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While I appreciate that a cap sleeve, stretch-chambray, button-front, Mandarin collar dress circa the late 90s - mid 2000s may not be what everyone thinks of as "classic", in this context I'm referring to the term simply for classification purposes. In the world of collectible cars, "classic" is the term used to refer to any car over 20 years old. While in the fashion world these distinctions tend to be more blurry (and often lumped under the one-size-fits-most term "vintage"),  in this particular instance it seemed to fit. Granted, with cars, the term "vintage" refers to a car built between 1919 and 1930, so again, yeah....blurry. Be that as it may, if this piece isn't 20 years old, it's darn close. I picked this dress up several months ago while I was in the US, on a thrifting mission with my mom and sister. While my life these days does not really give me any reason to own a button-front, "office" type dress, when something fits as well as this dress did straight off of the rack, you don't question it. The Universe has spoken, and you just need to go with it. The opportunity to wear it will likely present itself sooner or later. And hey, who am I to argue with The Universe?

I haven't bought any new clothes in a really long time, which is sort of a strange admission for someone who writes a style blog, but there it is. That's not to say that I haven't brought anything new home - I have. I have just really been finding a lot of satisfaction in finding secondhand treasures.  Buying secondhand ensures that you are probably going to have an item that you won't see on every third person on the street, it's sustainable, and perhaps most of all, it's fun. It's a bit like treasure hunting. My sister and I regularly make a bolt for the shoe department at our favorite thrift haunt in my hometown, pushing each other out of the way and squeeing with delight as we do so, racing each other to get to the good shoes first. And we don't even wear the same size. And yes, we're both in our mid to late 40s, and this is completely normal and well-adjusted behaviour, so don't @ me. Nearly the entirety of today's look is secondhand, with the exception of the boots, which I believe were heavily discounted online a few seasons back. The top is Lucky Brand,  found in brand new condition; it only required a quick repair of the embroidery on one of the sleeves. The jeans are one of the most ancient pairs in my closet -  so old I actually wouldn't  even remember their provenance with out getting them carbon dated. The vintage faux fur coat was a $20 thrift find a few years back. It's only cold enough to wear it here in the West of Scotland a handful of days a year, but I love it and let me tell you it is warm. So that was today. Secondhand Tuesday.  I should also point out that these photos were taken in a very lucky six minutes - the only six minutes of natural daylight today where it wasn't raining, so I'm hoping that gazing upon them should make a little of that luck rub off.  We shall see.

As per my usual routine, I went thrifting with my mom and sister last week when I was home visiting. I came away with a lot of really amazing stuff, most of which you will be seeing here over the next several weeks. Things being what they are in the world with fast fashion and our cultural wastefulness, I see less and less reason to shop in mainstream stores these days (with the exception of underwear and socks and the like).  Finding secondhand treasures not only satisfies the search and destroy shopping cravings you might have, it's far better for the planet, and I suppose your soul as well. I knew before I even tried on this Gap tweet moto jacket (which was a Goodwill find for about 8 US Dollars), that I was going to be bringing it home. One of the great benefits of getting older is knowing instantly on sight when something will fit you, and I just knew this jacket would.  Most likely I'll wear this with jeans 99.9% of the time, but I wanted to try something different today in the name of variety. The result was this rather 80s derivative look. Historically I've not been a big fan of 80s fashion, but the farther away from the decade we get, the more appreciation I have for it - absence making the heart grow fonder and all that. Anyway, the jacket is very warm, which is perfect for this time of year, and it has a sort of indoor/outdoor thing going on so that you can either wear it as a light cold weather jacket, or (more likely) like a non-traditional blazer for our non-traditional times. thrifted jacket (see below for options) / Charter Club pink cashmere sweater / Tibi wool skirt (old), similar, similar / Nine West boots (old), similar / Judith Ripka Rings: similar heart shaped, multi-hearts similar / hammered sterling earrings

