If I could describe my ‘can’t live without’ styling piece in my wardrobe, it’s the blazer. I don’t have tons, but I definitely have enough.
That is, until I saw this one in H&M.
Since having a baby, I am definitely dressing in failsafe outfits, but I think it’s important to feel pulled together when out (mainly because I am totally not pulled together at home – greasy hair, barely wet wiped face, sick down my dressing gown which I rarely get changed out of).
Corduroy seemed to have its moment last year, and in particular pink corduroy. And to be honest, I thought it might be over by now but when I saw this online I had to have it. The perfect pick me up to a jeans, tee and flats combination.
If I’m honest, I’m feeling a bit uninspired by outfit posts on the blog these days. I love showing and wearing clothes but feel that Instagram often covers it all so much these days. But with the constant refresh of new and stories which are all ‘buy me, buy me’ I feel sometimes a bit stuck between always showing the new and then wearing old outfits all the time which often don’t have much of a narrative other than ‘an outfit I wore’.
I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on this…
I’m definitely slowing down in terms of outfit content on this blog and hopefully doing posts whereby I have something really fab to tell you about or an interesting way to style something. More like once a month.
I hope I can still inspire you fashion-wise, even if it is less frequently these days, but this is a jacket I bought, wore, loved and will continue to love for years to come.
Hi Alex
I completely understand what you’re saying. At the moment I’m very pregnant so not posting all the time as I’m basically in the same old clothes.
I’m always inspired by your looks whether it may be new or old. I don’t think you need new things all the time to inspire people. It’s all about how you style things for me, whether it be mixing patterns or colours I wouldn’t usually wear.
Love your style.
Thaarani x
Alex it’s so lovely to see your posts when they say ‘old’ next to an item of clothing, I really think you’ve stuck to trying to really be frugal when purchasing clothes and I think that is more realistic for the everyday women, we’re not out in the world purchasing lots items of clothing on the regular. And I think your conscience decision to be more sustainable comes through in your work online and I know it’s rubbing off on me, so hopefully we’ll have a world of more sustainable fashionable dressed people! P.s wish I was brave enough to wear such a light pink, I always feel like Babe in light pink being size 16/18 it’s that sausage arm look I’m afraid off.
Aaah thank you, hope you’re feeling good in yourself and not too hot! Yes think these fashion posts will be more about ways to wear and style than focusing on new in constantly – it reflects my life and hopefully society in general at the moment! x
Similar to the above really! I am so bored with all the constant new outfits/must have items/changing room shots (even though I avidly watch them anyway!!) for me I find your content more relatable as I shop and wear things in a similar way. I’m inspired seeing a new scarf you’ve put with an old favourite beautiful coat, for example.
Love the way you wear things and write and your style is so effortless. Naturally chic and not try hard, which I find a lot of stuff is at the moment! X
It’s funny, isn’t it – stories especially has created this culture of ‘can’t look away’. I never watch Trinny’s stories as she made me cry at my first job and I’ve refused to support her but I know her changing room videos are hugely popular! x
Eeek it’s so hard isn’t it?! Everything is continually evolving and personally – as a teeny tiny blogger – I feel like once I’ve caught on I’m behind again. That said, I’m always inspired by your posts, but I do love it when you give practical advice say re your home or your Tresemme styling tips! And once a month would be great for me to read too! I’ve decided myself to ditch trying to lifestyle blog as I think there are so many awesome people like yourself doing it so well already, so I’m trying something different too, I rebranded as Lau Lau Land and I’m doing style inspired by iconic movie fashion moments… my point is basically that I think sometimes you have to go back to what brings you the most joy and look at how you can share that passion! Looking forward to seeing where you go from here! Laura xx
I know what you mean, Instagram can be unrelenting in the hunt/demand for the “high street hero.” E.g. it is a lovely M&S jumpsuit (we have all seen it all over IG!) But I refuse to jump (haha, see what I did there!) on the bandwagon and buy it. Am I really going to wear it next year (however totally see the value of a pink cord blazer, so am slightly contradicting myself.) Personally I really like what you do and your approach/style. I like seeing you wear the same things, that helps me to look into my wardrobe. You’ve a good balance between style, home, personal with a bit of paid ads thrown in for good measure.
