a close eye on them. You'd do best to stay away from them."

"You think I can't take care of myself?" You challenge, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Now, Miss (Y/N), you and I both know you'd beat my ass to next Sunday if that's what I was implying." The two of you shared a laugh. "I just don't want something bad to happen, that's all. These strange men show up out of nowhere one day and no one knows where they came from, hell none of us have ever seen their faces. They all wear these black masks, least that's what the reports are saying. You can never be too cautious."

"I'll take my chances." You smile politely in an attempt to get him off his soap box. "Now, I take it you're here for your pack of Marlboros."

"Yes ma'am, and an extra one for Donnie if you don't mind." He responds with a nod as he fumbles for his wallet in his back pocket.

"You got it boss." The rest of your evening was spent rather uneventfully, save for the fact that you would practically jump out of your chair every time the door opened. You glanced up at the clock, there was about twenty minutes left until you closed. "Maybe he decided to not come back." You shrug. Moments later an old, beat up pick up truck rumbled into the parking lot. You watched as the driver got out, his head dipped low to hide his face in the hood of his black sweatshirt. He pushes through the door, the jingle of the bell the only sound to cut through the tense silence. "Welcome back." You tried to sound friendly despite your unease. He nods at you in response, not saying a single word as he makes his way quickly and directly to everything he needs. He approaches the counter, unloading his arm load of supplies before taking a step back. "You got a name to go with those big, broad shoulders of yours?" You ask in a bit of a teasing tone, trying to do what you could to lighten the mood. He remained silent, despite the fact you couldn't see his face you couldn't escape the feeling of his piercing gaze. You opened a bag, carefully organizing his contents inside. "$18.75, sir." He slaps a twenty dollar bill on the counter, not even waiting for his change as he grabs his bag and flits out the door. You watched as he drove off, not sure exactly what you were supposed to make of that interaction. You had a similar occurrence every day for almost a week. He would come in, grab an armful of groceries, put down his money, and he left. You would try and greet him whenever he would come in your store, it was always met with a curt nod.

"Vessel." You froze as he finally spoke up. You looked up, your eyes met with 6 slits on an odd looking mask. "You can call me Vessel." You couldn't think of how to respond at first. He had barely acknowledged your existence before tonight, what had changed?

"Vessel… (Y/N)." You stick out your hand to shake his. "It's nice to finally meet you." You smile as his hands clap into yours.

"You're different from the other people we've run into from town." He remarks.

"The reporters?"

"Some of them, a few others we just happened to cross paths with." You could feel him studying you. "You don't seem scared."

"Vessel, you've been coming in here for over a week now. If you were going to try and hurt me you would've done it by now." You notice the corner of his mouth quirk up in a smile.

"I guess you have a point." He chuckles. You finish scanning his items and give him his total. He places the money down on the counter and picks up his bag.

"How come you never take your change?" You ask as he's almost out the door.

"I know you run this place by yourself, think of it as me tipping a small business." He flashes a brief, brilliant smile at you. You try to hide your shy smile by fixing up your register. "Oh, and (Y/N)?" You glance back up at him. "It's nice to finally meet you too."

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Tag List: @herripinkle @mustluvecho @jumpcauseimfroggy (If you would like to be tagged for Sleep Token stuff let me know!)

[phoenixyfriend]

HI DO YOU WANT SOME COSTUBE DRAMA THAT TURNED KINDA WHOLESOME

Pt 1: The Drama

Okay so a long-ass time ago (I think like 15 years), a British costume historian on youtube by the name of Cathy Hay decided she was going to remake 'the peacock Worth gown' and started a kickstarter for it. She made a bunch of money, but the actual work ended up being much more than she expected, so the project kept getting delayed.

In the years after, she befriended the now much more famous Bernadette Banner. They got close enough for cross-Atlantic trips to visit, etc. They were best friends and often joked that they were the same person.

Drama started riling up as people criticized Hay for not engaging meaningfully with the problematic history of the gown in question, which had been made for the wife of a British Governor of India during the 19th century, for a party celebrating British imperialism in India, and the gown's shining feature was Indian embroidery which was almost certainly underpaid, and that embroidery was the massively time-consuming bit that had been delaying her this whole time.

It was a whole thing that she sort of? Tried to address? buuuut The thing is, one of the seemingly obvious ways to manage this conflict would be to coordinate with an Indian embroiderer. In fact, a very accomplished specialist did reach out to her about collaborating on this! And she ghosted him! Maybe even blocked, I don't remember, but the thing was that he was ready and willing to do this cool project that could explore and reimagine a beautiful but morally ugly example of their shared countries' histories.

And she just… kept refusing to engage.

And then people started pointing out the weirdly predatory marketing she had for an online product/newsletter she had, and the discourse kept building as people realized overall that she was just… not as good a person as she claimed to be.

It got bad enough that Banner broke off the friendship, in large part because of that refusal to engage meaningfully with the loaded history of the Worth gown project

Pt 2: The Wholesome

So, a few days ago, Bernadette Banner released a video of her making a Regency gown. It's a very standard kind of project for her, just using old patterns and adding a touch of her own gothic tastes with historical methods to make a cool piece of clothing that explores costume history.

Halfway through, she has a call with someone she is planning to do a different video with. We don't know what the video is, but!

The thing is

The person she is having this call with

Is the Indian embroiderer, Mayankraj Singh, that Cath Hay ghosted.

And the video continues on with Banner and Singh talking about her Regency gown project and just. He ends up making an embroidered chiffon overgown with a crow motif. And it just feels very wholesome and I love to see this all coming back around.

(Okay, double-checked and apparently Hay requested a sample from Singh, and then ghosted him after she got photos of it)

In late September, another costumer, Miah Grace, released a video noting that, in 2020, Hay had requested an embroidery sample from with Mayankraj Singh, founder of the luxury fashion brand Atelier Shikaarbagh. Indian embroiderers in this shop possess skills that go back seven generations. Singh reportedly made a sample made but only sent Hay photos of it. After Hay stopped responding for many months, Singh went live on Instagram to explain what happened. Apparently, when his head embroiderer found the sample, he burned it, and scolded Singh for making it. “He said it was an inauspicious design,” Singh said, “and we do not make it anymore.” Hay later apologized to Singh, and he now considers the matter settled. - Craftsmanship Magazine

Anyway, yeah, after all of that from a few years ago, it was kind of exciting to see Banner collaborating with Singh

And she's so excited to open the package! Happy screaming!

It's so sweet.

He had his team embroider their names on the hem And she loves it

I am living for this vicarious excitement

(She does lay it on a bit thick at the end, but you know what. I'll take it.)

OH and the ending involves her attending the ball with Nami Sparrow, one of the creators of Indian background (Indian-American) that was a voice of Expertise criticizing Cathy Hay a few years ago.

Which is like. Tacit endorsement? If Singh alone wasn't enough.

Anyway yeah I lost my mind a little about this.

[amphibious-thing]

Pink is for Boys

"Pink or Blue? Which is intended for boys and which for girls? This question comes from one of our readers this month, and the discussion may be of interest to others. There has been a great diversity of opinion on this subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." ~ The Infants' Department, June 1918

[Left: The Blue Boy, oil on canvas, c. 1770, by Thomas Gainsborough.

Right: The Pink Boy, oil on canvas, c. 1782, by Thomas Gainsborough.]

Pink is for girls and blue is for boys. But it hasn't always been this way. Colour coding infants as a way of denoting gender was popular in 20th century America. The problem? Pink and blue? Which is for boys and which is for girls?

In 1927 TIME Magazine asked ten of the "leading stores that sell baby equipment" which colour was for which gender. Four stores responded pink for girls and blue for boys; Macy's (Manhattan), Franklin Simon (Manhattan), Wanamaker's (Philadelphia) and Bullock's (Los Angeles). Five stores responded pink for boys and blue for girls; Best's (Manhattan), Marshall Field's (Chicago), Filene's (Boston), Maison Blanche (New Orleans) and The White House (San Francisco). Curiously Halle's (Cleveland) responded that pink was for both boys and girls.

This debate would continue and it wasn't until mid-20th century that pink for girls and blue for boys became firmly cemented in western culture.

However the idea of colour coding infants dates back to the 19th century. According to La cour de Hollande sous le règne de Louis Bonaparte in 1808 in Holland pink was used to announce the birth of a girl and blue a boy. In March 1856 Peterson's Magazine (Philadelphia, USA) advises that the ribbon on a christening cap should be blue for a boy and pink for a girl. On the 23rd of July 1893 the New York Times writes that for baby clothes it's "pink for a boy and blue for a girl!"

[The Oddie Children, oil on canvas, c. 1789, by William Beechey, via North Carolina Museum of Art.]

During the latter half of the 18th century one of the most popular outfits for young children, regardless of gender, was a white dress with a coloured sash tied around the waist. Pink and blue being the most popular colours, although other colours were worn as well. It would be tempting to assume that the colour of the sash indicated gender but there isn't clear evidence that this was the case. The Oddie Children (above) depicts Sarah, Henry, Catherine, and Jane Oddie. The three girls are all wearing white dresses; two with a blue sash one with a pink sash. We also see Henry Russell (bellow left) wearing a blue sash and Prince William (bellow right) wearing a pink sash.

[Left: Anne Barbara Russell née Whitworth with her son Sir Henry Russell, oil on canvas, c. 1786, by George Romney, via Woolley & Wallis.

Right: Prince William, oil on canvas, c. 1767, by Allan Ramsay, via the Royal Collection Trust.]

Pink was just one of the many colours popular in 18th century English womenswear and seems to have stayed popular throughout the century. On the 3rd of January 1712 The Spectator published an article in which a man recalls seeing "a little Cluster of Women sitting together in the prettiest coloured Hoods that I ever saw. One of them was Blew, another Yellow, and another Philomot; the fourth was of a Pink Colour, and the fifth of a pale Green". On the 1st of May 1736 the Read's Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer reports that the ladies attending the royal wedding wore gowns of "Gold stuffs, or rich Silks with Gold or Silver Flowers, or Pink or White Silks, with either Gold or Silver Netts or Trimmings;" shoes either "Pink, White or Green Silk, with Gold or Silver Lace and braid all over." On the 24th of May 1785 Charles Storer writes to Abigail Adams advising that fashionable colours in English court dress are "pink, lilac, and blue" such "as is worn at Versailles".

[Left: Frances, Daughter of Evelyn Pierpont, 1st Duke of Kingston, oil on canvas, c. 1700-23, by Godfrey Kneller, via Art UK.

Middle: Mrs. Abington as Miss Prue in "Love for Love" by William Congreve, oil on canvas, c. 1771, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, via Yale Center for British Art.

Right: Mary Little, later Lady Carr, oil on canvas, c. 1765, by Thomas Gainsborough, via Yale Center for British Art.]

