My Favourite Trend for Autumn, our Style Not Age challenge for October


Goodness doesn't time fly? Here we go again with our end of month style challenge. Jacqui has plumped for this month's theme which has given us lots of creative scope. Me, I've been influenced by a magazine spread again, this time for the ubiquitous argyle knit. The trend isn't so much a fashion as an enduring classic.


You'll excuse me for feeling ever-so-slightly-smug that my knit was a charity shop find last year and has been loitering with intent until the right moment came along. The Country Casuals cardigan cost me all of £4 which adds to the smug factor. But enough of that, let's catch up with the rest of the Collective to see what their favourite seasonal trend is.


For Jacqui's Mummabstylish, the trend is the colour rust which is a true autumn shade. I'm partial to that hue for the cooler months too. See more on her blog here.


Hilda is rocking her stunning red trouser suit accompanied by fabulous leopard print courts. Wowee, is all I can say! Catch the full details on Over The Hilda


Rust is another favourite for Emma of Style Splash along with a liberal dose of velvet by way of this charity-shopped jacket (£2) - way to go Em!


Sasha was my photographer of the day and told me I ought to point out that despite how polished I may look, I'm actually full of the most revolting cold at the moment. I'm layered up in concealer to cover the dark shadows under my eyes from not sleeping last night (hurrah for my Quay Australia sunglasses, eh?) and have a dry, chafed nose from endless blowing.


The Country Casuals cardi has inbuilt shoulder pads which makes me think it might be a vintage piece. It's not showing much sign of wear however. I particularly like the deep pockets as well as the motif on the back of the sweater.



The cream ruffled blouse is another vintage find of mine, one that's been a mainstay for years. The ring is pre-loved too. 


Jumbo cord, wide-legged and lovely - that's how I'd describe these fabulous trews. The brand is Zara, but not this year's. Likewise with the tartan/plaid boots - not this season's, and from M&S, they're still a super statement ankle boot that demand attention.



I'm striding off home now, heading for a Lemsip, lots of fruit, and some downtime for the rest of the day. I fancy this cold was a freebie from my recent trip to the mainland - not the kind of freebie I like though!

                                                                                          Anna x

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My new Chelsea boots


Hello and welcome to Sunday's post. How's your day shaping up? Will you be having some leisure time today? I'm meeting up with an old girlfriend for lunch, so what to wear will be the question. But first, let me show you what I wore to work yesterday. I've recently bought these rather fabulous Chelsea boots from Office (see the link here) and they sparked the following look. The boots reminded me of Bill Nighy's character, Billy Mack in Love Actually - know what I mean? I do love this androgynous look.


This outfit brings together old, new and vintage pieces which is one of my favourite mixes. The (men's) trouser suit is vintage and was a charity shop find. I don't wear it very often, only because of the huge shoulder pads - I need to feel particularly brave fashion-wise to sport this one. But I'm having a trousers suit moment (see another recent one here) and thought this would be the perfect way to showcase my new boots. I could have gone all out with the rockstar look by adding a frilly shirt, but decided to play it down with this pink rib knit from Primark instead.


The pink sweater is actually fluorescent pink, but doesn't show that in the bright sunlight. It was one of two that I purchased early on in the season. The other is a bright green and has yet to have its day on the blog. I thought the very blue theme would benefit from a splash of contrast. Also, the boots have a few daubs of pink which ties in too. 


The pink and black leather checkered belt was another pre-loved purchase that ties in well with the sweater. I'm always on the lookout for accessories that are just that little bit different.



Statement rings in pink and blue, one a gift, one a charity shop piece, complete the look.




I can't help but cast a critical eye over these shots, noticing the soft tummy rolls. Last week it was the dimpled arse and this week it's the belly fat. Oh dear, I fancy that I'm in need of a new exercise regime!


One final longing look at the view and it was time for me to get back to work. A lunchtime photo shoot with this backdrop of Appletree Bay was a lovely interlude in a busy day. I've not swum here for over two weeks now as we've had unseasonal visitors in our waters of late. The influx of Portuguese man o' war jellyfish have an excruciatingly painful sting which in extreme cases can kill. They can even sting when they are washed up on the shore, dead. I'm not keen on the chance encounter with them so have hung up my cossie for the moment. Hopefully by the time I return from the mainland next week our waters will be clear. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x

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The Zara "It" dress does autumn


Hello and how are you? I hope you're having a great week. Today I'm continuing with my quest to restyle a summer outfit, recreating an autumn look from one of my favourite summer frocks. Not only my favourite, but this polka dot dress became the "It" dress of 2019 as it appeared like a rash across the whole of Britain, even as far south as the Isles of Scilly! If you Google Zara spotty dress you'll be able to read what all the papers had to say about this new classic piece. In the meantime, it's still for sale here or you'll maybe prefer the reverse colours in the new style here


The first time I showcased this fabulous frock I was bigging it up for an exhibition night, adding lots of silver to the monochrome look - see here. Today I've added a splash of red in both boots and belt, along with the red in this vintage leather handbag. 


