Mode Magazine MK

1MODE Magazine

MODEBack to the futureHow Twiggy and other fashion icons of the past are influencing style today

December 2012

Stear clear of our first date faux-pas’

It’s a date

20great waysto burn off

those calorIes

MakeupsurvIval

kIt

How do I know if he’s a keeper?

“You can feel reinvigorated just by making tiny changes toyour diet”

3MODE Magazine2 MODE Magazine

MODEBetter with age

Winter CollectionThis season’s greatest runway replicas on the high street

Is fashion feminist?Fashion’s evolution over 100 years and how it coincided with Britain’s feminist movement

Bandwagon BlundersThe downfall of current trends and popular labels that have outstayed their welcome

Fur is murderA timeline of revolutionary changes from the 1900’s to today

Best dressed of 2012As this year draws to a close, we admire the 20 best dressed females gracing our media

December 2012Fashion

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Better with ageHow are popular styles inspired by famous fashion icons of the past

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14

health & beauty

Life & relationshipsUnhealthy relationships

How can you tell if your partner is abusive and what you can do about it

Dating DOs and dating DON’TsA little help for those of you with a big date on the way that want to be calm and cool

Romance fading?Are you losing that special spark with your husband or partner?

Man’s perfect partnerWe stopped and considered what men look for in all of us

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26

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Is he a keeper?Are the classic boyfriend signs there?24

Low calorie snackingEat healthy, look healthy, feel healthy with our best eating tips

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Survival of the ‘fittest’48

Page 18

Our handbag survival kit that solves any make-up related emergency

letter from the editorF irst and foremost, thank you

for picking up and reading a copy of Mode. Created for

women, by women, we're happy with the outcome and we hope you are too. As a female lifestyle maga-zine, we want to communicate with every single one of our readers; we want to give you more than just a fashion or health magazine; we want to give you something per-sonal. We have a brilliant team, and there is each and every one of us in the pages of this magazine.

During the initial stages of pro-ducing Mode, friends and family variations asked me on theses questions, 'Do we really need just another women’s magazine?' and 'Is it going to be any different?' My answer? Yes. Yes, we need another women’s magazine, and yes it will be different and that is the way in which Mode is produced. Mode is a magazine to speak directly to those reading it.

We didn't have a team the size of an army, or resources fit for a num-ber one leading publication. What we did have is a passionate and hard working team of real people, writing about real things, for real readers.

It seems that everywhere we turn, somebody is saying that maga-zines are no longer relevant, and we would be lying if we said that doesn't sting us a little! And that's because we believe that if any kind of publication has the power to make a tiny positive effect on its readers, in any way, shape or form, we want to be a part of it. And hey, more fashion, health and dating advice never went amiss.

In this, our first issue of Mode, you will find time relevant features and opinion pieces such as 'Fur is Mur-der’, which tackles the everlasting battle between the fashion savvy and the animal lovers. You'll also find an article of moral exploration ('Is fashion feminist?') in which we try to get to the bottom of the controversial issue of fashion and style versus new feminism. But as

well as that, you can read about abusive and unhealthy relationships, and how we suggest avoiding them. And in less austere vibes, we've put together some fun and lively pieces that we hope you enjoy, such as relationship and dating revelation, as well as health and beauty tips.

Here at Mode, we believe in fash-ion, and good fashion at that. We strongly believe that it promotes style, beauty, confidence and char-acter building. We look up to in-spirational figures of the past that practically invented the current style lexicon, which is why we've included 'Then and Now', a celebra-tion of all iconic fashionista's and what they've done to shape fashion as we know it today.

I'd like to thank all of our contribu-tors - each and every person that turned Mode from an illusive project into a successful, intimate and blos-

soming new magazine. Our report-ers and sub editors have truly put themselves into this venture, and we believe and sincerely hope that it has paid off.

Special thanks must go to our sub-editor, Charlie Ray, for his unwaver-ing and steadfast approach to Mode. The only male member of the team, we can only imagine the unnatural amount of willingness to endure, patience and teeth-gritting that would have been exercised. So, from the rest of Mode, thank you Charlie!

Finally, to our readers You are the foun-dations of this magazine and with you in mind, we've created Mode. Our aim was to connect, listen and deliver, and we hope you can share our success. I hope you enjoy reading Mode as much as we enjoyed writing, designing and producing it. Sabrin Jemal Editor

Detox foodsMake your body feel as-new by giving it a thorough Mode detox

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“I say, do you think Henry will like my new dress?”

It’s always been a rocky rela-tionship between fashion and feminism. It would be unruly

to deny that fashion has played a huge role in the women’s movement, from the 1980’s adoption of the male style of dress to the early 20th cen-tury, which saw women wearing hats to

signify that they were earning their own money. And the 80’s saw

women donning the tailored skirt suits and shoulder pads to mark their space in the male orientated workplace. So can fashion really be destructive to the notions of feminism? Have the ideals of feminism been at-tacked by the industry’s notori-ous ability to mould perceptions of beauty? Women have been dealing with a psychological body complex, and it’s all because of the fashion industry’s push for a

body ideal which could be physically impossible to

obtain. Feminism is pow-er for women - is there

anything empower-ing about sending out the idea that

a woman’s self worth is meas-

ured by her designer

handbag,

or her body size?For years now, women have strived for the agreed idea of perfection. The ‘it’ image has shifted over the years, and now, in the 21st century, women want to portray an avant-garde ideal in their style - we grew out of the overtly sexy image that everyone so badly lusted over. We’ve seen a shift into statement fashion, rebellion, personality and con-troversial fashion choices - yet a woman passionate or interested in fashion is still considered superficial and regressive. And at the same time, women who shun fashion, or who choose to ignore fashion trends, are deemed ‘out of touch’, or not tuned in. Either way, there is degradation, and harsh degradation at that. Vogue editor Anna Wintour once responded to the argument that women in fashion are considered retrograde by questioning why women should look masculine in order to be taken seriously amongst men. In her February 2008 editor’s letter, she wrote ‘the notion that a contemporary woman must look mannish in order to be taken seriously as a seeker of power is frankly dismay-ing. How has our country come to this?

This is America, not Saudi Arabia’. So why is this argument still going strong? If feminism is fighting for politi-cal, social and economic equality, surely that stretches to the right and ability for women to wear whatever they want to, to create an expression or state-ment, without being at risk profession-ally or personally. The rules of feminism and fashion are a non stop yo-yo, and there is no single point that can’t be contradicted instantly. We women have grown so comfortable to put the blame on men when it comes to feminism, but who are our most biggest critics? Other women. People may say that fashion is anti feminist, but the fact of the matter is that today, women dress for women. The yearning to please men by dress-ing or looking a certain way has long died. Fashion is a language - a form of

expression passed from one woman to another. It’s the way we communicate without words, more so than our com-munication with men. Women passing each other on the street (who clearly care about fashion) engage in a mo-ment of respect and acknowledgment - a silent nod, as if to tell each other that their choices are appreciated. And

that’s because fashion is fun, and it makes us feel good. Does the feminism versus fashion argument even matter? Why can we not have fun with it, and use it as a tool of personal self expres-sion, rather than shunning one or the other. Women know that seeing another woman who shares the same passion is worth more than an acknowledgment nod or whistle from a man.And to say fashion is feminist (although, yes, there are arguments for it), is contradictory in itself. Feminism has long affected fashion trends, from when we saw flappers with bare knees in the 1920‘s and shifty dresses as the im-age of women who were relishing their newfound freedom. But fashion is an industry that has tormented our brains with nonviable standards of beauty and perfection. It has always promoted underweight bodies as the perfect ideal that we should always strive for. So, although fashion trends were liberating women by breaking away from the typi-cal feminine dresses, it has tied down women world wide, with infiltrating propaganda telling us that we are ugly. And these ideals were formed by male designers behind the scenes - whichever angle we try to look at, there is always and will always be, a harsh contradic-tion and the harsh reality that although fashion may have emancipated women, it’s held us down from the get go.

“fashion is fun and it makes us feel good”

“it has tied down women world wide, with infiltrating propaganda”

Is fashion feminist?


Bandwagon BlundersSophie Cotgrove tells you how to avoid following an (unstylish) crowd

Mode loves fashion. Good fashion, that is. We recoil at some of the fashion traves-

ties that seem to be growing more and more popular; and we plan to put an end to it.

The catwalk bombards the world with trends that we are expected to love and follow. But the pain-ful truth is that the majority of the spectacles we see prancing on the runway, are quite frankly, too ridiculous for us to wear.

