Frump to Fab 2026.

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning lovely ladies......

Welcome to the new thread and a happy new year to one and all.  

Am I fab yet. Lol. Nearly, but not quite fab enough yet,  there's always room for improvement,  so I continue my journey to fabdom.  

My word for this year is refresh.  Me, my home, my life.  🤪

This year I want to change my image a bit.  I recently watched the Parent Trap again.  The Lindsay Lohan version. I really liked Natasha Richardsons wardrobe so I am going to go for that look.  Very classic, simple, easy to wear, a lot of creams and winter whites, light tans. I also want to continue switching to more natural fabrics to help soothe my excema prone skin.  Eventually I aim to ditch all polyester and other synthetics, except my faux fur.  I could never bring myself to wear real fur.  

And of course, the perennial new year resolution to really look after my health ......after all I shall be  I'm 75 this year so personal care will be my absolute top priority.  

I made a start by having a good rest yesterday, a nice afternoon nap and making sure I got to bed the right side of midnight.  

I have also started using castor oil, both as a skin care treatment and a pain reliever, especially my knee.   I'll let you know how I get on.  It's early days yet, less than a week and apparently it does take time to work.  

And of course, sticking to eating as healthily as I can.  

Watty1

hello - could I join you in the frump to fab journey?  I did well last year, I bought a gorgeous hair topper so now I am party fab ready whenever with ease - but my mental health has been a real issue and regaining that has to be my focus.  I've seen the GP and organised a private counselling session for next week.

But - i will never feel better unless I put some real effort in so last night I washed my hair, had a bath and my partner changed the bedding.

This morning, I cleaned my teeth, used a spray of perfume and am wearing clean clothes for maybe the first time in a week (don't judge, things have been bad).

sukeyboo

Hi @Watty1 - nice to see you over here 👋 - you won’t be judged on here - we have all had tough times to get through x

helensbiggestfan

Hi Watty.  Welcome and I confirm that no one will judge you.  They will have me to deal with.!!!!  Lol


We all experience times when personal care takes a back seat.  It happens, don't torture yourself.  Just resolve to start taking good care of yourself. Small manageable changes. Day by day, bit by bit.  Always remember the compound effect. 

I have been extremely fortunate in my life in that despite life's slings, arrows, misfortunes and setbacks I have never suffered from depression.  That is, apart from post natal depression and that was bad enough.  

So far, I have been blessed with good mental health - it's just my body that is wrecked. Lol.    I think my mental pain, grief, stress etc expresses itself as physical ailments, IBS, fibromyalgia and the like.  

And that I think is down to my childhood.  I don't talk about it much but let's just say it was less than idyllic and leave it at that,  I learned early on that I couldn't afford to show any signs of emotional need or mental stress. I couldn't show any signs of "weakness" because it would have been exploited and used against me.  So I turned it inwards and paid the price in my physical health. There is definitely a truth to the adage that eventually the body will say "NO". 

But one thing I have learned. It is that healing starts with TLC and exquisite personal care.  It's not selfish, it's self preservation.  

There is a concept called "enclothed cognition".  We all know that we are what we eat and psychology is now becoming aware that what we wear and how we present ourselves can also impact our health and well being. Dressing well, careful grooming etc isn't vanity, it isn't shallow, it's important for how we feel, how we perform, how we live. 

The good news is that our brains react to external stimuli.  By manipulating that stimuli we can recalibrate our brains and emotions.  In essence thoughts become feelings.  Change our thoughts for the better and we start to feel better.  

And the easiest way to change our thoughts is to begin by changing our environment.  Elevate our environment and what we consume and we elevate our life.  Clothes, homes, friendships, the people we spend time with, the books we read, the films we watch, the social media we follow.   It is all brain food.  

Yes journalling, meditation, therapy if needed etc, all have their place but the simple truth is, the easiest and quickest results to improving our health and well being come by making a few simple tweaks to our daily routines.  And it all starts with how we present ourselves, not just for the world but for us.  

Small steps.  And yes, perfume is a great place to start.  When you smell gorgeous life changes for the better......

Watty.  We are here for you. I am here for you.  We are here to support each other, to be our own cheerleaders.  Post regularly, even if you just want to have a rant and let off steam.  And just take it one step at a time.  

OpalGirl

Happy new year @helensbiggestfan. And welcome to this thread @Watty1- I follow you on your thread and you have achieved so much in the last few years so helens word for the year "refresh" is equally fitting for you.

Watty1

Thank you for the welcomes and kind words.

@helensbiggestfan that concept is really interesting.  I threw away a cardigan which was a great cardigan for keeping warm in but it was shabby and I feel frumpy in it and when I picked it up I knew I would never feel better in it.  Your comments really struck a chord when I read them because I have had a better day today thanks to a few mins effort this morning. 

chanie

hi Fabbers,

Happy 2026 to you all. 

i’ve been missing in action for ages.  No reason in particular, just moving forward with life.  But, in the years i have been in this thread, i’ve developed some great habits, which i’ve kept up.

@helensbiggestfan i don’t know about you, but i’m finding it increasingly difficult to avoid man made fibres in my clothes.   
ivr been gravitating towards quiet luxury in terms of my purchases and have been buying more expensive but niche, well made brands..  i bought some boots reduced from £160 to £50, from a lovely independent boutique i go to where the owner always looks after me 😉.  i wasn’t looking for new boots, but the boots are handmade in leather.  As its getting more difficult to find natural fibres, i snapped them up.

i also bought some new bras, loungewear and some thermal gym leggings. 

