Growing old gracefully - or disgracefully?

 Actress Anita Dobson was criticised for wearing a short dress to last month's British Soap Awards. The critics claimed she was too old to be showing off her legs at the age of 73. Anita's response was that if you feel happy and comfortable, that's it. She happens to be a year younger than me, and I totally agree with her. Of course there are limits, but it's our choice, not the choice of the critics, that really matters.

It's very much an individual decision, however I do find it sad that some women feel they need to change once they are over a certain age, for fear of being branded as "mutton dressed as lamb". Most of us aren't likely to wear revealing tops or short skirts but we don't have to go to the other extreme and dress frumpily.  One of my favourite colours is red as seen in the outfit below. Does it say "look at me"? Is it too bright for a women who is now over 70? Maybe, but I'm still going to wear it even when I'm in my 80s as, for me, it's my happy colour. 

One of my role models is the actress Helen Mirren, who is a couple of years older than me, but definitely doesn't look it. She doesn't try to hide her age, but she always looks amazing, whether she has dyed her hair pink or she's wearing a stunning red dress. The fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, with many famous clients over the years, is another ageless celebrity, renowned for her pink hair and bright clothes, . I'm tempted to have my own hair dyed pink, but I'm not sure whether it will go well with my red dress. Perhaps bright blue would be a better choice for me?

What all these women have in common is a recognisable style and the confidence to stand out in a dull world of classic clothes. Of course they are all celebrities in the public eye, but there's no reason why we can't enjoy our own style too, even if it's slightly more subdued! 

I'll be 75 in September, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to start wearing neutral colours and fading into the background. I do have plenty of neutrals in my wardrobe, but I also have that bright blue jacket, my favourite short red trench-coat and plenty of other colours hanging up in my wardrobe. 

So what about you? Do you plan to grow old disgracefully, just like me? Or is growing old gracefully more your style?

Creating my Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Here it is! I've been sorting out my wardrobe now that summer has arrived and you can see the main items of clothing below. The basic pieces are in olive, soft white, navy and light caramel although my accent colours as you can see below are coral and red. I do love a splash of colour, as my regular readers know, and especially in the summer months. The new trousers on the right below are currently in the dry cleaners being shortened - even though I bought them in short rather than regular. Don't ask!

Basic summer capsule pieces

New linen trousers

It's now officially summer. I know that many of us enjoy going on holiday at this time of the year however, although things have improved slightly due to the rollout of the Covid vaccination programme, some of us will only be having staycations. I would still recommend having a clear out and creating a summer capsule wardrobe though, if only to make life simpler.

There are numerous videos on YouTube, blogs on the internet and even books written about the benefits of having a capsule wardrobe. Many of them dictate exactly what you need to include in this capsule, but what if you never wear little black dresses and don't fancy a white button-down shirt? Exactly!

My advice is to consider all of the following factors when designing your capsule and make it completely your own, not somebody else's vision of what is right.

Lifestyle. Do you still go out to work and, if so, is there a dress code in your workplace? You don't want numerous pairs of jeans if you only wear them at the weekend. Are you a stay-at-home mother or grandmother? Then you probably want casual clothes that don't crease or stain easily when small hands clutch at you.

Style personality. Are you a classic, romantic, dramatic or natural? These are some of the words used to describe your style personality. If you're not sure, look on Pinterest for celebrities whose style you feel drawn to, or pull out items from your wardrobe that you love wearing or that friends have commented on, saying how much they suit you. Capsule wardrobes are often based on the classic style, but if you're a dramatic you'd soon become bored with it. Your clothes should reflect your style personality and your individuality.

Body shape. This is something that I always have to consider, as I'm a rectangle (bordering on an apple at the moment!) and I'm also short, being a fraction over 5' tall. You may notice that there is a bohemian type green and white blouse in my wardrobe. It's not the ideal shape for me, but it's lovely and loose - and more importantly cool! - so that's why I've added it in. I'll wear it with straight-legged white trousers or possibly the green skirt, to keep my silhouette as narrow as possible. Did I mention that rules are there to be broken? If in doubt though, choose clothes that enhance your body shape rather than hiding it. If you are curvy, with a waist, then why not show it off?

