Plenty of Parentheses

I am going to start this with a disclaimer: I am not a romantic.* I enjoy the build ups to big relationships, I like watching end-it-all declarations of passion but watching two people happily share spoonfuls of dessert? Not my kind of telly. (Sorry to any romantics out there).

But what does intrigue me, I have learnt this evening after watching an episode of New Girl, is the lingering chemistry between a couple that is no longer together. FYI, I really hate the word chemistry. (Can someone please think up a new word to describe that thing between two people. Buzz? Zing? Sazzle? Anything but chemistry). For those unfamiliar with New Girl, or unaware just how far behind the times the UK is, the episode formerly known as "Prince" has just aired. You know, the one with Prince in it? In an episode full of blurted out I-Love-Yous, the moment I latched onto most was between Schmidt and Cece.

Now, I'm not in a relationship, nor am I recently getting over a relationship so my comments are purely theoretical. But I think New Girl got it really right. There is no rule book explaining how long - if ever, in fact - that sazzle between two people lasts. (Yep, I went there). I love the way Max Greenfield plays Schmidt. He is by far my favourite character on the show and all the interactions between Schmidt and Cece are always so well written. Hannah Simone is equally talented and her Instagram feed is flawless, FYI. In the "Prince" episode, a scene unfolds between the two on a dance floor in Prince's house. Maybe it's because I have a life long love of dance, maybe it's because dance can, if infiltrated correctly, can offer touching, emotive moments in an otherwise heavily comedic half hour, but I just loved the way it was directed.

I don't know if you've ever had to dance up close to someone you did not foresee yourself fancying in the future, but it is one of the most awkward moments for everyone involved. (I have experience more than the average number of awkward moments which I am hoping to one day base a book upon, to make all other awkward teenagers feel better about their lives. You're welcome). It feels to me though, that it would actually be harder having to interact on that level of intimacy, with someone you are no longer supposed to be sharing such small space with. When I watched the scene play out, the comedic references to 'old friends' in light of Schmidt's hopes to gain new celebrity ones interjected a little humour but the core of the scene is, to me, very heartfelt. It instantly reminded of an episode of Gossip Girl, where Dan and Serena attend Lily and Bart's wedding ("Much 'I Do' About Nothing"). The clipped conversation that follows Serena telling Dan he can "let go now" to which he heart wrenchingly replies "I know. But I don't want to". I might be exaggerating a little on how heart wrenching it was, but the scene stayed with me long after the episode first aired. In both the cases, the couples are no longer together but are simultaneously not ready to be apart. The sazzle, the chemistry still exists but whilst Dan and Serena are mourning their (temporarily) lost love, Schmidt and Cece banter around it. I could turn this whole idea into a fully fledged essay on all the dancing in Gossip Girl alone. I won't, for the internet's sake, but I remain convinced dance is a great precursor of chemistry.

You can shove characters in a lift, sit them beside one another on a plane but I fail to see any other activity that forces two people to interact in heightened levels of public intimacy than slow rotations on a half-crowded dance floor. It's a genius plot device that often doubles up as a very poignant piece of TV.

Unless of course, you're Jennifer Lawrence and Jimmy Fallon. It is not possible for me to ever love a dance anecdote more than the one in this interview.

Jade x

* I would like to just clarify that whilst I am not a romantic, I do incidentally like romance. Of sorts. Baby gestures are better than big gestures. Some people want diamonds and matching tattoos; I'd settle for sugar ring doughnuts and dog walks in the woods. Future boyfriend, take note.

The 21 one year old me should be revising right now. The 21 year old me should also be taking more of an interest in world politics and environmental issues and a whole host of other grown up things you're meant to do when you turn 21. But the 18 year old in me (who, I have to say, never really went away) is actually far more intrigued by the new series of Skins coming back to E4.

I have fond memories of Skins. I remember seeing the trailer for the very first series and being simultaneously horrified and captivated. I was under strict instructions not to watch it (with good reason) but I remember joyously hatching up a plan to watch it anyway. I would have my TV volume at the absolute minimum, ready to crouch with my ear as close as possible for the full hour it was on, my duvet half pulled back ready for the superhero style leap back into bed if footsteps began to ascend the stairs. It was, in my eyes, the perfect plan and executed effortlessly. Looking back, the plan was probably futile and my parents were probably aware of what I was doing but safe to say, I got hooked. It wasn't until the 2nd Generation of Skins that I became (borderline) obsessed though: I fell in love with Cook and never looked back. In terms of style however, Effy was always the one I wanted to emulate.

