When I asked you what you’d like us to talk about during this mid-season period whilst the sales are on, these are the two things you wanted most. Firstly, ideas of what to wear when the sun doesn’t shine and secondly to see what I wear day in, day out. I haven’t covered daily outfits for a while because it goes against all the advice given to bloggers. You are supposed to keep on showcasing outfits but when I think about it, the blogs I enjoy reading most are the real ones where I see women over 40 wearing everyday clothes.

So, I suppose it has been a good thing that it has rained for most of the week because I can cover both of your needs in one go. Naturally lots of the clothes that I wear are from previous seasons but I am always careful to try to add a small “2016 twist” to any outfit that I put together. I always say that this blog is about style not fashion so the twists are subtle but they’re the little details that save you from looking frumpy (I hope). I’ll talk you through them as I go.

Monday

On Monday evening, I was at the university for an end of term event that finished with drinks. I had been wearing coated jeans with my Hush gold lustre t-shirt and a blazer for a day in the office so I simply added a gold scarf to make the outfit more evening appropriate.
Rainy summer days what to wear

Gold lustre t-shirt (similar with stock available here); Autograph coated jeans (past season, similar with stock available here or for a less skinny cut which is probably the best buy going forwards, these are from the new AW16 collections); Whistles blazer; Whistles tote bag; Jigsaw Milly pony skin shoes

It’s hard to see the gleam on the scarf but here’s a closer shot to give you a better idea.

Rainy summer days what to wear

Accessorize scarf; Tulip earrings; Links of London necklace (now half price)

Two years ago I would have been wearing this outfit with a big statement necklace which would look completely wrong now.

2016 twist: the gold lustre micro trend; the mixed silver and gold hoop earrings; the delicate necklace.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a day for working from home. It poured down nearly all day and was so chilly that I had to put the central heating on.

Rainy summer days what to wear

Whistles striped top (past season); Boden cropped jeans; Boden scalloped flats (past season – this year’s version in the sale here)

2016 twist – the fraying on the hemline of the jeans and a slightly looser cut than the tight skinnies of previous years.

Wednesday

This is what I wore for a day of meetings whilst dodging the showers.

Rainy summer days what to wear

Hush jumpsuit, Rachelwears merino drape cardigan; Finery shoes, Claudia Bradby necklace

2016 twist – the shoes with the chunky block heels; snake is also looking to be a key trend for Autumn

Thursday

I spent a day at my desk talking to brands about Autumn Winter – yes, I’m afraid so!

Rainy summer days what to wear

White Company t-shirt; Uniqlo jeans; Zara shoes (past season); Boden cardigan; Claudia Bradby necklace

2016 twist – the silver lustre t-shirt (try as I might I can’t get the camera to pick up the sparkly sheen), also the thicker, stiffer denim – the comfortable lycra jegging material we’ve all been used to is now on its way out.

Friday

This picture proves that I am not always chic! Today we have been moving the eldest son out of his halls of residence on campus and into a city centre student flat. How he has managed to accumulate so much stuff I have no idea but it took four car journeys to achieve it. Everything had to be carried from the top floor of his halls to the top floor of a Georgian warehouse and neither building had a lift. Here we are looking as though we’ve completed a marathon. It was a cold day so, as you can see, I had to borrow one of his hoodies.

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2016 twist – nothing really – student chic?!?

What really strikes me when I look at the week’s outfits is the change of colour palette. When the sun comes out I wear bright dresses and skirts, when it rains I revert to neutral trousers and jeans. For all students of literature, I’m a walking version of the Pathetic Fallacy.

Midlife lately

The aftershock of Brexit

I was originally inspired to start this blog when I inherited bundles of family letters after my mum died. I spent days reading through them all, hearing the words of my ancestors from my great grandfather onwards and this is partly my 21st century way of leaving a record of the everyday for my children’s children’s children.

[Excuse me for a moment as it strikes me that these very important people – my great grandchildren – might actually read this. Hello if it’s you in the future. I wish I’d known you]

So, although I don’t want to talk about the politics of Brexit, it seems shallow not to register the after effects because, whether you voted to remain or leave, they are being felt universally, even in this outpost of the UK.

As you know, Mr MC and I run a small marketing agency and most of our friends have their own businesses too. What we all found was that business decisions stalled in the run up to the referendum, as they did before the election last year. What we were hoping was that this would quickly be rectified once the vote was over. What we hadn’t factored in was a vote for leave.

Businesses are wallowing in a state of paralysis. No-one seems able to make any kind of business decision. If traction doesn’t start soon at a higher level to build confidence, the country is really going to suffer. It doesn’t take long before small businesses feel the effect of this kind of stagnation. People that I know who work freelance are already in trouble because contracts are being cancelled and, within the space of a week, they have lost their earnings.

Radio 4 is usually the background noise in our kitchen but I find I hesitate now before I switch on the news. The last time I felt like this was in 2008 when we decided to tune into Classic FM in the mornings because it was the only radio station that gave us a few moments of early calm.

However, one of the benefits of knowing our history is that even if we don’t learn its lessons, it helps to give context to our lives. There is a portent symmetry today when we are all remembering the beginning of the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. Both my great grandfather and my grandfather, whose letters I have, fought there and now Europe seems to be in a state of conflict yet again. In one way I suppose there is comfort in remembering that things have been worse. I would far rather be facing the issues we have now than waving my eldest son off to fight. So for now, I’m holding on to one of the mantras that I keep for difficult times: “Forward is the only way forward so forward we go.”

The return of the prodigal son

On a lighter note, I have been basking in the company of said son who, as you have seen, has finally come home after staying on campus until the very last party was over. He is entertaining us greatly with his stories of his last year…and astounding us yet again with the six bin bags of washing that came back with him. Last term you may remember that he appeared to have invested his student loan in over 50 pairs of socks so that he didn’t have to fork out the £7 for the washing machine and tumble dryer in halls.

This term he has come up with a new ruse and discovered that pretty much every time he goes to a student party night, he gets a free t-shirt. If he stays until the bitter end, he has a chance of getting any extras that are left over. In his strange student mind therefore, going to every party and staying until the end is seen as an economy. I guess the warning signs were there when he swapped his “accounting and finance” module for “media and culture studies” early on in his course.

However it is bliss having all three sons back under my roof if only for a short time. It helps me sleep soundly and despite the news, I wake up with a smile on my face because all is well in my maternal world.

The back of my head!

I have had a lot of requests for a shot of the back of my head. Thankfully people weren’t implying that they were tired of the front, they simply wanted to see the back of my haircut as it grows. So, here you go. I’m going back to George Northwood for stage two of my master cut in just over two weeks’ time but I’m amazed at how well it has behaved as it has grown.

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And with that I will leave you to your weekend, I hope it’s a good one. My last post was all about the Hush sale if you missed it and it included a low down of all the best sales and offers that are on at the moment. I will keep it updated as they continue to come through so it is worth checking back every so often. I’ve also just heard today that Hush will be stocked at John Lewis for Autumn/Winter – what a great thing that is.

Thank you so much for all of the ideas you have sent through. If anyone has any more, please do keep them coming and I would be really interested to hear how the outcome of Brexit is affecting you, not whether you think it was right or wrong, let’s not go there, just how you’re finding the outcome.

Disclosure: this is not a sponsored post