From summer to autumn, our SNA challenge for September

Hello and welcome to our monthly Style challenge! This time I've chosen to feature our take on transitional dressing from summer to autumn. The fact of the matter is that I'm never very keen to pack my summer clothes away but try my best to face the end of summer with a smile.

Jacqui's balloon pants and sleeveless top are easily converted to autumn dressing by simply adding a jacket. Swapping sandals for boots would work too, but do check out what she has in mind on her blog Mummabstylish. 

Emma's casual weekend look takes her easily from one season to the other. Animal print jeans are always on trend no matter what season and the cardi is a must-have at this time of year. See more about her outfit on the Style Splash.

Hilda turns her summer outfit into autumn style by adding this fabulous jacket. Read more on her take on transitional dressing on Over The Hilda blog.

 

Florals with long sleeves seem like a good take on transitional dressing to my mind which is what I wore this weekend. The boilersuit is a recent Vinted purchase - the brand is Lucy & Yak. It was great to bring out my orange River Island boots once again. This is my second pair of these that I've bought, again from Vinted. What's not to love with orange boots?

I took the simple style option by accessorising with my very old perspex necklace, orange stretch belt with orange and pink perspex rings.

My Radley sunglasses are also old but still going strong.

It was only later that I noticed these fabulous cloud formations behind me. Is this what they call a Mackerel sky?

Anyway, that pretty much rounds up our transitional dressing for this time of year. How do you tackle this seasonal shift? Or maybe you have a style that smoothly moves across from summer to autumn without a hiccup. Do leave me a comment to share your thoughts.

                                                                                    Anna x

Holding on to summer

Mid September and I'm grabbing the chance to air another summery outfit. We're at that seasonal change aren't we; the sun is gradually shifting in the sky with sunrise and sunset creating shorter daylight hours. I'm always sad to see the end of summer and am guitly of squeezing every last summery outfit out of my wardrobe before the big changeover.

This easy to wear ensemble was my work outfit from yesterday. The white ruched top was a purchase from Primark earlier this year. It's a wash and wear top that requires the minimal of maintenance - the collar is the only part that I iron. My River Island trousers have been featured on the blog previously, but are so very summery that they deserve one more go before being packed away.

My summer sandals were from Vinted, maybe even last year but I don't think I've showcased them on the blog before. They'e uber comfy as the soles are padded making them all-day wearable - perfect for work. 

There's nothing new with my accessories. My Emily Nixon rings are everyday wear, the blue sunglasses from Oliver Bonas have risen in popularity overtaking my old faves from Quay Australia - they have become a signature look for me, and I love that. The pearl and heart necklace was a present from my sister a couple of years ago and very useful it is too!

Many thanks to my dear friend Fiona for acting as photographer of the day. Our post-work sessions are always designed to take into account weather, light and who's the most tired therefore how far we wish to roam to find the right location. This post-work session was taken just a stone's throw from the Gallery. We did more chatting than photography enjoying a catch up on each other's news; a win-win for both of us. 

                                                                            Anna x

A new linen co-ord from Lintico

Hi there, and how are you? I can't believe that we're in September already when I don't quite feel ready to let go of my summer wardrobe. Luckily the weather is still warm here on the Isles of Scilly and today I'm sharing a rather elegant two-piece gifted to me by Lintico which is perfect for the late summer temperatures. I'm linking across to the brand straight away so that you may see both the outfit and details about the company. See here. 

Lintico is a new-to-me brand so I took my time to research them and their ethos as well as the products; I love their endorsement of slow fashion and that they opt for long term associations with respected suppliers with skilled makers. It's refreshing to know that this isn't about pushing the latest trend, instead the intention is to create pieces that you want to come back to time after time. 

When the linen set arrived I was really happy to see that the fabric was a good medium weight and not that flimsy, semi-sheer linen you often come across. This linen has a lovely drape to it, a floppiness that speaks weight which has a smooth, solid finish to the fabric. The stitching is top quality (as a home sewer I like to think I can spot good quality stitching) and the design is classic with a contemporary twist as seen in the Viola top - I've linked to it here. 

