Just a Bit Of A Break From The Norm

Hi guys,

It's been a week or two since my last outfit post, and for that I'm sorry.  

We're currently in the grip of a incredibly hot heat wave here in England; it's been around 30 degrees, give or take a few, for the last fortnight- and apparently it's here to stay for a while! That probably doesn't sound like much to all of you who live in countries with long hot summers, but we're not used to extended periods of extreme heat in the UK; we're lucky if we get continuous spells of sunshine at 25 degrees! It's been a few years since we had a fortnight like this. 

Don't get me wrong; the weather is absolutely gorgeous, I just don't cope very well in this heat without a means of cooling down. My bedroom seems to be the hottest room in the house, feeling like a sauna with the heating on! I've been stuck in bed a lot lately, and it's been so hot and humid it's been difficult to breathe. I've been looking at beach images on Pinterest and day dreaming about being in the cool Cornish sea with the sun on my skin... if only! I swear I should be a surfer!

I've come to the conclusion that I own little clothing that is actually suitable for this weather, everything feels too heavy and stifling, or is made of unsuitable fabrics, which is why there haven't been outfits from me for a little while. I've been either sparked out in loose smock dresses, or when I have worn something more presentable, I've just ended up being too hot and sweaty to take photos I'd be happy to share here. Although, I can say proudly, I've bared my legs in public a few times in the last week, and yesterday I had both my legs and arms out! I'd normally feel super self-conscious about doing so, but I've been too hot to care and cover up! I've come along way!

It's a little cooler today, so I took the opportunity to take a few photos, as I know the heat wave is meant to be back in full force tomorrow...

And would you believe your eyes, I'm not wearing a dress!! I ordered this jumpsuit from Peacocks this week and it arrived today. I was hoping it would be perfect for the hot weather, but alas, it's made of polyester and after five minutes in it I'd overheated and the fabric had clung to my legs. I lasted two hours in this outfit before putting a short, loose dress on again. I think it'll be better suited for 'warm' summer days.

I love jumpsuits, although I still only own a couple, and I do think this one is lovely. It's a good fit, but a little long in the legs, which I'm sure I can easily fix. It's a little loose on me, so I'd say if you're a size or so bigger than their largest size, it should fit you no problem. (They go up to a UK size 20). The waist is elasticated, and it also has a tie on the waist band for definition. It has a frill along the top all the way around, and the back sits as low as the bra band. It's a pretty summer jumpsuit, and at just £22, it was a reasonable price, too! You can find the jumpsuit here, if you're thinking of buying yourself one.

The fabric has a blue and pink floral print all over, which I personally think is really pretty.

And, I wore the jumpsuit with my pink cropped New Look cardigan, and a few bracelets. The beaded ones were part of a set from Dorothy Perkins I bought a few years ago, and the pink shell bracelet is an old one from Next.

Outfit Details

Jumpsuit-Peacocks // Cardigan-New Look // Beaded Bracelets-Dorothy Perkins // 

Pink and Silver Bracelet-Next

I'm going to do my best to bring you outfit posts during the heat wave, but I guess we'll see what happens! 

What do you wear during extreme heat waves? 

Have you found a way to dress without breaking a sweat, or do you struggle with the heat like I do?

Pale Wildwood Flower

Morning guys,

I hope you're all having a great week. By the time you're reading this, I should be recovering from a minor op on one of my big toes, so I've scheduled this post just in case I don't feel up to blogging. It's nothing serious, but knowing how I felt afterwards last time, I thought it was sensible to schedule this post to take the pressure off me for a day or two.

So, today I've got an outfit post for you. This was an outfit I wore on Sunday just lounging around in bed. Yes, I live a very exciting life...

I'm so happy that it's summer and wearing colourful long flowing maxi dresses is acceptable again. I only own five or six maxis, but I genuinely enjoy wearing them. They're so effortless! They can make your outfit look so put together, even if in reality all you've done is pull the dress down over your head with little thought, and reached for the nearest accessories in complimenting colours. Nobody has to know it took you less than a minute to dress!

And of course, I personally think maxi dresses look pretty on everybody. 

