Launched by Lucy and Chris in 2017, Lucy & Yak is an ethical and sustainable clothing brand that started by selling dungarees made from organic cotton or recycled materials and has now expanded into much more than that over the past two years. You can read more about how they started here but to give you a brief overview; Lucy and Chris visited many small businesses to work with in China, Thailand and India who had the same ethical values as them. They wanted to find a tailor where the staff are treated fairly and paid well for the work that they do. Once they found the right business, an overseen tailor based in North India called Ismail, they made 30 pairs of dungarees and uploaded them to Depop. They sold out within hours and so the Lucy & Yak story began. Nowadays they have boilersuits, socks, t-shirts and obviously, dungarees. Not only the newest clothing additions but they have also collaborated with many different artists and designers.
One of the reasons why I fell in love with Lucy & Yak so quickly is because they are so open about where their products are made. They relocated to a new factory with improved working conditions and their staff are paid four times higher than the state minimum wage. As much as the ex-fashion student likes to keep up to date with the latest trends in the high street stores, it is nice to see little brands like this crop up out of nowhere and share an incredible but more sustainable fashion journey.
I decided to use Lucy & Yak for a module whilst at University. As part of my market research (okay, I just wanted to treat myself) I bought a pair of dungarees and a boilersuit. They came in 100% biodegradable bags and send them in handmade material bags so you can reuse them for just about anything. It’s all about trying to limit the amount of plastic from the production. Don’t get me wrong buying online makes me so nervous especially because I class myself as a plus size person and sizes vary so much between high street stores however there is nothing to be nervous about. I ordered my usual size in both and they fit perfectly.
Since studying fashion at University, I have learnt that it is important to remember the ethical values behind clothes shopping even though I thoroughly enjoy trend forecasting. If I am not going to be able to wear one piece of clothing for seven days a week with different things then I probably won’t buy it. From having that kind of mindset, not only have I saved a loot of money but I have started to shop my current wardrobe a lot more. I have been able to explore my personal style and what I enjoy wearing as well as mixing things up a little bit. I have actually just really enjoyed being creative and experimental with my wardrobe again.
Have you ever shopped at Lucy & Yak? What is on your wishlist?
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I know that I am late to the party but I finished reading It by Alexa Chung the other day and realised how much of an inspiration she actually is! Not only was her book down to earth and such an easy read but she is one of my new favourite style icons.
She writes in her book that there are five items in her wardrobe that she can’t live without which included a navy blue jumper and ‘boyfriend-fit’ jeans so I raided my wardrobe and found something similar. I think this style of outfit is perfect for the weekend. Most of us have two days off to enjoy spending time with family, friends or alone time so you probably don’t want to spend half the morning getting ready. You can’t beat just throwing on a pair of relaxed fitting jeans and a jumper or tee. Grab your essentials, hopefully that will include a pair of sunnies, and you are ready to enjoy your weekend. Speaking of which, have you got any plans for this weekend? I’m off to see Toy Story 4 at some point and I bet you that I am going to cry but it is a childhood favourite so I just can’t miss it!
Did you know that she has recently collaborated with the British heritage label Barbour? It’s re-discovering the brand’s classic outwear resulting in coats, raincoats, a hat and tote bags that are a creative mix of traditional design and Chung’s personal style and humour. Personally, I think the collaboration couldn’t have came at a better time with festival season just around the corner.
What’s your thoughts on Alexa Chung? Do you find her an inspiration or is she one of your style icons? I really want to start writing more fashion content on my little space so let me know if this kind of thing takes your fancy.
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You’ve probably clicked on this because you are interested in fashion, know who Chris Moore is or perhaps you are a regular reader of my blog. If so, then hey! I’ve always had an interest in fashion especially since I started my blog four years ago but more so now then ever before. I think it’s got something to do with my degree. For the past couple of weeks, I have been living and breathing anything to do with fashion or photography and I am totally okay with that.
The other week I was able to visit the Bowes Museum in Durham to visit Chris Moore’s exhibition. For those who don’t know, Chris Moore is a catwalk photographer. He has a unique photographic archive that documents designers on the catwalk, the rebirth of Haute Couture and the rise of a supermodel – capturing it all through the lens. I am a bit nerdy when it comes to a camera and I am quite passionate about fashion at the moment so this exhibition was right down my street. I thought I would share a couple of the collections that I like on here.
The Bowes Museum is set on beautiful grounds with stunning views and has a café which makes it a lovely day out if you are a creative type. It is well known for the dancing swan which was lovely and magnificent however they do hold other exhibitions similar to this one often.
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The one fashion piece that I’ve always wanted to pull off has been a pair of dungarees and the lust has grown when I found myself flicking through some old toddler photos I came across a couple of weeks ago. It is such a 90’s look which I’ve adored for such a long time. I’ve tried many a pair of dungarees but they just never looked right until now. I found myself this pair of black denim dungarees and they fit like a glove!
I usually pair them with a lightweight jumper or tee and some Converses. All that’s missing is Rosie & Jim on TV and my afternoon snacks that I used to have when I was a child. Mine used to be Nesquik chocolate milk and a packet of raisins. When I am trying to dress them up a bit, I like pairing the dungarees with a nice shirt and some loafers for a smarter look. I just find them so versatile. I would love to find a pair of blue denim dungarees for wardrobe too.
Are you a fan of dungarees?
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Are you excited for Summer? I know I am especially with the weather trying to warm up a little in the North East but not quite matching the rest of the country. I can’t wait to spend the Summer with BBQs, ice cream, beach walks, family time, my birthday and perhaps a holiday. The one thing that I am nervous about is my Summer wardrobe.