In particular pink was popular amongst young women as the colour was associated with youth. Older women who wore pink were mocked as vain for dressing in a way that was seen as improper for their age. On the 31st of January 1754 Lady Jane Coke writes to Mrs. Eyre criticising old women who wear pink:

As for fashions in dress, which you sometimes inquire after, they are too various to describe. One thing is new, which is, there is not such a thing as a decent old woman left, everybody curls their hair, shews their neck, and wears pink, but your humble servant. People who have covered their heads for forty years now leave off their caps and think it becomes them, in short we try to out-do our patterns, the French, in every ridiculous vanity.

[Folly Embellishing Old Age With the Adornments of Youth, oil on canvas, c. 1743, by Charles-Antoine Coypel, via Master Art.]

For Englishmen acceptable clothing way much more limited. In A Foreign View of England in the Reigns of George I & George II Monsieur César de Saussure writes that Englishmen "do not trouble themselves about dress, but leave that to their womenfolk". He explains:

Englishmen are usually very plainly dressed, they scarcely ever wear gold on their clothes; they wear little coats called "frocks," without facings and without pleats, with a short cape above. Almost all wear small, round wigs, plain hats, and carry canes in their hands, but no swords. Their cloth and linen are of the best and finest. You will see rich merchants and gentlemen thus dressed, and sometimes even noblemen of high rank, especially in the morning, walking through the filthy and muddy streets.

César de Saussure warns that "a well-dressed person in the streets, especially if he is wearing a braided coat, a plume in his hat, or his hair tied in a bow, he will, without doubt, be called "French dog" twenty times perhaps before he reaches his destination" and is not only at risk of "being jeered at" but also "being bespattered with mud, but as likely as not dead dogs and cats will be thrown at him."

[Reverend Charles Everard Booth, Captain Griffith Booth, and an Unidentified Man playing Billiards, oil on canvas, c. 1775-9, by John Hamilton Mortimer, via the Royal Collection Trust.]

For Englishmen dressing "plainly" mostly meant wearing blacks and browns. In his book on macaroni, Pretty Gentleman, Peter McNeil found that in contrast most English menswear that he describes as generally consisting of "monochrome broadcloth" macaroni wore a variety of colours including green, orange, yellow, violet, red, white, blue, gold, silver and of course pink.

But it's not just the macaroni of the 1770s & 1780s that wore pink. We see pink in descriptions of feminine men's dress (both real and fictional) throughout the 18th century.

On the 2nd of June 1722 Sarah Osborn writes to Robert Byng:

I believe the gentlemen will wear petticoats very soon, for many of their coats were like our mantuas. Lord Essex had a silver tissue coat, and pink color lutestring waistcoat, and several had pink color and pale blue paduasoy coats, which looked prodigiously effeminate.

On the 18th of October 1729 the Universal Spectator and Weekly Journal published a story where an "effeminate" man's clothes were described as follows:

He had a flower'd pink-colour Silk Coat, with a Green-Sattin Waistcoat lac'd with Silver. Velvet Breeches, Clock'd Stockings the Colour of his Coat, Red-heel'd Pumps, a Blue Ribbon at the Collar of his Shirt, and his Sword-Hilt he embrac'd under the Elbow of his Left Arm,

[Sir Miles Stapylton, 4th Bt of Myton, oil on canvas, c. 1730-35, via Art UK.]

In The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) the effeminate (and queer coded) Captain Whiffle is described as follows:

our new commander came on board in a ten-oared barge, overshadowed with a vast umbrella, and appeared in everything the reverse of Oakum, being a tall, thin young man, dressed in this manner: a white hat, garnished with a red feather, adorned his head, from whence his hair flowed upon his shoulders, in ringlets tied behind with a ribbon. His coat, consisting of pink-coloured silk, lined with white, by the elegance of the cut retired backward, as it were, to discover a white satin waistcoat embroidered with gold, unbuttoned at the upper part to display a brooch set with garnets, that glittered in the breast of his shirt, which was of the finest cambric, edged with right Mechlin: the knees of his crimson velvet breeches scarce descended so low as to meet his silk stockings, which rose without spot or wrinkle on his meagre legs, from shoes of blue Meroquin, studded with diamond buckles that flamed forth rivals to the sun! A steel-hilted sword, inlaid with gold, and decked with a knot of ribbon which fell down in a rich tassel, equipped his side; and an amber-headed cane hung dangling from his wrist. But the most remarkable parts of his furniture were, a mask on his face, and white gloves on his hands, which did not seem to be put on with an intention to be pulled off occasionally, but were fixed with a curious ring on the little finger of each hand.

[Henry Ingram, 7th Viscount Irwin and His Wife Anne, oil on canvas, c. 1745, by Philippe Mercier, via Art UK.]

On the 28th of July 1780 the London Courant reports:

A few days ago, a Macaroni made his appearance in the Assembly-room at Whitehaven, in the Following dress: a mixed silk coat, pink sattin waistcoat and breeches, covered with an elegant silver nett, white silk stockings with pink clocks, pink sattin shoes and large pearl buckles, a mushroom coloured stock, covered with a fine point lace; his hair dressed remarkably high, and stuck full of pearl pins.

On the 6th of August 1792 The Weekly Entertainer published Sketches and Portraits form the Life by Simon Tueopnrastus which included the following description:

Mercator was a youth of some genius and expectation, but by a strange perverseness of disposition, notwithstanding the extreme natural stiffness of his limbs, he had acquired an early attachment to the most finical and effeminate finery; so that, while yet a boy, he would exhaust every expedient of a fertile invention to procure a laced waistcoat, or the most foppish toy; would dangle a watch-string, with brass seals, from each fob, at a time when the frugal care of his parents would not permit him to wear a watch in either; and would strut in a fine pair of second-hand pink silk breeches, and a light blue coat, with all the formal dignity of—a soldier upon the parade.

[Left: Thomas King in "The Clandestine Marriage", oil on canvas, c. 1792, by Samuel De Wilde, via Yale Center for British Art.

Right: Edward Payne, oil on canvas, by Arthur Devis, via Art UK.]

While pink is mentioned in these descriptions of feminine men's dress it's not singled out as the girl colour the way pink would become in the 20th century. I would argue pink is seen as effeminate not because pink is a uniquely feminine colour but because it was used in fashionable dress. In 18th century England being interested in fashion was seen as an frivolous female trait. Men who showed too much interest in fashion were mocked and ridiculed for their gender nonconformity. "A Man must sink below the Dignity of his Nature, before he can suffer his Thoughts to be taken up on so trivial an Affair, as the Chosing, Suiting, and Adjusting the Adornments of his Person," complains a letter published on the 8th of May 1731 in Read's Weekly Journal, or British Gazetteer:

Decency of Garb ought inviolably to be preserved; nor can there be possibly an Excuse for Dressing like a Merry-Andrew: Rich and coloured Silks are in themselves effeminate, and unbecoming a Man; as are, in short, all Things that discover Dress to have been his Study 'Tis in vain for a Fop of Quality, to think his Title will protect him.

[Left: Madame de Pompadour (detail), oil on canvas, c. 1756, by François Boucher, via Alte Pinakothek.

Right: Elizabeth Wrottesley, later Duchess of Grafton, oil on canvas, c. 1764-5, by Thomas Gainsborough, via National Gallery of Victoria.]

English fashion was highly influenced by French fashion. A popular colour scheme in French fashion was green and pink. A famous example of this colour pairing can be seen in François Boucher's portrait of Madame de Pompadour (above left), she is depicted in a green gown with pink bows and flowers. You can see and example of how this style inspired English fashion in Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Elizabeth Wrottesley (above right), who is depicted in a green gown with a floral pattern adorned with pink, white and green striped bows.

[Left: Sir Harry Fetherstonhaugh, oil on canvas, c. 1776, by Pompeo Batoni, via Wikimedia.

Right: Francis Lind, oil on canvas, c. 1775, by George Romney, via Mackinnon Fine Art.]

Fashionable Englishmen were also inspired by these French designs. Horace Walpole refers to the popularity of the colour combination writing to Lady Ossory on the 19th of February 1774 "If I went to Almack's and decked out my wrinkles in pink and green like Lord Harrington, I might still be in vogue". Almack's is referring to Almack's Assembly Rooms on Pall Mall which is believed to be the inspiration for the Macaroni Club. (see Pretty Gentleman by Petter McNeil p52-55) In a letter to Lord Harcourt on the 27th of July 1773 Walpole writes of "Macaronis lolling out of windows at Almack's like carpets to be dusted."

[Left: Detail of Stephen Fox from The Hervey Conversation Piece, oil on canvas, c. 1738-40, by William Hogarth, via Fairfax House.

Middle: Sir William Jones, oil on canvas, c. 1769, by Francis Cotes, via Art UK.

Right: Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on canvas, by George Romney.]

Men who wore green seem to have been just as much, if not more, at risk of being ridiculed, or even assaulted, for the colour of their clothes as those who wore pink. In Pierre Jean Grosley's A Tour to London (originally published 1772) he recalls traveling with a young English surgeon who was harassed by Londoners due to his green French frock coat:

At the first visit which he paid me in London, he informed me, that, a few days after his arrival, happening to take a walk thro' the fields on the Surry side of the Thames, dressed in a little green frock, which he had brought from Paris, he was attacked by three of those gentlemen of the mobility, who, taking him for a Frenchman, not only abused him with the foulest language, but gave him two or three slaps on the face: "Luckily, added he in French, I did not return their ill language; for, if I had, they would certainly have thrown me into the Thames, as they assured me they would, as soon as they perceived I was an Englishman, if I ever happened to come in their way again, in my Paris dress."

[sunflowervoltwentyeight]

Happy 28th! Here is my April 2024 fic rec, organized by word count, from longest to shortest. You can view my other fic recs here. Enjoy!

When All Is Said And Done by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 (76k)

“You must be thinking of another of your ex-husbands,” Louis snapped back, and Harry stilled, slowly turning to face him. There was something almost dangerous in Harry's look then but Louis stayed firm, not cowering away.

“Thankfully, I only have the misfortune of one ex-husband,” Harry said darkly, snatching up the plates and slamming them onto the table. 

*****

Louis and Harry were married, but things fell apart, ending in divorce, broken hearts and separate lives. Years later, their paths cross once more, and time together forces old feelings to resurface. But is it too little, too late?

Greenhouses AU Series by TiredTiredTz / @tiredtiredtz (63k)

Glass Closets and Greenhouses (60k) Charlton Athletic defender Louis Tomlinson and worldwide sex symbol Harry Styles are rumoured to be hooking up after a viral video filmed at Harry’s Wembley show was posted online by Tommo’s twin sisters. Sources close to the pair tell us the couple have been dating for a while, with rumours of house hunting, marriage and even kids on the cards! Styles, 29, is as well known for his whirlwind love life as his chart topping music. Most recently linked to British fashion designer Alex Millet-Sloan, Harry has stayed tight-lipped on rumours of any romantic rendezvous between himself and footballer Tomlinson, 31, yet fans online are convinced that all evidence points to #Tomlinstyles being the real deal. Not Conditional (3k) Harry is bald and this is how I’m coping. Set a few years after the events of Glass Closets and Greenhouses.

