Table of contents for Issue 897 in Grazia

Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK MY HEART GOES out to Lottie Clarke, 'I Should Have Been Allowed To Be With My Husband As He Died' (9 December) but I wish you had given a voice to people who are concerned that an assisted dying law will result in vulnerable people taking their own lives due to fear, poverty, lack of social care, poor palliative care or coercion. The law does not give a judge the money or power to investigate whether an applicant has been persuaded to want assisted suicide. All the major disability organisations are against the law as are the majority of palliative care doctors. Fix palliative and social care first before considering changing the law. Penny…

AFTER I HAD MY first abortion (I've had three; I have no shame in saying that), as I recovered, just awash with relief and gratitude, I made a quiet promise: I'd do everything I could to shore up this beautiful right. I think I knew it might require protection. Realised it was doing women too many favours to be left alone by those who'd rather we were less free, less in control of our destinies/bodies/finances; less capable of breaking out of traps like poverty, abuse. And oh, fuckity: how right was I? Cos the bleak tide of Roe v Wade's overturning seems to be sweeping in from across the Atlantic – and who should be bobbing along in it, like politically opportunistic flotsam, but Nigel Farage? Farage – high on…

LOCK UP YOUR viscounts! When Apple Martin twirled into Le Bal des Débutantes in a custom sky-blue Valentino gown, which reportedly took 750 hours to make, it was reminiscent of a scene from Bridgerton. Having kept a relatively low-profile until now, the 20-year-old daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin made her 'societal debut' at the Shangri-La hotel in Paris last week, with her younger brother Moses, grandmother Blythe Danner, and parents by her side. Apple was also accompanied by her date for the evening, Count Leo Henckel von Donnersmarck, son of film director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The annual gathering, which raises money for charity and is known simply as 'Le Bal', is hosted by historic French fashion house Renouard. Some 20-25 young women from prestigious and wealthy families…

SEQUINS, FEATHERS and festive jumpers feeling a little too much? There's a chicer, more pared-back way to nod to the festive season. The past few weeks have seen everyone from Taylor Swift and Riley Keough to Saoirse Ronan and Iris Law turn to tartan. The pull of plaid has never been stronger. Dior made plaid the focus of its Resort 25 collection, as did Fendi in its menswear collection and, of course, Burberry is no stranger to the pattern, nor are the late king and queen of the plaid print: Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. And with Christmas coming up, the classic green and red colours are a more stylish take on festive dressing than, say, a snowman jumper (no judgement). Plus, checks look just as chic at Christmas as…

ON ELECTION NIGHT, November 2024 – the night that will bring Trump back to power with a thumping victory, confounding critics, commentators and pollsters – I will find my memory dragging me back to an evening I spent in an airport bar in Georgia. It is exactly a year earlier and we have struck up a conversation with a bunch of local lads – all late teens or mid twenties. They have been to college – two in Atlanta, one in neighbouring South Carolina. They have decent jobs; one is training to be a pilot. They are digital natives, born after the advent of the iPhone. They share TikTok videos as we chat. And they are broadly politically unengaged. They cannot name the contenders for the Republican ticket. But they…

FULL FROST UPGRADE YOUR LBD WITH A SPRINKLE OF SILVER SLEEK AND CHICA A JUMPSUIT IS THE LOW-KEY ALTERNATIVE TO AN LBD GOLD STANDARD MIX SHIMMERY METALLICS WITH CHOCOLATE BROWN AND BLACK HIGH IMPACT GO ALL-OUT WITH SHOW-STOPPER SEQUINS JUST ONE THING A TALKING POINT BAG ELEVATES ANY OUTFIT ALL THE TRIMMINGS STATEMENT JEWELLERY IS THE PERFECT PARTY PLUS-ONE…

IF, LIKE US, YOU get tired of jumping between dozens of web browser tabs in the hope of curating the perfect forever wardrobe, may we suggest you turn your attention to Seasons? The new luxury online retailer boasts a delectable brand offering that will whittle your online shopping down to one tab only. Guaranteed. seasons.co.uk BRITISH-BASED designer Erdem has launched his first handbag, The Bloom. With a detachable leather strap, it can be worn in multiple ways – top handle, crossbody or clutch – in khaki green or black leather. erdem.com INSPIRED BY THE '80s and '90s and vintage belts and brooches found in Paris, Déhanche's mission is to establish the belt as the ultimate accessory. With sustainably sourced leather and custom-cast metallic buckles, consider it an easy outfit update.…

