WIW - What a Difference A Week Makes

Hello my lovelies.  Wow, what gorgeous days we've been experiencing and yes, I've been out there enjoying them.  

Meantime, I continue to feel my way through these weeks as I work out where my blog's going next.   I made some progress on this yesterday over lunch with Son, a great start to me upping my game.

In the meantime, posts may be a little erratic but I'll get there .. I think!

I felt I had to publish my PINK COCOON steal post recently as some warning for the outfits that are to come.

Here's where I started from.

I think during my Blogger's Fug I've been dressing accordingly. There was little colour in my week, unlike the riot of colour in my previous WIW.  Maybe it was when beginning to collate these photos, maybe it was my more positive mood shift inspired by KELLYANN (here) but my colour palette at least has started to up its game this week, and hopefully you will agree when you see next week's WIW post.

Anyway I give you my previous week's day-to-day outfits, with little explanation required. 

Hats.  What can I say other than stating the obvious - this was a third-day-no-make-up day!

I bought some apples off my neighbour's stall and made crumble (crisp).  Food yards, 50.

Love this gable in autumn.  Don't love that it gives me a pin head.  TP says the lens focuses on the dark leaves when he's taking the photos and that perhaps explains why my head at this point becomes sort of insignificant - well to the lens, not to me!

Looks a simple enough outfit, eh?

But there was some deliberation beforehand hand.  And yes, The Photographer and I are still talking!

My what to wear with a lace top dilemma in pics.

I leave you with autumn leaves,

a la perchoine,

Mary.

Retirement Dressing AW18 - The Slouchy Jumper

 Hello there, my lovelies!

Hope all goes well in your world.

My world of attempted consistency is falling apart.  I planned to post this yesterday, then had a nail-in-a-tyre saga that took up a huge amount of the day.  My lovely neighbour stepped in and saved me.  He saved me from the mice last year.  #bestneighbourEVER!  When all was sorted, I just wanted to have a coffee and cuddle the cat.  So today I give you …

The Jumper

The jumper is a core staple in the retirement wardrobe.  Retirement dress code is essentially smart casual and that's exactly what a jumper is.  

It can be super casual, worn long and loose.  

It can be timeless and stylish worn with pearls, or a same-coloured cardi to create a twinset (yes, I still like those, even though the 1950s are lonnnng past!)

It can be special occasion wear -  a few frills, a metallic yarn or embellishments like scattered pearls or a few sequins.

But essentially, the jumper provides a warm hug in the colder months, and looks equally good worn with - 

Pics in this post have been sourced from Pinterest unless otherwise stated.

Jeans.

Zara website

Trousers.

Or a skirt.

The Slouchy Jumper

My focus today is on the long and loose variety as I busily prepare for the chilly season. 

Going through gruelling hours of wardrobe switching sure ain't fun but it has to be done, eh ladies?

During the process I need to identify any chuck-outs and any gaps (and of course there will be gaps eh girls?!).  Gaps have already been noted in the jumper section and that's no surprise as the jumper is a little winter workhorse and even more so in retirement world.  So it's no surprise that they are the winter wardrobe casualties too - they become worn out or just plain overworn, they get bobbled, begin to look a bit tired and lifeless, and maybe even a bit dated.

So I'm also keeping an eye out for any new trends I like the look of because some new styles can suit the older woman too.

The Slouchy Jumper is a big trend that syncs nicely with my taste and the life I lead now (😉).  Preferably in neutral as then the jumper can go in so many directions with just a simple change of accessories.

But I've discovered there's a fine balance to slouchy -

slouchy can so easily become grunge,

and that's where I was at the beginning of this blogging journey - wearing grunge casual rather than smart because that was the only way I knew how to do casual.

So, I want the smarter end of slouchy and in a neutral colour.

Here's what found.  Apologies for the pics, right now I'm even more technically challenged than normal.  And beware, the forecast here is

"Slouchy with a risk of Grungey Granny"!

My Try-ons

Next Slouchy cashmere mix v neck, HERE

Next Slouchy cashmere mix funnel neck, HERE

(Pics, Next website.)

And here's how they looked.

The V neck

The funnel neck.

I think they need returning.  I am 5'3-4".  Next must use 6' models.

Right now, I'm unsure if going down a couple of sizes will remedy the length.

You see, I want to love them.  They are a cashmere blend and beautifully soft  The colour is just about perfect and if neutral were a tin, this is what it would say on it.

But there is definitely a risk of Grungey Granny with these slouchies!

My Inspo Board

Credit, jagta8, HERE

Finer knit alternatives

Oh that's me - it appears I already have finer knit!  #nogapstherethen😖.

The Slouchy Jumper Pitfall

Slouchy and uber long tend to go together in a designer's mind.  On my shorter body an inch too long and long jumper can become short dress (not a good look with dumpy legs!).

