Each to their own and all, but in my opinion, if you're wearing pretty lingerie primarily for someone else's benefit, then you're wearing it wrong! The only person's opinion that matters when buying lingerie is your own. Of course, if someone else likes it too, bonus!
I've put together a collection of my favourites to help you treat yourself this Valentine's day - because a girl can never, ever have too many cute bras and panties! And if you're reading this thinking, "I hate Valentine's day!!", then here's some lingerie to buy yourself just because!
Christmas is the time of year we all love to complain about, to be honest. As December rapidly approaches, it is officially time to get out our wallets and think about the difficult task of picking presents for our loved ones. This year, I made it my mission to stay ahead of the game, and task myself with completing my shopping list before December had really got under way.
I love to avoid the bustling crowds and that means online shopping is a must for me at this busy time of year. London's Oxford Street, pressed up against strangers, crushed in a sea of shoppers, whilst being forced to make important retail decisions? No thanks! I find sitting in the warmth, browsing the internet with a big cup of coffee somewhat more appealing.
It's pretty much a given that guys are not the easiest to shop for. They either have no ideas or already have everything they need and let's be honest, what gift is worth buying your boyfriend when you can't pinch it yourself?!
Here is a round-up of my top favourite clothing ideas for the men in my life this Christmas - No peeking guys!
Serge DeNimes - So Serge Palm Leaves Arm Sweat - Buy here
This is my favourite sweatshirt this AW15. From Oliver Proudlock's own clothing line, Serge DeNimes, this simple sweat is soft to the touch and can easily be styled with black skinny jeans and the right pair of Nike trainers to complete a cool, street look.
Sik Silk - Heavy Neps Curved Hem Tee - Buy here and here
I tend to stay away from brighter colours during the winter, leaving the memories of the Sik Silk/Cafe Mambo collaboration far behind us. This is one of the many new tees we've seen emerge from Sik Silk recently. Sik Silk has undergone a full transformation fro the sharp, bold patterned vests and vivid colours of their summer collection to the more seasonal AW15 collection. I feel like the best thing about the minimalistic colour scheme is the way you can wear it with pretty much anything.
With clothing designed for today's urban male, 11 Degrees is definitely a label to watch. I'm a big fan of comfort and warmth over fashion and that's why these snuggly 11 Degrees Base Joggers in red are a go-to this winter. With the weather swiftly deteriorating, who wants to walk around in damp denim?
For the diva that exists inside every man in my life - The Snood Hood, half way between a scarf and a hood, does anything sound more appealing this winter? Chptr and Vrse are a brand that puts a breath of fresh air into the industry; this clothing line is devoted to the pursuit of personal, individual style. Incorporating the wet-look sleeves, cuff and hem with a simply small logo embroidered on the chest, in my opinion this is a really cool urban streetwear hoodie (snoodie?).
Sik Silk - Oil Racerback Curved Hem Tee - Buy here and here
New in and possibly something to bring a bit of colour to your nights out this winter is the Sik Silk Racerback Tee. The subtlety of colour really compliments the all over look of the tee. Easily styled with the Sik Silk drop crotch skinny jeans in blue (buy here), this is definitely a big contender for that all important New Year's Eve outfit.
If you live in the UK, you've probably seen or at least heard of the campaign 'This Girl Can'. The campaign was developed by Sport England to empower and celebrate British women in sport, and I love it! I remember seeing the TV ad for the first time - I completely stopped what I was doing (updating See it, Want it! obvs) and was mesmerised by this beautiful, positive message that was coming out of my TV. I challenge you not to feel inspired while you're watching it!
It feels so amazing to know that I'm not the only girl out there who feels held back in sport. At school, if you aren't really, really good at sport, you kind of get forgotten, even if you love playing sports, and that feeling of rejection and "I'm not good enough" kind of blows out the spark that us average girls had for sport. It's sad, it truly is. So as you get older, you do less and less sport, and you get less enjoyment out of it. For me, it often feels like a chore. Even when I go to the gym, which is where I'm supposed to be sweating my arse off, I often feel self-conscious. There's this idea that's been planted in my head at some point, and maybe in the minds of other girls too, that we're girls and we aren't supposed to sweat profusely. Well you know what? We are! And I vow to do as much sport and sweat as much as necessary from now on!
What's great about being a girl is that we have so many amazing role models out there. Girls who are really damn good at what they do, and who we can look up to, even if we think we suck. My sporty idols include snowboarders like Kjersti Buaas, Jenny Jones and Kelly Clark, rock climber Hazel Findlay and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin (google them, they're all awesome!)
Part of being active involves finding the right gear to do it in. I for one am not keen on a $100 pair of running leggings, even if they are the jazziest leggings I've ever seen, but it's tricky to find clothing that does the job (and it's not a simple job, there's sweat involved and it needs to be wicked away!) AND looks good AND is affordable. Personally, I swear by H&M sportswear, but I've gone out of my comfort zone to find you some other options too.
So the moral of this blog post is that it doesn't matter how good (or bad) you think you are, how red your face is, how much your arse jiggles or how little or much makeup you're wearing. Don't let anything hold you back, because nothing is worth missing out on all that fun! My struggle with sport in recent years has often been linked with the fact that I now have a muscle syndrome and it is so frustrating to not feel well enough to be active, or to feel worried that doing too much will make me sick, but I'm trying really hard to not let that hold me back. So, my goal for the next few months? To make my good days incredible and memorable, doing the stuff that I want to do like climbing, skateboarding, cycling, running, playing tennis, horse riding, hiking, snowboarding... you get the idea.
