Borrowed from the boys

Hello and welcome to our monthly gathering, the Style Not Age challenge, where my fashionista friends and I choose a theme to play dress-up. This month it was Emma's turn and she's come up with Borrowed from the boys which has resulted in some fabulous outfits.

Jacqui did actually borrow her son's tee shirt for this challenge. The geometric tee adds pizzazz to the classic combo of black trousers and jacket, all finished off with pink trainers for that ying yang touch. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Gail has countered the macho vibe of the theme by playing pretty in pastels. Her penchant for lilac works well here - I just love those lilac brogues! Catch up with her story on Is this Mutton. 

Emma's bee print jacket is from TK Maxx, a men's jacket it turned out to be too! She's embraced the theme to the hilt with her trilby and white shirt while maintaining her feminine wiles. Catch her back story on the Style Splash blog.

Hilda is another one to raid her family's wardrobe. She's sporting her husband's hat which ties in beautifully with these amazing Paul Costello Oxford bags. Read more about this summery outfit on her post at Over The Hilda.

I found this midnight blue suit in a charity shop in Harrogate a few years ago and decided to ignore the fact that it was on the men's vintage rail. I wear it a couple of times a year and each time I like to style it up differently. Yes, the shoulder pads are huge, but it was surely an 80's stunner at the time.

This time I've opted for a mixture of pale pink and rose gold to compliment the dark suit, rolling up the jacket sleeves to reveal this blush tone which is almost identical to the blouse. 

I've had this sweet pink blouse for years and yet am guilty of hardly ever wearing it. It was a purchase from Tu Clothing at Sainsbury's and a bargain piece at only £5. The pleated sleeves are so pretty and beg to be the stars of the show.

This is the first time I've worn flats with the suit. I usually wear heels to add a touch of glamour to such a masculine shape, but I felt that the rose gold trainers were feminine enough to work.  I've had these for three years now and still love them. (I bought them from TK Maxx for my video interview for the JD Williams campaign - happy days!)

The rose gold belt was another charity shop scoop. The heart pendant was from a little boutique in Truro  and the rings are both pre-loved.

These rose gold mirror sunglasses add the finishing touch to my own Borrowed from the boys look. It was fun to put this together and will certainly be an outfit that I'll wear to work this year. Smart yet feminine and unique too - what's not to love?

I do hope you've enjoyed this month's Style Not Age challenge. Please do pop over to see more from my blogging friends if you get a moment. Thanks for dropping by again.

Have a super week!

 

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

Lounging at Home, our Style Not Age Challenge for January

Hello again! Yes, here we go with our end of the month fashion challenge and this month we're visiting that most popular of trends, Lounging at Home, chosen by Gail this time. I recently featured this topic in my post Lockdown loungewear and therefore had to dig a bit deeper to find another loungewear offering. Anyway I'll tell you all about that later, but first let's see how Gail herself tackled this one...

Gail's two piece is snuggly warm and perfect for a night in front of the TV. She bought this from Mango, but do swing by her blog for the full details - Is This Mutton? 

Jacqui of Mummabstylish is wearing another two piece, this time in animal print which is her outfit of choice for lounging around at the moment. You'll find her here most days, having fun in her newly decorated dressing room - the envy of most fashion bloggers, including me!

Hilda is chilling out in her sporty pair of leggings and crisp white top, finished off with a cool pair of animal print pumps. Do pop across to see more on Over The Hilda. 

Emma of Style Splash wear joggers from Asda (love that touch of sparkle!) paired up with a starry sweatshirt. Do please take a moment to check out my fashionista friends.

My take on Loungewear is an all in one from ASOS (similar one here). Sasha bought me this for my birthday under my guidance. I love a bit of leopard print and this is a totally glam bit of loungewear in my opinion. I do have a pair of leopard print sheepskin slippers that I meant to include, but by the time I'd set up my tripod and camera I'd completely forgotten about them.

A handful of gold jewellery, none of it new, ramped up the glam factor. My version of Loungewear took on a very Jackie Collins look didn't it? Think racy, perfume laden boudoir and that's more or less it.

The jumpsuit has an elasticated waist for comfort and the sash tie is nice a finishing touch. There's no zip or buttons to fiddle with and the deep V neck is a flattering focal point. The wide legs are another comfort feature too. As I said previously, my go-to loungwear is my flower sprigged velour jogging suit, but I do look forward to wafting around at home in this alternative. I'm not working at the moment, but still haven't actually found much time to lounge around. I've been busy catching up on the home front and do hope to get to do some sewing this week...

