My Coastal Granny Travel Capsule

 Hello my lovelies. 

I’m still on holiday and enjoying digging into my Coastal Granny travel capsule. 

Here’s a feel for what I’ve been putting together from my suitcase so far. 

What I wore on my hols

The straw hat was absolutely essential as the first week of holidaying by the sea in Sussex was absolutely sweltering.  We hit a heatwave! Temperatures of up to 30c.  

A loose shirt was perfect to allow air to circulate around my boiling body. 

The shirt is old from Zara and is striped with embroidered birds in blue, black and mustard thread.  I’m not sure what kind of bird it is, it’s like an artist’s impression of what a beach bird looks like, but it certainly has a very coastal granny air about it.  

With thin white trousers it was a cool foil for the sweltering day. 

I wore the outfit for a meet up with cousins at Ashburnam 

Christian Trust, what a lovely atmosphere that place has. We ate a ploughmans lunch which was served with a massive cheese scone rather than bread.  Delish.

We then had a wander around the expansive and prettily laid out grounds. 

Although the day was hot, walking around the lake was cooling .  

Next day I strolled along the sea shore where the air again was cooler. 

The sand on this beach can only be seen at low tide.  This was high tide. 

There are some interesting seaside plants along the beach. 

This was early morning and already some had set up camp for the day. 

More plant clumps seen between the beach huts. 

Several hundred beach huts line the shore.  Half are privately owned and half are owned by the council and rented out. 

Quite idyllic, it put me in mind of the emoji 🏝 . 

That evening I went to a cousin for a lovely summer’s evening supper in the garden.  It was another cousin meet up.  This first leg of our holiday has been about cousins, as you will discover!

I wore a white linen shirt, bought from  H&M 20 years ago. 

To complete the classic coastal granny look I added a

string of pearls, a pressie from my family last Christmas, and double pearl earrings, a previous birthday pressie from them.  I’m a lucky girl to be draped in pearls!

So, white linen shirt, blue jeans and pearls.  Classic. 

I went Groove Dancing with a cousin. 

It’s silent disco dancing in the open air by the sea. A group of participants dance to music through headphones for an hour, much to the amusement of the passers by! 

(I’d packed comfy t shirt, tracksters and trainers as the dancercise was pretty-planned)

It was tremendous fun, though I used muscles I haven’t used in years and I’m paying for it now!

Now on another el skorchio of a day I went off piste and strayed away from the CG vibe.  

Grey t shirt and a nasturtium coloured skirt. 

I wore this because it was sooooo hot and this loose clothing drew me as it’s light. 

The grey beads are charity shopped.  The modal t shirt is from Next this year.  The skirt is actually a mini sun dress I bought from Primani 7 years ago.  It has a shirred top so I just pull the bodice down to my hips and called it a skirt!

I topped this casual outfit with TP’s hat. 

I chose this as the temp peaked at 30c again and the skirt and top are loose and cool.  

So it wasn’t a classic CG outfit but it is the kind of thing a granny living by the coast would wear on a very hot day.  Because that is what I did!

I took this outfit on an outing with a cousin to a country farm shop.  We enjoyed coffee and cheese scones in the tea shop.  

Although the outfit strayed from the archetypal CG style I did keep to the Something’s Gotta Give vibe. 

I did my Diane Keaton thing checking out the farm’s market stalls.  I didn’t bump into Keanu Reeves, sadly. 

 But I bought more cheese scones!

And pink gin!

All locally made. 

I’ll post more holiday outfits next week from our new base in Devon. 

And now I’d like to leave you with an added bonus to this post.  

Apparently the Coastal Grandma trend has hit Holland. 

My friend Marianne lives there.  She’d only heard of the CG thing when she read my last week’s post.

She was inspired to raid her wardrobe. 

Blue chambray shirt and white chinos, beach bag and straw hat. 

She draped a jumper around her neck, another element of CG dressing.  

A great start. 

Then she popped on a white shirt and scarf. 

Worn with light blue trousers and a coastal style bag. 

Didn’t she do well?!

Marianne’s verdict: “I love that look. Casual but elegant at the same time. Didn't realise that this style had a name until you mentioned it!!” 

It’s hit the Dutch newspapers too!

How have YOU been coping with the soaring temperatures in the UK, or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere?

For those in the southern hemisphere. I’m sure you’re enjoying the cooled air!

A la perchoine, 

Mary xxx.