When it's not been raining, over the last few days I've mostly been outside photographing stock.
I hardly recognise myself from the back, my hair has grown ridiculously long since I stopped taking the Pill last year and I shall continue to let it grow, I fully intend to be one of those old ladies who send the fashion police into an apoplexy by flaunting their age inappropriate hair. Jon retouches the roots every four to five weeks but the length hasn't been coloured since December 2018. After 39 years of being a natural blonde, I dyed my hair black following my hip replacement (new body, new image) but, over the last few years, I've gradually gone lighter and I'm now using a cool chestnut brown. As I've only ever used semi-permanent colour, I've not needed to grow out the black dye, it's naturally lifted over time.
I've been crocheting festival tank tops since Christmas Day using charity shopped wool.
And talking of charity shops, here's the latest finds...
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Clockwise from top left: Vintage donkey jacket; 1980s Nico tank top; 1980s red velour sweat top (with original store tags still attached); 1990s Piers Angelini iridescent leather jacket; Liu-Jo Italian leather belt (with £69 price still attached); 1960s brushed cotton paisley pyjamas; Embroidered Indian cotton tunic; 1990s Julian Cope tee shirt; Wada, England Tuscan green lamb collar.
Beaded glass statement necklace; vintage lurex polo neck; 1970s Keynote all-wool jumper; 1960s Contesa cardi (with original tags still attached); 1970s Welsh wool waistcoat; Clarks' blue suede boots; Large basket; Dancer's leotard; 1980s St Michael lambswool cardi (with tags still attached)
We couldn't resist these fabulous West African waxed cotton dashikis and shirts....or this incredible kaftan, made to celebrate International Women's Day. The charity shop they came from supports refugees, offering - amongst other things - free sewing & knitting classes to help empower those displaced by conflict.
It's already packed away for the festival season, someone's going to rock the hell out of it!
Here's what I've been dressed in lately. I wear my cotton dresses all year round and never get tired of them, they constantly take on new identities as I'm always adding to my wardrobe with cheeky charity shop finds...like the cornflower blue TopShop coat currently on loan from the Kinky Shed which I wore over one of my Dilli Grey dresses on Thursday.
Or my fabulous £4 Timberland boots courtesy of Banardos, worn on Sunday with the dress I bought in 2021 for my birthday.
I bought this vintage Tanis of Gold Street, Northampton suede skirt from eBay before Xmas. Listed as a size 12 I thought it would be good for festival stock but the seller must have misread the label, as it was a size 22" waist and therefore a perfect fit on little me. The Indian cotton block printed top was a charity shop find last week, it's not the best quality but goes well with the skirt. The brine baths reopened today (Monday) and the skirt was a brilliant choice, those studs meant I could rip it off in seconds!
We binge-watched Treason over the weekend, a brilliant British spy thriller. I've lost count of the number of times I've watched Bridge of Spies so I knew I was going to love this. The beautiful Spanish actress, Oona Chaplin, has a starring role, she's a long-hair icon if ever there was one.
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I'm just back from seeing the opthalmic consultant. Apparently I'm trigger happy, the readings are all over the place and so my field tests will have to be retaken. I've got to go back in around nine months time, I've got a definite blind spot but still no diagnosis, still there's no point in stressing (not that I'm the type), they do say Glaucoma's very slow progressing.
See you soon!
Such a colorful post; being a lifelong seamstress I love to see the handmade items. Where I live (Arizona) cotton clothing is a year-round staple! I say rock your long hair. I'll be 67 in April and keep my hair at about my waist, love being able to pull it back and put it up in the heat here :) -Karen-
ReplyDeleteHello Karen! I'm thrilled to "meet" another long-haired lass. Women like you inspire me. When I first started blogging fourteen years ago, I had an anonymous comment saying that I was too old for long hair - I was 42! xxx
DeleteYour hair is beautiful! I very much enjoyed your purple outfit plus the Topshop coat outfit. Soft and floaty!
ReplyDeleteThe crochet tops are marvellous! You need to make one in Pride colours, e.g. one in bi-colours-royal blue, purple and hot pink would be lovely (I love that combo!) or a rainbow one too!
Glad the pools are back open!
Love the sound of that charity shop! What a positive idea!
Thanks, Kezzie! Cotton dresses for the win!
DeleteThat's a brilliant idea about the tank tops in Pride colours. Our big clearance shop sells new wool, if I don't find anything suitable this week I might have to buy a few balls and crack on ready for festival season.
