New to DD, what I wore this weekend & a sweater hack.

Minimal items maximum looks just rinsed and repeated.

I’m home from our little get-away and when I first started writing this, I was sitting in my hotel bed. Fresh white sheets, not a pile of washing in site. Fred was next to me, dozing off as I type. It was his first time in a hotel, and the hotel itself was nothing fancy, it was chosen more out of convenience than anything else as we were celebrating my Aunt’s 70th birthday. Regardless, Freddie was in awe of the dated but neat hotel reception as he declared “this is a nice place to stay”. Kids, have a way of looking at the world with such wonder. No judgment just soaking up the ‘new’. Something I wish we didn’t lose with age.

I don’t think I’ve stayed in a hotel since my honeymoon back in 2018, in fact I don’t think I’ve had more than a quick less-than-24-hour dash to my husband’s cousin’s wedding two years ago. Not that I’m complaining, life just happens and you blink and suddenly the years have flown by so I’m soaking up this mediocre hotel – dodgy bathroom doors and all.

I’ve made lots of updates to DD this past week, a brand glow-up, the introduction of our DD Motherhood, Style and Culture Club private group that I’m hoping will be the beginning of a growing and meaningful, non-judgemental, non-mumsy mother’s group. Community is so important to me, and it is at the heart of why I began DD. I was lonely, at home with a very unsettled newborn and a husband who worked six days a week. I felt the existing content aimed at parents was loud and overwhelming, and just made mums feel shitty rather than heard – I hope DD is the antidote to that.

Then Threads launched, so I’m trialling it out but only join if you feel you want another app – mainly for words and memes and breaking news (like Twitter, minus Elon).

And those who have been following DD for quite some time have probably noticed I’ve been sauntering into fashion, and that is because I believe fashion is such a huge part of our identity, it evolves as we evolve, and has the ability to make us feel good even if we’ve had 2 minutes of sleep across 24 hours. It’s a side to us that can get lost when our bodies change and no longer feel like ours. Our choices begin to be more about functionality rather than style but it can be both, and I (along with some very chic mothers) will show you how – What Mum’s Wear is coming soon, as is The Ensuite (and exciting new beauty category) but for now I hope a weekend of fashion with me will suffice as I continue to keep up the juggle of paid work/parenting while working on new essays and features for Dear Dilate.

Outfit in transit.

A matching tracksuit is the simplest way to look put-together during the day. Pair that with a coat, trainers and tube socks (I buy a pack of white and black), and you have yourself a very comfortable and effortless look. Comfortable is just what I wanted to be when travelling in the car (we went straight from swimming to driving almost two-hours). I have paired this with my Mango quilted coat (last seasons but similar here), Gucci bag (the only bag I brought with me because I wanted a break from my mum carry-all). My sunglasses are Ray-Ban Wayfarer (the more modern style) – a great staple in my opinion. Nail polish is OPI Big Apple Red which is a classic red or I’ll wear Malaga Wine for a richer winter tone, that is when I don’t have just my natural nail. (Apologies for the dirty mirror but it’s the bathroom at the beach so I had to work with what I had!)
Family dinner at the house.

This was a pre-celebration dinner at the house my aunt had hired overlooking Bungan Beach (a seriously beautiful part of the world). I’m wearing the Uniqlo Premium Lambswool Crew Neck over my Venroy Wool Cashmere Dress which is such a beautiful item to wear on repeat and can be worn in a variety of ways (as well as providing enough stretch for pregnancy and postpartum). A hack I learnt (I think from Claire Rose on TikTok) is to wear a sports bra over a dress or top then tuck up the bottom of the sweater into the sports bra. This holds the sweater in place and if you’re wearing pants, by tucking the top into the bra, it eliminates bulk where you don’t want it. My ballet flats are from Zara (I’m an EU38, they are a narrow fit) – I love the velvet texture for the cooler months, and can confirm they can endure kicking a soccer ball with the kids!

The birthday lunch.

I felt so good in this outfit and honestly I think I’ll buy these jeans and shirt in every colour combination available. This Poplin shirt from Oroton is 100% cotton and feels so luxurious. If you need a fresh white shirt, this is it. I took my normal size but if you prefer an oversized fit, I’d size-up. My jeans are Levi’s and have a slight stretch (I went up a size from my usual). I know so many women who rave about these jeans and they are under $200 which is unheard of. I decided to add a belt with gold hardware to dress up an otherwise casual outfit and wore my ballet flats – I only packed two pairs of shoes; Veja sneakers and these.

I did a little close up of my earrings which are also from Oroton. I love that they have a vintage feel and how they add a bit of something without being too much. I have a few pairs of earrings from Oroton and find the quality to be great especially for fashion jewellery. Also they are on sale. I wore this necklace all weekend and I have owned this for years but this is similar.

Casual brekkie/park look.

I really tried not to overpack (so it was important to have items that could be paired with everything. Today I wore my Lululemon Align Tights and trust me, there are no other tights that fit the way they do with the same Uniqlo wool knit, tan coat from a few years ago (this one from Henne looks similar), Veja sneakers, basic gold hoop earrings and P Johnson Cap which sell out quickly but I do like this red hat too.

All the same items just rinsed and repeated. I hope this gives you some inspiration as to what to wear to your next ladies lunch or park date. The only thing I regret is not purchasing packing cubes which the clever cookies in our DD Club Facebook recommended!

Jade x