September colour




Did you watch it? I was one of the 20 million viewers who watched the TV coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, Monday 19th September 2022. The majestic farewell was more spectacular than anyone could have imagined and one that we shall never forget; what a memorable end to the most wonderful life. The day encapsulated love and loss in equal measure, leaving me feel as if I'd been there myself. My heart goes out to the Royal Family as they begin to make their way forward without their matriarch.




And so, on to the outfit of the day. This colourful ensemble was a work outfit, but I failed to capture it at the time and so did a re-run on Sunday. The eagle-eyed amongst you will see that some photos show me with necklace and matching bracelet and others not. I had great fun (not really) chasing the sun and had given up cloud dodging at one point and gone home, removing some of my jewellery only to have another burst of sunshine appear.




And yes, this look is indeed all about the joy of colour being orange and pink mainly. Nothing new here though. The flares are from Asos, cardigan from Primark, vest top from H&M and jewellery is all pre-loved. As ever, I'm holding on to summer for as long as I can and what better way to convey this than will these candy colours?




The cream boots were from Asos last year and have never been packed away. I love the platform for adding height - just perfect for these long loon pants.




At least I'm giving you lots of different views as I chased the sun. My tripod and timer served me well as I hopped from place to place trying to get a few decent shots. 




Another glorious backdrop as we look across Saffron Bay and through New Grimsby sound and on to Cromwell's Castle in the distance. It wasn't too much of a hardship to be out and about early on Sunday morning. Once I'd gathered my photos together I went off for a swim on the high tide and it was probably one of the warmest and most enjoyable swims of the year so far. The sea was calm, not a jellyfish in sight and no-one on the beach at all. Idyllic!




My 70's look is completed by these round sunglasses (ancient, from River Island) and the perspex rings. It's fun to relive the fashion of my teens even though that was 50 years ago - yikes! I'll finish off with a few more local shots of Tresco looking rather stunning in the early autumn sunshine.












And this was tonight's sunset as seen from my garden. 


Anna x

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My new fun fur!




Hello again! How's your week been? Back to work? Me too. It wasn't too bad. Sometimes the thought of returning to work is much worse than the reality, isn't it? The decorations may be packed away and the party food and chocs are all done, but that doesn't mean the fun is all over. And by fun, yes I'm talking fun fur. This orange bundle of delight was a pre-Christmas present to myself from TK Maxx and the brand is Maison Cinqcent.




Much as the closet cull and dejunking is still ongoing at mine, I'm also happy to be buying new pieces that define me at this time of my life. As my next birthday looms on the horizon I'm almost counting the number of paychecks until I reach retirement age. I mention this because once I do retire I'll not have the ability to spend on a whim or to follow the trends that take my eye. It's scary to think of living on a reduced income, but that's why I'm buying what I do so that I may enjoy wearing them for the next few years as a working woman with an excuse to dress up for the job. And thereafter, well I'll still be that eccentric old gal on Tresco, dressing up just to go to the local shop!




Glitz, glamour and fur seem to be in my DNA and I can't see that I'll be able to step away from that no matter what age I am. Steve always reminds me that this is a hobby that does no harm to anyone, so why not carry on as long as it makes me happy. It's good to have that reassurance, especially when I'm particularly done up to the nines!




Today's beautiful backdrop is the view from Fearless Cottage. The patio overlooks the channel between Tresco and Bryher looking north towards the wild Atlantic ocean. At this time of year part of my job is to check all of the artworks on display within the holiday properties which also affords me some fabulous photo opportunities. 




My two-piece is a vintage buy from way back in May when I was off-island in Cornwall. I came across a vintage shop in Penryn where I spent a lovely half hour browsing the stock of not just clothes but furniture too. The crimplene suit is by Diana Martin, a designer of the day; the day being late 50's. I think I bought it because it reminds me of my childhood when everyone's mum wore crimplene dresses and we all wore bri-nylon shirts to school and brushed nylon nightdresses. And wow, that's a blast from the past remembering those nightdresses! My two sisters and I wore those nighties, but as the brushed nylon was the cosy side, well we used to wear them inside out. What a scream to remember this from over 50 years ago!






