How to build a stylish outfit.

When I recently asked you guys to tell me what you'd like to see from me, a lot of you asked for some direction with how I put together an outfit. A full look, from head to toe, accessories included. I feel like I have somewhat mastered this process so I thought I'd sit down and take you through, step by step.

No. 1 Inspiration 

Some of my looks come to me organically, or maybe I have picked up inspiration subconsciously while scrolling online, but most of the time, it is because I have documented my style inspiration. I think of it as digitally scrapbooking. Whether this is by pinning on Pinterest or saving pics to my saved collection on Instagram, I always have a go-to place where I can take a look at what outfits have caught my eye. I love finding looks on Insta or in magazines and re-hashing them to make them more 'me'. I tend to love re-working straight size outfits and making them plus size friendly. I love showing you guys that no matter your shape or size, you can make so many of the on-trend looks, work for you.

Flick through magazines, look through the hashtags on Instagram, check out the various Fashion Weeks each season, find what works for you. 

Visual Merchandisers work hard to put looks together on mannequins in store. Now, I don't think they always do a fantastic job, but that's just my taste BUT, 9/10 they do help to inspire the less fashion savvy or the people who are in a fashion rut. I love looking at mannequins in stores like Zara and thinking "how can I recreate that look with clothes that'll fit me?"

No. 2 Building the look

Choose the star item - The first thing I tend to do when building an outfit is choose the main garment. It can either be a statement coat, a wicked dress or classic shirt for example. I always pick one item and then go from there. 

Whether I am putting together a look for the blog or a day to day outfit, it's the same process for me. I start with the item I want to be the focus and pull together additional items that I want to compliment that star item.

Basics at the ready - Something I have learnt over the years is that basics and wardrobe staples are essential. Check out a recent post of mine here, where I detailed the top must-have items to help you build the perfect wardrobe. 

Basics, such as Breton stripe tops, crisp white shirts and plain white tee's help you build a killer outfit because they are the items that are there to help glue a look together seamlessly. Alone, they aren't always the most thrilling pieces but mixed in with the statement pieces; they make a look complete!

Mix & Match - a top tip is to make sure you have pieces in your wardrobe that sing together. Make sure you have items that you can re-work over and over again and that you can pair with heaps of other things in your wardrobe. Statment pieces and on-trend pieces etc. are good, but they can date very easily, and you probably won't reach for them as much as your trusty skinny jeans or throw on t-shirt.

Watch the Weather - If you live somewhere like the UK, dressing for the seasons is kind of hard. Take the weather at the moment for instance. It is hella hot, but pouring down at the same time - this makes dressing appropriately, all the more difficult! Where possible, if you keep an eye on the weather, you'll at least know to stay away from your polyester tops if it's humid or your linen dress if its raining cats and dogs!

Versatile shoes - a lot of the issues I have with building a look, can be because I really struggle to find comfortable shoes. When I do see a shoe or trainer I like, I tend to buy them in every colour and stockpile them hahaha. If you have a versatile array of shoes, you can quickly switch up a look just by changing the shoe. A 'nice top and jeans' look can go from casual (with a trainer) to party ready (with a heel), just like that!

Go - to accessories - I love buying accessories. I am a highstreet handbag fiend, I buy too many earrings, and my recent obsession is sunglasses. The accessories available to us in store tend to be very trend driven, but I always make sure I have the classic go-to's ready and waiting to finish off a look. I like to pick out a key colour in my outfit and let that inspire my accessory choices. If I am wearing a blue/white/denim look, for instance, I will usually wear gold jewellery, white or red sunnies and yellow is also a current obsession! I just love my primary colours! 

I would say those classic accessories are pieces that are timeless such as gold hoops, white trainers, your fave stackable rings, black/tortoiseshell sunglasses. Items that won't go out of style and you can wear with hundreds of different outfits.

Try on session - once you've found the star item, mixed your basics in, picked the shoe and accessorised to the gods, it's time for a try on session! Put it all on, get up close and personal with your full-length mirror and get looking! A lot of women tend to shy away from looking at themselves in a full-length mirror. This is something I find exceptionally sad, but it is a reality for many. I think it's so important to look at your body, from all angles and understand that the way we see ourselves is very different from how others do. 

Get to know your body dressed and undressed! Before I go on holiday, for instance, I always prance around the house in my new bikinis to see how I feel in them and to get used to flashing the flesh.

No. 3 The boring stuff 

Keep on top of your laundry - this is so simple but so helpful. I try to do my washing regularly so that I know what I have clean and know what I have available to wear. There is nothing worse than planning a look, only to find your beloved piece is in the laundry basket, and you have to start from scratch.

Invest in a steamer - Guys, ironing is killer. I hate it. I have a chronic pain condition, so it really hurts when I have to iron. A steamer has changed my life. Honestly! I keep it in the corner of my bathroom, and I pull it out whenever I need to get an item of clothing ready to wear. I used to buy a dress or a shirt and literally wear it once because after I washed it, I'd have to iron it and I am so lazy/in pain that it would just sit in the clean laundry pile or wardrobe, unworn. Now that I have a steamer and it takes minutes to make an item look brand new and crease free; I wear things over and over again, how they should!!

Find a tailor - Does anyone else have a pile of clothes that they love but they cant wear because they're too baggy or too long in the leg? I used to have this pile...well drawer full, but last year I found a seamstress in my local dry cleaning shop, and now I always get things altered. This has opened up such a variety of garments that were previously unwearable and I now have a lot more choice!

Dry Cleaning visits - I used to buy statement garments, wear them once and then they'd sit at the bottom of my laundry basket getting all musty and gross. I would say "I'll go to the dry cleaners next week", but then forget time and time again and never re-wear them. I now make a conscious effort to round up my dry clean only clothes and my clothes to be altered and take them to the shop. Now I know that I can actually re-wear my killer standout pieces and not just let them go to waste.

Shop my look

1. Breton top  | 2. Trousers | 3. *Wide fit heels | 4. Sunglasses | 5. Bum bag | 6. Denim Jacket, similar here

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16 key pieces to help you build the perfect plus size wardrobe.

I think it's safe to say that no matter how many clothes we own, we all have those "I don't have any clothes to wear" kind of meltdowns! Am I right? I have wardrobes, drawers and cupboards heaving with clothes and somehow there's always an event or situation where I feel like I have nothing appropriate to wear. Now for a fashion-obsessed woman like myself, I am resigned to the fact I will always want new, fashion-forward pieces, but what I have also come to realise is, I need a fail-safe, go to wardrobe where I know I will ALWAYS have an outfit, perfect for pretty much every situation. 

I recently started the mammoth job of sorting through all of my clothes, selling and giving away lots of unworn/lightly worn pieces and it has reduced what I own, considerably. I still have a long way to go till I have everything down to an amount I'm happy with BUT, what it has done is that it's allowed me to find gems I'd forgotten about and it's allowed me to see what I own easily. 

Reducing my wardrobe down has allowed me to focus on what it is that I tend to wear on a regular basis and what I reach for, time and time again. A useful tip for this is to look to your own Instagram accounts, for reference. As someone who regularly shares what they wear,  I found it helpful to have a collection of my outfits presented in front of me, and it made clearing out my wardrobe a lot easier. As the years have gone on, my style has obviously changed and evolved and looking at what I often wear helped me get rid of those pieces I know I will never wear again... this has given me an idea for a future blog post! 

All this spring cleaning and wardrobe reducing lead me to think of this particular blog post. With everything neatly on show, it got me thinking. I made a list on my phone of all the classic, wardrobe staples that I have and felt like this could be a great checklist for anyone who is struggling to minimise their wardobes or even add to it if they're missing key pieces and often struggle to outfit build.

Wardrobe staples are the foundation of anyone's wardrobe and they really help to make outfit building that little bit easier. When I was in my late teens/ early twenties, I honestly didn't own half of the pieces I have listed below. I was really chaotic in how I dressed, how I stored my clothes and my life has honestly changed since ridding myself of those "wear once" statement pieces and building up my essential, "wear everyday" kind of pieces.

