As the first few weeks of lockdown unfolded, I found myself rediscovering the joys of Twitter - not just history Twitter and museums Twitter but also mainstream Twitter. What was once a stream of people screaming into the void or trying to look like they were living perfect lives, slowly became a more truthful timeline... Continue Reading →
Taking pride in being bi, pan or queer
This weekend just gone should have been the annual Pride in London and UK Black Pride events, but the current situation means that things have taken a different shape this year with Pride returning to its protest roots. Online events have sprung up too; last weekend I attended Bi Pride UK's excellent online Bi-Fi Festival... Continue Reading →
Brief history of the bra: a short video for The Pool
Pretty much everyone who knows me is now aware that, a few years ago, I did an MA part-time alongside my job and my Master's dissertation was on technology and the bra in the twentieth century. Since then, I have been looking for ways to share this research as I love talking about the things... Continue Reading →
Review: ‘Ginger’ by Miss Vivienne
I love discovering the work of talented independent lingerie designers through recommendations from friends and so was very excited when, last month, I saw Tigz Rice mention Miss Vivienne on her Instagram stories. Not only are the designs stunning, with beautiful fabrics and details, but Vivienne Lynch also makes every piece to order in her... Continue Reading →
Jealousy, envy and lockdown
I've written about jealousy before on this blog. Quite a lot in fact, as being polyamorous (or embracing any other type of ethical non-monogamy) leads you to explore this emotion quite often. It's usually either when speaking to someone for the first time about how you structure your relationships, and they inevitably say "I couldn't... Continue Reading →
Review: Home hair colour by eSalon, part 2
Last month I shared part one of my eSalon hair colour review and now it's time for part two. After my first attempt, I decided that I loved the vibrant ginger colour that my ends had gone and so I adjusted my second eSalon order so that the copper blonde I received was a 9,... Continue Reading →
Review: Manners London
Last summer London got hot. Very hot! And not the good kind either. It got to the point where even the most dedicated bra-wearers amongst us were dreaming of a bra-free solution to the discomfort inflicted by those soaring temperatures. Sure, I tried bras without underwires, but they still felt uncomfortable when I got sticky.... Continue Reading →
Lockdown Clothing: catching up with Sigita
We're closing the 'Lockdown Clothing' project, leaving it in 2020, but before we go here's one last follow-up interview with one of our first batch of participants. Today we’re catching up with Sigita M, who answered the original questions back in April 2020. 1) Can you describe how your daily routine and/or social life has... Continue Reading →
Lockdown Clothing: catching up with Sarah-Mary
We're coming to the end of our Lockdown Clothing project, and in today's interview we’re catching up with Sarah-Mary Geissler, who answered the original questions back in May 2020. 1) Can you describe how your daily routine and/or social life has changed in recent months? My daily routine, and entire approach to clothing, has completely... Continue Reading →
Lockdown Clothing: Ilu’s story
Today's story in the 'Lockdown Clothing' project is from Ilu, who is a software developer and member of the goth subculture in Germany. In his free time he spend time with his wife, the cat, his Brompton bicycle and his (retro) computers at home. You can find him on Twitter as @dec_hl. 1) Can you... Continue Reading →
What 2020 has taught me
As the end of the year approaches, and I get myself ready to meet my friends on Zoom and fill out the Year Compass, I thought I'd also take a little bit of time to write a blog post reflecting on what I'll be taking away from the last twelve months. A global pandemic was... Continue Reading →
The Super Humans of 2020
Well, this year has been quite something, huh? Still, not even a global pandemic is going to stop me from announcing my Super Humans! Every year since 2011, I have shared a list of the people who have had positive impact on my life in the previous 12 months and, in my opinion, deserve an... Continue Reading →
Review: Home hair colour by eSalon, part 1
I've been dying my hair since I was 18. First blonde (until I was 30), then red until last year when I decided that I absolutely must have pink locks. It looked fantastic, but sadly I don't have the patience for the upkeep and so I always knew it was going to be a far... Continue Reading →