Lockdown may mean that we are no longer in search of a show-stopping outfit for our latest holiday, wedding or celebration – but that certainly does not mean we should stop dressing up altogether.
Whether you find yourself furloughed, working from home or are retired, the chances are you have spent the last few weeks in comfy, baggy clothing, but that does nothing for your confidence or your self-esteem.
Fashion guru, Irene Mackie, has spent the last three decades in the ladieswear industry and knows the impact an outfit can have on your mood.
Irene, who runs women’s clothing boutique Bentleys of Banchory, said: “People have nowhere to go, there are no barbecues, no weddings, no family gatherings, so instead we are all at home wearing jogging trousers and we seem to have lost the feel good factor.
“We have got to find a way of dressing up at home, and don’t do it for your husband or your partner, do it for yourself.
“When people put on the right outfit, in the right colour, for the right occasion, they feel younger, their shoulders go down, and they feel much happier.”
Since launching Bentleys of Banchory 30 years ago, Irene has helped clothe thousands of women in casualwear, cruisewear and bridal outfits at its two branches at 32-36 High Street and 68 High Street. And now that the designer boutiques have launched their spring/summer collections online (as the stores are temporarily closed), it is the perfect time to “get back the feel good factor by creating it yourself,” insists Irene.
In a bid to get ladies across Aberdeenshire, and beyond, dressing to impress and treating themselves to a new top, pair of trousers or outfit online, Irene has launched a Looking Lovely on Lockdown competition which invites women of all ages across the region to share photos on Facebook of them dressed up in their favourite outfit from Bentleys.
To take part, you should share your picture at www.facebook.com/bentleysfashions/
Why not browse Bentleys of Banchory’s website by clicking here as the store has just taken delivery of its summer 2020 stock, including new lines from Robell and Marble Scotland.
If ever there was a time to treat yourself to a new outfit (not that you really need an excuse to do so), it is now!