We asked you what you thought of our ‘bandwagon blunders’, and here’s what we’ve put together:

Barbour Jackets are known for the quilted jacket and now have many spin offs from major high street stores. They were created to be outdoor cloth-ing and are often worn by horse riders. We think these jackets should have stayed in the stables, but all they’ve done is grow and grow - and we’re not happy about it. They’re unflattering, manly and outdated.

I ♥ pbIf there was one thing that we would obliterate from the world, its Paul’s Boutique. Ever since My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was aired on televi-sion, we’ve seen a massive trend of the London based boutique. I heart Paul’s Boutique? We think not.

HollisterWe have nothing against the Americans. But a craze over the surfing lifestyle, ahem, Hollister, is taking over. One hundred identical jump-ers with ‘Hollister’ splashed across the front, for an awk-wardly expensive price tag, isn’t a bandwagon we would jump on.

Huge Glassesand drawn on freckles? Oh, you must be a geek. We’re not a fan of the ‘it’s cool to be a nerd’ craze, and think it might be borderline of-fensive to the real nerds out there. And the same goes for the ‘quirky’ image. We know that geek is chic, but we’ve had enough of the forced cliche.

SnapbacksThe Snapback hat - need we say any more? They were designed for baseball players in America as sun protectors. They were not intended as an urban trend. Celebrities are wearing them in music videos and giving off the impression of start-ing at the bottom and working their way up to success. Whatever the reasons behind it, we strongly disa-gree with them.

Hi-Top TrainersGive a girl the right shoes, and she can take on the world. Give her some hi-top trainers with hidden wedge heels, and she becomes a fashion disaster. We don’t know where they came from, we just wish they could return. We wear trainers because they are comfortable and they don’t bruise our poor soles - nothing else.

Croptopsare definitely on trend, and there are a few statement pieces on high street retails. However, figure hugging versions are coming in the form of belly tops - spice girls any-one? These seem to be a big hit on nights out, and are typically worn with shorts. The staple rule is to not show cleavage if you’re show-ing leg, and vice versa, as well as not showing cleavage, arms, stom-ach and leg all in one outfit.

Fake Tashesare not funny, not clever and not creative. You just look like every other 14-year-old girl that thinks she’s hilarious when in actual fact you just look like a total mug.

This includes, moustache T-shirts, ring, straws, tattoos, phone cases, necklaces, and anything that isn’t actually grown on your face.

Bad Fake TanLooking like a Wotsit is never a good idea. It’s one thing to look a little sun-kissed but and another to look like an extra of off The Only Way is Essex. if you’re going to do it, do it right and make sure that you exfoliate and moisturise before (or get in done professionally!)

Leggings as trousersWe don’t want to view every crev-ice in the bottom half of your body. You look like you only afford half a morph suit. Leggings aren’t trou-sers so make sure that your top is long enough to ensure you don’t have a VPL on parade.

American Flag ClothingYou’re not American, you have no obligation to be patriotic towards a country you are neither from, nor inhabit. It’s ironic that in a year of jubilee and Olympic celebrations you are choosing to show your support for another nation, cheers guys.

‘Out of Bed’ HairNobody is buying the fact you just rolled out of bed with your perfect-ly back-combed hair. So stop it, it looks ridiculous.

Bandwagon trends come as cop outs of high fashion, but don’t assume that every trend is worth jumping on to. Look out for simpli-fied versions of catwalk pieces, and see how you could incorporate it into your style. Be yourself, don’t be a clone, and have fun with fash-ion.

and you really don’t need it to

look good says Sabrin Jemal

FUR ISMURDER

13MODE Magazine12 MODE Magazine12MODE Magazine

I was 9 years old when I first saw and touched a fur coat. I had gone to a planned sleepover with some friends from school, and had

been looking forward to it for weeks. Our parents had said goodbye to us all at the gates, and we happily ran across to the car for the weekend of our lives. I knew it would be the best weekend I had had; what I didn’t know is that it would change me and give me the one thing I would take with me wherever I would go. I’m an avid animal lover; my love for animals conquers my love for everything else and it always has. All of the pets I have ever had have been my best friends, my companions and the source of my happiness. So you can imagine the dismay that had taken over me when (at the age of nine), I tried on a coat that was so beautiful and soft, I couldn’t believe it was real - to be told that it had been made from a female chinchilla.

‘A female what?’ I had asked my friends mum. We weren’t supposed to go into her room, but as crafty and mischievous as we were, we were sure we could get away with it. ‘A chinchilla, darling’ she said. ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’

I was so confused, so when my mum had picked me up, I told her all about it, saying that I had tried on a beautiful soft coat and that Lydia’s mum said it was made from a chinchilla. ‘How can a coat be made from a chinchilla, mum?’

I asked her. I didn’t even know what on earth a chinchilla was, but it sounded like some kind of Mexican delicacy. My mum had to tell me; I was giving her 21 questions on the way home, and she had caved. Looking back, I’ve never wished for something to be a Mexican food that much, because I was not prepared for her answer. She looked at me and said, ‘Um, it’s an animal’.

Visualise the happiest child in the world, a child who has everything they ever wanted, who played and laughed all the time. Now picture the exact opposite of that and imagine it to be

a facial expression. I was absolutely mortified. I couldn’t get my head around it. A coat, a piece of clothing, was made from an animal, and then people actually wore them. It wasn’t the best thing to be told at the age of nine, and it sounded ridiculous. What had made matters worse is that I had become a vegetarian a week earlier after a traumatizing visit to a farm

where I had made friends with a pig, and one moment, I was playing with him in the mud (much to my mothers fury), and the next, a rather beefy looking man had handed me a plate with a bacon sarnie on it. I’ll leave that anecdote there.

I won’t go on about how I had felt, or how my childhood had been compromised with the knowledge that it was apparently the norm to take furry animals and turn them into something we fancy owning. It’s not that kind of feature. This is about fashion. This is about trying to understand the idea behind real fur, and how it has come to mean so much to fashion lovers.

Don’t tell the cliché police, but fashion really is my passion. I adore everything about it, and I believe in doing the extraordinary and the insane, simply to perfect a fashion statement. I believe that a pair of beautiful shoes can change your life. I believe that a Ralph Lauren blazer can give you the power to take on the world. I believe that every woman and every man should indulge in the limitless world of fashion and truly find themselves in it. What I do not believe in is for innocent and beautiful animals to be utilized and murdered for the gratification of self indulgence, and to then be written off as being a de rigueur development in the world of fashion.

Fashion is beauty, but death is not. There should be no limits in our imaginations for this industry, but using real fur in the name of vogue does not fall under limitless fashion; it falls under callous, egotistical and completely indispensable. I am forever going to be disconcerted by people who still insist that we need fur to make a beautiful coat. Whether they feel or look good is completely irrelevant; if we’re to follow this philosophy, then anything unlawful or wrong would be defensible, and so it should be no different here. Magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar have made real fur to be appealing, and as a consequence, dead minx, foxes, ferrets and polar bears have been associated with glamour, class, luxury and decadence.

Contrary to what the fashion masses believe, I do not think that real fur is a necessity to our look books. Excuse the banality, but I fail to see why it

would be so disastrously wrong to go for an alternative for the same effect, virtually no money, and minus the murder. It’s not the feel or the nature of a fur coat that has caused it to be an irreplaceable asset to fashion. It’s the idea behind it. It’s the exclusivity of real fur that high fashion has given us; the $6,000 starting price for a mink jacket, keeping it elite to an

ostentatious display of wealth that everyone wants to emulate. If high fashion were against it, everyone else would be too; but followers of fashion worship the ground that Vogue and others alike walk on, and it’s a shame that it has happened that way. And since fashion saw a huge drop in fur in the late 90’s, the return of fur has hit the runway harder than ever before. It was splashed around, with Elle magazine claiming “It’s Ok to Wear Fur Again”. But when fur took its place on the catwalks once again, it wasn’t the usual mink and fox coat that we saw. It was the entirety of Noah’s bloody Ark we were seeing. Designers started to bring in snakeskin, Persian lamb, Mongolian lamb, and feathers into the list of potential clothing, and it makes you question how far will designers will go in the name of fashion?

I don’t expect the world to turn to vegetarianism or to join the RSPCA. What I do want is for people to stop advocating the most extreme form of animal cruelty and warranting it as ‘creative fashion’. All I want is for someone to tell me how this is all so imperative; that we all so desolately require the comfort of having a once living creature wrapped around our narcissistic bodies, god forbid we’re forced to wear something that didn’t involve a slaughterhouse. I love fashion with all of my heart, but I love animals too - must we choose one to love and to stick by? In the words of the inspirational Coco Chanel, ‘fashion is made to become unfashionable’ - All that I hope for is that one day, people will at the most, abandon real fur as a style statement, and to see it for what it is. Because murder is not beautiful.

