My new Zara winter jacket

Hi there! How's things with you? I'm sharing my new winter jacket today, one that I found in the British Red Cross charity shop in Truro. I wanted to give them a name check as they now have a dedicated rack of clothes which come direct from Zara, all brand new still with labels on, so if you're in the area do drop in for a look.

The jacket is rain proof and will be excellent for my daily lunchtime walks meaning I'm ready for all weathers. The main body is a high shine finish with a matt finish over the shoulders and a lovely snuggly hood that fastens with velcro at the neck. Zip front with poppers make it toasty warm, in fact it's a proper duvet jacket with a tog rating of 15!

The full retail price was £49.95 but I only paid £20 for it - what a bargain! I've had a couple of mainland trips recently and you can understand why The British Red Cross shop is top of my list when I hit Truro! I've just spent a few days away and managed to pick up the perfect sequinned jacket for the party season (again, new from Zara via the BRC shop), so keep your eyes peeled for my Christmas post!

To complete my outdoors look I've added my orange leather gloves, not new, and black Quay Australia sunglasses. This was my weekend outfit and one that you'll recognise as being an old favourite of mine. The two piece is another Zara purchase from years ago when Steve and I were on holiday in London and I found it in one of the Oxford Street branches. The embroidered velour has worn well but the cotton trim is fading to grey now, but that's not going to stop me wearing it. Much worn, much loved.

My new Steve Madden boots (from TK Maxx) were bought with this look in mind. I wear this lounge suit most weekends during the winter and I thought the green soles would tie in perfectly. The sock of the boots are stretch making them uber comfy!

Practical, functional and fun is how I'd describe today's outfit and for a busy working woman that ticks all the boxes as far as I'm concerned. My winter works involve me visiting all of our 100 holiday cottages to upgrade and rotate the artworks, so I need to be comfortable and have practical clothes for the job. This co-ord fits the bill for both work and play and now topped off with my new jacket, I'm ready for any weather too!

                                                                                                 Anna x

Stripes and Spots, our Style Not Age Challenge for November

Hello again and thanks for coming along today to see our Style Not Age Challenge for November. This month Emma chose Stripes and Spots as our theme which certainly caught me on the back foot - at the time of writing I only have one outfit to hand, so this is what my offering looks like!

Starting with Emma, she has shopped her closet for this M&S striped jacket and spotty top from Coast, along with trousers from River Island. Her cute little spotty bag is old, from Mango. See more on her blog Style Splash.

Jacqui from Mummabstylish is sporting a very patriotic outfit of blue/white striped top with white jeans and a sweet little red spotty scarf. It's a great casual look for the weekend!

Another stripey top comes from Hilda worn with a spotty scarf too - great minds think alike eh? She's added her new Primark faux leather trousers and M&S boots to complete this chic look. Read more on her blog Over The Hilda.

Completing the threesome with another striped sweater is Gail from Is This Mutton. The top is a recent purchase from M&S as are the diamante leggings. Both spotty belt and boots are old.

I'd stepped outside work for a change of scenery with today's outfit, but the blustery weather and seaweed strewn road wasn't the best backdrop after all.

There's nothing new with this outfit at all, not jewellery nor clothes nor boots, but it's the first time these have been pulled together to make an ensemble. The velvet trousers came from my daughter last year but this is the first time I've showcased them. I think they'll be perfect for the festive season, don't you?

The spotty top was a TK Maxx find from last year or maybe even a couple of years ago. The rose cut out necklace is very old indeed and was a purchase from the Gallery. Both my blue rings are charity shop purchases.

My brocade boots (ASOS) may be old, but do work perfectly with the jewel bright colours of the velvet crops, eh?

My outdoors wear comprises of blue leather gloves (charity shopped) and my pink and red checked coat (very old).

Quay Australia sunglasses finish off the look. I'd say that month after month these challenges do make me review my wardrobe in a way that I wouldn't otherwise which results in many a surprise. I'd bypassed these trousers often because I thought I didn't have anything to go with them, et viola, I do! And this led me on to seeing that my black top in a similar combination of stretch body and voile sleeves would look equally good, in fact it might be a good option for our Christmas day drinks at the pub.

Thanks for popping along today and do please nip across to see the back stories from my blogging friends. I'll see you next week with my first December outfit.

                                                                          Anna x

Mellow yellow

Hello lovelies! Are you okay? I'm doing great. I've taken a week's holiday to wind down after what's been a hectic end of season. This was Friday's work outfit, a mix of old and new pieces that I was trying out. 

