Loz

Too much of a bargain! Neoprene bomber jacket: £23 in sale

Kin by John Lewis- how have I missed this?

Over the last year, I have been trying to evolve my style a little, investing in pieces that are better quality and carry a timeless element of design with them, and which fit in with existing pieces that I own. I love adding in elements that are ‘of the moment’ and ASOS is my absolute go-to for a quick fix, but my aesthetic has been changing from the bright-and-garish of my 20s, to a more Scandinavian-influenced, monochrome look. As a tall woman I really feel that buying good quality trousers is almost impossible; far too often they’re overpriced, with underwhelming fabric, so I tend to stick to Next and ASOS’ tall ranges and then spend a bit more on tops and dresses from COS. My uniform is usually a boxy or oversized top, with skinny trousers or ASOS Ridley high-waisted super skinny jeans. In the winter I throw some Uniqlo heat-tech tops on underneath and a Whistles coat on top, in the spring it’ll be a military or Gap jacket and a voluminous scarf.

Evidence of me wearing voluminous scarves, and also being really quite tall...
Evidence of me wearing voluminous scarves, and also being really quite tall…

I think COS is well worth the money in most cases as the design element is just brilliant, the fabrics are lovely, and the only real downside is that you have to have a good knowledge of COS’s product to buy from their website as the plain nature of the clothes tends to make it a little bit tricky to know what you’re buying sometimes. I would also argue that the sizing is quite unforgiving- I’m eternally thrilled that their clothes go up to a size 18 but it’s not generous, and I couldn’t fit into certain styles in an 18 as a size 16, since the cut is very androgynous. That’s fine for my small chest, not so great for my womanly hips.

Anyway, I am utterly amazed that a range of clothes that evokes a similar reaction in me to that of COS, that I can see fitting in to my existing wardrobe, and that is affordable in a ‘considered purchase’ sort of a way, has escaped my attention for over a year. But googling leather backpacks today, I came across Kin by John Lewis and it’s magic. Fair warning: I haven’t bought anything yet so I will report back later on the quality, but it being John Lewis, I don’t foresee any issues. And I have high hopes for the John Lewis size 18.

One of my favourite things in the collection is this Reverse Seam Jumper, which I can really see with blue jeans or cigarette trousers. It’s effortless, tasteful, and at £49 it doesn’t break the bank for a beautiful bit of design. I don’t love it in black or green, but the charcoal looks great.

This is just timeless. Reverse Seam Jumper, Charcoal (£49)
This is just timeless. Reverse Seam Jumper (£49)

Two pieces I love that are currently in the sale are this neoprene bomber, which is £23.00! If I didn’t have a whole host of birthdays coming up and a nephew about to spring forth into the world, I would be buying it right now and frankly I still might.

Too much of a bargain! Neoprene bomber jacket: £23 in sale
Too much of a bargain! Neoprene bomber jacket: £23 in sale

This oversized textured jumper is also an ace piece on which to build, and is £48 from £69. It works in spring, autumn, and winter- which is exactly what I want if I’m spending fifty quid on one jumper.

A great all-rounder. Oversized Textured Jumper (£49 from £68)

A great all-rounder. Oversized Textured Jumper (£49 from £68)

I also like that Kin does splashes of colour to cut through the neutrals and darker winter palate. I don’t think this dress would suit me at all, but I like the fact that it nods to Whistles but would be double the price there. With a blazer and ankle boots you can go from meeting to drinks, and that’s another requirement for my purchases, when I’m not in Nike and a boyfriend-cut sweatshirt. The print is available in a top too, which is kind of cute.

 Artwork Print Dress (£89)
Artwork Print Dress (£89)

Finally my favourite item in the current collection: a diamond print jacket. Part smart, part off-duty, quite a lot impractical: I love it! I’m unlikely to spend £79 on something I couldn’t fit under my coat but I can also imagine about 40 different outfits this would go with, and navy is so ridiculously 2015 that it would update everything.

I COULD NOT LOVE THIS MORE! So versatile.  Diamond Jacket (£79)
I COULD NOT LOVE THIS MORE! So versatile.
Diamond Jacket (£79)

The range’s big selling point, according to The Guardian is that it stretches across men’s, women’s, and children’s ranges, selling neatly to middle class families who want to co-ordinate presumably. A quick look confirms that it’s a very nice range all-round, but that means bugger all to me. The women’s range is clean, vaguely Scandinavian-looking, and has great everyday pieces at less than you’d pay at the shops it’s directly competing with for customers. It’s only a matter of time before I’m clicking-and-collecting my first item of Kin.

