Everything I wore in France

‘It’s not a fashion show’ my mum would say. Neither was France. Meaning I didn’t take anything Instagram or Ego worthy. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I’ve been exploring France recently.

I wasn’t meant to be posting on instagram, nevertheless, me being me, I did. The husband was not happy. But I wear the trousers. Sorry Lewis. 

I wanted to be relaxed, comfortable and not think about my appearance exploring this beautiful country, so no planned outfits or show-stopping dresses were packed (not that I’m ever show-stopping) but you know what I mean. Normally I plan my holiday wardrobe in advance. However, this time I threw everything in a bag and hoped for the best. I suppose that’s the beauty of a neutral wardrobe…everything matches seamlessly together, thought-out or not. 

The first few days were spent exploring Normandy D-Day beaches, memorials and traditional French towns. The rest of the time was spent at a euro camp kinda place (center parks vibe) and visiting local towns, so, it was a makeup-free, no hairdryer kinda holiday. Which I actually love and prefer. No ego dressing or trying to impress the fashion world with Prada Bags (this is something I’m getting so bored by). I often ask myself ‘do I love that £3000 bag or is it my ego’? A constant battle in my head. Ego wins a lot. It’s so hard. I love fashion. I’ve worked in it since I was 16. It makes me happy, it’s my hobby, my passion, my career, so I like to treat myself. I deserve it. See what I mean? Constant battle! To buy or not to buy! My authentic self or my ego? It’s something I’m working on. 

Anyway, there was none of that malarkey going round my head. It was just me. I felt free for 10 days. Not a red lip or Prada bag to be seen. Maybe just some Row sandles 🙈

Outfit 1 - Exploring Normandy Town 

I wore this striped cotton co-ord and vest from Life of Ease. In fact, I wore this a lot. Together and as separates. It was so easy to throw on but, I still felt put together. I’m sure the French locals thought I came out in my pajamas though. I paired it back with my black Row sandals. However, in hindsight, I should’ve just worn my Havana’s as the row sandals are jarring me in this photo. Too harsh and blocky for me. There wasn’t a full-length mirror, so I actually didn’t have a clue what I looked like until this picture. This black mesh bag and my brown suede ARKET bag were all I took, so a black mesh bag it was. That soon got filled up with kid's stuff. 

Outfit 2 - Relaxed Dinner 

We finished exploring for the day and decided to go out for some food and wine. I love sitting outside with a glass of wine, people watching, it’s what I dream of when I go on holiday…to find the quintessential

European square and watch the world go by.  It wasn’t exactly like that with a 3 & 5 year old causing havoc, but it was as good as it gets. Back to the outfit- I wanted to be comfortable and, surprisingly, I reached for the capri pants. They are just so comfortable and chic. This is a trend I wasn’t particularly keen on at first, but it grew on me. I thought they weren’t classic enough for me, but then I saw all my favorite, minimal girls wearing them, so I thought I’d give them a go, and I have to say I love them. I think that’s the thing with trends. Choose the ones that truly align with your style and, most importantly, your lifestyle. I teamed them with my AKKET Ivory silk vest and linen shirt. In fact, it’s all ARKET! 

This colour palette, black, brown, ivory and the mole tone (as ARKET describes it) is really speaking to me, and it’s definitely a palette I’m taking into AW. I’ll be looking out for knitwear in this tone. 

Outfit 3 - Beach Day 

Day 3 was a beach day for the kids. We cycled to a beach, which was so much fun.  I wore this swimsuit from Jets Australia as a top and matched it back with my Frame Jorts and flip-flops. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of it. 

If you follow me on Instagram, you will’ve seen that this is the first time in a long time that I’ve felt comfortable in any kind of beach attire. After focusing on myself and losing 13 pounds, I feel so much more like my old self and my confidence is growing, hence posting this picture on instagram. The scarf was originally bought to frame as a piece of art, but I wore it first as a top and now as a scarf. Such a versatile little piece. I might tie it around my bag too. 

Outfit 4 - Exploring Concarneau

Day 4 we took a drive into Concarneau for some lunch and a look around this beautiful little harbor town. I shoved this outfit on for breakfast, fully intending to change into something a bit more chic. However, I couldn’t be bothered, so I stayed in it. I should have taken a shirt or a jumper with me as the weather changed suddenly, and I got soaked. The bandeau top is Raey from last year. It’s proven to be such a great summer staple for me. Again, the ease of it makes it a favourite to style. The shorts are Deiji studios, part of a co-ord with matching shirt. They're actually PJ’s, but you’d never know. The set is now a holiday staple for me. This is the 5th holiday it’s been on. I never pack them away for winter as I wear them as pj’s too. Cost per wear and all that 🙌🏻 The Casa Ayllon necklace is actually meant to be more of a choker, however I made it longer, as much as the longer length. I love black on black when it comes to necklaces and clothing, giving me Row vibes. 

Outfit 5 - Day on the site. 

Day 5 it rained all day, so we stayed in and did some activities in the park village. I somehow forgot to pack rain attire. For some reason, I was expecting France to be tropical. I was wrong. The UK had better weather. Typical! Shorts and jumpers it was then. The Toteme jumper was the only jumper I packed, it definitely came in handy for those chilly days and nights. I bought this jumper expecting to wear when AW hits, but I’ve worn it so many times since I bought it. I can tell I’m going to wear it so much in the winter. It’s definitely going to be a winter staple. The shorts, as I said previously, I’ve worn approx. 10 times since receiving them, which was about 2 weeks ago. They were and still are just so easy to shove on. 

Outfit 6 - Breakfast & D-Day Beach’s 

At the end of our holiday, we decided to go back to Normandy and visit more D-Beaches… Omaha and Sword. We also visited the Epinal American Cemetery. I don't have words to describe how beautiful and moving this was. I’m so glad we went. 

We started the day with breakfast, sitting in a little café outside again, watching the world go by. Then a stroll around Normandy town wearing this By Malene Birgera scarf as a top, my H&M linen shorts and ARKET bag and sandals. 

Later, when we visited the cemetery, I wore my Toteme jumper as it was a bit chilly. I actually loved this unplanned combo. I’ll definitely be wearing this transitioning into Autumn now I’m back home. 

It was such a great holiday not having to think of outfits and just to relax. As much as I love fashion and styling, sometimes it’s nice not to think about it, and truly switch off. 

Thanks for reading

Xx