Frills and finery

I'm not an organised shopper in the way that some women are. You know that thing when you buy a skirt, the advice is to buy something to go with it too so that you have a complete outfit. I'm always on the run when I'm shopping and therefore I tend to grab what catches my eye and then worry about the pairing up once I'm home. That's how it was with this lovely mesh skirt that I found in TK Maxx, but in the back of my mind were the boots that I'd bought in the Zara sale (grab yourself a bargain here).

I couldn't resist this matchy-matchy look. 

The frilled blouse (charity shop find) was an afterthought, but works tonally I thought. If I'd been at home for this shoot I probably would have added my big leopard fur coat to finish the look off. See that here.

Sock boots were the revelation of the year for me in 2017. I love the fit and the elegance of them, plus they seem to suit my leg shape. My calves are well defined and sometimes can look more so in a bulkier boot. The slim, elasticated shape seem to refine the outline.

The gobstopper ring was a charity shop find, the triangle one came from Sainsury's and the blingy necklace was from a boutique in Truro. The belt was from eBay, a purchase from a couple of years ago, but when it arrived I discovered that it was too big. At Christmas I had a mending day, sewing bits and pieces and came across the belt in my mending pile. I cut the belt at the back, removed a few inches of the elastic and joined the ends together using some strong thread on my sewing machine. You'll be seeing this one again and again I expect.

These photos will be another reminder of my weekend at Nautilus cottage for my 60th birthday celebrations. If you missed that (where have you been?) then see the link here to take you back and for the Abba party see here. 

I'll sign off now and wish you a lovely weekend. As I look out the window the sun is shining and that's surely time for me to get out for a walk. Yesterday I walked for about three miles looking for beach to swim on, but the winds were too fierce. I'll leave you with some island photos I've taken over the past week, starting with one that I actually captured from my kitchen window while I was busy cooking yesterday afternoon. It's a pretty special view at the best of times, but I love to watch this local guy zoom back and forth across the bay between Tresco and Bryher when the winds are fresh. (Note to self - if Gareth is out kite surfing, then it's too wild for me to be sea swimming!)

This view down the channel marks the difference between the summer and winter. If this were summer, there would be no clear water, just lots and lots of boats and yachts moored up making a little community all of its own. We're only weeks away from the new season starting and I'm ready for it. We've had enough of gales and wet grey days. Bring on 2018 summer season!

Anna x

As suggested by...Samantha

This is the second in the new series. The first offering, As suggested by...Karren was a resounding hit with so many of you that I thought I'd establish this as a monthly offering. You'll recognise this wonderful jacket from some posts recently as seen here so it's already coming down in terms of cost-per-wear. The gorgeous leather jacket generated some good feedback for me, both in the comments and on Instagram, the first of which I'm going to address here today. This outfit was inspired thanks to Samantha's (of Fake Fabulous) input. Her suggestion to pair the very fitted jacket with a big skirt was a great choice, therefore was a no-brainer for me.

I've had this beautiful cotton lawn skirt stashed in my closet for years, so I could do with getting some more wear out of it. All I had to do was add my black net underskirt and hey presto - the big skirt was born! Such a huge outline needed high heels to stop me looking like a wee toadstool, which is where my legendary Michael Kors boots came into their own. 

As it happens this outfit is the second one this week where I've showcased a net underskirt and I maybe had something to learn from Wednesday's offering. I think the beauty of wearing a net underskirt is all in the showing of it. Perhaps this skirt could have been hoicked up a bit to reveal the bottom of the underskirt in a more playful way. Too late, I know, to re shoot, but I think that's the whole point of these frou-frou net creations - they really beg to be flashed, don't they? 

Well, when I said it was too late, that got me thinking. So last night after work, I quickly pulled this together before the sun set. With skirt duly hoicked up, jacket left open and new beaded belt on show, I decided to give it another go. The question is, Samantha, do either of these looks showcase the jacket a-la-big skirt that you imagined?

This type of challenge is great fun for me, so I'd like to invite you to contact me with your ideas and suggestions from what you've seen. Is there a piece I've only shown once that you'd love to see again? Do you have an idea like Karren's that will push me out of my comfort zone, yet surprise me with too? If you're a lurker and are feeling a bit shy, then you can just email me rather than publish your comment. Or make contact on Instagram if you'd rather. I'd love to hear from you - any feedback is really useful in gauging how I'm doing. I'm coming up to my first anniversary of fashion blogging soon and it would be great to know how I'm performing. I prattle on a couple of times a week, showing you the latest ensemble in my very own style, but what do you think? I'm so lucky to have formed friendships with other bloggers, but I know there's a whole raft of you guys out there, sitting quietly enjoying things at the back, and would love to hear your thoughts. Write me x

Jacket: DSquared. Skirt: Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti. Underskirt: eBay. Boots: Michael Kors. Tights: Dorothy Perkins.
1st variation Necklace: Dorothy Perkins. Blouse: charity shop. Belt: charity shop. Watch: Michael Kors. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Flower ring: Dorothy Perkins. Perspex ring: gift.
2nd variation Blouse: eBay. Belt: Sainsbury. Yellow ring: Martin James. Solitaire ring: Dorothy Perkins. Pearls: Almost Perfect. 

Linking with
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb 
Patti of Not Dead Yet Style