Skirt Styling Fun

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Today I'm bringing you a Skirt Special with the help of some friends, old and new.  Using the hash tag #7DaySkirtChallenge we showed a different skirt each day, or the same skirt each day but styled differently.

I love skirts and was thinking I wouldn't wear them very much now that I've given up work. Not so! Many skirts are really comfortable, and with opaque tights, warm in winter. And they give us so many looks because you can totally change the look of a skirt depending on the footwear, tights and top(s) you wear with  it.

My biggest skirt hit of the challenge was the stunning peacock bias skirt, above, which is new from Hope Fashion.  This is a small UK company who used to specialise in foundation garments, but their collections now feature some beautiful pieces which are real design statements. 

Originally I'd planned to wear the skirt with aquamarine or a bright turquoise, but I didn't have anything that worked. I had just taken delivery of a bright apricot v neck top from Kettlewell, and figured it would go well with my (old) warm yellow boots and Georgian necklaces.  These colours all feature in the skirt.

For me, enhancing a skirt is all about accessories.  Tights, boots, jewellery and bags. The sharp eyed among you will have noticed that 3 of my skirts are the same: the ruched skirt from Kettlewell, which comes in several colours for those seasonally analysed.  I have a fourth, in jade, but I was struggling to accessorize it properly, so it'll be shown another day.

On the far right I'm wearing a pre-loved skirt, a gorgeous Ghost skirt in pale pink and orange, which I bought for £10 from one of my Kettlewell friends. The other look I'm really pleased with is the pansy ruched skirt with lavender jacket and fresh green top (all Kettlewell), which I wore to the book event I covered here. 

So how did the other participants get on? In addition to blogger friends Mireille, Penny, Veronica, Marsha, Jill and Lucy (one entry but she was so busy), I made some new friends on Instagram who had seen the hash tag, plus a friend and former colleague Oxana. 

Oxana, a digital marketer in her 40s who lives near Cambridge, chose the most difficult version of the challenge, which is styling the same skirt 7 ways. Here are her two favourite looks. The gorgeous cream cardigan from Jaeger gives the skirt a different vibe than the leather jacket.  On IG Oxana's handle is @oxanaloves

Here's Australian blogger Jill from Grownup Glamour in a toffee colour tulle skirt from Rundholz paired with a bright multi coloured Ted Baker blouse. Jill's trademark style is statement skirts with fabulous accessories, particularly hats. Find Jill on IG @grownupglamour

Nadia Kaminski - @yet_another_mommy - is 52, married for 33 years and mom of 3 boys. She lives in  Central Massachusetts, 1 hour from Boston. Nadia hasn't worked for a while, but is an interior designer. She also makes jewelry and has an Etsy page. The thick, cosy skirt is from Ann Taylor and Nadia thinks it will be perfect for Thanksgiving.  Sweater and shoes are both from Talbots.

Terri Durling, @glammas.closet, dazzled us with her use of colour.  Terri likes to combine old and new to inspire us to wear what makes us happy, regardless of age. Terri, from Halifax, Novia Scotia in Canada, worked as an executive and legal assistant before retiring. After spending a year at home, she started looking at her work clothes to start selling or donating them, but couldn't part with them. Instead she went back to work for another five and a half years before retiring for the second time a couple of years ago. 

Here she is wearing a green culottes skirt and knitted sweater vest., plus her poppy. Like the UK, Canada has Remembrance Day in November to remember those who died in the world's conflicts.

Mireille, well known to you from her blog Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom, wore this outfit on a date night. The skirt was thrifted and the cropped cardigan was picked up at TJ Maxx. Mireille is a mother of four and shares budget friendly tips about fashion, travel and parenthood. Find her on IG: @chezmireillefashiontravelmom.

Now meet Sali, @market.gal, who's 53 on Friday. She is a U.S expat living in Italy. Sali loves browsing markets and vintage shops. She's a firm believer in slow fashion wardrobe and community. Her motto is “wear what you love and what makes you happy”, with a style summed up as quirky, colorful and comfortable. 

Finally Marsha @marsha_in_the_middle, who's wearing her favourite skirt from the challenge, from her favourite retailer, April Cornell.  The denim skirt adds some attitude to the maxi skirt. 

Before 2015, Marsha had never lived farther than eight miles from the hospital where she was born.  In 2015, she and her husband moved a few hours south to a suburb of Indianapolis, US.  She began blogging last year because "I didn't see many people who looked like me, and I needed something to do with my brain!"

Marsha says she has loved April Cornell clothing for decades.  She has a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren plus a spoiled Westie.  

Do check out the other participants on Instagram: search using #7dayskirtchallenge.  I'll be running the challenge again in early summer. 

I hope you enjoyed all our skirts and styling, and that we might have inspired you to pull a skirt or two out of the wardrobe.  I've been newly reunited with 3 pairs of my boots - they'd been "lost" in the loft - so I'm going to carry on wearing skirts for a while! 

Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness  and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile  at Stylesplash, TFF at Doused in Pink,Confident Twosday at IDoDeclaire, Rena at Fine Whatever,, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Link Up Pot Pourri at My Bijou Life, Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle,  Fabulous Fridays at Lucy Bertoldi, Friendship Friday at Create with Joy, Wonderful Wednesday at Oh My Heartsie Girl , Trend Spin at The Fashion Canvas, The Happy Now Link-Up at JENerallyInformed

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

Last Week's Favourites

Another skirt! Claire Justine's post "Green Glitter Jumper And Silver Skirt With Boots". Claire is taking a quote from Ella Woodward, "When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day" with her sparkling green jumper and metallic skirt. 

Penny from Frugal Fashion asks "Up to London but where has my sense of style gone?"  Not very far, I don't think! Here's Penny at her best - she took part in the #7dayskirtchallenge. If you haven't read her post, there are some amazing pictures of an exhibition of Africa Fashion at the V&A Museum.

We loved Amber's stunning photography from her holiday in the Greek Islands, Croatia and Venice:  "Travel; Style: September Europe Outfits". 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter