How to dress practical with style.

Nov 15, 2017 | 6 comments

Hi! Hello! How are you all doing? I’ve not been putting a lot of effort into my blog for the past couple years which I am actually super sad about. Afterall this is where it all started when I pubilshed my very first post back in 2015! I’ve been thinking about picking back up on writing so many times, but with the rise of short-form content (hello TikTok, Shorts and Reels) it’s just harder to have time for it all these days. As much as I love creating snappy little styling reels I do also miss long-form and slower content, and I’m secretly hoping that we’ll start seeing a slow shift back to that in the near future. I mean, am I the only one feeling super fatigued by the AMOUNT of content out there some times? Everything is so high speed; similar to our consumption habits. I know everyone seems to love TikTok, I’ve given it a go myself and I do kind of like it too, but man. From a content creator perspective (even not just that, from a social media user perspective too), I’m so tired of feeling like you have to be “in it” and that you need to be onboard with all the newest social media trends alive to keep up. Anyway… moan over.

I wanted to check in here with a bit of a life update (for those of you old-school enough to enjoy the written format) as I feel like we’ve not chatted in ages!

 

(Trigger warning: infertility)

One major thing I have been considering openeing up about for a while is infertility and how this has been affecting our lives for the past 2 years. I’ve been going back and forth about sharing this for so long because well, it’s private and intimate and while I do like keeping things real on here some things are just better kept private. Having said that I’ve felt so incredibly alone in this whole process, and actually, after deciding to just be honest about it I’m amazed of how many other people we meet are actually going through the same. According to WHO 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility on a global scale, so really this is something we should talk way more about, yet there seems to be a lot of shame and taboo evolving around it. It’s something you always think happens to the next person and it’s never something I pictured would happen to me. But as this article states “infertility does not discriminate”, and it can happen to anyone.

As you know if you’ve followed me for some time we were blessed with a beautiful daughter back in 2020. When we decided we wanted children at the time, it didn’t take long from making that decision until I actually had a positive pregnancy test in my hands. Not long after that we felt ready to expand the family again, but as it turns out fate had other plans for us. It took a long time for us to even feel sure and ready to become parents the first time around, but once we did (it’s true what everyone always tells you) there was nothing else we rather wanted. That was it. Wanting to experience it all again so bad and then not being able to conceive has been no less than heartbreaking. At some point it becomes part of your life – you kind of get used to the fact that it’s just not happening. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but we were ultimately left with no other option (if we ever wanted more kids) than to go through IVF. I’m currently on my second round of IVF after one unsuccesful attempt back in fall 2023. Full of hormones and super (!) tired, but feeling okay despite it all. Having spring around the corner and generally experiencing lighter days at the moment helps a lot.

I’m very grateful for where we are and what we have, please know that. So we will have to see what the future brings. I just wanted to open up about this so that maybe if you’re going through the same thing; please know that you’re not alone and I know exactly how you feel <3 And maybe also so you guys know why I might be a little absent sometimes. 

A lot of you have been asking me for inspiration for styling practical wear without you ending up looking like you’re on your way to the ski slope. So in this post I’m gonna give you just that!

I er flere der længe har efterspurgt lidt inspiration til, at sammensætte nogle looks der forener det dér med, at være praktisk påklædt men uden at man ligner én der er på vej på skibakken. Så i dette indlæg vil jeg give jer lige netop dette!


The rainy day/autumn look.

Look number 1 is especially suitable for autumn, but also just rainy days in generel. I don’t know about you, but we have a lot of those in Denmark, so an outfit like this is quite necessary. I’ve bought both my rain coat (from Tretorn) and wellies (from Ilse Jacobsen) secondhand on the Danish webshop Trendsales (I’ve listed more international alternatives HERE). So even when it comes to practical wear I try to see if it is possible for me to find the items I need secondhand first, and especially rain clothes are made from very strong, durable but synthetic materials that are almost impossible to break down in nature, so it’s a good thing for the environment to use what is already made. I go for items in good quality and condition, from the inside and out. My rain coat is beautifully lined and it has so many nice details inside, and then it has this piece for sticking out your thumb at the sleeve which I am a huge fan of. My boots are så cute and comfy, and they have the loveliest fuzzy lining inside that keep my feet warm all day. I’ve been looking for a chelsea model of wellies like this, because I think they are more suitable for an everyday look than heavy knee-high wellies. This also makes them the perfect festival boot! I like the silver hardware detailing on both coat and boots which makes both items look more exclusive, and I think that’s a great thing to go with in practical wear. You could of course go all in and add a pair of rain trousers too, maybe even invest in a water resistant bag of some sort (like this or this one), if you’re heading out in a heavy shower.

