Animal print jumpsuit

Hello again my lovelies! Today sees the start of my transitional dressing - that tricky time when the weather fluctuates during summer and autumn or winter and spring causing havoc with one's outfit choices. Last weekend I had big plans to do my seasonal wardrobe changeover, but life as they say, rarely goes to plan. It was our Ruby anniversary (yes, 40 amazing years of marriage) and although the celebrations were decidedly low-key, I still couldn't find time to do the deed that needed to be done. One thing of note from the weekend was the arrival of my long-lost friend Caroline who was my accomplice on our Thelma and Louise adventure which brought us to Tresco 43 years ago. We had a few catch up sessions together, visiting the site of the Island Hotel where we spent our summer working together and we also had a lovely sea swim at Cradle Porth followed by tea and lots of reminiscing. Happy days!

Anyway, on to the outfit of the day. This animal print jumpsuit is on sale on the ASOS website currently (see here). I've had a small trickle of new purchases recently for which I'll make no apologies. Each new item has been actioned by a moving out of something old to free up space in my closet. If I had time to spare I'd be selling these things on eBay, but for the moment I have no such luxury. 

As you can see, the main feature of the jumpsuit is the wonderfully wide legs. It looks like a maxi dress unless you make exaggerated poses like this. The fit is relaxed with a v neck and button front. The loose fit is perfect for layering a thin thermal top underneath for this time of year, easily whipped off if the temperatures suddenly rise during the day.

Made from 100% viscose, the fabric is drapey and elegant. 

For those of you who have been following the pink trouser suit saga - well the suit arrived, but turned out to just be a jacket in one material and trousers in another meaning that the colours and fabrics were too different to say trouser suit in my book. And so the search continues. I fear it may be next summer before another rash of pink suits hit the market.

Rings in neutral tones were both charity shop finds from a long time ago.

Retro sunglasses are a few years old, from River Island and the necklace is positively ancient, from goodness knows where!

Very soon I'll be packing my Puma white trainers away in favour of white patent boots, although my black patent boots will work fine with this ensemble too.

I'll finish with a couple of anniversary shots from my Instagram page. This was Steve and I in the pony and trap on our way to the wedding reception at the Island Hotel in 1981. We were married on St Mary's and our guests had endured a rather bumpy boat trip after the ceremony, some of them loosing their breakfast along the way. 

And this is the painting I bought for our Ruby anniversary. It's by Lizzie Black, one of our popular artists at Gallery Tresco. See more examples of her work here. These are the Blockhouse Cottages at Green Porth. Steve spent most of his childhood living here and we also had our first year of marriage at Blockhouse no.3 while we waited for work to be completed on our home at Cliff Cottage over at New Grimsby. The row of cottages is due to be rebuilt over the next 12 months, so it's good to have this as a reminder before construction begins.

Many thanks for joining me again. I'll be back after the big clothes changeover and hope to have found all sorts of inspiring clothes to share with you. 

                                                                    Anna x

Transitional dressing for autumn

Hello again! How are you? Is a local lock-down affecting you personally, be it physically or mentally? It's difficult not to let it get you down isn't it? On a different note, I'm missing having a work mate more than ever now. Just having someone to pass on those little daily niggles can make all the difference. Poor Steve really gets it in the neck some days, I can tell you!

Anyway, let's talk clothes shall we - it's my favourite subject after all! I managed to get most of my wardrobe changeover done last weekend (no photos of the bedlam - not inspiring in the least, I can tell you!) and will finish this weekend. I packed most of my summer clothes away, giving extra time to checking whether they would work as transitional outfits.  This much worn and much loved two piece (aka the old fashioned trouser suit to you and I) has survived the cut purely because I know it works so well with my other big passion, the sock boot. 

The white and black check of the Primark suit lends itself to a multitude of colour options to play with, and yes I do mean play. Dressing for me is fun, even on a work day. Using this look as a template, I could easily add pink to replace red and have yet another fun and colourful ensemble. If the weather holds out, I'll try to get that variation captured for you next time. Black is another obvious permutation as is white. I have ankle boots in both of these neutrals which look equally sharp. The only limitation for this suit will be when the temperature drops and it becomes too lightweight to be functional.

I have no regrets buying these H&M sock boots. They have been an asset to my wardrobe and seem to go with so many outfits, both dresses and trousers, giving an edge that normal boots don't deliver. My son Jamie bought me the pink version for my Christmas last year and I've worn them endlessly too. Hurrah for the sock boot I say!

The frilled linen top is by M&S, a pre-loved purchase from last year, but only showcased this summer for the first time. Rings are charity shops finds too. My black and silver necklace adds a sharp contemporary feel to the jewellery - this is by Melissa James, a brand I sell at the Gallery. And talking of sharp, I've changed up my usual Quay Australia sunglasses for a different, but equally cool pair of shades. I'm hoping that one of these days this brand will reward me with a discount code for my readers...

One look that I've not tried out yet is to wear this two piece as separates. I did try the jacket on today over a pink pleated skirt and black top, but felt it didn't really pop the way I had hoped. Perhaps that's a project for next summer.

According to the weather forecast we're about to be hit by high winds and endless rain for the next couple of days. Fingers crossed there will be a lull at some stage over the weekend otherwise I'm not sure what I'll have to show you in my next post! But before I leave you, I just would like to share some news...

Myself and my blogging friends, Jacqui of Mummabstylish, Hilda of Over The Hilda and Gail of Is This Mutton along with Josephine of Chic At Any Age have all been featured in the latest edition of Yours magazine!

