11 Fast Ways to Update Your Look

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. It's a new season and the shops are trying to tempt us with their new autumn and winter collections. What are the most easy to wear trends, and which are the ones we probably already have in our closets?

Bring Me Sunshine!

 #StyleNotAgeChallenge

Dear friends. Another month has nearly ended and it's time for the Style Not Age Challenge, where 5 blogger friends over the age of 45 style an outfit based on a different prompt each time.

This month it was Emma's choice, and she came up with a great challenge, Bring Me Sunshine.  We certainly need some sunshine. I believe the weather has been "off" in most countries. It's still quite cold here, which dictated my outfit.

Moto Jacket 6 Ways

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. I'm a great believer in snapping up duplicates if you find a garment that's perfect.  If it's available in different colours, all the better.

I love the Kettlewell Chloe jacket for its versatility - and colours! I now have six. I started with one in lavender, followed by jewel blue. I then found a pre-loved Chloe in soft white. This season, the jacket reappeared after a year long hiatus, and I went a bit mad and bought three in island green, cream and soft yellow. 

On Trend Summer Jewelry

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Jewelry (jewellery in the UK) is one of my greatest pleasures. It's the fastest way to update a look and needn't cost a fortune.

I was thrilled when Meideya Jewelry approached me. I discovered their fashionable range looks far more expensive than it actually is.

Denim - Not Jeans: Style Not Age Challenge

 

Dear friends. Jacqui's challenge to style something in denim other than jeans turned out to be quite the challenge! I could have used my denim jacket but I styled it just last week and featured it here. I used to have a denim dress but it strained across the front buttons so I hardly ever wore it.  I do like a denim dress though, particularly for this transitional time of year, so I ordered this one from Asos.

My Cotton Traders Spring Edit

 & #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. It's official: the Spring Equinox has happened and we finally leap forward into British Summertime on Sunday.  So I was more than ready to choose 4 items from Cotton Traders to start making the most of the spring sunshine.

Accidentally On Trend - and Bold Colours

 & #WowonWednesday

Dear friends. Ever had that delightful epiphany when you discover you're accidentally on trend?  It happened to me twice this week.

New Beginnings! Fashion and Nutrition

 & #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends.  Happy International Women's Day! 

I always regard March or September as the best times for new beginnings. Forget January with its bad weather and all the pious crusades for giving up this, that and the other.  For me, as we move towards the spring equinoxe, the light changes and it's much clearer to think now about how we want to enrich our lives.

SPRING WARDROBE

After not buying anything in January  (yep, I fell victim to a pious crusade!), I've bought a fair few things for spring. I don't feel guilty about it. As I've always said, buying everything from charity shops is laudable, and essential if your budget is tight, but if we can afford to buy new we're doing a huge favour to retailers, the fashion industry and the huge numbers of women who work in that sector.

When the Kettlewell new range came out I was thrilled to see the return of the short moto jacket Chloe and in a shade called Warm Yellow.  Since my re-rating as a spring last year, I've discovered that warm light yellow is one of my best colours. I love it!  I have several of these jackets. I wear them a lot in spring and summer both on my everyday walks and dressed up for social events. 

I also snapped up the Sunshine Scarf in yellow and flamingo pink, top pic, which I'm wearing with the Becca sweater in lemonade and short tie wrap in flamingo pink. I bought a couple of basics too in terms of tops and another short tie wrap. 

Make-up Used

Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid in Honey, Too Faced Papa Don't Peach blusher, Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift in deep brown, Suqqu Waterproof Mascara 107, Look Fabulous Forever Soft Eyeliner in forest green and No Shimmer Eyeshade Trio in Soft Greens plus lipsticks True Coral (top pic) and Sunset Glow (second pic). Highlighter: Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow in Crystal Nebula.

CHANGING MY DIET

Back in 2019 I started eating low carb and it's helped me to keep off the weight. Cue reminder pic of me in 2002, to show you what I used to look like, three and a half stones heavier, at 12 stone 7 pounds  (175 pounds or 79kg). 

I'd seen research that suggested it wasn't a great diet long-term, and I didn't think much about it.  That is, until I had a blood test when I signed up for the NHS Our Future Health initiative  (read about it here). My triglycerides were so high they couldn't get a reading for cholesterol.  

When I Googled high triglycerides, it suggested that this affects obese people who eat processed foods and sugar, as well as those who consume too much alcohol and those who don't exercise.

