Boden June Edit & midlife lately

And so my last Boden edit of the season falls just as their summer sale begins in earnest. The final full SS drop has landed and from the colours you can see the first hint of seasonal transition. As somebody who is at their happiest at this time of year it makes me feel a little wistful but the upside is that our recalcitrant summer is just starting to show up so it’s a great time to pick up a few new pieces that we can wear right now. I’m savouring every moment of writing this post because my Inbox is quivering not only with AW previews but with Christmas too… however I’ll shield you from all of that for now! As usual, I have a few pieces that I’ve chosen for this month’s edit and then I’ll move on to sale recommendations.

Boden June Edit – the new drop

My first outfit is from the new drop. I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it but almost didn’t order it because it’s 100% linen. I don’t like things that crumple but this doesn’t, it has a soft, washed feel to it and it makes such a nice change from all of the monochrome ginghams that are around. I wore it when we went out for lunch on Father’s Day and lots of people stopped to comment on it. It’s my new favourite dress.

Gingham dress, rope bag, sandals

The basket is already in the sale, I guess it was a late delivery so it’s a brilliant buy. It has a stunning orange and pink paisley lining that peeps through the woven rope and it detaches easily so if you take it away with you, you have two bags for the price of one. It’s also available in natural with a lining that has hints of teal.

Rope bag with detachable paisley inner

As you can imagine we’re blessed with lots of lovely English country pubs around here so we headed out for a hearty roast. The eldest was at a friend’s wedding but the youngest two arrived home fresh from the airport – one from Morocco, the other from Croatia. It sounds exotic but of course they blew in with bags full of washing too – and tales of adventure that kept us entertained over lunch.

It was a glorious summer day and we were glad to have some time with them before they headed off again. The youngest is currently in Barcelona with his school friends and the middle one is working for NCS. We left him early on Monday morning with 150 excited 16 year-olds who were bursting to let off their post GCSE steam. He’s helping to lead an outward bound course in Northumberland… rather him than me!

Gingham dress (gifted SS22), rope bag, sandals

I have to say that I really like the new colourways that have come in at Boden. As you’ve no doubt seen there are some really refreshing teal blues and less sugary shades of pink than other retailers are offering. I was even more surprised to see that additional new pieces have arrived today, you can find them all here.

One other thing I wanted to point out from the new drop is the jewellery, particularly with holidays in mind. I never take expensive jewellery away on holiday with me, instead I have a small collection of sea inspired pieces that I’ve been building and they stay in my case for the rest of the year. Because they aren’t valuable I don’t have to worry about them, even if I’m swimming. These new shell themed additions are perfect, there are both cowrie and oyster shell versions, I know I’ll take them away with me for years to come.

Shell earrings

Shell charm bracelet

Shell pendant

Boden June Edit – sale picks

My next brief was to choose a few items from the sale. I’ve kept looking at this blouse since it first came in but again was deterred by the fact that it was linen. My experience with the dress encouraged me to give it a go and I’m glad I did because it has the same washed feel to it. It’s selling fast but there are still sizes left as I type. I paired it with blue jeans to meet up with a friend and it works with my white and ecru ones too. There are eight other colourways in this style, all with differing stock levels.

Lemon print blouse (low stock – other colours available in the sale, gifted SS22)

The weather’s been so hit and miss so far this summer that I’ve found midi and maxi skirts to be a useful solution. They’re unlined so not too hot if it’s sunny but as good as a pair of trousers when it’s cooler. When this one arrived I was pleased to find that the colours are slightly muted which gives it the timeless vintage look I was hoping for. It’s in the sale with most sizes currently available (and it’s at the tighter end of the scale so size up if you’re between sizes).

Pineapple print skirt (in the sale, gifted SS22), white broderie tee (in the sale, gifted SS22)

The t-shirt is basically a shorter version of the navy dress that I found so useful in Lanzarote. It’s just that bit more elevated than a basic white tee so it lifts any outfit you put with it and I’ve particularly enjoyed wearing it with flared jeans. You can wear it off the shoulder as I am above or on the shoulder like this if you prefer. I downsized to a 10 for a neater fit and it’s now in the sale with most sizes currently available. There’s also a black version but stock is low on that one.

Pineapple print skirt (in the sale, gifted SS22), white broderie tee (in the sale, gifted SS22)

So, what else can I recommend? Looking back over my edits from this season there are pieces I’ve worn again and again. This blazer is a great between season jacket to have in your wardrobe. For me it worked perfectly in spring and I can imagine it will be the same in autumn. The bouclé texture means it doesn’t seem to pick up dirt as easily as a flat fabric would so you can get away with the cream colour although it also come in navy, bubblegum pink and bright blue. It’s now almost half price in the sale and it’s true to size.

The denim blouse I’m wearing here was a good choice too because it’s such a lovely mid-blue wash. It’s also available in olive or soft pink, stock is dwindling though. True to size.

Blazer; denim broderie trim blouse (both gifted SS22)

I’m amazed that there’s still stock of this navy and red dress now that it’s in the sale. It’s become my go-to for dinners out because it isn’t too formal and yet it looks as though I’ve made an effort. There’s plenty of room for food too. Again it’s true to size and it’s half price now. It’s also available in green and pink.

