Wheelchair Fashion: Sheerly Beachy

Wheelchair Fashion: Sheerly Beachy

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

I know that it's now September but technically Autumn doesn't start until the 22nd so I'm hoping you'll forgive this one last Summer outfit post I'm sneaking in under the wire :)
This post is so cool, not only was it photographed in Whitby (which in itself makes it amazing for me) but it is also a collaboration with Shona Louise, a wonderful disability blogger & fellow powered wheelchair user. Also make sure to check out her GoFund Me, she's raising money for an essential new powerchair.
For this collaboration we both started out with the concept 'pastel beach' (or something like that lol) & ended up with two super cute, & very different looks, so make sure you go across to her blog & check out her look.

When I think of the beach there are really three things that come to mind, the stories my Mum tells about my Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa going on holidays to Blackpool in the 1920s, the stories she tells about growing up in Scarbrough in the 1970s & Whitby.
So, since I've never been to Blackpool & my wheelchair doesn't do sand it had to be Whitby (there's no pier at Scarbrough). Plus you know how everyone has their favourite beach, the one that makes them REALLY feel like they are 'at the seaside' in a nostalgic way that no where else does? That's Whitby for me.
I like every part, even the ride over is pretty magic from Pickering through the North York Moors & down into Whitby....the whole experience is kind of my happy place.

It kind of isn't though.
The journey is very long, like more than 2 hrs each way, which takes a LOT out of me. Also Whitby is very hill-y, has narrow streets, is cobbled in a lot of places, is filled with inaccessible buildings & gets very crowded. So generally it's an anxiety & pain filled (very pretty) spoonie nightmare.
I always enjoy the idea of Whitby a lot more than the practicality lol. Which is why this is the first time I've been there in years.

It was kind of a blessed trip, I got to tick so many things off of my bucket list :)
Seeing the moors in a creepy Bram Stoker style mist. Tick. Being at the coast during a storm (not quite but the waves were big enough & loud enough that it totally counted). Tick. Being at the seaside at sunrise. A massive tick. And it was SO worth getting up at half past midnight to get there (I literally got up at half past midnight to start putting my makeup on & we were out of the house by half 1...my brothers were beyond not impressed.)

I feel like all I really want to talk about is the adventure that this day was, like here are the pretty clothes but let me tell you how much fun it was getting them :)

This outfit almost didn't happen, even though I'd been planning it for ages. For one I've been slimming down recently & the skirt, which I'd bought at the beginning of the summer, is now masses too big on me. For another the top (which is basically the cutest top I have ever owned) is way too small on me, despite being the biggest size 20th Century Clothing makes their tops in. The waist isn't a problem but there is no space in the chest area. I wore a sadistic torture device minimiser bra all to no avail lol. I don't think it ended up mattering in the pictures but there was freaking out going on right up to the morning of.

All in all the outfit gives me vibes of what my Great Grandma might have worn if she'd been a young woman going to Blackpool in the early 50's rather than the 20's. And if she'd had any disposable income. Ever.
Whatever, I think she'd have liked this outfit. Although I'm pretty certain she wouldn't have fit into the blouse any better than I do.

See that cloudy water? I've been wanting to do a long exposure shot like that for YEARS. That background is everything! I have to say though, it did give me empathy for the poor people in the early days of photography. This exposure was only a second-ish & it was a nightmare staying still, I ruined so many shots by either being blurry or looking like I was cut out of cardboard lol. Imagine trying to hold a perfect pose for minutes! Talk about suffering for vanity lol.

Anyway, clothes. The skirt was from collectif, the blouse is from 20th century foxy, the belt is from Pinup Girl Clothing, the camisole is from M&S and finally the shoes are from B.A.I.T. (as usual). Oh and the bag is from collectif too, also it is currently a total bargain which is always good.

This was an amazing day & a super fun collaboration. Definitely the high point of my summer. I'm so happy I am able to share both with you :)
What was the high point of your summer?