It Feels Different When You’re With Me by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings (45k)

Harry fell in love with sign language as a kid. He never imagined the first love of his life would lead him straight to his second.

Every Lonely Place by HamPalpert (38k)

Facing the fact that he’s been prioritizing his career over his relationship, Harry proposes to his longtime boyfriend Louis on a whim. But when yet another work emergency takes precedence over their plans, Louis decides he’s had enough. Harry goes to bed drunk and alone, and when he wakes, he finds himself in an entirely different world. Over and over again, Harry visits a lifetime he’s once lived, across time and dimensions. And wherever there’s a Harry Styles, there’s a Louis Tomlinson.

The Act of Making Noise by suspendrs / @suspendrs (32k)

“Oh,” Harry frowns, waving him off. “No, I could never. I respect myself too much to sing for a living.”

It feels like a slap across the face, but Louis does his best not to stiffen, blinking once and then frowning. “What?”

“Those people are always so miserable, you know?” Harry says, hopping down off his stool and straightening his sweater. “There’s so much pressure on them, and they have to work so hard to keep up appearances, I can’t even imagine how difficult that is. I can’t even stand to listen to pop music today, let alone watch TV or read the magazines. It makes me so sad, thinking that those people, you know, the ones who actually went into it with heart, they only ever just wanted to make music and instead they got turned into things on leashes being paraded around to make money for other people,” he says. “Anyway, you can have the stool.”

Or, Louis's famous, Harry has no idea who he is, and they get snowed in together at a ski lodge in Vermont.

It’s About Time by kingsofeverything / @kingsofeverything (3k)

Best friends and roommates, Louis and Harry have been through a lot together, including law school for Louis, marriage and divorce for Harry. Their imminent eviction forces them to admit their feelings.

[wintfleur]

⚘ ˖˙𓈒ִֶָ☾.˙ ᰋ ── WHERE’D ALL THE TIME GO?

aka ophelia’s timeline

━━━ ❛ it’s starting to fly

ᯓᡣ𐭩 EARLY LIFE & SCHOOLING !

april 11th, 2002: ophelia is born on a bright and sunny Thursday afternoon in Vernon, British Columbia.

may 9th, 2006: ophelia (4) takes her first ballet class

2008 - 2013: early childhood / elementary school

august 2010: ophelia (8) joined the soccer team and met her now best friend Amber Jameson; they have been inseparable since.

october 2013: ophelia (11) got an ankle injury during a soccer game and sadly had to quit the sport. Her love for ballet was stronger and she didn't want to risk not being able to dance again.

She had to stop dancing for the rest of the year so her ankle could heal, it was miserable for her.

2013 - 2016: start of her teenage years / middle school

march 2015: ophelia (12) joined the theater club and helped make the costumes for their play, in turn finding her love for fashion designing.

april 2016: ophelia (13) went to get her photos taken for her ballet portfolio and was approached by a teen modeling agency.

summer 2016: ophelia (14) went to south korea for a ballet summer intensive program.

She was housed by a sweet family, where she met one of her bestest friends seunghan and his younger brother park sunghoon who is her age. Seunghan is a fellow ballet dancer and went to the training camp with her.

Ophelia became very close with the family, only becoming closer with them as the years go by, she's an honorary park! Seunghan’s parents think of her as their own child and his little sister thinks of her as her big sis!

2016 - 2020: teen years / high school / start of her modeling career

december 2016: Ophelia (14) was on the cover of pointe magazine.

june 2017: ophelia (15) won first place in the Helsinki international ballet competition, in juniors for women.

august 2017: ophelia finished her first wedding dress that she made for her cousin's wedding.

may 2018: ophelia (16) won first place in the american ballet competition

july 2018: ophelia won first place in the varna international ballet competition

was invited to be on jimmy fallon after her win.

february 2019: ophelia (17) made her debut by walking the catwalk and attending the New York fashion week.

may 29th - june 2, 2019: ophelia walked and attended the miami fashion week

september 2019: ophelia walked and attended the paris fashion week

october 9th 2019: the creation of ophelia's youtube channel

Ophelia created her youtube channel so she could have another way to communicate and become closer with her fans.

She mainly posted vlogs of her days as a model and a ballet dancer, and her just traveling and doing random activities with her friends.

december 2019: ophelia walked and attended the NYFW: December pre-fall and fall-winter, fashion week.

february 2020: ophelia walked and attended london's fashion week, fall-winter.

Ophelia meets Ryan James, a fellow model, they exchanged numbers and Ophelia then got in a relationship with him in may.

June 2020: Ophelia (18) graduated highschool with honors.

july 2020: ophelia moved into her apartment/loft in manhattan, New York. With her best friend seunghan.

Throughout 2016 - 2020 ophelia modeled for many different high end brands, her favorites being Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, and GQ.

She was given the nickname “the next model it girl” for her sudden dominating presence in the modeling world.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 JUILLIARD & JACK !

september 2020: ophelia (18) starts her first year at juilliard

february 23 - march 1st 2020: ophelia walked and attended milan’s fashion week

march 2 - 9th 2020: ophelia walked and attend paris fashion week

Throughout the rest of the year ophelia really focused on her ballet career, putting modeling to the side, and focusing on her studies.

march 2021: ophelia (19) won the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP)

may 2021: ophelia won first place in the american ballet competition

july 2021: ophelia won first place in the varna international ballet competition

for the rest of the year, Ophelia modeled for many different brands, but she really just focused on her ballet career and getting more known in the fashion design world.

2022 : breakup era

april 11th 2022: Ophelia (20) broke up with Ryan after finding out he has been cheating on her for many months.

april, may, june, july 2022: ophelia took a break from anything that evolved with modeling during those months, trying to heal from her breakup. Throwing herself into training, practices, and her studies.

august 2022: ophelia modeled for celine as her comeback into modeling

was invited back on the jimmy fallon show where they talked about what she's been up to, the celine shoot, and her comeback to modeling

october 6-9th 2022: ophelia walked and attended los angeles fashion week

november 2022: ophelia was interviewed by WIRED where she talked about ballet and modeling and her love for fashion design

2023: meeting jack

march 3rd 2023: curtis gets traded to the new jersey devils

march 28th 2023: ophelia and Jack meet for the first time at a club and share a kiss.

april 18th 2023: ophelia joins curtis out at a bar to meet some of his teammates, and she sees jack for the first time since the club.

they keep what happened at the bar to themselves (besides Jack freaking out about it to Luke), and pretend to just meet each other for the first time.

april 25th 2023: ophelia and jack run into each other at a bar, things escalate and jack ends up bringing her back to his place where they hook up for the first time.

the next morning they talk about what happened, and how they need to keep what happened between them a secret. They want to keep seeing each other, so they decide to become friends with benefits.

july 2023: ophelia models for calvin klein

july 17th 2023: jack confesses his feelings to ophelia after 3 months of being friends with benefits.

Ophelia didn't take it well and left his apartment in haste (girly was afraid of her feelings and commitment) and they didn't talk for two weeks.

july 31st 2023: ophelia goes to jack’s apartment where she apologizes and asks him on a date.

august 1st 2023: jack and ophelia have there first date and officially start dating (secretly)

november 6th 2023: curtis holds a dinner at his home for his teammates, curtis finds jack and ophelia kissing in the garage and did not take it well.

curtis gives her an ultimatum ‘him or me’ in a moment of anger and that leads to ophelia not talking to either of them for a week, locking herself in her apartment.

november 14th 2023: curtis comes to see her early in the day to apologize for his reaction and what he said, later in the day jack comes to see her and they have a sweet moment, happy that everything is now okay between them.

january 12th 2024: ophelia and jack said i love you for the first time

january 24-28 2024: ophelia walked and attended miami fashion week

february 9-14th 2024: ophelia attended new york fashion week fall-winter

february 16th 2024: ophelia and jack's relationship is exposed to the media when videos and pictures of them at the njd’s family skate go viral.

february 26th - march 5th 2024: ophelia walked and attended paris fashion week

may 2024: ophelia did the 73 questions with vogue

june 2024: ophelia did the “10 things I can't live without’ with GQ

may 6th 2024: ophelia (22) attended the met gala for the first time

ophelia did a get ready with me / last looks with vogue for the met

june 2024: ophelia did diary of a model with vogue

july 2024: ophelia and jack do a couple quiz with GQ

may 2025: ophelia (23) graduates at juilliard

ᯓᡣ𐭩 WHAT'S TO COME !

aka phia and jacks future

. . . to be added

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝓇oro's note. I didn’t add every detail about her modeling and dance career in the ‘julliard and jack’ section, it would have taken forever for me to do that 😭 I will update the timeline as time goes! I hope this helps give you a better understanding about the AU >.<

au masterlist

˖ ་ feel free to send in any thoughts/requests you have !! And please let me know if you want to be added to the taglist mwah

˖ ་ taglist : @yoontwin @toasttt11 @winterbarnesblog @iceflwers @cixrosie @bunbunbl0gs

[canirove]

Friends, lovers… and an orange | Chapter 24

Author’s note: Just two more chapters after this one before we say goodbye to Mason and Adele... 😔

Previous chapter | Last chapter

Masterlist

“Where are my two favourite supermodels?”

“Oh, stop it Edward” Elizabeth laughed, hugging him. “You say that to everyone.”

“I do not.”

“You do” Toni chuckled, also hugging him.

“Ok, fine. I do, it's part of my job. But when I say it to you, I actually mean it. I am your daughter's godfather for a reason, am I not?” 

“You are, yes” Elizabeth smiled.

“Where is she, by the way?” Edward asked.

“Here” she said from behind her mother and Toni.

“Nah… My Adele was a shy teenager glued to a camera, and you are a gorgeous woman!” 

“She's always been gorgeous” Mason said.

“You all are gonna make me blush” Adele said, already feeling her cheeks get warm.

“Ok, ok. I'll stop” Edward laughed. “Come give me a hug. I've missed you, kid.”

“I've missed you too” Adele said, hugging him back.

“And oh, Mason. Come here, my boy” he said, opening one of his arms to hug him and Adele at the same time. “Can't believe my two babies are now two adults who have fallen in love. Who could have thought?”

“Everyone” Mason chuckled. “Thank you for coming, Edward. It means a lot.”

“Anything for my two favourite supermodels and their families” he smiled. “Should we begin? Are you ready, Mason?”

“Yes” he nodded.

“Then we better leave you alone. I love you” Toni said, kissing Mason's cheek.

“Love you too, mum” he replied.

“You can do this” Elizabeth told him, squeezing his shoulder before leaving the room.

“You've got this, Mase” Adele said with an encouraging smile. 

