Tag Archives: fashion

Key to My Style

femme luxe knitwear

Hi there :))

Feels like ages since I posted last … . So much has changed.

We’ve had our rainbow… our beautiful boy Leonardo (if you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed).

Life is even better now, night are shorter and more eventful again but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am beyond blessed to have my boys with me every day.

Today I want to share with you few lovely pieces I got from Femme Luxe ( https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/collections/knitwear )from their knitwear collection.

My choices were based on pieces being suitable for breastfeeding. Delivery time with Femme Luxe is within few days and the fact that I received them on my last few days of pregnancy made it pretty special.  I got to wear the red knot sweater with Leo still in the bump. I am also sharing how I wear it now that my body is going through new changes.

I love the pieces and I’ve put together few outfits to show you how I will wear them (I will also share more in upcoming weeks on my Instagram).

Hope you can share which one is your favourite. Have you ever ordered from Femme Luxe? What’s your thoughts?

Under each of the outfits I’m sharing a direct link to the Femme Luxe piece on their website.

This sweater is my personal favourite. I was worried about the little pearls hurting Leo but they seem ok. Not wearing it too often anyway. It is on sale at the moment. Check out the link below.

LINK>>> https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/red-pearl-front-wrap-knitted-jumper

 

 

 

 

 

Next piece is actually a dress and comes with a belt but it would not work as a dress for my body at all. I ordered it with an intention of wearing it as a sweater. I love the colour and the light texture. It will compliment a lot of my outfits and add a little sparkle (awesome as I am wearing very little jewellery at the moment ;)). I am sharing with you two outfits that I put together for now.  One very casual and second a little more dressy. Depending on shoes and accessories worn we could dress it up or dress it down easily too.

Link >>> https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/collections/knit-dresses/products/metallic-knit-silver-tie-wrap-dress

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third piece is another knot sweater, basically the same as the first one I shared but in neutral ( it’s grey, although it seems more cream in real life) and without the little pearls. It is super versatile. I love adding a knot sweater over a tank top. It creates a great nursing combo.

Link >>> https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/grey-front-wrap-knitted-jumper

 

Now, these two are the same shape too, in two different colours.  I must say I have been loving super mega oversize sweaters and jumpers lately but decided to give these two a go too. I ordered size M/L  so they are pretty small but work really well over something longer. I  will be adding them over long shirts or, like here, long tank top (boob access being a priority at the moment ;).

Link >>> https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/collections/hoodies-sweatshirts/products/black-knitted-off-shoulder-jumper-maria

 

 

The second one is in a lovely  grey and it seems to work with a lot of my blouses actually. Loving this combo at the moment. What do you think? How would you wear it?

Link >>> https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/products/charcoal-knitted-off-shoulder-jumper-maria

 

 

Is any of you needed more info on the pieces, let me know. I will definitely share more about them on my Instagram so make sure to pop in there, say hi and follow my account to be up to date with what I am up to and with Femme Luxe news.

I want to be honest with you guys as always, so I want to share that I have been given those pieces in exchange for this review. I am only sharing my honest opinions. When you decide to order, I’d appreciate you buying through the following link, it means that Femme Luxe with share a little part of their profile with me and it will mean the world to me.

Link >>> http://femmeluxefinery.co.uk?rfsn=1857263.5c0249&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=1857263.5c0249

No matter what you guys do today, I hope you are loving yourself and saying kind works to yourself.

Nothing seems more important to me lately than internal work, being kind and working on myself and my inner happiness so that I can be the best version of myself for my boys.

I love you guys and appreciate you all sooooo much.

Have a great day.

Love,

Gosia xxx

Key to My Style

Key to my maternity style

6 Comments

Hello lovely,

So nice of you to be stopping by. I am so grateful for you and the time you are devoting to read this and/or watch the beautiful pictures.

This time I am sharing with you the incredible results of a fashion-pregnancy photo shoot I had with the amazing Dorota from Dorann Photography.

Dorota chose Johnston Gardens as the place for the shoot and I was so happy with this choice.

The whole experience was incredible, she made me feel very relaxed. I get pretty awkward when being photographed by others and that feeling disappeared after first few minutes.

