Autumn colours

I've never had my colours done, but if I did, I think I'd be autumn. My pale Scottish complexion along with my reddish hair lend themselves to the autumnal hues. Today's get up is ticking all the complimentary boxes and I hope you agree that they all work really well. The backdrop was chosen to be tonally harmonious for this, my first photo shoot this winter without Polly. Tripod, timer and me, let's go!








I'm not really one to wear mini skirts and dresses but by wearing thick cable knit tights I feel less exposed, almost like wearing leggings in fact. The platform boots do wonders for my stumpy legs - another blogger I know claims she has stumpy legs too. When I was a teenager I remember an occasion when I was told my a member of my family, ahem thanks dad, that I have chumffy thighs (chumffy = Scottish description for heavy, chunky). Maybe I was heftier in those days, maybe all the sport I did gave me very pronounced thighs, but whatever, these comments do stick when you're young and insecure, don't they? You might counter this notion with the fact that I'm happy to share photos of myself in my swimsuit, but I'm always conscious of what I think are still chumffy thighs. Call me crazy, that's OK.

I wore this dress for the first time in September see here. The sharp eyed amongst you will see how one wash has shrunk it from being just above the knee to this mini length now. The only way to remedy this was to add the thick tights and it's turned what I thought was a disaster into an acceptable outfit. My final observation has to be along the lines of "Come back Polly, all is forgiven!" The lack of sharp focus and too bright sunshine only serve to highlight what a great job she did for all of those summer months. I'll be mixing up my photos from here on, using some of my own along with the last few that I've held in reserve from the Polly days. I hope you'll all hang on in there regardless of the quality of photography.

Outfit details - dress:TK Maxx, waistcoat: gift, boots: Office, belt: old, rings: old, sunglasses: Quay Australia.
Anna x

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26 comments

  1. such a lovely and warm color combo, and you rock your mini-dress! it looks really cute on you, with those pretty tights, and those boots are a perfect complement!. I think that your waistcoat adds a very interesting layering! and some warm too!
    besos

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    1. Sometimes things just come together and that's what happened with this dress. The boots were what first came to mind to rememdy the length of the dress and then I remembered I had these burgundy tights. My daughter recently gave me the waistcoat and it's so cosy. So good to hear from you again x
      Anna

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  2. I call my legs my "man legs". I also require heels to help out with some elongation and I'm drooling over these little booties you are wearing. 1970's baby!

    Parents, they scar us for life! LOL

    With your toned body you can wear anything and I love these colours on you.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Man legs, stumpy legs, chumffy thighs - oh we don't spare ourselves anything do we Suzanne? I must admit I'm very lenient with others yet pretty tough on myself, and that too, I blame on my parents. I'm sure my kids will do the same to me in due course!
      Am sure these are the right colours for me, but I couldn't stick to them all the time. Thanks for your lovely compliments x
      Anna

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  3. My stepmom, Nancy (the 60's model on my blog) recalls the comment when she was young about her thighs too---it is amazing how some things (especially the negative ones) stick with you throughout life!
    I think you've made this dress fabulous no matter what the length. I have a couple of skirts that feel a tad too short...and the tights do the trick. I especially love my OTK boots for this reason too.
    jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. Yes, Jodie, you're right that it seems to be the negative comments that stay with us forever. Those OTK boots are sending out their siren call again now that it's winter. I'm sure they would work with this dress too...
      Thanks for you feedback
      Have a lovely week x
      Anna

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  4. Anna, the quality of the photos is fab I would not have known that Polly hadn't shot these if you hadn't said.

    As the owner of stumpy legs I just accept them. Nobody ever told me I had stumpy legs - I worked it out for myself. My daughter, who is svelte and petite, blames me for her thighs - which are fabulous - but she is very sporty (a PE teacher) and goes to the gym a lot!

    I love the outfit. I had a look at the linked earlier post (I missed it the first time I was still in Ireland with no wifi) and I can see it's shrunk, but it looks good with the thick purple tights and I love the shearling (?) gilet. The boots are lovely and everything tones in well in a lovely autumnal way.

    You could always try leggings with the dress as well....

    Cheers

    Veronica
    vronni60s.blogspot.com

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    1. Ah yes, it's grand to be able to blame all of our shortcomings on our parents - and isn't that exactly what I've done here? LOL
      I think the thick tights worked wonders and then the boots lengthen the legs enough to make it all look intentional. The waistcoat is fake, but looks very convincing doesn't it? The leggings suggestion is a good one, so yes, I need to try that too.
      Have a good week x
      Anna

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  5. Beautiful Autumnal colours and I love the gilet. The tights work really well with the short length of the dress and the colour does too. Oh the comments, I remember in my 20s being offended when a friend's husband said you'll never get up that hill with those little stick legs, those were the days!

    Tessa xx

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    1. Oh to have stick legs - how lovely! I had a comment from my friend's husband when I turned up to collect her and I was wearing shorts as we were going out walking together. "Does Lofty know you've got his shorts?" (did you watch "It ain't half hot mum"?) He thought it was hilarious, me not so much.
      Enjoy your week x
      Anna

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  6. Very sexi ;) . Beautiful colour coordination :) . Great pics. Cheers - Margot :)

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    1. Thanks Margot for all of this - very kind of you indeed x
      Anna

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  7. Okay, a) you do not have chumffy thighs - you have NORMAL thighs and b) agreed with Veronica, I would never have known that Polly hadn't taken these photos if you hadn't told us. One day at a time - let us be kinder to ourselves, and remind ourselves that those horrid things our parents/siblings/relatives said to us about our bodies and our selves are NOT TRUE. My mother once told me "butter wouldn't melt in your mouth" (meaning, I am cold, emotionally), which always stuck with me and I always believed! But I'm SUCH an emotional person. Those comments are more about them than about us!

