For the love of Culottes

It's been a week since my first post and frankly I'm as surprised as you all are that I've actually kept my word. Reason as to why I say this is because I have had the busiest week e v e r. I started my second year at university on Monday and safe to say I'm going to be sinking like the titanic if I don't keep on top of all the work I've been given.

But despite this, I'm still going to try and do a post every week. But if restarting university wasn't enough, it turns out that I have got a brand new job! I applied for the job and was interviewed weeks ago but I didn't hear anything so I assumed I'd been unsuccessful (as always) however, I got a text Thursday morning and I start next week!

ANYWAY... TO THE REAL REASON WHY I'M DOING THE POST. 

As I said in my last post, this week I want to share with you my favourite A/W wardrobe essential. If you haven't guessed by the title, my wardrobe essentials are culottes. Culottes have been around for years and you can get a vast variety of different styles, colours, prints etc. but generally culottes are loose fitted, cropped trousers which resemble a skirt like shape. They can be worn with pretty much anything and are extremely comfortable, from my experience anyway. I have secretly admired culottes for the duration of the summer but I didn't think they'd suit me so I never bothered to purchase a pair, until now.
Last Thursday there was a 'Zoo Party' fresher's event up town so like most girls would I opted for a leopard. So there I am running around the shopping centre trying to find a top, a dress, anything that I can so that I can go to this event as a leopard. After a frantic panic I remember that I'd seen some leopard print culottes in Topshop so off I went, safe to say - as soon as I tried them on I knew I'd missed out on having a pair in my life, especially these ones. The sheer fabric makes them so comfortable and it's so easy to wear them with a black top and heels then you're set to go.

The great thing about culottes is how versatile they are and the effortless transition from casual to smart is. These culottes come in at £34 from Topshop (they call them cropped trousers but in my eyes they are culottes so hush.) I'm one of those girls that doesn't buy an item of clothing if I couldn't wear it to the shops because frankly I'm a tight arse that likes to get her moneys-worth so sorry to disappoint but I'll never purchase a bright lime green mini-skirt because frankly I'd feel like I may as well of paid £35 for an incense stick because that would probably have a longer use. Yet, culottes are something I now wear, anywhere at anytime with anything. Adidas sweat, Dr Martens and my shoulder/bumbag them I'm off for the day and I've never felt more comfortable. 

After realising, I need more culottes, I ordered 2 more pairs from Boohoo because there really isn't anything more comfortable and versatile. 

These black and white/grey checkered print culottes do remind me of those PE shorts you used to wear at primary school when you were nine but surprisingly I love them. They're more masculine than my other 2 pairs as they aren't sheer/silky material and they are a lot shorter however you are able to dress them up/down as easily as the other pairs. A loose black blouse or even a bodysuit alongside a pair of black heels are all you need to turn these from over-sized running shorts to a suit-kinda style. In reverse, a turtleneck and Dr Martens or even a t-shirt and trainers would make the culottes suitable for a trip to the pub, a day at college, visiting your nan, whatever. They work. 

My final pair are my favourite pair because, well, just look at them. They're baby pink (my second favourite colour) and look so summery and bright, which is perfect for brightening a dark day in the miserable winters that we have here in Britain. As they're this colour it means that you can pair them with most colours whether it be black, white, grey, purple, blue they would still look wonderful. I find that these ones are the most versatile as the material, length and colour is the smartest out of my wonderful collection.  

If you're still reading this I really do applaud you. I bet you're also wondering why I love culottes so much. The reason as to why is because the one area of my body that I h a t e is my belly as I'm constantly bloated and look 4 months pregnant (don't scream Mom I'm joking, I'm not pregnant) so I try to hide this constantly. Without a doubt I can say that culottes hide my bloated-ness so well, because they're a baggy material it hangs/sits on all the right places e.g. your bum and just flows around all the other places (my pot-belly) and hides everything I hate. 