“Wait, are you leaving too?”

“I… Yes?”

“Stay with me, Addie.”

“What?”

“Can she?” Mason asked Edward.

“Of course. If she wants to, she can stay.”

“Then please stay with me, Addie. If you are by my side I know I can do this.”

“Ok” she said, taking his hand on hers and sitting down with him.

“So” Edward said, also sitting down and getting everything ready. “Where should we begin? Real or fake interview?”

“Fake” Mason said. “It'll help me relax.”

“Perfect” Edward smiled. 

A real and a fake interview. That had been Adele's big plan.

Mason needed to tell his truth, to tell the world what was going on, expose his agency. And even though just an Instagram post could have been enough, it would never have the same weight and repercussion as giving an interview to one of the most important magazines in the world and having the support of one of the most important people in the fashion industry: Edward, Adele's godfather and British Vogue editor-in-chief.

But his agency couldn't know about it. They had to believe he was going to give the usual interview that comes with a big cover, one where he talked about his career and his relationship with Adele. So she had come up with the idea of giving a fake interview that would be the one his agency would get to see, and a real one that would be the one getting published and printed and that everyone around the world would get to read.

When she first had told Mason and their families about it, they had had their doubts, but Edward had been on board since the moment Toni and Elizabeth had told him about it. He, like basically everyone in the business, knew that Mason's agency didn't have the best reputation and that no one had been brave enough to fully go against them. Until now. 

Because besides the interview, and all thanks to Rianne’s help, they had the testimony of many other models who had worked or worked with Mason's agency and who had been mistreated by them. According to Adele's dad, those testimonies would also be very useful in case they tried to sue them. 

“Before we start…” Edward said. “Any news from your agency?”

“Erin has been calling me daily since the holidays ended, but I've managed to avoid meeting with them and talk about a new contract” Mason said with a cheeky smile. 

First the excuse of the snow had worked, the bad weather being on their side. For the new year they had left New York and moved to a resort close to the mountains, and the snow had made it impossible to leave for at least a week. Jourdan was supposed to meet them there too, and she had not been able to fly due to all the storms and bad conditions. 

After that, Mason used the excuse of Adele being sick and not being able to travel. And once they were able to fly back to London, he had actually gotten sick, so he hadn't been able to meet either or even celebrate his birthday. 

Now it was the end of January, and the magazine was ready to be printed. Only his interview was missing, and he had convinced them to focus on that and leave the talks for later. 

“Good. You must try to keep it going for at least a couple of weeks. I'm planning on releasing the cover after Valentine's Day so you guys can enjoy the day before the chaos starts, though your agency will believe it won't be out until late February so people get more excited about who could be on the cover. You better than anyone know how much they love the social media game.”

“Yeah” Mason sighed.

“Thank you very much for everything you are doing, Edward” Adele said.

“Anything for you” he smiled. “Now, let's get into business. Since I have you both here, why don't we start talking about your relationship? We can add some happy bits to our real interview too.”

“Sure” Mason said while looking at Adele, their hands still clasped together. “What do you want to know?”

“I think we should start from the beginning. When and how did you fall in love?” 

“I think it all started in Italy” Mason said as he squeezed Adele's hand, something she would then find herself doing throughout both interviews. Sometimes it was an encouraging squeeze, one to let him know that he could do it, to give him strength. Others, it was a squeeze meant to hurt him a little, to scold him for telling Edward something he shouldn't, like details that were too personal. 

But overall, she did it to let him know that he could count on her, through good and bad times, and that she would always be by his side. Always. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“This issue is gonna be iconic” Adele said as she flicked through the pages of the magazine in her hands. Edward had sent her and Mason a copy, asking them to check everything and tell him if there was anything that needed to be changed before giving it the final green light. “Like, I can see it becoming a collector's edition.”

“You think so?” Mason asked her.

“Definitely. Every single bit of content is perfect, from all the ads to the articles, to of course the cover and the main editorial.”

“Yeah… I've heard they got an amazing photographer to shoot it” he smirked.

“And they say the model is one of the best of his generation. Some even call him a supermodel” she replied with a matching smile.

“Supermodel?” Mason laughed. “C'mon, Addie.”

“The internet words, not mine” she shrugged. “But even if they said you suck, you would still be a supermodel to me.”

“Bullshit” he laughed again. “You would be the first to tell me to stop making a fool of myself and to find another job. Just look at the way you criticise some of my outfits. You would be my first hater.”

“Meh meh meh” she said, hitting him with the magazine.

“This is gonna work out, isn't it, Addie?”

“Uh?”

“Your plan. Is it gonna work out?” Mason said, the smile he had had while he and Adele had been teasing each other completely gone. 

“It is” she said, moving on the sofa where they were sitting to properly look at him. “Do you think someone as important as Edward would involve himself in something like this, basically putting his career at risk, if he believed it wasn't gonna work out?”

“I guess…”

“Mason… Mase” Adele said, caressing his cheek. “It will work out. You will finally be free.”

“But what if… What if they find a way to sue me or… I don't know, Addie. They still have the video. And the photos.”

“If they release them as some kind of revenge, you know my dad already has everything ready to sue their asses. And knowing your fans, they will definitely do anything in their power so nothing gets shared and it ends up buried in the darkest corner of the internet.”

“I wish I could be as optimistic as you are” he sighed. “The closer we get to the release date, the more insecure and worried I get.”

“Oh, I know. I've had to deal with all your fidgeting in bed” she chuckled. “If I didn't love you the way I do, I would have already kicked you out again and sent you here to sleep on the sofa.”

“Lucky me” he smiled. Though it was one of those sad smiles Adele hated, the ones he used to give her before telling her everything that was going on with his agency. 

“Mase, I…”

“It's ok. I'll be ok” he said, giving her a peck and leaving the sofa. 

As she watched him leave the room, she could only think of one thing. Well, actually two. His sad smile, and that she needed to do something to make him stop worrying until the interview was out. But what? What could keep his mind busy until then?

“Urgh” Adele grunted, reaching for the magazine once again and opening it on a random page, looking for some inspiration, a sign. And then… “Yes!”

“Addie, did you say anything?” Mason asked from the kitchen.

“Nothing, just talking to myself!” she replied, her eyes focused on the photo in front of her. It was a reprint from an old editorial inspired by Romeo and Juliet shot by Annie Leibovitz, one of Adele's favourites growing up. And it had reminded her of an old conversation she and Mason had had during fashion month.

"On one of the nights I think we should dress as a prince and princess and have an over the top dinner. What do you think?"

"That would be amazing! Can I wear a crown too?"

"Whatever the lady wishes."

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I can't believe you managed to pull this off, Addie” Mason chuckled.

“You're welcome” she said, kissing his cheek. “Shall we?”

“After you, my lady” he said, gesturing towards the building in front of them. 

They had gone back to the château, the one outside Paris where they had had their picnic, and the one where they should have spent a couple of weeks once fashion month was over, enjoying each other's company and ignoring everything that was going on in the outside world. That was what Adele had planned, to turn that place into their own bubble, one where there were no paparazzis, a horrible agency blackmailing them, or a Vogue issue about to be published and hopefully shake the fashion world. It was just going to be them enjoying each other, and nothing was going to stop them. Not even Mason's agency calling him to ask him to meet and sign his new contract. 

“It's Valentine's Day, Erin” he had told them over the phone. “Can't I spend some days alone enjoying the company of my girlfriend before I have to start with all the promo for the cover?”

“Yes, of course” she had said, finally giving up. “Just remember to post something on Instagram. You need the engagement, and it will be a perfect preview for the cover and the interview. You guys made me wish I was in love just by reading you” she had chuckled. 

“I will, don't worry” Mason had replied, rolling his eyes so dramatically that Adele had feared they would get stuck at the back of his head. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Addie, if I end up hitting something and breaking a toe…”

“You won't.”

“You've said it yourself, I'm a really bad patient. And if I break a toe, you'll basically have to do everything for me because I won't be able to walk.”

“My patience is what is being tested right now” she sighed. “Can you please move a bit faster?”

“I'm sorry, Addie. But I don't like being blindfolded. At least not while walking.”

“Urgh” she groaned. 

It was the day after Valentine's Day, and in just a couple more, Edward would release the cover and the interview. But before that, there was something Adele needed to do so Mason could properly be free.

“Ok, this is it.”

“Can I take this off now?”

“Yes, you can, Mason.”

“Thank God” he sighed. “Addie, what… What are we doing in this room?”

“Well, according to the history of the château, the lord who first lived here built this room for his favourite lover.”

“What?”

“She apparently was treated by all the servants as royalty, almost like a queen.”

“And you've brought me here because…”

“Because I think a room dedicated to a lover, is perfect for what we are about to do.”

“Which is?” Mason asked, still looking visibly confused.

“Celebrate Valentine's Day, but not like we did yesterday with all the romantic stuff. Today, is time to get naughty” she smirked. “Today, I'm gonna make you forget about something that has been bothering that pretty head of yours for way too long.”

“Addie, what…”

“Today…” she said, picking up her camera from one of the bedside tables. “We are going to film our own sex tape.”

“We what?” Mason said, his eyes going wide.

“That video that bitch took of you without your consent has been hurting you for too long, so it's time we erase that memory by creating a new one. One you truly like and enjoy. One you want.”

“Adele, are you serious about this? Like… what if we get hacked?”

“We won't. We are filming it with my camera on a memory card just for it.”

“But what if we lose it? Or if someone steals your camera? Or…”

“Mason… Mase” Adele said, putting a finger on his lips so he would stop talking. “I have it all under control.”

“But…”

“Do you trust me?”

“With my life, Addie.”

“Then start getting undressed while I make myself a bit more comfortable. Unless you don't want to do it.”

“Of course I want to do it, Adele. I may or may have not been thinking about filming something with you or taking some spicy photos since you told me about what you used to do with your ex” he smirked.

“Then c'mon. Let's not waste our time” she said before walking into the room's en suite.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Addie? Addie, what is taking you so long?” 

“One sec, I'm almost done!”

“One sec, she says. One sec…” Mason murmured. “Addie, you… Bloody hell, Adele” he gasped when she saw her walking out.

“Liking what you see?” she asked him, slowly turning around so he could see every detail. 

Before flying to France she and Jourdan had gone shopping together, and they had found probably the sexiest and most beautiful set of lingerie Adele had ever seen, one that she knew would make Mason go completely crazy.

“I bloody love it, Addie” he said, his eyes scanning every inch of her body. 

“I can tell” she chuckled, looking down at his boxers. “Go sit down at the end of the bed.”

“Uh?”

“Stop checking me out and do as I've said, Mason.”

“I can't. You just… Bloody hell, Addie.”

“You already said that” she giggled. “Sit down” she said again, trying to sound serious despite feeling her whole body on fire, from her cheeks to the tip of her toes.

