Anna's Island Style

My birthday jacket

Yes, this was me on my birthday, sporting the new jacket that my daughter chose and my husband financed, which is pretty much the perfect arrangement I'd say. Sasha has a great eye and knows my style, as you can see. I love the unique nature of the jacket - the colours, the patchwork and the tiny studs, all of which say class act to me. Arriving just on the cusp of our departure for our holidays, this soft suede bomber jacket will be ideal for warmer weather when I need to step out in style in Rome, Malta and Barcelona. Thank you Sasha for finding a such a perfect gift.

A week ago one of my favourite fashion bloggers, Suzanne Carillo posted an article which asked her readers to chose our style statement for 2016 (see here). Suzanne then went on to state her own, as "Artistic, unique, relevant, fun and strong". If you have time, please take a moment to visit her blog and you will soon understand how well she has summarised herself. I admire Suzanne's bold sense of dressing that isn't about following trends. As a savvy shopper she finds bargains in the sales, loves to charity shop and has some great tips on dressing as seen here. Her strong sense of self is what I admire so much and is something I recognise in myself too.

I considered her question as to my own style statement and came up with "I aspire to inspire". Apologies if this comes across as very grand and self inflated, it's not meant to at all. The older I get, the more I feel I know myself and what suits my body shape. I've found that if I wear the right combination of colours and shapes it greatly increases my confidence. This often results in women of my age talking to me about my clothes and where I bought them, and can also create the opportunity for them to talk about why they wear what they do or why they think they couldn't wear what I do.

As we mature we all need to cultivate the older version of ourselves and maintain the individuality that we had in our younger days. It's so easy to let fashion, trends or an interest in clothes pass us by as we age, believing that it's no longer important. I disagree, hence my motto of "Let's bin the beige and have fun with colour". I like to think that my boldness may inspire one or two to step out of their comfort zone. Whether it's just to try out a new shade of lipstick, or some coloured tights or even revisit a trend they loved when they were younger. I'd like to think my blog may liberate, inspire, inject some fun or at the very least give food for thought. "Could I wear something like that?" you may ask. Well you won't know unless you try. A trial within the privacy of your bedroom is the best way to see how you feel, see if you have the right shoes, belt, jewellery to complete the look. Taking time to do this is essential. I hate the rush of changing rooms, where you feel obliged to scurry in and out so quickly, too quickly to weigh up the look at all. Take an hour at home, in the daytime, when you have good light to see the true colours and see what you can find in your wardrobe to match or compliment the piece in question. Go on, you may surprise yourself!

Before I go, I feel I must mention these boots which have lain dormant in my wardrobe for over 20 years now. I bought them in a swish boutique on Gandi Street in Exeter and they pretty much drained all of my reserves in one fell swoop. It was love at first sight. The price tag became insignificant. I knew I had to have them. I'm sure this is common to other shopaholics - the fight is over before it has begun. Give in. You know you're gonna have to buy 'em, so just get on with it. Hot sweats, racing heart, panic, all of the ensuing signals to try to stop this train wreck will amount to nothing. And so it was. And here they still are, as sensational as ever. They are by DKNY and everything about them is fantastic. From the exquisite scrolling pattern, to the staggering heel shape and the opulent purple leather lining, they are outrageously beautiful. Whimper, pine and drool over them from a distance as they won't be up for sale on my (forthcoming) eBay page anytime soon.

Jacket: KattyKitt Vintage. Dress: charity shop. Polo neck: charity shop. Boots: DKNY. Tights: Dorothy Perkins. Blue rings: charity shop.

Linking with
Cherie at Style Nudge
Allison at Sydney Fashion Hunter

Right, here's the rub - in less than three weeks time I'll be on board our cruise ship and the panic is just setting in. We leave home on the 1st Feb and apart from some crazy shoe shopping, I haven't done anything constructive to bring my capsule wardrobe together yet. Well that's not exactly true. I've found the most fabulous dress to wear to the Captain's party - do you want a sneak preview? Well scoot on down to the bottom of the page and I'll show you...

