Chafing

This will be the least dignified blog post I am ever likely to write. Dressing can sometimes be a nasty business, especially in summer where the there is no option other than to wear fewer clothes and put more of your body on display. Some of this can be fun, in this category I would put self-tanning, body buffing, scrubbing and toenail painting; some are a bit of a chore, like constant depilation and some when you are my size at least, are just plain embarassing.

I speak of chafing, an inevitable consequence of summer temperatures coupled with the desire to wear a pretty dress. Most times in the past I have retreated into covering up areas which rub together. Evans still sell garments labelled "comfort shorts" which are really just knickers which cover your legs. They are functional but hardly exciting and you do live in fear of strong gusts of wind blowing what little cool you have away should you be caught wearing these in public.

A more modern solution is Spanx and its derivatives, of I which I have a drawer full. These are wonderful for smoothing bulges and pulling bits of you in but they are not something which I would want to wear everyday, especially in hot weather, save them for cocktail dresses and summer weddings.

So I am happy to be able to write that I have found a new option in the shape of Body Glide, a product imported from the US which comes packaged like a deodorant stick and which you simply apply to areas like your inner thighs where you are likely to rub and you can move about in comfort. So far I've used it with considerable sucess, while wearing my denim skirt today. Its not exactly been Saharan in Glasgow this weekend so I've not tested it to the limit of its abilities but I am confident that the product will work even if it needs re application.

The product is avaialble in the UK from Amazon, but I bought mine from a local independent running specialist Achilles Heel (also fine purveyors of FitFlops and Sports Bras) as the product was designed with highly toned athles in mind rather than fatties like me. Nonetheless it does the job.

So now that's out of the way here's a pic of just the kind of pretty skirt I should buy to celebrate my newly liberated legs

This Pretty Flippy Skirt is from Boden for £49.00

Clark's shoes-some summer styles that work

My resistance to gladiator sandals hardens everytime I am in a mixed crowd in sunny conditions. I recently saw an extremely chic woman dressed in a breton top, navy blazer, coral scarf and good jeans all but undone by the ugly flapping straps around her feet. The Sartorialist has yet to feature anyone stylish wearing this item.
So what then to wear on your feet in summer? I have my beloved converse, but sometimes you want to dress up a bit more so I started browsing around and found a few lovely styles, surprisingly perhaps from Clarks, the high-street staple. All are available in UK sizes 4-8, including half-sizes in a standard width-fitting.

I have purchased this pair of gentle navy wedges already. I think they'll look perfect with a pair of cropped trousers from last year and I already have a navy bag to wear with them. The style is called "Pillion Race" which I'm not quite sure makes any sense as a name, can pillions race?

There are plenty of ugly shoes in Clarks so it can feel like finding a diamond in the rough when you see something acceptable on their shelves. I've shown another couple of desirable examples below from the summer collection, all retail for about £50.

This pair reminds me of the kind of thing Faye Dunaway would have worn in Network and to me has a whisper of Roger Vivier about it.

I love the funkiness of this style which is also comes in navy suede. I like it because its a wedge which gives plenty of height but which looks pretty easy to wear.