The sweater is just a basic navy cotton blend from Next. It's got a little added interest as the yarn is flecked with teal and coral, but not so much that it would fight with any other pattern. The tights are a Primark special. My sister feels the cold like crazy, and kept tell me about fleece tights, but I poo-pooed the idea as I've always tended to run warm. But now that I no longer work in ridiculously overheated offices, and since we're all trying to save pennies and keep the heating down, I need these. Super cozy and 100% opaque. No shine-through of glowing white winter skin. They're footless, which is best for me because I find my feet stay warmer in socks (even a couple of pairs) than in tights with socks on top. Need to get some more pairs because I am a convert.
The star of this outfit though is the skirt, which I apologise but you can hardly see in this picture. It is dark and we will get better at the photo taking, and the skirt will feature again in future outfits.
OK I turned forty (I may have mentioned already), and something in cringes a little when I think of my 40-year-old self in a leopard mini. "But", I tell myself, "Debbie Harry wouldn't hesitate!" So whatever, I just have to put it on and get out there. I've got better legs than plenty of women in their 30s - even their 20s - so why should I be ashamed? I'm embarrassed that somewhere inside I'm totally buying into media and cultural norms about women and fashion, and what we 'should' and 'should not' wear at any given age.
This is actually a great skirt, and here's why. It's like a girdle. It is made from pretty strong cotton blend fabric, almost like a lightweight canvas and (this is the critical part) it zips up and ends at the waist. When I first tried it on, I thought "Oh no! Ego crush! The skirt is too small and will have to be exchanged!" But zziiiiip and ta-da! postpartum tummy held in almost as efficiently as in a pair of Spankz.
Boots are DMs with a waxed finish, which help make me feel a little bit punky in my mini-skirt (rather than "wishing she was 20 again" (which, for the record, I don't)). The parka is on its last legs, the zip is broken. I bought a black one to replace it, but most times I prefer the khaki one unless I'm wearing khaki or camo underneath, when all that green makes me feel like an elf.
Handbag is from Accessorize. Red goes with nearly everything if you ask me. I'm not one to change handbags with my outfit (unless, in this case, I'm wearing red trousers when I will make an exception). I bought it a couple of months ago, I was at the stage where I couldn't find anything in a big bag: the essentials, like money, phone, keys, were lost among individual baby socks, muslin cloths, half-empty packets of wipes... you know the drill. I needed a small bag for only the essentials, and then carry all the baby/kid stuff in a bigger bag. So now, when I hear my phone ring, I know where to start looking for it and actually stand a chance of getting to answer it.
