Simple summer dress

I'm sneaking in an extra post today as the 5Over50 group will be featuring our next challenge on Monday and I thought you might enjoy a little something in the meantime. June surely means summer and this is the perfect simple day dress with no need to fuss and overdo it. 










Yes, I may have shown you this dress last summer, but not with this cardi which effectively means I'm sharing a new outfit. It's also time to share the fact that I've managed to drop 2lbs meaning I can (just) fit into this slimline dress again. Hurrah! There's no big secret as to how I've done it - eat less, exercise more. The sea is gradually warming up so I'm managing to extend my swims which does make a difference to my metabolism. At this time of year I can sometimes fit in two swims a day and again that helps too. And there's certainly no bigger motivator to lose weight than knowing that I might meet someone on the beach with only my Speedo to give me cover!

In February I featured my efforts to teach myself a better, sleeker freestyle stroke (see here). The main reason for that was to be able to swim longer distances, ie from one side of the island to the other which is a two or three mile swim. One thing that I'd only recently tuned in to about swimming is that freestyle is the most efficient (and obviously quickest) stroke of all and breast stroke is the least efficient (and slowest). All these years of swimming breast stroke meant I was burning up the most calories possible. Speed isn't the focus for me, burning calories is what it's all about and by swimming the least efficient stroke as fast as I possibly could gave the optimum results. But by swapping from one to the other I'm using fewer calories which is a bit of a drag. So now I'm mixing it up by swimming breast stoke in one direction and then swimming crawl on the way back. Wake up you at the back - I'll be asking questions later! Hahaha it's okay, I've finished now x

Outfit details -
Cardigan: Star by Julien Macdonald, dress: TK Maxx, sandals: Refresh, belt, bangle and rings: all charity shopped, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

And here's a few shots of my very large swimming pool.





No post from me on Sunday, but please join me with the ladies from 5Over50 group on Monday to see how we've styled up Marvellous Metallics.
Anna x

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18 comments

  1. The belt and cardi both highlight your tiny waist. Lovely dress and clever how your sandals use turquoise to echo the dress.

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    1. Gail you can drop in any time to give me lovely comliments like this! I loved finding this link between dress and sandals.

      Anna x

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  2. What a beautiful dress! It is pieces like that that encourage me and motivate me to keep myself in shape and keep my weight off. Glorious colours!

    Happy weekend, Anna!

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    1. I agree Sheila. These figure hugging pieces are reminders of the versions of ourselves that we want to be and the best motivators to keep slim.

      Hope you're having a fab weekend too x
      Anna

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  3. A lovely summery outfit... although the skies there don't look altogether summery. Well done for shifting 2lbs, you look very trim indeed.

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    1. And Fiona you can swing by any time you like if you're gonna say all the right things! Although the skies looked a bit dull, that soon got blown away to reveal lovely summery weather.

      Anna x

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  4. The colours your wearing are bright and colourful - love them. Also the sandals match perfectly - a match made in heaven. x Jacqui.

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    1. Thanks Jacqui. I just love to get all of these bright zingy colours out at this time of year. Turquoise is amongst one of my summer favourites and didn't these shoes work well?

      Anna x

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  5. I like hearing about the efficiency of different strokes! I would never have gusset that the crawl isn't a great calorie burner. Do you burn more calories just to stay warm when the water is colder? I just recommended your blog to another blogger because of your amazing ocean swims. She too is a swimmer and an athlete in general. Her name is Diane and she is also GORGEOUS but very down to earth.
    Your outfit is wonderfully colorful Anna. That bright spring green just POPs and how lucky to have a perfectly matched shrug to make the outfit just sing!!

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    1. I'm so pleased to hear that you didn't nod off during my swimming talk - I know it's probably very boring for most land-lubbers. Winter dips are probably great for burning calories, but if the temperature is too cold then I just can't stay in for long. Already the sea temp is rising and I'm swimming for about 30 minutes in my lunchtime which is heaven. Thanks for sending your friend in my direction - that's very kind.

      The shrug was a lost and found again piece which just turned up at the right moment and yes, really does work, doesn't it x

      Anna x

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  6. I love the colours of this beautiful dress and the cardi. You look fabulous, Anna and no doubt will be looking even more fabulous as you dash into the water for those early morning swims! xx

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    1. Thanks so much Elizabeth for all of your lovely compliments. Now is the best time of the year for me to rebuild my fitness levels with more swimming and best of all in the daytime as well as the morning.

      Wishing you a great weekend x
      Anna

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  7. I absolutely love the print on that dress - it's very 50s/60s and the cardigan looks fabulous with it! A really lovely outfit that looks gorgeous on you.

    That is interesting information about breaststroke - I didn't know. I don't swim frequently enough to burn calories but when I do swim I always do a mixture of breast and back stroke...

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    1. Thanks Veronica. I really love the retro vibe of this print too. A little cardi is just what I need at the start of the day when it's a bit chilly.

      I worry I'm becoming a swimming bore, so it's good to have your feedback x

      Anna

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  8. Anna I love your rings! my fave colour is blue so I love everything I am seeing here!
    looking forward to Monday
    Bestest wishes
    Ashley xxx

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    1. Cheers Ashley! Blue is such an easy colour for most of us don't you think? It works with your hair and skin colour so well.

      Anna x

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  9. Great silhouette, Anna! The dress is beautiful and fits you perfectly...
    Eating less, exercise more is the only diet that works! :-) I gained weight during the winter and I am doing the same ...
    Lovely wedges in the same shade of the dress as well...

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    1. Thanks Dan for your input. Common sense has to prevail with diet and exercise - all very boring but the only sustainable way to control things in the long run.

      You'll see a lot of these wedges as they're so comfortable!

      Anna x

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