OMG! The last day of October - how did that happen?!
Autumn is well and truly here and most days on the island are chilly and crisp, and the number of dank and cold days are increasing at a ferocious pace.
It's the time of the season when the weather is scratching around for its rightful place. I find myself wanting a touch of lightness in my dress yet with the security of layering up whilst the weather struggles to find its season.
So a light fabric base of a dress or skirt with warmer additions is ideal for an out-out right now. And here are three of the umpteen warmer additions.
1. With a Biker (Moto) Jacket
Here's what I wore recently for a dinner out with friends on a night when the weather had most definitely found its autumn - cold, rainy and very blustery. Brrr. So that took me to a tried and tested go-to of pretty skirt, woolly jumper, boots and a biker.
I call this combo my edgy granny look.
Easy silk skirt, ca. 2002
I did debate on whether to to a French tuck of my jumper.
But nah, who wants to see my granny's tum protrusion at dinner eh?!
The tried and tested look is seen here, back in February 2016.
More Inspo
Worn with a flowery dress (Pinterest)
2. With a Blazer
(Pinterest)
3. With a Cardi
(Pinterest)
It's surprising what can be added to a thin dress or skirt to make it wearable in the chillier months, yet keeping the look stylish rather than bundled up. Just adding a woolly or jacket, a belt, some warm boots can instantly make light florals wearable right now, whilst still keeping some sense of stylishness.
Is this the sort of transitional look you wear for a date night or dinner with friends in Autumn?
Hi peeps, it's getting hot over here, but not in a Nelly way!
I'm talking red hot shoes.
I've been drawn to vibrant red of late and I've observed how shoes drive an outfit. Red shoes have been driving my OOTDs this month.
But first, let's just deal with the elephant here. Red shoes. Do we all know what they are supposed to signal?
Some friends of mine got together over a pair of red shoes. She was wearing them. His chat up line was to ask her if it was true what they say about red shoes. She is French and hadn't heard of the old myth before. So, embarressed and uncomfortable, he had to spell it out and now they're married with a lovely little family (See what I wore to the wedding HERE)
So that's got that one out the way. I'm wearing red shoes, to heck with what they say!
Leather flatties, M&S
These flatties casualise my posh red linen sheath dress (2002, from Alexon). Worn with a sun hat and red straw bag kept the vibe easy.
This is my attempt at a sightseeing-in-Rome look, which I shall soon be doing, hence the try-ons marathon I'm putting myself through for the next few weeks. I'm in a what-to-pack panic!
Switch to wedge espadrilles (charity find).
The heeled shoes immediately push the dress into take-me-out-to-dinner territory. My Il Ristorante look!
But shoes aren't the only thing at play with a red linen sheath.
A spotted scarf can take the dress to another place. The 60s!
Headscarves are a big thing this summer and this one took me straight back to the early '60s. Ladies were smarter back then, eh?
A little cream cardi with red embroidered daisies is a perfect slip on for the evening chills. Which just isn't going to be happening any time soon - are we loving these hot summer nights, ladies?!!
Yes, things are kinda hot around here right now and it's not all down to the abundance of red in my outfits. It's stinkin' hot!
So shorts have been high on my agenda. Not the four inch inner leg shorts, no no, for I accept my legs' limitations.
Knee length shorts work for a lady nearing 70, at least I hope they do!
I've recently ditched two pairs of HUGE knee shorts. They'd gone way past 90s grunge, they had become so big on me that they were positively clown-like!!
So it was a relief to find myself with some slim fitting replacements that look a trillion times smarter than my circus shorts. They have become an overnight go-to.
And because I've ditched the baggies, my world has been opened up to new possibilities for shorts, with styling so far removed from when those baggies drove me towards a grungier look with every single wearing.
And thus my current red shoe bonanza pushed me to posh up my Peacocks denim knee shorts. I love this OOTD, inspired by my red flatties. I took my cue from the dark wash to team the shorts with a navy linen shell top (Next), added red and navy necklace ... and a red neckerchief used as a headband! Am I bang on trend or what, ladies?!!!
So red, there's a lot of it about right now and it's not just restricted to my feet. I'm quite literally top to toeing my red right now. I may be turning into a tomato ...
Red isn't just for Christmas. Do YOU like wearing red in summer?
(Oh and in case it's just a British thing, the myth is "red shoes, no knickers"!)
