Bringing back the pleat | Mixing old with new

Do you ever spot an item of clothing in your wardrobe that you think actually *deserves* a day out after being continually shunted to the back of the pile for months on end? For me, this pleated skirt is that item. In fact, in almost three years it’s hardly ever seen the light of day (shameful, I know!) As it happens, we were visiting the beach near my parents' this week and I knew I'd want to ditch the denim so I decided to wear this in the hopes that it would make paddling in the shallows more practical, if anything.

I do think it’s funny how your perception of a single item of clothing can change over time- I actually remember when I first bought this skirt. I had given birth to Jonah just weeks before and was obviously fed up to the brim of wearing leggings- hence the purchase! I had hoped the forgiving shape it offered would inspire me to feel more confident. Unfortunately, I just felt a bit like a sack of potatoes at the time and struggled to style it at all. Consequently, I think I just gave up in the end and pushed it to the back of my wardrobe.

Yet, when I gave it a go the other day I found myself pleasantly surprised. It was like I saw it with fresh eyes and I kinda fell for it all over again. I love how the subtle pleats swish with every movement. It’s wonderfully light but, layered with knitwear, it works perfectly for this time of year when the weather is more unpredictable. 

I’ve always been fond of the midi skirt, it’s just such a failsafe cut, don’t you think? And this week it proved perfect for climbing rocks, hopping over pools of water and chasing my boys around the beach.

The jumper is a new piece I picked up from Primark recently and I’m so glad I stumbled upon it. It’s probably no secret that I don’t deviate far from berry tones in autumn but despite my colour bias, this knit is also the most surprisingly soft fabric! 

It’s a really warming jumper- perfect for chillier weather and also great for layering under jackets and I LOVE the way it works with the subtle colouring of this skirt and my *not so subtle* leather jacket too!

And so it seems, (rather accidentally), I've *finalllly* managed to wear the skirt and have curated an outfit that I LOVE by mixing old and new pieces and quite frankly, I can’t wait to  wear it again!