The dilemma goes something along the lines of:

"I have a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear"

I'm not sure who said this or where I originally read it, but I know the feeling well. If you know me in real life you wouldn't consider me to be a clothes horse. But if you had a look through my wardrobe and chest of drawers you would probably think I was.

Until last August my bedroom was bursting at the seams. I still owned activewear from when I was a dancer during my time at university. Or from when I still tried to convince myself I was into running, which was a dark time. I still owned dresses that I haven't been able to fit into since I started a desk job. I owned shirts that I know longer like, or maybe never really did. I owned waist length t-shirts, even though I don't suit high necks or anything that draws attention to my mid-section. All the money I spent buying a new dress every time I went on a night out (yes, I was once one of those girls) was still hanging in my closet. Heels I was never able to walk in. Clothes I hadn't worn in years.

I owned more clothes than I owned coathangers, and I own plenty of coathangers (I bought beige for my work clothes and purple for everything else so I could easily separate my looks). I have a massive chest with four big drawers, and four small ones, brimming with underwear, accessories, sportswear, more general clothing, and my weirdly large pyjama collection. Even better, I never put my laundry away because I needed my drying rack as extra storage space.

This, my friends, is when you know you need to have a clear out.



Last August I was approaching the year mark of an anniversary where I ruffled some feathers and decided to stop caring what people thought of me (also known as ridding my life of toxic people and coming out of the closet). With this anniversary looming, I had the sudden urge to rid myself of physical belongings that represented the version of myself that I thought I was supposed to be, or the person other people wanted me to be.

I started by admitting that a few things needed to go to landfill. Which always sucks. But there's not exactly a second-hand market for broken GHDs, shoes with holes in them, and water bottles with corporate logos. Then I packed up the athletic and outdoorsy stuff that was mostly on lend from my genuinely outdoorsy parents and gave it back to my mum the next time she visited. The only sport I enjoy is swimming and it was time to own that.

Then in November I attended my first ever clothes swap, hosted by ethical fashion blogger Ruth Macgilp. I blogged about the day here, so there's no need to go into detail. I only took one small suitcase full of clothes that I really wanted rid of. But when I returned home with new clothes that I was genuinely excited to start wearing, I could now see even more clutter in my bedroom (and I still had more clothes than I did coathangers).

So last week when I attended Ruth's second clothes swap, I was ruthless. I was attending the International Improv Festival later that day and didn't want to lug a suitcase around so I filled my rucksack and two large shopping bags with clothes that served no purpose in my life. And it felt cathartic, especially since I was finally accepting my body would never be slim enough for some of those clothes again.



This time the clothes swap was taking place at the ALICAS offices. ALICAS is a charity that builds capsule wardrobes for women in need, whether that is due to homelessness or fleeing domestic abuse. They work on a referral system from charities who agree that these women would benefit from a new wardrobe. They only collect clothes that still have the label on them so the women in need don't feel as though they are receiving hand me downs. Luckily I had a dress in my wardrobe that still had tags on it and it's a great way to get rid of clothes you were meant to return, but never got round to.

The work ALICAS do might seem frivolous at first glance, but many victims of homelessness and domestic abuse (especially emotional abuse) lose their sense of self, and clothes play a large part in shaping someone's self-identity. On the day of the clothes swap, we filled boxes for two of the charity's current referrals - which included information on the women's age, clothing sizes, and style preferences. These women were going to receive clothing that would fit their personalities and lifestyles, and that's fantastic.

On the day of the clothes swap, the conversation naturally gravitated towards Marie Kondo and how much she has inspired people to clean out their lives. I've not read her book or watched her Netflix documentary, but from what I've heard second-hand I agree with the principles. I have been in the mindset for years that the organisation or cleanliness of someone's house reflects their mental health and emotional wellbeing. I used to be terrible at not keeping on top of my housework, but that was because I was busy with too many random things that I couldn't make time for basic self-care. My room reflected how disorganised my life was.