Category: Style
me in a jumper

I never make New Year’s Resolutions… except this year I made three of the bloody things

In general I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I used to make them, and most Januarys I definitely need to slow down on the cheese and spending, but then I see a Whistles coat in the sale, and arrange many dinners because I have such horror at the idea of Boring January, and so resolutions don’t seem to have any relevance for me. If I want to make a change, I reason, why not make it when I decide it’s worth making, rather than waiting for the calendar to tick over to the next year? I know Christmas excesses play a part but all in all, I just can’t be doing with it.

One of the aformentioned Whistles coats... in Berlin!
One of the aformentioned Whistles coats… in Berlin!

Except that this year, I am. My 2014 included moving in with M, our first holiday together, and all that those exciting things involve. We’ve had a bloody good time but a few small tweaks need to be made, and after a post-Christmas period that saw me rolling around with insanely painful stomach problems, I’m ready to do some housekeeping.

Read more books

I read all the time. Moving to East London, I’ve shaved around 30 mins off my former commute but I’m still looking at a minimum of an hour and a half door-to-door. As soon as I get a seat on the tube my Kindle gets whipped out. I never don’t have a book on the go, and I like to read last thing at night too. However, that commute is a killer. On top of this, I’m usually pretty tired in the morning as my need for kip is closer to the cat’s average hours asleep than a humans’. So I get tired, and I get lazy, re-reading beloved crime novels because it’s fun. But learning stuff is fun too, and feeds the mind; it’s why I listen to a Woman’s Hour podcast most days, and then go home and bore M with what I’ve found out. I was lucky enough to get  Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and What Should We Tell Our Daughters? by Melissa Benn for Christmas, and I have The Book of Jezebel, Lena Dunham’s essays, and lots of other lovely Feminist tomes waiting for me on the IKEA Kallax it took me three hours to put together. So my very first resolution, after such an awesome Christmas haul, was to make inroads into my book collection ay-sap.

I currently am one
I currently am one

Clean my face, FFS!       

When I was at university, I had for a while a dalliance with what we will call A Very Low Maintenance Look. Beanie hat, baggy jeans, hair tied up- you get the picture. But regardless of sartorial misfires, the five-minute walk from Mile End tube station to the college did horrendous things to my skin, and my forehead in particular was a dry, sore mess. I tried a lot of lotions and moisturisers but when your skin is angry and irritated- and I’m talking dry and slightly sensitive skin, not the type that needs specialist advice- you have to start with how you clean your skin. When I was in my skin crisis all those years ago I finally found Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, and my skin became the skin I always knew (hoped) it could be! But, for the same reason that I’ve been stuck in a rut literature-wise, I’ve skipped Liz far too many times over the past few months in favour of a quick-fix face-wash.

Me without make-up. Believe it or not, it could be worse.
Me without make-up. Believe it or not, it could be worse.

Made up of all sorts of botanical goodies, and no nasty stuff, Liz Earle products are calming and hydrating, and I don’t actually know of anyone who hasn’t tried them and benefited. The wonderfully soothing Cleanse & Polish is put on to dry skin and then taken off with a hot cloth or flannel and the Tonic that follows boosts your skin further. I feel distinctly less scaly after a few days of using Liz Earle.  While handy in an emergency, I really hate cleansing wipes but use one- or my personal favourite, micellar water on cotton pads- before you hot-cloth-cleanse and you’ll find your cloths look less like they’ve been dipped in clay. My skin isn’t thanking me for my skin care rut at all, and I know what the right thing to do is so I’m making the change. Again.

The LEGENDARY Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish
The LEGENDARY Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

Lose weight (YAWN)

Yeah, sorry: predictability claxon. One of the most pretentious reasons that I don’t usually make resolutions is the fact that I don’t want to be the same as everyone else: I want to make my decisions, when I want to make them, and anyway January’s such a downer after Christmas so why do dry/diet/gym with a gazillion other sheep? But this year, like every other bloody person, I am back logging in to MyFitnessPal, firmly attached to my Fitbit, and counting every last calorie and step I can. And what’s extra galling is that I did all this before, and it worked. And then I drank all the beer.

