Orange is the new black!

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Orange vintage jumpsuit. Sizzling orange for a sizzling summer. 

Orange vintage jumpsuit. Sizzling orange for a sizzling summer. 

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR SUMMER WARDROBE, ON A BUDGET.

You may have seen this jumpsuit on my Instagram feed recently.  I bought it for an absolute song (about $40) at Trash in Byron Bay and, weather permitting, love wearing it in the UK.  One pieces are an absolute pain when you need a wee in a hurry but I am loving this colourful retro look styled up with a pre-loved headscarf & vintage sunnies (both from Trash) and the necklace from Ghost and Lola .

Head to foot from Byron Bay, Australia. Total cost for outfit under £100 (excluding the vintage sunglasses bought a couple of years ago)  It's so easy and costs so little to style up a pre-loved buy: just add sunnies, a headscarf or a hat and some bangles & costume jewellery, all of which can be found on-line or in charity shops, and you have a brand new look for very little outlay. 

Photography by the very talented Lynda Kelly, Finding Grace Photography, Brighton.

I also enjoyed a photo shoot in the same outfit in my friend's Kelli's amazing retro warehouse in Byron. She did my lovely beehive hairdo, make up and styling for an afternoon of fun, fashion & photography. Girls just want to have fun - at any age!

Hope these pictures inspire you to have a good dig through charity shops, op shops & on-line. You never know what you might find, including a Pucci which Kelli is wearing, and you'll be wearing something that no one else has got as well as saving a whole heap of money!

Let me know if you have any bargain buys that you just love wearing and do tag me if you're wearing vintage, retro, pre-loved or recycled outfits on Instagram using the hashtag #vintageladyvintagestyle so I can feature you in my monthly gallery. 

See you soon, and if you need more ideas on styling on a budget, have a look at some really cool blogs here.

Meet Jack, my jack russell/poodle dog.

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10 year old Jack, surveying his beach. His pet-friendly blanket is a huge success.

10 year old Jack, surveying his beach. His pet-friendly blanket is a huge success.

I don't know why I haven't done a blog post featuring my fur baby but I had the perfect excuse this week to take some photos of him after Scandisysters (an awesome collective of creative Swedish women) very kindly sent me this gorgeous, faux fur, weather proof rug for him to rest his weary paws on.  Made by Monimo of Sweden, the blanket is waterproof, wind proof, and washable and Jack just loves it - especially on the beach. 

For all you photographers out there, how hard is it shooting a black animal on a cream rug! And as for never working with children or animals...... Jack was just brilliant and sat and lay down on my command without a treat in sight.  What a good dog! 

Being half poodle, Jack is very intelligent, vocal and clingy.  He adores humans and most dogs, but not all, is a brilliant ratter and enjoys swimming.  Now he's 10, he's slowing down a bit and can't do somersaults on the beach anymore because of arthritis in his back leg. But he keeps me fit, gets me off the computer and is the light of my life! Especially when he's asleep!

 

I am proud to be an Ambassador for Scandisysters as I love to support a group of women who are creative makers of such beautiful products.  One of those women is Johanna Tibell-Gartz, who designed Jack's beautiful rug.  She started Monimo, as a hobby, during her maternity leave with her first child.  Now it's nearly a full time job and she's busy designing all sorts of amazing faux fur products to keep us warm this coming winter.  

So, which photograph is your favourite?  Do you photograph your dog?  

As ever, I love your comments and ALWAYS answer! And Catherine, at Not Dressed as Lamb, this one's for you as a fellow dog lover. x

See you soon,