Guide to your first Parent-Free Holiday

If "OO-AH-MALIAAA I SAID OO-AH-MALIAAAAAAA" is all you're hearing at the moment then congrats, you're going on your first parent-free holiday. No curfews, no rules, no problem. Perfect. Or is it?

Firstly, if you think your parents are going to let you leave for your holiday without inviting the Queen around for a goodbye ceremony of the weirdest kind, you're wrong. It will all start a month or so before you're due to leave when they start to ask you about what you're going to pack, when you're going to pack and where you intend on getting your rape alarm from. My advice is to let them worry because even if you try to reassure them, they'll be right back on it the next day. After my A-levels, our friends went to a house in Cornwall (because it's where all the cool cats go). It's also because most of us were in couples and saw no point in having to subject ourselves to the sunburned sights of Kavos all trying to get off with each other. Our parents still "helped" with the packing meaning they took out every bikini and crop top and swapped it for jeans and a rather flattering sweatshirt owned since 2001. No matter though, the bikinis came with us. 

Secondly, I don't know how well-known this is but your parents are older than you. They have so much more "experience" of life which is unfortunately, an end to any rational argument about whether to take 2 cans of pepper spray or none. Your parents "know more than you ever will" even if they've never been clubbing or to your destination before. Your parents will never understand that you've had experiences of your own that they've never had and refuse to even think about comparing them to the rich and complex experiences they've had. My advice? Let them believe they know everything but use your own experience to guide you. You know it'll be hot so take a proper sun cream. That's from you. Your parents will also insist on kaftans and hats but you need to choose what to wear, not your parents. 

Thirdly and lastly, your parents will expect some form of contact out there and will have probably bought you an international calling card that they used a lot but us teens have never encountered before. If you contact them every now and then, you'll put their minds to rest and they can trust you. Remember, you are away WITHOUT your parents. Go and get so drunk you'll never want to be drunk again.

Unless you want to end up on Sun, Sex and Suspicious parents, I really would heed your parents advice on most things (or at least tell them you will) and contact them at some point. You do not want your parents being in the same club as you whilst you dance on bars with attractive/scummy people.

Commes Des F**kdown: Guide to being Hipster

My outfit for a night out in Bristol. Taken from Instagram @hollyannarisdon. A crop top and an over-sized Levi's jacket  screams edge without desperate cries to be acknowledged.

Being hipster is easy, whatever your starting point. The place to start is your wardrobe. Boys and girls, invest in some vintage Levi's (stonewashed denim is essential) in jacket/high-waisted shorts form (but not worn together). Depending on your desired hipster intensity, ranging from moderate (there's no way you can be a little bit hipster) to off the scale, what you wear with your denim is essential. For obvious hipster but not too OTT, go for plain clothes (e.g. black, whites, slogan tees) and accessorise with some edgy jewellery. By 'edgy', I do not mean Primark or New Look. I mean charity shop or market stall - way less mainstream (remember, hipsters are just not mainstream). For moderate edge, go for some converse-style trainers or you could even stretch to some 90s-style Nike Airs for an even edgier look. Pair with ripped tights, denim shorts and over-sized colourful jumper for maximum hipster effect. You could also try some creepers (a quick Google can explain what they are if you're not sure). I've personally never been a fan of them but they add an edge to an outfit, even if they are stocked on the high street.

My Nike Airs - taken from my Instagram page @hollyannarisdon

Another hipster wardrobe staple is the beanie. A Commes des Fuckdown beanie or one with foreign words on it will help you achieve the really hipster look. It does need to be teamed with long-hair though (helping with the 'I-don't-care' attitude that I'll come onto later). A parka should also be invested in for true hipster 'I-go-to-warehouse-raves-every-weekend' style. For me, parkas only remind me of Frank Gallagher from Shameless which immediately turns me against them. 

For boys, a hair cut will edge you towards the hipster style. Go for short on the sides and longer on the top (I must say, a bit like Danny from The Script - but nobody has to know you asked for his cut in the hairdresser). Team this with a turtle neck jumper (patterned or plain will work), some rolled up jeans and some vans/converse style trainers. The obvious buttoned-up shirt will help you fit in anywhere. This shirt can actually come from anywhere nowadays with high street jumping firmly on the hipster bandwagon but charity shops and vintage dens will always result in the best buys.

Your style should scream that you 'don't really care' what you look like even though it's quite obvious you do. This means your attitude must be bang on as it's just as important as style. By attitude, I don't mean pretending you have an ASBO or an 'attitude problem'. By attitude, I mean your outlook on life. If you're hipster, you don't get easily stressed, often helped by the amount of green they smoke. I am now going to say that drugs are definitely not a prerequisite of being a hipster. In fact, it's probably more hipster and anti-mainstream to not do drugs - bear that in mind. You often see hipsters surrounded with other hipsters suggesting they are easy people to get on with. They also share interests of course such as warehouse raving or any other non-mainstream place (I recently encountered some of the most hipster people I've ever seen at a live Jazz night in Sheffield).

Don't be scared, you do not have to like staying up all night dancing in a derelict warehouse being covered in sweat that's dripping from the ceiling. To be a true hipster though, you really must avoid the mainstream clubs. Sorry if that's a shock for you and it's a free country but mainstream clubs will not welcome beanies as party attire and would prefer to see girls wearing nothing but heels and a 'dress' that makes them look like streetwalkers. Certainly not a hipster look. However, if you are interested in the warehouse experiences, check around on Facebook for those kinds of events or just Google warehouse clubs in your city. Motion, Timbuk2 and sometimes Thekla are great nights out in Bristol. There are great clubs in every city for this sort of thing. To be honest, anywhere that sells Red Stripe (that's all you can drink now, by the way - unlucky) for a ridiculously high price is allowed on the hipster list. 

If hipster is your style or you want to be more hipster and this blog hasn't helped, leave a comment and I'd be glad to update. See 'Acceptable in the 90s' in this blog or the sister blog (http://embellishmental.blogspot.co.uk) for further advice.