Look nummer 1 passer især godt til efteråret, men generelt også bare de perioder hvor det regner uendeligt meget – som det jo gør i lille Danmark meget af tiden. Jeg har købt både regnfrakke (som er fra Tretorn) og støvler (fra Ilse Jacobsen) brugt på Trendsales. Så også her forsøger jeg at gøre en dyd ud af, at finde brugt dér hvor jeg kan, i stedet for altid at købe spritnyt, især fordi meget regntøj og gummistøvler jo er lavet af suntetiske materialer der er så holdbare, at de ikke kan nedbrydes i naturen. Jeg går efter produkter i god kvalitet – fra inderst til yderst. Min regnfrakke er smukt foret og har mange fine detaljer indeni, samt en lækker ribkant man kan stikke tommelen igennem i ærmet. Mine støvler er så fine og behagelige, og har en blød og varm foring indeni. Jeg har ledt med lys og lygte efter en kort chelsea-model af gummistøvler, da jeg synes de bliver lidt mere hverdags-agtige og cool i stedet for de langskaftede gummistøvler. Det gør dem også til den perfekte festival støvle! Jeg kan også rigtig godt lide sølv-detaljerne på både frakke og støvler, fordi jeg synes det får begge dele til at se mere eksklusive ud, hvilket gør sig godt i et praktisk outfit som dette. Du kunne gå all-in og tage et par regnbukser på også, og måske tilmed investere i en vandafvisende taske ala denne eller  denne, hvis du skal ud i en seriøs byge.

*Adlinks within text.

The winter look.

Look number 2 is my ultimative winter look. My down parka is from the Danish brand Minimum and is purchased 3 years ago. It’s the only coat I have, that can keep me completely warm when the freezing temperatures start to kick in! It’s also a fantastic item to be walking the dog in. The faux fur hat can easily be detached and you can pop the coat into the washing machine which comes in handy, when you’ve got a cute pup who jumps up against you with muddy paws every now and then. I got my boots for free (!) from my sister in law last year. She actually got them from a colleague herself, but unfortunately (for her) they were too small. Lucky for me because I love these boots! They are very practical during the winter if I’m gonna go to practise with the dog, a walk in the woods or the snow, and on top of that I think they look pretty cool too. I would recommend you to size up at least half a size, so there’s room for a heavy knitted sock inside to keep your feet extra warm. I’ce completed the look with a snuggly beanie and a pair of wool gloves (leather gloves would look even better). If you are very sensitive to cold weather you could even wear a long sleeve t-shirt underneath a roll neck jumper.

Look nummer 2 er mit ultimative vinter look. Min dun parka er fra Minimum, og er købt for 3 år siden. Det er den eneste frakke der kan holde mig helt varm, når frostgraderne for alvor sætter ind! Og så er den skøn at gå tur med hunden i også. Pelshatten kan lynes af, og jakken kan nemt smides i vaskemaskinen hvilket er virkelig praktisk, når førnævnte hund hopper og springer op af dig med mudrede poter. Støvlerne fra Wolverine fik jeg af min svigerinde sidste år, ganske gratis! Hun havde selv fået dem af en kollega, men de var desværre for små til hende. Heldigt for mig, for jeg elsker disse støvler. De er super praktiske til både hundetræning, gåture i skoven og i sneen samtidig med, at de faktisk er rigtig fine. Jeg vil nok anbefale dig, at gå et halvt til et helt nummer op i dine vinterstøvler så du har plads til en god tyk uldstrømpe indeni. Looket fuldendes med en dejlig varm beanie og et par uld- eller skindhandsker. Er du meget kuldskær, så sørg for at iføre dig en dejlig varm strik med høj hals ala den jeg har på, og tag evt. en langærmet t-shirt indenunder også, hvis det er meget koldt udenfor.

 

The transitional look.

The final look is meant to be suitable for the periods during the year, where the seasons change. So between summer/autumn and vinter/spring, you know that time where the weather is acting rather strange and you can’t ever seem to figure out weather it’s gonna be rainy or sunny. I’ve put on my wool coat in this case because it’s autumn right now (soon winter), but if it was spring I might have put on a trench coat instead. You can elevate this look so it fits the temperatures as you like. What makes this look practical is the accessories I’ve chosen to include: the hat keeps my hair in place on windy days and prevents that it flies into my face all the time. It’s also a great accessorie for flat hair that’s been ruined by the rain; just cover it up with a cool baker boy cap or beanie! A pair of sunglasses and a scarf is also great to keep in your bag at times where the weather shifts between rain and sun. Lastly I’d like to add, that of course ou could add sneakers to any of the looks above, maybe a pair like THESE. It’s really practical but also cool if you are going on a trip where you are gonna be walking a lot, and your feet can get quite sore at the end of the day.

