Faux leather February, our Style Not Age challenge

Hello again!

Yes, here we are on the last Monday of the month showcasing our monthly style challenge for you. Jacqui has come up with Faux leather February and in accordance we're all dancing to that tune. So let's see what the lady herself has to offer shall we?

Jacqui wears new faux leather culottes in chocolate brown with cream coat and boots for modern look. The sunflower pattern shirt is a spring inspired addition. See more on Mummabstylish. 

Emma's nod to the theme are the cute puff sleeves of her fitted top. The all black outfit is complimented by the orange check of the skirt and orange handbag. Catch up with her on the Style Splash blog. 

Hilda sports a faux leather bomber jacket with her flared jeans for a rock chick look. To see more of her casual weekend style see Over The Hilda. 

Gail's faux leather ensemble is a zingy combination of black and green, which reminds me of a post I did last year (see here). Her take on the challenge is classy with a stylish edge thanks to the fabulous pop of pink. See her back story on Is This Mutton.

My spin on faux leather had me delving deep into my wardrobe to find these pre-loved yet unworn leggings. The peplum top (also pre-loved and unworn) proved to be a cute pairing inspiring this awe-shucks pose. A peplum does that to me, encouraging me to forget my age and act out that cutesy alter ego. Cringe-worthy perhaps? Then cringe away!

The sheer floral top cost me all of £2.50 about 3 years ago and has been stashed away ever since. I can't bear to pass up a bargain, but only if the colourway is one that will work for me. The autumn colours are definitely ones that suit me and I knew that at some stage this would be a useful top. Now that I've worn it once I can see it will be diverse enough for another spin later.

I wanted to ramp up the retro vibe and choose this vintage necklace (a wonderful charity shop find from Feb 2020) to pair with my Quay Australia sunglasses. I was really pleased with how this came together.

My rings are in keeping with the pre-loved theme and you'll recognise my much worn patent leather boots from Topshop. 

I'll leave you with this final bit of flouncing around. I did actually have another version of faux leather in quite another vein which I'll share with you soon - a much more robust take I'd say... I do hope you've enjoyed this month's challenge and ask that you take a moment to read the back stories from my style buddies.

Wishing you a great week!

Anna x

My thanks go to the photographers

Today's post relies on a host of photographs taken by a handful of friends and family who have stepped in when asked. I'd like to say a thank you to them all here, as without them this blogging malarkey wouldn't be as easy or as much fun.

Thanks to Jamie for this shot of Sasha and I after our lunch at the Ruin Cafe the other day.

And to Sasha for capturing this idyllic view afterwards.

To Chris and Val for joining Kate and I on a breezy afternoon to take a lovely series of shots of two friends enjoying a companionable dip together.

Kate is a regular visitor to the island and this year we've pledged to fit in as many swims as we can every time she's here.

Thanks go to Jane, a friend I made on the yoga retreat here last year. She and her family stumbled across us after our morning swim and we imposed on her son to take some snaps before they headed off along the shell-strewn beach to continue with their walk.

Green beach was decorated with ribbons of shells which whooshed and clattered as the tide rose and fell over the top of them. Nature's gentle musical accompaniment for us while we dressed.

Thanks are due also to Kevin's wife Lorraine for taking these photos of one very serious looking training session for someone and a sunny afternoon dip for the other.

"I'm not racing" I said as we stood on the shoreline. But as Kevin set off his stopwatch the competitive streak in me took hold. My front crawl is fine in a short burst, but not at his speed however. We maybe set off together, but it didn't stay at that level pegging for long. Kevin was an absolute gent though and periodically stopped to wait for me as I resorted to my steady breast stroke.

Kevin was buzzing. I waded back to the shore as he headed off for another couple of laps of the bay. We both swam in the Scilly Swim Challenge in 2015 (Kevin in the fast group and me in with the plodders). Now Kevin is in training for this year's event. Well done that man! Read my full account of the most memorable of days here.

And so onto the main event. My biggest thanks must go to Polly my wonderful blog photographer and Gallery Assistant. Polly is a whizz with all the tricks my camera has to offer. She bubbles with enthusiasm for her daily chore and helps in making my blog the sleek, polished showcase that it is. Thank you Polly for all that you do x

Oh, and let's not forget my thanks to all of the locals who cheerily add that special something as they photo-bomb us during our early morning shoots - thanks to another Kevin...

...and to Charlie who insists we capture his best side too.