Now, I'm not suggesting you purge every statement piece from your wardrobe, that would be silly! But what I am suggesting, is that if you make way for a few more go-to pieces; you will most certainly end up getting more wear out of those statement pieces. You will have more items to mix and match with them, and there will be more ways to keep them current and on trend.

16 key pieces to help you build the perfect wardrobe.

This list could indeed be edited down, but I am a clothes fanatic and keeping things streamlined has never been my forte. You can naturally remove pieces you wouldnt wear, but I just wanted to give you a personal list of my fail-safe, wardrobe staples.

I feel like this is a good starting point for anyone who wants to build the perfect wardrobe. I also believe that this list is made up of items that anyone, no matter your size/age can wear. Fashion is for everyone!

Breton stripe top

For years and years, this was a simple item that wasn't available for us plus size women. Infuriating, right? A simple, fuss-free Breton stripe top is something you will wear time and time again, and there are countless ways to wear them. Tuck into a midi skirt, layer under a denim pinafore or pair it with jeans. 

Trench coat

I feel like the trench coat is a perfect, all year round coat. It is light enough to wear in the spring/autumn, and it is a style of outerwear that will never, ever go out of trend - trust me! You see trenches in the store every year, and there are so many different versions, there will definitely be one suited to you. 

Black ankle grazers

A stylish, cigarette style pant is an essential item in any wardrobe in my opinion. You can wear simple black trousers to the office, with heels for a night out and paired with a crisp white shirt. If you have ankle grazers, you are halfway to a simple yet stylish outfit, fit for all occasions!

Leather jacket

A leather jacket is a life-changing item of clothing. Never have I reached for a jacket as much as my fail-safe motto jacket. There are endless ways you can style them, and you can wear them EVERYWHERE! 

Plain jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is an item of clothing that took me a while to warm to, but now that I have a simple, black jumpsuit, I can't imagine life without it. Pair it with your leather jacket and white trainers for a fresh, relaxed look or grab some strappy heels and hit the dance floor!

Culottes 

If you don't own a pair of culottes... you need to sort that out, fast! Every time I see a pair of culottes on a plus size woman, I think how good she looks to myself. Your Breton top, leather jacket, trench coat, classic knit, duster jacket (and everything else) will go with these and trust me; you'll get so much wear out of them.

Classic knit

A round neck, knit is something you might not have thought about owning, BUT trust me, they are so great. I wear mine with midi skirts, over my shirts, under my denim jacket and with my skinny jeans. They are simple, yet very effective. Be careful when you come to wash them, I have ruined a few!

Everyday shirt

It took the plus size world a while to get to grips with the classic shirt, but I am happy to report, they are now readily available, and everyone should own one. Make sure you get one that fits well and doesn't gape. I currently own classic white shirts, as well as more fashionable ones which look great paired with jeans (as shown in my photos).

Skinny jeans

Finding jeans is a bloody nightmare, isn't it? For years, I didn't even wear them, and couldn't find the perfect pair. I can now report I have found the perfect pair and wear them week in and week out. Thank you, Levis! When wearing jeans, your looks don't need to be dull and frumpy though... pick some jazzy statement tops or wear with a Breton and a trench and voila, you have a perfect outfit!

Cool blazer

Now I'm a newcomer to the world of blazers, but I am thoroughly involved now. I love how they jazz up a jeans & tee combo, and they look amazing worn over a roll neck and paired with a midi skirt. Roll up the sleeves and watch how donning a blazer can really boost your confidence. 

White tee

You can find a classic, white tee in most plus size collections nowadays and boy will you get your wear out of it. I think you can pair it with almost everything on this list and you can find ones on every budget.

Shirt dress

I have yet to see someone who doesn't suit a shirt dress! There are so many variations of this style that you are guaranteed to find one that works for you. They look great layered under knitwear, jackets and coats and you can also dress them up with heels or down with trainers.

Denim jacket

If you don't own a denim jacket... you seriously need to sort yourself out hahaha! They are the perfect layer for when you go on holiday as they look great over summer dresses and they also go with your jeans, midi skirts, jumpsuits, culottes... 