Styling is everything when it comes to vintage outfits. I'm painfully aware of wearing clothes that are almost the same age as me and how they really depend on the right accessories to bring them up to date. I've added my studded stretch and leather belt in dark green to give the suit shape. The quirky Scottie dog necklace adds fun to the look, tonally matching rings brings the whole thing together. Today's sunglasses are by Radley.




My knee high wet look boots are another surefire way of adding punch to the outfit. See them on ASOS here




Thanks for dropping by again today. I'll be back again next week with more style inspiration and news from the idyll that is Tresco. Keep safe, keep well and enjoy yourself in whatever way you can!

                                                                                             Anna x

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70's psychedelic flares




Hello again! How are your Christmas preparations coming along? Today I'm making my first batch of fudge which means I'm pretty much on track. I've also started wrapping presents, but that's mainly so that I can check what's arrived and what I still need to order. Writing Christmas cards will be next. The Christmas tree isn't up yet, nor are the decorations, but that's always very last minute in our house. So hey, let's talk about my outfit of the day, shall we?




I've had little online shopping splurge of late and these 70's flares were a wonderfully joyful find on the Asos website (find them here). I'm having a bit of a nostalgic fashion spell currently, revisiting the 60's, 70's and 80's. In my last post I was raving about wet-look boots and now here I am, totally loved up with these fab psychedelic loon pants - another reminder of my teens!




I love the muted palette of this outfit which still has that festive feel thanks to the fun fur jacket (New Look, very old). The trousers are a mix of glorious pastel hues in blue, lilac, aqua and dusky pink. I've revived an old fluffy sweater in pale blue (a charity shop find) and added these chunky heeled Chelsea boots which are also new and from Asos (find them here). These awesome ankle boots in ecru are going to be so versatile, mixing with lots of my existing outfits. I've got a couple of brown and cream outfits in the pipeline which may sound very blah for Anna's Island Style, but with the addition of these awesome boots, you'll appreciate how amazing these colours can look...




Don't these boots and trousers look a dream together? I'm head over heels with both of them and have this lined up for a workday outfit when I'm in the run up to Christmas next week. The gallery is open for four days in Christmas week so I'm trying to plan my outfits ahead to lessen the stress of the day. I'm happy to report that I'm back into my daily swimming routine which has a great knock on effect to my body confidence. We all want to approach Christmas in the best mindset too and that time in the sea helps to calm my mind, helping me enjoy my watery meditation. 






I'm so pleased to have the chance to showcase this icy floral necklace again. I bought it in the Crisis charity shop in London a couple of years ago for only £12. While I was there I learnt a lot about what the charity does to raise awareness of homelessness within the city and it was good to see how my money was going to have a direct impact on the situation. Do check out their website to find out how you can make a difference to someone in need this Christmas. My dear friend Ben gave me guided tour of the finest charity shopping in the capital that day (see here) and he really did me proud. My perspex rings are all second hand too. My old favourite sunglasses are by Quay Austalia.




My thanks to Fiona for popping out with me at short notice yesterday to capture the golden sunshine after what had been a day of mist and rain. It wasn't so much seize the day as seize the moment!

                                                                                               Anna x

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Dressing to boost your confidence




Hello again! It's great to have your company, so thank you for joining me. Today I want to chat about what makes me feel confident, clothes-wise. It's not an easy thing to feel happy in your skin all the time and I certainly have periods when I struggle with the person I see in the mirror and how I feel about what I see. I think we've all had such a tough time of late with the less-than-normal life we've been subjected to over the past 20 months. For some we may have struggled with our mental well-being and for others it's been a battle to keep fit and trim when our lives were in lock-down with all its restrictions. With life still being far from back to normal it's understandable that our self confidence has taken a knock. Covid19 has a lot to answer for!




