Match Made In Seven: Best of British

All My Favorites:Best of British!

Hello Everyone! It's time for another monthly "Match Made in Seven" theme and I have really had fun with this one! By way of review, here is what Match Made In Seven is all about:

We are an international group of fashion bloggers who meet once a month. One of us chooses a theme in turn, and that can be anything. A book, music, a color, a movie. And then we style an outfit based on that theme. The theme of this month is chosen by Anna and is: Best of British! Also, take a look at the other bloggers and how they have interpreted the theme this month. (See list at end of post).

This month's theme really challenged me!  When I heard it was "Best of British" I thought, "well don't we all dress the same?" But, as I thought about it, I realized that some aspects of British dressing are unique such as the need to be ready for rain showers! So, for my first styling of this post, I'm showing my best rain gear; my trusty Eddie Bauer raincoat, my colorful rain boots (Wellies as the Brits say) and, of course, my umbrella! With all of this rain equipment, I'm ready for any rain showers that come my way in true British style!

Now, I could have stopped here with styling and called it a post. But, I began thinking about what I really consider to be the "Best of British." And, for me, that would be two British characters whom I love reading about and the other would be the late Diana, Princess of Wales. And so, the rest of the stylings in this post are dedicated to these personal favorites!

First....the characters I love to read about....

Miss Read is the pen name of Dora Saint a British author who brought the character of "Miss Read" to life in her books about the imaginary village of Fairacre. Miss Read is the village school's head teacher and is an engaging character who seems similar to me in many ways. Miss Read is an introvert who, although she loves her students, looks forward each day to returning to her small cottage and enjoying a quiet life with her cat, Tibby. Unfortunately, Miss Read's quiet life is interrupted quite frequently by the other villagers who bring their problems and concerns to Miss Read. 

Here you can see a photo I took of two illustrations from the Miss Read books. One shows Miss Read speaking with her favorite student, Joseph Coggs, and the bottom one shows Miss Read talking with her arch nemesis, Mrs. Pringle the school cleaner. 

And here I am doing my best imitations of Miss Read! This character always wears a dress or skirt and most usually is wearing a cardigan and flat shoes. 

Now, I have turned into the character of Maisie Dobbs, the heroine of the novels by Jacqueline Winspear. These novels are set in the post World War I and pre-World War II era and feature Maisie who served as a nurse in the Great War and returned home to become a psychologist/detective. I am obsessed with these novels right now and love not only the character of Maisie, but the tidbits of history and the emphasis on the psychology of thought that is a huge part of Winspear's writing. 

I decided to do these photos in sepia tones and black and white since Maisie is a character of the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's before color photos. She always carries her beloved case which was a gift from the downstairs staff when she was still a maid at Ebury Place. Her clothing tends to be business-like and fairly plain, especially in the earlier novels and, since it's the 30's, she always wears a hat when she goes out. Her preferred hairstyle in the first books is pulling her luxurious hair into a bun. 

And now to my all time favorite of Best of British.......

Who could be lovelier than Diana?  I have quite a collection of books and magazines about her. I mourned her passing and eagerly follow the lives of her children and grandchildren. 

Photo from book: Royal Style Wars by Lesley Ebbetts

As far as I am concerned, she never took a bad photo. Her style was impeccable. 

Photo from book: A Tribute to the People's Princess Diana by Peter Donnelly

And so, in my final photos for the Best of British, I am going to attempt to look "royal." 

I pulled out my royal blue dress, polished my "tiara" and added my Avon Princess Diana ring. 

Diana wore pearls frequently as well as "dangly" earrings, so I made sure to wear some in these photos. Do you remember when she knotted the long string of pearls and wore the knot hanging down her back accenting the deep V of the back of her dress? She would also sometimes use a gorgeous necklace as a headband. Like I said, her style was impeccable!

How challenging life must be for the Royals who have to always look their best in every photo! Makes me glad I'm a "commoner!"

I hope you have enjoyed my take on this month's theme. Be sure to stop by and see how the other ladies have interpreted "Best of British!"

Darlene of https://aquamarinastyle.com/

Sonja of https://www.yustsome.nl/

Bettye of https://fashionschlub.com/

Anna of https://www.muttonstyle.com/

Emma of http://www.style-splash.com/

Nancy of https://www.nancysfashionstyle.com

Until Next Time,

Debbie