Fashion World Spring wardrobe update

Fashion World have challenged me to a Spring fashion update. Well they’re brave aren’t they? Just what does an Eighties throwback wear in Spring? Exactly the same as I wear the rest of the year, except by now my black jumpers are getting a bit sweaty.

I wasn’t familiar with the Fashion World site, but it turns out they are part of the JD Williams empire, which I’m sure you will know from their TV adverts.

Fashion World carries a wide range of lifestyle brands. As well as clothing for men, women and kids, there are electricals, beauty and tons of other stuff. Much of their clothing is available in plus sizes (up to size 34 in some styles) and – hurrah! – their models actually look like real people, which is a welcome change.

My haul

I was given a £100 budget and managed to score quite a bit for that. There are plenty of bargains to be had. Alas this means that they sell out quick, so not everything is available. Farewell, navy linen trousers, it was never meant to be. So this is the rest of my haul, which came in under budget at £92.

The first item I went for is a new sports bra. I am going back to Shock Absorber for this, they really do the best sports bras. The Panache sports bra I got a couple of years ago has been great, but the underwires are starting to poke up through the material. The Shock Absorber keeps everything nailed down with zero bounce factor.

You will thank me for this

Just don’t buy the Shock Absorber style with a high extra strap at the back. There’s no way you can do it up by yourself unless you are an orangutan. You’ll need help getting in and out of it, and that just gets embarrassing for the neighbours. Stick to the one with a regular single bra strap and you’ll be fine.

To go with that, I chose some very nice Adidas Runfalcon Trainers in Magenta. Adidas is a reliable, hardwearing brand when it comes to sports gear, and I thought these were a real steal at £43.

Very comfy to run in, my view from the treadmill confirms.

And finally, I went for a new leopard print t shirt because you can’t have too much leopard print, can you? It’s another bargain at £12 and is available in sizes 12 through to 34.

Size-wise, it’s generously cut. This is supposed to be a 12 to 14 but it feels more like a 14 to 16. It’s long too (or possibly I am just short), so it’s quite loose and tunicy. If you want something more fitted then you might be better sizing down. It isn’t a gym top, it’s a regular cotton t shirt with a nice crew neck that would go with pretty much anything. But the gym was the only place I could find a decent full length mirror. This is what I do on Sundays:

The glamour!

All in all, I was pleased with the selection at Fashion World. The range is absolutely huge, especially for plus sizes, which is more than you can say for all those sites who can’t seem to think beyond a size 12. Right now the focus of the site is on summer and holiday gear, so if you’re preparing to launch yourself sunwards, I hope you find something you like.