As many of you know, I do a lot of work with Shein.

Double Shein

They have kindly sent me many different outfits over the 18 months or so, including swimwear, pyjamas, dresses, capes and more.

The lovely Jessy emailed me again a few weeks ago and asked me to pick four items of my absolute choice (with two spares just in case of item unavailability) and she would send them to me straight away.

Hat and Dress by Shein

I had a good look at the various categories and my eyes were drawn to quite a bright coloured coat.

Now given that I have specific coats for specific occasions, all vintage style, it was a bit odd that I was having a look at a modern looking coat.

Vintage Coat Style

There was, however, method to my madness.

This coat had a thin teddy lining, was down to mid-calf and had a full length zip.

If you read me regularly, you will know of my recent sponsored swim for a very deserving local family.

Now, swimming is brilliant and I absolutely love it. It makes me happy, my mental health is greatly improved and so is the strength of my knee.

Rear View

However the worst part of it is the getting dry, warm and dressed afterwards. Especially during the Autumn/Winter when its dark and cold and feels horrid leaving a warm pleasant environment to go out into.

There are such things as ‘dry-robes’ which are insulated long coats which are used by professional swimmers and ‘wild swimmers’; people who swim in lakes and rivers no matter what season or weather.

Teddy Lined

Don’t get me wrong, I am not for one second saying this is a dry-robe.

However, it is warm, long, and light/thin enough to not take up a lot of space in a regular size gym locker. It also works really well for throwing on after completing a session in the pool.

The coat would soak up a lot of water if I put it on without drying myself off first. But that would mean wearing it out damp and wet into the cold.

So I do use a towel to take off all the excess before throwing on this coat.

Lovely and Snug

Having no shame, I don’t bother with a bra as trying to wrangle my boobs into a bra which is a struggle at the best of times, is five times harder on clammy skin, no matter how much I try and dry myself off.

I throw on my knickers, zip up the coat, pull the hood over my wet hair and get myself in the car.

To be honest, the fact that I live only a 5 minute drive from the gym makes a *huge* difference, as I am sure that if it was any further distance, I would want to put more clothing on!

Bold and Bright

Anyway, I digress.

The coat is a size 5XL which was big enough for my size 24/26 body with lots of room to spare. The bust measurement is 57.5 inches and very generous and quite A-line in design, so the bust measurement is actually the narrowest part.

I actually loved the colour and pattern of the coat as it felt very autumnal; mustardy yellow with dark blue and rust accents in the floral pattern. I thought it was really stylish and unusual.

Exceptionally Comfortable

Now, if that colour combo isn’t of your choosing, this coat comes in five different colour/patterns!

As well as the mustard, you can choose between a dark khaki, powder blue, a light teal/marine or a navy blue. I have to admit, I was really torn between the mustard and the powder blue, but have a lot of blue clothing and gravitated more towards the mustard.

And I was absolutely thrilled with my choice.

The colour is bright and cheerful, the teddy lining is soft and warm yet not bulky. Whilst it works perfectly for my swimming escapades, it would equally be perfect for walking the dog on a crisp, fresh Autumn morning or a mooch around a garden centre/shopping village.

Peek-A-Boo

Priced at £26.49 in Mustard it is within a decent price bracket but is multi-functional and you can’t normally get that for such a great price.

Whether you need a lightweight coat to throw on to do the shopping, walk your best pooch or even using public transport, it really is ideal.

Great for Outdoors Adventures

For now, I will keep using mine after my swimming sessions, after all I need to keep improving my damaged knee.

Until next time,

SPSG xxx