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Wheelchair Fashion: A little bit of fluff

Wheelchair Fashion: A little bit of fluff

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fashion, ootd, retro, spring, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

It feels super weird to be posting something as frivolous as a fashion post with all that's going on in the world right now. I wish I had words, words that would mean anything right now. But I really don't. What I have instead is pretty outfit photo.
I believe in the power of fashion blogging; I feel like taking the narrative of fashion back & showing that it is a place for everyone is really powerful. Perhaps it is an odd thing to say but I think of fashion blogging as my little bit of feminist activism, the little bit of good I do in the world that earns my place in it. It makes me feel better about how little else I am able to do.

Sitting here today it really doesn't feel like enough.

I don't know what else to say.

Perhaps all I can hope to do right now is provide a little bit of frivolousness.

Okay, these outfit photos were taken in a nearby park.
I had a whole concept of doing like a tea-party vibe & it totally didn't work :) I even had tea cups, scones....the whole nine yards. These are the only photos that ended up working out :)
Typical.
It's kind of nice to have outfit photos that aren't too conceptualised...although the concept was super cute :)
This is a dress I've worn in a post already, a post already this year even, but it is SO cute! Plus it was a must after I found this brooch.
I'm usually not a big fan of vintage brooches. sacrilege I know but I find them kind of...tacky? There is just something about them that reminds me too much of the old ladies in Kirkgate Market (it means something to me & it doesn't mean anything I aspire to....style wise at least).
I guess all the painsomnia window shopping on Etsy paid off though because I found this broach (which I totally forgot to take a good photo of, I'll make sure I put one on Instagram) & I am totally in love. It required instant outfit photos & this was the outfit I thought of. It seemed pretty perfect to me & it gave me an excuse to get the bolero which I have been lusting over but knew I didn't technically need. It made sense to me okay ^^

So the dress & bolero are both from Pinup Girl Clothing, the shoes are from B.A.I.T. footwear & the petticoat is from Oh My Honey :)

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Wheelchair Fashion: It's 5 o'Clock Somewehere

Wheelchair Fashion: It's 5 o'Clock Somewehere

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

It's kind of amazing to be back at my laptop writing a post. I didn't realise how intensely I would miss this. Blogging is my escape in so many ways, it introduced me to a community & a group of friends who mean the world to me, it gives me permission to spend too much money on my self, it gives me an opportunity to set goals I can achieve & space to keep growing & developing, it allows me to escape into the fantasy my photos create & it also means that I physically escape my house. Seriously, I pretty much don't leave my house when I'm not taking outfit photos.

For all that, it was kind of nice to get a little space. I was getting behind on my blogging & it wasn't leaving me any room to think about the fun parts of it. I would seriously get to the point where my blogging routine was "I need to get a post done for tomorrow" so I'd come up with an outfit as I was getting dressed, take photos, edit them, write a post as fast as possible, post it & spend most of the time in between in bed. It wasn't good for my health & honestly it wasn't that fun.
Which is why I needed a break. Re-think, re-assess & then re-engage. Hopefully even better than before :)

So this dress is the one my little brother got me for my birthday. He over heard me telling my mum how much I loved it but that I didn't want to spend any more money on clothes till autumn & instantly offered to buy it for me (it's moments like that which I use to remind myself that he's my brother & I love him when he is running up & down stairs slamming every door he encounters for no reason absolutely lol).
I wouldn't have let him buy it if it had been as expensive as some of my emergency fund dresses but it's from Lady V Vintage & their dresses are around £45-£60. I think this one was £45-£50 but it's totally out of stock so I can't check. I'd still recommend having a look at their stuff, their prints can be really fun, the styles are really nice & they go up to a size 32.
The petticoat is my first one in a colour & I love it so much! It's from Oh My Honey & it's so pretty & floofy, I need like 8 more. Seriously though the coloured petticoat makes such a difference, even though it's over flowing my skirt everywhere it makes me feel really pulled together. Just like the women you see in picture of the 50's where their hat & shoes & belt match & go with their outfit perfectly. Plus it's all pretty & lavender coloured.

