Assorted Work Outfits and Link Up

It's been a very busy couple of weeks. No sooner had we got back from Parga then I had a big week at work with our biennial planning meeting and a team face-to-face.  I stayed in Cambridge for a few days and it all got off to a fun start with punting on the River Cam.  Here's the team, including our US colleagues.

With a few jugs of Pimm's and a lovely evening, it was a great way to spend an hour.

This is what I wore for the punting: a casual outfit of white jeans and jacket with a big splash of lilac, one of my favourite colours, in the top, brogue shoes and bag. (Notice how I obviously didn't check in the mirror before I took the photo, as the jacket loops are visible! Duh!).

I've been looking for a denim jacket for ages, and in particular, a more fitted version, because short boxy jackets don't suit me. I found this one on Amazon. I'm not sure it's very fitted but it's a good colour. Some of you recommended I wear a denim jacket with the Anthropologie dress I wore last year, and I think it looks much better worn this way and with white trainers.

One of my best buys this summer has been the cropped black culottes from Hope, which hold their shape very well and don't need ironing.
Here they're worn with a jacket that was thrifted  (last seen here), a square necked top from Kettlewell and sandals from Marks and Spencer (SS17).  My versatile midi length beige skirt, from M&S last year, works well with a camouflage t-shirt and gold mules (M&S, SS16).

One thing I've noticed since I got back from holiday is that the pigmentation on my face is looking  a lot worse.  If anyone has any recommendations for products that reduce it, I'd love to know.

Finally I've got some new leggings for the gym. These are from a firm fairly local to me, Yoga Leggs, and I have many pairs. They come up high to cover muffin tops, are soft and stretchy, and in a multitude of colours and patterns. This design is Lipstick Leopard, worn with a much loved (old) Adidas top.  Everything is delivered globally.

Disclosure: no items were gifted for this post. 

Sharing this post with #Welcome to the Weekend at Claire Justine, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Chic&Stylish at Mummabstylish, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style; Fabulous Friday at A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Anna at The Glamadventure,  Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee On The Edge, #iwillworkwhatIlike at Not Dressed as Lamb,#BloggerClubUK at My Random Musings, #MuttonStyleMondays at Muttonstyle, #Stylewithasmile at Stylesplash, Color and Grace

Now it's time to get Wowing for Wednesday.  Yes, it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link up. Last week's most clicked post was Mireille from Chez Mireille with her post What I Wore in Spain and France. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Parga Paradise

We've just spent 10 delightful days on the Greek mainland in the hilly, lush and beautiful town of Parga on the north west coast.

Or rather, eight and a half days, because for the first two days the weather was bad.

Vionic Kaitlyn Wedges

Sliding my feet into these sandals, I immediately felt I was walking on air. Spongy and supportive, these wedges are from Vionic who create very fashionable footwear with special foot bed technology for comfort.

I've styled them two ways:  a casual look with white jeans and a work wear look with black culottes.

The first look features the Pepe Patsy jeans which I featured here and a fun T-shirt. My blue sequin straw bag, which I'll be taking on holiday, is a few years old.  

In the work wear version, I'm wearing the smart black cropped trousers from Hope that I last featured here. The short sleeved knit top is another brilliant work wear piece, the sort I will wear all year long. 

Regular readers will have seen me feature Vionic's shoes before, here and here. Their footwear is now very fashion forward, under new leadership, but still has the same technology.  It's something called biomechanics, the science of the way we move. Experts in foot and body movement took their studies and created Vio‑Motion Support. Each Vionic shoe conceals this biomechanical technology under your foot to hug your arches like a natural footprint.

I will be confident enough to take the sandals  on holiday without breaking them in:  there's nothing to rub or chafe, and walking in them is very easy because of the wedge style. An excellent addition to my wardrobe!

Disclosure:  I was gifted with a pair of Vionic Kaitlyn sandals. As always, my opinions are my own and editorial clearance was not sought or given.

