h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you have to spend a day in Dundalk, heliotrope is well-earned!

Tights? I always find hol-up stockings more comfortable to wear Actually, I've not tried a pair of tights in ages...
*looks giltily over at the set* of drawers full of underwear, hosary and suchlike one can never have too* much... right?!

[Amy P]

Wednesday 27 November
Happy Hanukkah!

I'm usually off on Wednesdays, but I'm taking next Monday off instead as I'm going to Donegal/ Derry at the weekend to take in the Lumiere festivale, and do some more photography.

No important meetings today, so I've gone for what I guess is the elusive "smart casual". Inspired by 2Legs' boots, I've dug out my paprika red Chelsea boots, worn with grey linen trousers, a grey and white striped shirt, a red wraparound cardi and chunky red/ navy beads.

... ... catching up

>>waht are those metal sort of rivett things, y ou put in, which have an hole in the middle,<<

eyelets?



Did I spy a rust shirt two days in a row back there?

"paprika red Chelsea boots, worn with grey linen trousers, a grey and white striped shirt, a red wraparound cardi and chunky red/ navy beads"

Sounds fabulous

Not my kinds of colours to wear, but I do admire people who suit them

I'm hopeless with colours... too many years spent wearing black jeans, black leather jackets, black shirts, black leather boots... at least its kinda coordinated and subsequently black stockings, etc.... Mind, recently I've had a whole load of purple shirts which I kinda like and they're comfy I've gotten so set in my ways, I guess with clothing, I actually* get comments from people, when I wear my one, and only, patturned shirt; a sort of grey and blue I think cheque thing, I got as a gift a few years back and which is wearing very well, due to infrequent use
I keep threatening a complete change to my dressing 'style' if indeed one can call it a 'style'... torn between going for the 'country' look, and getting myself into tweeds or... dunno... something differnt I'm proabably a bit too old to try pull off a skater look... hmmm.... maybe I could just about manage to pull off something like a 'female goth' look.... But perhaps not.... (black nail varnish? does that still exist?!)

"(black nail varnish? does that still exist?!) "

It certainly does!



*folds arms and tries to look butch* I like black and white as a look, but I do have some coloured shirts (blue, green or purple) to go with my black suits.

Gosh.... I can't even recall the last time I put nail varnish on... of any* colour dang.... must be letting myself go
hmmm.... hippy goth punk skater look.... ya know, I might just about be able to pull soemthing like that off
I even got commented on today, how 'female' Isuddenly look, just by letting my hair down, out of the pony tail Mind.... I also got a commnt how odd it looked when I threw the hole lot (my hair), all over to one side...

Thursday 28 November

Happy Thanksgiving!

Potentially difficult meeting this morning, so some Power Dressing required, and it's definitely a Prada day. I intended to wear one of my best ever charity shop finds - a black silk Hobbs dress with biscuit polka dots - but when I put it on this morning I felt it looked a bit wrinkled (I avoid ironing unless absolutely essential). So instead I reached for a dress I've been waiting for the opportunity to wear.

It had taken a bit of stalking - I'd seen it on a link on Mumsnet, but couldn't find it in the store. Tracked it to the online site, but felt it was too expensive. Watched and waited as the price came down - twice - in the sales, and pounced when it reached £75. The only snag was, it was only available in an 8. But I bought it as a "target dress", and now that it fits me I've kept it in reserve for a special occasion. It's in a silk/ cotton mix material, probably a bit too summery for this time of year really, with short sleeves and a round neck, and a self patterned belt. I don't like this belt - it hasn't got a loop to keep the free end from flapping about, so next time I might wear a different belt. The colour is a cross hatch of tomato red and cream.

Worn with the cream jacket from the other day, and the coral pashmina, I'm head-to-toe in Jaegar, and on my feet are a pair of ecru Office shoes, with an unusual wraparound strap that hooks at the side of the ankle.

Yes TC, I did wear the rust shirt 2 days running. The shame!

