#Beyond Niners - Michaela

15/12/2021

#Beyond Niners - Michaela

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
 
I'm Mum to two daughters, Maude and Margot, age 7 and 3. I started my own social media consultancy/management business, Wild Social in 2017 which I now run from my home in Nottingham in the East Midlands. I specialise in Pinterest marketing and Facebook Ads and work with product-based businesses around the UK. 

  

Michaela wears the Raspberry Laura and Navy Breton

We lived in Bristol until 2017 and I worked in marketing for a travel company but after returning to work after having Maude, the hours were so inflexible I decided to go it alone. A move across the country, six months and a diploma later and Wild Social was born! It works so well as I can work around my family and work from home in my comfies! I was an old hand at flexible working by the time COVID struck!
 
In my spare time I love to read and am a huge bookworm. I'm currently about to start reading The Handmaid's Tale after bingeing the series on Prime! I'm obsessed! I also really love to cook and feel so comfortable in the kitchen. I rediscovered cross stitch and embroidery during the first lockdown too and find it a lovely thing to do to relax. Working in social media is hard as you are constantly on your phone. I find needlecrafts allow me something to do with my hands that mean I'm not scrolling Instagram all evening!

Michaela wears the Iris Coverall 

 WHAT HISTORICALLY HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CLOTHES SHOPPING BEEN LIKE?  

Like many women I have a really complicated relationship with my body. I most of the time don't like my curves but have definitely become more empowered in my own skin since having children. The female body is incredible! I used to really love shopping and considered myself quite 'trendy' in my 20s. But I lost my style after having my first baby. I never 'shed' all the baby weight and since then have really struggled to find clothes that fit and that are my style. So many of the shops I used to love (including many small boutiques stocking smaller brands) just didn't cater for anything bigger than a 14 and those 14s were tiny. It was/is so frustrating and I just gave up. I spent a long time wearing leggings and t-shirts/oversized shirts and obsessed over buying shoes and beautiful coats instead as I could rely on the sizes and shapes of those a bit more. 


   WHERE DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT BEYOND NINE?

  I discovered the brand through Instagram during the first lockdown. I had a lot more disposable income because I wasn't spending it all on coffees and expensive lunches out and I had been thinking a lot about fast fashion and had made the decision to try to buy less but buy well. The Leicester factories scandal was around the time I bought my first pieces and I really wanted to trust in what I was buying. I bought my first pieces using Clearpay as I literally had never spent that much on a single item of clothing before and felt really nervous. I have never been an online shopper - I had much preferred going shopping in real life and trying things on before deciding to buy. Mainly because I don't ever feel I can trust the sizing. But I dug out my tape measure and decided to take the plunge. And I have never looked back. Your measurements and sizing recommendations are always spot on and I don't feel nervous anymore. I can really trust you.

 WHAT DOES THE BRAND MEAN TO YOU? 
Everything. It's so lovely to have found a brand that I adore as much and whose clothes are made for people like me. People who want to feel stylish but comfortable. I feel I can trust your practices, your sizing, your styling - everything. 
 
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU WEAR BEYOND NINE? 
 

Like I can take on the world! It sounds silly but I feel like I've clawed a bit of me back when I wear Beyond Nine. It almost feels like a kind of armour. I have lost a lot of confidence in the last few years and it makes me feel confident again. I feel good and I feel like my new found confidence shines from within. I'm not exaggerating when I say I wear Beyond Nine every day (well, 6 days out of 7!). The clothes are functional, comfortable and can be dressed up or down which is a must for me! In a single day I  can work from my desk at home in my Laura then chuck on my Milly with my Docs or Grenson boots to nip to a meeting then put on my Cece to go for drinks with friends. I love it!

 WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE?

 I honestly don't know, it changes frequently! Until I received my coverall I'd have said my Cece dress. This just fits me like a dream. I even had a brand photoshoot in it for work a couple of months ago. But the coverall - well, it's just beautiful and i think it'll be my go to this winter. But Milly and Laura are amazing too, and Jenny and Hugh are literally the comfiest loungewear I've ever owned - arghh I don't know!  

Michaela wears the Olive Jenny trousers 

 WHAT DOES FEELING GOOD IN YOUR CLOTHES MEAN TO YOU?

  Feeling good means everything. It's a feeling I've been trying to find for years as I haven't truly felt comfortable in many clothes since having my second baby. But now I have, it means more than you know. I get complimented daily on my Beyond Nine clothes and I don't care who you are, having someone notice or compliment what you are wearing makes you smile!

ANY STAND OUT MOMENTS WEARING BEYOND NINE?

 I have had so many instances of people complimenting me - in my local deli a few weeks ago in Sherwood, a lady asked if my Savannah was a Beyond Nine piece. I told you about it on Instagram, you added it on Stories and the lady got in touch with you to say it was her. We've now connected on Insta and always have a chat when I'm in the deli. 

 I recently went to see Fatboy Slim and having not been to a gig/rave/club since pre-Covid, I hadn't a clue what to wear. I'm the kind of person that wears the same thing to go out that I do to sit and work so I really felt the pressure! My Mum assured me I should wear the Iris boiler suit so I added some chunky jewellery and off we went. Turns out was the perfect thing to wear - I can promise you, you can also #RaveInIt