Slowing down

And getting creative

Is it Spring or is it now Summer? A friend joked that it’ll be Autumn once this weekend of hot weather is over - who knows! Either way, it’s a particularly tempting and teasing time of year from a shopping perspective, with newness everywhere, seasonal fashion, new iterations of old trends, transitional pieces and collaborations.

I love how

Totally Recommend

writes about her push back on ‘stuff’ she feels she’s being influenced to want.

Stop Asking Me To Buy This Stuff

I mean, we talk about slow fashion and yet our inboxes are spilling over with brand emails, content, offers, sale notifications, and more. How are we supposed to stay afloat whilst swimming against this tide of consumerism?

Queue, digital break. Albeit somewhat unintentionally, I took a step back this week, from emails, apps, and even Indyx. Between the day job, parenting three cherubs, doing ALL the jobs whilst him indoors is recovering from hip surgery, it has just been sooo busy. It felt really good to unplug and to be in the moment. However, as quick as that post-holiday ease dissipates on the first morning back in the office, the feeling evaporated as soon as I had a chance to grab a moment to catch up on emails and notifications. I felt straight back to square one feeling inundated and overwhelmed.

Natalie Borton

has been sharing some initial thoughts on this topic too. Like her, my own personal way forward isn’t clear yet, but it’s good to be on a journey towards some change. Hence the focus of this post. Knowing when to slow down, and exchanging scrolling for getting creative!

Week in Review | 05

Speaking of creativity, as well as my little pause this week, I had a memorable and meaningful conversation with my SIL on the topic of this very Substack. I’m typically embarrassed to share my intent/ aspirations around this little corner of the internet, but it was her generosity of reaction that stayed with me - she said ‘follow your flow and be true to who you are’. All at once I felt seen and proud of the creative streak that has driven me over the years to flex it in different ways.

Between the slow down and this conversation, this week really brought me to a realisation (and

Beth Bentley

too by the looks of it! See below) - to get creative, be creative, to flex that creative streak. It doesn’t have to make money or replace the day job to have value. The act of being creative is the point, and what will keep us from the ‘drink and the shrink’! I will be intentionally continuing in my slow down in an effort to get creative with my wardrobe, my style and myself, remembering it’s not what we wear but how we wear it.

Don’t just consume. Create. The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own. There is no other way - Betty Friedan

Inspiration

There has been such a rapid change in season in the UK, veering from cold wet days to sunny hot days in what’s felt like the blink of an eye. Summer wardrobes are being dusted off, legs shaved and fake tan applied (I’m Irish, it’s what we do).

Enter crochet season! I’ve always loved a crochet number - one of my most loved items is a preloved crochet t-shirt from Whistles in the most perfect taupe (similar here). Despite getting a look in every summer, crochet appears to be particularly hot this season, with shoes getting the latest crochet update. The key is to go for cotton, linen or silk, to stay classy, and to team with a natural material bag, think raffia, straw or woven. Inspiration here from

Rachael Keegan

, Monikh and Capucine.

Wish list pieces

I’ve added three very simple items to my wardrobe this week. They all feel very me and I know will quickly become staples in my summer wardrobe. While this chocolate brown Arket sweatshirt and D.Louise beaded necklace have sat on my wish list for at least 3 months, the gold Havaianas were an instinctive purchase. I tend to buy a fresh pair every season as they’re almost exclusively what I wear throughout the summer months. See below for how Anna styles hers.

Everything I Wore This Week

And I’ve added three things to my wish list, with a focus on this glorious heat, upcoming holiday mode and you guessed it, crochet! These two tops from Massimo Dutti caught my eye and I love that they could be styled simply with linen trousers or skirt, or over a simple dress. I will definitely be experimenting.

I realised whilst compiling these pieces that I’m mid 40s and have never dipped into beachwear/ cover up territory! To be fair, parenthood has a lot to do with it and, at the stage we’re at, there’s not much call for poolside dalliances in a billowing all in one. However, I do like the idea of something light to throw over my togs for the leisurely stroll back to base and for veranda time. This one from Jets Australia (from the OUTNET) looks great in terms of shape (being a pear, a belted silhouette works best for me), material (100% linen) and colour (you know me and green, however I will need to see this IRL to know if it’ll work with my cool celt colouring). While not crochet in itself, this would look great with a crochet or similar bag, like my preloved Alienina rope bag. On the topic of Aussies brands, have you dabbled with Australian swimwear yet? Honesty, it’s the best! Check out Seafolly in particular, and it’s on the OUTNET too.

I hope you feel like being here was time well spent, and to see you here next weekend, Jenny x