Hello Everyone
Once again this is the monthly challenge set up by Gail of Is This Mutton when bloggers from around the world get together to write about a theme. This month is the turn of Sue, who blogs at Women Living Well After 50. Her theme is Personal Style. I love this challenge as we bloggers connect with each other and it really does make you think, and in my case, reminisce!
Well, as you know I’ve written about my personal style many times and it’s quite hard to find a new angle. But first and foremost, I’d say your personal style is yours and yours alone, and absolutely do not listen to advice from journalists (who are almost always younger) or even bloggers who write articles or blogs, or any type of media influencer – digital or otherwise. Because, oh my word, there is a lot of advice out there. Usually, but not always, connected to you buying stuff.
There is far too much consumption going on in this fragile world of ours, but if you’re thinking that this is why I shop in charity shops, that isn’t the reason at all. The reason why I shop primarily in charity shops is because I have a very weak/shoddy/poor pension situation, so my only advice to you would be to sort your pension out!
Actually, my personal style has changed many times over the years and indeed charity shops were not where I shopped when I was younger, so here is a summary of how my personal style evolved.
The thing is, I grew up in the 1950s and we had very little in the way of fashion influencers. Dior’s New Look with the large voluminous skirts, of course, was important and inspired a certain kind of shirtwaister look with a full skirt, so my memory of my mother is of her always ironing endless dresses with huge skirts, including her many shirtwaister style dresses and our school dresses, which is why as she grew older, she adored Crimplene as it didn’t need ironing.
But the first time I had any kind of ‘style’ was long before the mini-skirt and the later Biba style dresses. It was the ‘50s Beat Generation look of a black turtle-neck top under a camel coloured wool pinafore with black stockings (tights weren’t around) and a black flat stylish shoe with a buckle. I can still remember my friends standing there with mouths agape when I first wore these items bought from money I’d saved up, plus money given to me for my 15th birthday. OK, that was 1961, but actually, it was, what I thought to be, a very sophisticated look worn by the likes of Juliette Greco and Joan Bakewell as they were my fashion icons at that point.
Into the 1960s, and this was the time, British society and culture began to move away from the war and look forward into the future, the cool Beat Generation was taken over by pop culture, and we teenagers argued over our frothy coffee, whether the Beatles were better than the Rolling Stones, and the most hotly debated subject? Which Beatle did you fancy? Me, I always liked John Lennon best.
But we still weren’t particularly fashionable – there really weren’t the shops. In 1965 I started my training as a nurse and moved to London. Nursing training was so different from today as note the word ‘training’, we were not only on the wards from the word go, we were housed by the hospital, can you imagine that now! And dear readers, during my first two years of my nursing training my accommodation was in Chelsea, not a stone’s throw away from the King’s Road. Oh, my, word, that was the place to be! However, although I wore a mini-skirt (all our clothes were short, very short courtesy of Mary Quant) I walked down that iconic road in the 1960s with my head and values firmly placed in the 50s, so I did not partake in any of the ’swinging 60s’!
I have so few photographs of that time to show you how I dressed but here’s one where you can’t see exactly how short the skirt is but when I stood up….
We just didn’t take endless photographs as we do now, but I was a right pudding right through the late 60s as I was really overweight for years.
And then in 1973 I met my husband Bill (Mr F) and like most women at this time I stopped working to have my children and wore jeans most of the time. I loved jeans then and still do. Jeans are me, and I’m wearing a pair right now. I had a few kaftans and wore Biba like floaty dresses every now and then, but it was mainly jeans. Jeans that were wide with loons which you inserted yourself – the bigger the better!
I remember a friend coming back from the States wearing a pair of Levis, and thinking they were the most ghastly, ugliest pair of jeans I’d ever seen. Now they are my preferred style and here is a pic of a recent buy from the dress agency I go to.
These are Levis and very pleased I was to get them at half price. Note they are skinny. Skinnies are also my favourite style and I really do not like wide jeans or wide pants, although in the cool weather they are the best style to wear.
