Indeed, it seems I spent a significant part of the 1980s watching these shows, where male characters often donned leather jackets that had a slightly blouson style—deviating from their rugged military roots. It’s an interesting reflection on the fashion of that era.

What does this mean for the cultural trends of the time? Could this be the early signs of the metrosexual man? Waterman’s character, Terry McCann, a former boxer, might not fit into that narrative. Yet, these men, who stood against the flamboyant style of the New Romantics, still exhibited a subtle flair in their fashion choices.

If all this seems puzzling, you might not be familiar with how a blouson jacket fits into today’s trends. Many fashionable women embracing this style tend to be at least a decade younger than I am, likely unfamiliar with the cultural references I grew up with. They probably don’t associate with anything resembling a faux-leather sofa, which might be a concern for some fashion choices.

After spending time with the new breed of blouson wearers—initially shocked by their choices—I’ve grown more accepting of this fashion trend. To borrow a phrase, ‘one man’s firewood is another man’s treasure.’

Today’s blouson wearers, often more stylish than the past representations in media, pair this jacket with tailored pencil skirts, perfect-fitting jeans, or trendy track pants. These women are particular about their wardrobe, seeking out only the best options available.

No matter how they choose to style it, their accessories remain sophisticated—whether with modern pearl earrings, trendy bags, or perhaps even stylish heels. A crisp shirt or a tasteful blouse might complete the look. There’s an allure in this blend of traditional and contemporary styles.

What’s truly captivating is how fashion can shift so dramatically, with previously unappealing items becoming desirable. The blouson, once deemed too casual, has now been embraced as a chic choice. The blending of aesthetics that were previously kept apart creates an exciting new fashion narrative.

The blouson manages to strike a balance between polished and laid-back attire, proving to be a versatile addition to any wardrobe. My interest in acquiring one has blossomed as I embrace this contemporary style.

Among the standout options available is the AllSaints Sofi, known for its buttery feel and adjustable waist drawstring. Following its black release, it’s now also available in khaki and off-white, reflecting the season’s vibrancy. Additionally, a sleeveless version offers a different take on the classic style.

Polo Ralph Lauren offers a luxurious suede variant that exemplifies high fashion, while a khaki cotton option adds a more approachable touch. These designs encapsulate the spirit of mixing styles that began decades ago.

Blousons aren’t restricted to leather or suede; for instance, Hush presents a sporty, sustainable viscose navy choice that incorporates drawstring details, offering a modern twist on the traditional style.

Massimo Dutti showcases a cotton-blend camel jacket evoking classic style, while & Other Stories plays with a shawl-collar design, merging contemporary fashion with historical influences. The evolution of the blouson continues, moving further away from its origins in the Winchester Club scene toward a fresh and fashionable future.

After school, alone in an empty apartment, I would pull out the Slendertone, a beige gadget complete with vintage Bakelite knobs that looked as if it belonged on a sci-fi set. With only my underwear on, I would attach the rubber electrodes to my thighs and stomach and secure them with long Velcro straps. Once set, I’d crank the dial to its highest setting and relax, eating Marmite on buttered toast while watching my favorite soap opera. As a child lacking athletic prowess, this was my way of attempting a workout without engaging in traditional sports. Although the results were questionable, I like to think it was the toast’s fault rather than the device.

My subsequent venture into beauty gadgets brought me face-to-face with the pain-inducing Epilady. The agony of using its metal rings to remove stubborn leg hairs was legendary, with the hairs growing back in a curly mess merely a week later.

Reflecting back, the notion of beauty in the Eighties and Nineties did not align with home treatments; significant transformations were reserved for luxury retreats like Champneys.

The landscape shifted dramatically with the introduction of the Clarisonic—a facial cleansing tool featuring soft bristles and a rotating head, promising deep-cleaned pores via technology akin to that of a toothbrush. The Clarisonic heralded a new era of at-home beauty solutions, paving the way for various advanced aesthetic devices.

