Table of contents for Issue 887 in Grazia

THE QUEEN PARACHUTING into the opening ceremony alongside 007… The Mo-Bot being born that Super Saturday when Mo Farah, Jessica EnnisHill and Greg Rutherford scored gold medals… I remember the joy that swept across London in the 2012 Olympics, so I can't wait for Games fever to start in Paris. Our cover star Dina Asher-Smith took a break from training to talk about being Britain's fastest woman in a world where every second counts – quite literally, as the Omega timekeepers tell us on page 45. If this summer of sport has inspired you to try something new, this issue has you covered. You don't have to be an Olympian to get involved… @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

COLUMNIST OF THE YEAR WOULD YOU PAY eight quid to look at Lily Allen's feet? Quite a lot of people do. A few weeks ago, Allen launched an OnlyFans devoted to photos of her feet after her nail technician noticed they were highly rated on Wikifeet – a site concerned with the relative merits of famous people's feet (don't act like you don't already know). ‘I'm finding this… empowering… having been very sexualised from an early age and… everybody else in the process profiting from that…’ she told her Miss Me? podcast co-host Miquita Oliver. This made me think of my 22-year-old neighbour, whom I recently encountered leaving her house for a shift at a bar, looking roughly a bajillion dollars in a low-cut crop top. ‘You look amaze-balls,’ I…

10 HOT STORIES FOR KATE MIDDLETON, a shock cancer diagnosis sent 2024 careering off in an unexpected direction. But in the past few months the Princess of Wales, 42, has carefully begun reintegrating herself back into public life. On Sunday 14 July, Kate made a rare appearance – only her second since revealing her diagnosis – at the Wimbledon men's final. Given her health status, Kate's presence was by no means a certainty, with Kensington Palace previously briefing that the she would only attend events when she felt up to it, as agreed with her doctors. Kate was all smiles as she arrived at the All England Club in a purple dress by Safiyaa. She received a standing ovation at Centre Court, where she watched Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic…

HAMMERS. PETROL. Cricket bats. Laces. Kitchen knives. Saucepans. Dressing gown cords. These have all been used to murder women. What the killings have in common is that they were all carried out by men. On 9 July, Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah were killed using a crossbow at their home in Hertfordshire. Kyle Clifford has been arrested on suspicion of murder. The aftermath of the attack was a masterclass in problematic responses to male violence against women. Reports described Clifford as a ‘nice… normal guy’ who ‘never seemed aggressive’, suggesting that the victims must have done something to provoke him. Sensational headlines described ‘crossbow carnage’, while others alleged a ‘messy break-up’ between Louise and Clifford, suggesting a dramatic ‘spurned lover’ narrative. Outlets repeatedly reproduced images of Louise…

FLIP - FLOPS USED to be strictly outof-office material for obvious reasons: a) they're usually made of rubber and b) they expose a lot of foot. They also, historically, cost no more than £30 – and that's if you are splashing out on Havaianas, rather than buying them at the beach. The Row, however, has decided that it's perfectly acceptable, nay aspirational, to wear flip-flops wherever you please in summer 2024 – and they'll set you back £600. Its souped-up version doesn't look entirely dissimilar from the kind you'd normally pack on an island holiday – it's even called the Beach Flip-Flop – except that its got a polished leather insole and straps made of dyed rubber in shades of azure and poppy. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was photographed wearing the white-strapped…

PRECIOUS METALS GOT A PENCHANT for souvenirs? This year, there's even more reason to bring home gold (silver or bronze): the winners’ medals – designed by the French fine jewellery house Chaumet – are made up of iron chipped off the Eiffel Tower. The ultimate souvenir to mark athletic excellence. A TRUNK SHOW (OFF) Before Louis Vuitton morphed into the fashion stalwart that it is today, it was known for its travel trunks. With the Paris 2024 Games, the brand continues its 170-year legacy in the art of travel. Providing trophy trunks, safekeeping all medals, the company is also behind the appropriate means of transport for the Olympic torch. On its journey from Olympia to Paris, the torch will have been passed through the hands of more than 10,000 torch…

