Autumn dressing and a shopping spree

Hello again! How's your weekend gone? I'm having my first good day in ages and have managed to get some blog photos done as well as a few chores at home. It's good to know that I'm getting back on track. 

You may remember seeing me wearing this Topshop dress in the summer. I styled it then with white footwear too (see here). I bought the dress way back in June and it has received so many compliments over the months. I'm such a convert to the ease of wearing an all-in-one, whether it's dungarees or a dress; I just love not having to worry about matching separates. I'd like to think that's because I'm busy, not lazy!

The white patent boots by Marco Tozzi are a recent purchase from TK Maxx and were £34.99. 

The tweed jacket is pre-loved, the brand is Next and such a great classic piece. I've had it for over a year and yet this is the first time I've worn it. Not sure why it's taken me so long. It fits really well and is great for this time of year.

I swapped the belt over and replaced it with this charity shop one which picks up the gold and white of the dress.

The silver ring with gold etching is by Diana Porter, the flower ring is pre-loved.

I'll not keep you waiting any longer ... Here's my little bit of shopping from Truro recently. I succumbed to both high street fashion and pre-loved pieces from my top charity shops in the town. I'm pleased with the balance and collection that came together over the few days I was there.

This lovely velvet jacket is the start of my charity shopping finds. It was originally from Debenhams and cost £4.

The over-sized shirt was £5. I like the idea of a polo neck underneath this for the colder months and then it can be worn alone as the weather warms up again.

This cotton jumper is a nostalgic piece. I used to have a similar one way back in the 80's and foolishly passed it on to one of our jumble sales. I've no idea how I'll style it, but am delighted to have acquired a replacement. Good old Laura Ashley!

The Tu blouse cost £3. At that price I thought it would add a ray of sunshine to my winter wardrobe.

This hand knitted cardigan appeals again from a nostalgic point of view. The baby blue colour will be great to wear with jeans over a thermal top for those chilly autumn days. Worth the £3.50 it cost, without a doubt.

I'm sure this pre-loved stretch jersey shirt will be a useful addition to my collection of tops. It's from M&S, and cost me £4.50.

The woollen skirt is also pre-loved and again from M&S - it cost me £5.

And so, on to the high street purchases next. This cute tweed mini skirt is from F&F at Tesco, costing £15.

The blue leopard print top was from TK Maxx, costing £19.99. Love it!

This cute navy, white and red dress is from Primark at £15. Worn it already with a cream polo neck underneath. 

Another Primark purchase. I fancy that I'll keep this one back for wearing over the festive period.

Please tell me that you love these as much as I do! By Steve Madden, they were from TK Maxx, reduced to £34.99. 

And last but by no means least, this beautiful vintage dress has solved my dilemma as to what to wear on Christmas day. In the traditional red, green and gold, I just couldn't resist the charm of this lovely gauzy frock. A gold belt and some glitzy shoes will transform it into something very a la Anna's Island Style!

This week I'll be chasing up some old friendships and maybe some new ones as I'll be linking up with -

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb 

Jacqui of Mummabstylish 

Anna x

The joy of the tent dress

Hello lovelies! How's your week going? I'll confess that my cold has reached the hacking cough and snotty stage now. I've managed to pass the virus on to my hubby who is not very enamoured with me. And my son, who is due to go on holiday on Monday, is treating me as if I've got the plague. I've defended my very own version of this bug, telling him that surely this family cold is preferable to any of the mainland brands that will be available to him as he travels through Cornwall to London en route to Barbados. London Underground will surely have thousands of various strains of the cold virus smeared on every touchable surface. Makes my little island variant seem much more acceptable don't you think?

Cold or no cold, here I am experiencing the joy of the tent dress. Now that British Summer Time is over I'm embracing tights once again too making this a cosy combination for this time of year. Are we still in autumn or is November a winter month? 

The tent dress in indeed a thing of joy thanks to the unrestricted nature of it. No tight waistbands or pinching bustline, the dress falls from the shoulder in a totally relaxed fashion making for joyful dancing, even here up on the heathland of Tresco. The dress is secondhand, the brand is Zara and it cost me £6 last week when I was in Truro. Washed and dried overnight on the airer, it didn't even need an iron before I popped it on for the shoot. The stretch cotton material is weighty; perfect for the months ahead. 

Another joyful feature of the dress is the long trumpet sleeve which acts as a good counterbalance to the length of the hemline. Long sleeves and short dress work well, making for an elegant look. Last of all, the floral pattern and colourway are even more reasons for a happy dance. In other words, I'm thrilled with this frock.

My accessories are pre-loved too. 

A touch of glitter finishes off this outfit. Blue Oxfords are by Xti Tentations from TK Maxx, not this season however. These shoes are great for stomping around all day long, offering comfort and bit of razzle dazzle too. The grey tights are both brand new and charity shopped, by Calvin Klein, and cost me £2.