My whole concept for this shoot was, does it sound pretentious when I say 'shoot' or 'photoshoot' to describe what I do because I really don't mean it to. The way I like to take outfit photos is starting to feel a lot like a photo shoot & it's just the word that comes most naturally...
Anyway, the concept for the shoot was all focused around the dress which I think is a perfect garden party dress you know? Sexy, structured, formal & daytime all at once is garden party or wedding to me, at least in my brain. I found these box hedges last time I was at Temple Newsam & I knew I wanted to take photos there so it kind of all came together pretty quickly, apart from the part where I had to take photos twice because the first time the dress wouldn't stay closed over my boobs. I've always had had bigger boobs but things are expanding or whatever & I'm now keeping outfits together with a will & a prayer.....plus a lot of safety pins & double sided sticky tape.
The glamorous behind the scenes of fashion lmao.

Cheers :)

P.S. How cool is this vintage champagne saucer? My mum had 12 of them in a cupboard & hadn't used them in ages. Some fizzy peach juice & some cheap maraschino cherries on a cocktail stick & it totally looks like something people drank at garden parties in the 50's. At least I think so.

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Wheelchair Fashion: Dappled Florals

Wheelchair Fashion: Dappled Florals

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fashion, ootd, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

I've always liked the end of spring/beginning of summer: it doesn't usually start to get warm in Yorkshire until this time of year, the lilacs & bluebells are finally out & my birthday is at the beginning of June. You know I can't remember it ever raining on my birthday, when I was a little kid I thought it was because I'd been really good all year & I still kind of feel like it's at least a little to do with me lol.
Obviously this time of year is also exam season in the UK so for 4 or 5 years before I had to stop going to school I was kind of stuck indoors during this time of year. It still feels very luxurious being out this time of year, like this one time I skipped class in the middle of my GCSE exams & sat in a park with friends eating ice-cream instead. It was pretty incredible, I think I'd done 12 exams that week it felt so incredible just to relax & not to think about tests for a while.

I don't do exams anymore but I still don't get out that much, the joys of M.E. lol.
It's always wonderful when I do though. It's usually the first outfit photos of the year where I'm properly warm (you wouldn't believe how many outfit photos a year I take whilst freezing cold), the light is always super pretty (which makes taking photos much easier) & it's generally just so beautiful everywhere that it's a joy to be out of the house, especially after a long winter. Yes, all my thoughts are about outfit photos but seriously without the outfit photos I would never get out.
For the past few years I have really wanted to do outfit photos near lilacs but lilacs are surprisingly hard to find. Surprisingly because there seems to be a bush in every garden you see....but not in parks or formal gardens. I guess lilac bushes were considered déclassé when they were planted or something but they are nearly impossible to find. Finally I found some in Golden Acre Park (quickly becoming my new favourite place to take outfit pictures) although I had quite an adventure getting to them.

I don't know golden acre park very well so just finding the lilacs was tricky (they are tucked in behind the cafe near the staff car park...it was confusing) & they are then up a not very wheelchair accessible lip? The edge of the path, which is all grass, has one of those kerb thing like on a pavement or something & it is seriously hard to get on or off in a wheelchair. On involved getting out of the chair & my mum lifting it over the kerb & off involved closing my eyes & trying not to squeal as I went over the edge unexpectedly whilst I was trying to find a shallower part of the lip lol.
Totally worth it; the lilacs were beautiful, it was a nice quiet area to take photos & I was able to realise an ambition. And realise it with style, these photos are stunning. I don't even feel like I'm looking at myself.
It's hard to believe that my mum & I took these photos ourselves, they remind me of photos I've seen of Miss Victory Violet & Idda van Munster....although their photos are much MUCH better. I still feel like I've unlocked some kind of secret blogger achievement. I think this one is called 'wheelchair's next top model?'. What do you think? lol.

Outfit talk time. The only place I could find the dress is on Unique Vintage where I got it. It is on sale but it's also only available in a 4XL....which was handy for me because that's my size :) It's a Bernie Dexter Paris dress like the 'summer dress' (not the official name) I had last year. I love the Bernie Dexter Paris dress shape but they are expensive, similar to a Pinup Girl Clothing jenny dress but the skirt isn't as long or as full so it can be slightly hard to justify. Moreover the place I buy them from (Unique Vintage) doesn't have my favourite international shipping. It just takes such a long time......often by the time it arrives I've forgotten I ordered it. Not really ideal I have to say.
Anyway, for this reason & a few others I don't buy a lot of Bernie Dexter dresses so I didn't get this one last year even though I couldn't stop looking at it. However this year I saw it on sale with only my size left & I kind of felt like it was fate. I actually think I like it more than the summer dress I got last year!
The shrug is from Collectif Clothing. It was a little pricey (£32.50, sizes XS-XXL) but I thought it would be a great staple for wearing with summer dresses & it totally is. It is super soft, stretchy, warm but not too warm & really comfortable. I don't know if anyone else has ever had this but I have always found that this kind of bolero/shrug type thing always digs into my neck & curls up all over the place & is generally a nuisance. This was actually amazing. It didn't dig in, it wasn't uncomfortable & it was generally wonderful. 100% recommend.

The petticoat is my regular white petticoat, I would love to get a more colourful petticoat but I can't decide which colour to get. If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them, I really need advice :)
Make sure to check out my Instagram I have loads of other pictures that I'll be sharing :)

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Wheelchair Fashion: Aqua

Wheelchair Fashion: Aqua

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fashion, ootd, retro, spring, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

Writing my outfit posts seems so unreal sometimes, today especially. I'm not quite sure why, but there's something about sitting in a darkened room, with freezing cold feet hearing the semi-muffled voices my brother & his friend talking at the top of their voices that makes it seem like there is no way that only a few days ago I was out taking outfit photos & that it was relatively warm...or at least it felt so at the time. But then maybe it isn't all that real, the lake looks kind of clean in the photos & I can tell you from experience that it's really not (I used to kayak on it in my pre-M.E. days & it is super gross).
I guess a touch of unreality is part & parcel of the blogger's life. No-one would want to see a picture of me looking as I do right now. Trust.

Semi-philosophic musings aside this skirt is seriously amazing. It's one of the best things I have ever owned, not just based off of the print. I know I say that all the time but I am serious for this one. The only thing it is missing is pockets. Other than that, the shape, the length, the print & the quality are A++ standard. Seriously Heart of Haute are really amazing. The only place I can find it in stock is on pinup girl clothing. I would still look on heart of haute though, they may not have this one but the ones they do have are stunning.
Talking of things that are near impossible to get, the top is one of pinup girl clothing's old style of peasant blouse (they changed the underbust from straight to a curve...) so it's not instock anywhere I could find. I think they released a similar colour recently though if you were looking for something in this colour family.
The cardigan, shoes & hair bow are simpler. The hair bow is a scarf from collectif clothing (£6.50), the cardigan is from Deadly is the Female (£25 uk sizes 8-24, 11 colours) & shoes are from B.A.I.T. footwear ($72, US sizes 6-11).

Sorry if things got a little abrupt there at the end but my cat has decided that my laptop taken up enough of my time and that it's now her turn so she's taken over my lap & keep looking up to make sure I'm not doing any more work. I'm having to finish this via the voice to text feature on my phone lol. Cats are adorable but they are definitely in charge Yes, yes you are

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Wheelchair Fashion: Freezing in Wonderland

Wheelchair Fashion: Freezing in Wonderland

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair, winter

Why do I persist on taking photos in the freezing cold? I don't look happy & it makes it hard to get good photos....mostly because the shivering makes it hard to focus on posing...

