Autumn Colours, our Style Not Age challenge for October

Hello again, and welcome to our Style Not Age challenge for October. This month Hilda has opted for Autumn Colours as our theme, a most timely choice. I just happened to be wearing this (non-outfit) outfit the other day when the photos started to arrive in my inbox and so I thought it might just pass muster.

So, let's start with Hilda, who has recently become a grandmother (again) to a dear little baby girl. The chocolate brown trousers are new, from Cos and the pretty embroidered cardigan, tee shirt and trainers are all shopped from her closet. Catch up on her news on Over the Hilda. 

Jacqui too has shopped her wardrobe for this month's look. She's wearing russets, greys and black as her autumn colours - see more from her on her blog Mummabstylish.

Emma is sharing one of her holiday snaps with us from the sunny island of Madeira where she's wearing a favourite orange jumpsuit by Nutmeg with gold accessories. See more from her on Style Splash. 

Despite this not being a staged outfit per se, it is one of my most seen looks of late. I love this embroidered coat and am wearing it often as I know it's a brief window of opportunity before I'll have to pack it away until warmer spring days. I found it on Vinted earlier on this year and love that I rediscovered these jeans recently - hence they're turning up on the blog like a rash at the moment! Anyway the jeans and coat marry up beautifully so excuse me if you see me out and about in them, again.

Something that is new however is this rather grand Harris Tweed and leather backpack which I bought in Inverness last month. Scotland prides itself on fine goods in Harris Tweed and I was tempted to buy a handbag in this pattern, but after much thought I hit on the idea of having a backpack to not only free up my hands, but to use as my travelling bag when popping off the island. 

It's big enough to hold all of the essentials plus my drinking bottle and still has enough room for my book of the moment and glasses - so important when I'm waiting for a flight on sitting on the train. Needless to say I love the dear little backpack and hope to have many happy trips with it in years to come.

The embroidery theme continues with my Replay trainers which you'll no doubt have seen many times before. I have these in two colourways and wear them often as they're jazzy enough for work and yet so blooming comfortable when I have to stand at the desk all day.

As ever, I'm delighted to show you my Emily Nixon gemstone ring which I've worn daily since Steve bought it for my birthday in January. I so hope that this is the start of new trend for him after many years of being sidetracked during my birthday month... Apologies for the lack of manicure, but it was an impulse photo shoot!

This little beach track is just across the road from our doctor's surgery and is a much nicer place to hang out whilst waiting for the annual flu jab that Steve and I had recently. He's not doing too bad a job as my blog photographer of late, don't you think?

Thanks again for dropping by and I do hope that our monthly style challenges feed your imagination!

                                                                        Anna x

Second hand jeans - two ways

I recently had a couple of nights on the mainland during which time I managed to fit in a bit of charity shopping. My most exciting find were these two tone jeans for £6. They seemed relatively new as they had a crispness to them which made me think they'd not yet been washed, so were perhaps a bad buy for the previous owner. For me they're an absolute joy of a find and I couldn't wait to wear them!

I rolled up the trouser legs, added a belt and they were good to go. I have a simple white tee shirt underneath this new sweater from Number36 boutique in Penzance - I now have three of these Miss Carla jumpers and I love them!

This is a great weekend outfit. It's perfect for out boating when you need an extra layer when out on the water. By the way - could someone slow things down a bit - the last of the summer is simply speeding by!

My second look for these jeans is with this colourful jacket which I've showcased previously, see here. The no label jacket was from Vinted and really ticks all the boxes for me. It's colourful, easy to wear and great fun. Wearing it with the jeans is a good smart/casual combo and one that I'll look forward to showcasing again.

The tee shirt is old, as is the bejewelled belt (was from Amazon) and the crochet flowered sandals were from TK Maxx (maybe last year...). 

The outfit is another ode to summer from me. A wonderful mix of colours and patterns that typifies my style.

Nothing new with the jewellery. The rings are both old, charity shop finds and the sunglasses are from Radley. Reflected in my sunglasses is my bike leaning against the bench and my phone on a mini tripod. This spot is great for not only catching the evening sun but also for getting out of the main thoroughfare of the island. Hopping on my bike to come here beside Pentle Bay gives me the chance to capture the look of the day while still being relatively private. Not only that, but I always stop to enjoy the view of the beach beyond...

Many thanks for dropping by. Enjoy the last of the summer!

