Why I Feel Confident in Unflattering Clothes
People often talk about clothes being flattering as if that’s the only thing that should be considered, “Does this colour suit me?” “This dress is hugging me in the wrong places.” A large number of people, I assume, would feel that if something made you look bigger where you wanted to look small, or smaller where you wanted to look big, or short where you wanted to look tall (vice versa and so on), then you shouldn’t buy it. As women, we are handed ever-changing images of how we’re supposed to look and in many ways, they dictate how we not only dress but live our lives, the way we eat, exercise, sit, do our makeup, and so much more.
Up until recent years, I’ve subscribed to the philosophy that clothes should be flattering and much of my wardrobe was dictated by what made me look skinnier. But the emergence of straight-leg jeans and oversized jumpers (to name two ‘unflattering’ trends) into popular culture and my increasing interest and awareness of fashion, trends and the clothes that I’m wearing has really allowed me to let go of that way of thinking.
I hadn’t really consciously realised that this was the case. I mean, yes, I have become aware that my Saturday nights are usually spent in jeans (or pyjamas, let’s be honest) rather than body-con dresses but I’ve put that down to lifestyle change, rather than a change in how I think about what I’m wearing. It was the skirt that I’m wearing in this photo that made me come to the conscious realisation that I feel great in ‘unflattering’ clothing and that most of my wardrobe is, in fact, made up of it, by the standards of popular culture.
This beauty of a skirt immediately stood out to me on the hanger; I’ve been looking to incorporate some pastel-coloured checks into my wardrobe for the season and this skirt ticked all of my boxes. However, when I tried it on I felt immediately conflicted about it. I was sure I had to have it but felt conflicted about wearing it. I put this down to the print, the shape and the unique nature of the skirt, making it a piece that is out of my comfort zone in these ways. However when I got home and my mum told me that it didn’t fit me properly around my waist, I realised that the reason I wasn’t sold on it was because it’s not a flattering item of clothing.
I ordered the size up because I was now certain that this skirt needed to be a part of my life and the medium does fit me better, but it’s still not a flattering piece. But I now don’t feel skeptical about wearing it at all. I love everything about the skirt and I can think of endless ways to style it. And it is what I’m wearing that really makes me feel confident, as I’ve written about before. I’ve realised over time that it isn’t looking slim or having clear skin or anything else that makes me feel good about myself, it’s the clothes on my body. So it doesn’t really matter to me anymore if my clothes make me look skinnier or more tanned, or anything else like that, it’s only important that I truly love the clothes I’m wearing and that they represent what I want my personal style to be.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I definitely do consider if an item is flattering, if that’s the look I’m going for, but even outfits I wear that I consider to be sexy aren’t necessarily flattering in the way that popular culture prescribes. I think this defiance against these rules of dressing also allows me a certain confidence. To know that I am able to disregard these rules and go with my gut when it comes to what I wear is empowering and I think getting dressed is the part of my life in which I feel most secure and sure of myself in.
Anyway, let’s talk a little bit about this outfit. It all started with the skirt, as is probably obvious at this point, and I was very excited to coordinate some of the other pieces in this outfit with the colours in the skirt. Made up of mauve like pinks, navy blue and mustard, some of my favourite colours of the season are incorporated into this picnic blanket dream of a skirt, a trend I am loving for spring. I found this jumper at the back of my wardrobe and was very pleased to find it almost perfectly matches this skirt, as do these trainers which I don’t wear very much for the rest of the year, but always feel compelled to wear them during the springtime. Finally, this bag, which I think this is going to be a really nice addition to my wardrobe for spring/summer, as it has the feel of a woven bag but without their usual structure, and is a really nice size for everyday.
Worn in front of these dreamy pastel houses, in which it’s my dream to live in one day, I love this outfit and, for me, it feels like everything spring dressing should be. Although, it could be improved, in that regard, if the knit wasn’t necessary, but as long as I can get my legs out, I’m not complaining!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you feel about wearing ‘flattering’ clothes in the comments! And please do note that I use the term ‘flattering’ by the standards of what popular culture dictates as such, because obviously flattering is what you make it to be, and for me, what flattering clothes really are those that compliment my personal style and who I am, rather than my figure.
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Spring Style Inspiration
Some links in this post are affiliate links which means I earn a small amount of commission if you buy an item.