My recent trip to Truro has garnered me a clutch of new clothes which I'll gather together for a show and tell session on Sunday if you'd like to see them? Pre-loved pieces and brand new bargains are in the mix with a lovely new winter coat being top of my favourite list already. Do join me on Sunday to see what my winter wardrobe looks like!

In the meantime, keep well!

Anna x

My Favourite Trend for Autumn, our Style Not Age challenge for October

Goodness doesn't time fly? Here we go again with our end of month style challenge. Jacqui has plumped for this month's theme which has given us lots of creative scope. Me, I've been influenced by a magazine spread again, this time for the ubiquitous argyle knit. The trend isn't so much a fashion as an enduring classic.

You'll excuse me for feeling ever-so-slightly-smug that my knit was a charity shop find last year and has been loitering with intent until the right moment came along. The Country Casuals cardigan cost me all of £4 which adds to the smug factor. But enough of that, let's catch up with the rest of the Collective to see what their favourite seasonal trend is.

For Jacqui's Mummabstylish, the trend is the colour rust which is a true autumn shade. I'm partial to that hue for the cooler months too. See more on her blog here.

Hilda is rocking her stunning red trouser suit accompanied by fabulous leopard print courts. Wowee, is all I can say! Catch the full details on Over The Hilda. 

Rust is another favourite for Emma of Style Splash along with a liberal dose of velvet by way of this charity-shopped jacket (£2) - way to go Em!

Sasha was my photographer of the day and told me I ought to point out that despite how polished I may look, I'm actually full of the most revolting cold at the moment. I'm layered up in concealer to cover the dark shadows under my eyes from not sleeping last night (hurrah for my Quay Australia sunglasses, eh?) and have a dry, chafed nose from endless blowing.

The Country Casuals cardi has inbuilt shoulder pads which makes me think it might be a vintage piece. It's not showing much sign of wear however. I particularly like the deep pockets as well as the motif on the back of the sweater.

The cream ruffled blouse is another vintage find of mine, one that's been a mainstay for years. The ring is pre-loved too. 

Jumbo cord, wide-legged and lovely - that's how I'd describe these fabulous trews. The brand is Zara, but not this year's. Likewise with the tartan/plaid boots - not this season's, and from M&S, they're still a super statement ankle boot that demand attention.

I'm striding off home now, heading for a Lemsip, lots of fruit, and some downtime for the rest of the day. I fancy this cold was a freebie from my recent trip to the mainland - not the kind of freebie I like though!

                                                                                          Anna x

My new Chelsea boots

Hello and welcome to Sunday's post. How's your day shaping up? Will you be having some leisure time today? I'm meeting up with an old girlfriend for lunch, so what to wear will be the question. But first, let me show you what I wore to work yesterday. I've recently bought these rather fabulous Chelsea boots from Office (see the link here) and they sparked the following look. The boots reminded me of Bill Nighy's character, Billy Mack in Love Actually - know what I mean? I do love this androgynous look.

This outfit brings together old, new and vintage pieces which is one of my favourite mixes. The (men's) trouser suit is vintage and was a charity shop find. I don't wear it very often, only because of the huge shoulder pads - I need to feel particularly brave fashion-wise to sport this one. But I'm having a trousers suit moment (see another recent one here) and thought this would be the perfect way to showcase my new boots. I could have gone all out with the rockstar look by adding a frilly shirt, but decided to play it down with this pink rib knit from Primark instead.

The pink sweater is actually fluorescent pink, but doesn't show that in the bright sunlight. It was one of two that I purchased early on in the season. The other is a bright green and has yet to have its day on the blog. I thought the very blue theme would benefit from a splash of contrast. Also, the boots have a few daubs of pink which ties in too. 

The pink and black leather checkered belt was another pre-loved purchase that ties in well with the sweater. I'm always on the lookout for accessories that are just that little bit different.

Statement rings in pink and blue, one a gift, one a charity shop piece, complete the look.

I can't help but cast a critical eye over these shots, noticing the soft tummy rolls. Last week it was the dimpled arse and this week it's the belly fat. Oh dear, I fancy that I'm in need of a new exercise regime!

One final longing look at the view and it was time for me to get back to work. A lunchtime photo shoot with this backdrop of Appletree Bay was a lovely interlude in a busy day. I've not swum here for over two weeks now as we've had unseasonal visitors in our waters of late. The influx of Portuguese man o' war jellyfish have an excruciatingly painful sting which in extreme cases can kill. They can even sting when they are washed up on the shore, dead. I'm not keen on the chance encounter with them so have hung up my cossie for the moment. Hopefully by the time I return from the mainland next week our waters will be clear. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x