Vintage winter coat and cowboy boots





Hail showers and stormy days are still with us on the Isles of Scilly meaning this winter coat is as useful as ever. The bonus feature of it has to be the rich colours which would cheer up any dull day.




On my recent trip away I found these amazing cowboy boots in the vintage section of a charity shop in Penzance for £9.50. They're real leather, made in Spain and are hardly worn. The moment I saw them, I thought they'd go perfectly with my woollen winter coat (as well as so many other things in my wardrobe). 




Black jeans and checked shirt emphasise the cowgirl look and I picked out some red and black accessories to pull the outfit together. The belt is by Tommy Hilfiger (from TK Maxx), the red and black ring and necklace are both from charity shops and the silver and gold ring by Emily Nixon is the one Steve bought me for my birthday last month.




The day looked deceptively bright here, but the wind was hurtling along the beach towards us as Sasha and I tried to take these shots. I took cover behind the wall but the gusts whipped around us and played havoc with my hair.



This was my Donald Trump moment.


Seconds after this the hail started again ending our photo shoot. 




I just want to end with a note on sunscreen and moisturiser. Since turning 60 I'm (somewhat belatedly) questioning what order these ought to be applied and if it's even necessary to apply both. Well, I can only say that if you Google the question there are so many trains of thought that it left me baffled. I can see the importance for daily sunscreen protection and wear sunscreen from the word go as I head off for my morning swim. After my swim and shower, I'm now applying facial moisturiser with factor 30 sunscreen which seems as if it might be the right compromise. 

And finally, since writing this last paragraph I did a further search which advices to allow your skin 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight every day without sunscreen to avoid vitamin D deficiency. Ought my 30 minutes outdoors on the beach be my skin's time to receive the necessary daily dose of vitamin D? Or do I simply take vitamin D in supplement form?  I'd previously read that we in the Northern hemisphere are generally deficient in vitamin D. You can tell this is all as clear as mud to me. If any of my readers can point me in the right direction for some sound advice on these subjects I'd be really pleased to hear from you.

In the meantime, have a great week!
Anna x

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25 comments

  1. My partner is always deficient in vitamin D because of Fibromyalgia and often has to have it via drip! We both take two regular vitamin D tablets to keep it topped up daily.It's amazing how it can make you feel wen it's low. Extreme tiredness being one of the symptoms. Your weather sounds similar to ours Anna. Although it's been a little brighter this week, although bloody freezing! Those boots are enough to cheer anyone up though, love those
    Laurie xx

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    1. Thanks for all the info Laurie. I started searching for which to apply first - sunscreen or moisturiser and it just unravelled into too much information!

      Sunny here today and that's all we need to feel a bit brighter isn't it?

      Have a great week!
      Anna x

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  2. Sorry. PS I would still use the spf30!
    Laurie xx

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  3. I'm always a bit confused about this as well! I only wear sunscreen in the Summer months generally which is probably wrong but I am far too lazy! I don't want to be deficient in Vitamin D either!

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    1. It seems like a very complex issue Kezzie and one that I think I need to read more on. In the meantime, I'm opting to wear SPF30 daily and will have to find out about vit D and how much we need - very confusing as you say.

      Best wishes,
      Anna x

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  4. I new know definitely that the next time I am in the uk, I will thrift shop! If it isn't for clothing, it is for accessories!

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    1. Oh yes, do Nancy! There are so many hidden treasures just waiting for the right person to come along. I love it - you never know what you're going to find!

      Anna x

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  5. I wear SPF 15 on my face, neck and backs of my hands daily - I have for over 35 years! My milk has vitamin D added, so I figure I'm good.

    Love these wonderful boots, Anna!

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    1. I wish I'd been better at applying sunscreen over the years - my skin is certainly showing the signs of sun damage now. But hey, I can only blame myself! In the meantime I think I need to find out more about supplements in general as I have a restricted diet...

      Glad you like them there boots - mighty fine eh?

      Anna x

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  6. Yeehaw!! to those wonderful red cowboy boots!! Now that I'm living in South Dakota cowboy everything is suddenly much more on the agenda. I've been collecting various types if western wear for some time in preparation for this move. In reality I'm not seeing a lot of it on the street as women seem to enjoy following mainstream fashion trends. Your coat is so beautiful! It sort of replicates the colors in a fire thus visually warming as well?
    Your Trump moment cracked me up Anna!
    I take a D supplement every day. I wear moisturizer that contains sunscreen. Holy Moly! It never occured to me that wearing sunscreen blocked some desirable D's!! Think I'll just continue to do both as I have been.

