Category Archives: outfits

Is it actually Spring yet?

27th March 2019
How gorgeous is the weather right now guys? I can’t help but feel cautiously optimistic that Spring has sprung, although having lived in this country for the best part of 32 years now I know it could all change by tea time.

I’ve been sat on these photos for a while, unsure if could bring myself to post them. I appear to have found myself in hyper self critical mode again, and when I’m not overthinking every inch of my body my thoughts have turned to facial expression, my hair, my everything.

So what’s finally made me do it? Well, to be honest I just wanted to post something that wasn’t a review and reflects what I’ve been wearing lately. I picked up this dress on ASOS a few weeks ago whilst on a desperate mission for some new work clothes; all of sudden it felt like everything I owned was too tight and that I had gone up three sizes overnight. Turns out that wasn’t the case, but it’s scary how I could physically feel a difference that wasn’t there. Eating disorder recovery isn’t all about re-discovering food and living happily ever after; even being so close to the finish line it’s amazing what anorexia can make you believe.

I ended up buying two dresses from the Vero Moda brand and I think they might be my new go-to. They both fitted exactly as I needed them too (skimming over my perceived bloated belly) whilst still looking smart- this poppy printed version can easily be dressed up for an evening too, and is perfect for this between seasons kind of dressing.
I’m currently signed off work for a week with a rather nasty flare of sciatica, the likes of which I haven’t had since pre back surgery. It’s not much fun and seems to have been made that much worse by the fact I’m bloody terrified that the enforced inactivity might make me balloon further.

I’m finding recovery almost impossible to fathom at the moment. I’ve come so far but I truly feel like overcoming these last hurdles might break me.
On the flip side to that, I’m using all of my mental and physical capacity to push on through; with the holiday of a lifetime coming up soon and so many exciting plans for after that I know I can’t afford to give up.

I’ll always be able to find new clothes, like this dress to flatter and conceal a body I am not yet used to and not quite ready to love. You can’t buy true health though, nor the things that achieving it will bring.

I have no idea where all of this mental overspill has come from, but hey, I have a new dress and I love it- admire away and feel free to have skipped the babble!

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

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Cat Lady Fashion feat. Oasis

27th February 2019
A few days ago I posted a spring dress wish list and mentioned that I’d re-discovered the high street hero that is Oasis. They’d somehow slipped off of my radar for a while but a month or so ago a fellow crazy cat lady at work mentioned they had some fabulous feline themed pieces in store, and with a shopping tripped planned with my Mum that weekend it seemed only right that I pay them a visit.
It was a tough call between this dress and this jumper but after trying both on it was swiftly decided that it was the skater dress that was coming home with me.
This dress is just part of a partnership with the animal charity Blue Cross which provides support for pets, and pet owners in need, ensuring they can access affordable veterinary care and finds homes for abandoned animals. I could quite easily have taken everything home as I had forgotten just how well Oasis clothes fit and how good quality they are.
It’s not just this collection that has caught my eye either. Oasis are currently killing it with their new arrivals and it’s seriously paining me that I can’t afford to go on a wild spending spree (especially as they are running 25% off some of their seasonal styles at the moment).

For now I’ll just enjoy my latest addition to my ever growing cat themed clothing collection. Is being the wrong side of 30 a bit old for this kind of novelty print? Not a chance…not in my book anyway…the more cats the better for this lady.

Posted in brands I love, cats, dresses, fashion, outfits, personal style, shopping

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Hit Refresh

16th February 2019
Is there anything better than a fresh hair colour to pull you out of a funk? Finding this perfect red shade via my local hairdresser a couple of years ago marked a real turning point for me; it became the shade that signified re-finding my confidence after a hellish few years, and getting back out there in to the real world and embracing recovery with everything I had.

Last weekend, determined to pull me out of my January blues, Bob packed me off to the salon (he kinda owed me after telling me he’d never seen me with so many grey hairs) and I came home re-vitalised and ready to plough on through these last few kilos of weight restoration and turn my life in to something even more fulfilling than it already is.

I picked this dress up in the & other stories sale after Christmas. Still an extravagant purchase for me, but I couldn’t leave it behind. It’s exactly the kind of thing the true me loves to wear, and being all floaty and forgiving it’s perfect for those all too frequent days where body image isn’t my best friend.
And so far this refresh is working, it’s not easy, in fact this is probably the hardest phase of recovery from an eating disorder. My BMI is no longer wedged far down in to the underweight category, and arguably I don’t look underweight in the slightest. I live in silent fear of being judged for my decision to add another 5kg to my frame despite knowing I’m doing it to enable all the things I still want to achieve to happen.

