Those among you who were here reading my blog before we got our dog will know that at first I was a little apprehensive. I’m not what you’d call a dog person by nature. But I am getting there. I’m also not naturally a shopper, not a clothes shopper anyway. Strange though it may seem, starting to use the project 333 system for my clothes last year made me into more of a clothes shopper. Reducing my wardrobe to 33 items to wear over a three month period had the effect that I knew better what I needed and what I would get most wear out of. Rather than feeling like I should buy myself something new or buying something I thought I might wear, I was focused on combining what I already had. Now if I see a sweater, t-shirt, dress, whatever, my first thoughts are “Will that work with my existing wardrobe?”,”How can I ensure I get plenty of wear out of it?” and “Will I be comfortable in it?”.
Not long into project 333 I bought myself dungarees in a boutique and then bought a dress (the spotty one above) and a skirt online from Joanie Clothing. At the time I felt like I was giving in. In reality I ended up swapping three items out of my project 333 selection and bringing the three new items in. I have worn them all a lot, get complemented on them and have found them to be very versatile, which is exactly what I need. For those who follow my Instagram stories, you might have noticed the hashtag #joaniegal on many of my outfit posts. That’s how often I wear my Joanie outfits.
As a working mum with pets, my day involves getting up and dressed for work then getting the boys up and out to school. The chickens need feeding, the eggs need collecting. After a day’s work with meetings in the office, with customers or on site I have to head back to do the school pick up, often taking our dog along with me or taking my bike. Then there are the after school activities, the grocery shopping, making the dinner and generally keeping things ticking over. Comfort and versatility are what I need in my wardrobe.
Now that Spring – at least in terms of what the calendar says – is upon us, I have been reviewing my wardrobe, removing the warmer Winter clothes and adding in some lighter, brighter touches. Joanie Clothing, knowing how much I love their clothing range, kindly sent me a couple of items to add to my Spring selection. They are ideal additions.
The Barker sweater is a nice, neat fit and looks great as is or with a shirt underneath on cooler days. Whether with dark trousers, jeans or a denim skirt, it looks smart but the adorable dog on the front adds a casual touch. The Bavarian and our boys were very impressed at my transformation from not-a-dog-person to someone who wears a dog jumper.
The Toni dress is the kind I love – pockets, stretch, feminin and easy to style. On a warm day I can just put it on and am ready to go. On cooler days I have worn it with tights and a short cardigan. Being so comfortable, it is ideal for me and my type of day.
In my experience so far with Joanie products, they stay comfortable and they wash well too. With five dresses, a sweater, a skirt already in my possession and another few items from the current sale on order, I think I can safely say this is a brand that suits my lifestyle.
[Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. I was sent the sweater and dress in this post for the purposes of a review and was not paid to write this post. All photos, words and opinions are my own. At the time of being asked to review their products, I was already a customer of Joanie Clothing.]
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