MNV Vol 88 - start of a new roaring 20's??

[libertyonhertravels]

New year, new decade, new thread. Come join us for friendly fashion chat, you can agonise over the right length to wear your jeans or deliberate the exact tone of lippy. A frivolous space in tricky times. All welcome.

Picking up from here

Bingley after a bracing walk now on the sofa with tea, Christmas cake and my book. I’m onto book 3. Love binge reading over the holidays.

What have you been reading @DryWhiteagainW? I didn’t get too many books this year unfortunately so am looking for new ideas.
Big walk here today too. I’m going a bit stir crazy, today would normally be the day where I would announce I was done with cooking and head to the pub but, you know, tier 4
I got 3 Lisa Eldridge velvet lip colours for Christmas and they are simply amazing - great staying power, little moisture loss, perfect.

I did get this one though..... and yoga and poetry books.

American Dirt....amazing, highly recommend.
If I never met you.....ROm Com light relief
And an average Philippa Gregory now
The Bee Keeper of Aleppo is next, I’m late with that one

I have just finished American Dirt and loved it. Next up - whenever I get a chance - is Where the crawdads sing. I hear great things so looking forward to getting stuck in.

Hi Voguettes,

I’m having a lazy afternoon reading and looking at nice things in the sales online. We are abroad (since pre tier 4) and potentially stuck but trying to keep cheerful. Has been a strange Christmas without my family but dh did me proud with some beautiful and thoughtful gifts from Connolly.

@DryWhiteagainW I’ve just started a mammoth William Boyd called The New Confessions as Any Human Heart is one of my favourites. Have American Dirt at home to get started on too, good to know it comes recommended.

@Applefairy Love all the Ganni dresses, right up my street and exactly the sort of thing I wear to work. We don’t have any dress code but I only realised I’d created my own when we stopped going to the office. I miss planning in person work outfits!

Right, am going to get ds and I off our respective devices for a game of Battleships!

Lovefromdeauville The Crawdads is a fabulous book, beautifully written.

Mara I’ll check out William B, haven’t read any of his work.

I’m reading American Dirt at the moment.

@CarolineBingley that top will be perfect for video meetings. I’m pulling out all my large earrings atm. Makes a difference if you can add some drama to your too half.

I was at the pub for dinner tonight and wore Zara midi linen shirt dress in black, gold hoops and gold strappy lowish mules.

These mules. I thought the gold might be too much, but the dress was so plain and I had no other jewellery on so the shoes seemed to balance it out.

Wow those mules are divine.😍

I hope none of you mind me posting my going out outfits when you are having such an awful time with lockdowns etc. In our second lockdown (which was around four months long over our winter and spring) I missed clothes and fashion so much - there was a piece of myself that I was no longer able to express (a first world problem and I couldn’t tell anyone I felt that way ).

I’m sure things will get better for you all in time for summer and you’ll be able to get dressed and go out again.

Life is still slowly becoming more ‘normal’ here. All Christmas work events were held outside and people hold back on dinners and socialising - nights out are more of a rarity now. I booked some tickets for a music concert in February - outside at an art gallery so will be very casual.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am craving a formal occasion to dress up for (opera, theatre, formal dinner etc) - I keep looking at sequinned dresses and glittery clutches. For now, I’ll suppress these urges with a focus on holiday packing - I usually start with a colour palette....I’m thinking navy and khaki/olive green with straw/rattan and a dash of burnt orange and leopard print.

Loving this Dress I just bought very similar to one I have seen on this thread.

Apple I’m living vicariously through you, link away, it’s lovely to hear what you are wearing

Not at all @Applefairy! It's lovely to hear about you and @libertyonhertravels returning back to normal. It gives me hope!

It's been a funny old fashion year for me. As I have focused on zoom call looks (so tops, cardigans and sweaters), I have bought more at the upper end of the high street than designer. Also no shoes or handbags this year, and I only bought jewellery in February. Dh freaks out every time he looks at the monthly credit card statement. I think he's expecting a big 2021 blow out.

Airy rooms don't fair well on a cold winter's day like this. I am head to toe in cashmere....Hoodie, joggers and lovely new socks that I got for Christmas. Not fashionable but I am warm.