Time is ticking and I know that if I want to start a family, if I want to live the rest of my life in a world where I don’t count every calorie or scrutinise every menu within an inch of it’s life I need to do this. And what’s shameful about wanting to be the best version of myself I can possibly be? What’s so wrong about wanting to have a healthy figure that has the energy and strength to start running again, or embrace the great outdoors and go on long hikes or bike rides with my boyfriend or my friends and family?

I couldn’t resist adding in this picture of Pablo and I, taken in one of his rare co-operative moments. It’s hard to believe he ever fitted in to the palm of my hand, or nestled in to my neck when we first met him at 8 weeks old. He’s a right little character who keeps us on our toes- he’s obsessed with foil, meows relentlessly at the fridge for slices of cooked chicken, he’s destroyed every toy we’ve bought him and makes our living room look like a toddler tornado has run through it. But he’s the sweetest, most sociable little creature and yet another addition to my life that simply wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t hit refresh two and a half years ago.

Posted in dresses, fashion, life, life stuff, lifestyle, outfits, personal style, recovery

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Ace the Races with PrettyLittleThing*

03rd February 2019
It’s been a very long time since a brand approached me about a clothing collaboration so I was more than a little bit excited when PrettyLittleThing got in touch about styling up some race day worthy outfits. I’ve never been to the races myself but have seen plenty of coverage from those who have and I had my own idea of the kind of style I’d like to sport- PrettyLittleThing have everyone covered though with a huge selection and my toughest choice was narrowing my selection down! In the end I picked two outfits that I feel wouldn’t be out of place at even the grandest of race days, I’d love to know what you think and what you’d have picked.

Dress | Shoes both c/o PrettyLittleThing

I fell in love with the retro vibe of this chocolate brown midi dress instantly, the sleeve detail is so unique and it hangs beautifully. I wouldn’t usually go for such a delicate shoe but I love how the rose gold looks with this outfit, and despite having to size up in the shoes (hello wide feet woes) they are a lot more comfortable than they look.

Dress | Shoes | Bag all c/o PrettyLittleThing

This emerald green dress is unlike anything I have ever owned before and I was in two minds about picking it as I wasn’t sure a plunging neckline would be my friend. Thankfully it worked, although a bit more in the boobs department might have helped! I was taken by the tied cuff details and the wrap around effect, I kept shoes more subtle this time as the dress is far more revealing than anything I usually wear, and I couldn’t resist adding in this little marabou feather clutch bag for a finishing touch.
Have you ever been to the races before? As a complete novice, how did I do with my outfit selections?

Posted in blogging, brands I love, dresses, fashion, look book, outfits, personal style, shoes

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Return of the Tights

29th November 2018

Once upon a time I was known for my love of crazy tights; back when my blog was brand new, right up until a couple of years ago my motto was “the bolder the better” and my collection branched in to triple digits territory.

So what happened? I grew up I suppose, got a full time job where neon orange legs weren’t acceptable and I became generally too conscious of what other people might be thinking of me. Just as I’ve finally started to become comfortable with who I am, and have begun to branch out a bit with my style again the folks at UK Tights got in touch and gave me free reign in adding to my collection…determined not to stick to boring 60 denier black I tried to branch out and the results are below.

Dress: Pull and Bear | Tights c/o UK Tights (Jonathan Aston) | Boots: LOTD

Dress: La Redoute (similar) | Tights c/o UK Tights (Cecilia De Rafael) | Boots: LOTD

Jumper: Next | Skirt: New Look | Tights c/o UK Tights (Cecilia De Rafael) | Boots: Very

Whilst I’m not about to jump back in to stockpiling tights in a rainbow of colours it was SO good to be back wearing what is so typically me! I was hesitant at first of drawing too much attention to my legs as I am finding myself increasingly self conscious as my weight creeps up, but with a bit of careful consideration about what to pair them with I had a great time thinking up ways to style the tights and felt brave enough to leave the house in them too (from the girl who has been living in the same pair of jeans at weekends for months on end now).

I’ll be the first to admit that I was hesitant about whether investing in tights was a great idea, I mean, can you really tell your Primark from your Pretty Polly? Well, actually, yes, you can- another addition to my quality over quantity approach- three pairs of tights that I’ll actually wear vs. 100 pairs of cheapies that will never see the light of day? That’s value for money.

Posted in brands I love, fashion, outfits, personal style, tights

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