Striped Trousers from Tesco

Just a quick post to show you some striped trousers from Tesco, no less, worn with my new Oasis cream cardigan and last year's polka dot sling back shoes. Tesco's Florence and Fred range used to have a few surprisingly good items, but lately I haven't seen much that grabs me. Until I saw these trousers, which have an orange stripe.

A Personal Stylist Experience By Post - and Link Up

Bloggers in the US often write about receiving parcels of new clothes selected for them and sent to them by "personal stylists."  Until recently, we didn't have anything very similar in the UK. Personal stylists exist, but until now it's been in the form of advisers giving you guidance in person on how to shop or de-clutter your wardrobe.

I came across Stitch Fix via another UK blogger, Anna at Mutton Style, and decided to put them to the test.  This is not a sponsored post.

Recent Outfits and Why Instagram is Going to the Dogs

A quick round up of recent outfits, plus my thoughts on Instagram. Above, you've seen this pink skirt before but now I have added a pink jumper with an interesting animal print pattern and a few sequins, also from Marks and Spencer. 

This is what I wore to see Mark Knopfler at the O2.  An attempt at rock chick, with my sequin jacket and sunnies.

Mr Knopfler and Dire Straits somehow managed to elude me back in the day. I'm sure I categorised him as boring and too fond of the jangly guitar. But Mr Mutton is a fan, so in the interest of domestic harmony (and making sure Mr Mutton owes me one when I want to see a Harold Pinter), I bought the tickets.

I was a bit flabbergasted at how old Mr Knopfler looks at nearly 70, but I suppose I haven't seen him since the red bandana days (him, not me) of Sultans of Swing, whereas Elton has been ageing for years so it doesn't come as a shock to see him at 72.

Talking of Elton reminds me that the matte sequin jacket was bought for when we saw him in Belfast in 2016  (hitherto known as "the Elton John Jacket"). We're seeing him again in Liverpool in 2020 which gives me a new jacket opportunity. 

I was prepared to sit back and daydream, but in actual fact the music was very melodic, the band very virtuoso, and I quite enjoyed it. And it got a five star review in The Times. 

I've never really done camo or khaki cargo pants before but I was inspired by the likes of Jess from Elegantly Dressed and Stylish to buy this natty t-shirt from River Island and the trousers from Asos. With the trousers you should size down because they're a bit big. I'm attempting that half tuck again, but with no true conviction.

Beware of Scammers on Instagram

There's been a lot of outrage lately about bloggers with a fake (bought) following going on brand junkets. The younger bloggers in particular want to see them ostracized and named and shamed. 

Equally insidious to me is the number of scammer accounts who follow women like us.

Before Christmas, I was looking at the locations of my followers and was surprised to see so many from Nigeria.  I then started looking at the actual followers and realised a lot of them were dodgy accounts. Scammers. They have very few followers or posts, but usually they're following quite a few. Their posts typically show men in US military outfits, random flowers and sunsets, and they claim to be "God fearing men" or, strangely, orthopedic surgeons. Their game is contacting what they see as vulnerable, naive older women, and starting up an online relationship to gradually extort money.

Quite often they send me direct messages, usually referring to me as "dear", which is a red flag right away, and I block and report them.

Instagram is very slow to deal with these.  I spent hours over Christmas deleting all the ones that had followed me and I hadn't spotted them.  It reduced my following by a thousand. Yes, a thousand, and all fake bots or scammers. 

I now remove new ones every day.

Disclosure: no items were gifted.

Sharing this post with: Creative Mondays at Claire Justine, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Chic&Stylish at Mummabstylish, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style; Fabulous Friday at A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Anna at The Glamadventure, Spread the Kindness at Shelbee On The Edge, #iwillworkwhatIlike at Not Dressed as Lamb,#BloggerClubUK at My Random Musings, #MuttonStyleMondays at Muttonstyle, #Stylewithasmile at Stylesplash, Color and Grace

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Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for the #WowOnWednesday link up.