Fashion mommy takes a trip (part two)

And so Fashion Mommy had  arrived in beautiful Snowdonia, and was now all set to seek the shops and styles of Wales to share with the wider world. She had a wardrobe of  beautiful sundresses and maxi dresses and now all she needed was a sunny day to wear them on… that proved easier said than done.

Day 1 – A trip to Barmouth.

Barmouth proved to be different from what I’d been led to believe. I’d never been before, but knew lots of people who had, and then general impression had been a bit…well…chavvy to be honest. And yes, on a sunny afternoon the Chavs were out in force, but Barmouth also proved to have some pretty stylish ladies and a few hidden gems in the shopping department.

Fashion mommy wasn’t one of the stylish ladies today, and this was all due to the unpredictable Welsh weather. The day started so dull and miserable that I opted for jeans, a long faded floral vest top, and a burnt orange cardigan. My only real concessions to summer were bronze knot effect sandals from Evans and a pretty pair of handmade dreamkeeper earrings picked up from a Spanish flea market many years ago. Of course the day turned out to be hot enough to sunbathe on the beach and so the sandals came off, the jeans were turned up and the cardi was abandoned so I could play with baba on the beach. Frankly, I just needed a knotted handkerchief on my head in order to be a typical Brit on holiday!

My faux pas aside, there were plenty of looks to savour in Barmouth. One of my favourite looks involved a long, vest style maxi dress in a gorgeous violet shade. This was teamed with a tiny cross body silver sandal and toe post sandals. The whole effect was very Miranda Kerr, simple and stylish.

Another good look was seen on a fortysomething lady taking a walk on the beach. She had stuck to great linen staples of loose khaki trousers and a white shirt. She had teamed this with natural coloured leather wedge sandals and slouchy bag. The piece de resistance was a cashmere peach pashmina around the neck. The whole image was very reminiscent of Out of Africa – cool and chic. The lady obviously wasn’t trying to hard, just sticking to summer classics that return year after year.

There were also bolder looks on display that day. An amazing tribal print maxi dress was shown to its best advantage by being teamed with a large elasticated belt and gold accessories, including a fantastic Cleopatra style necklace.  Another fashionista teamed white wide leg palazzo pants with a black vest top and a wide brimmed hat for a 1930’s stylish look (think Constance Bennett for inspiration).

Barmouth has a great boutique called Riva which is worth. One reason for this is that it has a fabulous range of maxi dresses that range in price from £20-£25 and come in all sizes from xs to xxl. Unusual for a boutique, it also stocks a plus size range of clothing in sizes 16+. I bought a fabulous pair of purple suede platform shoes for just £20. They are higher than I usually wear with baba in tow, but they perfectly matched the dress I had found in a charity shop recently and I thought that it would make a great stylish outfit for a christening I am due to attend in a few weeks.

Barmouth also has some fab charity shops. My favourite is the Save the children shop. I was able to get a great M&S orange trench coat for just £8. Tenovus – a cancer charity shop, and Fresh Fields, an animal charity, are also worth a look. I managed to find a great pair sheer tunic top from Tenovus, this could double as a top with jeans or a beach cover up. Fresh fields garnered a Jane Shilton clubhouse 1980’s brown leather cross body bag for just £1. A total bargain that leaves hands free to push Baba in his pushchair, or rummage for more bargains!

Tomorrow would bring a trip to Dolgellau and hopefully more sunshine and bargains, and definitely a better outfit for Fashion Mommy!

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