Colour. I've saved the best to last. You may have discovered the ideal capsule wardrobe for you through researching the various options, but if it includes lots of black and white and those colours don't flatter you, then please adapt it to include your best colours. I've included several neutrals in my capsule as they are versatile colours and tend not to date, but I know that I'd start becoming bored if that's all I had. You may of course be different, especially if you're a classic or natural. It's often a matter of mood as well. There are some days where I'm happy to wear just navy and white and not stand out. Other days, I need that red or coral to make me feel happy and confident.

Did I mention de-cluttering? That's my next important task, now that I've created my summer capsule wardrobe. As I bought a couple of new pieces, I need to remember my one in - one out rule.

If you want any more inspiration, I highly recommend taking a look at The Vivienne Files for some lovely colour combinations and you can even include 33 pieces (Project 333) if my capsule is too limited for you!

Creating my Spring Capsule Wardrobe

There's something about Spring that raises the spirits and gives us hope. We've been through a bleak and dreary winter, confined to our homes and unable to see loved ones. It's time to be positive, to look forward to a brighter future - and so I decided to create my Spring Capsule Wardrobe, in the hope that it will be warm enough to wear it when I can meet up with my friends!

I've been watching many Youtube videos about capsule wardrobes (it beats doing housework!) and these have inspired me to create my own version. I have particularly enjoyed the videos of Marie-Anne Lecoeur, who is the epitome of French chic. However a word of caution: do follow the principles of bloggers, youtubers and authors when they talk about capsule wardrobes, but don't lose sight of your own style.

Capsule wardrobes tend to be based on classic pieces of clothing in neutral colours, which is great if that's what suits you. A little black dress, a classic white shirt, a beige trench coat: do you own these? More importantly, must you include them in your capsule? The correct answer is "it depends"! How many women, particularly those of us who are over 60, truly look amazing in black? If you do, and if you enjoy wearing dresses, then a little black dress is a must item. However I don't own any, though I do have one navy dress in my winter wardrobe.  

When it came to creating this Spring capsule I was determined to start with neutrals, as it gives me more options. I went for warm colours, so no bright white or black. My best neutrals are ivory, camel, brown and navy. I also included khaki and other dark greens. This is how my capsule evolved.

First of all, a selection of light coloured tops and blouses. Then I added navy and white stripes plus a couple of green tops.

Next I've included a hazelnut midi skirt, camel trousers, dark brown trousers and 2 pairs of jeans. I then added a dark green cardigan, a brown cardigan, a dark brown jacket and a cream tweed jacket.

The final neutral piece of clothing in the capsule was my copper trench coat. This isn't a traditional capsule wardrobe but I felt that it ticked most of the boxes. There is a mix of light and dark neutrals, the pieces of clothing aren't trendy so won't date and I've had many of them for several years. They will mix and match with each other, creating lots of different outfits. However, there's one thing that this capsule lacks. Can you guess what that is? 

Yes, you're correct: I need some colour! I've added seven further items to complete the capsule, as shown below, and now I have a capsule that I love. I know that I will enjoy wearing all the outfits this Spring.

 

Giving Thanks. Staying Optimistic.

 First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers! As a British woman living in Spain it isn't a significant date for me however, in the strange times that we're living in, I welcome any opportunity to be thankful for the good things in our lives. Family. Friends. Having a roof over my head and food on my table too - things that we so often take for granted. 

I've been very quiet on my blog in recent months, for many reasons. Clearly the coronavirus pandemic has affected me in several ways and I've found it difficult to stay optimistic at times. No doubt many of you have felt the same. I also have to confess that I've been lethargic, putting things off until tomorrow, after all we're still going to be in lockdown tomorrow aren't we? So it can wait. This is partly the reason why I haven't been writing any posts and that is why I decided to write something for Thanksgiving, as I know tomorrow will then be too late so I have to write it NOW!

Another task that I've been putting off is sorting out my Autumn capsule. Regular readers will know that I usually create a capsule wardrobe of 33 items for each season, à la Courtney of Be More With Less. I'm also a huge fan of The Vivienne Files for inspirational capsules: click on the link to the right to find out Janice's latest ideas. So it's over 2 months since Autumn began and where is my Autumn capsule? It's nowhere to be seen and I'll soon have to start thinking about my Winter capsule!

I hadn't totally forgotten about the idea of limiting the clothes in my wardrobe, as I took part in a mini challenge with some friends and created the capsule below, which consists of 20 items of clothing. For our challenge, we had to make 20 different outfits over the following 20 days. I thought that I could use the capsule as a starting point for my 33 item capsule, however as it's now decidedly cooler, not many pieces of clothing will be warm enough!