On holiday in 2013, when I was very happy with my weight... then I ate a few too many of these delicious treats
On holiday in 2013, when I was very happy with my weight… then I ate a few too many of these delicious treats

Of course my relationship with my weight is weird, complicated, and uncomfortable- isn’t most people’s? In 2011, a year after leaving a job in which I was truly miserable, I was ready to make some positive changes, and after a work trip to Copenhagen produced some photos I’d be quite keen to never see again, I finally decided I was in the right place to lose weight slowly, healthily, and positively. I lost two dress sizes and at 5’11” and a size 16, I felt superb. Of course if I could click my fingers I would have liked to be a size 14 (I’d try things on in The Kooples!), but everything I had told myself and not quite believed was actually true. A sexy, confident weight for me was at a size 16 and fuck what the rest of the world says- this was my skinny. It took me two years to lose two stone, but I was very happy and spent many of my hard earned GBP in beautiful shops like COS. My style developed and I had a new way of carrying myself. And I met M, which I truly believe that old me couldn’t have done, as old me didn’t think she deserved it. But I’m now about 7lb off being right back to where I started and I can still taste how good it was to feel confident and relaxed in my clothes. And I have a wardrobe full of them to prove it! Getting that weight back off isn’t an attempt to fit in to other people’s idea of how I should look or what I should wear, but I can’t wait to get back in to some of the beautiful Scandinavian goodies I own and walk tall: I did it before and I know I can do it again.

A pic of me drinking? WHAT A SHOCK
A pic of me drinking? WHAT A SHOCK

So, my usual resolution of not making resolutions has been broken! I am a predictable sheep, bleating her way into 2015 and browsing workout gear at lunchtime. Writing this piece has really highlighted to me how much I need to concentrate on getting more and better sleep, so I can give energy to the things that I need and enjoy, and I know that I have to focus a little better on my health.  Soon I’ll be sick of calories and ‘active minutes’, as will everyone who knows me, but for now I’m happy to have taken back control of my life, muslin cloth in hand…

Category: Life
French Connection

Wearing cheap clothes well

Some people have an eye for a bargain. Kathryn is one of those people; she can see the one item in Primark that will go with a bunch of stuff she already owns, and the whole outfit ends up being way more than the sum of its parts. Whereas I am the sort of person who picks through the dregs of the Next sale wondering why nobody else loves this burnt orange polyester shirt that I have taken a shine to (true story).

However, even I have managed to pick up a few tips and tricks for choosing items that look more quality- and therefore expensive- than they actually are. And I will share these in just one moment but first, a disclaimer. I realise that some people feel very uncomfortable about ‘fast fashion’, that hurry to get catwalk-inspired pieces into shops that can lead to the very real concern over the pay and working conditions of people manufacturing them. Buying clothes from the high street is the only option for a lot of people and this is a complicated issue for another post. But the tips and tricks I mention below can just as easily be used if you’re buying from a charity shop, having a wardrobe organisation, or swapping clothes with your friends.

Take out the vest that comes with your blouse!

I realise that this is a very specific tip to start on but it does have wider application. I’ve bought a number of blouses that come with a vest-type layer underneath (for decency’s sake), but so often I’ve found that the shirt or blouse is great, but if you’re buying from a cheaper shop, the layer underneath is either without any stretch and so is really restrictive, or is a funny length, or makes you sweat. So throw it away and invest in vests! Primark vests at £2 each are a good buy but I also go for Uniqlo Heat-Tech camisoles (£9.90) when it’s a bit chillier, or even a Spanx vest for a smoother silhouette. Or appropriate the layer from another piece of clothing. The point with this is that a vest with the right length and fit will sit properly under your shirt and often looks much smarter than the crappy cami it came with.

You don't have to pay Spanx prices, but a smoothing vest can provide a great under-layer for blouses
You don’t have to pay Spanx prices, but a smoothing vest can provide a great under-layer for blouses

Abandon ballet flats!

It’s really difficult to buy reasonably-priced shoes that look quality, but the first mistake so many women make is to reach for the ballet flats. But these devil-shoes give little support, tend to look knackered quickly, and undermine the smartness and style of everything else you’re wearing. If you’re happy to buy it and can afford it, leather always looks better and your shoes will last longer. But this isn’t always an option so my advice is to steer clear of ballet flats at all; try brogues instead, or loafers. The heft of them looks better and they are still available at all the places you’d probably buy your ballerinas from. However, if you can’t go cold turkey….

…Go patent

If all else is lost, faux patent leather is much more convincing than faux leather. This goes for handbags as well as shoes. And there’s a smartness to patent that lifts the rest of your outfit. Patent finish, t-bar, a pointed toe: all good ways to go smarter with flats.