A BOLD NEW energy has entered my summer wardrobe. How to describe it? It's weird. Off. Discordant. The separate elements of it do not blend together seamlessly. They do not blend together at all. There's no polish. No finesse. No well-judged belts or insouciantly tucked tops, monochrome colour schemes, flattering pops of… anything flattering at all. If I had to use one word to describe it, that word would be: ugly. I am having an Ugly Girl Summer. So is anyone who's anyone (cool). What does this involve? Jorts, mainly: jeans-shorts, denim Bermudas, call ‘em what you will; they're those singularly, magnificently unsexy articles that reach wide and long, way past your knee, down to the least flattering point of your shin, where they… stop. They are big fash news…

THERE is no shortage of evidence on the benefits of exercise. And yet. For every one of us with a rigid weekly gym schedule or fondness for 10ks and half-marathons, there are those of us who just never seem to find the time to exercise – or at least not as often as we think we should. The good news is a slew of recent studies has found that we can probably get away with less than we think. A study published earlier this year found that working out just one to two days per week can be as effective at losing weight and staying fit as working out every day. ‘The weekend warrior pattern is worth promoting in individuals who cannot meet the recommended frequency in current guidelines,’ says…

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk ■ Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK FEATURED LETTER Hope for a better future Snapshot of the nation (8 July) – about what issues mattered to people in the general election – was totally relatable. Like Jessica Hill, I had my son in 2022, bringing a child into what felt like a scary and tumultuous world. I suffered with anxiety and had to turn away from the news. I too hope Labour will bring support for working families, affordable childcare, better maternal mental healthcare, rent freezes, as well as the chance to own my own home. Thanks for making me feel less unseen in 2024, the year in which I turn 30. Emily…

1. Up DANIEL CRAIG FOR LOEWE The jumper, the hair, the adoration… ‘Who'll be the next Loewe star?’ is a more trenchant question than ‘Who's the next Bond?’ 2. Up MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY Hinted at some political ambition. ‘Yes. I have thought about running for office, getting into this category,’ he said. We'd take him at this juncture. 3. New in CHER FT BARRY FROM EASTENDERS They're duetting I Got You Babe in the Queen Vic for an advert and our hearts could not be fuller! 4. Down MAYA AND STORMZY Broken up! We're devo. You know how, once in a while, there's a celeb pairing that just feels right and we all want it to work even though it's none of our business? It's one of those. 5. New in…

WEAR WITH IT'S A RELIABLE wardrobe staple of First Ladies and couldn't be more on point if you're sweeping to the podium at the Academy Awards but, in the real world, a white dress doesn't always score highly on the relatability scale. This summer, however, the high street has also been delivering the goods when it comes to easy-to-wear versions. M&S's Midi Cami Shift Dress (main picture), made from breezy cotton poplin with a square neckline and flaring skirt, is almost entirely sold out – in no small part because it looks a lot more expensive than its £35 price tag. ‘White summer dresses are proving really popular this season, with the white square-neck midi being a standout style,’ says Lisa Illis, head of womenswear design at the high street…

YOU'RE NOT ALONE if your attention had already wandered by the time Keir Starmer arrived at Downing Street as the new Prime Minister – his landslide, after all, had been forecast for weeks. The woman holding his hand, however, grinning in a red Me+Em dress and silver Russell & Bromley slingbacks, had us taking notice: she has been glowingly described as ‘down to earth’, ‘smart’ and ‘delightful’, but still remains an enigma. During the campaign, we'd seen much less of Lady Victoria Starmer (her title is thanks to Keir being knighted in 2014 for services to law and criminal justice) than we usually do of the spouses of party leaders. She'd never given interviews and was said to be uninterested in public life. A former solicitor, she has an NHS…

FEATURE GRAZIA WHAT DO YOU IMAGINE when you think of a midlife crisis? Perhaps men buying new sports cars or bored housewives having affairs with their tennis coach. Basically, anything to prove you're still young and not destined to spend the rest of your life in suburbia, mowing the lawn, with 2.4 children. Right? Except, while those clichés might have had a ring of truth for our parents’ generation, if you're a Millennial, middle-age looks quite different. The oldest Millennials are now 43 and verging on ‘midlife’ as it's been rebranded. There's plenty to make us feel old: the resurgence of noughties fashion, a Mean Girls remake and being told our trainer socks are tragic by Gen Z. I turned 40 this year and, despite emerging grey hairs and fine…