@Watty1 well done with all your efforts., i agree with chucking out your old cardy, even if it isn’t very MSE.  i always feel more positive when i feel relatively put together. 

Watty1

Have been thinking a lot about the concept @helensbiggestfan introduced me too.  Tiny steps.  Have managed one more shower and dressed properly this morning.  Over the last couple of days have cleaned out handbag. I know I don't go out often but it did not need to store multiple pens, used tissues, old receipts and so on.   A 2 min job on the way to be more fab.  

I realised being fab is about so much more than just the way I look thanks to that concept.  I've put a time block on my social media as I spend time mindlessly scrolling which is clearly bad for my mental health and then found my kindle and settled down to read.  The book is fairly junky but interestingly it is about a journalist interviewing a social media personality and it really highlights the fake lives of those that cross our screens when we sit scrolling.  It seemed a message from the universe how it tied together. 

Going to tidy my desk now as that will present more of the external stimuli to my brain.  Love the concept so much. Thank you - its probably worth so much more than the counselling I have yet to get sorted out.

helensbiggestfan

Good Morning Lovely Ladies. 

What a glorious day.  Cold but bright and sunny. A perfect winters day.  I am actually writing from my bedroom because it gets full morning sun and the light quality is wonderful.  With two big windows it almost feels like a conservatory or sun room.  Lol. I now utilise this room in the morning as a way of getting extra winter day light when it's too cold to spend much time outdoors. Obviously not as good as sitting outdoors but nonetheless I still feel like I'm getting some benefit from the sunshine,  

Watty. I am so pleased to hear you feeling so positive and upbeat. I am truly delighted that you feel that the concepts we discuss are proving beneficial.  "Enclothed cognition" is a very powerful tool and yet it's so simple.  And no nasty side effects. Lol.  

I have always been interested in psychology and philosophy. I have no professional qualifications, just a laypersons curiosity and a willingness to try new ways of thinking, living and being.  The lessons and concepts I have learned have served me well, both in my career and personal life.  And I am always happy to share what I have learned and what has worked for me. Perhaps I should look at becoming a Life Coach. 🤣😂 

I second your comments about excessive screen time, junk social media, fake influencers.  Excessive use of screens is extremely harmful to mental health because it actually affects brain chemistry.  It is also highly addictive because of the dopamine hit.  Worse still it affects brain development in children.    My husband was an IT consultant and he warned me of the dangers of screen addiction years ago. 

Did you know that Steve Jobs  and Bill Gates would not let their children have access to iPads and mobile phones.  They knew what they were creating.  My husband and I were very strict about screen use with our children.  I could always tell if my children were spending too long on screens, their behaviour would change and my youngest would literally go white and develop a migraine headache.  I have seen it with my grandchildren but obviously I could only advise my son and his wife.  Thankfully they too have realised because only yesterday my son said they were going to make some changes and restrict the boys screen time from now on.  

Chanie.  I too am working towards creating a curated wardrobe based around the idea of quiet luxury. But you are right it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find clothing made entirely from natural fibres.  I have been lucky finding them in charity shops but it's becoming much harder among what seems to be a sea of polyester. And you definitely have to pay attention and read the labels  Fortunately I have enough pure wool coats and jackets to see me out.  

I have been watching some you tube videos about how our high streets have changed, all those wonderful clothes shops that have disappeared.  As for independents, they are a very rare breed now. When I was a teenager even the cheap shops like Chelsea Girl etc sold clothes that were made from natural fabrics such as wool, cotton, linen. Back then I also used to sew a lot and our local market stalls stocked wonderful natural fabrics that you could pick up for pennies. All gone.  

Right....time for brunch and then make a start taking down the Christmas decorations..... 

sukeyboo

Hi everyone,

Sounds like you are making progress @Watty1 - baby steps are the way to go 😀.

I don’t really make New Year resolutions but my goal for this year is to improve my fitness levels and, to ensure I stick to it, I have signed up to do a 13 mile trek along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society on June 6th so I have plenty of time to get in training. 

Feeling quite fab at the moment as I have just returned from the hairdressers after highlights/lowlights, cut and blow dry - not very MSE but I do feel better for it.

i think you would make an excellent life coach @helensbiggestfan - shame you aren’t looking for a new career. 

2Scratters

Happy new you Year All,

I have eaten far too much sugar to date, I am concentrating in finishing it off. I can't remember the last time I got so much chocolate. It has slowed me down and made me feel a bit muggy. 

The products are being used up slowly but are being used daily. I treated myself to a seaweed hair wash and conditioner as I have thinning hair going a bit like my grandmas. Not noticed much difference yet. We have also worked well on using up stores of other hair cleaning and other products from our stores that were and still are SABLE (Stuff Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy) with toiletries, I won't mention the stationary 

I have an old book being used to monitor the movement of items and stuff I still need to do. All the excess stuff when it has been used up goes onto a list and then I pay myself a £1 per item (it sits as cash in a spare purse), showing  how much has gone but it won't be used in repurchases of those gone items.

OOh didn't realise I had started a post and saved as a draft.

Welcome @Watty1

I was looking a short time ago for something else and found other items to go. A product with 2017 date on it, it is made from sugar to not really took any harm but not really my thing. Gone. Working my way through the many beauty products including those unopened. I agree that wearing something you like does lift you with very little effort. Just set up my loft to recycle (never make any) some money hopefully of an excess of clothes. I have decided to collect my bits of broken/unused jewellery and save it and have it made into an item that I will be more likely to wear i.e a simple wrist bangle. Hopefully won't be too expensive. 

He's to fabbing in 2026 ladies

2 Scratters xx