The shoes were the starting point...

Hi there! What do you think about my new shoes? These are by Irregular Choice and were a recent find on Vinted, costing me £45. I'm a sucker for a funky pair of shoes so what could I do but buy them when they popped up on my feed.

I'm in the middle of a huge clothes clearout the likes of which I've never undertaken before. The immediate impact of this was that I didn't manage to find the right pair of trousers to create the perfect oufit to compliment these rather fabulous poodle shoes. Instead I opted for this vibrant skirt which somehow offered the right balance of colour and print to please my sense of style.

The skirt is vintage by Jaeger and I've had it for years. The button on the waistband has been moved in and out as my weight has fluctuated from one summer to the next - this year it's static which I suppose is a good sign. The pink stretch belt ties in with my pink Candy handbag. I added a cream floral lace bodysuit underneath with my cream jeans jacket by Jack Wills to top the look off. 

The large blue ring is old, pre-loved from a charity shop many moons ago and my other ring is a gold gemstone one with aqua coloured sapphires and diamond from Emily Nixon Studio. 

The pearl and heart necklace was a hand-me-down from my sister who's also on a big dejunk currently. The pearl necklace echoes the pearl leash on the poodle shoes, but I know you understood that without my saying. The yellow sunglasses are by Quay Australia - I fancy I've outgrown the Dame Edna Everage look now and will probably move these along too. The brooches will stay however as I do love these old fashioned trinkets.

I wore a big petticoat under the skirt to give that lovely full look - such a simple addition makes all the difference.

The shoes are a joy, adding such fun to this outfit. I'm always amazed at how much pleasure I get from pulling a few interesting pieces together to create a new look. 

And finally... I'm going away on Friday, meeting up with my daughter for a busy weekend. I'll be back with all the details on Tuesday.

                                                                            Anna x

Frilly jumpsuit

Hello again and thanks for dropping by! Apologies for my week off - it wasn't planned, simply a case of being overrun at both work and home so something had to give. Sometimes I just expect too much of myself which results in burn-out, last week being a prime example of this.

Do you like my new frilly jumpsuit? I wore it for the first time for one of our evening drinks parties recently and my assistant Rachel kindly did the honours with the photos. The jumpsuit was yet another lucky find on Vinted. No labels, no brand, but it's a gem of a piece and a joy to wear. I've added a green stretch belt and the yellow link necklace, both from Vinted too. My sunglasses are from Quay Australia. Rings are not new; the fluted one was a gift from a friend and the other is my Emily Nixon ring.

My sandals were from TK Maxx last summer. I bought them in two different colourways and golly, how comforable they are!

The jumpsuit has a 70's feel and makes me think I ought to be drifting about in a corn field with a chocolate ripple in my hand. Am I the only one who remembers that advert?

Rachel did a great job with the photos, but she did spend most of her time trying to make me laugh, which I suppose is no bad thing. Thanks Rachel, I'll let you help out again!

                                                                            Anna x

Zingy spring outfit

Hi there! How's tricks? I do hope you're enjoying this fabulous springtime weather. It's been glorious here with only a brisk easterly wind keeping us all in check and wearing our jackets when out and about. My pretty spring jacket is by Heyton, bought from TK Maxx a few years ago.

Despite being one of my favourite jackets I don't seem to have many things to wear it with so it was a joy to bring it together with my lime jumpsuit by & Other Stories (from Vinted). Fiona has become my Friday photographer again which is another joy in my life. It's lovely to have a bit of friendly banter to loosen me up for these photoshoots.

I have no idea what this gesture was in response to, but I was clearly having some Friday fun!

I decided on blue and turquoise as my accent colours against the lime green by adding two turquoise beaded necklaces and my recently purchased blue and coral beaded belt (yes, from Vinted of course). 

My white leather cowboy boots finish the outfit off with a sharp edge. Despite looking narrow they are actually all-day-wearable, thank goodness, as I do love them.

I'd like to finish off by giving a big shout out to all the ladies who drop in to see me at the Gallery throughout the year to pass on their positive comments on my outfits. Rosemary, it was so good to see you last week and to have your very kind feedback and valuable input - thank you! It's heartening to have these lovely ladies appear from time to time just to say how much they like popping in to see what the outfit of the day is. It's a real bonus for me, especially as I dress for myself, not for the approval of others therefore that makes it even more appreciated.

