Health and Fitness | Gym Attire and shopping plus size

Suedette Hat: Zara Men, Blue Nike pullover (old), Purple Adidas top (I couldn’t find this online?), Workout tights: Next, Trainers (old) New Balance

Yesterday I discussed the awkwardness of walking into a gym feeling bigger than your comfortable with. As I found out, people of all shapes and sizes attend the gym so really its not something to be worried about at all. Going shopping for bigger clothes to work out in however? Near to impossible… offline that is.

Its not something I suppose you think of, struggling to find larger sizes but as we headed into TK Maxx to do you know what I found? XL accounted for being a size 14!!! In womenswear, to say I was horrified was an understatement! In the mens section however, there were all types of different sizes and their Large was a real large unlike the female sides which were truly lacking.

Thankfully the sports stores do think women over  size 14 exist but only to the size 18 in general. Shopping was almost like bra shopping for bigger chests, upsetting and disappointing. Honestly, the whole thing made me wish for a better shopping experience. I’ve been mulling one over for a while now and I would just like stores to be better accommodating to sizes and shapes outside of the mannequins, imagine feeling welcome no matter the size on the hanger, to find clothes made for you instead of putting yourself into a pattern.

Where I can suggest however, is sadly, online, Next have recently launched their own sports range for women, I love Adidas for good sizing, great quality product and affordable price tags and for something fun, mix it up with other store brands like Zara and New Look who offer fun athleisure wear.

Health & Fitness week| Joining the Gym.

We are joining the Gym*.

You heard the correctly, me on a treadmill. Now, I realize that this might open the floor to some comments like, don’t be silly, you’re fine! You’re a stick with eyes!

Well let me tell you guys I don’t need it. I promise, I love you all but I’m cool with honesty, I’ve let myself go and I’m about to make it up to myself.

Furthermore, if you do ever encounter a six-foot tall stick with eyes – Run! This is not a drill people; this is the beginning of the apocalypse!

Why now?

So how come we have decided on the gym life? We’ve never gone in the gym direction as a couple before instead prior to a string of injuries and moving house we were prolific cyclers and runners. I personally, love working out when I do finally go, I just tend to like it more, outdoors.

Before I broke my ankle in 2011 I used to run for about two hours every other day all around Deptford, Greenwich, Blackheath and Lewisham but post ankle break it took me a while to get back. In fact from about 2013/14/15 I had three near stress fractures on my metatarsals and I still suffer from a lot of metatarsal pain every now and then. Especially when I’m pounding the pavement, it made running outdoors, impossible.

Josh however, unlike me isn’t so attached to the outdoor exercising life, in fact when I met Josh he was a full blown gym addict. He of course was super excited about going back, its where he feels comfortable getting a full workout.

My unexpected reaction

I won’t fob you off, when Josh suggested it, I cried in the middle of our kitchen. A strong reaction right? But I realized that feeling ‘big’ can be a big restriction in feeling comfortable enough to attend. Would I be judged? I’d met enough mean girls from attending an all girls school to encounter some more shouldn’t have been a problem… Luckily for me I have my best friend boo who has been a committed gym goer for ages to put my mind at ease. She let me know that most are so wrapped up in what they are doing they won’t be noticing me.

Now, I can’t lie I have done an awful lot of googling this past week or so to get the lay of the land. Especially since part of the problem is just that I have no idea what I am doing, but we all have to start somewhere, and this is going to be mine, deep breath, lets do it….

*We joined! Its was strange and all kinds of odd….

Fashion | How to make an outfit more flattering…

How to make an outfit more flattering? Its simple, its in those pesky details!

I have recently decided that I do know how to dress, I’m just not entirely sure that I know how to dress my body sometimes. An outfit can work great in principal or even on hangers but sometimes on our own bodies? Not so much.

What I’ve been desperately trying to learn is how to A, not buy unflattering things (It should be easy, why is it sometimes its just not?) and B, make something unflattering, flattering. You might be surprised to learn that actually it can be done and sometimes, easily!

Whats unflattering on me, is the current trend for oversized knitted sweaters, If I’m being real, really I should stick with a v neck, fitted sweater or thinner cardigans that nip my waist in, they are far more flattering on me and simple and yet… there is something so appealing about being wrapped in a thick, sweater. I bought this particular one in the H&M sale a couple of years ago and its perfect for cold, winter days! So how do I make it more attractive? Its as simple as the following three steps…

1. Alter the proportions

The shametuck is my first dressing, Bae. I feel like for my body I need to not have too many solid lines so by half tucking my sweater or t shirt it adds a little bit of flow and also does something similar to the next step…..

2. Distraction …

You know forever ago when we focused on distraction? Or better said, bringing attention to the parts we love and distracting everyone from the parts we don’t. Now I don’t hate my chunkier parts but fashion is a killer on anyone over a size 10. Pulling up my sleeves seems ridiculously simple but it draws away attention from my bust and also highlights where my waist pulls in.

