"". April 2020 | Is This Mutton?

Fashion for the over 50s with books and beauty

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Wednesday 29 April 2020

Top Dressing - and Link Up

Over 50s blogger Gail Hanlon in summer 2020 essential, a statement collar top, perfect for video calls, worn with white jeans and backless silver loafers

Have you heard of "top dressing?" This is the new name for the lock down solution to Zoom meetings - wearing a nice top for video calls with leggings, jeans or PJs on the bottom.

One of the summer 2020 trends is for fancy collars - and boy, do I love a fancy collar.  I used to adore Peter Pan collars and had many tops and dresses with those. I loved the look of this top by Monki (just £18) when I saw it because not only does it have an impressive collar, but it's one of my favourite colors, pink.
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Monday 27 April 2020

Style Not Age Challenge: Comfy Casuals

Jumping for joy - Is This Mutton style blogger Gail Hanlon in leggings and sweatshirt from Yoga Leggs


It's that time again - the Style Not Age challenge. This month Jacqui from Mummabstylish threw down the gauntlet "Comfy Casuals."

This is very apt during the current lockdown. Most of us are dressing casually, perhaps with a bit of "top dressing" (nice top, jogging bottoms) for work video calls.
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Wednesday 22 April 2020

Casual Fashion Look Over 50 - and Link Up

Woman in Bowie t-shirt black jeans and white trainers
I've got a new Bowie t-shirt. You may remember my other one which Shelbee featured as a style steal. Like the other one, I bought it on eBay. Bowie was so cool that even his slogan t-shirts have a bit of an edge over other rock icons. Well, in my opinion!
Styling a Bowie t-shirt, a casual look for any age group
Summer makes shooting blog pictures very challenging because the garden is quite snall and north facing so gets a lot of shade and contrast during the day. So I moved to the garage and lane area to take these few pictures.
A white slogan tee worn with jeans and white trainers is a relaxed casual look for any age group. Shown here by over 50s style blogger Gail Hanlon from Is This Mutton?
I riffed on the orangey-red logo with my accessories: black and red cat's eye sunglasses, an orangey red lipstick and a suede bag from Dune. My black jeans are very old, from Marks and Spencer, and I have yet to find a pair that beats them! I love the length because I'm not very keen on jeans that hover above the ankle.  The white trainers are my Adidas Stan Smith's from last year. Nothing was gifted for this post.
Over 50s blog Is This Mutton? styles a new Bowie tee shirt with jeans and white trainers
Sharing this post with Claire Justine, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness at Shelbee on the Edge, Anna at Muttonstyle, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile at StylesplashAnna at the GlamAdventure, Style Six at Coast to Coast

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Now it's time for the weekly link-up #WowOnWednesday, a chance for bloggers to find new readers.  Some of the big linkies are now not operating so I'm opening #WowOnWednesday for longer. It'll be open from 6.30am UK time on Wednesday  22 April until Monday 27th April.

What makes it different, I hope, from other link-ups is that I try to promote a few of the posts featured during the week, on Facebook and Twitter  (see my social channels below).  Please show the blogs some love and leave your comments, it's so appreciated by all of us.

The readers' favourite (most clicked) last week was Mireille from MireilleFashionTravelMom with her post What is My Signature Style?  I love this particular skirt of Mireille's and it looks so cool with the striped top.
I loved the latest style steal from Anna at The Glam Adventure. She's really getting these so right, this time channeling J Lo with a Denim on Denim look. A very wearable look for all of us.  I loved the make-up look that surprisingly came via an app called Lumyer.
Fashion blogger Anna from the Glam Adventurer, Is This Mutton featured blogger in #WowOnWednesday
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
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Friday 17 April 2020

My Summer Skincare Routine

Over 50s style blogger Gail Hanlon shares her latest skincare and hair products along with the Look Fantastic Golden Easter egg 2020
Here's my latest beauty round up with no products gifted, so you can be sure you're getting an entirely honest view of them. I'm going to cover my summer skincare routine, two hair heroes, and what I thought of my beauty Easter egg.
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Wednesday 15 April 2020

Bluebell Wood - and Link Up

Is This Mutton? blogger Gail Hanlon on the annual bluebell wood walk
There's always a treat for me at this time of year, right round the corner.  Well, just a 20 minute walk away. It's a bluebell wood, a quiet little oasis only known to a few.  We went out early on Easter Sunday and were the only people there.
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Wednesday 8 April 2020

Making More of Your Summer Wardrobe

Is This Mutton's Gail Hanlon in casual but smart outfit: blue jeans and patterned shirt from The Bias Cut

Dear friends. My summer clothes came down from the attic at the weekend and as usual, I sorted out what will  go to the charity (thrift) shop, what needs to be ironed and/or mended, and what could go straight into the wardrobe.
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Tuesday 7 April 2020