To bring you up to date, after my marriage I gave up nursing, as in those days nursing and children didn’t go, there were no nurseries then. Instead I took a degree and graduated at the age of 40, and after that when the children were a bit older I worked in the voluntary sector as a development officer and later in a research/evaluation capacity but a lot of it was in an office/corporate environment and in those days you wore ‘office’ clothes there was no wearing the more informal clothes that you see today. I mean Steve Jobs and that reverse snobbery of wearing dressed-down clothes, personally I don’t get it. And what did I wear during those working years? I wore suits, quite expensive ones sometimes and silk blouses, with jeans as my preferred wear at the weekends. Then when I retired, I thought, I’m not working so it’s jeans for me from now on, huzzah! Until that is, I had a moment, an epiphany, if you like when I thought, hey, wait a moment, this is boring.
And off I went on a journey to wear far more interesting clothes, and that’s when I began to haunt all the local charity shops. It was the low prices and the bargains you can get that started me down that road, although I have noticed a slight reduction in the quality of clothing now, all down to the popularity of eBay and Vinted I think.
It’s taken over 15 years for me to arrive at the personal style that I have now, which is very mixed and eclectic. In fact, I don’t have one personal style, I have clothes for different times and places and outings.
At home during the winter, I wear thick tights and a wool skirt, with a woollen sweater over a long-sleeved top, plus thick socks as we don’t have the temperature of our flat set all that high, and when I go out, we don’t drive everywhere, so we have to wear warm clothes to stand at the bus stop – brrr! But even though no-one sees it I often change my skirt to a more fashionable one before I leave the flat! I know! Why? It’s just I can’t not dress up a little bit. Coats are hugely important to me as that is what the world sees during the winter – your coat!
I do love a maxi coat. And we still need to wear our coats, although we are getting the occasional warm day.
And in the summer, I wear jeans at home, until it gets too hot for them.
But I do love to dress up and there are certain times when I do push the boat out, so to speak and just go for it. Cruises for one. And before you say, a cruise, how awful, do note we always go on the smaller ships – those newer big ships are horrible in very sense of the word, especially for the planet. Anyway, I have my cruise dresses ready and waiting for the two cruises we have booked months ahead – one is in early September and the other next year in April. It is lovely to have something to look forward to.
Then art galleries and exhibitions: these are definitely the place where I dress up.
The point of going to art galleries is to see what you’ve gone to see. But at the same time, it’s a good opportunity to not only dress up but to people watch, and I can tell you there were some great outfits at the Tate Britain, more so than I’ve seen at the V&A. I didn’t ask this person for her permission to include the photo but as it’s not including her face I thought it Ok, and I rather liked the blends of pink and purple. She was a stunning older woman and those, I think, are leather leggings. Three cheers for all older women putting on the style.
And then there are other opportunities such as going out to meet a friend for coffee and/or lunch. I even like to dress up a bit when I go to Lewes’ independent cinema, and I always wear something out of the ordinary at the volunteer led community cinema we help to run. On all these occasions I usually wear an interesting skirt and top.
And I think that photo tells me that my hair looks better without layers. Perhaps you know already that, especially when I go to art galleries, I have an image in my mind as to what I would like to look like. Reality doesn’t always come up to that image, but I try! My role model here is Jill who blogs at GrownUpGlamour – oh yes, to look like her would be my idea of the perfect look.
That tulle skirt cost me £3! And that, dear readers, is why I shop in charity shops! Above all, like the majority of the bloggers who are taking part today I believe you should feel free to wear what you want to wear, especially as you become older. Never listen to that inner voice, or someone else’s voice, that something is not appropriate to wear at your age – yes it is appropriate! Wear it, do, you will look wonderful!
That’s all from me, but now it is the turn of all my lovely blogger friends starting with MaryK who blogs at MK’s Adventures in Style. Mary reflects on her personal style evolution and the influence of age and confidence, time available, and disposable income. Click here to read this piece.
