Can you believe I didn’t know how to style this black skirt? It is so easy. I have shown you about four or five outfits with this skirt in this post. Today I like to add this outfit with the leopard print top to the possibilities. You have seen this top (Marc Cain) a couple of times (with my cream pleated skirt and with my green trousers). It is more versatile than I had imagined. Loes was my photographer this sunny day.
Below: We chose a mill as background for the photos. It is in a field but not that far from the houses and the shops. It takes about 10 minutes driving from the centre of town to this mill and that is mostly because of the traffic lights. It is nice to have such a rural spot in a town.
Below: This is the mill from one side, zooming out a bit.
Below: And the mill from the other side of the field.
Below: The fence and the house next to the mill provide a nice background as well.
Below: In this close-up you can see the structure of the skirt (bought in the Max Mara outlet in Turin years ago). I discovered the little white spot on my skirt later. The boots are by Hugo Boss and really old. They were a good investment. I don’t care whether the toe or the heel is still in fashion or not (no idea really). To me they are timeless. The Chloé Marcie mini crossbody bag has become my go-to bag.
Below: The back… Hmmm, is that top a bit tight? Never mind. I can live with it.
Below: Loes and I went across the field for a different background. The sun had moved behind a cloud, providing a better light for photography. But by the time I was in place, it was back again. So here I am shouting at the sun for not cooperating. I am wearing a thin black top underneath the leopard print top. Both for warmth and for elongating the sleeves. The sleeves are a bit short and elbows aren’t the most beautiful things.
Below: I was wearing opaque hold-ups (thigh-highs) that were years old. The elastic holding the stocking up, had gone and the right leg was falling down all the time. Trust Loes to take a quick picture of me hoisting it up haha. When I got home I threw them out. This seldom happens to me and I wear hold-ups every day. They usually have runs before the elastic goes.
Below: I finally discovered that white spot on my skirt and tried to rub it out.
Below: Say cheese…. nothing happened, keep walking folks…you didn’t see the above two pictures.
Below: Loes in a bright and cheery red jacket (it is very red, but hard to capture with the camera). She says she is running out of outfits to wear on my blog. She is not as obsessed with clothes as I am haha.
Below: One last happy shot and we drove off to the nearest restaurant.
Below: The coffee was good and Loes looked so nice I had to take a photo.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday was my stepdaughter’s (Nicky) birthday and a sewing machine was what she wanted as a present. Rather than buying it online, we all went to the shop in order to get some explanation. Nicky has never worked on a sewing machine before and I will teach her. Which meant we both needed instructions.
In the same street is a shoe shop which had a big sale going on. It was Ron’s suggestion we’d go there and have a look. Here we are, fully enwrapped in the moment. Decisions to make. I am contemplating whether I can justify buying the pair of black ankle boots I am trying on here (not an elegant pose, I know). Nicky was trying on three pairs for different reasons. One pair had low heels and was the most sensible choice, one pair was golden and sooo nice and we were both in love with the ones that have a zip at the front. They were heavily reduced so in the end Ron bought her a pair, I bought her a pair and she paid for the third pair herself. By this time I had found a perfectly good reason for buying the zip ankle boots for myself too (I am weak, shoot me).
Below: Driving back, there were a lot of parcels in the back. Birthday girl is looking happy. Boyfriend carried all the parcels.
Sunday was a very quiet day. Sorting out my finances (….), doing laundry, reading a book, doing some blogging. That kind of stuff.
Monday: I was at work from home. These days between Christmas and New Year are so quiet. The agencies are closed as well. Not much to do.
Tuesday: worked from home but there was so little to do that I went to Amsterdam to pick up a ring which the jeweller made smaller. As I was in the neighbourhood, I visited Marianne for a cup of coffee and dropped off two tops I am not wearing anymore. Hope they’ll fit her and that she likes them. When I got home again I checked my business email: nothing at all urgent.
New Years Eve or as we call it, Old Years Evening, we traditionally spend with our friends Georg and Marla. This time Ron cooked and we brought the food to their house. Georg backed the “oliebollen” (deep-fried doughnuts) and “appelflappen” (apple turnovers) which is tradition on Old Years Evening. Here is a photo of the set table. The “oliebollen” are the furthest on the table, the “appelflappen” in doughnut shape are at the front.
Wednesday: as with a lot of people, my weight is at an all-time high. It is January again, time to lay off the food. Did absolutely nothing this day.
Thursday: back to the office. Had some good laughs and worked on things to train my successor who is starting next Monday. Not that she needs much training, she is highly skilled.
