Wearing a Vintage knit, over 40 | Skinny cords and a pussy bow.

Berry tones, Autumn layers and Vintage style for real life.

How to wear a pussy bow knit, and not look like a frump.

After being inspired by the Gucci geek-chic look (that has now filtered down onto the high street) I was pleased as punch, to pick up this Pussy bow jumper in a charity shop.

I was drawn to the quality of the knit.
I usually run my hand along the rail of clothes, stopping at things that feel good and just hoping that they fit!

It is pure merino wool and a beautiful quality.
The size on the label was a 14, but it is a vintage 14 and I wanted to wear it slightly oversized (so I can get enough length at the cuff).
A good tip is to never dismiss a vintage item because of it's size label, always try it on, you just never know. Vintage clothes are (for the most part) smaller made.

I was quite pleased with my find.

BUT.

When I brought it home, my husband was not so impressed,

"Oh dear. what is that? It looks like something my granny would have worn"

I had to point out to him that it is so old his granny may well have worn it!

Could it really look stylish or was it an epic fashion fail?

I took comfort in the fact that I had given £5 to charity, whatever the outcome.

I have to concede that the pussy bow can be almost impossible to pull off.
They can look very matronly, frumpy and just plain awful.
The irony of the look on a 20 year old is lost at 40.

This jumper posed some major challenges for me:

• The pussy bow would not sit nicely....it was all flappy and annoying.
• It could look really old fashioned.
• The jumper itself is not a shape I would normally choose.
• I find this shade of (pepto-bismol) pink quite challenging to wear.

Oh crumbs! It is not looking good, is it?

But, as I love a bit of a challenge, I decided that the pussy bow would have to be beaten!

I wanted to wear it with my burgundy/plum cord trousers.
These are very skinny with a comfortable stretch and a really good rise.
I am NOT a fan of the muffin top.
I don't think it matters what dress size you are, unless you have abs like Sarah Jessica Parker, there will be some kind of ooze...it is never a good look.
I am not saying that your waistband should be under your chin, just enough to cover your fleshy bits.
My micro-muffin was tucked away nicely.

I am loving the berry tones this Autumn, and I know these trousers will be great with boots in the winter months. Cosy and warm.

I had to wear these gorgeous brogues today though.
I just love them!
Burgundy/oxblood leather with a tartan trim....Look at all of the great colours in the tartan.

I did pop a thin sheepskin insole inside them so I could go without socks (just keeping my feet cosy enough for an autumn day).

I then reached for my old faithful denim jacket. Denim never fails to give that laid back vibe.
It almost acts as a security blanket over a tricky item, if I am in doubt I add denim.
See how I styled Denim Jackets Here and here and here.

It was quite chilly today, so an oversized scarf was a must.
This fluffy one had all of the colours I needed to pull everything together, and is so cosy.

I was going to use a different bag (a blue one) but I thought I may as well go all-out on the pink and keep up the vintage theme.
This pale pink satchel was just the job!

Simple jacket-style earrings finished things off nicely (they are little sparkly balls, like shamballa).

The pussy bow had a mind of it's own and was going all over the place so I decided to tie it like a gents neck tie.
That's better!

Here is a close up of the beautiful quality of the knit...and my attempt at a knotted Tie (apologies for that!). 

and here is my photographer, living up to his cheeky reputation:

"Nice pussy.....bow! What else?"

"Why are you laughing?"

Cracks me up!

Check out these brogues.
I think I have a pair of tights to match every colour here!

My monogramed bag.
A great gift from Hubby (cheeky but a talented gift chooser).
It still looks brand new, despite being a good few years old and pale pink.
See how I styled it in an early post Here...with a backless top!

So what do you think?

Did I get away with this pussy bow jumper? Or is it a little too Matronly for your liking?

Please let me know in the comments.... I love to read your thoughts and opinions.

Jumper: Vintage
Cord Trousers: Gap
Bag: Cambridge satchel company
Jacket: Boden (old)
Scarf: Newlook