NEW STYLE WANTED...

I love clothes, always have, love new clothes and well you already know about my love of shoes.  I used to do a daily commute via train and tube always armed with a Cosmo, copy of Vogue or maybe even a copy of Hello magazine. I didn’t have the money to march into Chanel on New Bond Street although didn’t we all dream about walking into a designer store ala Pretty Woman style. My magazine inspirations would send me simply to buy off the peg and dare I say even from the market. The regular haunt for me was Queensway Market in Edmonton N9 with rows and rows of clothes, all en vogue copied and mass produced cheaply. What we didn’t know back then huh!

I have completed a post MS diagnosis clothes and shoes clear out which was particularly tragic on two counts.  The first that neither of my daughters wanted anything, not a thing were they interested in and there was me thinking I was a pretty cool Mum. The second is that (and I’m ashamed to say) there were dresses with the labels on, ones which I’d bought for events and never wore.  I used to approach events with work rather like Lady Di, never be seen in the same outfit twice, oh my didn’t we have a lot to learn. In the donation pile and yes, they did all go to the Sally Army, long dresses, sequinned dresses, feathery dresses they must have thought Barbara Cartland was still alive.

Its fair to say I haven’t been out much of late, I’ve talked about my vanity when using my rollator and indeed my love of shoes as was. I’ve yet to find a going out outfit I can wear with flatish shoes, everyday stuff is fine ie leggings, pumps etc that’s easy but something to actually go out in for a meal in or indeed to the pub. Driving two hours to see my parents or my sister doesn’t really count cause ill rock up in my leggings, a nice jumper etc and I so want to be fancy again.

Talking about wanting to be fancy there have been a couple of high-profile women with MS who have featured more heavily in the press of late.  The most recent is the American actress Christina Applegate who was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Now I do know first-hand that every individual’s experience with MS is different, however as I watched the ceremony, I started to get annoyed.  Now I should know better as everyone ought to have the chance to grieve, vent, show anger before they get even anywhere close to acceptance. The reason I was annoyed was twofold, first she arrived barefoot to the ceremony and second, she was putting herself down because of the MS.  In my head I’m thinking come on put a pair of shoes on, you can have anything you want to be comfortable with, show some class and own it. The reason Christina wasn’t wearing shoes was that she was in pain when wearing them, my bad.  As for the venting about having MS well it’s her condition to vent about and who am I to judge anyway?  I guess I was just disappointed that a high-profile individual wasn’t given any guidance from her team to eloquently say how she was feeling rather than just screaming ‘f*** you MS’ at the cameras.  Again, it’s her own battle to fight not mine. That said she has pushed forward in her own way and is another individual using humour as a coping technique, she also talks eloquently about not wanting people to feel uncomfortable around her. I can totally relate to everything Christina says, I guess I just never showed my anger, she did!

So back to style, I was looking at high profile MS individuals to get ideas from, it can be no surprise that ill mention Selma Blair.  If you are not aware of her journey in a very simplified synopsis, she put herself through chemo to be able to have HSCT which is an intense chemotherapy treatment for MS. It aims to stop the damage MS causes by wiping out and then regrowing your immune system, using your stem cells.  Her experience has been well documented in a book and film with fabulous success for Selma as she is reported to be in remission.  Now as a follower on Insta I watch with fascinating curiosity as to how this success story evolves. Selma has the style and carries her disability with grace, along with a cool cane. 

I will therefore set myself a goal to really work hard to get off my crutches and/or rollator to get a cool cane.  Now this maybe a tough one (audacious) but I do like a goal to aim for. I have an idea now about my spring/summer wardrobe as I think I’ve sussed the shoe situation; loafers are back in – yay!! (that’s a pathetic wimp of a yay just in case you thought I’d really get excited about loafers!) This article was meant to be about style and in conclusion I think we can all portray style in both our looks and actions.