This relaxed pose comes from knowing that dearest Polly will be doing her utmost to getting the best shot every time. Thank you Polly. Thank you too, to all who drift in and out of my life bringing such pleasure and rich memories. Until next time x

Jacket: Gap. Faux leather jeans: H&M. Polo neck: M&S (charity shop). Pink brogues: H&M. Handbag: charity shop. Silver rings: charity shop. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Watch: Michael Kors. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

A tale of two jackets

If you picked out the colours of the sea today and turned them into a graphic print, you would end up this dress. 

I'm so pleased to have found this in the recent H&M sale. The fit is great, (providing I don't put on another ounce) the colours are so good for my skin and hair tone, plus it makes me feel very smart for work. It also has a real spring-like feel to it, thanks to these fresh, aqua colours. 

At the start of the day my entire outfit looked like this -

This lovely turquoise jacket was a gift from my sister who was having a clothes sort out, and lead to my feature here. As I was getting ready for work this morning, I was in a quandary as to which jacket was the right one to wear with this lovely new dress. However, we're still being thrashed by a bitter North wind, so I decided that this woollen jacket was the better choice. Polly and I dashed out to brave the wind while the sun shone and I even steeled myself for long enough to ditch the jacket and get some dress shots. 

Given that the view you see here is the very same view as from the gallery where I work, you'll agree that it's a pretty stunning panorama to have stretching out in front of your desk all day long. The tide comes in, the tide goes out, but at different times every day. The boats come and go; more of them in the summer, down to just the odd one or two in the winter; sometimes none at all if the weather is too ferocious to be out on the sea. The other day a client remarked to me that she couldn't really find the right word to describe the exact colour of the sea here. It's true, the sea colour is affected by cloud cover, rocks and seaweed lurking just below the surface, and the depth of the water - all add to the conundrum. That's why it was so clever of Polly to line me up against the backdrop of the sea today; this dress pretty much encapsulates all the colours of the water here.

As the day progresses the temperature in the gallery rises, until by mid-afternoon it can be really quite hot; so hot that we have to pin one of the doors open to get some cooler air circulating. Provided there's no wind, we can often open both doors without any danger of the paintings being rocked off the walls. Today was a one door only day due to the strength of the wind coming down from the North. At five o'clock I had to pop home for a change of shoes. Trading over, I needed a bit more comfort while I rounded up all the end of day chores, climbing to and from my office, and that meant putting on these babies. 

I'm aware that if I were a city dweller this combo of trainers and work wear would be de rigeur. All that power walking to and from work couldn't be achieved in high heels, which is where my personal commute wins hands down. The 200m dash can be completed in the highest of heels, even if I have to spend the next five minutes recovering at my desk. These nifty trainers just happen to tone in beautifully with my dress, and you'll notice the thicker wool jacket has been replaced with my mint green faux leather jacket. I'm rather keen on both variations of today's outfit. What about you? Do you prefer one to the other? Let me have you thoughts x

Woollen jacket: Jones, New York. Dress: H&M (sold out). Tights: old. Handbag: charity shop. Trainers: Salomon. Faux leather jacket: Vero Moda (TK Maxx). Watch: Michael Kors. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Turquoise multi stone ring: Primark. Opaque ring: New Look. 

Linking with 
Lucy Dawn of Fashion Should Be Fun 
Shellie of The Fabulous Journey

Mint in the mist

The mist was more like fog, but that didn't work quite as well in the title. Visibility was poor, but our photo shoot was given an air of mystery thanks to our hazy backdrop. 

We had a day of fog last week when these shots were taken. Sea mist, fog, haar - call it what you like - it added a bit of a different feel to the background. The sparkling sea no longer stole the scene, it was all down to the outfit to dazzle. Step forward my brand new, perfectly formed, mint leather brogues. Ah yes, that's a good start. Then let's just add the beautifully matching faux leather mint jacket. Oh, and what about these wool Oxford Bags in navy and turquoise which I bought in Palermo in February while we were on our cruise? Well now we're talking. The retro print vintage blouse is a sweet addition, softening up the masculine bones of the outfit. In fact, let's add a string of pearls to keep this feminine vibe going. But I can't resist the juxtaposition of these fab green braces against the pearls; what a lovely play of yin and yang. Add a pop of pink by way of this cute clutch and a couple of toning rings and the deed is done. Does that dazzle enough? 

Jacket: Vero Moda (TK Maxx). Trousers: Byblos, Italy. Blouse: The Olde Well (charity shop). Shoes: Office (now reduced here) Handbag: Ness (charity shop). Pearls: charity shop. Braces: market stall in Palermo. Belt: Gap. Rings: old.

Linking with 
Dawn Lucy at Fashion Should Be Fun