Recently I've noticed several emails in my inbox with the words Black Friday, which is another incentive for sorting out my wardrobe before I'm tempted to make further (unnecessary!) purchases. The idea is to see what I have, discard anything that's past its best-by date and then identify any gaps in my wardrobe. If there are any gaps, I should make careful choices when filling them. Is my new purchase going to go with several other items in my wardrobe? Are the colour and style ones that suit me? How sustainable is the item that I'm about to purchase? 

The forecast for tomorrow is 100% chance of rain, so I'm going to be optimistic and say that it will be the perfect opportunity for me to go through my clothes and pack away anything that I won't be wearing until Spring. I will recycle any clothes that I'm not going to wear again for whatever reason and I will create my 33 item capsule. So now that I've made that positive statement - watch this space!

My face mask protects YOU!

This is not a political blog, however it is directed towards women of a certain age (though younger readers are always welcome!) and we're living in worrying times, where older women can be particularly vulnerable. Last month I visited my family in London, although most of my Covid-19 experiences have been here in Spain, where I retired over 12 years ago. I had to go into quarantine for 14 days when I arrived in the UK, however it was worth it to be able to see my family, and in particular my new granddaughter, for the first time this year. In both countries the majority of people were wearing face masks in shops and on public transport, plus they were socially distancing wherever possible and were being encouraged to wash their hands frequently and/or use hand sanitiser.

The question of whether we should wear face masks or not is a particularly emotive one. I decided from the start that I would wear one, partly because I didn't want to have to pay a 100 euros fine for not doing so (they've been strict here in Spain), but also because I would hate to be the person spreading the virus to other people who might be more vulnerable than me. Yes, that is the important point to remember: my face mask is protecting you as much as, if not more than, it protects me. 

It seems as if many younger people don't appreciate that fact, so they don't bother wearing a face mask as they feel confident the coronavirus won't affect them. What if they get the virus? Don't they realise that they might pass it on to their parents or grandparents, who might then die because of them? I think more should be done to make the younger generation aware of that fact, as all the youngsters I know are lovely, caring people who would not want to harm others, particularly older family members.

Another issue is how to wear your face mask! I think I have gone slightly overboard in the above photo in ensuring that my nose and mouth are covered, but it still amazes me how many people I see with noses uncovered or, even worse, with their masks under their chins leaving their mouth and nose totally exposed and able to spread germs. Don't even mention the smokers.....!

I am also very aware that there are people who are unable to wear a face mask for medical reasons. I have questioned people who aren't wearing one, but never in an aggressive manner in case they have a very good reason. As an example, when I was sitting on the tube in London I noticed a young woman sitting almost directly opposite me who wasn't wearing one. I also noticed that she was wearing a "Baby on Board" badge, so mentioned this when questioning her. Her response was that she had actually passed out when she'd been wearing a face mask for a while, which was a very scary experience, though she was lucky that people nearby looked after her, and so she had spoken to her doctor about it. She had been advised to carry a face mask with her but not to wear it in case the same thing happened again, especially as she was pregnant so she had her baby to think about as well. She also told me that a few people had been very nasty and confrontational towards her, which I find just as unacceptable (if not more so) as not wearing a face mask in the first place. So please don't be judgmental if you too decide to question other people.

There are several phrases that I could use to finish this post: "Masks save lives.." Wear a mask. Save a life." "Stay alert. Control the virus. Save lives." However the words that really sum up the message I'm trying to send you all are: "Let's be kind and considerate towards each other. After all, life's too short."

Rainbow outfits

During lockdown keeping in touch with family and friends becomes particularly important, especially if you are living on your own. I'm lucky enough to have my little Spanish dog Lisa for company, but I've still been missing chatting with other humans on a regular basis. Thank goodness for social media and video calls with family and friends!

One friend in a Facebook group suggested that we had a rainbow challenge. Each day of the week we wore an outfit in a different colour, including pink (not my best colour!) It was a fun exercise and helped to alleviate any feelings of lockdown boredom that we might have been suffering from. 

Feeling blue!

Contrasting lime and khaki greens

Oranges, but no lemons

My zigzag bag lifted the purple outfit

Stripes and red - 2 of my favourites

Mellow yellow

This hot pink suits me more than cool pinks

The final challenge was to create a rainbow outfit, with as many different colours as possible. My hero cardigan and this colourful spider-bag helped me rise to this challenge.