Effy is the teenage epitome of soft grunge. In short, the type of style I wish I was cool enough to pull off. Think baggy tops, dark make up, ripped jeans and chunky boots. These pictures give a bit of an idea of old school Effy, though if the new trailer is anything to go by, the dark and mysterious ensembles are long gone. (Sob.)

Lots of black, lots of leather, lots of jewellery and printed tees. Is it any wonder I was a fan? Shops like Urban Outfitters, Fashion Union, Top Shop and (if you can afford it) Black Milk are great starting points for a bit of stylish soft grunge.

1. Stripes are an easy way of dipping your little baby toe into the soft grunge pool. This oversized vest top from Asos is great because of the dropped sleeves: Effy has a penchant for baggy tops, bandeaus and bras.

2. I'm not the biggest fan of gummy bracelets but they are a little less macabre than a skull encrusted bracelet.

3. I am however a massive fan of this 3 pack necklace set, also from Asos. Pile on the neck-wear if you're looking for a quick and simple solution.

4. This printed tee (surprise, surprise) is from the male section of Urban Outfitters but to be honest, both the male and female sections boast some very Effy-like creations. It's my number one stop for graphic tees.

5. Finally, if you want to have a hand at trying Effy's intricate eye make up, try creating a smoky eye combo with the help of this Jemma Kidd Eye Crayon.

For some extra inspiration, see these stylish sale items (can you tell I enjoyed this post a tad too much?!)

1. MeeMee

2. MeeMee

3. Top Shop

4. Fashion Union

5. Asos

I'm awaiting judgement on the new Skins - I wasn't a massive fan of the 3rd generation (but I watched all the episodes regardless) and I can't decide if this is a last ditch attempt to get back its former glory or not. Either way, I'll probably be watching and if you fancy checking out the trailer yourself, you can find it here.

Enjoy!

Jade :)

So Made in Chelsea Series 3 finished last night (more about that in another post - TOO many thoughts to process right now) and one of my (male) flatmates still can't understand what there is to like about a programme like this. And as much as we do get on, there's a lot we differ in opinion about and Made in Chelsea is definitely just the tip of the iceberg.

Nevertheless, it did force me to argue my point and though I no doubt spoke like I was suffering from some form of verbal dyslexia (no change there then), I'd like to say that my points were eventually accepted and I emerged victorious, thus reinstating myself as Queen of Chestnut (a nickname granted to me, not one I decided to invoke for myself. I'm not that into totalitarianism.) And in his defence, he is right. I will religiously text my best friend every Tuesday morning questioning whether she has watched the latest episode and we then proceed to waste the rest of the morning examining the previous night's events and concurring (usually) who we love and who we loathe. For the record, we're both BIG Jamie, Binky and Caggie fans. She also likes Ollie but for me, Francis is pure gold. He has become my second spirit animal - Big Bang's Sheldon Cooper takes the first spot. For obvious reasons. Anyway, I tweeted about this, but in an alternate universe Boulle and I would definitely be socially awkward royalty. Bow down, bitches.

But back to the case in point, why is it that we invest so much time in a reality programme, caring about these people as if our lives depended on it, whilst the people who we do depend on (i.e. our Government) rarely feature in our everyday conversations?

For me, it's a case of relatability. I can relate to the bitching and the backstabbing (that's 7 years at an all-girls school for you) and the boyfriends and the best friends. More importantly, these people have style and social media platforms meaning we can, if we desire, recreate their lives and their looks as close as we want. For the most part, investing in a show like Made in Chelsea is harmless fun. With the stresses of being a student, it's nice just to switch off and watch beautiful, beautiful rich people worry about their problems (which, in reality, aren't that far from the ones we experience too).

So until it stops airing (please, please air another series E4!), I'm not going to stop watching Made in Chelsea. And until David Cameron starts singing 'Wild Thing' on karaoke and taking photos of flowers on a kitchen table, Boulle will always take precedent.

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