I am so happy and emotional looking at those pictures. They will forever remain an incredible memory. The fact that we are reaching our 10th wedding anniversary with my husband this year and this is exactly the place where our wedding pictures were taken adds to the magic of the whole experience.

I wanted to wear something that is me, something colourful, because you know what a colour freak I am, and because this is our rainbow baby.

I was hoping that my gratefulness for being in the blessed state will be seen in the pictures and I see it, thanks to Dorota… but I also wanted to show a piece of me, of who I am as a mother but also as a woman. I wanted to show my beautiful growing bump but also parts of me that I love and appreciate. I always talk to you about how you should love yourself and I need to do that for myself too. Every day in an opportunity to remind ourselves of that and today is the day ;))

We have been super blessed in Aberdeen over the past month of so with the gorgeous sunny weather and I have been loving wearing all sorts of dresses. I have also been changing multiple times a day. My husband always laughs that I change 3-4 times every day and I say that I see no issue if I am home and able to do so. I have always loved playing dress up and I now live a life where I can do that for a living… . I also feel that being pregnant adds to that. I mean, most of you pregnant ladies out there will probably be able to relate to the discomfort of itchy skin, sweating, swelling and other totally normal but not always easy to deal with aspects of pregnancy. Back when I was pregnant with Beno, working at the check-in after I grounded myself from flying, I was extremely uncomfortable for weeks, having to wear a uniform, tights right over my bump and sit for hours… .

Now I couldn’t be more excited to channel my inner self and enjoy the outfits I love.

On those pictures I wanted to show versatility of one dress.  I put together few options: one quite formal option (with the red dress over the yellow one, or the black one, through a date with husband kind of an option (short dress on it’s own) to a picnic version. While looking back at last few weeks and now those pictures I realised that this post also represents who I am and can be in one single day 😉

I hope it will inspire you to wear whatever it is you feel like wearing when off work (if you wear a uniform at work like I used to) or at work if you lucky enough to be your own boss. Remember to fall in love with parts of you that need it and have some fun. When I say fall in love with, I don’t mean those obviously beautiful parts. I can now officially say I love my feet. Couple of years ago I’d ask Dorota not to photograph my feet up close, now I am simply grateful to have feet that take me places and allow me to wear incredibly beautiful shoes.

Thank you so much Dorota for the day of the shoot and for capturing what I didn’t imagine was possible.

If any of you look for a photographer, baby picture, family, wedding, party, fashion, branding… Dorota has an experience in all that and more. Check out her page bellow:

https://www.facebook.com/dorann.photography/

For the pictures, see bellow and comment 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a super day.

Love,

Gosia

 

Key to My Style

Key to my hair care

1 Comment

Hi guys and Happy New Year. Hope you have been making the best of the first few days of it. I have been working on my routine and improving my work. It is still very much work in progress but I am fine with it and I am allowing myself to have fun along the way and that is what I wish for you to; have fun with whatever it is you do and spend time on.

Today I decided to share with you couple of thing I do to improve my hair condition. I haven’t coloured my hair in a while now. I used to colour it at home and after some fails I was finally happy with the blue black that worked perfectly with my skin tone. After a while though, being a women, and letting my nature take over, I felt like a change. I let the roots grow…and grow (for a while it was not a pretty state) but I resisted until I could. I went to get it coloured. Wanted highlights (and I had a very specific look in mind) but was worried that bleaching my hair may have a huge effect on its condition. As it turned out, the effect I wanted would take about 6 stages and I was not prepared to go for it. I got some very light highlights and roots refreshed. That was in September and I haven’t done any colouring since. I am now happy embracing the more natural look (even though the colour is not perfectly what I had in mind, but it is a work in progress to). I have even learned to love my few grey hair and I am now focusing on careing for my hair more than ever before.

I have been using various shampoos (nothing fancy) but I find that using moisturizing hair masks couple of times a week has helped hugely. For that I use either coconut oil or combination of oils (caster oil, vitamin E oil, coconut oil and few more ).

Few days ago I was offered to try a new product which is also a combination of oils and the ingredient is heavenly so I jumped for it happily. It’s called Hallelujah Oil by Forest and Shore (picture’s provided below). I love that you can use it both, as a hair mask or after a wash. It has a lovely herbal smell and makes the hair feel very soft. I have so far only used it on washed hair and cannot wait to have in on overnight.

