Sunday Sentiment

Recently i’ve been thinking a lot about why people crave the things they do, is it because of society or the movies or just some innate desire? I love debating and pondering why we’ve been put on this planet and what purpose people have. My partner in crime in considering these philosophical queries is my youngest sister Sophie. So we took our questioning minds to our local park and pondered these things over coffee and cake (two of the best things in life).

Park essentials, sun tan lotion to make sure my pale skin doesn't burn..

Perfect park day :)

Why I do OOTD's

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the image of myself that I portray on Instagram (find me at @peyates). I have 115 followers which is extremely small by insta’s standards, but its becoming a real outlet for me to express my creativity. Increasingly one of my passions is photo and video capturing and I mainly do this on my iPhone, I enjoy it because its easy and quick to capture something you see that inspires you and edit it. 

I take pictures of food, me and my friends hanging out, an amazing view I’ve seen or artwork, but 75% of my Instagram content is OOTD’s.

It's now starting to get to the point that I am having to wonder if i’m doubling up on outfits, there are only so many pictures you can take wearing the same dress… It’s like the ultimate same party same dress disaster… But the fact that Im having these thoughts makes me feel strange somehow, do I look like I'm being conceited? Do people think I'm showing off? Im so far from being like that in real life that even the slightest hint of me being like that is a strange split. 

On the other hand, it is a way for me to express myself through photography and fashion which is one of the highest forms of self-expression there is. A great outfit can set you up for the day, giving you confidence, self-assurance and a boost of self-esteem. The fact that I have lost a lot of weight in the last year makes me even prouder to show how far i’ve come through wearing clothes and feeling amazing in them and I like to think that emanates through the pictures.

So I would 100% recommend doing it as well, challenge yourself to capture your creativity on Instagram and you never know who you might influence or what you will gain out of it.

Also always remember to feel body confident, it’s so important to learn to be happy with who you are and also by the same token, strive to be fit and strong and have the body that you want.

So feel free to follow me @peyates <3 

Blogger Profile: Why I love Sonya Esman

I am picky.

Like a lot of things in my life, i know what i like and what i don’t and the same applies to the bloggers and YouTubers that i spend my free time watching, devouring their fashion and beauty tips and general life knowledge. But there is one blogger who also creates videos that stand head and shoulders above the rest and that is Sonya Esman. 

Photo: Carolines Mode

She is a 20 year old Russian native who lives in Toronto and her lilting Canadian accent is tinged with a hint of slavic. Not only is she utterly stunning, reminding me a lot of Angelina Jolie, but she has wisdom beyond her years and i often find myself watching her Q & A videos just in awe of her eloquence and insight into how humans work and how we should live to experience as much happiness and inner peace as possible.

Her fashion is also fantastic and her mix of classic pieces with fun and different items, makes her style extremely covetable and explains why she has almost a million Instagram followers. She also has two YouTube channels with hundreds of thousands of followers (Russian and English language). Brands are also sitting up and taking notice of her powerful online following, which she herself has stated, is one of the most engaged out there and I can vouch for that. She is the intriguing mix of aspirational and attainable, her lifestyle, mantras and ideas sit well within an average teenagers grasp and lets face it, which teen wouldn’t want her life? 

Photo: Sonya Jung

But there are down sides and she says that she has been plagued by feelings of inadequacy and insecurities about her body. Her honesty and ability to convey her feelings in such a brutal and perfect way only serves to increase her loyal followers admiration and support and i know it will only be a matter of time before she smashes the 1 million follower mark.

So before you get to judging this young model, YouTuber and blogger, consider getting to know her first and then make your mind up. 

Photo: Sonya Esman

Sonya Quotes <3

Q from a viewer: How do you get style confidence?

Sonya: “You don’t, you can’t buy it you just do it. You realise that nobody gives a crap and even if people are staring at you, so what? You live once, who cares.”

Her Company Magazine column:

“Sometimes I post quotes; sometimes I post moody things, because I'm real. I feel things beyond "yay I'm about to work for a week straight" and "thank you everyone for 900,000 followers". It's not about that. It's not about the number, or the kind of image you put out on the internet- because it's not real. What we have is the present moment. The breathes we take out in nature, with family and friends, the moments in our lives that leave us breathless, the books we read that move us, and the music that makes our minds go numb from feelings. 

Our social media should only be a reflection of our inner world; a place for inspiring people to live in the real world. Never vice versa."

The Benefits of Clearing our Your Wardrobe

Recently my wardrobe and I went through a bit of a re-invention, not dissimilar to the McConnaissance.. After having lost weight and moved back to Brighton, I realised that the many of the clothes I owned fit into one of five piles and they were:

•     Too big/ unflattering on me.
•     Old/holey (clothes I had when I was at uni.. need I say more?)
•      Style was outdated (skater skirts/dresses anyone?)
•         I hadn't worn the item in over a year.
•         Items I wanted to keep.

