Many people who have evacuated communities in Canada's Northwest Territories because of raging wildfires have had to leave their beloved pets behind

Feeling confident and sexy in lingerie can be a complicated process. No one sees that struggle up close (and personal) more than a boudoir photographer. While a skin-baring photoshoot might seem like something you do for a partner, that is not always the case. According to NYC-based boudoir photographer, Andrea B. Ballen, the purpose of an intimate, skin-baring shoot is often more personal. Her sessions are designed to help women “see and realize we are sensual beings, worthy of owning our sexuality without shame or fear.” Ballen has witnessed this struggle in all types of clients. Some want to celebrate their new single body after divorce, while others struggle with loving new post-partum curves, scars, or stretch marks. No matter what they’re warring with, though, when it comes down to it, Ballen loves helping people discover that they can celebrate themselves and their bodies at any phase in their life. Through her sessions, she watches people “let go of inhibition, let go of fear, self-consciousness, body image issues, anything that’s been holding them back,” she says. And (perhaps unsurprisingly), that often starts with the lingerie we wear.

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A jumper worn by Diana, Princess of Wales is predicted to sell at auction for up to £70,000. The famous red and white “black sheep” sweater, which had been lost for decades, is being offered at auction for the first time at Sotheby’s in New York on September 7. Diana first wore the woollen jumper – with its black and white sheep motif – to a polo match of her fiance, the then-prince of Wales, in June 1981. It was one of the first pieces designed by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne for their knitwear label Warm & Wonderful, and helped to catapult their brand into the public eye. They said: “Much to our amazement, the first we knew of Lady Diana Spencer wearing the sweater was when we saw her on the front page of one of the Sunday newspapers. “Her influence was impactful almost immediately thereafter, leading to a surge in sales and public awareness of our small label, for which we will be forever grateful.” A few weeks after its first appearance, the pair received an official letter from Buckingham Palace requesting either a repair or a replacement for the sweater as it had been damaged. They knitted a new sweater for the late princess, but the whereabouts of the original remained unknown until they rediscovered it in March this year in their attic, tucked away in a small box beside a cotton bedspread. Warm & Wonderful stopped producing the black sheep style in 1994, but it was reissued in 2020 as a collaboration with the brand Rowing Blazer. The actress Emma Corrin wore a replica of the sweater when she played Diana in the fourth season of Netflix’s The Crown in 2020. Meanwhile, a sweater of the same design is part of the permanent collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Sotheby’s is offering the original sweater as part of its inaugural Fashion Icons sale which will run during New York Fashion week from August 31 to September 13. The auction house holds the record for the most valuable Diana dress ever sold – an aubergine ball dress which was bought for 604,800 dollars (around £474,870) in January 2023. It also sold Diana’s Attallah Cross to Kim Kardashian in the Royal and Noble auction in London in January for £163,800. Speaking about the jumper, Sotheby’s global head of fashion and accessories Cynthia Houlton said: “This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana’s grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion.” Read More Gongs, chanting and Celtic Shamanism: What I learnt from a day at the Glastonbury Healing Field A woman stopped cleaning after her husband accused her of doing ‘nothing’. Then she filmed the results Taylor Swift ‘declined Meghan Markle’s personal letter’ to appear on Archetypes Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Kanye West’s rumoured wife, Bianca Censori, has sparked confusion with her latest outfit, which saw her holding a pillow over her chest while walking around Italy. On Wednesday 6 September, the rapper – who legally changed his name to Ye – and Censori were photographed in unique ensembles while walking through the streets of Italy. The outing came days after the pair were reportedly banned from a boat company in Venice due to their alleged behaviour on board one of its vessels. In recent photos that circulated online, Censori was seen walking in sheer beige stockings and a matching spaghetti strap bodysuit. She was also holding a purple cushion over her chest, seemingly in an effort to cover the top half of her body. The architect completed the look with a pair of heels. Meanwhile, West opted for an all black look, which included a short-sleeved shirt, pants, slippers, and hooded scarf, which covered the majority of his face. On X, formerly known as Twitter, people expressed their confusion over Censori’s look, with some questioning the pillow accessory. “Is [Ye] going to use her as a couch?” one person asked, while another wrote: “I hate all her looks and they’re always nylon, like quit playing with the pantyhose.” Others suggested West had been styling Censori – who reportedly “married” the rapper in a non-legally binding ceremony – and criticised him for it. They also acknowledged