Too Much Grey?

casual wear over 40

Help! I’m fading into the background!!!!

Wearing some neutrals (= blue and  grey for our purposes here) is fine. However, you can wear too much grey… Especially on a grey and rainy day. Or when you’re staging a photo shoot by the sea. You know, when the sea is grey, and the sky is grey, everything is grey… OK, you get my point.

This is another example of what I was wearing most of the time for the first two weeks after my appendectomy. Let’s call this the ‘I can’t be bothered’ comfy look. Because there is no such thing as post-surgery chic. There’s only ‘I want to wear something that doesn’t rub against the small incisions I have around my belly button‘ chic. Which pretty much means just loose tops and gym pants you can hoist up to your armpits… The challenge is how to make the above mentioned combo presentable.

And because it was one of those grey and rainy days (with unexpected brief moments of sunshine to add some confusion), I though a ‘sporty’ look would do the trick. More precisely, I went for an old Finnish classic: clothes for outdoorsy activities, worn casually in the city.

There’s actually a verb (in Finnish) that is key to understanding this look: ulkoilla. It means getting some fresh air, spending time outdoors (which may or may not involve some sort of sporty activity such as going for a walk or jogging or something to that effect). Now, given that I’m a self-proclaimed city girl, and nobody in their right mind would call me athletic, this is a rather theoretical concept for me… Anyway, my interpretation of the idea was to wear something that looked appropriate for a nature trail. Or the seaside. Whatever.

In other words, I added a parka (it was raining) and good walking shoes.

Hey, I said this was the ‘I can’t be bothered‘ look…

And I can’t even remember how many times we’ve taken photos on this island, in this exact same spot. Yes, this is one of our favourite restaurants (not to mention a great place for outdoor photo shoots), but this is our last photo shoot here. This year, that is. September is almost over, and summer restaurants will be closing soon. With no shuttle boat to take us to the island, we will have to wait till late spring to revisit this place. I think I miss it already…

50+ blogger

Marimekko

parka

Outfit details:

jacket: Creenstone / trousers: Monki / top: J.Crew (old) / shoes: Ara /

bag: Furla (old) / umbrella: Marimekko (old) scarf: Jigsaw (old)
location: Sirpalesaari, Helsinki

Do you miss your summer activities?

Tiina

Linking up with:

Not Dead Yet StyleElegantly Dressed and StylishGaray TreasuresHigh Latitude StyleThe Pleated PoppyStyle ElixirA Labour of LifeDoused in PinkCurly Crafty MomFashion Should Be FunRachel the HatSincerely Jenna MarieMore Pieces of MeColor and GraceThe Wardrobe StylistNot Dressed As LambStyle NudgeCoco et La Vie en Rose,  Living on Cloud NineA Well Styled LifeElegance and MommyhoodPosh Classy MomNancy’s Fashion StyleShelbee on the Edge Over 50 Feeling 40 A Pocketful of Polka Dots Style SplashThe Fashionista MommaTina’s Pink FridayFake FabulousLazy daisy JonesVanity and MeSheela WritesJodie’s Touch of StyleGlass of Glam

16 Comments

  1. Nancy's Fashion Style
    28 September 2017 / 11:35 am

    I can Imagine you like to go there! The see, beach, water, always attractieve me in the UK! I miss that already too, and also have to wait for spring!

    • Tiina L
      28 September 2017 / 3:52 pm

      Can you believe this little island is only a 2-minute boat ride from the 'mainland'? And there are many, many of these tiny islands around Helsinki. And very few of them are accessible by bridges.

  2. Kaffe Soester
    28 September 2017 / 1:46 pm

    That umbrella just works wonders. They're very clever designers at Marimekko! I can see it work with so many of your outfits. A very wise buy. Your parka is one of the nicest I've seen. It doesn't bulk too much as they often tend to. So, you're not blending in but in harmony with the background!

    • Tiina L
      28 September 2017 / 3:56 pm

      Thanks! The pattern on the umbrella is originally from the mid-60's, and still in production (mainly fabrics, often in black and white). I got the umbrella years ago at Marimekko outlet sale.

  3. Scenic Route
    28 September 2017 / 3:33 pm

    As we're drowning in gray rain here in Colorado and I recently had hand&elbow surgery, I was tracking on so much of what you said! I have to be on death's door to at least not care what I look like. You gave me a good chuckle on yet another rainy morning 😀

    • Tiina L
      28 September 2017 / 3:57 pm

      Thank you! Oh well, autumn weather, grey and rainy, wherever we are…

  4. Nicole Mölders
    29 September 2017 / 4:15 am

    Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style. Nope. I think the outfit looks great. There is enough color. You have great complexion.

    • Tiina L
      30 September 2017 / 7:34 pm

      Thank you Nicole, that's so sweet of you to say that.

  5. Mica T
    29 September 2017 / 11:01 am

    It's so cool you have a word just for that! 🙂 I'm glad you were able to get out and enjoy your time there one last time this year! :)And I like the little colourful touches with your scarf, bag and fun umbrella! :)Hope you have a great weekend ahead of you!Away From The Blue Blog

    • Tiina L
      30 September 2017 / 7:35 pm

      Thank you Mica!

  6. Alternative Ageing
    30 September 2017 / 8:31 am

    You look lovely, the grey works with the splash of colour! Looks awful on me!

    • Tiina L
      30 September 2017 / 7:37 pm

      Thanks! I think grey needs a brighter colour to lift it a bit, it might get a bit bland otherwise.

  7. Patti
    1 October 2017 / 9:39 pm

    Love learning a new word! I like the way your grey blends with the sea, and I love the beach on a grey day. Thanks for linking, xox-Pattihttp://notdeadyetstyle.com

    • Tiina L
      5 October 2017 / 12:49 pm

      Thanks Patti! Lots of grey days now, late autumn and all…

  8. Natalia Lialina
    2 October 2017 / 5:49 am

    I really like this look, Tiina! It is veeery comfortable, I can tell 🙂 – and yet also very stylish! The stripes, the floral scarf, the warm shades of gray, the cool jacket! And this awesome umbrella tops it off brilliantly!You look beautiful and very happy here! I hope you are getting a lot of rest and feeling better! Maybe this Finnish word, and the concept itself, started this while "outdoor living" movement here? Not much ulkoilla in Russia :))) for obvious reasons, but many Russians enjoy dacha – a summer house with a garden living. Here in the PNW, the weather is so mild that lots of people ulkoilla! They just don't know that that's what it's called! 🙂 They look a lot like you do in your post, though, alas, much less stylish, and of course there are no such fun umbrellas to be found here.Thank you for your comment on my last post, I am glad that you liked my outfit, and I was surprised that you found it Scandi Cool. How cool is that!!

    • Tiina L
      5 October 2017 / 1:07 pm

      Thanks, Natalia! Outdoor living (in summer or winter) is considered the norm in Finland, even in a big city. Summer houses (= kesämökki in Finnish) are popular here, too, and we all had to do some winter sports at school. I say 'had to' because I hate winter and cold weather, although I can deal with it. A Finn is not supposed to complain about the cold, after all…

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