And my hoarding tendencies (in case you missed it: I mentioned that I held on to a pair of broken GHDs) were reflective of my general attitude to filling my life with things that didn't bring happiness or had long outgrown. Whether it was having frenemies, people I liked but didn't get the !!!! feeling for, staying in romantic/sexual relationships for longer than I should, having hobbies that I wasn't super-passionate about, or even staying in the closet until my mid-twenties - I was never able to throw away even non-physical things.

But there has been understandable criticism that Marie Kondo is encouraging people to send half their belongings to landfill. Which is true. But the real problem is consumerism and people buying things they don't need. This also includes gifts you feel you need to buy someone, and they end up at the back of the closet for ten years. Until people learn to live with less in the beginning, we're going to have people throwing away stuff. The trick isn't to hoard (like I did) it's to think more sensibly about your purchases in the first place.



When I got home that evening, it was without my two large shopping bags and my rucksack was now full of new clothes that reflect my current outwards appearance:

• A polka dot blazer from M&S
• A tartan hooded dress from Collection Vintage London
• A stripy long-sleeved jumper from Oasis 
• A long t-shirt with eyes on it from Neon Ninja®
• Burgandy and white skater dress from People Tree

And the best part of my second clothes swap?

I can now fit all my clothes in my wardrobe.

Move over Marie Kondo.

If you've been following me and my wee blog for a few years, you might have noticed that outfit posts used to be a thing. And then they weren't. In fact, my last outfit post was back in 2015.

That's because after I finished university in 2012 I fell into a massive style rut. That lasted for years.

I started working in an office full-time so my wardrobe now required blazers and sensible shoes. My new desk job caused me to put on weight and, while the weight gain itself was something I accepted, I could no longer fit into half my clothes and even the clothes I could fit into now didn't sit the same way. Adult life was busy, and I began to desire clothes that were practical and easy to style - but still cute (is that too much to ask?). It didn't help that blogging was maturing as an industry and fashion blogs (which had once been my primary source of fashion inspiration) had changed from girls taking snaps in their bedrooms of casual outfits, to now being on par with glitzy fashion magazines full of outfits that were (maybe I'm wrong) not honest representations of what these girls wore in day-to-day life.



I've never considered myself a natural fashionista. Which is why the dilemma over my wardrobe carried on for years. I didn't grow up in a house where looking great everyday was considered a must. My dad only invested in a fitted suit when my parents booked their first cruise five years ago, and my mum only has five lipsticks to her name.

I did develop a 'style' when I was 15 (hello MySpace phase) and then later in my final two years of university, but both had been heavily influenced by what other girls wore on the internet and in magazines. None of it had been some natural flair for knowing what shoes went with what bag or what colours complimented each other.

It was only in the past two years that I began to define a look that suited my new adult life. Skinny jeans. Skirts with tights (fishnets on a night out). Playsuits. Skater dresses. Floaty tops and blouses. Admitting once and for all that fitted t-shirts don't suit me. Jumper dresses. Chockers and understated jewellery. White Converse in summer. Black ankle boots in winter. Muted tones, and much more black than before. I'd say it falls under the 'indie Cindy' umbrella and if I had to choose a celebrity to emulate it would be Alexa Chung.

But then another challenge came my way: the ethical lifestyle journey that I started in 2012 had now expanded to include clothes, and I wanted to get the fuck away from fast fashion. It's hard enough shopping for clothes when you refuse to step foot in a Primark, but when you actively hate your entire wardrobe and need a re-vamp? Eek.



My solution came very recently in the form of clothes swap hosted by Edinburgh ethical fashion blogger Ruth MacGilp. Not only did I have clothes I couldn't fit into anymore but the past twelve months had been a turning point point for me (hello coming out) and I had the strong urge to once and for all rid my physical space of things that no longer served me. It was the perfect way to clear out my wardrobe and pick up some new threads that did tick my boxes (all without damaging the environment or funding slave labour).