Leather isn't always accessible, but one pair of more expensive boots is worth more than three pairs of cheap ones...
Leather isn’t always accessible, but one pair of more expensive boots is worth more than three pairs of cheap ones…

Tight looks cheap, and so does short

Blatantly not all tight looks cheap, just ask Roland Mouret. But in general, considering your hemline and the fact that cheaper shops (or vintage clothes) can sometimes come up a bit smaller will take you a long way. Going up a size can look luxe and sexy, allowing the clothes to skim your body. And while a very short dress in a 60s style can look ace, that length may look like the manufacturer has skimped on fabric in a different style. Consider wearing (good quality) leggings with dresses that come up short, or avoid items that come up too short altogether. Honestly, even if you love it, sometimes it just isn’t worth buying if you end up having to tug at it all the time, lest you flash your frillies.

On the size thing, this is simple: if in doubt, go up a size. Cheap clothes usually don’t look better tight as the material is less forgiving, so just ignore the label and trade up.

This dress cost about a tenner from Primark but it's got a thickness and drape that looks edgier and pricier
This dress cost about a tenner from Primark but it’s got a thickness and drape that looks edgier and pricier

Think fabric, through thick and thin

When you’re sifting through rails of stuff, the quality of the fabric is something well worth bearing in mind. So much is a matter of taste, and opinion. But if you take one rule with you when shopping, think ‘thick or thin’. Fine knits and jersey can look way more expensive than they are, flowing over the body and looking v classy indeed. Equally, I have a shift dress from a very budget high street retailer that lives and dies on the fact that the material is thick enough to avoid showing bulges and underwear lines. So think about thicker-than-usual, and thinner-than-usual fabrics to fool the casual observer.

Tights

As a tall woman (about 5’11” to be far from exact) I struggle with trouser lengths, among other things. Our office is very casual, but when I go to conferences, I often choose a dress, which I’m afraid for the most part I can’t get super-cheap. But one cheap item that makes all the difference is the quality of your tights! I hate these damned leg prisons but they finish off a smart outfit and opaque tights hide a multitude of sins, so a necessary evil they remain. I like M&S when I’m near one and can afford their tights, but otherwise I will usually go for Primark. My absolute, 100% top tip is to go for control top tights- they don’t really control anything, but they tend to come up higher on the body, creating a smoother silhouette and making your clothes fit and sit better.

And a serious point on leggings: they are not trousers and they won’t give you the coverage you need, so cover the majority of your bottom, and your mimsy, please!

And finally, be a canny sale-shopper

I ask you to cast your mind back to the beginning of this article- I know that seems a long time ago but bear with me- to my reference to an orange polyester shirt I once bought in the Next sale. As a terrible magpie up until fairly recently, I used to love lairy, loud clothing that I thought reflected my personality. These pieces can be fun but if you’re getting them in a sale then often they’ll be coming to the end of their fashion life and probably don’t have longevity on their side. Instead look for classic bits that you’ll be able to wear later, even if you put them away for now. This is a blog post in itself but here are a few ideas to whet your appetite: faux fur jacket; camel coat; brogues or loafers; Breton tops; a denim shirt; plain jumpers; any kind of neutral basic. Sales are a great time to get slightly better quality items for less, but you still have to be clever about it. Lots of shops act like they have the right to charge more, but the quality isn’t really there. A grey fine knit J Crew vest for £18 though? Why thank you very much!

Cashmere on a budget, why yes please! (stolen from Kathryn)
Cashmere on a budget, why yes please! (stolen from Kathryn)

Have you got any tips for snazzy dressing on a budget? I WANNA HEAR THEM!

 

Category: Style
save the male CALM

Men need Feminism too…

If you buy, or spend time with someone who buys, any magazine aimed mainly at men, you will most probably have seen the ‘Save the Male’ campaign being run by CALM. Even if you haven’t registered the message, you may have seen the eye-catching image of a man’s body, mostly submerged in the sea.

I first became aware of CALM when I worked at the British London 10K this year and spotted just how many runners CALM had; they stuck out because their fundraising t-shirts are orange, the same as our runners’ were, but the sheer number struck me too and I sought out the charity to see what they were about.  CALM is ‘the campaign against living miserably, .. a charity dedicated to preventing male suicide, the biggest killer of men aged under 50 in the UK.’  Later, I started seeing the adverts on magazines, and buses, and it got me thinking.

There is some controversy around the oft-quoted statistic that claims that the biggest killer of women aged 15 to 44 is men, but there is no doubt that, while instances of crime in general continue to fall in the UK, we still see two women killed a week by a partner or ex-partner.  The TUC estimates that one in four women will have to take time off work at some point due to domestic violence, a statistic that sits uncomfortably in as rich a country as the UK. We all know, right now, a woman who is suffering from intimate partner violence. And the prejudice of “why doesn’t she just leave?” is deeply ingrained in our societal consciousness, as well as a belief that some arguments just get out of hand, some couples just wind each other up, some women could do with a slap. But what story starts to emerge if we think about CALM’s statistics on male suicide in conjunction with rates of domestic violence? What is our society saying about men if violence towards themselves and others is so prevalent? Surely both domestic violence and suicide are symptoms of not knowing how to cope, a deep unease with the world, even if they do present in very different ways.