I'm not a diehard Kardashian or Jenner fan, but there is something about Kendall that I really like. It's just a vibe, but it's a good one. I am of course aware, though, that many people LOVE Kendall, and when it comes to her style, I can definitely see why. She rocks every outfit, whether it's smart or casual, and isn't afraid to throw some slightly wackier pieces in there for fun. So, whether you're a mega fan or you barely know who she is, I hope you'll feel inspired by the looks I've recreated with items that won't break the bank.
Last year, it suddenly occurred to me that my fears were holding me back from living life happily and to the max. It's not like my fears came out of nowhere, but I certainly haven't been afraid of the things I'm afraid of now for my whole life. Some fears stop me doing things, some don't. The psychology of fear is incredibly interesting to me, and I'm not even a psychologist so my knowledge and understanding doesn't even run that deep!
Back to my story: I was swimming in the sea off the coast of Tenerife, feeling absolutely terrified of hurting myself or drowning. It didn't stop me swimming, but it ate away at my enjoyment. "Why was I so scared?" I thought to myself. A few years ago I was stung by a sea urchin while swimming in Cambodia, and since then the thought of swimming near rocks, or even treading water, has made me feel a bit ill. Perhaps this was a remnant of being stung? A few years before I was stung, I was body boarding in Kenya, got caught up in a wave and my leash got stuck under a rock (typical Hollywood movie scenario lol). I thought i was going to drown. I didn't obviously, but I came out of it bruised and scratched with a head full of salty water. It's a wonder I still swim in the sea at all, but I won't go in unless I think I can handle the waves. Perhaps this is a remnant of almost drowning?
But even if my fears are based on past scary events, I still survived. So why am I still scared? I'm not going to answer that question here, but what I am going to do is encourage both you and myself to overcome our fears, simply because it is possible and it will improve our lives.
I think one of the lucky things about fear is that it's all about mind over matter. Unless you are doing something particularly dangerous, chances are you will be just fine. Recently, I was swimming in a river with my boyfriend. There was a bridge nearby, maybe 3 metres above the water, that you could jump off into the fast-flowing river. I had no qualms about getting in the river via the metal steps, floating down a bit, and getting back out, but when my boyfriend suggested we jump off the bridge my heart skipped a beat and I started to feel a bit sick. Lucky for me, and this is a really good tip if you're trying to get over your fears, my boyfriend is my number one cheerleader. Calm, encouraging, supportive, not pushy, bullying or belittling. We sat on the bridge together holding hands while my heart pounded and my whole body shook and I wondered if I might vomit instead of jump. I said out loud, "Why am I so scared? I've done this before!"
I had done it before. All the damn time in fact up until a few years ago! To be honest, I can't remember why I stopped - lack of things to jump off maybe? The first time I jumped off a diving board my swimming teacher had to hold my hand (I was eight and it was cute, okay!), but from then on I was flinging myself off every diving board I could find, even the top diving board for goodness sake! But there I was, sitting on a little bridge over a river, quivering with fear.
So I started reasoning with myself: "I'm may be a weak swimmer, but my boyfriend isn't, he will save me. There's a lifeguard. Wait, there are two! It really isn't far to jump. If it wasn't water I would do it. I'll feel amazing if I do it! High five to me!" and so on.
This seemed to work, because I suddenly turned to my boyfriend and said, "Hold my hand. We'll jump on three. 1 - 2 - 3!" Cue a blood curdling scream from me! And there it was, mind over matter! I am stronger than my brain's natural desire to keep me alive and living a boring life.
And you know what? I don't even know what I was so scared about because little did I know the scary part was yet to come. There was a big, fat rope across the river that people were playing on. I was totally unprepared and got caught with the rope across my belly. The current kept pushing my head under the water, and I couldn't move against it to go over or under. I can't imagine the terrified look I gave my boyfriend, but it must have signalled to him that I thought I was going to die because he grabbed my arm and pulled me under the rope.
THAT was the scary bit. It just goes to show that the truly scary things in life cannot be envisaged. You won't see them coming, but you will fight to survive (or you will be rescued!). So do that scary thing, whether it's taking a leap, eating something or seeing someone, whatever it is just do it! You will feel amazing for doing it, and it won't be nearly as scary as you imagined. Brains are funny things see, they want you to survive so they make you feel scared, but a different part of our brains is strong enough to conquer our fears.
Next step: telling that rope who's boss so I can totally enjoy jumping off the bridge!
For those of you looking for more inspiration in overcoming your fears, watch this TED talk by astronaut Chris Hadfield. It's truly enlightening and thought-provoking.
What are you afraid of? Tell me about it, and how you have/plan to overcome it!
"Beata Parvoulova debuted her collection for SS14 after working as a design assistant in the United Kingdom and Poland. She is a graduate of the fashion design diploma programme at Instituto Marangoni Milan and London.The Sofia based brand bEATA was founded in 2013. bEATA believes that what makes the brand unique and desirable is the attention to detail and the precision with which we manipulate our fabrics, so you can express your true self." ~ beatap.com
I came across bEATA in an issue of Vogue. It was one of those days where I'd managed to read a copy of Vogue cover to cover without interruption. I spotted a small advert for bEATA near the back, and immediately got out my phone to take a closer look at what the brand had to offer. I was deeply impressed. Fresh, urban, and sporty come together to create a lust-worthy collection. Below are my favourites.
Welcome to the sister blog of See it, Want it! Join Bemsy and other contributors as they discuss shopping, style, travel, celebrities, and everything in between!
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