The £33 body make-up I rely on come party season – plus three other gems I WAS TOO knackered to fake tan last night and now I have a Christmas party and my legs haven't seen the sun since August. They're also covered in bruises where my toddler ran a toy car into me. Help! Sound familiar? I have your solution: body make-up. Sounds retro but do away with preconceptions of noughties tango tans leaving telltale streaks on pastel dresses (oh, I've been there!). Oh no; this kind of wash-off body make-up is all about subtly evening out your skin (see ya, bruises!) and lending a quick-fix layer of bronze for a confidence boost in three minutes flat. Plus, it's totally foolproof and requires zero tan expertise to achieve a…

The last book I read… Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. It's a coming-of-age story about a young man growing up in a tenement building in Scotland. I love reading – it's my switch-off time. The last song I listened to… J-Lo's Waiting For Tonight. I like her old stuff, but I don't know how that song got stuck in my head! The last box set I binged… Gomorrah, an Italian crime drama. It's like The Sopranos meets Gangs Of London meets The Wire. It keeps you guessing. And the camerawork is so good. The last item I added to my wardrobe… Asics x Hay blue and brown suede trainers. The last beauty product I finished… My Kiehl's face cream. The last podcast I enjoyed… Andrew Santino and Bobby Lee's series Bad Friends.…

It's (almost) Christmas! We're now midway through December so, if you're anything like me, you're counting down the days until you can collapse on the sofa with a Chocolate Orange and a stack of festive movies. It's been a roller coaster of a year, as our 23-page review of 2024 reveals. From Trump's election to Kate's cancer diagnosis via the explosion of brat green and the trad wives movement, we go behind the scenes of the stories that mattered to you. Meanwhile, if you're still searching for a party frock, we've got you covered. Our fashion team has rounded up the best on the high street as well as putting together a guide to shopping eBay for the pre-loved gems you won't spot anyone else wearing. Think of it as…

1. Up EDDIE REDMAYNE Because Day Of The Jackal is terribly good and he is terribly good in it, with particular reference to The Disguises. 2. Up JORJA SMITH Three whole noms for next year's MOBO awards, which is not too shoddy by anyone's measure. 3. New in AIDAN TURNER'S 'TACHE Grown for his role in Rivals; apparently, he had problems giving it up. 'I was making an excuse… I remember thinking… “I really don't want to get rid of this.”' 4. Up TAYLOR SWIFT (WHO ELSE?) More streamed on Spotify than any other artist, which tracks; we're probably responsible for half her 26.6 billion streams with re-listens to But Daddy, I Love Him. 5. New in KYLE WIENS Head of iFixit; to whose oeuvre we were introduced via the…

AFTER HER MOST traumatic year, the Princess of Wales's Christmas carol concert was both a celebration of love and a personal triumph. Festive of course, with the whole Wales family present at Westminster Abbey, and a landmark moment for Kate, 42, as she hosted her first public engagement since her cancer diagnosis followed by chemotherapy at the start of the year. The theme was officially 'love and empathy' – but her personal cancer journey resonated with poignant readings by Prince William and other high-profile celebrities touched by the disease including actors Richard E Grant and Michelle Dockery, and Olympian Adam Peaty. Many of the 1,600 guests have also gone through difficult times this year and the festivities reflected upon 'how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult…

I'VE LOST COUNT of the number of friends of friends who have called me asking for advice about having a baby alone, so I wasn't surprised to learn that the HFEA, the UK's fertility regulator, has found that the number of single women undergoing IVF or artificial insemination has tripled over the past decade. They also found single women were increasingly opting to have treatment at a younger age (36, on average), down from 38 in 2008. Back in 2020, I had my son, Rafferty, via IVF using donor sperm – and it felt like the wildest decision I had ever made. What would people think? How, by the age of 40, had I failed to find a partner after so, so many dates? And how on earth would I…