Det sidste look er til de perioder på året, hvor sæsonerne skifter. Så altså mellem sommer/efterår og vinter/forår, lige dér hvor vejret opfører sig mærkeligt og man ikke rigtig kan finde ud af om der kommer solskin eller regn. Jeg er hoppet i min uldfrakke fordi det er efterår lige nu (næsten vinter), men havde det været forår var jeg hoppet i en klassisk trenchcoat i stedet. Det kan man gøre lidt, som temperaturerne nu passer. Det der gør dette look praktisk er mest gennem de valgte accessories: hatten hjælper mig med, at undgå at håret flyver ind i mit ansigt hvis det blæser, samtidig med den er god at have hvis dit hår er blevet helt fladt efter en tur i regnvejr og paraplyen er nem at have med i tasken til førnævnte scenarie. Et par solbriller og et tørklæde er også gode at have i tasken til de her perioder, hvor vejret skifter hele tiden. Til sidst vil jeg gerne påpege, at du naturligvis sagtens kan tilføje et par sneakers (måske ala disse) til hvilket som helst af de 3 looks. Det er super praktisk men samtidig cool, hvis du nu fx skal på storbyferie, hvor man jo går rundt dagen lang, og godt kan få lidt ømme fusser sidst på dagen.

How about practical wear vs. the capsule wardrobe?

My down parka and my vinter boots are gonna be counted into my coming winter capsule, but other than that I don’t think you should count in practical wear in your seasonal capsules. The reason I do it with the other two items is just because I’m gonna be using them on almost a daily basis during winter. But of course as with the capsule wardrobe, you should think quality above quantity here as well; sort of like “buy once, cry once”. And like I mentioned earlier you can actually be lucky enough to find these items secondhand too. Then you’ll not only save some money, but you’ll also do the environment a favour. Lastly make sure to only invest in the things you actually need for different practical situations; don’t overdo it.

Min dun parka og mine vinter støvler har jeg valgt, at tælle med som items i min kommende vinter capsule, men faktisk synes jeg at praktisk tøj er én af de områder man ikke rigtig “behøver” tælle med. Grunden til jeg tæller disse to med, er egentlig bare fordi jeg ved det er noget jeg kommer til at bruge stort set dagligt henover vinteren. Men det er selvfølgelig klart, at jeg også her mener man bør tænke kvalitet frem for kvantitet; sådan lidt “buy once, cry once”. Og som jeg nævnte tidligere, så kan man altså være heldig at finde selv denne type produkter brugt, så der er lidt penge at spare samtidig med man gør noget godt for miljøet. Og så bør du selvfølgelig også kun her investere i de ting, som du rent faktisk skal bruge i forskellige praktiske situationer.

6 Comments

  1. Kathy Tresnak

    I love your blog and would like to subscribe but I don’t know the Danish word for SUBCRIBE.
    Kathy Tresnak

    Reply
  2. Kathy Tresnak

    I would like to subscribe.

    Reply
  3. Kathy Tresnak

    I have been reading many of your past blogs. I came upon the one about “Always the same” and how people criticized you for wearing clothing many times. What a ridiculous statement. I admire how you put things together in ways that are fresh. You have a knack for finding the perfect item in any category. Shopping is not great where I live, so I depend on mail order. You have inspired me not to settle on anything that is not perfect. I now send back much of what I order rather than settling. You talk a lot about buying second hand. I have been disappointed in online shops like Poshmark. Items are not what I anticipated based on the photos and there are no returns. How do you manage to find items that fit you so perfectly? I love your blog! Keep doing what you are doing!

    Reply
    • signeh24

      Dear Kathy <3 Thank you so much for leaving me such sweet feedback! I have to be honest - I don't know Poshmark, I've put it on my secondhand shopping list for the ones of you living outside the US, but personally I buy most of my secondhand items on Trendsales (danish) or on Asos Marketplace. I have only had great experiences with both websites. But if you want to learn more, I've actually made an entire post and video about how I do my secondhand shopping right here the full video guide is in the very bottom of the post): https://seoroom.dk/secondhand-shopping-my-top-5-tips/

      XX

      Reply
  4. Kathy Tresnak

    Signe…I’m so glad you have been recognized by Everlane as an important force in fashion. I love Everlane and have been buying from them for a while. Another blog I read yesterday mentioned how difficult it was to find responsible clothing manufacturers who made clothes for shorter women … commonly called Petites in the US. She was right! I would purchase the gray Everlane blazer but the sleeves would need to be hemmed and I wouldn’t want to lose that amazing button detail on the cuffs. The model is 5’ 10”. I have decided I will no longer buy clothes that don’t fit well. I end up not wearing them. Maybe you could use your influence with Everlane to suggest making Petite sizes on a limited number of styles.

    Reply

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