September Style Not Age challenge - All dressed up with nowhere to go.




Hello and welcome again to our Style Not Age challenge where this month Jacqui chose the theme "All Dressed up with Nowhere to go!". Our interpretations of this are all delightfully different so I'll linger no longer and share what the posse chose.




Jacqui's outfit has graced a wedding and an anniversary which is no surprise at all. The dress is classy and stylish and yes, is begging for another outing I would say. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.




Gail's spin on this was more along the lines of "All dressed up with no office to go to" which is as sharp as her outfit. I love the mix of office smart and sassy after-work outing that speaks volumes about her idea of good work/play balance. Catch her back story on Is This Mutton blog.




Emma from the Style Splash has also opted for a lace dress for this challenge. I love the vibrancy of yellow which works so well with the russet accessories. 




Hilda is stepping out in a dress from LK Bennett with a brand new Zara jacket from two years ago that still is waiting for its debut - we all know how that goes don't we? See more from her on her blog Over The Hilda.




As you can see, I took this month's suggestion very literally, marooned as I was on Ganilly sandbar on the low tide last Sunday. There's surely no place that says "Nowhere to go" more than here. 












My mermaid coat seemed an obvious choice for this castaway shoot. I do love how this shimmering jacket catches the sunlight and said to Steve that I could easily waft about in it every day of the week. It's the most glamorous piece in my wardrobe with fabulous powers of transformation - oh how gorgeous it makes me feel!





The pastel shades remind me of the inside of an oyster shell. I felt in my element to be dancing and gadding about across the deserted sandbank, swooshing this way and that. Our only companions were the various seabirds who cared not a jot for my antics.




It's taken me a year to fulfill this desire to showcase my shimmering coat here on this sandbar.  In fact, it's my third photo shoot on this desert island beach this summer - see the others here. If you have another moment to spare you can read the post about St Martin's from last summer when I espied the heart shaped white sandbank appearing out of the receding tide. I'm such a romantic soul and loved the notion of showcasing this spot in a totally tropical photo shoot.




We were very lucky to find the right moment to take these shots, Steve and I. This was one of he biggest tides of the year and to have it fall on a Sunday in the middle of the day was perfect. We had spent a couple of hours on Nornour island, just a little way away from here waiting for the tide to go out and reveal the sandbar at its largest point. During that time we had a picnic as we watched several little boats and kayaks appear and disappear from the shoreline. Bang on low water Steve saw our opportunity to take sole ownership and off we went. 




We had picnicked on this little spit of sand on Nornour island, one of the Eastern Isles. The helicopters and planes fly across these en route to the Isles of Scilly. If you every spot our boat moored up as you fly into the islands, I'll be that crazy little dot on the sand waving to you.






To some, this may look like a little cool bag, but it did in fact contain my ensemble for the shoot. The pleated dress and sequinned coat both rolled up to fit inside without creasing - and they were kept dry too!




This beaded dress was from Monsoon and was a happy find in a charity shop a few years ago. I've worn it for gallery exhibition parties and love the fact that it doesn't seem to crease, no matter how badly I pack it. Talking of which, today (Sunday) is phase one of my clothes change over. Stripping the summer clothes out of my wardrobe will be the first step and then I just hope to bring out enough outfits to last the first week at work. Next weekend, I'll delve a bit deeper. It's always tinged with sadness to pack away my summer clothes. Summer is my favourite time of year.




I was particularly pleased to come across this rose coloured necklace which echoes the shape of the scales of my mermaid coat. Necklace and rings are all pre-loved. The rose gold bangles are: one from the Barbican shop and the other is by Kate Spade New York, bought in Singapore airport en route to New Zealand about 5 years ago. 




My blue tinted Quay Australia sunglasses seemed to be the perfect pair for this maritime shoot. 




Sunlight and reflections abound on this sparkling location. I'd like to say this was an staged shot by my creative director, but Steve confessed it was an absolute fluke.




As we left the stunning sandbar nature took over once again as seabirds and seals reclaimed their homes. We, and all of the other adventurers, had enjoyed escaping to this oasis of calm for a short while before the tide turned and moved us on.






My thanks go to Jacqui for creating this opportunity for one final beach day before the weather forces us to bring our boat up for the winter. It was a great style challenge - one that really captured my imagination. 

Update 
Apologies to my long term readers and also to the Style Collective - it seems that old age has set in with me. I've showcased this coat 18 months ago during one of our previous monthly challenges. I completely forgot - oops! 


                                                                                Anna x

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18 comments

  1. Love the pictures and the sandbar location was just perfect! The mermaid coat and dress are both stunning!

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  2. Anna, you are not a look a like mermaid, you are a real mermaid. Absolut adorable. A mermaid in her natural surrounding. And the sparkling photos from your coat, the sea… brilliant. Sparkling all over Anna!
    Take all that sparkling into your heart and save it for the coming autumn days!
    Hugs, Susa

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    1. Dear Susa, many thanks for your lovely response to these sparkling shots. You're so right that I need to hold onto these for the less-than-sparkling days ahead!

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  3. This might be my favorite post yet. Of course I loved the mermaid/deserted beach/flash outfit. But I really, really like the group of women who just enjoy their clothes even though they rarely get to show them off. Feels like I'm at a little party of like-minded people. Thank you all.

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    1. Such a good reaction to this post Kate - thank you! Our monthly virtual get together is always great fun, but this feature seems to have caught the imagination more than ever!

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  4. It's a stunning backdrop for a stunning outfit Anna. I love the Island shoot and would love to see it myself. Another super challenge tackled with ease. x

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    1. Thank you Jacqui for this great opportunity. The idea has been with me for some time as you can see and it was wonderful that you came up with the theme as you did. Hurrah!

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  5. Oh my goodness Anna, you look amazing in that beautiful dress and sparkly, glamorous coat...absolutely stunning. The beach shots add to the mermaid feel of it all and, when you do have ‘somewhere to go’ how good will it be to showcase this outfit again!
    X

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    1. I think I am a mermaid at heart Phyl. I have a feeling that Christmas will be the next chance I'll get to air this coat, but somehow that doesn't seem so far away!

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  6. All Dressed Up and Nowhere To Go is my motto right now! I love your mermaid coat so much, Anna! It's really a statement piece, and looks spectacular wafted around on the sandbar. What a view!

    Hope you have a good week, my dear!

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    1. If ever there was a more appropriate person to take on this motto - it's you my dear friend! You spend your life forever dressed up, ready for any occasion.

      Wishing you a good week too x

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  7. Do not apologise. This coat deserves to be showcased on a regular basis. I adore it, the dress and your wonderful beach photoshoot. It is truly beautiful.

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    1. So very kind of you Hilda. This backdrop would make any outfit shine! Sometimes you just have to make the most of things and this was one of those times x

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  8. I love your stunning sequin coat Anna! Such a beautiful place for photos too - I need to get out of my garden and find some different locations!

    Emma xxx
    www.style-splash.com

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    1. Cheers Emma! If I had a lovely garden like yours I may not bother to have these small adventures... x

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  9. Well, you and Steven excelled! What a fantastic photos, background and dress. Love the coat too but would have liked to see a shot without the coat. But what am I doing? Complaining after seeing such a wonderful post? Forgive me.
    It is good to see you girls had fun with the challenge.
    Greetje

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    1. Thanks Greetje. I think this will be forever one of my favourite posts as it combines all of my best things in life - happy memories with hubby, beach backdrop and sparkly clothes x

      And no, I didn't even think of taking any shots of the dress on its own...

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