that West previously styled his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, when they were together. “I feel like Kanye is making her dress like this,” one fan wrote, while another asked: “Why is he making her dress like this?” “Remember Kim and then all his GFs after her started dressing similar to this [during his] whole dating them,” a third wrote. “Then they break up and they’re back to normal human clothes!” Other social media users offered their own suggestions as to why the pair were walking around in the surprising outfits, with one claiming “they’re clearly doing it for reaction purposes… but it is very bizarre”. Following the outing, the DailyMail reported Censori was spotted with the pillow while she and West were leaving their hotel in Florence on 6 September. A source alleged to the publication that Censori wore the ensemble throughout the day, including during a shopping trip in the city. However, according to another source, Censori had changed into a long-sleeved bodysuit by the time she went to dinner with West that evening. This isn’t the first time that one of Censori’s outfits has sparked mixed reactions. In June, the pair made headlines when they were pictured heading to West’s church service in all-black ensembles, with West wearing a black T-shirt with the word “Polizei”, the German word for police, emblazoned on it. He also sported a pair of black leggings that covered his feet in what appeared to be sock shoes. Meanwhile, Censori wore a stocking-like ensemble that covered her entire body, including her face. She also wore her arms inside the black pantyhose, while a ring of black fabric circled the lower half of her face and neck. Days before they were photographed in Florence, a Venice boat company, Venezia Turismo Motoscafi, issued a statement declaring that they were no longer welcome on future trips. The ban came after they were photographed on the boat in what appeared to be a compromising position, as West had his trousers down and bottom exposed, while Censori appeared to be crouching between his legs. Following the release of the photos, a spokesperson for Venezia Turismo Motoscafi – whose celebrity clientele reportedly includes Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, and Ben Affleck – explained that the driver had not seen “these obscenities” because they were looking out for traffic on the water. The statement added that, if the driver had witnessed the couple engaging in any lewd behaviour, they would have “immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority”. In recent years, the rapper has been at the centre of several controversies, making headlines for a slew of antisemitic remarks. In 2022, West was dropped by both Adidas and Balenciaga over his “hateful and dangerous” comments relating to Jewish people. CAA, one of the biggest celebrity talent agencies in the US, also cut ties with the musician. Read More Kanye West and ‘wife’ Bianca Censori banned from Venice boat company after ‘obscenities’ on board Fans think viral video shows Kanye West crashing stranger’s wedding in Italy Bianca Censori confirms relationship status after influencer asks for her number Kanye West to buy Parler as George Floyd estate threaten to sue - live Kanye West hits out at Pete Davidson and Trevor Noah George Floyd’s family may sue Kanye West over claims about his death

A mum has gone viral after modifying her little girl’s Barbie by adding stretch marks to the doll to normalise “tiger stripes” – using nail varnish. Kate Claxton hit the headlines earlier this year after sharing her experience with postnatal anxiety, which led to her quitting her job as a marketing manager. The 35-year-old mum from Swindon is married to husband Tony, 35, with whom she has a three-year-old daughter [name omitted at case study’s request]. Kate, now a children’s author, has written a book about her “tiger stripes” – and is taking to Instagram to reveal why she drew these onto her child’s doll. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “We're really open with our daughter about the ways bodies are different and I'm keen for her toys and books to reflect this,” the mum told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk . “She loves Barbies and while we do have a diverse mix of dolls, there were none with stretch marks, so I decided to decorate my own! “We'd had a long day of crafts and play to avoid the rain and I needed the chill time. “Once she'd gone to bed, I spent maybe an hour or less making the marks with nail varnish actually. “It dried quickly and I put the Barbie's vet outfit back on to go in the toy box ready for the morning. “I bought a new doll to do this with, just in case I got told off for marking a favourite!” Kate says she approaches conversations with her daughter around beauty and body positivity “honestly and openly” but “worries” about the future. She said: “I don't force it on her but if she ever has questions about bodies, or if I notice her watching or playing with something that allows us to bring it up naturally, I'll always do my best to make it normal. “I think representation is getting much better, but you have to seek these things out for yourself a lot of the time. “I do worry for my daughter heading into a world that still judges girls on how they look and pits them against each other.” Kate was inspired by her own children’s book, My Mum’s a Tiger, and hopes that her creation might inspire Mattel, the brand that owns Barbie, to create a similar doll. She