I was excited to discover the new charity shop, I love that people are empowered by learning. xxx
So you are now sporting Ombre locks! I can't honestly remember the last time I hady hair cut professionally. I quit the town pool during COVID and had no time to go back with a puppy. So I started to add my own blind touches since I don't have to worry about chlorine. This helps blend with my white hair and I can stretch a box of dye out for a couple of months as s I just mix what I need. I keep reaing that doing your own hair is a huge mistake but I am happier with how it turns out when I do it myself.
ReplyDeleteYours is looking great and I wondered if you were slowly transitioning the color.
Thanks, Alex! I had mine trimmed at a hairdressing academy on 1st April last year, Jon's pretty good at hair so if the ends annoy me he'll trim the eyelashes off for me. Luckily our pool is brine so there's no nasty chlorine although I always wear a swimming cap just to be on the safe side.
DeleteIt's a great idea just to use half a box of dye. I've never enjoyed going to the hairdressers, I hate having to look at myself for an hour or making small talk! xxx
Kezziexx
ReplyDeleteI knew it was you! Your distinct writing style give it away! xxxx
DeleteI can't believe how long your hair has grown, and I absolutely love that chestnut brown colour on you. Long may you send the fashion police into an apoplexy!
ReplyDeleteYour granny square tank tops are going from strength to strength, and how fantastic are those colourful West African waxed cotton shirts and that incredible kaftan!
The Welsh wool waistcoat reminds me of the one you sent me and which is due another wear soon.
As always I'm swooning over your fabulous outfits. I thought Sunday's was my favourite, but that was before I saw Monday's: that suede skirt is a stunner! xxx
I'll have to wear a carnation when we meet up in the Summer or you might not recognise me!
DeleteI'm granny square obsessed, if I've got a spare moment I'll grab my hook and get crocheting.
That new charity shop was a delight, Jon loves West African waxed cotton, I'm waiting to see if any of those tops vanish from the stockroom when my back's turned.
I've not found one of those Welsh wool waistcoats in ages, I was on that one like a shot. xxx
Your hair looks absolutely beautiful. I don't blame you not wanting to cut it off. The purple of that skirt is so vibrant and beautiful too. I need to start looking for wool in the charity shop as it looks like you got some fabulous colours for crochet. Xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise! It's always worth asking in charity shops, they don't always put the wool out. I've ordered from Wool Warehouse which is really good if you have a project and want a particular colour/type of wool. xxx
DeleteYour hair is gorgeous and so healthy looking. My sister (who is 75!) has hair down to her waist. She couldn't care less what anyone thinks about it.
ReplyDeleteI just watched Treason the other week and I was on the edge of my seat. It was sooo good and suspenseful!
Thanks Carol! Your sister sounds fabulous, it makes me sad when women feel pressurised into cutting their hair after a certain age.
DeleteWasn't Treason fantastic? I do love a good spy thriller! xxx
My hair is likely unfashionably long for my age, even though I get cuts a few Times a year. It just grows fast. It's our heads- we can do as we please. Your hair is gorgeous, as are your dresses.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! My nails are the same, we must be healthy! xxx
DeleteYour hair is looking gorgeous, Vix - I really like the warm. soft brown, which really suits you. I did the same thing when I grew out my dark purple years ago - I just dyed lighter (semi-permanent) over the old purple and it lifted out over time. Here's to "inappropriate" hair for us in our 50s and 60s! I like having mine long!
ReplyDeleteYour crocheted jumpers are going to do so well at the festivals! I love the green wooly capelet, and I recognized Lui-Jo the brand (I used to have a skirt by them that I bought in Italy).
A little scary about the potential Glaucoma, but the best thing is just to keep getting it checked. Our little Vizz-monster has an ophthalmologist appointment this week too!
Thanks, Sheila! I love it when you do flashbacks and see how your hair colour has changed, it's always looked great and there's never been any awkward in-between stages.
DeleteI'd not heard of Lui-Jo before but that belt screamed quality and I wasn't surprised at the original £70 price tag.
Crocheting is so addictive. I feel a bit lost without a hook in my hand.
Sending Vizzini lots of luck with his check-up. It's frustrating not having a diagnosis but it's not like I drive and risk killing anyone! xxx
My hair has stopped growing my hairdresser was perplexed. But then I was told that it goes into a dormant phase for up to 2 years!! but because of the pill restarting and I don’t want anymore children!! its gone to sleep so it seems.
ReplyDeleteBut I still have to have it trimmed as I am part of the blue rinse brigade lol. Well blue dye brigade. Love the pick ups. Someone is going to be very happy in the summer with your little cottage industry good for you!! Vintage knitwear is all the rage at moment and it is going for silly prices £80!! For a market quality sweater the uglier the better!!