For kitting out your skincare arsenal with cutting-edge tools, currentbody.com serves as an excellent resource, offering a comprehensive selection of nearly 1,000 products, including at-home lasers, electrical devices, and facial cleansers. Laurence Newman, the founder, notes, “When we launched, we had nothing on the website; now we have transformed into a hub for at-home beauty technology.” These devices aim to replicate salon treatments, combining professional efficacy with convenient home use.

While many devices are indeed safe, caution is warranted. Dr. Anita Sturnham, a GP specializing in dermatology, emphasizes that although some tools like microcurrent devices are legitimate, others, particularly at-home needling tools, should be left to professionals. “Microneedling is effective, but always best handled by an expert,” she advises.

Microcurrent facial devices are deemed safe for home use and show positive results. “For over 30 years, we’ve utilized microcurrents in dermatology for various skin treatments. They are both safe and effective,” Sturnham elaborates.

At-home laser and LED devices are generally milder than clinical versions but remain powerful. Brands like Dermalux and Déesse Pro benefit from clinical research, ensuring effective treatments while maintaining safety practices. Sturnham underscores the necessity of adhering to safety guidelines, including wearing protective eyewear during treatments.

With my goggles on and toast at the ready, I explore some of the latest at-home beauty devices.

The Light Salon Boost LED Face Mask

This mask utilizes red-light technology, becoming an essential element in upscale skincare routines and treatments. Effective even for those with acne-prone skin, its co-founder Laura Ferguson was inspired to create The Light Salon after witnessing the benefits of LED while working in elite spas. In 2019, they launched the world’s first FDA-cleared LED mask, bringing professional-grade therapy into the home.

With a focus on safety and efficacy, The Light Salon’s devices remain at the forefront of the LED movement, providing skin benefits such as improved elasticity and enhanced barrier function. It’s designed for easy integration into a daily routine.

Lightinderm

Innovator Géraldine Decaux spent a decade creating Lightinderm, driven by a mission to help heal skin post-cancer treatment through the use of beneficial wavelengths. The device combines light therapy with specialized serums tailored for various skin concerns, delivering impressive results in a compact, easy-to-use format.

ZIIP Halo

The latest ZIIP Halo model enhances its predecessor with a convenient four-minute routine, allowing for treatments without needing to sync with a phone. Users report noticeable results in acne and scarring, thanks to advanced microcurrent technologies.

HigherDose

This infrared sauna blanket has gained popularity in wellness circles. Utilizing thermal energy for various health benefits, it offers a unique experience that promotes relaxation and detoxification, with easy maintenance and storage.

Lyma Laser

This powerful at-home laser device, resembling a sleek torch, offers extensive skin benefits, including collagen rejuvenation and reduction in visible imperfections when used consistently over time.

Jovs Venus Pro

This compact hair removal device utilizes intense pulsed light technology for a permanent solution. With specialized attachments for various body parts and a built-in cooling system, it ensures user comfort and effectiveness, primarily catering to lighter skin tones with darker hair.

Nuface Mini

This facial toning device employs microcurrent technology to help combat issues like sagging and signs of aging. Its quick, user-friendly design allows for effective facial toning at home.

Slendertone Evolve Abs

Revamped for modern users, the Slendertone Evolve Abs features a soft foam construction and adhesive gel pads, presenting a more comfortable approach to muscle toning.

The Dermalux Flex

This comprehensive at-home LED device, offering a range of light therapies for skin rejuvenation, effectively supports various skin concerns and improves overall appearance with consistent use.

Foreo Luna Play Smart 2

The Foreo Luna Play Smart 2 is a modern, clever device that provides skin cleansing through sonic waves, complemented by an app to personalize treatment based on individual skin needs, making it a stylish addition to any skincare routine.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Accommodations

Rating: 8/10 Down Hall boasts 98 bedrooms spread across the historic mansion and its modern west wing, offering a variety of options. The highlight for families are the newly redesigned estate family rooms that include cleverly integrated bunk beds for children, allowing for cozy hideaways without occupying much space. These rooms come equipped with robes, slippers, board games, a Nintendo Switch, and a marble bathroom with a shower-over-bath setup. For couples, the mansion house suites, featuring four-poster beds, walk-in showers, and balconies overlooking the hotel’s 110 acres of gardens and woodlands, are a prime choice.