On the day it was myself and Ruth, plus Alice of Twenty-Something City and Lucie of Call Me Dumpling. Between us we managed to fill three rails of clothing with varying styles. The clothes ranged from bold and beautiful, right through to structured and muted. Aside from the clothes, there were also jackets, bags, and shoes. Oh, and photographer Ellie Morag was there to take photos of the looks we had styled from each other's unwanted clothing.

I  remained restrained on the day and refused to replace my unwanted clothes with other pieces that would end up sitting in my wardrobe untouched for three years. No joke: these girls are style mavens and the temptation to grab everything that fitted was highly tempting. But in the end I opted for 7 new items, some of which I've already worn:

• Black high-heeled ankle boots
• Tartan scarf
• Pippa Lynn t-shirt dress
• A dark blue t-shirt dress
• Red belt
• Black French Connection dress
• JS Millennium dark blue shirt with a red ballet dancer pattern

The silver boots you see me wearing? I know they're fabulous but I also know they wouldn't get worn ever again. Same to the red pumps. I left them.



When I arrived home and hung up my new threads, I found even more clothes and accessories I wanted to get rid of (the clothes that we didn't swap were donated to a charity shop). There's something cathartic about bringing home clothes that you will wear that gives you the confidence to become even stricter about donating the clothes that you know you never will wear again.

So I'm game again. If there's anyone in the Central Belt of Scotland looking to get rid of new clothes and pick up some new clothes for free - give me a holla.

Love Morag x

I'm aware that I'm cutting this post very close with Halloween now only this coming Friday. However I decided to still post some of my favourite creepy finds from Etsy anyway, because even if you can't get it shipped to you in time (it's mostly American, and most of you guys are British) there's always next year, or screw calender norms and use these pieces proudly no matter the time of year.

I am absolutely useless with blog titles when it comes to outfit posts so I'm going with the band that I wore this outfit to go see. Arliss Nancy are a Colorado punk-country band I've been a fan of for a while and I was through in Dundee to see them last week. They were as perfect live as I wanted and I think you should all go have a listen, and I think it was superb that they chose bands from the (very strong) local Dundee music scene to open for them



The outfit itself is what I would consider a simple gig outfit - comfy and still shows off my former emo-kid tendencies in a more adult fashion. The outfit is almost all New Look and was bought that day as I only got paid on the Friday when I was travelling through to Dundee so grabbed my Saturday night outfit whilst out shopping on Saturday afternoon (along with hair dye, half the Lush shop and a new nail polish). The bag and the jacket are both Primark and the shoes are obviously Vans, all of which I have owned a while.




As most people will know I like to buy as much of my clothes from independent shops as possible, which obviously fell through with this outfit (though my ring is from Maggie's Farm but was bought whilst I still lived in Dundee myself). Mainly it was because I got paid only the weekend I was in Dundee itself (where my friend who is most willing to stand around playing photoshoot lives!) and didn't have the time to be raking through charity shops (which are slightly rarer in the city centre of Dundee compared to Glasgow). Knowing I had to hit the high street I picked up this outfit from New Look with a quick look in H&M as well knowing that these two shops - whilst not perfect - have better ethical reputations than their other high street counterparts.



Whilst boy-cotting Primark is difficult whilst on a graduate income I do try my best to avoid it and - writing on the internet so I can be held accountable - I'm deciding that I only want to buy work clothes from there going forward. All casual, sports and evening clothes will be bought from other stores, mainly independent but if I have to go high street then it will be New Look or H&M (I think M&S doesn't have a bad rep either but it's a bit pricier).



As for my face, I went for a bold lip with my Daniel Sandler Valentina lipstick - which is one of my favourites but I have to be in the correct mood to wear it. It's a plum purple with a hint of red coming through and the quality is one of the best I've tried. I bought this lipstick prior to my vegan transition so I can't say if it's a vegan lippy as I am yet to look into it, though the company are cruelty-free. I'm also wearing my brand new Barry M polish in Chilli however none of these photos show it close up (need to have a word with my photographer haha!).