“Yes, ma'am” Mason said, finally doing as she had asked him. “Now what?”

“Now you wait while I set the camera and make sure it is focused.”

“Wait, you are using a tripod?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought we were going to film each other.”

“I am going to film you. I don't trust you with my camera.”

“Afraid I may break it?” he laughed.

“I actually fear you may drop it in my head while I'm between your legs.”

“Ok” he laughed again.

“Besides, this video is gonna be about you, Mase. About your pleasure and what you like. I want to be able to watch it again and get to see the way your body reacts to me and everything I can do to you. To hear the way you moan my name, your face when you make it to the end. This is about you.”

“What if what I like is to do something to you?” he asked, licking his lips and trying really hard not to smile.

“I'll still be in charge of the camera.”

“You may drop it too. You know I am that good.”

“We'll see” Adele said, finishing to set the camera. “Ready?”

“I've been ready since I first saw you wearing that, Addie.”

“Good” she said, walking towards him and kneeling in front of him. “Happy Valentine's Day to you, Mase.”

“Happy Valentine's Day to me” he smirked, his eyes glued on Adele. 

[unhetalia]

dreaming about historical model Alfred…..

This is purely self-indulgent

In a nations-are-known scenario: yk those videos that are like “hair through the decades” where they do the most popular hairstyles from 1890-2010 on one model. Like that but times a billion. I want magazine style fashion history. I want Georgian era clothes to 1950s retro to armor.

Realistically I think sightings of AFJ would be much more akin to Adam Sandler but in my heart he’s a model. & I also think (again, in my heart,) he has at least close to the ideal male proportions. Maybe not perfect but like… perfectly average while still being considered unique. Just enough wiggle room in the measurements to be uniquely pretty while still conforming to the ideal. Does any of this make sense. What I mean is he’s a good dress up doll and I want to play dress up with him.

Hi, I love this! I have no idea about Adam Sandler (is he not sighted regularly? Is that why he was brought up? Or do you mean he dresses terribly when he's out and about?) but here are my AFJ thoughts in a public AU (which, great timing, I have a fic I'm writing that features that so my brain is SUPER thinking about this).

In terms of public appearances — AFJ is seen out and about a lot. Probably the only one seen around more is Arthur, who is a diplomat and knighted and just a very prolific member of the British government. AFJ, unlike Arthur, is a private citizen, and in fact, his right to criticize the government is literally in the constitution (I want to get more into this at some point but not now), so not only is AFJ seen out and about a lot, he's chatty.

But in terms of his wardrobe — well, my thing has always been that AFJ doesn't give a shit, alas, but also he's... ethereal, and so despite not being fashionable in the traditional way he's a bit of a trendsetter. People will ask him where he got his shurt and his answer will either be the 1800s or an op shop, but he makes it WORK. There's a whole series of coffee table books that's just his wardrobe over the years.

I've mentioned before how in-universe I firmly believe Alfred's considered the most attractive, even among the Nations. I think his face is just... pretty. He looks youthful, with long eyelashes and large, doe eyes. Just androgynous enough to make him look unique, but not teetering towards looking feminine.

Body wise, I actually adore how Hima drew him here —

in that I LOVE the softness of his body even while he looks obviously fit. He doesn't have abs, you can see some softness around his tummy but you can also see that slight hint of muscle there, too, then it curves to his breedable hips. I think this is Al at a 'healthy weight'. In my head, Alfred sometimes loses weight because of disordered eating, both because he's the type of person who doesn't eat when working (canon) and also because he DOES have body image issues that causes him to diet (also canon). Due to the fact Hima has NEVER shown AFJ actually looking overweight while showing him despairing at weighing scales, it really built in my head this idea that Al has some body dysmorphia.

Shit? That got dark? ESPECIALLY because I think this is something the public would notice.

Back to lighter topics - there's an "eco friendly fashion" movement inspired by Alfred's ability to look stylish while also only buying secondhand/keeping clothes for a long time. It's actually very neat! People also acknowledge that Alfred's fashion only work on him because he's so beautiful anything he wears seem chic, but also people do some really cool stuff with secondhand stuff or even like. Making their own clothes. In order to encourage people to do this, they do competitions on best outfits and whoever gets the most votes actually has their outfit worn by Alfred aka LITERAL DRESSING AL LIKE A BARBIE JUST FOR YOU, ANON.

[vintage1981]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROLINE MUNRO! 

Caroline Munro (born 16 January 1949 in Windsor, Berkshire) is a British actress and model best known for her many appearances in science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s. According to Munro, her career took off in 1966 when her mother and photographer friend entered some headshots of her to Britain’s The Evening News “Face of the Year” contest.

“I wanted to do art. Art was my love. I went to Art School in Brighton but I was not very good at it. I just did not know what to do. I had a friend at the college who was studying photography and he needed somebody to photograph and he asked me. Unbeknownst to me, he sent the photographs to a big newspaper in London. The famous fashion photographer, David Bailey, was conducting a photo contest and my picture won.” 

This led to modelling chores, her first job being for Vogue Magazine at the age of 17. She moved to London to pursue top modelling jobs and became a major cover girl for fashion and TV ads while there. Decorative bit parts came her way in such films as Casino Royale and Where’s Jack? (1969). One of her many photo ads got her a screen test and a one-year contract at Paramount where she won the role of Richard Widmark’s daughter in the comedy/western A Talent for Loving (1969). 

1969 proved to be a good year for Munro, because it was then that she began a lucrative 10 year relationship with Lamb’s Navy Rum. Her image was plastered all over the country, and this would eventually lead to her next big break.

Hammer Films CEO Sir James Carreras spotted Munro on a Lamb’s Navy Rum poster/billboard. He asked his right hand man, James Liggett, to find and screen test her. She was immediately signed to a one-year contract. Her first film for Hammer proved to be something of a turning point in her career. It was during the making of Dracula AD 1972 that she decided from this film onward she was a full-fledged actress. Up until then she was always considered a model who did some acting on the side.

A string of fantasy and horror roles followed, including starring turns in Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), At the Earth’s Core (1976),  The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), StarCrash (1978), Maniac (1980), The Last Horror Film (1982), Faceless (1988), and The Black Cat (1989).

By the 1990s Munro had decided to focus more on her family, daughters, Georgina and Iona, and husband George Dugdale. However, since 2003 Caroline has renewed her interest in acting and has appeared in a number of film and audio productions. Since 2021 Caroline has been presenting the hit television series The Cellar Club for Talking Pictures TV.

The title First Lady of Fantasy was given to Caroline by journalist Steve Swires, who wrote many Starlog and Fangoria (@FANGORIA) articles on the actress in the 1980s and 1990s. 

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Official Website:  http://www.CarolineMunro.org

Representation: Thomas Bowington/Bowington Management

Some of her credits include: Dracula AD 1972 (1972), Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1973), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974), At the Earth’s Core (1976), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), StarCrash (1978), Maniac (1980), The Last Horror Film (1982), Faceless (1988), The Black Cat (1989), Flesh for the Beast (2003), Turpin (2009), Midsomer Murders (2013), The Landlady (2013), Crying Wolf (2015), Vampyres (2015), Cute Little Buggers (2016), Frankula (2017), End User (2018), House of the Gorgon (2019), The Haunting of Margam Castle (2020), Ulalume - A Ballad (2023), The Pocket Film of Superstitions (2023), and the upcoming The Presence of Snowgood (2024).

[agendabymooner]

colour me your colour || toto w. x ofc (2)

Summary: Tilly Marie nearly loses faith in her passion as she refuses to listen to everyone who told her to quit. Everyone but one. And it’s the man she met years ago at a racing event she didn’t want to attend. Who would have thought that her father’s partial ownership of three brands could take her to the zone of Mercedes and meet the love of her life?

Chapter summary: It's 2014. Tilly fills up the position temporarily as Red Bull's Communication Liaison and meets the man she spoke to all those years ago in Dubai... only for her to realize that he's her best friend's Team Principal. Lewis Hamilton is more than amused with her situation, if anything.

Content warning: Age gap, mentions of an absence of a father figure, brief use of explicit language, mentions of nepotism, discussion of mental health and burnouts. Platonic!Lewis Hamilton content, Platonic!Daniel Ricciardo content. Fictional family and business involved (Hearth family and Hearth Automotives Group). One character is fictional but came from a family (Ford family). NO PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS INVOLVED SORRY

Note: This is actually my demon time. I took a break from posting too much Danny Ric even if I love him sm (this fic needs attention a little bit). Should I make him go feral and chaotic again? I dunno. But anyways, here's for the Toto stans. Please tell me what you think in many ways - reblog and reply even! Enjoy xx

ii. tilly marie wants to go to hell

Tilly Marie. 

That is the name that hides everything that relates to my life and purpose. Truthfully, everyone knows who I am, but I act like a stranger to everyone who works in the location during the races. Everyone has heard of my name but never really knew what I look like. Of course, they would know who I am. I’m sharing my surname with the man who partially owned three teams— all through his shares. 

Julius Hearth is a billionaire who invested much more in motorsport than he should have in his racing career. Instead of becoming a professional driver, he remains a billionaire, relatively close to creating a monopoly in the racing industry. 

A greedy man, they call him. He dislikes the idea of being unable to control his businesses. He could have sold his shares before, yet he keeps a tight grip over each of his holdings and keeps his position in each team as an executive. He’s not even the one at the race right now. He has his daughter act on his behalf and play his part in keeping his teams popular. 

The surname Hearth is practically engraved in each team’s zones. I hate it. Wherever I go, even if I hadn’t attended a grand prix for a while now, eyes would settle on me. Everyone knows my name. I hate it. It should have been Ford instead, maybe I would have allowed it.

And so I stuck with Tilly Marie. Tilly Hearth catches the eyes of everyone in the racing industry. Tilly Marie is just a woman with access to three zones and additional pit access from her friend. Tilly Hearth is for business— for handling problems and solutions in media outlets and communications.

Now that I think of it, I remember considering quitting my job before I was even told to attend the British GP. Have you ever been so exhausted from doing what you love? Or is that something not really something you desire?

I enjoy writing fashion and design articles for everyone’s entertainment. But to be told you’ll be given a better angle on the following magazine issues and still drooling after that promise? Now that’s just an embarrassment. 

Everyone I’m close to knows how badly I am treated at the company. Their sympathy came with advice to leave the company. Yet, despite the gratitude that I felt, I refuse to resign. I have faith in my career. They’ll give me a better angle soon enough. Or not.

One of the many people who told me to quit is here standing behind the gate. His tightly braided hair is covered with a branded cap. His chest is covered in a white polo. He stands there with a cheeky grin as he holds his arms out. Lewis Hamilton never failed to make me smile.

He engulfs me with a tight embrace and lifts me slightly in joy. We have not even exchanged words yet, but I am already smiling widely. 