Marsha who blogs at Marsha in the Middle, and who professes to be a fashion blogger, struggled with pinning down her own personal style. She may or may not have been successful. Click here to read what she has to say.
Suzy shares her journey in defining her personal style, from admiring fashion icons like Stevie Nicks and Diane Keaton to embracing monthly challenges, while cherishing her love for Victorian Goth and celebrating the freedom of self-expression in fashion. Read more about this here.
Sue from Women Living Well After 50 looks at the evolution of her personal style, reflecting on changes over time. Can we change our style or is it inherent. Read her thoughts here.
Debbie feels that she doesn’t have a style as such and isn’t much of a fashion plate, but she does like wearing certain colours – usually the brighter the better. Debbie’s not usually one to talk about fashion so this is a fun post. Read more about Debbie’s personal style here
The iconic Jill who writes at GrownUpGlamour looks at her own personal style and its interpretation over time. Click here to read more about this.
And finally Gail of Is This Mutton who started us off on this great challenge finds there’s a great feeling of peace and satisfaction about nailing your personal style, with no more expensive mistakes. And it costs nothing to do. I’ll have to read that one! Click here for these words of wisdom on personal style.
That’s really all for now. Thank you for reading to the end.
With love, Penny, the Frugalfashionshopper
Fascinating post as always. My favourite Beatle was George! You have a very distinctive style, it’s exactly you. I always think of the lovely fitted maxi coats, the hats and the tulle skirts. A style analyst would probably say you’re a rock chick with a dash of elegance with a twist. You instinctively wear colours that suit you too.
Oh wow, Gail, George! I remember thinking he was quite sweet but John Lennon had that edge to him which I found really attractive. Yes, it has to be a fitted coat, which I think you like too. I do hate the ones that look like a dressing gown, especially when they have a tie belt!
As for colours I definitely know that navy is horrible along with some other blues. Thanks Gail for those kind words about my style 😄
I was told only the other day that I have a very distinctive style but I didn’t ask the person to elaborate! I wear colour and patterns and usually a brooch. Still a cold wind here in Winchester so coats very much in play!
Lynda
Same here, there’s a really nasty cold wind about and I believe that’ll get stronger and colder over the weekend. But even so I do see some (younger) people in t-shirts and I think brrr!
All the very best, Lynda 😊
After years of working in offices and having to wear formal clothing I can now wear colour every day.I know which colours suit my grey hair and always wear a necklace and/or scarf even if I’m at home. I’ve now got over 100 scarves…
As I don’t drive ,I walk and use public transport so I’m very safety conscious when out alone. I wear a cross-body bag under my coat at night and tend to wear anonymous looking coats but with amazing charity shop clothes underneath – think Iris Apfel meets Ena Sharples!
Oh I love that description and your use of words – Iris Apfel meets Ena Sharples, brilliant! Yes, there was a lot of restraint to our outfits when wearing formal office gear but now we are free! Mind you I did love the jackets and although I got rid of most of them, I seem to have just as many as I can’t resist jackets when I see a suitable one in a charity shop. But I find the window to wear them is quite short unlike the ‘office environment’ when they worn whatever the weather.
Thanks Hilary 😊
What a brilliant post, Penny! I love that you do most of your clothes shopping at charity shops—you’ve found some real gems there, haven’t you? I adore that tulle skirt that you got for £3!! That’s a bargain! I also love that outfit you’re wearing with Jill. FABULOUS!
Hugs
Suzy xx
That tulle skirt! I have to confess that I bought it years ago in a very run-down little town too. It would be more expensive today, but I have worn it a lot too. It hasn’t sat at the back of my wardrobe!
Yes when I met up with Jill our outfits kind of matched – amazing as it was the first time we’d met! We thought alike too!