I hope people don’t give up on blogs as I like reading articles when I’m searching for something. Instagram stories disappear so aren’t especially searchable, and Instagram photo hashtags are impossible to locate things though thanks to the multiple tagging of irrelevant things. I always skim through blogs when linked but my favourite are always things like ways to wear something with multiple outfits, suggestions of how to mix things up, etc, as it’s quick to search out if it’s a Saturday morning and I want a quick idea of what to wear with my white trainers that day! ? I like that you feature old season things as it forces me to be creative and more frugal. Love Denmark based use-less for this especially but if I’m honest prefer your style and the quirkiness and colour (and the baby pics ha!) X
I love your stories and Instagram is amazing it’s nice to sit and read a blog post, re read it and then maybe a few months or the next year (if it is a seasonal post – like knitwear or Christmas attire). Maybe the once the month is better for you as you will have a full juicy post to write. Keep them coming. I love them and the jacket is amazing! X
Totally agree with the first comment and the one above. It’s definitely a mix of your thoughts, first impressions and how you style. It’s not always about gotta have the newest thing, way too much commercialism and not honest advice for your general audience who may not have a crazy amount of expendable income. Investment pieces, requesting oldie but is a goodie, restyling pieces and changing up a casual “normal” (ad or not) look is totally what keeps me coming back to you
I love this outfit, definitely something I would wear to work.
I think you have an amazing ability to capture people’s attention by “how” you style..not so much “what” you style. So many Instagram accounts and blogs are now flooded with the latest arrivals and are creating are really bad space where we become addicted to buying new stuff instead of recycling what we have. Personally I’d love to see even more of you restyling items in your wardrobe and showing how to keep them fresh and stylish. Getting us inspired to be creative with what we already have rather than buying something new.
Personally, I love how you mix in new pieces or restyle ones that you still love from previous seasons. I think that’s far more inspiring than the buy buy buy crowded field of bloggers. It’s more realistic and is what inspires me and keeps me coming back.
Also, Insta is not a blog replacement IMHO. Especially since it’s someone else’s platform. I like knowing I have my own space on the Interwebz. I set my own algorithm, and so do you!
What I think I appreciated about your blog was that you always found a way doable us how to wear an already owned outfit/garment in a myriad of ways. That’s hard to come by in the blogger world. I’d hope most importantly you do what makes you happy, but as a long time follower I would say continue to post your outfits and how you creatively style them in different ways. Also as a mom of a now 16 day old baby girl I have really appreciated those posts centered around Precious Peggy.
Pardon the typos. Was breastfeeding and typing. In other words failing.
Personally I prefer blogs for real inspiration as they are easier to search for years to come. And they are more than a sound bite. Posts on Instagram are so fleeting. While I know you have seen much success on instagram your blog is yours alone I wouldn’t abandon it for instastories.
Please keep it up, it’s very inspirational. Another thing: your “going out outfits and make up” are so exciting and you look amazing, would be great to see more of these in the blog. But why I’m mostly writing: I would love to hear about how you wash and treat your clothes. They always look brand new and you look so polished – I often buy more (and make bad choices) because my clothes don’t look brand new with the washing. Hope no woman gets upset with me for writing this ? honesty!
I always find you inspiring Alex, you have real style and pizazz that can’t be bought. I’m getting really fed up of seeing ‘outfit of the day’ posts and continual changing room must haves on other bloggers feeds. People are turning into clones. Carry on with your flair, imaginative and quirky slant on life! I love it. And your baby is sooo cute!
Love your style and I am now searching for this shoes and jacket so posting clothes once a month helps my bank balance!
