Wheelchair Fashion: Watercolour Plaid
There is something supremely ephemeral about Autumn, more so than any other season. I think it's because the idea of crisp cool, but not cold, golden mornings walking through a park as leaves shower down around you that is the essence of Autumn (as snow is the essence of Winter & ice-cream at the beach is the essence of Summer) exists only in books & movies. Autumn is a season of change & that change seems to translate as cold, windy, rainy days. Or at least it does in Yorkshire...
The leaves took a long time to turn this year (it's been cold but not really frosty enough) & the weather has been...variable? Variable is a good word for it. Although mostly it's been varying between cold & grey, cold & windy, cold & rainy and cold & grey with a few rays of sun....
It was all of the above when we went to take the pictures but it was kind of a now or never moment (now that I've said that next week is going to be gloriously warm, sunny & the leaves will finally turn properly...it's sods law).
Luckily a touch of subtle editing can make a slightly grey day into the perfect autumn fantasy. Although can you call editing subtle if it gives you a headache so bad the other people in the room can feel it? Lol. It actually was subtle editing, I was just trying to get things done really quickly, I only managed to get these photos done two days before they were due to be posted (rain & cold & wind conspired against me) so I did a lot whilst running on empty. I'm not very good at writing my blog posts ahead of time. I need to have the photos taken, edited & in the post before I can even work out what I want to say... I mean I know the basics, this skirt is really nice, the top is cute (if see through) but bobbles when it washes & the cardigan is a staple but the other stuff requires me to be in the moment & the moment includes the photos & the fantasy they conjure....or at least attempt to.
These were supposed to create the fantasy of a late 1940's university student in the park on an Autumn day water-colouring the scenery in her sketch book. I even did a watercolour in a sketchbook that I took with me. I actually used the props maybe twice.....
In my defence it was really busy in the park. I'd picked a park in Harrogate that has lots of beautiful long avenues of trees with the vague concept in mind of leading lines & serene park land. I've never seen any one in the park when I've gone past it in the car so I assumed it would be pretty empty. Not quite so empty at 8am apparently.
I have never seen so many dog walkers, joggers & commuters in one park. Honestly.
I was constantly getting in the way of one person or another. I felt so awkward I felt like I needed a sign saying I’m not vain honest this is the thing I do that makes it worth getting out of bed on a morning.
It did get a little less busy about half an hour in so I eventually got a chance to take photos with my props.
Honestly though who needs props when Autumn is this beautiful? It's like that line you see everywhere this time of year about every leaf being a flower. Nature creates a perfect background with all the props you need, no additional fantasy required.
Clothes, erm. Like I said above the skirt (Miss Candyfloss, available here and in a dress here) is really really great. It is a really pretty Autumn/Winter plaid with enough colour not to be flat but not so much that you couldn't wear it to school. Plus it's the only shade of mustard I have ever owned that doesn't instantly make me look sallow. There are two roomy pockets, good sized belt loops with cute button details (front and back) & the pleats make it practical. The only downsides I can find is the zip is a little stiff over the waist band & the sizing is a little small.
The blouse (from modcloth) is very sheer, very cute. very big.....washes badly. Which is a shame because it's really nice & it's hard finding cute tops & I love the texture but the polka dots bobble up like a wool jumper even on a delicate wash & I'm not sure how long it's going to last. I would recommend hand wash only....
The cardigan (from Modcloth but it's no longer available in this colour) is an old faithful. I have it in a whole bunch of colours & I love it. It's super comfortable, cute & looks good tucked in or left out. Also it comes in loads of sizes, washes well, is reasonably priced & lightweight enough to be worn as a layer. I often wear these with pjs because they are just the right amount of warm.
You can't really see but I'm wearing a red M&S cami underneath the top (it was a super cute pop of colour in person). The shoes are from B.A.I.T. footwear & the beret is from Imogens Imagination on Etsy (they do my absolute favourite berets).
What's Autumn like where you live? If you tell me that where you live there are perfect crisp golden Autumns I may move in with you. Just fyi lol.
Happy Halloween everyone.
No perfect autumn here, sorry! Just wet mostly, which makes the fallen leaves dangerously slippery.
ReplyDeletePlaid & beret look so good on you that it makes me want to try it too!
No perfect autumn here, sorry! Just wet mostly, which makes the fallen leaves dangerously slippery.
ReplyDeletePlaid & beret look so good on you that it makes me want to try it too!