I’ve talked about my body confidence before and it is a rollercoaster of a ride! Just like every other person on this planet there are days I feel really unhappy and want to change everything and then there are others where I can put on an outfit from my wardrobe and feel invincible. You wouldn’t even think that I would suffer from body confidence. I don’t know about anyone else but seeing all those stunning girls in the Love Island villa this year has left me feeling a little bit frumpy. However, I am here to tell you, and myself, that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!
Numbers have no relevance to you. It has no relevance to your style and it shouldn’t affect your body confidence. I’m guilty of “wanting to be a size 10” even nowadays but why do we do this to ourselves? what is a “size 10”? It’s just a number! I have had many conversations with various customers about how we used to be able to get the same size across a number of stores but nowadays that is not the case. You only have to watch Lucy’s video where she tested size 14 jeans across ten different brands to see what the high street stores are doing to our society. Just in New Look alone, I’m across three different sizes and in Primark I can only fit into something that is two sizes bigger than my ‘usual’ size.
Unfortunately garments aren’t made for different body shapes. You can be in the same size clothes but weigh and look completely different from someone who is in the exact same size clothes as you. What looks flattering on you can look completely different on someone else. That is why sizes shouldn’t and don’t matter. Do you love the look of those trousers? Buy them and flaunt them!
When it comes to Summer fashion, I have spent so many years avoiding clothes like shorts and vest tops because I didn’t want to show of my chubby legs or my bingo arms but no one actually cares what you look like. In fact some people might see you flaunting your style and be envious or proud of you. The other day when I tried on the distressed Mom style shorts from New Look I immediately felt confident. Yes, my legs aren’t lovely and slim like those that you see on Love Island or even Instagram but I’m never going to look like those girls and that is okay. I have decided that I am going to stop being scared of Summer fashion and I am going to get my sticks of meat out and enjoy every moment of Summer for what is is worth! I’m not going to sweat it out in a hoody because I am scared of what my arms look like or wear thick jeans because I don’t have perfect thighs. I am going to forget about the labels and grab the clothes that I feel comfortable and confident in.
If you take one piece of advice from this post, let it be this:
Buy the shorts or that vest top that you like, flaunt it and feel comfortable in what you wear because you are amazing and Summer memories is much more important than stressing over how you look. Your size doesn’t matter but loving yourself and feeling body positive definitely does! When you go out no one will be judging you for what you are wearing, they will be seeing that beautiful smile and you enjoying yourself.
Are you anxious about Summer fashion? How are you going to combat it?
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I’ve mentioned about my body confidence issues in the past but it’s got to a point where I rarely feel good in my clothes and I’m struggling with what to wear. Does anyone else feel like this? Well I’ve decided that it’s time to stop being so harsh on myself!
Life is too short to be worrying about how much I dislike my arms in side profile photos or the thigh gap that I’m forever lusting over. I have developed a love for fashion ever since working at New Look. This interest has actually encouraged me to sign up to Fashion Retail & Enterprise at Newcastle College. Over the Summer, I want to start trying new trends and pieces that I wouldn’t usually go for starting with stripes. I used to avoid stripe clothing like the plague because I taught myself from being a young teenager that it will make me look bigger than my size. This is just one of the steps that I am trying to change and embrace my new found love for myself and my body. Three months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to sit at my computer telling this little corner of the net that I feel slightly more confident and that in itself is a huge step forward.
Personally, I think there are three things that have damaged how I view myself and the love that I have for my body. The first is weight loss groups such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers. I remember going when I was younger with my mum and I used to passively listen whilst playing on my gameboy. It wasn’t until my early teen years that I realised how damaging it actually was. I never wanted to eat bananas because they weren’t a good fruit compared to melon or strawberries and I always used to pick up a Freddo chocolate bar rather than a share bag of buttons when I was with my friends because it was a ‘better’ choice. I urge you too not listen to this! I’m not going to sit here and say anything negative about weight loss groups because it might actually be working for some of you but it definitely doesn’t have that positive impact on me and my mindset.
The other two kind of go hand in hand. I believe the media and society require you to look or feel a certain way. I feel as though if I don’t have the ‘perfect’ body or that I am not the size that the media suggests is healthy then I am not good enough to achieve certain aspects of life whether that be having a baby or being able to fit into a wedding dress and look 10 million dollars. But do you know what I say? F**k them! You be who you want to be because what matters is how you feel in yourself. If you feel good about yourself, don’t stop doing what you are doing. You don’t have to look a certain way, or be a certain dress size to achieve the things that you want to do. If you want to wear those striped trousers for browsing round the shops at the weekend, then wear those god damn trousers! At the end of the day, I know that in a couple of weeks we probably aren’t going to be stressing about how we felt because there is a lot more important things in your life for you to concentrate on. You are an amazing person! Don’t stop being you.
I’d love to know how you deal with body confidence? How do you embrace yourself? Share your tips below!
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Are you excited for Summer? I know I am especially with the weather trying to warm up a little in the North East but not quite matching the rest of the country. I can’t wait to spend the Summer with BBQs, ice cream, beach walks, family time, my birthday and perhaps a holiday. The one thing that I am nervous about is my Summer wardrobe.
Numbers have no relevance to you. It has no relevance to your style and it shouldn’t affect your body confidence. I’m guilty of “wanting to be a size 10” even nowadays but why do we do this to ourselves? what is a “size 10”? It’s just a number! I have had many conversations with various customers about how we used to be able to get the same size across a number of stores but nowadays that is not the case. You only have to watch Lucy’s 
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