I have been wanting to take photos in this skirt for AGES! It's really, really pretty but autumn was incredibly beautiful this year so it kept getting pushed back & now it is way too cold to be wearing this outfit. I mean it's got to be pretty bad when the fleece lined ballet pumps are the warmest part of your outfit... I'm thinking of investing in a pair of cute thermals for next time.

 I am totally incapable of making sentences at the moment. I wish I could explain how much I love this skirt - it's probably the only wonderland themed item of clothing I have ever fallen in love with - but that would involve my brain making sentences.
It's a lovely 50's style skirt, not a true circle but it is full enough that petticoats still work underneath it. The button came off the first time I wore it but it's easy to sew back on & I'm pretty sure it was my fault. Plus the pockets are good & the waist band is a nice width.
I sound really boring but it really is pretty. I got mine on Unique Vintage.com (XS-4XL, $72, I wear a 3XL) but it's also available on deadly is the female.

The top is from Heart of Haute (XS-3XL, $40, I wear a 2XL) & is one of my favourite pieces from last year. It's such a good basic, coming in such a lovely range of colours...it's also SUPER comfortable since it's in a lovely soft, stretchy fabric. Very different to the Pin Up Girl Clothing tops that I usually wear (very structured with only a little stretch).

The belt is years old, from a Spring/Summer Hell Bunny collection. I wish I could find more belts this width, they seem to have gone sadly out of fashion which is awkward for me as they look best on me. I've been wearing belts this width for 7 years, random but true. It's pretty much my signature, the only part of my style that hasn't really changed at all...seriously in that time I have gone from wearing leggings, plaid shirts & long vest tops to wearing a LOT of black to the vintage style I wear today...

Gosh it was difficult to focus whilst reading, or more accurately trying not to read. It's hard to avoid when you are holding one of your favourite ever books... (I wanted to be holding 'Alice in Wonderland' but I actually don't have a copy & the copy of 'Through the Looking Glass' was so worn that I didn't want to expose it to the elements, or the rough & tumble of my handbag. This is actually one of my much loved Eva Ibbotson romance novels).

Thank you for bearing with me through this very incoherent post. I will try to be better next time.

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Wheelchair Fashion: Watercolour Roses

Wheelchair Fashion: Watercolour Roses

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autumn, chronically ill, disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

I really want to make excuses for being AWOL for so long (not just here but on social media too) but honestly excuses are as boring to read to as they are for me to write. Lets just say I've not been feeling up to any of my usual things.
I'm pretty sure I would have written this post if it wasn't for the Paralympics being on. I remember when I first saw the Paralympics I had only been sick for 2 years. I'd been told over & over to just push through it & had tried to do so. Ultimately it had not only made me sicker but it hadn't achieved anything. I was defeated & felt like I would never be able to achieve anything ever again. Watching the Paralympics made me remember that I should be focusing on what I can do not what I can't do.
Watching it this summer has helped me again. I have been kind of coasting along, being & doing but not striving or setting myself challenges. Watching the Paralympics has pushed me to set some goals & try to improve what I'm doing.

None of this is relevant to my outfit however, sorry for being so dull.
This skirt is pretty incredible huh? It's from Heart of Haute ($80-$84 in sizes XS-2XL, mine is a 2XL) & is super cute. It was a bit of a pain to get, it was held up in customs for ages but when it finally arrived! It is an almost perfect match for my Pinup Couture Peasant top in Bright Blue ($56 sizes XS-4X) & I feel like the colour combo is very vintage-y. It kind of reminds me of that of 50s-60s blue eye shadow ^^ It was so far outside of my comfort zone though that I was totally freaking out, there is no way I would have been able to put it on if not for the incredible print on this skirt. I LOVE this kind of loose, abstract watercolour & would pretty much wear anything in this kind of print, I'm trying to talk myself out of getting the pink one.