Lovely outfit! Since becoming a mum I do love and feel good in a blazer!!! This one looks fab and easy to wear. I’m definitely not buying things all the time so once a month frequency is good for me. I liked your blog about the white trainers and this one too, being a new reader of your blog (although I have received your blogs by email for a while before). Lovely work and lovely Photography. Laura
Hi Alex, my thoughts are that Instagram is a great platform for fashion/style/interiors inspiration, I enjoy following peoples stories, especially your renovation ones and I like seeing outfit shots. But you also need your own platform, space on the web, to actually show off your style. I feel like when I scroll through a post even though it is maybe 10 photos of the same outfit, I take in different elements of the outfit as I go along, it’s about the styling, the photography, the layout. I think it’s even inspiration for how other people might take photographs for their Instagram or blog. I love your fashion posts, mixed in with your interiors…I am more than happy seeing several outfit posts a month just so I can see how you are transitioning from summer to autumn, how I could get more out of my wardrobe…or should I invest in courdroy! It is easy to think Instagram has taken over blogging but all the best bloggers including yourself are multi-faceted. Instagram, blogs and YouTube! It must be hard work, but people will always be looking for inspiration across multiple platforms! Frankie xx (apologies for the long ramble!)
I really like the fact you mix older pieces with investment items like this blazer, it’s so much more inspiring & realistic than the Instagram ladies with seemingly bottomless purses telling us to swipe up to buy or # gifted. Instagram is an odd one when I first joined I enjoyed the content but the longer I am on there the more I notice the same group of ladies, at the same events or press trips who just happen to “love” the same brands. I respect their need to make money but your way of doing it is a more valuable & a worthwhile read & I hope this translates into income for you.
Hi Alex,
Personally for me it’s more about your style being inspiring rather than new items of clothing. So I don’t think it matters whether it’s new or not. As a few others have said, I really love that you wear your clothes and show you wearing things in different combinations. That’s what makes it on brand for you and also I think just way more realistic for people and less about throwaway fashion. Since following you I have bought so much less and I love it! And also have been inspired to make more investment purchases. Anyway, I guess what this ramble was meant to say was I’m happy with the way you’re blogging/instagramming etc. I like the mix of stuff. I think you blog/present yourself in a way that conveys a general sense of who you are whether that’s in interiors or fashion posts. X
Personally I prefer the blog. It’s like comparing a takeaway with a proper sit down restaurant meal. Both have their place, but if I had to choose one it wouldn’t be the takeaway! I think it’s down to the written word that goes along with the images, it’s so much more in depth on a blog. And as others have mentioned, a blog is your own, whereas IG isn’t. There is a place for both, they compliment each other, and I can have a quick fix or something more in depth depending on my mood.
Echoing the above really. I know there are lots of new pieces out all the time, but the reason I’ve returned time and time again here is because of your style – mixing the old and the new. Realistically not many of us have got the money to buy each new Instagram must-have, and I’m also quite drawn to the concept of the capsule wardrobe at the moment, so I read to see how you style pieces and what you think is in fashion (and for glimpses of that gorgeous girl, of course) xx
Hi Alex,
For about 3 years I have been following your blog from Germany (forgive me my errors, please) and I truly love it, because your blog is real. You do not parade around between yachts, in up-to-date bars, must-be locations etc. You do not have to dress in a spectacular way which can only be shown on fashion photographs but absolutely not in one’s daily life. That’s why I love your realistic and wonderful blog, your beautiful pictures and the way you share your life with us, who are complete strangers to you. I never am on pinterest etc. because I don’t like these outfits that scream “Look at me!!!” or “Buy me now” or “must-have”. You help me definitely to envolve a good, timeless, interesting but not boring style and not at least to get me focused on real things. Love your blog, Jutta
I know you say you feel uninspired with old outfits but i have to say that is one of my favourite things about your blog!! I came to a point where i unfollowed a lot of blogs and yours is the only one i currently follow. I wanted my principles to reflect my practices and one thing that i took issue with, with previous bloggers is how they can own so many clothes and literally never see an item worn more than once. I believe it is crazy, unsustainable and bad for the environment. So i had to unsubscribe. I believe it takes more originality and creativity to style the old pieces in new ways than to constantly always be buying new items. Plus its more realistic spending wise for someone like me who is in school and works a part time job. Anyway sorry to ramble but my point is you come the closes to mirroring reality!! Please stay true to that!! Love your content!!
