What I Learned About Style (And Self-Love) During The Pandemic

I am going to tell you something nuts—a few weeks ago, I found myself screaming at my yoga pants. If this was an American comedy (a film entitled The Honest Crazy Fashionista Diaries, if you please) it would be that in media res moment when we see the main character making something weird and hilarious just before we are told the story from the beginning. Let me explain how I got to that point.

Nine months ago, in the few first weeks of the lockdown, I was sent home to work remotely. Like virtually everybody else, I set my best intentions: waking up as usual, investing the extra time in a relaxing morning routine which would include yoga, morning shower, and healthy breakfast, and then dressing up as I would usually do for the office.

At this point, you probably know where this is going, right? Three weeks afterwards, I was wearing comfy pants 24/7, eating chocolate cake for breakfast, and dressing up from the waist upward for the occasional Zoom meetup—which wasn´t that often, anyway.

So basically, any sense of normality went out of the window in about five minutes.

I was struggling to sleep as usual, eat healthily, and having the necessary amount of daily exercise (I already wrote about that period over here) so, dressing up was the very last of my concerns. Indeed, the only moment I would open the closet was when picking some clean comfy trousers. Then, I´d look at my clothes and think how sad it was not to have anywhere to go… In other words, wild party over here guys.

As events unfolded though, it was crystal-clear this wasn´t one of those situations that would fix themselves in a few weeks´ time. Quite the contrary, Sebastian and I found ourselves cancelling any travelling plans (we said our farewells to my birthday city-break in Paris, as well as our yearly beach retreat family visit) and I didn´t even see the point in shopping any cute summer outfits because who in the world cared, really?

And then, the unexpected happened and we were allowed to go outside again, even if it was in a socially distanced way. I remember the first Saturday morning we ventured outside. It felt surreal and exciting, even if it was just about going for a walk to the city centre. Every step outdoors was a bit like walking on the moon: it felt that strange.

But one of the strangest aspects was opening my wardrobe and looking for real clothes. Not yoga pants, or my university hoodie but actual, grown-up, outdoors clothes. And guys, that was a trip.

I hadn´t been more surprised even if an army of Oompa Loompas had paraded out of my closet singing. It was THAT weird. On the one hand, I felt super excited about the prospect of dressing up but, on the other hand, I couldn´t help but feeling dressing to the nines would be a bit inappropriate. Still, I missed the sense of normality linked with dressing in nice clothes. So there I was—trapped on a dilemma of my own creation. Thank you very much, you stupid brain.

So, I did what felt right and found a middle ground: I dressed up a bit without going over-the-top and called it a day.

As we walked through Bloomsbury, I came to realize most people had chosen a similar plan of action. You could feel many people were making a bit of an effort (probably because, just like me, they were missing the chance to wear real clothes) but at the same time, trying to tone it down a bit. So, I went home thinking I wasn´t that crazy, after all.

Then, as summer progressed, I started getting used to normal clothes again and that new casual-chic-thing I was trying felt more and more natural up to an extent, I perceived it as the only acceptable way of dressing.

By the time my birthday arrived in mid-August, I was so used to it that dressing a bit fancier felt unnatural. And as much as I enjoyed the day in general, wearing my Chloé dream dress for high tea was strange. But the part that hit me like a bullet was the fact I was feeling slightly ashamed. I knew it was a special occasion when we were going to celebrate at some fancy place, and still, I felt guilty about it. I felt guilty to wear something nice, guilty to enjoy myself, and—on a deeper level—guilty to be perfectly healthy to enjoy a day that was nothing but perfect when many other people were struggling out there.

As stupid as this might sound, that guilt made me going back to my yoga pants for a little while. I felt I didn´t deserve anything nicer in the short-term. How could I be thinking about clothing, anyway?

I returned to the comfiest clothes I could find on working days and toned it down even more on the weekends. In my head, that would make me invisible to any judgement coming from others—what I was reaching for was being invisible to my own judgement, though. And guys, I am Judge Judy´s severe sister when it comes to myself.

At some point and during one of my Skype chats with my sister, we talked about it, and something she said stuck with me: “Girl,” she told me, “this crap ain´t nobody´s fault and punishing yourself for doing whatever makes you cope won´t fix it. You know that, right?” And guys, I didn´t.

That was some food for thought, certainly. I began to realize every time I picked up my yoga pants, I was saying sorry, somehow: Sorry for being young, sorry for being healthy, sorry for having a job while others are being made redundant, sorry for laughing…sorry for being alive. It was time to let it go.