This dress has been in my wardrobe for about two years, and I've only worn it a few times. I used to be adamant that this dress made me look pregnant, even after friends and family assured me it didn't, so it stayed in the wardrobe unworn. I've made myself move past those doubts, because I love the loud pattern, and amazing bright colours. You know how I love my colours! The only part of the dress I would change is the lining; who needs a thickly lined summer maxi dress? It becomes too stifling to wear on scorching summer days and that's when this colourful dress should be worn!

The dress is from Peacocks, and the cardigan was from New Look last summer, although this is the first time I've worn this particular one. It's a very pale pastel peach / salmon colour. I have these cardigans in about seven different colours, and they're great for throwing over dresses in the summer.

And the award for loudest pattern ever goes to...

I wore four accessories with this dress, nothing very exciting.

The bracelet was a gift from my best friend a few years ago. I think it came from Next. I also painted my nails with a lilac Barry M Gelly paint.

The radio necklace is by Accessorize, and it's one I've owned for a few years now. I thought it was cute, but I admit it's quite tacky.

And I also dug out my pink and purple gem brooch, which sadly is now missing one gem. It's too pretty to retire or throw away, and I don't think it's noticeable to anybody but myself (unless I mention it). I think I bought it in Camden Lock Market several years ago on a stall selling lots of vintage brooches.

I was also wearing a pair of daisy studs (which you can see in a shot above), that I recently bought from River Island.

Outfit Details

Dress-Peacocks // Cardigan-New Look // Necklace-Accessorize // Brooch- Camden Lock Market // Bracelet-Next // Earrings-River Island

I'm sorry there's nothing new about this outfit, but I like to show outfits I really wear, and I'm all about recycling my favourite clothes and accessories- especially when I can't afford to buy anything new, like at the moment! Real people wear items more than once, and that's okay!

Have you been wearing your maxi dresses now that summer is here? How do you style yours?

May 31 Day Blogger's Challenge: Day 17- Something I Wear When It's Sunny

Something I Wear When It's Sunny

When the sun comes out in England, we have to make the most of it as you never know how long it's going to last. We can have weeks of gorgeous sunshine one after the other, but some summers the hot sunny days seem to be few and far between, and all we're met with are grey cloudy skies.

So, on those glorious hot sunny days, I like to wear a maxi dress. There's something about a modern maxi dress that looks odd and out of place at any other time of year in this country, so I like to make the most of them when the sun's out. To me they scream "summer".

To me, one of the best feelings in life is taking a stroll in the sunshine with the warmth against my skin. I love how a long floaty skirt feels against my legs as I walk when there's a gentle breeze in the air, and I love airing my feet out in flip-flops and sandals.

My sunny day uniform is a dress, usually worn with a cropped cardigan, sandals or flip-flops, and a pair of sunglasses.

I bought this particular maxi in Peacocks last summer. I held off wearing it for so long as I was convinced it made me look pregnant. I eventually came to my senses and wore it on holiday; and the last time I wore it was on a scorcher of a day last August wandering round Rockefeller Center. We were dying in 92% humidity, and we didn't cope in it for long- we were soon back in our hotel room flaked out with the air conditioning on!

This dress has a layered skirt right down to the floor, an elasticated waist under the bust, and removable straps. I always wear straps when given the choice; strapless doesn't suit my wide shoulders. It's a beautiful design; but a little too layered for really hot days.

I got the dress on my first shopping trip to Peacocks, and wish I'd discovered them sooner. It wasn't through lack of curiousity, just that there wasn't a branch in the places I normally shopped.

I love Havaianas. They're the most comfortable flip-flops I've ever owned and they don't blister my toes! I currently have three pairs, but they're past their best now. I've worn these pink ones to death! My toe-nail varnish is an orange Barry M.

The bracelets are part of a set from Dorothy Perkins, but the others are all black and didn't go with the outfit. The bracelet against the pink is actually purple, but for some reason photographed blue.

The sunglasses are from Guess, and my favourite of the two pairs I currently own. Sunglasses are still something of a novelty for me, as I've got very poor eyesight and didn't own a pair of sunglasses until I started wearing contacts in my early twenties. Now I couldn't be without them.

♥ Dress: Peacocks

♥ Cardigan: New Look

♥ Flip-Flops: Havaianas (from a surf-shop in Cornwall)

♥ Bracelets: Dorothy Perkins (part of a set)

♥ Sunglasses: Guess (from Bicester Village)

♥ Nail Polish: Barry M Nail Paints

What do you wear when the sun comes out?