said: “I hate that new mums in particular are faced with the negativity around skin and body changes at a time when hormones and sleep and responsibilities are all over the place. “People have loved the reel on Instagram and lots of people are asking how I did it – I hope that means there will be lots more DIY dolls popping up in toy boxes. “I'd love if Barbie could bring out their own permanently-marked version to show children it's normal and nothing to be worried about.” Social media users have come out in droves to praise the mum for her DIY doll. A subtracted version of her post reads: “… [..] Eliza is SO into dolls and getting them dressed and undressed at the moment that it was important for me to make some modifications to this gal and give her the stripes so many of us cover up. “Let's take what makes us different and instead of trying to hide, let's be more like animals and wear our marks with pride.” “My little girl asks me about my ‘tiger stripes’ every time I have a shower or get changed,” said Sammy. “Love this!! Just genius!!!” added someone else. Ella Lucie said: “Really love this.” “Great idea,” added another person. “Love this! I am one of those who are guilty of hiding my stretch marks but your wonderful book and posts always remind me of why I’ve got those tiger stripes,” said Jessica. “I have SO much love for this and totally agree that @barbie should add them to some of their dolls,” said someone else, tagging Mattel’s brand. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Britney Spears has reflected on the iconic double-denim outfit she wore alongside her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in 2001. Spears and Timberlake – who were dating at the time – attended the American Music Awards together and quickly made headlines with their showstopping outfits. The pair wore matching head-to-toe denim looks, including a blue denim cowboy hat on Timberlake. The instantly recognisable double-denim moment has gone down in sartorial history, with many people replicating the look for Halloween couple costumes. Reflecting on the starry fashion moment, Spears writes in her new memoir The Woman In Me that she initially suggested the idea to Timberlake and their stylist as a joke. “I still can’t believe that Justin was going to wear denim and I said, ‘We should match! Let’s do denim-on-denim!’’” she explained. “At first, honestly, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t think my stylist was actually going to do it, and I never thought Justin was going to do it with me. But they both went all in.” Spears continued: “The stylist brought Justin’s all-denim outfit, including a denim hat to match his denim jacket and denim pants. When he put it on, I thought, Whoa! I guess we’re really doing this!” At the time, the pop star was a newly famous pop sensation and Timberlake was an international heartthrob as the frontman of boy band NSYNC. Together, they would attend multiple red carpet events in the years they dated, from 1998 to 2002. “Justin and I were always going to events together,” Spears said. “We had so much fun doing the Teen Choice Awards, and we often color-coordinated our outfits. But with the matching denim, we blew it up.” Spears explained that the denim corset she wore to the event was so tight that she thought she might fall over on the red carpet. “I get that it was tacky, but it was also pretty great in its way, and I am always happy to see it parodied as a Halloween costume,” she said. Spears went on to address the criticism that Timberlake faced for wearing the matching outfit. “I’ve heard Justin get flak for the look. On one podcast where they were teasing him about it, he said, ‘You do a lot of things when you’re young and in love.’ And that’s exactly right. We were giddy, and those outfits reflected that,” Spears wrote. The pair began dating after meeting on the set of the All-New Mickey Mouse Club in 1992. Elsewhere in the memoir, Spears wrote about her decision to get an abortion after she became pregnant while dating Timberlake. “It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated” she said of the pregnancy. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young.” Spears appeared to imply that she decided to get an abortion because it was what Timberlake had wanted her to do. “I’m sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don’t know if that was the right decision,” she wrote in the memoir. “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.” “To this day, it’s one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life,” she said. The Independent has contacted representatives for Timberlake and Spears for comment. The Woman in Me is out now. You can read The Independent’s four-star review of the memoir here. Read More Britney Spears announces engagement to Sam Asghari Britney Spears’ fiance responds to fans calling for star to get prenup Britney Spears reassures fans after deactivating Instagram account Everything we know about Britney Spears and Sam Asghari divorce A timeline of Britney Spears and Sam Asghari’s relationship What is Sam Asghari’s net worth?

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When we're not scavenging for loveseats or scouting out cushy office chairs over at the massive online home goods hub Wayfair, we're strolling through its virtual bedding aisle. Especially when the retailer's infamous 48-hour sale event Way Day has duvet cover sets, cooling pillows, mattress toppers, and more bedding essentials up to 70% off.