Be bold with pattern play!

Hello again!

Hi there! Did you miss me? Sorry! Life seemed to run away with me last week. I missed posting on Friday as you may have noticed. Life rarely goes to plan, as they say, but here I am again now. I'm urging you to be bold in your styling today - these complimenting prints have inspired me, helping me find some new combinations for work next week. Are you back in the workplace again? Or maybe you'll be working from home for a while longer? 

I really have no idea what I'm going to feel like when I'm back behind the counter serving customers once the island has re-opened. However, I've already decided that feeling anxious and fearful in advance will do me no good at all, and so I'm going to cross that bridge when I get to it - or better still, to use one of Polly's delightful mixed metaphors, "I'll burn that bridge when I get to it!"

Today's outfit is a mix of pre-loved and high street fashion. Sasha bought me this ornately patterned jacket (by Vial Clothes) as a Christmas present a couple of years ago, but this is the first time it's made it onto the blog. The satin floral trousers by Carolina Belle, Montreal, were from TK Maxx in 2018 and were aired on the blog last time here. 

The lace top is really quite old and being a charity shop find, may be very old indeed! No matter, I love its stretch lace making it an easy-to-wear fit and the cream colour is very versatile too. The ring is also a charity shop purchase.

The silver satin pumps by Kelsi add a playful touch to this relaxed look. These too are from a charity shop, but were brand new and only £8!

I fancy that the retro round framed sunglasses (by River Island) add an air of Annie Hall to this look. Do you agree? Anyway, this is outfit number one, all lined up and ready for the day job. As this is my last week at home, I'll be rushing around like the proverbial blue ar*ed fly, trying to finish all of my spring cleaning. I plan to spend some time pulling clothes together to create new ensembles for the forthcoming weeks too. For those of you heading out for your first bit of retail therapy in 12 weeks, I say "Have fun and keep safe". I've seen huge queues on TV outside Primark in major cities this morning with shoppers keeping their distance and wearing face coverings. It looks like our national hobby has returned!

I'll be back with Dress Up Friday this week - hope you'll drop by then!

Anna x

Winter Opulence, our Style Not Age Challenge for December

Welcome to this month's Style Not Age challenge.

Hello to you and thanks for dropping by. This month's theme for our challenge was chosen by Emma and goodness, what a lovely idea to opt for Winter Opulence. We've all taken to this one like ducks to water so without further ado let's see how Emma starts this off shall we?

Emma looks positively regal in her velvet dress with teeny velvet bag and that crown like headband. Find all the details on her blog Style Splash. 

Jacqui's take on Winter Opulence is all about lace in the shape of this rich red lace dress, styled simply with red suede shoes. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Hilda has chosen a double helping of fur to compliment her gold brocade skirt for her sumptuous look. Catch up with her on her blog Over The Hilda.

At the mention of Winter Opulence I immediately thought of fur - but which of my many pieces was the dilemma? I've not yet showcased the velvet and fur coat which I bought in London in November... But no, maybe not. This silver fur jacket captured my attention as I rummaged through my wardrobe. 

It's a hand-me-down piece from Sasha, the brand is New Look and is quite old I think. Anyway, I like the short length as it feels young and a bit more funky when paired with this satin jumpsuit, pre-loved from H&M. 

The satin bowed trainers (new with labels) were a recent purchase in London. The brand is Kelsi and I've found the same ones online here. I thought the silver pumps were a great match for the silvery hued jacket. 

My bejewelled turtle handbag continues with the Opulence theme perfectly don't you think? I bought this in a boutique in St Andrews almost 12 months ago, but there's no label to show the brand/maker.

No brand with the necklace either I'm afraid. I bought it in London too at the Crisis shop in Finsbury Park. The necklace was one of many bargains I found at only £6.95. I can see this will be a great asset to my jewellery collection. Both rings are pre-loved too. And my sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

Fur, satin, velvet, lace and brocade - we've pretty much covered the who gamut of Winter Opulence here. What do you think of our outfits for this month's challenge? Do drop me a line or post a comment if you have something to add. Next month I'll be starting us off with our first challenge of the new decade. What on earth will that be I wonder?

Until then, I'll wish you all a very 

Happy New Year!

Anna x