January Blues, our Style Not Age Challenge

Hello lovelies and welcome to January Blues, our Style Not Age challenge. The third Monday in January has the ominous title of Blue Monday, publicised as being the most depressing day of the year which fell on the 16th this year. My daughter's birthday is the 15th, a fact that I'm to blame for, of course. Now that she's in her 30's she takes the matter in hand, planning things well in advance so that hers isn't a blue birthday. This year she is touring the South Island of New Zealand and is having the best month ever; she spent her birthday out on a boat whale watching eclipsed only by swimming with dolphins the following day. Paragliding, skydiving, sunrise hiking and daily sea swims are all keeping the adrenaline rush going.  No January Blues for her!

Gail from Is This Mutton has shopped her closet for this very fresh spring coloured outfit. The aqua scarf and jeggings are a perfect match, worn with a lemon top and white jacket both from Kettlewell. Her great style tip is to check out the children's shoe section which is what she did for these fab gold boots from Boden.

Emma from Style Splash has given herself a lift in the January sales, finding all sorts of lovely bargains at M&S. This blue teddy coat was reduced to £41, the jumper £15 and her fab pale blue trousers only £9! Catch up with Emma over on her blog now.

Hilda chose this month's theme and is showcasing this classic wrap dress from L K Bennett, a recent purchase from a nearby Village Outlet. You really can't go wrong with a wrap dress, can you, for that flattering feminine fit. M&S suede boots in tan work well with her designer handbag and her Mango hat is sleek and stylish. See more on her blog Over The Hilda.

Jacqui is sporting a fab jacquard jacket with blue jeans and cream boots for a stylish everyday look. Beads and cute belt along with her pretty padded bag show how good accessories finish of an ensemble to lift it out of the ordinary. See more from her on Mummabstylish. 

My outfit is based around a waterproof jacket and matching blue jeans that I found in a charity shop in Penzance when I was there in December. The two items came to £16 which felt like a great bargain. The jacket has a padded lining and a very snug hood that actually stays up without being held in place as so many hoods need. 

Zip and popper fastening and side opening pockets to keep hands cosy all make for a brilliant and practical coat for wet days. Sometimes island life calls for practicality before fashion, but this seems to encapsulate both, don't you think?

My sweater isn't new, but was from TK Maxx some years ago as are my rather fab snakeskin boots which were from Office a long time ago. 

I don't have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, but the addition of this new (to me) jacket is a welcome change. The pace of life is already changing here as we start to prepare for the island opening again on the 1st of March. How quickly our winters seem to whizz past us! 

                                                                            Anna x