Clothes and sunny Britain

I have way too many clothes. But it’s not because I’m materialistic and spend all my money on contributing to despicable sweatshops and environmental degradation. Most of my clothes are second-hand and they have either been given to me by people I know or I have bought them from charity shops. Sometimes I buy new things for myself but not very often. I also find it very hard to part with clothes and I’ve got things from decades ago which I sometimes still wear.

This will sound incredibly silly but choosing an outfit each day and wearing beautiful clothing is a way to express myself. I love being able to select from colours, shapes, patterns, and styles to suit my mood. It also takes a bit of creativity to design clothing and fabric and so in some ways I feel as though I’m wearing art.

Today I was going through a large bag of clothes I hadn’t seen in a while and came across a dress-up from my childhood. It’s a dress-up of Little Bo Peep and must be more than 30 years old now. It fits Elizabeth and here she is wearing it. It used to have a large hat to go with it but I’m not sure what happened to that.

I also came across this pregnancy bra of mine. It’s almost a parachute! I think I can safely chuck that one out now.

I took this photo of Marischal College yesterday and look how blue the sky is:

It’s just as sunny today as well. Why is it so sunny? I moved here for the lovely overcast, drizzly weather Britain is famous for but so far I have been disappointed. Can I get sunburnt here? Normally I would wear sunscreen every day in Australia and New Zealand as you can get sunburnt in less than 10 minutes. Here I haven’t been wearing sunscreen at all but I think I should probably start doing so. Do any locals have some advice?

Posted

April 18, 2015

Journal

Rachel M

Tags:

bras, charity shops, clothes, Marischal College, opshopping, sunny, weather

Comments

32 responses to “Clothes and sunny Britain”

ladysighs

April 18, 2015

Precious picture of Elizabeth. 🙂

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  Thanks. She looks very sweet 🙂
  
  Reply
anniegoldfisher

April 18, 2015

Cute photo of Elizabeth. Looks as though she’s perfected the hand pose. 🙂

You could recycle your maternity bras as gardening knee pads, tea-pot cosies or place mats. So many possibilities, the mind boggles.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  Gardening knee pads? What a good idea 🙂
  
  Reply
scifihammy

April 18, 2015

Dress up clothes are the best 🙂 I had a big bag for my kids too. Elizabeth looks so cute, and I like the little pointed red sock sticking out the bottom of the dress!
As to sunburn, it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever burn, or need suncream. My very burny daughter spent time in Spain last summer, and tho she did use suncream, it was only factor 30 (we use nothing less than 50 here) and she was out all day and did-not-burn!! This was amazing, as she has that white skin so easily burnt, and over here she would have died! In UK, she does not need suncream.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  I’m very fair too and burn easily. I don’t tan at all either. I have assumed I probably wouldn’t need sunscreen but I’ll probably put some on anyway if I’m going to be out in the sun for extended periods. Old habits …
  
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  1. scifihammy
    
    April 18, 2015
    
    Yes, I agree with that, and at the end of the day, you too (like my daughter) can be pleasantly surprised that you have been out all day in the sun – and Not burnt! 🙂
    Also, the sun is angled much lower in UK, so you don’t get that burning on your shoulders, nose etc
Ben

April 18, 2015

That’s not a bra, it’s a hammock.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  haha+
  
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PedalWORKS

April 18, 2015

Gardening knee pads. LOL 🙂

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  Funny but it could work.
  
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  1. PedalWORKS
    
    April 18, 2015
    
    Well if you try it, take a picture 😎
Graham With Hats

April 18, 2015

Elizabeth certainly knows how to pose. I wonder where she got that from ? 🙂

Even thought the sunlight is not so direct where you are, the air is clear. You need a little caution for both you and the kids when the sun is high and bright.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  It seems like the sun is high and bright quite often now.
  
  Reply
  1. Graham With Hats
    
    April 18, 2015
    
    Unusual for April. We may have a hot summer or a wet one.
Rachel

April 18, 2015

I need sunscreen every once in a while here in Wales, usually just when it’s completely sunny and I’m planning to go for an hours-long walk. I forgot one time and when I returned home 3 or 4 hours later my nose and shoulders were a bit pink. But mostly I don’t find it necessary (although I tend to tan more than burn in any case).

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  Ok, I burn rather than tan and I actually think I may have got a little bit pink on our last day in Pitlochry. I was denial about it but I’m pretty sure it was the sun. I’ll be sure to start putting some on if I’m going to be outside for any great length of time.
  
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guthrie

April 18, 2015

My advice is to start using sunscreen now, if you are outside for more than 45 minutes or so, but obviously the closer to June it gets the less time you can safely spend outside before putting on sun cream. The Aussie Slip Slop Slap is still important in Scotland. I’ve been burnt in May and September, although it usually takes 2 or 3 hours exposure to do that, hence why I say to start using sun cream. When I was a child at the beach in Scotland I could get burnt easily enough, and sun cream had to be applied 2 or 3 times a day to avoid that.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  Thanks. I think you’re right. I’ll start using sunscreen from now on and put some on the kids who are also very fair. My skin has already had enough sun to last me a few lifetimes I think.
  
  Reply
  1. guthrie
    
    April 18, 2015
    
    In fact as I type this this evening my face feels a little hot, because I probably had, over the course of the afternoon, at least an hours exposure to the sun as I tidied my garage up.
Sarah Ferguson

April 18, 2015

That bra pic – hilarious!

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 18, 2015
  
  I’m glad you liked it 🙂
  
  Reply
Steve Bloom

April 19, 2015

Apparently that sky has some pink in it and there are those with the eyes to see it, or so I am informed by science.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 19, 2015
  
  What do you mean? is this a joke about the dress? If took the photo on my iPhone 4s and have not edited it at all other than to resize it to something a bit smaller. I never edit my photos except for photos taken at home I remove the location data.
  
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fossilcyclist

April 19, 2015

I was red-haired (beard still has red bits), and fair skinned and not too far south of you. I also used to teach Outdoor Education so was out a lot. Suncream- definitely a yes, yes, yes. Lots of skin damage done in Scotland. Last April we were cycling in Mull for a few days, slathered the stuff on, grateful for the protection. Also affected by winter sun when skiing or mountaineering up north by the snow reflecting light as well, a red nose underneath! Water has the same effect, on the sea or lochs. OK lecture over!

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 20, 2015
  
  Ok, I promise to use the sunscreen from now on. I am very fair and freckle easily so I’m more likely to burn than most other people too.
  
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fossilcyclist

April 19, 2015

You could donate the bra to a am-dram group to be used for the dame in pantos. I was grateful for one when I played ‘Rosy Glow’!!!

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 20, 2015
  
  I’ve never heard of an am-dram group but I would love the thought that my old bra is going to such a good cause.
  
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  1. fossilcyclist
    
    April 20, 2015
    
    http://www.phoenixaberdeen.co.uk but I’m sure there are more in the area.
  2. Rachel M
    
    April 20, 2015
    
    Thank you!
Denise

April 20, 2015

I am totally with you that clothes should be a way to express yourself. It’s part of living life as fully as possible! and as you say, it doesn’t have to be a materialistic thing.

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1. Rachel M
  
  April 20, 2015
  
  Exactly! I could never wear those awful robes that muslim women are required to wear. I would feel stifled.
  
  Reply