Statement sleeves for our Style Not Age challenge

Hello and welcome once again to our monthly style challenge! Statement sleeves is Emma's idea this month and it seems to have been embraced with glee by all of us. For once there was an instant piece that came to mind when I read about the theme and I was  pleased with the results of the outfit and photos which my dear friend Fiona caputured for me. But more of that later. Here's how my style sisters approached Statement Sleeves.

This hot pink top of Emma's was an absolute bargain from River Island and one that I'd have snatched up too if I'd seen it. The leg o' mutton sleeves with shirred elastic cuffs make for a stunning look. Catch up with Emma's news on her blog Style Splash here. 

Hilda's double dose of denim also includes these fabulous sleeves. See them in close-up below.

Ever stylish Hilda has borrowed her hubby's hat to lend a cool edge to her denim ensemble. The mini pleats on the puffed sleeves are very unusual and effective too. See more from Hilda here. 

Fluted sleeves from Jacqui in this pretty summer top fit the bill nicely don't you agree? Grey crops and handbag work well with the pastel hues of her top and pumps. See more on Mummabstylish here. 

These huge frilled sleeves certainly fill the remit Gail! The blouse is another River Island gem - I clearly need to be checking out their website. Catch up with Gail's blog Is This Mutton here. 

I had great fun swooshing about in this pleated sleeved top in the golden evening light. Fiona and I had the beach to ourselves allowing for much uninhibited exhibitionism by me. We were there to swim primarily, but I managed to combine the photo shoot with our daily dip too. The location is Cradle Porth, my favourite beach of the moment.

My top was a charity shop find from years ago; so many that I forget when exactly. It was an eye catching piece that I knew was a worthy addition to my clothes collection. I haven't worn it often as it's quite a memorable piece.

I had great fun hamming it up for the camera! It's been a while since I've had a photographer to help out so I was making the most of it.

The mint stretch jeans were a £5 bargain from Tesco's a few summer's ago and the sandals are from TK Maxx, again some time ago. Nothing new in fact. 

There's nothing new jewellery-wise either. The rings are both pre-loved and the pearl necklace with glass lozenge is rather ancient, well at least over 10 years old. The Quay Australia sunglasses were given to me by a friend.

I've no idea what G means with these sandals. I've looked up shoe brands and there seems to be many using a capital G. Do let me know. 

I'd like to finish with a big shout-out to Sandra, my sister, who had a rather significant birthday yesterday. She lives on a tiny island on the West Coast of Scotland and consequently we've not seen each other for some time now. 

Many thanks for dropping by again. It'll be September before you hear from me again!

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x

Black trouser challenge 12

Week twelve of this personal style challenge and I'm still not tiring of these frilled fancy pants from River Island. I'm hoping that I'm managing to keep you interested too...

We're still clinging on to the remnants of summer here on the Isles of Scilly even though there's (seemingly) wild weather due this weekend. I thought I'd better bring out this little top which is a tad late to the party re statement sleeves, gingham and cold shoulder trends. Lots of bloggers are already airing their wishlists for A/W17 making me dig my heels in a bit - I'm not finished showcasing my summer pieces yet! This pre-loved top originates from F&F at Tesco and fulfilled all the requirements for this summer's hottest trends - florals, checks, bell sleeves as well as the obligatory cold shoulders. I'd promised myself that I'd not be entering into the yards of flesh being exposed in the name of fashion that is the cold shoulder look, however these split sleeves seemed like a tiny nod to the trend without being too revealing for the workplace. 

The white mules were a supermarket purchase last year (Sainsbury's) and have taken me a whole year to get them on the go, as it were. Now that I've managed to stretch them a little I feel I ought to get some wear out of them before boots and brogues take centre stage. The clutch is pre-loved, but no brand label to be found. The belt is a new purchase from eBay and I have it lined up with a vintage blouse for another styling soon. The sunglasses were also from Sainsbury's sale last summer and the bangle and rings are from random sources (gifts and pre-loved).

I'm still getting a kick out of these frilled trousers and they get me a fair few compliments too. It'll be interesting how long this challenge will fire me with enthusiasm, but I promise to drop it before my passion wanes. The joy is in discovering pieces within my wardrobe that work well rather than just can be worn with black - the difference is huge in my book.

Please join me on Sunday for another edition of Ping Pong Piece where we'll be styling wide trousers for our sins! In the meantime, I do hope that the hurricane Gert swoops over the top of us all without causing too much damage. Stay safe x

Anna x