Fashion is beauty, but death is not

“

“

the most extreme form of animal cruelty

“

“


MOde’S BeST dreSSed OF

2012Sophie says: Nicole really knows what suits her and this pur-ple dress is perfect for her. It hugs her in all the right places and she looks fabulous. 10/10Cathy says: She has an amazing figure, and really knows how to show it off! The colour is gorgeous on her skin and her ef-fortless hair and make up give off that sultry finish. 8/10

Sophie says: Kate Beckinsale looks like a star in this dress. With a sculpted bodice and thigh high slit she looks phenom-enal. 10/10Cathy says: Kate’s kept her make up and accessories simple, and all focus is on the dress and THAT body. She’s owned the red carpet in this Donna Karan number. 9/10

Sophie says: This is Kristen’s best red carpet dress to date. Red suits her skin tone. 8/10Cathy says: I think the dress is too ma-ture for her. She should jazz it up with a clutch or some earrings. 7/10

Sophie says: I love this dress, the halter neck is really flattering on her, this dress is gorgeous. 8/10Cathy says: I’m not a massive fan, it does her no favours. However her ac-cessories are minimal and classy. 5/10

Sophie says: Lana Del Rey wowed at the Brit awards in Vivienne Westwood and she looked stunning. 8/10Cathy says: Lana looks lovely, the colour is stunning, but it’s very plain and could do with a bit of jazzing up. 5/10

KrISTen STewArT

LAnAdeL rey

nICOLeSCHerzInGer

KATeBeCKInSALe

JeSSICABIeL


Sophie says: She looked stunning in the Versace. The red strip at the top of the dress is very striking and catches your eye. I love this look on her. 9/10.Cathy says: It’s good to see Angelina wearing colours other than black. This is a very polished and glamorous look as a whole. 8/10

Sophie says: Rooney Mara looks amazing in this dress. She has a certain innocent look about her, which is completely different to her as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 9/10.Cathy says: This is beautiful, elegant, and timeless. Rooney finishes off the look perfectly with a pop of red lipstick. 9/10

Sophie says: This is a great look for Natalie she looks like a vintage movie star. She looks amazing and the Harry Winston jewelry adds a lot of glamour to this outfit. 10/10Cathy says: Sophisticated, stylish and elegant. Natalie looks radiant in this Dior polkadot number, her accessories finish off the look perfectly. 9/10

Sophie says: Blake Lively looks like a 1940s movie star in this dress. With her hair curled and over one shoulder, she rocks this look, old Hollywood glamour suits her. 10/10Cathy says: Ooh this is very Marilyn Monroe! The Zuhair Mu-rad number is timeless. Blake looks fresh and classy. A true star. 10/10

BeyOnCeKnOwLeS

FeArneCOTTOn

AnGeLInAJOLIe

rOOneyMArA

nATALIePOrTMAn

BLAKeLIVeLy

Sophie says: It isn’t my favourite but she manages to pull it off. The style of the dress with the fitted bodice and peachy train looks great on her. 7/10Cathy says: Not a fan of fishtail dresses, but the bodice is exquisite. 6/10

Sophie says: Beyonce looked jaw drop-ping in this Givenchy dress. She has the perfect body to this off. 10/10Cathy says: A striking dress, but too much. With the fabric, feathers and beads there’s too much going on. 5/10

Sophie says: I love this ‘gorgeous girl next door’ look and the black bow belt shows off her tiny waist. 7/10Cathy says: This Moschino gown fits like a glove. Girly and glam, Fearne always gets it spot on. 9/10

Sophie says: Not her usual style but looks stunning. A blonde bombshell and the red dress is perfect. 8/10Cathy says: Wow. Usually I would think this look is too much, but Rita looks like an exotic princess. 10/10

Sophie says: This dress suits Rihanna, its bold and fierce with a plunging neckline and thigh high slit. 9/10Cathy says: This Armani looks gorgeous. A figure to die for, and this understated dress oozes sex appeal. 9/10

Sophie says: This dress is gorgeous and has been accessorised perfectly. With small stud earrings and tied-back hair, her outfit does all the talking. 8/10Cathy says: I think it swamps her tiny frame but it’s an unusual look 6/10

rITAOrA

rIHAnnAeMMASTOne

SCArLeTJOHAnSSOn


Ever heard the term “fashion always comes back around”? Usually said by your mum after purchasing that

gorgeous new skirt from TopShop, or vintage looking jacket from River Island, reminiscing the good old days when all these trends were brand spanking new.

Fashion nowadays is nothing new, but solely selected pieces pulled forward from decades ago. Whether it’s a dif-ferent way of working a look, or just jazzing it up with different hair, make up and accessories, we still take inspiration from the stars that broke the mould in the very beginning.

For a number of years fashion trends have been influenced by different eras and pulled headfirst into the 21st century. Take 50s old school glamour puss Marilyn Monroe, for example, fast-forward 6 decades and people are still mimicking her iconic look years later.

2013 looks set to continue in this man-ner as there are many clothing crazes yet to be replicated with a modern twist. For example, have you ever raided your mums (or dads) old closet, only to find the original pieces of clothing that are now replicated on the rails of stores such as H&M and TopShop?

The idea of vintage clothing has become a phenomenon over the past five years, getting us to raid through thrift stores and charity shop rails in search for that perfect one off piece. But where is it that we get these images and inspira-tion from?

“Kate Moss was, and still is, a huge fashion inspiration for me,” says Melissa Thompson, 22, from Nottingham. “It’s not necessarily the clothes she wears

individually, it is how she puts an outfit together as a whole. It’s effortless.”

Fashion is an art form that recycles itself; the only difference between then and now is society. Both women and men are looking for comfort in every aspect of their clothing, and there was once a time when people wouldn’t leave the house without a hair out of place, a hat and a pair of day gloves. Just as during the corset period in fashion a woman leaving the house without wear-ing one was viewed as "loose". Now, leaving the house in a t-shirt, jeans and uggs has become the norm for most of us. Most people want effortless fashion that is comfortable and timeless.

A lot of what happens today has a lot to do with the 90s legacy and influence.

Ranging from the grungy, sexy famous couples such as Johnny Depp and Kate Moss, to the aggressive, luscious, seductive and rebellious actresses like Drew Barrymore and Brittany Murphy to a whole different lifestyle.

“I love the fact the nineties look is being brought back!” says self-proclaimed fashion addict Lucy Doyle, 20, from London. “That whole era reminds me of being a kid again, and I love that there are loads of current celebrities rocking the looks we grew up with, Rita Ora is a great example.”

But it is not just the 90s style that is still being mimicked on todays catwalks, inspiration has been dragged from

Better with age

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

Maralyin monroe

scarlett johansson

Twiggy

emma watson

LIza minnelli

ELLIE GOULDINGmadonna

lady GAGA

drew barrymore

Rita ora

the 80s and splashed onto magazine covers, televisions and posters all over the world. Remember Madonna’s rendition of ‘Like A Prayer’, wearing the iconic cone bra by Jean Paul Gauliter? Of course you do. Nearly 30 years later, our vey own 21stcentury version of Madge, Lady Gaga, took to the stage wearing a replica of the famous get up.

And it’s not just the clothing we’ve taken from the 80s, but the hair too (well, some of it). Poker straight hair has become a thing of the past, as backcombing our mane is now part of our daily routine for most of us. The just-got-out-of-bed, slightly dishev-elled and effortless look is what we see 90% of the time when we walk down the street, but in reality that too-cool-for-school look you’re witnessing took about half an hour of hair straightening, 10 minutes of backcombing and about 3 cans of hairspray to get. But we still all hail the 80s for giving us hair bigger than life itself.

“My favourite era has to be the fifties.” Explains Emily Lavery, 20, from Bourne-mouth. “It’s timeless and classy. It’s not just Marilyn Monroe; take Audrey Hepburn and Bridget Bardot as well for example. They knew what suited them and their look is feminine and classic.”