OK how many of you did that? The only reason I decided to show you was in case I suddenly changed my mind and it didn't get an airing til next NYE. What d'ya think? I bought this from eBay for £16.99! It's a one-off designer piece, lined, boned and beautifully made. Stunning isn't it?

But back to the main event. I thought I'd try out some maybes to see what they look like and decide if they ought to be packed for the cruise. The fake fur might be really useful if the weather is still cool. February is a funny month for weather in Europe. Steve and I went to Venice in February one year and instead of going to what everyone said would be warm or at least mild weather, we encountered the coldest temperatures that they'd had in Venice for 100 years! It was minus 10 degrees (cold enough for the Grand Canal to start freezing over) and we had to make a last minute dash to buy full sets of thermals before we left the UK. So with that in mind, the fur seems like a contender, and also I kinda like the whole romantic notion of drinks on our balcony with a fur draped around me.

The snazzy trousers and rose gold shoes might be useful too. Well I said that about the paisley trousers with the gold thread though, didn't I? You see this is my problem; I'm hedging my bets, lining up might be usefuls, but what I really ought to be doing is some straight forward trying on of frocks. Seven nights of pre-dinner drinks, dinner, cabaret and maybe a little dancing all adds up to seven frocks befitting of the occasion. What on earth am I doing? I know I won't be doing dressing down in the evenings, and trousers - with no matter how much glitter and sparkle - won't really be what I want to wear when the moment comes. But wait a minute - we are forgetting something. Before we sail off, Steve and I have a week spent between Cornwall and London where we will be going out to dinner with friends and on our own, so these dressing down trousery affairs may be just right! What a relief, cos I really like them and so wanted to justify packing them. So that's sorted. All I have to do now is spend all day on Saturday trying on dresses. And with a bit of luck you may get another sneak preview of one on Sunday...

Coat: Phase Eight. Trousers: H&M. Polo neck: charity shop. Shoes: New Look. Socks: Primark. Necklace: Dorothy Perkins. Rings: charity shop. Handbag: boutique in Gran Canaria. Sunglasses: Quay Autralia.

Linking with
Style Nudge
Elegantly Dressed and Stylish

As I write I'm in a state of flux as I have, and still am receiving all of the shopping which I used as self medication whilst I was laid low with the flu over Christmas and New Year. The distraction, nay sheer escapism, of seizing lots of lovely sale bargains was indeed a balm, but reality bites as I now have choices to make. I had this great plan that I would photograph it all for you my dear readers and then document what I was keeping and why. But, as we know life rarely goes to plan. I've already returned the first consignment, the contents of which did have me asking myself "what on earth were you thinking?" and the second and third deliveries are awaiting their fate. I will however, share the details of the latest spoils - two pairs of over-the-knee boots (ahem, no sniggering at the back there!), three pairs of ankle boots, one pair of Mary Jane shoes in snakeskin - stunning, but a tad high, one pair of gold high heel sandals - very good price and useful for forthcoming cruise, two sequin dresses (well only one really, but in two sizes), one patterned sequin skirt, gold slim fit trousers, gold polo neck jumper, glitter tights, gold tights and even tights with bows on. If you can see a theme running through the clothing, I suspect it's because I seemed to be working along the lines of if I can't party then at least I can be ready for the next festive party season. So, wish me luck as the evening draws in and I begin to tackle this shopping binge.

Anyway, with regards to today's offering I can say hand on heart that nothing here is new or even new-to-me. I'm shopping my closet as fashion bloggers say, with great success and a fair bit of delight as long forgotten pieces are rediscovered. Take this wonderful tweed jacket from the now defunct Racing Green. When my children were toddlers I used to get the RG brochure drop onto the doormat every so often. It set me dreaming of a time where I would have the money to buy such exquisite clothes. Well in a round about way I have to thank my children for providing me with the money. My husband captured our little lovelies on film doing a bit of impromptu slapstick where one good hit deserves another and long story short we received a cheque for £250 from the TV show "You've been framed". My wonderful and generous husband insisted that I should use the money for a treat and hey presto I bought my Racing Green jacket.