What I found interesting was the reaction of my friends to the colours that I was wearing. They all loved me in purple, which to be honest isn't a colour that I wear very often, and also turquoise, which definitely is one of my favourites. Coral and orange also had several mentions, whereas red only had one vote! I think the proportions of my red outfit weren't particularly flattering, which may have influenced the lack of votes. What do you think are my best colours? Why not try this challenge yourself while you are under lockdown - it definitely will help to brighten your day!

Capsule wardrobe - spring and summer

I planned my spring capsule a long while ago, when I was taking part in a capsule wardrobe challenge. At the time my thinking was that I could try it out at home, with the idea that I would then use it as a travel capsule if it proved to be versatile. As you know, the idea of travelling anywhere at the moment is just a dream. I have flights to London booked for August, but sadly it seems highly unlikely that I will be going then, especially if the UK is still making people go into quarantine for 14 days! However many of the pieces shown below will be in my lockdown wardrobe for the next few months, although I'm hoping that I won't need to wear my favourite red trench-coat.

The idea behind this capsule was to build it around some neutrals such as navy and beige, with an accent colour that, not surprisingly, I decided would be red. I have lots of red accessories in my wardrobe as well as individual items of clothing like the red blouse in the second photo. Yellow was the accent colour suggested for the challenge and so I included the printed top and skirt, which I am wearing together as a "dress" in the photo below, although I can wear them separately as well. I have a yellow handbag as you can see, plus a couple of printed scarves with yellow in them.

After several unusually wet and chilly weeks here in Spain, it looks as if the sun has returned to brighten up our days. My navy jeans and other heavyweight bottoms will be going into storage for several months. as will all of my jumpers and most of my cardigans. I will be expanding the capsule to provide me with plenty of options for summer as well as spring, though I plan to stick to the principles of Project 333 (33 items for the next 3 months).  Click on the link I've given you if you wish to find out more.

What else have I been up to recently? I took part in a mini-challenge with some friends in a Facebook group. I'll show you the results in my next post, coming soon!

Fashion Feng Shui

Water Wood Fire Earth Metal

Over the years that I've been writing this blog, I've tried different colour analysis and style workshops, had my colours "done" (with several different results!) and experimented with various fashion looks. You'd think that by now, as an over-60 year old woman, I'd know what really flatters me, but it's not that straightforward. I'll try colours and styles that other people claim look good on me, but somehow they don't feel right. They're not really me. Step forward Fashion Feng Shui!

Simply put, dressing the Fashion Feng Shui way means dressing not only to reflect the way you look, as colour and style analysis aims to do, but also dressing for your essence (who you are) and your intention (what you desire). Within Fashion Feng Shui there are five elements of water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Most of us have a dominant element as well as supporting ones, but the element that reflects the way we look may not necessarily be the element that expresses who we are deep inside.

In my case, Wood is my dominant element for many reasons. My body is rectangular, I like comfortable, sporty clothes and I enjoy being active. The colours that flatter me include green and blue, which are Wood colours. However my hair and eyes are dark, which is more typical of a Water element and I love creative writing, which is also Water, so that is another key element for me.  What about my pale skin? That is typical of Metal, although I am far from being perfect, which is one of Metal's key traits!

What is the one colour that I particularly love wearing and that gives me confidence? It's red, which is (not surprisingly)  Fire. I am wearing a red top and also a red lipstick in the photo below. As an Autumn (according to my latest colour analysis) earth tones of brown and yellow should also suit me. They do, and my wardrobe contains several pieces of clothing and a few accessories in earth tones, however Earth isn't an element that resonates with me. I'm not practical or traditional and I'm not exactly a homebody either. As I enjoy red so much, I guess that Fire is one of my influencing elements and therefore I must be a bit of a drama queen underneath!

Fire element - red

As an over-60 woman who has retired, I don't have to worry about having appropriate work wear and I can wear what I want. My lifestyle is casual so I'm able to wear the blues and greens that suit me as a Wood and my everyday attire is mainly casual, if not sporty clothing. To express my creative side I will wear abstract and ethnic patterns, sometimes in a scarf, or an unusual piece of jewellery. If I want to be noticed, or fancy some drama - you've guessed it! - I will wear something red

The following summary will give you some idea of which element you belong to in a physical sense, but if you want to become more creative, show off your fun side or are a bit of a perfectionist you will see how to express that side of you too.