I also wanted to share with you how using different brushed changed my hair state. For brushing my hair wet, I now only use the wet brush. I got it few years ago and haven’t looked back since. The wide comb or tangle teezer does not work as well for me personally. And for drying the hair and light styling I use the natural hair brush (also no pulling at all). Apart from these I use ordinary brushes on dry hair and very rarely use hair styling tools.

I know that for some of you my hair will not look amazing but knowing its state from just a few months ago I see the difference. I also have it cut straight (no layers) which for me makes it look better and makes the styling easier too. It is all about being resourceful and not needing a cut too often (win win ;)).

 

 

hair washed and towel dried

how gorgeous is this packaging? what is inside makes me even happier, bottle of pure goodness :))

the wet brush

no pulling at all

best for hair drying and light styling

hair dried

#nofilter 😉

Thoughts?

Any tips you guys have or your personal experience, please share.

Have a great day.

Love,

Gosia

 

Key to Her Style, Key to My Style

Key to wearing leggings

Hello lovely ladies,

I feel like this may be very relevant to all us mommies out there.

I personally have loved leggings since I was little. Apparently I loved them more than anything else since I was walking. My mom wanted nothing else but to have me wear dresses, yet I had a different idea (having two older boys already, she said she made dresses for me herself,  I don’t blame her for being a bit disappointing and I am starting to feel her pain since my 3 year old has a mind on his own with the choice of clothes, sometimes beyond ridiculous). Anyway, back to leggings, why do we love them so much? COMFORT! no questions about it. I used to own all sorts of patterned leggings. I used to didn’t think in terms of an outfit though, I just liked things, and I wore them.

I still love what I wear but find it much easier to put things together since I DO think of the whole outfit. I plan before I shop and that helps hugely. I now also own only couple of pairs of leggings and don’t seem to grab them as much as I used to.

Don’t take me wrong, there is nothing wrong with leggings but there is a rule to wearing them that a lot of ladies seem to ignore, the rule is, they are a ‘substitute’ to tights not to pants. What that means is that anything that we wear with them should be covering the bum area. Unless you are working out, your leggings are not for showing your hips off. If you really need to do that, grab skinny jeans please.

There is really countless ways of wearing leggings, that is flattering, but also in line with a dress code.

Here is at least a few that I put together one afternoon to show you that you can even go day to night with leggings.

 

This is something you can wear to a lunch date with girlfriends as well as cinema date with your husband; date to night.

 

Same here, this is so easy to wear and comfortable but because you swapped your cotton leggings for sequin ones, you can wear this even to an evening out and feel fab.

 

This is one of my favourites. Add a classic white shirt to your leggings and layer it with a cosy vest, accessories will do all the talking.

 

This is very much similar, just make sure to keep the vest on. If you were to take it off, your shirt needs to be covering your hips.

 

Again, this is simply swapping your black tights this season for some sparkly leggings to dress the outfit up a little.

 

For a super simple combo, and for those of you who love a tee and leggings set, make the tee long, add metallic flats and a cute hat to make the whole look a little more interesting.

 

Let me finish with the simplest possible way to wear leggings; tee, leggings and trainers, I like to add a little colour here, since the rest was black to start with, but you can do your converse here too, as long as the tee is long enough to cover what needs to be covered again. Simply finish the look by putting the denim jacket on and voila!

It really takes 5 minutes to plan the outfit so that you can be comfy but look stylish. Have fun with it ladies.

Love,

Gosia

Key to My Style

Key to my happiness

6 Comments

 

 

There is no key…. there isn’t. The key is me. I lost the awareness of it for a while. First time, when I finally had a life that I love. When my marriage was finally on the track that I envisioned, meaning kids. I got so happy that I remember telling my husband that I am so content that even if we stay in the flat that we are in at the moment for many more years, I am happy and will be. I couldn’t wait to see his smile and approval. I did not see it though. Instead I saw disappointment. ‘Are you kidding me’ He said…. It took me a while to understand that it does not mean that he isn’t as happy as I am, and it does not mean that he is embarrassed to live where we do. It simply means that he wants better for us and our family. So I got so confused with the whole happiness and for a while I stayed that way.

