OUTFIT | Return of the trench (plus a new set of wheels)

Since I had Max, I seem to have traded my obsession with shoes and handbags for an obsession with pushchairs and prams. Which is… I’m going to go with different, here. It’s different. And occasionally a bit odd, if I’m honest, because any time we’re out somewhere and I see someone walk past with a child in some kind of wheeled vehicle, I’ll be all, “Ooooh, lookit, Terry! That’s the Joolz Day3! Check out the suspension on it!” Yes, I am very cool, I know.

When I was recently given the opportunity to try out the new Joolz Day3 travel system, then, the answer was obviously a HELL YES – and I figured it was as good an opportunity as any to take my new Hobbs trenchcoat out for a quick spin, too. Because, yes, I have ANOTHER trench coat – and I’m not even sorry, because, just like all of my OTHER trenchcoats, this one is totally different and unique, and I will cherish it forever. So there.

[Wearing: Hobbs ‘Saskia’ trench coat* in mocha; Mango ‘Cola’ trousers in dark green; Office ‘On to Point’ heels in nude suede]

Seriously, though: when you’re going through a wardrobe crisis, I really think the best thing you can do is to, a) keep going, and b) go right back to basics, with classic styles that you know you can’t go too far wrong with. For me, a camel trench is definitely one of those all-important wardrobe staples, and I’m really glad to have found this one, because while, OK, I do already have a trench in a similar colour, the last time I wore it, I noticed it seemed to have picked up some kind of mystery stain which I haven’t been able to get rid of, and it kind of broke my heart, really. This one was supposed to be the replacement, but, well, I haven’t quite been able to bring myself to get rid of the original yet, so I actually wish I hadn’t started trying to justify this, to be honest. Let’s just never speak of this again, OK?

As for the stroller, meanwhile, we’re loving it, too. This is part of a travel system, so it also comes with a carry cot attachment, which I’m absolutely GUTTED that Max is too big to use now, because pushing a pram around has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life, really, and it turns out that my plan of buying a miniature pony and pushing IT around instead just isn’t going to fly with Terry, unfortunately. WHY MUST HE RUIN EVERYTHING?! (New plan: SILKIE CHICKENS. If you’ve never seen a silkie chicken, go here and enjoy…)

Max is now at a stage where he wants to be sitting up and looking around him, so we set this up with him facing forward (You can also have the baby facing you, but I’m guessing my face isn’t nearly as interesting as the big, wide world is, so we’ve been using it as shown in the photos…), and he shrieked with laughter the whole time we were taking these photos, so I think he approves. For my part, I’ve found this pushchair much lighter and easier to handle than our existing one, and I also very much enjoy having all that space at the bottom to carry my shopping, so it’s a thumbs-up from me, too. Joolz were kind enough to also send us the matching footmuff for it, which is particularly welcome, because I’ve just discovered that most of the little fluffy pramsuits I’ve had my eye on for winter (Er, for Max, obviously: I’ll just be sticking to adult clothes for now…) only go up to 12 months, and I’m still struggling to come to terms with that, really. Still, I may not be able to dress him up as a little bear/lamb, but at least I’ll be able to keep him warm when we’re out and about, so I’ll content myself with that, plus the selection of hats and coats with ears on them, which I know I’ll end up buying. Isn’t that why people HAVE babies, though? Because I think so.