Just a quick newsflash to let you know that Marks and Spencer currently have a sale on “post surgery” bras. Some are reduced to as low as £6.00, for example this lovely black rose lace padded bra below which comes with a detachable modesty panel – be quick though as available sizes are very limited. Clicking on the picture will take you through to the post surgery bra pages. Alternatively, if you type “mastectomy bra” into their search bar – you will see all the mastectomy bras!!! (Well done Marks and Spencer – it used to say “no products found” which was rather disappointing).
The farmers and those of us under a hosepipe ban wished for rain – now we have great growing weather, alternate strong sunshine and rain. The temperatures are up and down too – crazy weather!! What to wear? We definitely need some kind of raincoat or jacket.
My friend with lymphoedema finds coats and jackets with wider sleeves one of the hardest wardrobe items to find, especially when they are going to be worn over layers. I had a good look this morning and found two, in different price ranges. Hopefully, one will be right for you.
A great design here – a classic mac styling but with caped sleeves. Often the cape style sleeves compromise a more streamlined shape but here the belt detail is intact and 
nips in the waist at the back. Lovely raincoat from Phase Eight at John Lewis, the Ecru Madison Cape is currently on sale, reduced from £120 to £60 but there is limited stock so hurry!
This navy Toast Kai Raincoat is from John Lewis at a price of £195. In an oversized style, it still has a good structure and interesting buckle details on the sleeve as well as a drawstring hood and loose sleeves. The fabric is water repellent and the coat has a printed lining.
I may have mentioned before my love of charity and vintage clothing shops. I have always loved clothes (and shoes, makeup and my first love, jewellery!) and when I am on a budget (aren’t we all??!) I browse my local charity shops for a great buy. I really hit the jackpot last week when I fell upon a beautiful pure silk skirt from Fenn Wright & Manson. It is pencil-style with a beautifully bold print of straight roses with stems, leaves and thorns on a black background. Very dramatic, beautifully cut and £4.99! I couldn’t believe my luck – now cleaned, pressed and in my wardrobe waiting for its first outing – very soon.
As we have talked about, ever since the London and Paris fashion shows, prints are very much of the time which suits us down to the ground. I have found a couple of dresses which could be layered with boots for this inclement weather and then let loose for the summer – both from Adini Online.
I have chosen this Vintage Printed Dress due to the bold patterning but also the beautifully detailed neckline. Coming up a little higher, the pleated detail is very flattering and forgiving – I have a couple of tops in this style and really like them. The dress is also slightly fitted creating an hourglass shape and the length shows the legs off perfectly. Great with a cardigan (worn with a belt over the top), tights and boots until we are treated to some warmer weather – £45.
A completely different take on the print theme here – the Kitu Print Long Tunic. Along with botanical prints, there are different Aztec and Ethnic prints mixed with animal themes in the shops. This dress from Adini features a structured pattern and would look fantastic over a black top with boots and tights – or try a contrasting colour. In the summer, you may need to layer a camisole or camisole bra. If your body shape suits v-necks but you need a higher coverage, layering is a good compromise, giving the illusion of a v-neck without the gaping – £56.25.
I am always telling my daughter that the sort of boys we like when we are young are not the sort of boys we like when we’re older. There is none of that “oh, he’s too nice, not really my type” – when you have gone out with a few rogues, “nice” suddenly becomes very attractive. There is nothing wrong with “nice” and a nice top is what I have found. I was looking for a t-shirty type top but a bit smarter and found this at Marks and Spencer. At first I thought it was a bit grown-up but I have a friend who does grown-up and always looks gorgeous so I tried it.
I actually bought this top in navy blue – mainly because it is such a great shade. I have always suited dark colours but as I’ve got older I find that black can be a bit harsh (I read somewhere that when colour reflects back up onto your face, it can enhance the fine lines so black can make you look more tired and bring out undereye circles etc.). I find that navy and dark brown are equally slimming and forgiving but are far more flattering. Anyway – here
is the top – a slightly higher neckline, delicate pintucks on the shoulders and a softly pleated sleeve add smart detail. The hem is slightly flared and when worn over jeans give the illusion of a waist – fab!! It is very soft, drapes nicely and washes well. A really nice top and a really nice price of £9.50!!
I have had emails from some of you asking when the Mary Portas Kinky Knickers will be back in stock. Currently Boots are expecting stock on the 24th April but for the latest news, please see the Mary Portas website link here for the latest stock updates.
Boots are not the only stockists (the Kinky Knickers are also being sold at John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, ASOS, Mary and House of Fraser, Liberty and Selfridges) but at this time, Boots are the only retailer donating £1 to Macmillan Cancer Support for every pair sold.
