The fear of bra shopping...

I finally plucked up the courage to go bra shopping today, something I've needed to do for a while... And it got me to thinking, why am I so scared of asking for help with fitting my bra?

I tried my normal tactic, picking up some styles I like in the approximate size I think I am. Five bras later and none of them fitted. So I stood in the changing rooms and wondered if I should go home and try again another day. And then a deep breath I walked out and asked for help.

For some reason the very idea is one which I get slightly unsettled by. Even though I know I need to get some advice and buy the right size I still shy away from it and have a drawer full of semi-fitting bras.

It also made me think about all those statistics of 90% of women wearing the wrong sized bra, how did this come to be? Or is that just marketing puff. When did we not get taught how to shop for the right size. Who is to blame?!

Should there be compulsary fitting with every new purchase to try and avoid this. Should we be taught at school the importance of buying the right size. And then almost as importantly, how is it right that even once you have been sized different brands fit in different ways. I know this brand size difference is the same for clothes as well as underwear but it just doesn't seem right that it's like this.

Thankfully Selfridges have lots of very helpful and lovely staff and a lady arrived to help me with my fitting. She was very sweet and I've managed to find two bras which actually fit! Now to relax until the next time...

New Purchases!

Following on from my wardrobe edit I have been shopping! So I thought I would share with you my recent purchases :)

This is the Wonder dress from French Connection. I saw it and thought it looked like the right shape but they only had a size 10 (US 6 I think) and I'm normally a 12. Anyhow I figured best to try it on, following Kate's advice, and so on it went, just.... It fits really nicely at the top but is very tight around the bottom. So I bought it anyway! Just in case there's not a 12 for me to try on somewhere else and exchange it with.

My next purchase was on Sunday. This is the same belt which Make Do Style has posted about before. Ideally I would have bought the Citrine belt but it seems they have sold out. So Coral it is. Belt from Karen Millen.

I'm therefore feeling quite excited about my purchases and hoping they're good ones for the future. Now to check J likes the dress and doesn't think it too tight and then we're away!

Wardrobe edits and shopping lists

Today I was very very lucky and got treated to a Wardrobe edit with the very lovely Kate of Make Do Style. To be honest I was a little terrified as I knew how much my wardrobe really needed it. A lot of it is very outdated and I've never really know what suits me or what my body shape quite is. I've also been feeling a little uncomfortable in my body recently, my hormones have been a little all over the place with the introduction of Mirena and this comes out with me feeling lumpy and fat. J tells me it isn't the case but I still struggle to let myself believe him when he tells me.

So armed with my new advice I have decided to create a shopping list so I can shop to list from here on in and hopefully inject some youth and style into my wardrobe. I shall report back following purchases!

1. Belts - one coloured and patent, one brown
2. Boyfriend cardigan
3. New bras
4. Maxi dress
5. Dress (above the knee)
6. Skirts (above the knee)
7. A couple of t-shirts

And then my guidelines for shopping are buy the right size (I tend to buy clothes too big because I believe I am that size), buy shorter, always above the knee, tighter and less fussy on the hips, plus more youthful!

Kate - I hope I've got this right and thank-you again, I so very much appreciate this. I am looking forward to shopping now in the hope that I really can buy the right clothes!

Oh and finally I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who feels like they're a bit stuck with their wardrobe and body image. It is wonderful and so worth it!

Where can I get this dress?

Photo from Sky Showbiz

I think I am in love. This dress is perfect, fitted but not too much so, knee length, v-neck, 3/4 length and I think would suit me down to a tee. Does anyone know where it's from? And if it's super expensive where I can get something similar?

Oh and the shoes and necklace are pretty awesome too :)

Clothes Swap 2

On Saturday my sister held another clothes swap. This time there were five of us and we were a little more selective on the clothes we bought. Plus my sister made us a proper tea party beforehand. So below we have, homemade carrot cake (yummy, yummy, yummy) chocolate brownies, ham sandwiches and cucumber sandwiches, tea and pink bubbles. It was lovely and a great way to start the afternoon's fun.

And then on to the clothes swap. Lovely piles of pretty things which were all like new. We tried, some worked, some not so well. And then we did a sales session, who wanted what. Again we were somehow very good at not arguing over who got what, one coin toss solved that all.

I got two news scarves and two new tops. Really nice, handy for winter and of course I got rid of some bits and bobs as well. Which is always good in a tiny house in London!

So sister is planning another one in Spring, twice a year for the seasons. And more 'new' clothes every now and then with no guilt. Any questions about how we did it let me know.

And now for the dress on me

For those of you who were interested here's me in the dress. I love the pockets!

And now for the shoes...

So here's where it gets exciting. I now have to get new shoes to go with the dress, yippee! None of the pairs I currently own will work. I've been looking online for ideas but I get too easily distracted into just looking at beautiful shoes which I can drool about and dream about! Anyhow, some ideas so far...


Number 1 - Rupert Sanderson

Image Matches fashion

Number 2 - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Image Matches Fashion

I love the second ones, the blue is amazing, and they look comfy (ish). But here I hit my big problem, J is shorter than me so I don't like wearing huge heels with him, where can I find fabulous but smaller heeled shoes which aren't ridiculously expensive and match the dress?!

And then of course there's the hat or fascinator to think about. The lovely Anna has already given me some great suggestions and then I'm thinking of trying to make it myself...

I did it!

I bought a dress! Online, which terrifies me, but it fits and looks nice so all is good and the search is over. Plus J likes it which is the ultimate test and here it is...

Image from Matches fashion

It's McQ by Alexander McQueen and is a lovely colour. Do you like it?

M x

Another day another dress...

Dress from Oasis

So I saw this dress today and I have to say it's a contender for the wedding. I know it's black but it's one shouldered which I still really like, has feathers and looks like a shape which might suit me, although I'm guessing those feathers could also do some expanding to the hip area...

Guess I should just get my lazy ass to the shops and try some bad boys on and then start making decisions, but until then I shall post little lovelies on here for me to dream of.

And thanks for your comments so far on the other dress! They are so very lovely and helpful.

M x

Wedding wear advice needed

This could be an ongoing series of posts until about August but here goes with the first. I am going to one wedding this year, which is the wedding of my sister-in-law. It's an English summer wedding where I've been asked to do a reading. So I need help with what to wear. Here is one of the options I've found, not tried on yet but think it could perhaps work. Although is it too casual and maternity wear like?

Dress and Image from Mangoshop.com

Any ideas for places to look, I've already tried Liberty and Reiss to no avail. English or London shops and ideally ones where I can try it on! I'm still not very good at internet shopping!

So then I should give you some criteria so you can help me with my search :)

• Colourful
• Strapless or one shouldered
• Possibly maxi but not for definite
  
• Weddingy but not too dressy
  

Am I perhaps just too fussy?! Any and all help so much appreciated!

New shoes!

Sshh, don't tell J or he might try and get me to throw away a pair, remember the one-in-one-out policy I mentioned a long time ago... but here are my new Banana Republic sandals. I haven't been able to wear them yet, London has been grey and miserable. But I am very excited about their first test run, and fingers crossed they don't rip my feet to shreds! Hope you like them :)

New Green Shoes!

Inspired by Rachel and Blog Goggles I today purchased new shoes! Woohoo! I mostly wear flats, being both tall and having deformed enough feet I figure this is sensible but finding relatively inexpensive comfortable flats is not easy. The last pair I bought are too small. However I still wear them, I know, I know I shouldn't but I have no other options. So today I purchased some summery green flats as below:
They are from Toast where I have never shopped before, but Rachel says they're comfortable and I like the green and hopefully they will soon be whizzing through the postal system to me. Fingers crossed they fit!

This does of course mean that I will now have to rid myself of a pair of shoes, for those of you who don't know, J has enforced a one in one out policy on shoes for me. Which is actually good, it does make me think more about my purchases knowing that something will have to go if something new appears. But perhaps I can sneak these ones in, tee hee!

Anyone else have a shoe policy? Apart from buying and owning as many as possible :)

New Shorts!

I was so very excited last year when Banana Republic opened on Regent Street and flew in and oohed and aahed at all the pretty things there. And then I looked at the price tag and saw the prices. They were charging £80 for something which was $80 online and this was when the exchange rate was more in our favour! So I slunk out, and thought of all the beautiful pieces for the office which were right up my street and decided to wait for the sales. Well the sales haven't yet come but their prices have got considerably better and as I had the day of yesterday I just happened to be walking past when I found these:

I have been looking for shorts forever! Nice ones which aren't too short but also not too long. Short length is one of those things which can really change how your legs look. And won't they just be perfect for beach walks in Sicily and for summer days. I'm not sure if you can see in the pictures but they're blue and white pinstriped. And now they're mine!

It's just a shame my legs aren't as slim and are currently so white they're reflective, oh to be an English girl...

Clothes Swap

On Saturday my sister hosted a clothes swap party. It was a first for both of us and actually for the other girls who came too. And it was great fun!

We started with some wine and nibbles, to get us in the mood and getting to know each other a bit. Then we all displayed our wares... Which was quite fun, you feel like you want to sell your clothes as it would be sad to bring them all and then bring them all home again.

And then the fun began. The trying on. We all dived in and picked up pieces we liked, tried them, laughed or oohed and went on to the next piece. Gradually some pieces worked better on some people and piles grew of the clothes that were liked.

Once we had all finished going through everything we had what could be called an auction. Kind of. Each person in turn lifted up pieces they liked and on the whole they were uncontested. The couple of items that were contested were just agreed about by the people who wanted them. How much they wanted them how many other pieces they had etc.

I came away with a dress, two tops and a pair of shoes. I also got rid of a skirt and a couple of tops. So pretty even.

I would definitely do this again, when I have enough clothes to give away. I'm still trying to build up my wardrobe to contain enough stuff I love to be able to swap items!

Dress dreams

I've been dreaming of summer days and dresses since the wedding. And I've also been dreaming of shopping for those summer dresses, on my walk home last night I glanced into TopShop and saw this dress:

Which I happen to think is quite cute and would be perfect for that Spring to Summer transition. Perhaps I might just purchase it to cheer me up, I've been suffering a rather grotty cold these last few days and feel deserving. Hmmmm