Friday 29 November

Fairly relaxed office day. I'm giving the grey trousers a final go before I put them in the laundry, and I noticed how well they looked hanging next to the dusky rose cardi, so I've put those 2 together. Under the cardi is a brown lace trimmed vest (Monsoon, years old, I keep threatening to put it in the charity bag), and the scarf is the apricot with brown Bambis. Chunky coin and ribbon necklace, and a big solid bangle. It looks a bit like a moebius strip in shape, and is a brown snakeskin pattern. I have an inordinate fondness for these - and then when I get to work they are banging on the desk and I have to take them off. There's usually a collection of them next to my mousemat - at home as well as at work.

I can't wear most bangles, unless I keep my fingers slightly spread all day. Nor can I wear most of the colors you can (I'm a Winter that can wear Summer as well) but your outfits sound lovely.

Of course, just to kill the whole color-season-theory thing, *both* my girls can wear every color and look good. 'Tisn't fair

Colour seasons is a good guide, but it's not an exact science. It's easy for women especially- and 2legs- to get trapped in the all black habit. But it is possible to have a wardrobe with very few black items, and to have fun with colour.

Thank you Amy for your dedicated readership!

I have more than my share of black too, but I have my heart set on phasing in an all-heliotrope wardrobe.

I'm trying to aim for more pink and purple.... purple is good *sudenly nticinghe's wearinga purple shirt)

KB, I'm sure you carry a heliotrope scarf!

2legs, a purple shirt would look fab on you, though your idea of a tweedy English gent outfit certainly has legs.

The English gentlman, tweed' look, would certainly be an etire reinvention of how I dress Maybe I should hunt throuh the charity shops for something that would create such a 'persona', and then, if I don't like it... I'd not have wasted a fortune on decent Harris tweed, new Mind, as ever I'd struggle finding anything big enough for my chest

Saturday 30 November

Happy St Andrews Day
And thoughts and sympathies to Glasgow.

Usually I try to have minimal costume changes through the day (less laundry that way), but today is unavoidably a 3-outfit day.

Outfit #1: Running gear for the weekly ParkRun. Long black running tights, red sports top, and long sleeved purple top with a little hole cut in the shoulder to thread my earphone lead through (not that it did me much good, they refused to work as I set off, and couldn't be persuaded to give me either music or performance stats for the whole run.) New shoes - my Brooks trainers that I won in the SweatShop prize.

Outfit #2: Shappin'. Needed an up to date map for our trip to Donegal tomorrow, and a lower fronted bra to wear with this evening's frock. Lucky jeans (which I can now slip over my hips without unzipping), ginger 3/4 sleeve T and a black and grey knitted tunic with cats on it. And pink embroidered baseball boots - I have these in green too, after I fell in love with them in a shop window in Skibereen.

Outfit #3: St Andrews Ball. Bra permitting, I'll be in the purple and gold silk Principles dress that I DIDN'T wear in Perth, with sparkly gold beads and dangly earrings bought at the airport. A gold stole, and probably my gold knitted shrug/ cardigan. This is one of my most-worn garments; I bought it 10 years ago in a little boutique on Teddington High Street when I was over for an audience with Cliff Richard. It goes with everything. I'll need something to keep my arms warm during the dinner, but that I can take off during the dancing. I'll also debut my Irregular Choice black ankle boots with gold ribbon laces, though I'll be changing into my dancing pumps early on. But they'll be admired even just sitting under my chair.

New items today: A mustard pea-coat that caught my eye in the window of Oxfam (Dunnes, £6)

You seem to have an eye for spotting the bargans in the charity shops! an item of clothing, for less than the price of two pints of beer!

I'm still procrastinating over buying some clothing off of EBay its quite cheap so I could buy it, and not be too* annoyed if it turns out not to fit

I'm still looking for decent jeans. It's been going on for months now without success. It's now critical as I have only one pair left.

Enjoy your St Andrew's Day!