Saturday 5 January 2019

Sparkle and shine

As much as I enjoyed my days away from the rat race, a small part of me is breathing a sigh of relief that the silly season is over and we can all go back to normal.

January has made the quietest of starts but, as the holidays provided plenty of opportunities for taking outfit and other photos, I'll be blogging about the last week of December for a while yet.


So, let's start with the Saturday before Christmas which was, technically speaking, the first day of my holidays. Twelve days of freedom: sheer bliss!  I'm sure you can see how happy I was!

We didn't go far to take these photos. Walking down our street and passing the late 19th Century house which is home to the local history society, we thought its green front door would make the perfect backdrop, and a change from our garage's peeling white brick wall.



Behind the house is a recently established organic garden, which sadly is only open to the public once a year. 

That didn't stop us from making use of its decorative, rusty gate, which complemented my outfit rather nicely. I am partly obscuring the word TUIN, which is Flemish for garden.

The cream, pale blue and brown plaid winter coat, which I charity shopped many years ago, still remains a firm favourite. My other outerwear consisted of a blue crushed velvet scarf and a green beret.

On my feet, my recent, serendipitous charity shop find: a pair of wedge-heeled green booties. Essentials were carried in my good old mock croc bag.


As I was determined to wear some sparkle, I picked this purple and lilac patterned dress, which is shot through with lurex thread. I know it's hardly noticeable in the pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it. It was a sales bargain from Think Twice back in December 2017, up-cycled by me by changing its buttons. A brooch with a green stone was pinned to its lapel and I chose a green beaded necklace.


My charity shopped hot pink cardigan is edged in lurex too, and I added a sparkly blackbird brooch for good measure. Lilac tights (the package says Lavender) and one of my favourite belts, a 1980s lilac beauty, completed my outfit.


A little word of explanation about the green beret, which I picked up after a visit to my hairdresser the week before the holidays. If you are thinking I already owned a green beret, then you are right, but unfortunately I lost it. I could have hit myself, especially as it took me a while to find this exact shade of green. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to find a new one in a vintage-per-kilo shop near my hairdresser's salon. It's not exactly the same shade, but it will do. The turquoise beret came from the same shop, while the red vinyl handbag came from the Oxfam shop a couple of doors down.


But back to Saturday. Browsing our most local charity shop, I found this striped wicker basket. Even though the round bamboo handles are giving it a certain vintage appeal, it is quite new, as its (hot pink!) lining has a pocket for a phone. It's in perfect condition, and for just € 2, it is now mine.

The clothing rails, which at this particular time of year are full of party frocks and winter woollens, were a disappointment at first, until I happened upon not one but two plaid skirts.

Upon closer inspection, this one, in a black and white plaid and with a single pleat, both at the front and at the back, turned out to be made in England, and I was happy to see the Gor-Ray label.


The Gor-Ray company was established in the 1920s as a manufacturer of top-quality skirts and trousers, specializing in pleated, classically tailored skirts. Originally named C. Stillitz & Co., after its founder, its name was changed to Gor-Ray Ltd. in the early 1930s following the success of its leading product, a gored, sun-ray-pleated skirt.


Historically, pleats had been styled by folding and pressing the material, meaning that pleats inevitably lost their form and had to be periodically re-pressed in order to hold their shape.

Gor-Ray introduced new methods of permanently pleating material, whereby pleats would last as long as the garments themselves, technologies which are still relied upon in skirt manufacturing today. 


By the time we returned home and had parked our car, we were greeted by a fierce looking sky with a gathering of ominous rain clouds.

They were a prelude to Sunday's miserable weather, which I spent organizing my brooch collection. But I've already told you about this in a previous post.


Thankfully, it had stopped raining by Monday. If one looked carefully, there might even have been some patches of blue sky. But as it was Christmas Eve, we wisely avoided the crowds of last-minute shoppers by staying within Dove Cottage's confines and limiting our activities to some lazy pottering and reading. 


The dress I was wearing has always reminded me of Christmas, with its print of festive greenery and what looks like holly berries. The white flowers could even be Hellebores (Helleborus niger), commonly known as Christmas rose. 

I know I should get over these Yuletide connotations and wear it at other times too.



I added moss green tights, a red and white beaded necklace and my red beret, not that it was cold, but simply to hide the fact that my hair needed washing.  

Adding to the festive feel, I wore a frilly red knitted scarf, with its pink, green and blue stripes, as a stole.


Watching the sun go down from our sitting room's window, I quickly snapped this photo of the bands of pinkish clouds floating through the pale blue winter sky.


And then Christmas Day arrived and the sun was out in full force.

Aw, look at lazy Phoebe soaking up the sun's rays!  If the fabric covering the footstool looks familiar, it is the 1950s tablecloth I brought home from my parents' house the other day.

Sadly, it turned out to be too narrow for our dining table, so I had the brainwave to use it as a plaid.


When I was looking through an album of old photographs a couple of days later, I came across this one with the tablecloth in a starring role. The birthday girl cutting the cake is me, aged 5. Next to me is my paternal grandfather, who was also my godfather. 

But I'm digressing! Although we usually lounge around in our pyjamas all day on Christmas Day, the sun streaming in through our windows made us reconsider, so that after lunch we got dressed and went for a walk.

Dressed in a sparkly shift dress, with a crazy yellow, orange and acid green print on sky blue, I must have made quite a contrast to the other, fleece clad, dull-coloured walkers.

The only concession I'd made to this walking lark was a pair of worn-down old boots.


You've already seen the photos of our walk, but I wanted to take you through what I was wearing.

The dress was a lucky find in a vintage-per-kilo shop in Antwerp, its pristine label confirming that it must have been deadstock. It's from the Swedish Aspens brand, and the fabric contents shown as Asplene, which I presume is a relative of Crimplene, and Sildorex, its name suggesting that it might be responsible for the gold specks in the material.  

Although it is ever so slightly too big, there was no way I was going to leave so much fabulousness behind. Accessorized with a stretchy blue belt, a fluffy fake fur vest with a starburst brooch pinned to it and a statement necklace found at a flea market, I felt on top of the world that day.

I will be back with more holiday outfits in my next post.

Linking my sparkly purple, lilac and pink outfit to Nancy's Fancy Friday!


42 comments:

  1. You are looking very glamorous in these outfits! I love your Christmas Day outfit the most closely followed by the Christmas Rose one - such a lovely pattern. LOved the skirt especially with the spotty blouse.

    I couldn't tell you what the weather was doing on Christmas Day here; I never got the chance to look outside! I'm glad it was a sunny day for you and you were able to get out of your pjs and go for a walk.

    It's great you were able to replace your lost beret and score another one!

    Hope your weekend is going well.
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! I was quite pleased with my Christmas Day outfit myself, especially as it was just cobbled together at the last moment. Can't believe I was lucky enough to find another green beret! xxx

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  2. Are those per kilo vintage shops difficult to navigate? I've heard everything is just piled up in massive bins that you basically need to dive into to find anything, although you managed to find some great pieces there.

    I've been looking for different shades of berets. I prefer cotton which is hard to come by.

    I wish more of the companies had figured out how to make pleats permanent. I spend far too much time trying to iron them back in on vintage pieces I'm trying to sell. It is a nightmare. I've stopped buying pleats for a bit just to give myself and my iron a break.

    Love all your bold dresses.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. In fact, the two vintage per kilo shops here in Antwerp are both super organized, and thus very easy to negotiate. One of them has a couple of bins as well: I love rummaging through these and sometimes find treasure! xxx

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  3. Love your Birthday photo-if you let a 5 year old handle a knife in the US someone would call the authorities (we're so coddled, it is pathetic). All your outfits are fab but that last photo is just the greatest. I'm sure you were a welcome change from the fleece clad!

    Happiest of New Years to you and Jos.

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    1. I wouldn't feel "me" in fleece ... Oh, and on second thought, this might have been my 6th birthday. And I was probably just posing for the photo ;-) xxx

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  4. Gorgeous outfits as ever! I love your Christmas Day outfit, very colourful and cosy looking! Happy New Year!

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  5. Love the coat in the first few pictures. You have some amazing clothes - all the better for being from charity shops.
    Liz

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    1. Thanks Liz! Why shop new if it's all there in the charity shops, eh? xxx

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  6. love your sparkly and festive dresses!
    how cool to find two berets in such pretty colors!
    i want every single one of the gor-ray skirts in the adds - esp. as the pleats seem to be permanent. ususally this works only in plastic fabric, but i heard of some chemicals they could help to hold the pleating when added on wool or silk.......and look how neat the tartan is matched in your skirt!
    phoebe is such a sweet cat cuddling on the legendary table cloth :-D
    hugsies! xxxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! I'd noticed the the neat matching of the tartan too. I've a new tartan skirt, and its pattern really is all over the place ... xxx

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  7. Haha, great minds think alike, I often wear berets to hide my tatty hair, I love them! Great basket score and your b&w Gor-Ray looks to be in amazing nick. That's such a delightful birthday photo of you, the tablecloth has fared well over the years, nice to see it's now getting some love from Phoebe. xx

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    1. If there's one thing to be said for Winter, it's the season to wear berets! xxx

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  8. Fabulous outfits and smashing berets, too! I love the Flemish word for garden, I might have to drop it into a conversation soon!
    I always buy Gor-Ray skirts when I find them. I had an amazing 1960s one a few weeks ago that was reversible which sold instantly - amazing quality!
    I love the inherited tablecloth and so it seems does lovely Phoebe! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I'll teach you how to pronounce the word next Summer ;-) xxx

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  9. I absolutely love that purple patterned dress, Ann! It's gorgeous! Of course I also love those lilac tights and that hot pink cardi is fabulous! Love the cute photo of you cutting your cake! Love Phoebe's pic too, of course!:) Have a wonderful week, Ann! XXX