Check the men's section and main ranges for oversize styles... I guarantee there's a style out there suited to everyone, no matter your age.

A LBD

Every woman needs a LBD. They are my go-to when I'm going out-out or when I'm going to an event. I think your chosen LBD should be versatile and relatively minimal. 

Midi skirt

I've not met a midi I didn't like. They are the most versatile of all the skirts in my opinion. They look so cool with t-shirts or crew neck jumpers, and they suit every shape and size!                                                                            

Duster jacket

A Duster is such a wearable piece. I wear a duster jacket every week. They look great draped over your shoulders for a night out or worn normally with your more casual looks. A duster jacket is a great transitional piece, and I promise you will get so much wear out of a simple, black one. 

Photography by JKGPhotography

Shop My Look

1. Shirt / 2. Jeans / 3. Wide Fit Heels


What do you think of this list... have I missed any important items? Maybe there's something you wear every week, let me know in the comments below!

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My Career history and How I got into Blogging.

On a recent Instagram post, I asked you, my readers for a little bit of help. I asked for some blog post ideas as I lacked in inspiration. Boy oh, boy did you guys come through! The post had hundreds of fantastic, inventive ideas below it and it ignited something inside of me.

I have mentioned before that I worry about my writing capabilities, but it's time I just shut up and got on with the task at hand. I CAN write, I CAN articulate myself and let's not forget, I am in charge of what goes on this blog, so I need to suck it up and get typing!

One of the ideas shared, was for me to write about my career prior to blogging as well as how I got into blogging. This idea stuck out to me because it was something personal and it meant me sharing a side of me that I haven't touched on before. I am an oversharer, and I find it very easy to do this face to face with people, why not bring that over to my blog more?

As I have progressed with my blogging career, it has dawned on me that people are inherently nosy and love to learn things about my life, how I choose to live it as well as the type of clothes I like to wear.

If I end up helping even just one person with my words, to feel inspired or less alone; I will be happy. 

My writing is never going to win any awards, but it's not a competition is it? I just have to keep reminding myself why I started this blog and how you're all here to support me and to ignore the niggles in my brain that tell me I'm not good enough or that others say things better than I do.

This is me, like it or lump it!

My Career History

Anyway, onto the focus of this post! Let's start at the beginning... (a very good place to start). When I was at school, I was atrocious in the sciences, maths and pretty much anything that wasn't arts based. I excelled at Art and Design and decided I needed to harness this talent I possessed and apply for a Foundation Course. I wanted to move to London. If I was going to go to art school, it HAD to be in London. Luckily I got accepted onto a Foundation Course at Chelsea College of Art and Design which is part of The University of The Arts London. I was made up! I moved to London, got stuck into my Foundation Course and was in my element. I came to the decision pretty quickly that I needed to study an applied art. I didn't have the confidence or motivation to study Fine Art, so I applied to do Textile Design at Chelsea. I passed my Foundation and got accepted onto the Textile degree, and after having a taster of stitch, print, knit and weave; I decided to specialise in print. I felt like this was a very natural path for me to choose as it would allow me to draw/paint and bring my drawings to life in print form. After a tumultuous three years of hard work, excessive partying, a near breakdown, the beginnings of a chronic pain condition and a dyslexic diagnosis; I passed my textile degree with a 2:1 and wow... I didnt think I'd get there.

For my Degree show, I designed jungle themed, unisex bomber jackets and luckily these attracted the attention of some of the team at H&M who came to look round our final degree show. The Head of Print Design called me a few days after the show, I went in for an interview and bamn! I was offered my first ever job in fashion, straight out of Uni! I started off working for H&M in the UK office, before moving to their Swedish HQ in Stockholm.

