3 Ways to Wear Summer's Florals In Autumn

Helloo my lovelies. 

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?!

And to prove the "tried and tested" point, I was wearing something very similar in 2016 in a-spring-in-my-step. HERE

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?

A la perchoine,

Mary x.

My Berry Hearts 💕

Hello my sweet people!  How great is your week going so far?

I'm hoping to have a night free of firework displays pounding away at the first glimpse of dusk.  It's been quite a year for Guy Fawkes firework displays - they've been set off relentlessly from Friday through to last night.  They seem to be bigger, better and more amazing than ever before.  Certainly noisier!
My house is near to many big organised fund-raising displays and I get 360° views from the windows.  Fortunately, Bertie the cat is pretty cool with pyrotechnics.


But let's talk about another firecracker.  My hearted 💕 berry blouse!
Here's how I've been putting it though it's paces.

The sparks have been flying off my hearted 😍 blouse from Primark, so much have I been wearing it.

A bum-covering shirt in an easy care fabric is proving to be the ideal top when wanting something for my upper end of smart casual.  

Especially this time of year.  This type of shirt is perfect for wearing with jeans, and this berry hearts 😘  shirt has already found its bestest friend for the winter, these berry coated leggings from Next.  I cannot sing their praises enough!

My third piece here was a berry cardi, bought last winter - good call, Pout, as the restaurant on this night was a little on the chilly side, and we're not talking AC!

The white hearts 💟 design just about saves me from being one gigantic walking talking berry!

Taupe boots (Jones) claw back some of the berriness too.

On a slightly warmer day,  a jumper and court shoes can be worn.

A daytime smart casual look is achieved with this uber cosy jumper from Primark as the shirt collar and tail pop out from inside the jumper.

The blouse has its edgy moments.

Worn loose.

Or tucked in to black jeans.  This is what I chose for my evening meet up, I think it worked better.

Black biker and chunky heel boots finish my granny-edgy look.

Hopefully I've given you a few ways to put together shirty outfits  for this time of year.  I've also found a way to use up a lot of emojees, by using one every time I mentioned 💗, which is often because that's what this blouse is all about - me wearing my 💖 on my sleeves and on my bodice too!

Do you have a recent autumn purchase that's pulling at your heart 💝 strings right now?

A  la perchoine,

Mary.

Winter Berries On!

Oh how pleased I am to sound like a broken record ... I have seriously 💕-ed our glorious Indian Summer!  And it was yet another warm and sunny day when I wore my berries (it's sooo much colder now 😥).

The sun was warm, the sky was blue,

And I chose to share my berries with you!

Yes, I know it's autumn when I see the first sight of winter berries.  And despite the warm day, I chose to put on my fave fauxs and my berry coated leggings went on for the first time this season.

Berry leggings on - now it's officially autumn in Pout World!  

They're from Next and AW17 but still on the website this season.  Well, why wouldn't they be when they are so fabulously comfy to wear?  Next isn't stupid!

I also spotted something very similar in Primark last week, half the price, but don't know if that makes them half the quality?  But the quality of these Next leggings is top notch and I'm still shell-shocked from the mileage I got out of them last winter, yet they washed a dream and came off the line like new.  And with a zero ironing requirement, I'm pretty much in love with my berries 💕.

I teamed them with a neat print berry top (M&S, £8.50).

I liked this look but why rest on my laurels ...

It's always a good idea to try some new looks with old clothes when you first take them out for the season.

So I tried my berries with the classics, denim jacket (Gap) and faux leather waterfall biker (Peacocks).

I was happy with both but The Photographer With Fashion Views preferred the biker look (well he would, wouldn't he - I'm guessing it's because it's double the leather ... "Tell me about it, Stud!" (do men EVER get over that Sandy moment?!)

It's like when I asked him to choose between Shakira and The Pussy Cat Dolls and he chose the latter, "because there's more of them" !

But hey I'm inconsistent, so I chose neither of the  jackets and instead opted for this supersoft Arran sweater (Primark AW18, £10).

And off I went on my morning constitutional.

But of course the jumper soon came off, it was amazingly hot for this time of year.  Have I mentioned our glorious Indian Summer?   Well, maybe not in the last few paragraphs!

This was the perfect outfit for the weather, for the activity ... and for me!

A la perchoine,

Mary.

Retirement Dressing AW18 - The Casual Shirt

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.

And whilst you're here, it would put a big beaming smile on my face if you follow/subscribe on my blog, MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT HERE and/or MY PINTEREST ACCOUNT HERE.

Thank you, my sweets 😀 💕 !!!

A la perchoine, 

Mary.

Hippy Chick Chic

Hippy Chick Chic.  That's what I call this look.  Hippy 70s chic styled for this chick rapidly approaching her 70s!
There's a certain symmetry in that.
And I think my hippy chick chic works.  Do you?