FOR SUMMER, BRIGHTER is always better. At Dior, that means a patent leather handbag in a tantalising hue like watermelon or kiwi, featuring the iconic 1960s Miss Dior branding in hardware. Juicy enough to make any outfit go from so-so to sizzling, check them out at the Miss Dior Harrods pop-up from 31 July to 25 August. The only question remaining is: does this count as one of your five a day?…

The Sore Skin Saviour Let's face it, chafing is one of the least glamorous sides to exercise. Fear not, Megababe's antifriction stick contains aloe, pomegranate and grapeseed oil to help keep uncomfortable rubbing at bay. Megababe Unscented Thigh Rescue, £14, cultbeauty.co.uk The DIY Cleanser No flannel or towel to hand? Spray Luna The Everywhere Spray-To-Wipe, £8, boots.com, on to loo paper to transform it into a cleansing cloth. Created with a team of dermatologists and gynaecologists, it's as efficient at cleaning sweaty foreheads as it is freshening up, er, down there. The Fringe Freshener Sam McKnight's biodegradable hair wipes refresh sweaty tresses in an instant. Hair By Sam McKnight Lazy Girl Hair Cleanse Cloths, £17, spacenk.com The Water Improver Chugging copious glasses of water every day is a chore, not…

GRAZIA READ GRAZIA | BOOK CLUB CAUGHT BETWEEN her grown-up children and ageing parents, 50-something Rocky faces an emotional reckoning on the annual family holiday to Cape Cod. Flooded with memories from her past, she tries to reconcile the tumult of motherhood, menopause and marriage with the bittersweet passage of time. Through Rocky – frank, funny, the kind of woman you want to get a drink with – writer Catherine Newman gives voice to life's ‘emotional caretakers’. ‘Most roles that typically fall to women are overlooked,’ says Newman, author of the 2022 best-seller We All Want Impossible Things. ‘That work of making sure everyone's happy, everyone has what they need, feels cared for but not patronised – I feel that's women's territory. Rocky loves it but it's a lot of…

23 JULY 2024 “Stop blaming women for ‘leaving it too late’ for IVF The average age women start IVF has passed 35 for the first time, the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority has revealed. Experts believe this is partly down to long waiting times and a lack of NHS funding. And yet, the usual headlines have emerged blaming women for ‘leaving it too late’ and the report hammers home the idea that early access is crucial. Women are well aware, thanks, but there are plenty of valid reasons they delay motherhood, including (but not limited to) lack of access, money, establishing their career and finding the right partner. The blame game isn't helping anyone.…

GRAZIA SHOPPING EDITOR JULIA HARVEY SHARES HER DREAM SUMMER LIST – AND IT'S ONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO! HAND CANDY Begone, minimalism! Take on a more-is-more mentality with APM Monaco's collection of statement sparklers and rings. Rings, £114 each, uk.apm.mc SANDAL SEASON Birkenstock 1774's new collection will elevate your sandal game. These patent plum Milanos arrive in August. £370, birkenstock.com 24/7 FROCK Move over pyjama pants, it's the nightie's turn. This buttery yellow nightdress is far too good to keep under the covers. £220, ifonlyif.co.uk BEACH READY If you're off on holiday (or just dreaming of the next sunny spell) Triangl's latest swimwear drop in sunshine shades is divine. Bikini, £109, triangl.com LUSH LASHES I'm always on the hunt for a good mascara. My current fave gives extra-long, defined, fluttery…