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  10. That red bag is gorgeous and what lovely colours the berets are. Here's to a fabulous 2019

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    1. Thanks Gisela, and I hope your 2019 is fabulous too! xxx

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  11. Happy new year Ann! I love the check coat, I would wear that a lot! And the straw bag, what a find! xx

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    1. Thank you Laurie! Oh, I do love that check coat very much. It'll be a sad day if it finally wears out! xxx

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  12. That sparkly shift dress is utterly fabulous - here's hoping it tempts some other walkers to look beyond the merely practical. And look at the pattern matching on that Gor-Ray skirt - a sure sign of quality!

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    1. Thank you Mim. I was amazed at the pattern matching too. I'm now on the look-out for more Gor-Ray, although I think me finding one here in Belgium was a one-off! xxx

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  13. Great you found this gor ray skirt.
    I love your christmas style and how wonderful you found that old picture from your 5. Birthday with this cute tablecloth you use as a plaid :)
    Have a great week, with a huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! At first I was so disappointed that it didn't work as a tablecloth, but now I love it as a plaid! xxx

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  14. I love the Gor-Ray advert, very stylish and you are sporting some wonderful outfits.
    There's nothing like a long walk on Christmas Day, we have Ziggy to exercise but we met so many people doing the same thing this year. It was quite festive!
    The photo of you at 5 was very sweet. xxx

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    1. I just love old adverts. So much better than today's, aren't they? xxx

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  15. I feel you. I will also be posting about my December outfits through probably Valentine’s Day! LOL.
    I love your neutral plaid coat over your exuberant pink and green combination. It’s very Merry and eclectic . I’m so glad you found another green beret. You do have quite the collection and they look very nice on you.
    What a beautiful frilly knitted scarf , and sunset photo which reminds me of your first outfit.
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. Thank you Elle! I've just finished my last post on my December outfits ;-) Now I once again have to rely on the weekends to take outfit photos ... xxx

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  16. I love the picture of Phoebe lazing in the sun! She looks so content.

    Awesome outfits, Ann! I love the Gor-Ray history and ads - I've seen that brand over here in some of the thrift stores. Loving your outfits, but particularly that last one! Furry vest! Yes!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! Phoebe loves a spot in the sun, like Vizzini! xxx

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  17. I love how you dressed up even for a walk - that yellow dress is beautiful! :) and you got some great finds, what a lovely skirt! :)


    Hope that you've had a wonderful start to 2019 so far! :)

    Away From The Blue Blog

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    1. Thank you Mica! I have to admit that I always dress up for walks, especially since I know will be posting about it. Blogging is a great enabler! xxx

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  18. Happy New Year! I am slowly catching up with some blog reading, I am glad you are still posting about December! Some really fabulous outfits here, I love that you went walking dressed so beautifully. Why not?! The boots are the only essential bit. You are lucky having sunshine for Christmas day, we were shrouded in mist. Xx

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    1. Thank you, I'm glad you were able to catch up! I loved going for a walk on Christmas Day, but it didn't really feel like Christmas ... xxx

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  19. How lovely to find a photo showing your table cloth in use, it gives a real feeling of continuity.
    I'm so glad you found another green beret, I'm not sure you're quite you without one!
    xx

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    1. Thank you Hazel! I instantly recognized the tablecloth when I found it at my parents' house. My sister was mystified, but then she is 10 years younger than me, by which time it had probably been replaced. I'm happy my parents kept it, though. xxx

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  20. Aww, little Ann at the table! How cute. I love the items you found. Lucky you to find a beret that was similar. I lost a pair of wonderful sheepskin mittens I found in the charity shop AND a wonderful red umbrella (actually my husband left it on the bus) and I was furious about both!
    Love your wonderful outfits- so pretty and vibrant. I was interested to know about the pleating techniques because I did wonder how come they stay in!

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    1. I always feel sad - and yes, furious - when I lose something. I've lost many an umbrella over the years, and I'm ashamed to admit that this was already the 3rd beret I lost since I started blogging! xxx

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  21. what a fab bunch of outfits! I'm loving your lilac tights and belt with the cute dress and coat!, so lovely pink cardi too!. I think you created a perfect color combo! (and I'm also frequently confused by labels, it looks like if lavender, mauve and lilac were same color for lots of people!)
    Lovely that you found a Green beret and the cute wicker basket (woww, so pretty!)
    Also lovely christmas-vibe dress and so fabulous scarf! the colors and print really bring a joyful spirit! And you look adorable!
    Phoebe looks really cute in this picture, sleepy and warm!
    And this last outfit is particularly fabulous, the print, the furry vest, the stunning brooch!! I enjoyed it in the previous post too!
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much, Monica. You really are too kind! Sometimes I think these labels were thought up by someone who is colour blind ;-) xxx

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