I need my wardrobe to work hard. I don’t have the time or the inclination to organise my summer and winter wardrobes – especially with the kids perpetually dictating how few nanoseconds I have to get ready each morning – so when I find a dress that works for all four seasons, I get a bit excited!
Wearing a red dress during the day is something we at NotSuchAModelMum tend to steer clear of. Looking like a scarlet harlot whilst wiping snot from one child and holding another child’s hand as they scale the dizzying heights of soft play, is not a look we would want to advocate. But, we have found a dress that manages to transcend the stereotypes – a dress that flatters in both autumn and winter – and that can be worn as a casual day-to-day wear….so much so, that it has become a wardrobe staple.
Growing up spending Sunday lunches at my grandparent’s house feasting on roast potatoes, lamb, and stuffing with all the trimmings, are fond memories I reminisce on to this day. Those memories are intrinsically linked to helping my grandfather in his vegetable patch in the garden – where picking, trimming and then cooking our haul of vegetables enhanced our enjoyment of the delicious, homegrown food.
Now that my pre-children life of everyday castings, jetting around the world, and working alongside the crème de la crème of the fashion world is over – the majority of my wardrobe is now useless and underused when faced with the daily rigmarole of being a mum. Goodbye high heels and dry clean only clothes, and hello, stretch and comfort.
Looking at everything in a positive light, this shift has also come with its own benefits. I have discovered the world of active wear and, ahem, “Athleisure”. Never did I think I would be that mother who goes about the day in her activewear: but with high street brands like Topshop, H&M jumping onto the active wear bandwagon, this is one trend that is here to stay. The question is, how to keep this trend easy, and not get consumed by the whole activewear look?
We all have a special summer dress that we loathe to shove back into the corner of the wardrobe come autumn. Summer dressing can be easy in its simplicity and even fun – because what’s better than throwing on your favourite dress and heading out into the sunshine with the kids?
Here at NotSuchAModelMum, we love it when a new fashion trend collides with items we already own; and coming hot off the catwalk this season are summer dresses with polo necks worn underneath. Has fashion finally gone mad, and made us on trend without having to buy anything new?!
Our love for Missoni knows no bounds, and we are renowned for trawling discount websites for that colourful Missoni piece that will transform our mum wardrobe at a reasonable price. Still, even at this “reasonable” price, buying anything Missoni is always a special treat, so we can’t justify buying too much of it, even if we try to convince ourselves that its a wardrobe necessity.
“Easy breezy?” “Go to outfit?” “Off duty?”
All these phrases make everything sound so simple and straightforward in a world with a mind-boggling array of choices. We like to keep things simple here at NotSuchAModelMum. For us, ‘easy breezy’ is pleather, aka plastic leather… Sounds horrific, but hear us out.
As the last rays of sunlight fade from the remaining days of summer, my thoughts are drawn to one item of clothing that we never seem to wear enough of. Accessories like belts, jewellery, and bags are always a staple part of one’s summer wardrobe, but what about the humble hat? And is there a single hat that can take us right through from Summer to Winter? Continue Reading
Since moving to Barcelona, and living in what feels like a constant Summer holiday; we decided that this summer it would be fun to take a holiday into our previous lives: in Primrose Hill, London. Some may think this strange and slightly left-field, perhaps even an odd choice to holiday in our old, normal life – but there’s nothing like a fresh perspective to see everything in a different light.
Ultimately, we wanted to discover whether we would eventually want to move back to London, and so by visiting all our Primrose Hill haunts and favourite nooks and crannies, we decided to test the water once more…And so, a ‘home from home holiday’ in Primrose Hill it was. Continue Reading
Many people will be surprised to discover that ‘Terry Towelling’ was not just an invention by the ‘Juicy Couture’ design team – and that it was actually first manufactured in the 1800’s. Whilst the fabric became synonymous with the all-in-one hooded tracksuits of the mid-nineties; it was initially distributed for domestic use, due to its wet-absorbing ability, and its easy to dry composition – which, from Terry Towelling’s inception, made it ideal for use within the home (and for being wrapped around babies bottoms!) Continue Reading
We are Jessica and Caroline. Models, Mums, Friends. We have gone from modelling and living together in New York , to having five children between us, hopping between playgrounds, soft play, castings and shoots. Our quest to juggle it all (and not give up our horseriding obsession) has led us to set up NotSuchAModelMum together, a fashion, beauty and parenting blog with friendship at the heart.
