Get Shorty

Our summer weather is all over the place at the moment, but even with the constant rain and storm clouds, we seem to be in a perpetual state of mugginess. That means that London is a smog filled sweatfest right now, and there's only one way to combat it's navigation - shorts!

I've never been a massive fan of my legs, so constantly hid them underneath leggings and tights, even in the hottest of weather. Enough was enough though, and last year I switched to flowing maxi dresses, and now I'm at a stage where finally, I just don't care. Years of dancing followed by years of cycling have left my calves muscular and bulky from a young age, and whereas before I felt they made me look very masculine, I now see them as a sign of strength.

Cropped T-Shirt: Primark (£4)

Shorts: Crochet Shorts from Simply Be (£30)

Necklace: Teething Necklace from Little Gnashers (£14)

Sandals: F&F from Tesco (no longer available)

These shorts are super comfy, made from a soft tencel fabric with an elasticated, drawstring waist and cute crochet hem. I teamed them with an adorable cropped t-shirt  which I picked up last week from Primark, and a pair of simple sandals to finish off. The necklace is a pastel coloured favourite (which you can read more about here!) Now if only someone would take their finger off the pause button, so that summer could resume again, that would be great!

Until next time,

Diana x ❤ x

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Smells Like Teen Spirit - 90s Vibes From H&M

When I saw this top in Camden's dedicated Divided by H&M store, it was as if I were seeing my teenage years illustrated right before my eyes. I found myself holding onto it, wandering around the store with it, "just to see". I totally wasn't going to buy it.  That was stupid. Stupid. I'm 34 years old with a wardrobe filled with frou frou vintage and photo studio practical. But I held onto it. Clutched it to my beating heart, and then put it back on the rail and sadly walked out.

That was, I walked out for all of 20 minutes. I meet Lord Dicely for a coffee, and began to describe the sweater to him. The cat prints. The heart shaped rain drops. How it was as if someone had mapped my teenage brain and sent it off to some clever illustrator to interpret. "Why don't you go back and get it?" came his simple question. Why not indeed? What was it that was stopping me? Was it just TOO awesome?

So this happened. I have no idea what it was which made me fall in love with it, but the cats, rain clouds and 80s lips just screamed at me. Maybe it was nostalgia - ten year old me would totally be giving me a high five... Thanks @hm! 😂😍🦄 #psfashion #psbloggers #psootd #fbloggers #ootd #plussize #plusfashion #plusmodelmag #plussizefashion #plussize #styleblogger #fat #fatshion #curve #curvy #andigetdressed #whatiwore #celebratemysize #effyourbeautystandards #honormycurves #fatshion #bodypositive #fullfigure #fullfiguredfashion #fashionlovesphotos #selfie #changingroomselfie

A photo posted by Diana - Fashion Loves Photos (@grungekittyphotogeek) on Jan 20, 2016 at 11:44am PST

Trying something different is more often than not a good thing. I don't think I'd realised that I had a sweater hang-up - apparently this is a thing in my brain. I loved the print, loved the fabric, but just figured with my boobs and hips, it'd look stupid and frumpy. I picked up a size L rather than an XL to make it tighter, and in the changing room, found that it seemed to hit in all right places. Most surprising were the cuffs which are weirdly an on-going problem for me with cardigans and jumpers. And do you know what? I freakin' loved it! Best ugly 90s print sweater ever!

Whilst it's never going to be a part of my a-game wardrobe, it's something cute, fun and comfy for those off duty days hanging out on the sofa. I teamed it here with a pair of trusty ASOS jeans, and a cute necklace from Little Gnashers, and over the past few weeks, it's done a great job keeping me warm and masquerading as a cute pyjama top at London's coldest. I think it would have gone into the "What if?" shopping basket in consumer heaven had my boyfriend not told me in a nice way to stop being stupid. And I'm so glad it didn't - sometimes a garment, cute or not just makes you happy, and surely that is reason enough to say yes if you can.

Until next time,

Diana xx

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(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)

Oh Baby, Baby - Necklaces With Bite from Little Gnashers

Hand making necklaces with a contemporary aesthetic, Little Gnashers have created the perfect product where fashion and functionality melt together. Based in East London, their beautiful, completely customised offerings hold a secret - in addition to being a quick and easy way to spruce up an outfit, the necklaces also double up as a teething product.

As someone who is childless but has a strong eye for pretty things, I was keen to snap one up as I loved the shapes and colours available. From a purely fashion point of view, they have a certain coolness to them, a style which is both bold and easy to wear. With a strong emphasis on geometric lines and shapes, the necklaces have the power to make even the most basic t-shirt look suddenly chic. I love anything which I can just throw on without having to think too much, something which I'm sure all mothers can appreciate too.

Fashion aside, the necklaces are made from BPA free silicone beads which are completely non toxic, and safe for tiny mouths to chew on. Every necklace has a 'breakaway' clasp attached, so if the baby tugs on it too hard, the clasp simply pops open and can be easily snapped back together. They are also easy to clean, with the necklaces acting just like any other teething produdct.

Founded at the end of last year, Little Gnashers allows you to fully customise the necklace, with a huge range of colour and shape options available. Founder Victoria Dove set up the business whilst on maternity leave, explaining "I made a necklace for myself and started getting compliments from other mums, so I made a few more and I haven't looked back since! The feedback and reaction we're getting on social media has been overwhelming; just because you're a mum it doesn't mean you've lost all sense of personal style - and babies really love chewing them too."

The beads are available as either Hexagons or Quadrates, with a range of wooden teething necklaces coming in hexagon, sphere or circular options for a more natural, Skandi look. In addition to the huge range of colours, you can also pick from either a black or grey cord, with a choice of 75cm or 95cm lengths.

(c) Little Gnashers

(c) Little Gnashers

Whilst primarily aimed at mothers, the range from Little Gnashers caught my eye purely through a love of fashion. Their not-so-secret super power is amazing for teething tots, but I genuinely feel it is an additional selling point, not the only one. For just £12 you can customise your own (with additional discounts on multiple purchases available in store), and you can view the entire range over at www.littlegnashers.com. If you've got any questions, Victoria is avalable across all the usual social media channels @LittleGnashers.

Until next time,

Diana xx

* Items sent for review. All opinions are my own.

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www.fashionlovesphotos.com

(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)