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When we first saw the 2021 spring collections in September, we hadn’t any idea what sorts of occasions they’d be worn to once they finally arrived in stores. Now, seven months later, 32 million people in the U.K are vaccinated. In turn, a newfound sense of excitement is growing around the fashion trends we can take outside. Ahead, a refresher on all the top trends for spring, from supersized silhouettes at Sportmax and Louis Vuitton to joyful colours and patterns at Versace and Miu Miu, all of which we’re now viewing with fresh (and optimistic) eyes — and an open wallet. When we first noticed the size of the shoulders on garments during Fashion Month last September, it made sense: heavily padded sleeves are effective in preventing people from getting too close to your face. The silhouette also exudes power. After a year spent indoors in uncertainty, we’re taking back the town — and doing so in big-shouldered jackets. No matter how comfortable a grey sweatsuit and house slippers are, especially when paired with a cushy sofa and another viewing of Gossip Girl, they simply do not bring out the same sense of joy that a vibrant-coloured and -printed dress, set, or micro-mini will. Leisurewear was great when we were at home. Now that vaccine rollouts are on the way, it’s time to ditch that gear though, and embrace fashion that’s as jovial as our outlook. Given that many of us haven’t actually gotten dressed in more than a year, it’s understandable if the concept of pairing colours and patterns in ways that work together feels intimidating. Ease into fashion again by sticking with just one colour — be it a pastel, neon, or neutral — for your entire look. For inspo, see: MaxMara, Fendi, Sportmax, and No.21. If, rather than feeling intimidated, you’re eager to embrace the chaos of pairing different patterns, this season has seen prints ranging from electric seashells to more understated florals. Fashion rules don’t exist anymore — the pandemic made sure of that — so we say, clash away. In the coming months, the hope is that we can spend as much time outside as we did inside in 2020. Because of that, we’re going to need XXL bags to fit all our belongings in, from picnic blankets and snacks (the “Tesla of strawberries,” anyone?) to gallon-sized water bottles and a spare pair of short shorts. If lockdown taught us anything, it’s that we don’t enjoy feeling constricted, be it by the four walls of our abodes or our clothes. In response, we’re seeking out billowy, oversized silhouettes that won’t hold us in. You spent all of 2020 (and part of 2021) twiddling away in your makeshift craft corner, knitting, crocheting, and bedazzling your way to mental clarity. Now that clearer skies are in our midst, you can finally put your needles down and enjoy the fruits of your labour. For ideas on how to style your DIY fashions, let Ulla Johnson, Anna Sui, and Alberta Ferretti be your guides. At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?5 Jacket Trends To Ready You For SpringForget Cottagecore, Fashion's Hitting The Seaside9 Ways To Style Your Trench Coat This Spring
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When I had my daughter seven years ago, I experienced what is termed “birth trauma”. Coupled with postnatal depression, mild PTSD and other physical rehabilitation issues, this meant my first birth took years to recover from – seven, in fact. Now that I am pregnant with my second, I’m choosing to have an elective caesarean. There are always good reasons, physically and mentally, for having a C-section, elective or not. So why do we still, deep down, believe it to be the cheat's option? When I found out I was pregnant, I was ecstatic but terrified. My husband was thrilled but worried, with the memories of my last birth colouring the long-awaited joy for both of us. So I reached out to the same hospital where I’d delivered my daughter. While I was still unsure whether I wanted to give birth there again, luck handed me the chance to speak to the matron of the delivery suite which was the first step in a cascade of helpfulness. That conversation put me on the path to a birth reframing session (I hadn’t known these existed and so hadn’t had one) and specialist mental health services; at every step I talked through my previous traumatic experience and was assured that a C-section was absolutely an option for me if I wanted it. It has only been more recently, when I had a follow up appointment with a specialist midwife that there was a change in the party line. “Well, you are being allowed to have a caesarean like you asked,” she snapped when I expressed some worries. “Allowed?” As if major abdominal surgery, which cuts through seven layers of tissue, is a special treat. It felt as if the mask had slipped and I wonder whether it’s a generational thing. This midwife is in her late 50s. The Call the Midwife actor Jenny Agutter is 68 and has recently commented that C-sections are “sad”. “Now, of course, people say that they’ll have their baby taken out on such a date by C-section, which is sad, in a way,” she said, adding that while it depends on the circumstances, “childbirth is something to be experienced fully, if one can”. Yet I've also overheard commiserations for elective C-sections expressed by my peers at parent and baby classes. A friend of mine mentioned that she'd had a C-section, to which another mother responded: “Oh no, I'm sorry.” “Don't be, I asked for one!” my friend replied. A lot of the positive rhetoric around water births, free births and breathing with surges (also known as contractions) can make us feel like we're letting down the motherhood by opting for a caesarean: I had to look really hard for a hypnobirthing teacher who offered a caesarean-specific course. And while currently around 30 per cent of births in the UK are by C-section (both emergency or elective), it can vary greatly between hospitals as to how easy it is to choose one, despite the most recent March 2021 NICE guidelines reiterating that “the women's preferences and concerns are central to the decision-making process”. The problem is that, while it's good practice to follow the guidelines, it's not legally required. A 2008 Birth Rights report showed that 15 per cent of NHS Trusts explicitly do not offer maternal request C-sections and 47 per cent effectively don't (by making it very difficult to request one or having inconsistent policies and procedures) – which, of course, ends in a lottery of care. Oxford University Hospitals Trust, for example, has only just changed its policy to offer maternal request caesareans going forwards. And we all know that, though thankfully it’s changing in some circles, a vaginal birth is usually called a “natural birth”, as if choosing an abdominal birth is not a valid way to come into the world. My first birth was characterised by a lack of control and inability to influence decisions – as is often the case when you're tired from days of labour and in pain. I didn’t know what I was doing and felt unprepared. I didn’t have the confidence to speak up and advocate for myself and neither did my husband. This time I'm more prepared and informed; I know what's going to come and how to recover. I’ve had years of therapy, trauma rewind sessions, an incredibly helpful hypnobirthing course and asked for NHS support via perinatal mental health and my midwife. And part of that – of my taking control – has been to choose a C-section. For me it's not unnatural or something for you to comment on. It's certainly not the cheat's choice – to be clear, I'm nearly as scared of this birth as I was for my first. It's about the right to decide what's right for me and my body, physically and mentally, after properly weighing up all the risks and advantages; I'm the one who knows my body best. Sometimes we can't help having an unplanned caesarean. Just as we also can't help it if past experience means that we know an elective caesarean is right for us. So could we, perhaps, stop treating it like the easy way out? @itscliowood
Are you planning for a Great British Summer? With domestic holidays back on in England and Wales, and little certainty provided on the resumption of foreign travel, UK tourist resorts are expecting a bumper season. Telegraph Travel marked the Great Unlock of self-catering accommodation on April 12 by sending our writers out to report on reopenings. The weather has yet to catch up with the optimism heralded by the gradual easing of lockdown. Come summer, hopefully this will have changed. By March 3, up to 90 per cent of UK school holiday options had sold out among some providers. However, as tourism chiefs in some of the most popular holiday destinations report, there are still pockets of availability: especially if you go directly to self-catering businesses, as opposed to booking sites. And, should we enjoy another bout of heatwaves, the camping boom could well fill the gap.Outdoor accommodation booking site Pitchup.com has seen bookings for April to September this year up by 139 per cent on the same period in 2019; while Cool Camping is adding around 10 new sites to its portfolio each week. “Even if you are looking for peak August dates don’t worry, you haven’t left it too late, we do still have some great options for you,” says James Warner Smith, editor of Coolcamping.com.
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