Twee Tweed (The Belle & Sebastian Look)

On the tube to Chalk Farm last Monday evening, you could just tell who was on their way to the Belle & Sebastian concert.  Anyone wearing tweed or corduroy was a safe bet.  Pretty floral dresses for girls.  Cardigans, for boys and girls...  But don't get me wrong, I mean this in the nicest possible way.  I like it when a band's fans have a group aesthetic.  I particularly like the vintage vibe of the Belle & Sebastian fanbase.

And I happily embraced it, in my tweedy shorts:

Wool suit jacket: Rokit, Covent Garden

Plain singlet: reliable ol' M&S

Tweedy shorts: Beyond Retro, Soho

Patent brogues: Jones Bootmaker

Silk scarf: Beyond Retro, Cheshire Street

Plastic bead necklace: Sunday Up Market, Brick Lane

Deciding what to wear to a concert can be quite tough.  Okay, sometimes I get a bit lazy but when I am truly devoted to a band I feel that sartorial homage is an important thing.  But you also have to make sure that all the basic functional considerations are covered, more so than usual.  You don't want sore feet ruining your fun, nor a wardrobe malfunction occurring whilst you're trying to dance or squeeze through the crowd.  Pockets are always a bonus because it saves you having to carry a bag.

So, on this occasion, I contemplated one of my sweet florally or gingham summer dresses initially.  But in the end my shorts won out, mainly for their nice, deep pockets.  From there, I kept it pretty basic, with a plain red singlet, flat brogues and some pretty but unfussy accessories.  Jacket for the journey there but hair up so as to keep it off my neck in the hot, sticky venue!

And now some of the finer details and observations:

I'm still discovering my shorts, which I just bought recently.  I tried them on without a belt in the shop so one thing I've subsequently noticed and love is the excessive number of belt hoops - more than really necessary but it turns a functional feature into something more fun and aesthetic.

And my new (old) RAF sweetheart brooch from ebay wasn't really calculated as part of my concert attire but has become a semi-permanent fixture on my favourite go-to jacket.  But that story is one is for another post.

This is possibly my favourite silk scarf in my collection.  It's small, but still a perfect size for simply tying around my head or neck.  I let it down for the photo so that the full loveliness of the Deco-esque pattern could be appreciated.

And, for the record, the concert was excellent!  I had a good bop around the dance floor, met some nice people, and a good time was had by all.