The first element, Water, is also known as the Philosopher. Philosophers tend to have very dark hair, eyes or skin and their body is a soft triangle shape. Philosophers are free spirits, valuing freedom and personal expression. They are deep thinkers, introspective, sensitive and will think before they answer you. They need solitude and quiet time on their own to recharge. They enjoy wearing clothes that are dark, abstract, with flowing lines. One word to describe Philosophers: creative.

Wood is known as the Pioneer. Pioneers tend to be competitive, they move at speed, have several projects on the go and are always moving onto new things. They like nature, enjoy books and get involved in humanitarian causes. They avoid fussy, overly constructed clothes and usually look fresh, natural and casual. Physically, Pioneers are rectangles, they have blue/green based hair and eyes or olive skin. As a Wood I do wear blues and greens a lot, my outfits are often casual, comfortable and made of natural fabrics. Patterns, especially stripes, feature in my wardrobe. One word to describe Pioneers: sporty.

Fire is also known as the Pleasure seeker. Pleasure seekers are fun-loving and attract attention. They are charismatic, charming and enthusiastic. Pleasure seekers are social butterflies, talk quickly and smile a lot. They will have reddish hair, skin or eyes and their bodies are inverted triangles. They wear bright, bold and body-conscious outfits. They love reds and purples, and clothes in shiny, clingy fabrics. They are definitely not shrinking violets! One word to describe Pleasure seekers: dramatic.

Earth is known as the Peacemaker. They are homebodies, don't like change and love routine. They will put others' needs before their own.  Peacemakers like classic and comfortable clothes. They have golden or brown hair, eyes and skin. Their body is either square or rounded. Their clothes will be basic, in neutral colours and textured fabrics, often in plaids or checks. The word to describe Peacemakers is traditional.

Finally we have Metal, also known as Perfectionists. They like quality, refinement, and aspire to perfection. They love beautiful things and always look expensive. They have tidy homes - they definitely can't live in a messy house - so it's clear that I'm not a Metal! Perfectionists have very light hair, eyes and skin and hourglass figures. Their favourite colours are pastels, white and metallics. They like polished textures, round patterns and luxurious fabrics. Perfectionists, not surprisingly, can be described as elegant.

So there you have it. Do you recognise yourself in any of the descriptions above? Do you aspire to be more like one of the elements in particular? If you would like to find out more about Fashion Feng Shui, click on this link to buy the Kindle version of Fashion Feng Shui Shopping Wisdoms. (In case you're wondering, I don't get any commission if you decide to buy it!)

New Year. New Decade. New Me!

Happy New Year to all my readers!

The new year tends to be a time for resolutions: going on diets, starting a new fitness regime, giving up alcohol and so on. I've done this in the past, with varying degrees of success, but as an over 60 woman I now think that the only resolution worth making is to enjoy every day and appreciate everything that I have in my life, especially my wonderful friends and family.

The flowers in the photo above are one of my new guilty pleasures. Looking at them makes me happy, so now I buy fresh flowers nearly every week. I also have plants in the house and on my balcony, though I don't have green fingers so occasionally I need to replace them!

I have a fitness regime which isn't difficult to stick to, as I go to dance exercise classes, Zumba and Pilates, all of which I enjoy so it's no hardship. I also have a small Spanish dog who needs regular walks, so that helps keep me fit too.

Going on diets and giving up alcohol aren't on my list of things to do in January. I do try to eat healthily, but do so by choosing food that I find tasty so I enjoy what I'm eating. I gave up meat many years ago, and for a long while I was a vegetarian, although I now occasionally eat fish again. Living in Spain is ideal for me, as I like eating a wide variety of foods in small quantities aka tapas! I also enjoy drinking wine with my main meal and another regular treat for me is a glass of cava in the evening, although I try to have "dry" days too.

Music is another love of mine. When I was in London for Christmas and New Year, my youngest daughter treated me to a concert in the Barbican Hall: The Four Seasons by Candlelight. What an amazing experience that was! Now I'm back home I plan to go to many concerts in my local theatre, but I will also take advantage of Youtube and listen to my favourite music while writing blog posts.

That brings me to another favourite thing - writing. I admit that I've not written many posts over the last couple of years, but we've not only entered a new year but also we've started a new decade. Time I think for at least one resolution: make the 2020s a new era for my writing and blog on a more regular basis.

