Jury duty: How to Elle Woods

A pink letter arriving through the door meant that I had been summoned to court. I had been summoned to perform my civic duty. I am sure I am one of the few to admit to this but for me, this was the moment I had been waiting for. The moment that I would fulfil all my crime novel based dreams and get the ins and outs of a true criminal case without the slurs of the daily mail to accompany them.

My first two panics that were not gracefully greeted in the jury welcome pack were what do I wear and what do I bring? After careful consideration, I opted for black chiffon culottes and a grey tee with black leather slip ons and a bag big enough to fit in the jury summons letter, books, my laptop, endless snacks and some toiletries. This turned out to be appropriate. Most people do opt for smart casual although this proved difficult when we suffered a heat wave in the second week.

As you walk in through tight security measures you join around 100 other jurors in a jury waiting room reminiscent of an airport. After tales of days and weeks of waiting around I was not comforted by the girl next to me informing me she was on her second week and still no trial. Wifi was £10 a day which seemed a harsh way to make money from the already disgruntled people desperate not to fall too far behind in their jobs. After around 20 minutes of reading my book the first set of jurors were called and to my surprise, my name was called. Around 20 of us headed down to court, it was smaller than I imagined but all the same the wigs and general atmosphere did not disappoint.

The whole process was very quick and before I knew it I was being sworn in with around 8 other jurors being sent away. They give the defence an opportunity to essentially ‘veto’ any jurors so they keep 8 extra on standby. Pretty quickly, the case was underway. We had several bumps in the road or court disruptions which meant we were sat around waiting but we never knew when this would be and it was never long enough to get anything substantial done. The case fascinated my fellow jurors and I. We were left confused right up until the very end. It went on for 2 weeks and 1 day, the final day being our prolonged deliberations.

What to bring?

A book

Headphones

Any work bits

Hand sanitiser

A jumper

Pen and paper

Any toiletries to freshen up

Your jury summons

What to wear?

Karen Millen, on sale

Smart casual

Layer up and wear comfortable clothes for sitting for long periods of time.

What to expect?

I do not think it would be a stretch by any means to say I found the experience completely outlook altering. Nothing can prepare you for the amount of responsibility you will feel when you are holding someone’s life in your hands. Your decision and the decision of your fellow jurors quite literal changes another person’s life. None of you are qualified for the job in the way a judge is and yet you have the power to adhere to your judgements and morals and make a decision. I had the incredibly difficult feat of being the only person on my jury to feel the way that I did. I had to stand my ground and trust my own instincts whilst under pressure. Learning about crime in such a way is eye-opening. It is difficult to comprehend the madness that goes on in the rest of the world. You will find yourself sucked into the story as if it is a film but often it is happening on your doorstep. My particular case was surrounding drug supply and seeing the effects of the demand for drugs on people who are forced to be part of the chain of supply was harrowing.

Cannes you handle it?

With the close of the film festival and the last Monaco stragglers filtering through Nice customs, this year’s much awaited starlet vacance is over until 2018. I can finally reflect on my mini break with my partner in crime, colleague and bombshell bestie Emily,

Each year, assistants pack up haute couture and glam squads get their brushes at the ready whilst celebs begin juice cleanses to look their best at the magic that is Cannes film festival. Meanwhile, in north London each year I am sat browsing asos for the best celeb style pieces and a special dress in case this year I am whisked off to a premiere (although I am still unsure about sitting in an evening gown in a glorified cinema, it’s a must do right?).

This year’s round-up of celeb style finds:

Wildfox, £145

Asos, £35

Asos, £60

Mango, £35.99

Zara, £39.99

Zara, £90 

This year as spectacular as every, perhaps even more so, we attended the parties, brushed shoulders with the most beautiful and influential, ate truffle macaroni three times in four days, drank our weight in prosecco and minute rosé and shopped boutiques for bikinis, straw and pompomed bags and evening dresses in the form of shreds of lace. My dresses got more than a few outings each and we had many a sunrise uber ride home with a special mention to being approached for a street style photo in the morning in our dresses that we had put on at 6pm the night before- suffice to say we did not oblige.

The one thing about Cannes is the sheer cost of ‘living it up’. It is near impossible to bear witness to numerous of bottles of Dom in every club, the half-eaten lobsters gracing the restaurant tables and the covetable but astronomical dresses on every leggy lady catwalking past without buckling under the pressure and Amex tapping your way around. With this in mind, I have pored through menus and hotspot guides far and wide to present you with the most budget friendly picks without compromising on the star feeling that you deserve over the film festival.

Tea at the Armani café

Perfect for people watching- a must in Cannes not only for the celebrities but also the old men in panamas with their bleached rails of wives teetering in Loubs and trailing Chanel shoppers. Having a slice of cake and tea is the ultimate luxury. Bring some big sunnies to hide your stares.

