Every Day Outfits - Casual and Work

My work wear look is mainly constructed around "statement shirts" with boots that match or contrast with them, and a skirt or trousers and cardigan in neutrals. 

The shirt above was in the sale at the Bias-Cut.com. I love the colour combination, particularly with the green sleeves and the yellow stripe around the collar and cuffs which co-ordinates perfectly with my yellow boots  (Sainsbury's, 2018). It's too cold in our brutally air conditioned office to wear a shirt on its own so I wore it with my green poncho.

Something about January makes me reach for sequins to bring some light into the dreary days. I have long espoused sequins for day time. If you need reminding, have a read of these:  Sequins for Summer; Sequins for Daytime.

Above is a red sequin number.  The cardigan was a Christmas present. I sized up in this Boden cropped cashmere cardi, choosing a large. In spring and summer I like to wear a colourful cropped cardi buttoned up over a pencil style skirt, but in winter I prefer a black cardigan for warmth and like it to be a bit longer, but not as long as a "standard" cardigan which can look a bit ageing.  A cropped style doesn't work so well with a  longer asymmetric skirt. 

I love how the green thrifted necklace adds even more bling to the outfit, while the snakeskin neoprene boots add some interest. 

Sometimes on a bitterly cold day a big cosy jumper (sweater) is required. This one came from Tesco, so yes, fast fashion, but I've worn it a lot and will continue to wear it over the next few winters, so I'm not feeling bad about it. A large shapeless jumper can swamp me so I added a belt, and the trousers are my faithful old "Rupert Bears" from the early 90s.  I love the rucksack, it was another Christmas present and came from Marks and Spencer.  It has a zip round the top of the rucksack so that nasty hands can't reach into the bag while my back is (literally) turned, always a fear when you're in a busy city like London.

Here's another way of making a baggy jumper/sweater slightly more workable.  This one was a purchase last winter. I did the side tuck.  Adding soft ankle boots in the same colour as the jeans makes my short legs look longer.  With the gold boots below, it's more apparent the jeans are too short.

How do I look good in casual wear?

One of the most frequently asked questions by women over 50 is: what to wear for casual, every day use. I used to struggle with this, tending to wear functional not fashionable, athleisure and my hiking sweatshirts.  My recipe now is to have a few tee shirts which you like, and wear them with jeans and a loose cashmere jumper or cardigan and interesting boots.

Cheap colourful t-shirts are not the solution - they don't flatter and they don't wash very well, losing their shape very quickly. So I spend a little more on t-shirts, preferably made of organic cotton. The t-shirt above came from eBay - I also have a couple the same from Ted Baker "Wake me for champagne" and a lovely black one with a space motif from The Bias Cut.

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Pink Boots Walk Me to the Ballet

Dear friends. I've been wanting a pair of bright pink boots for a long time. Finally Hush have a pair, but too late for me: I had found a pair on US website FSJ and they've finally arrived. I wore my new boots for a trip to the Coliseum in London for the 70th anniversary gala performance of English National Ballet. It was an outing for Les Deux Moutons - I was accompanied by Anna from Mutton Style.

It was a beautiful day in London and we took some fun photos in Trafalgar Square to take advantage of that blue sky.

Next, lunch, and I had found the most perfect place in the same road as the theatre: the St Martin's Lane Hotel, which is very discreet and, inside, full of Instagrammable photo opps.  We enjoyed their signature cocktail, coco-ito, and I had seared tuna with a sesame crust.

Then it was down to the Coliseum for the matinee performance.  Matinees are perfect in winter, I always think, because dark, cold evenings are very off putting to venture out. The Coliseum is my favourite theatre: it's beautiful and the seats have a large pitch and are very comfortable. Also, the women's washroom I visited is BIG, which in itself is unusual in a Victorian theatre.

The performance started with a video where dance luminaries and former artistic directors described the company, its character and its evolution.

I have always preferred ENB to the Royal Ballet, which has become (to my mind) a bit too corporate and formal. ENB has always had an air of free spirit about it, while latest artistic director Tamara Rojo has brought more balletic precision to the corps.

I became a lover of ballet in my early years as a newspaper reporter when I was given tickets to see La Fille Mal Gardee because the deputy editor couldn't go.  I actually hated that one (and still dislike the works of that particular choreographer) but persevered and took my mum to a performance of a triple bill in a big top in Exeter.  We were hooked.  Ballet can be incredibly immersive.  I find myself getting lost in the beautiful music, the lithe bodies so graceful, and the other-worldliness of the stage and theatre.