Before I moved back I embarked on an epic clothing, bags and accessories clear out, with clothes scattered about that rivalled an average Saturday in a Primark. Clothes were absolutely everywhere and the bin liners started to be filled with items that just weren't what I wanted or needed anymore. You may ask ‘How did you get this many clothes?’ and my answer would be that I’m not totally sure… I had been gifted random pieces from friends and family, swearing that I would wear it and then never doing so. I also bought a lot of lower priced items that I thought were worthwhile and a bargain, but in hindsight, they just cluttered up my wardrobe and nine times out of ten they were trend led pieces that I would never wear again. In the end after much deliberation and after being really strict with myself I managed to clear out 6 bin liners FULL of clothes, shoes and accessories. With each item I got rid of it was like a metaphorical weight was being lifted off my shoulders.

Just a note on this, I am going to do a separate post on tips and advice to clearing out your wardrobe and places that you can donate your unwanted clothing to that will benefit other people and prevent wastage and post it later in the week.

Image Source: Ben Hodson

After moving home with a dramatically reduced wardrobe, I still did smaller weekly clear outs of items I held onto and then realised I still wouldn't wear; being tough on myself in this area was one of the best things I could have done. Ultimately whilst you may think you are going to regret getting rid of something, if you ask yourself in a week-or-so’s time what you wanted to hold onto I doubt you would remember what it was.

I was craving timeless and classic pieces in a more muted colour palette that would be interchangeable and make me feel great and give me the kind of style that I had craved for so long. I looked to brands like Topshop, Zara, Gap and Whistles for inspiration and found that styles and shapes that I previously felt uncomfortable in, now made me feel fantastic and confident… Such is the power of clothes.

It’s now been around eight months since my wardrobe’s had a McConnaissance and not only do I now have an amazing wardrobe that I love, but I also get ready in a third of the time. Because I know what suits me and every item in my wardrobe I wear. I know exactly what to pick out (after having looked at the weather on my phone first, of course, I do live in the UK after all).

So even though it’s almost half way through the year, it’s not too late to freshen up your wardrobe and create one that you can be proud of and that truly reflects your style and personality.

Good luck and let me know how you get on! x

Next New In and Wrapping up For Winter

A while back I was invited by my friend and colleague Catherine Lux, who owns and blogs on Lux-Life blog to the Next #NewIn event at the Ham Yard Hotel. 

We were asked to take a look at the new A/W collections including gorgeous clothes, accessories, shoes and jewellery.

The Next heels collection for the Christmas Season was seriously covetable and my friend Catherine got a great image of them.

We were able to pick a piece from the collection and my eye was firmly on a gorgeous ‘Borg’ jacket with an amazing cocoon shape and super warm outer layer. So when it finally arrived as the winter snap was starting to come in I was so relieved! I thought I would style it with a classic jeans and boots combination as it’s so wearable and really gives an indication of how you could wear it.

Then with the coat open at the front:

Bear in mind that I am 6 ft so it does come up just under my butt so it’s a great length on me.

I also wanted to capture some of the details of the jacket so here is the collar and pocket details as well as a close up of the texture of the jacket.

The outer sheeps wool effect material is so soft and whilst it may not be suitable for the rain it will keep you so toasty throughout the whole of winter.

I think this jacket is perfect for someone looking to refresh their winter coat collection with a wearable piece and for any girl that gets cold super easily!

Let me know what your favourite winter coat is and what you're coveting.

Phoebe xx

Preferably a Parka

There are a couple of items of clothing that I know I will always wear, classic pieces that you always debate spending that little bit more on to get something special that will last season after season. For those anti fast fashion like me it can be overwhelming trying to find these few key pieces I’m talking about, these are (in no particular order):

• Leather jacket
• Jeans
• Leather boots
• Rucksack
• The perfect go-to dress that you always look and feel good in.
• Parka

None of these items are too unusual apart from perhaps the rucksack, but I’m thinking of doing a post on my love of rucksacks at a later date.

The one I really want to talk about in this post is the Parka, now there are so many different types of jacket and coat styles out there. For me the parka just fits with my lifestyle and style in general. My current Parka is from River Island and was purchased around 5 years ago and has been thrown on hundreds of times. Hence its starting to look rather worn and its colour has faded from the amazing classic parka green to a pale grey-green hue. Not to mention the patched up hood which involved me sewing another fur lining around.

When choosing what type of coat to invest in this winter I couldn’t help but have some of my mothers coat buying mantras creep in. These include phrases like ‘does it have a hood?’ ‘Is it waterproof?’ ‘Does it keep you warm?’ Ironically so often when I was younger I would shun these ideals in my coat buying past. Now so many of the popular styles this season don’t tick two thirds of these points, like the long line cocoon coat in camel and pastel shades, fur coats. Whilst these are pretty classic as well there is something about the parka that is just perfect and I have picked out some of my favourite styles for you.

 ASOS Parka in Nylon with Contrast Lining & Faux Fur Hood – £75

 ASOS Ultimate Parka – £55

Parka London Greta – £235  

River Island Parka With Faux Fur Body – £115

So here are just a few I’m coveting and I particularly have my eye on the Greta Parka London coat. Let me know what coat styles you love and whether you are a parka fan like me.

Phoebe xx