"". May 2017 | Is This Mutton?

Fashion for the over 50s with books and beauty

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Tuesday 30 May 2017

Bonmarché white denim jacket

The classic styling of a white denim jacket will go with so many outfits
I've been searching for a denim jacket for years. I did find a Dolce & Gabbana one in a thrift shop but I was seduced by the label and it's too small.

The boxiness of a denim jacket is a difficult shape for me. I was thrilled to find this white denim jacket from Bonmarché which will go with so many outfits.

Here I'm wearing it with Levi jeans, gold mules from Marks and Spencer, gold bag from New Look (old) and a Dior t-shirt. Tassel earrings from Next.
 A denim jacket for all seasons from Bonmarche
 It will be very versatile - I can see myself wearing it with a dress, as part of an all-white outfit, and over a black top and black trousers.
Sometimes in the UK summer you need a jacket: this white denim jacket will be a great cover-up

A fresh take on the denim jacket with this white version from Bonmarche
White denim jacket is ideal for a grey summer day
Sharing this post with Style with a Smile at Style-Splash, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish and Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style.


THIS WEEK ON IS THIS MUTTON?

Thursday 1 June: Mutton's 10 Topics
Saturday: Opal: the birthstone for June
Monday June 5: Marvellous Metallics


DON'T MISS YOUR NEXT HELPING OF MUTTON

Don't miss a post -  follow my blog on Bloglovin and receive a weekly email on my updates. You'll love "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks.




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Sunday 28 May 2017

May Beauty Round-Up

Three of the beauty products for May 2017 reviewed by Is This Mutton?
 This month I'm looking at a bronzer designed for mature skin, a vitamin C serum, a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner, and a hand wash which is helping to improve my nails.
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Thursday 25 May 2017

Gingham

Black and white gingham skirt styled with a black Bardot top and black embellished heel sandals
There's a Flamenco influence in the gingham skirt from Mango that I've teamed with a black flute sleeve Bardot body from Boohoo.
Tiered gingham skirt from Mango worn with black Bardot body from Boohoo
It makes me want to dance like a Spaniard.
I can't say I've ever owned any gingham before - it's always reminded me in texture of those seersucker tablecloths my gran used to have! But gingham is all the rage this summer. I've seen a lot of gingham shirts and tops and thought I would try a skirt instead.
Embellished heels from Dune go well with a flamenco inspired gingham skirt

Great tiering on this Mango gingham skirt worn with black sandals and Bardot top
The Bardot body is in quite thick material so probably one for autumn/winter. Wearing a "body" took me back to the 80s. They can be uncomfortable but this one seemed fine, and gives the smooth line you get with a body that doesn't ride up or wrinkle like shirts or other tops can do. They say that as you get older, your shoulders and legs deteriorate the least. So we're urged to show off our shoulders. However.....

This presents an issue of "what type of bra?" You need a strapless one, obviously, and for those with smaller "girls" this is no problem.  If you're a D cup and above, strapless bras are huge moulded boulder-holder things.  I have one - I believe it's from Gossard - and it looks OK in this top because it has a minimising effect under this thick fabric. I remember wearing a cotton gipsy type top (with an elasticated neckline) last year and my bust looked so huge I never wore it out.
Earrings from Accessorize, large leaf drop earrings
Here's a close-up of my earrings from Accessorize. I'm enjoying wearing dangly earrings now that my hair is shorter.

Skirt: Mango, Boohoo Bardot flute sleeve body; sandals, Dune, last year

Sharing this post with Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Fancy Friday at Nancy’s Fashion StyleFun Fashion Friday at  Fashion Should Be Fun. Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb and Patti at Not Dead Yet Style.

FOR MORE MUTTON

Don't miss a post -  follow my blog on Bloglovin and receive a weekly email on my updates. You'll love "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks.

THIS WEEK ON IS THIS MUTTON?

Sunday 28 May: Beauty roundup for May
Tuesday 30 May: White denim jacket
Thursday 1 June: Dressing up
Saturday 3 June: Opal - the birthstone for June




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Tuesday 23 May 2017

Flowers and Fashionistas

The famous Chelsea Flower Show in London was a riot of colour, and it wasn't just the flowers. I was paying my first visit to the show for 19 years. Sister-in-law Kate and I were disappointed to see the number of show gardens reduced from 17 last year to eight with few of the big name gardeners exhibiting. Have costs become too prohibitive? There was only one garden where you queued and went up  a ramp and looked down. I remember 19 years ago doing that for the all-white Christian Lacroix garden.

