Late bloomers

Late bloomers

Monday 14 September 2020

Jane and Beryl are finally having a moment in the garden to appreciate and indeed dress up in some late blooms. This is of course ironic, as our gals are themselves, late bloomers. In their thirties, Jane had mousy hair and a wardrobe of matching two pieces, while Beryl had a Liberty headband for each day of the week. It was only when they passed their half centuries that a sartorial blooming took place, and they started a blog. As they say of the women in  Callander Girls, 'Every stage of their growth has it's own beauty, but the last stage is the most glorious... 

Then very quickly they all go to seed.' 

Dress, vintage Debenhams, jumper, Pink Avocet, £80, shoes, pre-loved Converse

Jane and Beryl have always loved this dress of Jane's - something about that gorgeous flower pattern - which has been tucked in the back of her boudoir since God was a girl. However, neither have ever quite found the occasion for it. With this lovely sloppy Joe from Pink Avocet over the top, Jane feels it has found its insouciant moment. Prolonging the life of your summer kit with a knit, is a marvellous way to feel smug about getting the required 30 wears out of every item.

Hat £10, linen shirt £3.50 charity shop, skirt M&S past season.
Slides £10 charity shop

  Beryl loves some big skirt energy, and this one has probably been worn fifty times and has appeared on this blog regularly in many guises. A great garment is truly loved and worn frequently, (no disposable fashion to be found here) and its late summer reincarnation is with a charity shop linen shirt. This look is very Carolina Herrera, an older woman whose style Beryl hugely admires.  

Dress and silk jacket, both pre-loved £8 and £15 respectively,
shoes, Jigsaw, £89, sale

Hmm, 'arancia' - Jane has spent lockdown learning Italian on that Duolingo app - or 'orange' to the uninitiated, has never been Jane's colour, and this is rather the proof of the pudding, (do stop making food allusions, says Beryl, you're making me hungry.) While Jane loves both these items in theory, in reality, her complexion can't handle this much shiny orange - you can have them back, Beryl.

Trousers by Boden £90 (Spring season) Charity shop blouse £5, 

Charity shop mules £7

This blouse is one of the most hilariously eccentric garments Beryl has ever owned, and that's not a particularly small category, we can tell you. Made of silk it came from The British Red Cross and cost a fiver but, like Beryl herself, it has a more exotic past (she wishes, says Jane). It hails from Louise Moda Postano in Italy, where the eponymous Louise has been making brightly coloured floral clothing since 1963, on this rocky outcrop of the Almafi Coast. All Beryl can say is, 'That's amore.' 

Dress, vintage Ghost, jacket, pre-loved Gianni shirt  £12  shoes, as before

All Jane can see here is her sad-assed, scraggy lockdown hair - thank goodness it was cut the day after this was taken. The Gianni shirt was a bit of a find from Second Hand Rose in Bradford upon Avon, Jane's current favourite dress agency. As she is smugly telling the world, she has only bought two new pieces since last Christmas, mainly because she has been stocking up on pre-loved from this marvellous emporium (more to come on this theme soon from Jane and Beryl as they will shortly be celebrating Second Hand September).

Pre-love Hobbs Dress £25, vintage Hat, vintage floral evening bag

Sadly this does have to go!

 Charming though it is, Beryl is losing the battle to keep this frock up, and a wardrobe malfunction is not a good look in a woman whose next big birthday comes with a bus pass. Why don't you put straps on it, Beryl, we hear you cry? Because this just segments our Beryl's oozing back fat, like a saggy bottomed chair that has just been re-webbed. Bezza, like a flower that turned into a seed head, is now officially declaring strapless dresses over in her life.

Dress, £38, The White House Sale, trousers, made by Jane, shoes, as before

Jane may look as if the mutt is welcome in her world, but do not be deceived: Jane and dogs are not a match made in Heaven and she is secretly muttering under her breath, 'bugger off, grubby mongrel.' Beryl is affronted, naturally, as Arthur is her pride and joy, and neither grubby nor a mongrel. She may concede, however, that on a wet day in the garden, dogs and white trousers are best kept apart.

Dress Stein Goya (£200 in a sale)
Preloved basket bag £10 Joules Welly-bobs £39

And finally, Beryl's favourite frock. It is always worth analysing why a garment is successful, particularly if, like Jane and Beryl, you are trying to reduce the amount of new clothing in your life. This silk dress has big sleeves and an open neckline, which successfully divides and conquers Beryl's jumper-lumpas. The drawstring waist-line, accommodates any amount of greedy cake eating. and a pair of boots and a trench coat, take it snappily into winter. Arthur, however, remains singularly unimpressed.