I Saw Rudolf Nureyev Twice

Over the years I have seen some wonderful performances.  I saw Rudolf Nureyev twice, in 1983 and 1986. He was nearing the end of his career but still had the most amazing charisma.  It brought memories back of how some devoted followers had thrown red roses from a box at the Coliseum, and Rudolf picked them up and was so gracious as he accepted them. You could tell he lived for performing.

One of my specialist subjects should I ever go on Mastermind is the Russian dancer Nijinsky, and I have seen recreations of some of his choreography and productions (my absolute favourites) including Nureyev in L'Apres Midi D'Un Faun and Le Spectre de la Rose. The latter, a short work, is to my mind one of the most beautiful of ballets. A young girl clutches a rose as she drifts off to sleep, remembering a dance. During the night, the spirit of the rose leaps through the window and dances as she sleeps.

Back to the ENB Gala Performance, and the first act was a vibrant and spirited collection of excerpts, both modern and traditional. A few of them I had never seen before so it was a brilliant taster to find ballets you would like to see full-length, including for me Giselle, because ENB's modern new version looks entirely different to the traditional version I saw years ago.

After the interval and a glass of champagne, the second act was one of ENB's most celebrated pieces, Etudes. A fantastic performance full of light and shade.

I wore the pink boots with a green and pink dress that hasn't had many outings (Studio Preen at Debenhams) and topped with a teddy coat, as it was only around seven degrees despite the sun. That cute Aspinall trunk bag didn't make it to the ballet because it's too impractical - I couldn't squeeze in my phone, lipstick or brush!

Are you a balletomane? Which are your favourite productions? Do share in the comments.

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the weekly fashion, beauty and travel link-up that helps bloggers find new readers, and readers to find new blogs to enjoy! Please take a few minutes to visit some of the blogs and leave a comment, to make it worth their while taking part.

Last week's most popular post was by Hilda from Over The Hilda with her Top Tips for Travelling to Morocco.

My favourite post was by Shauna from Lipgloss and Lace and her post Walk On the Wild Side.  Now that I've got my pink boots, I'm coveting her gorgeous pink faux fur jacket! Look how it pops against the snowy background.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Latest Podcast, Book and TV Recommendations

Hi folks and welcome to Five for FriYAY, the occasional post that celebrates the coming weekend and gives some suggestions for great reading, viewing and listening.

Podcast: Postcards from Midlife 

There are quite a few new podcasts aimed for women in mid life. They usually cover all the negative aspects of being older, so unless there's humour, I find them a bit of a turn-off.

The Times has launched a new podcast called Postcards from Midlife, featuring Lorraine Candy, editor of their Style magazine and former editor of Elle, and Trish Halpin, former editor of Marie Claire and Red.  Both women are in their early 50s. The first episode featured a discussion on libido with Suzy Godson. A very promising start: the chemistry between Candy and Halpin is good, and there are a few jokes and witticisms.

Podcast: Man In The Window

If you like true crime, Man In The Window from LA Times/Wondery is an absolutely superb example of the genre.  It covers the crimes of a serial rapist and serial killer known variously as the East Area Rapist and the Golden State Killer. The criminal started his spree in the early 70s and committed at least 13 murders, more than 50 rapes, and over 100 burglaries in California until 1986.  He was only recently apprehended, thanks to amazingly complex and detailed genetic research.

The podcast is meticulously researched and presented by Paige St. John, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter. What's most fascinating about it is the attitude in the 70s towards rape.  It was hardly ever investigated as a crime.  Women who were raped were expected to keep quiet about it. There was certainly no counselling or help to recover.

One of the reasons that the serial killer and rapist went undiscovered for so long was that police forces refused to co-operate with each other, and there were often political reasons for not wanting to expose a series of crimes in an area. It was largely thanks to amateur crime buffs and retired police officers that progress was made.

The last episode is a discussion about attitudes to rape in the 70s and 80s. One of the saddest aspects of the case is that the law of statute in California expired very quickly in the 70s, so the criminal cannot be convicted for the rapes committed then.

TV: The Witcher, Atypical and Wisting 

We haven't had Netflix for long so we're like over-excited kids in the sweet shop.  Atypical is an amusing series about an adolescent with Asperger's and his family life. It's honest and can be both poignant and funny.  I was pleased to see Jennifer Jason-Leigh who was in some memorable films in the 90s, including the creepy Single White Female.

The Witcher is the "latest Game of Thrones clone," a fantasy series featuring Guernsey heart throb Henry Cavill. It's based on a series of novels by a Polish writer that are even more successful than GoT.  The series is not as good as GoT but it's entertaining. The main drawback is that not much is explained, so you're constantly having to look things up.

