2016 – A Year in Frocks

Happy New Year!

I hope most of you are enjoying the fact that it’s a Bank Holiday today and spending one last day in your pyjamas before the return to normal life.

Traditionally I start the year with a little retrospective of my year in frocks. I don’t know how long *technically* you need to do something for it to become a tradition, but I started in 2013 and have done it every year, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a tradition.

If you want to peek back at other years then feel free!
2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016

I am making one change, though. Some of these, gasp, aren’t technically frocks. I have historically been a firm fan of the one stop shop dressing that is a good frock. I even started a website that is all about dresses. This year, however, I have found myself moving more towards separates, mostly skirts and tops. While I COULD have found a frock each month, they mostly weren’t my favourite outfits. So I’ve broadened my remit and a year in frocks should really be a year in outfits. But that doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, so I’m sticking with a year in frocks.

Jan-March

JAN / FEB /  MAR

Remember back in the cold dark months that started the year? As if to prove my point these are all skirts. That striped bodycon skirt hasn’t had half enough wear this year. I find body con skirts harder to wear than dresses as finding the right top can be a struggle, but I loved this with the belted roll neck. In February I attempted to brighten up the weather with a red beret on a trip out to eat burgers, and in March I invented Rock n Roll vintage in a skirt that the ever lovely Lipstick Lori sent me, that has become a wardrobe staple. Looking at these gives me hope as I remember March being quite a bright sunny month, not long now till sunshine!

Apr-Jun

APRIL / MAY / JUNE

I think Aprils outfit was one of my favourites of the whole year, and one I wore over and over again. Both that dress and the floral dress in June are from Boden. Unbelievably the floral dress is still available in the sale.

In May we had a bit of a heat wave which meant I got to wear this dress from Swedish vintage repro company Emmy Designs a lot earlier than I had thought. That dress was a hot weather staple over the Summer. May was also the month that I took a bit of a break and commissioned some guest posts so I could get some breathing space and try and figure out what I was doing with my life. Some people go travelling. I went to run away from Zombies at Secret Cinema.

Jul-Sept

JULY / AUG / SEPT

This year we had a really hot Summer, like really hot. By September I was starting to think I would never be cold again and I remember being very hot in all these outfit photos with make up sliding down my face.

That pink silk dress was another of my favourite outfits of the year, that dress is over 10 years old, and was the one I thought was dead until I discovered it just needed ironing. Duh. By contrast the August dress was a brand new one from Chi Chi London, the first one I’d tried in person after admiring them from afar, and I was very impressed! September is another version of that Boden dress I wore in April, this time with a belted cardigan and boots from a charity shop.

It was also around this time that we found out that Mr Chick was being made redundant after 13 years. His last day at work was at the end of August, and then began the long wait for the redundancy money to come in so we could pay off debts and spend what was left on new business things. It was a stressful time.

Oct- Dec

OCT / NOV / DEC

October started a new chapter, one where Mr Chick was at home all the time! October was too busy to worry about anything much, what with Cocktail Week. Once that was over we took a trip to Edinburgh, when, obviously, I wore this tartan circle skirt from Heyday (now on sale!), which I also wore on Christmas Day.

In November it was our wedding anniversary. We went out for fish and chips and I channeled a bit of Lena Hoschek inspired style in this lace dress from Rock My Vintage and a 1940s faux fur coat. November was also the month when things started to grind into gear and Mr Chick started his new Etsy shop.

And that brings us to December and some festive cheer in the Prosecco Ho Ho jumper from Joanie Clothing which is now on sale (worth buying for next year!), and that ASOS striped skirt (also on sale!)

And thus starts a shiny new year when I can start working on outfits for 2017 in frocks! I am approaching this year with a frisson of nerves that I am trying to stop tripping over into anxiety. It’s going to be an interesting year, with a lot of changes, and hopefully a lot of exciting times!