Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Who likes short shorts
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A rose by any other name...
Well well well. I guess the day has finally come when it's dawned on me that apparently there is more to the world than fashion, who honestly woulda thought it...WHATEVER TOOK ME SO LONG?
Of course I secretly knew that fashion was just an excuse to get me started in the blogging world and that it was not the true meaning to my literary quest so I believe it is time for me to stop lying to both you (I know you don't appreciate it) and myself and spice this thing up.
TIME FOR A NAME CHANGE...any suggestions, 'cause the over pretentious CHARITY COUTURE is slowly chaffing at my brain.
Of course I secretly knew that fashion was just an excuse to get me started in the blogging world and that it was not the true meaning to my literary quest so I believe it is time for me to stop lying to both you (I know you don't appreciate it) and myself and spice this thing up.
TIME FOR A NAME CHANGE...any suggestions, 'cause the over pretentious CHARITY COUTURE is slowly chaffing at my brain.
What took me so long?
Why why why?
For no apparent reason blogging on my behalf has been at an all time low. Of course I have pathetic flimsy excuses such as "family issues", "busy with schoolwork","away in some distant corner of the world far from any sign of wi-fi" but we all know it must be down to laziness. I apologise, even if noone else is reading.
Once again reunited with my blog I feel...fresh.
However I can sense there will be another blogging void in the not too distant future as a driving test is looming, UCAS university application deadlines, coursework completion, all those mundane excuses again.
But you (whoever you may be or however little you care) may be happy to know I will now be volunteering at my local Cancer care home... :)
*
As Dickensian grey clouds loom in my mind bringing a surging storm of tasks and deadlines I slip away into a rush of panic and list making; Whoever said a nice neat, colour coordinated, tick box list couldn't solve all worldly problems obviously was never introduced to my stationery collection!
For no apparent reason blogging on my behalf has been at an all time low. Of course I have pathetic flimsy excuses such as "family issues", "busy with schoolwork","away in some distant corner of the world far from any sign of wi-fi" but we all know it must be down to laziness. I apologise, even if noone else is reading.
Once again reunited with my blog I feel...fresh.
However I can sense there will be another blogging void in the not too distant future as a driving test is looming, UCAS university application deadlines, coursework completion, all those mundane excuses again.
But you (whoever you may be or however little you care) may be happy to know I will now be volunteering at my local Cancer care home... :)
*
As Dickensian grey clouds loom in my mind bringing a surging storm of tasks and deadlines I slip away into a rush of panic and list making; Whoever said a nice neat, colour coordinated, tick box list couldn't solve all worldly problems obviously was never introduced to my stationery collection!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Bin it...donate it...keep it...RECREATE it!
I try and stay on top of my wardrobe as much as possible, as soon as I have a spare moment I pull out all my piles and hangers and drawers full of gear and have a good old rummage.
Tatty T-shirts, seam splitting jeans and shabby socks are all forming a large pile around the bin in my room as I delve into my half-term clear out.
Although I despise the thought of going through all my clothes one by one and finally convincing myself that, unfortunately, no matter how much I attempt to diet I will never give up enough cake to fit back into my beloved grey corduroy, nor will I ever be of the age again where I can pull off a little multi coloured mushroom patterned Ra-Ra skirt, In reality; I love it.
It's a lonely job of sorting and ruthless self control. So of course, 4 piles; Offer to friends, Keep for me, Off to charity and Straight to the bin, but then there is always this lingering sub-pile of items to edit. An ever increasing stack of floor length skirts to shorten, buttons to replace, seams to fix and stupidly extensive works beyond my simplistic sewing capabilities.
But this time, this week, this otherwise useless and unproductive half term I did it. I conquered the mighty stack. Piece by piece I sewed stitched hemmed and tore my way to freedom. And how much happier I am for it. All of a sudden my bedroom has another corner I almost forgot existed, and my wardrobe gained a few more high waisted friends.