So, on a cold autumn morning, I found myself yelling at my yoga pants. Letting all the compressed rage go out. And you know what? I felt better immediately.

Because in the end, it wasn´t about clothing or style, really. It was more about self-love and acceptance and forgiveness. And that guys is something to remember.

December 1, 2020November 30, 2020

Allegra Caro14 Comments

A Chic Outfit Under A 100 Pounds? Challenge Accepted

Although we took these pictures back in late-September, it feels like a thousand years ago. I am tempted to play your grandma here and say they were simpler times, when you could leave the house freely and have a nice walk under the autumn sun. That’s how odd things have gone.

At the time of writing, we’re not allowed to leave the house except for essential reasons which can make blogging and content creation a challenge, and although I do know that means nothing in the big scheme of things, it means a lot to me. The positive side here is Sebastian and I anticipated a second lockdown at the end of the Summer and we started creating batch content, which is the reason you are able to read me here once a week (plus, the reason why I keep updating my Instagram page regularly) and why many of my photos are a bit older. Case on point, the ones in this post.

But getting straight to the point, the week before we shot these pictures, I was spending some spare time browsing through one of my favourite online fashion forums when I encountered a thread where people were discussing the average cost of clothing these days, and more especifically, how expensive it is to dress on a stylish way.

Although it might sound fair enough initially, the problem with that premise is most users identified dressing decently with couture brands. Hence, they wrongly assumed that style is all about an expensive price tag. And I think that’s a huge mistake.

It is true that most couture brands produce high-quality clothing but it’s no longer the monopoly of these companies. These days, you can find attractive prices under different shapes: high street stores, vintage shops, and even second-hand couture markets if that’s your jam.

Since most people will think it’s easier said than done, I thought I would take the plunge and finding a nice outfit for less than your average price tag.

A chic outfit under a hundred pounds? Challenge accepted!

So first things first: the moment I decided to try this, I knew shopping resposibly was the main angle to me. I didn’t feel like going outside and shopping for new clothes on some random fast fashion place and then forgetting about them forever. Don’t get me wrong, I am not judging other bloggers for doing that, but I don’t feel comfortable about it. Hence, the first thing I did was thinking about the outfit in terms of my actual wardrobe gaps and using the chance to fill some of them. For me, shopping sensibly is a must.

I keep a document on my laptop containing a shopping list with specific pieces I need to get at some point (things like, let’s say, a good-quality camel coat or a long-lasting neutral bag). So, I opened the list and after determining what was next, I made a bit of shopping research… AND BINGO! I found the exact brown mid-length pleated skirt I had been looking for a while on the final summer sales. I ordered it online and crossed the item from my list. As for the price? I paid only twelve pounds for it. Win-win situation, people.

For the next piece of my outfit and keeping up with the sustainable principle, I wanted to use an item from my existing wardrobe. One of the most interesting points about sustainability is elongating the useful lifespan of your clothes by taking proper care of them. And guys? I am sucker for that.

After checking my closet extensively, I chose this off-white Zara turtle neck from last season. It is perfect for autumn weather and it looks great. The original price was about fifteen pounds at the time I bought it and, although it’s not available anymore, I found a nice alternative for you here. Let’s go with the next piece!

This is probably my favourite part of the outfit (a.k.a. SHOES). In the last year or so, I have become a total convert (and by that what I truly mean is I’ve been possesed by an evil spirit who will push me to buy the most gorgeous pair I can find, day or night…). I used to be quite practical —and a bit boring, if we are being honest here— when it comes to shoes but not anymore. Right now, I feel like filling the gaps on my shoe collection and I’ve been having some fun by doing so. And speaking of that, I got obsessed with the Gadly Court Shoes by Dorothy Perkins last Summer, which made me buy them in tan as well as in yellow. What can I say? I am no saint. But the point is, these lovely pumps were in my closet already. Total cost? Seventeen pounds. I know, CRAZY.

As for the accessories, I wore this cute vintage carved ivory box from my collection. It was a gift from Sebastian but the price in the antiques shop was about fifty pounds, which is a steal. The belt was another lucky find at ASOS (I got it for five pounds in the final sales too). I am not including the sunglasses here since they were another present my husband purchased for me at Chloé for a special ocassion (I am truly sorry because it’s a bit like cheating, really. We all know you can find inexpensive sunglasses out there without any hussle, though…)

But it’s time to do the maths!