I've done several collaborations with Eternal Collection, the UK-based online jewelry retailer that specializes in quality costume jewelry. Their pieces are always a delight, the quality is consistently high-end, the customer service is top-notch, and naturally I am always thrilled to be able to showcase a company whose origins are right here in Scotland, my adoptive country. What's more, they are one of the few retailers around that carries a healthy selection of clip-on jewellery options, as well as tutorials as to how to adjust them. This time around, the collaboration was every bit as wonderful as it always is. In fact, this time, when I opened the box containing these High Society Diamonte Drop Pierced Earrings, I let out a sound not unlike those of the air brakes on a bus; a loud gasp followed by a high-pitched squee. These. Earrings. Are. Awesome. These earrings are remarkably lightweight for a chandelier earring, and really catch the light, creating a glow around your face that is a bit like having your own lighting director following you around with a portable softbox lighting setup.  The arrival of these beauties could not have been better-timed. As you may remember, in the run-up to the holiday season I have decided to do a series on the classic film noir femme fatale, a look that works on just about anyone, although on us more...uh...seasoned gals, it 's especially good. One thing that the classic femme fatale would never do is apologize, and like our esteemed anti-heroine, these earrings are anything  but a whispered apology. Just like the femme fatale, they're large, showy, loud, glamorous, and ambitious. They do not care about your whiny-arse problems, nor do they require you to pair anything with them. In fact, these earrings prefer to go solo and stand on their own two diamonte-encrusted "feet",  thanks very much. And of course, it's a look that insinuates that our femme fatale might very well have killed some poor guy off in his sleep to obtain the money to pay for them, but what's a bit of murder among friends when we're talking about serious glamour, am I right ladies? This post has been shared with Not Dead Yet Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Not Dressed As Lamb

If there is one thing that can be relied upon to generate the element of surprise, it's answering the door at 10am for the Menzies delivery guy dressed in full film noir femme fatale hair and makeup. It generates the kind of authentic reaction shot that would have made Lawrence Olivier himself green with envy. I realized this week that we are quickly approaching the time of year where "festive glamour" is foisted upon us. Everywhere you look, the shops are encouraging us to dress for the upcoming festivities in what I imagine a peacock would look like if he decided to attend a fancy dress party as a foil-wrapped baked potato. And while I love a little sparkle and shine as much as the next gal, this year, for reasons I'm not even entirely sure I can articulate, I'm just not feeling it. Okay, that's a lie. Yes, I can articulate it, and I know exactly why I'm not feeling it. I think my aversion to this year's incarnation of Festive Barbie is grounded in the fact that we women have suffered a bit of a blow of late. I blame the Donald Trumps and the Brett Kavanaughs of the world for what appears to be this new "sit there and take it" approach to all things feminine. And that does not just apply to feminism for that matter, but that's the scope of this post. As a means of dealing with this New World Order, I've found solace in one of my favorite film genres, film noir. And of course you can't have film noir without the most glamorous of anti-heroines, the femme fatale. Smart, sassy, ambitious, murderous, and unapologetically feminine, the film noir femme fatale is as glamorous as she is pissed-off - a perfect balm for our times. What's more, it's a great look for women of any age. In fact, I daresay it's even better when you're a little bit older. After all, any femme fatale worth her salt has definitely burned-through a few husbands for the insurance claims. You can't get all of that done when you're in your twenties, that takes commitment. Gina Bacconi evening dress (old)

This knit dress has been bumping around in my closet for the last two years. It was a lucky thrift store find, a Jones New York dress that was brand spanking new with the tags still attached when I found it at the local thrift store in my Wisconsin hometown. I have been meaning to do a post about this dress since I got it, but the circumstances in which I came to find it kind of led me to put it off in favor of more important matters, and over time I just kind of forgot to do the post - until now. Before this dress came to live with me, I had been away on an overnight work training here in Scotland. I had taken the train 90 miles to Glasgow when I got the call to fly home to the US for a family emergency. All I had with me was a change of underwear, a spare t-shirt and bare minimum toiletries all stuffed into a tote bag.  Thankfully, I also had my passport. That was a lucky strike, I usually don't carry it with me when I travel within the UK, it just happened to still be in the bag from my last trip. Once I arrived in the US and things settled down a but, I realized I was in need of a dress. It was summer when all this played-out, so it was fairly easy hit up the thrift stores for casual sundresses, shorts, and t shirts to get me through while I was there, but I figured I'd take a shot at finding a more conservative occasion dress there as well. This is what I found. I am still amazed at how well this thing fits - it's body conscious without being tight. It has a subtle empire waist, so it is incredibly comfortable, and it works for most seasons. I also love that it references a Missoni knit (if you've been following the blog you'll already know that I have a soft spot for all things Missoni). Even the colors are perfect, this dress will continue to match my ever evolving hair color as it gets exponentially more silver every year. It's definitely a keeper. This post has been shared with Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday

I didn't realize until after I shot the first few photos in this dress that there is a little piece of my dog in just about every one of the shots. And as always, he (or more specifically, his rear-end) made the cut, because I am inherently lazy and I am not going traipsing out there a second time for the sake of some canine booty. So. The dress. This Lilly Pulitzer dress is a bit of an enigma. Yes, it's short, tight, and shows a it of cleavage, but at the same time it is also made of this really comfy, light, stretchy fabric, and the top sort of has an almost scuba-like fit that actually reads a lot sportier than all this short, tight, goldness would have you believe at first glance. Normally, I would have paired this with a pair of simple flat gold sandals, but most of my good flat sandals are in Florida, so I had to go with what I had. Really, when your dress is short, tight, and shows a bit of cleave, the last thing you need to do is add heels. But, well. There ya go. Thinking about wearing this for my upcoming 47th birthday dinner, which is insane, because there will probably be a LOT of food, and beer,..and you will literally be able to see each and every IPA I drink in this dress, and I envision sucking my gut in the entire night...okay, maybe I just talked myself out of it.

I seem to be starting out all my posts of late in the same manner, which is to offer some type of an apology for my sparse postings. I can assure you it's not because I have lost interest in fashion, thrifting, or anything else - in fact, quite the opposite. I've been undertaking a training course and simultaneously trying to do orders and dream-up new things for my Living Earth Etsy Shop. In the pursuit of the latter I have sort of inadvertently become the natural insect repellent distributor amongst my coworkers and their families - something that here in the west of Scotland, is pretty much the same as being knighted, or even marrying into royalty, such is the weight of importance given to the promise of a potentially bug bite-free summer. So from now on, you may refer to me as The Lady Highland Fashionista, Duchess of Herbal Midge Repellent, or if that's too wordy, simply Her Ladyship will suffice.  For those of you reading this outside of Scotland, a "midge" is essentially the same as a "noseeum" in the US. Those little, bitey bastards that can fit through screens. Of course the upside to becoming insect repellent royalty is the underlying indication that the weather is indeed good enough to be getting bothered by bugs at all, and such has been the case this summer. In over a decade of living in the West Highlands, this is far and away the best summer I have seen. It was nearly (nearly) to the point where I found myself wishing that I had left some of my Florida clothes here to add to my rotation. While what is appropriate in SW Florida is never going to look completely right in the Scottish West Highlands, that usually doesn't stop me from trying, so today I shook out one of my Lilly pima cotton Marlow shift dresses, a "just in case" holdover that I decided to leave in Scotland, and proudly pranced around in it. I'm royalty now, so I can totally do that - although don't expect me to be caught dead any time soon in sensible royal hemlines or shoes. That's going just a step too far. Lilly Pulitzer Marlowe dress / Jack Rogers Marbella sandals / handmade beaded parrot earrings from a tourist shop in Sarasota, similar

There is a slight danger that I got these photos taken just moments before summer ended here on the wet coast, excuse me I mean the west coast of Scotland. I hope I'm wrong about this, but we've had a really nice long spell of beautiful weather - more so than usual, and in the back of our minds we are all fearful that that may have been it. Goodness knows there's precedent. New disappointing rainfall notwithstanding, it is still summer,  and therefore time to let the few pieces in my wardrobe that I haven't moved to Florida out into the paddock for a wee gallop. This is a thrifted find - a tiered floral print top from, of all places, White House Black Market - a place that sort of built its whole ethos around a black and white palette with "pops of color". Clearly, this top was one of the "pops of color".  I am thinking this top is circa mid to late 2000s, due to the fabric and the tiered effect. Funny, I almost passed this one by, thinking it was too referential to the decade it is obviously from, but then I kept coming back to it. The red print kept drawing me in. Then I realized that it did not matter one iota if this piece was dated and referential, because that was exactly what I liked about it (since when do I care about these things anyway?) I guess even those of us who as a matter of policy don't give a hoot about the social fashion forecast are still susceptible to it - if only in a subconscious way. Anyway, it is exquisitely comfy, and as a quick-grab top for summer, also a safe bet because the pattern will hide anything you spill on it (a very real probability if I"m wearing it), and the tiers hide that second...okay, third Gardenburger you ate at the barbecue. thrifted top, similar / thrifted jeans / thrifted sandals, similar / rose leaf earrings from my Etsy shop / rose gold-plated silver bracelet (old), similar