I immediately cut out my lunches of full fat Greek yoghurt layered with toasted nuts and berries, and reduced my my high consumption of cheese.  I then took a private blood test with Medichecks - you do it yourself and send the sample to them for analysis.  Four weeks had elapsed and everything was normal  (including triglycerides) except for my cholesterol which is high, both for "good" and "bad" markers.

My risk of heart disease is still mercifully low because I have hereditary low blood pressure. But it's still been a wake-up call. 

My diet was mainly deficient in grains, fruit and pulses, so I'm gradually reintroducing them.  I've decided to have red meat only very occasionally and to increase consumption of fish. I'm also reducing consumption of eggs, although they seem to be exonerated in most research I've seen lately, and swapping my egg breakfasts for overnight oats, porridge or smoothies with oat milk, cacao and berries. 

The thing that bugs me the most is the full fat business.  

The British Heart Foundation has a low cholesterol diet on its website and it recommends everything should be low fat: yoghurt, milk and cheese, with vegetable spread instead of butter and vegetable oil instead of coconut oil for cooking.  I find this odd because low fat foods, and vegetable spreads and oils, are generally highly processed and/or full of sugar. 

I still can't bring myself to buy low fat yoghurt so that's an avenue of pleasure closed.

I'm not expecting to lose weight but I hope to see the cholesterol levels drop.  I pledged to myself that I would do everything I can to stay in good health and not require prescription drugs. 

International Women's Day

In honour of today I bought a book from Amazon which is from a first time author in her 50s:  Trespasses by Louise Kennedy.  It's been long listed for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023. It's the haunting tale of a Protestant-Catholic love affair.  Another debut novel, Fire Rush from Jacqueline Crooks, also in her 50s, made the long list too.  It just goes to show that we are not past it in our 50s and beyond!

What's your view on new beginnings for spring?  Have you made any fashion buys yet? Do let us know in the comments.

Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Weekday Wear at Away from the Blue, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Rena at Fine Whatever, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Confident Twosday at I Do Declaire, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness  and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge,  Thursday Fashion Files at Doused in Pink, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style,  Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle,  Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, Curated by Jennifer (Wednesdays). 

Wow On Wednesday Link-Up

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the weekly link-up with extra goodness. Readers can find new blogs to read, and bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers can find new audiences! Plus I promote five to six posts that caught my eye each weekend on FB and Twitter. The week's favourites - most clicked - are shared on Instagram Stories on Wednesday.

Last Week's Favourites (Most Clicked) 

Layering with a Vest During Bridge Season by Di from I Wish I was Back in Style 

9 Spring Trends You can Actually Wear from Kellyann of This Blonde's Shopping Bag

Heather from Bauchle Fashion with 5 Must-Have Thrift Fashionphile Finds

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

How Much Longer Can Brands Ignore the Revenue Opportunity of Older Women?

 & #WowOnWednesday

Brands are failing to represent older women in their ads and on websites,  even though nearly 60% of women over 40 buy more clothes now than they did in their teens or 20s.

This huge discrepancy is highlighted in the 2023 Is This Mutton annual survey.  

Buttoned Up: Style Not Age Challenge

 

Dear friends. It's time for the Style Not Age Challenge and this month it's my turn.  We're Buttoned Up! 

If you're not familiar with this challenge, five style bloggers over 45 tackle a different one each month. 

February in Review: Art, Abba, Health, TV and More

 #WBOYC

Dear friends. Another month has sped by and we are nearly in spring. I'm joining Donna, Joanne and Sue for #WhatsBeenOnYourCalendar. Quite a busy and varied month!

Is Your Cashmere Ethical?

& #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Sorry to add another worry to the list, but are your cashmere sweaters and cardigans ethical?

Unfortunately, cashmere, that most luxurious of yarns, has the most destructive environmental impact of any animal-derived fibre.  Plus, as it comes from the winter coats of goats, it also involves animal exploitation, cruelty, stress and injuries. Goats have a nervous system and can suffer and feel pain. 

But fortunately ethical suppliers are addressing some of the problems, and there's a welcome trend for seeing cashmere restored and recycled, which means we can buy with a clear conscience.

Bright Outfits, Chewbacca and Abba!

& #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. I don't expect you ever thought you'd see that triumvirate feature together in a style blog.  Put your feet up, this could be a long post.