I recently suffered another miscarriage. I lost a boy that is, second boy to be exact. When we lost Zac (first miscarriage) I was fully and utterly devoted to sadness and ‘blameness’, so much so that I opened myself to hearing it and accepting it from others. So much so that all I was telling myself was that ‘I lost a baby’, ‘I am not pregnant’, ‘Everyone else is pregnant or getting pregnant’ , ‘Everyone else has two or more children and they are not even trying’.

The game of comparison is our unique and tailor made hell. There is no escape. The is no help. No matter how hard we try we loose. I was loosing.  Don’t take me wrong when that happened, Ben our first born was just over one year old and not only he kept me alive, he healed me daily too and I was also happy.

But I know now, and I finally feel it and get it, after loosing Gabriel (our second loss), that I cannot rely on my children, number of years between them, their health or their moods to make me happy. I cannot control any of that fully and it is simply not fair to depend on my children to make mama happy. That’s bullshit! I need to keep ‘my cup full’ and overflowing to share the happiness and make the best use of my talents and blessings to keep my family well.

There is one thing I always used to say as a little girl. I’d say ‘I am always happy, I just have bad days sometimes’. I don’t think I fully understood it then but I felt it and isn’t that the key? Feeling the life as opposed to overthinking it? It surely doesn’t serve me well when I do that. When I do that, I let fear decide and I focus on obstacles instead of being driven to grow.

So today, my message to self is, feel it girl, whatever you trying to think and overthink, drop it, step outside, dream it and dance your life like no one is watching. I have tangibly felt how fragile life is. It didn’t happen when I was ready and nothing else will. I can live a life that I desire today and today I do.

No matter what people tell me, I smile, I put make up on, I dress up, I have fun, I cry, I sing, I share my story and I heal. I don’t care about what is appropriate and what ‘should’ be done now. I am HAPPY and I always will.

Here is to crazy happy today.

I wish all of you bad days, good days, crazy days, fun filled ones and happy life.

Here are few of my very good days ;))

 

 

 

 

Love,

Gosia

Key to My Style

Key to getting inspired as opposed to coping looks

I have never understood the idea of ‘I need this dress’ when seeing someone looking amazing in theirs. I mean I have been in love with looks and still get the feeling but I don’t see the point in getting the very outfit someone else is rocking.

If it is one piece e.g. dress, jumpsuit, coat that I am feeling in love with and I feel that it is something that I could wear too, I wonder whether I already have something similar. If not I may shop for something similar, never really the same thing though.

If it’s an outfit that I feel drawn to, I wonder is the whole look something that could work with my body and skin tone, is it a detail in the outfit or is it the colours that I noticed? Then I let myself get INSPIRED. I go through my clothes and make it MINE. Sometimes it will look very similar to the inspiration, other times it won’t. It is super fun and it makes me realize that there really is always something to wear. You can do it by browsing through magazines or internet. I find Pintrest being the easiest lately. It’s so easy and fun making style boards, or any boards really.

I am sharing with you 4 different looks I put together this afternoon, it took 10 minutes. It really is that simple and helps you plan for shopping, you’ll spend less too 😉

I saw this and knew I have a simple grey t-shirt and this awesome turquoise necklace and here it is.

Here is another simple combo, I saw this and knew straight away that I can have the look with my top and skirt but added different accessories.

That’s when I reached for my shorts that I usually pair with a tank top. Love this idea of having it with a white shirt and a pop of colour heel.

This is when I got reminded to add belt to denim shorts. Also loved the idea of a statement necklace. Win win ;))

So please, next time you see someone wearing something you love, compliment them but stay yourself, if you must, get the same dress but in a different colour. Another thing you’ll avoid too is the game of comparison.

I hope that no matter what you are wearing today, you are loving it.

Love yourself and love your style.

Gosia,  xxx

Key to My Style

Key to Fun In My Style

Hey my dearest. Hope you love what you are wearing as you are reading this. I hope you are wearing some of your faves and looking as amazing as you deserve. Would love to hear from you or maybe even see. Let me get inspired.