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Monday 22 May 2017

Favourite Florals

 
Sometimes all a girl needs for spring is a delicious floral skirt and matching wedges!
We all know that florals are hugely original for spring (Miranda Priestly, "The Devil Wears Prada") and even more so if the same florals have been appearing for simply years.
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Wednesday 17 May 2017

Our skin care routines

Four women in their 40s and 50s talk about their skincare regimes, including Rebecca Lodge, the vlogger behind Rougepout.
What gets us started on the beauty trail, and how do the women in our lives influence our skincare choices?

I've been finding out from four women who were happy to spill the beans on their skincare habits.
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Monday 15 May 2017

A passion for hosiery

Gail Hanlon of Is This Mutton? has a passion for hosiery and tries the Charnos range for summer 2017
One of my many passions is hosiery or as our US friends call it, "hose." I find black opaque tights a trifle dull and like my tights in bright colours, with spots, fishnets and, in the worst crime of all, I like pop socks!!!

So I was thrilled when hosiery giants Charnos offered me a few pairs of their new summer range.
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Thursday 11 May 2017

Style in comfort with Vionic footwear


Box fresh: a pair of Vionic Laurie sandals with wedge heels
At the pre-lunch before restorative yoga recently, the ladies, aged 40 upwards, were talking about shoes. About how, suddenly, our feet become problematic as we get older. Mysteriously they suddenly get bigger, or wider. Suddenly there are bunions, which rub against our shoes, and weird things like plantar fasciitis. You can read about why some of these things happen, and what we can do, in my article on feet.
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Wednesday 10 May 2017

Carole Middleton wows in pale pink: Mother of the Bride Special

Arrriving at the church in pale pink Catherine Walker, mother of the bride Carole Middleton

The wedding season is in full swing. Pippa Middleton has finally married. and mother of the bride Carole Middleton was immaculate as always in pale pink Catherine Walker (above). A coat dress, or dress with coat option as she wore at the wedding of daughter Kate, are elegant and timeless options for the mother of the bride.

Carole Middleton and the Duchess of Cornwall at the wedding of Kate and William

Carole Middleton  and the Duchess of Cornwall at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton 

Advice for Mothers of the Bride and Groom 

There's a tendency for Mothers of the Bride or Groom to go "off piste" and either wear something incredibly frumpy, or something too far Out There in an effort to look cooler and trendier than their counterpart.

Most MOTB/G are likely to be in their 50s and this is a good opportunity to shine in great tailoring and a colour that really suits you. A coat and dress combo, like those sported by Carole and the Duchess of Cornwall, is perfect.

One of the snags with most of the Mother of Bride/Groom outfits is that they tend to come in sugary colours which don't do much for a lot of us. I notice a lot of pale pink and light grey this year. My advice is to find a good dressmaker by recommendation, or meet one or two if you don't know any,. You can then have the luxury of choosing the exact colour you know suits you. For me, one of my best shades is lilac - and  I was lucky enough to find something off the peg.

Two years ago, I was dithering about what to wear for my step son's wedding. At first I wanted something that wasn't too old fashioned, that I could wear again.

I fell in love with a fuchsia pink Ted Baker dress but it was in the most unflattering material known to man. Finally, I decided to go with a traditional MOTB retailer, Gina Bacconi, and buy an outfit I would wear just once. I also had the opportunity, for the evening event, to wear something else, and for that I had a Joseph Ribkoff dress.

The Gina Bacconi dress in lilac had a guipure lace shrug. I decided to go with accessories in the same colour, and it was quite challenging to track down the right shade - at that time, lilac was not in vogue, although this year there's a lot more of it around.

Some good places to try are Ted Baker, where there are some stunning occasion coats; Gina Bacconi (try John Lewis), Jacques Vert and, for pretty summer dresses, Phase Eight and Hobbs. If you have a big budget and want to avoid anyone wearing the same outfit, go bespoke or vintage.
T
he Macea baby pink coat with bell sleeves is from Ted Baker, £259.


Gina Bacconi crepe dress and chiffon cape in silver mist, £270.

Jacques Vert rose print shift dress, £159. There is a crepe edge-to-edge jacket which would go beautifully with this at £149, ideal if you want to hide arms.

Tips for the Mother of the Bride or Groom

If your son or daughter is having a more informal wedding and there's no need for tights, fascinators or shrugs, you could consider a lovely trouser suit or jumpsuit like the pale pink one below from Massimo Dutti.

Make sure you find out what your counterpart is wearing, even if it's by email. You'll be in the same pictures so you don't want to be wearing clashing, or the same, colours.