It’s no secret; we are all a little fixated with styles of the past. Each season, there is a nod towards a fashion trend from yesteryear, from bellbottoms and flare trousers, to full skirts or high waists on the runway, we always em-brace it with a fresh new take on how to dress it up and work the look- without looking like we’ve just stepped out of a time machine. Remember, don’t forget where the inspiration has come from, take looks from your style icons, but most of all; remember what suits you and give it your own personal twist.

icons of the past are still influencing fashion more than ever before writes Cathy isaacs

I love the fact the nine-ties look is being brought back!

we are all a little fixated with styles of the past

that too-cool-for-school look you are wit-nessing took about half an hour


15. Black Chain stud hobo bag £19.99

by Sophie Cotgrove

New LookWinter collection

13. Black belted Skater skirt £12.99 in black or blue

11. Grey flocked flower skull jumper £17.99

12. Monochrome animal aztec jumper £24.99

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1. Gold double Eagle ring £3.99

2. Gold and Pink Gem Embellished Cluster Earrings £4.99

3. Black beaded clutch bag £19.99

4. Santa Print Jersey Onesie £8.00

5. Cameo Rose Tiger Print 3/4 sleeve jumper £19.99

6. Cameo Rose Blue fringe dress £24.99

7. Black Pink Floyd glitter t shirt £14.99

8. Leopard print faux fur jacket £49.99

10. Black studded Buckle biker boots £27.99

9. Black lace up brogue show boot heels £19.99

14. Gold metal owl Necklace £4.99

Winter fashion 2012 is all about the vamp look, with skulls, crosses and biker boots being bang on trend. Pair some skinny jeans with an oversized jumper and not only will you be keeping up with the latest looks from the catwalk, you will be nice and cosy too. For nights out wear a flapper dress with low heeled brogues for that 20s look and throw over a thick faux fur coat to keep warm. And for nights in with the girls, get in the Christ-

mas mood by throwing on a Christmas themed onesie and forget its cold outside.


SilenceenD THe

twice? If you can answer yes to these, it’s more that likely that there are some serious issues. If your partner is con-stantly taking you for granted, it means he isn’t appreciating any of the little things you do for him, and these things can honestly break up a relationship.Your partner should not assume these things from you; these are little things

you may do for him when you feel like you should. By constantly expecting everything from you, the pressure will soar, and there’s a chance you may break down.

A typical sign of unhealthy relationships is if realising that he is constantly insult-ing you. Is he frequently making snide comments, or putting you down? It’s common in abusive relationships for the male to always bring his partner down; the logic behind it is cruel. The idea is that the partner is so used to hearing negative things about them that they begin to believe that if they left the relationship, they may not find someone else. This is damaging, and it is not true. Being involved in an abusive relationship does not mean that you are doomed for the rest of your life. On the contrary, you should be excited at the prospect

Getting out of an unhealthy or abusive relationship is absolutely paramount to your health, safety and happiness

no relationship should ever be unhealthy or abusive writes Sabrin Jemal. The harsh real-ity is that it’s something that women are dealing with all the

time. Noticing triggers or warning signs is difficult and painful, but it’s the only way to break free from what may be a horribly traumatising experience. Often, people in unhealthy relationships will ignore the signs until its close to break-ing point, and most won’t even know what to look for. There is no ‘working it out’ in an abusive relationship; if you ever believe you are in one, the only thing to do is get out of it. An unhealthy or abusive relationship can be distress-ing, painful and dangerous, and no one should suffer silently. There’s a multi-tude of people and services that will go miles to help anyone who is caught in the detrimental trap. A disparag-

ing relationship ravages and exploits insecurities, vulnerability and trust. Your sense of spirit will be suppressed, your voice taken, and your reason trampled on. Your spontaneity will no longer exist, and it will become a spiral with no evi-dent way out. The thought that abusive relationships can’t be helped is absolute-ly false. A shocking amount of women believe that an abusive relationship is

only constituted by physical abuse. This is completely wrong; a damaging rela-tionship can affect women in the form of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emo-tional abuse and psychological abuse. It is difficult and upsetting but there is no reason to stay in a malign relationship. Doing so will ruin your self worth and in many cases, will only get worse. Once it is admitted by either the man or woman that the arrangement is dysfunctional, the first step to combatting the issue is already made, easing the process of putting an end to it.

The first step to overcoming any troubling issue is to realise that there is a problem. A relationship begins with two individuals that make a mutual decision to take on the world together, as a team. At no point does it become manual to disregard either of your identities. Into a relationship comes everything we have - the good and the bad, the joys and the insecurities. It is not fair or humane to have these parts of you infringed and compromised. You are a human being too, and do not deserve to be treated in this way whatsoever. Never blame yourself for an abusive partner; you did not make him that way, it was not something you did, nor is there something you should have different.

One of the most common signs of an unhealthy relationship is realising that your partner may be taking you for granted. A lot of people will overlook this, but it really is work thinking about. Does your partner forget to thank you for the things you do for him? Does he treat you badly or do certain things because he assumes that you are going to stay with him no matter what? Does he expect you to run him a bath each evening because you did so once or

A shocking amount of women believe that an abusive relationship is only constituted by physical abuse. This is completely wrong

What can you do to free yourself of an abusive relationship?

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of meeting someone who appreciates you and who does not take you for granted.

A lack of trust is no promising ground for a relationship. A typical early sign of a destructive relationship is a deterio-rating foundation of trust between the man and woman. A healthy bond does not involve constantly paranoia and wor-ry about each others whereabouts and company. You should be trustful enough of each other to be relaxed when you are not in each others presence every second of the day. The worry can and will only get worse, so the sooner you are both comfortable and secure enough within your relationship, the easier it will be. Couples who experi-ence this often experience their part-ners trying to isolate them from their world. A healthy and stable commit-ment means understanding that both of you had lives before you met each other. You are not expected to ditch your friends or family for your partner. Most unhealthy relationships begin with your partner slowly suggesting that you blow off a friend or a family member to spend time with him. It seems normal a couple of times, but then he begins to demand you cut contact from your loved ones. This is not acceptable and no one should have to deal with this. You need your friends and families more than anything and taking these safety nets away from you is just a sure way to make you crumble.

Getting out of an unhealthy or abusive relationship is absolutely paramount to your health, safety and happiness. Watching someone trapped in one can be awfully distressing, and being in one yourself can be destroying. We all have choices that we willingly make - this is just another choice. Ditch the thoughts that are telling you that you will never find someone new, or that it would be better to put up with what you’ve got. Stop believing that anything, even an abusive relationship, is better than being alone, because it is not. Stop thinking he will change if you just be patient, because it’s unlikely, and if it is likely, you shouldn’t have to waste your time and energy on an abuser. Stop telling yourself that he needs you, because if he did, he would love you. But most of all, more than anything you will hear or read, stop telling yourself that you need him and are nothing without him. Be-cause you don’t need him, and you can finally be everything without him.


HE LOVES HIS MUMYou can tell a lot about a man just from his relationship with his

mum. Chances are that if he loves and respects his mother, he’ll only be the same with you.

HE’S NOT PUT OFF EASILY If he flees at the first sight of danger, let it go. But if he is willing

to face any obstacle or problem with a level headed and mature approach, he’s definitely one in a few.

HE’S PREPARED TO MAKE SACRIFICES A healthy relationship demands

compromise. He doesn’t have to give up his passions or hobbies for you, but he should understand that sacrifice is a necessity. Don’t forget, this needs to be reciprocated.

HE’S INDEPENDENT There’s nothing worse than a guy who will rely on you for every

single thing. If he understands that 1 plus 1 makes 2, not 1, hold on to him.

HE LOOKS TO THE FUTURE A man thinks about his long term plans, and if they include you, be

sure to know he is serious about the relationship.

HE’S GOOD WITH CHILDREN There’s something amazing about a guy who is good with children.

It shows patience, compassion and kindness; something you’ll never see us argue against.

3 GETTING ON WELL WITH YOUR IN-LAWS It really is crucial that you can

both be civil with each other’s loved ones. That’s not to say you have to hang out with his mates, or be his mothers best friend, but knowing and respecting that they are your other half’s dearest is important.

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HE HAS GOOD MANNERS Good manners cost nothing, so if your guy is polite and well

mannered to all those around him, you’ve found yourself a keeper.

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THE LITTLE THINGS “Oh I really wish you hadn’t given me that massage after

my really long day” said nobody. Ever.

HE’S PROUD TO HAVE YOU Your man should be proud that he has you as his lady, and

should want to show you off.

YOU’RE COMFORTABLE BEING TOGETHER You should be one hundred

percent comfortable with your partner, outside, at home and in company. If you can truly be yourself around him, and vice versa, it’s a promising foundation.

HE MAKES YOU LAUGHNever underestimate the power of laughter. If he makes

you laugh and smile whenever you need him to, appreciate him!

HE RESPECTS YOUR CHOICES Your partner should be there

for you when you need him. He should support you fully in whatever you decide – even if he may disagree with you. Knowing that he will always have your back in tricky situations is a feeling you should always cherish.

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HE MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD Confidence is key in a

relationship, and if he makes you feel amazing all day, every day, hold on to him and don’t let him go.

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HE’S NOT SELFISH IN BED Compromise in a relationship comes down to sex too. Your

partner should be attentive to you and what you want.

16 HE PUTS YOU FIRST You need to be his priority. A partner is someone you are

sharing your life with, so if he is regularly putting you first and considering your needs and wants, it shows he is in it for the long run.

