Cream jacket

Autumn dressing is a bit of a challenge for us in the UK. One day we have rain and fog to contend with, the next a watery October sun makes an appearance. I usually chose what to wear before my morning dip in the sea, and by the time I return the day may look quite different. This was my third attempt at having the right combination of clothes for what was a bright, but cool morning with a forecast of sunshine later in the day. The gallery is a suntrap in the afternoon meaning Polly and I stand in direct sunlight for a few hours, baking in our woollies which seemed necessary at the start of the day. Layering is the obvious answer, hence this cute woollen jacket today. It was an exciting find for me a couple of years ago.

For those who know me it will come as no surprise that this was not a high street purchase, but a bargain charity shop find at the rock bottom price of £9.99. It's designer piece direct from a London boutique who send their old stock to a certain Exeter charity shop. I'm a regular at some of these shops and have made friends with the staff. My 3-6 monthly visits may not seem like being a regular, but I suppose what makes me memorable is that I do bulk buy rather than purchase just one item a week. My story of living on an island and therefore not having access to retail therapy of this kind very often is useful for capturing the attention and can sometimes mean the staff will keep choice items to one side ready for my next visit. That was the case with this jacket. I don't know who got the most pleasure from this sale - the manager from seeing that the jacket fitted or me that this was such a very unique piece. I think a short jacket suits my build and height, and the sleeve length is good too. I love the pleats that extend into the floral trim on the front and the pleated collar is pleasingly unusual. And cream is such a good colour for my hair and complexion too.

The trousers were a recent purchase from H&M and are a great fit made perfect by a good percentage of stretch. I like straight cut, slightly manly trousers and think they work well against the feminine jacket. I've added a navy leather belt with gold buckle which neatens the trousers too. (I remember reading an article years ago about "good dressing" and some tips on how to achieve this. One thing that stuck in my mind was that if there are belt loops then always add a belt. I'm usually one to rebel against rules, but have found time after time that I prefer the look of adding a belt rather than leaving loops looking forgotten.) And I've finished the look off with these brilliant ankle boots with retro heels - £6 well spent at another charity shop in Exeter. I picked the bangles up in a different charity shop and thought they would tie in to the geometric print of the trousers. I could easily have added a cream shirt or a frilly blouse, but decided on a classic navy tee shirt as there was quite a lot going on visually without needing to add any more. My green pearls were just the understatement I wanted to top everything off. 

Jacket: Tabitha (charity shop). Trousers: H&M. Tee shirt: H&M. Boots: charity shop. Belt: old. Pearls: Rose Cecil. Cream ring: charity shop. Beige ring: Dorothy Perkins. Bangles: charity shop. 

Biker jacket and kitten heels?

These leather kitten heels were a great charity shop bargain at £4. I think they're cute yet very demure which is why I've married them up with my fabulous blue biker jacket. I love the contrast between the two opposing styles of dress. Tough rock chick meets demure lady about town. This is very me. Well, today this is very me. My style isn't about trying to shock or make some big statement. I just like mixing it up and doing my own thing. I love to see what the current trends are, what's in fashion, but it doesn't rule my buying habits. I think that's the main reason why I love vintage and charity shops; the original, one-off is much more interesting to me than following trends.

The colour of the jacket is the main reason I bought it. It called to me from the rack when I was recently in TK Maxx and yes, it was a bit of an attention seeker amongst all the black biker jackets. But how could I resist the siren call of electric blue? Try me on it begged, and who was I to argue? The minute I slipped it's silken sleeves on, the deed was done. The zip slid up gracefully almost to show me how a biker jacket could be elegant and refined. The look today is testament to how versatile I think this kind of jacket can be. I've paired it up with spotty slacks which are very sleek and business like. And I chose the flowered shirt to introduce the rose tones which gave me the perfect lead-in to my coral handbag satchel. To finish off, I chose the bright blue ring for obvious reasons, but also the diamante ring to echo the dressed up element of the outfit.

