Still Searching for the Perfect Black Trousers

Well it's Spring, if only by the calendar and not by the weather (it's chucking it down out there today and is not very warm). That means I am thinking about getting my ankles out at some point in the near future. I am forever looking for classic trousers, with a pair of black slim cigarette style pants being top of the list. I buy several pairs a year and rarely keep any, they generally get sent straight back.

Today I have a comparison for you between two pairs of black high waisted trousers. I do need to point out that these photos were taken...last August. I know, I know. A lot happened, and it's only now that I am feeling in the mood to do a bit of a shopping post.

I tried the Wing pants by Freddies of Pinewood, and the Retro 50s capri pants by Pretty Retro. Here's how I got on.

Prada for £9 and Other Bargains

Today's shopping round up is a tale of success.  I did a little January sale shopping to cheer up a gloomy month, and now it's over I can report on my full spend.  The purchases are mainly shoes, and mainly from high street shops too, I didn't find much from vintage repro brands this year.  Did I mention Prada for £9?  Yes.  Read on...

 

Recent Charity Shop Haul

These days I've a strict one-in, several-out policy in force in terms of clothing and accessory purchases.  I have made a bit more room in my wardrobe lately by shifting bags full of unwanted - sometimes unworn - clothes off to the charity shops, and listing items on Ebay.  It has been most cleansing!  What has been striking is that the more boring - and low end - modern casual stuff just hasn't been worn, even around the house or garden.  Bye bye jeggings, t-shirts, thin jersey tops, low rise jeans.  I'm not interested in you any more.  Uncomfortable shoes have also been removed, and those old but comfy knickers are now off to the textile recycling place (yes, even old pants can be recycled - I think they break down the fibres and use them to make stuffing for car seats and things).

With space cleared, I was free to pay a visit to the charity shops once more.  In the first one we visited I picked up a black tote bag thinking it would be useful for work and then realised it had the Vivienne Westwood symbol on it.  It's got to be a fake, surely.  I bought it, for £2.99, as I really do need a tote bag for work, rather than for the potential designer bargain.  I'm feeling clear of conscience as even if it is a fake, I've bought it from a charity shop, so I'm not supporting fake factories with poor working conditions.  I hope.  I have bought fake designer bags on hols in the past, never really thinking about where they're made.

In the same shop I bought a 1950s western shirt pattern (50p), look at how amazing it is!  It's my husband's size and he's already getting excited about the potential for me to create custom stage-wear for him.  Hmm, we're years off that level of skill to be honest.  I've offered to make him some pyjama bottoms in the meantime.  The other buys were from a different shop, and included a silk scarf from Accessorize (£1) and a pair of leather gloves with fluffy pom poms on (£2).

Recent Bargains

No more spending sprees to confess here, there are travel plans to save for, but I have been buying the odd thing if the price was right.  The most expensive purchase was the brooch below, £8 (far beyond my usual £2 cap on brooches!) but it is such an unusual design and I just had to have it.

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.

Second-Hand Bargains Galore

Back to what I know best - the bargains of the boot sale and charity shop!  I have been on a SPREE!  I mentioned in a recent outfit post that I had a bit of guilt in wearing an all-new outfit, so here's what I've been buying, and hence 'recycling' to help save the planet.  At least that's what I tell myself, to assuage a new kind of guilt that comes with having too-many-dresses, even if they are mostly secondhand.

Anyway, you just want to see all of the bargains I picked up, so here they are - it's very photo heavy, I warn you!  The majority is high-street, but there's a smattering of vintage.

Charity Shop Finds
Vintage novelty brooch, £1.  My best find from my recent trip to Bude in Cornwall.  I'm unsure about the date, it's got a c clasp closure and little jewels in the dangly lemon.  The colours make me think 1950s, what do you reckon?

Peacocks Summer Sale Dresses

I have been avoiding shops for a month or so now, as I am on a spending ban.  I've had a voucher burning a hole in my pocket though, one of those high street ones you can use in lots of different stores.

Finally, I broke.  I had a day to myself with nothing planned - so I headed to my local Peacocks yesterday, determined to spend my voucher on something I need, such as a sleeveless work-appropriate top for the heat, or a work-appropriate summer dress.

Their sale is really good, I have to say!  I saw lots and lots of things that I liked, including a fab selection of scarves from the Spring that I never bought, but are now reduced to £3 or so.  I headed to the changing room with an armful of dresses - all on sale between £8-£12.  Here's how I got on.

Trying on the first dress resulted in a predicament.  The zip got stuck halfway up.  I had to pop out of the changing room and ask a member of staff if she could release me, which she couldn't, so then I had two members of staff trying to get me out.  The zip would go up but not down!  I took some deep breaths and tried not to panic, joking to them that I'd have to wear it home.  I started to feel a bit hot and light headed, but just as I thought I'd have to ask them to just "RIP IT OPEN!!  LET ME OUT!!!", the zip was deftly unstuck and I was released.  The sales assistant helpfully said that she thought the thin fabric was getting sucked into the zip, as she had a dress that behaved similarly.


It looked so fabulous on that I decided to risk it, despite the zip, which on close examination I felt could be fixed by a few stitches alongside it to keep the fabric taught and out of the way.  I ended up paying for it with my own money though, as my voucher turned out not to be accepted in Peacocks after all!!  So much for trying to be good.  And so much for not buying any more party dresses, ahem...  I think I could get away with it for work though, especially in winter with tights, a cardi etc.

 Pink rose print '50s style dress, £12 (was £20 - I would have bought it at that price too!)

Buying At a Car Boot Sale: My Top 10 Tips

Car boot sale season is in full swing!  Hurrah!  During the summer months this is my full-time weekend hobby.  I love hunting for vintage treasure, furnishings for our new house, and things I never knew I wanted or needed!

