The Coat That Launched A Thousand Smiles

I've been pretty low on confidence for the past year or so, and in fact probably for as long as I can remember. As I've gained weight though, it has gotten worse. I get so caught up in considering myself a bit of a lump (and fat shaming from some close quarters really doesn't help with that), that I had gotten to the point of thinking that wearing nice clothes wasn't worth it. It was obviously going to look gross on me anyway, dur. BUT, that is not the truth. And yes I still have days when I feel like that, but do you know what,  most of the time recently I've been feeling like a boss: a girl in control of her own life, and the way she looks. And I love it. 
Now, I'm not going to say that this is 100% down to this coat and the perfect Autumn heeled boots (£15 in Primark - basically a must buy) that I almost always wear with it, but I'll give it a good 60% of the credit. I've been upping my self care routine recently, and making sure I keep up to date with tha (let me know if you want to hear more about this by the way - I'd totally be up for doing a post on it!). This has definitely had a major impact on the way I'm feeling, but I have to say, getting some new staple items in my wardrobe was an important thing that I overlooked.
Clothes shopping is something that I don't do on a frequent basis at all, and gaining weight has meant that this has led to a bit of a lack of confidence on my half. It's all well and good trying to save money, but when you're crying over the fact that the third dress you've tried on from your wardrobe in a row won't fit, it doesn't feel that great at all. 
So, as I'm now back to working, I decided to stuff the clothes buying ban and head out to a girl's best friend: Primark. Now, my old town *weeps* didn't have a Primani, so the cheapest place to get clothes was H&M - fairly inexpensive for t-shirts, not so great for wardrobe staples. You can imagine my joy at discovering that the town I moved to in June has a glorious three story bloody store. Literal heaven. 
Me and this coat basically fell in love at first sight. I saw it and knew I needed it. This was just confirmed when my sister and my boyfriend both agreed that they loved it (possibly the first time all three of us have liked the same item of clothing ever). And the best part? Dear old Primark, you loveable sod, you priced it at £25. I honestly absolutely adore everything about this coat. The fact that it's light enough to wear during the day, but the faux fur collar keeps you snuggly in the evening. The fact that the belt ever so slyly cinches you in at the waist a little. Most of all though, I love the way I feel with it on. Honestly, wearing this makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. I don't know whether it's the collar making me feel like an Elizabethan Queen, or the fact that it's the only coat that has fit me perfectly in months. Either way, I've lost count of the number of smiles that I've beamed at people whilst wearing this, or the grins I've given myself in the mirror on the way out of the house.
Do you have a staple item in your wardrobe that makes you feel like a boss too?
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Clinging onto Summer OOTD

Autumn is officially finally upon us, and whilst we all know how excited I am for this season, it's also nice to catch up on the last few rays of warmth before they disappear again until March. It has been getting a lot darker and colder in the evenings in the last week or two, but there have been occasions on which *gasp* I could actually hang the washing outside, and even want to go for a walk in the nature reserve that is literally on our back door step (or would be if we had a back door). 
This white and blue striped blouse from Primark has been an absolute life saver when it comes to this weird transitional weather period. I find the weather changes almost by the hour in September here in the UK, and I love the fact that this top keeps me warm with its long sleeves, but is loose enough to keep me cool when it's humid. A win-win, huh?
I've also apportioned this blouse to the section of the wardrobe that cover my 'fat days'. Now, I'm not talking about days on which I've actually gained a few pounds, but rather the ones on which I feel like I have. When I'm feeling low on confidence, or bloated because my period is about to start, wearing tight tops just kills off my self-esteem, and so it's loose tops all the way!
Is there any one key trasitional fashion piece in your wardrobe at the moment? Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

Going greyscale for Autumn

This week really seems to have heralded the start of Autumn. I don't know what it's been like where you are, but here in Gloucestershire we've had misty mornings, cold nights, and crisp air to wake up to. Walking to work the other day in my new coat (which I will definitely be showing you soon!) totally made me feel like it was my first day back at school. You know those first few mornings you have, where it suddenly feels much colder because you're forced out first thing in the morning? Yeah, it felt like one of those. 

When it really got chilly a couple of days ago, I figured it was time to whip out this Primark grey jumper top. I would link you guys to it, but alas, it's 2016 and Primark still don't have an online website (cue weeping). This was £14 and is (to my knowledge) still out in stores as I only bought it a couple of weeks ago. I love the dainty white collar, and the piece of sheer shirt material they've included in the bottom. They make what otherwise would be such a plain look that little bit more special! I've got more grey jumpers in my wardrobe reading for A/W than I would care to admit, and the details on this make it stand out a little from the rest.
This outfit is for sure going to be my smart-casual go-to as the weather gets even colder. It's so warm. soft and comfortable, but has a little touch of elegance. In these photos, I'm also wearing Primark's black skinny jeans and ankle boots with gold detailing. 
Do you have a new staple Autumn piece for when the weather gets cooler?
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