How to update old-fashioned clothes | Re-working a frumpy jacket with neon yellow and white.

How to stop a tweed jacket looking frumpy.

I have been guilty of discarding some fabulous items of clothing, in the past, in favour of something a little more grown up or appropriate for my age (see an explanation HERE).

Are we all guilty of this at some point in our lives?
How many times have you looked at something fabulous on the rail, in a shop (or online) and thought,

"That IS beautiful!...but not for me, I am too old/ young /fat /thin /short/ tall/ pale/ dark/ wrong shape/ wrong personality/ wrong life"*

*(delete as appropriate)

Then you reach for the same old shapes and colours....ten pairs of black trousers anyone?

Why do we put ourselves down like this?
Why should you not buy that truly fabulous item and rock it!?

This unfortunate problem resulted in me going out and buying some less than exciting, totally uninspiring, and...lets face it, downright frumpy clothes.

Most of them never saw the light of day as I just did not feel like myself wearing them....so they hung, limp and pathetic, with their tags intact, in my wardrobe.

Thoroughly depressing me every time I opened the doors.
Reminding me of how much money and time I had wasted.
Making me miss my old (and much more fun) items even more.

I have now decided to take positive action...to try some Style CPR on my wardrobe disasters.

The first of these sorry sights is a boucle or tweed (ish) Chanel-esque jacket.
It was stupidly expensive (for me)...contradicting my normal spending habits, and adding to the shame!

I know these jackets look amazing on 20-somethings, who wear them with cool irony....mussed-up hair, graphic t-shirts and skyscraper heels.

On 40-somethings,however, they remind me of something my Nan would wear on a Sunday or an outfit more suited to the Queen.

I was determined to give my jacket one last chance before donating it to charity.

Not wanting to go down the easy route of dark skinny jeans, a casual T-shirt and heels...that would be too predictable...I paired it with my white 'girlfriend' jeans (worn HERE) and an almost-neon yellow jumper.

I added a vintage (1970's) gent's leather tie, I'm not sure why, I just loved the idea of it.

My white and silver brogues were a must, as it is impossible to feel rubbish when wearing these. I LOVE the white soles!
My little studded bag finished things off nicely.

To be honest, I am not sure if I completely rescued the jacket from Frumpsville.
But, I do like it a little more....

Brogues: Aldo
Jacket: Boden
Jeans: ME&EM
Jumper: JohnnieB