**UPDATED JUNE 2023** Ahoy there Internetters!  Yes, I know that for many of you, this seems like a strange time of year to be providing an update to my periodic safe sunscreens postings, but I'm afraid this is just the way it is with me. When you live between Scotland and Florida, summer is winter, winter is summer, and spring and fall are more theoretical constructs than times of year, so I really pay no mind at all to the changing of seasons. I am led completely by necessity, and this past few weeks, I needed sunscreen. First off, if you're new or need a refresher, have a read-through of my previous safe sunscreen postings: The original post - Sunscreen Safety can be found here The follow-up - More Safe Sunscreens can be found here As with my two previous postings, I always check any product I am trying-out for the first time against the Environmental Working Group's Safe Sunscreens database. They have amassed an incredible amount of data and have reviewed just about every major brand you can think of that is readily available - particularly those in the US. If you have never visited this website, you simply must. Every year, they test a raft of sunscreens and rate them, giving the consumer a tidy list of some of the safest and most effective products on the market. And some surprising recommendations of products to steer clear of as well (seriously, if you're still using those aerosolized sunscreens, or worse yet any of the Ambre Solaire products - I strongly encourage you to visit this site and read-up!) Generally speaking, the safest sunscreens are always going to be the mineral-based ones -  the zinc and titanium dioxide sunscreens. Yes, they tend to leave a bit of a whiteish cast on the skin, but if safety is what you're after, there simply is no alternative. There are some good "hybrid" products out there (sunscreens that are a combination of a chemical sunscreen and minerals), but as far as effectiveness, sensitivity, and side effects go, your mineral sunscreens are always going to be at the top of the list. A Slightly Different Approach to Safe Sunscreen This time around,  I took a different tack than I have in the past when looking at sunscreens. Normally, I would look at the EWG recommendations, then order a handful of their top-rated sunscreens and take them for a whirl. However, a lot of their top-rated versions are not readily available in stores, particularly if you live in a place with limited access to more "natural" brands, which a lot of these top-rated mineral sunscreens tend to be. Added to that I get sent a lot of stuff for the blog, so I always have a few products laying-around that I did not come by because of the website. With that in mind, I made my selections this time based on things that were more readily-available in stores. Sure, I cheated a bit to make sure that the ones I was choosing had been reviewed, but this time, you should be able to walk into a Walgreens or a Boots and put your hands on the product without having to order it from Amazon. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Amazon has literally been here to the house in FL about eight times in the past two weeks as I fly into a panic preparing to return to the UK. But I digress. Here's the intel, and a quick reminder that with the EWG, the lower score is what you want - think of it as a "demerit" system -  a 1 is their highest rating. The higher the score, the less safe the sunscreen. Think Baby SPF 50+ Sunscreen $17 US / £14 UK I mention this one again because it is my hands-down favorite sunscreen of all time. I've been using it for years. It goes on easily (for a mineral sunscreen), does not leave you looking too much like a ghost, can be used on your face with ease, smells amazing, and stays on forever, even in the pool (that's not to say you don't need to re-apply, but I'm a medium-olivey skinned girl so I likely get a little more time out of it than some). This one will probably always be in my cache here in Florida.  This one gets the top rating of 1/10 from the EWG. And from me. A+ UPDATE JUNE 2023: This sunscreen is consistently in my top picks, and probably always will be. I have no notes on this. Still one of the best. Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 50+ $11 US / £21 UK While this sunscreen isn't the cheapest you'll find in the drugstore, it is without a doubt probably one of the best. This pure mineral sunscreen gets a top rating of 1/10 from EWG (the face version gets a 2/10) goes on easily, and it definitely does have less of a whiteish cast than your average mineral sunscreen. One of the best things about this sunscreen is that it dries-down on your skin and doesn't leave you feeling like a piece of walking fly paper. Need to buy some sunscreen in a pinch? I reach for this, every time. A JUNE 2023 UPDATE: This Sunscreen really hasn't been in my rotation, really only because it really doesn't represent a particularly great value for the amount of product you get, as good as siad product is. You get so much more product with just about any other drugstore sunscreen, and a UK price tag of over £20 for 3 oz of product? Eek!! If you're looking for a great option that really dries down and sinks into the skin (particularly for the face), I like the Simple Kind to Skin Light Moisturizer With Sunscreen. Granted, it's only SPF 15, so you may want to step it up a bit and try the Raw Elements Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30. Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free, Sting-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50+ $8 US / £8 GBP (similar mineral-based product for babies) If affordability is what you're after, this is an excellent option - but tread lightly. Make sure you are purchasing the Tear-Free, Sting-Free Kids formula, and not one of the other many variations that Banana Boat has out (like the Kids Sport, which unfortunately is much more readily available on shelves). This tear-free formula gets a 3/10 from EWG (while the other permutations get a 6/10 and more), and it has great protection. Granted,  it's a bit more difficult to spread evenly than say, the ThinkBaby sunscreen. However, if you can find this in the store, it will only set you back between $8-10 USD, a bargain when you compare it to some of the pricier "natural" options. If you are going to be somewhere where you think you'll go through a lot of sunscreen, this is a great option. B JUNE 2023 UPDATE: At the time of the original writing, Banana Boat was in the midst of changing a lot of their formulas and branding labels, so their offerings are quite different now, and sadly no longer carry any that I would currently recommend you try. A better sensitive/kids option is the Earth Mama Baby Mineral Sunscreen Lotion.