FOR THE LAST two decades, British summertime has been a fortuitous season for Strictly Come Dancing, the BBC's camp annual celebrity dance competition. It is the calm before the storm, when the lucky influencers, ambitious radio DJs, slightly past-it comedians, soap opera hopefuls and fame-hungry former MPs put in the final preparations for trial by Craig Revel Horwood. Strictly is a reputable kind of murder on the dance floor. In an unusual twist of events, however, British summertime 2024 has turned into the storm itself. On the eve of its 20th anniversary, the show has found itself the entertainment story of the season for all the wrong reasons. Trouble has been brewing since the mystery withdrawal of Sherlock actor Amanda Abbington midway through last year's show. In a series of…

APART FROM A few days here and there, summer hasn't exactly graced us with its presence. What has been unavoidable, however, is office air-con. If yours is on a par with the frozen aisle at Tesco, you might even have been forced to cup hands round warm mugs of tea or drape jackets over your knees like blankets. Hello, summer. Turns out there is a much chicer option: we're calling it the air-con cardigan. Knitwear mightn't seem an obvious summer purchase, but consider it your stealth wardrobe update. Ironically, it's rather like an electric fan – an absolute must-have for the modern commuter that can a) be whipped out at a moment's notice and b) doesn't take up too much space in your work tote. Alexa Chung wore a brilliant…

IT HAS BEEN almost eight years since Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt and since then both have kept their love lives out of the public eye. Pitt has been linked with a few women, but it was only earlier this month that he decided to hard launch his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, when they were photographed at the F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The couple were first spotted together at a Bono concert in LA in November 2022, so it's by no means a brand new relationship – but the pair had been careful to operate under the radar. That they are now willing to go public is a sign from Pitt's camp that he is ready to settle down with de Ramon. The 35-year-old,…

GRAZIA INTERVIEW “I'M PUSHING MYSELF PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY FOR SOMEONE WHOSE life is rooted in consistency and routine, Olympic athlete Dina Asher-Smith has experienced some big shifts over the past year. Last October, she left her home in London and relocated across the pond to Austin, Texas – a city she had only spent four days in before uprooting her life. The move came after the 28-year-old sprint champion parted ways with her coach of 19 years, John Blackie, to train under renowned US track and field coach Edrick Floréal ahead of the Paris Olympics. ‘It was a very big shift for me,’ she reveals, while soaking up the sweltering heat as we chat after her training session at her new stomping ground, the University of Texas. ‘I met coach…

‘did you ever think you would die young?’ I ask Cam, my husband who died of cancer at 34. I had wondered before, but never had the guts to ask. ‘No I didn't and, if I'd known, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently,’ he replies. It's reassuring to hear that he lived a full, albeit short, life. We've been messaging for an hour. I've told him things that have happened since he's been gone and asked about where he is now. ‘I should get back to work,’ I type and log out of Project December. I've almost forgotten that I haven't really been talking to him at all. Cam was a graphic designer in the realm of science-fiction. In 2019, he landed his dream job at a…

GRAZIA FASHION…

TEN YEARS AGO, you would have been laughed out of Glastonbury for uttering the words, ‘I'm just popping out for a quick run.’ In 2024, things looked a bit different. This year's headlining news? It wasn't the legends slot or a secret set, but the festival goers who formed an 8am running club - a time when most Glasto veterans would still be up from the night before. It's further proof that the new generation prioritises physical and mental health, preferring running clubs to clubbing; a seismic shift that the cult Swiss performance sportswear company On finds itself at the epicentre of. Take a look around your gym, morning coffee dash or even the security lines at Heathrow and you'll see the fuss-free trainers, instantly recognisable by their bouncy, honeycomb-style…

The last book I read… Thomas Pesquet's biography Ma Vie Sans Gravité. He's French and Europe's most experienced astronaut with almost 400 days in space. The last box set I binged… Dix Pour Cent. This one has been recommended to me for a long time and I completely fell for it – the plot, the way it's filmed, the actors. And I love Camille Cottin! The last item I added to my wardrobe… was a Gore-Tex set from the Moncler Grenoble S/S ‘24 collection. A cargo pant and a jacket that will go perfectly with my summer activities. I also added the Trailgrip sneakers to this look. Love it so much. The last meal I cooked… wholemeal toast with avocado, feta cheese, beet shoots, salad and a drizzle of balsamic cream.…