Every great instance of style has a story behind it.
From iconic red-carpet gowns, to what we select to wear each morning in our own lives – clothes, makeup and how we choose to present ourselves are a way of changing how the world sees us. Choosing a bright lipstick or a statement dress is our own small way of changing the narrative.
For me, style has always marked a turning point in my life, become the outward expression of how I’m feeling inside.
As a small child it was rifling through my extensive dressing up box to pick a character for the day, or choosing to pair a tutu with wellies.
Growing up in the 90’s in a bubble of Cool Brittania and Girl Power, I longed to emulate what I saw as the powerful and sophisticated style of Posh Spice and Kate Moss.
As an emo teen, that evolved into wearing ripped fishnets with legwarmers (oh the embarrassment), graffiting my tshirts and piling on eyeliner and spiky belts. I wanted to look like Leigh Lezark and Karen O, edgy, confident and with a middle finger raised to the world.
Today, as a grown woman, I’ve been on a journey to understand my style DNA now, the pieces that fit into my life and make my heart sing. I’ve come to understand the colours and shapes that work for me and the power of editing – choosing less and saying more with the items I own and love.
Fashion influencers like Anna Newton, Camille Charriere and Aimee Song have largely replaced celebrities for me, as I love understanding their selections and why they choose to style pieces in a certain way.
All through my life, I’ve respected and loved the way style has the power to make us feel. As a kid, I loved nothing more than sitting at my mother’s feet when she was getting ready to go out, sifting through the cosmetics and potions in her dressing table and getting lost in the magical Narnia of her wardrobe. There was no greater feeling than the first time she put winged eyeliner on me to go to a school disco. I felt magical, and more myself than ever.
People sometimes refer to makeup as a disguise, or a mask, and although that transformative, shielding element is appealing, style can equally be a pretence, an aspiration or even an unveiling of authenticity. As I always say – ‘The real me wears eyeliner!’.
Style- and the stories we tell others about ourselves through it- have captivated me ever since, and show no signs of loosening their grip.
These are the reasons I’ve never been able to kick the habit of writing about style. At times it’s felt like a foreign language I don’t speak, but desperately want to understand.
As I got older and began to develop my career and start a family, I still struggled to understand how the pieces were all supposed to fit in this new juggle that was now my life.
How could I balance being a present parent, building my work life, trying to forge successful relationships and improve as a person, with having a sense of style?
Was I supposed to forget about how looking good made me feel good and changed my interactions with the world? Should I just give up and sink into a uniform of leggings and sweatshirts?
Was it right to be concerned about such things when I was supposedly a responsible adult, with young children and teams to manage at work? Should I even try anymore?
What I eventually realised was quite simple – I want to have my cake and eat it (what’s the point of a little patisserie if you can’t take a bite or three?). I want to try to be the best version of me that I can – in my mental health, in my family life, in my job. And style is a huge part of that.
Of course there are days where it all goes wrong. Days when I say the wrong things, make the wrong choices, get frustrated, fail my kids, mess up at work or just plain can’t be bothered and stay in my gym kit all day. That’s just reality.
But it’s not the attainment of better that makes me tick. It’s the challenge of getting there. It’s the visioning, the planning. That’s the part that I love – not the being ‘perfect’ (that made up word we haunt ourselves with), but the trying to improve.
Wobby, imperfect, occasionally brilliant, and achingly human.
So this website is simply that. Trying to figure it all out and optimise life. Trying to use style as a way to speak to the world. Trying to connect with others, especially working mamas who feel a need to defend a piece of their own identity when so much of themselves is given to others each day.
Trying to have my cake and eat it – and serve others with it too. Bon appetit!
In terms of the fashion, beauty and lifestyle content you’ll see here, It’s all about the edit, and combining ideas from many different places to come up with something personal.
I’m a fan of classic, minimalistic style with a quirky twist thrown in. A beautiful camel wool coat and a pair of tailored leather trousers with bright shoes or an offbeat bag. A bit of Chanel mixed with A LOT of Zara.
When it comes to beauty, it’s all a journey of discovery. Finding hacks that make you look and feel great, when you live life in a constant rush. Clean but enhanced faces that take what’s there naturally and give it a little boost. Supplements and routines that give you the energy to take life on at full stride and manage your internal landscape as well as the face you choose to show the world.
And there will also be posts about how to make the most of a busy life – finding headspace, staying positive, and getting your home and your life running as smoothly as it can – even though the wheels still fall off occaisionally!
If you love posts about styling, family life, self-improvement, home renovation and the general reach for a beautiful life – please stay here for a while. Please find some escape and perhaps some inspiration in this site.
Like life itself, it’s a work in progress and a gorgeous, chaotic reality. I hope you’ll like what you find.