Day 5 #AllotmentFashionWeek 2018!
I must begin today’s final Allotment Fashion Week post of 2018 by wishing participant Kirsty, of My Little Allotment, a very happy birthday! Imagine having a birthday during #AllotmentFashionWeek what a treat for her.
Today I am impressed by Rekha and Hannah’s dedication to allotment fashion with actual visits to vintage shops to acquire accessories. I just throw on anything old, holey or stained, the idea that I might actually go and seek out clothes for the plot had never crossed my mind!
Kirsty is pushing lipstick as the must have accessory for deadheading and shovelling manure. She thinks it’s controversial but I’d like to see Monty Don take that fashion tip on board. Flamenco red or rich rosewood might be his colours.
[hr gap=”5″]Blogger & Instagrammer: Rekha
Blog: Rekha’s Garden & Kitchen
Twitter: @rekha181
Instagram: @rekha.garden.kitchen
Rekha (who you may recognise from the fabulous TV show ‘Big Allotment Challenge’ – much missed, damn you BBC!) is keen to make Allotment Fashion Week beat London Fashion Week. I think everybody who has featured on the blog this week has done a great job. Here Rekha adds her style tips:
“From May to September, I will always be seen in my 4 year old dungaree dress from a second hand/recycle shop Rokit. They carry original vintage items to recycle as well as recycled clothing. Either way I love this shop, and is the first shop I go for a little butchers in their flagship store when in Covent Garden. If it gets too hot then I throw an outdoor Craghopper shirt over it (it was our joke, someone called it a jacket a few years back when I ‘worked with him’. Thanks ‘Lord K’ I think about it every time I throw on this shirt on xx )
Rekha is well aware of safety when she’s on the allotment:
“My Wyevale wellies do the job they have to do. Protect my feet and legs from the hand tools I use and any stinging nettles when foraging . I would love a pair of Hunter boots but until then my blue boots do the job just fine.”
Finally Rekha’s ‘must have’ accessory this summer has been her 2 year old hat from TKMaxx:
“The string around the top, holds my specs perfectly, that is my biggest plus point of my hat. It even comes with me on holiday. I love the sun but when I feel my neck burn, whilst digging weeding or even photographing around the plot, I am not a happy Gardener then.”
Blogger & Instagrammer: Kirsty
Blog: My Little Allotment
Twitter: @allotment9A
Instagram: @my_little_allotment
Kirsty LOVES wellington boots:
“Wellies are a must have because let’s face it if you are in the UK we experience a lot of rain. I use wellies all year long as it keeps my feet warm & safe, stops them getting muddy and most of all my high heels just weren’t that practical.”
“Bobble hats, I can’t get enough of them, well I can it’s just I can’t stop myself from buying them! You can get them in every colour and even with rainbow pompoms on the tops, what’s not to love? They keep your ears warm in the cold months and means I can leave the house without having to do my hair.”
Rather than highlighting colour through nail varnish it’s lipstick that Kirsty turns to:
[hr gap=”5″]“Lipstick might be a controversial pick for allotment fashion week, but everyone knows I love a good bit of lippy. It’s a great way to feel glam when getting your hands stuck in the muck, plus being a mummy to two young girls, working and having an allotment doesn’t give me a lot of spare time so the lippy goes on for all occasions. If that doesn’t make you want to try it out, lipstick is also a great way to keep your lips moisturised during the summer and winter months”
Instagrammer: Hannah
Instagram: @ipledgetogrowveg
Hannah can generally be found on her allotment wearing her scruffy Adidas trainers:
“I originally bought these on a market in Spain for €15! I keep these in my car most of the time now. I made the mistake quite a few times this year of popping to the patch after work to harvest some salad, whilst still wearing my work clothes… I live in heels for work, so you can imagine my nice leopard print heels weren’t very happy sinking into my sandy soil!”
Unlike Kirsty the weather has to be extremely bad before Hannah is persuaded to wear wellington boots:
“I wear weillies more for warmth that anything else because my allotment is on sandy soil so doesn’t tend to get too muddy. I wear my navy polka dot joules wellibobs if I do! I also live in my New Look ripped jeans. They were donated to the allotment clothes a long time ago. They are a size too big, so really comfy and I use a belt that cost just 50p in a vintage shop. I do tend to go home with clean legs and little oval brown patches on my knees!”
Hannah’s biggest allotment fashion struggle comes from her daughter:
“It can be a nightmare dressing her for the allotment in the winter! She never wants to put a coat on and then when she’s up there she complains that she’s cold! Layers and funky leggings are my saviour. We both love our body warmers. Hers is from Mountain Warehouse and mine is Superdry. We also love our matching yellow rain macs, mine is joules and my daughter’s is from Matalan.”
Hannah has included a picture here of her with her mother wearing some interesting ‘I would rather be on allotment’ jumpers. Definitely #AllotmentFashionWeek attire.
“We received them as joke Christmas presents, but they’ve actually had a lot of use!
Finally Hannah likes to rely on practical fashion solutions at the weekend:
[hr gap=”5″]“When I’m up at the allotment I either wear a baseball cap if I haven’t done my hair (which I rarely do on a weekend, my allotment look is definitely ‘just rolled out of bed’) or massive sunglasses to hide my non makeup face!”