They have competitions at the moment. And some Jesus why would you want to even wear it!! I have been watching anime as the kids won’t let me watch anything else!! and Netflix is going it’s far too expensive, it used to be about £7 now it’s getting silly so bye bye.
Have a lovely day. Love and hugs Allie
Hello Allie! I've been taking ginkgo biloba as Arthritis UK recommend it for Glaucoma and I'm wondering if that's got something to do with my crazy hair growth, could be worth a try!
DeleteJumpers are really popular, I can't find them fast enough. I save the crazy ones for festivals, people will wear anything when they're cold.
Netflix is £6.99 a month here when you only use one device. We only watched terrestrial telly for years but it's fantastic having so much choice! xxx
Loving those crochet tank tops and your hair is growing before our eyes! That Topshop coat was a find in that gorgeous powder blue.
ReplyDeleteWe finally watched Bridge of Spies. What a film! We're currently watching and enjoying Happy Valley from series one. It's really gripping! That's another series we missed for some reason.
Charlie's granddaughter is very attractive and has done so well for herself. I liked her in Taboo. xxx
Thanks, Claire! It's definitely crocheting weather at the moment, it's an effort to leave the house. Isn't that coat is pretty shade of blue?
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed Bridge of Spies, I'd have felt terrible after banging on about it so much. Happy Valley is amazing, we haven't started series 3 yet. That Tommy Lee Royce is a wrong 'un!
Oona's stunning isn't she? I loved her in Taboo (when is that coming back?) xxx
Your hair looks fantastic ... and as for someone telling you that you that you were too old for long hair at 42 ... well words fail me!! You do you, you do it so well.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing long hair on other people but I have to admit to loving really short hair on women, it's very empowering. When my hair gets long I start getting really depressed, so a regular trim is vital ... although I do colour it myself. I once stupidly paid over £60 for a cut and colour, only to realise that it had all been cut off in two trips to the hairdressers, never again.
I NEED to watch Bridge of Spies again, it's a brilliant film.
Thanks, Sue! You have to laugh at the age police, they must lead a very strange life to think 42 is old! I love really short hair (and shaved heads) on women - Skin from Skunk Anansie came in our shop at Glastonbury, if I was as beautiful as her I'd shave my head in a heartbeat!
DeleteA friends' mum reckons that you're either a long haired or a short haired type, I hate it when I've had a haircut and your hate it when you haven't!
Bridge of Spies in wonderful, I never get tired of it! xxx
I love your long hair, Vix! And I like how you use your cotton dresses all year round, layering them with turtlenecks. X
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jess! I'm too lazy to change my wardrobe over, adding polo necks and thermals is loads easier! xxx
DeleteI'm loving the shampoo in hair colours from Super drug. They last ages on me and simply wash out over time. I haven't properly dyed my hair in years and was planning on embracing the grey. Thankfully I hardly have any and the shampoo covers any that appear.
ReplyDeleteSuperdrug's own brand dye is brilliant quality, isn't it? I haven't seen the shampoo-in colours, I'm not sure if my roots are grey or still blonde, I don't leave it long enough to find out. xxx
DeleteDo you have an instagram?
ReplyDeleteHello, Anon. I stopped using IG almost three years ago, it's too time consuming! x
DeleteMy Mum was 92 on Saturday and still dyes her hair! I on the other hand have embraced the grey/silver/long hair, which I love, since first lockdown. Unfortunately a certain medication that I'm required to take is causing significant hair loss which is terribly worrying.x
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday love to your Mum! She sounds such a spirited lady. I love seeing long silvery grey hair, there were a couple of Italian women in their 70s I used to regularly see on the beach in Goa every year, grey hair down to their bums with the skimpiest of triangle bikinis and red lipstick. I still want to be just like them when I grow up.
DeleteI think my hair growth might have something to do with the gingko biloba tablets I take for my suspected glaucoma. If they don't interfere with your medication they might be worth a try. We use Simply Supplements. xxx
I love the long hair too! I'll be 59 soon, with long hair also (although not as long as yours... that is my goal). Who is anyone to judge? You probably have already done this, but if not, would you consider posting your hair care regimen? It looks so healthy!
ReplyDeleteHello Kristin, fellow long-haired lady! I'd be happy to share my hair care regimen, I promise to do so very soon. xxx
DeleteCan you send me some hair please? Yours looks gorgeous. I rarely get past shoulder length before getting fed up & hacking it all off again. Wow, you have been busy with the crochet hook Vix ! Aren't those waxed cotton African prints just wonderful xXx
ReplyDeleteJon's always moaning that it ends up everywhere, blocking the plugholes and attached to his socks, I like to share! xxx
DeleteWow your hair has certainly grown! The pill is a weird thing to take. I noticed after taking it for years than I began to burn in the sun; I hadn't done so before.
