Mixing Reds | Uncomfortable 'Comfortable' Shoes.

There are plenty of "How To" articles online regarding wearing red and mixing colours BUT....

At the end of the day, all that really matters is what YOU like and what YOU want to wear.

Forget the rules and go with what makes you feel good.

Red is one of my favourite colours.
It is up there with orange (see THIS POST on how to wear orange, or any bright colour).
So, I'm going all-out red today!

What is your favourite colour family? 

This bird print dress is an old favourite of mine and never fails to cheer up a dull day.
I decided to wear it with a striped top underneath.
Mostly for warmth but also to mix things up a bit!

Adding stripes works with most outfits.
{I've worn stripes many times...see some of them HERE, HERE and HERE.}

Stripes are such an easy way to mix patterns (leopard is another easy mixer!)
Mixing a couple of (easy) patterns is a sure-fire way to make your outfit appear more detailed, and interesting.

Can we talk about shoes?

I don't know about you, but much as I love the look of heels, sometimes I need the practicality of a 'comfortable' shoe.
BUT...
What if the so-called comfortable shoe is not as comfortable as you hoped it would be?
What if it pinches or causes pain?

That's what happened with these red gutties 😒.

I have always wanted a pair of red pumps like these.
They are bright and cheerful, and of course Converse are classics.

Everyone talks about how great they are, and how they go with everything.

Unfortunately, these red gutties are so uncomfortable.
Despite being the right size, and long enough, they squeeze the side of my foot (and my feet are narrow) ..Ouch!

Luckily I picked them up in a charity shop, for less than £10, so no real harm done.
{More money for a local hospice is always a good idea.}

I may re-donate them if they don't break in a little.
Do canvas shoes ever break in, or is that just wishful thinking !?

Have you ever been disappointed with a supposedly comfortable pair of shoes?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.

DRESS: Fever London... this one is lovely.
TOP: H&M...similar.
NECKLACE: Charity shop find...similar.
SHOES:Converse
COAT: Boden
BAG: Vintage... similar.

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Mixing Stripes | Spring Style, over 40.

More stripes for spring!

Mixing stripes is such an easy way to mix prints.
Mixing a thick stripe with a thin stripe (HERE) or multi-sized stripes (like THIS POST) works well.
Or you can switch the colours, like I have done in this outfit.

A simple maxi skirt and long-sleeved top make an interesting combination, and also hide my cosy thermal layers.

Adding this leather top (that I recently customised with eyelets and ribbon) offers some colour and a different texture.
Leather is also surprisingly warm.... thank goodness!

{At this point my youngest was wondering why I was wearing a high visibility tabard... funny because my husband had said the same when I wore this previously!
See that post HERE...the cheek!!}

I have to tell you that it is NOT even the slightest bit warm here today.
Yes, it is sunny but don't let that fool you!
It's a measly 9 degrees and we had snow blowing through the wind.
Yep.
Snow.
So these bare toes may come as a surprise to you.

{The bareness came as quite a surprise to them too!}

However, the lovely people at Vionic had sent me these sandals a couple of months ago, and I have not yet had a chance to wear them.
We had some '15 degree days' but overall things have been on the chilly side.

It has been gloriously sunny though, so no real complaints from me.

{See THIS POST with bare legs and more secret layers}

Anyway (icy toes aside) the sandals themselves are comfortable and supportive.
They will be brilliant for wearing all day when the heat finally creeps up here and (of course) perfect for holidays!

{I wore them around the house for a few hours to test them out, but even that was too much for my cold tootsies to bear. Toe post sandals and wooly socks don't really work do they? 😬}

So, pretty and comfortable as they are, I had to change them for some fleecy lined red gutties to go out and about.

The golden sunny glow was generously provided by a big reflector, with a gold cover on it.
A warm glow?
Yes!
Warm?
Not on your Nelly!!

TOP: I can't remember....I cut out the labels as they scratched!... this one is similar.

LEATHER TOP: London market... this one could look very cool.

SKIRT: Boden.... similar

SANDALS: c/o Vionic

GLASSES: Primark.... these are lovely!