Anna x

Festival Fashion

Hello again and welcome to Festival Fashion, our Style Not Age challenge for July! It's a topical style choice at this time of year and we have Jacqui to thank for that. Before you scroll any further however, I just have to say that I was surprised at how differently we all approached this theme, but that surely goes to show our different personalities. So do please carry on - scroll away to see how my fashionable friends fared!

Emma brought out the big guns for her look with silver and sequins and all that sparkles! She's left us in no doubt as to where she's heading. See all the details on her blog Style Splash. 

Jacqui's look is more boho than disco with a slight country vibe to it too. I love the muted palette along with the leather accessories. Find all the details on Jacqui's blog Mummabstylish.

Hilda decided on a more relaxed slant for her outfit, choosing a comfortable, loose-fitting shirt and jeans for her festival fun. Catch up on all of her latest on her blog Over The Hilda.

I've shopped my closet for my festival finery and am really happy with the result. It's not an outfit I've worn before but now that I've assembled the look I think I'll wear it again. Everything is from Vinted, purchased last year. The frilled top has only been worn once before and I'm asking myself now, Why? 

Both the top and trousers are by River Island and the boots are by All Saints. I've been quite restrained of late and haven't made a forray into the realms of Vinted for months now, but when I see these pieces it does make me happy that I found them.

Behind me you'll see the last of the agapanthus still in bloom, but definitely past their best. I do love this beach path leading down to Pentle Bay, one of my swimming beaches. My only accessories are a couple of pre-loved rings and these blue Radley London sunglasses.

As a backdrop you really couldn't find anything nicer. Of course, I may be biased, but hey! I do hope our challenge has entertained and maybe even inspired you too. Enjoy the rest of your week!

                                                                        Anna x

Pink and orange summer outfit

Hi there! How's things with you? This was my work outfit from yesterday. The bright pink linen dress comes from the brand Cerulean and was a purchase from a charity shop in Penzance when I was on the mainland in May. I've changed the buttons from very boring little brown ones to hand made beauties from a local maker, Emma Humphries from the Popplestone Studio on St Mary's. Emma made the buttons to match my orange and pink ensemble and they're fab!

I'm thrilled with the new dress and the addition of these colourful buttons are the icing on the cake. As you probably know I do love to style my clothes in my own individual way so having bespoke buttons is a wonderful expression of this.

Pink and orange are such a great colour combination for the summer, don't you think? Bright, cheerful and full of joy is how I see this look. The dress is second hand, the buttons new and the rest is old. The orange (ridiculously high) sandals are from ASOS and somehow I managed to wear them for most of the day. The orange stretch belt was from Amazon, sunglasses are from Radley London, fabric woven necklace was from Vinted and the Candy bag is by Furla.

The dipped hemline at the back of the dress can be a bit tricky if I wear flats as it tends to get caught between foot and shoe - I might have to do a risk assessment on that! Wearing high sandals sorted that out on the second time of wearing though. The shirtdress could be worn without the belt but for me that simply not an option as I'd look as wide as I am tall - not a look I'm going for. Not only that, but a belt always draws the eye to your narrowest point, especially if it's a colourful one!

It's been a tame week apart from some colourful dressing for work - I tidied some weeds from our garden wall this weekend, had some lovely swims on Pentle Bay in the morning before anyone else was around, did the usual cooking and cleaning etc, etc. On Saturday, I'm sad to say, Sasha went back to Manchester after having been home for two weeks. She had returned for her friend Duffy's wedding and had a fantastic time catching up with all of her friends and family on Bryher. Aside from that she had worked remotely so we didn't have a lot of quality time together as she was pretty exhausted. We managed to fit in a family walk with the dogs on the morning before she left which felt very relaxed so that was good. On the upside I'll see her again in September when she and I hook up for a long weekend together... 

Wishing you a lovely week!

Anna x

Winding down at the weekend

Hi there, how's tricks? I thought I'd show you a weekend lazy outfit this time, just for a change. I had a busy start to the weekend as I was playing catch up with chores at home ready for Sasha coming home, but once I'd done that I managed to have a couple of swims as well as an evening stroll on the beach on Sunday. This is what I wore for a bit of relaxed down time.

These lightweight linen trousers are by Joules and were a recent buy on Vinted. Lots of pockets and a loose fit have boosted them to the top of my weekend-wear chart! I love the mulitcolour floral print which will work with so many options, and this time I've paired them with a new aqua sweater by Miss Carla, bought from Number36 boutique in Penzance. Despite the boxy fit the sweater is soft and lightweight, an easy-to-wear piece that will work well throughout the summer months. A simple white tee shirt and some old pale green suede sandals (by Lazy Dogz - very appropriate name, eh?) were all I needed to complete this weekend ensemble.

