Inspiration. What can you say about it? It's wonderful, a natural partner to imagination, and often strikes in the oddest of places. Case Point number 1 - I recently walked into an old fashioned sweet shop in search of Sherbert Lemons (to which I think I may be addicted!). But the first thing that caught my eye was a jar of brightly coloured liquorice allsorts. They instantly reminded me of how much I love the look and primary colours of these soft candies, even if I can't stand the taste of liquorice itself (alongside fennel and aniseed).
That very morning I'd been musing about how to style these gorgeous Katharine Hamnett tailored trousers sent to me by the fabulously kind Pearl, and here (suddenly) was a ready-made colour scheme in a jar! The trousers could be the 'liquorice' - all I needed was a bright upper half. So duly I added a charity shopped Marks & Spencers polo neck, and a striped blouse that my late great-grandma handmade (she of the extensive hats and gloves collection I frequently wear). The belt and shoes are both charity shopped too, and the ring is inherited. I often speculate about when my great-grandma made that vibrant blouse, as from most of the photos I've seen of her, it's not the kind of thing I can imagine her wearing - she was a real 'twinsets, pearls and handbag' lady.
My mum took the photos of me while on a long weekend by the Welsh coast.
For me this outfit appeals to my sense of nostalgia. Not only is it inspired by one the great joys of childhood (eating sweets), but the trousers also really remind me of film stars of the black and white and technicolour era. In fact, they instantly make me think of Katherine Hepburn - and also makes me feel somewhat sophisticated. In addition, the outfit back story brings to mind the particularly delightful 'Toot Sweets' sequence in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. My family and I watched it before Christmas while I was recuperating after surgery, and it was perfect escapism.
Talking of recovery, and going back to Pearl (who is among the kindest and most supportive bloggers I've met online), these trousers arrived as part of a goody pacakge while I was in hospital after my operation. She suggested that I would need something comfortable that would "go well with flats", and these trousers could do the trick - she was right. Dressing while in recuperation proved quite a challenge, and alongside these I usually resorted to diaphanous silk shirts, shift dresses and wrap skirts for comfort.
Pearl recently wrote an article about The Big Hearts of Bloggers, and I wholeheartedly agree with her sentiment. What she failed to mention is that she has one of the biggest hearts of all! I have been so lucky in the amount of support I have recieved in the time I have been writing this blog (it'll be two years this summer). I know that sometimes any form of social networking is assumed to be plagued by nasty and/ or offensive anonymous comments, or that it contributes to a decline in face-to-face interaction, but I have rarely experienced that while blogging.
What was your favourite sweet (or candy) when you were little? Alongside the aforementioned sherbert lemons, I also had a definite weakness for jelly tots and sherbert dips.
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