ReplyDeleteThe crochet tank tops are fab and I bet they sell like hot cakes!
Fabulous charity shop finds - who pays 69.00 for a belt? I'd expect and entire outfit plus coat, bag and bag for that! The International Women's Day dress was amazing and the West African waxed cotton tops. I loved all your outfits, too. How lovely you can 'borrow' Kinky Melon stock.
More flippin rain today here...
xxx
How weird about your skin, Vronni! I haven't noticed any other changes expect my nails also grow at a crazy rate, I have to clip them or I can't dress myself!
DeleteWho pays £69 for a belt and donates it unworn? There are some strange people about! The International Women's Day dress is brilliant, there were some wonderful kids clothes with political slogans on them as well.
Gah...hasn't it been grim? When it hasn't rained it's been so gloomy it's felt like night time! xxx
Your hair looks very like Oona Chaplin's to me Vix - possibly hers a bit dishevelled x
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish! xxx
DeleteI am always puzzled why people even remark upon what others do with their hair. So long as that person is happy with their choice it's nothing to do with the rest of us. I've had short hair for all bar 10 years. Long it looked pretty with its reddish ringlets, but was a bleeding nightmare....thick and went frizzy in the slightest bit of rain! At the first sign of grey hairs appearing when I was 31 I had it all lopped off again. It needs cutting every 5 weeks just to keep it in check even now!! Arilx
ReplyDeleteThere's some very strange people about, far too interested in how others live their lives to enjoy their own. Hair that goes frizzy in the rain isn't suited for the UK climate, is it? The best thing about wearing it long is being able to scrape it all up in a topknot and skewer it with whatever I find lying around....biro, crochet hook, kebab skewer.... xxx
DeleteMy vision field tests are always better on the first eye because my brain gets tired and the results in the 2nd half are always off. They're long tests, aren't they? I hope your re-take goes well.
ReplyDeleteYour hair is beautiful.
Thanks so much, J! I think that's what happened with my field test, the consultant said it was the first eye they'd tested which had the off-the-scale results. They are exhausting, I hate them. xxx
Deletelove those african print tops. ive got some i want to sew up. always envious of those with long hair..ive tried to grow mine, but it goes frizzy and i get fed up with it. i looked in the mirror on christmas morning and just clipped mine off! good that they keep monitoring you, i dislike visual fields tests, am always tired after being to eye hospital
ReplyDeleteHello Amanda! There's something wonderfully cheerful about African waxed cotton, isn't there? There's a brilliant long hair forum (https://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forum.php), I haven't joined but it's really helpful if you are trying to grow or maintain long hair with no-cut pledges to keep you on the straight and narrow.
DeleteThose field tests are knackering. The consultant doesn't seem particularly worried, thank goodness! xxx
Hey Vix, your hair does seem to be getting wavier too. Or at least I just haven't noticed it until now. I stopped dying my hair a while back but am always tempted to add color again. If I could get my husband to do it for me I would. Hate the shop chairs for hours! I grew mine out quite long during the pandemic and really enjoyed find fun ways to throw it up or pull it back and love the look of long hair with hats.
ReplyDeleteHi Joni! I plait my hair before bed to give it a bit more interest although it does get kinkier the longer it gets! Long hair is so fuss-free, pile it up or stick a hat on, it's always a winner! xxx
DeleteI definitely wear my dresses all year round, I can't stand trousers! I just add on long sleeved undershirts and cardigans/ jackets. I am in Australia though! I can't imagine living somewhere I had to wear truly warm clothing as wool makes me so itchy!
ReplyDeleteWe don't often have extreme temperatures so a thermal polo neck and leggings are usually all I need under a cotton dress - I'm okay with wool, like my Mum always used to say No sense, no feeling! xxx
DeleteThat picture from the bag is gorgeous. Thst chestnut colour suits you so well. I love long hair and I'm all for it no matter the age. I do understand some ladies prefer shorter and not anyone has the option of growing it long but if you have it, why not flaunt it? Mine grows so quickly too and I don't really mind it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you have no diagnosis, stay super regular with the check ups, that is really important. Glaucoma does not hurt so it cam sneak up to one without symptoms.
Thank you! Yes, women look amazing with short hair, shaven heads or hair down to their knees, I definitely feel more "me" when mine's long. It hasn't been this long for ages, I usually get annoyed with ratty ends and get it trimmed but it seems okay at the moment.
DeleteI'm so grateful to the opticians for spotting the eye issue, it's frustrating not having a firm diagnosis but at least everyone's on the case! x