Many thanks to those of you who left me a comment on my birthday post yesterday - catch it here if you missed it. I had a fabulous day with Steve taking some shots for the blog, then a very lively swim at lunchtime and finally the kids came down for a roast dinner in the evening. I've had clothes and potions and lots of little bits and pieces as presents. It was a super day and I'm thinking that 63 looks pretty good from here.

                                                                                                  Anna x

Out and About, our December Style Not Age challenge

Suddenly it's the last Monday of the month and we're back with our Style Not Age challenge - this month Hilda chose "Out and About" as the prompt for our outfits. I, for one, am happy to have a reason to cover up after consuming too many Christmas calories!

Hilda looks very snug in her cosy coat and boots (both from Primark) paired with these trendy camo leggings from F&F. Catch her full story on Over The Hilda blog. 

Emma from Style Splash looks stylish as ever in her mini skirt and fur jacket, topped off with that adorable hat. 

This tangerine jacket adds zing to Jacqui's ensemble of loungewear and heels for a look that takes her anywhere. See her back story on Mummabstylish. 

Gail's spin on this month's challenge is very cool - her velvet coat and faux leather Spanx leggings are an interesting mix of textures along with a dash of red to enliven the look. See more on Is this Mutton blog.

Some months I find the outfit to be the challenge, but this month it was the weather that proved to be the battle. None of my usual photographers were available either and so I was up against it time-wise when I set out with tripod in hand to find a spot out of the wind between the showers yesterday afternoon. I donned my much loved vintage woollen coat and set out in search of a sheltered corner.

I thought this backdrop would have been acceptable, but this gust of wind just about knocked my top-heavy tripod over. I managed to grab the camera as it headed downwards and decided to cut my losses and move on.

A big black cloud was looming towards me here...

...but before it hit I popped my buttons open to reveal my new Christmas sweater. This fuchsia cashmere sweater ticked all the must haves by way of colour, warmth and snuggle appeal - all from M&S (see here). Some of you may recall me saying that I'd given a very specific wishlist to my nearest and dearest this year, mainly because I'm still on my 12 month clothes shopping ban. This pink cashmere jumper was on my hubby's list. I paired it with some stretch jeans (ideal for that post-Christmas tum) by Curve Appeal, purchased from TK Maxx last year.

This rather fabulous bag is by Claudine Searle who creates bags from recycled coats and leather pieces. My son bought me this and the pink leather gloves. How very satisfying this new chose-your-own-presents idea proved to be. We all agreed to this new plan and it resulted in everyone getting useful as opposed to unwanted gifts. Hurrah!

The beaded wooden necklace was a Christmas present from a girlfriend who knew nothing of my Christmas colour scheme, but clearly knows me very well anyway. My rings are both very old. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

My Chelsea boots are by Office, but again are not new.

I'll be back at work again today like so many others, but it's been great to have some downtime with the family. All the frantic preparations and stresses seemed to melt away when we finally sat down together for our Christmas Eve meal. This year, more than ever, we counted our blessings for our life here on this tiny, remote island. That very feature of remoteness seems to have kept us safe this year, resulting in the Isles of Scilly being the only place in England to remain in Tier 1. However, the lure of Scilly is so great that a family from Tier 4 were apprehended by local police as they arrived by plane into the islands just before Christmas. Within the hour they were on their way back to the UK mainland from whence they came. You'll excuse me if I call them selfish. It's this cavalier, "It's not me", behaviour which could result in an outbreak of the virus within our tiny community, a community where we have no provisions for caring for the very sick in large numbers. Our tiny cottage hospital has no ICU or respirators and we have limited NHS staff within the islands. We consider ourselves more vulnerable than most. 

On a lighter note, I shall endeavour to showcase my "What I would have worn on New Year's Eve" party outfit in my next post on Friday. I've yet to decide on what level of sequins and sparkles that'll be, never mind the kind of weather I might have to contend with for some outdoor photography!

                                                                     Anna x

September Style Not Age challenge - All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Hello and welcome again to our Style Not Age challenge where this month Jacqui chose the theme "All Dressed up with Nowhere to go!". Our interpretations of this are all delightfully different so I'll linger no longer and share what the posse chose.