While I was recently on holiday in Exmouth I wore the jacket with jeans and flats. Biker jacket and jeans - very predictable you'd say. Well, it's here for you to see and compare. The fact is, I love, love this jacket and whichever way I style it up, I think it's going to be a story that will run and run. My passion for clothes is fuelled by fun. I want to continue this love affair for as long as I can and I hope you'll stay and enjoy the ride.

If you have a fashion favourite that's versatile then I'd love to hear about it. Crazy or conventional, I don't mind, I'm happy to share in your pleasure.

Jacket: TK Maxx. Trousers: H&M. Shirt: Marks and Spencer. Shoes: charity shop. Satchel: charity shop. Blue ring and diamante ring: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Memories of summer

Today's post is for all the family and friends who know or have visited these special islands and who might enjoy seeing some photos of familiar views. I feel it's time to admit that summer is over, and would like to punctuate my blog with the reminder of this afternoon in September when the Indian summer prompted Steve and I to down tools on a weekday. We were heading off for a long-awaited picnic on one of the uninhabited islands, and had just climbed on board our boat when I saw this tiny beauty drifting past. The little jellyfish was about the size of a mini-cupcake and just as cute!

It's high tide, flat calm and the sun is shining - just perfect for a bit of messing about in boats.

We're cruising past Cromwell's Castle and I can see the white breakers ahead. Time to put the camera away and hold on as we go around the top.

The bumpy ride over, we drift gently into the shores of Tean island.

Coming into the shallows, we're about to pitch up onto our own desert island for the afternoon. Not so bad after a 10 minute boat ride.

Clean, clear waters await.

We're not the only ones who think it's a perfect day to be out on the water.

Our trusty little cruiser is anchored up while we enjoy the peace and quiet, and a picnic lunch on the beach.

Even a fashionista deserves to have a day off sometime.

Time to motor home again.

Some Herons perched on Hedge Rock.

The sea is just like a millpond. Looks very tempting...

This looks like a romantic way to travel.

The Scillonian, brimming with visitors, is heading back to the mainland...

...and we're heading off home too. It was a great day to be out on the water, and we enjoyed our little moment of isolated splendour too. The simple pleasures island life.

The oversized shirt

This is a really lovely shirt, and all the more lovely for costing only £2.90 in last month's shopping spree. In the charity shop there were three of these all together which looked like a bit of a wardrobe clear out if ever I've seen one. This colourway is what clinched the deal as the other two were a bit pale and washed out looking. My school uniform was maroon and gold and I think this is the first time I've chosen to wear this combo since then - and that was more than a year or two ago as you can imagine. 

I don't often wear oversized shirts as I feel a bit swamped in them, and that's because I teeter on the brink of the petite/average height range at 5 foot 5 inches. Neither do I have those long beanpole legs which give the illusion of height. I'm blessed with footballers legs which is why you won't see many miniskirts or summer shorts being showcased on my blog. Being realistic about your shape is good, I think, as it helps you define your body type so that you can choose the best clothes to suit that type. If I were driven to give the illusion of the perfect figure I'd be in dresses or palazzo pants with high heels all the time, adding a belt to draw the eye to my narrowest part and I might even look tall(er) too.

But my blog is about the real me, wearing all sorts of clothes and shoes regardless of whether they're right for my shape and height. One of my major love affairs is with my brogues. Once in a while my passion comes into fashion (did you like that?) and this week I saw a magazine feature saying we all need some mannish brogues for our A/W15 look - hurrah, I'm ready! Today, just for a change however, and because I don't want to be too predictable, I've donned my gold leather loafers to finish off the ensemble. I know not everyone would be wearing gold shoes as day wear, but hey, I'm not everyone! I continued the glitzy theme with this sparkly gem necklace, and the gold trimmed floral ring in an art deco style was another good tie-in. The huge silver disc ring was a great find in a charity shop for the crazy sum of £3 and has already been useful in previous posts. And to finish off, I added the beautiful brown leather handbag which is a good contrast to all the sparkle. 

The jury's out as to whether this is a very me outfit. I really wanted to showcase this shirt and think I may have to style it up differently next time. I'm going to think a while longer to see what comes up. Watch this space...

Shirt: charity shop. Trousers: H&M. Loafers: eBay. Necklace and rings: charity shop. Handbag: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.