“Oh, Tilly, I thought you wouldn't come!” Lewis exclaims once that he puts me down. I straighten my slightly wrinkled skirt and look at him with a questioning frown. “You’re going to watch me win in person this time!” 

“You act like I don’t see you almost every month,” I scoff, shaking my head at his pout.

“You haven’t attended any of my races for almost six years,” he points out, referring to his championship when he was in McLaren. That’s how we met. My father was bored and had decided to buy a part of McLaren, Lewis’ first team. I hung around him more often during the past few seasons while I consulted with my father’s other teams - Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull. Lewis values our friendship more than his team, as we remained friends after he departed from McLaren. 

I was going to protest and defend myself, but he cut me off before I could even talk. “You were working hard at Vogue, I know,” he rolls his eyes before he wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer as we walk down the Mercedes zone. He still has an assistant with him, and she’s nice enough to ensure that Lewis isn’t doing something stupid like getting our photos taken by paps while his arm is around me. I can see the headlines we’ll make if they see me.

Tilly Hearth’s Comeback Spiced Up by Forbidden Romance as She Snuggles with Mercedes Driver

The Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous: Lewis Hamilton Seen Cozying Up with the Hearth Group Heiress

He continues, “I love you. You know that, right?” 

I nod as he playfully scolds me, “Then why aren’t you listening to me? To your three sisters, even? You’re writing a smaller piece in a magazine for how long? Six years? Why don’t you quit and find a better opportunity?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” I frown, slightly shoving him away while his arm remains wrapped around me. I try kicking him in the leg, but he quickly avoids my attack as he laughs. People that walked past scowl at us. “I knew I should’ve stayed on the Red Bull pit.” 

“In my year of winning? At the British GP?” He scoffs haughtily. “You wound me, Tilly Marie.”

“And while I’m against the idea of staying in your paddock, I’m glad we can agree on calling me by that name so I'm staying because I love you that much,” I grin, kissing him on the cheek as we arrive at the Mercedes hospitality. 

Indeed, I haven’t attended a race for a while now. Putting more time into my job would give me a way to a promotion or an opportunity to publish a meaningful piece in the magazine. But as years go on, I’m slowly backing away from that optimism. So being in this event… yeah, I think I’ll choose this lifestyle once more over that god-awful thing I call a career. 

Still, why haven’t I quit yet? I have little faith in them. I might as well resign. But this advice came from other people. It didn’t come from me. They cannot change my mind, and I wish I’m not this stubborn and stupid. I wish Lewis would bang my head against the wall to get me to quit. 

I know that I have more options if I quit. But even then, I know my options will come straight from my surname and father. Nepotism follows me wherever I go; even if it’s inevitable, I try to control the fire before it spreads. I know that using my name will not help me learn more. 

Even Lewis knows how much it’ll affect my career in a different industry. One that isn’t racing. It’s bad enough that everyone knows me by name, but to use it proudly? Yeah no. Lewis keeps me humbled by calling me Tilly Marie. I love him because of that. 

All of those thoughts have left me alone when I hear a voice ring out behind the two of us. One that calls for Lewis, which has my friend turning around. Out of curiosity and instinct, I immediately turned around to see who called for him. 

Would it be a shame to admit that the man you met eight years ago looked as handsome as before? No. Maybe not. 

My eyes respectfully move from his attractive face down to the polo that he’s wearing. Slight chest hair peeking out from the unbuttoned collars as my eyes finally look at the title on his chest. 

Team Principal

Mercedes AMG Petronas

While it’s not something to be ashamed of, admitting that the older man is attractive will cause bloodshed. One that would begin with Lewis. 

I must admit the man in front of me makes me nervous now that I have grown older. My legs will turn jelly if I hear his accent again. 

“Ah, you have a guest,” the older man smiles at me almost charmingly. 

My legs didn’t turn into jelly. But I wish I had gone to hell earlier than expected because of the heat I can feel on my face. All because of this man. 

Lewis doesn’t catch the reddening of my cheeks. Instead, he nudges me with a grin, saying, “Of course I have. You know how I want people to watch me win.”

“I like that confidence,” the man chuckles, probably still staring at me while my eyes remain on the floor. 

Lewis nudges me again, leaving me to clutch the strap of the bag that nearly fell off my shoulder. I glare at him, and he doesn’t see it as he introduces me, “Tils! This is Toto Wolff. He’s the Mercedes team principal. Toto, this is Tilly Marie. She’s a friend.” 

I can’t longer avoid his eyes as I look up at his dark eyes. I have forgotten how to speak briefly before I clear my throat and greet the man, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Wolff.” 

His stare isn’t intimidating. That’s what I think, but my body says otherwise. Suddenly, the hospitality feels 30 degrees celsius hotter because of his look. 

But he doesn’t say anything about my obvious situation, and with Lewis not saying anything, I assume he doesn’t notice. The team principal then extends his hand in my direction as his accent leaves a tingling sensation in my ears with the words, “It’s lovely to meet you. Miss…?” 

Oh um. Shit. 

Suddenly the roller coaster in my stomach fades as I stammer, “Hearth. Tilly. Tilly Marie.” I immediately reach for his hand to shake as I shudder slightly. God, those hands are cold. I still shake his hand like a fan excited to meet her idol. Lewis, god loves him, has immediately put a stop to it by putting an arm on my side. 

Not realizing I'm still holding his hand, I immediately pull away and offer Toto a sheepish smile and apology. I’m 28, turning 29. I’m not 18. I’m still acting like a child. 

But my internal dialogue is interrupted by a hum coming out from Toto. He watches me move in one place, assumingely unable to reply for a moment. He's thinking of something and it's unnerving.

The silence doesn’t last long as he finally asks, “Are you Julius Hearth’s relative, by any chance? You look a bit like him.” 

I immediately answer, my voice slightly cracking, saying, “Yes. Yes. I’m the eldest daughter.” 

Knowing my family history, Lewis winces at the title I used to describe myself. Even he knows that this is a sore spot for me.

“Ah,” Toto hums in understanding, nodding at the response while he looks around. It seems our surroundings don't interest him, all while people around us are beginning to whisper at the drop of my name and relationship with a prominent figure in the racing business. 

Nevertheless, he ignores the whispering and instead tells me, “It’s surprising to see you here, Miss Hearth—“ 

“Just call me Tilly,” I immediately interrupted him with the insistence of a worried person. “Tilly works just fine.” 

He doesn’t blink at it, even if I can tell he has a question or so at my insistence. He continues regardless, “Well, Tilly, it’s surprising to see you here, in a rival team’s hospitality.” 

I only laugh at that. I laugh at him like he’s an idiot. Or the other way around. He’s calling me an imbecile in his head now, I tell myself as I watch his brows wrinkle slightly.

I tell him, “I’m here as a friend of your driver, Mr. Wolff. And I can hardly be biased about teams seeing as Julius purchased some shares from almost each. There are no playing favourites in my book.” 

“Is that right?” He asks with amusement in his voice. 

“I like to play fair,” I shrug and offer him a grin, “besides, I’m not as good at interpreting races as he is. I’m only here to keep their head checked before they can lash out in front of the cameras.” 

He likes that response even though I mentioned I have limited motorsport knowledge. He chuckles again, nodding in my direction and at Lewis, who I have almost forgotten is with me. 

He doesn’t say anything to me anymore and tells Lewis, “Remember your interview.” 

“Yes, sir,” Lewis nods at him. 

Toto looks at me again and suggests, “Miss Tilly, you should be in our zone more often.” 

For once, my face hasn’t flushed. I offer him a grateful smile and joke, “It’s a bad idea to give me such a privilege. I suppose you’ll see more of me then, Mr. Wolff.” 

“Call me Toto, liebling,” Toto tells me with a wink, “besides, I won’t complain if I see you here— I might as well snatch you up from Red Bull and McLaren, hm? Or is Ferrari also a competition I have to fight for?” 

He turns around and leaves the premise, walking away from us with a big smile while Lewis and I remain silent. 

There’s a scoff that leaves Lewis’ mouth. I watch him shake his head and ask, “What? Did I do something?” 

“No, no, love,” Lewis answers, chuckling in disbelief as he says, “I can’t believe I just watched my boss hit on my best friend.” 

“Who says you’re my best friend? Sylv, Steve and Aims are my best friends,” I scoff. 

“Stevie, Sylvie and Aimee are your sisters, love. There’s a big difference–whatever, you were just flirting with my boss!” He exclaims, making other people look at us at the abrupt loudness.

I wish I had gone to hell earlier.

[oldshowbiz]

To the public Red Skelton was the God and country comedian. He recorded a best-selling version of the Pledge of Allegiance and told reporters that he read the bible every night before going to bed. His friends and colleagues say it was just an act to ingratiate himself to the public.

Television producer George Schlatter worked on The Judy Garland Show at CBS Television City, just one soundstage over from The Red Skelton Show. Schlatter says, “Red Skelton was a phony with all his God bullshit. He ended every show saying, ‘God Bless.’ Then you realize that his dress rehearsal was the filthiest event in town. They did the dirtiest dress rehearsal and then he would go on and do this, ‘God Bless,’ and the country and the flag and all this shit. He was a dirty old man.”

According to the FBI, Skelton possessed one of the largest collections of pornography in Hollywood. A Bureau memo from the 1940s said that “during the course of an investigation of a purported ring of obscene motion picture operators in Hollywood, information was received that the best known customers for obscene film in Hollywood were Red Skelton, Lou Costello, and George Raft.”

The contradiction between his public front and his personal life was the stuff of tabloid legend.

“Red’s constant drinking when he had his CBS radio show was the whisper of the microphone colony,” reported the trashy magazine Confidential. “Often his hands would be shaking so badly he could hardly get into his clothes to begin the show.” The tabloid claimed Skelton regularly “terrifies wife and kids with loaded pistols.”

Skelton was often criticized for laughing at his own jokes or breaking up in the middle of a scene. It was an ancient stage trick. Skelton knew that if you lost it on camera, it often made the audience laugh harder. It was a gimmick despised by fellow comedians who saw right through it.

“Dreadful,” said Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy fame. “Just dreadful. I love his talent but I hate … when he does that deliberate and undeliberate breaking up. In my opinion this is the worst possible thing any comedian can do – the worst. And he even lets some of his untalented guests do it. Dreadful.”

Many viewers felt the same. Patty Valentine of Cincinnati wrote, “There is only one person laughing at him and that is himself. He thinks he is funny but no one else does.”

By 1964 the program hadn’t changed much since its first episode back in 1950. The show got strong ratings, but the demographics were far too old for the sponsor’s liking. In an attempt to court the youth market, Van Bernard Productions, Skelton’s production company, negotiated an exclusive deal with Sir Lew Grade in the UK to provide British Invasion rock groups for the show. Changing its name to The Red Skelton Hour, the program presented The Kinks singing “Got Love If You Want It,” Manfred Mann doing “Do Wah Diddy Diddy,” The Hollies performing “Look Through Any Window,” and The Animals playing “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.”

