Jeans Hunt with Blithe Spirit and a Dollop of Mustard

The Mourning

Oh how I do mourn the passing of my M&S jeggings.  They fit so beautifully yet sadly they are no longer fit for purpose, as they have suffered a bit of wear and tear; they have become victim to RWI (repetitive wearing injury), are now designated GFGO (good for gardening only) and strictly NTBSOTB (not to be seen on this blog!).

White Company trapeze cardi, Next ivory blouse, mourned M&S jeggings, Adesso wedge heels.

What makes these jeans my much-mourned jeans?  Everything's right about them.

Right fit, right length, right weight, right amount of worn-in-ness.

M&S just don't make jeggings like they used to.  So I'm moving on. 

I currently have two pairs of wearable jeans, the criteria being that the zip is still zippable and they have no distressed  tears, fashionable or accidental (and no distressed tears from me crying as I pour myself into them!). 

I don't like the knee-to-ankle arrangement in either pairs.  So they rarely get worn.

But I like wearing jeans.

The Hunt

So what does that say to you?  Yup, a jeans hunt.  Shopping criteria being a not too wide and not too narrow leg/ankle and waisted high enough to avoid muffin top.  And thin denim, I find the thicker stuff claustrophobic.

During my recent trip to Southampton I went searching for this jeans holy grail.

I went to straight to M&S, as it was not a mega shopping sort of trip.

I would have liked these to have been in the shop.

These are a nice light summer blue, high waisted and the ankles don't look anything like as narrow on the model online.   But that's it, I think they are only available online.

I tried on three pairs in the shop, button-fastening, relaxed, and skinny.

Button-fastening.

The Finding

Yup, button-fastening won!

 Pure Goldilocks jeans.  They were The Ones as soon as I squeezed slipped them on.  

It will come as no surprise that I'm a short 27" leg! The short size stops just at the right point high enough above the ankle to make them feel summery ... and for me to feel cheeky when I wear them.  And that is what I really want from a pair of jeans.  I want a nonchalant spring in my step and a gamine swagger to my hips each time I squeeze slip into them.  I get that from these jeans.

I wear these and transform into a Blithe Spirit!  And those of you who know me as a pathological worrier will see this as no mean feat.

How can jeans do that to a person?!!  Does a certain pair of jeans make you feel cool or coquettish?!

And who would have thought!  Button-fastening! That did deter me at first glance, as it did my shopping mate, Double Coz, who took one look at them and cried "But what about your manicured nails?!".

But the nails handle the arrangement with ease.  Blithely.

I never had 501s back in the day, like Nick did.

The Tenuous Link to 501 Eye Candy

Nick Kamen goes to the Laundrette (only view if you can bear to watch a man washing his jeans!).

Laundry break over! Back to the jeans.

M&S button-fastening jeans, Next navy long-line camisole, M&S mustard bobble-button cardi and snakeprint flatties.

I always thought 501s looked far too complicated but now I am a button-fastening convert.  It's a comfortable arrangement.

The Epilogue

Jeans are an important part of a girl's life so finding the right jeans is a big deal.  From this little exercise I have realised that in order to find The Jeans, you have to first work out what suits you best.  From photos, from the mirror, from compliments or criticism you have received.  

Take all of that on board then work out a your list of requirements, your must-haves in a pair of jeans and the must-avoids.  Then armed with these criteria, easily stored in your head, you have the shopping tools which get you your perfect pair of jeans.

I'm crossing my fingers that these jeans are The Ones as they still have to pass The Pout Laundrette Test!  I'm hoping they'll be The Go-To's that will allow me to go about my day with effortless ease.  

To go forth, blithe of spirit.

A la perchoine.

What To Wear For The Hygienist - Revisited

Today you're looking at one heckuva Big Girl.  For I have been to the hygienist.  My hygienist really likes me.  That is why she likes to see me often.  I think that is why.  But I like that she wants to see me often because as well as all the enjoyable banter, she takes good care of my teeth.  And they're kinda important to me.

So today, let's deal with the most important part of good dental hygiene.  What to Wear at the Hygienist!

Here's our Big Girl wearing a big smile for her hygienist, a White Company taupe swing cardi over a M&S Limited Collection modal vest top and Peacocks white jeans.

 Yes, peeps, white jeans.  Again!  In October!

But the opportunities are fewer as we get closer to November :-(.

And look.  Little Clarks metallic toe flatties.  I'm not even attempting to "winterise" my white jeans in this weather.
Queue the scratched record: the day was gloriously warm ...
Too warm for boots.  

And like Phil Collins - No Jacket Required!

Too warm for that too.  Just the merest drape of a woolly pashmina, in complementary colours.

Now I did attempt to play around with the pash.  I hooked out a leather belt and attempted that look where you tether the pash around the waist.  You know, that style you see fashionista sporting.  I was excited to be trying something new and stylish.  The Photographer thought it looked awful.  So awful he refused to take a photo of the look.

You win, Photographer!

To appease him I tethered the pash around my neck instead, no longer A Bag Tied Up In The Middle.  For that, I was told, is how I looked with the belt tethering thing going on.  And I know from experience that A Bag Tied Up In The Middle is The Photographer's ultimate fashion critique.  It doesn't get any worse in his book.

So, heed the word coming down from up high, peeps.  Belt tethering is best avoided if you are barrel shaped like me, lest you become A Bag Tied Up In The Middle.  

Fashion tips from Il Paparazzo.

A la perchoine.





Fear of Packing

We woke up today to a lake at the bottom of the garden which is no surprise as we've "enjoyed" constant torrential rain, hailstorms and storm-force winds for days, though today the wind has finally dropped.  

This weather got me thinking of warmer times, holidays past and clement weather ahead.

Now, for me the downside of travel is - queue Jaws music - packing; I have packaphobia. 
Our 15kgs and 20kgs allowances for flight carry-on and hold and luggage respectively and is bad news for one (me) who likes plenty of dressing options, so packing needs serious consideration. 

  

My packing process? I start with a list, make amendments, then a total re-write before packing, whittling down, re-packing.  You get the picture. I fear it.   So I was relieved to read that there are others like me out there in the bloggisphere and help is but a google away. e.g. here with 

this lady

These sites bring succour to those who share my condition.

My packing isn't as scientific as that lovely lady's but there is method to it. I photograph the final packing spread out on the floor, then I endeavour to take daily photos of what I actually wear, followed by a review whilst sorting out the snaps on return. 
It's become apparent that the same core items crop up day on day, they are my workhorses; aspirational stuff packed doesn't see any more action than when I schlepp it round in the suitcase.  So nowadays I pack the identified workhorses.  End of.  Fin de.
E.g., it's early summer, Denmark and mainland UK, 3.5 weeks.  I packed layers as I've previously experienced snow there in June!  But it was beautifully warm.  The workhorses?

M&S cut-offs, Woolovers French Navy cardi and top; Next pumps, crochet taupe/white bag, grey/navy mix silk scarf bought 35 years ago in Copenhagen - I took it back to its "roots", the store (Magasin) from which it was bought!

L: M&S jeggings, The White Company taupe top, Navy Woolovers cotton/silk cardi, Next pumps;

R: M&S beige cut offs, beige Alexon longline top, Woolovers French Navy cardi, Clarks sandals (very comfy).

M&S black jeggings, grey cotton/silk cardi and top from Woolovers, comfy Ecco Sandals (bought there), the old grey/navy silk scarf tied as a head bandau.

A close-up of the scarf; mix-and-match bracelets from Accessorize a couple of years ago.

L:Black Next modal top over black t-shirt, coral M&S cut-offs (6-7th summer!), black Ecco sandals.  R: M&S Limited Collection modal t-shirt, Cotton Traders white cut-offs, same sandals;

the scarf is the grey/beige/black silk sister of the yonks-old Tie Rack scarf which I showed in My First Time Blog - therre, now you have met that little family!

Fairly pedestrian outfits, fitting for a lady in her 60s :-), but these were my mix-and-match workhorses for 3 weeks. 
Packing will be a doddle this year!

And during a 3 week trip to sizzling France, the photographic evidence is that I wore a variation on this throughout.

East layered cotton lawn skirt (ca. 2004, so light, it's a summer travel must-pack),
White Company vest in taupe, and that little crochet bag.

Same skirt and same bag (bien sur) with a multi-coloured jersey dress which I tuck up and use as a long vesttop (£3 charity shop find from 2004 another summer must-pack).

I'm embarrassed to add that we drove on that holiday and I filled our boot with a shocking amount of clothes and shoes (because I could).  And I seem to have worn one skirt, two tops and one pair of sandals!

So, nothing exciting or uber-stylish but the point of this rather long rambling is that if you do a bit of holiday photo analysis, perhaps you too will discover that you wear just a few items on a mix-and-match basis, so pack that and all the fancy stuff can stay at home!

If you have managed to stay awake after all my ramblings, well done you!

A la perchoine.