Hello! I have a bit of a different colloborative post today – about fashion! I’m not the most fashionable or chic person out there but I do enjoy that lovely feeling of confidence when you wear something nice. Though I do need to wear more colours… I have a lot of craziness in my fitness wardrobe but not daily life. Happily it seems black is back…
While summer was all about vintage, denim and florals, fall fashion couldn’t be more different. Instead of the swinging sixties, this years fall fashion fixes are focusing on the kitch 80s and 90s for some autumnal inspiration. If you need to express your fashionista credentials wherever you go, you will want to be on trend. Take a look at these fall fashion hits that you can’t help but fall in love with.
Image source Pixabay – CC0 Licence
Back To Black
While summer was all about pink and purple, autumn is hitting back with a homage to black. While everyone has something little and black in their wardrobe, very few craft an entire ensemble or two or three around the darker shade. Black has always been a staple of any wardrobe, but now designers are choosing to put it center stage. Even online retailers are getting in on the trend with companies like Boohoo showing off a range of jackets, tops and bodysuits that are unapologetically monochrome.
Capes
While you might not feel like Wonderwoman, you can at least get yourself a cape or two to pay homage to a superhero. Capes don’t mean that you have to go for garish colors like the comics. Capes can be classy and add a touch of sophistication to any fall outfit. When heading outdoors, you may not need a full on coat. This is where the cape comes in. Chanel went for the tweed cape look at the fashion shows this year. Others chose a sleeker velvet variety whereas others went all out with leopard and tiger print long length capes. If you’ve never had a cape before, think of it as a longer poncho or shawl and wear it in the same way.
Image source Pixabay – CC0 Licence
Longer Coats
Remember in the 1990s when everyone wanted a trench coat a la Inspector Gadget. Well, the trend is back. Longer coats are making a return after what seems like a ridiculous amount of time of coats getting ever shorter. While trench coats are very much en vogue so is the duffle. A more fitted duffle that shows of your waistline is the trend of the season. While you might be tempted to wear your lined leather jacket, the chances are that it’ll be too short. Instead, go for a neon orange shell suit ankle length coat that will make a bold statement when out and about.
For something a little more sophisticated, combine the longer coat and black trends to source a heavy black wool coat, perfect for those chillier winter evenings.
Fashion trends do come and go, but more often than not, they return once again. You never know, you may even find some of your older pieces moving from the back of your wardrobe to make a return this season. Forget fast fashion and think about upcycling your older pieces. If you had a trench coat in 1995, whip it out, get it dry cleaned and wear it once again. Owning an original retro piece will boost your fashionista credentials no end.
Do you buy items as investment pieces, to last and last?
Or do you go with the latest trends and chop and change often?
Where do leggings come into it though? Well, one of the reasons I love the gym is that I can be a bit more exciting with my fitness clothing. I don’t wear leggings when I run because I just prefer to wear shorts… but at the gym, leggings are my staple. What you look like at the gym really doesn’t matter of course, but for me it really helps to be wearing something I feel comfortable and, yes, look good. It helps make me 
I was sent a pair of leggings and a top from the site to review and I can happily say I’m in love. Now you know I know my leggings. I know what makes a decent pair, what’s flattering and, most importantly what actually works at the gym in terms of comfort and actually exercising. These leggings are GORGEOUS. I’m not really a huge pattern fan but these are subtly different. I love how sparkly they are (they don’t actually feel sparkly and don’t drop glitter everywhere – something I was a bit worried about).
They’re the 
The top is the 
In terms of my gym routine, currently I’m at the gym three-four times a week. I tend to do circuit classes which work the entire body, but in a more weights-focused way. Think less cardio, more strength. I also ensure I do at least one legs and glutes focused day. We’re talking squats, lunges, hip thrusts, single leg work and resistance band routines. I’ll do heavy barbel squats and hip thrusts to really target increasing my strength and then higher rep, lighter weight exercises to focus more on the endurance of my muscles. I can happily say I’ve remained uninjured for a good while now and I’m almost certain it’s because of my stronger body.
After the warm-up we loitered under the trees to keep out of the sun, which was really beaming down now. We saw a camera crew and I asked them what they were up to. They said they were filming the volunteers to help spread the word. Very cool.
Photo Credit: Lakeside parkrun Facebook page
In the end I got 21:05, second female, and Kyle got 21:24 – smashing his PB by 11 seconds. 
We both found it a tough run. Super warm and just very draining. But we got it done.
We asked a guy to take our photo to commemorate the PB and fun run (fun? Ehhh) and hilariously the guy took two selfies of himself before taking our photo. I didn’t realise until later and wondered if he had done it on purpose or not.
Lakeside is not my favourite parkrun but it is a nice one. Flat and pretty with the lake and the trees, but with three complete turnarounds it’s a tough one to keep your memento going. It’s nice that it has proper toilets and a Starbucks though. Very handy.
On that note I’ve made a couple of investments to my “beauty regime”. My mother is a terrible influence on me. She recently bought the Clarins version of the cleansing brush and let me try it out (yes we shared brushes, no I don’t care. She’s my mother). It felt amazing and left my face really fresh and clean. Then the next day we ended up in Boots and somehow I’d purchased the Clinique cleaning brush. Almost £100. I actually felt a bit sick when I got home. To be fair, it came with three other products, though I mean for that cost it better have!! (It came with a toner product as well not shown in the photo).
It has a very high concentration of two powerful antioxidants: Resveratrol and Ferulic Acid, which are apparently great antioxidants for the skin.
When I first popped the new gloves on I knew they were the real deal. These bad boys are seriously warm. They’re also not big and bulky – as some winter gloves are – and still have the cool finger bits that allow you to still be able to use the touch screens of smart phones (so annoying when you have to remove your gloves to do this!). 
I wore the gloves during the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon and they were perfect. The material is very breathable so even when my hands got hot it didn’t feel like they were sweaty inside. Fully recommend these if you’re looking for some warm running gloves!
I feel rather posh using them I must say! I personally loved the smoked one as it adds such a subtle tasty edge.
Spending the four-ish days in Llandudno was lovely. Unfortunately my grandad wasn’t his usual energetic and fighting fit self due to an ongoing cough he couldn’t shift, but it was nice to be there anyway. Though he did go on an epic 5.4 mile walk with my dad around the Great Orme while I was out doing my long run on the Monday morning. I mean, as you do when you’re almost 84 right??My 15 mile long run was great. It was very icy and frosty but it was nice to get out in some different scenery. To make life easier I used a 5.6 mile loop that my grandparents had marked out for me (on proper maps, with elevation charts and everything!). This was handy because it meant if the roads were too dangerous I wasn’t going to be too far away from their house to stop.
It also felt a bit easier in my head mentally to think I was doing two-three loops rather than 15 miles. It was a great route because it went from one coast to the other, so you got to the see the sea twice which is always a win in my book.
I didn’t have any choice but to wear my shorts as I hadn’t packed any leggings with me (I live in Anna La La Land where I don’t consider any negative prospects ahead, just everything running smoothly and the sun perpetually shining). But actually my legs were fine. It was my the tops of my ears and my fingers that suffered. I was wearing my Nike gloves and they’re still quite thin so my hands got really cold. I ended up pulling my sleeves down over them too. I made sure to stop a couple of times to take some photos – it was so beautiful (with or without snow, really) that I had to.
The first lap was good because I was new to the route and had to double-check my carefully written out paper instructions to ensure I was going to the right way, which helped pass the time. The second lap I just zoned out as I knew where to go. When it came to finishing the second lap I was at over 11 miles I didn’t fancy doing another lap as it would make my long run too far (almost 17 miles) and I really couldn’t be bothered. Instead I started the third lap but turned around when I hit the golf club, which we’d walked to the day before and I knew was 2 miles, so there and back would get me to my 15 miles. Perfect.
The rest of the time in North Wales was good old fashioned family time. Lots of walking, quality quiz time (I love a quiz) and good food. My grandparents eat really healthily and light so the only indulgences were when we ate out for food (we had an Indian and a Christmas meal) or when I bought a chocolate drenched waffle at the Christmas market…
Some thing have to be done. We also did a fun walk around Llandudno to find all the different Alice in Wonderland statues (called the “Alice Trail”). I love stuff like this.
Then I was back at work on the Thursday, just in time for our Christmas do. It was at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which was rather fancy and meant I could put on a sparkly dress.
The event only cost £5 and we got a drink on arrival, half a bottle of wine, two drinks tokens and a three course meal. I mean, that’s not too shabby at all! I got myself all glamorous (well, as glam as I can really) and enjoyed a fun evening of food and dancing. 
I did drink but not to excess as I had work the next day (and not to mention a marathon the following weekend). I’m actually not a huge drinker. I don’t mind getting a bit tiddly but I hate the feeling of wanting to be sick or the room spinning, which inevitably happens after drinking too much. The dinner was great (even more so because my friend and I got to split someone else’s meals between us as they hadn’t shown up). And the pudding was a pudding BAR. I will unashamedly say I returned after my first selection for more. I must have eaten about nine different selections (tiffin, rocky road, mince pie shortbread (!), blondies…). I mean, to be fair they were quite small.
Anyway it was a really fun evening. It was nice to have a Christmas party with people who were around my own age. However, it did make for getting up on the Friday morning somewhat tricky. Luckily though everyone who’d been just as foolish as me not to take a day off or a half-day was in the same boat, so I wasn’t alone in my grogginess at work!