Portchester Castle | Just You And Me And The English Channel

Hey guys,

I'm sorry that it's been quiet here over the last few days. We lost our Internet connection on Sunday night, and spent the last few days going cold turkey from the wonderful world of the Internet. Thankfully the problem is solved since I'm now back at home where we have a super fast connection. Hopefully I can bribe you in to forgiving me with this outfit post...

On Monday, my sister and I took a little drive over to Portchester Castle again, hoping to have a walk along the water in the snow. We were a little gutted to see most of the snow had cleared from the castle, but I guess that sea salt probably dissolved most of it on Friday when the snow first fell. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day, and we had a lovely walk around the perimeter of the castle, which is surrounded by the sea for about half the walk. It was absolutely freezing, though, so I took the opportunity to wear my ASOS burgundy knit dress outside, which I'd bought with the intention of wearing it to keep warm in the snow. I also borrowed my sister's wellies, so I was all set.

Most of the snow at the castle had melted, but we could see all the buildings and fields in the distance dusted in snow. It almost looked like a ski resort in the distance.

There were dozens of wading birds out in the shallows which I'd never seen before, like this mottled brown bird with a long curved beak.

And also lots of these black and white birds standing on one leg like a flamingo, which I think are Oyster Catchers. Maybe.

The tide was out and what you can see behind me is tons of sea weed and algae. It smelt great!

Not the most flattering picture of me, but I was more concerned with keeping warm, and wearing shoes that wouldn't make me slip and cause more damage to my back. I'm wearing a pair of Joules wellibobs on my feet, which do unfortunately hide the smallest part of the legs.

I didn't notice the little chapel and cemetery last time, but it looked so pretty in the snow. Is it odd that I find graveyards interesting?

There was still a fair amount of snow on the grass on the grounds. Snow just makes everything more photogenic.

This is the view that awaits you when you arrive or leave.

Now on to the outfit...

This walk was one of the first times I've worn this knit dress, which I bought before Christmas from ASOS. I'd lusted after it from late summer when it landed online, because I could see it would be perfect for cold snowy walks. It certainly lived up to my expectations. 

It may sound odd, but I was drawn to the dress, because of the v neck. Most knit dresses I've seen tend to have scoop necks, which I hate because they broaden my shoulders... or at least I'm convinced they do. V necks on the other hand are flattering on broad shoulders, as they draw the eyes down from the shoulders. Sold!

The dress is the perfect thickness for me; it's fairly thin, but thick enough to provide warmth. I can't wear chunky knits for long as I get so over heated in them. It is however, a little see through in places, so I wore a red slip from another dress underneath to disguise the fact I was wearing a polka dot bra. Problem solved! 

I bought the smallest size in the Curve range, but could have easily sized down once or twice, so I'd advise doing so if you have that option. It's not too noticeably loose, and it's cosy and comfortable, so I'm not too phased by that. I also have to mention that these knit dresses are longer than they appear on the models. They're long midis, which fall a couple of inches below the knee on my 5'6'' height. You shorter ladies may need or prefer to have it shortened.

As well as this lovely oxblood red dress, I also have the mustard variation (both sold out now), and they also come in black and navy.

I wore purple leggings with this dress, plus my denim jacket and cut off crochet gloves for warmth, and a pair of ankle wellies so I could walk in the snow. The wellies weren't ideal with this outfit, but I had to overlook that for the sake of my safety this time.

What I Wore

Knit Dress: ASOS

Leggings: Evans

Jacket: Dorothy Perkins

Gloves: Accessorize

Bag: Accessorize

Wellibobs: Joules

Have you had much snow where you are? It snowed heavily on Friday, which gave us more than half a foot of snow, but it was washed away in the rain on Tuesday morning. I've just returned home to a foot of snow which had turned my home town in to a winter wonderland. Everything is blanketed and it's still snowing! I love it! It's freezing, though, so I think these dresses will be getting a lot of wear this week.

What do you wear in the snow to keep warm?

Do you love or hate the snow?