Am I the only one who finds that often my mood matches the weather. Living in Britain where it is frequently cloudy and rainy this means I have to find other ways to lift my mood. Discovering the beautiful bright colours available on Simply Be has meant my winter and spring is proving to be sunnier than usual!
You might have noticed that yellow is everywhere this year and might have thought this is not a colour you can wear. I have never in my life worn yellow until I made an impulse purchase of a cosy yellow Mickey Mouse sweatshirt when I found myself cold during a London day trip with my girls recently.
Now I actively hunt the colour down as I've found it goes with so many base colours and cheers me up.
Recently the lovely people at Simply Be invited me to choose some new clothes free from their range online to review for you. This was very exciting as I have been changing my wardrobe, moving away from the mummy uniform of jeans and tops towards cute skirts and dresses which make me feel a lot less mumsy, more glam, more professional when I'm working in London and generally happier about myself.
I know I'm not alone struggling with body image. Having had 7 children and diabetes means I have no waist, too much tum and no bum to speak of. Having Fibromyalgia, diabetes and Lichen Sclerosis means my clothes and shoes have to be super comfortable but it doesn't mean I'm ready to ditch my (sometimes quirky) sense of style.
After being asked to choose some clothes from Simply Be to review I spent ages scrolling through the pages of the Simply Be website where you can find everything from winter whites and spring neutrals through to a rainbow of bright colours. There are wardrobe classics and bang on trend fashion pieces and all the accessories a girl could want. I saw so many pieces I really wanted I found it really hard to choose just a few.
Swimwear, shoes, lingerie and activewear, Simply Be has everything you might need to wear for work, holidays, school run, parties, weddings and more. Many items go up to size 32 so you can flaunt your figure and celebrate your curves.
I am slightly obsessed with pleated skirts which you can dress up or down depending on your mood or the occasion. I was immediately taken with this stunning sunny saffron sun ray pleat maxi skirt with a comfortable elasticated waist which means it's comfortable even when my stomach bloats. It's available in sizes 10-32 and is also available in black.
I've added a slouchy Harry Potter Hufflepuff dark grey sweatshirt here along with comfy but cool animal print pumps but could easily dress it up with a crisp white shirt and heels.
It is quite long on me at 5ft 3ins tall but would be fine with heels or you could do what I did and just roll the top over if I'm wearing it with flats. FYI, Simply Be does offer many items in petite and tall sizes.
I think this ochre/yellow pleated front hem top is very flattering for someone with a bit of a belly like me. It would look great with jeans or simple black trousers but I really loved it with my silver pleated skirt. I wore it to the theatre in the West End teamed with white trainers and a black mock-leather biker jacket and felt very glam. I did find it amusing that I toned nicely with many items at the railway station including a train!
Steering slightly away from the yellow theme I also chose a fun grey marl sequin star T-shirt which I think will look great with my saffron pleated skirt and a gorgeous navy easy care linen mix maxi skirt. If you want to get your hands on that fab T-shirt with its gold and silver sequins though you'll need to be quick as it's flying off the virtual shelves!
I've had so many complements on the navy skirt which is a flattering A-line shape with drawstring and elasticated waist and handy pockets that I know it's going to be worn again and again. It comes in two other colours, black and white, too.
Ordering online with Simple Be is quick and easy and there are a variety of delivery options. You can get next day delivery if you order before 11pm. Delivery costs vary from free to £4.50 for next day service. Larger items may carry a supplementary charge but that will be indicated by a little truck symbol with the price for delivery in it. There are quite a few options for returning items too so no need to worry on that score.
I'll be brutally honest. I thought Simply Be was only for larger ladies not for someone like me who despite my mum-tum generally comes in at a size 10-12. But there was so much for me to choose from in my size in styles which don't look out of place working as I frequently do with young fashionable PR people in London.
My outfits were much admired in the playground and sharing my #WhatIAmWearingNow snaps on Instagram gave my ego a real boost as lots of people engaged with me leaving some lovely comments.
So if you've never tried wearing shades of yellow, or explored what Simply Be has to offer make today you decided to do it and bring some sunshine despite the rain (or snow or clouds or fog) into your life.
Disclaimer: I was gifted £100 worth of clothes from Simply Be for the purpose of this honest review.
You might have noticed that yellow is everywhere this year and might have thought this is not a colour you can wear. I have never in my life worn yellow until I made an impulse purchase of a cosy yellow Mickey Mouse sweatshirt when I found myself cold during a London day trip with my girls recently.
Now I actively hunt the colour down as I've found it goes with so many base colours and cheers me up.
Recently the lovely people at Simply Be invited me to choose some new clothes free from their range online to review for you. This was very exciting as I have been changing my wardrobe, moving away from the mummy uniform of jeans and tops towards cute skirts and dresses which make me feel a lot less mumsy, more glam, more professional when I'm working in London and generally happier about myself.
I know I'm not alone struggling with body image. Having had 7 children and diabetes means I have no waist, too much tum and no bum to speak of. Having Fibromyalgia, diabetes and Lichen Sclerosis means my clothes and shoes have to be super comfortable but it doesn't mean I'm ready to ditch my (sometimes quirky) sense of style.
After being asked to choose some clothes from Simply Be to review I spent ages scrolling through the pages of the Simply Be website where you can find everything from winter whites and spring neutrals through to a rainbow of bright colours. There are wardrobe classics and bang on trend fashion pieces and all the accessories a girl could want. I saw so many pieces I really wanted I found it really hard to choose just a few.
Swimwear, shoes, lingerie and activewear, Simply Be has everything you might need to wear for work, holidays, school run, parties, weddings and more. Many items go up to size 32 so you can flaunt your figure and celebrate your curves.
I am slightly obsessed with pleated skirts which you can dress up or down depending on your mood or the occasion. I was immediately taken with this stunning sunny saffron sun ray pleat maxi skirt with a comfortable elasticated waist which means it's comfortable even when my stomach bloats. It's available in sizes 10-32 and is also available in black.
I've added a slouchy Harry Potter Hufflepuff dark grey sweatshirt here along with comfy but cool animal print pumps but could easily dress it up with a crisp white shirt and heels.
It is quite long on me at 5ft 3ins tall but would be fine with heels or you could do what I did and just roll the top over if I'm wearing it with flats. FYI, Simply Be does offer many items in petite and tall sizes.
I think this ochre/yellow pleated front hem top is very flattering for someone with a bit of a belly like me. It would look great with jeans or simple black trousers but I really loved it with my silver pleated skirt. I wore it to the theatre in the West End teamed with white trainers and a black mock-leather biker jacket and felt very glam. I did find it amusing that I toned nicely with many items at the railway station including a train!
Steering slightly away from the yellow theme I also chose a fun grey marl sequin star T-shirt which I think will look great with my saffron pleated skirt and a gorgeous navy easy care linen mix maxi skirt. If you want to get your hands on that fab T-shirt with its gold and silver sequins though you'll need to be quick as it's flying off the virtual shelves!
I've had so many complements on the navy skirt which is a flattering A-line shape with drawstring and elasticated waist and handy pockets that I know it's going to be worn again and again. It comes in two other colours, black and white, too.
Ordering online with Simple Be is quick and easy and there are a variety of delivery options. You can get next day delivery if you order before 11pm. Delivery costs vary from free to £4.50 for next day service. Larger items may carry a supplementary charge but that will be indicated by a little truck symbol with the price for delivery in it. There are quite a few options for returning items too so no need to worry on that score.
I'll be brutally honest. I thought Simply Be was only for larger ladies not for someone like me who despite my mum-tum generally comes in at a size 10-12. But there was so much for me to choose from in my size in styles which don't look out of place working as I frequently do with young fashionable PR people in London.
My outfits were much admired in the playground and sharing my #WhatIAmWearingNow snaps on Instagram gave my ego a real boost as lots of people engaged with me leaving some lovely comments.
So if you've never tried wearing shades of yellow, or explored what Simply Be has to offer make today you decided to do it and bring some sunshine despite the rain (or snow or clouds or fog) into your life.
Disclaimer: I was gifted £100 worth of clothes from Simply Be for the purpose of this honest review.