Winter layering

Hello again! It's been so good to have a week off work, but here I am back in the groove. I managed to find a happy compromise with my time off, catching up on a few chores (even spring cleaning two cupboards) and doing some batch cooking for the freezer, but also having some lovely swims, watching a few movies, read a book and had the odd daytime nap. It's been great!

Today's outfit is all about winter layering, the perfect answer to indoors heat and outdoors cold. My dress is a charity shop purchase from last month when I was on the mainland. It cost me all of £4.95! I love the pattern, the colours and the retro vibe too. The v cutout and neck band lift it out of the ordinary, don't you think? I popped a long sleeved thermal underneath to give an extra bit of warmth to this cotton dress.

Next I added this fur gilet, not new, but still a fab bit of glamour plus warmth when you need an extra layer. The waistcoat was from TK Maxx a few years ago and comes out every winter.

My boots aren't new either, but were from ASOS a few years ago. I love how I've created a brand new look without breaking the bank.

Nothing new with my rings or sunglasses either. 

Last of all is this oxblood leather coat, another charity shop bargain from years ago - it was £20 from Oxfam and worth every penny of it. I love how windproof leather is and how it copes with rain without marking. Once the temperature drops a bit further I'll add a scarf and some leather gloves to make this entirely chill proof.

Can you believe that in a month's time we'll all be in the run up to Christmas? Is it just me, or are the months simply speeding by? I've bought one Christmas present so far and a couple of packs of cards so maybe I need to start getting my act together!

I'll be back on Monday with another of our Monthly Style Challenges. Please do swing by to see what we're up to!

                                                                                           Anna x

Layered Lux, this month's Style Not Age challenge

Hello and welcome to our monthly style challenge which is Layered Lux this time, the theme being chosen by Gail of Is This Mutton. Our outfits reflect the difference in weather and temperatures across England and Ireland during the past week when we took our photos; luckily it was a warm and sunny day here on Tresco when I wore this summery outfit, probably one of my last ones of the year. So let's take a look at how my blogging friends approached Layered Lux...

Jacqui's silky blouse certainly says Lux and she has co-ordinated it well with jeans and long line jacket for a casual look. Check out those fab shoes! See her blog Mummabstylish for full details. 

Hilda's layering comprises of silk shirt, leather jacket and woollen coat - a sure sign that the temperature has dropped over in Ireland. Read her backstory on Over the Hilda blog. 

For Gail, the trick is all about lots of thin layers to keep warm in the season ahead. A fine roll neck, topped with thin tee shirt and tie wrap starts her outfit and later she adds a sweater and gloves - see the final flourish on her blog here. Those rose gold boots surely say Lux, Gail!

Emma from Style Splash is ready not just for autumn, but winter too in this trouser suit topped with fur trimmed leather coat. It's a look I'd wear in a heartbeat Emma - pass it on when you're done!

This outfit was an absolute joy to put together, mainly because it's based around old or pre-loved items which always makes me feel good. The trousers are very old indeed and were from New Look costing £5 in the sale many moons ago. The pairing with this charity shop jacket is what makes me smile; I love the marriage of colours but the clashing of patterns. Jewellery-wise there's nothing new here either - the frosted disc necklace came from Marks & Spencer yonks ago and the silver rings are old too. Sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

It's the first time I've worn the jacket and had been put off by the fact that it didn't have buttons on the sleeves - although that wasn't enough to stop me buying it a few summer's ago. It was only recently that I found the jacket lurking in the back of my wardrobe and set to in finding some suitable buttons from my button box. I also put a new button on the front of the jacket and suddenly the whole thing came to life. 

This lace shirt definitely adds an element of luxury to the outfit. A recent charity shop purchase, it was brand new, still with the labels on and was reduced to half price. This was its first outing and I must admit I think it'll be very useful for many summers to come.

Lace blouse and sparkly belt surely sum up Lux for this challenge today. I also liked the version without the blouse and with the jacket on (see below, although the sunlight was casting quite a different light for these following shots).

It's such a shame that I've only discovered this stylish jacket now, just as I'm about to do my autumn/winter changeover. Never mind, it'll be a joyful find for me when I come to unpack these clothes again in the spring! As ever, thanks for dropping by and I do hope that you've picked up some ideas for seasonal layering too.

Wishing you a fab week!

Anna x

Festive Finery for November

Hello again! Yes, it's time for our monthly Style Not Age challenge and Festive Finery has been chosen by Gail as the theme. I've only recently unearthed my winter clothes which is ideal as I came across this sequinned top, perfect for the feature. Sasha bought me this from New Look as a Christmas present a few years ago and yet it's never made it onto the blog before. Nothing says festive more than a bit of sparkle, eh? So let's see what the ladies of the collective have to show us, shall we?

Gail has been shopping her closet for this lemon and lilac offering. I love the mix of maribou and leopard print that she has come up with. See more from her on Is This Mutton blog. 

 

Hilda found the perfect backdrop for her green velvet jacket, black leggings and Asos boots on a recent lunch date with her husband. Catch up with her latest news on Over The Hilda blog. 

Emma has opted for a mix of sequins and velvet like yours truly and doesn't she wear it well! The shimmering gold of jacket and boots surely say Festive Finery. See more on The Style Splash.

This red and black ensemble declares very Festive Finery that's for sure. Another dose of velvet from Mummabstylish looks very sleek on Jacqui. Do swing by her blog for the backstory.

I too have been shopping my closet for this festive look. The velvet trousers cost me all of £1 many moons ago and were then the subject of a bit of diy as I chopped six inches off the legs and then hemmed them, adding floral beading scavenged from an old vest top. 