LABOUR RAINED ON RISHI'S PARADE… IT LOOKED LIKE something out of a spin doctor's anxiety dream. A dripping Tory Prime Minister, standing in the pouring rain, trying to launch a general election campaign while being taunted by a street protestor playing Labour's anthem, Things Can Only Get Better. Rishi Sunak never really recovered from that soggy start, or indeed from 14 years of sometimes chaotic Conservative rule, plus a post-pandemic cost of living crisis. On 4 July, Britain voted decisively for change. Big names tumbled like skittles that night – even former PM Liz Truss lost her seat – as a victorious Keir Starmer promised to lead the country back to 'calmer waters'. Rachel Reeves, meanwhile, made history by becoming Britain's first female Chancellor, joking that she'd soon be scrapping…

IT'S RARE THAT a social media account has inspired such fierce loyalty or open derision as Ballerina Farm. It belongs to Hannah Neeleman, the ex-Juilliard-trained ballerina turned picture-perfect trad wife with 10m Instagram followers (9.8m on TikTok). She posts regular updates of life with her eight apple-cheeked children, from the 328-acre farm she shares in rural Utah with her nepo-baby husband Daniel, heir to the multibillion Jet-Blue Airlines fortune. So far, so normal for Instagram. Yet Neeleman's apparently idyllic existence was called into question in July when The Sunday Times journalist Megan Agnew visited the family and wrote a profile, quietly suggesting that Neeleman's life might not be so idyllic. Neeleman, she inferred, was a victim, constantly contradicted and corrected by her husband, worked to the point of exhaustion and…

IF NEW YORK FASHION week is all about wearability, Milan represents elegance and Paris exceeds in craftsmanship, London is notorious for the irreverence that reverberates through the collections. A standard that, for the last two decades, was upheld by the Scottish designer Christopher Kane, who has been an industry mainstay since his bombshell debut in the late noughties. Then, on a dark day for UK fashion last summer, the news broke: Kane had to shutter his much-loved label after 18 years amid a struggling luxury market. Once a household name – a kind of shorthand for defiantly sexy and norm-shifting ideas of womanhood, wrapped up in crystal-mesh, lace and latex – Kane is back, this time as the first creative to join Self-Portrait's residency programme, inviting creatives to its studio…

IT WASN'T SO long ago that it felt like the department store beauty hall may have had its day, quietly fading into the annals of 'quaint things we used to do' BC (before Covid) alongside memories of burnt banana bread. But in an unexpected turn of events, the halls have come back bigger and better. John Lewis's new Oxford Street store beauty hall is 25% bigger, while Fenwick has recently unveiled its largest beauty hall outside of London, in Newcastle. Meanwhile, Selfridges Oxford Street has enjoyed a multimillion-pound makeover. And you can forget sniffy sales assistants – IRL shopping is now a multi-experiential (think fun rather than formal) event that not even the snazziest virtual try-ons can recreate. It's also the best place to try out a new look, with…

WHILE A BEAUTIFULLY curated Christmas table may seem like the stuff of legend, making it a reality might not be as tricky as you'd think. By making a few simple swaps and finding those fabulous new festive essentials you'll have your table setting looking marvellously merry in no time. From the easiest of table decorations (baubles are no longer solely for the tree, oh no) to swapping paper serviettes for chic new linens, shop the Grazia guide on how to create a Christmas table fit for a feast. You might even find yourself investing in reusable fabric crackers… DECK THE HALLS Anna de Lanoy Meijer and Nina Poot founders of Anna + Nina 'At Christmas you can really go all-out and be quite eccentric. Christmas is not just a season,…

Let's face it, life is embarrassing. I've had my fair share of mortifying moments. One moment that stands out is when I was eyeballing Sharon Horgan at the BAFTAs. I'm obsessed with her and thought I was being subtle but then she kind of waved at me. I waved back but I was dying inside. In your teens, you feel constantly embarrassed, mainly thanks to your parents. In your twenties, you might want to hide under your duvet after drunk-calling an ex or, worse, waking up to your Insta stories from the night before. The lovely thing about your thirties is that you care less what people think. You can brush off cringe moments quicker and I'm grateful I no longer drunk-record! My top tip for navigating embarrassing moments is…

'Tis the season to… prioritise comfort and joy. Yes, we know that might be tricky given the number of presents to buy, meals to plan and the social events you feel you need to squeeze in. But this holiday is actually meant to be a time to slow down and decompress. Don't let it speed by before you've even registered it's begun. This year, we're advocating for a restful time. If you don't tick off every last thing on your to-do list, who really cares? A long, hot bath with a good book is more important. Remember, Christmas should be the time of year when you can indulge yourself – and relax.…