Skirt | H&M Value: 12 GBP
Sweater | Zara (old) Value: 15 GBP
Belt | Asos Value: 5GBP

Bag | Vintage Value: 50 GBP
Shoes | Dorothy Perkins Value: 17 GBP

TOTAL COST | 99 GBP

Final thoughts: I did dressed up for less than a hundred pounds (leaving out the designer sunglasses, obviously) which is great, all things considered. I would say it is totally possible to dress on a classy way as long as you carefully curate your pieces and take care of your exisiting clothes. To me, planning this outfit did not feel hard. I simply had to be witty with my choices and give it some thought.

So tell me, what do you think about style on a budget? Are you into sensible shopping too?

November 25, 2020November 24, 2020

Allegra Caro9 Comments

My Autumn Fashion Uniform (An Infallible Outfit Formula To-Go)

If I had to pick a transitional weather piece I can’t live without, I’d always choose the humble biker jacket.

The biker jacket, you see, it’s pretty much the Erin Brokovitch of the autumn clothing: she might have umpresumptous origins and a not-so-chic background, but she will work hard to deliver every single time. In other words, she is a champion.

I like to think of TBJ as a good friend—she will always come to the rescue when you are in trouble and fix every casual outfit (or help you burying a body in the desert at three in the morning for the matter, no questions), which is the reason why I am obsessed. For months now, I’ve been captivated by the pink one I got in the sales last year, so I decided to look a bit around and add a classic black piece to my collection. And that’s when I stumbled upon this beauty by chance.

Once in a while, I pay a visit to my favourite pre-loved clothing stores around the Portobello and Kensington areas. I LOVE the idea of charity shops here in the UK, where you can find little treasures with a small price tag and your money will go to a good cause. It’s inexpensive, it’s charitable, and it’s sustainable. What else could you ask for?

A few weeks ago, Sebastian and I met a friend in Portobello after one of our photoshoots and decided to go for some second-hand treasure hunting. While carelessly browsing through the clothing racks, my dear friend asked for my attention. “Weren’t you looking for a biker jacket?”, she said, holding a brand-new Zara specimen (the original shop tags still on). It happened to be my size and a ridiculous price too, so I knew it was meant to be.

The universe can work in such misterious ways: some people will lose ten pounds only to find fifty on the street, some people will find the love of their lives while saving a never-ending queue. As for me? Well, I am not that ambitious. For me, it’s all about those unexpected, sustainable fashion finds that bring me joy.

Next Saturday, I decided to take TBJ out for the first time. I matched it with this gorgeous last season Zara dress and guys, it was love at first sight: both items seemed to work together naturally. I am happy to report they are having an affair here, (and they are not planning to end it any time soon).

As a consequence, I found my brand new autumn uniform outfit formula consisting on a biker jacket plus dress—the flufflier, the better. It’s easy to put together, casual and comfy.

Since these pictures were taken at the end of August, I’ve been repeating the formula non-stop (until the extent that the husband thought he was experiencing a déjà vu, and then I had to convince him he was not suffering a stroke, but only got a wife with a fashion OCS). You might find it funny but I can assure you he didn’t… Even so, I love this seasonal outfit formula so much, I have been planning to add some more pieces to my jacket collection. (Please, feel free to send me your recommendations for colourful biker jackets: I am currently looking for pieces in burgundy, green, or red, preferably vegan options). I can see an autumnal season filled with colourful outfits.

But back to this outfit: to round things up, I added these cute patent ankle boots from Reserved and the polka dots tights from Calzedonia. As dark shorter days get closer, I enjoy playing with little perky details to provide some texture and fun. (There’s nothing putting me off as quickly as a boring autumn/winter outfit. To me, they feel like that awfully bitter sirup your mother made you take when you were a child. As you can guess, I was never great for that, really.) Dark textured outfits, on the other hand? Yeah, they feel like eating your chocolate dessert before lunch.

Unfortunately for me though, the specific day I chose to wear this temperatures dropped from 20 to 10 °C overnight—meaning that, by the time we finished out photoshoot, my lips were blue and I was shaking uncontrollably, making my best White Walker impersonation. Although the jacket was very warm, my legs felt numb in no-time and we had to seek refuge in the V&A for the rest of the day (which is one of my favourite places on Earth, anyway). The other silver linning apart from all the glorious art was that my autumn uniform works either for a casual coffee date or a day in the museum. So we had a win-win situation here.

Well, since things got a bit out of hand here and I just wrote about eight hundred words about biker jackets, I think I should be leaving it here. However, I would love to hear it all about your own seasonal outfit formulas.

What is your autumn outfit formula?

– OUTFIT –

Dress | Zara (last season, similar style at Chi Chi London)

Tights| Calzedonia

Biker Jacket | Zara (thrifted, nice option available at Asos)

Ankle Boots | Reserved (last season, designer option at Matches Fashion)

Bag | Michael Korrs Mercer Gallery Leather Satchel on sale here

October 14, 2020

Allegra Caro20 Comments

A Pastel Fall Transitional Outfit

When people say time flies, you would normally assume they are exaggerating. At least, that’s what I thought until summer 2020, when the normal fabric of spacetime proved to be defective and decided to pack and go home—also, it gave us a finger on its way to the door, because that fellow dropped the mic and is not planning to come back any time soon…

A pastel colours autumn transitional outfit

Metaphores aside, that is how my summer felt, anyway. In other words, it was such a short period of time (partially, due to the lockdown restrictions starting to ease in mid-June and partially due to the weather going to hell about late-August, which barely gave us a month and a half of an enjoyable outdoors summer experience), I am not even sure it happened at all.

Here in London, one day we were wearing sundresses and going out for the very first time, and the next it was colder than a witch’s tit. This left us not only with a very strange feeling, but also with the unavoidable fashion dilemma of what to wear.

With most mornings over 20 degrees and temperatures dropping below 15°C in the evenings, dressing was indeed far from easy. Mid-season is always a challenge in terms of styling. This September, though? This September was like Attila the Hun and Lord Voldemort had a child (he took no prisoners).

Seriously, what can you do when all your summer wardrobe plans crash and you need to come with an emergency plan? I’ll tell you what: you go for a pastels autumn transitional outfit.

Case on point, these gorgeous Zara trousers I bought in the sales last year and which I only found an occasion or two to style then. This year, on the other hand, they are pretty much all I want to wear. They are the perfect shade of dusty pink, truly comfortable, and more important—the perfect piece to build an awesome autumn transitional outfit.

Because I don’t know about you guys, but I am NOT ready to say goodbye to the warm season overnight and anything creating the illusion of a longer summer is more than welcome. With that said, I will always defend pastel tones as the perfect transitional hue: add some knightwear to the equation and you will be decently dressed for the mid-season weather while still feeling those summery vibes. Isn’t that something?

Don’t get me wrong, I could totally live in burgundy, forest green, chocolate brown, or rusty orange for the rest of my life, but at the end of August I was not ready for that AT ALL. (Indeed, my annoyance about the early season was so acute, at certain point I HATED seeing all those Pumpkin Spice Latte advertisements out there. Don’t worry, I am visiting a therapist about it now and feeling much better. Mr. Fall and I are working hard in our relationship, and I am glad to say is getting better by the day…) But I am digressing again, where was I?… Oh yes, the trousers!

In order to dress them up a little—and we all know I am on the dressy side—I went for heels. These pink-undertoned beauties came from Asos a couple of years ago, but you can find the classic Rockstud leather pumps by Valentino here. Seriously, I could buy them in every single colour and finish. That’s how gorgeous they are! (I am not sure Sebastian would be that happy though, since the home space my shoes occupy verges on absurdity. Actually, I live in constant fear one of these days I will open the closet door and you’ll need to send the rescue helicopter to recover my body from the avalanche…)

But going back to the accessories, I love Vivienne Westwood and the subtle rock vibe of this necklace (you are lucky, there are some sales at the moment on their website up to 60% off!). Finally, and to round things up, I also added my Chanel Boy Bag to the equation. I ended up with an urban look with some rocky vibes and that’s all I need in autumn, really.

This is a casual style I love, and I am not planning to drop it anytime soon. As the weather gets cooler, I am simply adding more layers. My favourite at the moment is an old-good biker jacket on top to keep me warm during all those crisp autumn evenings. And there’s a vintage black Fedora hat in my closet which will join the game very soon.

At the end of the day, I might be missing the summertime but autumn is such a gorgeous season anyway. And well, everything is better by adding some pastel pink brushstrokes, isn’t it?

Tell me about you: are you embracing autumn fashion at the moment? How are you dealing with it?