Going Into "Lockdown" - Sentence a Day March 2020

Robin in the springtime on pink blossom. Image: Pexels


My blog has been a Covid-19 free zone  but for Sentence A Day I've decided to keep a diary of events as a record, and because other bloggers in this link up are international so it will be interesting to compare notes.
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Wednesday 1 April 2020

Silver Linings, Coffee Skirt Three Ways

Staying positive: over-50s blogger Gail Hanlon in green and navy Scotch and Soda blouse with coffee coloured A line midi skirt from Marks and Spencer

While "The Awfulness" is with us, it's sometimes hard to find any silver linings.  But positives can be found, and it's worth having your own list so you can remind yourself when life gets tough. My silver linings:
  • Here in the UK we have just moved into spring, and it's a beautiful time of year with blossom, daffodils, tulips, blue skies, trees greening up
  • In the garden we have robins nesting in a new nesting box and blackbirds nesting in the hedge. It's a constant hive (!) of activity.
  • With all this hand washing, many people will (hopefully) carry on and there will be less flu and colds going round every winter
  • We're forced to take life at a slower pace, living in the present. I wonder why do we waste so much time taking photos and videos. For what?
  • Old-fashioned pursuits are returning: families being inventive with play, board games and quizzes over HouseParty, making your own wine, cooking from scratch, embroidery
  • Once it's over, we may appreciate life in a different way. Less commercialised, less selfish
  • People are discovering the pleasure of a daily walk  (I think some think it's been mandated by the government!)
  • Those of us lucky enough to have a balcony, patio or garden will enjoy it all the more this summer 
  • I used to feel guilty as a blogger of not finding great locations for my shoots. But as I do them on my own, with a tripod, I find it too daunting to go to central London or other places. Now, of course, a lot of urban bloggers would kill for a garden they can take pictures in! 
  • Technology has finally come of age. Home working for millions is now a reality, and possible. Videoconferencing brings families and friends together and it works. As someone who has worked in tech for more than 25 years, this is rewarding. I remember the first few video calls and it was always hit and miss that they would work.
When it ends, our First World problems will immediately rear their ugly heads: people desperate to get hairdresser appointments;  people battling to book the holidays still available for September (or whenever). But I've already decided I won't be joining them.  The Awfulness has already taught me the beauty of going with the flow and stepping aside from the herd. The herd tramples others underfoot to get what they want, whether it's toilet roll or fresh food to stockpile, only to throw it out untouched when it goes out of life  (shocking but true). 

Now to the outfit, and  I'm featuring a classic neutral skirt that is extremely versatile. It's the same style as the pink skirt I bought last year, an A line shape that flatters most, with a removable belt. It's from Marks and Spencer and the colour is described as coffee.  I like the contrasting tortoiseshell buttons. It's also available in white.

Middle-aged woman with fair hair in neutral beige skirt with navy, green and yellow

I've got three different looks to show you.  Above, add a twist with yellow boots that echo the yellow in the fabulous Scotch and Soda blouse. It's still a bit cold so I haven't thrown my tights aside yet. The bag, from Coach, goes with everything.

Next up: a white pullover with knee-length navy boots and a statement blue necklace.

Coffee coloured midi skirt paired with navy and white



You can just about see Molly on the left: it's gradually becoming warm enough for her to venture outside, albeit briefly. The daffodils on the left are Thalia, Monty Don's favourite. Certainly very elegant.

Final look is a flourish of sequins. I was planning to use a red top but the green sequin top was singing out to me from the wardrobe! It's an old one, worn with an equally old cropped cardigan from Boden. They have these every year and I snap them up in different colours because they go with so many outfits. The green snakeskin boots are from Asos: still available, sale price.

Add a fun twist to a neutral beige midi skirt with snakeskin boots, a cross-tre-body bag and green snakeskin boots

There will be lots of summer looks too but I haven't yet got the summer wardrobe down from the loft. 

Portrait of mid life woman blonde hair in green sequin top

Nothing was gifted for this post.


Now for the #WowOnWednesday link up. Last week's favourite (most clicked) was Anna from Muttonstyle with her post Lunch with Mary, Working from Home. Here's Anna, right, with the lovely Mary from The Pouting Pensioner.


My favourite post was by Shauna from Lipgloss and Lace: So Very Carrie Bradshaw. Now what would Carrie, from Sex and The City, be wearing as she toils away in front of the Teams screen? Shauna visualises the most perfect confection of a skirt, turquoise tulle, with high heels, fluffy purse and giant pale pink corsage. It really made me smile, and is so Carrie Bradshaw like.


Please support the bloggers in the link-up who are carrying on bringing you posts - visit their blogs and leave comments. It makes it all worthwhile.
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
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