Our Wedding Day – April 2011
THREE years ago today I married the love of my life. I have wonderful memories of a really brilliant day that I’ll never forget.
It marked the end of one part of my life and the beginning of a new chapter. So what better day than my wedding anniversary to start another new chapter?
Specifically I’m talking about leaving behind my insecurities and hang ups about my figure and body and stepping a little bit out of my comfort zone.
Like many of us, I’m inclined to stick to the same ‘uniform’ of clothes and even more so the same palette of colours. Mainly black. Being plumptious I hide behind black a LOT convinced it makes me look three stone lighter, when of course it doesn’t.
You know what, though? I’m sick of it. It’s spring now, coming in to summer, the days are longer, hopefully the sun will make an appearance and I’m sick of wearing dull clothes and covering up.
I need to lose some weight and I’m doing so slowly by following the Slimming World plan but while I’m losing weight, I want to wear nice clothes. I deserve to wear nice clothes. And that means colour and patterns and florals and stripes and polka dots and anything else I fancy.
Trousers – Yours Clothing. Top – Tesco. Shoes – Heatons
Rimmel Wake me Up Foundation, Chanel Eyeshadow, Estee Lauder lipstick
I spoke a bit about this last week in my post about wearing stripes, something I had been afraid to do before as I thought they made me look fat(ter). I enjoyed dressing up and wearing a bold pattern so much that I thought I’d extend it to a week long challenge for myself.
So I’ve decided just to go for it for the next seven days and have a bit of fun with it and embrace fashion and colour and pattern and to hell with size and the ‘rules’ for what you can and can’t wear if you’re a larger person. To hell with it.
Lady in Red – Laura
Aoife’s stunning blue nails
Sara in her new pink scarf
I enjoyed my last challenge a lot and friends and readers got on board with it so much that this time I’ll also be including pictures of other women, of all sizes, who all want to break out of their comfort zones and add a bit of colour to their wardrobes. I’m hoping at the end of the seven days people will have enjoyed it so much that they’ll permanently retire their dull wardrobes.
Sharon’s fabulous statement jewellery and minty nails
Wendy looking fab in her bright pink dress and statement clutch bag
If you’d like to take part, please do join in, the rules are simple: Wear some colour every day, or a bold print/pattern you wouldn’t have worn before. That’s it. You don’t have to buy new clothes, even bright rainbow coloured nails count. A statement necklace, a vibrant scarf, anything. Just wear some colour every day.
You can comment here or follow me on @beatingblog and use the hashtag #colourmehappy to take part. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Enjoy it.
Even Seán is embracing his stripes!
WHEN you’re a bit of a fatty, like me, you’re told to stay away from horizontal stripes. They widen you, make you look fatter. Best to wear vertical stripes, or actually stay away from stripes altogether.
Ah fuck that.
I like stripes, they’re fun and summer-y and have a nautical feel and are just nice, so this past week I’ve decided to forget everything I’ve been told about stripes and just bloody wear them.
Luckily for me Mother’s Day and our wedding anniversary coincided so I was due a little splurge.
F&F at Tesco midi skirt
First up is this Striped Pleated Midi Skirt from F&F at Tesco, which I just fell in love with the moment I saw it. It’s light and swingy and fits like a dream. I teamed it with a plain black t-shirt and a statement necklace. I felt ridiculously good in this skirt, ridiculously good, it’s my new favourite thing.
I then decided that while I was being brave about the stripes, I’d also do something I had never done before – order clothes online.
I’ve never ordered an outfit online before, I’ve always been terrified it wouldn’t fit or wouldn’t look the way it had looked on the website, or would be of poor quality, different material, that kind of thing.
When I came across Yours Clothing though – a plus size retailer – I couldn’t resist, I just loved this outfit and had to have it, shoes, necklace and all.
When I saw it, I had to have it!
Obligatory pointing at self in the mirror picture
The site promised delivery in five days and on day five, joy of joys, the postman knocked on the door and I nearly dislocated his shoulder snatching the parcel out of his hands.
The trousers are super soft and comfortable and the top is just gorgeous, lightweight, stretchy and … oh just LOOK at it. Look! And more stripes!
Oooh Matron!
Look how smug I look, delighted with myself!
Mint green nails for spring
I was very impressed with the shoes, they fit perfectly and are really comfortable while the necklace is really pretty. Overall I was so so impressed with the clothes and the service. I will definitely be ordering from them again.
I’ve also fallen in love with stripes and don’t really care if I’m not supposed to wear them. So there!
Leaf necklace
Beating Myself Into a Dress 