Basically my message is this, the longer you leave it the harder it gets, if you have a similar collection of items to customise and enter a moment of boredom then out with the sewing kit and off you go.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Real Bargain Bin Blog
I dunno about you but I'm fed up of those blogs where a bargain is a £102 jumper reduced to £96 or the knock down heels £172 to £160. I'm sorry but it's just not happening, when I say bargain I mean it! Something that's truly satisfying is the warm tingly sensation inside when it comes to the end of the day and, with a little mental calculation, you discover your entire shopping spree equated to less than that one £96 jumper you rejected in the first store.
So how can it be done? Well as much as we'd love to, we can't sale shop all year through, so what's the next best thing? CHARITY SHOPS of course. That's right, the new vintage. Designer, high street and unheard of labels, materials, prêt-a-porter and clothing to edit; you can find it all. This is the one way to guarantee a truly unique fresh style.
Admittedly you have to be in the right frame of mind, so here are a few handy tips:
1.Locate your nearest/best area of charity shops (Marie Curie, Cancer Research, Oxfam, Helen & Douglas etc)
2.Eat before you leave. This may sound silly but honestly, you need your full attention on the garments not the gurgle in your tummy.
3. Don’t make a list! (Although a mental checklist of what you may need and definitely do not, is acceptable) When you go with a desperate want for any certain item the chances are you won't get hold of it.
4. Don’t be afraid to go it alone; if you know you'll only get jealous of a friend beating you to a great bargain then shop solo.
The results can be pure magic. Try it yourself. Wherever you are you will find a shop but for those in London; Portobello and Notting Hill are great places to start. A personal favourite of mine is my local Cancer research where I have been known to find Haute Couture at ridiculously low prices. And the best bit, the money isn’t going straight into the pocket of an already minted fashion house, but to those who need it more, the charities. Take for example my Laura Ashley black velour jacket (below) even with the tailoring that transformed it from floor length to blazer, it came to a grand total of £8. A steal, in my eyes. Then there was my Balenciaga sunglasses, perfect all summer long at £2.
Top: Balenciaga sunglasses Bottom: Laura Ashley Jacket
If you like what you see then go out and try it for yourself. For me it’s a fantastic thing becoming a successful charity bargain hunter. It’s a whole new kind of shopahol-ism, a sustainable green alternative in the world of apparel. Don’t forget either, any unwanted goods can just be returned; think of it as a straight forward donation to the charity. On top of all this of course, charity shops provide an ideal source of affordable, probably genuine, good quality costumes and outfits for a huge number of occasions and events.
If all of this still hasn’t inspired you then I have another snippet of my thoughts to share:
Customer Service! Or should I say the extreme lack of. I have flitted in and out of hundreds of shops in this past year, and I’m not sure whether to put it down to bad weather? Recession? Or just catching everyone at a bad time? But I am having huge difficulty getting a warm welcome in shops.
No “hellos”, few “how can I help you”s, and a distinct decrease in genuine smiles. Is it just me? Quite the opposite, I can happily say, is the case in charity shops, most workers are volunteers who do the job because they want to, and they care. Often you’ll be welcomed by lovely smiley faces and a warm greeting, where possible this will be followed up with caring conversations or light jokes tipped off with a beaming grin when you leave having paid £10 for a wardrobe full of clothes. For me there is nothing more unpleasant than a blunt monotonous “£12 Please” at the till without any surrounding conversation, and for that reason alone charity shops make me smile.
So there you have it, in just 4 simple steps you hit the charity high street with your reusable shopping bag and experience the joys for yourself. I can assure you, you won’t regret it.
What I’m wearing today: Today I shall mostly be rocking the college staple; blazer with a slight twist. This beautiful blazer carries no label but provides me with endless joy, a plain black blazer with sequined collar and cuff to add a shine to any look. Teamed with an H&M embroidered top (£2 at Cancer Research), ZARA kids skirt (£3, also Cancer Research) and the beloved pair of OFFICE patent bow heels (£7 Help the Aged)...Oh and the hat was from a French Christian Aid warehouse sale, it’s my favourite accessory by far!
So how can it be done? Well as much as we'd love to, we can't sale shop all year through, so what's the next best thing? CHARITY SHOPS of course. That's right, the new vintage. Designer, high street and unheard of labels, materials, prêt-a-porter and clothing to edit; you can find it all. This is the one way to guarantee a truly unique fresh style.
