Big Life Changes & Unlikely AW Style Heroes

You may have noticed that I have been pretty quiet here on the blog over the last couple of weeks…at least I hope you’ve noticed and I’m not just here talking to myself! As some of you may know, I recently relocated from Dublin to Galway after 10 years living in the city and so have been a little distracted with all things move related.

Both my husband and I are originally from Galway so a move back to the motherland was always on the cards. Dublin was never intended to be home forever for many reasons, not least the extortionate rental prices which have become increasingly crippling in recent months. Don’t get me wrong, Dublin is fantastic but the property crisis combined with an amazing social scene inevitably led to a vulnerable millenial like myself frittering away her earnings on life essentials like avocado toast and espresso martinis in the latest must-visit (overpriced) cocktail bars. After 10 years of paying a small fortune in rent for a one bed apartment in Dublin 4 and living for Friday evening G&T’s, it was time to put on the big girl pants and think about the F word…yes the future!

So, when a good work opportunity arose for Mr. Savvy in Galway, the move West was slightly accelerated. It seemed like the right thing to do; rental prices are lower as is the general cost of living. However, I am not going to lie, when all was finalised, the reality of the move weighed down on me like a tonne of bricks and all I could think of were all the cool things I hadn’t yet managed to see and do in Dublin (as if I was moving to another planet and not just 2 hours down the road!). There were so many flat whites and hipster coffee shops that I would never get to Instagram!

It’s now 6 weeks since the big move and I am still missing Dublin (silly things like my favourite coffee shop, the little food store beside where I lived, my apartment, ZARA!). And even though Dublin is only 2 hours from Galway, as a blogger and someone involved in the fashion industry it sometimes feels like a world away. While I’ve been settling in here, I’ve neglected my blog, I’ve had to turn down event invites in Dublin and have been going through a bit of a creative block but I am slowly trying to get my mojo back. There’s still days where I feel lost and crave Dublin life again but I’m slowly building a routine and trying to carve out my little niche here. Like every big change, it just takes time to readjust!

In the spirit of change and new beginnings, AW 17 has got me lusting after things I once swore I would never wear. I bring you my top 4 unlikely wardrobe heroes for autumn winter and because sharing is caring, I have also linked my top picks for each one.

Kitten Heels

The kitten heel, possibly my most loathed of all the shoe styles (like right up there with crocs)…until recently that is. There was a time in the early 2000’s when wearing kitten heels automatically resulted in social exclusion. If your heels were under 4 inches you clearly knew nothing about fashion my friend. I missed out on kitten heels at the peak of their cool during the 90’s and only ever associated them with comfortable and conservative office wear. Fast forward to 2017 and I am now a major convert to minor heels. Comfy, cool and minimalist…maybe I am just getting old but kitten heels are definitely ticking all my boxes. For the record, I still despise crocs (Balenciaga, I’m looking at you!).

 

Corduroy

Let’s face it, corduroy is possibly the most unsexy fabric of all time. Even the name sounds uptight and stuffy. A close relative of velvet, corduroy was always the equivalent of the weird uncle at a family party. Apart from a brief love affair with Susst flared cords (if you know, you know) circa 2000, I’ve pretty much left corduroy where it belongs…on middle aged geography teachers. I mean, I didn’t even know I wanted a pair of cords again until I was hitting “add to basket” on a dusky pink pair of Zara cord culottes (which I full on love btw). I’m still not quite sure what this acceptance of corduroy means for my style but for now I’m embracing fashions former uncool kid on the block.

Baker Boy Hats

Also known as fisherman caps, paper boy hats, captains hats…the list goes on. Whatever they were called, I just knew I was violently opposed to them. My aversion to this style of head wear was so strong that the very sight of Keira Knightley wearing a baker boy hat in Love Actually was enough for me to take a permanent disliking to her. Jump to 2017, along comes Bella Hadid accessorising every look with a baker boy hat and looking fierce AF and suddenly the waves of hatred were being calmed. Nowadays, I’m living my best Captain Birdseye life and proud of it.

Granny Cardigans

Unlike the other unlikely wardrobe heroes on this list, I never actually bore any ill-will towards the humble nanna cardi. They were just never on my style radar because they’re for old ladies and librarians right? Wrong. Granny Chic has been on the rise for a while now with the fash pack falling for the classic granny cardigan in a big way. They are perfect for layering and lend an ease and versatility to any look that edges them slightly ahead of their sweater cousins. Plus your hair and makeup won’t get ruined when taking them off. Bonus!

Let’s shop!!