Black in Summer - The Photographer's Choice

Another less than blindingly hot day, so I've leapt in with another of my Slouchy Casual steals.
Slouchy Casual seems to work for cooler summer days when I have nothing more than a few errands lined up for the day, a.k.a. a date, Photographer style!
I want some cover, an extra layer and an easy casual style.

Here's my attempt and here's what I was stealing.  Oh how I long for that chunky plait!

The outfit I was stealing is very simple but I was rather keen to try it.  OK, I shouldn't really need a blueprint to put this together, but then that's why I am on this blog.  Because I need help.

Do you "steal"?  Is this something you would steal or wear?  And do you go out in public "slouching" your cardi, i.e. off the shoulder ?  Please comment below because I'd love to know!

All in black.  Per Una skinnies, Peacocks long cami and necklace, M&S cardi, Jones wedges.  And for my blogging trickery, I chose a  Next sunhat for it was a no-make-up/lazy hair day.

The Photographer made me laugh.  Something about me making slime.  Couldn't stop giggling.

Have you come across Slime?  Going back to my childhood courtesy of the GKs, I've joined in the search for the ultimate slime recipe.  If you have grandchildren, you may have come across it.  Apparently, it's a big thing and there are so many YouTube posts about making the perfect slime, which is a gooey mixture that well, sort of slimes off your hand.

My store cupboard was sadly lacking in vital ingredients, so I was given a shopping list.



I went looking for cornflour, apparently the vital ingredient in slime making.  I spotted a young boy, about 12 years old, looking bewildered by the flour aisle.  I helpfully asked him what he was looking for.  "Cornflour", was his replied.  I excitedly replied "Me too, are you making slime as well?"  "No, I'm making shortbread" was his answer.  Talk about role reversal.

But back to the outfits.

Although not heatwave standard, it was around 20c and I felt the winter cardi above would be too warm for the day.

So I tried a loose Next crepe de chine style shirt and let's be brave,  a lesser hat.  Nah.  Didn't like it.

And aw heck, subterfuge be gone - let's get rid of the hat trickery.

This is a comfy go-to.   My v. old M&S stripey cardi.  And no hat!

The black column is the perfect foundation for a play around with  layers.

Still lots of giggling going on.  TP does make me laugh.

Just a mention of shopping in heels here.  I am so enjoying upping my shopping attire because I am adoring clacking around the aisles in heels.  I feel so sassy.  One's walk changes in heels. 

I will not tell you how I described my style to TP, but I did liken myself to something "high class ..." and the rest was rather naughty!

I experimented with bags, starting with my little pink leather Tula then moving on to a larger Tula ivory leather bag.  With room to carry paint tins!

Oh how my life has changed.  When I was working, I was rather fond of Tula bags.  This big summer bag was often a substitute for my heavier briefcases.   I used to schlap around with this ivory bag stuffed with paperwork in files or my black leather portfolio, pens and calculator, postits, notepads and then only in my last few years, a heavy laptop - this was BITD before iPads and iPhones.  Can you imagine that now?!!  Modern Day Working Girl doesn't know she's born!

Over the years, I amassed quite a collection of Tulas which, of course, I hardly ever use in retirement.  I use pockets generally.  But now realising that they make great paint carriers, all that could change!

Anyway, back to the outfit, again!  Gawd, don't I ramble?!

As The Photographer was taking me out (B&Q and Waitrose, plus ca change eh?!), I told him he could choose which outfit I would wear for our "date".  More giggles, as I knew what the answer would be as I was asking the question.  It is always the last outfit, the one I am wearing, as we will then leave the house without further faff and delay.  And the response? "The one you're wearing".

Do you seek your partner's advice on outfits?

Is the response honest, political or diplomatic?

So out I went, wearing The One I Was Wearing, but no hat. Instead I chose my trusty The Fly sunglasses which manage to hide most of my not-made-up face.  The hair I could live with.

Do you use the hat and big sunglasses trick on a dress-down day?

Or perhaps you never leave the house without coiffed hair and full make up?  

I used to be that girl. 

But so much has changed in retirement, like daring to show my naked face publicly.

Out on our date, shopping in smart attire (and hiding naked face), I bought some pretty coloured garden furniture paint in B&Q.  I think you will like it. Pics soon.  I'm going off to slap on paint when I finish this post.  Which is probably why I'm rambling and this post is turning out to be much longer than intended.  Procrastination, blogger-style.

Now, I gave you a pic of me on a B&Q date the other day.  So, you need a Waitrose shot to complete the set.

(Don't fret that you can't open these, it's just hair flying in the breeze and not worth the effort of a YouTube load - I'll save that for my Ultimate Slime Recipe!)

After two attempts to take a pic (not a film) outside the shop with the Waitrose name showing as proof of visit, using the phone in strong sunlight which blinded the screen, I was finally successful inside the supermarket, where I show you evidence that I was in Waitrose.  Perhaps akin to a hostage shot with the current newspaper, eh?  Or in audit/compliance-speke,  if it ain't evidenced, it ain't done.

Maybe I just felt the need to prove that The Photographer does really take me "out".

A la perchoine.



A Few Days in the East

G'day to you, my friends.

I'm still mourning the loss of our heatwave but I've put a positive spin on things.

I realised recently that I'd had little opportunity to wear early-summer jackets, the ones I'd queued up a few cooler day looks.

