Jean Genie!

Welcome back, and thank you for popping into Styled by Mel. Hope you’ve all had a good couple of weeks and are enjoying the spring offerings that have hit the shops, magazines and at times, even the weather!

I’d also like to welcome to my blog, a new and very elegant lady – she’s up in the header and she’s my new logo! I love her little silhouette and I know that I’m going to enjoy her being by my side throughout the Styled by Mel journey. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be getting her up there, but it was all worth it. I’d like to say a big thank you to the designer for interpreting my vision (a lorry-full of chocolate coming your way) and of course to my IT savvy Mr.B for making it happen.

For a while I’ve been meaning to sort out my clothes. Just lately it seems that jeans are on the agenda. My favourite fashion blogger was deciding whether to buy skinnies from Whistles, Gap or New Look and then my therapist (beauty, not the other one!) was telling me that she was having trouble finding a pair to fit her hourglass figure. And so I felt it was my calling to start the wardrobe tidy up with my jean drawer.

I have counted 18 pairs of jeans (it’s a big drawer). I have one pair on and another on the clothes dryer, so that makes 20. I wasn’t sure if I should put an exclamation mark at the end of that last sentence because I really don’t know if that’s an unusually high amount for a woman. I asked Mr.B what he thought. His reply was “20?!” pause “why would anyone need 20 pairs of anything – even pants?!” I swear he will be signing me up for the next series of BBC’s Britain’s Biggest Hoarders quicker than you can say black bin liners.

Right – on with the tidy up.

Jeans posing as duvet cover!

Now in my defence (if you think I need one), for the last two decades or so, I have worked in offices where the dress code is smart/casual and so jeans, with smart tops, have been my working uniform. And when the weekend arrives, I again, gravitate towards the denim – so it’s been very easy to build up a collection.

However, for the sake of my Personal Style Advisor training with Study in Style and to actually free up space, I try them all on and divide them into 3 piles. You can have some fun naming the piles but for this exercise I’ve chosen:

Definite (a good flattering fit) = 15

Don’t know (good fit, wrong decade) = 2
Ditch (never to be worn again, by me anyway) = 3

Mmm, not much of a cull is it? But I like all 15 pairs, they fit well and I’m sure I will get round to wearing them all again at some point. Also, I have very few skirts and other trousers in my wardrobe and so by my reckoning, I can keep all 17 pairs.  Thank you. The End. 

Oh you’re still here. Not happy with that conclusion then I assume? Ok, erm, let’s play a game – it’s called ‘The Hoarding Mummy and the Style Advisor game’.

So, I’m the mummy and my Style Advisor has told me that I must choose just 3 pairs of jeans because it’s the law! She says a lot of my jeans are very similar in colour and fit so it shouldn’t be that difficult (yeah, yeah). But more importantly, if I don’t comply, she says I will get arrested by the fashion police and be made to wear Crocs with socks and slightly-too-short, elasticated leg tracky bottoms for the rest of my life.  So with that image in my head, I swiftly choose the following:

1.     7 for all Mankind straight leg jeans. These are perfect weekend jeans as they look good with Converse (though I’m hoping to replace the Converse with some rather delicious Ash or New Balance trainers one day soon). Gosh in fact, the jeans are looking a little faded now aren’t they? Tough. They are the most expensive jeans I’ve ever bought and unless I stumble across a lonely £180 that doesn’t need to be spent on food or bills, they will have to do. And in fact, a little fading can be very ‘homely’ I’ve decided.

 

 

2.     Dark blue skinny Demi Curve Levi’s. These are smart but still casual for work and also good for an evening out. They fit really well on the bum and have generous belt loops for a chunky belt that I’m partial to.

 

 

3.     Black H&M skinnies. These can look much smarter than the Levis for work and, again, are great for a night out too if dressed down a bit with a waterfall cardigan.

 

 

4.      Topshop flared jean – love these for work and play in the summer with my wedges and painted toenails.

Yes I know she said only 3 but the flared pair are so cute and I always feel good in these when the sun is shining. And anyway, whose side are you on exactly?

Now for some audience participation – how many pairs do you own and what’s the minimum pairage you think you could live with? Jeans, not Crocs!

Oh and FYI – Mr ‘who needs 20 pairs of anything?!’ has 19 pairs of pants. NINETEEN! He assures me he didn’t bin a pair just to avoid hoarder status but I’m not sure I believe him. I didn’t think you’d want the full blown analysis and pictures of him modelling his most comfy and smartest pairs, but I’m here to please and so feel free to get in touch if this is a matter you want addressed.

Mel x

This Saturday I have my Personal Shopping training day. I will have to choose the right clothes in the right sizes, in the right colours for my two models, whilst negotiating the crowds at a busy shopping centre! What could possibly go wrong? I look forward to telling you all about it next time.