Skelton introduced many British Invasion groups to Middle America for the very first time. But he promised his elderly demographic that he didn’t fully approve, always cracking jokes about their hair and fashion sense.

[pankowcrumbs]

Chapter 1: The First Glance

The flashes from the cameras hit you like a thousand tiny bursts of light as you step onto the red carpet. The venue is grand, the crowd bustling, and the air is filled with an electric hum of excitement. You’ve been to your fair share of these events, but tonight feels different. You’ve just released your debut album, and the world is starting to pay attention. Your heart beats a little faster as you make your way past the photographers, your dress shimmering under the spotlights.

Your stylist had picked out something bold—deep red, with a plunging neckline and a slit up the leg that makes your every step feel like it’s meant to make an impression. You’ve never been one to shy away from a little attention, and tonight, you’re ready to embrace it. But even still, a flutter of nervousness stirs in your stomach. You don’t expect anything crazy to happen, but you can’t help but feel that tonight might just be memorable.

As you approach the interview area, your eyes flicker around, taking in the faces in the crowd. You’re just about to smile and wave for the cameras when someone catches your attention.

It’s him.

Harry Styles.

You recognize him instantly, even though the man is everywhere these days. He stands a little farther down the carpet, looking effortlessly stylish in a black suit with a white shirt unbuttoned just enough to make him look like he’s arrived straight from the pages of a fashion magazine. His signature curly hair falls perfectly around his face, and despite the buzz of the event, there’s something about his presence that makes it feel like time has slowed just for a second.

For a brief moment, your heart skips a beat.

You’ve always admired him—his music, his style, his confidence. But seeing him in person, just a few feet away, feels like you’re watching an icon up close. The reporters surrounding him seem to hang on his every word, but when his eyes shift in your direction, your breath hitches. He catches sight of you—really sees you.

It’s not like he’s staring at you intensely, but there’s something in the way his gaze lingers just a second longer than it should. His lips curl into a subtle, inviting smile, and you feel an immediate rush of warmth flooding your chest.

You quickly turn your attention back to the interviewer in front of you, pretending to focus on the question they're asking. But inside, you’re completely aware of his gaze on you. It’s like the whole world fades out for a moment, and it’s just you and Harry.

The next few minutes feel like an eternity as you finish your red carpet interviews, your nerves getting the best of you. You try to push aside the feeling that something significant might be happening, but as you make your way down the carpet, Harry is still in your peripheral vision, standing there, talking with someone, but always in your field of vision. You feel his eyes on you once again, a strange pull that makes your heart race.

As you approach the final stretch of the carpet, heading toward the entrance of the venue, you catch a glimpse of him again—this time, he’s looking directly at you. You can’t avoid it now. The air feels thick, and everything else around you seems to fade into the background. He raises an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes, and then, just as you're about to look away, he does something that stops you cold.

He walks toward you.

Your stomach drops and your palms suddenly feel clammy. He’s coming your way. What is he doing? Did you do something wrong? Should you keep walking?

Before you can decide, he’s standing in front of you, his presence undeniable. His face is soft, his eyes warm, and for a moment, it feels like you’re the only two people in the room.

"Hi," he says, his voice low and familiar, with that characteristic British lilt you’ve always loved. "I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Harry."

You blink, taken aback by how calm he seems when you're anything but. "Y/N," you say, forcing a smile even though your heart is pounding. "Nice to meet you."

He grins, a cheeky little smile that lights up his entire face. "I know who you are. I’ve heard your music. You’re incredible."

Your eyes widen in surprise, trying to process the compliment. "Thank you, that means a lot coming from you."

Harry shifts slightly, his hand instinctively running through his curls as if unsure how to continue, though the smile never leaves his face. He leans in just a little closer, lowering his voice so only you can hear. "I couldn’t help but notice you from across the carpet. You’ve got a real presence about you."

You can’t help but laugh, nervously at first, but then it comes naturally. "I think that’s just the red dress talking."

He laughs too, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Maybe, but there’s something more to it. You’re not just a pretty face, Y/N. There’s something… captivating about you."

You’re not sure how to respond. This is Harry Styles. The Harry Styles. Standing right in front of you, saying things that make you feel like you’re floating. But before you can say anything, a voice calls out from behind you.

"Harry, we need you for the photos!"

Harry looks over his shoulder at the photographer, and then back at you. "Looks like they’re pulling me away," he says, his eyes lingering on you a second longer than you expect. "But, listen... I’d love to get to know you better. Maybe after the event, we could grab a drink? You know, if you're free."

Your pulse races again, but this time it’s not from nerves. It’s excitement. You try to keep your cool, but the smile on your face betrays you.

"Yeah, I’d like that."

He gives you a wink and a small nod. "Great. I’ll find you."

And just like that, he turns and walks off, blending back into the crowd. You stand there, momentarily frozen, trying to process what just happened.

Did Harry Styles just ask you out?

You shake your head, a smile tugging at your lips. The red carpet suddenly feels like it’s a million miles away, and the rest of the night stretches out in front of you, full of possibilities.

[taylorrussellsgf]

Some of Taylor Russell’s best moments of 2023

Starred in ‘THE EFFECT’ by Lucy Prebble with Paapa Essiedu and it was the hottest play in of the year!

Taylor was on the cover of loewe x howl’s moving castle collection 23, loewe s/s23, and loewe f/w23!

Taylor attended the Loewe Paris Fashion week show, wore this iconic look, and gagged Anna Wintour! (Invite for met gala secured)

Taylor had fun with friends at Beyoncé and Harry Styles concerts!

Taylor was on the cover for W Magazine, Harper’s Bazar, Perfect magazine, THE FACE, and Evening Standard magazine!

Taylor did a photoshoot for the New York Times with Elizabeth Peyton. Taylor also did a shoot for Loewe, British vogue’s 2023 hollywood portfolio, and british vogue with Paapa Essiedu!

We got a first look at Mother, Couch (2024), dir. Niclas Larsson

Taylor is going to be playing Bella, the store manager who will helps Ewan Mcgregor and his siblings through a series of surreal revelations in the dark surreal dramaedy!

Lastly, Taylor wore these custom Alexander McQueen 1998 looks.

[earthstellar]

TF Rise of the Beasts: A Basic Guide to Writing/Drawing for Fashion in 1994

Someone sent me a message that has now disappeared (!!) which was asking for some tips on what was stylish in 1994, for the purposes of writing a time period accurate ROTB fic.

I'm sorry I don't remember their username otherwise I'd tag them, but I figured I'd provide some notes here just in case anyone else might find it helpful for ROTB fic writing or fanart! :)

1994 Style: The Coolest Magazines

So as far as I remember, there were three big fashion/culture magazines at the time:

Sassy Magazine - This one was aimed mostly at women, but was hugely popular and would be a good place to look for styles for Elena!

i-D Magazine - This is a British publication but had international distribution by the 90s. Most of their early 90s issues featured fashion shoots from both large brands and indie fashion houses, with an emphasis on styling outfits. The articles were pretty good, and covered pop culture, music, and other similar topics. This one includes styles for both men and women, and was one of the only mainstream magazines to include what would now be recognised as queer fashion (they featured Boy George etc. as cover models, too).

The Face - This one is also British but had international distribution, mostly in large cities like LA and New York (which means it's fine to reference for ROTB's setting). Similar to i-D, it featured articles on fashion, music, culture, and highlighted some subculture styles which were harder to find in other more popular magazines like Vogue at the time. This included more "casual" outfits being featured, typically as part of style guides. This one had men and women's fashion, and also featured queer celebrities or genderbending style!

And of course, any magazines from 1994 would be good to look through-- Just keep in mind that magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc. were primarily aimed at women only (most of the menswear mags for fashion were still finding their audience at this time), and typically only featured higher end fashion, so not a lot of it was actually reflective of what people were wearing on the street.

Look at Sewing Patterns!

For the best idea of fashion and style in terms of what the average person was wearing in 1994, look up sewing patterns!

Simplicity and McCall's brand sewing patterns provide the best idea of what most people were wearing on a day to day basis.

General Style Notes

Patterned vests were in style for all genders. Typically this was layered over a long sleeved shirt or turtleneck. Some guys would just wear a vest over a tank top or even just by itself, but that was more rare. The backs of the vests were typically left plain, so the pattern was often only on the front of the vest. Some vests were made of velvet, or thickly embroidered fabric.

Denim!!! Oh my god, people loved denim. Denim everything. Double denim (jeans and a jean jacket or a denim shirt) was a popular look, although this started to taper off gradually. Usually this was styled with a patterned vest, scarf, or accessorised with a felt or denim hat.

In terms of fit, everything was slightly long, or slightly baggy. Sometimes both. Coats were baggy in the arm and shoulder, which was a carry over from the 80s trend of shoulder pads. Shoulder pads persisted into 1995-1998, mostly in women's wear, although men's jackets and suits often had high or wide shoulders too.

1994 is where fuzzy fabrics and nylon/synthetic fabrics started getting popular; This is most noticeable in the windbreaker trend, in which a lot of windbreakers were nylon/polyester or made of textured cotton/poly blends.

Quick note on early 90s synthetic fabrics: They hadn't gotten the textures quite right yet, so even though there were some minor improvements on the late 80s synth textiles, most of these fabrics were still terribly scratchy and somewhat uncomfortable to wear, unless you had a long sleeved garment underneath. This is why you might see a lot of people wearing multiple layers of long sleeved shirts or jackets, even though it might seem excessive!

90s synthetic fabrics tended to be scratchy and crinkly, and could actually cause skin irritation in some people if you were sweating a lot--Which is why you mostly see winter clothing made out of this stuff, they were intended to only be worn in layers. Most 90s jackets that used synthetic fabrics were shell jackets, meaning only the outer layer was synthetic and the lining was either polyester or cotton in most cases.

Popular department store brands were Tommy Hilfiger, United Colours of Benetton, Moschino, and Burberry.

Popular department stores were Dillards, Burdines, JC Penny, Macy's, and Bloomingdales.

Popular runways in 1994 were Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, which were partially influenced by 80s punk and the new Grunge trend.

Bucket hats for adults were starting to become more popular, but they were already popular in children's wear, so Kris could have a bucket hat!

Facial piercings were not common, although they were starting to get a little more popular around this time. Typically this was only a nose piercing-- Anything other than that would get you stared at and judged pretty harshly. Only subcultures like goths or punks had multiple facial piercings, or lip rings/eyebrow piercings, for the most part.

Tattoos were also less common, unless you were in a particular style subculture.

Belts were a very popular accessory, with large belts and belted coats being super popular. Thinner belts were often worn two at a time, or a thin belt with an extra long end left hanging down out of a beltloop. Most jeans were worn belted, with the shirt tucked in.