And that had made me the tinsiest bit sad.



Well, no worries, cooler days are here!  I can now enjoy my white East jacket without overheating.  Silk purse out of a pigs ear, peeps!

Here with black Per Una slim-fits and Peacocks striped t-shirt.

It appears to be my lucky jacket too.  I dipped my hand into the pocket ...

... and pulled out £2!  (We still use our pound notes here.)

The Photographer told me to go buy myself somethin' perr-ty!

After wearing this thong necklace all day, I realised it was supposed to double up to make a choker and dangle, rather than a v. long dangle as seen here.  Duh!

Old Windsmoor stone cardi, black Per Unas, Artigiano top.

Even this thick cardi has been pulled out.

I call it my "sick cardi"; I instinctively reach for it when I'm poorly to cosy up.  I've worn it this week during chilly bloggings.

  

Another day with the jacket, my "501s" and Magasin linen stripey top.

So many fashionista show looks with white blazers.  I have one, but I find that this East white jacket fits my retired life style better and it's coming out to play quite a bit, heatwaves aside.

And here's the thing.  I bought it 15 years ago ... and I've only started truly wearing it in the last year.  Is that investment/nest egg dressing?  It's certainly been a slow burner.  But I've discovered its usefulness and retirement-appropriateness, thanks to this blog pushing my boundaries!

I accessorised with dangly earrings, which have a little turquoise stone insert, as the grey leather thong necklace has too.  Very subtle matchy matchy.  So subtle that none will notice, but I know and that's enough for me!

And result, I caught TP wearing his new grey jeans!

Wearing cool summer stuff has been an unexpected treat, but Weather Man, if you're reading this, I'm ready for you to push a bit of skirt and dress weather my way ...

Now tell me, how has your style changed in recent years?

Changed maybe after a dramatic shift in life style, like retirement?

Have you found yourself wearing things that work better in your "new life"?

Or whose potential you've much later discovered?

A la perchoine.

What I Saw On The Way To The Hairdressers

Hello sweeties, how's your Friday been?

Here it's been mostly trying to catch up on sleep after the all-nighter that was the UK election.  I don't get to vote (though with my DNA credentials I should be given an honorary vote!).  I am interested in politics, though, local, UK and global, so I had very little sleep last night.  And apart from doing the school run today, making lunch and some grocery shopping, I have mainly drifted into snoozeville throughout the day.

So as a Slobby-Pout quick fix I took a few OOTD selfies and applied them to a haircut post I'd already drafted. And that is my solution for posting on a day when I am drifting in and out of slumber.

Did you do an election all-nighter?  And how are you feeling today?

A nippy start to the day found me slipping on some cooler day clothes, black Per Una jeans, Peacocks stone camisole under M&S linen mix stone cardi.  Clarks metallic flatties and some East charcoal/mauve-ish beads finished off my look.  I was aiming for "school run yummy-mummy" ... did I get anywhere near?!!

Back to my recent haircut day.  The trip to the hairdressers started like this.

A cut is definitely needed - just look at that fringe!u

I'm fortunate in having a hairdresser who "gets" my hair and is just a short walk away from home.  The walk is through quiet little lanes, where you are only infrequently passed by a car.  We call these quiet lanes ruettes tranquilles.

Here's what I saw along the way.



On the right, a defunct greenhouse, a sobering memorial to the tasty Guernsey Tomato. 

 But some growing is still going on and there are always things to be found for sale along the hedges.

Even a kitchen!

But these adorable ponies are not for sale!

So, home, after my trim.  No change?  Believe me, it was much tidier!

My hairdresser cuts my hair in a way that allows me to "see my public" immediately after!  I like that it doesn't look particularly "different" after a cut, just a tidier version of the pre-cut me.

A friend once told me "I'm having my hair done today so do you fancy going out tonight?"

That sounded so weird to me because for most of my life I have either gone home and immediately washed out the hairdresser's creation and started again, my way, or in some extreme cases pulled myself out of public circulation for a couple of weeks until it grows out a bit.

But I'm finding that with this hairdresser, I feel acceptable after a cut and don't mind being "on view".  I'd even go out immediately after, if only I had an invite (TP - big hint/plea there!)   

But just in case I have second thoughts, my gigantic Solar Shields allow me to walk the ruettes incognito!

One of my top tips to self is to ask for a dry cut.  Sadly it does reduce my Hello! reading time but does save a little bit of money and because my hair isn't washed and conditioned to within a millimetre of its follicled life, I don't come home looking like a flat pancake has been placed on my head.  My hair clearly performs better dirty!

It sounds a bit, well, pensioner, asking for a dry cut, but that is who I am and where I am right now.

Where do you stand?  Wet or dry cut?

My hair has been bobbed or long through most of my adult life, apart a few short-cut blips along the way.  I'm intrigued to know if you've had lots of hairstyles over the years or just one or two, like me.  And have you made changes to your style as you arrive at a certain age?  Like gone shorter?  I have.

Do you still colour or have you let the grey come through?  You can see what I'm up to, hair -wise, via this blog, but I'd love to hear more about your crowning glory.  I'm nosey intrigued.

And how do you feel immediately after your hair has been cut?

Can you face your public?

Or do you hide away until it grows out a bit?

A la perchoine.