The quality of the skirt is AMAZING, Heart of Haute is always really good but this skirt is extra good. I always tend to judge this based on the zip (it's as good a measure as any other) & the zip on this is very good, even over the waistband. (My mum says it irons really easily - that's how she measures quality).

The accessories are pretty standard for me, the B.A.I.T. Dusty Pink Ida's ($67 US sizes 6-11), my super old nude belt from FCUK (that I actually extend with ribbon so it's big enough for me lol), the hat is my new straw boater from Pinup Girl Clothing & the necklace is one I got for my birthday a few years ago :)

I feel like I should say more about the clothes but for me as long as it's not pjs it's pretty impressive, I spend 90% wondering how anyone has the energy to get dressed in 'real' clothes everyday (I'm even more impressed that most people wash everyday, where the heck do you people get that energy?).
It's funny cause I used to take all these things for granted but I now can't imagine how I did it, I wish I'd taken greater advantage of it all back then.

I added the prices & information on the things I'm wearing in this post, do you guys like that? I'm not sponsored or anything I just know that I hate trying to search for something I've seen in a post only to discover they don't make it in my size anyway...
Also do you like my chatting jibberish or would you rather I stuck to the facts of the outfit?

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Wheelchair Fashion: One Skirt, Three Ways

Wheelchair Fashion: One Skirt, Three Ways

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disability, fashion, lifestyle, ootd, plus size, retro, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

One of the things about being a spoonie fashion blogger is that I rarely let myself wear the same outfit twice. I don't get out that often so I aim to get photos taken every time. I don't but I aim to :)
One of the hard parts though is thinking of different ways to put together the pieces I have...
That's pretty much how I came up with this post. It's something I've wanted to do for years but never been able to put together, hopefully it will be something I'll be able to do semi-regularly from now on. No promises though :)

I got this skirt from Modcloth, I don't know who made it though. It's nice but it has a super cheap zip which sucks, it's a mega nuisance. The gingham is adorable though & it's a good basic skirt, literally goes with everything.

These photos were taken back in spring when there were bluebells out in the woods, except in the woods in the middle of Leeds (there is this cool old wood in the middle of Leeds for like no reason. It used to get MASSES of bluebells but doesn't seem to get as many these days). We'd gone out literally just so I could get away from my foster brother who was driving me crazy & ended up finding a patch of bluebells in my favourite park.
So, the top is from Pin Up Girl Clothing, the belt is from Hell Bunny & the hat + necklace are old, like 5 or 6 years at least.

I wanted one of these outfits to be very different to my usual style, something I would never normally wear. This outfit is a mixture of my style back in high school (the necklace & t-shirt date back to then) & my style now. When I was looking at the photos I couldn't help but laugh at how much it looks just like both the other outfits. Honestly though if you find a silhouette that works for you don't feel shy about sticking with it, even if this post didn't show very different ways of wearing the skirt it at least shows how different you can make the exact same outfit look lol

I even took these photos in front of my old haunt in Leeds. Back when I was in high school Leeds was full of goths & emos & moshers who all hung around the corn exchange :) They cleaned the corn exchange up a while back & killed the whole scene but that was me back in the day. I wore corsets & stripe-y tights, lots of black, tutu skirts & red lipstick...I kind of wish I had photos of me back in the day, it's a whole other lifetime for me ^^

I've already posted this outfit so I won't go into great detail but yeah, like I said when I posted it, the top is a little outside of my comfort zone (a very narrow colour palette somewhere in the region of muted, grey toned colours between pink & green - pink, purple, blue & green - with white & tan as neutrals + minimal black....).
I included this because it made me lol how different the outfit looks with just a change of colours & accessories, I mean all the components are basically the same. I am wearing a peasant top, a belt & the same skirt & yet unless I'm looking at them side by side I think of them as very different outfits...