Now go listen to Arliss Nancy (and their support acts LaChance, Robot Doctors and Broken Stories).

Morag x

When I made the decision to become a vegetarian three years ago I didn't quite realise my dating life would be impacted. I knew I couldn't be taken on a date to a steak house or gifted gummy love hearts for valentine's day; but I didn't quite anticipate how many guys would be put off by my meat-free lifestyle.

To put it out there: I'd date a meat eater. Yes a veggie dude would be great but it's not a deal breaker if that special someone likes meat and I wouldn't try to change that. But quite a few of the guys I've dated have made a big deal about it.

Some gems have included:

• vegetarianism isn't natural (ex-boyfriend prior to my transition, which happened two months after our split)
• Do you eat eggs? But it could have been a chicken? Vegetarians shouldn't eat eggs!!!
• Oh, that might be a problem 'cause I do eat meat (to which I drunkenly replied 'oh that's okay cause men never are veggie anyway')
• Do you mind if I eat meat in front of you?
• Do you eat fish? 

I was in two minds about posting this outfit as it ended up not looking quite as good on as it had in my head. I do however really love this jacket, but it's one of those pieces that it can be difficult to decide what it goes with! What does tartan actually go with anyway?

I had originally planned to wear this outfit with a pair of black jeans - but immediately was reminded on why I haven't owned any non-sport trousers for about two years.They don't really suit my figure and I find skirts/dresses a hella lot more comfy (believe it or not). So it was on with a skirt: the only one I could grab being the work skirt I had being wearing that day before having to grab a bus across to Dundee to attend a cheesy pop night.

Oh well.

Morag x

Bonnie Bling
A personal favourite - my Ecosse necklace may not go with much but it's still one of my favourite pieces. If having Scottish slang hanging from their neck isn't in your receivers lookbook they also sell flowers, other random slang and a certain Glasgow statue with a cone on its head.

Obscure Couture
With gothic leanings and Wonderland-esque lines this is for the more flamboyant fashionista. But if you're gal is brave enough to head out in a see-through skirt than this here is the brand for her. Their site is still in construction but you can still buy their tremendous pieces from ASOS marketplace.

Hayley Scanlan
Waving the Dundee fashion flag high is Hayley Scanlan who offers a small but wearable collection including studded and PVC numbers, but also stripy off the shoulder pieces.

Karen Mobon
If your receiver has a bit of a scarf fetish then this is the designer you should wish to get pally with.

Common People
Something for the other 50% of the population, this Edinburgh based brand combines mens clothing with short sleeved shirts, knitwear and hipster tendencies.

Other honourable mentions: Abandon Ship Apparel // Saunt & Sinner // DIY Nails // Lucky Edge Decks // Catherine Aitken // Rebecca Torres // Bebaroque // Deetz // Henrietta Ludgate 

After myself and Hayley attended the Country Living Fair it was only fitting that we went outside and had a pose outside one of Glasgow's landmarks. I purposely wore a mostly brand new outfit that day because I really am that sad, but also because I was yet to wear everything I bought during my most recent haul. Some of the pieces you might already recognise from last winter, but the two new pieces are my top and my boots.


I picked up the top from the maternity section of New Look. I'm a big fan of having a wonder through the non-obvious parts of the store for new items, and on the same shopping trip I picked up two wooly jumpers from the Generation range (for £10 each). The top comes down far enough that it is in the 'is this a top or dress?' grey area (because it is meant for women with a heavy mid-section) so I decided to tuck into one of my favourite pieces ever: my H&M pleather skirt from last winter.


My shoes are from New Look (because that's where I seem to buy everything) and they were the only boot I found that matched all my criteria: smart enough to be worn to work, flat because I walk to work, casual enough that I can wear them elsewhere and still in a design I like. They are mega comfy and they've barely been off my feet since I bought them earlier this month.

And to finish here is a picture of the ears on my hood (clearly this isn't my 'posed' face):




Lots of November love x