So seriously, they're such a worthy investment and I would say every girl needs to own at least 1 pair. I'm going to shut up now because I doubt anyone still reading but if you are: let me know your opinions on culottes & if you own any etc. Not a clue what next week's post will be about but I'm sure you can't wait for it already (I joke.) 

Have a delightful week! Also, if you're free on Thursday from 12-2pm listen to me and Beth on here because it's our first radio show together and it'll be grand. 

Until next time, if I haven't bored you to death, 

Barry x. 

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Purpose?

Everything in life has a purpose, (supposedly, yet I still don't understand the purpose of a semi-colon to this day but hey ho) and I'm just doing this post to tell you why I've started blogging (again).

Being a 19 year old, needy, hormonal git I moan quite a lot. Well quite frankly, every other sentence that leaves my mouth is a whiny one so I kinda need a distraction that will stop me moaning for more than 30 seconds. I'm not a misery guts don't worry, in fact I'm quite the opposite. But sadly, on the days that I wake up and realise I've overslept or I skipped the gym etc. I get quite cranky and grumpy before I've even left the house which doesn't put me in good stead for the long day ahead. This is bad news for everyone who comes into contact with me. Also, being a media student I kind of need to get some practice in writing. I'm from Dudley so the use of SE is rare, so this will improve my illiteracy. Personally, I don't see myself as illiterate but E V E R Y B O D Y I know always picks me up on my accent & especially the dialect I use (t'ay mar fault you'm all saft) so I may as well prove to them that I am capable of writing correctly.

Even though in those 2 opening paragraphs I do come across as a grumbler but I swear I'm not. I've called my blog 'Happy as Barry' for a few reasons, sadly being a boxer isn't one of them (look it up). Frankly, I just really like the saying and the connotations that come with it and I really do want to use this blog to share my positive ideas, thoughts, experiences etc. Secondly, it's a play on words from the quote because my friend's all call me Barry (please don't ask). And finally, I just think it works well so yeah? Welcome to Happy as Barry.

I'd like to tell you all that my hobbies are horse-riding, composing music and that I volunteer at the care home down the road but that would be a lie. The only thing that I'm really passionate about is music and even then I only care about listening to it. Yet I adore going to gigs. In my eyes there really isn't anything better than standing in a room/field/stadium, with a can in hand with your mates and thousands of strangers whilst getting lost in the music for an hour and a half. Well, tell a lie, I say I only listen to music... I also present my own radio show with my friend Beth on our university radio station, which is kinda cool? I absolutely love being on the radio, alongside blogging it's my kind of escape from everything that I don't want to deal with like the stresses of university, work, a hectic social life and so forth so for those two hours I get to:
1. Ramble with my best friend.
2. Play some decent music.
3. Be listened to!! Nobody ever listens to me in conversation, despite how loud I scream and how much I stamp my feet, so it's a nice feeling to feel listened to.
I mean I can't promise you that I'm any good on the radio, you'll have to be the judge of that yourselves but we are definitely worthy of a listen as we will provide you with some giggles.

In addition to rambling on the radio and going to gigs I also love fashion, purely because mine is bizarre and terrible yet I'm somehow able to pull the outfits off. Everyday clothing will be a mismatch of everything and anything because, why not ey? However, I do tame myself for nights up town, tame being a loose term.

I've lost myself here, the post was intended to describe the purpose of the blog and I still haven't done that, oopsy. I'll be posting a variety of fashion posts, music reviews, ramblings from my life and even some updates on where I'm at. I intend to do a post every Friday morning and I promise I'll try and keep my word.

Next week's post will be a post about my favourite A/W statement piece that I own so I can't wait to share that with you all but for now I'm going to have a relaxed weekend before I start back at university on Monday. My sincerest apologies if this is terrible and boring but I suppose that's your fault for reading this waffly piece. I'll leave you with a few photos from Fresher's week that I think show me in my element??

Until next time, Barry x.

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