So, one basic worn three ways... Is this a style of post you'd like to see again? How would you style the skirt? What basics do you wear all the time?

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Wheelchair Fashion: Lavender Vision

Wheelchair Fashion: Lavender Vision

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, spring, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

I am ridiculously obsessed with lavender. Purple in general is pretty awesome but lavender is my favourite...hence this outfit. I started off with the shoes, they were so perfect I couldn't but get them.....and then I realised I had nothing to go with them. Since then I've gotten a lot of lavender pieces, the crowning glory of which is this Lavender Jenny Dress from Pin Up Girl Clothing.

I try not to buy dresses because, whilst they are beautiful & easy to wear, it's only really possible to wear them one way. Ideally I would have liked to get this as a skirt, it would have been a super cute skirt, but it's a pretty awesome dress.

I am in LOVE with the colour although it's more of a lilac than a lavender. I also love the skirt, it's got that great Jenny fullness & the quality of the fabric is again amazing.
I'm not sure about the bodice yet. It's comfortable but I'm not sure it's 100% flattering on my body. The first time I tried it on (without shape wear) the bodice made me look like I was straight up & down & kind of dumpy... I'm still working on how it works best on my body.

I hadn't really meant for this outfit to be so very lavender but this was the best cardigan I had available & I like it so much more than what I had planned.
Mostly what I had planned was leaving the house, I wasn't even planning to take outfit photos I just wanted out of the house & wanted to put this on (finally! it had been hanging in my wardrobe for too long!!!) I hate how the best outfit posts are the unplanned ones, it's so frustrating sometimes lol

In other news my Mum & I cut my hair. I normally get my hair cut at the hairdressers but recently it's been using WAY too much energy so I decided to have a go at doing it myself. My mum shaved the back & sides & I did as much of the rest that I could.
I'm calling the result okay but I recommend having thick hair, it masks a lot of the mistakes :) Hopefully we'll get better at it as we go on ^^

P.S. the necklace is from BooTeeq on Etsy. It's a super adorable spoon necklace, it's got a great vintage-y design. The shop is run by a fellow spoonie who is raising money for a much needed electric wheelchair!

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Wheelchair Fashion: Heat Wave Style

Wheelchair Fashion: Heat Wave Style

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disability, fashion, plus size, retro, spring, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

Gosh this weather is crazy. I mean it's lovely & everything but it's exhausting too. Weirdly though my pain is less & I have more energy. I'm going with it & am trying to make the most of it (mostly by playing Pokémon Go). So when my brother needed to go to a museum like an hour away for like 10 minutes research I decided to go with them. I mean I didn't just go to the museum, we also had lunch & went to one of my favourite places in the world (lavender world), but it's still not something I would normally even think about doing.

It's pretty unusual for me to pick bright colours. I'm pretty much a pastel/jewel toned kind of gal but the hot weather made me gravitate towards the brightest item in my wardrobe, this top. It's yet another peasant top by Pinup Girl Clothing but I really struggle for tops so when I find something I actually like I get it in every colour (or at least every colour I like...I'm totally fussy).
The hat is also from Pinup Girl Clothing, I have a straw boater I got from H&M ages ago which I love but is totally falling apart so I totally ordered this hat. It's got a much bigger brim & ribbons in the back...I'm not sure if I like it more than my old hat but it's pretty cute & much better colour.

I got the skirt from Modcloth so I have no idea who made it :( The skirt is nice, good pockets & everything but the zip is super cheap, it's a bit of a pain. Such a cute skirt though.

So guys how have you been spending the heat wave?