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    1. Glad you like the boots Jude. I can imagine that you have a fair ol' collection of cowboy boots all ready to wow the local ladies. I hope you're still striding out in western style regardless my dear.

      I think your idea seems like the safest thing - at least you know exactly how much vit D you're getting daily. I'm going to do the same.

      Have a lovely week!
      Anna x

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  7. I don't ever go out when it is sunny without sunscreen. My skin is too sensitive. I do take vitamin C supplements daily and I also have Fibromyalgia but I've been living with that for almost 30 years. It's just one of those things you learn to adapt your life around.

    Love the red cowboy boots! Especially when paired with that fantastic coat.

    Suzanne

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    1. How very wise you are Suzanne. I think I need to look further into supplements as I fear I may be lacking some essentials, especially D.

      The boots are a source of joy - mostly because they're red!

      Anna x

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  8. Wow you did well with those boots and perfect with the coat!! I got some red leather boots right at the end of the M and s sale, just one pair left and my size. :-)
    I have looked into the vit D thing. From what I've read 20-30 min without sunscreen helps the body make enough natural vit D. I think that depends on the UV rating and time of day tho. An Aussie website on the subject said that skin cancer is more common on face/neck/ears so sunscreen those and let arms and legs have the 20-30 min without. Its the only vitamin not in breast milk so nature's way of making it is via the skin.You can't make too much of it via exposure to the sun as the body can regulate it. It is possible to have too much via supplements with potential adverse effects. Vit D3 is better than vit D2 as a supplement.
    I would think your swim time would be ideal for a top up.
    Have a lovely week. Tessa xx

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to read up on all of this. That's the thing about taking supplements - you really need to know recommended dose otherwise you can do more harm than good. I'm about to have a full health MOT and will quiz the doc about supplements too.

      Well done you with your red boots! Somehow it's even better when the very last pair is meant for you.

      Anna x

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  9. I love the look and what a bargain those boots!! You did very well. All your accessories are chosen very carefully. I am like that too. Beautiful ring your husband gave you.
    Cannot give you advice on the vitamin D. My mother always says: “do and eat everything but with moderation. Use your sense.”
    Greetje

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    1. Oh I can't resist a bargain Greetje! What makes these boots all the sweeter is that only this morning I was flicking through a recent edition of Vogue and they predict cowboy boots as an upcoming trend, yay!

      All things in moderation is a great piece of advice and one I'm more than happy to follow, thanks.

      Anna x

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    2. I still have red knee high cowboy boots. So much more difficult to style than the calf length. They spend most of their time in the closet.

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    3. Such a shame Greetje, as they sound fantastic. Have you thought about selling them as you don't wear them?

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  10. I have been staying out of the sun (except on holiday) for the past twenty years and I usually only wear sunscreen on holiday or if I'm out walking and it's hot and sunny. My moisturiser doesn't contain SPF so I am going to have to start applying sunscreen when and if we have sunshine again!! I will apply it on top of my moisturiser, I think. It makes better sense to me that way.

    I love your outfit; the boots were a great find and I just loved that necklace; it looks like it's made of striped boiled sweets!I also love your gingham blouse it so goes with the cowboy boots.

    We have more very cold weather on the way unfortunately - stay warm.
    xxxx

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    1. The advice as to which goes on top of the other was almost 50/50 Veronica and so you're right to go with your gut instinct. For me having both in one tube makes life much easier.

      I think I bought that necklace for exactly that reason - it reminded me of the jar of boiled sweets my grandad always had on the side when we went to visit.

      Keep warm!
      Anna x

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  11. I often wear SPF moisturiser in the summer, or sunscreen - especially on my nose, or I end up like Rudolph! I remember that coat Anna, it's super & looks perfect teamed with black and white. Take care and chat soon Anna. x Jacqui
    www.mummabstylish.com

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  12. Jacqui, you seem to have a very good skin tone that doesn't look like it burns in the sun at all - me on the other hand, I'm quite fair and really wish I'd been a more vigilant type rather than a sun worshipper. Hey ho, it's too late now!

    Anna x

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  13. That coat is fab. I am also very vigilant now about sunscreen but also worried about vit D so I take a supplement, higher in winter. As for sunscreen I never know whether to put it over or under moisturiser and some are very heavy. Still researching this. But I did a very comprehensive post on Vit D last year. Have a look. http://overthehilda.ie/importance-vitamin-d-dont-left-dark/

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