Smocked bodice dress (gifted SS22)

Another half price steal here, in fact Im wearing it with ivory jeans as I type because I had an early breakfast with friends – the only time we could all get together this month was at 9am on a Tuesday which isn’t how things should be really is it? Anyway, it felt right for a June morning when it was raining torrentially but I still wanted to feel vaguely summery. It’s 100% cotton and true to size.

Palm tree cotton blouse (gifted SS22)

This linen top is in stock and now half price in both white and a bright pink. It’s true to size and it works with skirts, jeans and trousers like these linen ones which are also in the sale although stock is now low.

Linen top; linen trousers (gifted SS22)

There are still a few of these lovely palazzo trousers left at almost half price, size up if you’re between sizes because they have no stretch.

Palazzo trousers, (blouse sold out, gifted SS22)

This dress sold out initially and was then restocked although I’m not sure how many people realised because it’s now 30% off and it’s a real beauty for holidays.

Tie back dress (gifted SS22)

And this bikini has been sold out since March but it’s about to be restocked in a lovely navy and ivory colourway – you can preorder it now. I’m sitting on my hands because I really don’t need another bikini but it’s such a flattering fit and very comfortable to wear, highly recommended by me.

Navy and ivory version available on pre-order

So those are my top Boden June edit sale picks, I hope you manage to find something you love – the full Boden sale hub is here. I want to thank Boden for supporting Midlifechic this season, they’re one of the few brands that continues to value the work of bloggers rather than just being dazzled by the shiny lights of Instagram.

Midlife lately

As I thought might be the case, my schedule is all over the place at the moment. After getting used to the slow domestic pace of the empty nest, I feel as though we’re back to full speed on the home front. We’ll be juggling moving the boys into their new student houses at the end of the week with looking after mum-in-law. She’s now home and currently refusing entry to the carers we’ve arranged for her and that, along with getting stairlifts and other equipment installed, is taking up time – and requiring a lot of mopping of Mr MC’s brow!

I popped out for a coffee with two of my friends from the primary school playground this week and we bumped into another mum we hadn’t seen for ages. It turned out that all four of us had a parent or in-law with dementia, specifically the Lewy Bodies version, all of them at different stages. Like anything, when you’re living with something new you suddenly start seeing it all around you. Looking back now I realise my own grandma probably had it too although sadly it was just seen as eccentricity or ‘senility’ in those days. There must be so many families struggling away with the same thing that you’d think there would be a clearer pathway to care – and you can’t help wondering what happens to those who don’t have families around them.

Good Luck to You Leo Grande

Anyway let’s end on a lighter note (after all, we can’t not discuss this can we?!) Have you seen Good Luck to You Leo Grande yet? I was supposed to go with Nicky but she wasn’t feeling well so Mr MC came along with me instead. And if there’s one thing I’d like to do at the moment it would be to hire the biggest cinema in the world and go and watch it with all of you and then chat over a few glasses of wine afterwards! I love Emma Thompson and she plays the role so well with the perfect mix of wit and poignancy. I know not everyone agrees but I think it’s great that the topic of midlife women and their sexuality is being raised again. The last time was when Lesley Manville was interviewed by The Guardian about the roles she’s most enjoying and she summed up how so many of us feel when she said,

“It’s important for young people to see that older people have not turned off a button and become this kind of muted, non-feeling entity. I do want to go out dancing and get sweaty and drink too much and go home at three in the morning, and I do want to have sex, and I do want to dress how I want to dress, and I want to have a life and be able to choose what I want to do; and I am over 60.”

Leo Grande has triggered so much discussion about the reawakening that lots of midlife women experience and the fact that we’re still thrumming with hopes and desires. Some people like it, others don’t but discussion of any kind is good. I loved reading the interviews with Emma Thompson, particularly when she talked about ageing bodies and our attitudes towards them. She admitted that of course it was hard to be seen fully nude at 62 but in the end she dealt with it by saying to herself:

‘I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to waste my passion, my energy, my curiosity, my money and my life’s purpose worrying about my body. That’s what I’ll do. What a good idea. Welcome. Yeah, let’s do that. It’s so much fun.’

I think we could all do with taking that approach – don’t you? I’m not going to say any more in case you haven’t seen it yet but the specific question that friends have been asking me is whether they should go with their husbands or not. Obviously I’d initially planned to go with a friend but Mr MC and I both loved it and of course it’s a film that opens up all kinds of conversations with whoever you watch it with. So if you see it with your other half and your sex life is going well they’ll be easy ones, if it’s dwindled they might be more tricky – but surely that’s even more of a reason to kickstart them. Maybe plan to go for a meal with a few glasses of wine afterwards to make it easier. It’s a great film and it handles the topic of sexual fulfilment in midlife with a great balance of sensitivity and humour. It just seems a shame that a lot of the mainstream cinemas aren’t showing it – instead they’re billing Maverick, Elvis, Jurassic World, Buzz Lightyear and Men. And that in itself speaks volumes really doesn’t it?!

Disclosure: ‘Boden June Edit’ was commissioned by Boden – a huge thank you to them for all of the support they’ve shown us this season – and to you for shopping with the brands who help me to keep this blog going.

Boden June Edit & midlife lately