EARRINGS: H&M... these are pretty. 

CLUTCH: Tkmax... similar.

Are you mixing stripes this season, or any other patterns?

Please let me know in the comments.

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7 Ways to be a Villain, over 40 | The fab 40s!

Welcome back to The fab 40s.

The fab 40s become villainous!

After last month's princess-like behaviour, this month things got a little more mischievous.

Veronica has chosen 'Villains' as this month's theme.
These themes are supposed to be fun, but I also need a real outfit.

How can we be inspired by a villain without resorting to raiding the dressing up box?

My villain inspiration came from The Viper.
The arch enemy of the (frankly sexy) Wolverine.

So, here I am giving it some 'fierce attitude' with my mini Wolverine!

{Not as sexy as the bigger version, but SO much more handsome. 🐶}

He spots his enemy, circles, then moves in for the kill.... death by licking.
I surrender!

This outfit was easy to wear, and comfortable too.
The main focus of this look (for me) was the green tunic and these vinyl leggings.
The leggings are simple but make enough of a statement... much more interesting than plain cotton leggings.
Layers were essential, as it has turned colder again, so I piled on a couple of under-tops.

{The viper likes to shed her skin, so I could remove layers if things heated up 😒. Hmmm.... they didn't (brrrr).}

Vintage jewellery and silver ankle boots finished things off nicely.

Normally I like to talk about each of the outfits worn by my fellow bloggers, but not this month.

I wanted you to have fun trying to guess who inspired their inner villains!

Pop over to the blogs (links are in the headings) to find out the full story.

Our Guest blogger this month... 

Jaye from Curvatude.

Jaye's blog is all about celebrating curves, and living life to the full!
Pop over to her blog to find out who inspired her (very smart) villainous look...

Sheela from Sheela Writes.

Sheela's villain was my (close) second choice... the flaming hair is a big giveaway for me.

Ann from Kremb de la Kremb

Ann's villain makes me laugh everytime.

Pop over to her blog to find out the full story.

Jennie from A pocketful of polka dots

Jennie's real life villain was a tragic tale, and certainly not as chic and glamorous as this (film inspired) look!

Diane from Fashion on the fourth floor

Diane's villain is one of my favourite characters... and the actor was one of the best EVER!

Veronica from CID Style file.

Veronica's villain is beautiful, fabulous and super-powerful!

Which of our villain-inspired outfits would you wear?

Please let me know your thoughts by leaving me a comment.
Or contact me!
I love hearing from you.

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4 Ways to Wear a Blazer | PPP

Each month Anna, Ann and I are styling a 'classic' item and this month it's the turn of the humble Blazer.

This blazer is a cheerful striped fabric that was calling out for some red accessories.

A classic combination.

So, a cute little brooch and my red clutch came out to play!

Blazers can seem very grown-up and 'sensible' so I decided to go for a geeky look in order to inject a little fun.
A denim shirt (buttoned up to the neck) teamed with a spotty mini and silver boots.
Less serious.
More fun to wear!

Adding a little bit of ladylike style (in the form of these pearl earrings) kept the masculine/feminine mix going.

{Credit must go to my super-talented (10 year old) photographer... she loves her details so I had to include some of them!}

JACKET: Primark... see it HERE, with skinny jeans.
EARRINGS, BROOCH & RING: A gift from a friend.
SHIRT: Urban outfitters
GLASSES: c/o Readers.com
SKIRT: Boden... read about a malfunction with this skirt HERE!
TIGHTS: Gipsy
SHOES: Topshop

Julia from When the Girls Rule.

Julia's blog is full of all things colourful, feminine and stylish.

Julia skillfully teams her longer-line blazer with dark florals and black opaques. 

So stylish, yet simple and flattering.

This lady certainly knows how to dress a larger bust!

A pink bag picks out the pink from the dress, and further enhances the spring-like feel of this outfit.

Fresh, pretty and totally wearable.

Be sure to follow Julia on Instagram for more inspiration.

Anna from Anna's Island Style

Anna's blazer is anything but boring.... nothing run-of-the-mill (like navy) for our Anna.