Oh jeans! A necessity in modern day life but such a fag to get right for one's shape and one's stage in life. Yes, jeans shopping and the ubiquitous try-ons can sometimes be an ordeal. So I filmed my recent try-on session, hopefully to reduce the amount of chat on this page for you.
A picture speaks a thousand words so I guess a video clip speaks trillions. It certainly seems I'm speaking several millions of words about a few pairs of humble jeans!
But be warned, I'm a filming rookie. A vlogging neophyte. Movie Maker edited out my head (perhaps a message there?) - a complete waste of make-up! So it's not the best of videos but please bear with me for the world purportedly loves a trier and I'm hoping you're feeling the love today !
Next coated leggings and jeans
I bought coated leggings and bikers jeans a few years ago. I love them still but if I'm being critical then both pairs are a little too baggy on me for their style these days (having lost a bit of weight). Add to the slightly disgruntled mix the fact that the black bikers have a two horizontal seam styling across the thigh which turns me into Michelin Man when sitting (which I do quite often!) and you have a Pout in the market for a pair of smaller sized and plain coated leggings.
Taupe leggings.
These coated leggings were marketed as taupe
And looked taupe on the model
but IRL were a sludgy rose madder and a lighter shade of the berry leggings I own. The subtle nature of this shade difference made them a profligate purchase.
Black jeans.
Coated jeans. High waisted = √. Thick heavy fabric = X.
Black leggings.
Black version of my coated leggings but a smaller size than my berry leggings, resulting in very little creasing on the leg, so a √.
A Goldilocks moment!
The Keepers
I've worn the black coated leggings loads already. IMHO, coated jeans and leggings bring a smarter and edgier guest to the party, so I feel a little dressier and funkier when I wear them. Adding them to a black modal vest to create a column and continuing the light touch with a winter white cashmere cardi and some pretty silver jewellery created a comfy yet smart outfit for dinner with a friend.
Jeans from M&S and Next
As with the coated leggings, I only have one pair of jeans that fit me these days and those are light wash and have frayed bottoms, and not totally jeans for all seasons and all outfits. So I was in the market for some wintry jeans.
The longer the try on, the messier hair!
Mid-rise jeans will always present a challenge to the mid-life muffin top!
The Next high-rise were almost-keepers because of what it said on the tin, but the wash and fit were close to what I have already.
An inch or two popped off these regular length jeans will get rid of the pointy leg look and soften the style for my shape and age.
But I'm not a fan of ripped jeans. Hmmnnn ....
The Keepers
The distressed jeans! They are a deep wash winter denim shade.
And though wintry in shade, they are quite lightweight which is my weight of choice all to year round.
The worn out bits are on the sides.
The rips aren't visible full-frontal.
Teamed with a cashmere paisley pompom scarf in pretty shades of blue and mauve, an oatmeal cashmere mix longline jumper from Next and taupe ankle boots from Jones.
These cashmere and leather classics tone down and offset the edgier distressing and bring balance to this outfit. IMHO, of course.
So there you have it. My try on reaped a pair of black coated leggings and a pair of distressed (argghhh!) jeans. Both have already slipped very nicely into my everyday.
I hope sharing my try on experience is 1. entertaining and 2. remotely helpful to you as we all need jeans, eh ladies?!
I haven't gone through all the faff of online links as 1. You're probably not interested and 2. I like to encourage you to shop your wardrobe.
But I did need new leggings and jeans because, hey, I've lost some weight and I want jeans to be with me on this journey!
So if you are shopping your wardrobe, which I rather hope you are, my offerings today are two outfits. A daytime and a slightly posher evening outfit. Examples of how to make the on-trend elements of distressed jeans and coated leggings work in the more mature lady's wardrobe by mixing classic styles with these edgier pieces. I hope you enjoy this post and can relate to it. Please let me know in the comments section, because otherwise I'll sit up here in my garret for days worrying that you didn't 🤔😑🙄😒😥.
And there was me thinking a video would reduce the chat on this post ... !
They do say that everything comes to she who waits.
And this she waited two months for this oatmeal jumper.
Classy neutral colour, warm soft knit, sleek long fit - what's not to love?
Back in September I tried on this jumper. Oatmeal was the colour. Cashmere mix was the fabric. And marquee was the style!
It was truly huge, both in width and length (it came down to just above my knees!). It passed on classy colour and soft to the touch knit, but failed disastrously on sizing and did absolutely nothing to enhance my shape. Bag of potatoes came to mind.
No surprise, I returned it.
But search as I did, I found nothing better. The Next jumper was the colour I was looking for (though sweet Susan H may argue that oatmeal is NOT a colour!). The knit was quality and the style fundamentally suited my needs. I just needed to avoid the bag of potatoes look (so not flattering). So I braced myself for further disappointment and reordered, but this time two sizes down.
Yup, I got the sizing right this time.
I didn't want the uber baggy look - I have one of those in a chunkier knit. I wanted sleek that could be dressed up or down.
It's first outing, Saturday's delivery of beauty advent calendars, was a delight.
Berry coated leggings tucked inside old Gabor chocolate leather boots, silk scarf (charitied) in colours toning to the leggings.
This was perfect for the calendar delivery, a coffee ... picking up a radiator valve - yes, this is retirement life lived to the max!
But maybe it needed a slight tweak for supper with The Sibs.
Well, all it needed was a delicate draping of silver jewellery, a tethering of the scarf and a change of boots. I switched my runaround brown boots for something more up to date. These berry boots (M&S AW17) are the exact shade as the coated leggings, so they elongate the leg (in illusion, not literally!). The pointed toe further elongates. (Stating the obvious, my short legs need all the lengthening trickery fashion can throw at them!). Swapping my Brown boot chunky heel for a more on-trend cone heel finishes off my light touch evening tweaking.
Add a chunky knit wool jacket from Zara and my work was done. Daytime errand outfit to evening restaurant outfit was but a moment's work.
So that's my message, folks. A long neutral jumper teamed with a rich colour like berry can take you from a smartish daytime look to a smartish evening look with the bare minimum of effort. And I'm all about minimum effort!
And with a bold sizing choice, this Next jumper certainly ticks all the long neutral boxes.
Sizing is all over the place when it comes to this season's big jumpers. I've learned from this little exercise that you've really got to play the field with sizing - be bold, be brave and experiment. Don't give up, persevere and you will get the perfect big jumper you need to compliment your wardrobe and your shape.
With big jumpers, as with life, perseverance pays.
Today I'm looking at casual shirts in retirement. I'm not going to lie, I haven't been throwing myself into shirts too much in retirement, or even prior. Back in the mid nineties I stopped wearing shirts in the office because, well, they invariably needed ironing and hey, life's too short; instead I turned to the lovely tops with elastane which needed none of that palaver.
So I find myself looking at an AW18 wardrobe which is pretty devoid of shirts generally. And in my retirement, if any shirt is going to come to the fore, it had better be of the super-casual ilk, for I don't feel good in a crisp white or striped shirt. Plus those need ironing 😰.
Casual shirts in denim or flannel have been calling my name lately. These casual-end shirts are proving a great solution for easy wear and layering as the temperatures drop just a degree or two (have I told you about our Indian Summer?!!) and make for a pretty good fit with life in retirement. They provide a lighter, softer and versatile alternative to a cardi or jacket. Plus these need mostly no ironing 😊.
And, just to throw some crazy stuff into the mix, I've found myself recently adding a couple of plaids to my repertoire, and I never thought I'd be doing that!
A loose covering layer AND zero ironing - just what is there not to like about the casual shirt!!
But without further waffle, I give you how I've been wearing my casual shirts lately, some looks worn previously and some inspo courtesy of Pinterest. COWBOY/PLAID Now
New plaid #1. Primark.
New plaid #2, au naturel. Primark.
Try it layered with a denim shirt.
Or over a white tee.
Ok, these are all tried and tested ways with a plaid but I'm a late arrival at the flannel shirt party!
Previously on the blog
M&S (bought ca. 2013)
Yup, BITD I was a one plaid gal (bought for a barn dance) so just the one "previously" here.
Inspo
DENIM Now
H&M denim (bought 2000), au naturel.
And with a cardi layerlayer, should it cool any time soon!!
Previously on the blog
Levi denim (bought 1997).
From 1974, definitely pre-blog, and pre- pretty much everything !
But I just wanted a visual showing how denim shirts have been around a long time.
Inspo
I fancy trying this look before my last whities standing go into winter storage.
Is your shirt style changing, maybe from smart to casual?
Do you even like denim and plaid shirts?!
I'd love to hear from you in the comments box below.