This is one of my favorite dresses that I own. It's kind of ironic really, because despite all of its perfect, drapey, turquoisey, tropical flamingo realness, I really am not much of a fan of maxi dresses. I just generally have a problem with longer skirts; I find them difficult, often dowdy, hardly ever long enough, and a real pain when you have to take a big step, break into a run, walk through the rain, or basically just, well, live. But every once in a while you meet a dress that proves you wrong. This was one of those. I had really no intention of shopping the day I found this dress. I found it at Tommy Bahama last December when I was on one of my Florida jaunts and had just had lunch with a friend. We were sort of trolling the shops, not really with any particular aim, but I saw this dress and the pattern just spoke to me ("of course it did" you're saying... it's bright, loud, botanical...all the elements are there). This dress was one of those moments where you walk out of the dressing room and people you've never met say "Oooo. you need that." And I do need it. I really do. Oh, and it has pockets. Pockets you guys!

I recently realized that to try and do individual posts for all of the acid flamingo realness in my Florida closet, I would need to quit my job and relocate here full-time. While that is indeed the eventual plan, both Himself and I are still a year or few away from that realty, so I have decided to do a few "groupings".  Today's realness - my gallery of loud, questionable shorts. I call these shorts "questionable" in a very tongue-in-cheek way. To many people, the bright, kitchy prints scare them off, highlighting the insecurities we all have about our butts and thighs and whatever whatever blah blah blah...but here's the thing. When it's really hot out there (and it is getting there pretty darn quickly down here right now), there is no desire or need for a layered look, or any other means of fuss. The less the better, really. And while I love the ease of a sundress, sometimes you really just need something you can wear in and out of a boat, the store, do the yardwork, and not have to change a million times. For me, this occasion (and every occasion really) calls for a pair of crazy, colorful, printed shorts. They're easy, hide stains, and have a sense of humour about themselves that makes you happy when you put them on. A pair of crazy printed shorts thumbs it's nose at your stupid insecurities, and makes you realize that if they're not afraid to let their freak flags fly once in a while, then you shouldn't be either. All of the shorts pictured here are from Lilly Pulitzer (at this point you are not surprised by this); many I obtained secondhand, so there is a smattering of some vintage and more modern prints. And, I'm embarrassed to add, this is not the entirety of my collection. I keep and wear shorts until the arse is literally worn out of them, so there are also several pairs back at home, waiting in the wings for that one day a year in Scotland that the coach might pick them off the bench and put them in the game. Eventually, they too will relocate here to Florida, just one great big crazy-patterned questionable shorts retirement community, where they will all run free together until the end of days. I included a few of my go-to summertime companion pieces that I wear with these colorful concoctions just about every time, so sunglasses at the ready - enjoy! All shorts by Lilly Pulitzer / thrifted handbag / Wal Mart sandals