Admittedly you have to be in the right frame of mind, so here are a few handy tips:
1.Locate your nearest/best area of charity shops (Marie Curie, Cancer Research, Oxfam, Helen & Douglas etc)
2.Eat before you leave. This may sound silly but honestly, you need your full attention on the garments not the gurgle in your tummy.
3. Don’t make a list! (Although a mental checklist of what you may need and definitely do not, is acceptable) When you go with a desperate want for any certain item the chances are you won't get hold of it.
4. Don’t be afraid to go it alone; if you know you'll only get jealous of a friend beating you to a great bargain then shop solo.
The results can be pure magic. Try it yourself. Wherever you are you will find a shop but for those in London; Portobello and Notting Hill are great places to start. A personal favourite of mine is my local Cancer research where I have been known to find Haute Couture at ridiculously low prices. And the best bit, the money isn’t going straight into the pocket of an already minted fashion house, but to those who need it more, the charities. Take for example my Laura Ashley black velour jacket (below) even with the tailoring that transformed it from floor length to blazer, it came to a grand total of £8. A steal, in my eyes. Then there was my Balenciaga sunglasses, perfect all summer long at £2.
Top: Balenciaga sunglasses Bottom: Laura Ashley Jacket
If you like what you see then go out and try it for yourself. For me it’s a fantastic thing becoming a successful charity bargain hunter. It’s a whole new kind of shopahol-ism, a sustainable green alternative in the world of apparel. Don’t forget either, any unwanted goods can just be returned; think of it as a straight forward donation to the charity. On top of all this of course, charity shops provide an ideal source of affordable, probably genuine, good quality costumes and outfits for a huge number of occasions and events.
If all of this still hasn’t inspired you then I have another snippet of my thoughts to share:
Customer Service! Or should I say the extreme lack of. I have flitted in and out of hundreds of shops in this past year, and I’m not sure whether to put it down to bad weather? Recession? Or just catching everyone at a bad time? But I am having huge difficulty getting a warm welcome in shops.
No “hellos”, few “how can I help you”s, and a distinct decrease in genuine smiles. Is it just me? Quite the opposite, I can happily say, is the case in charity shops, most workers are volunteers who do the job because they want to, and they care. Often you’ll be welcomed by lovely smiley faces and a warm greeting, where possible this will be followed up with caring conversations or light jokes tipped off with a beaming grin when you leave having paid £10 for a wardrobe full of clothes. For me there is nothing more unpleasant than a blunt monotonous “£12 Please” at the till without any surrounding conversation, and for that reason alone charity shops make me smile.
So there you have it, in just 4 simple steps you hit the charity high street with your reusable shopping bag and experience the joys for yourself. I can assure you, you won’t regret it.
What I’m wearing today: Today I shall mostly be rocking the college staple; blazer with a slight twist. This beautiful blazer carries no label but provides me with endless joy, a plain black blazer with sequined collar and cuff to add a shine to any look. Teamed with an H&M embroidered top (£2 at Cancer Research), ZARA kids skirt (£3, also Cancer Research) and the beloved pair of OFFICE patent bow heels (£7 Help the Aged)...Oh and the hat was from a French Christian Aid warehouse sale, it’s my favourite accessory by far!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
When I finally took the plunge
Here goes...
This being my first post on my first successful blog I'm left uncertain what to write. To sum it all up I have wanted a blog for a long time now but struggled to find myself an excuse, or even purpose to start.
Two years down the line the perfect oppurtunity arose. Now here I am; through the medium of blogging I'm attempting to create my first piece of A-level English Language coursework.
Admitedly this is not at all how I expected to enter the blogesphere but nevertheless, I'm aboard.
Wish me luck!
This being my first post on my first successful blog I'm left uncertain what to write. To sum it all up I have wanted a blog for a long time now but struggled to find myself an excuse, or even purpose to start.
Two years down the line the perfect oppurtunity arose. Now here I am; through the medium of blogging I'm attempting to create my first piece of A-level English Language coursework.
Admitedly this is not at all how I expected to enter the blogesphere but nevertheless, I'm aboard.
Wish me luck!
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