There was a fine line between fitted and baggy and just looking messy-- This is why belts were so popular, as it helped create more shaping to big coats and shirts. This became less of a thing as the bagginess went out of style, but for a while a lot of people wore belts out of habit, even after clothing trends switched over to being more fitted.

Flannel shirts became huge amongst all genders, and were typically tied at the waist and not buttoned or left fully open. Men would wear flannel shirts tied at the waist, with a solid block colour t-shirt underneath.

Graphic tees existed, but were not actually as popular as they are today; They were considered more of a kid/teenager thing. Band shirts were ever-popular, though! The print technology/quality at the time was a little rough, so expect any graphic tees to deteriorate quickly after a couple washes-- It was normal to see most letters/designs very patchy or flaking apart on graphic tees, which is part of why so few of them survive in vintage stores today unless they were printed in a more high end way.

Patterned fabrics were big as a statement piece, and not just for vests. A patterned shirt or jacket would be paired with block colours, and typically any accessories would be made out of the same patterned fabric so they'd match. For women's wear, headbands and scrunchies would be made to match a shirt or jacket. For men's wear, a belt would sometimes be made out of the same fabric as a patterned shirt.

Converse shoes remained ever-classic, and were one of the most popular sneaker/trainer brands. Nike was also super popular. Kris might have had some light-up Nikes, as they were a top item for kid's clothing. "Street shoes" in general were pretty popular as part of an athletic and every day look. High tops were the most popular, but platform sneakers started to get pretty popular, too.

Short shorts and baggy shorts!!! For all genders! This was the summer look of 1994, tank top and patterned shorts with a long sleeve t-shirt tied at the waist over top. Knee length baggy shorts in patterned fabrics were super popular. Short shorts were typically for the workout/jogging crowd, but were fairly popular outside of that during summers.

Knits were pretty popular, especially with synthetic wool and acrylic textiles becoming more common. Patterned sweaters/jumpers and chunky knits were among the top sellers, but this started to taper off a bit towards the mid-90s as it was a hold over trend from the late 80s. They still remained a commonly worn item, though.

In terms of sunglasses, funky tint lenses were starting to get popular, with blue, yellow, pink, and green tint lenses in bottlecap sunglasses or round lenses being a significant trend for a while. Round lenses for sunglasses were fashionable, but people also wore Ray Ban Aviators as a style classic. Smaller lenses were getting more and more popular in general, leading to oval glasses with wire frames becoming a common glasses frame style for both sunglasses and regular prescription wear. This was in contrast to the 80s, were large plastic chunky frames were popular.

The trend of making everything a little longer and baggier than it needed to be applied to most clothing items, including pants/trousers-- Jeans were often cut a little long, so rolling up the cuffs made a come back for a while, and yes, patterned baggy puffy trousers were popular for a couple seasons (although 1994 would have been near the end of that trend).

In terms of fine textured hair, feathered and fluffy hair was the goal, with volume being the biggest consideration for all genders. For black hair, Bantu knots got pretty popular for a while (you can see this reflected in some film/media well into the late 90s/early 2000s), and natural hairstyles were starting to make a big come back in contrast to the highly permed 80s.

For accessories, headbands, hats, and necklaces/bracelets were the big ones (as belts became less popular over time). Earrings tended to be plain hoops/studs or big chunky statement earrings, with very few options in between. Clip-on earrings were still really popular at this time. Fake small hoop earrings were also worn, instead of getting multiple ear piercings. For men, ties and scarves were the key accessories. Digital watches became popular accessories for all genders, and were part of both casual and professional wear.

Socks! White or black, almost always cotton. Sometimes white with a couple stripes at the top. Leg warmers were more of an 80s thing, although in some areas they were still worn in 1994, typically only as part of gym gear by this time but sometimes outside of that. Knee high socks started getting popular (especially paired with shorts or skirts), and socks in weird colours or patterns also started getting more popular, but they weren't super common and tended to be hard to find or more expensive. White socks with lace tops were popular among little girls and teens, whereas the sporty striped socks were more often found in men's departments.

Leggings as they exist today were not a thing outside of the gym, same with yoga pants-- Instead, it was just tights. Thick, relatively uncomfortable tights. These were usually office wear or for special occasions, or when someone felt like dressing nicely. The skin colour ones mostly went out of fashion for casual wear and were mostly for office attire; Thick black tights that you couldn't see through were the default for most casual outfits around this time. Some people still wore the skin colour ones for casual outfits, but the black ones were seen as more stylish for most of what was in style.

Colour palette: You had three main options -- Denim, Block Brights, and Earth Tones. There were of course other options, but these three are probably the most common. Pastels and block brights were especially popular for kids.

Makeup trended towards natural looks or Earth tones. Burgundy shades were popular lip colours, and browns were popular eyeshadows. If you wanted to look cutting edge, you went for metallic eyeshadows in blues, with a sharp orange-red lip colour-- But this was not an every day look! Blush was used, but sparingly, unless you were going out for an event. Subcultures had their own distinct makeup preferences, which did not generally permeate popular style guides. The modern internet makeup guru culture did not exist, and most people got their makeup advice from magazines, close friends, or TV shows. Avon makeup was popular, as was Clinique. Drug store brands included Eckerds, which was an affordable option if you couldn't go to a department store.

For perfumes, CK One and Tommy were among the most popular. Calvin Klein was a mainstay in perfumes, following the success of their perfume Obsession in 1985, which is a scent that most people will associate with that decade! A lot of people continued to use it well into the 90s.

This is all I can think of at the moment, but I wouldn't mind adding more if this was helpful or interesting for anyone! :)

[totallyhussein-blog]

Asmaa Al-Allak’s memories of Iraq are woven into her very fabric

Head bent in concentration, tape measure slung around her neck, young Asmaa Al-Allak often knelt on the floor amid piles of colourful fabric even as rockets whistled above the family home in southern Iraq.

The seven-year-old would take in every detail of her mother and grandmother flicking through pages of their favourite fashion magazine and discussing the sewing patterns for each outfit featured in that month’s issue.

While the two women traced templates on to bolts of material, Asmaa mimicked them in miniature on remnants for arguably the best-dressed Sindy doll in war-torn Basra.

Four decades later, childhood memories like these compelled Al-Allak to become a contestant on The Great British Sewing Bee 2023, a reality TV show she won in an achievement that, for her, topped even attaining a medical degree.

“Creativity is in the genes,” she tells Tahira Yaqoob of The National, laughing over a zoom call from Wales, where the consultant breast surgeon, now 47, lives with her engineer husband and children, Sophia, 20, and Jacob, eight.

[toomuchracket]

It being a standing joke amongst fans that Matty’s gf is ‘mother’/ has all the queer girls thirsting over her

birthday-partyverse!reader... you literally basically have a part-time job just trolling matty on your socials and everyone loves you for it. that, and the fact you have so many unseen matty pics (like years' worth, from when you guys were just friends as well as ones from like the present day being a couple) and whenever you share them the fans are like "MOTHER HAS FED US TODAY!!" lol. and because you're like a really cool writer with novels and essay collections and all that fun stuff, you're also popular with the intelligent well-read sad girls (who, let's be real, make up a significant percentage of the 75 fanbase) - literally everyone loves you and the work/content you put out, or "feed" the fans with lmao. and as for people thirsting, yeah, it happens all the time! you go solo to a red carpet event one time (woman of the year-type) and you look fucking incredible, like jaw-droppingly hot, and there's pics of you posted on twitter and you post a couple of selfies and less posed shots on insta and the fans go NUTS. actually, everyone goes nuts - you make several best-dressed lists in magazines, and maybe even get some attention from the big fashion houses/brands. but yeah, twitter and your comment sections are awash with "MOTHER", "LOOKING (DIS)RESPECTFULLY", "HOTTEST WOMAN ALIVE ACTUALLY", "SLAY", "SERVING", "ATEEEEE", "PLS JUST GIVE ME ONCE CHANCE I'M BEGGING" and your personal favourite, "CAN MATTY HEALY FIGHT?" - which matty replies to via insta stories, showing off his biceps and going "yeah i can and i WILL" lol (he also reposts your pic on his stories with the caption "i can't believe she lets me smash" and then another of you being cute the same night and says "nah fr tho i'm proud of her that's my baba"). and then a bit later you and matty do your first big red carpet together (maybe british fashion awards? or maybe even the met gala? idk) and you're in complementary/coordinating outfits and the two of you look amazing and so happy and in love, like matty's in matty mode and not truman black because he can't stop cheesing at you beside him. and then all the tweets and comments are like "aww" but also "holy shit she looks incred" and then that tiktok audio where its like "we've all seen the pictures she looks absolutely beautiful... and he's there" but matty literally doesn't even care because he's doing interviews on the carpet like "just fucking look at her. i am punching above my weight soooooo bad" lol <3

[tiaramania]

Hello I'm new here. Just wanted to ask cause I'm a bit confused. What is a "High Jewelry Tiara" and how does it differ from a 'normal tiara?🤔

Oh, that's what I call the series I do of tiaras that are made by jewelers for their high jewelry collections because I'm very creative. It's basically just a modern tiara that was not made for a specific person and that anyone could buy if they were like a billionaire or something.

High jewelry is the jewelry equivalent of haute couture so each piece is made by hand using really high quality materials and is usually one of a kind. You'll also see it called haute joaillerie or occasionally alta gioielleria. I don't know why it gets translated but haute couture does not. For the big jewelry houses like Boucheron and Chaumet, the release of their high jewelry collections often coincides with when fashion houses release their haute couture collections. I kind of fudge the definition a bit with the inclusion of tiaras made with less precious materials like those by Axenoff and Maria Nilsdotter but I want to feature them so I do.

You can see all of the High Jewelry Tiaras series so far here and there are still a bunch that I haven't made posts for yet. Unlike with clothing, jewelry houses don't release their full collection publicly which annoys me. There will be a set group that's in all of the magazines and on social media but the full collection can only be seen by a select few. Sometimes I think that's changing and then I'll stumble across a Cartier tiara that wasn't included in the promo materials for a new collection and I get frustrated all over again.

Here's some articles about the most recent collections if you want to drool over them too.

Robb Report - The Best of Paris’s High-Jewelry Collections, From Cartier to Dior

Harper's Bazaar - The most spectacular new-season couture jewellery

The Jewellery Editor - Some like it Haute: high jewellery from Paris Couture 2023

WWD - High Jewelry Houses Embrace Color, Big Stones and Sharing

Katerina Perez - Statement Gems: The Brightest Coloured Stones of Couture Week SS23

Town & Country - High-Jewelry Illuminated Haute Couture Week 2023

Galerie Magazine - 8 Extraordinary Jewelry Creations from the Latest Paris Haute Couture Week

Tatler - Haute stuff: High Jewellery collections that made headlines in Paris

Vogue - Paris Couture Week Unveils Sparkling New High Jewelry

British Vogue - The Most Spectacular High Jewellery Unveiled At Couture Week In Paris