Those dinky little cross-the-body bags or envelope clutch bags are all very well but for Mother of the Bride/Groom you will need something bigger. You'll need to carry Rescue Remedy, tissues, a small bottle of micellar to clean up makeup runs and wet wipes, plus your own lipstick, phone, mini umbrella and possibly a sandwich if any of the men in your entourage get irritable if their blood sugar levels plummet. There's a lot of hanging around at weddings and you don't usually get fed for hours.

On the shoe front, you'd be wise to avoid high heels, or, if you must, carry a pair of foldable flats in your bag for later. Break your shoes in by wearing them in the house and garden for a few weeks beforehand.

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Monday 8 May 2017

The Next bodycon summer dress

Is This Mutton? looks at the regular summer fixture of the Next floral bodycon dress
I noticed online that Next have another "floral bodycon dress" very similar to the one I had last year so I guess this must be a regular fixture in the way that a Boden Fun Skirt is.

Here I am wearing this year's model, being photo bombed by Molly, and below, on Skiathos, last year's version.
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Sunday 7 May 2017

Take the years off with a new hairstyle

Gail Hanlon, blogger, with new choppier hair cut and colour


It's easy to get into a rut with your hair. I know all too well. From the age of 15 through most of my adult life, I sported a medium length wavy style which I called "the revised mullet" because it required no fancy styling or products. It was very wash and go. I didn't use a dryer.
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Saturday 6 May 2017

Is This Mutton? featured in an article!

Image showing Houses of Parliament and London bus from website Fabulously Chic Over 50
I'm very honoured that the website Fabulously Chic Over 50 has written a feature about me in their series She's Got Style.

It feels a bit uncomfortably like tooting my horn but if you'd like to take a butcher's  (or a read, for my non-UK readers!) here's the article by the lovely Jonet, below.




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Thursday 4 May 2017

The all-occasions dress & Fabulous Friday Link-Up

Painterly dress in pink, blue and white which can be dressed up or down

When it comes to buying dresses, I know what I'm looking for. Something on, or just below, the knee; draped or gently fitted at the waist, and avoiding big volumes of fabric. This dress from Phase Eight, with its painterly strokes, ticks all the boxes.

It could be described as an all-occasion dress. I would happily wear it to a wedding, on holiday, or for a drink with friends.

I've teamed it with my pink sandals from Topshop which have silver block heels, and a bead encrusted bag I've had for ever (check out my collection of evening bags here). The necklace is an old one from Marks and Spencer. With hindsight, I would wear it with a different necklace. This one has the same colors as the dress and doesn't stand out.

Painterly strokes decorate this all-occasions dress from Phase Eight

In the garden wearing a painterly frock from Phase Eight

Sharing this post with Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style,  Fun Fashion Friday at Fashion Should Be Fun and CelebratingStyle at Vanity And Me

Dress suitable for a middle-aged woman to wear to a wedding, wine bar or on holiday
I
'm thrilled to be joining Jennie at A Pocketful of Polka Dots as co-host for the Fabulous Friday link-up

Meet your host for Fabulous Friday, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. ∼ Hey y'all, I'm Jennie and I am a 47 year old frugal fashionista! I am mom to two wonderful (and handsome!) sons and one very spoiled Pomeranian. After spending most of my life in black and boring clothes, I now enjoy trying new trends, am a confessed shoeaholic, believe life is too short for boring hair, and never met a polka dot I didn't like. I am also an avid photographer, reader of Jane Austen, Paleo/Primal enthusiast, and lover of DIY. You can follow me here 


Fierce50 member Debbie from Fashion Fairy Dust blog

My favorite last week was Debbie from Fashion Fairy Dust with her tulle dress layered over a sundress and worn with trainers. I love Debbie's attitude as she writes about why women in their 40s and above should "dress ourselves in whatever the hell we like." She looks fabulous.

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Wednesday 3 May 2017

Beautiful Emeralds, Birthstone for May

Is This Mutton's guide to the history of emeralds, how to choose a beautiful emerald and what to buy


Is there a more beautiful stone than an emerald? I don't think so. Emerald is the birthstone for May, and in Is This Mutton's? continuing look at birthstones, we're going to examine this beryl in a bit more detail. 
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Monday 1 May 2017

Five Over 50 Challenge #1: Something old, new, borrowed and blue

Something old, something new is the challenge for Five Over 50
Introducing a new monthly feature, the Five Over 50 challenge!
Four other bloggers, all over the age of 50, are joining me as we set each other a new challenge every month. The first one is "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."
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