    Phew, got that off my chest. You, Miz Anna, are gorgeous. That dress is fab, the boots are fab, and your body is smokin' hot. :) Have a lovely day!

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    1. Hahaha, that was me told wasn't it? Thanks for putting me straight on all of this. The phrase that struck me is "let us be kinder to ourselves". I know I'm a funny mix (aren't we all), as I seem to come across as hugely confident but am also able to be my own harshest critic. Thank you for taking the time to give me your honest advice and for all your lovely compliments.
      Wishing you a lovely day too x
      Anna

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  8. Sheila has hit the issues of "body shaming" on the head, (and the thighs too for that matter!!)
    Your thighs are quite normal Anna. They're also far more fit than is typical of most women in your age group so you should show them proudly (as you do!!).
    This is such a fun and autumnally warm outfit. The vest and boots top off your tunic dress perfectly! One of my greatest charity shop purchases was a genuine shearling vest. I paid $10!!! I added some turquoise and silver beads at the yoke and it's spectacular!!
    I wear leggings with short skirts all the time. It's a great alternative to a tunic to cover the crotch area and at 65 I feel I can get away with a shorter skirt when I have on leggings and boots.
    Your photos are good Anna and yo u should just have fun with it. You'll
    probably learn a lot!!

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    1. Isn't it funny that we can hear so many things said to us in a lifetime and yet it's the negative that stick with us forever? However, I'm happy to have my thighs declared as normal and shall greet them as such when they stagger out of the sea tomorrow morning!
      You and Sheila have done a marvellous job of being my support sisters today, so thank you for that. The idea of leggings under short skirts sounds like a good plan and one I could try out too. Thanks for all your kind words Judy.
      Have a good day x
      Anna

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  9. These are exactly the colours I love for autumn too, you look great and it goes well with your hair and complexion. Love, Kirsten x

    www.thelifbissue.com

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    1. Kirsten, so good of you to drop by and give me your lovely feedback.
      Enjoy your day x
      Anna

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  10. I must give it to my parents, never once did they say anything negative to me. It was other members of the clan that did all that, and despite my mum and dad ticking them off, it never stopped so I grew up thinking I was so ugly, I must have been adopted off the street, I had ugly eyes and fat lips, and I was "crazy" because I did not subscribe to wanting to either a teacher, lawyer, accountant or doctor :) took FOREVER but I am slowly learning to love myself and accept myself as I am, a perfectly flawed woman who does her utmost best.

    And you, have a body that is better than many a woman, no matter her age!! Flaunt it, I say, flaunt it!!

    On the blog today, I'm talking about the hush-hush topic of self-love. Yup. Me, myself and I. I'd love for you to come over and weigh in, and share your thoughts. It's interesting to note that despite it being the 21st century, and we're preaching confidence and empowerment, the subject still remains somewhat risque.

    https://sheelagoh.com/2016/11/17/me-myself-i/

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    1. Sheela, I think none of us escapes childhood or the teenage years undamaged in some small way or another. I think the trick is to be clever enough when we're the parents not to inflict too much damage either.
      Thanks for your vote of confidence and yes, I ought to just get on with things without too much fuss, I know.
      And finally, well heck I'm no prude, so I will be heading over to see how you've tackled this most taboo of subjects my dear. See ya later!
      Anna x

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  11. I don't think you have "chumffy" thighs! (It's a great word, though!) Just wear it! - if you feel like putting it on and it makes you feel good, you'll look good and the world will smile with you as they say. Just fabulous, Anna xx

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    1. Yes, it's a great word, and yes I ought to just wear it if it feels good. The blog is meant to be empowering, liberating and about making other women feel good, so thank you for helping me keep on track.
      Have a great weekend x
      Anna

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  12. I like the colours of this! Really cute!!! What beautiful shades. The length looks really good on tyou!!x

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    1. Kezzie, you're such a positive life force, always seeing the best in things. It's been good to show this one and hear to many great words of advice. Thanks, and have a lovely week x
      Anna

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  13. I agree with everyone above. Your thighs are beautiful. This shrunken dress looks good shrunk. And parents say the dumbest things as I have heard and have done to my kids (hopefully not too bad!). We're all just humans trying to negotiate this world with all of our flaws. However, your thighs are not flawed, in my humble opinion! And neither are your photos! We are our own worst critics!

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    1. Julia, we are indeed our own worst critics! I'm aware that I can be very harsh, sometimes even scathing about myself, but think it's my way of counterbalancing the fact that I may come across as a big headed, show-off type.

      Philip Larkin's poem rings true for me -
      They f**k you up, your mum and dad.
      They may not mean to, but they do.
      They fill you with the faults they had
      And add some extra, just for you.

      The final verse suggests the answer to be not having kids, but thank goodness I didn't follow his advice - my children are my riches.

      Thanks to you and all the others who have given me the benefit of their opinions. I often lay myself open by being overly honest, but hey I am indeed flawed just like the rest of us!

      Thanks for your comments, much appreciated x
      Anna

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