Mellow yellow is a step down from my normal sock-it-to-ya colour scheme, but I really love it. The faux leather paper bag trousers are by Zara, but were bought from TK Maxx in the spring and my, don't they work beautifully with my ecru Asos boots from last year?

The yellow woollen jacket is by S'NOB and is very old. I like the gold lurex thread that runs through it, adding a bit of glam to an otherwise conservative piece. 

My gold flower ring was a gift from a girlfriend and the other floral ring was a charity shop find. My poppy brooch comes out every year. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

This lace blouse was a recent charity shop find in Penzance. It was brand new, still with the labels attached from the brand "I Saw It First". In fact there were two side by side, this and a pure white voile one which I snatched up too. One was £7 and the other was £10 - what a result!

What's not to love about a cream lace blouse with frilly cuffs? I particularly enjoyed the pairing of leather and lace, especially in this neutral palette. So unlike me, I know, but isn't it grand to stumble across a new love?

The main of the blouse is fully lace so I opted to add a natural body underneath which was not only a modesty choice but a useful extra layer of insulation too. 

It's always a bonus to find a new outfit at the end of the season as I know I'll still have it to hand ready for when we re-open in March. This definitely will transfer to spring without any tweaking at all. How fab is that? And yes, I did waft about feeling rather fabulous all day long in this muted ensemble.

Thanks so much for dropping by. Have a super week!

                                                                                       Anna x

The party outfit

Well, here it is - the party outfit from last weekend! I packed three options for the surprise birthday bash for ex-Tresco farmer, Paul Christopher who turned 70 on Friday. Paul was indeed totally surprised at the turnout for him and we were all so happy to see the look on his face when he opened the door of the pub in Cornwall. Family, friends and work associates filled the venue, sharing stories, filling the air with laughter, and showering Paul with hugs and kisses. The night was a fine celebration for this unassuming, gentle and kind man to give him the affirmation that he so deserved.

My wonderful husband, diplomatic soul that he is, advised me not to wear my beloved pea-pod suit to the party and how right he was. It's not that kind of party, he told me, as I was giving him a show of each outfit an hour before the party and it was great advice. This, however, was just right to ensure I felt comfortable, not out of place, leaving the focus clearly on the birthday boy and not my extravaganza of an outfit.

The trousers were new from TK Maxx in the spring and this was their first outing. They're a mix of polyester and elastane, making for a heavy drape with a comfy bit of stretch too. The high waistline is emphasised by the twin belts with brass popper fastenings, an unusual feature that lifts these Oxford bag style trousers out of the ordinary and into something quite stylish.  A white turtle neck body ensured a sleek, streamlined fit avoiding that constant tucking in that a vest top might need. The zip up crochet cardigan in autumn hues is by Karen Millen, a pre-loved purchase from a charity shop from some time ago. 

My Asos ecru platform boots finish off the look. The trousers are too long to wear with flats so these will be what I wear with the trousers next time too.

The vintage necklace works well with the colours of the cardigan don't you think? The rings are old as are the Quay Australia sunglasses. 

No mainland trip would be complete for me without a tad of retail therapy. I dodged into TK Maxx, rattled through Primark and bustled into a couple of charity shops during the couple of days resulting in an armful of new and pre-loved clothes in a rainbow of colours -

Trousers, sweaters, cardigans, a skirt suit and two pairs of boots plus one pre-loved necklace was the haul. It's so lovely to end the season with an array of bright colours to dress in over the drab winter months ahead. I really don't enjoy the gloom of these next few months, but having some cheerful clothes to ward off the winter blahs will surely help!

                                                                       Anna x

Ready to party...

Hello lovelies, and how are you? Today's blog features a dry run for an upcoming party. Steve and I have been invited to join a gathering for a surprise party on the mainland on Friday and this is one of my possible outfits. I'm not sure how dressed up this party will be and can't decide if I'm wanting to be too 'out there' amongst lots of people, some of whom may not know me or my penchant for dressing up. 

Is it just me who feels more confident on home ground? Or even simply with friends? On Tresco I'm known for my over the top dressing and often have people drop in to the Gallery just to see what my outfit of the day is. It's an easy talking point and a great lead-in to more in depth conversations. In some ways, this suit could be an ice breaker at the party, but it also might backfire if I'm seen as an old bird (heck, I am 64 after all) doing the proverbial mutton dressed as lamb thing.

