Final show of the year

The gallery hosted our final show of the year the other night which is all a bit sad really as it also heralds the end of Polly's contract with me. During the winter months I run the business on my own and I will miss her bubbly personality and infectious sense of fun. And I must mention that my friend Julie has done a great job being a steadying force on exhibition nights, calming the rising panic which sometimes threatened to take over when the crowds appeared. I hope to have both my wonderful helpers back on board next year if things go to plan.

I hit upon a 50's idea for tonight's outfit and that started with this bright yellow scuba skirt. I wore it earlier in the summer (yet to be shown) and thought it would be perfect to top my black net underskirt. I'd only recently bought these striped stilettos and was waiting for the right moment to showcase them - this black and white complimentary story was the perfect opportunity. The top followed on from the shoes and it needed a big belt to cinch together the top and skirt. Although my black leather jacket is a homage to the 80's rather than the 50's I decided it was still the best piece to finish off this retro outfit.

Scuba is a new material for me and I had to check the name of it with my daughter Sasha in case I'd got it wrong (I had in fact, written suba, so just as well). For those who haven't come across it, I would say it's a nylon type of material, fairly thick and reminds me of the neoprene used in thin wetsuits. It obviously holds its shape beautifully and being laser cut has a very precise outline. I love the flowered pattern of the skirt too. I did plan to wear black tights with a similar flowered pattern but decided it was a bit too matchy matchy. The necklace, however, is a great ploy for adding extra colour but also ties in to the theme. And I'm very happy with the yellow ring and watch coming into play here as well.

A note to my regular readers - I'll be posting on Sundays and Wednesdays over the winter months as Polly ( my photographer extraordinaire) will be working elsewhere. Please do keep dropping by, and send me your comments and feedback too.

See you soon!
Anna x

Jacket: charity shop. Skirt: H&M. Top: Primark. Belt: charity shop. Shoes: Primark. Tights: Primark. Net underskirt: eBay. Necklace: Diana Wilson. Yellow ring: Martin James. Glass solitaire ring: Dorothy Perkins.

Linking up with 40+style  Visible Mondays (Not Dead Yet Style) and #I will wear what I like (Not dressed as lamb) 

What, this old thing?

So, we've all got a dress like this that seems to come out year after year and still looks fresh. I can't remember how long I've had it or where I bought it, but it's a great old faithful. It's easy to wear, works every time and suits me. Because it's such an oldie I did feel it maybe needed a bit of extra boost, and that comes in the form of this amazing necklace by Magpie Vintage. The piece is made from recycled vintage jewellery using old pearls and semi precious stones which have all had a life before this one. I love the idea that it's full of memories from years ago and like to imagine a strand of pearls being worn for a wedding or perhaps a christening, or a brooch on a war bride's coat. Sheer nostalgia, I know, but it appeals to my sense of romance.

I opted for boots today instead of my default setting of brogues. I recently came across a fashion blog by another lady of my generation, Greetje Kamminga, who runs a blog called No Fear of Fashion - see here. Greetje has a post featuring a fantastic pair of cream ankle boots which I covet. Anyway, that got me thinking, and knowing that it will be some time until my next flurry around the shops, I decided to delve into the depths of my shoe boxes and came out with these. Yet another charity shop trophy, I've never worn them but decided today was their day. They're quite elegant and I particularly like the stitching, which led me to search through my belt rack to uncover the stretch belt which also has contrast stitching. I don't why I get such pleasure from the gathering of all of these very specific elements together to make an outfit. I love finding the right jewellery to offset the look, trying a selection of necklaces until it says what I want. And even the quest for the right pair of tights is time well spent for me. I chose these purple ones instead of half a dozen other purple ones as they have a geometric pattern which ties in with the print of the dress. All of these little pleasures add up to a feel good factor which I can wear for the rest of the day.

Dress: old. Belt: charity shop. Boots: charity shop. Vest top: New Look. Tights: old. Necklace: Magpie Vintage. Watch: charity shop. Yellow stone ring: Martin James. Silver ring: charity shop.

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.