 

I picked up the pink hue of the beading and carried that across to tie in with the brocade Asos boots (very old). I love how these boots add depth to an outfit.

The early morning winter sunshine picked up the shiny sequins and the array of colours that again tie in with the boots. 

The frosted gold rings were both charity shop finds from long ago.

I'll be back at work in the week before Christmas and am pleased to have at least one festive outfit organised for that already. Fur, velvet and sparkles are always high on the agenda for my Christmas fare. I'm in the midst of my Christmas shopping at the moment and did make the most of the Black Friday deals recently. Did you? Within the family we'll be keeping to wishlists for each other as it worked so well for us all last year. 

And finally, If you're looking for viewing inspiration on the TV, then I have to say that my latest joy is Sort Your Life Out with presenter Stacey Solomon. Dejunking is a topic I often talk about as I battle with my gathering and holding on to too much stuff. Well, Stacey and her team transform the lives of the families who are drowning under the clutter of years if not decades. I'm taking baby steps however, but following their advice to either keep, sell or give to charity and am pleased to say that I yesterday uploaded 6 items onto eBay. A drop in the ocean I know, but I promised myself not to take on any big projects over my annual leave, so am taking this at a gentle pace as it will take months to work my way through this lifetime of squirreling things away.  Wish me luck!

                                                                                                 Anna x

Style inspo from Sheila

Hello my lovely readers! Apologies for the erratic nature of my posts recently, but as you can see from the above, summer is here and my work life is hectic with long hours and late evenings. Sales are going well at the gallery and every day brings another few familiar faces, all happy to be back on our little island paradise so I'm not complaining. I fancy that I make these apologies every year about now and just want to thank you for keeping on coming back as my cycle of posting becomes increasingly unpredictable.

This was my work outfit on Friday, a classic vintage two-piece by French designer Paul Mausner (1910-2001). I bought it in a charity shop in May for £15 and this is the first outing. I must admit that exhaustion of both mind and body has been evident some days with regards to my outfits resulting in me grabbing a dress, any dress, and white trainers without much thought going into it. Those days will often be the same days that I've not managed my morning swim and am therefore not firing on all cylinders. My cycle back from the beach is usually when I mull over what I'll wear to work as I consider the weather and temperature.

Anyway, on Thursday evening I finally found half and hour to visit my blogging friend Sheila of Ephemera. I was delighted to learn that she has been interviewed by another fashion blogger, Lucy Bertoldi and the piece can be heard on her podcast here. And do you know, this was just the cure for the fashion blahs that ailed me! Sheila was one of my first finds when I was researching blogs for women over 40. I've followed her for the past 6 years, being awed and inspired to be bold and colourful just as she is. And, here's a funny thing, in my mind I imagined that she had this husky voice like rich roast coffee when in reality she sounds clear and light like your favourite citrus fruit. Sorry Sheila for this strange analogy.

The next morning, refreshed by the sights and sounds of my wild and wonderful style inspo, I searched through my wardrobe for something that would lift my spirits and impress my mentor. This pale peach (polyester) suit with embroidered lapels and satin trim caught my eye and was the start of my fashion challenge. Pale nude sandals beckoned, but I knew that Sheila would eschew these, therefore so did I. The suit has a matching belt, but I wanted to change that up too. I bent down to survey the back of my shoe stash, catching sight of these leopard print pumps - perfect!

From there the rest was easy - leopard print belt and wide bangle tied the look together along with this tribal print necklace (Topshop) and leopard trim sunglasses (Radley London).

A couple of charity shop flower rings tone in well with the outfit of the day.

After a whole day at work, the outfit remained crease-free and had been very comfortable to wear. I shall be taking heed of Sheila's fashion advice to never wear the same outfit twice, even if it's simply a matter of changing jewellery or accessories.  

Another nugget from her was - Life is short, wear those clothes! Saving things for best isn't our remit. And with that I'll leave you with a twirl of pleats and leopard print. 

Wishing you a great weekend! 

Anna x

Sparkling my way into 2021

Happy New Year!

Hello and welcome to 2021 a la Anna's Island Style! I've decided to start as I mean to go on, with lurex sparkles and wild animal print finished with these over the top yellow sunglasses. You got my memo about no shrinking wall flowers here, didn't you?

This outfit is what I actually wore to work in New Year's Eve although no-one really saw it as I had no customers at all. I packed up goods and did some admin and before I knew it, it was time to go home to celebrate with my family. It's been such a weird year that I was really happy to have an early night and just move on. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to feel that way.

The ensemble is made up from pre-loved and high street purchases from the past couple of years. The gold lurex cardigan is by H&M and was charity shopped, the black lurex roll neck is charity shopped but has no brand label, the leopard print jeans are by Zara, fave patent boots are from Topshop and last but by no means least are the new yellow sunglasses from Quay Australia which Sasha bought me for Christmas.

The gold petal ring was a present from a friend and the other jewellery is pre-loved. The cowboy belt was from H&M several years ago.

I just love these crazy yellow sunglasses. I put them on my wish list for Sasha along with a couple of other pairs and was delighted that she chose these. Wild and funky and just such a lovely cheery colour - what's not to love about them?

I've lost track of how often these Topshop cuban heel boots have appeared on the blog, but golly they've not lost their charm have they!

Many thanks to Fiona for turning up to take photos once again. Her cajoling and forthright observations make the whole thing a joy.

I'd like to send you good wishes for 2021 and hope that you stay safe and well.

                                                                Anna x