17 HE APPRECIATES YOUR qUIRKS You should both appreciate

each other’s quirks and everything else that sets you apart from everyone else. These are the little things that probably made him fall for you!

18 HE’S RELIABLE The last thing you want in a guy is someone with

itchy feet. If he’s flighty, it’s likely he isn’t very reliable. If he is consistent in what he says and what he actually does, it’s a definite good sign.

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HE’S NOT AFRAID TO SHOW HIS LOVE A man who is comfortable

with himself and his relationship will not be afraid to show his love. We’re not talking about extreme PDA, but expressing his love for you every now and again is a healthy part of a good relationship.

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20signs that he’s a keeper

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Got yourself a hot date?

DOensure you bag a call the next day by avoiding these simple but common first-date mistakes

1DO listen to your date Take the time to listen to what he is telling you. You might think his job as a telemarketer is horribly mundane, but for now at least, seem interested.

2 DO offer to split the billIn an ideal world, your date will cover the bill, but don’t as-sume that he will. Get your purse out and offer to split it. If he insists, that’s okay, just avoid seeming spoilt by not making the effort.

3DO be yourself The whole point of a first date is to get to know each other and to see if you could be compatible, so it is pointless to try and be someone else. Be true to who you are, and be honest.

4DO hold back just a little Leave a little to the imagination. Don’t give him your entire life story, or let on everything about yourself. Show small parts here and there, he’ll be intrigued and will want to find out more about this mystery girl!

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5DO make an effort This should go without saying, but always make an effort for a date. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable, confident and sexy. Have impeccable hair, and smell amazing. Don’t go overboard though - remember, you don’t want to wear anything too revealing or suggestive.

6 DO laugh Laughter is the medicine of the world. Laugh at his jokes, and crack a few yourself. Humour is a wonderful thing that could bring you together, and when you both look back on the date, that’s what you’ll remember.

7 DO flirtSome light flirting will work in your favour, as you can drop subtle signs to show your date that you are interested. Just don’t go overboard, as you may scare him away. Tip: staring at him and smiling says more ‘deranged’ than it does seductive.

8DO poke fun at yourself There’s something very attractive about a woman who can lightly make fun of herself. It will show him that you don’t take yourself too seriously. Keep it light though, anything more and it seem as though you are just beating yourself up.

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2DON’T bring up past girlfriends/boyfriendsRefrain from mentioning an ex lover or boyfriend, no matter how relevant it may seem. You’re obviously on this date because that last one didn’t work, so keep quiet for the meantime because it is guaran-teed to put your date off the evening completely.

3DON’T drink too muchIf you’re going out for drink or a meal, don’t get drunk. A glass of wine with dinner is fine, but do you really want the evening to end with your date carrying you into a cab? No. Pass us the water!

4DON’T underestimate bad mannersBad manners are unforgivable, so don’t think it will go unnoticed. From being rude to a waiter to not holding a door open, keep your manners in check tonight.

5DON’T be lateWe’ll never listen to this one, because us women still insist on believ-ing that we should always be fashionably late. No. Your date doesn’t know you, and you don’t want to risk coming across as rude or not bothered. Never be more than 5 or 10 minutes to a first date.

6DON’T spend the evening moaning Don’t like the restaurant? Is the food not doing it for you? Keep it to yourself please. You will irritate your date if you constantly moan about everything that isn’t going right. If you must make a comment, make a joke about it, and laugh together.

7 DON’T act flashy Don’t do it to impress him, don’t do it to make yourself feel better. Just don’t do it.

8DON’T be self deprecatingThis is probably the most unattractive thing you could possibly do on a first date. If you put yourself down, or talk about how miserable your existence is, you may as well stand up and hold the door open, because it’s unlikely you will ever see him again.

DON’T constantly check your phoneThere is nothing more annoying than a mobile addict. You’re out on a date, so don’t ruin the evening by keeping one eye on Twitter or Facebook. Put your phone on silent and put it in your clutch. The world will not end if you hold out for a few hours.

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fading?realise it, but a lot of the time, you will put up with anything he does or says, purely because of the attraction you feel to him.

Do you miss him? In any good and healthy relationship, you would miss your boyfriend or husband if you went more than a couple of days without him. People who have said that they have stopped liking their partners often admit that they could go for more than a few weeks before they missed their partners. Ladies, that is not a healthy relationship. When you’re apart, you should be thinking of each other every now and again, and if you never do, it’s most likely a sign that you want out.

Looking back to when you first met him, or in the early days, there were little things about him that blew you away. Things that other people perhaps didn’t notice, but you did, and these were the things that attracted you to him in the first place. It may have been the way he did his hair, or the way he looked when he laughed. Whatever it was, it obviously caught your eye. Can you remember it all? A lot of people that are no longer

Is your romanceattracted to their partners will forget what those things were, or will see those qualities as an annoyance. If you can’t place what it was that drew you in, chances are that you could be going off of him.

A couple in love can hold a decent conversation. Do you find yourself avoiding chats with him or constantly acting busy so that you don’t have to engage in one? If it happens all the time, it’s a clear sign that you just don’t enjoy his company anymore. It’s not the best thing in the world, but realising that there’s a problem will save you both a huge amount of time, stress and hurt.

There are lots of petty little things that all contribute to falling out of love with someone, or just falling out of attraction. Disliking his clothes for example, may sound quite silly, but if that applies, think back to when things were good - did you ever have a problem with things he wore? Another sign is getting horrifically irritated with every word that comes out of his mouth. Not being attracted to someone anymore means that you will pick up on all the tiny little things that could infuriate you - does everything he say sound stupid? Chances are, it’s not stupid, you’re just fed up with him.

Realising that you are no longer happy with your partner is upsetting, but a relationship goes two ways. Staying in a relationship that you’re not comfortable with isn’t fair on your guy, or yourself. So think about all the little signs and make the decision that suits you best!

Falling out of love is a horrid feeling - but it happens, and we need to deal with it. Sometimes you realise that you may just not be attracted

to your boyfriend anymore. One moment you’re going through the most perfect honeymoon period, and can’t keep your hands off of each other, and the next, you find yourself cursing under your breath, plotting his death because he misplaced your hair brush. Realising you’re no longer attracted to him is a difficult thing to consider, let alone accept, and lots of couples choose to ignore the fatal signs, which may just makes matters worse.

Are you getting easily annoyed by each and every little thing that he does? It’s the most common sign that you may not want to be a part of the relationship anymore. It’s not his fault, and in a normal situation, you probably wouldn’t even notice, but when you’re questioning whether you still like him, the tiniest thing can drive you into insanity. Fading attraction can seriously affect your tolerance; you may not

It’s just part of a long-term relationship but it can often feel strange and upsetting


Dating rules for the 21st centurySinita Maher looks at how changes in social etiquette have muddied the waters around dating procedure

I had to call him first! He didn’t pay for everything! Oh, god no, it hasn’t been four dates yet!’ Sound familiar? We thought so.

We’re living in the fast paced 21st century, where equality is at its height, yet we all cling hopelessly to some of the hugest outdated relationship rules. And it’s all a matter of personal prefer-ence. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to the do’s and don’ts of dating, but are some rules just a little too old fashioned?

The dating rulebook looks over us all in our relationships, but we think it’s time to kick a few out. We’re constantly worrying about who should call who first, and how long we need to wait until we take the ‘next step’, but how about scrapping these rules altogether? We want to know what rules you think need to be kicked to the curb, and which ones you swear by. Because just as things change, some things stay the same.

Rules we want to keep

Always look your best - attraction is pri-mal, and there is nothing old fashioned about making an effort and preparing for a date.

Keeping in touch - we live in an age where we can’t blame lack of resources for not keeping in touch. If things are going well, don’t waste time with the ‘should I call, no he should call’ dilemma. Things are working out, so consider it your job to keep things up.Give notice - you don’t want to fall into the trap of a booty call. Good dating means planning and decent times, not late night drunken calls asking for a quick meet.

Recognise his lateness - 10 minutes late for a date is okay - anything more without a decent explanation is not fair on you, and could be a time waster.

Chivalry shouldn’t be dead - there is nothing outdated about a gentleman. Sweet and respectful gestures are always nice, from your man holding the door open for you to suprising you with beautiful flowers.

Rules we want to banish

‘Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? - Seriously? In the 1950’s,

maybe. We don’t make chastity belts anymore - ditch this rule.

‘Treat them mean, keep them keen’ - Do we need to explain this? Playing hard to get and treating your partner ‘mean’ often backfires. There’s no room for games in an honest relationship - why would a man stay in a relationship where he is constantly treading on eggshells?

Withholding physical contact - this rule implies that women need to play games in order to keep their man interested in them. A genuine man will not ‘lose respect’ if his woman channels her feel-ings into him.