Working for H&M was an eye-opener. I had previously been used to just getting by at uni, I hardly even knew how to use photoshop and wasn't used to being creative on demand for a commercial brand. It was very different from having the creative freedom of being at university. I half loved living in Stockholm, and half hated it. I loved Sweden in the summer, but come winter and -21 degrees; I wasn't as enthused. During my time at H&M, I designed printed textiles for the lingerie dept, kidswear, their plus size dept (which was called BiB back in the day) and also for their maternity range. I have to admit, I really struggled. I had a lot of responsibility, and I struggled with stress a lot. I also missed my life in London, my friends and family and I knew I'd never stay there forever. 

While I lived in Sweden, I started to become very unwell, and this is where I believe I first started to see signs of Fibromyalgia. I will talk more on this in another post, but I went undiagnosed for the whole time I was living in Sweden, and it made my decision to move back to London, a lot easier.

After working for H&M, I then moved back to London and was lucky enough to get another print design job for Monsoon. I have to admit; I absolutely hatedddddddd this job. Wow, I could write an entire post on this but let's just say, I hated every aspect of the job, and as I continued to show more signs of having a chronic pain condition, I really struggled. After a year and a half of designing prints for Monsoon Kidswear, I HAD to get out of there.

Designing prints for the commercial sector actually killed my love of designing/drawing. I felt stressed and uncomfortable any time I went to design, and I hated that working in this field actually made me want to run away from my skills and never draw again. I plucked up the courage to hand my notice in and during my time of unemployment; I decided I needed to try a change in career. 

Through a friend, I started on the journey of training to become a social worker. I started off by volunteering at a care home for teenagers and this lead to me studying for an NVQ. I loved the change of pace, I loved working with the kids and learning an entire new skill base, BUT my health got in the way so badly; I had to give it all up, move home to my parent's house in Devon and quit my London life for a few years.

1. *Trousers | 2. Puma T-Shirt | 3. Bag, similar here | 4. Trainers | 5. Earrings

How I got into blogging


While I lived at home and I underwent a proper diagnosis of Fibromyalgia, I came to the decision that I wouldn't be able to hold down a typical 9-5 job. My Fibro symptoms were at their worst, and a lot of the time, I was immobile, very sickly and very depressed. My parents and I did everything we could to get me back on track, but it was hard.

The one thing I always loved doing while I lived at home, was sharing my outfits on Instagram. I have been plus size since I was 13 and after becoming obsessed with plus size bloggers like Gabi, Nicolette and Stephanie Zwicky; I decided I wanted to be like them! I wanted to help inspire women around the world. Growing up, I didn't have anyone, who looked like me, to look up to and wanted to change that. I wanted to show women that no matter what they looked like, no matter their size; they could still look and feel great...and dress bloody amazingly!

Instagram connected me to so many bloggers across the globe and most importantly to the UK plus size blogging community. I shared my outfits with gusto, tagging brands and using hashtags and making online friends with fellow bloggers. The next step for me to take was to start a blog.

Looking back, I'm not sure why I chose Tumblr as a platform to host a blog, but that's what I did and so began my blogging career!

In 2013 after posting on my Instagram and blogging on my Tumblr, I was invited to my first ever blog event. Oh my god, I was so excited, and I remember this event like it was yesterday. I met lots of the friends I had made online, including my BFF Callie and even though I was in pain for every minute of the event; I knew this was a world I wanted to be part of.

That blogger event, hosted by Evans ignited something in me. I returned home to Devon and tried my hardest to grow my blog. Even though I was ill most days, (and I still am to this day) I tried to build my online presence and shoot my outfits, travel up to London for events and make it in the blogging world. As the months went by at home in Devon, I knew that I wanted to be a full-time blogger.

Throughout the two years that I lived back home in Devon, I focused on getting my Fibromyalgia under control (where possible), and my long-term aim was to move back to London and become the best blogger I could be. I worked hard, networked my ass off, collaborating with brands and got my name out there. By the time it was time for me to move back to London, I had, in my opinion, secured myself as a strong contender in the plus size blogging world.

From the moment I moved back to London and was able to meet more brands, attend more events and work with even more companies; my career took off at a nice pace. I was able to support myself and went full time. Fast forward to 2018, and I CANNOT believe the opportunities that blogging has given me. It blows my mind that I can now call myself a blogger, designer and consultant.

