That cold north wind doth blow!

Hello again!

I've seen on the weather forecast that parts of the UK have been having snow over the past few days, brrrrrrrrr! Well, not here thank goodness, but we're still feeling that brisk north wind. So much so, that I've dug out a scarf to go with my latest outfit. I rarely wear scarves. I'm just not a scarf person. I struggle to make them part of my look; they seem to stick out at funny angles or just sit in a big lump under my chin in the most unflattering of ways. 

Yesterday however, as I was making a dash for the door, I thought I might get away with not wearing a coat if I topped things off with a cosy scarf. And hey-presto, this one seemed to work! After a bit of a jiggle and windy round thing and then a looping through thing it looked like this. Get me, with a scarf, eh? A bit of personal blogging history being made. I'd bought this colour co-ordinated gem in Primark a few years ago and of course, this is the first time I've worn it.

This is only the second time I've worn my Adidas corduroy trouser suit and I'm happy to report that I'm still in love with it. I love the colour - coral or blush or salmon pink - call it what you like. The fabric too is ace; soft and cuddly and best of all the trousers have a touch of stretch meaning that they don't bag at the knees after the first time you sit down.

I opted for black and white as my accent colours by way of this gingham blouse which ties in nicely with my white and black boots. The blouse is very old indeed, but came from Asda and has worn well. The sleeves are very feminine don't you think? My sunglasses are old faithfuls from Quay Australia.

My rings and leather belt are all pre-loved items. The handbag was a Christmas present from my son, as were the pink leather gloves in the first shot.

I love the ribbon go-faster stripes down the outside of the trouser legs. My boots of the moment are here again - white patent leather boots (by Besson) - cos they work well with this look.

And yes, the update on the camera situation is that I bought a replacement last week and here it is in action. Lora is back working with me for a couple of months and she was very happy to take my photos. I feel I may have to look into pricing up a heavy duty expanding tripod for those times when I have to go it alone. I've had an expensive month as my washing machine broke down and I had to buy a new one last week too. Sometimes life's just like that, eh?

Thanks for swinging by again. I'll be back on Monday!

Anna x

Easter weekend

Hurrah for Easter weekend!

Not only is it the weekend, but it's Easter weekend, time for guilt-free chocolate indulgence. Yay! 

Daffodils and Easter chicks have been the colour inspiration for today's chilled weekend look. The lime green faux suede jacket was a Primark purchase a couple of years ago and yet is still looking fresh and rather funky too. 

I teamed the jacket up with this neon bright clutch, a second hand purchase also from years ago. I love the textured bubble effect. The floral blouse with lovely yellow daffodils was from M&S.

The wide legged Diesel jeans were recently featured (see here) and I'm afraid you may be seeing a lot of them over the next little while. They're such an easy to wear style - it's a great weekend look, don't you think?

I've had these grey platform trainers for two years and would you believe it - this is the first time I've worn them? It's shocking how deep this stream of new finds runs eh? I bought them online in the Zara sale one January and somehow never got around to wearing them. I'm pleased to say that they're really comfy!

I've taken blue as my accent colour for accessories; the rings are both pre-loved and the belt is also second hand, gifted to me.

These pretty floral edged sunglasses are by Tu at Sainsbury's. A sale purchase from ages ago - no surprise there then! They're a bit Dame Edna Everage don't you think? Hilarious!

I'm so enjoying having the structure of work again now, most of all because it's helping me to redefine weekend wear from working outfits. I've been trying out new combinations at work to check how much stretch and bend room they have; I've been busy hanging art this week - you can see that on our Gallery Tresco Instagram page here. It's only a week until we have guests on the island when I'll open the gallery on an appointment-only basis.

I'm going to apologise in advance to say that the blog may be a few days out of kilter now as my camera broke the other day and I'm still waiting for a new one. There was a terminal tripod accident when a gust of wind blew the whole lot over, smashing the lens. It happened in a flash without me having any time to catch it. I ought to have had a weight attached to steady it, especially as I've had a close call once before, but I thought I was tucked in out of the wind. I wish I'd been squirreling photos away for this eventuality, but alas I haven't! The postman only comes to the island three days a week and sadly it didn't arrive today, so there'll be no feature on Monday. Fingers crossed, I'll be back on Tuesday!

In the meantime, enjoy your Easter eggs !

Anna x

Borrowed from the boys

Hello and welcome to our monthly gathering, the Style Not Age challenge, where my fashionista friends and I choose a theme to play dress-up. This month it was Emma's turn and she's come up with Borrowed from the boys which has resulted in some fabulous outfits.

