Hobbs Styling Session

I wrote a post recently about the changing shapes of the forty+ and fifty minus woman and my quest to find things that do actually fit and look stylish at the same time.

A term that I captioned ‘bang on trend but still able to bend’!

I mentioned that some of my lifelong favourite stores were no longer cutting the new shape and that my quest was on for some new places that were a little more to true to the sizing and style of women like me.

Shortly after this, I attended a styling session at the newly opened Hobbs store in Barkers Arcade, High Street Kensington which was hosted by Catherine Semmens who blogs all about fashion at Not Dressed as Lamb (such a fabulous name for a blog isn’t it).

Catherine’s strap line is “Who Wants To Be ‘Age Appropriate’, Anyway?” and she challenges the rules around clothing and the expectations of what we ‘should wear’.

Many of us (myself included), have probably always associated Hobbs with formal work wear.  I have to say it has been ages since I visited one of their stores but to do so fitted perfectly with my quest to find ‘my kind of sizes’ and ‘wise garments’.

It’s always lovely to walk into a store and be greeted by this.

Credit : Not Dressed as Lamb

There was an opportunity to have a good browse before the session started.  The fact that I had a glass of fizz in my hand made this even more pleasurable.

There is also something very decadent about walking around such a beautiful shop.

I was really impressed with the occasion wear.

In the past, my go to shop for weddings, do’s and such like has been Coast and Monsoon where I have always managed to get some great outfits.

I would never have thought of going to Hobbs so this was definitely worth noting for the future.

My go to stores for separates and casual wear are H&M, Dorothy Perkins, Forever 21 and River Island.

Again, it was good to check out the Hobbs range.

Just time for a quick picture with Catherine and then straight on with the session.

Credit : Not Dressed as Lamb

Catherine had carefully chosen a selection of her favourite pieces and throughout the session, we were treated to seeing the lovely  models in some of the great outfits she had selected in line with her theme ‘Going for Bold’.

My personal favourite of the evening was this red top.  Well actually the whole outfit was pretty gorgeous.

Credit : Not Dressed as Lamb

 

Catherine talked about always taking something a bit random or different into the changing room as well as your usual pieces.

This was a good reminder to change things up when it comes to clothing.

We can all play a little safe at times.  I know I am guilty of this and will always tend to go for a different version of the same thing.

I also find that I have more of a critical eye when choosing for myself these days due to the points around age and sizing that I raised in my previous blog.

Feeling comfortable is incredibly important to me now and there is nothing worse than feeling ‘trussed-up’ and just, well – ‘not right’.

Anyway, back to the show and next up was elegant pleats.

The outfit below really interested me as I wouldn’t have thought to tuck this style of top in to a skirt.  It definitely worked though and it looked stunning.

And of course, not forgetting the accessories because, quite simply – a girl can never have too many!

After the session, we were encouraged to try on anything we wanted with the help of the marvellous store staff.

This was my green light and one of the things I was particularly keen to establish during my trying session was how true the sizing was.

I have to say I give full marks to Hobbs for this because although I was initially recommended a Size 14, I actually managed to comfortably get into a Size 12 which found me having a little grin to myself in the changing room.

Don’t you just love it when that happens.

No purchases for me on this occasion as I’m still making a few tweaks in the form of sensible eating and exercise but Hobbs is a definite revisit for me the future.

My thanks to Catherine for her very ‘stylish’ styling session.  You can read more about it in Catherine’s own words here.

And thanks to Hobbs for hosting the evening in their lovely new store.

 

Chelsea Girl Doesn’t Have My Size

Or style!

And then I find out that BHS is closing down.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I jest of course as I think Chelsea Girl closed down before I was big enough to shop there.  I just latched on to my sister and followed her round while she spent her hard earned fiver from her Saturday job.

As for BHS, may it rest in peace with it’s good friend Woolworths in pic ‘n’ mix heaven.

Not somewhere I’d shop for clothes but the home section was fab.

Anyway,  I’m digressing so let’s get to the point.

Fashion through the age ranges.

For the purpose of this blog, I’m not sure whether I should describe myself as 40+ or fifty minus but what I want to talk about is accommodating body changes and style preferences.

Too much salad and Prosecco together with a slowing metabolism and a whip me whop through the 40s is scientifically proven to have an effect on body shape.  I have this information from a good source.  The mirror.

There is a randomness to these changes – like suddenly acquiring someone else’s boobs, shoulders, arms, back and middle.  The whole top section in fact.  You don’t see it coming gradually.  You just wake up one day and it’s like, well – there.  On your body.

I’ve spent my whole life wanting bigger boobs and having been gifted a few cup sizes around mid 40 (yes it shocked me too!), I realise why everyone bemoans them.  They make clothes look different. They are uncomfortable and bras itch like mad.

I have walked around my favourite stores only to berate them in the changing room for changing their sizes (and styles).  This is a combination of some retailers being a bit stingy with the material and my delusion in not noticing my new top half sooner.

I’m nothing if not persistent but after trying to get something past my shoulders in the tenth shop, hoping the material will give so I can at least move my arms, one can become despondent.  The fact that it leaves me sweating buckets (yes that as well, the little bugger) – well what can I say.

Anyone nodding along?

Unlike Alice in Wonderland, when something says “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” – I do not shrink and fall down a rabbit hole.  Fall down yes – rabbit hole – definitely not.

More like eat a muffin top and you get one.  Smug cow in her blue and white dress. Those jam tarts do come back to haunt you though Alice.  Especially the yellow ones that are always left in the box.

Don’t say I haven’t warned you.

I have realised that I have to take some responsibility for my new ‘grown-up’ shape.

There really is not much to be done about it other than the usual but it does mean a different way of looking at clothes. A new way to address the extras.

I shall certainly mourn the old figure.

But moan I will not – nor is this a quest to be on the front page of Vogue, I have always been one of those lucky people that never had to worry about my weight or my plate.  It’s more of a nod towards feeling comfortable and changing things up a little bit.

On the body front, I don’t want to have to keep hoiking things up or pulling them down.  I want my clothes to stay where I put them.  I also want them to shake hands and meet in the middle.  Just get along really – not that hard is it!

So it’s about comfy staples – those beautiful Mars Bar gems that you really can work, rest and play in.  Simples.  So time to find said little numbers.

This I think will be the bit that takes a bit longer.  No longer the quick dash round picking up the stinky small sizes and being through the till in five minutes. More I see shopping as being more of a one item thing, it will probably require detail and said item will have a history of helping people like me.

A wise garment.

It will probably have a top end price tag too.

Outwardly I will still be the same me as before but inwardly I will know that it’s OK to have that extra glass of Prosecco and piece of cake because I have space in my wise garments for these eventualities.

Bang on trend but still able to bend.

This shall be my new style guide going forward.

I have a few places in mind but any suggestions would be most welcome if you have been on a similar journey.

Wish me swell.

Nicky