An initiative in Hull which helps men who want to stop being violent
An initiative in Hull which helps men who want to stop being violent

I feel that it is appropriate at this point to write a few words on domestic violence experienced by men, inflicted by women. Intimate partner violence, whatever the gender of those involved and whatever the sexual orientation of the couple, is disgusting. We all feel anger with our loved ones at times, especially in romantic relationships, but to physically abuse another human being is truly immoral. And when it is an intimate partner, a husband or wife, the pain of domestic violence goes so much deeper than the physical, and the feelings of shame are well-documented. Estimates on DV experienced by men in heterosexual relationships do vary but around 1 in 4 of DV incidents seems to be an accepted statistic, and this points to it being a huge problem. My caveat on mentioning this statistic would be that the remaining 3 in 4 violent incidents are against women, who physically are more at danger from the violence, have a higher number and more serious injuries, and that around 80% of continuing violence is perpetrated by men on women. I have always said that there is room around the table to discuss all types of domestic violence, and I am not dismissive in any way of men suffering intimate partner violence; we need to support those men, but it doesn’t negate the extent of violence against women.

One of CALM’s three mission statements is “We believe that if men felt able to ask for and find help when they need it then hundreds of male suicides could be prevented.  We believe that there is a cultural barrier preventing men from seeking help as they are expected to be in control at all times, and failure to be seen as such equates to weakness and a loss of masculinity.” I would hazard a guess that a very similar statement could be made regarding domestic violence, that men feel too much shame to ask for help and feel that there is a cultural assumption working against them. Deeply-entrenched cultural assumptions are massively, indescribably harmful to men and to women; assumptions based on gender only serve to pigeon-hole, and ignore individuality and difference. The same assumptions that tell women that they’re too emotional, too bossy, can be valued only on their physical attractiveness, attack men for not being traditionally masculine enough, dissuade them from seeking help when needed, and use the word ‘mangina’ to try to nip progressive thought in the bud. Male suicide rates are another way we’re reminded that the world needs feminism, for men as well as women.

For help and information:

CALM: www.thecalmzone.net
The Samaritans: www.samaritans.org
Refuge: www.refuge.org.uk
Mankind Initiative: www.mankind.org.uk
Respect UK: www.respect.uk.net

 

Category: Comment
wrap

Food! Cheat’s halloumi wraps

I’m almost embarrassed to even post this; it’s barely a recipe. But it might inspire you to use what’s left in your fridge, and if you take nothing else away, do take this: chapattis work as amazing wraps, and are easy to keep as they freeze brilliantly but tend to have a three-month shelf life anyway.

You’ll need:
- a pack of halloumi
- chapati/roti
- houmous
- chilli jam
- salad (preferably something peppery like a watercress and rocket but anything would work)
- a griddle pan (or some sort of George Foreman, or a frying pan at a push)

I’ve found that 2/3 of a pack of halloumi will work for four wraps, if you cut it thinner and put more in, but for a more hearty wrap I would allow half a pack for two big wraps, and cut it into chunkier slabs.

Heat up your griddle pan. Seriously, these are the best so if you don’t have one, get on it. They add a little bit of colour and texture to your food, and often you don’t need any oil. When hot, put your sliced halloumi on the griddle and fry on both  sides until brown, toasty, and yummy.

hubba hubba!
hubba hubba!

When browned, set aside and turn the heat right down. Pop a chapati on the pan and it’ll be warmed by the time you’ve got a plate out of the cupboard. This is absolutely the key to manipulating wraps for stuffing; warm them and they’re tasty and pliable, otherwise they’re a bit dull and they break when you try to, well, wrap them.

I even heated this one from frozen; too damn easy
I even heated this one from frozen; too damn easy

Two generous tablespoons of houmous, some blobs of chilli jam- once you buy this stuff you’ll be amazed you ever lived without it, and it’s really not hot- a BIG handful of salad, and the halloumi. The chapati provides a depth of flavour that’s way better than a boring old white wrap, and it holds up well to being stuffed and held. You can really easily adapt this idea to save some calories with reduced fat houmous and halloumi, without sacrificing flavour.

construction!
construction!

One pan, easy-peasy, and really tasty.

Working from home lunch, with Wallander
Working from home lunch, with Wallander
Category: Life