As this gorgeous Indian Summer is a bit of a phenomenon, I'm trying to take each gorgeous sun-filled day as a holiday, acting as though I've gone off to some sunnier clime to spend the month of October.

So on Saturday afternoon I drove to the pretty south-easterly tip of the island, Jerbourg, and walked around the area acting as though it was all new to me, like I was seeing this scenic beauty for the first time (photos to come).

On Saturday evening I continued in tourist mode, so after having returned to my "hotel room" to relax a little I then tarted myself up and drove off into the sunny evening to find somewhere to eat along the west coast.  You know, as you do on holiday.

(The driftwood crab's name is Claudia ... get it?!!)

And because the restaurant was new to me, I felt the anticipation of heading into the unknown, not knowing whether our choice would be good or bad.  The sort of Russian roulette feel of eating out on holiday.  (For reasons of practicality, we'd actually chosen the restaurant and booked a table but I don't want that to get in the way of a good role play, eh?)

Well, I'm pleased to report that our choice was good.  The coastal Driftwood Inn hit just the right spot on all counts,

Location - right next to the sea at Perelle Bay.

Decor - stylish upmarket and with (no surprise) a coastal driftwood vibe

Food - good, I ordered British menu classics (as a tourist would)

Service - professional and friendly.

Cheers!

Yes, driving along the coast, Indian summer sun a-blazin',  togged up for a date night, the waft of duty-free perfume filling the air - yup, it's feeling like this is just one of my many days of holiday at my chosen destination, the island in the sun, Guernsey.

I just hope this back-story comes across in my waffling vlog - enjoy!



Is the weather inspiring you where you are right now?
Is it invoking a feeling of being on holiday?
Then why don't YOU take a day off and act as if you're on holiday?
See your home turf with fresh eyes, the eyes of a discovering tourist?
It's cheap, hassle-free travelling and you come home truly refreshed!




Chiffon top - Primark, £12.
 Black modal vest, M&S, old, about £10
Black skinnies, M&S, £19.50.
Boots, Gabor, AW17, about £90
Leather lariat and bracelet, AW17, Peacocks, about £4 each


A la perchoine,
Mary.

Hobbling into Spring in Cream and Black

Hi my loves.  How are you? I hope you are enjoying your day.

It probably comes as absolutely no surprise that our little heatwave has now moved on to beaches new.  We have now returned to spring's low-teens temps with mostly sunny days and the occasional grey day.  Yes, we Brits do obsess about the weather - you may have noticed?

I was out last night, meeting up with Sis and girlie cousins.  Yup, what to wear?

No hair-tugging deliberations - I wore this.

It's simples really.  

1. I happen to love cream and black.  

2. I have a new lacy camisole from Next which is totally rocking my world.  

3. I have Next bikers which needed an airing.

And 4. As The Photographer is now happy to offer the odd photo shoot and fashion views service, it was an opportunity to try out variations on a cream and black theme.

Zara "gold" asymmetric top, with Next bikers and Gabor Polyanna boots*.

A black, cream and white plaited belt from Peacocks.  I added it really to rile TP, for anything I wore after my sack-tied-in-the-middle look was just bound to get his approval!

Me: What do you think, TP?

TP: Fine, but without the belt [as it looks like a sack-tied-in-the-middle].  (I know him so well!).

Me: Is this better?

Me:  Without the belt?

TP: Yes, that's more like it.  Wear that. 

Me: Oh but I just must try this lacy/biker column with my fave slouchy Windsmoor cardi.

TP: Why?

Me: Come on, you've got to love this?!

TP: No.

Me: Well, how about a slouchy jumper?

Me: Is this any better?

TP: No.

Me: Why "no"?  

TP: There's something "not right" about it.  Try the first one again.

TP: Yes, that's the one.  Now let's get out of here.

Me: OK, but let's finish this off with the obligatory leoprint draping.

TP: We're now going to be late! [huff, puff, ggrrrrr!]

And there you have it, the screenwriter's version of how I choose  TP chooses my outfit.

I like TP to engage with my outfits.  But only occasionally.

I seem to remember from previous posts that a lot of you don't.  You prefer not to give your other half a say in the outfit process.  Am I right?  Or am I wrong?

*I've reverted to socks and boots for a few days.  I did the usual thing during our surprise heatwave last weekend and wore shoes and sandals with bare feet and walked those little feet off in the baking sun.  Yup, I'm now dealing with countless foot problems - why oh why do I NEVER learn?

Do you have a tried-and-tested programme to introduce your feet to the change of temperature and footwear?  Or are you like me?  Do you throw yourself excitedly into summer's sandals without a thought of the suffering  that you know invariably follows?

A la perchoine.

Coming up

I review THIS book and film:

I try out this dress: