Wet weather wellies

Healthy children are active and boisterous by nature, even in the worst weather. They need footwear that can stand up to the rigours of rough and tumble play and keep their feet protected.  Wellington boots have been around for ages. Commonly known as ‘wellies’, they used to be produced only in black rubber. They were very inexpensive and so affordable by all.

Nowadays, besides being manufactured from vulcanised rubber, they are also made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which makes them quite cheap to produce.  They are not designed to be worn as an everyday shoe so come in a very basic one-shape-fits-all style. They are easy to keep clean, requiring just a quick wipe over with a damp cloth, and they never seem to wear out; for this reason, they are great to hand down from one child to another. With prices today starting at around £5 for a pair, they are extremely good value for money and guaranteed to keep the feet dry in the heaviest of rain.

These days wellies are still cheap but the choice of design is huge.  Besides still being available in black or khaki, they also come in bright colours and patterns.  Some of them have faces on the tops of the toes; a popular one looks like a frog.  Some of them have a cuff at the top that can be turned over to cover the top of the boot. They have thick hard-wearing soles and reinforced toes.

Wellies are ideal in wet weather and great for splashing about in puddles and streams. They are made from hard-wearing but flexible rubber which makes sure they are comfortable, and they have plenty of room inside to be able to wear a thick pair of socks.  It’s very important to remember that wellies do not provide any warmth to the feet so they are not practical to wear in really cold weather. Some of them have an in-built lining but these will still not protect the feet from the cold.

Wellington boots were first popularised in the time of the 1^st Duke of Wellington; he wanted his everyday 18^th century boots to be made waterproof and hardy enough for battle, yet comfortable to wear when relaxing.   Wellingtons, as they came to be known, were the height of fashion at the time, especially amongst the aristocracy.

Wellies are quite lightweight so are ideal for those days when the journey to school has to take place in heavy rain. They are easy for children to carry and, because they are so flexible, they are easy to squash down to fit inside a school bag. Wellies are also fun – children find it irresistible to jump up and down in puddles when they are wearing them, knowing that their feet won’t get wet. All in all, they are great for children and good value for their parents.

Pay for premium

If you are really serious about hiking a premium jacket is certainly worth the extra cost. A good hiking jacket has two main requirements. Firstly it must protect you from the elements. This could be rain, wind, hail and snow. Secondly it has to protect you from your own body moisture (sweat) and not hold it against your body. To do these two vital jobs the material the jacket is made from has to be lightweight, waterproof and breathable. The inner lining should be made from a soft fabric that is gentle to the skin and does not rub or itch.  The underarms on top quality jackets are normally ventilated and allow air in whilst remaining watertight.

Most hiking jackets have removable hoods and many have lots of concealed zipped pockets that are handy for keeping other essential equipment such as maps and your mobile phone. Some jackets have a reflective trim for added safety.

Cheap fashion jackets tend to be bulky and heavy rather than lightweight and are not as weather resistant. You may find that it leaks especially around the zip. Also the fabric is less likely to be breathable and if the weather turns warm you may find yourself feeling clammy, sweaty and uncomfortable.

Whether you decide to spend a lot of money on a really high quality jacket probably depends on how often you plan to go hiking and if you intend to go in colder weather. If it is something you intend to do on a regular basis as a pastime it is definitely worth the extra money to buy a high quality jacket rather than a cheap one. You may be able to buy a good one online and save yourself a few pounds but check that it is a genuine make and not a fake.

You will be glad you paid the extra money if the weather turns bad.

Webtogs are a new company which sells outdoor clothing and camping equipment. They sell brand-name footwear, Berghaus jackets, tents and rucksacks. They also have a ‘carbon neutral delivery’ policy in place. With your order you can pay an extra 25p, that Webtogs matches, which goes to Carbon Footprint to offset CO2 emissions.

Winter clothing and glamour

Girls, do you feel that winter is the least glamorous of all four seasons? Do you despair at the thought of putting away your bikini (if you ever had the chance to wear it) and covering everything up? Are you concerned that you will look as if you are wearing everything you own? Well, fear not: here is my guide to looking sensational in winter.

There´s one item you simply can´t do without if you want to look good during the cold, dark days of winter, and that´s a really beautiful Damart coat. Forget your boring but practical coat that goes with everything and has lasted for years. Here´s your excuse to have a good splurge; that lovely coat may cost a relative fortune, but just think of the use you´ll get out of it. Oh, forget that cost-per-wear analysis, you don´t need to justify looking good. You HAVE to stay warm, and who wants to look like a frump? In fact, how can one coat cover every occasion? Buy two.

The other winter essential for the cold, but stylish woman, is boots. Here is your chance to indulge your inner (and outer) shopper. There is such a vast range of boots available, with so many styles and colours, that there is simply no excuse for opting yet again for boring black. Suede is so utterly beautiful in colour that you will look stunning in a pair of cherry-red or green boots; avoid black, or you will look like you´ve been reading the fashion articles on ´gothic glamour´. Naturally, heels are a vital ingredient in winter style; forget practicality and stride out in stilettos.

Accessories provide another opportunity to add some pizzazz to your outfit. It´s about time that Damart hats came back into fashion. What better time than winter to buy one? When I mention hats, I don´t mean baseball caps or those woolly pull-on excuses for headwear so beloved of old ladies. I mean something reminiscent of Forties glamour; think Katherine Hepburn or Ingrid Bergman. Wear it with élan, at a jaunty angle. The beret is a good option for those with a gamine look, and you could even treat yourself to an original piece by a young designer, rather than buy an off-the-peg piece that others might wear. In a final homage to the 1940s, don´t forget a luxurious pair of gloves; suede, fur-trimmed, animal print … no woolly mitts here, please (oh, the horror, the horror …)

Mix and Match Your Jewellery

Which would you rather have – 100 cheap fashion jewellery items or one or two expensive items of fine jewellery?  The answer to this question varies depending on your own personal preferences of course but I’ll give my own opinions as a lover of all things jewellery related.

If you’re actually choosing your jewellery based solely on current trends and fashion then the answer is of course (unless you are very rich) to have many cheaper pieces because fashion changes so quickly and you’ll be replacing your jewellery often.  You’ll always be able to keep up to date with trends as the high street will normally stock fashionable items, and magazines and the internet will help you stay right on the cutting edge of what’s in.

However if you choose your jewellery as more of a personal statement than a fashion statement you probably don’t have quite such a “throwaway” attitude to your jewellery items.  In fact, going to the
other extreme you might only own a handful of pieces but those pieces will be classic fine jewellery items that you wear very often, almost as a personal “signature” look.  I think this is something I might consider when I’m about 50 or older as I think fine jewellery can look very elegant particularly on older women.

Most people, in my experience are somewhere in the middle and this writer is definitely one of those.  For example, you will probably remember there was recently a trend for stars: star patterned fabric on clothes and particularly star themed jewellery were being worn by many celebrities.  All the top designers were coming out with star jewellery to keep up with the current fashion and the high streets were following this theme with cheaper plastic or glass fashion jewellery items.  Now, I have always loved stars, and already had a lot of star pendants and jewellery before this trend, but when they became really popular for a short time I was able to buy many more items of jewellery to add into my star theme and for a little while my jewellery was the height of fashion.  Because I genuinely love stars, however, I’ll be wearing star jewellery for years, just because it’s a statement about me and I don’t care whether it’s fashionable or not. However I’ll mix them with more trendy items and also with some of my more expensive fine jewellery depending on the occasion because I like to create unique looks, while also being influenced by what’s fashionable at the time.

I think most people sit somewhere around this view but it’s important to choose jewellery you like the look of and not just items because they are fashionable, and above all there are no hard and fast rules that say you can choose EITHER fine jewellery or cheap fashion jewellery – in fact you can have a lot of fun mixing and matching the two!

Wearing in a Winter Wonderland

Do I go for fashion or comfort? That is the question I ask myself every day in winter. Do I dress as if I’m being judged or do I dress for comfort and stability? The reason I ask myself this is that I have the ability to subconsciously identify the one millimetre of ice in the country and stand on it. This often ends in me on the floor laughing at myself, although inside I’m really crying because I’m so ashamed. And it hurts, a lot.

This dilemma rules out quite a variety of clothing. Dresses – maybe, skirts – possibly, short skirts – definitely not and high heels – are you kidding me. So I’m left with Damart trousers and flat shoes. You would think that I couldn’t go wrong. Ha. I’m thinking the embarrassment of sitting on the ground after slipping in flat shoes is even worse than having high heels on. At least with heels people know why you are on the floor. In flats people think you must be a little bit dim, or worse. Trousers shredded at the knee can be quite a good look on a schoolboy, not on a grown lady. So that rules out flat shoes and trousers.

That leaves hiking boots and utility Damart trousers. The thing I love about sitting on the ground in hiking boots and utility trousers is that no one actually believes you really fell. You can see passersby looking for the secret camera. After all what imbecile could fall in the most practical of clothing. I’ve said it already but I’ll say it again – that would be me!