The news that clothes catalogue Boden has decided to re-brand itself has resulted in a slew of stories about how the label which is ‘the preserve of yummy mummies’ has given itself a trend over by using the model Helena Christensen.

Boden, it has been reported,  is the uniform of the middle class mother who wants to look good but doesn’t want to look like they’ve made too much of an effort. And its clothes are great.

Okay, I have to hold my hands up here. In the year after I had Immy I gave myself a mummy makeover which involved eBaying a few pairs of skinny jeans, a very trendy leather jacket from All Saints and a cape from FCUK.

I replaced the items with the money I raised with some Converse style ‘baseball’ pump deck shoes, baggier jeans and long coats, plus t-shirts of various colours.

Now I look back and think, booooring!

Within 18 months I was back in my skinny jeans  and rocking pink shirts with weird logos on them.

Admittedly I have been told I can look like a teenage mum (in a good way apparently) but while that might have bothered me in my post-birth fashion haze I couldn’t give two hoots now.

The last thing I want to look like is a mum, I want to look like me.  The word yummy mummy has been invented by ad men who want to sell us the dream of immaculate motherhood and try and make us buy a whole new wardrobe.

And I don’t actually know any frumpy mums, and yes that includes those friends and family of mine who moan about how tired/overweight/old fashioned they are! You aren’t, believe me.

When women become mothers, they are not suddenly supposed to adopt a uniform of baggy cardigans, jeans and flat shoes, nor should they need to buy new clothes.

Last week while out with some women I actually felt like the trendiest of all, not the best dressed I’ll admit, just the one who was probably a little bit more OTT in her attire. But then I do occasionally write for fashion magazines and of course blog on this site so I kind of have to…

While I appreciated my more stylish companions, who were wearing lovely dresses and heels (and most were non mummies) I was so glad that didn’t throw away those American Apparel disco pant leggings. And I have no intention of doing so now.

Before I became a mum I lived in black, funnily enough I also spent a lot more on clothes, but that was then and this is now.

Shopping for my daughter’s outfits  has inspired me to be a bit more playful with the things I wear. Like my Adidas for Stella McCartney trainers (pictured) or wearing some of spring’s bright colours.

I’ve also discovered the website Mistral, which does some lovely mid-price good quality basics with a twist. I’ve even worn the printed notch dress with my pink crocs!

Another bargain buy is a ‘birdy’ top bought in Gap during the  sale for £10. It’s made of silk and is both cool and warm, and of course washable, and it’s got a cute sparrow print.

How to dress like a mummy without looking (too) mumsy

Rule one: wear layers

You can go from being freezing cold in the park to sweating it out running after your little one at playgroup. I wear a long sleeve t-shirt underneath a short sleeved one and change when I get indoors. I’ve also been known to wear two coats, my smart Jigsaw one over a warmer Oasis one.t

Rule two: do colours but sparingly

Children’s clothing is bright, and its tempting to wear a rainbow yourself. Instead go for one brightly coloured item, like jeans and wear your more subdued stuff to neutralise it!

Rule three: trendy trainers are a great standby

Post epidural my back has been prone to the odd twinge, so I avoid high except for very special occasions. Hence my best buy of the last few months, the Adidas trainers pictured.

Rule four: have a good coat

My Jesire trench always smartens up an outfit and it only cost £10 from our local British Heart Foundation charity shop.

Read more…

How to get Kate’s look without looking like Kate

Let’s get one thing straight this is not a plug for All Saints, a impossibly trendy UK clothing shop which proudly bases itself in Spitalfields, East London.

I used to love AS clothes. In fact I still have a very worn black Merino wool jumper, cost around £60, from autumn/winter 2006. It has an edgy button down sleeves and every autumn without fail my mum will say to me ‘do you want me to mend that old thing’.

I remember buying it, along with a pair of skinny grey jeans, which I also wore until I was too pregnant to do up the zip. I got back into them after having my daughter but sold them on eBay last year when I realised that my post-baby lifestyle needed something a little more comfortable and a little less outre.

So on my way to a meeting with some editors I decided to pop into All Saints. I was teasing myself with a fantasy shop because with a wedding to pay for we’ve no budget for clothes at the moment, in fact even Imogen is still wearing her age 2/3 Gap clothes.

I went off AS for a while, too monochrome for the bright shiny new mummy I was trying to be. But funnily enough with all the spring brights this year I was feeling rebellious.  ‘Go on’ said my fashion devil ‘try on a black dress, you know you want to’.

Thing is the clothes are a bit pricey, while I can see a time in a few months where I will be spending money again on fashion I’m not sure £160 for a black dress is justifiable, £100 maybe. And £350 for a leather jacket, well put it this way I could buy a lot of food, top my ISA, pay off that last little bit of debt with that.

But I did try on a leather biker jacket and a black dress – just to tease myself and convince myself that even in my fourth decade I can still do trendy. I have to say my legs are not the skinniest and the full skirt does appear to flatter them, even when wearing  leopard print tights. I think the trick is to balance out the look with ‘normal’ hair and almost normal shoes (cowboy boots from Jigsaw – autumn winter 2005).

What clothing shops do you like? Have you all but given up on fashion? Let us know! Or even better share some of your fashion secrets.

The young brides in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding are most certainly putting the meringue into wedding dresses, and they are putting the lace and flowers and then some in there too.

But while younger brides can get away with fussy dresses (if we’d got married in our 20s we’d probably have gone OTT too) once you hit your 30s it’s a bit harder to pull off a fussy wedding dress.

The two Kate’s (Moss and Middleton) managed to get it right. Kate Middy’s dress was simple enough to look great on someone 5 years older and Moss went for simplistic rock chick.

Fabat40 blogger Sharron Granger gives us her tips for a classic 30 plus wedding look.

• Avoid a veil at all costs, a fresh flower or a diamante hair clip will be far more chic.

• Keep your dress simple and wow the bridal party with designer heels, a stunning clutch bag or statement earrings.

• We have recently seen a huge trend towards brides wearing coloured shoes on their wedding day, but if you don’t have the confidence for bright red suede, metallics or sequins work really well and can be worn time and time again, unlike your classic satin ivory bridal shoe.

• If you fall in love with a strapless gown but don’t have the confidence to show off your upper arms  there are some really pretty cover-ups and boleros around for all budgets. Faux fur works best for winter weddings and vintage lace for spring or summer.

• Invest in decent underwear and get properly measured.  Not only will your dress look better but you will ooze confidence on the day, knowing you look the best you possibly can.

For more fashion tips read Sharron’s blog Fab at any Age.