Last week an email popped up into my inbox. That's not unusual but this one was a little bit different... Let me explain why!!
12 years ago my Mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer, at that time we didn't know how long mum had to live as we were told her condition was treatable but not curable - as you cam imagine, the bottom fell out of our world, literally! We took every day and every chemo treatment at a time. But whilst her interest in lots of thing waned her love for shopping and spending time flicking through catalogues, fashion and home magazines didn't. I think looking back it was literally retail therapy for mum, an escape into something where she didn't have to think about her illness or the eventuaulity of what was happening.
Mum spent hours reading and took to looking through the Boden brochure with me too, a brand I was totally obsessed with. She chose outfits for the children who were then toddlers, she picked items for me and my sister. She loved to spoil us. You may remember that Union Jacks were a huge trend 10 years ago and for Christmas 2009 mum bought my sister and I beautiful Boden leather Union Jack purses, which at the time was very extravagant and expensive! Sadly though her after Christmas her health deteriorated and we lost mum in July 2010.... My world stopped... my interest in shopping at that time was forgotten, my interest in everything diminished, I didn't care, I hid away, I lost myself completely.
As time moved on I healed and slowly my interest in every day life, going out, shopping and what I wore returned. Throughout all the sad times whenever I reached into my bag to pay for something and touched my purse I thought of her, the purse became a symbol to me, one of those small items that bear no significance to anyone else but you .... my purse! I carried on using the purse for years and years because I couldn't part with it, I loved it .... the memories a simple leather purse could hold were part of me... I think it was about 2015 before I finally stopped using the purse but I have never parted with it and stored it away carefully. Boden have always stayed an iconic British brand in my mind.
So, you see when that email arrived from the Zyper official team nearly 10 years later asking me if I would like to be part of the Boden campaign, to become an ambassador for them and select items monthly to review and create content for Instagram well, I was a little overwhelmed and felt a little pang of emotion! Anyone who has lost anyone will understand why, it was as if it were a sign and mum is saying I am proud of you and what you are doing, I am here watching you.
As you can imagine it didn't take me long to say yes to Zyper and Boden and from there I ordered my first piece, this stunning coat. But it was only after I ordered it that I realised the significance of my choice without every thinking of it .... the colour of the coat... green... the same colour as my Boden purse! Mum knew how much fashion meant to me, she and my Aunt were my fashion and style inspiration throughout life, so I embrace this 'sign' for my Style Coaching business and this collaboration with Boden with open arms. Don't worry Boden I'll do you proud, I am an excellent shopper!!
This gorgeous coat is now a staple in my winter wardrobe and I think I may even put my purse back into use again - just to make me smile every day!
Even better Boden have also given me a 20% discount code / link to share with you here
Happy Shopping
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