GOT AN UP COMING Christmas party? Look no further for out-out inspo than the style set's most recent festive 'do – the British Fashion Awards. Kicking off December in style, up-and-coming creatives rubbed shoulders with fashion legends as the great and the good of the industry were celebrated for their achievements this year. Topping the best-dressed list? The night belonged to Rihanna. The pop star and beauty mogul was on hand to support husband A$AP Rocky, who received the Cultural Innovator award. Forget a demure trophy wife ensemble though – only a turquoise wrap coat and faux-fur hat from Christian Lacroix's Fall 2002 Couture collection would do. She teamed it with a black corset, leather opera gloves and sheer black tights - which turned out to be a surprisingly sensible…

'TIS THE SEASON for cosy comfort: Uggs, coats and knitwear aplenty. So yes, it's time to get your debobbler out of retirement. But there's also a host of new cuts and colours you might want to turn your attention to. Because, while classic knits are truly timeless – my grey Uniqlo crew neck is out for its fourth season – we're seeing the most stylish stars dabbling in knitwear with a difference. Cynthia Erivo defies the cold with a chic slogan knit, Victoria Beckham stands out in a statement shade and Kendall Jenner leans into the collegiate look with a sweater vest. Plus, for those after more than just a jumper, Yara Shahidi makes the case for easy chic with a knitted dress. Looking polished never felt so cosy. THE…

IF YOUR MIND has been occupied by thoughts of the glossy, bouncy pygmy hippo Moo Deng having a bath, or you've spent double-digit hours watching TikToks of total strangers doing Charli XCX's Apple dance, then you might be suffering with brain rot, which has been revealed as Oxford University Press's word of the year. Brain rot is defined as the deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state due to overconsuming trivial online content. A public poll of 37,000 people helped select the word to describe the state and mood of 2024, and it's about as surprising as a family fight at Christmas. Some of the year's biggest brain rot culprits include re-sharing memes of the farcical Glasgow Willy Wonka experience and gobbling up every online moment of Ariana Grande…

SUNAK WRONG-FOOTED Sunak has form when it comes to spearheading a volte-face on formerly fashionable items. From his cropped trousers to cashmere hoodie (an acceptable fashion choice, except when worn over a shirt and tie), he's also put an end to various footwear: remember his Palm Angels sliders? Most spectacularly squashed were adidas Sambas, worn by Sunak during a video to promote his tax policies. Still, it probably created more column inches than actual sartorial outrage as, spoiler alert, the fashion team are still wearing theirs. LABOUR'S WARDROBE MALFUNCTION Keir Starmer is known for being steady and, so far, his only nod to fashion are his round Garrett Leight glasses. So far, so good: an interest in fashion is generally seen as a moral failing in politicians. Worse still, those…

HOW MIU MIU WAS YOUR WARDROBE? Did you carry an overstuffed bag, dangling with bushels of charms? Wear boat shoes? Bermuda shorts? Rope sandals? Polo shirts or a chore jacket? If you wore even one of those items this year, that gear shift in fashion came courtesy of Mrs Prada, whose Miu Miu collections have seen sales spike by 105% this year. TO CAPRI OR NOT TO CAPRI? To be a true fashion cliché you had to have succumbed to swapping your office pants for A) bloomers, B) pyjama bottoms or C) Capri pants. The latter made a surprise comeback, perhaps a stealth nod to our all-time favourite muse, Carrie Bradshaw. HOT GIRL(S) SUMMER Charli XCX set the irreverent brat green style diktat for Gen Z this year, as did…

'AGEING IS NOT lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength,' Betty Friedan once wrote. Look no further than Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham – who both turned 50 this year – for proof of that. Moss wore angel wings for the first time, making her Victoria's Secret debut alongside daughter Lila, 22. She wasn't the only 50year-old there, with Tyra Banks closing the show after a near 20-year hiatus from modelling. Moss also saw Cosmoss, her wellness brand, go on sale at Liberty and she launched a party collection with Zara. Victoria Beckham, meanwhile, conquered the high street with her Mango collaboration, which sold out in mere hours, while her eponymous fashion and beauty empire surged into the black, with profits of £200k for 2022. Then Netflix…