Culinary Experience

Rating: 7/10 The Garden Room restaurant presents a user-friendly menu, featuring dishes like Brixham crab with homemade focaccia, followed by options such as pork belly, lamb saddle, and a selection of charcoal-grilled steaks. While vegetarian and vegan choices are somewhat limited, children are well catered for with options like garlic bread, spaghetti Bolognese, and customizable pizzas. Breakfast offers a buffet of cereals, fruits, and pastries, along with à la carte options including Eggs Benedict and avocado toast for an additional charge. Afternoon tea is quite popular, served both in the restaurant and the lounge area.

Additional Amenities

The Eden Spa, accessible via a separate entry, features a wet spa area with a sauna, steam room, and hydrotherapy pool, along with treatments such as quick massages and Espa facials. Outdoor amenities include giant chess, well-maintained tennis and padel tennis courts, and a large playground for children. A complimentary scavenger hunt aims to engage school-aged kids, allowing them to explore the mansion and earn a prize, providing parents with a chance to unwind in the stylish Fox Bar or the chandelier-adorned main lounge. In addition to the Eden Spa, the hotel offers a small sauna, steam room, and gym on the ground floor.

Location Details

Rating: 7/10 Set against a backdrop of rolling fields just south of Hatfield Heath, Down Hall is conveniently located for quick access from London and is merely a few minutes’ drive from the M11 motorway. Local attractions include Audley End historic house and miniature railway, Mountfitchet Castle, and Harlow’s walled gardens. Stansted Airport is within a 20-minute drive.

• Overnight rates: B&B doubles from £192; family rooms starting at £212

• Main courses in restaurant from £30

• Family-friendly: Yes

• Accessible: Yes

• Dog-friendly: Yes

Helen Ochyra was a guest at Down Hall Hotel.

As I recall, my tutor group lined up to enter a classroom when a classmate, let’s call her Sabrina, notorious for her teasing, turned to me with a smirk. “Is it true,” she exclaimed loudly for everyone to hear, “that Africans eat bright orange rice?” Her exaggerated disgust drew the other students’ attention, akin to a courtroom drama.

I instantly pictured the vibrant, spiced mounds of jollof rice my mother prepared weekly. I remembered family gatherings filled with cool boxes brimming with the dish, glowing with color like a cinematic artifact. In that moment, the pressure to conform and the hunger to fit in, particularly as an immigrant’s child, felt insurmountable. “Uh, w-what?” I awkwardly responded, “No, of course we don’t!” In that instant, I betrayed my culinary heritage, believing it would help me distance myself from anything perceived as ‘different’ or ‘strange’.

This early encounter encapsulates a significant theme in my memoir, Picky, which traces my evolution from a selective eater to an esteemed restaurant critic and MasterChef judge. Throughout my time in a predominantly white school, open ridicule regarding Nigerian cuisine was uncommon for me, but this incident was telling of the social dynamics of that time. Interestingly, Sabrina, despite her Caribbean background, was also black, adding complexity to my experience. Yet, this singular event highlights the social landscape of my youth and its lasting impact on my identity.

This era was defined by targeted jeers about “exotic” or “unusual” foods that strayed from societal norms. In primary school, I recall a red-haired girl facing relentless teasing for her beetroot lunch, rumored to carry an unspecific contagion. Meanwhile, South Asian peers dealt with unpleasant jokes about the scent of curry wafting from their lunchboxes.

The anxiety tied to traditional foods — sometimes termed the “lunchbox moment” — is a recognizable experience among second-generation immigrants, often shaping their childhood narratives. In a 2020 interview, BBC presenter Naga Munchetty shared how her Indian mother insisted her children change out of their uniforms to avoid being labeled as the Asian kids who smelled of curry. Similarly, Angela Hui’s memoir, Takeaway, reveals her struggle with racist prank calls and feeling different due to her family’s food business. Many children of diverse backgrounds find their culinary identities become a battleground.

