Ping-Pong Piece No 1

Hello and welcome to our monthly offering previously know as Ping-Pong Post and now rebranded as Ping-Pong Piece. After 12 months of posting our clothes around the world to be styled by myself and my two blogging friends Ann and Samantha, we decided to make life a bit easier. Now we're merely ping-ponging ideas back and forth, with each of us taking it in turns to suggest an item for us to wear in our own particular way. Easier too for us to invite a guest to take part. Ann has started the ball rolling with fishnet tights and has invited Mary to join in the fun...

Ann has chosen a large fishnet to add a bit of funk to her shredded jeans to brilliant effect. The mix of leather, denim, fishnet and those Stella McCartney patent beauties deliver all that's needed for today's hottest rock chick. See Ann's blog Kremb de la Kremb here and follow her on instagram here.

Details -

Sunnies and Tee--Forever 21

Earrings--H&M

Leather Moto--a swap

Jeans--Zara

Fox Bag--Hong Kong Salvation Army

Shoes--Stella McCartney

Tights--Hong Kong Ladies' Market

Ann's guest is Mary of blog Miss Mary Powers see here. Mary has taken black and tan as her palette giving a stylish edge to her street cool. Her accessories of black felt hat and suede booties are a real touch of class. Follow Mary on instagram here.

Details -

Jacket - BlankNYC

Dress - Shop Missa

Shoes- Sam Edelman

Hat - Rag and Bone

Samantha's love of colour and pattern is ever evident here. I love her pattern clashing as well as the khaki fishnets and toning brogues. See her blog Fake Fabulous here and follow her on instagram here.

Details -

Earrings: H&M

Top: old…can’t remember where from (I cut the label out as it was scratchy)

Skirt: Boden

Tights: 50p in a charity shop… M&S ones from about 100 years ago!

Shoes: Clarks

Bag: Vintage

When Annie came up with the suggestion of fishnet tights I was rather pleased as I'd been saving these blue ones for the right outfit since I bought them before Christmas. Finding the right outfit was to be the challenge however. Amidst the flurry of reopening the gallery on Friday and doing my sewing homework for Saturday, I was pretty pushed to find time to do much trying on. I took the easy option and was led by the blue trim on these gorgeous courts. This green and blue vintage dress was a no brainer that only needed a cardi to finish the look. The final hurdle for Polly and I was the gale that was blowing down from the north across the front of the gallery where I pose. Crazy hair day? Yes!

Details -

Dress: Peekaboo (vintage)

Cardi: Phase Eight

Tights: Topshop

Shoes: Roberto Gil 

Necklace and rings: charity shop

Ping Pong Piece is no more a competition than Ping Pong Post was - it's all about showcasing an item and hopefully doing so differently enough to give you lots of inspiration. I think we've pretty much filled the remit then don't you? I'd love to hear that you think of our new variation on the theme.

Linking with -

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Anna x

Transitional dressing and the big changeover

Autumn, hmmm. Not my most inspiring season: it obviously leads into winter which is the worst time of the year for me. I hate winter. Yes, I said it quietly as I try very hard to be positive about all things. I really have to work hard in keeping cheerful in the dark winter months. I'm one of the many who suffers from the horrible SAD which blights me for every grey day ahead. If you have any remedies or even tried and tested light boxes you can recommend then please do drop me an email or let me know in the comments box. I'd be most grateful. In the meantime, Polly is keeping me smiling.

This is what I call transitional dressing: still bare legs, but the addition of a little jacket which can be removed by lunchtime when the temperature picks up.

Let's just take a moment to admire this bag and shoes combo, shall we? The shoes are suede and are charity shopped from my most recent trip away. The handbag is imitation leather and from a different trip, different charity shop. But hey, don't they look amazing together? Such is the joy of charity shopping and they cost under £9 all together!

So, on to the matter of the big changeover. I spent all last weekend and some of this one, moving clothes out from under beds, suitcases and bags to access all of my A/W clothes. The swap is all done and my summer finery is all laundered and stashed back in every nook and cranny I can find. There has been a lot of dithering re what can be worn in this transitional time. Take this dress for instance. Well, it did make the grade as I can add some coloured tights and long sleeved top underneath to extend the wear of it. I was also pretty brutal with things that just hadn't been worn this summer. I've put lots on to my eBay pending shelves and that will be one of my ongoing winter projects. 

Goodbye to the summer brights...

...and out come the winter sparkles.

This is just a snapshot of the wardrobes where it's all lurking. I have clothes spread out over three bedrooms and four wardrobes as well as in dressers and drawers and under bed boxes for shoes, tights and more sweaters. The majority of my shoes are in their boxes under the bed too, mainly boots and brogues. My friend Nicky was very keen that I feature some of my storage, but that's maybe because she's more a minimalist compared to me. Her rummage about in my closets was a bit like a child in sweetie shop. 

Outfit details are Jacket: Toxik3, dress: vintage by Peekaboo, top: Primark, shoes (M&S) charity shopped, and bag: charity shopped, rings: old, watch: Michael Kors, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking with

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish

I'll leave you with this sunrise snap from outside my house this morning at 7.30. Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Anna x