Friday: I took the day off to teach my stepdaughter how to use her new sewing machine, how to hide a hole in a garment and how to sew on buttons. An old person like me learned these things at primary school and from mum. This generation didn’t. Nicky turned out to be a fast learner and with a bit of practice she will do fine.
Greetje
Hi, just a tip about the white spot on your skirt, Mark it with a black felt pen, no-one will notice 😁
I use this trick too. As it happened the white spot on my black skirt was just something I could brush off.
For some sequins on my jumper which had gone from red to silver, I used a red felt pen. Mistake…it all came off again haha.
ENJOYED THE FAMILY OUTING AND THE LEG SHOT!!!!!!!
When I saw that Loes had “documented” the leg/tights high incident, I had to share it haha.
I enjoyed this post showing the beautiful windmills of Holland! I was fortunate enough to visit The Netherlands back in the 80s! What a thrill! Even as a child I loved seeing and reading about windmills. I’ll be 80 this coming May!
The windmills are part of our history, as are the traditional regional costumes. Nowadays the mills have been turned into tourist attractions or houses. The traditional costumes are only worn once a year on a folklore festival or daily by a handful of old ladies in two or three towns. Nevertheless we like to see it as well. Nostalgia.
I am very pleased that you are reading my blog at the age of 80. That means you are still modern and not afraid of anything. Thank you.
Greetje
Great classic look, Greetje! I had a similar black skirt and ended up giving it away as I found it too dull over time. I adore the snakeskin boots in that picture! I have also been on a bit of a shoe spree – 7 pairs in a week!
I can understand why you thought a black skirt was too dull, but with wide modern jumpers (sweaters) or with the matching jacket and a really big necklace + red cowboy boots, I managed to get rid of the dullness. The styling of the skirt this week is rather conservative/classic but I don’t mind that once in a while.
Greetje
The skirt, boots and top are all quite classic and look timeless. You’ll be able to wear these years from now and they’ll still look great!
(P.S. I’ll respond to your email shortly…)
Thanks Susan. I am quite pleased with this simple styling. I am learning.
Nostalgia post. My friend Ria would make appelflappen at Christmas time. Irresistable!!!!
Ria was also known for her amazing RizTaffel (please excuse spelling?) It took two days to prepare.
This makes me realize how much I miss Ria.
Ah ..”Rijsttafel” is what you mean, Indonesian food, very popular in the Netherlands. And indeed it can take up to two days to prepare. You talk about Ria in the past tense. Has she died? Or is she in another country?
Greetje
I see you are wearing boots again. does that mean your knee is better? I hope so! I have one pair of little ankle boots which I sometimes wear. I got a blister on one heel while wearing them. Only the left foot! my girlfriend suggested wearing two very thin socks to keep from getting blisters. do you have any good ideas about how to avoid blisters? I have the worst luck with shoes/boots because I wear orthotics and my heels are very very narrow, so many boots don’t fit me. Your blog is always a joy to read. you have a great sense of humor so I am certain we would be good friends!
My knee is a lot better but we’re not there yet. I can walk on heels and on flat shoes but not long stretches. I am not complaining but always looking ahead to see how far I still have to walk.
Cynthia, a reader of my blog, sent me Moleskin to put on either the shoe or your foot (in your case heel) against blisters. I am now wearing little sneaker socks to prevent blisters in shoes that are a bit too tight at the heel. Most of them stay put and some of them end up underneath your foot.
Those are my tricks. Hope it helps. And thank you for your kind words.
Greetje
Hi Greetje,
Your posts always give me a reason to grin. Not having met you, I am nonetheless positive that your personality comes across 100% in your writing, and suspect you are a hoot to hang out with!
I am curious and hoping that you will please share your tip for how to hide a hole in clothing. I have once in awhile sewed tiny or small patches over holes but am wondering if there is a less obvious way.
Cheers,
Laurie
PS It’s possible I’ve commented once or twice before but since I don’t recall (!), just saying my first Hello from New York.
I am very pleased I can make you grin. That is the purpose of my blog: making people laugh, entertaining them. And yes I am also obsessed with clothes, shoes and necklaces☺️.
As for hiding a hole in clothes: I cannot do that. I can stop it from growing bigger and I can make it smaller and less ovbious but you will aways see stitches. I sort of make a fence around the hole with stitches and then go crisscross over the hole weaving as it were. And then I pull it together. But this is far too difficult to explain on paper. You better find an older person in your neighborhood to show it to you.
Greetje