Category Archives: outfits

To the Moon and Back

18th December 2017

In my last outfit post I mentioned my current obsession with all things celestial, and luckily for me (and less so for my bank balance) the shops are currently awash with space themed prints.

During a recent browsing session I happened across THE most perfect dress from Joanie Clothing and tweeted about my love for it. A few days later, on the very day I was going to ask Bob if he’d like to buy it for me for Christmas, Joanie Clothing got in touch and offered to send me the dress to feature on my blog (insert pun about the stars aligning here).

Kate Star Print Dress c/o Joanie Clothing

The Kate dress is a dream- amazing print aside, the cut and fit is just spot on. This is the first piece I’ve ever owned from Joanie Clothing and, as I’m currently having some massive struggles with body image I had no idea what size to go for. In the end I went for my normal size (which in my head would be far too small for me) and luckily it fits like a dream. The shape of the dress is super flattering too and it’s probably the first item of clothing I’ve put on in ages that instantly made me feel good.

I paired the dress with my rose gold ankle boots from River Island– and made the dubious decision to wear black tights. In hindsight this was potentially a mistake, but you live and learn.

This is the perfect dress to wear over the Christmas and New Year period, which is now pretty much upon us. For the first time in years I’m actually really excited for the festive season and I have plenty of things planned for which this dress will be the perfect fit.

This week looks like it’s going to be a manic one with work so this may well be (but hopefully won’t be) my last post before Christmas…hopefully I’ll manage to squish in a post or two between work and play – no time for rest this week! If not then I’ll be back with an end of year round up before the clock strikes midnight on the 31st.

Are there any prints you’re obsessed with lately? Or any brands? I’ve only recently discovered Joanie Clothing and my wish list is ten miles long.

end

Posted in brands I love, fashion, life stuff, outfits, personal style, shopping, Uncategorized

Permalink 2 Comments

Rocket Man

11th December 2017

My latest print obsession involves all things space- from moons and stars to spaceships and rockets, if it’s even vaguely related to outer space I want it.

This directly ties in with my latest shopping obsession, a store I found via Facebook called Thunder Egg– there have been a couple of space related pieces I’ve been coveting since I first discovered the store, so when payday yielded a little financial surprise I wasted no time in ordering both of them.

Hat: Marks and Spencer (here) | Jumper: Thunder Egg (here) | Skirt: Monki (here) | Boots: Banana Republic

The jumper is part of a unisex range by the brand Run and Fly and I just love it- how great is that print? I’ll share my second purchase from the site soon, if you haven’t already checked out Thunder Egg then I practically insist that you must. I went for the medium for a slouchy fit and I’ve basically lived in it since it’s arrival. I actually bought the cord skirt from Monki specifically with this jumper in mind, although I have wanted a cord skirt for a long time so it wasn’t entirely based on one item of clothing! The hat is also a new addition to my wardrobe (I appear to have spent a lot of time shopping lately) and was an early Christmas present from Bob when we ventured over to Bath for the Christmas Markets. It was so bitterly cold we decided to exchange the hats we’d bought each other early and I’m pretty obsessed with this rose gold finish.

It’s all been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately and it will probably remain that way now until the new year. Life is exciting and busy and chaotic and time to create content is short. I’ve also not felt brilliantly inspired in terms of content, although I have plenty of plans as to which direction I want to take the blog in for 2018.

I’m slowly but surely getting back my confidence in terms of outfit photos so those will be a big feature next year, as well as more food related content and general lifestyle. Things have changed beyond all recognition over the last twelve months and now I’m coming to terms with it it’s time to bring it in to my hobby.

Anyway,
in two weeks time it will be Christmas Day- how crazy is that? This is the first year in a very long time I’ve been genuinely excited for Christmas so I’m savouring every second of this December.

Are you feeling festive yet?

end

Posted in brands I love, fashion, life stuff, outfits, personal style, shopping

Permalink 2 Comments

Swan Song

13th November 2017
It’s big knit weather! I don’t know how we’ve suddenly zoomed to the middle of November, but here we are in all it’s cold and frosty glory. Now I’m properly back at work I’ve been able to indulge in a little bit of shopping and warm and cosy knits have been top of my list. Of course, Monki was my first port of call and I picked up an absolute gem.

Jumper: Monki (here) | Skirt: Pull and Bear (similar here) | Boots: Miista

I love a good print and this Swan jumper pretty much jumped off the hanger and in to my arms. It was quite the bargain at £25 and is the perfect balance of slouchy and warm. I love the look of a big knit teamed with a pleated midi skirt so pairing the jumper with my old faithful Pull and Bear number was instinctive. Finished off with my default black opaques and my bargain Miista boots which are now several years old and still a favourite this is exactly the kind of outfit I’m living in when not at work.

