OUTFIT | Polka dots in autumn

[This post is a collaboration with Yoox.com]

Well hello there: it’s been an embarrassingly long time since I last did a “proper” outfit post, hasn’t it?

Um, let’s just say that if I thought it was tricky getting decent photos in Scotland’s ever-changing, often-raining climate, well, it’s absolutely nothing compared to getting decent photos with an eight-month old demanding your full attention 24/7. Yes.

The trails of new parenthood might be the main reason for the lack of fashion-related content around here lately, though, but it’s not the only one. As I’ve mentioned a few times lately, I’ve also been going through a bit of a style crisis lately. I realised a couple of years ago that my usual, retro-inspired looks just didn’t feel quite “me” any more, but, this year, I decided I absolutely HATED everything in my wardrobe – a decision which culminated in me getting rid of a ton of clothing, and then basically living in jeans and slogan t-shirts all summer… which I’ve exchanged for slogan sweatshirts now that the weather is getting cooler again. I mean, I guess that counts as a “look”? Maybe not a great one, obviously, but still…

The thing is, though, as much as I love my jeans (And, honestly, you’ll have to prise my slogan sweaters off my cold, dead body…), there comes a time when even I feel the need to switch things up a bit, so, when the people at Yoox got in touch, and asked if I’d like to choose an outfit from their website, I figured it was as good an opportunity as any to get back into outfit posting again. And out of my jeans, obviously.

If you’re not familiar with the brand, Yoox is part of the Net-a-Porter group, and it’s one of those websites that you can get lost in for HOURS. Seriously, I started searching on a Friday evening, and, by Monday morning, I was still sitting there, with a million tabs open on my computer, and two dozen empty coffee mugs in front of me. It’s THAT huge.

Faced with such a huge choice, then, I did what I always did: I searched for something with polka dots on it. Nothing if not predictable, right?

This Free People skirt is billed as a midi, but it’s more of a maxi length on me… which was just fine by me, because, when I’m not in jeans and sweaters, maxi skirts and sneakers have been something of a go-to for me lately. This is actually pretty surprising, because it’s not a look I’d have gone for in the past, but my newfound love of sneakers has made me look for different ways to wear them, and longer-length skirts work pretty well in that respect. I like the way the sneakers dress down the skirt, and I also like the fact that the longer length makes it easier to transition this kind of style to autumn: I’m nowhere near ready to break out the tights just yet, so I was happy to find that this skirt was long enough to wear with bare legs – just!

To go with it, I went for this simple black sweater, which is by a brand called Silvian Heach. It might be simple, though, but I actually find this kind of style quite hard to find these days, when most knitwear seems to be long, and super-slouchy. This, by contrast, is close-fitting and cropped, which makes it perfect to wear with high-waisted skirts and trousers – and, again, it was warm enough for the cooler temperatures we’ve been having lately, so that’s a win, too.

Because of the Net-a-Porter connection, I’d somehow always assumed Yoox.com only sold very high-end pieces, but while they do have a huge selection of brands like Christian Louboutin, Burberry, Chloe, etc, I was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection of moe affordable pieces, too: my skirt was £68, and the sweater £39, which is comparable to most of the brands I usually shop with. I will be back: and I’ll try my best to persuade Terry to take some more photos when I do!

(P.S. I may not be publishing quite as many outfit posts here lately, but I am continuing to document my daily looks over on Instagram when I can, so don’t forget to give me a follow if you’re particularly interested!)