Anyway, to the outfit - this is my (almost famous) pea-pod suit, a gem of a find from H&M in the spring of this year. In case you missed the reveal of this you can read the post here. Over the months I've had readers of my blog and Instagram followers turn up at the Gallery requesting that I wear my suit sometime during their stay - how lovely that is! And thank goodness, it has never failed to please and even astonish. I've never had so many compliments in response to an outfit, even from men! In fact, it seems that the dapper nature of the trouser suit is what's so eye-catching for the menfolk.

I've glammed up the suit by adding a sequinned vest and bejewelled belt along with silver high heeled boots. But maybe I'm guilty of trying too hard? In my head, the word party does mean pushing the boat out and this is my boat well and truly out!

I leave Tresco on Thursday and will be packing my bag in the morning. I would have liked to showcase some other party options but I've been busy this weekend doing my big six monthly clothes changeover and still haven't quite finished. The good news is that this ensemble is close at hand. The bad news is that my confidence levels are dropping as time goes by. One less jazzy outfit I'm considering is this one - see here - a Joe Browns dress. And another is this one - see here - another trouser suit, but much less bling. 

So, here's where you come into play... Please send me your thoughts - drop me a line in the comments box below as to which of these three outfits you would suggest I wear, or anything else you've seen on the blog. This far, I only know that the venue is within a pub, although not the actual pub itself. I know I'd be happy to wear my pea pod suit here on Tresco in our local pub, but beyond that I'm not sure at all. And on a purely practical point, I am more than a little worried that something dire may happen to my precious pea pod suit, like someone spills a glass of red wine on me or I sit on some chewing gum in the taxi. Have I just persuaded myself not to venture off island with my beloved Iris Apfel ensemble or am I missing the opportunity to showcase this spectacular outfit beyond the shores of home? 

                                                                                  Anna x

Layered Lux, this month's Style Not Age challenge

Hello and welcome to our monthly style challenge which is Layered Lux this time, the theme being chosen by Gail of Is This Mutton. Our outfits reflect the difference in weather and temperatures across England and Ireland during the past week when we took our photos; luckily it was a warm and sunny day here on Tresco when I wore this summery outfit, probably one of my last ones of the year. So let's take a look at how my blogging friends approached Layered Lux...

Jacqui's silky blouse certainly says Lux and she has co-ordinated it well with jeans and long line jacket for a casual look. Check out those fab shoes! See her blog Mummabstylish for full details. 

Hilda's layering comprises of silk shirt, leather jacket and woollen coat - a sure sign that the temperature has dropped over in Ireland. Read her backstory on Over the Hilda blog. 

For Gail, the trick is all about lots of thin layers to keep warm in the season ahead. A fine roll neck, topped with thin tee shirt and tie wrap starts her outfit and later she adds a sweater and gloves - see the final flourish on her blog here. Those rose gold boots surely say Lux, Gail!

Emma from Style Splash is ready not just for autumn, but winter too in this trouser suit topped with fur trimmed leather coat. It's a look I'd wear in a heartbeat Emma - pass it on when you're done!

This outfit was an absolute joy to put together, mainly because it's based around old or pre-loved items which always makes me feel good. The trousers are very old indeed and were from New Look costing £5 in the sale many moons ago. The pairing with this charity shop jacket is what makes me smile; I love the marriage of colours but the clashing of patterns. Jewellery-wise there's nothing new here either - the frosted disc necklace came from Marks & Spencer yonks ago and the silver rings are old too. Sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

It's the first time I've worn the jacket and had been put off by the fact that it didn't have buttons on the sleeves - although that wasn't enough to stop me buying it a few summer's ago. It was only recently that I found the jacket lurking in the back of my wardrobe and set to in finding some suitable buttons from my button box. I also put a new button on the front of the jacket and suddenly the whole thing came to life. 

This lace shirt definitely adds an element of luxury to the outfit. A recent charity shop purchase, it was brand new, still with the labels on and was reduced to half price. This was its first outing and I must admit I think it'll be very useful for many summers to come.

Lace blouse and sparkly belt surely sum up Lux for this challenge today. I also liked the version without the blouse and with the jacket on (see below, although the sunlight was casting quite a different light for these following shots).

It's such a shame that I've only discovered this stylish jacket now, just as I'm about to do my autumn/winter changeover. Never mind, it'll be a joyful find for me when I come to unpack these clothes again in the spring! As ever, thanks for dropping by and I do hope that you've picked up some ideas for seasonal layering too.

Wishing you a fab week!

Anna x