As I did it I thought I would capture it. Many thanks to Becky, from our Company Secretary’s team, who gets in early and was always available to take a quick picture first thing. She generally only took one shot – a habit I associate with analogue photography – so it was a bit hit and miss. I seem to have the same cheesy smile in all of them as I stand next to the storage cupboards in our office. Friday I was at our Hammersmith office, and the weekend was spent at Rainshore. Although I don’t really love this process I rather like the scrutiny I can subject myself to.
For work I am wearing RTW trousers, my Burda winter shorts and my Birkin flares. I really enjoy wearing my shorts suit and this was my choice for my most formal day, Wednesday, when I wore a matching 1960s jacket with the shorts. These are made in a boiled wool from Simply Fabrics. On Tuesday and Thursday I have, optimistically, chosen Me-Made summer skirts. The turquoise lace unexpectedly looked great (I think!) with a knitted top. I am not so sure about Thursday which I have mentioned before. Having said that I got a compliment from a very stylish lady who really liked the mixture of reds and pinks I was wearing. One thing I can say for sure is that having such a relatively limited range of outfits to choose from (in terms of a daily Me-Made Knit) forced me to put together a few unusual combinations. That was certainly true on Saturday. I wore my 1970s DVF dress with a hole, and just put my Lorelle (also worn on Wednesday with the shorts suit) on, on top. The sleeveless grey top also works well as a a casual top with my new linen skirt. I finally got my legs out this week as it is warming up. But not reliably.
According to these pictures you would think I did nothing but knit over the weekend (a blue jumper, according to Elizabeth Zimmermann, and a green Sloper using up Jo’s yarn). Actually we had the grandbabies to stay and it was full on. We had a great adventure. We enjoyed the Cotswold Farm park although it was fairly chilly. Even better was fishing for trout at Bibury. This was very rewarding as the fish are farmed and really easy to catch. You have to hit them on the head (sorry!) to kill them, but we felt it was important for the kids to understand a bit more about food. We enjoyed eating them a few hours later. I think the gutting was pretty interesting, but you can see the disgust on the kids’ faces. On Sunday Nick made a big batch of sourdough and Ted made a teddy bear and kit a dragon. With raisin eyes. So all in all a lovely, outdoorsy spring weekend with lots of laughs and fresh air. My green jacket is RTW from Joules sale. It’s a great colour, isn’t it?
One more week to go on MMM17. I am beginning to clarify what I want. I am yearning for simplicity, less items and less choice. This aspect of the “rules” appealed to me. I am thinking more of a uniform for work, based on comfortable and stylish footwear, and relaxed, comfortable weekend wear with the emphasis on knits. And I need a hair cut.
Annie
You look very comfortable and stylish in your outfits. It’s been a good experiment hasn’t it.
I think many of us are creatures of habit. Once I find a combo I like I wear it a lot, work wear is simpler than when there are a zillion options. I tend to repeat garments through the week mixing them with other looks. What I’d like is to have the courage to cull my wardrobe most of which I never wear. That’s a whole other conversation.
eimear
the turquoise lace skirt with knit looks gorgeous. I am beginning to find the more I sew the less I need as I like my own makes so much I will wear them so much more than I used with rtw (I think I am at 30 pieces in my wardrobe) – but then I also like sewing and making that I am now trying to find out the ‘missing’ bits from my wardrobe for the next excuse to make (my current obsession is blouses)
Elaine Sabin-Simpson
My favourite office looks are #1,#3 and #5. I love the shorts suit look, you have great legs, show ’em off!
Dagmar
I’m with Elaine. The shorts suit is incredible…stylish, polished and flattering. The shoes you are wearing with it really elevate the look too. Your hair looks to be just at that difficult intersection of nearly long enough for a new style or needing a cut to return to the old. I try to avoid this intersection myself as I hate going through the decision process of which way to go: longer and new me or back to what I had!
The farm park scenes are lovely. It will be a while until I have grandchildren with my kids just off to university, but you really look to be enjoying the experience and appear to be the best sort of hands-on grandmother.
Michelle
I had to wear a mandatory uniform for work and although it was far from flattering or stylish, I never dithered in front of the wardrobe wondering what to wear! I’m in agreement that too much choice can be daunting. I’ve had another stocktake of my clothing and although I now have far fewer items to choose from, in some ways decisions on what to wear are much simpler.
You seem to have incorporated your handknits into your MMM outfits quite effortlessly, and with your usual style. I’m really taken with your selection of sleeveless slopers, and I agree with other commenters, the shorts suit is terrific!
ceci
In elementary school I envied friends who went to the school that required uniforms, mainly because the morning picking out what to wear process was very fraught; my mother wanted me to choose for myself, but to choose what she envisioned me wearing, not what I actually chose. I recall especially liking to wear a lavender dress with black rick rack, and that she thought I wore it too often and that it was not great color-wise for me. She made all my clothes and we didn’t have the same favorites, a situation that I suspect people who sew for children might recognize!
I’m enjoying seeing what you wear each day, even if you are tired of the picture taking process. We’re on an out of town trip and I packed very lightly and not quite warmly enough – I wish I had a couple of your sweaters waiting in the wings!
ceci
Cedi Frederick
I love the Wednesday and Thursday looks! You’ve got it spot on for a Friday too! It is Friday after all!
Sarah
I really enjoyed watching everyone else MMM outfits this year, and you have some really great combinations going on! But I found it quite hard to keep up. Especially as I tend to fixate on two or three items every week and wear them in lots of different combinations. I wore one pair of culottes three days in one week because I’d just made them. And although I was enjoying mixing them up with the rest of my wardrobe it wasn’t really in the MMM spirit of wearing different things every day. I could get a way with 3 days of yellow trousers as I had three separate meetings in different parts of the country to wear them to! Oh and well done to the early bird office colleague for taking your photos every day!