Style not Age honour Iris Apfel.

Good morning everyone. 

Glad you’ve stopped by today. 

How did your weekend go? Friday I took my mum out for Afternoon Tea with my sister. It was for her Mother’s Day present and we enjoyed a themed menu at The Lane in Deal which is about 45 mins away from me. The theme was Willy Wonka from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. They’re a little coffee shop that offer themed and traditional afternoon teas, and light lunches as well as bottomless brunch’s and evening dinner with cocktails on offer too. Among the fancy cakes and savoury snacks were macaroons, cupcakes, chocolates, sliders, sausage rolls, soup and a sandwich to name but a few. Tea or coffee was offered and they also had a licence, so mum had a glass of wine. It was really tasty and with the cafe decorated to match the theme made for a special afternoon. 

It’s time for me and the girls from Style not Age to share our thoughts and fashion take on the challenge set by Anna which is all about the late fashion icon …

Irish Apfel. 

If you follow me or any of the Style not Age collective you may remember we featured Iris Apfel on the blog before. With the iconic lady having recently passed away at the amazing age of 102 we felt we should pay homage to her once again. She rejected being conventional and marveled in her own individual style which set her apart from the norm. Her iconic additions of chunky necklaces and bracelets being her signature look along with her big round glasses making her unforgettable to all who saw her.  All of which being enviable statements & Iris cared not for any kind of conformity amongst her piers. Her striking style has been looked up to for many years with her mantra of “more is more & less is a bore” being quite a fashion statement that only she could live up to. We all recall the reams of beads and chunky bracelets along with statement sleeves & feathered neck features, with all of us having emulated at some time or other!

So let me tell you about my outfit. 

I started off with this lurex covered midi dress from Matalan. I found it on Vinted and fancied making the sleeves a bit more padded. Unfortunately I looked more like Mr Universe with plastic bags shoved inside the arms so decided to leave them out. I figured the necklaces would speak for themselves and just chucked bead after bead on top of each other. Shame the photos and colour option didn’t really do them justice and couldn’t really be seen. So what started out as a promising outfit ended up being a bit half hearted!

With that being said the dress would be perfect for a Christmas party or festive occasion so my bargain dress might have to stay in my wardrobe and not go back on Vinted!

So the lurex covered knitted dress has long sleeves that slightly blouson on the shoulder creating a bit of extra bulk and therefore detail. It’s got a matching tie belt that I wanted to change for a leather one but it didn’t look right so I opted to tie it round the back. I popped on my black waistcoat which added another dimension of interest. 

Now beads and chunky necklaces are more or less always in fashion. What works for one person at one time is outcast by another and vice versa so I say if it works for you go with it! These black layers were borrowed from my mum as was one of the wide black bangles - another signature look of Iris. The others are mine and I’m reluctant to get rid of them as I know I’ll be wanting them again one day possibly sooner than I think!

Let’s head over to see what Anna, who set the challenge, has to offer. Her Iris inspired outfit is based around her patchwork suit that’s filled with colourful designs, all matching her beads and bangles.  Find out all the info on her blog Anna’s Island Style. 

Emma chose this Iris designed trousers suit from H &M but managed to find the stunner on Vinted like me! Do head over to her blog Style Splash for all the details. 

Let’s head over to see how Gail - Is this mutton? tackled the prompt. You can see Gail is often inspired to wear citrus shades and today is no exception but with the added thrill of this stunning jewellery.

Lastly here’s what Hilda brought to the table. You can find out about how this look came together on her blog Over the Hilda but doesn’t she look amazing in this elegant blouse and fabulously flattering jeans.

So pleased you joined me today. You can see more of our previous challenges here, here and here or alternatively just type Style Not Age in the search bar above ⬆️.

Have a super day/evening and rest of the week. 

Bye bye for now. X