The rest of my outfit is from various charity shops apart from the beautiful olive leather and suede boots which were a purchase from Russell and Bromley a few years ago. I'd drooled over them for some time, but held out until the January sale when I happened to be in Exeter and finally had a chance to try them on. At a £100 off in the sale they were still £199 but I knew I would love them forever, and I do.

Jacket: Racing Green. Jeans: All Saints (charity shop). Fairisle vest: Ralph Lauren (TK Maxx). Blouse: New Look (charity shop). Boots: Russell and Bromley. Green pearls: Almost Perfect. Handbag: Accessorize. Perspex ring: gift. Brown ring: East.

Linking with
Not Dressed as Lamb
Not Dead Yet Style
Kremb de la Kremb

Today marks the 100th post to my blog, and what better reason could there be to bring out a bit of sparkle to celebrate? (It has been said of me that I'd get dressed up for the opening of an envelope...)

The jacket, along with the trousers, has a glitter thread running though it so was a perfect pairing with the ornate stretch belt I bought for the Christmas party.

And what a joy it is to bring out these fab booties once again!

Sometimes you can feel like the cat who got the cream. Apart from the windswept hair of course! I'm always impressed with other bloggers who take outdoors photos yet don't have a hair out of place. My defence is that I'm keeping it real.

When Sasha came home for Christmas she showed me the spoils from her recent shopping trip, but warned me that I would want to steal a pair of her trousers before even revealing them. Well yep, she was right. A couple of days later I went on line and found them at H&M before they sold out. Apologies, darling, for airing them before you probably have, but you must take all the credit for these beauties. I love boot cut and flares as they help balance out my fulsome thighs. Well, they may not look too fulsome to you, but I've missed my sea swimming for the past couple of weeks and am feeling post-Christmassy and lacking a bit of tone.

The good news is that even though I missed out on some of the party season I now have a holiday to plan for which means putting together a capsule wardrobe. Steve and I are having a couple of weeks off the island in February, one of which will be spent on a cruise of the Mediterranean. I've already bought my dress for the Captain's party, so the rest is easy. We've been on a cruise before and I had to laugh when I discovered that a large portion of my wardrobe comprises of cruise wear! Hosting exhibitions (nine of these every season) means that I've collected quite a few glitzy, floaty outfits meaning I didn't really have to lash out on a lot of new garb. I'll be taking these new trousers for those less formal evenings when I'll maybe add a sparkly camisole or perhaps this frilly blouse. I'll give you all a sneak preview of what's getting packed before I go, then hope to post regularly on Instagram while I'm away with a proper catch up on my return. In the meantime it's business as usual with posts on Sundays and Wednesdays until then.

Jacket: Next (charity shop). Trousers: H&M. Blouse: charity shop. Belt: eBay. Booties: Michael Kors (TK Maxx). Necklace: Dorothy Perkins. Smokey quartz ring: old. Yellow ring: Martin James.

Linking with
Style Nudge
Elegantly Dressed and Stylish

Turquoise isn't a winter colour as far as I'm concerned, but a couple of things have happened recently which have conspired to change my mind. First of all my sister Dianne sent me this wonderful little jacket which she bought from Jones New York whilst visiting the Big Apple a few years ago. And secondly, blogger Jacqueline from Petite Silver Vixen showcased her version of winter turquoise as seen here which blew my prejudices out of the water. I'd always packed away everything turquoise at the end of the summer as I thought it would look out of place in the darker months, but Jacqueline showed me that this pop of colour didn't look anything other than a breath of fresh air amidst the winter gloom.

The tweed skirt has stitchwork in the same colour as my lambswool sweater (lilac/cerise?) but it's so fine it's not showing up at all in these photos.

The cute handbag is by Hope and Benson. It features a gorgeous green velvet lining.

I couldn't resist this tights/skirt combo.

Another blogging friend, Kezzie of KezzieAG is a huge brooch fan as seen here and I'm delighted to be able to share one of my few, but rather lovely brooches with her today. It's a Kenzo piece which I came across last year in a charity shop. I've waited so long to find the perfect moment for it's debut - I think it was worth waiting for.

