Style without shopping or how to get the most from your summer clothes

Style without shopping or how to get the most from your summer clothes

Thursday 1 October 2020

Mint Velvet cotton jumper £69, Boden skirt £99,
both Spring 2020. Second hand white boots £25 House of Gallet.
Kate Spade handbag, TK Maxx

All the style of autumn without leaving your wardrobe. This week, Jane and Beryl use their summer kit as a basis to take them into autumn, now it's getting darned cold out there even in the sunshine. They are layering up, adding jackets and jumpers and even furry coats and boots so that they can sit outside in their groups of six into the autumn evenings, possibly round a camp fire - dib, dib, dib.

Dress, vintage Jackpot, £79, blazer, Mint Velvet sale, £69,
boots, Jones the Bootmaker, £75

A jacket over a dress - a classic combo, one which both Jane and Beryl like a lot and which can extend the life of summer frocks. However, it is one which can go a tad headmistress or lady JP. Jane is hoping to avoid this by putting a bright red blazer over a linen dress with red suede ankle boots. Don't think too many beaks will be sporting these.

Beryl is going to whisper this as Jane may be a little shocked, but it is possible to wear many of your clothes all year round. Particularly if they are chosen with care. The Eyes (Handmaiden's Tale) are not going to arrest you and throw you in the back of a wagon, if you are caught wearing a summer frock with a polo neck underneath, in November. Here Bezza pops her pink jacket of several seasons ago, over a this season's (Autumn) Jigsaw maxi. The belt, came with a charity shop Monsoon frock, and just happens to be the right colour.  

Dress, as before, coat, Edina Ronay, vintage

Jane had thought that her faux fur, beloved though it is, would not put in an appearance until the depths of winter, but here we are, not yet October, and it is finding its moment centre stage. Truth be told, she pinched the idea from her fellow book clubber when they were sitting outside into the late summer evening discussing Proust, (or some such). Thanks, Letitia, great idea.

Obviously, that is a lie, no-one has ever discussed Proust at Jane and Beryl's book club! What to do with a glut of courgettes? yes, Proust, no. Talking of inspiration however, Beryl has taken a style hack from her youngest daughter AKA, The pocket size thrifter, and stuck her jumper over her light weight dress. Esme favours a shrunken cable knit over a summer frock, when the nights are to fair drawing in. 

The bright young things are particularly good at multi-tasking inter-seasonal clothing because they do not have the budget for extraneous garments. Beryl has that shrivelling feeling of a hypocrite,  as she loves superfluous clobber as much as the next clothes obsessed fash-hag, but is earnestly trying to reform. 

 

Dress, as before, cardigan,  

Now is the moment for the large, sloppy cardi to have at least a walk on part in the WOACA's wardrobe. Jane and Beryl are as careful with cardis as they are with jackets: never mind school marms and legal beagles, a misjudged cardigan can go the full frump. Our duo like to keep them casual and oversized for maximum style impact and minimum frump.

Jacket, as before, shirt, pre-loved M&S, £1, jeans, Gap, £29.95 (sale)

When the sun shines but it's turned chilly, Jane likes to sport a white jean: she can kid herself that it's still summer even when it's blatantly not. Anything we can do sartorially to keep the vibe of sunny, carefree days going as long as possible, must be done.

M&S lined lined coat £59, past season.
 Bag John Lewis £39 past season

Spinning out these last days of warm sunshine, Beryl is wearing her longer line linen blazer over various outfits to add warmth. This dress sports many colours and therefore is a good foil for Beryl's vast hoard of jackets and coats. 2020 it seems has wrought many changes on our lives, but perhaps a positive one, will be a rethink of our relationship with seasonal fashion. Very best wishes, from the coal face of middle-aged dressing, Beryl and Jane. 

P.S Photographed at the incomparable Compton Acres (and beach) in Bournemouth.