Loungewear Life with Femme Luxe*

Tracksuit c/o Femme Luxe*

Undoubtedly the biggest trend in fashion right now is loungewear, it might not be the most flattering of ensembles but it sure is comfortable, and very forgiving- perfect for accommodating all of those lockdown snacks!
I might be going to work each day, but trust me, the second I get home I am straight in to my comfy clothes, and this tracksuit that I was kindly sent by Femme Luxe is my new favourite thing to chill out in.

Tee c/o Femme Luxe*

Along with the tracksuit I was sent this t-shirt which is THE perfect oversized tee, ideal for wearing with the jogging bottoms for some hard work in our poor, neglected little garden, or for slinging on with jeans. This is literally my dream fit for a t-shirt (and yet I failed to get a decent photo of it) and I’ll definitely be picking up a few more for every day wear.

Lockdown life is strange, I’m not one of those people who can sit around the house doing not a lot. I like to be busy, I like to have missions and I think I’d be going stir-crazy if I didn’t have to leave the house each day for work.
But at the same time I am enjoying the enforced staying at home on the weekends, and on my birthday. Bob and I are working our way through Vikings on Amazon prime, we’ve finally started to overhaul our garden after neglecting it last year, and I’ve done more baking in the last few weeks than I have in the last few years.
I think this can teach us all some valuable lessons about how to relax, how to take pleasure in being at home. It’s hard not to see family or friends, especially when they all live so near by, but I know, personally that I’ll enjoy every second I get to spend with them once this ends.

See the full loungewear collection

One thing I will miss when things start to go back to normal is the wearing of pyjamas or loungewear all weekend long. Tracksuits for the weekend, a day in leggings and a giant blanket for my birthday… there’s nothing better after a manic day at work than changing in to a fresh set of comfies and collapsing on the sofa with a g&t in one hand and some snacks in the other!

The Dream Team

Dress: New Look | Boots: Zara

It feels strange putting up an outfit post right now, given the current situation (and also the fact that is over 20 degrees in the house and I’m currently wearing a pair of Bob’s shorts and a vest top). But here I am anyway, justifying to myself that the reason I am posting these now is that I’ve finally grown the balls to do so. These photos date back to February. I’ve been sat on them ever since because I hated how I look in them. But it’s not about me, it’s about the dreamy dress and ankle boots, about an outfit I felt happy in before I caught sight of myself and my face. So here we go- that polka dot dress that featured in a wish list post, and the most perfect ankle boots I have ever owned, snapped up for a bargain price in the Zara sale.

This post is also about trying to gain some normality in distinctly abnormal times. None of us thought, when we rolled in to 2020 that it would turn out like this, never in a million years.

And I consider myself lucky. I have the chance to leave my house every day during the week, to go to work in a GP surgery (despite the ever rising anxiety as I step out of the front door) where I work in a desk based role, making sure people get the prescriptions they need. And I’m not singing my own praises here, far from it. I am not one of the brave and courageous NHS workers that are being (rightly) applauded right now. I am there to support my incredible clinical colleagues as they make tough decisions and put themselves out there to make sure every patient that makes contact with us gets what they need. I get to feel the fresh air each morning, and each evening, and come home each night, a little stressed out but nothing more than that.

This whole situation is really good at making you take stock about what matters. What matters is that we come together, that we all do what we need to do to get through this. None of us know what we’re doing, but if we work together we can muddle along.

It’s sad, sad to not be able to spend time with my parents, or visit my Grandad who lives just around the corner, knowing he’s alone. It breaks my heart not to be able to travel to see my cousins and my aunt, give them a hug- which whilst would do nothing to heal the grief they are going through right now, having lost a great man to this virus, it would maybe bring the kind of comfort that only family can bring. It hurts not to be able to make a journey to see those that really need to be seen before it’s too late. Some rules were made to be broken, but some, like this lockdown, are not.

It puts my own battles in to a new kind of perspective. It doesn’t make them any easier to deal with, but it does make me realise how little they matter, how what they stand for and what my mind clings on to is so trivial. It fuels that fire to fight. When this is over I intend to live life with a new perspective; I suspect so many of us are. And in some funny way, writing this post, sharing these photos and this outfit…that’s the start of that.

This is not the post I had in my mind to write. I don’t even know what this is to be honest. Just a jumble of words that have been flowing through my brain, laid out to be read, to be judged, to maybe be related to.

Happy Easter weekend everyone. Stay in. Safe stay.

SS20 Swimwear from Protest*

I’m not an avid swimmer (actually, I’m just flat out not much of a swimmer at all), and I have no beach holidays booked in and yet every year as soon as the swimwear campaigns start finding their way on to the high street I am inexplicably compelled to browse them all, compiling massive wish lists of bikinis and swimsuits that I’d never get the wear from; either through lack of confidence or lack of plans.

Most recently I’ve come across the brand Protest and their SS20 collection of swim and sportswear. A brand founded in Holland, they design functional yet stylish pieces that balance practicality with innovation. I’m smitten with so much of the collection, and unlike many of the high street brands, I can actually envisage myself wearing a lot of their bikinis as they seem to be cut more for activity than simply laying horizontal on a sun lounger (i.e. they look to cover a bit more than the absolute bare essentials!)

