That’s been on my mind.
I wax and wane about fashion and all the choices right now. I am so fickle and it is unlike me.
One minute I want to be dressed up, literally in the most feminine of get-ups and the next I want to be lazy and cosy in the sweats. My mind is fractured when it comes to what I want to wear in the morning. It’s to do with so much change in the last 18 months – I can only presume this. My once very ordered, if somewhat chaotic, life has completely changed and become stationary. While the UK is opening up slowly, inter-European travel is not easy and so we haven’t moved; once upon a time, I was on the move most weeks.
Life has taken on a slower pace for a host of reasons and I am not complaining. In some ways, it feels against my character but in others, it feels so right. The English countryside, a destination I was once so unfamiliar with, is now very much in front of my mind and I am enjoying it. Perhaps it does not have the spice of Italy or the glamour of France but there is no denying its soft beauty and enduring charm.
I have been discovering the Cotswolds as my daughter starts to make a home there. Apart from falling in love with the rolling hillsides, golden stone and nature’s soundtrack I have also realized I am ill-equipped when it comes to country life. A city slicker through and through – small city, a big city or medium city, those I know how to navigate. The fast and furious pace I understand – long and lazy days in the garden not so much. I’m getting there.
How to dress for the country life?
The answer is not as I do.
I get it worng every time. Miss judge the weather, what is practical v’s the impractical and how messy I will be. This is why I am re-focussing on the essentials – good jeans, tee shirts by the dozen (I like the essential and the vintage styles from Madewell for my everyday tees), a light jacket, an easy dress, a couple of pretty blouses and a throw over sweater. Nothing new here, but for me, pieces that needed an upgrade or a replace.
And I wear them all with these boots, a new version of Wellies, or these sneakers.
Buying Jeans: A few tips I have figured out the hard way
If I get them right – I always double up and buy multiple pairs because in my experience trying on jeans is the worst.
Buy a couple of different sizes and always buy the tightest ones – more than is comfortable – because in about 30 minutes they stretch up a size.
Lay flat on the bed to get the buttons or zipper up, even if you can’t breathe comfortably, they will definitely stretch.
Don’t buy them with the hems too long – they never alter well.
If you have hips, never fear, try skinnies and a longer tee; it’s super flattering.
If all else fails, the essentials are an easy fallback- add an accessory or two – and we are ready, set and go. xv
The Simple, The Essential And The Everlasting
See THE EDIT – my simple, essential and everlasting everythings.
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