Bessemer Road, Cardiff

Attending a car boot sale can be a bit of an investment in terms of time, travel and budget (depending on what you find!), so here are my top tips for getting the most out of attending a car boot sale as a buyer.

The June Shopping Hunt

I have shopped rather a lot recently, and have found some great bargains from the high street, Ebay and car boot sales, some of which are vintage inspired but you'll have to excuse the odd meander through time with some of them!  Allow me to share my shopping experience with you, along with some of the things that I didn't buy, but might be of interest to you.  The fashionistas might call this a 'haul'.  Excuse some of the mobile pics, but this is meant to be more show and tell than a photography post!

First of all, I know you're all dying to hear about my trip to the huge new Primark concept store in Cardiff.  I got there at 9am on Friday morning, thinking that I would have a good hour of peace and quiet before the hordes arrived.  In reality, I had about 10 minutes of being able to walk around without people bumping into me and ramming their pushchairs into my ankles.  Everybody else had the same idea apparently.  Sigh.

New Sainsbury's Accessories

A few sunny accessories, new purchases from TU at Sainsbury's.  I'm hoping that they will influence the weather and that we have a heatwave!

 Necklace, £12

Trainers, £12

Straw Fedora, £8 (I think!)

Polkadots always lend a retro feel to things, that's why I went straight for those blue polkadot trainers - a more casual alternative to brogues.  I had been after a fedora for a while but couldn't find one that suited - I like the striped band and bow on this one, and it's very summery also. I wore the hat out on Sunday with a friend, but nearly lost it to the wind on the top of the blustery viewpoint!

To see more of Sainsbury's accessories range for summer, head over to their website here to preview, but as always, their items are only available to purchase in store and not online.

Linkups:

Summer Style

Spring Knickers: Rosie for Autograph Summer 2014 Collection

I've blogged a few times about the collaboration between good old British high street staple Marks and Spencer, and model Rosie Huntington Whiteley.  The lingerie collection resulting from this teaming has resulted in some absolutely gorgeous vintage styles, that are not only wearable but affordable.  This time, for Spring/Summer 2014, in addition to the new collection, there's the re-release of the top-selling pieces, so there's another chance to buy the lovely teddy, for example, if you missed out last year.

The collection always has a classic vibe, as well as being that little bit luxurious with the choice of fabrics.  This time around there's peach (surely my favourite colour for lingerie, but one that has been out of style in mainstream fashion for some time) and some lovely bralets that are reminiscent of lingerie from the 1920s, with their unstructured, loose fit (unfortunately some of these are already sold out, let's hope they restock!).

Here are my top picks from the collection, all surely must appeal to the vintage loving lady with the delicate colour palette and beautiful detailing.  As of this week, many of the items seem to be on sale, so they'll appeal to the wallet also!

Silk teddy, £34-£59 in Oyster, Mushroom, Winter White & Antique Rose (pictured)

In The Shops: New Collection of Fancy Pants by Rosie for Autograph

Last Autumn I blogged about Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's lingerie collaboration with M&S Autograph with a vintage feel.  The collaboration is back for Autumn/Winter 2013, and as well as re-releasing the best-selling set, the anniversary collection features some new styles.  Read the press release below and have a sneak peek at some of the styles.  The collection is in store now and available to purchase through the Marks and Spencer website here.

I love that teddy!

Vintage Inspired Summer Heels Top Picks

There are some really lovely, quirky shoes out there at the moment!  Perfect for attending weddings, summer BBQs or for livening up an office outfit.  You may already be aware of brands Miss L Fire and Irregular Choice, but did you know Rocketdog and Ruby Shoo both do similar quirky shoes?

Rocketdog have a fantastic 60% off their summer range online here.  This means that these gorgeous apple print mid-heel courts were just £18!  I had to buy them.

Rocketdog 'Shadow' court in 'Apple Tart', £18 from £44.99

 

Rocketdog 'Orella' heel in 'Blueberry Tart' Thai silk, £19.20 from £47.99

Rocketdog 'Ornella' in 'Daisy Rock', £19.20 from £47.99

Rocketdog 'Sedona' peep-toe in 'Lucky Stripe' red, £18 from £44.99

Rocketdog 'Olivia' heel in 'Little Gem' silver, £18 from £44.99

 

Also worth looking at for something a bit different is the Ruby Shoo brand, now available at New Look online.  The brand is worth a whole post in itself but I'm waiting for their press release about their A/W collection as I've missed the boat on the Spring/Summer one!  My top choices from their summer collection would include the following (not on sale yet, sorry!):

 Blue 'Clara' Mary-Janes, £44.99

 

Ruby Shoo 'Ava' in black and cream, £39.99

 

Ruby Shoo 'Candice' in mint green, £44.99

 

I hope this post has given you some Summer shoe inspiration!  Happy shopping!



Treasures Within Treasures

One of the nice things about shopping in car boot sales and charity shops is that occasionally you get a little bonus hidden inside a purchase.  It's always surprising, sometimes weird and sometimes delightful.  Here are the surprise findings within two purchases I made recently: a biscuit tin and an evening bag.

So, did I find old stale biscuits in the tin?

Nope, I found kitsch old Christmas cake decorations!  Look at those tiny plastic deer, I love them.

What was in the bag?  Old tissues?

Ta da!  But what is it?  My first reaction was 'it's the shell casing from a bullet!  The owner of this bag probably carried a revolver in it!'.  Then I thought it was probably a lipstick.  But no, it is a retractable brush, probably for face powder.

Have any of you made any unexpected discoveries in your purchases recently?