The Loneliness of The Last Minute Berry Dresser

I've got a fair few dates lined up for the next month or so.  Who would have thought February would be so busy, socially?  But TP and I have suddenly become, err, popular!

Or could it be that people are taking pity on us old fogies ... Pout & TP don't get out much, do they?

Whatever their rationale, I'm thankful to them.  And  when it dawned on me that my diary actually had some entries in it, I decided that I should get myself organised with outfits.  Because unfortunately I'm the sort of person who sits around filling in sudukos or crosswords up until about 10 minutes before out-the-door time.  There's always a mad panic and TP hates it.  He calls me (fondly, I like to think) Last Minute Mary. 

So perhaps getting my outfits organised is my Valentine's gift to him, because heavens knows, he deserves a romantic gesture from me - I've realised from reading other bloggers' posts this morning that I fail abysmally in the romantic stakes and I really should pull my socks up.  Or rather pull my opaques up, because I think this is the direction I'm headed for my dates.

I realised soon after buying my gorgeous butter-soft M&S berry knee highs that I was experiencing last-minute dressing scrambles, trying to find opaques that went with them.  The boots needed a similar coloured opaque for certain outfits to create a solid line.  And bingo! These M&S opaques are spot-on in colour to match the boots.  Well it stands to reason, really -  a brand will come up with a colour like berry and should then use the same elements of colour in it across their range.

 Thus, the combo of boots and opaques now creates a solid backdrop for my grey sweater/dress. 

 So that's my top tip for today, if you're dealing with an esoteric colour and you want a perfect match,  stay faithful to the brand and follow through with other purchases.

Any other coloured opaques would have broken up the line of this, my Monsoon winter white sweater dress.  Now it's a simple foil for the rest of the berriness on display in this outfit.

OK, this was my first outfit of the try on and I really shouldn't be showing you this pic.  But I am. 

I'd come straight from washing out my make up bag and, true to form, most of the water ended up on my clothing.  I'm a water sign, go figure.

I tried to cover my messy work with my hands.  Didn't do a very good job, huh?!

Back in serious mode, I tried on this simple black jersey dress and followed through the berriness of the bottom half with a v. old layered necklace. 

Then I moved on to skirts and here my old H&M flippy paisley skirt got a look in as it has a red/berry element in the print.  I firstly tried it with a metallic longline sweater, for an easy look.

But then it inspired me to go even easier with a black polo neck and some silver layering necklaces.  I really liked this look.  It felt Me.

So then I took this polo neck down the whole Left Bank route.  My old leather skirt creates a simple line yet the shine of the leather breaks up the blackedness of the outfit.

I felt that this combo was so simple that it could easily handle a third pendant.

So let's bring in some more berry now.  A fluted sleeve top hooks in the berried legline and the black chunky necklace links in the skirt's black.  All this outfit needs, really.

And then I just got silly.  I went the "sack tied in the middle" route, just for fun you understand.

I tried a deep belt over a jersey top.  If I did ever dare to actually wear this belted look, it would need something berry and gold around the neckline.  Not sure how I'd put that together, maybe just a berry pash and a gold necklace layering would be the answer here.  IF I dared to go out looking like a sack tied in the middle, that is.

Perhaps hooking the leg colour with a same-coloured belt is the answer?  Well, I think the answer is that by this time I'd taken silly as far as it could go and I don't think TP was sharing the humour in the room.  So I brought the trying on session to an abrupt halt.  Or rather, he did!

But irritating TP aside, I think this was a pretty good exercise. 

 I wanted to create a colour block with the boots and opaques and I think I can definitely tick the box with this M&S colour matching.

And I wanted a few outfits in my arsenal so that I can leave getting ready to go out until the absolute last minute.  So now, all I need do on the night is to pop my head out the door to check the weather, check the diary to see where I'm going and with whom, then go to this post and choose the outfit.

What a lifeline for a suduko addict!

Through this process, I've found myself some fave outfits for the various locations we'll probably be hitting, from the cosy grey sweater dress through to pretty flippy skirt territory.  And I even have my black leather existentialist outfit to call on should I be going through a Jean Paul Satre period.

However, if the weather is going to be as cold (and maybe as snowy) as the weather man is telling me right now, then maybe the option of some jeanage on the legs and more practical footwear might be required on the night.  Hmmmnn, that means a whole alternative suite of outfits to weapon-up with.  Dare I broach this with TP right now?

I like having these seasonal try-on sessions.  I then keep photos as aide-memoires and create hangers with whole outfits and accessories together.  This allows for quick last-minute dressing.  For that is the type of dresser I am.

Are you a last-minute dresser?

Do you create outfits ahead of time?  Or is it a mad scramble at the last minute?

Oh, go on, tell me you start the getting ready process three hours before taxi time and I'm alone on this!  Aahhh, the loneliness of the Last Minute Dresser ...

A la perchoine.