Finally, I read a post on Facebook today (I know - such a sad person!😍) that said at 8.20 and 20 seconds tonight, it will be 20.20:20 2020, so I'm about to publish this post at that exact time!

My Autumn 33 piece capsule wardrobe

At long last temperatures are dropping, especially early in the morning and late at night when I'm out walking my dog Lisa, so it's now time to pack away my summer clothes and bring back my warmer autumn pieces. I have taken the opportunity to recycle some clothes that were past their best and I've purchased a couple of new tops, making sure that they will work with existing items of clothing. As in previous years, I have followed the guidelines of Project 333 though I don't include shoes and accessories in my 33 pieces. The idea behind Project 333 is to select 33 items to cover the next 3 months and ideally your shoes and accessories should be included, however I bend the rules slightly!

 

 

Since I first started blogging about Project 333 my wardrobe has seen a few changes, mainly influenced by my search for the colours and styles that suit me best as I become older. Navy has now replaced black as my dark neutral and I have added warmer neutrals such as brown and camel, which are more flattering for my warm colouring. I do love colourful accents though, as you no doubt will have realised, looking at the photos above! I usually wear trousers during the day time, as that suits my casual lifestyle, but I have included the lovely patterned skirt that I bought in Paris in May for any special occasions.

The cardigans and jackets shown above are also neutral and will help to create a column of colour with the trousers and jeans. The good thing about creating a column of colour, for someone who is vertically challenged and not as slim as she used to be (that is me!) is it gives the illusion that you are taller and slimmer. Finally, I have two trench-coats to wear during the autumn months: my favourite short red trench-coat and a longer copper one. Don't be deceived by my photos, the red trench is definitely shorter than the copper one!

These are the pieces that I will mix and match to create various outfits and, if my maths is correct, it should be possible to wear something different every day over the next 3 months. If, like me, you are someone who tends to always wear the same combinations, Project 333 challenges you to create new outfits. I know that some of you have joined me in the past and I hope that more of you will feel inspired to join me this autumn. Please let us know in the comments below if you're going to participate and, if so, how you are getting on.

Seasonal colours

Have you been inundated with emails offering you sales discounts from 10% to 80% like I have? Have you been tempted? If you're not tempted first time round, you may even get another email offering you a last chance special discount! Of course if you have any gaps in your wardrobe or are looking for something new to pack for your holiday, it may make sense to look at these summer sales. Just make sure that any purchases will either fill a gap in your existing wardrobe or will fit into your holiday capsule and work with your other clothes.

I have been a fan of Kettlewell colours for a long while, so I often take advantage of their sales. They allow you to shop by seasonal colours, plus they show tonal directions too if you feel you don't quite fit into the seasonal slots. Alternatively, just look for your favourite colours! You can read about their policies and practices on the Kettlewell website: about us. I am trying to avoid fast fashion and shop more ethically, so feel this is an important point. If you know of any other on-line retailers who are both ethical and have a good range of colours, please add a comment below.

As I live in Spain, I tend to wear a lot of bright colours during the summer months, with red and orange featuring strongly in my wardrobe. Come to think of it, red and orange feature strongly in my winter wardrobe too! Although I did buy the orange and pebble stripe top shown below (50% off, so how could I resist?) I decided that a different accent colour would liven up my wardrobe, starting with the linen top in the first picture, which I am wearing today.

I always read the reviews on the Kettlewell website before I make a final decision, which proved fortuitous. One reviewer of the sea blue spotty top mentioned the matching skirt, saying that together they make a really pretty dress, so I decided to try it for myself as you can see below. What do you think? I'll probably wear it with a dressier shoe rather than the chunky sandals shown.

Of course I realise that the striped top and spotty skirt don't go together, however I have several pairs of lightweight neutral trousers, including those shown here, so I have plenty of options. I wore the spotty top with white trousers when I went out with friends for lunch yesterday.

Do you wear lighter and brighter colours in the summer months then change your colour palette when Autumn arrives? I 've heard that some Americans will wear white clother throughout the summer, then put them away after Labor Day. However I suspect that most modern day women (including those who are over 60) totally disregard this old-fashioned rule!