Jacqui's outfit has graced a wedding and an anniversary which is no surprise at all. The dress is classy and stylish and yes, is begging for another outing I would say. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Gail's spin on this was more along the lines of "All dressed up with no office to go to" which is as sharp as her outfit. I love the mix of office smart and sassy after-work outing that speaks volumes about her idea of good work/play balance. Catch her back story on Is This Mutton blog.

Emma from the Style Splash has also opted for a lace dress for this challenge. I love the vibrancy of yellow which works so well with the russet accessories. 

Hilda is stepping out in a dress from LK Bennett with a brand new Zara jacket from two years ago that still is waiting for its debut - we all know how that goes don't we? See more from her on her blog Over The Hilda.

As you can see, I took this month's suggestion very literally, marooned as I was on Ganilly sandbar on the low tide last Sunday. There's surely no place that says "Nowhere to go" more than here. 

My mermaid coat seemed an obvious choice for this castaway shoot. I do love how this shimmering jacket catches the sunlight and said to Steve that I could easily waft about in it every day of the week. It's the most glamorous piece in my wardrobe with fabulous powers of transformation - oh how gorgeous it makes me feel!

The pastel shades remind me of the inside of an oyster shell. I felt in my element to be dancing and gadding about across the deserted sandbank, swooshing this way and that. Our only companions were the various seabirds who cared not a jot for my antics.

It's taken me a year to fulfill this desire to showcase my shimmering coat here on this sandbar.  In fact, it's my third photo shoot on this desert island beach this summer - see the others here. If you have another moment to spare you can read the post about St Martin's from last summer when I espied the heart shaped white sandbank appearing out of the receding tide. I'm such a romantic soul and loved the notion of showcasing this spot in a totally tropical photo shoot.

We were very lucky to find the right moment to take these shots, Steve and I. This was one of he biggest tides of the year and to have it fall on a Sunday in the middle of the day was perfect. We had spent a couple of hours on Nornour island, just a little way away from here waiting for the tide to go out and reveal the sandbar at its largest point. During that time we had a picnic as we watched several little boats and kayaks appear and disappear from the shoreline. Bang on low water Steve saw our opportunity to take sole ownership and off we went. 

We had picnicked on this little spit of sand on Nornour island, one of the Eastern Isles. The helicopters and planes fly across these en route to the Isles of Scilly. If you every spot our boat moored up as you fly into the islands, I'll be that crazy little dot on the sand waving to you.

To some, this may look like a little cool bag, but it did in fact contain my ensemble for the shoot. The pleated dress and sequinned coat both rolled up to fit inside without creasing - and they were kept dry too!

This beaded dress was from Monsoon and was a happy find in a charity shop a few years ago. I've worn it for gallery exhibition parties and love the fact that it doesn't seem to crease, no matter how badly I pack it. Talking of which, today (Sunday) is phase one of my clothes change over. Stripping the summer clothes out of my wardrobe will be the first step and then I just hope to bring out enough outfits to last the first week at work. Next weekend, I'll delve a bit deeper. It's always tinged with sadness to pack away my summer clothes. Summer is my favourite time of year.

I was particularly pleased to come across this rose coloured necklace which echoes the shape of the scales of my mermaid coat. Necklace and rings are all pre-loved. The rose gold bangles are: one from the Barbican shop and the other is by Kate Spade New York, bought in Singapore airport en route to New Zealand about 5 years ago. 

My blue tinted Quay Australia sunglasses seemed to be the perfect pair for this maritime shoot. 

Sunlight and reflections abound on this sparkling location. I'd like to say this was an staged shot by my creative director, but Steve confessed it was an absolute fluke.

As we left the stunning sandbar nature took over once again as seabirds and seals reclaimed their homes. We, and all of the other adventurers, had enjoyed escaping to this oasis of calm for a short while before the tide turned and moved us on.

My thanks go to Jacqui for creating this opportunity for one final beach day before the weather forces us to bring our boat up for the winter. It was a great style challenge - one that really captured my imagination. 

Update 

Apologies to my long term readers and also to the Style Collective - it seems that old age has set in with me. I've showcased this coat 18 months ago during one of our previous monthly challenges. I completely forgot - oops! 

                                                                                Anna x