Further to my January Brights post, here are more colourful outfits which I've been wearing for various challenges on IG/FB, and on outings. 

Feeling Your Way to the Best Colours

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Imagine finding your best colours with your eyes shut. In today's post we're finding out about Feeling Colours, a Bath-based business that throws the usual method of colour analysis out of the window. 

Alison Bowker has been running Feeling Colours since 2018. She describes herself as a guide rather than a colour consultant. In her method of colour analysis your body responds to the vibrations of colours. The outcome is a seasonal colour rating and the knowledge that you have a swatch of colours that will flatter you and make you feel fabulous. 

Walk into Style

 & #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Happy February! Regular readers will know I do a lot of walking. I'm very keen to encourage more people to take up walking and enjoy the health benefits. I was thrilled when Cotton Traders asked me to join their Walk Into Style campaign to show how bright pops of colour can liven up a winter walking wardrobe.

January Blues! Style Not Age Challenge

 

Dear friends. Ah, January. Everyone's favourite! It's cold and dreary; some of us are giving up alcohol or buying clothes; many of us are hard up after Christmas.  So it's not surprising there's a "Blue Monday" when we're supposed to be at our lowest ebb. But here's the #StyleNotAge gang to cheer you up with some colourful blues.

What's In Your Wardrobe? The 2023 Is This Mutton Survey

& #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. It's survey time! This year we're asking about what's in your wardrobe and we want to see a few numbers. How many wardrobes? How many pairs of shoes?  But it's not all frivolous. We're also keen to see how you're buying fashion and how you're disposing of it. Have brands improved their representation of older women in ads and on websites?

January is Bright

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. January started off bright with a blue sky but has now reverted to grey with rain, so I'm determined to add some colour.

Jodie over at JTouchofStyle is hosting a challenge on her blog and IG, #BrightColorJanuary. Well, you know I like a few bright colours!

I've developed a bit of a passion for yellow. I never thought it suited me, but then I discovered Kettlewell's acid yellow, for those seasonally analysed as winter or spring, and more recently, the warmer spring yellows such as lemonade, canary and light yellow.

I love these sunny yellows with red. It's a bit in your face. but bright colours are mood pleasers.  Here I'm wearing the supersoft jacket in canary yellow and cream/sunshine yellow stripy pima tee, both from Kettlewell.  Draped over the bag is an infinity scarf in mimosa. The red trousers are from Robell, and the red boots, from Lotus, are old. Necklace, old, from Eternal Collection.

In the top pic, and below, I'm wearing a Kettlewell ponte skirt in true red, which I bought pre-loved;  their short tie wrap in scarlet, sleeveless V neck in buttermilk and a supersoft scarf in apple blossom from Colour Me Beautiful.  This outfit, although featuring quite a lot of red, is dialled down by the neutral top and the light green. There's no need to be scared of wearing bright red over 50.  The secret is finding the right red for your skin tone. 

Like a lot of you, I suspect, I'm trying not to buy any new or pre-loved clothes in January.  I really don't need anything new, there are too many things I hardly ever wear. So I'll be shopping my wardrobe and finding new colour combinations. I'll probably continue into February but it depends when the Kettlewell spring range is launched.  I've learnt from experience that a lot of the colours for those coded spring sell out very fast, and I'll be looking for a couple of pieces.

Make-up details: lipstick Strawberry Shock by Lisa Eldridge with MAC Lip Glass, clear;  foundation Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid in Honey; blusher Papa Don't Peach by Too Faced, eye shadow in Naked Lunch by MAC;  Legit Lashes mascara by Huda Beauty. 

Find out more about my plans for 2023, including fitness and travel. 

Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Weekday Wear at Away from the Blue, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Rena at Fine Whatever, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness  and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge,  TFF at Doused in Pink,, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style,  Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle,  Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi

Now it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up.  Bloggers, Instagrammers and YouTubers are invited to share new and evergreen content. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Sparkle and Shine: Style Not Age Challenge

 Dear friends.  it's fitting that the Style Not Age Challenge is "Sparkle and Shine."

I was initially a bit panicky because I didn't think I had enough sparkly clothes to make an outfit.  I've been trying to pare down my wardrobe,  to make it more suitable for my lifestyle. A few sequin items have already found their way to a charity shop.

Christmas Collection

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Here it is, the 2022 Christmas jumper (sweater to my US friends).  It's red with little sequin Christmas trees and came from TU at Sainsbury's.