So it’s February and I'm already thinking about spring but with the UK weather as nice as it is, how can I not? I mean, I left the house wearing no layers other than a t-shirt and a cardigan the other day. I am loving it! The change in weather has come at the perfect time as I have been getting so bored of winter dressing and am ready to start changing things up. So, I thought I’d go through some of the trends/colours/patterns etc. I’m feeling inspired by for spring dressing. It’s a little different to my normal posts as there are no photos of me/taken by me but I hope you don't mind!
I’m not only writing this post because I’m excited about spring but also because I’m trying to think more consciously about the things that I’m buying, so laying everything out I’m feeling inspired by like this ensures I’m able to make more sensible shopping choices. With that, here’s some things that are inspiring me for spring…
Neutrals (Stick of Butter)
Image found on Pinterest.
I know I’m not alone in saying that I’m feeling super inspired by neutral tones and colours, I mean, they’re everywhere. I’ve always been someone who likes to incorporate colour into my outfit but I am actually so on board with this trend. Wearing head-to-toe neutrals (in what Man Repeller would call ‘the stick of butter’) is one of the most bold and striking ways to dress in my opinion, even more so than wearing lots of colour. Plus, it looks so effortlessly chic.
Despite neutrals being on trend at the moment, they’re not really ever going to go out of style, so I’m definitely looking to invest in some neutral pieces, specifically a pair of tailored trousers and some trainers (I LOVE the pumps in this image).
Here are some other things on my neutrals wish list:
Pastel Checks (Dressing like a picnic blanket)
Image taken from @michellemdriscoll on Instagram.
I’m always into check/gingham whatever the season. But I am particularly excited about pastel checks, especially when they come in the form of a midi dress, for spring! I already have a baby blue check H&M blazer from last year that I’m planning on pulling out from hibernation but I would definitely like to invest in some more check print, like I said, particularly in the form of a midi dress. I absolutely adore the & Other Stories midi dress in this photo but it’s a little bit spendy so I might have to look for another option…
Here’s the link to that dress and some other checked beauties…
baby blue
Image by @monikh on Instagram.
Blue has always been one of my favourite colours to wear but I’m particularly loving baby blue for spring. It’s a colour that just feels like spring, plus, it looks great with neutrals. I’m 100% going to get the beautiful midi skirt pictured below when I can afford it and I’d also really like to get some baby blue knitwear. The Rixo dress pictured below is literally my dream but, alas, very much out of my budget. If anyone knows of a dupe please let me know!
feminine shoes
Image found on Pinterest.
From slingbacks, to Mary Janes, to ballet pumps, I love how super feminine shoes look. My very wide feet don’t take to them as much as my taste in clothing does but I’m willing to suffer a little for a really good pair of shoes. I have some great slingbacks from Primark (their shoes are so great) that I picked up last year as well as some very old Mary Janes from ASOS that are falling apart but I still love.
I love how chunky heels look on a slingback but I don’t think I’d get very much wear out of them as I spend most of my time working at my desk or in lectures, but if I find a fairly affordable pair maybe I’ll pick them up for occasions when I actually do have the opportunity to dress up.
My favourite way to style a feminine shoe is with more of a masculine trouser/pair of jeans with a feminine blouse and a (faux) leather jacket. The contrast between masculine/feminine in an outfit like this always looks so cool and timeless.
Red is the ultimate feminine colour in my eyes so it feels only right to find a pair of ultra feminine shoes in this shade, even if they are a little bit ‘There’s no place like home’. Topshop brought out an incredible pair last year and I’ve always regretted not buying them so if I do find a pair this year I’m definitely going to take them home with me.
Here’s some feminine shoes I’ve found that you can shop now:
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments if you’re into any of the same things for spring styling as I am or, if not, what you’re looking forward to wearing this spring.
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Is There Meaning Behind 'Millennial Pink'?
So-called 'Millennial Pink' has pervaded social media for the last few years. It seems strange that after years of neutral 'scandi colours' being the go-to colour palette that pink should take over. It's hard to escape this shade (or shades) of pink in the world of social media and, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I love how 'Millennial Pink' looks, as you might be able to tell from the outfit I'm wearing in this post. It's a relatively neutral colour but still definitely moves away from a monochrome colour palette and, despite perhaps pretending I didn't like it in my early teens because it wasn't 'cool', I really do like the colour pink. But what is it about it that everyone has suddenly gone crazy for?
Pink has long been a colour associated with girlhood and femininity. Because of this, I feel like many people detach themselves from it when they're growing up. I guess this can be an act of feminist rebellion or an attempt to impress boys at school and show them that 'you're not like other girls' (YAWN!)- for me it was probably, sub-consciously, a little bit of both. I never totally turned my back on the colour pink but I do think I associated it with not being very 'cool' during my high school years (perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I remember owning a book called 'Pink Knickers Aren't Cool'- not sure if I ever got round to reading it but perhaps I made an assumption from the title). Whether this is something that everyone experiences, I'm not sure, but I definitely think the colour pink went through a period of being out of fashion.
So why is it suddenly the colour of the moment? Perhaps it's a re-claiming of the typically feminine colour, an attempt to re-define it as genderless. I like this theory but I don't think that's really why my Instagram feed is permeated by the colour. The Cut, in their analysis of millennial pink made the point that 'gone is the girly-girl baggage; now it’s androgynous.' And this is true. Millennial pink has transformed this feminine colour into something that features in bars and restaurants whose target audience is made up equally of both genders. Menswear has definitely taken note on the trend too and incorporated it with success. But what about a hot pink or a magenta? Are they still 'uncool' and 'girly'? Is this neutral shade of pink as far as society is willing to go in dissolving gender stereotypes? Maybe I'm looking into it too much (this is a very regular occurrence for me as an English student) but I think there's interesting discussion to be had here.
Going back to the early 2010's obsession with neutral colour schemes, I am really curious as to how we came to pick a shade of pink as the colour of the moment. The Guardian puts it down to various things including Wes Anderson's colour scheme throughout 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and the creation of the rose gold iPhone (although I personally would not describe rose gold as anything close to millennial pink but maybe that's a little pedantic). They describe it as representing 'a kind of ironic prettiness, or post-prettiness. It’s a way to be pretty while retaining your intellectual detachment. It’s a wish that prettiness could de-problematised.' I found this so interesting. Again, I think this links back to the gender stereotypes attached to the colour. Pink is perceived as girly, vain and maybe even vapid. But 'Millennial Pink' is neutral, sophisticated and 'artsy' (the fact that it featured so heavily in a Wes Anderson film, I think, immediately attaches this cultural element to it). Do we really all still care about the stereotypes attached to colours? Did we ever? The phenomenon of 'trending colours' in itself suggests so in my opinion.
Like I said, I really could be looking into this too much but it's something that fascinates me. I'd also like to make a disclaimer that I am in no way attacking Millennial Pink or people who use/like it as I am one of those people and it genuinely is a very appealing colour. This is an outfit that I love despite it's relevance to the post and it's truly a colour I wear often.
Anyway, before moving on to talk about this outfit, I'd like to include some of the comments on The Guardian's article about millennial pink here as they amused me greatly and they deserve to be shared. One commenter shares 'I like it because it's dull and inoffensive', which makes my analysis seem a little bit pointless. Can't really argue with them though- fair enough!
A comment thread that is a bit more relevant to this post (phew!) and made me laugh reads as such:
"Commenter One:
I call it rosegold myself. Pink is too feminine.
Commenter Two:
Rosegold is far more butch
Commenter Three:
Rosegoddamngold.
Commenter Four:
Colours have genders? Who knew?"
I hope you enjoyed those comments as much as I did! Anyway, to talk about these photos/this outfit a little bit- firstly, I am so happy with how they came out and am very impressed with my mum's photography! After staring at endless amounts of cherry blossom trees out the window on my bus journey to and from UNI, I was determined to get some photos with them, and luckily enough we have one right outside my house. Even more lucky is that I bought this jumper only a couple of weeks ago and it co-ordinates perfectly with said cherry blossom. I love this jumper because it's really reminiscent of the Ganni jumper that I swooned over for months during winter but is obviously way out of my price range. After seeing this Urban Outfitters version on Georgia Meramo, I patiently waited for it to go in the sale and managed to pick it up for over 50% off at £21- not too bad! Paired with my Topshop cords, this really does make for the perfect millennial pink outfit in my opinion (even if I'm 'technically' too young to be a millennial). Despite my previous discussion of removing gender stereotypes, I really do like how my more 'boyish' converse counteract the femininity of my straw bag and also maintain a neutral colour palette against the pink.
I'd love to hear your views on the symbolic meaning of the colour that has perhaps defined the 'Instagram generation' (I don't know if that's a real phrase or if I've just made it up). Do you think it means anything or do you just think people simply like the colour? Feel free to tell me that I'm looking into it too much- I won't be offended at all because it's something I have to remind myself of every single day as a chronic over-thinker. But I also like to think that everything in life has some sort of meaning, so there you have it!
Jumper- Urban Outfitters
Trousers- Topshop (sold out, similar here)
Sunglasses- Warehouse (old, similar here)
Shoes- Converse
Bag- Zara
A Night and a Day in Stratford-upon-Avon
Almost 2 weeks ago now, I spent one night and one day (well, more like half a day) in Stratford-Upon-Avon with my mum and sister. The predominant reason that we visited this quaint little town was to watch Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. But being the geeky Shakespeare lover that I am, I obviously took advantage of being in his birthplace and spent some time being a tourist and more money than I'd like to admit in gift shops.
Before I get on to chatting about what I got up to, I want to briefly talk about the play because it was incredible. It was by far the best Shakespeare production I've ever seen (and I've seen a fair few) and felt even more extraordinary it being in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre itself. This production of Macbeth was reimagined as a psychological thriller which, this being one of my favourite genres of film, I obviously loved. Although it was a twist on the original play, the important themes were still there and Shakespeare's exploration of gender expectations was highlighted, which I really enjoyed as I used Macbeth as part of a gender-focussed literary analysis last year for my EPQ during my A-Levels. I think the play is touring and being in shown in cinemas so if you do have chance to see it, I would definitely recommend doing so!
Because of bad traffic and a late check-in time, watching Macbeth, along with a meal at Zizi, was all our first day in Stratford-Upon-Avon consisted of. However, our second day in the town was lovely and sunny and felt like the first day of spring, so we took full advantage of that and explored the centre of the town a little bit more. Our day started back at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre as we wanted to visit the gift shop which had been closed by the time the play had finished the previous night. I spent an embarrassing amount of time in this gift shop, so much so that my mum and sister left me there after getting bored of me moaning about the lack of Othello merchandise (that's probably the uncoolest thing I've ever said). I ended up picking up a Shakespeare themed tote bag (as pictured below), bookmark and badge along with a book called New Boy by Tracy Chevalier, which is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare Series and is a re-writing of Othello, something that I am particularly excited to read and will definitely share my thoughts on once I have read it.
We then headed over to Shakespeare's Birthplace, which also had a super interesting museum on Shakespeare's life and his works. Although the tickets are a little overpriced, I'd definitely recommend visiting. There were actors reading extracts from his plays and sonnets aloud in the garden, that I felt really justified the ticket price for me, especially because they were reading out my favourite sonnet (which is "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" if you're interested, although you're probably not!) And, yes, there was another gift shop, which I of course spent too long looking around, even though they stocked pretty much the same things as the theatre did, in hope of something Othello-themed but with no luck- I didn't realise how underrated this play is until after this visit and now I'm determined to change that by mentioning it as many times as possible in this blog post!
We spent the remainder of the day looking around Stratford-Upon-Avon and shopping and even picked up some vegan fudge from Rolly's Fudge that I was particularly pleased with (it was delicious). I'd definitely recommending visiting Stratford-Upon-Avon if you get a chance to, especially if you're interested in literature or history. Although there isn't a crazy amount of stuff to do there as far as I know, so I felt like we stayed there for long enough even if our visit was brief.
I'm going to talk briefly about my outfit, seeing as most of the photos in this post consist of me showing it off in various scenic spots, and because it's the most summery outfit I've worn all year. I love this lemon yellow cami top that I got from the Alexa Chung X Marks and Spencer collection a few years ago for around £3.99 in the sale (I actually own it in three colours because of this price point). Its always a staple in my wardrobe when summer comes around and I especially love it over a white t-shirt, as I've styled it here. Paired with a pair of light-wash jeans and no layers other than a blazer (!!!), I think this makes for the perfect spring outfit and one I'm sure I'll be replicating throughout spring and summer. Also, these sunglasses were an absolute steal from Primark at £2!
T-Shirt: Urban Outfitters (similar here)
Cami: Alexa Chung X Marks & Spencer
Jeans: Topshop
Blazer: Pull & Bear (similar here)
Shoes: Vans
Bag: Zara
Sunglasses: Primark (should still be in stock in store but for an online alternative, see here)