I've not managed to get hold of a copy of the magazine yet as our local shop is no longer selling newspapers or mags, but Jacqui posted this snippet on her stories the other day -

The feature is about over 50's bloggers to follow for style inspiration - what a fabulous showcase for us all! Do rush out and buy a copy now x

                                                                                     Anna x

My fave summer frock does autumn!

Hello lovelies! How are you? Today, I'm revisiting my favourite summer frock by adding the style trick that I discovered in my previous blog post. The simple addition of a jacket and boots are seemingly all that's need for this seasonal transition. What do you think?

Earlier on this week I posted a look that relied less on bright colours and more on pattern and with today's outfit I'm once again playing with patterns and a muted palette. Peach and apricot shades can be very flattering for those with paler skin like mine and I must admit I love how this has all come together, and I just adore how it makes me feel too. The maxi dress makes me feel uber feminine, in fact the whole ensemble made me feel so good that in this pretty backdrop it has created one of my favourite photo shoots of all time.

A sun-drenched woodland track might not be my usual habitat, but it was certainly conducive to creating a great backdrop for the swoosh series of day.

So, the outfit details are like this - dress from Zara (still available here), boots from Office, leather jacket by DSquared and sunglasses are by Quay Australia. I do hope that the look might inspire you to try this easy bit of transitional dressing.

I remember buying these brocade boots from Office a couple of seasons ago. In fact I bought these and another dark green pair and felt quite extravagant at the time. I also was pretty confident that even if these went out of fashion, they would always be on trend with me. Thank goodness for that gut instinct eh?

The gold wire rings were charity shopped.

Steve and I were lucky to have a sunny afternoon on Sunday making this a sweet interlude in what is normally a busy at home day, full of to-do lists and chores. I'd enjoyed a lively swim on Appletree Bay at high tide earlier in the morning when I was bounced about in the swell amid a fresh onshore breeze. And isn't it amazing how a spot of sunshine can make all the difference to how we perceive things? This photo shoot would have been much less pretty had we been in the middle of a cloudy day. And my swim in the turquoise waves might have felt much more threatening under overcast skies too. Hurrah for some autumn sunshine!

                                                                                    Anna x

Ah, autumn!

Okay, it's nearly the end of September and I've come to terms with this whole autumn thing. We're experiencing a late burst of Indian summer here on the islands which has softened the blow somewhat, allowing me to waft about in lighter clothes for a little while longer.

I bought this pre-loved maxi dress earlier on this month with a view to providing some strong colours in my A/W wardrobe. I love all shades of yellow and know that the deeper the tone, the better it seems to suit my colouring. Once I started my clothes changeover I rediscovered these good ol' boys, aka my cowboy boots, from many years ago. The fringed jacket is the final and winning piece to pull the whole outfit together. Once the main structure of the look was in place the fun part was to find just the right belt, bag and accessories. Sometimes I forget to take time with these pieces returning to the same old favourites, but with the entire contents of my wardrobe upturned and on display, I found this bag that had been hidden for months on end. It seems that I may have to spend some time rotating handbags as well as belts so that they are a bit more accessible. 

In previous years my clothes changeover took place in one swift move over the course of a weekend. This year, however, Sasha's input has informed a better system - that of trying on every single item of clothes before it's allowed into my A/W collection. Sasha truly curates her wardrobe in a way that I never have. Her clothes rail looks like a rack from a boutique where everything co-ordinates with the rest. In complete contrast, my wardrobe is bursting at the seams, overflowing into any spare nook and cranny that I can find. In due course I hope to have achieved a more manicured look. Photos to follow depending on my success!

Is this a good time of year for you? Do you enjoy the chance to wear some different looks as the seasons change? My blogging friend Julia says it's her favourite time of year - maybe it is for you too. Do let me know.

Outfit details - dress and jacket: pre-loved (no label), boots: Pikolinos, bag: Italian (no brand), jewellery: old/gifts, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking with -

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish

Laurie of Vanity And Me

Samantha of Fake Fabulous

I'll leave you with some shots from the island during the fine weather. I'm still sea swimming in the bay that is Green Beach which affords a lovely sheltered cove for my morning dip. The other shots are taken from right outside my house where I'm lucky enough to be able to watch the sun set over New Grimsby bay. Enjoy!

Anna x

Transitional dressing

I really don't profess to be a style expert. The blog features my take on fashion with little regard for age appropriateness as I wear what makes me feel joyful and I hope that this may be an inspiration to you. Transitional dressing isn't something that I feel particularly clever at - I much prefer the clear cut demarcation between summer and winter. This rather grey area for me is perfectly reflected in today's outfit which coincidentally showcases many shades of grey. The breezy start to the day informed my choice of top with a high neck to keep the chills out, but the fact that the sun was shining meant that the gallery would probably heat up to boiling point by the afternoon. With this in mind, I chose these lightweight silk palazzo pants which are cool and easy to wear. The fabric mules are in a wide fit and minimal heel - just because you want to be stylish doesn't mean you can't be comfortable!

This weekend finds me rotating my summer and winter wardrobes (see? no spring/autumn clothes mentioned there) as I try to second-guess the weather. The process is little short of bedlam this year, but more of that another day. A friend was delighted to hear that I'm putting my summer clothes away as she said that pretty much guarantees an instant upturn in the weather. On the strength of that, I may keep a few lighter pieces to the side ready for the Indian summer. Oh, such are the joys of transitional dressing!

Outfit details - top: H&M, trousers: Jean Muir, mules: Miss Selfridge, sunglasses: Quay Australia, silver disc ring: pre-loved, silver and gold band ring: Diana Porter.

Anna x