Thanks so much Suzy 😊
I did enjoy a look at your style over the years . Your style now suits you perfectly Penny , a mix of arty , classic with a twist and quirky casual. Your coat collection is simply wonderful. Many thanks for the mention , I am very flattered. I am away interstate at present and scheduled my post but fear I may have made an error with the date , my hopeless tech skills again. Cx
Thanks for the kind words Jill about my style which has evolved over the years and you really are my role model as your look is iconic and extraordinarily stylish
Enjoy your travels Jill, you deserve to! 😊
Dear Penny, Thankyou for another lovely post. I also have simply adored clothes and dressing up, since a very early age. Always chosen for me by my mother until I went out to work at 16. When I was 17 I moved to London to work in an office as a clerk. I lived in a women’s-only hostel sharing a room with three others . The hostel cost £11 a month and included all meals ! It was one of the happiest years of my life. such lovely roommates , we loved coffee bars and jazz evenings at a nearby college, with boys! And I earned £7 a month! So at last I could choose what I wanted to wear and C and A Modes was my heaven ! I remember a dear little orange tweed suit with a black velvet collar which I wore with a black beret, I felt wonderful in it. And a camel shift like yours, mine came from HARRODS and was my first and only purchase from there! It was a whole weeks wages and took a lot of saving for! I treasured it and wore it with pale stockings and white flat shoes .
Just about to dress up today and going out to lunch with dear husband ,now what shall I wear ? Best wishes from Judy in Brighton .
From St Lucia , West Indies _ I loved this post !
Hi Olivia and thanks so much 😁
Oh wow, Judy, your reply brought back lots of memories, and you too had a camel shift! Yes, all the accommodation provided by St. Thomas’ was in the most prestigious of places, but we shared rooms, which was quite an eye-opener when I met the deb type – what a snobby lot they were too! But that’s altogether another story.
C and A Modes was quite the thing for years, wasn’t it. As for a ‘salary’ I think people find it very hard to believe that although we student nurses had all our accommodation paid for including meals (which is why I got really overweight – there was so much food) I was actually paid £300 a year. That’s a year not monthly!!!! Unbelievable really, but true.
Lovely that you still dress up – same here! Thanks Judy 😊
Oh I love your long coats Penny, they look fabulous on you and a perfect way to brighten a miserable winter day! I also adore the sort-of-matching outfits on you and Jill, was that intentional or pure chance? Your style is a wonderful mix and shows your personality off, or what I think of as your personality, as I only know you through your blog. When i visit my daughter in UK I always purchase something from the local charity shops, it helps to pad out my limited travelling wardrobe, sometimes I return them before I leave or I might just take them home, depending on what it is I’ve found. A great post for a fun prompt!
Hi Debbie The matching outfits we wore were totally our own choices and it was a co-incidence that we looked so alike, but I knew how Jill dressed, so I got out my tulle skirt and other accessories and you know what, both of us turned heads! We definitely felt we were putting on the style, but neither of us felt it was over the top, it was just us! And half of what I wore came from a charity shop – the boots, bag and skirt. Despite a slight decline in standards you can still find great bargains. Great to hear you too search for items when you come over to the UK.
Thanks Debbie – it was a great prompt wasn’t it! 😊
Great post penny and I love the photo of you and Mr. K! This is always a good topic. I still wonder what my style is. I suppose like you it keeps changing. I can remember that in the 70’s I did try to dress kind of hippy or mod, with those short skirts, wide legged jeans, exotic Indian dresses and such. In high school and even college I was so conservative, high school we wore uniforms and my college had strict rules, no pants, sneakers and we had to wear stockings with our skirts or dresses for dinner. And I remember when I was an administrator at a psychiatric hospital, then I wore suits which I found in a wonderful resale shop near me. The women there were always so very helpful. I did receive complements on my clothing and did not really have to spend much .According to my daughter, who I asked to describe my style, she thought I was for the most part classic. I tend to agree. I would say classic casual, as I do, like you. wear a lot pf jeans with nice tops. For a while I was wearing legging type pants with long or tunic tops but I seem to have tired of this look for now, or maybe it has just gone out of fashion around here. I do enjoy seeing what other women my age are wearing to the lectures and trips which I take with my retirement group. In fact yesterday we went to a small museum about an hour from here which also had a lovely Japanese garden, with a small pond, flowering plants and some sculptures where we walked, followed by a delicious lunch. Love, Darby
Hi Darby and in fact I think it’s good we have both changed our style and then changed it again as it shows we are neither stuck in a rut nor just hanging on to the same look because we are afraid of change. Suits were very much the thing when we worked, not so much now though, and yes, it is really good to see how other people dress. It was so interesting to see that women dressed very well at the Tate, more so than the V&A.