The clothes are for everyday wear, in breathable fabric in shapes that echo a woman's figure - I've spent my first whole day at work wearing my two-piece and it still looks smooth, sleek and stylish, not sad and crumpled as cheaper linen often does. Not surprisingly, the outfit earned me compliments for its understated elegance.

I styled the look with my summer hat which was a recent purchase from a charity shop in Truro. You might have seen it in my earlier blog about our summer holiday. The pretty necklace is by Charlie Dodge, a jeweller who we represent at Gallery Tresco, my earrings are preloved and my go-to sunglasses are old but still rather lovely, from Oliver Bonas. My beaded belt was from Amazon quite a few years ago. My cream platform sandals are by Zara. And of course I'm wearing my gold and sapphire rings by Emily Nixon as usual.

The pleated pockets of the Veridiana trousers are a clever design feature which creates fullness in just the right place, and of course, when can pockets not be a winning feature? The partially elasticated waist works perfectly to allow a smooth line across the stomach in just the right place and yet offers comfort too. I added a pearl belt to style these my way as there's no need to let everyone know I'm keen on a stretchy waistband! Linking to the trousers here. 

I particularly like the length of the top when paired with the trousers - it showcases the fullness of the trousers and is flattering too. With its layered hem and asymmetric hemline, the top is cool and fashionable. The top would work well over jeans for a more casual look or even with shorts - it really does feel very versatile. And as for the trousers, they would look great with a tee shirt and a fitted sweater - I'm keen to showcase each styling again before I pack my summer clothes away, so let's keep our fingers crossed that we'll be blessed with an Indian summer.

If you're in the market for some top quality linen then do use my code which will give you 15% off with your first order. Use my personal code LINTICOAPS to access this.

                                                                        Anna x

The shirtwaister, our Style Not Age Challenge for August

Hi there! It's that time of the month again for our end of month Style Not Age Challenge and we're showcasing shirtwaisters. Emma dreamt up the theme so let's see what inspired her, shall we?

The big, bold floral print dress was from a collaboration with Very.co.uk and shoes are by M&S. See more from Emma on her blog Style Splash. 

Jacqui's weekend has been a whirlwind for her due to a family wedding, but she did manage to send us this lovely maxi shirtwaister for the challenge. Catch up on her exciting news on Mummabstylish. 

Hilda's fabulous mixed print shirtwaister, worn as a duster for a casual look over jeans and a tee is by Max Mara, a recent purchase in the sale. See her backstory on Over The Hilda Blog. 

Much as I love the colours of my shirtwaister, I'm embarrased to say that it turned up in the post and was almost a surprise. At least three months ago I was searching for a colourful summer dress and Mr Google offered this amongst many, many others. Clearly I bought it otherwise it wouldn't have turned up some three months later, but I have little recollection beyond that. Ought I be worried? Maybe... I've been aware of some insomniac shopping but this slipped through the net, despite my efforts to clamp down.

I suspect that it's from the USA, hence the time it took to arrive and I can't even offer you a brand name as the label itched and I cut it out without noticing. Despite all of this, I can say that the colours are vibrant and are very me - I've only worn it once so far, but it did get a few lovely comments.

There's nothing new with my accessories here. The necklace, belt, sunglasses, bangles and rings are all from my collection, gathered over the years. But isn't that great that I have all I need to go with this new addition already in my closet?

The sandals too are old, from a couple of summers ago. And that pretty much winds up our monthly style challenge for August. As tomorrow sees us tip into September I fear that summer is on the wane now. I'm not a fan of transitional dressing, but will be hoping for an Indian Summer here on Scilly so that I may continue with my summer wardrobe for a while longer. As always, I do hope you've enjoyed our offerings this month with maybe some inspiration for you too. 

                                                                           Anna x