Seascape & Seagulls

I'm inextricably drawn to pieces that evoke a memory or a mood.  Especially when it's evocative of childhood.

When I spied this top earlier this year, I was immediately taken back to my childhood memories of seaside day trips and holidays; the squeals and squawks of dive-bombing seagulls, the smell of the salty brine and the soft taste of a double 99 ice cream with a flake.

During our staycation a couple of weeks ago, we visited the naval town of Portsmouth and it seemed fitting to wear my 'Seascape' print top, paired with my thrifted colbalt blue jeans.  I'm not sure which was bluer on the day - my jeans or the sky!

The pale aquas and blues of the top remind me of this painting by the French Impressionist, Gustave Caillebotte.  
Seascape, Regatta at Villers.

You sense the gentle rippling of the waves coming into shore.  He's captured the luminous quality of the ocean with its ever changing colours. The sea glistens and shimmers in the light.  The horizon is never ending.

Just as with the painting, I love the whole scenic quality of the print; the black silhouettes of the birds against the ivory background and how they convey the impression of movement.  Are they hovering over the shoreline or the sea?  Who knows where one ends and the other starts?

I can just imagine wading out from the shore, the coolness of the water refreshing me on a hot day.

Often with this style of top, I can annoyingly fall in between two sizes.  A size 10 can be just that bit too tight across the bust and under the arm making you feel you're slowly being squeezed by a boa constrictor but a size 12, whilst fitting across the bust, is often just that bit too baggy across the hips. This size 10 though fits perfectly.  Not unexpected from a diffusion line - it's J for Jasper Conran.  I've always admired the work of designer, Jasper Conran; his work not only includes collections but sets and costumes for plays, ballet and opera as well as home interiors.

I added a delicate silver and blue filigree chain necklace, to tie in with the glistening feel of the print.

With all the cobble stones in the Historic Royal Naval Dockyard, I'm glad I wore these sandals.  This is a great example of fun and functional meeting, shaking hands and getting on like a house on fire.

The diamante down the middle strap is playful, adding a dash of sparkle on what otherwise would be a rather practical sandal. The padded soles cushioned my feet against the uneven terrain.  They're the ideal sandal for a day of sightseeing, when ordinary sandals wouldn't be robust enough but a proper pair of walking sandals would be overkill and not very elegant looking. I'm mean, I'm hardly hiking in the Cheviot Hills!

Seascape Print Top by J for Jasper Conran (sold out)
Thrifted Dorothy Perkins Petite Jeans
New Look bag (SS14)
New Look silver pendant necklace and Straw Trilby Hat (SS15).  The hat has done me proud this summer - I wore it on my very first blog post - French Artist Palette
TLC Sandals (sold out)

It's fun being a tourist in your own country.  I'm fortunate living in the South West of London that the coast is only a little over an hour's drive away.  A chance to recharge the batteries for the day, explore some history and maybe, although I couldn't possible say, do a little bit of retail therapy!  We most certainly indulged in a double 99 ice cream with a flake!

We had the perfect day to visit the Spinnaker Tower for a bird's eye view of the harbour!

We spent a fascinating two hours exploring HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's ship at the Battle of Trafalgar, where he was mortally wounded.

Now I know people were a little bit shorter a few centuries ago but not that much.  Here I am, all 5'1" of me and lordy, look how unforgiving the head room is!  Can you imagine how TallBrownFox got on?  His 6'4" frame was practically having to crawl around on hands and knees on the lower decks.

All this living history makes you truly grateful for the way we live now.

Are you drawn to clothes or patterns that evoke memories?

Linking with / Creative Mondays  /  Garay Treasures  /  Turning Heads Tuesday  /  Confident Twosday /  Colorandgrace  /  The Wednesday Pants  /  Style Me Wednesday / Throwback Thursday  / A Labour of Fashion  /  Spotlight Weekly /  Fashion Should Be Fun /  Sydney Fashion Hunter Mental Health Hat Day  /