Photography by JKGPhotography

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If you've read this post and it's given you the boost you needed to start a blog; then gurllll, do it! It was by far the best choice I have ever made. From a dark place, I managed to crawl out of it, and I now have the best career I could have. I am very privileged to be able to rest when I need to, work when I can and take things at a pace that is manageable. I feel fortunate and in all honesty, it's time I thanked all of YOU for allowing me to have this career. If it weren't for all of you guys, I wouldn't be where I am today. All of your support, likes, comments, content sharing... it's all so appreciated and means I can put food on the table, Aperol in my glass and raid ASOS on a regular basis.

Cheers to that! P.s I feel very on brand with this Aperol coloured outfit ahahahahaha...

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Living With Chronic Pain...

Over the Christmas period and more recently, because of the freezing cold weather, my chronic pain (Fibromyalgia) and chronic fatigue (CFS) were off the charts. I struggled SO badly and it really, really affected me physically as well as mentally. In order for me to preserve any energy/sanity, I kept myself to myself for a lot of the time. I had to leave my brother's house on Christmas Day to crawl into bed as the pain was so bad. I had to spend Boxing Day by myself instead of going to Winter Wonderland with my family and I spent the days after Christmas up until New Year's Eve, on my own.

Who else hides themselves away when their chronic pain or mental health is in pieces? I find that when it's all too much for me; I recoil and shut myself in. The reasons for me doing this are varied, but mostly it's so that I feel less of a burden on those I'm with. I get fed up of lying and saying I'm fine when really I'm not. It is easier not having to explain myself/my pain. I know if family members or friends were to read this they would tell me not to be so silly, BUT it's something you have to battle with when you have chronic pain or a disability and no one can take those sorts of feelings away sadly. 

Whilst I was on my own and lying in bed I made a list. I compiled a list of just some of the thoughts I have about living with chronic pain. This is a list of what I personally feel chronic pain does to me. It's a list of what chronic pain does to my brain as well as my body. 

I try my hardest to not let my chronic pain define me BUT it's damn hard. It's not all doom and gloom, I generally have a fantastic life with friends and family who love me but...

For me, this is what living with chronic pain is like...


Procrastinating and putting off things. AKA posting this post that I wrote back in January!

Spending the festive period on your own because sometimes, even being surrounded by people who love you; can be too much.

Having a kettle by your bed so that you don't have to go down 3 flights of stairs to make a hot water bottle.

Grieving for the life you once had, before you were constantly in pain. 

Cancelling date after date because you fear they'll run a mile once they find out you're in agony, every day.

Feeling like you let EVERYONE down, all the time.

Postponing and cancelling on people until they stop asking.

Lying in bed, supposedly the most comfortable place on Earth and it might as well be a bed of nails.

Wondering if your friends are sick of you being the "special" one. The one who needs the comfy bed when you go away, the one who can't attend 50% of your get-togethers. 

When you know a hot bath or shower would help relieve your pain, but getting up, undressing & turning the taps on/off is too much.

Feeling like you're triple the age you really are.

Being surrounded by piles of washing because doing the laundry is far too much.

Wondering if you'll go to the toilet on yourself because you can't get to the toilet quick enough.

Feeling like no one will ever want to be with you.

Apologising/forgiving, even when you know you're not in the wrong because being in an argument for any longer; will just cause you too much anxiety & even more pain.

Spending days and days in loungewear.

Being jealous of your peers and how much they achieve daily, weekly, monthly.

Feeling like you're a let down to your family because all you do is complain and whine to them. 

Being in so much pain, you stutter because you can't get your words out properly. 

Not doing your hair because you can't face lifting your arms for that long.

Wondering if you'll ever have a day when you wake & your first thought isn't pain.

Cancelling something you have wanted to do for weeks. 

Feeling like you hate everyone, even the people you love.

Watching one channel on television for hours on end because the remote control is too far out of reach.

Being unable to carry your own suitcase 

Leaving your DSLR camera at home every day because it's too heavy for you to carry.

Ordering uber eats 3X a day because you can't face cooking/preparing anything.