Our long winter lockdown was just awful so I hope to give you all a focus on better things to come (think long sunny days, drinks and meals out with friends and family). When life improves after a local community has made so many sacrifices to get the numbers down you appreciate the social freedom, and each other, more than ever.

@CarolineBingley, I love a head to toe cashmere day, great for feeling comforted when it’s chilly and I feel a little fragile - I still have some white company cashmere joggers and matching sweater from years ago that I wear in winter at home. Matching loungewear separates helped me feel a little luxury in our lockdown / and they were practical for our daily dog walks. Also cute/fresh sweatshirts for layering perked me up a bit.

Love this navy coat

Also this checked one.

Khaki wool wrap.

Another nice navy.

Large checks.

I think these coats would really elevate budget pieces for a reasonable investment price. A good coat in quality fabric gives me a lot of confidence in my appearance (sadly, I have far too many that did not get an airing last winter).

Can I ask, what is the best cost per wear coat everyone owns?

Happy New Year my lovely Voguettes.

And what a year! In the thread title I put a question mark beside my roaring 20's comment and said this was a frivolous space for tricky times. I was referring to the anxiety of Brexit and Trump, never dreaming that a pandemic was coming our way.

We nearly lost the thread this year, I am grateful we didn't. My Dad said on Christmas Day that as a family we needed to be grateful that we were all alive, well and had the possibility of a Christmas together in 2021 - a good message for everyone.

Have a good NYE even though I know it will be very low key for most of you. My resolutions for next year are to take better care of myself and try to find moments of joy in every day. This year has been heavy going. I need to lighten up in every way.

Sending love to you all and also a link to my favourite poem this year - Everything is going to be alright, by Derek Mahon

Great coats applefairy.

My best cost per wear coats are a brick red See by Chloe peacoat I bought from shop and a camel car coat from Zara. Both look great and always make me feel pulled together. I also have an oversized teal wool coat from Hobbs that I dont wear a lot but always feel amazing when I do.

I am a coat fanatic. My favourites are a Kate Spade from a couple of years ago and very classic MaxMara from last year. I love Zara coats too and have always found the quality really good.

Hope everyone had a lovely NYE. All quiet with us apart from very excited small children - we had a nice dinner, some champagne and other than that it was a night like any other. Here’s to better days ahead

Happy New Year voguettes, here's to a better 2021. I've been rather quiet as am recovering from Covid, still feeling very tired & not much appetite but am on the mend. At least it's meant my first dry NYE that I can remember!

Do keep the links coming @Applefairy. It is nice to know someone is going out somewhere, and you've come through the other side. I'm very happy with my Arket duvet coat, have been tempted to wear it indoors over the Christmas isolation, it's so cosy.

Mara I love William Boyd too especially Any Human Heart. I just read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (who wrote Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell) which I loved. It's rather other worldly but quite short and fascinating.

@bumpyrider, I know the dress you were inspired by - was it a Whistles one? A monochrome print dress is a a great staple - you could dress it up or down. How are you styling it?

Impromptu cocktail at an outside bar today when I ran into an old friend while dog walking. OOTD was very boring/causal, old denim J. Crew shorts (I never, ever thought I could wear denim shorts but they are nicer on than I imagined), navy breton top, navy APC half moon bag and white Birkenstocks and red lipstick

@libertyonhertravels I love that poem, thank you for linking it.

I have this Joseph coat in black from at least five years ago. I paid full price but it is my best CPW coat.

I also have a knee length leather Weekend Max Mara one that is not so warm but great for in-between days and excellent CPW. And, like others have said, a few Zara ones that are firm favourites.

J Crew petites are also well represented in my coat collection. This is a old but good one I have in navy (again, mine is at least five years old). Warm and heavy but not too bulky.

Happy New Year everyone. Quiet here too but actually really good. One thing I’ve loved about this year is being our little family unit. I’ve had bonus time with my grown up children which has been great for me, perhaps less so for them!!!!
Covid didn’t stop me spending, though less so and I realised how important being well put together everyday is to my sanity!

No New Years Resolutions, just Trying to stay positive and thankful........will try to pop on here more often though.