Still shopping my closet!

Hello and here we are in February! How are you doing in Lockdown3? Are you coping okay? I'm so pleased to notice the difference in the daylight hours as the evenings start to stretch out day by day. Just that little bit of light adds a ray of hope to our days, don't you think?

It was a year ago since I was last on the mainland and a year ago that I ventured into a (charity) shop.  By March last year I'd bought my last piece of clothing online (see it here) and that was to be the final item I would buy for the next 12 months. The most influential read to spur me on to taking a break from retail therapy came in the form of The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. I'd been feeling overdone clothes-wise for some time prior to that: knowing that I had too much to wear despite it being pre-loved and therefore less of a financial drain, it still bugged me that I just couldn't fit anymore into my wardrobe. But not just that; the minute I dropped clothes into the recycling centre, I was driven to replace them with more. This had to stop.

So here I am almost at the 12 month finish line and I'm amazed at not only how easy this has been, but also I have to admit that I'm still finding pieces of clothing with the shop labels attached that I've not yet worn. My shopping ban couldn't have been more timely as unemployment figures soared with families having to prioritise their spending, leaving clothing at the bottom of the list. Reuse, re-style and recycle and buy less, wear more are the kind of hashtags trending on social media, helping me to feel more in step. As we eventually emerge back into normal life again I fancy that we may all find our buying habits and choices have changed forever due to the impact the pandemic has made on the High Street.

Anyway, enjoying our clothes be they new or recycled is what I'm all about and today's look is gathered from the past few years. The jacket is three years old and was a boutique find in St Andrews (the brand is FDJ). The culottes and boots are both from Zara, again about three years ago and the blouse is from H&M. The retro sunglasses are from Topshop.

The rings are pre-loved and the necklace is from Topshop.

The jacket is a fake suede but isn't lined. I've not worn it often and yet looking at the back view of it, I do wonder why. This is often the story with so many of my clothes. It's only when I see them on the blog that I remember what attracted me to them in the first instance.

These bronze boots look as if they have fishnets over the top of them - I do get that remark often. The colours make them very wearable with lots of outfits.

And finally, I've managed to start on my long term sewing project again. I can't remember how long ago it was (maybe six years ago) that I decided I'd like to recover my old sofa. In the meantime, I've collected some fabulous velvets and other sumptuous fabrics together to add to my initial cache and have a renewed enthusiasm for the task. Today I finished one cushion cover and hope to keep the momentum up over the week ahead. 

The other side of the cushion looks like this. I'm so pleased to get back sewing again - it's a joy to be creative and to improve our surroundings at the same time. 

None of this would get me into the Great Sewing Bee, but it's great to have an indoor hobby at this time of year.

                                                                                       Anna x

Pattern play on a bright winter's day

Hi there! How's your week going? I've been having a root through my wardrobe to bring out some pieces that deserve a bit of an airing again. There's nothing new here, but that doesn't mean it's not a joy to wear. These sunny colours are just right for a bright winter's day. I took a walk across to the other side of the island and found this little corner out of the wind to set up my tripod for these shots.

I do love a bit of pattern play. The floral trousers were from TK Maxx ages ago (what a delight to find they still fit, especially after the other day when I was bemoaning my rounded tum). The striped top was a sale item from Topshop, back in 2019 I think. And the gold moleskin jacket was from TK Maxx around the same time. 

January is a great month to apply oneself to mixing and matching old items rather than fall prey to the January sales. Take some time to bring pieces together, trying on as you go. I've made some surprising discoveries that way. At the moment I have a vintage pair of flares in tan leather begging to be worn. I put about six different tops out on the bed, some of which still haven't been shown on the blog. By trying them on and mixing these around I've created a great new outfit out of second hand pieces that really reflect my personality so much more than high street clothes ever could. I'll feature that one soon...

I bought the necklace from Topshop at the same time as I bought the sweater, both pieces together cost me £20, result! The two citrine rings were gifted to me by Gemporia way back in 2017 - see that post here. I've just noticed that I have a shopping list written on the back of my hand here - how very glam!

The mock croc silver boots were in the Primark sale for a fiver, ages ago. 

Regular visitors to Tresco will recognise the house behind me here, Nautilus. I was lucky enough to spend the weekend there three years ago as we celebrated my 60th birthday. We had a wonderful time, especially when the family turned up on the way to my ABBA party. If you missed that post you can see it here. 

And talking of birthday's, it's my 63rd on Sunday. I've already taken the photos and do hope you'll join me for that colourful feature. We're lucky enough to have the family around us currently so my day looks like it'll be a good one!

                                                                                       Anna x

Plus two's anyone?

Hello and how are you today?

