Refreshing Your Wardrobe this Autumn

Working from home for me has meant a lot of my work wardrobe has been left a bit sad and unloved… I’ve lived a lot in leggings and hoodies!

But I’m trying to be more conscious of not getting into bad habits and sprucing myself up from time to time to make myself feel good. With autumn here it’s now all about big jumpers, thick tights and skirts. Still comfortable but a bit smarter and fancier than just leggings!

Here’s an article on autumn fashion you might enjoy to give you some inspiration 🙂

Image – CC0 Licence

As much as we love to cling on to summer for as long as possible, it’s probably time to admit that autumn is here. The afternoons are getting darker, the trees are starting to become bare, and the temperature is falling. It’s time to fish out those chunky knits, find your winter hat and gloves and pack away your summer shorts and swimwear. 

If you’ve spent the last few months enjoying summery prints, bright colours and loose, comfortable clothes, the idea of restrictive jeans and jumpers, dull colours and practical outfits might be a little upsetting. But, don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to refresh your autumn wardrobe so that you love it just as much as those summer dresses. 

Image – CC0 Licence 

Look at What You’ve Got

Before you rush out and buy a whole new wardrobe, take a look at what you’ve got. Buying new coats, boots and winter accessories can be fun. But, it can also be expensive, and money is tighter than usual for many of us this year. So, first, take a look at what you’ve already got. Look at what you can work with, what needs replacing and what you can fix. Then, consider shopping second hand on eBay and in charity stores for anything that you do need. 

Layer Up

Layers are crucial in autumn. The weather is changeable, and while you may need to wrap up first thing in the morning, the afternoons can be much warmer. Make sure you’ve got plenty of light layers, that work well with other items of clothing, and don’t underestimate how effective a simple vest can be when it comes to keeping warm.

Keep Your Summer Favourites 

Layers also give you the chance to wear your much-loved summer clothes for longer. Add thick tights under skirts, dresses and even shorts. Put a long-sleeved t-shirt under a summer dress or shirt and add jumpers and long-line cardigans for extra warmth without losing style. 

Add Some Colour

In autumn and winter, many of us are guilty of sticking to dark colours and avoiding patterns. But, autumn is filled with colour. Plum, navy, dark green and mustard are always popular at this time of the year. But, don’t be scared to add some summer brights to your look, especially with your jewellery and accessories. 

Invest in Good Quality

Fast fashion is cheap, fun and easy. But, it doesn’t last, it won’t keep you warm, and it’s unlikely to be waterproof. It’s also bad for the environment and creates a false economy. It can be better value to buy second hand, high-quality goods. At least invest in good quality boots and a coat which will keep you warm and dry. 

Shop for Your Lifestyle

If you do need to buy new clothes and shoes this season, keep your lifestyle in mind. It’s no good buying things that you’ll never wear. Think about how much time you are likely to spend outdoors, what you do in your spare time, and what you really need to enjoy the lifestyle that you are used to. 

Have Fun with Waterproofs

We wear our waterproofs on wet, grey days—the days when we need cheering up the most. So, have some fun with prints, patterns and colours. Find items that make you smile, and you’ll probably cheer other people up too. 

Add Some Glamour

Autumn and winter don’t have to be boring or just practical. You can still wear glamorous clothing and enjoy more stylish pieces. If you are looking for something for an occasion this autumn, jumpsuits are in fashion and always look great, even if you have to layer them up for extra warmth. 

Be Bold with Hair and Makeup

Your clothes aren’t the only way to refresh your look this autumn. Add some colour to your makeup with bold lipsticks and smoky eyes. You might also want to consider a new hair colour and style if it’s been the same all year. 

Get Creative

One of the best ways to create a unique autumn wardrobe is by getting creative. Make your own clothes, buy from charity shops and upcycle outfits into something new and interesting. Even small touches, like adding a patch or brooches, can give new life to an old outfit. 

Autumn is here, winter is coming. Wrapping up warm can help you to stay comfortable and healthy, and even give you the chance to enjoy the season. So, embrace it. Have fun with autumn fashions, and enjoy some glorious autumnal walks with your family and friends.