Aside from the Sabrina incident, I didn’t face much overt hostility; however, my intense reluctance towards unfamiliar foods and embarrassment about fresh fruits boiled over, making me keenly aware of how my dietary habits could further ostracize me. This consciousness led me to absorb the stigma associated with the “foreign” foods I had once enjoyed, especially when separated from the comforting embrace of my family’s home. This encounter wasn’t merely about denying my heritage; it represented a split between my identity and tastes established early in my childhood.

My parents embodied a typical Nigerian practicality regarding their children’s identity in Britain. Both hailing from postwar Nigeria, they represented a post-colonial generation of immigrants eager for their offspring to thrive through adaptation. My older brothers attended private schools, while I insistent on enrolling in a state school. Later, we relocated to a neighborhood where we were notably one of only two black families along the lengthy street. My parents attempted assimilation by giving me the “English” name Roger in an environment filled with Garys and Chris’s, hoping it would help me fit in seamlessly.

My mother, a proud Nigerian, raised us in line with her cultural values (my father lived in Lagos and was less involved). She often spoke Yoruba at home, donning traditional attire for family gatherings, insisting we embrace our African identity despite our life in the UK. She created a protective barrier of pride and identity that buffered us from the sting of racial insults. Yet, it may not have prepared her for the psychological turmoil of navigating multiple cultural identities as an adolescent.

In my quest to avoid exclusion because of my racial and cultural background, I rejected much of the rich diversity inherent in Nigerian cuisine and found allure in fast food and snacks, convincing myself I disliked dishes like curry without ever sampling them.

So, what catalyzed my transformation? How did I move past my culinary fears? My transition unfolded gradually rather than through a singular epiphany. Attending university, filled with diverse dining experiences and a delightful summer journey through France, expanded my palate. The early 20s saw me delve into cooking, much like countless aspiring chefs; I discovered a world of flavors I had long shunned, diving into it with a fervent passion.

By the time I entered the food media realm in 2018, first with a restaurant column, then as a critic on MasterChef, my journey had come full circle. A significant moment came in 2010 when I visited Nigeria as an adult, savoring barbecued suya from newspapers — a joyous reconnection with my culinary roots that I had once fled.

A notable highlight of my journey occurred during a 2023 Christmas special of MasterChef, where I had the chance to prepare a dish of my choice. I instinctively chose jollof rice, the very meal I once distanced myself from. While my cooking attempt was chaotic and somewhat underwhelming, the act of representing my heritage on a prominent platform symbolized my full circle journey. Once a target of ridicule, jollof rice now stands as a celebrated symbol of West African cuisine, featured in Michelin-starred restaurants across London. It seems both jollof rice and I have traversed a significant journey.

Picky, written by Jimi Famurewa and published by Hodder & Stoughton, delves into his unique experiences with food and identity.

Jollof Rice Recipe by Kofo Famurewa

Ingredients

• 800g tinned plum tomatoes • 1 red bell pepper • 1 red pointed pepper • 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger • 3 medium onions • 1 scotch bonnet pepper • 4 cloves of fresh garlic • 50ml sunflower or vegetable oil • 1 tbsp curry powder • 1 stock or flavoring cube (Maggi is preferred) • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 2 bay leaves • 500g easy-cook basmati rice • 500ml chicken or vegetable stock • 1 knob of butter or plant-based spread • Salt and black pepper • Kitchen foil

Method

1. Blend the tomatoes, peppers, ginger, two onions, the scotch bonnet (using half for milder heat) and garlic to create a smooth mixture. Warm oil in a large saucepan; chop and sauté the remaining onion for 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the blended mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat until oil separates (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally. Incorporate generous amounts of salt, pepper, curry powder, crumbled flavor cube, tomato purée, and bay leaves. Continue cooking down for an additional 5 minutes, checking seasoning as desired, and remove from heat.

3. Rinse the rice in a strainer under running water until the water is clear.

4. Combine rice with the sauce in the saucepan and stir until well-coated. Lower the heat to very low, covering the pan tightly with foil and placing the lid on top. Simmer, stirring occasionally, to avoid sticking.

5. Cook until liquid is absorbed, then add stock and stir. Cover tightly to catch steam and leave on low heat for 50-60 minutes until rice is cooked and fluffy. Finish with a knob of butter or plant-based spread.