The summer trench

Hi, hello and how are you?  I did wonder if summer and trench ought be in the same phrase.  Surely summer is all about not wearing a coat? Unfortunately as the UK weather is so fickle, a summer trench maybe isn't such a bad idea. Steve and I had arranged to meet up at the end of the day to do this photo shoot and it had been a glorious afternoon right up until 5 minutes before we left when we had a heavy shower. Enter stage right, this bright orange trench which hasn't yet been aired on the blog, in fact this is the very first time I've worn it. The brand is Harvey & Jones and I bought it in TK Maxx last summer.

The wind was fierce so I took cover behind the Old Blockhouse ramparts whilst watching a huge dark cloud mass scudding across the sky. A bright blue patch of sky appeared and I rushed to undo the trench to reveal the outfit of the day.

You may remember this jumpsuit from last year - it's from H&M in collaboration with GP & J Baker. I styled it badly that time, yes that has to be said. I wore it with my green sock boots and honestly it didn't do the jumpsuit any favours at all. 

Try as I might to defend it, I knew I ought to have worn these (H&M) sandals, but the chilly autumn air prompted me to change my mind. If you don't believe me see it here. However, the boots may have been wrong, but the haircut was sharp. I may have to revisit that style again ...

My photographer took a great shot of the rain falling onto the Eastern Isles behind me don't you think? Well done Steve, I'll keep you on!

I decided to add an orange vest top underneath the jumpsuit to counter the slightly wide neckline. It felt more comfortable too - not quite so drafty!

Anyway, the jumpsuit is back on my go-to list as it's exactly like a dress, in that you don't have any matching to think about. Separates are fine when you have time to try things out and find the right pieces to go together. But dresses and jumpsuits win hands down when you're in a rush. And to be perfectly honest, my mornings always seem to be a bit of a mad rush. Up at 6am I try to fit in a bit of blogging, a bit of housework, a cycle to the beach for a swim, shower, grab an outfit and dash out the door to work. I'd love to be organised and sort out an outfit the night before, but don't get me started on how my evenings look!

I chose to accessorise the outfit with a wonderful medley of colours. The necklace, purchased from a market in Cape Town, is a great for picking up the pink, orange and green. The flower trimmed sunglasses were from Sainsbury's, the bracelet and orange ring are pre-loved and the pink ring was a gift from a friend. The pink stretch belt is a regular on the blog, but that's because it seems to work with so many looks. I found it on eBay a couple of years ago and it was certainly worth the £5 I paid for it.

My summer handbag of the moment just happens to go with this outfit like a dream. I felt particularly pleased with how well these went together. I've had this Monsoon bag for ages and have reinstated it as my summer handbag this year. I love the pattern and the tassel is sweet too.

I'm a big fan of the colour orange and do wonder why it's taken me so long to wear this lovely trench coat. It could be the fact that when it rains on Scilly, it really rains! You know, that proper downpour affair when you actually need a full set of wet gear - and welly boots! Oh so very different to life on the mainland when you simply hop out of the car and put up a brolly as you nip across the road to the shops. Hey ho, island life suits me fine!

                                                                                       Anna x

Wearing nature's colours

Hello again and how's your weekend going? The Isles of Scilly were looking pretty idyllic on Friday evening as Steve and I went looking for a different setting for the latest photo shoot.  When I was thinking about a backdrop for this bronze and aqua outfit I thought about how the tones reflect the colours of the seashore. Behind me is Rushy Porth showing the shades I was thinking of. 

This is a lovely spot with a perfectly placed bench to sit and enjoy the view. A coastal walk around the island is my favourite way to spend my lunchtime during the winter months, affording me lungfuls of ozone rich air as well as a healthy dose of exercise too. The lure of the big outdoors is what brings so many visitors to our shores throughout the season as it's all so accessible and right on our doorstep.

Steve and I followed the path around the coast to where the next bench overlooks St Martin's and the Eastern Isles. Out of the wind, we stopped and took a few more shots. I had my hair cut on Thursday - see the clip on Instagram of my jetboat trip on the low tide, such a lovely day. Anyway, I'd been trying to grow my hair, but had no idea into what style and then I posted my mega feature and on seeing all of those photos with a sharp cut, I decided I maybe ought to backtrack to something like that again. This is the first tentative step to finding my way back into the best cut for my shape of face.

So let's talk about the outfit shall we. I've shopped my closet as they say, meaning you may have seen some or all of this before. The jacket is quite old, from H&M and is a hand-me-down from my daughter. I had coveted this for some time and was thrilled when she finally grew tired of it. The satin material has a lovely sheen and the colours are very flattering in these muted hues. The skirt was from Tu a couple of years ago when I picked it up in the sale. Back in those days Sasha was still living in Truro and we used to pretend we were on a food buying mission when we both really knew it was a cover for the fact that Sainsbury's clothes were always worth a look, particularly when the sales were on.

I've had these sandals for a couple of summers now. The brand is Refresh and I bought them in TK Maxx. Notice how the skirt has an almost two tone effect of silver and bronze.

The simple round neck long sleeved top was a charity shop find. I have these in so many neutral shades, all of them from charity shops costing only a couple of pounds. The same kind of thing from M&S can be found here for £12.50. 

I chose frosted silver for jewellery to tone in with the shimmering sea colours. The disc necklace was from M&S many moons ago, the bracelet and rings are all pre-loved. Sunglasses are by Guess.

So, that's my first post for June. I love this time of year with the promise of summer still ahead of us. Boat trips and picnics, exhibitions and visiting artists, warmer sea with longer swims; it's all still to come and brings joy to my heart. It's such a privilege to have this life here on the island. To have family and friends, work and play all within a couple of miles is a stroke of luck. Grateful as ever, that's me.

And with that, I'll wish you a super weekend and hope to see you again soon!

Anna x