None of my jewellery is new. The silver and bead cowrie necklace was from Gallery Tresco a couple of summers ago (and we still sell these now - the jeweller is Julian Warrender). My rings are both charity shop finds and my sunglasses are from Radley London.

I sat amoungst the marram grass and wild flowers to watch the sun drop in the sky and enjoy the sounds of birdsong and the sea as it rustled over the sea shells on the shoreline.

Only a five minute cycle from home and I'm immersed in nature, surrounded by wild flowers and the gentle hum of buzzing bees. Nearby are a pair of Oystercatchers as they chastise me for encroaching on their territory. It's nesting season currently and the bossy little birds won't tolerate any intrusion, especially from swooping gulls on the lookout for eggs. I watched the pair from a safe distance, one of them chasing off the gulls while the other played victim, pretending it had a broken wing as it hoped to lure any preditor away from the well hidden nest. 

Jamie met up with Sasha on St Mary's where they checked out the odd pub or two. Sasha is working from home so that she can attend a local wedding on the island. It's lovely to have here back, even if it's just for a couple of weeks.

                                                                            Anna x

Summer Whites our SNA challenge for May

Hello and welcome again to our monthly Style Not Age challenge! Summer Whites was my theme of choice after what's been a brilliant start to the summer. I would normally hold off wearing white at this time of year, not having faith that the morning sunlight would last all day long, leaving me looking a bit tragic in bright white summer clothes on a dull old day, but the steadiness of the weather meant that I jumped in with both feet and wore this outfit to work last week. But first, let's catch up with the ladies of the collective to see what they've been wearing...

Wowee, doesn't Emma look fantastic in this white lace dress! The brand is Pretty Little Thing and was gifted to her a few years ago when she collaborated with the company. See more from Emma on Style Splash blog. 

Hilda's white skirt is from Cos, a purchase from last year, and her top is old, from Topshop. Catch up on her latest on Over the Hilda. 

Jacqui's dress is by Nomads, gold shoes are from Vinted and matching jacket is from Matalan. Find out all the latest from Jacqui on her blog Mummabstylish.

I don't often wear all white and today's look is no different. The orange and turquoise shimmery coat was a Vinted purchase last year and can be seen here on its first outing. I clearly like to pair this summer duster with my Sunny Days MOMA boots, probably because of the tiny toe end being turquoise too. 

My jewellery is mostly in turquoise hues: the bracelet is a reworked piece from lots of vintage necklaces which I bought from the Gallery last year after coveting it from ages. My dancing girl necklace was another Gallery Tresco purchase from years ago - I love the sparkling beads and the silver dancing girl in a green mini skirt. My gold coloured chain was bought in Accessorize last year and has retained its shine despite not being real gold. The large turquoise ring was a charity shop find and I'm also wearing my birthday ring from Emily Nixon Design. My sunglasses are old, from Radley London.

My white trousers were a recent purchase from Number36 boutique in Penzance. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with white trousers having bought endless pairs of both jeans and trousers over the years and none of them delivering the look I was after. The concern about looking trashy is probably my issue and white jeans always cause me concern. I tried on these loose linen trousers in the shop along with a beautiful pistachio green sweater and fell in love with the whole outfit - I promise you'll see that soon. The trousers have an elasticated back making for a good snug fit, along with the essential deep pockets and I do love the tapered cuff finish at the ankle. I paired the trousers with a white top, newly purchase from Primark and tied the two pieces together with my old faithful stretch belt.

The outfit of the day attracted a lot of attention, particularly from one lovely lady who was here on holiday for the week and made her way to the Gallery every day just to see what I was wearing. One day she even took a photo of the OOTD to send to her daughter. She and I both agreed that the summer duster coat was a mighty fine piece. I really must make an effort to wear it more often this year. Likewise with my fabulous peapod trouser suit which I wore on Friday and had such a great response to it. I'm increasingly aware that I won't be working forever and really must make the most of the opportunity to dress up while I can. 

Many thanks for joining us for this month's style challenge. As ever, I'm so happy to have your comments and feedback about this or any other outfit of mine. So do please let me know your thoughts or even requests to see something again. 

Have a great week!

Anna x