Today there was finally a break in the weather giving me an opportunity to chose a jacket rather than a coat for work. Inspiration for my outfit every day has to start somewhere, so why not with this beautiful fine woollen zip up from Jones New York? Dianne took early retirement a couple of years ago meaning that she is gradually culling her now defunct working wardrobe, much to my benefit. I'm hoping that this will be the start of a trickle of pieces she can finally let go.

So with the theme being turquoise, and the jacket in place, then this skirt was an obvious choice. I've got quite of few of these Boden skirts which are a staple within my wardrobe. I love this tweed version with its giant hounds tooth check, the outline of which is stitched in pink thread, but I'm afraid my photography skills have been lacking in highlighting this feature. I thought about donning a pair of bright cobalt tights first of all, then as I rummaged around came across these ones which were too much of a temptation to ignore. Maybe too cliched for some, but I just love to introduce a bit of whimsy sometimes.

The other obvious I did avoid was my aqua cashmere polo neck that could have taken me back down the road to being overly conservative, so instead I've picked up this pink yarn in the form of my simple pure wool sweater. This was a charity shop find in the autumn and although the sleeves are a tad short, I remedy this by layering up with a thermal top of which I have many colours. Regular readers may well have expected to see this look finished off with my signature brogues, but I thought the green of the skirt lends itself beautifully to these kitten heels from Office - these came via eBay. My cute little handbag is by Hope and Benson and has a soft green velvet lining. With green leather gloves, a flowery scarf to add another print, and obligatory sunglasses to cut out the dazzling glare, I'm good to go!

Jacket: Jones New York. Skirt: Boden. Jumper: Compliments. Thermal long sleeve tee: M&S. Tights: Topshop. Shoes: Office. Brooch: Kenzo. Turquoise ring: old. Pink ring: gift. Scarf: charity shop. Handbag: Hope and Benson. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking up with
My Refined Style
Not Dead Yet Style
Not Dressed As Lamb
A Labour Of Life

Am featuring two of my favourite prints today, and if I say they go together then they do.

But I don't think I'd have been grinning so much if I knew how crazy my hair was looking!

These Mary Jane's have been knocking about in my closet for years without many outings, so hurrah for the opportunity to get them out today.

Here we have a mid-week, dressed down look that's so very me. I know I've showcased a couple of over the top party outfits recently, but this is the real me. I've never had my "colours" done, but am pretty sure that I'm autumn as these hues don't drain me and make me feel very at home. The rusts, greens and ochre all bring life to my complexion. In addition I also love paisley, fairisle, tweed and tartan which all seem to tie me to my Scottish roots. Featuring fairisle today means I've pretty much covered all my favourites this winter in one way or another.

This injection of colour is the perfect antidote to the post Christmas slump that can descend after all the festive hype. It's so easy to allow a grey mood to influence your clothes choices. I'm aware that I do have a propensity to wear black and greys quite a lot in the winter months. That's why I often spend an hour at the weekend to root through my wardrobe to find items that are forgotten, overlooked or just plain hidden from sight. I'm such a big fan of colour, yet if I'm in a rush I know how easy it is to pull some black and grey pieces together without much planning. A few separates in bold colours are great to mix and match with these neutrals to give a bit of a lift. My other ploys are to add a pair of bright or patterned tights to jazz up a simple outfit and finish the look with some dazzling brogues. A plain black dress can be transformed by the right pair of patterned tights. In fact it's a really inexpensive way to add personality to an outfit.

My own post Christmas slump has be explained by the fact that the cold I'd been battling was in fact flu. Some two weeks down the line, I had a check up yesterday and that's what's ailed me after all. At least I don't feel such a fraud for all this sleeping, listless laying around and croaking like a frog whenever I tried to speak!

Cardigan: H&M. Skirt: H&M. Blouse: charity shop. Tights: Dorothy Perkins. Shoes: Debenhams. Green pearls: Almost Perfect. Flower rings: charity shop.