PAUL MESCAL In four short years of public consciousness, Paul Mescal has secured his spot as the internet's favourite boyfriend. Then came Gladiator II. Extra points for revealing that he laughed away TikTok rumours that he distracts one-night stands before (literally) sprinting away – but didn't like that they upset his mum. A sweetie! JUDE BELLINGHAM A misguided Reddit thread recently asked, 'Why do women find Jude Bellingham attractive?' to which one exasperated commenter responded, 'Professional athlete, rich, tall, handsome, well-spoken, nice to fans, funny, etc. He's literally the perfect man.' We're not sure we could've said it any better ourselves. ZENDAYA Sauna scene aside, Zendaya was the sexiest thing about the sexiest movie of the year, Challengers. The Bob Mackie look she wore to channel Cher at the singer's…

'Help! I'm under 5ft 3in and find petite shopping seriously hard – I need tips on what to wear' ALWAYS TAKE YOUR JEANS TO A TAILOR Jeans might not be the easiest item to tailor, but they are the most satisfying. Add darts at the waist so a belt isn't needed and you have that slightly looser fit on the bum and thighs. Also, cut the hem to the perfect length so you don't need to roll up – this can sometimes makes you appear a little taller, too. IF YOU INVEST IN ONE ITEM, MAKE IT A GREAT COAT An oversized coat that you can wrap yourself in is a luxury any wardrobe staple investor should have. My ultimate piece is my The Row Polli coat (£2,640). I've had…

IF YOU'RE ENTERING the festive season worried about how to handle the morning after the night before, there is a secret weapon you could keep in the fridge, ready to fight back. Injectable NAD+ (or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), is the latest bio-hacking tool of Californian longevity experts, as well as serious partygoers Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber. What makes it appealing is that NAD occurs naturally in the body, responsible for many cellular processes. 'NAD affects everything from energy production and metabolism to inflammation and tissue repair,' says Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist, naturopath and founder of Artah. But it's a sensitive little molecule: alcohol, stress and poor diet (gifts of the festive season) seriously deplete it. 'When you're sleep-deprived or consuming alcohol your NAD+ levels deplete rapidly,' explains cosmetic doctor and…

A fear of failure? Try thinking of it as growth In our careers, there's a powerful force that keeps us from taking big leaps: the fear of failure. It's that nagging voice telling us to play it safe. But when we give in to that fear, we end up stalling our own progress. I remember feeling this when I started building my app, Storia. I'd hesitate, thinking, 'What if I'm not good enough? What if I fail?' But, over time, I realised that avoiding failure also meant avoiding growth. A friend recently shared a similar story. She's brilliant and capable, but every time she considers a new challenge, doubts creep in. When we let fear of failure hold us back, we miss out on learning. Growth often comes from mistakes,…

'Tis the season to gift wrap…. and I'm going to help you do so in the best way possible. The paper waste at this time of year is off the scale. So, I'm going to help you wrap in the best way possible. Brown paper (no hidden glosses or glues) is easy, inexpensive and can be personalised with printed letters, painted pictures or calligraphy. I love to paint on bows and stars. Next, if you have lots of ribbon left over (we all have that messy drawer), bring it out. At worst it's branded in a fancy name and leaves the recipient guessing ('Did you actually get me a gift from Smythson/Chanel?!') and at best it's a bold pop of colour that the recipient can add to their own ribbon…

Are you a doom spender? When everything is so pricey, what's the point in saving? You may as well cheer yourself up with the rush of a DPD delivery. Or perhaps you shop when you're feeling joyful, to reward yourself at the beginning of the month? Or you are a people pleaser who goes for it with gifts and gets the credit card out for a social event you can't really afford? As we enter the most emotionally spendy season, it is time to recognise when you are driven by heart rather than head with your finances. Identify your triggers and create a plan to avoid putting yourself in temptation's way. Take yourself off those Boxing Day sale newsletter mailing lists or set up a specific email address that you…

1 Set intentions. Before diving into family gatherings, think about how you want to feel. What matters most to you? What can you let slide? Clear priorities and boundaries help you stay calm when family dynamics become challenging. 2 When tensions rise – breathe. When a relative triggers you or things get heated, pause, breathe and ask yourself what's pushing your buttons. Often, it's not what's happening now but old patterns resurfacing. This tiny break can prevent knee-jerk reactions. 3 Stay true to yourself. Instead of trying to please everyone, consider what feels right for you. Let your choices be guided by your values rather than tradition or obligation.…