January Purchases

I know I said I wasn't going to buy any dresses or other things I don't actually need this year, but I have to confess that before I wrote my wardrobe review of 2015 and had a good sort-out, I shopped the sales.  At a time of year when one can feel the winter blues creep around. I try and get more sleep, cut down on booze, get sufficient daylight and exercise, and eat healthily.  Those all help, but the real tonic is shopping!  The thrill of a bidding war on Ebay or tracking down that last pair of matching knickers in your size.  And when you trudge home in the dark after a day in work, soaked through and weary, the delight of a pink or gold parcel waiting for you cannot be underestimated.  It promises time travel, escapism and glamour in a world of onesies, and it comforts you that, yes, spring will return.

There are, of course, disappointments.  Stock errors.  Bizarre faults.  Misrepresented Ebay items. Hefty credit card bills.  Read on to find out what the keepers and weepers were...

Keepers

The House of Foxy Betty Swing Dress is a stunning dress, and as it was in the sale and I had a voucher, it was excellent value.  I have already worn this to an awards ceremony  and will do a full review of this dress very soon.

Two Hell Bunny dresses for £12.99 each from Starlet Vintage's outlet on Ebay, the polkadot 'Noreen' and blue 'Colorado'.  They both fit really well and the first style is one I'd wear to work as well as for play, so I can see it getting a low cost per wear.

I wasn't sure if I loved or loathed the Clarks Hotel Chic Gunmetal Loafers, but trying them on was a blissful experience - they are like slippers!  I had to keep them.  My husband hates them.  I have some green trousers that I think these will look particularly lovely with.

The Clarks Hamble Oak brogues in black and white patent were £24 in the sale.  I already have these in grey and silver, and pink and white...

What a wonderful fit the Lindybop Audrey Dress in Pink Martini is!  Snagged in the sale for just £8.99.  It's a light cotton, so more of a summer dress, but I can see it getting wear for cocktail evenings.

This Lindybop dress had a waist slightly too high, but can be easily fixed by moving the belt loops and wearing a wide belt with it. Another £8.99 bargain, and can be worn to work.

Another sale bargain was the Collectif Mimi Polkadot Dress, which fits beautifully.

I couldn't resist the Collectif Olive Knit Dress either, also in the sale.  It does need some shapewear underneath though, as the knit is quite fine.

Collectif then had their final reductions, so I bought the 'Caterina' dress in Autumn Leaves print (so happy to find repro of this style of dress, haven't had much luck with original vintage)...

...and the Aida Zak Alma 'Holiday Check' dress.  Whoops!  In total, the four dresses from Collectif came to around £60, which I'm very pleased with.

On the search for the perfect tops for work, I tried something a little bit different, the slash-neck top from Vivien of Holloway.  It wasn't on sale but I got 20% off thanks to a code from In Retrospect magazine (valid until 12th February, so pick up a copy to get your code!).  The fabric is a gorgeous thick jersey, I have worn this to work already.

In terms of non-vintagey items, I bought some more quality items for yoga - at a steal - from Asquith London, as well as stocking up on a couple of basic tops from Uniqlo.  There was also a knit top from Traffic People, and a cute top and shorts sleepwear set from Ann Summers.  I think that's it.  Surely?

Weepers

 

House of Foxy capri pants - I was very sad about these capris, but the fit just wasn't right on me.  The waist cut into me (weirdly they weren't too tight anywhere else, it was literally just the waistline) and the legs bunched.  I wasn't happy with the zip either.  There were loose threads around it, it felt too flimsy, and it was difficult to do up.  Maybe a hook and eye at the top would have helped.

House of Foxy Dolman sleeve top - the 'champagne' colour was a little too beige in real life.  This top is a bit more clingy around the waist than the Vivien of Holloway slash-neck top, so in a pale colour it wasn't flattering to my midriff either.

The Collectif Beau Jumper was too long and too chunky.

I bought the Boden Crumble Mary-Jane Heels in a size 8, but they really are too big (I'm a 7.5 usually), and they don't have any half sizes left in stock.  My husband hated them.

The Gossard Retrolution Slip was too short in the body for me, and the cups too voluminous.

The patent Rapisardi Jolie Boots from Zalando looked like they could be the perfect '60s style boot that I have been searching for, for many years now.  Alas, they were too narrow in the foot (despite fitting perfectly on the calves, slim-leg ladies take note of these!).  Back they went.  At the time of writing this, I'd ordered yet another pair of black knee high boots from Ted and Muffy, but they won't be delivered until February so you'll have to wait until next month's roundup to find out if those were a success.

Summary

Some of the purchasing experiences were a bit frustrating, with lengthy returns (brands Collectif and Lindybop were so busy over the sale period, but I found their customer service very good and they got there in the end).  Overall I know that I've bought things that I really love and will wear, rather than trawling the high street and ending up with items that just aren't 'me' anymore.  Sometimes you have to ask yourself if you're only buying something because it's cheap, rather than because it will be a good addition to your wardrobe.  I have no regrets at the time of writing this, but maybe ask me in a few months if I've worn everything...