Brora - what was I thinking? What is your most recent fashion faux pas?

[Stillconfounded]

I bought their fingerless gloves ... imagining myself youthful and slim ... tramping through elysian fields ..

Who was I kidding? I'm the wrong side of 45, plump in the wrong places, and I look like a fishwife ...

Can anyone over 40 wear this stuff successfully? Chunky knits can be so ageing ... And I didn't even think the quality that good considering the extortionate prices.

Pls cheer me up and tell me what you are sending back.

what pagwatch said! And tracey. My house is freezing cos I tried heating it all the time and the gas bill was.... wait for it..... 1000 euros for a month . So I don't and find cashmere layers comparatively good value.

at Pagwatch.
Bloody freezing here too.

Still confounded, have you seen Sarah R? Why would you want to be her? Am not bitching (well, not more than usual) but she's normal, not Toast catalogue-y.

Oh, I see they're a bit car boot. Pointless really as my boot is vairy small.

I love them though. Will still instruct drop hints.

LOL Pagwatch

I have the wristwarmers, they are fabulous.

Really good for driving in.

I imagine it's easier to get a fag out the packet wearing wrist warmers

Am so with you all in a freezing cold Victorian house, costing the earth to heat, staring at lovely sash windows covered in condensation.

And the chunky knits. Am a keen knitter but one look at ravelry is enough to put you off chunky knits on anyone over a size 10.

I can get away with shorter tweedy skirts but I once had a very unfortunate brush with a short boden purple cord skirt . It's still in the wardrobe, waiting to be made into a cushion or something....

I think my style problems are more profound than a Sussex trug can fix Pagwatch

Definitely go for the lab though!

SuePurblybiltByElves, I once designed a book cover for sarah Raven and remember thinking she was a bit toast catalogue-y, but then that was over a decade ago.

Ooh, have just looked and the books been redesigned, feeling most insulted, she's not toast catalogue-y at all!

The answer is get rid of all your mirrors, and never allow anyone to photograph you.

Then you can drift around imagining yourself to be a sylph like maiden in a Toast catalogue.

The reality will never intrude on the dream.

Pagwatch those people that say god I just would hate to live there are they blind...?

I have seen a pic of your house on your profile (when I went to look at your DD's mumsnet haircut) it look like the kind of house I dream about

We fit perspex panes to our single glazing in winter to make temporary double glazing. It is easy to remove when it's warmer and doesn't look too bad in the winter months.

It's a relief not to have to wipe wet windows every morning. And it does save money on fuel.

The panes themselves are not expensive.

Pagwatch I would HATE to live in your house

I live in my wristwarmers. I work in a very cold office for one thing. Living for a year in a medieval flat in Ely (where the north wind comes straight across the fens and hits the hill) with no heating apart from one gas fire (in one of four very draughty rooms) did toughen me up a bit though.

And I think I wear them very successfully

I am constantly telling DH to "put on a jumper" as he sneakily tries to up the thermostat. I'm not being frugal, I just hate a hot, stuffy house. We've replaced all our windows with double glazing (NOT PVC, I might add) so we're much more efficient, but we still leave the heating "on" and control temp with thermostat.

But I digress. Yes, to Brora's target market quandary! Who wants to wear those frumpy clothes and patterns? I do like most of the shapes of their jumpers, though. Agree that chunky knits make you look, um, chunky.

Mayor, to solve your lippy issue, maybe try a gloss rather than lipstick. Matte, bright lippy is too dense and can be very ageing, I think. Gloss (and it doesn't have to be sparkly or uber-gloss) is more flattering and can be worn in brighter colours more successfully, IMO.

lol Cloudspotter I'm half way there as I never wear my glasses indoors!! Ignorance is bliss and all that!

[SC exits stage left lusting after Pagwatch's house and dog]

hmmSleep, get you! I am v impressed at book thing.

But I base my hatred of Sarah R on the doc of her family at Sissinghurst, she was satisfyingly awful. www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46629,people,news,tension-at-sissinghurst-as-poirot-meets-river-cottage-. And not very Toast-y.

Though, having just googled for the link, I see she did waft prettily a bit (in manner of Vita SW fittingly) when younger.

That's not how I remember her at all! Oh dear, obviously the same thing that is effecting my fashion sense is also clouding my memory.

I want to look like the woman in the hush catalogue, but fear I will just look like I've forgotten to change out of my Pjs.

All my purchases are faux pas.

I'm hoping that, by combining them all in an outfit, I may achieve a sort of eclectic, cool, eccentric look.

I've found that if you keep certain bits of you warm, the rest stays warm too.

Wristwarmers, neckwarmers, shawls (I know, but keeping your shoulders warm is pretty amazing, to my total surprise), woollen socks, legwarmers etc.

TBH though I like knitting, £15 for cashmere wristwarmers is cheaper than you could make them for.

SuePurbly

What a hilarious account of the Nicolson/Ravens, how do I get a copy of the Sissinghurst series?

I remember reading the book and the whole thing was rather fascinating.

hmmm
It was prolly just the editing but the docu of her and her family at Sissinghurst was brilliant and she was pure evil. I loved it.
If it comes on again, do watch and see if you have the right person.
Woman in Hush catalogue has a face like a cat.

I've always liked her style, although I think this is empathy.

'Overweight like me and at least wearing something vaguely interesting and making something of it'

Her velvet coat is a case in point. In some ways I like it, it's a coat made of velvet, it's got a colour, it's interesting.

On the other hand I think "God she looks dreadful in that, might as well be sackcloth".

SuePurplyb that article is hilarious

at description of , Adam Nicolson her dh,

"His laugh is high up and keen and his hair trembles like an entertaining squirrel that just died on his head"

Disclaimer; I wasn't exactly aiming to look like Sarah Raven .... I just thought that would be an attainable rustic default position having totally failed on the suave, svelte, wafting through wood look. Sadly I was wrong.

Oh that Sissinghurst programme was compulsive viewing. Their relationship was um, interesting, no?

And I love this quote from the article you linked to, Sue: "People in Kent like to know where they are with their salads." Genius.

hmmSleep, I meant to say that you are very foolish brave to buy/wear that jersey mini. It will do your post-pg state of mind no good. No good, I say! That hush stuff, however, that is my kind of loungewear.

Lol cloudspotter.

I find that I can drift through the day feeling fabulous if I make sure I don't put on my glasses when I look in the mirror. I look all soft focus and lovely.
Then I put them on and see the wrinkles and mouldery bits