I love looking put together and I’m also a new mum, but unlike you have no patience for searching for good buys or going shopping. So I love seeing what you are wearing and how you are styling new with old items. It gives me easy ideas to implement in my wardrobe and new items to buy.
I know there are a lot of people doing similar things out there, but their approach will always be different from yours, as we are all unique. I’d say your audience comes to you for your personal take on things, so I’d love to keep seeing these posts.
I agree absolutely with the comments above. For me, it’s more about taking inspiration from how bloggers style the clothes they wear, than it is about copying the exact look by going out and buying those actual clothes.
My favourite YouTube video ever was Lisa Eldridge’s video entitled “The ‘buy nothing’ everyday makeup video #buynothing”, in which she used ordinary products we all have already, and encouraged viewers to shop their own makeup bags rather than buying more products. Yes, yes and yes to this attitude. We have surely all reached peak stuff, never mind the ethical and environmental concerns about fast fashion.
I love that you wear your clothes. That’s how real life is. I am inspired by your fashion posts but equally about interiors or having a work/life balance.
Sorry to hear you feel a bit let down by doing outfit posts on the blog nowadays, Instagram really has taken over a large section of that market.
Hope people don’t give up on blogs, I like reading about style choices and why, much more than just a picture with hashtags
Hi Alex, I really love your content because it’s more realistic than other fashion bloggers’ content, and seeing you repeat items and mix old with new is one of the things I do really like. However, my favourite posts are the ones that show us how to style items or where you curate something really useful, e.g. the post where you showed us how to style different types of jeans, the cashmere jumper edit, etc. In the future, if you’re doing only one clothing post a month, I’d really love to see more of this type of post. For me, your strengths are your taste, styling skills and realism, and I love to see how you make trends wearable and how you style old clothes in new ways.
Aah amazing, thank you – will try and do more of these xx
Still love reading your blog and it’s good to have you back! The pink jacket looks like and probably feels like a big hug. From a previous post, looked at the Matalan lighting and you were right – wow! Keep an eye on those hormones too, they can dip a little when you have a small baby. Hope you are getting out and about meeting other mums with small babies? I made lifelong friends as a new mum – a definite bonding experience.xx
Oh no you mustn’t stop the outfit posts, they are fab as are you! You probably feel exhausted with a new baby, and have very little time to think about outfits compared to the old days, I know I really slowed down mentally around the 4-6 month point when sleep deprivation really hit me with each baby…but one day soon you’ll come through that bubble and feel inspired again and maybe even have time for the odd bit of shopping. I like how you include lots of old pieces, personally as it’s much more realistic especially for mums! I’m looking forward to seeing what mummy styles you will come up with so I hope you can carry on. I don’t use Instagram so much as I prefer reading a blog (old fashioned!?!) so am keeping my fingers crossed. But whatever you decide will be great I’m sure!
Totally agree about the constant “buy something new” posts which tend to make me feel presured.I’d love to see some more posts about how to style one item various different ways!
Love the jacket!
I like your ‘outfit I wore posts’
I only follow you and two other fashion bloggers and I don’t look on Instagram for fashion as it’s… too perfect?
Very glad you are back from maternity leave!
I love the style ideas on the blog. Not too keen on Insta as don’t want to get sucked into another social media site, and these things do tend to spiral! I still haven’t got my va-va-voom back after motherhood (youngest just turned 2) so don’t feel any pressure. Just know that there’s still an appetite for it on the blog if you are able to do it. :-*
Good for you not getting sucked into insta – it’s a time hole! Great, will still be posting longer fashion posts here probably once a month x
Inspiring !
One Q: how do you get – and keep – your home looking so picture perfect?
I tidy for photos! x