The drama constantly veers between the past, the present and the future, and it's hard to identify which period we're in. The Witcher is a man of few words but has a memorable and varied selection of grunts. Apparently he was a lot more talkative in the books, but the silent and brooding version portrayed by Cavill won the day.

Finally, on BBC 4  (and the iPlayer), Wisting, the Norwegian detective, was also dealing with a serial killer plus two members of the FBI who were flown over to help.  Episode five was absolutely gripping. Highly recommended.

Books: Another Tour de Force from Ian McEwan

In his latest novel Ian McEwan confronts the imminent battlefield of Artificial Intelligence and morals and ethics.  Machines Like Me is set in a surreal 1982 where Mrs Thatcher as Prime Minister has lost the Falklands War and is soon to be replaced by Tony Benn.  There is civil unrest because of robots replacing humans at work, and autonomous cars are commonplace.

A shiftless man, Charlie Friend, spends an inheritance on buying one of the first artificial humans, Adam.  Charlie and his girlfriend, who lives upstairs, agree to independently program Adam in terms of how they want to shape his personality, from various check lists.

Jealousy rears its ugly head when Charlie realises his girlfriend has been having sex with Adam, and Adam believes he is in love with her.  But worse is to come when the robot takes a very black and white view of a legal issue, and is unable to deal with nuances and interpretation as humans would. And faced with being used as slaves, and finding themselves in a world they can't understand, the artificial humans struggle to cope.  A fascinating and accessible read.

Books: Queenie, the Black Woman's Bridget Jones?

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams has been described thus, but I think it diminishes the quality and impact of this powerful book, which was short listed for the Costa First Novel Award.  The blurb on Amazon doesn't help:  "Queenie Jenkins can't cut a break. Well, apart from the one from her long term boyfriend, Tom. That's definitely just a break though. Definitely not a break up. Then there's her boss who doesn't seem to see her and her Caribbean family who don't seem to listen (if it's not Jesus or water rates, they're not interested). She's trying to fit in two worlds that don't really understand her. It's no wonder she's struggling."

There's far more to the book than it seems.  Queenie is trying to get through depression and has spiralled into self-destructive behaviour.  She emerges triumphant. I love the humorous touches and the sense of community in London.

Sharing this post with #ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb, Weekend Blog Hop at Claire Justine, Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge and #BloggerClubUK or #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings

FOR MORE MUTTON

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Remembering Your First Bra - and Link Up

In my pre-New Year post I talked about how I was going to approach blogging this year and how I  would work with fewer brands and choose them very carefully. Like most of us I adore lovely lingerie and I have a soft spot for brands that have been around for many years, with a strong heritage. So I was thrilled when Playtex got in touch.

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Make Your Views Heard: It's the Annual Is This Mutton? Survey - and link up

I need your help friends. Will you share your views on what it's like to be 50+ today?  It's the second Is This Mutton? survey, and since the first, a year ago, things have changed considerably for us.

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Sentence a Day: Christmas And More - December 2019

Sun Dec 1 December
Bright and sunny. Drove home from my mum's in Plymouth - a long journey, six hours.  Opened  the first window of my beauty Advent calendar. A big window indicating a big gift, a Morphe eyeshadow palette in neutral shades.

Mon Dec 2
V tired after weekend and long drive but went to office. Expecting to be in a different office but we haven't moved.

Tues 3
Posted vote for the General Election - I'll be on the way home from America when it happens.  Gym.

Weds 4
Up extra early to prepare salads for lunch and get my link up email out. Office. On my drive saw deer and a spectacular sunrise and sunset. Set up my new nativity stable.

Thurs 5
Thrilled that Advent calendar gift today was an Elemis day cream. Needed a new moisturiser. At work we exchanged our Secret Santa presents.  My mystery benefactor gave me a candle and some Lindor chocs.

Fri 6
At home. Raining.  Dreamed I was trying to swim across the Hoover Dam. Was struggling against the turbines.

Sat 7
Woke to devastating news, the husband of John's sister Kate had died in India. He was 58. Kate was already on her way from London, having been told he was deteriorating in hospital. He was very quiet but made a big impact on the world, particularly with the children's school he founded and funded in India.

I had a lot to do with my business trip to the US tomorrow. Gym, shopping, ironing.  Put the Christmas tree up. Packed case and gave myself a manicure. Wrote day by day menus for J.

Sun 8 December
Got to airport mega early. 10 hour flight,  bought a virtuous salad but didn't eat it as the curry smelt so good. Watched films Animal (entertaining),  Happy New Year Colin Burstead  (improvised drama about a dysfunctional family) and Ad Astra (overly long and ponderous).  Got to hotel in downtown San Jose at 5.30pm. Watched 2nd Mamma Mia film in room.  Music from bar in the courtyard seems very loud although I'm on 6th floor.

Mon 9 Decermber
In a big planning meeting until 3.30. Then we split into teams for a light hearted scavenger hunt. San Jose has lots of Christmas trees. Nice to get outdoors. Drinks. Then early night for me.

Tues 10 Dec
Went to our San Jose office for meets with colleagues.  Went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The Brits all got a bit crazy in the afternoon  - we couldn't figure out how to get water out of the tap, and found a human organ for transplant in the fridge!  (It wasn't really an organ but a very realistic bag.....).

Weds 11 Dec
Up at 4am. I don't mind this, I spend a couple of hours reading and doing emails. Then had a full day's meeting with the marketing team.  Part of it involved taking a partially written script, breaking into teams and dramatizing the rest of the story in video, podcast or "live" play format.  Day ended with a team dinner in hotel.

Thurs 12 Dec
Awake at 3am. Today we had a smaller meeting of the campaign team.  I had to leave before the team building activity for the airport, but as it was something I've done before  ("escape room") I wasn't bothered. The flight was delayed by a couple of hours. A technician had to drive from San Francisco to repair something. Saw the election exit poll before we boarded the plane, predicting a landslide win for the Conservatives  (which is what happened).

Friday 13 Dec
Finally back home.  Didn't sleep much. John went to a charity pub quiz, I was too tired.

Sat 14
Slept for 10 hours! Did food shopping, wrapped presents. Watched the final of Strictly Come Dancing.

Sun 15
Have a bad cough and sore throat, legacy of US trip. Didn't go to gym. Roast beef.

Mon 16
Hooray, reached target weight 9st 7, 1st time since 25 Aug 2016. Worked from home to avoid spreading cold germs around. Boiler not working! Arranged for British Gas to come tomorrow to fix it.

Tues 17 Dec
Worked from home.  Boiler sorted. Went to gym. Devastated to hear that one of the founders, Tracy, has died in her early 50s. Terrible news.

Weds 18
We finally moved into a different, larger, office in the same corridor.  Much bigger and tidier. Finally found pair hot pink boots - in the US - and ordered them.

Thurs 19
Still not sleeping well and feel very congested, so worked from home. Work is stressful, too much to do. Have neglected blog and not sure if I want to go back to it.

Fri 20
Worked nonstop. So much to do. So stressed I was weepy. John was nonplussed.

Sat 21
Quiet day of shopping and housework.

Sun 22
Had roast beef for lunch.  Depriving us of poultry until Xmas Day so we appreciate it more.

Mon 23
Finally I'm on holiday. Went with John's daughter and her husband to one of the carol concerts at the the Royal Albert Hall, with dinner first. Very festive and jolly.

Tues 24
Broke with tradition-  usually have sausage rolls and baked beans on Christmas Eve. Had falafals and salad. Determined not to regain any weight this Christmas.

Christmas Day
Woke up early and saw a lovely sunrise. Was spoilt with lots of presents.  Chatted to mum. on the phone, she was spending the day with my brother's family. Our roast turkey  crown wasn't dry (shocker!) although I did have one disaster where a tray of parsnips, carrots and squash got irredeemably burned. The crackers were a bit of a let down! Tiny metal cooking implements  (at least they weren't plastic).

Streamed and watched Oliver (1968) one of my all-time favourite films, even though I don't usually like musicals.

Boxing Day
Fun day with several family members round, including our baby granddaughter. More presents and games. Cooked a ham for lunch along with cold turkey, jacket potatoes, coleslaw and salads. Desserts were Heston's Golden Delicious Christmas pudding, cracking chocolate tart or sticky toffee pudding.

Fri 27
Mild with a blue sky. Went for a bracing walk and pub lunch. Very enjoyable

Sat 28
Went to the gym and shopping. Went to Rachel and Sean's for an hour. First time I've 'met' their new cat Eric.

Sun 29
Was planning  a big photography shoot for the blog but only took a couple of pictures in the end - enough for a blog post, the first for three weeks. Roast chicken.

Mon 30
Sunny. Went to the gym. Went in town  (London) to return something to what I call "the Mothership" (John Lewis).  It was strangely relaxing in the Haberdashery dept even though I don't knit or sew.  Watched last episode of The Witcher.