I hope you're well and having a good weekend. Today's post is quite a contrast to my previous one, but is more seasonal I have to admit. Steve and I managed to find a spot tucked out of the wind last weekend to capture this winter outfit combining old, pre-loved and new pieces. 

The fur coat is quite ancient, but the cut is elegant and classic and the faux suede and faux fur combination is so cosy. The look was built around these pre-loved plus twos. I've searched the net for info on the difference between these and plus fours -  

there is a slight difference between plus twos and plus fours. Plus twos offer a two inch fold just below the knee, whereas the plus fours are very baggy, with a four inch fold over the knee! Generally, however, shooting trousers are designed to offer additional protection against the elements. 

I bought mine in the British Red Cross shop in Truro for the grand sum of £4.50. Today is my first effort at styling these golf/shooting breeks and I'd appreciate your feedback. The coat, as I said, is very old from French Connection and the plus twos are by Pret. The high heeled brogues help to turn these masculine pants into something much more feminine. I picked the shoes up when I was visiting a girlfriend in Portugal a few years ago. The tights are by Wolford and seem to have lasted forever. 

I particularly like the wee front pockets on the trousers. Not exactly functional, but cute no less. The embroidered belt is second hand and the brand is Fatface. The mustard rib sweater is from Primark. 

The statement necklace is from Topshop, rings are pre-loved and sunglasses are from Quay Australia. 

As I was putting this outfit together I was suddenly aware that it was very much all earth tones, and dare I say it's verging on that brown look which challenges me somewhat. Hence the splash of blue in the Argyle tights. I think this acts as the perfect ploy, don't you?

                                                                                           Anna x

My birthday fur

Hello there and how are you?

Today I thought I'd share my recent birthday present from Sasha - this fabulous fur coat from H&M. It's not only teddy bear soft, but also works as another dose of colour therapy during these winter months. I adore a fun fur and am thrilled to add this new shade to my wardrobe. 

Steve and I chose Carn Near quay as our backdrop for the photo shoot affording us this wonderful vista of islands and sea behind. The white sands are Bathing House beach on Tresco and the islands in the distance are the Eastern Isles.

As usual there's always something I forget and the accessory of the day was a pair of buttery soft leather gloves that match the jacket perfectly, but you'll have to wait until I style this up another time to see those!

The gold sweater is one that Sasha gave me as a hand-me-down a couple of years ago, also from H&M. It's been at the bottom of my cupboard for months and was only unearthed when I was trying to find the right top for this outfit. The Lee jeans were a recent purchase from TK Maxx. 

The necklace is from Topshop and my old faithful sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

My gorgeous belt is new, by Ted Baker and another birthday gift, this time from Fiona. Both rings are also gifts from other girlfriends previously.

I'm still in love with these fabulous blue snakeskin Chelsea boots from Office. The brand is Ego and they're in the winter sale here if you want to catch yourself a bargain!

I'm so grateful that the blog affords Steve and I the chance to spend some time out and about when we otherwise might just be bogged down by weekend chores. We poke fun at each other in our chosen roles of model and photographer, neither of us convinced that we are the real deal which of course, helps to keep it real. And here's the view that I was facing throughout today's brief session looking out towards St Agnes and the Western Rocks.

Thanks for dropping by and have a lovely week!

Anna x

Another reprise on the brown theme

Yes, another dose of brown!

Hello again! I'm not one to take defeat lying down and therefore I'm facing the brown challenge head-on again today, this time by adding a suggested pop of colour by way of my winter coat by Covent Garden. The brown on brown had mixed reviews the other day, both on the blog and on Instagram, so I decided that I'd push the boundaries further by adding leopard print to the mix as well as this mustard coat. Less brown, more print, more fun, more me.

The star of the show today has to be my fabulous new handbag (a Christmas present from my dear hubby). The Paul Costelloe leather and leopard print bag was a happy find in TK Maxx which also means it was a cut price bargain too. (Hubby paid, but I found it). It's my bag of the moment, my latest crush and I'm more than a little in love with it.

The granite backdrop works as a perfect camouflage for this animal print fest, don't you think? The gold flower ring was another Christmas present and the diamante ring was an airport purchase last year. The bangle was a charity shop find for a pound - yes, £1!

The necklace is from Topshop and the cardi is from H&M, although a bit ancient now.

It was another dreich day, but Lora and I dashed outside when the skies opened up momentarily to reveal a watery winter sun. I know I'm not alone in feeling the post-Christmas slump currently, not helped by the dull weather. The rest of the outfit reads like this - jeans are by Zara, as are the boots and I'm layered up with a thermal long sleeve top by M&S underneath the cardi. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

So that's it guys. Did I redeem myself? Are we all agreed that a fair old dollop of leopard print has the ability to pep us up out of the brown doldrums? 

Thanks for dropping by. See you again soon!

Anna x