21 Steps to a More Stylish You: conclusion

This has been a long journey and, to be quite honest with you, it's not really over yet. The course was very intense and, even though I completed it last month, I feel that I need to revisit a couple of the many steps as there was so much information to absorb. I have to smile when I remember the days when we thought that the only secret to style was learning which colours suited us. Apart from the fact that we've moved on from 4 seasons to 18 colour groups (at the last time of looking), we also consider body shape, colour and value contrast, lifestyle, style personality and many other factors. Putting all this into practice isn't easy. If you'd like to find out more, take a look at Sylvia's blog 40+ Style by clicking on this link.

Since my last post, I've had a trip to Paris and London, where I was able to trial some of the spring outfits in my travel capsule. My aim is to gradually introduce more neutrals, while still indulging in my love of colour. This was the capsule for my trip.

Beige trousers and shoes

Navy trousers, jeans and accessories

As you can see above, I chose neutral trousers and accessories as the basis for my capsule, but you will spot that I also added splashes of colour, including red shoes and a bag that smartened up my outfits in the evening.

Below are the other tops that I packed in my case. Originally I had planned to take just lightweight short-sleeved tops, but a quick check of the weather forecast the day before my holiday meant that I decided to swap some of them for heavier long-sleeved tops. 

Layering also helps when you're travelling and the weather is changeable. Of course I packed my trusty umbrella plus I wore a long cardigan and carried my copper trench-coat onto the plane, as I had decided not to take a large suitcase. Trust me, I was grateful for that trench-coat in Paris as it rained on several days. The best day weather-wise was when my friend Sandra and I visited Versailles, but I still decided to wear it and the umbrella was in my bag!

Enjoying the sunshine in Versailles

You may have noticed the scarf I'm wearing in the above photo, which I purchased in the Marché Vernaison flea market in Paris. I had taken a couple of scarves plus some jewellery, which luckily could be tucked inside the bag that I packed, however I thought this one went really well with my outfit so I couldn't resist it.

As stated above I took a smaller case, plus a rucksack, even though I was away for two weeks. I just didn't fancy trying to negotiate all the steps in the Metro stations with a large case! I used packing cubes, and rolled my clothes before fitting them into the cubes, which really helped me pack more. I now have to confess that I had deliberately only packed 11 tops for my 14 day holiday: I was wearing one for travelling of course, but I also bought two new ones while I was in Paris!

Since I returned from my trip I've been sorting out my summer wardrobe, which is still in progress. Some of the tops shown above will be included, plus my latest purchases. All will be revealed in my next post, but it's definitely going to include a lot of colour!

21 Steps to a More Stylish You

Regular readers will know how much I enjoy doing style courses in the hope that one day I will become super stylish! My latest attempt has been the most intensive yet, as it contains 21 steps. At the time of writing I'm on step 15: prints and texture.

The topics covered so far include style personality, lifestyle and age, colour, levels of refinement, style goals, the golden ratio and the ideal silhouette. The on-line course is being run by Sylvia of 40+ Style along with Ruth, who is a UK based stylist. If you click on the link you will find many helpful articles as well as information about joining the Style Club.

Most of us know about colour analysis and have some idea whether we have warm or cool, soft or bright and deep or light colouring. Or do we? Having been told in the past that I was a Winter, more recently the consensus has been that I have warm colouring! I won't mention the make-up consultation that I had on a recent trip to London though, where I was told that I have cool colouring....! Putting that on one side (I'm guessing that I'm a border-line case) my lifestyle is clear, as is my age and body shape. My style personality when I did a style analysis was Natural Gamine, and my own interpretation is colourful casual chic. I think the photo below sums me up well: definitely colourful, obviously casual and hopefully chic.

My lifestyle is very casual as I'm retired, plus I spend a lot of time walking my dog Lisa, going to exercise classes and sitting at my PC writing blog posts, as well as reading other blogs. I do go to the theatre sometimes, as well as dining out with friends, so occasionally I dress up a bit more. I found the step on levels of refinement very helpful, as it described the types of clothes that fit into the five levels. Most of my wardrobe is level two (very casual or sports clothing) and level three (casual or smart casual), with a smattering of level four (very smart daywear or evening wear). 

Another helpful topic was the golden ratio, which is particularly relevant to those of us who are vertically challenged! Even when I buy petite tops, I have to take care that they don't cut me in half, giving me a 50-50 ratio, which can make me look wider and shorter. I often resort to wearing long cardigans or waistcoats (vests) to give me a more flattering silhouette.

The above photo highlights the use of a longer cardigan, plus a column of colour, to create a more flattering shape. I am also using a touch of my favourite red in the scarf plus my bag.