That Japanese garden sounds as though it is quite beautiful.
As ever thanks so much Darby 😄
Hi Penny, I totally agree we that our personal style is ours and although we might go with trends they don’t always suit our personal style. Living in Queensland, Australia, I dont have the need for heavy coats but I do adore winter fashion and you look stunning in the red coat. I think you have certainly found your personal style – elegant but with a bit of pizzaz! Have a lovely week. x
It was such a great theme, thanks so much for the chance to reminisce again! Thanks so much for your kind words about my style – off to read your post right now!!
Thanks again Sue 😊
I love how you reminisced about when you were growing up and how your style has changed!
I believe that the second hand shops allow us to try all different kinds of styles and have fun with clothes because it’s basically risk free!
Xoxo
Jodie
I have had so many styles and that’s rather like my hairstyles – had many of those too 🤣
And you are so right about pre-loved, thrift/charity shops – it’s a win-win all round.
Thanks Jodie 😊
Penny, you never cease to amaze me with stories from your life! I can just see you in your mini skirts and Mary Quant-inspired looks. I love the photo of you and Mr. F! I remember sewing in those extra panels, too. Just think of all the wonderful fashion you’ve seen and been a part of. My DIL’s mother saw the Beatles when they were in Chicago, but I was just young enough to have never had the chance. My favorite was John, too. There was just something about his eyes! Mick Jagger has never been my cup of tea though I do admire his physical fitness.
I think your style is uniquely you. You combine the gothic, steampunk with the ladylike, and it just works wonderfully! I love that winter coat with the pink/purple collar! It’s just gorgeous!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
Ah yes, we were both young once (!) and you sewed inserted those panels in too! I sewed inserts into every one of my jeans until we suddenly realised it wasn’t the look we wanted 🤣
Actually I saw the Rolling Stones before they were really famous heading up a gig in my local cinema – think I was 17. They had the thinnest, skinniest legs I’d ever seen covered in the tightest of black skinny jeans, which was very adventurous and out there for those times. Their line-up included Brian Jones who sadly died too young. There was a lot of screaming! Heady days!!!
And thank you so much for those kind words about my style – it was a great theme!
Thanks Marsha 😊
Oh what a lovely read! I love to read about how women discovered their style or how it evolved. It’s so interesting how life influences us! Lovely older photos!
It’s rather like my hairstyles. I’ve had so many hairstyles and then again, I’ve had so many different styles of clothing through my lifetime!
Thanks for the kind words 😊
Oh, how I enjoyed reading this post. I adore your eclectic, fun, trendy style. I wish wish wish we had thrift stores where I could find a tulle skirt that looks and is priced like yours. We just don’t have anything like that in this town. I think it is because our community is so socio-economically challenged (poor) that the only things that make it to consignment, thrift shops or Goodwill are children’s school uniforms.
I enjoyed seeing the earlier version of you. You’ve always had a lovely head of hair, I see. Lost most of mine with my second daughter and all the stress and hormones of that time. And I had a similar outfit I bought with my own money that was a little like the outfit you described having purchased with your own money at 15 years old. My outfit was something I wore for sorority rush in college. I felt so grown up and chic.
Thank you for this delightful piece. I have thought some on how I would have responded. I think my style is colorful, often features some kind of print as I find them more interesting. Probably a little bit fun, and a little bit feminine.