My Six Steps to A Lunch Outfit

Yesterday was a good day.  Nay, scrub that,  it was an especially exciting day. 

A birthday lunch/catch up with a friend.  One of those truly lovely days. 

 The morning started jitteringly, however.

But by lunchtime I'd met up with my friend J wearing this ensemble and carrying this gift bag.

Here's how I jittered to get to that outfit.

It started with this.  A navy jacket with jeans.  Ivory blouse.  Pearl jewellery.  All seemingly fine.  But no,   The Photographer didn't like it.

Despite dressing it up with a scarf, he still didn't like it. After interrogation  enquiry I discovered the reason was that I apparently looked "like I was wearing my dad's jacket".  And perhaps TP is right.  It's a suit jacket from my working days and perhaps its masculine line is softened by wearing the matching pencil skirt.

So back to the drawing board, or in this case the wardrobe.

I swapped the jacket for a cardi and instantly the mood was lighter.  Lifted.  TP smiled again and all was well.

The scarf is a pretty silk whisp of butterflies and I love the colours.  Each time I wear it, I'm so thankful I bought it even though it was a bit pricey, a bit over my pensioner's scarf budget.  There is something very special about the drape of a silk scarf eh?

I slipped on a white t shirt and thought I could perhaps get away with the jacket if I tied the scarf differently.  I couldn't.

I then tried the scarf as a belt as the jeans felt loose and hangy.  "What ARE you doing?" TP demanded enquired.

Me: "I'm using the scarf as a belt, it's what I did in the 60s."

"You were a different shape back then" was TP's response.  

Well, I couldn't argue with that so I went hunting for a real belt which turned out to be quite fortuitous, as it happens.

I delved in a drawer I rarely frequent and found a belt.  But there next to the belt was a little bag containing pretty aqua necklace and earrings. They've been AWOL for a few years.  

Ex-ci-ting!  And the set went absolutely perfectly with the cardi and scarf.  And the gift bag* matched the cardi too! And that made me happy.  And happy is what I call a good day.

(Plethora of "And"s in one paragraph - done.)

All bagged up and wearing an outfit  approved by The Photographer With Fashion Views, off I went to lunch.

Lunching in an outfit that went from dad dressing to fresh aqua hues in just a few easy steps.

Is this how your outfits come together too?

I know some put outfit hangers together days in advance.  Me, I'm more your organic dresser.  Your flat pack dresser - sometimes a screw might go AWOL for minutes (or much longer in the case of our Strandmon chair's washer and today's necklace!) but as in my example here, I eventually get there.

*Now, here's the thing.  I recycled the gift bag that my friend had given me last year HERE.  

So we've agreed to bounce this pretty birthday bag back and forth for the foreseeable.  Well, at our age we've got to make up our own fun.  Do you do this sort of thing?  With gift bags?  With hostess wine?  With Christmas cards?  Something else?

And do you remember the scarf-belt, ladies?  As worn back in the 60s and early 70s?  Or am I showing my age, again?

A la perchoine.

And by popular demand (Susan H), here are the food shots from our lunch.  I didn't post them because the focus isn't too good.

My half=eaten blurred prawn cocktail starter.

My friend's poached salmon with fennel and nutmeg.

My chicken jalfrezi.

Bon Appetit!