I already have two of those so I don't want another slouchy that morphs into a dress on a whim. 

And I want a slouchy that doesn't need tweaking with a belt or a tuck. 

A Slouchy must stand up for itself, without a support team.

The two jumpers above can handle the transition from jumper to dress because the knit is sturdier.  A soft knit will look untethered and just plain grungey.  Like a sack tied in the middle (credit, TP).

So the hunt is still on.

There IS A Slouchy Jumper cheat !

A Slouchy cardi with pin.

Cheating aside, the Slouchy Jumper hunt is still on because I want to be looking cosy like this in a few weeks from now.

Credit Jagta8, HERE

I charited away a similar pinkie just a couple of months ago.

Why?!!

So, my dear reader, it's over to you!

How are you doing with your SS to AW switch?

What's your preference in jumpers?  Is Slouchy something you've tried?  Liked? Can't keep out of?

Or do you prefer finer,, more fitted jumpers?

I'd love to hear from you.

Oh and I'm popping lots of likes into my PINTEREST folders, as you can imagine.

And as for INSTAGRAM (HERE) , well I'm loving the ease of posting simple little snippets each day.

Please pop over to see what's going on - and maybe follow me there and on the blog too and then

let's have a little fun on this journey together!

A la perchoine, my lovelies,

Mary.

Thieving Thriday - The Pink Cocoon and MIA

I like cocoons,

And I cannot lie.

Yes, I cannot lie, I'm more than a little caught up in the cocoon cardi craze.

I didn't know I even had  a cocoon until in recent months when the name was popping up all over the stateside blogosphere, but it would seem that my old Windsmoor cardi is pretty much an Identikit cocoon - 

curved at the bottom edges,

shawl collar

and that certain something that creates a constant need to cocoon it around you.

I'd like a smarter version of my old cardi love* but search as I might, I couldn't find any online in the UK, but I've followed my blogging sista's reccie into Cocoon World on her blog.

Check out Kellyann's stylish look HERE

Beautifully styled eh?  I love the combo of pink, white and taupe - it pops up an image of ice cream.   And I like icecream!

Here I see strawberry, vanilla and coffee, and what's not to love about that combo. 

Kellyann is looking icecream-delicious and I wanted a scoop of what she's having!

So I thieved!

It's ok, my sista is a self-confessed thief of outfit ideas too, so it's ok for me to steal from her -  honour amongst thieves eh?

Cardi, Primark.

(Believe me, this was the best of the photo bunch.  The sun glared on outfit and face and showed mine and the outfit's, er, slight imperfections.  And I had to tether flapping cardi and hair from the strong wind.  Yup, it was not a good day for photos.)

Well, I drafted this post two weeks ago, then made the decision to pull back the post for a few days to give me time to re-do steal and photos, because I felt as it stood, my steal just didn't honour Kellyann's stylish look one iota.  And then the days drifted.  Drifted into a blogger's fug that perhaps can be called blogger's block, but it felt more like blogger's break.  I was not short on blog inspiration - heavens, I've probably got a couple of hundred draft posts sitting there pretty much good to go.

After I'd stopped blogging for a few days I realised I was no longer out on my morning constitutional, head busily composing next week's posts.  Instead I was looking at the falling leaves, smelling the autumn air.  It felt good. 

I realised too that I'd been blogging for 2.5 years, without pausing even whilst on holiday.

And as the days rolled on, it began to feel like I was playing hookie.  And sorry guys, but hookie felt soooo good!

Contrary to common belief, blogging isn't all plain sailing, as that sweet soul Kellyann pointed out on her blog this week.  Please pop over to read Kellyann's post on blogging HERE.  Thank you, dear lady, for writing those truths and getting me back in my garret.  It's good to read that we share common issues out in the blogosphere; reading her article helped me find some perspective again.  And as I don't earn from my blog, I really should give myself (and you!) a break now and again, eh?

But on the bright side, I tried the look again with another cardi and a patterned top and with better weather and location.

Old, from Next.

Zara cardi,

And though not what I'd planned, not the steal per se, this felt fine.

I'm going to leave the Kellyann steal where it is, with no urge to clean up a bad job.  It is my Unfinished Steal (move over, Schubert!), left for eternity as a reminder that sometimes I need to step away from the day-to-day and smell the rain-dampened leaves.

I leave you on a positive note with some of the Stateside cocoons.

If any readers have come across something like this UK-side, please let me know.

And with much thanks, love and deep hugs to Kellyann,

I leave you, a la perchoine, 

Mary X.

*Footnote

My love of my Windsmoor cocoon is indefatigable and perhaps a bit obsessive going by the post trail HERE!!!