My quiet little rules

Picture from Calivintage.

Even though you can't see it, this picture from my favourite blog Calivintage inspired me to try on a 1940s blue pencil skirt and team it with a navy top.  When she wore this outfit I just thought WOW lovely and WOW too expensive.  I didn't copy it, but took the gist of it and made it my own. 

I try not to follow trends.  If I see something that's "in" I'll make a little mental note to resist it.  It doesn't always work and I do a job where conforming attire adds to your credibility.

Ten years from today I think I'll still be wearing the same frocks.  I  know that because I still wear ones I bought 17 years ago.  Oh my.

There's some outfits I've never bothered to alter and are still too big for me. But I imagine, age, time, contentment and maybe children will expand my waistline and the dresses I have in my wardrobe will still fit me the best way they can. 

Here's my own quiet little rules, that I sort of live by and swirl in my head.

Be proud of the size you are.

I truly mean that.  Acknowledging your body shape makes a huge difference in the clothes you wear to cover it.  I spent my childhood running the 100m sprint as fast as I could, but as girls do I saw my athletics thighs as fat.  Trouser shopping was a nightmare, so I switched to dresses.  My waist isn't as curvy as I would like, so I've defined my own waist and make skirts and dresses sit a little higher.

This isn't a model.  This is my beautiful friend Caroline.  

Don't follow fashion if it simply doesn't suit you.

I've seen so many woman throw themselves into outfits because it's in all the shops.  It's there so they think they have to wear it.  Don't.  Don't do it.  Ignore it.  Wait for something else to come along that suits your body and who you are.

Don't be a label snob.

I'm not.  I'll buy it as long as I like it.  Thinking about it, I might be anti designer labels, unless I managed to get a magnificent item cheap as chips.  The usual big names like Givenchy, Donna Karen or whoever else is popular don't give me happy butterflies. 

Nothing is perfect.
A recent purchase of a red dress came with a lovely long brown stain.  This didn't make me think gross, freak out, don't buy it, instead my head thought, oh great, get some money off and I did. Dirt doesn't put me off, neither does miss matching and missing buttons, loose stitching, holes and belts that have vanished.  If it's fixable, it's aye ok.

I bought the dress first and then noticed the label.  They make wonderful things.

I appreciate a good frock and will happily fawn over Alice Temperely.  Her whimsical, feminine dresses are magical. Instead of wanting certain labels I can't afford, I take note of a few things - patterns, cuts, length, style and keep them all lodged in my mind for future reference.  I discovered Nom de Plume Yaya last year.  They make pretty things and encourage their buyers to "indulge irresponsibly." I like that. 

Buy what you will wear.

I have one dress in my wardrobe that I've never worn.  It meant to be a bridesmaid dress, but that version of the wedding never happened.  There's no saving anything for special occasions or when I loose weight moments.  Buy it, wear it, feel fabulous.

Buy what makes you feel good.

When my heart rules - I can't say no.  If I see a dress and think it's ok, then I might walk away, but if I put on a dress and it makes me feel fab,  it's more difficult to ignore it.  Is that weird?

Magazines - to have or to have not.

I get why we buy fashion magazines.  They give ideas, they tell you what's in season.  They also make you want EVERYTHING and feel you have nothing.   There are also 1000s of other people reading the same magazine as you, seeing the same ideas and thinking "I'll get one of those."  So I stay away.  Instead I've found bloggers that I adore .

Another great outfit from Calivintage.  All rights reserved to @ Calivintage

I never weigh myself.

I was lucky to live in a home were my mum never huffed and puffed about her body.  There was no diet anything on the shelves and big pots of rice and stew were always waiting for me.  I remember once in a mighty blue moon, mum and I would laugh at her "shelf bottom" (said in an african twang). She'd dance and wiggle it and we'd laugh.

Food was for surviving and enjoying.  You can feel and see your body condition so why weigh it?

And finally... people watch - don't let the world go by.