Casual styling for a leather maxi skirt

Hurrah for the weekend!

The sun is shining and it's almost the weekend! Yay! How has your week been? Mine seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye. By Friday I always like to review my week according to what I've achieved and this week seems to be sadly lacking in fanfare moments. Sticky little admin issues and sewing machine problems mean I've not got a lot to show for anther seven days. That's highlighted by the fact that my return to work is no longer a distant event, but will be a reality by the end of March. 

Today's outfit is another shopping my closet effort and one that I'm rather pleased with. The leather maxi skirt is pre-loved (The Chine Collection) and cost me £14 when I was on my shopping trip in London in Nov 2019. It's real leather and made up of lots of panels creating this lovely flared hemline.

It's the first time I've worn the skirt mainly due to the fact that I've had a bit of style block about it. A leather maxi skirt isn't all that easy to wear without it looking a bit over the top, but by adding these casual Converse boots it becomes much more wearable. 

The boots were a TK Maxx find from a few years ago. I've not worn them a lot, purely because I want to keep them looking fresh and clean - mad, eh? Anyway, here they are adding a funky edge to what could have been a bit of a white elephant.

The animal print sunglasses are by Radley London and again add a bit of edge to the overall look. 

A couple of cocktail rings add to the funk factor. The sweater is old, from H&M.

And so I'll shimmy off into the weekend where sewing, cooking and swimming will all be jockeying for position. Do you have much lined up for the next few days? The prospect of lock-down ending here in England certainly is helping to sharpen my focus on those things I want to get done before I'm whisked back to work. I hope you have a fruitful weekend too!

                                                                     Anna x

Faux leather February, our Style Not Age challenge

Hello again!

Yes, here we are on the last Monday of the month showcasing our monthly style challenge for you. Jacqui has come up with Faux leather February and in accordance we're all dancing to that tune. So let's see what the lady herself has to offer shall we?

Jacqui wears new faux leather culottes in chocolate brown with cream coat and boots for modern look. The sunflower pattern shirt is a spring inspired addition. See more on Mummabstylish. 

Emma's nod to the theme are the cute puff sleeves of her fitted top. The all black outfit is complimented by the orange check of the skirt and orange handbag. Catch up with her on the Style Splash blog. 

Hilda sports a faux leather bomber jacket with her flared jeans for a rock chick look. To see more of her casual weekend style see Over The Hilda. 

Gail's faux leather ensemble is a zingy combination of black and green, which reminds me of a post I did last year (see here). Her take on the challenge is classy with a stylish edge thanks to the fabulous pop of pink. See her back story on Is This Mutton.

My spin on faux leather had me delving deep into my wardrobe to find these pre-loved yet unworn leggings. The peplum top (also pre-loved and unworn) proved to be a cute pairing inspiring this awe-shucks pose. A peplum does that to me, encouraging me to forget my age and act out that cutesy alter ego. Cringe-worthy perhaps? Then cringe away!

The sheer floral top cost me all of £2.50 about 3 years ago and has been stashed away ever since. I can't bear to pass up a bargain, but only if the colourway is one that will work for me. The autumn colours are definitely ones that suit me and I knew that at some stage this would be a useful top. Now that I've worn it once I can see it will be diverse enough for another spin later.

I wanted to ramp up the retro vibe and choose this vintage necklace (a wonderful charity shop find from Feb 2020) to pair with my Quay Australia sunglasses. I was really pleased with how this came together.

My rings are in keeping with the pre-loved theme and you'll recognise my much worn patent leather boots from Topshop. 

I'll leave you with this final bit of flouncing around. I did actually have another version of faux leather in quite another vein which I'll share with you soon - a much more robust take I'd say... I do hope you've enjoyed this month's challenge and ask that you take a moment to read the back stories from my style buddies.

Wishing you a great week!

Anna x

Mustard and fuchsia - a sunny combination

Another spring like day, hurrah! I may be obsessed with the weather, but I think that comes from living on on island with no cars, therefore we're always steeped in the depths of what mother natures sends our way. This week has been mostly wet and windy, so this sunny day was all I needed to get dressed for a brisk walk around the island.

This mustard wool coat was a purchase from TK Maxx a couple of years ago and has been a firm favourite ever since. It's like a cuddly teddy bear and really has that snuggle factor. Worn over jeans it's a lovely casual look. The jeans are rather ancient - snow wash denim was maybe an 80's fashion - but were an amazing bargain at the time of purchase, only £1 in sale rail in charity shop in Exeter and are still going strong.

The view behind me is pretty stunning isn't it? The vista is looking down Tresco Channel out towards Cromwell's Castle and the big blue yonder. 

The handbag is another preloved purchase, this time from my shopping trip to London in 2019 - gosh that seems like so long ago now!

I was trying out my new tripod for these photos. It's a flexible tripod that takes phones or cameras. I was able to prop it up on uneven surfaces such as the granite wall and the grassy bank. I've since used it wrapped around my bicycle basket and even moulded around a rock when I was making a swimming video (see that here). 

I've not worn fuchsia with mustard before and must admit I rather like it. The cashmere polo neck sweater is from M&S. It's soft and fluffy and toasty warm so what more could you want? The buttery soft leather gloves are a great match. Jamie bought them for my Christmas. The sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

The jazzy little handbag is not only cute but roomy enough to hold my tiny new tripod so that's a bonus. My white patent leather boots are by Besson and were from TK Maxx. My Christmas wishlist was an absolute winner for me this year meaning that I had lots of lovely new things that I really, really wanted.

These photos explain my late posting today. Regulars will know that I normally post on a Friday, but I've been a bit obsessed with my sewing project and couldn't stop until I got this far. I have another chair to do next...

I'll be back again on Monday with our Style Not Age challenge so please do swing by for that.

                                                                                             Anna x

A hint of spring

Hello lovelies!

What a blooming relief to have a break in the weather! The past few weeks have been a dreadful mixture of bitter east winds and endless rain so yesterday's bright day was enough to inspire a spring-like outfit.

I felt in the mood for dancing too, but hey, why not?

I opted for an oyster pink base topped with pattern and brocade for this light hearted spring ensemble. The skirt (very old) is from F&F at Tesco, costing £5 in the sale. The cotton roll neck was a charity shop find, also £5. The satin jacket was a hand-me-down from my daughter, the brand is H&M. And the brocade boots are a few years old now, from ASOS.

Also from ASOS, these pretty two tone sunglasses are by Morgan and are in the sale here. The rose gold heart pendant is quite old and the resin rings were a gift from a friend.

It's such a cheery thing to dress for spring. I love the sense of hope this one day brought. I felt bright and optimistic as the day was full of promise. Just one single day can make all the difference!

A shake, a shimmy and a little flutter!

I hope that your start to the week was equally joyful. I'm heading off to the beach now and will be back to see your comments later. If you wish to leave me your thoughts on this on any other post I'd love to hear from you.

                                                              Have a super week!

                                                              Anna x