For me, confident dressing boils down to wearing clothes that make me smile. At the time of purchase when I try on a new item of clothing if it makes me want to do my happy dance then it's a winner. Whenever I'm felling bit low then I always make a bee-line for bright colours to lift my mood. My mood and self confidence pretty much go hand in hand; they both rocket up and down within the same scale. If I feel a bit lacking in body confidence then my go-to remedy will always be to pop on a dress as it can hide a multitude of sins. A loose fitting dress that skims over tum and hips can be a real confidence booster as well as making you feel very feminine. See the maxi dress I wore recently here. It's already a mainstay for work. 




Another new joy in my life is this Joe Browns Timeless Tea Dress, a perfect everyday dress for any time of year. It's currently on sale so do follow the link to grab yourself a bargain! I'm delighted to finally showcase this crochet cardigan by Karen Millen as I've been waiting for the perfect partner and here it is. I found this beautiful rust and brown and sludge green zip cardi in a charity shop a couple of years ago for the ridiculous price of £2.50! Layering is the best way to extend the life of what may be thought of as a summer frock; you could even add a thermal top underneath for a bit of extra of warmth. The tea dress is indeed a timeless classic and a real winner when created in such a pretty pattern with this warm palette of colours; green, orange and pink lend themselves to all sorts of happy mixing and matching. I've worn the dress previously with a long orange v neck sweater over the top which left the collar peeking above the neckline. A polo neck could be worn over the frock for warmth with a stylish twist. 




This is a new coat I was also gifted by Joe Brown's - it's called the Statement Checked Coat and does live up to it's name. Beautifully shaped to flatter the figure it's gem of a piece for the winter ahead. It ticks all of the boxes to make me smile and raise my confidence. Bold in pattern and bright colours mean it's a cheery find when I open my wardrobe. It's a good length for keeping the nether regions warm and also looks great with trousers. Of course, I'll show you that another time.




The big collar is perfect for keeping out the chills without the need for a scarf (I always seem to forget mine) and it's all the prettier for these flower shaped buttons. The check coat and floral dress team up so very well thanks to the harmony of green and orange in both. I do love a bit of pattern clashing and yet this is hardly a clash in my view.




Another of my confidence tricks is to create an outfit in my personal style; what particular style will definitely depend on my mood of the day. Quirky, more often than not, but other times I'll be channeling my rock chick or a touch of hippy chic or even an elegant, stylish and very grown up version of myself. I love to be a chameleon; to change up an item again and again is a joyful challenge for me and makes for an interesting life. And the easiest way to make a strong style statement is by adding accessories. Mine are more often than not from charity shops which serves my purpose well, bringing together items from all sorts of sources as well as different fashion eras. The belt, perspex rings and necklace are all very old and from vintage or charity shops. My sunglasses are from Radley London. Mixing old and new is a simple way to create a unique style and that makes me happy. We all want to be seen as individuals after all.




A bright belt draws the eye to the waist, a good indication that today I'm not suffering from tummy bloat or feeling too wobbly around the mid section. That may have been helped by the fact that only an hour previously I'd had my first sea swim for some time (howling gales have prevailed of late). I'm delighted to say that it wasn't too cold at all which was a lovely surprise. I was basking in the afterglow, the result of submersion in a calm, silky sea during a break in the clouds. It's totally life affirming, but I'm sure I've told you that many times before!




I've only recently purchased these Asos wet-look boots and must admit that they too make me smile. In my teens wet-look boots were soooooo in fashion and here they are again. The platform sole helps to make the high heel more comfortable and golly, how I love with them! I knew that they'd work so well with my new Joe Browns clothes - it's the main reason I bought them. 




I'm on a gradual clothes clear out currently and although I'm featuring quite a few new items here it's all part of my master plan. The clothes excesses are going, leaving only pieces that I love, and that goes for all of today's outfit. The gathering over the years of clothes that I thought would be useful or might come in handy - well, that's what I'm going to be turfing out first of all. Likewise anything that doesn't fit. I can't hope to lose weight forever nor hold onto things that are too big either in case I need them again. No, life is about today and my clothes have to be what works now. I'm working on creating a clothes collection worthy of my happy and confident self. My best me is who I want to be which starts with clothes that reflect my state of being. 

