February Newbies - Rationale & Reason

Friday 1 March 2019

#AD - Paid Collaboration with VeryUk

February's a funny month fashion wise isn't it? There's still some dregs from the sales (bargain cashmere jumpers anyone?) but I've really got my eye on the newbies coming in. Those new things which give your wardrobe a bit of a kick start. The eagle eyed will have already spotted some of my new additions on Instagram thanks to Very.co.uk who I'm working with. I like to think I've chosen a well rounded mix of high low items because that's how I shop anyway. A bargain here offset by a (cough cough) not so much bargain there. I thought I'd do a little round up and provide a little bit of rationale and reason behind my picks.

Now I've always wanted a camel coat. I have never found that elusive camel coat - well I tell a lie, I did find it but I went and bought it in another colour instead which I thought would be more useful and guess what - I've never regretted it. So that tells me something - I don't really need a camel coat or they are not for me. But this Mango wool mix one is along similar lines but a little darker in tone. Basically a lot more wearable for me. I still ummed and aahed over it though as I worried it might be overly boxy and made of some horrid sackcloth type fabric which would make you roll your eyes out loud but as you will have probably deduced - it came good.



Was I seduced by the 65% wool content. No. I am not that much of a stickler for things like that - I covered that off years ago in a blog post here about fabrics. There are good things and bad things to be said for natural fibres and there are good things and bad things to be said about man made. Wool makes some people itch. Polyester makes some people run screaming for the hills. As it is, this coat is a combination of both and is probably all the better for it as the polyester content stops it from creasing. Things I hate include sitting in a car in a pristine outfit to roll out at the end of a two hour journey with enough wrinkles to rival a Sharpei. I don't look like a Sharpei in this coat. Similar colour admittedly but minus the wrinkles.

And it might seem a little daft that I'm buying a coat like this in spring - well it also happens to be the perfect autumn coat. Think ahead! Think ahead!

Anyway, moving on. Trainers. Pink trainers. Pink Nike Air Max One Trainers. 



Yes I already have some but now I have another pair and they have have helped me to scratch that pink itch I get each year when I feel some strange compulsion to factor pink in to my wardrobe. Generally I live in all the dark shades but come spring, I start coming over all girly. I can't help it, it just happens. Did I have doubts about these? Yes. I have doubts about everything I buy until I see them in the flesh and work out what gives and what doesn't. And the thing with Nike Air Max One is that they are the perfect fugly non fugly trainer which will still be around when the proper fugly bricks have all been laid to fashion heaven. How am I wearing these pink sneaks? With a long dress most likely. I like the juxtaposition of pretty versus clunky. I don't like doing full on pretty pretty - I am a mum of boys and somehow somewhere along the way, my girly side has been suppressed a little. I don't actually mind because I did always think that if I had had a little girl, I would have stuck her in a pair of jeans and a Nirvana tee shirt anyway. And Docs. 

So are Nike Air Max One comfy? Yes. Are they true to size? Yes. Are they cool? Who knows - I like them and you should wear what YOU like.

And you know how they always say the early bird snags the best summer fashion stuff? Well yes summer is a little way ahead and we have to get through spring first but didn't we just have #fakespring this last week of February? #fakesummer can't be far off so obviously I had to go for the perfect little black dress when I spotted it. 



It's actually the most perfect little black BUFFET dress from River Island  - to be worn with a pair of cycling shorts or Bridget Jones style pants to preserve your modesty just incase a wayward gust of wind comes whipping past. It's viscose which is a nice light breathable material and it's not as short as some similar dresses on the market currently which makes it a little more age appropriate for someone  well ..... my age .... or taller than me. But for the time being, throw a slouchy cardigan over it and pop a pair of jeans underneath and you're good to go. I do love clothes which transition so well through the seasons. Oh and just incase you were interested - they do a snake print version too here which looks pretty good. But I like black. I always like black.

If you've followed me a while, you'll not that I am not really a tee shirt girl. I am a shirt girl. And now I am a stripy shirt girl.



I like shirts because they're not clingy around the middle and they hide a multitude of middle aged sins. What sins you may ask? Gotcha! You can't tell, because I hide them well under my shirts. I picked the above cotton stripe one as it's just one of those basics which you reach for at the weekend or at least what I reach for at the weekend when I want to look a little pulled together but not total Waynetta. And besides stripes are always good - horizontal or vertical.

Lastly, the eighties called and they want their jumper with the fluro stripe sleeves back. 



Along with tie dye, neon is having a moment. I'm going with the neon as I've yet to find anything tie dye I want to have a relationship with. It's not me tie dye - it's you! So neon it is and I've done it in the safest way I could with a navy jumper with the brightest loudest shoutiest fluro pink stripe down the arms I could find. You have no idea how bright this actually is. The hubs may have raised his eyebrows at this one.  But you know what, you wouldn't lose me on a mountain in this.

Do you know, I haven't written this much in a blog post for ages -it's quite carthartic having a little chunner like that. So - nothing too outrageous this month and I don't think I looked like I was wearing anything I wouldn't normally or picked anything that didn't feel like me. I hope you thought that too.



* This is part of my paid collaboration with VeryUk


Susie So So