Bonmarché white denim jacket

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.
 
 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.

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.

May Beauty Round-Up

 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.

Gingham

There's a Flamenco influence in the gingham skirt from Mango that I've teamed with a black flute sleeve 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.

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.

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 Style, Fun 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

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.

Favourite Florals

 

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.

Our skin care routines

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.

A passion for hosiery

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.

Style in comfort with Vionic footwear

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.

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

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 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.

The 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.

Sharing this post with Fashion Should Be Fun and A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

FOR MORE MUTTON 

For more Mutton follow my blog on Bloglovin and receive a weekly email on my updates. Don't miss "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards. I'm also on Instagram. 

The Next bodycon summer 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.

Take the years off with a new hairstyle

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.

Before the age of 15, there was the dreaded feather cut, but let's draw a veil over that.

There were a few flirtations over the years with short, bobbed or permed styles, and I even had some some hair extensions in 1990, way before they were popular. But I always came back to the revised mullet.

I then met Jodie, who had a tiny salon tucked away in a local shopping arcade. I saw an ad in a local paper about her new salon, saying she was Toni and Guy trained, and as I like to use local businesses, I went along for a cut n blow dry.

Jodie gave me the bob style which I've had since 2013. It became increasingly blonder over time, although like any good hairdresser, Jodie wouldn't let me go too far lest it become crispy and frazzled.

I liked my bob: it was easy to manage, as long as I blow dried it  (leaving it to dry naturally, as I did with the "revised mullet" meant it stuck out at weird angles).

Jodie fulfilled her dream of opening her own salon, Mustard & Co. She has a talented team and they often take part in competitions, and are constantly taking courses to keep skills up-to-date. Jodie's salon was one of the first to start selling the luxurious brand Davines from Italy, and now all their hair colourants are from Davines: no parabens, sulphates and other nasties.

Jodie got in touch with me recently and suggested an edgier style might look good, particularly with all my fashion blogging (or as my husband calls it, parading around in the garden in silly poses).

I had to agree: I was wondering if my hair was a bit too helmet or Theresa May-like, and when I wore "boho florals" someone suggested my hair was totally unsuitable for the genre. The "before" shot is below.

I'm thrilled with the outcome and never had so many positive comments on Instagram and FB! Someone suggested it takes 10 years off. Happy with that! As it's shorter around the ears, I can even wear earrings now that might be seen. But a shorter cut does need a bit more effort in terms of makeup. Here's the back view:

I washed it myself a little nervously, as you always wonder if it will look as good as when the salon does it, and I didn't even have to use a hairdryer. It dried very quickly and I was able to "flick up" the side bits, a bit like Lulu, and it looked fine. I forgot to buy the pomade that Jodie used (less drying and less defining than gel or powder - which is good as I don't like too much "definition" in case it looks scruffy) but will go back and get some.

There are quite a few bloggers whose hair I admire: Jennie from A Pocketful of Polka Dots, and Debbie from Fashion Fairy Dust, as I love the colour of their hair.  I love the chic styles of Jane from My Midlife Fashion, Judith from Style Crone (unbelievably in her 70s) and Mandy from Fashion Unfolded By Mandy.

If you're thinking about having a new style, I've put together a Hairstyles board on Pinterest. There are short, medium and long styles, and styles for fine and thick hair.

Finally, consider hair pieces or wigs. The lovely Nisha at SugarPuffAndFluff has a number of videos on wigs, reviews and how to put them on. For hair extensions, back in 1990 I went to a lady called Lucinda Ellery who has now become very well-known for the hair loss systems she creates and designs. She now has salons in salons in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Solihull and  Los Angeles and New York.

I've compiled a montage of some of my hair looks over the years - some v bad! Check it out at my Facebook page.

What was the worst hair style you ever had?  Do share!

FOR MORE MUTTON 

For more Mutton follow my blog on Bloglovin and receive a weekly email on my updates. Don't miss "shoe of the day" on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. And check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards. 

Is This Mutton? featured in an article!

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.

The all-occasions dress & Fabulous Friday Link-Up

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.

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

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 ∼

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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.

An InLinkz Link-up

Beautiful Emeralds

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. This post was updated in May 2018 with new emerald picks to buy.

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

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."