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Wheelchair Fashion: Victoriana Pin-up

Wheelchair Fashion: Victoriana Pin-up

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, spring, summer, vintage, Wheelchair

Oh my gosh this outfit post was a pain in the ASS to get done! For some reason whatever I did 99% of the photos didn't work out. I tend to get about 200 photos per outfit & of those 10% are up to my standards (lighting, pose & my face tend to be the main issues) & then I narrow down from there. This time I took outfit photos on two separate days making nearly 600 photos total & I ended up with about 10 maybes.....
The behind the scenes of outfit photos is super glamorous lol

White dresses with a delicate blue floral print hold a special place in my heart owning to a book I read as a teenager (Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson). Ever since then I have always had at least one dress like this in my wardrobe so it's kind of unusual that I come across a white & blue print that is really exciting to me.
This skirt kind of blew me away though. The cut is an incredible A-line shape but like super full rather than boxy like I'm used to which was special in and of itself. The key thing though was the
pattern. It kind of reminds me of the kind of old school willow pattern china but like the really old school stuff before they were mass producing it. It's the more grown up sophisticated version of the endless blue & white dresses I have owned.

Technically this isn't a dress so I'm not really filling that empty spot in my wardrobe yet but I actually preferred the skirt to the dresses that came in this print (all on Collectif which is where the skirt is from) but it is more versatile in the skirt, even though it's the wrong blue & the wrong white to go with my pin up girl peasant tops (no-one else sees it but the microscopic shade difference bugs me ludicrous amounts).
This skirt feels to me more 40s or possibly 30s than my other vintage repro pieces although the print makes me think of Edwardian tea gowns hence it being Victoriana Pin-up...

Do you have any absolute wardrobe staples? Has your style ever been inspired by a book?

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Wheelchair Fashion: Summer Ice-Cream

Wheelchair Fashion: Summer Ice-Cream

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disability, fashion, ootd, plus size, retro, spring, summer, vintage

Wow, I've been AWOL for a while. Things went a little nutty there. I had a....dip I guess I'd call it? I hesitate to call it a flare because those are usually short & dramatic for me, followed by a few days/weeks of recovery. This felt almost like a natural progression & at several points in the last few weeks I was worried that that was what it was.
I was bedridden, completely, for a while & I kept drifting in & out of an almost delirious sleep. Focusing, even on eating & drinking was hard & even when stuff started to get easier I struggled with stuff that wasn't hard before. I'm still struggling with things like Instagram & blogging. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it again but I really miss staying in touch with my friends.

It was so glorious at the beginning of this I pushed myself to get out & take some outfit pictures. I was so scared that going out would instantly be too much (I'm sure you guys know the feeling) but guess I'd left it long enough & it was actually magical. I didn't do much obviously but just being out in the sunshine hearing the birds & feeling the breeze nearly made me cry, I'm a total wuss lol :)

I'm not really sure of words to say or things to put in this post. I feel like I owe you all a post with lots of information, interesting anecdotes or at least something more than "my top is from pin up girl clothing, my skirt is from lindy bop, my shoes are from B.A.I.T. footwear & my hat is old from H&M" but I'm not really sure what to add. I've been so out of it for so long & my foster brother is using so much brain space at the moment that I'm totally muddled.

It's stupid to think that 6/7 years ago I would have looked at what I am doing right now - sitting in pjs at 2 in the afternoon on a weekday desperately trying to write a blog post - as nothing. The me I was back then would probably have thought it was a waste of time & she definitely wouldn't have been happy knowing that at 23 she would still be living in her mum's house having achieved none of her goals.
The me I am now just feels unbelievably lucky to be able to sit up in clean pjs, having had a wash (including my hair!!!) & think clearly enough to write this. I feel so lucky that I was able to go out when it was sunny & that it hasn't put me back into bed.
I feel sad for the me I used to be sometimes, she had so much (her health & all that energy for one thing) & she was so busy getting ready for the future that she didn't really make the most of the time she had.

P.S. I know it sounds weird to think of myself as two separate people but I really have very little in common with the person I used to be. That person had the potential to be me but she was so busy worrying about where she was going that she forgot to enjoy the journey. Knowing that all I have is the journey I'm a much happier, more fun person.

How has everyone been? Did you get to enjoy the weather?

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