I stumbled across the handbag when I was holidaying in Cork many years ago. It was a wonderful charity shop find that nearly had me fending off a rival shopper as she loitered behind me, hoping I'd change my mind and put it back on the shelf. My sister stepped in to clarify the matter, that yes, I would be buying it. Hahaha, forever my big sister, even though we're all grown up now! The belt and rings are also charity shop finds.


The silver disc necklace is quite old now, but was from M&S. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia. 


The silver and black studded Michael Kors jacket is becoming a signature piece of mine. It has the ability to add a bit of edge to any outfit, giving it a style boost as it were. I like that the studs echo the polka dots here. 


These H&M sock boots have coped very well considering the amount of times I've worn them. I think I may have had them re-heeled last year, and I do wipe off any marks and mud to keep them as pristine as possible. Sock boots seem to suit my curvy calves and show off my slim ankles, hence me investing in about half a dozen pairs so far.





Today's outfit crosses all the fashion sources from high street to charity shop and vintage which encapsulates all of my shopping vices. I love to dabble with all kinds of clothes and accessories to create my own style. Next week I've got a wee trip to the mainland lined up and hope to find time between appointments to fit in some charity shopping in my favourite venue of Truro. It seems that a whole swathe of my autumn/winter clothes have gone walkabout or rather I just can't find them in the morass of boxes and suitcases that are scattered throughout the house. I know it sounds like a made up excuse for a bit of retail therapy, but it's the truth, honestly! 

                                                                                          Anna x

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Oh my dimpled arse!


'Scuse the crude title today guys, but sometimes you just have to tell it how it is. This newly-coined phrase was borne from a naive backwards glance in the mirror. Honestly, it had me in stitches as the sight and resulting comment took me by surprise. It wasn't uttered in horror, more disbelief that my 61 years have finally caught up with me. I immediately saw the humour in this and couldn't stop laughing. When did my bum turn into a lumpy, dimpled arse that resembles a badly stuffed bolster? As I surveyed the damage in the mirror I was touched by the sight of this battle-torn feature and felt as if I was meeting an old friend whose predicament sparked a deep understanding for what it's gone through. Oh my dimpled arse, how tenderly I love you!


When Fiona and I met up later to take some photos, I couldn't help but share this comedy moment with her. The rest of the shoot was riddled with laughter as the memory tickled my funny button. She too loved the universal recognition that this phrase conjures up. At 16 this may not be funny, but at 61 it most definitely is!


Let's chat about the outfit now, shall we? You may recognise this buttery yellow trouser suit from an earlier post this summer. It's from JD Williams, though not gifted I hasten to add. I've kept it out for one last hurrah before it gets packed away for the winter. I wanted to see if I could adapt it to autumn wear as I've been doing of late. 



I added black patent boots (Topshop) to dispel any reference to summer sandals which I think toughens the look up straight away. The next step was to throw in some animal print with this H&M leopard print cardigan. The clutch works as an extra punch of print too - this was a charity shop find, as were the two rings. Finally, I've opted for a black pair of mirror sunglasses by Quay Australia. 






I forgot to mention this tribal print necklace from Topshop. I often strike it lucky when I visit the Truro branch as they do a good line in chunky statement necklaces which are very much my thing.




As I waltz off into the weekend, please know that I won't be offended if you feel the need to greet me with this new catchphrase. Oh-my-giddy-aunt seemed to catch on. I wonder if this will too?


                                                                                           Anna x

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My fave summer frock does autumn!


Hello lovelies! How are you? Today, I'm revisiting my favourite summer frock by adding the style trick that I discovered in my previous blog post. The simple addition of a jacket and boots are seemingly all that's need for this seasonal transition. What do you think?


Earlier on this week I posted a look that relied less on bright colours and more on pattern and with today's outfit I'm once again playing with patterns and a muted palette. Peach and apricot shades can be very flattering for those with paler skin like mine and I must admit I love how this has all come together, and I just adore how it makes me feel too. The maxi dress makes me feel uber feminine, in fact the whole ensemble made me feel so good that in this pretty backdrop it has created one of my favourite photo shoots of all time.





A sun-drenched woodland track might not be my usual habitat, but it was certainly conducive to creating a great backdrop for the swoosh series of day.


So, the outfit details are like this - dress from Zara (still available here), boots from Office, leather jacket by DSquared and sunglasses are by Quay Australia. I do hope that the look might inspire you to try this easy bit of transitional dressing.


I remember buying these brocade boots from Office a couple of seasons ago. In fact I bought these and another dark green pair and felt quite extravagant at the time. I also was pretty confident that even if these went out of fashion, they would always be on trend with me. Thank goodness for that gut instinct eh?



The gold wire rings were charity shopped.



Steve and I were lucky to have a sunny afternoon on Sunday making this a sweet interlude in what is normally a busy at home day, full of to-do lists and chores. I'd enjoyed a lively swim on Appletree Bay at high tide earlier in the morning when I was bounced about in the swell amid a fresh onshore breeze. And isn't it amazing how a spot of sunshine can make all the difference to how we perceive things? This photo shoot would have been much less pretty had we been in the middle of a cloudy day. And my swim in the turquoise waves might have felt much more threatening under overcast skies too. Hurrah for some autumn sunshine!

                                                                                    Anna x

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