I am in the process of going through my spring and summer wardrobe and already it has become apparent that I have lots of colourful tops and mainly neutral trousers. Not exactly a surprise to those who know me. At the same time, I will be going back to step 13 (closet edit) and step 14 (what's missing?).  All of this has to be completed over the next few weeks, ready for a trip to Paris and London at the beginning of May, with the aim of blending in with all those super stylish Parisians and Londoners!

Black Friday - in the red Monday?

                        

It's oh so tempting, isn't it? All these incredible offers that are causing our inboxes to overflow and popping up on Facebook to lure us onto their websites. Even if you manage to resist them, no doubt your local shops have huge signs in their windows that you can't avoid seeing when you go out.

 Yes, even in Spain I'm being inundated with exclusive offers!

If you haven't already succumbed, I would suggest taking a look in your wardrobe before maxing on your credit card to see if you really need anything new. If your winter coat is looking a bit shabby and you've been thinking of replacing it, maybe this would be a good opportunity to do so - unless of course you already have six other winter coats that are still looking good! Will this new jumper that you're about to purchase go with at least three other items in your wardrobe, or will you need a new skirt and pair of shoes to go with it? That dress is definitely in one of this season's on-trend colours, but will that colour actually suit you?

If I haven't managed to put you off making some impulsive purchases, I have a final suggestion. Make a list of what you need first, then please consider making your purchases from an ethical company like People Tree, who are having a Fair Friday instead of a Black Friday. Click on the following link to find out more: People Tree.

My Autumn 33 piece wardrobe

I know that we're well into autumn, and winter is fast approaching, but isn't the old saying "Better late than never"? This is my Autumn 33 piece capsule wardrobe, which is in the spirit of Project 333, though I confess that I don't follow it to the letter. The idea behind Project 333 is to have a capsule wardrobe of 33 items or less to last you for 3 months. Many people include accessories, however I restrict myself to items of clothing. You may recognise the first 8 items, as they are the pieces that I chose for the 10 x 10 challenge.

My regular readers know how much I love colour, though I am trying to include more neutrals in my wardrobe as I know that will make it more versatile. As well as the brown trousers and navy jeans shown above, I have included bottoms in camel, dark grey, burgundy and another navy pair. There's a navy cardigan, a bronze belted cardigan, a brown tweed jacket plus a navy and grey striped jacket. My outerwear consists of a short burgundy jacket, a longer beige puffer jacket and a navy wool coat. I do hope that you're suitably impressed!

Did somebody mention that there's a red skirt shown below with a matching top? Well spotted! In my defence, we are approaching the party season, so I have added those two pieces as they can be worn together or separately and are ideal for Christmas time.

My accents colours are shades of red, orange, green and blue. If my outfit of the day is one of the navy striped tops with the navy cardigan and bottoms, I'll probably add my red bag or other red accessories to brighten it up.

I am also trying to include as many of my Autumn palette colours as possible, although I'm not going to throw out every piece of clothing that I possess that is in a "wrong" colour!

Let's finish with the mathematics. In my Autumn 33 piece wardrobe there are seven bottoms if you include the skirt, though it will probably only be worn for parties. I have seventeen tops and I may very well wear the red top shown beside the skirt with a pair of  trousers in the daytime. If I multiply 7 by 17 it will give me a total of 119 possible combinations, which is more than enough to give me a different outfit each day during the next three months. 

However some of the combinations won't really look that good, so I worked out how many of them were outfits I would actually wear and the figure was eighty, which I think is still pretty impressive. I haven't even mentioned adding one of the two jackets or two cardigans. Let's not forget the outerwear, which I'm already wearing now that it's becoming colder in Spain and will definitely need when I'm in the UK.

Talking about mathematics, I do know that I'm only showing 32 pieces of clothing here and it is proof that you don't need a huge wardrobe to create lots of different outfits, but I reserve the right to add a final piece when I go to London next month to spend Christmas with my family! 

Of the pieces shown above, only six items have been added since last year, and they have replaced clothing that has been taken to the recycling bins. "Be more with less" is the name of Courtney's website where you'll find out about Project 333. I think it's a motto that we should all adopt. What do you think? 

PS Exciting news: I am taking part in the UK Blog Awards for the first time! If you'd like to vote for me (pretty please!) click on the following link. I'm under the category Fashion, and I'd love it if you clicked on my heart!  https://blogawardsuk.co.uk/vote-entry-categories/