I had a pleasure to have some fun recently with JK Photography again, this time is was a studio photo shoot. I would lie is I said that I’m natural. Nothing further from the true. I have just discovered another area of my life full of room for improvement. Well, will have to be done right 😉

This was a great experience overall. I got to wear few of my new pieces and few almost vintage. I absolutely love mixing old with new. I had recent trends in mind with this one but also tried to stay true with myself and my style.

 

 

 

This is my faaaaaaave coat. I got it last year and everyone who knows me has probably seen me wearing it, all the time. You can probably see it’s been worn and I’m going to need to part with it at some stage but not yet. It looks good and makes me feel awesome so you’re staying buddy ;)) .

Jeans, we all have them right. At least I hope you do as this must be the easiest thing to wear with anything. Next time you shop for a pair, pay a little bit extra and buy the ones that compliment your body perfectly. You will be grateful. If you need advise on that, email me.

I added fishnet stockings under the jeans. Try it out this season and see if you like it. If you do, rock it, if you don’t, stop it.

 

 

 

Now this is what I call a treat. I have been wanting and needing a hat for a while now and now this is a new addition to my wardrobe. So versatile and I will be wearing is whenever the wind doesn’t blow with more than 15 m/h (anyone up North here with me knows what I’m saying ;))

That big shoulder top I am wearing was ‘a little’ out of my comfort zone but it spend way to long in my wardrobe and it was time. Perfect for a shoot. May work out couple of more things to pair it with. If I don’t within a month, it will need to find a new owner 😉

 

 

 

Poncho, so easy to wear or should I say through over your shoulders. I love this one for its colours and texture but it is missing a belt at times so I added a simple leather belt in black to keep it in place. I actually got this one at men’s department. I was so much easier to find a plain one made of great leather as opposed to going through all the multicoloured, fancy ones at ladies. Just like petite ladies can shop at kids department, we can all check out men’s wear sometimes (thinking shirts and jumpers here ;))

 

 

Now here’s an outfit I love but I have come to realization it is not perfect. Don’t take me wrong I am all for ‘as long as it makes you happy, wear it’ but I realized it doesn’t. That is why I am giving this skirt away. I love the ruffled top and it is staying but the skirt will be perfect for a lady with a defined waist. It is super comfortable and has pockets which I love but I will love it if it will serve someone else. If I get no response on this I will simply give it away to charity. We had a good run but it is time my dear ;)) (email me if you’d like it and im happy to give it to you).

 

As always please comment and share your thought about the post. Let me know what you bought recently and how you put together new and old. What are your absolute faves and how are you treating yourself this season.

Live your sparkle lovely ladies and until next time.

Gosia

xxx

Key to My Style

Key to my shopping joy

Hello ;)))

Have you ever struggled with shopping for yourself? I know I have. If you did too, I hope you will find this useful. I am sharing with you how I get ready for shopping and updating my wardrobe in line with most recent trends as well as with my personality and my body.

One of the things we all do in one way or another is looking through a lot of pictures that the fashion world bombards us with from every angle possible. Even if you don’t buy magazines any more (or you never have), even if you don’t watch it online, you will still be surrounded by it (at a supermarket, at a shopping mall, driving around town the, billboards are almost walking all over us… we don’t even need to realize that but it is true). It takes a little work but it is worth it to get a little more familiar with all these messages and TAKE CONTROL! ;))

STEP ONE

One of the things I do and have fun with is making inspiration boards. In terms of clothes I do one and update it regularly. There are things that I absolutely love, that are classic and timeless and they may stay on my board for a long time, but others will come and go or come and stay.

So, whether you do it on the Pinterest, using your phone and make it into collage or the old school way, give it a go and have fun. Pin or cut out images from recent magazines that inspire you and that you like, even things that may be out of your comfort zone. My eye is always primarily attracted to things that I see myself wearing and maybe even know what I would pair it with. I look at all the images and absorb it for a moment.

STEP TWO

I go into my wardrobe and check what is it that I already have that is relevant. I take it out and have a little fun. See how can I make it current. Sometimes accessories may be enough. Sometimes adding a new/different colour and creating a completely new outfit that you have not tried before will make it relevant. You may find you are so on trend that you really don’t need the shopping any more (why not treat yourself to spa as a reward for being so organised ;)) if you decide you still need a little update, have yourself, not the trend in mind at all times!

