My new outfit cost me virtually £4195!

No, I haven't suddenly developed an extravagant streak and spent over £4,000 on clothes, tempting though it might be!  I received an email from Motilo recently, advertising a competition to win a £1000 shopping spree at Matchesfashion.com, so I decided to have a go.  It would make a lovely Christmas present for myself!

I had a great time looking at all the clothes on line and pinning my choices onto Pinterest.  I decided to create a stylish outfit for going out for a walk on Christmas Day after lunch, which has been the tradition in our family for many years.  After making my choices I realised that I had spent a staggering £4195 - so even if I win the first prize it won't cover my chosen outfit!  Oh well, I can but dream.

This is my holiday season outfit for the contest.  Click on the link to see it:  Holiday Season Wish List.  Do you think it is worth that amount of money?

I then decided to see if I could create a similar outfit, but spending a lot less money.  I used Polyvore for this, then saved it on Pinterest as well.  This is my second outfit, which I have saved under Winter Outfits, and which would cost me the far more reasonable sum of £781.

The closing date for the Motilo/Matches competition is 17 December if you would like to have a go yourself.  Here is the link.  Leave a comment below with your link if you enter, as I would love to see your outfit and discover if you spent as much money as I did!

My 333 revisited

It may only be autumn, but winter seems to have well and truly arrived in our corner of Spain!  Lots of rain recently and a biting cold wind has meant that my short sleeved tops have now been banished - unless I have a cosy cashmere cardigan over them!  I recently visited London to see my family and friends, which also meant new additions to my wardrobe, as I took advantage of the opportunity to buy petite sizes there.

It is a month since I started Project 333 and the idea of having 33 items of clothing to wear over 3 months still seems like a good idea, as it means it is a lot quicker deciding what to wear in the morning!  I have now added my new purchases to the original 33 - which obviously means removing some older clothes - and thought I would share this with you.  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

As you can see, I am now wearing my autumn!winter wardrobe in earnest! I have added in my winter coat and new navy trench coat, plus a pair of grey winter boots.  Please note too the new green satchel for when I go to my Spanish classes, which also adds a bright touch to the navy trench coat.

I admit that I probably do not need four bags however, apart from my new purchase, I have an everyday grey bag that goes with nearly everything, but I prefer a smaller bag for evenings out, and I also like a rucksack for those occasions when we go on long walks.  Similarly I need boots for when the weather is particularly bad but prefer shoes for everyday wear and my ballerina flats are so comfortable indoors that they had to be included.

I have kept one short sleeved top and sleeveless top for layering under a cardigan or jacket. Observant readers (and those able to count) will say there are only 32 items above, and will wonder if I am counting my trouser suit as two items to make up my 33.  The answer is no, because I have one more addition below.  I will explain more about that in another post!

My wardrobe of 33 items for the next 3 months

These are the 33 items of clothing and accessories that are either hanging up in my wardrobe or nestling at the bottom of it at the moment. They will, in theory, last me for the next 3 months. I am cheating a bit, as there are a couple of light short-sleeved tops and lightweight trousers there that will be replaced by thicker clothes when it gets colder. Wish me luck!

 

 

                         

   

  

Sharp-eyed regular readers may have realised that the clothes shown aren't identical to the ones on the list in my previous post!  There are good reasons for this:

1.  My coat is in the dry-cleaners having the sleeves shortened. When I tried it on during my wardrobe purge I realised that the sleeves were a bit long, however if they were the right length it would be perfect.  It's still not cold enough in Spain to wear my coat, but I will be taking it to the UK and will then include it in my 33 once it gets colder here.

2.  I haven't included my red jumper, again because it is too hot to wear it at the moment;

3.  I haven't included my black heels, as for every day wear I usually wear trousers and flat shoes.  They will be going to the UK though as I plan to wear my skirt while I am there, and I will wear them for dressy occasions on my return.

The three additions are a light green top, a short-sleeved black top and a lightweight blue cardigan, which will be replaced by the above items when I go on my trip at the end of the month.

Do you think that the above 33 items would provide enough variety for you to manage with just these clothes over three months?

Project 333

I was intrigued when I first noticed the title of this project on one of my favourite fashion blogs, The Vivienne Files.  Did it mean I had to have 333 items in my wardrobe?  Even counting my underwear, jewellery and other accessories, I didn't think I had as many as 333 items, though I wasn't going to start counting them! Was this a good excuse to go shopping then?

Sadly not!  It meant that I actually had to start a purge of the contents of my wardrobe and discard everything too old, too small, too outdated and frankly, in some cases, waaay too unflattering.  I was slightly shocked at how many unflattering clothes I owned: it made me wonder what had possessed me to buy certain items in the first place!  This exercise in itself can be eye-opening and makes you think about why and how you buy clothes. 

I then had to divide the rest into a Love pile (clothes I love and that I look good in) and a Maybe pile, which I have to admit was huge.  The target was to end up with 33 clothes to mix and match over the next 3 months - yep, that is what the 333 stands for.  We were allowed to exclude underwear, nightwear, lounge wear plus exercise clothes (if we only wear them for work outs).  

According to the project rules, shoes and accessories should be included in the 33 items as well as any jewellery, though a wedding ring or other sentimental piece of jewellery that is always worn could be excluded. Considering the number of clothes crammed into my wardrobe and folded into my drawers, plus the overspill in the spare room wardrobe, I felt a limit of 33 was a bit too challenging for me at this stage.