This is a bolder look, with a new-romantic feel.
The blazer is a definite statement and she has not played it safe when styling it either.
Ruffles, pleats and pearls.
Go girl!

{I have serious shoe envy.}

Follow Anna on Instagram for more style inspiration....prepare for location envy!

Ann from Kremb de la Kremb

Ann has manage to create a totally ageless look.

I think this would look good on anyone, at any age.

{Granted, you need decent legs to pull this off, but the mini could easily be swapped for something you love to wear....jeans, culottes, peg-legged trousers...anything!}

Pink is THE colour of the season and the whole outfit is casual, comfortable and fun.

Follow Ann on Instagram. for more inspiration... especially if you are a fan of cool-comfortable footwear

Is there a classic item you would like to see featured?
How do you style your blazer?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.
I love hearing them!

More Athleisure for Grown-ups! Sportswear in Real Life.

The term Athleisure is everywhere just now, but it can be hard to pull off.
Joggers can easily be unflattering, especially if your figure is falling short of perfect.... and whose isn't?

{I can easily look squared off, flat bummed and a little like an ironing board!}

Sportswear can also make you look like you are heading off the the gym, or you couldn't be bothered to get dressed today.

As someone who (almost) always puts comfort first, joggers seem like a great choice.

I have attempted the full-on athleisure look HERE, and loved the comfort....
BUT, prefered THIS smarter sports-luxe look (my feet disagreed though!).

Unfortunately, the shell-suit-esque feel of the full athleisure look made me want something a little more grown-up, and dare I say "Chic?"
Can athleisure ever look chic?

The easiest way to smarten up a pair of joggers is to add a pair of heels.

They don't need to be uncomfortable (like these killer heels) a little bit of height can work wonders!

These shoes are smart but still reasonably comfortable to wear.

Plus... they match my hair!

{See this post where I do a little more 'bookending'}

Mixing accessories like a sporty bag with a non-sporty necklace keeps things interesting.

A smarter jacket, teal sunglasses and a soft scarf, finishes things off nicely.

Does your figure suit joggers or structureless trousers?

How would you style these trousers?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

JOGGERS: George... these are cool!
UNDER-TOP: Uniqlo... similar.
GREEN TOP: Windsmoor (Charity shop)... this one is lovely!
JACKET: White Stuff (Charity shop...again!)... this one is beautiful.
SCARF: A gift...similar.
NECKLACE: From a Friend... this one is nice.
SHOES: c/o JD Williams...similar.
BAG: Urban Country

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Pleated Culottes, Patterned Tights and a Slouchy Knit.

Oh, I loved wearing this outfit!
It may not be chic, high fashion, edgy or cool BUT, my goodness, it was comfortable and fun to wear.

This slouchy, sloppy and easy-going jumper is an old favourite of mine.
I've had it for years, but never tire of it, and it reappears every spring getting lots of wear.

I love the see-through fabric and it offers a surprising amount of warmth, without any bulk.
It also covers my bum... which is pretty important in these structureless culottes!

These pleated culottes are light as air, floaty and fun BUT offer no real coverage, warmth or structure.
Great on a hot day.
Not so good in Scotland!
So, I popped on this cute pair of tights.
Easy, comfy and warm.

Chunky sandals (with a cosy sheepskin liner in the toe) kept the look feeling spring-like.

A geometric necklace and a pair of oversized sunglasses finished the look of nicely.

These sunglasses have a clever section at the bottom for reading.
Perfect for sitting in the garden with a magazine!

I had my youngest photographer today and she has a great eye for details...

I'm so lucky to have such a fantastic photography team!

What are you grateful for this weekend?
Please share in the comments.
Or send me an email....I love hearing for you.

CULOTTES: Matalan...similar.
JUMPER: Old...this one is lovely.
TIGHTS: Zohara c/o mystockings
NECKLACE: H&M... this one is cool!
EARRINGS & BANGLE: Gifts
LACE VEST: Old...this is pretty.
BAG: Saks... this one is fab!
GLASSES: Delia bifocals c/o readers.com
SHOES: Vagabond

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