How a model became the UK's hippest flower grower
Alfie Nickerson is not one to be discouraged by early failure. As an enterprising child he recalls plucking daffodils and attempting to sell them to his dad, who always refused to buy them. Now, however, he runs Burnt Fen Flowers, which specialises in seasonal blooms loved by the likes of Loewe and Petersham Nurseries. His bunches of bombastic dahlias and exotically ruffled parrot tulips are social media catnip and Nickerson has garnered a cult following for Burnt Fen Flowers' deliciously styled Instagram snaps, which channel laid-back, bucolic bliss.
The occasional model grew up in Shepherd's Bush, west London. After leaving school he worked as a jobbing gardener in the capital for six years, suppressing the call of the countryside until, eventually, 'I reached a
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Woman's simple storage trick keeps avocados fresh for 'three months'
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15 hours ago
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Wedding guest dressing has turned tacky thanks to celebs like Georgia Steel – boob-bursting dresses belong in Benidorm
There's a big emerging trend on the high street this wedding season that creates a sense of elegance - without having to have your boobs and bum out WHAT THE FROCK? Wedding guest dressing has turned tacky thanks to celebs like Georgia Steel – boob-bursting dresses belong in Benidorm WEARING white as a wedding guest used to be a cardinal sin and the ultimate insult to the bride. But nowadays there's a far worse style crime. Advertisement 8 Kim Kardashian sported a cleavage-baring gown paired with strappy heels at her former assistant's wedding Credit: Mega 8 Kendall Jenner wore a barely-there cut-out black gown to her pal's wedding Credit: laurenperez/Instagram 8 At Hailey and Justin Bieber's wedding, fans accused Kylie Jenner of trying to steal the bride's limelight by wearing a gold, floor-sweeping gown Credit: Instagram Gone are tailored trouser suits, chic two-pieces and glamorous, ankle-skimming gowns. Instead, you're more likely to spot looks you would find on the strip in Benidorm. Advertisement Think bum-skimming Lycra mini-dresses, skimpy bra tops, or dresses with sky-high thigh slits and boob-baring cut-outs. One of the things I love about a wedding — aside from dancing to Come On Eileen and drinking a headache-inducing amount of champers, — is getting dressed up. I'm talking sophisticated dresses, stylish hats and fascinators and killer heels for the girls, and sharp suits for the blokes. The novelty of getting spruced up to the nines makes the special day all that more exciting and memorable. Passing judgement on others' outfits while you wait for the bride to make her entrance (which, admit it, we all do) is a big part of it, too. Advertisement I'm out of the 'going to a wedding every other weekend' age bracket now — and what a relief, because the looks that seem to be trending wouldn't be out of place in the queue for an Oceana nightclub. Across social media, scantily-clad twenty-somethings share their wedding outfits with pride — while I gawp, with prejudice. A quick Google search for 'wedding guest outfits' produces dozens of brands' standalone pages dedicated solely to this category. Frankie Bridge is slammed by fans for 'OTT' wedding guest dress - as people warn 'don't upstage the bride' But as you scroll through the likes of Club L, Oh Polly and River Island, you'll find that the dresses and gowns — yes, Gen Z wear full-on gowns now — are better suited to the Love Island finale than a wedding in your local country house hotel. And, like most trends, we have celebrities to blame. Advertisement When Dani Dyer wed footballer Jarrod Bowen last week, guest and fellow Love Islander Georgia Steel was slated for wearing what looked like a revealing white dress to her pal's big day. 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Comments included: 'That is not an appropriate shade of blue for a wedding' and 'The number one [rule] of a wedding is don't wear anything close to white.' 8 Love Islander Georgia Steel was slated for wearing this dress to Dani Dyer's big day Credit: Instagram 8 Sydney Sweeney was slammed for wearing a cleavage-baring corset-style dress to co-star Glenn Powell's sister's wedding Credit: Instagram 8 Hailey wore a backless white dress to a friend's big day in 2023 Credit: Instagram/@haileybieber Advertisement Personally, I take no issue with guests wearing white at a wedding. As long as they aren't also wearing a long veil (cropped veils on fascinators are allowed), who cares? Especially during summer, when every other dress on the high street is some shade of white. No one at the wedding is going to mistake someone else as the bride. It's the bride's name on the invite and her kissing the groom — so no need for the unnecessary uproar. However, what I would take issue with is the plunging neckline and lingerie-style basque of Sydney's outfit and, in Georgia's case, the fact her lacy dress is practically see-through. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I'd be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding. Advertisement As one person commented online: 'Kinda tacky to wear to a wedding. C'mon Syds, you can do better.' And she can. The woman is an ambassador for designer brand Miu Miu, for crying out loud. Raid something from their archives that's less underwear-like and more sophisticated. But it's not just Sydney. Kendall Jenner wore a heavily cut-out black gown to her pal's wedding, which sent the internet into meltdown due to its slashed fabric that barely covered her nipples. And her sister, Kylie, has also faced outfit-shaming from keyboard warriors. Don't get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I'd be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding Clemmie At Hailey and Justin Bieber's wedding, fans accused her of trying to steal the bride's limelight by wearing a gold, floor-sweeping gown with peek-a-boo cleavage and a hip-high slit. On X, one critic wrote: 'If someone tries to pull a Kylie Jenner move like this at my wedding . . . they will kindly be escorted out with a red wine stain down the front of their dress.' Advertisement Ouch! But then Hailey wore a backless white dress to a friend's big day in 2023, which broke all the so-called wedding rules for looking just like a bridal gown. When it comes to these codes, they're subjective and are dependent on the wedding location. If you're lucky enough to be a guest at a ceremony abroad in a hot country, sitting in a long-sleeve, high-neck, polyester dress at noon is going to give you heatstroke. And wearing a tailored pencil midi dress to sit on a bale of hay in a field will make you stick out like a sore thumb. I get it. I've been there myself and it's a minefield. But if in doubt, aim for a more demure style. Advertisement Don't copy the under-boob and pelvis-flashing looks of young celebs — think more of the women who have nailed the guest brief. Keep it classy Cast your mind back to happier times when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married. Amal Clooney, in a yellow, capped-sleeve midi-dress by Stella McCartney, was crowned best-dressed guest in attendance. Bold, but without being in danger of over-shadowing the bride, it was perfect. 8 Demi Moore was a flawless royal wedding guest in a burgundy dress and matching veiled hat by Stella McCartney Credit: Getty 8 Amal Clooney, in a yellow, capped-sleeve midi-dress by Stella McCartney, was crowned best-dressed guest in attendance at Meghan and Harry's wedding Credit: Getty Advertisement Another flawless guest at a royal wedding was Demi Moore. She battled gale-force winds in a burgundy dress and matching veiled hat — again, by Stella McCartney — when Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018. And she looked incredible. Cindy Crawford's daughter, actress Kaia Gerber, also got it right when she wore a classy, long-sleeved dress from Reformation to a friend's 2018 wedding in Miami, Florida. At the time, the navy, slit-leg frock retailed for £180, proving that even supermodels with designer brands at their fingertips can look amazing in high street buys. A big emerging trend on the high street this wedding season seems to be minimal frocks with slinky scarves, which are intended to be worn draped down your back, not wrapped around you like a winter woollen. Advertisement They create a sense of elegance without having to have your boobs and bum out. So if you are heading to someone's nuptials this summer, keep it classy, girls. Underwear as outerwear and flesh-flashing cut-outs are for the weekend, not for a wedding.