There was room for a bit of flexibility, so in my case I didn't count jewellery and scarves, plus I have included three tops and two bottoms to wear on warmer days - after all, I do live in Spain! Once it gets cooler, I will swap these with other items from the Maybe pile.  As Courtney herself pointed out, she isn't going to come over here and inspect my wardrobe, which is probably a good thing!

My list is: black trousers, black pencil skirt, navy jeans, brown trousers & brown jacket, black & white coat, grey flecked jacket, brown, grey & white patterned dress, navy & pink patterned dress, dark brown cardigan, navy cardigan, purple/grey/black jumper, navy & white striped jumper, navy & red striped jumper, red jumper, pale blue v-neck jumper, dark green top, purple top, light red top, brown heeled shoes, black heeled shoes, black flat shoes, tan flat shoes, medium size grey bag, medium size cream bag, small turquoise bag. In addition, for warmer days, I have included navy/white striped cropped trousers, beige linen trousers, dark green short-sleeved top, dark brown-multi s-s top, white/grey patterned s-s top, grey s-s top and navy sleeveless top. When it gets a lot colder, I will swap the summery clothes with my favourite winter clothes from the Maybe pile.

What has Project 333 taught me?  For a start, how easy it is to accumulate clothes over the years and buy new things a) because they are in the sales or b) because they are fashionable or c) because they look lovely (even though they don't actually suit me!)

I have also learnt that if it is hard to let go of clothes, even though they don't fit you or suit you any more, then think about what you will achieve if you let them go.  I have filled about 10 bags (here is a photo of the last of them) which have gone into the recycling bins to help a local charity. That is far better than letting them stay in my wardrobe wasting space.  I have also given a trench coat to a friend, who is delighted with it, as I had to admit that it is now far too tight on me.

In three months' time I will be repeating this exercise, but I already know that some of my first 33 will be carried forward, as I have realised that these are clothes that I love wearing and that feel good on me.  Isn't this what clothes should be all about?

In my next post I will show you the clothes in my 33, and you will be able to see how versatile they are.  Maybe this will encourage you to join in the project yourself!

More clothes and bags for the recycling bin!

My fashion forecast for Autumn and Winter 2012

I received an email recently from About.com's Petite Fashion guide written by Paula Darnell, outlining some of the key looks for Autumn  - or Fall as our American cousins call it.  I'm no fashion expert, as regular readers will testify, but I thought I would give you my own spin on these trends for over 60s, and particularly for those of us who are over 60 and petite.  Many of my warnings should also be taken to heart by anyone who is over 40!

1.  Rich Wine colours

Paula endorses this trend for petites, though she does point out that she can wear these colours, which suggests to me that many people can't.  I recollect from the dim and distant past that although I looked good in our burgundy school blazer, many of my blonde and redhead friends didn't.  As we are fast forwarding nearly fifty years, I am not going to assume that I will still look good in this colour.  I will try on any tops or dresses that I like, but I will be ruthless about whether this shade suits me now and I may restrict any  purchases to accessories.  I suggest that if in doubt you do the same.

One for my Christmas present list?

2.  Winter white hues

Light colours aren't very slimming and, if like me you have a dog in the house, they're not practical either so I think I will give this one a miss.  However for some over 60s white is softer and more flattering worn close to the face than black, so if white suits you don't write it off, just don't wear it on the widest parts of your body unless you want to emphasise your curves.

3.  Big and baggy tops

Just one word for this one - no!  If you're not a petite you may be tempted by this trend, as it hides a multitude of sins, however all over 60s look better in clothes that skim their body rather than shapeless clothes that just emphasise their bulk.  Baggy tops are only for wearing curled up in front of the TV, if at all.

4.  Trouser suits, aka pants suits

This is a good trend for petites, particularly if you choose a dark shade that flatters you, and also for any over 60s who want to look slimmer.  Make sure that the jacket doesn't end at your widest point though, and I would suggest that if you are petite you will look better in single breasted styles.

5.  Velvet

Velvet is good if you are tall and slender, but because of its nap it can add weight to any woman who doesn't have a model figure.  If you're short and not so slender like me it can definitely make you look bulky, so it's best not to combine this trend with the previous one and buy a velvet trouser suit.  A velvet scarf or collar though in a shade that suits you is a good way to embrace this trend.

6.  Embellishments

Jewels, lace, sequins, embroidery, beads - sounds to me like a recipe for disaster for most petites, who are likely to be overwhelmed if they go for this fashion,  and in particular for those of us who are more mature.  I like to wear a dress and not have the dress wear me.  I do have a sequin scarf in my wardrobe though that could add a fashionable touch to some plain tops and dresses.

7.  Military fashion and in particular khaki

This is an ideal trend for over 60s who look good in khaki, although petites like me should avoid double-breasted styles and long coats.  A quick way to update your favourite coat or jacket would be to replace its buttons with metallic ones.  Not being that handy with a needle and thread, I may look for a khaki handbag to update my wardrobe.

My advice is to check out the fashion magazines and websites, decide whether a particular look will suit your shape, your colouring and - we're going to have to be honest with ourselves on this one! - your age.  If the answer is yes, then go ahead and update your wardrobe.

This is tempting, though I would need to try it on in case it is too long for a petite