Holding back from the ‘L’ word - there is nothing damaging about telling your partner that you love him before he says it first. You are two different peo-ple - he may be unsure of your feelings, and is holding back. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and to open up to your partner.

Padlocking your memories - you both had a life before you met each other. You will have past boyfriends and first loves. There’s no need to needlessly mention past boyfriends, but you have a past and happy memories - you

shouldn’t be expected to forget them simply because you have a new partner.

What do you think?

‘These rules shouldn’t apply - times have changed, and women are confi-dent. We should all be treated equally.’ - Laura Hughes, 21

“Times may have changed, but women should still be respected and cared for, and that can be shown through things like calling first.” - Jessica James, 23

“I think a guy paying is slightly outdat-ed. If everyone really wants equal pay and equal rights, then I guess everything should be 50-50.” - Adam Gibson, 28

“I think most of them should stay the same but I think for example, the way you dress shouldn’t change. Don’t turn up in suit or anything ridiculous like that and don’t be too formal because it’s just not how the world works anymore.” - Charlie Ray, 20

“I don’t think there should be a waiting game on who calls first. If you want to speak to the other person then just do it, it isn’t always necessary for the guy to call first.” - Ashley Pickering, 17


self-respect and someone who is relatively close to me in terms of hobbies and interests so we can relate to each other’ -Jack Brooks 21, Nottingham.

‘I would love a girl who isn’t afraid to show her affections in pub-lic. Nothing full on, just someone who is confident enough to make a move in front of people’ - Sam Reed, 22, Reading

‘A girl with ambition is ridiculously sexy. I like a woman who knows exactly what she wants and goes for it. Someone who has their own thing going on.’ - Theo Nichols, 21, London

“Someone who loves me despite the fact I may not be the most styl-ish, or the coolest and is accepting of my completely geeky interests. Someone who is clearly intelligent, not someone who idolises TOWIE or follows a crowd” Chris Townsend, 25, Milton Keynes

‘A girl that encourages a lads night out would be amazing. Not many girls do, but it’s such a bonus’ - Niall Bank, 23, London

‘I love a girl that knows how to eat. I wouldn’t like to date someone who is constantly picking at their food or only ever ordering salads. i want to be able to enjoy a massive roast on a Sunday with my girlfriend.’ - David Leyland, 24, Newcastle

‘As long as she has a great sense of humour, can put up with me, doesn’t watch X Factor and has a basic understanding of Star Wars, then if you ask me, she’s a keeper.’ - Charlie Ray, 20, Milton Keynes

Women are from Venus, men are from Mars, right? Wrong. As much as we

love to believe that women and men are worlds apart, we’re more similar than we would care to ad-mit. Men care about relationships too, we’re just better at showing and explaining it.

The ugly truth is that both men and women have a checklist for their ideal partner; even though the majority of women will insist to their deaths that no such check-list exists. The only difference is that this time, guys will openly broadcast what they look for in a partner - they don’t care how presumptuous it might sound. But just because men know what they want in a woman, it doesn’t mean they’ve catalogued everything they look for.

As a public service, we tried to find out what exactly it is that guys look for in a partner - in essence, we’re looking for the perfect girl-friend.

‘She’s got to like my mum and my mums got to like her. That’s about it.’ Luke Heavey, 17, Silverstone.

“My perfect girlfriend would be someone who laughs at all the non-sense I come out with and who isn’t offended by my face.” Joey Mills, 23, Essex

‘Having a girlfriend that everyone can relate to and everyone can get along with would be my idea of perfect.” Jordan Cooper, 18, Milton Keynes

‘Independence, warmth, a sense of

Women aren’t the only ones that can dream about their

Perfect Partner


Ditch the fad dietsAre some diets actually doing more harm than good?

We’re forever on a mission to change ourselves. We’re too fat, we’re too wobbly, too curvy, too pear shaped.

Our legs are too stumpy, our chins have made a few friends, we’re not toned enough and we carry too much weight around our middle. Our skin is too greasy, our skin is too dry, our hair is too big, our hair is too flat and our arms could create their own air line, easily. As psychologically deranged as we sound, these things affect us all. We may have disliked one tiny thing about our body, until we open a magazine to girls we can’t even call human. Beautiful, thin, tall and tanned goddesses, splashed across the pages as if to shout out ‘change yourself, you’re horrible’. It’s sad, it’s damaging and it’s depressing.

So people are forever inventing ridicu-lous gimmicks and passing them off as diets, knowing that an armada of desperate women will jump on the band-wagon, hopelessly searching for their breakthrough diet. But it never comes, because there is no perfect diet. There is no perfect way to lose weight and there is no perfect body. And we know more than most that not a single thing can make you think differently once the quest for perfection begins. But we do know that these diet fads are danger-ous. Most of them will not work, they will drain any energy you have, make you lethargic, and ultimately, it will make you feel depressed about the entire situation, rather than feeling happy about being on the weight loss journey.

You want to lose weight, and you want to lose it fast. We’ve all been there, but giving yourself two weeks to lose 10 pounds will only end in disasters. There are a few diet fads that we need to ditch, forget about and erase from our memories. This is because the crash diet phenomena that is gripping women

worldwide are damaging - physically, mentally and emotionally.

Spot a fad a mile awayA fad diet sticks out like a sore thumb, but there is always the ‘technically, it’s healthy’ voice of doubt in our mind. Or a friend insists that they are losing weight healthily, when the reality is that they have been so deprived of nutritious food that they stomachs are making sounds similar to a train engine. Don’t fall into the trap of giving in to crash dieting thinking there’s nothing wrong with it. Here’s how to spot them a mile away.

The diet is based around a drastic reduction in caloriesThe main idea of a fad diet is to re-duce your intake of calories to a bare minimum. Lots of crash diets go by the theory of consuming no more than 500 calories a day, as this level keeps your body intake at an absolute low, thus losing as much weight as possible. However, consuming this little forces your body into ‘starvation mode’, and

no calories will be burned, because your body will store anything consumed, eventually causing weight gain.The diet is based around taking special powders, pills or herbs

More often than not, these are gim-micks, and we don’t want to be the ones to break it to you, but the only thing that will be slimming is your purse. These so called diet pills just contain weak laxatives or diuretics, which will only force your body to get rid of any excess water, not fat. There is abso-lutely no evidence that any of these pills work, and a lot of them can damage your body.

The diet tells you to completely cut out carbs,

sugar or fatModeration is key to losing weight and living healthily. A healthy diet will tell you to restrict your carbohydrate intake to a certain amount a week, not to cut it out completely. Diets like the Atkins is famous for demanding we cut carbs.Our bodies need a balance of nutrition, and don’t forget that not all fats are bad. Eating smaller portions of regular meals will boost your metabolism and help your weight loss much better than deprivation will. The diet tells you to replace meals with food bar or special drinks.A slimming chocolate bar is not a sufficient meal replacement. It won’t provide you with any of the nutrients that you need, and isn’t likely to keep you full. Make sensible replacements, like opting for brown rice instead of pasta, or quorn rather than meat will make more of a difference in the long run.

Common fad dietsl The cabbage soup dietl The Hollywood dietl The Master Cleansel The South Beach dietl The Atkins diet

l The Apple Cider dietl The Grapefruit diet


Forget what you’ve heard, because your fit-ness struggles

end here. From fitness fads to problem areas, we are all too familiar with the lifelong endeavour to mould ourselves into the perfect be-ing. It’s an easy trap to fall into - a friend gives you a tip at the gym, you tell your sister, who tells her best friend, who tells her mum, and suddenly it is god sent law. The list is endless; common misconceptions about dieting and exercising are out of control, and it’s time it stopped.

The truth is that these myths are one of the biggest things holding people back from complete success. Very few people are able to honestly say that they are fully happy with their body. There are so many perceived ‘flaws’ that women are hung up on, and everyone knows that it’s much easier to hide these flaws than to tackle them. Yo-yo dieting is becoming more and more contagious, and perhaps one of the biggest confusions in the fitness world comes from those striving for

weight loss, determined to do it in one short

burst. It’s com-mon, it’s typical, it’s demoralising,

but truth be told, it is easy enough to blame fitness

failure on time and time alone, more so

than anything else. Weight can take years

to gain, and almost the same time to lose. No

one ever gained 3 stone in a week, and no one will

ever lose it in a week. Still, it’s painfully easy to go to the gym

for a few days and to expect killer results. Unfortunately, our diets

count for most of our success, so to get to where we want to, it’s time to

kiss the myths a big goodbye.

From stretching workouts, crash dieting to gym myths, we as a nation refuse to shake our bad habits when it applies to fitness or losing weight. Personal trainer Nabil Ghandour tells us about the damaging traps so many of us fall into, how to rectify our bad habits, and the truth about tackling problem areas. We want to get to the bottom of it all, and so we’re doing our due diligence by digging deep into the

ASK THE EXPERT

Nabil Ghandour talks food, fitness and feeling good

diet fads to shake them once and for all.

S: A common misconception of exercis-ing is that the longer we work out, the more effective it will be. How can we all get the most of our workout without spending hours at the gym?

N: Overtraining slows down progres-sion, and can lead to Atrophy; muscle soreness, pressure on the joints and sometimes mild depression. To get an efficient workout, keep intensity levels reasonably high - 40 minutes to an hour is more than enough.

S: How can we squeeze a two hour long workout into just 40 minutes? What changes would need to be made?

N: You can simplify it all by substituting time for effort. For example, rather than running for 40 minutes at the same pace, try high speed intervals for 20 minutes at a ratio of a one minute jog to a 30 second sprint. Small changes make a difference - raising the intensity isn’t as daunting as people thinks. The worst thing you can do is to give your body the workout it expects, so keep it simple, intense and short.

S: There are loads of rumours and fads that spread like wildfire - from crash di-eting/starving to going in too deep with weights. What are the rookie mistakes that you’ve come across?

N: We’re better off without myths, unfortunately we can’t get rid of them all. All we can do is educate ourselves in what is right for our bodies. A popular fad is the soup diet, which is having

one bowl of soup a day. The problem is that it will work for a short time, but it deprives the body of nutrients, resulting in it taking in all the nutrients and calories consumed when it’s next decided to eat or have a ‘cheat’ meal. Your body will expect starvation, and so prepares itself by taking in as much as it can. This will just lead to high speed weight gain.

S: So is there no way to target specific areas that we’re hung up on?

N: Stick with an effective diet and workout plan - your body will start to shed the fat and it will get to the desired place, provided you stick with it. It’s obviously always best to tackle the problem rather than hiding it, but as for targeting specific areas, there are exercises that can help areas like the upper arms, thighs and stomach area. (see box below)

S: It’s coming up to New Years, and losing weight is usually top of the list on our resolutions, but not everyone ticks it off. How can those trying to lose weight or get fit stay motivated?

N: I live my life by one saying, and thats ‘hard work always pays’. If you can dream it, you can do it - being fit should be a priority and a lifestyle, and the only thing stopping people from getting their dream body is themselves - they either want it or they don’t. Prepare for men-tal and physical torture, and then be rewarded with a huge confidence boost. And you would have earned 100% of it. Through what? Hard work.

S: What specific tips can you give to those struggling to keep on track and those who slip up?

N: Keep notes of your last workout so you don’t lose track of your progress. You’ll also try and improve it the next time you work out, and it will help boost your confidence Keep a positive attitude no matter how you feel, give it your all, and you’ll be rewarded, no doubt.

S: Scales aren’t exactly the best way to measure success - what can people do to really face up to their personal statistics?

N: The scales are very unreliable for tracking progress. Our weight shifts all the time, so just because you’re heavier because you forgot to empty your pockets, it doesn’t mean failure. There’s only one thing that won’t lie to you and that’s the mirror. Take pictures every month, and after six you’ll see a huge difference and can truly appreciate what

you’ve done. Ditch the scales and put your trust in the mirror.

S: Warming up before a work out often gets forgotten, as does cooling down afterwards - it’s also one of the biggest factors in injury prevention, How impor-tant is it really?

N: It’s just as important as the work out. Warming prepares your body, and cooling down restores it. They should only last between five and ten minutes, just to stretch out, loosen up, get your temperature up and the blood flowing. Both are crucial to an effective workout and will reduce the risk of injuries.

Keep your food clean and frequent with small portions - 5-6 meals a day includ-ing snacks is ideal. So to combat fat as a whole, you would need to consume 500 calories less that your RDA, as well as keeping to under 30g fat a day. Our diet is 80% of our success; exercise is 20%. So you would need to use a well organised cardio and resistance train-ing routine that focuses on energy expenditure. That just means going for compound movements (exercises that involve more than one muscle). Aim for low weights and high reps for effective results.

Thighs are one of the biggest body hang ups - tackle them with leg presses, squats and lunges whilst holding a dumbbell in each hand. The upper arms, notoriously known as ‘bingo wings’ can be fought off with tricep extension using cables, tricep kick backs and bips. Get rid of the love handles and tire stomach with full body circuit training - running and cross training.

“hard work always pays”

“aim for low weights and high reps”


Walk briskly for 15

minutes

Who says you need to spend hours at a gym for results? We’ve got a list of 20 fast and easy things you can do to burn 100 calories, so take your pick.

Paint for 35 minutes

Use a skipping

rope for 10 minutes

Wash dishes for

40 minutes

Dance for 20 minutes

Mow the lawn for 20

minutes

Run up and down the

stairs

Do some cleaning for 25 minutes

Shop until you drop!

Don’t use the lift!

20 minutes of yoga

Weed the garden

23 minutes of cycling

Sing for 15 minutes

Nap for two hours

Play piano for 40

minutes

Pushups for 10 minutes

Wash your car for 30 minutes

Walk your dog

Cook a meal


Time for a detox?

Water is highly attracted to so-dium, so consuming large amounts of salt in your diet will cause your body to retain a significantly higher level in water. This will make you feel sluggish and will result in put-ting on some extra water weight.

Salty Foods

Excess CarbsOur bodies store gylogen - a type of carohydrate, and each gram is stored with three times its amount in water. Our bodies don’t need this amount of fuel, so cutting down on your carb intake will train your body to burn off all of the stored fuel and excess fluid.

Gassy FoodsSome foods are known to create gas, and these should be avoided. Calli-flower, onions, peppers, brocolli, brussel sprouts, beans, brussel sprouts and cabbages are all foods which will create more gas in your GI tract.

Fried Foods

Gum

Spicy Foods

We should all avoid fried foods regard-less, but these foods are ultimate culprits for bloating. Our bodies take a considerable amount longer to digest fatty foods, and the slow process causes us to feel heavy and bloated. There are healty fats, such as olives, nuts and dark chocolate, but these are nowhere to be find in fried foods. Avoid these at all costs!

Certain foods can cause bloating by stimulating the release of stomach acid. These are anything seasoned with black pepper, cloves, garlic, mustard, tomato sauce, and chilli powder.

This one comes as a suprise to most, but when we chew gum, we are swal-lowing air. The air gets trapped in the GI tract, and causes bloating and stomach expansion. So maybe think twice before reaching for the gum!

Acidic drinksAcidic fruit juices, alcohol, coffee and tea can all cause bloating, so try and limit to alcohol to one or two nights a week, and if possible, the coffee too.

Everyone experiences bloating, and we all know how uncomfortable it can make you feel. However,

it’s not unavoidable, and a few sim-ple steps can prevent any unwanted bloating. Bloating is the feeling that the abdomen is larger thn usual, which is why it can be such a bother. There are so many different factors which might contribute to feeling bloated, but typically, it may be because of diet, lactose intolerance or IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Bloating is a really disruptive side effect of IBS, but taking certain measures in your diet can ease the discomfort of it. Avoiding certain fibre may help; this would include food like wholemeal bread, muesli, and oats. Cutting out these foods can ease the symptons by around 30% to 40%, so it will prevent bloating too. Here are some safe steps you can take to avoid uncomfortable bloating, and foods you should avoid or cut down on.

As well as avoiding foods that encour-age bloating, you should be aware of all the foods you can eat that will aid the detox process. When you’re detoxing, you’re getting rid of all the toxins from your body and replacing it with clean alternatives, so it really is important to do it right. Take a look at these helpful foods that will kick your detox pro-gramme. Whilst detoxing, it is crucial to keep your body properly hydrated, as water will help flush all the toxins out of your body, and will speed up the metabolism process. Try to avoid sug-ary juices, and stick to water if you can. Herbal tea is an ideal drink whilst detox-ing because of its digestive qualities. Instead of white pasta and rice, switch it up to brown grains such as brown basmati rice. These won’t bloat you like white carbohydrates do. Raw fruits are an excellent detox food, as banana’s, apples, melons and some berries have a high liquid content, which is perfect for getting rid of those toxins. Banana’s in particular are a natural laxative and will do wonders for your digestive system. Whilst detoxing, you want to completely wash your system through, so foods like prunes, raw apple cider vinegar, ceyenne pepper and citrus fruits are a fantastic way to make this happen, as they all contain natural laxative qualities and so will not bloat you.

With the new year round the corner, start eating right!


Once New Years Eve is over and all hangovers have passed it’s time to get down to business.

