Monochrome Magic - Black

Hi peeps, I’m back with more monochrome!

Day 3 of the #monochromaticme challenge was my day for all-black as it seemed the perfect choice  for my first Christmas 🎄 dinner.   Can’t go wrong with black for out-out eh!!

A “rule” of monochrome dressing is that a same-colour outfit needs a mix of textures for definition and delineation and I’ve noted that the darker the colour the more texture mix is required.  And an all-black needs the texture piled on, which is what I did!

So my all-black outfit textures are:

Knitted dress with sequined shoulders, Monsoon, current

Velvet jacket, M&S, ca. 2000

Textured suede chunky heels, Clarks, 2015

And diamonds! @martinandmartinjewellers .

A slightly glitzed black knitted dress seemed the perfect choice for a December dinner.  Comfort, warmth, no fear of waist discomfort after a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, you get the picture eh?!  

Yet the touch of shoulder sequin gives a subtle glitzing that says “oh yes, and it’s Christmas, don’t ya know?”!

And a subtle draping of diamonds are a girl’s best friend at any time of the year!

A hint of diamonds was just the finish this simple outfit needed.

Black with a touch of glitz.

A la perchoine,

Mary x.

Back to Black

Now this is probably stating the blindingly obvious but my blog's raison d'etre isn't to encourage you to buy clothes.   In the main, I shop my wardrobe, or shop my charity shop as I like to call it, as so much of what I wear is old and forgotten so when I wear it, it feels like I've just had a successful day in my fave second-hand shop.  Occasionally I will wear something new and very occasionally (like a few weeks ago!) I will have a bit of a shopping splurge.

So my "fashion" posts mostly show  what I happened to be wearing on the day, rather than any showcasing.  And I hope you like me this way!  As well as helping me in how I dress, I hope this blog encourages you to look to what you have and get creative.

I just wanted to get that across because yesterday I wore an old Next black linen dress that you've seen in various guises over the two and a bit years of my blog-life.  But it's a dress that gets rolled out for so many occasions.  Today's occasion was a funeral, sadly, but it was a beautiful funeral.  Do you find that happening more and more?  Funerals seem to be so thoughtfully and beautifully constructed these days.

I am traditional when it comes to funeral dress code.  I like to wear black. Yes, I invariably do go back to black.  I really wince a little when the funeral notice states "wear something colourful".  Just for the record, I like funeral-black and I find it somehow respectful of the occasion and the poor departed's soul.  For me the black allows those mourning to fade into the background whilst the focus is on the departed whose life is being celebrated, celebrated being the stance that seems to be taken for funerals these days.

Styled simply with bronze sandals and a black/beige/brown pendant.

So, I arrived at a standing-room-only crematorium and was greeted by the modern colourful array of clothing worn for this particular celebration.  Then when all were seated, the departed's brother and family arrived.  Nieces and nephews.  The former were uber-stylish.  One niece wore a fitted black dress, the print splattered with huge red flowers, and a massively brimmed black hat.  The other wore a simple figure-hugging black bardot dress.

Crocosmia

As the funeral service played out, it became more and more obvious that it was put together with thought and planning.  The departed had often told me proudly of his nieces and nephews talents and it was clear they wanted to do him proud.

The nephews, surviving brother and a friend gave beautiful readings and eulogies.  I perhaps had at this point thought that the young ladies were there for show rather than substance and I now feel bad for even thinking so shallowly and judgmentally, so please don't judge me as I'm fessing up now on that one!

Agapanthus.

But then the Audrey Hepburn style wide-brimmed hatted lady read a piece with much sensitivity and feeling.  And then the bardot dressed niece sang a moving medley of Smile/When You're Smiling.  I understand they are now West End performers, so their abilities were huge.  And it turned out that they were even longer on substance than they were on show.  So hey, don't judge me, I got that one totally wrong!

Yes, the family had decided to do their brother and uncle proud, and that they did.  It was a lovely experience and a perfect send-off for a man who showed such enthusiasm for all he did in life.

And thus, yesterday I went back to black.

A la perchoine.



Red and Black and Rum Balls - Day 3

"You've got a 2 minute photo window before I leave for golf", warns The Photographer.

Oh dear, what a dilemma.  I need one of those minutes for the photos.  But I am in my dressing gown and my hair isn't dried and pouffed up.  I can't do both in my remaining one minute allocation. 
What do I do?  Hair?  OOTD? 

Well, I went for the OOTD of course, dear reader!

The hair will have to wait. 

In the space of 1 minute I donned the laid out clothes which today were black Peacock jeans and polo neck (tres Left Bank).  The necklace is from East.

On top of my existentialist outfit, I put on a red jacket; it is the other half of my skirt suit, the skirt having featured the previous two days.

The suit is from Principles.  I've had it 16-17 years.  Its age is important because this is the first time I have worn it without the skirt.  I'm rather embarressed about that but I think it's a perfect example of why I need this blog and other bloggers challenges to get me to think outside the box when it comes to outfits.  I have been a paradigm of dull dressing.  In 16-17 years I didn't have the imagination once to think "I wonder how this jacket would look with a nice pencil skirt.  Maybe some black trousers.  Or jeans".  And that kind of thing is not rocket science.

But that was then, this is now.  For today I wore the jacket with jeans!  And here are my accessories. 

Yes, me, The New Dresser, is now accessorising too!  

And here are my accessories. 

I give you the aforementioned necklace, Black fedora from Peacocks, Tie Rack silk scarf.

I think the necklace is so pretty.  It's quite heavy so it hangs well.  It goes with casual jumpers and posher outfits alike, so a pretty good buy (ca. 2002-2003) as it's been worn a fair bit.

Here's a close up of my scarf, which I promised you yesterday.  It has drawings of girlie stuff like perfume, handbags and sunglasses.  So lady-like, so Parisienne, so Audrey Hepburn.  So not me!



One minute photo-shoot, done!

Today I had lunch with Son.  I took him a new batch of Leslie's mummy's yummy rummies that I made for him this morning.  That's because he never got a whiff of the batch I made last week.  I was Guardian of the Yummy Rummies but, errr, The Photographer and I started having a couple (OK, perhaps more than 2) with coffee and the rest is history.  Anyway, Son was very happy with his new batch. 

And following my rum ball debauchery, I am on a diet!  My diet is mainly based on not eating any more rum balls.  Until Christmas. Well, that is all my diet is based on. 

It is said that you have more chance of success with diets if they are kept simple. 

My diet is simple. I will not be eating rum balls.  Until Christmas.

I think this diet is going to work!!!

A la perchoine.