Everybody

Years ago, when we were watching our young children play, another parent commented that my youngest son was very "in his body". At the time, I thought it was quite an odd comment. I couldn't really see what other option he had, but I think I now understand what she was talking about. She was referring to the joy he experienced in movement and his ownership of his physicality.

This is an experience that has come fairly late in life to me. About 6 months before my diagnosis I had begun a program with Precision Nutrition and had changed my diet, lost weight and was exercising daily. I loved the way I felt with those positive changes and have continued to use the tools I learned in the program, but I must confess to never really understanding the exhortation to "find an exercise that you enjoy". I saw exercise as a means to an end and whilst I greatly enjoyed the wellbeing and sense of achievement that it brought, I never thought of it as fun.

 Well, that has changed recently, after I enrolled in a course at Vulcana Women's Circus. I have completed a Circus Essentials course and am now doing an Aerials course and although the lessons involve working quite hard, I enjoy every minute of it and look forward to the class all week.  So I guess the message is that if you haven't found an exercise you love-KEEP LOOKING!! The two things that have given me the greatest sense of ownership and pride in my body since my surgery have been exercise and fashion. They are the things that allow me to be "in my body", to inhabit my physicality and feel good about the way I appear in the world. What are yours?

                                                       Top:Trenery
                                                       Cardigan:Trenery
                                                       Jeans: Jag
                                                       Boots:Wittner
This is what I am wearing today for a quiet day at home. I really like shawl and draped collars on jackets, as they give nice volume over my chest, but this one does remind me a bit of my dressing gown, which is a similar colour! It's one of those pieces that I appreciate for it's practicality and comfort, but feel a little ambivalent about.

I have noticed that my style has evolved quite a bit as I adjust to what works with my body now, and I am finding myself drawn to straighter, simpler silhouettes. I suspect that drapey pieces may look better on curvier figures, but in the middle of a Brisbane winter I am quite grateful for the cosy, dressing-gown-like qualities of this cardigan and will continue to wear it for the remainder of the season.
Do you have clothes that you wear because they are too easy and practical to let go of?


Everybody by Backstreet Boys

Women In Uniform

The idea of having a "uniform", a set formula that is worn every day with the only variations being in colour or fabric, is one that I have been reading articles about for a couple of years now. I can see a lot of advantages to this way of dressing: it would take the guesswork and indecision out of getting dressed in the morning, shopping would be simplified  and it would make wardrobe capsules about a million times easier to create. The concerns that prevented me from developing my own uniform have been the fear of forgoing the creative aspect of fashion that I enjoy so much and also not finding a combination of items that I loved and felt comfortable enough in to wear every day. I think that may be about to change.

                                                                 T-shirt: Cue
                                                                 Jeans:Uniqlo
                                                                 Cardigan:ScanlonTheodore
                                                                Booties:Wittner
I realised recently that when I am choosing warm, comfortable outfits to wear at home, I seem to invariably gravitate towards  a long-sleeved T-shirt, either in wool or cotton. I love the coziness and ease of these tops, but I really don't like how I look in them.

Then I put this new crepe knit cardigan over the top, and I felt instantly fabulous! The thickness and drape covers my chest, the shoulder pads add structure and the tie waist and angled hem provide the femininity that I missed when I wore jeans and a T-shirt on their own. I have worn booties here, but I also like this outfit with tall boots worn over the pants for the days when it is cold and wet.

I have 5 pairs of skinny pants in various fabrications, colours and patterns, so I have been experimenting with the skinny pant/long-sleeved T-shirt/cardigan or jacket/boots formula today and have been pretty happy with a lot of the combinations. I was a bit concerned that this uniform would only work with this cardigan, as it is such a beautiful shape, but to my surprise I have had some success with several of the jackets in my closet. The key seems to be a strong shoulder, good chest coverage and some element of waist definition. I am looking forward to experimenting more with clothes in my wardrobe that will slot into this formula and I am excited about finding a version of a uniform that I feel good in. Do you have a uniform? How did you come to choose it?

Women In Uniform by Skyhooks

All About That Bass

It took me quite a while to become accustomed to not wearing a bra. Having worn one every day for my entire adult life, I felt quite naked when venturing out without anything underneath my tops. In summer when the weather is warm that is a good thing, but as the weather cools down I begin to miss the extra layer of insulation. I discovered the Uniqlo Heatech range last year and have found their camisoles to be soft and warm. I have been wearing one most days now that the temperatures are starting to drop and I am enjoying both the comfort and the visual simplicity that allows it to be worn either as underwear or as a simple base to allow a statement piece to shine.

                                                              Camisole: Uniqlo
                                                              Jacket: Cue
                                                              Belt: Elizabeth Kelly via Etsy
                                                              Skirt:ScanlonThoedore
                                                              Shoes:Wittner

I had to show you this outfit, as I received the tan obi belt I ordered in February and this was it's first outing. A very kind older lady flagged me down in the shopping centre and told me I looked smart and that she loved what I was wearing, so I am counting it as a win! This jacket is one I bought last year but found difficult to style. I think with this outfit I may have hit on the right formula: creating waist definition, sticking with a simple top and skirt, and allowing the jacket and belt to be the stars of the show.

Sports-style jackets are having a big fashion moment currently and I like the way they look on a flat chest. The style is cut fairly straight, so it avoids the empty front of more tailored jackets and the colour-blocking and knit inserts provide the appearance of curves. The combination of a camisole and a jacket provides the perfect level of warmth for this time of year. I think I will be repeating this formula frequently over the next few months.

This was a good lesson for me, that sometimes a good base is all you need.  Except try to do a little better than I did and make sure your camisole edge has not rolled up and made a lump under your skirt. Sometimes the camera can be cruel!

All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor