Tuesday 17 May 2016

              Middle Aged Women Seek Happy Clothes
             

Every year fashion magazines try to sell us the notion that all we need to do is buy a few exciting a la mode items, and our wardrobes will be miraculously transformed into the epitome of voguish style. Jane and Beryl have thus set about testing this theory, can indeed their old clothes be gussied up with just a few additions?

Beryl says "Botanical prints, Jane, where are they?" and Jane scurries off to search her wardrobe and finds this pair of split front trousers which she bought last year at Zara. She hasn't worn them that much although they are comfy and cool: why, they wonder? Could it be that they needed a bit of a colour pop? This year, Jane is planning to add a pair of orange sandals and an orange bag, so Jane will be completely on the fashion button, says Beryl. The sandals came from Hetre for £15 in Alresford, and the bag from 

Aspiga for £40.

This spring, for Beryl, orange is the new black. Picking out a few items in whatever is the colour of the season, is a good updating ruse, but only if it suits you and you like it.   

Forgive the pun but Beryl is rocking a splashy print, prints are big this spring in both senses of the word. This dress is from Laura Ashley and cost £79 on a 20% off day. There is nothing more quintessentially English than a 1950's inspired sundress, and this is, if Beryl says so herself, a corker. It covers her jumper lumps a treat, a relief for her lunchtime guests. Hat from Roxtons £49, and shoes £110, Mint Velvet, wicker bag £5, 

from a charity shop.

Green is not a colour Jane favours usually, so was pleased with herself for not purchasing yet another serial buy of blue or possibly pink. This edge to edge cardi (it's not waterfall, it's not, it's not it's not) has a bohemian vibe with its tassels and hood ( a hood on a nearly 55 year-old! we know, it's shocking), and Jane anticipates that it will be a well-loved coverall for the summer especially at the good price of £32. Jane and Beryl believe cardi-wearing of any sort to be treacherous waters on the WOACA, as they add age faster than candles on a cake. She is wearing it with pantaloon cotton trousers (£35) and rafia shoes also £35 both from a local sale.

This spring our Beryl can also be seen in the printed trouser. Beryl has been chary of a printed pant in the past but now, of course, cannot remember exactly why. Something vaguely to do with the 1980's and Betty Barclay had previously held her back. However, like all newly reformed printed trews wearers, she is evangelical in her zeal. These are £55 and hail from Seasalt. Worn with an old Ghost top. 

In this episode of Tales of the River Bank, Jane has resurrected a brown linen dress of uncertain vintage which she has always loved but not actually worn very much (is this becoming a theme, we wonder?) She has put it with a new cardi and has hopefully avoided the pitfall as outlined above. This one is in a beautiful shade of clotted cream and is really a size too small for this brown rat, but this is one way of keeping cardigans from going granny. It was £32.

How to pep up a linen suit. Both Jane and Beryl have a predilection for these. They multi-task brilliantly, and pepped up, pop up at all sorts of events. Here, Beryl is wearing her second hand Hobbs (£40) suit of last year, with a new 100% Lino top bought in a sale for £79. Jigsaw have a pale pink suit this year which fulfils the brief. 

Jane loves nothing better than mincing about with a parasol a la Indian Summers (more of which in another blog), but here she is really trying to show off her latest charity shop buy which is a sleeveless shirt from the beloved H&M for £4, here with a pair of sale trousers from St Ives for £18.

The new season item here is the geometric top. The bright colours and pattern act as a good foil to a cream Precis pencil skirt, which was bought to go to a christening and requires a little reinvention in order to be worn this summer. Watch out everyone, Ratty and Mole are coming.