The best laid plans...

Yes, life rarely goes to plan and so it is for me that my promised feature of yesterday has flopped. Events have conspired meaning that Sasha and I haven't manged to do our joint shoot. But worry ye not, I'm here to show you brocade boots plus new trousers, my third item recently purchased from Zara.

As a teenager, flares were one of the first fashions I followed. I had a pair of bright blue satin bell bottoms that I wore with multi-coloured platform shoes and a mini seersucker smock top in rainbow stripes; my love of colour was just as evident then.

Outfit details are like this - jacket: a gift (thanks again Maggie), trousers: Zara, blouse: eBay, boots: ASOS, necklace: gift, rings: old, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

I really like how the high waist gives a lovely snug fit.

I was so pleased to come across these cropped flares in Zara last month. I've had this imaginary pair of trousers on my mind for some time, but hadn't managed to find them in real life. The shape is exactly as I'd envisioned, but I thought they might be a soft denim rather than corduroy, and certainly not in this lovely ginger colour. I wore them in London, but my camera was playing up so the shots aren't as crisp as they could be.

This variation details are - jacket: Michael Kors, roll neck: eBay, boots: Zara, ring:old, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

How's your week going? Are you on top of your Christmas plans and shopping lists? I'm about to take a look online to see if I can get some inspiration for toys for my great nieces and nephews. After that I'll get our turkey booked which will get me a bit closer to being prepared for the big day. Good luck with your shopping. Thanks for dropping by, and see you soon!

Anna x

Weekend wear

One of my highlights of the winter period is that I have the entire weekend off. During the height of the summer I often only manage to take one day off a week, so a whole weekend seems like absolute luxury.

And there is nothing more luxurious for the weekend than this little number. Are we talking Athleisure wear here? Many moons ago this would simply have been called a jogging suit, but we none of us went jogging in them. Loungewear then, maybe?

Regardless of the name, this is my idea of comfort when I'm chilling at home.

I found this in Zara on Oxford Street in my recent trip away. The truth of the matter is that I could have spent a small fortune there. Steve excused himself from the arena which was a very wise move. I was like a wild cat stalking its prey just before darkness fell; the clock was ticking, and I knew I had to be selective. I took five things into the changing rooms and bought three. Very restrained, by my standards, but this was real shopping at real prices - no thrifting bargains to be found here.

The trainers are a purchase from earlier this year. A lovely find in TK Maxx for a snip. I think I maybe prefer my black trainers (see here) with these trousers though.

It's difficult to say what I love best about this outfit. Firstly the velvet is soft and cosy, the colours are vibrant, the embroidery intricate and enriching to the overall feel, and the loose fit is essential for comfort, but I suppose the winning design feature has to be the wonderfully deep pockets in the trousers that deliver the real slouch factor. It's still in stock here, but be quick, I fancy it will sell out soon! 

My next post will be another joint feature with my daughter. Sasha and I will be styling up our brocade boots, a trend that's still going strong this winter. That will be on the 20th, so do join us to see the results. The 5 Over 50 challenge for December has been chosen by Laurie of Vanity and Me Style and will be Christmas jumpers. We've moved the date of this to the 18th of December to allow us to capture a few festive shots. I'll be rooting about this weekend to see where my offerings are and looking at what I can wear to put a new spin on them. Our annual Christmas party is on Saturday the 16th (golly, only a month away) so I will be taking a look at what I have in the sequins and glitter department, again in the hope of finding something to inspire me. How's your Christmas events calendar looking? Or more importantly are you a "Bah humbug!" type or are you brimming with Christmas spirit already? Do let me know your thoughts on the festive season.

Linking with -

Ashley and Laurie's weekly link up

Anna x

Ping-Pong Post no12

Hello and welcome to the 12th edition of Ping-Pong post, the monthly collaboration between myself, Samantha of Fake Fabulous and Ann of Kremb de la Kremb. To see the background of this style challenge read here. This month Samantha proffered her black drapey top which almost flummoxed me completely. Despite being simple in shape, it was still one of my least favourite of colours to work with. Let's start with Samantha who certainly didn't seem to struggle -

The black top has a scoop neck and cross over front, but very cleverly Samantha has chosen to wear it back to front revealing a stunning strappy feature below. Wet look leggings, and patent boots lift this plain cotton top into the realms of fabulousness. She has finished this off with a statement bag and necklace leaving no room to doubt that she is indeed a true style icon. Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Details -

TOP: Yong Kim

NECKLACE: Oliver Bonas

LEGGINGS: Pamela Mann

BOOTS: Vagabond

BAG: River Island

Ann has given the top a more casual spin with her snakeskin jeans, biker boots and striped shirt, but hasn't forgotten a dash of glamour by way of her diy ostrich handbag (see the link below). A roll neck and gloves give a nod to the cooler weather Ann is experiencing in Hong Kong this week when she took these shots. Black doesn't look very difficult to wear when you've got the right hair colouring does it? Fab styling Ann! Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Details -
Outfit Details

Earrings--my guy Ben in Jardines Bazaar, a great ladies market in Hong Kong

Turtleneck--heat technology, Uniqlo

Striped Shirt--Zara

Black Top--Sam's

Gloves--market in Shanghai

Ostrich Bag--Kremb de la Kremb DIY

Snake Jeans--Bershka

Moto Boots--boutique on Houhai Lake, Beijing

Those who know me will recognise my default setting here - when in doubt, dress it up! Glitter tights and glitter boots, seemed like a great way of detracting from the pallor-inducing colour of the top. Adding some softer, more neutral tones against the skin also helped. One feature I did like was the pockets and by adding a belt the tunic took on a bit more shape. A splash of silver jewellery and studded clutch were the finishing touches. Samantha - I gave this my best shot, but heck it's been my least favourite of our challenges so far!

Details -

Top: Samantha's

Dress: H&M

Belt: Dorothy Perkins

Tights: H&M

Boots: Topshop

Necklace: M&S

Rings: old

Handbag: charity shopped

The news on Ping-Pong Post is that having completed a whole year of this style challenge we're going to evolve the series a little next month, so do come along to see exactly how on the 20th of March.

Linking with -

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish

Anna x

Ping-Pong post no 11

Welcome again to our monthly global style challenge. I can't believe a month has gone past since our pre-Christmas offering where we three dazzled and sparkled as a starter to the festivities (see it here). But January is rushing past us, and I for one am not sorry to see it depart. This month my blogging partners in crime, Samantha and Ann, have accepted my challenge to style this black and gold top which as been forgotten in the back of my wardrobe for the past couple of years. Click here to find out how this whole shenanigans started.

Ann confessed that New Year's Eve party was what came to mind when she was styling this black and gold top. Hong Kong no doubt offers all sorts of celebrations on the biggest night of the year and Ann wouldn't have lacked a choice of venues in this hot mama look! Maybe I could've joined her in my mini skirt and glitter tights outfit too (here) to dance the night away.

Follow Ann on Instagram here and on her blog Kremb de la Kremb here.

Details -

Sunnies--Tom Ford

Hoops--from Bombay

Necklace--Kowloon

Top--Anna's

Waistbag --ASOS

Skirt & Tights--Zara

OTK Boots--Ash

Samantha is playing it cool here. Put a hat on this lady and you can't fail to be bowled over by her cute features atop immaculate styling. The longer I know her, the more I adore her fun, quirky twists - the cap, the statement necklace, those boots. This girl can do no wrong.

Follow Samantha on Instagram here and on her blog Fake Fabulous here.

Details -

Boots: Clarks

Trousers: I can’t remember!

Leatherette Top: DIY from a dress.

Top: Anna’s

Cap: Gents section at TKmax

Necklace: Oliver Bonas

My styling starts with a coat on and unfolds from there. Oh, and it was windy!

These shots were taken on a blustery evening at the start of October just before I sent the top on its trip across the globe. It was cold enough to warrant a coat and this fake fur was a good shape to showcase the sleeves of the top as well as the elegant shape of the skirt. My tapestry boots had literally arrived that very day and Polly was the first to see them out of the box. Without the boots the outfit may well have been very monotone, so it was a case of perfect timing as far as I was concerned. This whole look is very me - not in the least understated - with every bell and whistle you could conjure up. 

Details -

Top:Wallis

Skirt: charity shop

Boots: Asos

Waistcoat: H&M

Bag: Giorgio Armani (find of the month, brand new, in a Truro charity shop!)

Necklace: old

Belt: charity shop

Rings: old

Anna x

#Ping Pong Post no 9

Welcome again to our monthly style challenge where an item of clothing traverses the globe between my friends Samantha of Fake Fabulous who lives in Scotland and Ann of Kremb de la Kremb, a resident of Hong Kong. It's been nine months since we started Ping Pong Post and you can see how it all began back in March see here. This month it was the turn of Samantha to proffer up something - her pink dotty jacket was a fabulous challenge - let's see if we'd be foiled or if we'd flourish shall we?

The inclement weather didn't dampen Samantha's enthusiasm for her weekend spin on the pink jacket. Samantha's Scottish home is prey to chill winds and more rain than it deserves, but she works around this with a cosy pashmina and clever layering featuring shades of cream, navy and burgundy reflected in bag, boots and over shirt. I love the rosy pink glow created by her brolly which enhances her lovely, healthy complexion. Samantha is growing out her signature pixie cut in favour of a longer, shaggy style which suits her pretty features so well. Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Shirt: Second Female

Poloneck: M&S

Jeans: Topshop

Shoes: Mini Boden

Bag: Charity shop

Ring: My daughters!

Ann too, has changed her hairstyle this month and is looking equally cute with this swept back look. She's added polka dots and snakeskin print to a black and white palette to showcase the pink jacket. The simple mini skirt paired with fantastic Stella McCartney patent, platform shoes almost steal the show were it not for those beautifully tanned legs of Ann's - the result of a recent beach holiday methinks! Metallic nailpolish and toning jewellery are her finishing touches. Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Shirt is Target

Top, Sams

The tie is Zara as is the snake bag--but from the girls department.

The suede mini is Forever 21

The shoes are Stella McCartney

Oh, the strings are from my buddy Ben from a market here in Hong Kong.

And the hair tie I found in a random jewellery shop in Kowloon. 

I must admit I thought the jacket was a fantastic offering this month. The fit was great, it had a little bit of stretch and the colour was a the ideal springboard for creativity. My initial thought was to add some jeans as I'm aware I don't dress down very often for the blog. I pulled out a couple of pairs, one black drainpipe and the other a dark blue cropped. Hmmm, not sure. The pink frothy blouse nearly leapt out of the wardrobe next and that really helped move things along. I remembered seeing these studded leggings of Sasha's when I was rooting around in a drawer the other week. Once I'd recovered them, the boots were a no brainer. The finishing touches of this tartan clutch and the belt were both trophies from my last charity shopping episode in September see here. Lots of silver jewellery was my final nod towards this rock chick look - at my age? - YES!

Thanks to Samantha and Ann for the Pink Pong Party this month (Ann's take on this) - it was great fun. Next month we'll be showing a bit of razzle dazzle thanks to Ann, right on the cusp of Christmas. Hope you'll find a moment to swing by for a look.

Jacket: Sam's

Trousers: borrowed from my daughter

Blouse: charity shop

Boots:Office

Clutch: Ness 

Necklace and rings: charity shop

Watch: Michael Kors

Linking with

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish

Cherie of Style Nudge

                                                   Anna x