Have a great week everyone!

Anna x

Spring has sprung!

Hurrah, spring has indeed sprung! This is from today on Tresco (Wednesday 26th of March) a beautiful bright blue morning that surely imbued everyone with the feel-good factor here on our sun-kissed island. Tresco has recently hosted a Wellness Week followed by a religious retreat both with resounding success. For those of us who live here it's no surprise to see how well these breaks are received; it reflects the lure of this special island. 

I'll admit that I'm a fair weather kinda gal whose mood is influenced by sunlight for its natural high. The brilliant blue sky is a joy to behold. The sunlight on the water is a joy to behold. Simply being on Tresco is a joy to behold!

I felt more than a little giddy on my way to work this morning. Sunshine is all I need to feel good and golly did I feel good!

The outfit of the day was chosen to reflect the bright morning and the optimism it fills me with. I bought the ASOS suit from Vinted last year. I had to rework the trousers as they were too big, but it was worth the sewing challenge (see more of that here) to get them right as it's a fabulous suit now. It seems I might be a bit colour blind as I've considered this to be a lime green but it's just yellow to everyone else. Hey ho!

The multicolour bodysuit in a retro print and suede trainers were also from Vinted and the yellow sunglasses are from Quay Australia. 

If you're interested in another wellness retreat, Gem Hansen is hosting a Restorative Retreat on Tresco at the end of November - see more about that here. 

                                                                            Anna x

New jeans

Hello, and how are you today? Here's a weekend look from me this time. The jeans are a recent purchase and I won't even bother telling you from where... Anyway, I'm really happy with these as a fabulous addition to my wardrobe. I love anything funky and these really do fit the bill!

The fit is high waisted and baggy over the hips and thighs which makes them super comfy and easy to wear, perfect for the weekend when lounging around is top priority. 

The jeans boast every kind of embellishment; from diamante strands and hearts to rough patchwork, bleach splatters and everything in between. It's a retro look that has huge appeal to me. I've cinched the waistband with a bejewelled belt and accessorized with a diamante heart ring, a flower enamel ring and two rose gold bangles - none of them new.

The bright orange jeans jacket is by Forever 21, bought from Vinted, of course. It's a great little jacket that I'm sure will be very handy over the summer months.

One of my go-to pieces this year is a white ribbed bodysuit from Primark. I think I've got three of these, all exactly the same. The best thing about them is the cut around the rear - they don't ride up and are generously cut, almost like granny pants which stay put not matter what I get up to. A thonged bodysuit is my idea of torture!

My new pale aqua sandals with floral and diamante trim are also from Vinted, cost me £5 and were brand new - so an absolute bargain in other words! The insole is padded for comfort - a word I seem to use a lot at the moment.

The rectangular sunglasses are old, from Quay Australia. The gold coloured chain was a purchase from Accessorize last year - it's stainless steel and was advertised as being perfect for everyday wear for swimmers. I've not tested it out as I don't want to find it doesn't live up to the promise.

I was out watching the sunset from this vantage point just above Appletree Bay. We've had a mixed bag of weather recently ranging from scorching sunshine to thick fog with a sprinkling of showers too. I'm making an effort to get out after work and at the weekends to enjoy the lovely weather while it's here.

                                                                              Anna x

One suit, three ways

Hi there! Today's suit is yet another sewing accomplishment for me, not that I actually made it, merely did a fair bit of adjusting to get it to fit. The suit itself came via Vinted, and the the brand is Zara. I instantly fell in love with it and paid little attention to the fact that it wasn't my size - the jacket is a large and the trousers extra large - but that wasn't going to stop me.

When it arrived I discovered that the trousers were a good four inches too big in both the waist and hips. I took a clothes peg and cinched in the extra material at the back and could see how they would work, provided I could do a bit of fine tuning. I proceeded to remove the waistband and discovered that the boucle material was uber fragile and very quick to unravel - eek!

