HAMMOCKS HANGING LOOSE
The day you learn how to get into a hammock gracefully is one you won’t forget. It took a weirdly long time for us Brits to realise that you don’t have to lie lengthways, despite the fact that scrambling into this position could land you a prime spot on You’ve Been Framed. In Brazil, where taking it easy is on the national curriculum, brown bodied lovelies slip naturally into hammocks, positioning their bums as if on a swing, and lying back. If you have access to a couple of trees or similarly sturdy structures you can spend the rest of the summer in blissful repose, reminding yourself how darn special that sky looks. Unless you’re skinny girlinky, don’t go for the rope hammocks or your flesh will bulge through the gaps in sinister fatty lozenges. C’est pas chic. Don’t be shy to take your hammock to a park. If the people scowl, it’s probably jealousy, but take a burly pal just in case. If you’re the indoors type - or have reasonable expectations and live in Scotland — you can choose from loads of hammocks that have frames attached. John Lewis sells the frames separately for £19.50 and has reduced some hammocks — which can also be tied without the frame — to £9.95. Boysstuff.co.uk sells the intriguingly named Executive Hammock, which fits in a briefcase (like, why?) and costs £9.95. From the same website you can also get a Seat Hammock, which only needs one attachment point, and looks like it brings much joy. But for the best ranges go to greenfingers.com and Scottish company handmadehammocks.co.uk, whose goods are pictured above. Both have a massive choice in all sorts of colours, with prices ranging from £25. (Ashley Davies)
SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE?
New urban culture magazine
Ster inaga/ines are dead. That's the conclusion you'd have to draw from the fact that both Jockey Slut and S/ea/e have now closed. joining The Face in the dustbin of histoiy. So is style itself dead too? Nah. It's just that we're changflng fast. and the 90s style inaga/ines were too complacent to keep up. Meanwhile. newspapers and \t‘i/(ElXHIOS. engaged in their own Vicious fight for surwval. have moved into the style territory. producing high—duality ainalgains of fashion. music. film and 'cool stuff'. So it's surprising to see another new inaga/ine. JtI/cy »- llie Urban Culture Maggi/me already dancing on Slea/e's grave. With a cover that takes bling to its illogical conclusion. it's distancing itself from the white
. . but from the early pages we have seen. we're not
trash look of too many late l‘ace covers .
cont/inced the content WI” be much different from Ji/icy's predecessors. lhe least we can do is buy issue 1 to file With our other ‘First Issue Collectors' Items, destined to he sold off at a car hoot sale sometime soon. (Nick Barley)
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I Designers (or at least the growing list of retailers selling their creations) are hoping to catch the buzz of this year’s Edinburgh Festivals by showcasing their wares at a variety of venues throughout the city. Twentieth Century Antiques is showing a selection of furniture pieces so
fashionable they are barely clinging to the musty title of antique. Offerings include items from designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton (pictured) and Arne Jacobson at a selling exhibition in Concrete Butterfly (0131 558 7130). Meanwhile, fashion, accessories and interior products for the trend-conscious are the name of the game at the Velvet Boutique’s festival fair at the Merchant Hall from 16 August. Expect crazy millinery from Rosy Naylor and prim and proper knitwear from Eribe. See www.velvet boutique.com.
I If you need help messing up your looks to suit new big hair trends making a comeback this summer, the people at Nae Limits in Dunkeld. Perthshire have summer packages with a hair-raising factor built in. Co-owners John and Kate Mason are Offering two-night accommodation packages for two for £200 with. yes. two activities to keep you occupied. Shoot yourself a pigeon (of the clay variety) or pick from white water rafting, duckies. canyonning or Sphere-ing. Alternatively, pray feverishly, hurl
I’l’JLii
Shopping
yourself off a cliff and try not to soil yourself with an afternoon of cliff-jumping tuition. Offer available Monday to Friday. Call 01350 727 242 or click on www.naelimits.co.uk. See feature. page 14.
I If that sounds an extreme way to attract the ladies, the more cowardly will be pleased to hear that an NOP survey has found that men who read books are more likely to pull. Recommended reading is Love All the People; Letters, Lyrics, Routines. This first printed collection of Bill Hicks’ work is being published to mark the tenth anniversary of his death. Being seen with a copy of Christopher Brookmyre’s Quite Ugly One Morning or The Sacred Art of Stealing is apparently another winner with females. Bear this in mind while browsing the offers on summer reads at Waterstones and Fopp. Find out more at www.fopp.co.uk.
‘thrllllngly unpleasant’
best first novel ofthe year
I Finally. H&M has just announced that from next month, mums will be able to dress their kids in miniature versions of their own outfits. According to Vogue. the miniume mother and daughter line already has a fan in Madonna (or is it Esther?) who loves to dress Lourdes in matching outfits. H&M promises a ‘vintage feel, and a slightly decadent bohemian accent‘. Mother and son ranges might cause more problems. H&M. Glasgow. 0141 352 6980, Edinburgh. 0131 226 0790.
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