Zara's "It" dress of 2019

Hello again!

Hi there, and thanks for joining me. It's been a glorious few days of weather here on the Isles of Scilly and this was my outfit of the day yesterday for another scorching day. As the mercury rose I did have to abandon the belt and change the boots for sandals as it became uncomfortably hot later in the afternoon. Thank goodness for living only 100 metres away from work!

This Zara dress was the It dress of last year, but I was oblivious of that when I bought it. (Google Zara It dress 2019 and you'll see umpteen photos of it.) For me, it was merely a pleasant departure from my usual bright and colourful plumage. I wore it for one of my summer exhibitions during the summer (see here) and again dressed it with boots. I laughed when I went back to find those photos as I discovered how similar my styling was both of these times. I clearly like silver and boots with this frock!

The material is light and airy and even with a belt it's very comfortable and still wafts about in a floaty manner, perfect for a summer's day. Increasingly I seem to be drawn to black and white outfits and do wonder if it might be a sign of my tastes maturing at last? Will I ever stop dressing up like a clown in garish, over-the-top garb? Probably not, but I do enjoy a touch of black and white sometimes to help me feel elegant and stylish. I feel well put together, cool and in control when I'm sporting a monochrome look which is no bad thing when you want to give off the right vibes at work.

My New Look boots were bargain basement finds at only £5. Ridiculous, I know, but I couldn't resist buying my first pair of white boots as an adult at the age of 60. Since then, I've gone on to buy another white pair of Doc Marten type boots to make up for a lifetime of lack. After decades of avoiding white trousers and white boots, I'm suddenly making up for the hunger years. They may not be to everyone's taste, but I'm all about pleasing me!

The silver chain mail belt and rings are all second hand.

My sunnies are fab retro round framed ones, this time from Radley London. I've just checked out their website and to my dismay they now have a pair called Anna and they're gorgeous.  I say dismay, because of my self-imposed 12 month shopping ban. Booo-hooo!

I'll be back on Friday. Until then, take care!

Anna x

The Zara "It" dress does autumn

Hello and how are you? I hope you're having a great week. Today I'm continuing with my quest to restyle a summer outfit, recreating an autumn look from one of my favourite summer frocks. Not only my favourite, but this polka dot dress became the "It" dress of 2019 as it appeared like a rash across the whole of Britain, even as far south as the Isles of Scilly! If you Google Zara spotty dress you'll be able to read what all the papers had to say about this new classic piece. In the meantime, it's still for sale here or you'll maybe prefer the reverse colours in the new style here. 

The first time I showcased this fabulous frock I was bigging it up for an exhibition night, adding lots of silver to the monochrome look - see here. Today I've added a splash of red in both boots and belt, along with the red in this vintage leather handbag. 

I stumbled across the handbag when I was holidaying in Cork many years ago. It was a wonderful charity shop find that nearly had me fending off a rival shopper as she loitered behind me, hoping I'd change my mind and put it back on the shelf. My sister stepped in to clarify the matter, that yes, I would be buying it. Hahaha, forever my big sister, even though we're all grown up now! The belt and rings are also charity shop finds.

The silver disc necklace is quite old now, but was from M&S. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia. 

The silver and black studded Michael Kors jacket is becoming a signature piece of mine. It has the ability to add a bit of edge to any outfit, giving it a style boost as it were. I like that the studs echo the polka dots here. 

These H&M sock boots have coped very well considering the amount of times I've worn them. I think I may have had them re-heeled last year, and I do wipe off any marks and mud to keep them as pristine as possible. Sock boots seem to suit my curvy calves and show off my slim ankles, hence me investing in about half a dozen pairs so far.

Today's outfit crosses all the fashion sources from high street to charity shop and vintage which encapsulates all of my shopping vices. I love to dabble with all kinds of clothes and accessories to create my own style. Next week I've got a wee trip to the mainland lined up and hope to find time between appointments to fit in some charity shopping in my favourite venue of Truro. It seems that a whole swathe of my autumn/winter clothes have gone walkabout or rather I just can't find them in the morass of boxes and suitcases that are scattered throughout the house. I know it sounds like a made up excuse for a bit of retail therapy, but it's the truth, honestly! 

                                                                                          Anna x