The Practical Style Staples I'd Recommend To Anyone
Over the years, my style has changed a lot inline with much my life has changed and I never thought practicality would be at the top of my requirements when it came to when buying something new but now it certainly is. For years, I was the girl who wore ballet flats and a leather jacket when the temperatures were in the minuses and there was ice on the ground so it’s fair to say I’ve not always put common sense or practicality first but now it's a priority. Finding style pieces that make me feel awesome as well as being fit for purpose isn’t always the easiest to find but the pieces I do have in my wardrobe that fit that bill are things that I wear all the time and are things that I’d recommend to anybody.
Barbour jacket
There are probably no surprises that my beloved Barbour jacket is the first up on this list. I purchased my original jacket nearly 3 years ago now and last year I swapped that coat for the Beadnell style as it’s a little more fitted. But in general, a wax jacket is a practical and undeniably stylish item that will be a part of my wardrobe for many, many more years to come. What I love so much about Barbour coats is not only the heritage and the fact that they’re still made in the UK (give this documentary a watch) is that they can work whether you’re going for a walk in the woods with your dog or going into the city. The Beadnell style, in particular, is incredible as it’s got so many pockets and we all know the struggle of finding women’s clothing with pockets in. They’re a pricey investment there is no denying that but one that you will only have to make once as long as you take good care of them with regular rewaxing.
puffer/padded style coat
I remember when puffer or padded style jackets came back into style and I never thought they’d become as much as a staple for me as they have in the last few years. And that is truly for one reason and one reason only…it’s like wearing a duvet out of the house. I’ve got a couple in my wardrobe now and I adore them, I know they’re probably not the chicest item I could wear but they do keep me incredibly warm and comfortable. I have one from Zara (the one photographed) which is much more of a fashionable warm coat and then one from Roxy which is the warmest coat I wore last winter as it keeps the warmth in so well.
cream chunky knitted hat
Every year I question whether or not hats actually suit me but then in around December I slowly start to care less and less as I’d prefer a warm head and they cover up all manner of bad hair days. Last year I bought a beautiful chunky cream knit from a wonderful small business called Hattie For Heady and I’m so excited to pull it back out this year. If I don’t fancy going for something with a large bobble on then I really like Uniqlo for their simple beanie style wooly hats and they’re well priced too.
shearling lined boots
When Josie came into our lives and we started walking every single day I soon realised that I needed a good pair of warm boots. And anything lined with shearling fits the bill perfectly for me as I love how snug they are without the need for huge chunky socks. I have a couple of pairs that I like to rotate between, the burgundy pair in the photograph are from Emu (gifted) that I like to wear throughout Autumn on walks as well as whenever I’m nipping into the city as they’re practical but look pretty smart too. The second pair comes from UGG (gifted from a paid partnership) that are my go-to for whenever its snowed or it's icy and they are the warmest pair of boots to ever grace my feet. They’re in a military-style which is something that I always loved but worried they wouldn’t be the most flattering on the leg but these are and oh so comfortable.
mens knitwear
My love affair with men's knitwear began 6 or so years ago when I realised just how much longer and thicker the knitwear was. Nothing frustrates me more style-wise than women’s knitwear as it's so short and always ridiculously thin which just isn’t practical at all. I tend to wear oversized jumpers as dresses or with leggings as I like something that is roomy and can fit a thermal or a long sleeve underneath and men's jumpers fit the bill perfectly. And there is nothing quite like the feeling of pulling on a big chunky knit and they’re the type of item in your wardrobe that only gets better with age.
joules wellies
Wellies are something that you can spend a small fortune of if you want to and in the past, I’ve owned the more expensive options but I prefer my pair from Joules. They’re soft rubber which makes them so much more comfortable to wear in and they come in so many designs. Including the new variation of the pair I have which have an extendable piece on the back which is perfect as my only problem with these wellies is that they are a little snug on the leg.