Do you enjoy dressing up?

Is your wardrobe dictating by the seasons?

Would you say you’re fashionable?

Rants and Raves

I thought I’d do a little ranting and raving in this post of some of the thing going on around here lately.

Rant: walking Alfie at 5.30am when the weather is freezing. The weather has definitely realised it’s November now and it is COLD. I walk Alfie before I go running and whereas I have no issues with running in the cold (because really it’s only cold for 5 minutes) the pre-walk is horrendous. I’m half asleep, freezing cold and feeling really grumpy. During that 10 minutes of walking all those annoying voices in my head are having a field day persuading me to just go back to bed. So far I’ve been able to ignore them


Rave: having friends who bring back treats from India!

IMG_8349 I’d love to pretend I know what each of these delights are but needless to say they taste amazing. They’re all sweet treats – some a bit like fudge, others just condensed sugary cakey things. The smell of them is incredible and I’m pretty sure each sniff is about 500 calories each 😉 Those bad boys won’t last long at all.

Rant: As I’ve been running on consecutive days in the morning things have become quite stressful to ensure I’m not late for work. This means getting up at stupid o’clock (aka 5.10am). I get dressed and ready, take Alfie for a walk and then run at about 5.50am. But do you know what’s most exhausting? Washing my hair after every run. So that’s shampooing, rinsing, conditioning, rinsing, towel drying, combing, blow-drying, combing and finally a quick straighten to tidy things up. Effectively my life is wasting before me because of my hair. In desperation I have sought another option.

Dry ShampooDry shampoo! Obviously I still shower, but not washing my hair after every single run means I actually gain back about 15-20 minutes of my morning (all important porridge eating time).

I’ve only used dry shampoo once before and it was ages ago when they were pretty much just white powder. Perfect for blondes but a disaster for any dark haired people like myself. If you don’t manage to comb it all out it can look suspiciously like dandruff. So I was chuffed to find a brunette-specific one.

After finishing a fairly easy run I forwent the hair wash and decided optimistically to just spray this stuff all over my hair. Big mistake. I probably should have been a bit more careful and less liberal because it took quite a long time to not look like my forehead and neck had been beaten up. And it sprinkled lovely dark dust all over our white sink. ARGH. So the time I saved from not washing my hair was spent washing my face and neck again and then cleaning the bathroom sink. I’m sensing I need more practice at this


Rave: coconut water. Yes I know I’m so far behind the times and trends of the healthy living world but I am fully on board after winning a whole set of Naked coconut waters from Maria’s giveaway.

IMG_8336I pretty much keep one in the fridge at all times so when I get back from my run I have an ice cold coconut water to guzzle.

Rant: I subscribe to RunnersWorld magazine and really enjoy reading it. I often go on the website as well. Sadly the UK version of the site is far less comprehensive than the US version, hey ho, but that’s a rant for another day I think. No my rant for this is when I’m clicking on different articles suddenly a huge subscription advert will occasionally pop up.

RunnersWorld Subscription AdvertAnd to escape from it you have to click “No thanks, Marathons are easy”. This annoys me. It’s similar to that subscription advert for one of the women’s fitness websites too but that was about getting the a “bikini body diet plan” or something similarly pathetic and you had to click “no thanks, I already have a perfect body”. Awful.

I’m already hacked off that you interrupted my reading pleasure, RunnersWorld, but don’t get all cocky with me with you cheap digs. And speaking of annoying, RunnersWorld is also notorious for having adverts at the top of the page so if you ACCIDENTALLY scroll briefly over it your screen becomes submerged once again with guff you didn’t choose to see. Way to go at annoying your readers!

Whew always feel a bit better after a good rant 😀

What are you rants and raves lately? I might do these posts more as they’re quite fun. There’s always something to moan about 😉

Do you spend a lot of time on getting ready in a morning? I don’t wear make-up but my hair takes ages mainly because it’s so damn long.

What’s your favourite coconut-based product? Coconut oil is still high on my list for frying vegetables in.