I’ve been saving hard and I’m hoping for another shopping trip in a few weeks time with my partner in crime, Mum. We’ve gone from seeing each other pretty much all day, every day to being like ships that pass in the night. Life has got so un-believably busy compared to this time last year, it’s still a bit like “pinch me” every time I take the time to sit back and reflect- from being signed off work, under threat of hospitalisation for anorexia and being utterly miserable to working in a new and exciting role, getting my health back and absolutely loving life. I never imagined I would be where I am right now and I wouldn’t change it for the world (except for factoring in Mum time). I certainly never dreamed I’d be in a loving and supportive relationship, or joint owner of a little kitten- a post to come on that one!

Where are you loving for knitwear right now? In a fit of madness I got rid of a lot of jumpers last year so I’m on a mission to have a major wardrobe upgrade.

end

Posted in brands I love, fashion, life stuff, lifestyle, outfits, personal style, shopping

Permalink 2 Comments

Follow the River

06th November 2017
One of my favourite things about blogging is getting to champion small and independent companies, helping to spread the word and watch them flourish. I was recently contacted by Follow The River, a clothing company based in Shropshire which started in 2015. Their range of Men’s and Women’s apparel is 100% organic and printed using water based inks. Everything is made in factories that use renewable energy and fair trade labour- I love a brand who care about where their products come from and how they are made, especially when their products are genuinely gorgeous and excellent quality as well.

Hoodie c/o Follow The River | Jeans: Monki | Wellies: ASOS

This is such a great hoodie! The fit is impeccable, I went a size up for a looser fit but it hangs like a dream and looks sleeky rather than bulky as some hoodies are prone to doing. It’s so soft as well, always a bonus! It costs £40 which is comparable to many a high street retailer, the difference here being that you can be assured that your new cosy sweat is as organic and fairtrade as humanely possible.

It’s not just hoodies you’ll find on Follow The River either- there’s t-shirts, vests and jumpers for both men and women all made to the same high standard and with quirky designs that make for the perfect gift for anyone who likes to be comfortable and ethically conscious.

I couldn’t resist photographing this jumper with my glittery (and LED soled) ASOS wellies which I bought for my trip to Scotland, a complete gimmick I know, but they make me so happy!

Let me know in the comments if you’ve discovered any small brands that deserve some love, I highly recommend Follow The River for quality, value and ethics. The packaging also deserves a mention, there’s no plastic here, nope, you can expect your purchase in classy brown paper packaging that adds to the overall experience.

end

Posted in brands I love, fashion, gifts, lifestyle, outfits, personal style

Permalink 2 Comments

the cosiest jumper in the world

23rd October 2017
I’m absolutely delighted to see an abundance of chenille on the high street as we run in to the coldest months of the year. Ever since I was small I’ve loved the look and feel of it and wear it instantly makes me feel snug and secure. On a recent and long overdue shopping trip with my Mum I fell in love with THE most perfect chenille jumper of them all- from the colour to the fit it ticked all the right boxes and it just had to come home with me- Mum clearly felt the same way as she pounced upon and purchased the pink version within seconds!

Jumper: Pull and Bear (here) | Skirt: Monki (on sale at ASOS) | Boots: Banana Republic

How great is this bright Teal shade? At £19.99 it’s also one of the most affordable chenille jumpers I’ve seen on my travels with the added bonus that it isn’t cropped- call me old fashioned but I just don’t get cropped jumpers…the whole point is to be warm and snuggly in them, clearly I am just showing my age here though as the damn things are everywhere.

Rant over, the skirt is also a recent purchase as I loved the entire cosmic print range Monki bought out. I already picked up the dress so when I saw the skirt reduced to £16.50 in the ASOS sale I couldn’t help myself.

It’s so nice to be able to shop again- I’m pretty much back to working full time hours now, most of the time and actually having some spare cash after over a year of having to watch every single penny is so nice. It was also amazing to have an afternoon of un-interrupted mother and daughter time, since we both took on new job roles we very rarely get to spend much time together so we appreciate it all the more when we do get the chance.

It’s been a while since I did an outfit post, life has genuinely been so busy and this has reflected in the type of content I’ve churned out on my blog. I’m really hoping that now I’ve got in to a routine and I’m finally started to feel a bit more settled and confident in my changing body shape and size that I can get back to sharing a bit more of my personal style in amongst the likely plethora of gift guides and lifestyle posts.

If there’s anything you’d like to see more of on the blog or anything you’d like me to answer then feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below. I was going to some kind of “life lately” update post but I’m not all that sure how interesting that would be, and I might just save it for an end of the year recap given that before we know it we’ll be entering the start of 2018 (what a startling realisation that is!)

Anyone else feeling the chenille love?

end

Posted in fashion, life, outfits, personal style, shopping

Permalink 5 Comments