Queen B

“Both colours are very popular at the moment so it’s quite easy to pull the outfits together, but maybe that’s not such a good thing when you’re trying to stand out.”
She makes a valid point, but nobody could accuse Aileen Mythen, lead singer of B & The Honeyboys, of blending in.

“The original idea came from a picture, which I bought in Prague," she says. "It’s this smoky image with a female singer wearing a gold dress; the musicians are in black suits and black hats. I love it; there’s this bluesy, jazzy, smoky vibe to the picture with loads of different yellow undertones.”
It’s great to be distinctive, but does she ever get bored wearing the same colours on stage all the time?
“Not really! I try to wear loads of different colours when I’m off stage. I’d get sick of wearing black and yellow all the time. Our drummer and bass player do tend to be a little rebellious and try to wear orange or sneak in the odd multi-coloured tie. They call me the black and yellow fascist, but it just works for us, image is part of being in a band. The music is the most important thing, and you hope that it’s the most important thing to the fans, but your image will definitely be remembered.”
Even when Aileen is taking a break from singing, she still manages to end up on stage.
“I’m an actress as well, so it’s great. When you’re on stage you can afford to be a little bit more theatrical, more dramatic and over the top with what you wear. I love being on stage and getting to go over the top with make-up and accessories.
“I’m a typical girl, I love to shop. I’m definitely a bargain hunter; I would be pissed off with myself if I wasn’t getting a good deal.”
Aileen sounds like a girl you don’t want to be up against in a sale!
“I love TK Maxx because you can get designer clothes for cut prices," she enthuses. "But then again, I don’t mind spending money on a few key items that are worth the investment. Definitely TK Maxx is my favourite shop, I’m addicted. It’s amazing for picking up belts and accessories, and for the guys I go in and buy the yellow ties. I also love George’s Street Arcade, it’s fantastic for shoes.”
In terms of fashion, there are always the followers and the leaders; Aileen strikes me as more the latter.
“I don’t really follow fashion trends. I think it’s better to follow your own individual style because fashion trends are so fickle; they don’t last very long. I remember a couple of years ago, I loved wearing cowboy boots and then everyone had them; I just had to stop wearing them. It’s better to have your own style and to be comfortable rather than fashionable.”