I must point out that the colour of it is more of a zesty lime colour but seems to be coming across as a yellow hue. Anyway, I took two inches out of the front seam of the trousers and then an inch off of each dart at the back. This left me with excess fabric in the waistband which I used to create a tab to accomodate a button hole. All of this did take three attempts I hasten to add, but perseverance is becoming my middle name where sewing is concerned.

Not sure if the colour shows up any better in this shot.

So to summarise the look: I've added a ribbed bodysuit (from Vinted) along with these rather fabulous Dr Marten boots in floral canvas (again from Vinted) with an orange stretch belt (from Amazon) and the flower ring (a gift from a friend) and the other is an Emily Nixon one, paired with a gold coloured chain from Vinted. These sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

So that's look one, the fun version I'd call it thanks to the boots.

The second version is more restrained, smarter I suppose. I'd bought these boots especially to wear with the suit and they're almost the very same colour. 

The frilled blouse had just arrived that day, a gift from my sister who bought it from a charity shop in Inverness. That frill surely had my name on it when she saw it in the window! The overall look is more formal (in my eyes) but may still be quite flamboyant for others. 

The belt (from Primark) and necklace (from Vinted) go very well together don't you think? I've worn my old favourite mirror sunglasses from Quay Australia this time.

The brand of the boots is ASOS and I just love the retro square toe design! 

And this is version number three, a more summery look thanks to the sandals. 

This graphic bodysuit was another Vinted purchase, bought with this look in mind. I do like the staying-put nature of a bodysuit meaning no need to keep tucking it in, although sometimes they do try to migrate up into one's nether regions if they're a tad on the small size.

This was Friday's work outfit, aka version number one and it did earn lots of compliments. The weight of the fabric means the suit hangs well and I do love the gilt coloured chunky buttons too - they just give it a style edge. The natural coloured belt is stretchy and came from Primark a couple of summer's ago, the sunglasses again are by Quay Australia.

These orange sandals were from ASOS last summer and even though they're ridiculously high I still adore them. They're what I class as pre-lunch wear as by post-lunch my feet have always swollen and complain at being pinched into anything as tight/high as these ones.

My final accessory of the day is my swish orange handbag by Oliver Bonas. I've used it almost every day since I bought it last September. I love the detachable inner pouch which I can swap into any other bag so easily - such a clever idea!

Do please leave a comment to let me know which is your favourite version. As for me, I love them all!

                                                                            Anna x

April Showers, our SNA challenge

Hello and welcome to this month's Style Not Age challenge! April Showers is very apt for all of us as this has been such a chronically wet month here in the UK. That said, we had a lovely run of sunshine recently which did cause me to panic that I might have to take my photos in bright sunlight, but here I am on a showery day last week. 

Hilda chose this month's theme and doesn't she look stylish in her Max Mara trench? Catch up on her latest on her blog Over The Hilda. 

Jacqui has shopped her closet for this month's challenge; the full length trenchcoat is a perfect example of 80's style. Read her back story on Jacqui's blog Mummabstylish.

Another trenchcoat from the wardrobe of Emma; this one is from Boden in a jewel bright colour. Get all the news from Emma on Style Splash blog. 

Gail has splashed out on a new raincoat from ASOS and with this fab umbrella she's looking bright enough to chase the rain away!  See more from her on Is This Mutton blog.

April showers have indeed been very evident here on the Isles of Scilly. Unlike my mainland friends, my trenchcoats haven't been man enough for the job this month. Instead my silver raincoat has been a more practical option with its roomy hood and heavy duty repellant fabric means it's ready for the next sudden downpour. My sunglasses are by Quay Australia and rings are both old, pre-loved.

The rest of my outfit comes from Vinted. Purple skinny jeans are from River Island and the yellow sweater is cotton but had no label - I do love these colours together!

The lilac Chelsea boots were a recent Vinted purchase. I could be accused of having ankle boots in every colour, but I'd dispute that (I think...)

I love how the different photo angles have me looking like a giant in one shot and a teeny weeny critter in the next!

Thanks for joining us for this month's challenge. We're always hoping to inspire and entertain you, as well as having a bit of fun along the way. Take care and I'll see you soon!

                                                                        Anna x