– OUTFIT –

Trousers | Zara (last season, similar Reiss trousers here)

Sweater | Zara (last season, beautiful alternatives at La Redoute and Topshop)
Shoes | Asos Design (old, get the original design at Harrods)
Bag | Chanel Boy Bag

September 23, 2020September 29, 2020

Allegra Caro40 Comments

Reasons to love Autumn (even in the Instagram age)

Last Sunday, I convinced Sebastian to go for yet another autumnal walk at Regent’s Park.

Given the fact that it’s November now, you might think it’s not earth-shattering precisely (and that I must be a bit bored to make a weekly highlight from this), but the keyword here is YET. At least, that’s what he underlined when I asked him to spend the day outdoors on Sunday morning. “Are we going out for YET another autumn walk?”, he muttered rolling his eyes. No need to say that I did the only sensible thing—I ignored his comment and cheerfully proceeded to unpack my new tweed Zara coat, wrapping myself for that ignominious walk. (And totally feeling like a winner by getting all those #blairwaldorfvibes. Thanks Zara. We have had our differences but you really amended things with this beauty.) But back to the topic…

I don’t blame him, though. As a matter of fact, I totally see his point.

In case you have been a social media user for some time now, you might have experienced a certain Déjà vu just before the summer death: you are still wearing sandals while enjoying the last few days of your vacation but suddenly, your Instagram feed is full of girls enjoying their first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. Temperatures are still over 30°C and scarves look like medieval torture instruments, but the Fall obsession is real. Every TV ad, internet pop-up, and tweet is solely focused on this.

By the time October arrives, you are bored of Autumn style—all the dull knitwear, tedious ochre and brownish tones, and Hypster hats. To sum up: you are sick and tired, praying for December to come so it’s over. Rest assured, you are not alone.

Disclaimer: The next confession might make you leave this blog and never come back, screaming in horror. Even so, I’m going to roll the dice and tell you my darkest secret. Ready? (Hitchcock music coming in three, two, one…)

Against all odds, I love autumn.

Horrific, right? I live in fear my family will find out, proceeding to disinherit me at once. Probably, after posting this, a raging mob will raid my apartment at midnight, armed with pitchforks and torchlights.

I know what you are thinking: “Allegra, dear. You started the post quite reasonably. And now you come up with this?” Well, I could apologize and blame all those films glorifying the autumnal season in New England. But instead, I prefer to tell you why despite all I wrote before, Autumn is still my favourite season (and yes, that’s a total cliché).

Reasons to love Fall

(even in the Instagram age)

01. Autumn Picnics

Everyone enjoys going for a picnic in July, right? Well, here goes my second confession today: I HATE it. Not only do I get sunburns easily and hate mosquitoes with a passion (I consider them to be my personal nemesis), but also my thermoregulation is close to non-existent. In Autumn, on the other hand, you can sit on a blanket under a tree with your thermos flask full of tea and a book, enjoying the landscape.

02. Outdoors Cinemas

I am rather peculiar about this too. I promise I am good person, though.

For most people, Summer is the outdoors season but very recently, I’ve enrolled an outdoors cinema where movies are shown from March to November. As a result, I’ve watched some of my favourite films in a garden, with a cozy blanket over my knees and a cup of tea in my hands. And let me tell you—there is something undeniably poetic in listening the words “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again” by an autumnal bonfire.

03. Fashion

And I am not referring to earthy colours and knitwear only. September is the date time for New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. Pinterest blooms with thousands of seasonal pins, and the new season collections are finally out. Besides, you can use black monochrome outfits and darker lipstick again with zero judgement from other people (welcome home Rouge Noir! We missed you so much).

04. Netflix pre-Halloween marathons

Many people might have their say about admitting this on a style blog, and it won’t make me look like the most sophisticated person ever but to be fair, I don’t consider myself very chic. So who cares, really? I LOVE horror movies and to me, October is the perfect time to plan endless home evenings, catching up with AHS or any of your favourite horror classics in Netflix. Yes, I just broke the fashion bloggers rule by saying that. Don’t worry, I will return my badge to the fashion police…

05. Landscapes

I left my favourite part for the end, as I usually do. Please, if you can, take the chance to have a walk after work, or maybe just go in the weekend. Enjoy every single seasonal colour. There’s something about all those red, gold and rust tones that deserves to be contemplated once a year.

In the Instagram age, seasonal clichés have certainly doubled and at some point, we have all gone a bit extra with the number of seasonal pictures we over-share with our friends and family. However, our personal preferences and tastes (whether we’re speaking about autumn walks, that very-much-hyped beauty brand, or photos of cute kitties) should be respected at all times. At the end of the day, they are a part of our identity too.