Tues 31 Dec: New Year's Eve
Did some photography and wrote a blog post for tomorrow. Watched In Search of The Wilderpeople, a quirky film from New Zealand. Asleep by 9.30, woke up at midnight with all the racket (fireworks etc). Happy New Year!

Join me tomorrow, Wednesday, for #WowOnWednesday.

Sharing this post with Claire Justine, #sharealllinkup at Not Dressed as Lamb,Spread the Kindness at Shelbee on the Edge, Muttonstyle and #BloggerClubUk or #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings.

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Latest Everyday Outfits - Work and Play

As promised in my pre-2020 post, I'm going to be showing more of my "everyday outfits" which seems to be a popular choice with you. Apologies for the quality of these photos which were mostly taken with my mobile. I've included links where these items are still available. Nothing was gifted.

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In the Green: Happy New Year! And #WowOnWednesday

I hope this first day of January 2020 finds you in fine fettle. I've got a mixed pot pourri today, covering Christmas presents, beauty Advent calendars and New Year's resolutions.

One of my presents from Mr Mutton was this green City Poncho from Kettlewell. I find ponchos very useful - they're good as a cardigan substitute indoors and in spring/autumn they're just right when you don't need a coat.

This one is in my favourite kelly green shade. Plus, it's in the sale, although not now in this colour.

I'm wearing it with my old Hush jeans and ankle boots from Sainsbury's (old).
I was given some fabulous beauty and skincare presents, below, including a huge palette of eye shadows by Morphe, the James Charles palette.  (I didn't know either, but he's apparently an "American Internet personality, beauty YouTuber and make-up artist").  I went to town with the green shades in my poncho picture.

I liked my 2019 beauty Advent calendar from Look Fantastic.  I'm not showing all the products - a Neal's Yard hand cream, for example, has already been taken to work. My favourite product was Elemis's Pro-Collagen Marine Cream which I have used before.  It came along at actually the right time:  I'd just finished a jar of moisturizer.  

I find some of the products perfect sizes for travelling. A very luxurious product, which I probably wouldn't buy for myself, was Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, Rose Gold Limited Edition. Gorgeous.  My stepdaughter had a different Advent calendar, the Space NK one, but her final product was also by Omorovicza. 

New Year's Resolutions

I don't tend to make many resolutions. January is such a dreary month it seems cruel to impose sanctions on one's self. Normally I start the new year determined to shed at least half a stone but I hit my target weight just before Christmas, after a low carb eating regime which started in September after a stay at Grayshott Spa.  I've found it a very easy way of eating, for me, and I've lost 12 pounds in total (just under 6 kg).  I could probably lose another half a stone to look more slender, but no, this would make me look more gaunt and wrinkled, so I take Barbara Cartland's advice: after a certain age, you can keep your body but lose your face. 

I'd like to start yoga again:  last year I did hardly any yoga because I couldn't find classes nearby at times which suited me.  I'm determined to find something on a Saturday or Sunday. It gets more important as we get older to retain flexibility and stretch.

Stand On One Leg

I'm going to stand on one foot more often (!) - for example when cleaning my teeth.  This is great for balance.

And my biggie, as far as exercise is concerned, is to take up the Walk 1000 Mile Challenge.  I attempted this in 2018, as training for the 200 mile Coast to Coast walk, and for the first four months of the year was determined to get out every day. I clocked up around 500 miles traipsing around Cambridge in my lunchtimes at work, and around the local area at home.  Some days I only walked for a mile and a half  (the daily target is 2.73 miles) but anything is better than nothing.

Getting some mileage under my belt will be good for when I join Mr Mutton in the Lake District for a few weekends.  He has set himself the goal of walking all of the Wainwrights in 2020 - that's 214 - and he'll be driving up during the week and staying there, coming back for the weekends. But occasionally I'll go up by train to join him. 

Walk 1000 Miles in 2020

If you want to give the Walk 1000 Miles Challenge a go, there's a thriving community on Facebook and you can get lots of support plus buy badges and other memorabilia at the Walk 1000 Miles website.

Another resolution I have is to organise more weekends and outings with Mr Mutton. He's often a bit resistant to this although he enjoys it once the activity is underway. I've already booked our June summer holiday in Greece and we're seeing Elton John in Liverpool in November, so that'll be a fun weekend away. I have a big birthday this year and need to give it some thought:  a party, dinner, holiday?  It's all to play for.

Now for the return of the #WowOnWednesday link up. This is a great way for bloggers and Instagrammers to find new readers, and for readers of this blog to discover new writers. Next week I will reveal the readers' most clicked, and my favourite post.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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