The final step for this outfit?

3.  Make the shape that best suits your figure

Not only do I adore this faux fur stole from Zara last season but its the perfect finale to making my jumper go from frumpy to flattering. I find that having the v neck created by the scarf breaks up the wider parts of me and continues with the line from the shame tuck pulling all the elements together.

I am also finding that adding textures and different weights of fabrics also help in making an outfit more flattering when it might not be normally. It breaks up solid lines and diverts attention. Technically I should wear the heavier fabrics on my bottom half (your smaller parts can take more fabric) and wear the thinner, less complex ones – maybe with a detracting print on the top, but sometimes you need to wear something unflattering because you want to be warm, covered up and comfy, dressing rules be damned.

Fashion | How to wear your summer kimono in winter…

Its finally the Monday before Christmas! Honestly, I’m not sure either me or Josh feel all that Christmassy yet. As I write this up on the Saturday before we are both watching Muppets Christmas Carol and I am in new Disney, Bambi PJ’s (obviously). It has become somewhat of our own Christmas tradition in fact, A muppet Christmas Carol and new PJ’s, hopefully with disney characters.

Part of this years oddness is it our first ever at home, just the two of us. It makes the event a little different to normal years of going to our parents and Grandparents and so have set aside a couple of our own traditions. A christmas day walk before lunch (post champagne however), christmas movies or more exact movies of our past, this year we intend to watch muppets again, Chanel fours 1998 straight to TV movie of Merlin, Love Actually and About Time and finally of course new christmas day clothes, PJ’s all the way….

Before Christmas however, you need a different type of outfit, one acceptable for outside and general company, thats where this post comes in. One of my favourite silhouettes at the moment is the high waist, soft harem trousers with a tucked in shirt and belt, in Marrakech I called it Annie Hall meets Indiana Jones and I’m still a little bit obsessed.

Whats not been helping our Christmas spirit is this warmer weather… it doesn’t feel like Christmas. However, in its place are outfits like these, where you can wear your summertime Kimono in the depths of winter.

Like many, I love a good jacket and this green kimono from Zara is the perfect jacket for an outfit like this, it takes an oversized polo and harem trousers and makes the outfit fun again. For my own figure it also gives me a little more shape by cinching my waist in. So how do you wear a kimono in winter, well, its as simple as layering your clothes whether that is sweaters and long sleeved T shirts or pulling a shirt over a tank and the kimono also works great on black colours as it breaks up the outfit without breaking the silhouette.

Your Cheatin’ Heart

  

Jacket: Next 2008/9 Top: Gap Skirt: H&M 2012 Shoes: New Look summer 2013 Bag: Victorias Secret, gifted by Joshes lovely parents.

I am, let’s be honest here, a bit of a hoarder. I often buy things in bulk and stick to things that I know work, and work well. That’s why I have no less than five stretchy (jersey) pencil skirts. Now my mother would say that’s about four too many and yes, she’s right (whose mother isn’t? Can I get an amen?) But here’s my argument.

I work in an office five days a week. That’s five skirts! Can I rest my case? Your right, probably not. Especially since I have jeans, jeggings, treggings, dresses, two pairs of actual trousers somewhere . . . (read: not worn much, eh?) But anyway a great jersey skirt ticks all my boxes, they aren’t too restrictive which is great for you know, moving, sleeping in on the train (what? Me?) Just sitting . . . all day . . . and they don’t crease; they don’t need ironing (as if that would happen anyway) so what’s not to love?

Even better, I find is that I can wear them in a varied amount of lengths. This is doubly great at the moment as the trend is for the midi skirt in a jersey material. So yes, maybe I bought too many but now each skirt can be worn like this!

This is probably the least flattering of all the looks on me as I’m pretty top heavy (plus an apple shape – joy of all joys) but I do wear them like this anyway – I like to think the camera adds weight. That’s still a thing right? Regardless if you’re tall girl, rejoice! Cause a mid-length jersey skirt can be pulled higher to be a just over a knee or later this week a tall girl acceptable mini!

You can’t say I never gave you anything . . .

Instagram and other photo moments this week . . .

 

So firstly, i thought my laptop was going to let me steal my own instagram photos but alas, it was not to be. But most importantly I have the heaviest tripod in the world, but I already love it, as it was my grandfathers, and i think me and the boy are gonna find this to be an incredibly important took in our arsenal. 

Secondly this week I was determined to add colour in my wardrobe – I managed a pink day, a green and blue day, a purple day, a kardashian white day and today I had a leggings and aztec day. Converse at work? yes please!

More excitingly and importantly, this weekend me and the boy are off to the big city for a little Jess/Josh getaway for our third anniversary – its just crazy how quick the time goes. and although its just a night away from our own home it feels like a little mini holiday so of course that means a meal out and my faux fur stole because honestly when you make the effort to leave ur house you might as well go out in style!

Mind the Barrier . . . and other snow adventures.

Umbrella: Boots, Coat: Warehouse cira 2011, Scarf: gifted from my mother, Rucksack: Primarni, Jumper: Matalan, Jeans: Dorothy Perkins circa 2009, Wellies: Home and country circa 2010

So it was a strange kind of snow day. Firstly because I didn’t wake up with a strong sense of hate for the horrid cold stuff (which almost never happens) and then secondly as we walked into the park today the girl in front of us actually managed to walk into the closed barrier. Luckily she didn’t seem hurt but it gave me another good reason to warn people about the dangers of snow.

So keep an eye out folks! Just because the snow is pretty doesn’t mean that we should ignore closed barriers! Hope you’ve all had a good weekend!

Jessx

and for someone I find incredibly cute . . .

Boyfriend with cute smile: Priceless . . .

Snow be gone!

Denim Shirt: H&M, Jumper: H&M (Circa 2009), Green Jeans: New Look (Circa 2011), Shoes: New Look

Its Wednesday. When did that happen? No joke I wrote Tuesday on my to do list before I realised. I know a lot of people probably feel that the work week drags, but im pretty sure mine speeds up. I can’t keep up with it! which is probably why I originally wore this outfit several Sundays ago and photographed it but ran out of time to post it!

Luckily I wore pretty much the same outfit yesterday bar the shoes so I felt that this outfit has made its comeback! Now the reason for not wearing the shoes is because of snow. Not actual snow just the crazy weatherman snow – the one thats always coming but never come. I miss all my other shoes its such a shame when theres only one pair I can wear in the icy/snowy weather.

I also have to tell you my house is a strange place at the moment. The boy has much to my dislike gone on nights. Which would be fine but at the same time only getting to see him on weekends is so not fun. But bigger than that we are both going through and watching “How I met your Mother” as we were before the nights only before the nights we’d watch it together. Now however we have taken to watching the same disks in different places. So during the night I bring the disks into the bedroom and during the day Josh brings it into the living room. Its quite disconcerting to see the thing you pretty much knew where it was no longer be there. We are like ghosts tricking the other one. 

So i’m off to find that disk! Enjoy the end of your week! 

2013 : Bloggers Buns and brogues

 

Somedays its just me and my camera again. After all my photographer needs the odd night/day moment to sleep so i let him while I dorkily stand in our tiny corridor and photograph myself as best as I can. 

Which reminds me for 2013 I really must learn how to use the timer and get myself a tripod – then I can look even more awesomely dorky by setting up my own alone shoots in the park which’ll be more amusing for the dog walkers. (Other than when i change outfits in their park and do random contortions to get the best image)

Anyhoo’s I love how well this came together, look at that bun! It almost looks like I have long hair again! (Man do I miss long hair . . .) So I thought you might wanna see off duty me, but dont look to close I didnt wear any make up this day. (Always a horrifying sight, that and the fact that im rocking myself some adult acne, score!)

Anyways, much love! Enjoy your last day of freedom! I know I will!

Jessxoxo

Bootsmass . . .

 

Happy bootsmass! everyone! So originally I had these two looks (for the same top) to post but to be honest I had so many good photo’s from this one that I figured i might just bore you with a second post for this top! Also did you see the boots? the boots of joy one might call them! I love them only a . . . huge, huge bit! 

I’d wear them all the time but Josh probably would think I was taking it to far if I wore them in bed. Even though I perhaps want to! 

but until them enjoy the rest of the festive season!

Jessx

Christmas Recap

Over the festive period, I seemed to have wonderfully festive jeans. I only own two pairs of coloured jeans red and green which were great for christmas day and boxing day!

I also got to wear my awesome new boots which I strangely bought in the sale before christmas, but my sale drama’s are a whole other blog post! I’ve just been dying to share them with you all! they are just so fabulous and the heels arn’t too scary either which is great!

Other than that there’s not been too much time for outfit posts even though I have been planning a few much to my boyfriends dislike. Tomorrow however i’m going to try approaching the sales again on my list? A low fancy heel for NYE with the boy and a sequined skirt, you know you’ve average shopping list. Oh, and groceries but who cares about those?

Whats on your list?

Jessx

A Merry Little Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all! Whats your favourite thing about the festive season this year? My favourite thing is having my macbook back, granted I lost every document and picture including my dissertation and CV but now at least I have a shiny new feeling computer I even have the old apple screensaver going on!

Because of this merryness I thought it would only be right that I would take some photos and give you a christmas post, although to be honest I think i’ve eaten way too much bad food this week – I was feel decidedly podgy during the photos today.

I already know what my new years resolution will be to truly go lactose free rather than fighting my intolerance all the way. While also getting rid of all this bad food we’ve been indulging in as of late!

I’m also very excited for the up coming christmas sales, can you say booties? I could but im not a big fan of the word, so ill just say im buying boots, thats my plan, that and a new bag! So much to look forward to!

Have a merry Christmas everyone! and if your lucky you might just get to see me and the boys and christmas day outfits!

Jessx