My favourite bikini style is the triangle bikini as I find it the most flattering on my small chest. I do find them a little on the skimpy side but balanced out with some higher waisted briefs it’s my holiday go-to.
Protest all have a huge variety of push up bikinis too, for those wanting a bit more boost or support. Again, they look super flattering with higher rise bottoms and the prints and colours are gorgeous.

Of course men haven’t been neglected, the swim shorts selection is vast, with more prints than you can shake a stick at. I showed Bob the collection to see what he thought, and at last count there were at least five pairs he rather fancied for himself.

Protest is a new brand on my radar, but one that is most certainly staying put. I’ve heard rumour that my Mum and I might be booking a girly break to Spain later in the year, and having outgrown my current scant collection of swimwear I think investing in something good quality and confidence inspiring would be worthwhile.

If you’re tempted for yourself you can get 10% off purchases with the code daisychain10
This code is valid until June 30 2020.

Let me know if anything has caught your eye, and if you decide to treat yourself. I’ll make sure to share any purchases I make on the blog or on my social media.

*collaborative post*

Gone but Never Forgotten

Dress: The WhitePepper | Boots: ASOS (a couple of years ago)

There are some pieces in my wardrobe that 100% don’t get enough love; this outfit represents that. I was actually looking for something else entirely when I re-found these boots and remembered how little I wear them, and this dress is one of my favourite ever purchases from one of my favourite ever brands. I’m still not over the loss of The WhitePepper from the virtual high-street, never have I coveted so many pieces from one shop, and it’s loss has scarred me to the same level as the loss of Tammy Girl from my adolescent life.

This outfit, and the rediscovery of these boots also made me realise how much I neglect my clothing choices a lot of the time these days, and how I especially neglect my footwear choices.
I used to have a vast (under-statement) collection of shoes and I wore and loved them all. Then I broke my foot and injured my back, and whilst I can now stand in heels (walking in them is another matter) without causing extreme discomfort I have fallen in to the habit of flat ankle boots for work, and the same boots or trainers out of work.

Clothing choice wise I used to not be afraid to stand out. My work wear and out of work wear represented my personality far more than my current rotation of outfits does. I put a lot of this down to being older now, now I’m in to my thirties I have an idea that perhaps I should blend in a bit more, dress less like I’m in my early twenties. That an a chronic loss of confidence mean my work wardrobe revolves around five key pieces, and despite owning many outfits for all manner of occasions, out of work I mostly end up in the same baggy dresses or, when feeling especially brave, a pair of jeans.

Am I too old to dress as I used to? I probably am for some of the crazy shit I used to put together, but I would like to get back to not caring so much, for allowing myself to stand out a little more and to actually feel confident in what I’m wearing, rather than drab and like I’ve given in.

Which high-street brands do you miss the most?

What’s on my wish list? #3

And here we are again, my plans for a return to regular blogging scuppered by de-motivation. The motivation to blog is there, but the motivation involved in sitting down and putting fingers to keyboard is kind of lacking. Still. I hope that with longer days and brighter weather my slump lifts, it can’t continue, it’s a mystery to me why it even started in the first place to be honest…but anyway, enough of that and on to the latest wish list post (which contains some affiliate links FYI).

Skirt | AllSaints: I very rarely browse the AllSaints website, it is so firmly out of my budget and yet so full of things I want to own it’s ridiculous. Occasionally though I slip up and allow myself a peek, inevitably I then fall in love with twenty thousand things I can only ever dream of owning, this skirt being one of them.
Coat | AllSaints: This coat is another from my AllSaints indulgence and I just love that big over-sized collar and graphic pattern. There are many reasons why I will never own this coat, the price being the main one, the second highest reason on the list is the colour. I am one of life’s mucky people and I will never in a billion years be able to keep this clean.
Dress | Joanie: My obsession with anything space themed is second only to my obsession with cat themed items of clothing or accessories. I zoned in on this Joanie dress the second I popped on to their website. It is quite frankly out of this world (sorry).
Dress | New Look: New Look are consistently nailing it with their new arrivals at the moment. First there wast that polka dot dress from a few weeks ago (which I eventually managed to get my hands on) and now there is this daisy printed dream. Hurry up payday, my wardrobe needs this dress, perfect for the trans-seasonal transition that is ahead of us.
Skirt | Nobody’s Child: I’m not usually big on red but there is just something about this skirt. Again it’s great for that awkward time between seasons- ideal with a chunky knit now, and a ribbed tee when the warmer days finally arrive. I love the ethos of Nobody’s Child as a brand and I want to make this year the year that I introduce them to my wardrobe.
Dress | Thunder Egg: There will always be a special place in my heart for skater dresses and this lightning bolt beauty from Thunder Egg perfectly represents why. Flattering, versatile and the right side of quirky, it’s love at first sight. I’m going to have to do some saving to afford the £60 price tag but this dress is the dream.