My coat and dress were gifted by Joe Browns but all comments are mine.

                                                                                                 Anna x

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Festive Finery for November




Hello again! Yes, it's time for our monthly Style Not Age challenge and Festive Finery has been chosen by Gail as the theme. I've only recently unearthed my winter clothes which is ideal as I came across this sequinned top, perfect for the feature. Sasha bought me this from New Look as a Christmas present a few years ago and yet it's never made it onto the blog before. Nothing says festive more than a bit of sparkle, eh? So let's see what the ladies of the collective have to show us, shall we?




Gail has been shopping her closet for this lemon and lilac offering. I love the mix of maribou and leopard print that she has come up with. See more from her on Is This Mutton blog. 



 
Hilda found the perfect backdrop for her green velvet jacket, black leggings and Asos boots on a recent lunch date with her husband. Catch up with her latest news on Over The Hilda blog. 




Emma has opted for a mix of sequins and velvet like yours truly and doesn't she wear it well! The shimmering gold of jacket and boots surely say Festive Finery. See more on The Style Splash.




This red and black ensemble declares very Festive Finery that's for sure. Another dose of velvet from Mummabstylish looks very sleek on Jacqui. Do swing by her blog for the backstory.




I too have been shopping my closet for this festive look. The velvet trousers cost me all of £1 many moons ago and were then the subject of a bit of diy as I chopped six inches off the legs and then hemmed them, adding floral beading scavenged from an old vest top. 



 
I picked up the pink hue of the beading and carried that across to tie in with the brocade Asos boots (very old). I love how these boots add depth to an outfit.




The early morning winter sunshine picked up the shiny sequins and the array of colours that again tie in with the boots. 




The frosted gold rings were both charity shop finds from long ago.




I'll be back at work in the week before Christmas and am pleased to have at least one festive outfit organised for that already. Fur, velvet and sparkles are always high on the agenda for my Christmas fare. I'm in the midst of my Christmas shopping at the moment and did make the most of the Black Friday deals recently. Did you? Within the family we'll be keeping to wishlists for each other as it worked so well for us all last year. 




And finally, If you're looking for viewing inspiration on the TV, then I have to say that my latest joy is Sort Your Life Out with presenter Stacey Solomon. Dejunking is a topic I often talk about as I battle with my gathering and holding on to too much stuff. Well, Stacey and her team transform the lives of the families who are drowning under the clutter of years if not decades. I'm taking baby steps however, but following their advice to either keep, sell or give to charity and am pleased to say that I yesterday uploaded 6 items onto eBay. A drop in the ocean I know, but I promised myself not to take on any big projects over my annual leave, so am taking this at a gentle pace as it will take months to work my way through this lifetime of squirreling things away.  Wish me luck!

                                                                                                 Anna x

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A hint of spring




Hello lovelies!



What a blooming relief to have a break in the weather! The past few weeks have been a dreadful mixture of bitter east winds and endless rain so yesterday's bright day was enough to inspire a 
spring-like outfit.




I felt in the mood for dancing too, but hey, why not?




I opted for an oyster pink base topped with pattern and brocade for this light hearted spring ensemble. The skirt (very old) is from F&F at Tesco, costing £5 in the sale. The cotton roll neck was a charity shop find, also £5. The satin jacket was a hand-me-down from my daughter, the brand is H&M. And the brocade boots are a few years old now, from ASOS.




Also from ASOS, these pretty two tone sunglasses are by Morgan and are in the sale here. The rose gold heart pendant is quite old and the resin rings were a gift from a friend.






It's such a cheery thing to dress for spring. I love the sense of hope this one day brought. I felt bright and optimistic as the day was full of promise. Just one single day can make all the difference!




A shake, a shimmy and a little flutter!




I hope that your start to the week was equally joyful. I'm heading off to the beach now and will be back to see your comments later. If you wish to leave me your thoughts on this on any other post I'd love to hear from you.


                                                              Have a super week!

                                                              Anna x

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