A Sequinned Rock n Roll Outfit at the Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards #iwillwearwhatilike

It may not be Christmas yet but I’ve already broken out the sequins.

When you’re invited to an event that says cocktail dress code you just HAVE to get the sparkle on, don’t you?!

Last week I went to the Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards (what a mouthful – it’s often called SWOTY which is easier) as an influencer to raise awareness of the event and the money it raises for charity. You may have seen on my Instagram feed last week that I was there in my Bowie t-shirt and sequinned trousers, feeling more than a little rock and roll…!

I attended last year as well and went for a vintage dress that time – this year I thought I’d go for (almost) head-to-toe black which isn’t like me at all! As I often say when asked about not wearing black I say that I often go for black for a nighttime event… maybe it’s something to do with me wanting to reflect the happy, positive vibes you get from daylight rather than sucking the life out it with black? Who knows.

Disclosure: I was paid to attend the event and feature it on social but this blog post was not sponsored or required by Specsavers (click here for my full disclosure). 

The influencers, from left to right: Me, David of Grey Fox, Leanne Lim Walker, Nikki of Midlifechic, Helina of It’s Lina Mar, Charlie of Man About Town, Dina Tokio.

Aaaanyway the sequinned trousers are so fabulous (JD Williams again, and like last week’s floral midi dress act fast if you want a pair) and they went so well with my newest heels purchases: orange Aldo pointed heels. They’re sold out now but these Asos heels are almost the same (I thought it was about time I had some orange in my shoe arsenal). Another punch of bright colour with the turquoise clutch, some gold asymmetric earrings and a side-swept, braided-at-the-back messy hairdo and I felt suitably rock n roll enough for a celeb-filled bash.

I’ve featured a few shots that were taken on the night – a bit of a mish-mash of selfies, photos taken by the event photographer and casual outfit shots taken by the other influencers. It was quite nice not to have to worry about getting perfect outfit shots for a change, I thought I’d just go with whatever I could scramble together for today’s #iwillwearwhatilike – turns out the photos aren’t that bad at all!

SHOP MY LOOK:

 

 

I absolutely LOVE the shot above of all the influencers together. At the event last year there were only three of us – this year as you can see there were seven!

It’s great to see the power influencers have get stronger every year and that it’s being recognised by forward-thinking brands. SWOTY raises money for Kidscape, an anti-bullying charity – so it’s vital that we cover these sorts of events… I was really proud to be part of it. As well as the £120,000 that was raised on the night in the luxury prize draw raffle, £1 is donated to Kidscape for every selfie entry (for SWOTY) that people send in.

We had SUCH a fun evening. It’s always great to meet new and interesting people – especially other bloggers like David who I’ve known online for a while – and my new best friend is now Claire from Steps 😜 (see below). She’s cut her hair off and bleached it white blonde: Many of us had been admiring this stunning woman on the table next to us and no one recognised her for ages. Both Nikki and I asked for our photos with her and she couldn’t have been any nicer (or more beautiful).

So last year, Twiggy; this year, Claire from Steps. If Specsavers ask me back in 2018 I’ll see who I ask for a picture next time…!

Finally: The last picture I’ve added is so interesting – it’s a close up of my iris that was taken by EYECONArtists. It was just a bit of fun on the night and it’s fascinating to look at different eyes – my eyes are green but you can see that that’s only because my irises are a mixture of blue and yellow. Fascinating stuff, eh…?

Do add your outfits to this week’s link up – and if you’ve added a link to here or my button to your post you may be featured next week!

HAVE YOU BROKEN OUT THE SEQUINS YET? AND WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON BRANDS USING INFLUENCERS MORE? COMMENT BELOW!

Trousers: JD Williams c/o
T-shirt: Asos (very old – similar)
Heels: Aldo (similar)
Clutch: New Look (similar)
Earrings: Mango
Glasses: Specsavers c/o

 

OTHER BOWIE T-SHIRTS TO TRY…
All available in other fits and colours (click through and scroll down to change shipping country)

 

 

 

Above: the picture of my iris taken on the night by EYECONArtists

 

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Thank you for joining the #iwillwearwhatilike link up! This started as a campaign on Instagram in August 2015 where women over 30 wore everything on a journalist’s list of “inappropriate” items for 30+ women (including leopard print, short dresses and oversized sunglasses. Yes, really). It was so popular that I decided to carry it on weekly where women of all ages link up their fabulous style, never mind what anyone tells them not to wear!

The link up goes live every Monday at 3pm UK time and will stay open for a week. Whilst the original article was of course aimed at the 30+, you can be ANY age to link up. The only criteria is that you’re wearing whatever you damn well like!

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up etiquette…

CLICK HERE to read the rules of linking up (and to grab the #iwillwearwhatilike button). Basically it’s just good manners to link back to here – to leave a comment is even nicer!