STEP THREE

I CHALLENGE myself to something new and out of my comfort zone. For example, this season is huge on pink. ALL PINK, that’s a colour that I have grown to love now but I have so far been ‘doing it’ in small doses. Now, this season is about going pink from head to toe. First question is, what is my shade of pink? Can i do pink at all? The answer to most skin tones will be yes but it is important to wear the relevant shade and to pair it right. You can see that pink in most cases in pretty cool (cold). Pair it with violet for winter skin tone, pink with baby pink or baby blue (summer), pink with orange or brown(autumn), pink with yellow or green (ish) tones (spring). These are just examples but I hope you get an idea. I dare myself to try this as a dose of crazy and out of my comfort zone this season but it will probably not become my uniform. That is why I am not planing on spending a lot of money on this part of the trend.

 

STEP FOUR

In terms of CLASSICS. Trench coat is back. Has it ever been gone really? Now, this is a piece that everyone can make their own and it is more than worth investing in. It comes in many shades and can be styles in many ways. They usually come in camel and sand but who said you can’t get one in pink or brown. As long as this is YOU. Go for it. So this step for me is all about the the investment buy, possibly the most important point on the list if I don’t already own one.

STEP FIVE

Another things you may wish to add to your wardrobe and your vocabulary is LSD (long-sleeve DRESS that is).  Oh how relevant for all of us in UK this is? I looooove this. I have few already and I am so excited for updating them. Choose from patchworks, animal print or punchy florals and make it you own. For now, leyer a roll neck underneath and add knee high boots or uncle boots for a mini version and feel fabulous. With ruffles being back and fun again you may be rocking two trends at once if you like too.

 

Bare shoulders are still in and relevant but now it’s all about asymmetry. Again, remember to see what you already have or how can you style a shirt or a jumper and wear it differently this season. Let the trends inspire you to wear what you have differently and make a list of what is missing and what will make you excited about getting dressed and looking you best.

 

STEP SIX

Yes, I said MAKE A LIST. Believe me I am not a natural planner and this did take a while for me to absorb but it makes my life easier, it is better for my budget and it actually adds to fun. I am back from my shopping trips with things I wear and love, every time. Points to remember when you are shopping:

  • stick to the list (there will be things you haven’t seen before and you will fall in love ( no you don’t NEED them! )
  • think if you can wear it at least 3 different ways (unless you are shopping for a wedding dress)
  • if you are buying a top that will go with the skirt you already have (take the skirt with you), if you are shopping for a dress take heels with you (your posture changes)
  • try EVERYTHING on
  • ask for assistance, try different sizes (don’t stick to one number even if you have all your life, they change, you change, and new styles may also effect the overall shape of the garments and most importantly of your silhouette in them
  • take a friends that understands what you like, what you are looking for, what compliments your body shape and your skin tone, how you wish to be perceived and genuinely wants you to look amazing
  • take pictures (or have your friends take them, these mirrors and lighting in fitting room are not our best friend)
  • move about (make a little dance even)
  • enjoy the proccess
  • once you are happy and absolutely LOVE IT, then spend your hard working money on it.

 

Now, I would love to hear from you on how you get ready for new season, how you update your style and how you shop. Please be critical of everything you are told. Don’t take everything you see and hear as a fact. Check out different sources. You don’t need to like everything that is new. You actually shouldn’t, plus it isn’t really new. The trends come and go but your style can last a lifetime. What you are wearing needs to represent who you are, how you want the world to see you, it should compliment your body shape and skin tone and lastly you should be considering trends. It is fun and I enjoy the the new in my evolving style (in small doses, a little at the time) but if you have it all figured and feel like you would rather stay there and you are happy, I respect that.

Let me know if you found it helpful and what would you like me to share next. I have only touched on some of the newest trends as I try to keep the posts at certain length but I would be more than happy to elaborate if anyone wishes. Please leave a comment below.

Also don’t hesitate to contact me directly if you need more personal advise (then drop me an e-mail to gosia.willemse@keytome.co.uk)

 

With Love,

Gosia