Do you ever see something and think “that’s a good idea – now why didn’t I think of that?!!” I had one of those moments today. I am a big fan of Love Film – the online service where you set up a wishlist of films and sign up to receive 1, 2 or 3 at a time? You get the DVDs in the post, watch them and post them back in a prepaid envelope and the films just keep coming – brilliant. Well, now you can do it with Designer Dresses!! Perfect for weddings, proms, holidays or a special weekend away. The idea is that you choose the dress online, the time you need it for (4 or 8 days), the date you need it and the size. You then receive the dress, in two sizes to ensure a good fit, and once worn you either send them back or they can collect them from you. They take care of the dry cleaning and you get to pay a fraction of the original purchase price of the dress. I try hard to recommend clothes that are affordable but am also a great fan of many designers including Peter Pillotto and sometimes it just feels so good to wear a truly fantastic designer piece – you feel like a million dollars. Well, Wish Want Wear are the designer dress hire company who will deliver that to you. Here are a couple of their dresses to give you a taster.
This animal print shift dress by TIBI is available to hire from £55 (the dress retails at £290). I chose this because of the high neckline and also the wild, distracting pattern. If you are not sure what might suit you, they have stylists available at the end of the ‘phone and each piece comes with a detailed description of style and fit.
This fantastic black floral lace and nude underlay Long Florence dress is from Temperley, London. This again is not too plunging and has a clever lace patterning giving symmetry which is also very flattering to the figure. I’ll be honest, I just picked this one because I love it. It is perfectly detailed, right down to the hem and is patterned front and back. Such a beautiful piece and a real attention grabber. For a special occasion at £265 to hire but with a price tag of nearly £2000 – you can steal the limelight and not bust the bank! To find out more, click on the links – Wish Want Wear also do accessories, jewellery and evening bags.
Well – that is an exciting title!! Perhaps not what you were expecting to see on this website, but factually accurate. You may have seen the recent television show where Mary Portas set out to prove she could produce a fully British product for retail and so revive the ailing British manufacturing industry. The result are Kinky Knickers, produced in Middleton by local people using the finest Nottingham lace. Orignally exclusive to Liberty, they are now being sold by a number of retailers, however Boots have committed to donate £1 from each sale to Macmillan Cancer Support – thank you Boots.
Us Breast Cancer Girls are sometimes a little restricted in the range of lingerie we can choose from. Personally, I am a fully matching girl – I cannot stand going out in non-matching underwear and have found this a bit of a struggle since my treatment. However – I have compromised and it is amazing, with a bit of careful selection, how you can mix and match items to look like a set.
Now, we may be a little restricted in our choice of bras, but when it comes to knickers, we can wear what we like and not be confined to boring bottoms! Check out these fabulous pink knickers!!
These are a little easier to match but all have great reviews for comfort. Demand has been very high and new stock is being sought so if you would like to register your interest and be told when new stock is in, please click on the go shopping links where you can visit the Boots.com page.
A big thank you to Liz who this week took the time to email me and let me know about a cardigan she has found which is suitable for Lymphoedema. I really appreciate these emails, firstly, it is lovely to correspond with people who read the website and secondly, the fact that ladies want to share their finds with others is confirmation that we are all in this together. This is what Liz recommends:
This Linen Blend Textured Waterfall Cardigan is from Marks and Spencer. Liz says “It is cool and comfortable and stretchy over my sleeve and the sleeves are lovely and long”. Feedback on the website is good although most people comment that you may need a larger size to accommodate a wider back. Available in a wide range of colours to suit most outfits (shown below) this is available for £29.50. Thank you Liz!
I had a bit of a browse today and came across David Nieper. This company was established in Derbyshire in 1961 and now employs over 200 local people. The best fabrics are sourced from all over the world but garments are made in England. I was initially looking for camisoles and the thing that really caught my eye was the attention to detail. Every garment is made with the softest and highest quality fabric available – the lace is specially dyed to ensure a perfect match and the lace itself is softened. The main seamstress for each garment, personally signs her name on the label – that is how confident they are that you will be delighted with the finish. Although these aren’t mastectomy wear, they are beautifully soft so will be kind to the skin following surgery or treatment. I have chosen two different styles here – one vest (don’t think Grandad, this is girly!) and the other, a very feminine camisole style.
This lace strap vest is made from fine jersey cotton and is seam-free for comfort. I liked the higher neckline and delicate lace on the straps. Available in sizes 12 to 24 and at a cost of £28. There is a free returns service so you can try it on in the comfort of your own home.
This is a dreamy delight in skin coloured breathable stretch lace. So femimine but also comfortable and with a neckline design giving good coverage. It is also available in black and costs £40 – there are matching knickers too!