New Years resolutions almost always have a get fit or stop eating junk food one, but they more often than not get broken. So here are 10 health goals that wont take much time but perhaps a bit more effort to help you on your way to the new and improved you. Think of it as the 2.0 version of you, you’ll be stronger, healthier and happier.

2013Health goals for

1 Hit the gym. It’s easy to fit a quick gym session in either before or

after work. If you only have half an our to spare for the gym, get a personal trainer there to help you come up with a circuit of the machines. Such as 10 minutes cardio 10 mins weights and another 10 on the cardio.

2 Drink water. Drinking 2 litres of water a day has amazing health

benefits. It helps to wash toxins out of your body and it helps to increase your metabolism. An easy way to do this is to buy a one litre bottle which you will only need to refill once to get your two litres, but you will probably find because the waters there you are more likely to drink more then the recommended two!

3Throw out the junk! If it’s there you are more likely to eat it.

Instead have healthy snack such as sun-flower seeds to snack on as they give your energy.

4 Choose alternatives. When cook-ing a meal such as spaghetti

Bolognese change beef mince for quorn Mince. You cant tell the differ-ence taste wise and it is much better for you. When making a chicken salad change chicken for a Quorn fillet.

5Vitamins. You may not know it but you could be lacking in es-

sential vitamins and minerals. Your doctor should be able to run a simple blood test to tell you if you are. A lot of women are anemic and don’t know it and taking one iron tablet a day can

help you. Or just to be sure there are plenty of multi-vitamins out there for you to buy.

6 Cut back on drink. Try to restrict to drinking once a week if possible

and when you do drink, have something like a vodka and cranberry or soda water. As there are less calories in this than a glass of wine or a spritzer.

7 Take care of your body. Taking the time to exfoliate and mois-

turise your skin and you will notice a difference. Also taking off your make up every night will dramatically improve your skin as all the dirty is cleared out of your pores making you less likely to get spots or blemishes.

8 Get rid of all negativity and stress. Although many don’t

know it, negative aspects of your life can affect your health. If you have a friend who is constantly putting you down and criticizes you it can make you feel depressed which can lead

to problems such as a weakened im-mune system which can lead to you getting ill. So the best thing to do is to walk away from them and you will start feeling better. Its the same with stress if you hate your job and it stresses you out look for a job you feel you would enjoy.

9 Have pride in your appearance. If you hate the outfit you’re wear-

ing and you feel uncomfortable in it you are likely to be in a bad mood. So take an extra few minutes to put together an ensemble that you will enjoy wearing. Also taking a bit of time to do hair and make up will also make you feel completed.

10 Detox. Just once a month do a detox such as an

apple detox where you eat only apples for a day and toxins leave your body through your pee. Or the latest craze is to do the juice detox where you drink only specific juice for a week to give you a full body cleansing.



marked as “healthy” but are crammed with high fructose corn syrup and artii-cial sweeteners. One cup of blueberries and low fat yoghurt has around 120 calories.

Instant oatmeal - At 120 calories a pack (made with water), its a great way to fill yourself up for longer. Go for Quaker Oats Low Sugar Instant Packets and enjoy this low calorie, low sugar snack.

This snack is high in fibre, high in nutrients, and high in everything that keeps you full, and it tastes so good - you can see why it’s made

Edamame is a soybean and a great protein rich snack which will fill you up. It’s full of antioxidants, which work amazingly for boosting your immune system, slowing down the ageing pro-cess, and t’s great for your eyes. One cup contains ust 189 calories.

Choose a low fat and low sugar yo-ghurt, and look out for all of the brands

Dieting doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a snack. Moderation is key, so here’s a few low calorie

snacks, all under 200 calories that you can enjoy, guilt free.

guilt freesnacking

edamame

BlueBerries and greek yoghurt

carrots and hummus

instant oatmeal

Breakfast cereal is an absoulte win-ner because brands such as All Bran are packed with fiber, and some-times protein. You can have it plain, or you could throw in a handful of your favourite berries if you have a sweet tooth (adding 50 calories) and pour in 10ml of skimmed milk for a filling snack of 120 calories.

Seasoned tuna is low in calorie, high in healthy omega and tastes good. Add a vinegar marinade instead of mayonaisse and enjoy this light snack for only 110 calories.

Cup-a-Soup is a classic. It contains only 130 calories per cup and is ridiculously easy to make. You can add some cut up vegetables to

have with your soup for some fiber, minerals and vitamins, and will only add around 30-40 calories per cup.

As well as staying fresh for longer than the fish option, it’s much lower in calorie too. Try and go for sushi rolls made with brown rice, as they are high in fiber and will fill you up for longer. They’re around 140 calories for five pieces so we highly recommend it.

Raspberries are filled with vita-min C, which will help you fight off colds, and they are delicious. Indulge in a guilt free sweet treat for 162 calories for a whole pint. For even better raspberries, buy organic ones from a fresh fruit greengrocer.

it on the list. It’s only 170 calories for 2 oz of hummus with 10 baby carrots.

We’re always told to stay away from the salad dressing, but this snack is a great way to work at your five a day servings of vegetables. Fill a cup with bits of your favourites, and dip them into your favourite dressing (prefer-ably low fat), and you’re lookig at 185 calories in total.

Popcorn is one of the best snacks you could have, as it is one of the rare foods known as ‘negative calorie’. There is no such thing as a food with negative calories (we’ve got our violins out), but your body uses more energy that what the food contains whilst digesting, so you will actually be burning more calo-ries than you’re consuming. So at 100 calories per bag, eat yourself thin!

raw vegetaBles and salad dressing

PoPcorn

cereal

tuna

cuP a souP

vegetarian sushi

rasPBerries


MAKEUP SURVIVAL KIT

If there’s one thing us girls can agree on, it’s the anger, frustra-tion and sheer mortification that

dawns upon us when we realise we have made an unforgivable hair error, or when we forget our sta-ple make up piece at home. Every woman understands the trauma of having a make up disaster when you’re out and about, or having the humidity destroy your perfectly done hair. This is where we step in. These are the products we believe should always be in your handbag, to leave you looking and feeling amaz-ing, come rain or shine.

Hand cream/ body moisturiser: Dry and cracking hands are one of the worst problems, especially dur-ing the winter, so keeping a small tube in your bag will really help to ease this whilst out and about. Our personal favourite is Vaseline Inten-sive Rescue Soothing Hand Cream. It sinks into the skin in seconds and lasts. And at just £3.79 from Boots it’s a bargain.

Hand sanitizer: Having to use public transport or public bath-rooms can often be an unpleasant experience. Having to hold on to something whilst on a bus can mean your hands are picking up a multi-tude of germs. Just a squeeze of Carex Moisture Plus hand gel (£1.40 Boots) can kill 99% of bacteria and germs. To save space in your hand bag, look for the Vaseline 2 in 1 moisturiser/sanitiser (£3.29 Boots)

BB Creams: The creation of a ge-nius! The BB cream is the savior of women world wide. W love Maybel-line Dream Fresh 8 in 1 (£7.99 from Boots). It acts as a foundation but with the added benefits of having

UV protection, it hydrates, it’s oil free and non greasy.

Mascara: It open ups your eyes and gives you a bold and dramatic feel. Maybelline Volume Express Co-lossal Smokey Eye mascara (£7.99 from Boots) creates 9x the volume of normal lashes and has a thick brush for easy coverage.

Lip balm: With winter here, dry and chapped lips are back with full force. To combat them invest in a balm such as Carmex Lip balm. With prices starting at £2.69 you can get it in different forms such as a tube or pot and several flavours.

Hairbrush: Make sure you have tangle free hair all day and keep a hairbrush in your bag so you can easily get rid of any knots. The Denman Hairbrush Compact at £2.89 from boots is small and can easily be slipped into your bag - it also has a mirror inside.

Hair spray: Carrying a mini can of hairspray will do wonders for touch-ing up your hair on the go. Mode

tip: Spray a tiny bit of hairspray 10cm away from your face to keep your make up in tact for hours.

Lipstick: Whatever colour you choose, lipstick makes you feel amazing, and can dramatise any look. We love Revlon’s Colorburst Lip Butter (£7.99 Boots). It comes in a brilliant range of colours so pick your favourite and feel great all day.

Powder: A shiny face is not desir-able at any time, so a compact in your bag is perfect for ensuring a matte face through out the day or night. No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder is just £11.50 from Boots and comes in different shades. Say goodbye to shiny skin.

Deodorant: To make sure you’re smelling fresh all day long keep a can of deodorant in your bag. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life its easy to get hot and flus-tered. Right Guard Women Xtreme Dry anti- perspirant £2.29 from Boots smells fresh and works for 72 hours.

Great nightscan often mean rough mornings but Mode is here to get you looking ship-shape again


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