Jacqui did actually borrow her son's tee shirt for this challenge. The geometric tee adds pizzazz to the classic combo of black trousers and jacket, all finished off with pink trainers for that ying yang touch. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Gail has countered the macho vibe of the theme by playing pretty in pastels. Her penchant for lilac works well here - I just love those lilac brogues! Catch up with her story on Is this Mutton. 

Emma's bee print jacket is from TK Maxx, a men's jacket it turned out to be too! She's embraced the theme to the hilt with her trilby and white shirt while maintaining her feminine wiles. Catch her back story on the Style Splash blog.

Hilda is another one to raid her family's wardrobe. She's sporting her husband's hat which ties in beautifully with these amazing Paul Costello Oxford bags. Read more about this summery outfit on her post at Over The Hilda.

I found this midnight blue suit in a charity shop in Harrogate a few years ago and decided to ignore the fact that it was on the men's vintage rail. I wear it a couple of times a year and each time I like to style it up differently. Yes, the shoulder pads are huge, but it was surely an 80's stunner at the time.

This time I've opted for a mixture of pale pink and rose gold to compliment the dark suit, rolling up the jacket sleeves to reveal this blush tone which is almost identical to the blouse. 

I've had this sweet pink blouse for years and yet am guilty of hardly ever wearing it. It was a purchase from Tu Clothing at Sainsbury's and a bargain piece at only £5. The pleated sleeves are so pretty and beg to be the stars of the show.

This is the first time I've worn flats with the suit. I usually wear heels to add a touch of glamour to such a masculine shape, but I felt that the rose gold trainers were feminine enough to work.  I've had these for three years now and still love them. (I bought them from TK Maxx for my video interview for the JD Williams campaign - happy days!)

The rose gold belt was another charity shop scoop. The heart pendant was from a little boutique in Truro  and the rings are both pre-loved.

These rose gold mirror sunglasses add the finishing touch to my own Borrowed from the boys look. It was fun to put this together and will certainly be an outfit that I'll wear to work this year. Smart yet feminine and unique too - what's not to love?

I do hope you've enjoyed this month's Style Not Age challenge. Please do pop over to see more from my blogging friends if you get a moment. Thanks for dropping by again.

Have a super week!

 

Do emerald green and fuchsia go together?

Happy Friday to you all!

Hurrah for Friday and hurrah for the joyful combination of emerald green and fuchsia! It's not for everyone this colour combo, but I'm delighted with today's look. I've worn the jacket and trousers before with black as the complimentary hue - see here. 

It's not just the wonderful colours that make me smile though. I'm so happy with this outfit because it represents my take on fashion perfectly. I've mixed vintage with pre-loved and high street finds to create a look that is totally unique to me. We're all individuals and I love to see a woman dressed with her own sense of style. For me it's not so much wanting to be noticed, more that I like to challenge myself to wear the same clothes differently each time. I may wear the same dress four times in a month, but each time the jewellery and shoes will be different. God forbid that I find my look boring!

The outfit details are - jacket is second hand, by Autonomy; trousers are from TK Maxx; the vintage blouse is by Shubette Separates, boots are from H&M.

This look is all about fun and oh, how good it makes me feel! The frothy, filly blouse screams glamour and even daytime dressing can be glamorous in my book. Another bookends look is a winner too. 

I paid £15 for these leather joggers and for the majority the price might reflect the fact that no-one surely would want green leather joggers. But hey, I do! I love the funky nature of leather plus joggers and on top of that they're really comfy.

It's great to bring out my Vivienne Westwood orb pendant again and doesn't it go well with this? My rings are pre-loved, charity shop buys. 

Another pair of Quay Australia sunglasses from my stash from this wonderful brand. The sleek black framed mirrored lens glasses top off the look perfectly.

Long live these pretty pink sock boots from H&M!

This weekend I hope to start, if not complete, my wardrobe changeover. It's with a funny mix of dread and delight that I approach this all-weekend task. I'm so ready to pack away furs and velvets and knee high boots, swapping them for lightweight fabrics like cotton lawn, chiffon and summer sandals. The weather is mocking me however, as we have a showery forecast for the next couple of days making me doubt if it's too soon for this. But it's the deed that must be done! We've been having some lovely sunny days lately causing me to struggle to find the right clothes, especially now that I'm back at work. Wish me luck with this!

                                                                       Anna x