Taking taxis everywhere you go because travelling by public transport/walking is too much.

Being skint because all you do is take taxis & order take away food.

Having scars on your back, stomach and legs from years and years of hot water bottle burns. 

Wondering every week if your management is going to let you go because you're always sick & you're not achieving enough.

Having no space in your brain for anything else other than pain. 

Not being able to screw the cap off some medicine, because you have no grip.

Taking a hot water bottle abroad even though it's 30degrees +.

Planning out every single journey so that you know every single minute detail.

Turning down travel opportunities because the thought of the travel/flight is too much.

Worrying so much about all of these things, that it gives you IBS for over 9 years.

Thinking everyone just thinks you're lazy.

Pretending you're ok when really you'd prefer to not be alive.

Lying awake, even when you are shattered but your central nervous system is so hyped; it won't let you go to sleep.

Being in so much pain, you throw up.

Wanting to achieve everything & feeling like you achieve nothing. 

Looking at your friend's lives and being so jealous you wish something shit would happen to them, just for once.

Knowing you'll probably never have kids because even babysitting relatives for a few hours, leaves you in agony.

Keeping all of this to yourself because it's easier than telling someone.

Having no short-term memory because your brain is occupied by pain signals.

Having no sex drive because all of the above, just isn't very sexy now, is it?

Having a high sex drive but even just lying down in bed hurts.

Telling everyone you're "fine" when really, you're far from it.

Losing countless friends because you can't keep up with them all & they expect too much of you; so it's easier just to let the relationship slide.

Not texting anyone back because then you have to face up to why you've been ignoring their texts.

Wondering what it feels like to have a pain free hug from someone. 

Wanting to exercise but being unable to.

Sitting on the tube because you're in agony but giving your seat up because no one can see you're in pain & you're worried about looking unkind/unsympathetic to somebody else in need.

Using a hot water bottle minus the fabric cover because the burning sensation/pain distracts you from your chronic pain. 

Being in such a good mood, you want to cry because you know this feeling isn't going to last.

Being sick of your own thoughts.

How I cope

As I mentioned above, there are good days. There are days where the pain is manageable and I don't let it control me. It's very, very hard though. It is something that I am still trying to get to grips with and I do wonder if things will ever get better.

Lots of people private message me about how I cope with my Fibromyalgia and the one thing I constantly say is - pace yourself. You need to realise what your limitations are and what it is that will trigger your symptoms. For me, I know that stress, cold weather, travelling and walking/standing for a long time & dancing on a night out are my worst triggers - there are tonnes more, however. I then make sure that I plan as much as I can if I know I am going to do any of those things. I try to alleviate the stress of situations where possible by thinking about how every stage will affect me. If I am travelling for instance - I plan my journey, I pre-order my cabs, I take a pillow/hot water bottle with me and I make sure I carry as little as possible... the list goes on.

~ Seize the day ~

When I am having one of my good days - I really have to make the most of it. I have to seize the day! Shooting content with my photographer is an example of this. I have been struggling for a good few weeks since London Fashion Week and have been wanting to shoot these denim jeggings from Matalan since receiving them back in February! Sadly it's taken longer than I wanted - but I just had to listen to my body and wait it out. Finally, I felt strong enough last week, slugged through the snow and shot this snuggling, comfy, classic outfit. 

Some days I like to dress in a striking, edgy way and some days I like to be comfortable, timeless and relatable. Denim and a Breton jumper is the perfect combination for that 'done but not too done' look, in my opinion. 

Shop Matalan Denim here.

Shop My Look

1. *Denim Jeggings | 2. Jumper - Zara similar here and here | 3. Coat | 4. Trainers | 6. Bag - ZARA sold out.

There is so much I could say about how I cope with my chronic pain, but I think I will leave that for another more comprehensive post. Would this be of interest to any of you? I could write about my Fibromyalgia diagnosis, treatments I have had, drugs I have tried, how I cope mentally/physically etc...

Please comment below or message me on socials if this sort of post would be of interest. 


*This post was written in collaboration with Matalan

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