Dinner at Le Maschou

Le Maschou is famous worldwide as you may have seen in last year’s Cannes post here. There is a set menu payable upon booking so you can forget about it and just enjoy the evening. For a set menu of 49 euros, your table is laden with the signature crudités basket, fire cooked bread, meat, jacket potatoes, dips and you finish with mousse au chocolat, peaches, tarte au citron the list goes on… Be sure to book in advance as a table on the night n’est pas possible!

 A stroll or uber lux down La Croisette

Window shopping (or window licking in French and probably more accurate in my case) is not only free but deliciously satisfying in Cannes. Pick out your dream red carpet outfits and be sure to linger outside to Martinez to catch any starlets.

Hopping on a friend’s yacht

Yes I agree this is highly subjective to you having a friend with a yacht but they are hotly available if you hang around in the right places. Not only is it free but it is the best way to spend a day.

Rosé and nibbles chez vous

Although you may pay hundreds of euros for a magnum of rosé, in the local supermarkets the best is very reasonably priced. Our favourite was minute and if you pick up a bottle along with some olives and crisps, you have yourself a very civilised aperitif or ‘apero’.

Boutique shopping in Juan Les Pins

Cannes is filled with beautiful boutiques at high prices which are admittedly irresistible but if you venture 20 minutes along the main road towards Nice you will happen upon Juan Les Pins, a slightly more budget friendly but equally gorgeous town which is bursting with boutiques. They change names frequently but never cease to consist of finds that will lead to eye rolls when you tell your envious friends they are only available in South of France. We came across the most gorgeous Valentino sandal copies, lacey playsuits, handmade and hand customised denim shorts and a little boutique that weekly ships her picks from stockists in Milan.

Private concerts at Vip Room or Gotha  

Across the film festival every year, there are pop up clubs such as Vip room and guest performances from some of the biggest names, this year being Tyga, Martin Solveig, Fetty Wap and a collaboration with 1OAK. The great thing about these nights is that essentially they turn into private concerts with never more than 25 euro entry. Girls often don’t have to pay and get shoved onto tables and if you are with friends willing to buy a table then even better.

Okay so this isn’t budget friendly but…

Lunch at the Eden Roc

Not only are you sure to spot celebrities but the food is delicious, the surroundings are spectacular and it is well worth the treat. Stick to a salad and share a bottle of rosé and you won’t go too wrong. 

So after catching all the last minute sun we could, we eagerly are awaiting next year...

Spring into fashion

As March lures its blossom-filled head and we all begin to thaw out a little, our wardrobes become a little confused- Monclers and thin skirts sharing hangers and bikinis nestled amongst thermals. This jumble can however form rather lovely layered outfits for most occasions. Whilst we are amidst fashion weeks, I thought I would piece together a few bits of inspirations for all your Spring engagements! 

Dinner Party 

There is something rather quaint about old fashioned linen aprons. Even if all you have done is tip a pot of pre made pesto over some pasta, it brings to mind the quintessentially wholesome domestic goddesses like the Nigellas and the Sophie Dahls of the world. I am a firm believer in clothing being comfortable particularly when cooking and so a loose cotton ditsy dress will work perfectly for running around in a steamy kitchen. 

3H Linen, £14.87

 plus shipping

H&M, Patterned dress

, £17.99

   

Birthday

I am of the opinion that birthday girls should wear sparkles and with my birthday is coming up in March, it is the perfect season for outfit hunting. A playsuit particularly protects your modesty if you are planning on being fuzzy headed on prosecco. 

Free People, £250 

Dog walk 

Admittedly, we don't all have the patience to dress like Olivia Palermo on a dog walk but this could also work well for meeting friends in the park or pottering along a little village highstreet. A good quality tee and pinafore will keep you comfortable and cool, whilst a pair of loafers make for an easy trainer alternative. 

Petit Bateau, £22

Oasis, Reduced to £10 from £55

Family Brunch 

Wear leggings or your Topshop Jamie jeans will mean that gorging on orange yolked eggs and creamy avo won't impact your ability to breathe, combine with your can-never-go-wrong crisp white shirt- just ensure you have a napkin on your lap! 

Sandro, £209

Date Night 

River Island, £25

Topshop, £35

Girls Night

ASOS, £20

SCbyMichela, etsy, £35.99

Work

Boden, £190

 

Joseph, £175

Seasonal Lust List

Working in magazines I’m never quite sure which month it is. Summer has only just flown past and here I am working on our December Christmas issue- not that I’m complaining! Working on a Christmas issue means I can start thinking about a time where you can jot down a list of wants and actually hand them in to be bought for you buy loved ones. So, happy Christmakkah and here is my wishlist! 

Click on the pictures to follow the links

Some beautiful blueberry hydrangeas from FLOWERBX

These Whistles side-striped trousers

These white crossover trainers

This faux-fur coat

A silk pillowcase

Sleep in rollers

Some good quality everyday leggings from Splendid

This Iris & Ink skirt

This Jigsaw blouse

A Diptyque candle in Mimosa

A beautiful knitted throw

This jacket

This Boden coatigan

This classic