Linking up with
Jess on Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Cherie on Style Nudge

End of year review

A lot of fashion bloggers are taking a moment as this time of year to review the past 12 months, showing their favourite outfits and special moments. I intended to do this myself and then I remembered that my blog has only been up and running for 6 months and therefore doesn't really merit such a review. Instead I thought I'd share some thoughts and images from my other passion, sea swimming. Wait! Oh dear, I fancy I've just heard a (virtual) door slam as many readers have just scarpered. But for those who remain let me start with the view down to my favourite beach, Appletree Bay. This was taken in early December and is the sight that greets me after a brisk uphill cycle at about 7.30 in the morning. As the cove is about half a mile from home, it's far enough to prepare me for the icy dip which is my true wake-up call.

The sun is rising below a bank of cloud over the back of St Mary's. Just a glimmer of sunshine at this time of year is encouraging. Many's the morning I've cycled head on into driving rain with the darkest of skies offering no improvement in sight. These grey, bleak starts have me wondering what on earth I'm doing.

But here's what keeps me coming. This beautiful stretch of white sand is my very own playground at this time of day. The bay is just short enough for a quick morning swim, but most importantly, I'm usually the only one here at the crack of dawn. An occasional jet boat is the only other sign of life giving me an extra workout as I battle against the impact of the following wash. The two things that will stop me swimming are ill health and wild seas. As I swim alone, it's important that I don't take any risks which might also put others at risk if they had to come looking for me. My husband is my weather adviser as he goes out early every morning before me and on his return tells me if it's too wild to swim or at least which beach I ought to go to to keep out of the worst of the wind/swell. In addition I know that if I can't cycle because the wind is too strong, then I ought not to be out in the water either. And finally my advice to any other solitary sea swimmer is to swim parallel to the beach so that you are always within striking distance of the shore. A sudden bout of cramp can be disabling, and an unexpected seal encounter can also take your breath away - any of which can compromise even the strongest of swimmers. Swim safe!

Photo courtesy of Chris Billington

This is the Jubilee pool in Penzance. It was here about 10 years ago that I glimpsed an inspirational sight which was the catalyst for the sea swimming I do now. I'd been walking along the promenade when I heard laughter followed by men's voices coming from the changing booths opposite. I snuck around the gates and there in the late afternoon light I saw about half a dozen old guys standing drying themselves off. These weren't youngsters in training for an event. This was a jovial meet up for a dip in this sea water pool, probably a regular event throughout the season. What struck me was not the white or sparse hair, or the elderly stance of these guys, no what really got my attention was their amazing ruddy complexion. Arms, legs, faces, everything was red, glowing and they, every single one of them, looked so healthy. Coupled with their laughter, the whole scene etched itself into my memory bank. I instantly knew that I wanted to experience this joie de vivre too. I didn't manage to motivate myself immediately, but life finally conspired to get me into the sea swimming groove. For the past couple of years I've swum every day, sometimes even twice a day, if the tide was right and work permitted. These are solitary events; my time to be alone in nature, but more than that; my time to talk to my Maker. This morning commune gives me a clean slate; it's where I share my thoughts, give my thanks and emerge from the salty water, cleansed, restored, rebalanced.

With goggles and swim cap at the ready, the aim of this snap is to show you the difference in skin colour from before...

...to after. This ruddy, glowing complexion is the trophy of a good swim. And I know it's not just my skin that is benefiting - heart, lungs, immune system are all under siege for the duration and my metabolism is boosted for the rest of the day. I know of no better workout, and it's free! My swimsuit is just that - not a shortie wetsuit, but a nylon Speedo-type suit offering no warmth, but with the bonus of thigh coverage which is merely for vanity's sake. I love the afterglow - it gives me such a rush.

And that's it, mission accomplished! I pile on the layers of thermal socks, fleece lined trousers, cashmere polo neck, fur lined jacket, beanie hat, thermal gloves and furry boots. I jump onto my faithful steed for the dash home to eat, shower and dress for work. Ah yes, dressing for work...

Here's one final outfit that didn't make the cut this summer, although I don't know why as it's one of my favourites as I look through my album now.
Dress: H&M. Cardi: Boden (customised with buttons by Stockwell Ceramics). Necklace: Debenhams. Shoes: TK Maxx. Watch and rings: charity shop.