The One That Nearly Got Away....Reviewing potential Ebay sales

Hi everyone! I hope you've all been having a lovely weekend- the weather has been so temperamental and the mini summer heatwave from last week is beginning to feel like a distant memory!!

Like many fellow bloggers I do every now and then review my wardrobe as to what is in, what is out, what goes to the charity shop and what can be sold on ebay. I think with the hot weather coming early on in the season, I have been concentrating on sorting out my summer wardrobe and filling it with thrifted pieces such as dresses, shorts and shirts and also summer inspired patterned jackets.

I've been purging things that aren't me and that I appear to have more than one of too. Recent sales on ebay have included a rain jacket and trenchcoat- however much I feel I want a trenchcoat in my wardrobe it's the one item over the years that I don't feel is me and therefore doesn't get worn. Another jacket that was put on the sales list was this River Island melton wool cream biker jacket which I had bought about this time last year but upto last week had not worn! So a couple of weeks ago it got listed on ebay but with the weather turning wet and windy and with a slight chill in the air, I tried it on to see whether I wanted to still keep it or not:

I found that after wearing it for a trip into town it proved to be the perfect cover up as it's so light to wear but the wool content gives some warmth. I paired it with my thrifted Reiss bleached skinny jeans which are from my local Sue Ryder charity shop and were £2 and the recently bought thrifted espadrille canvas slides:

I'm not really sure if the pleather/leather sleeve look is still 'on trend' or not, but the jacket when paired with simple basics such as a plain black tee and jeans is a perfect mid season style staple for my wardrobe so it was taken off ebay and put back into the wardrobe!

Do you review clothes that you spontaneously edit from your wardrobe before they reach the charity shop or a new buyers shopping basket on ebay? I definitely can be too eager to get rid of some things as I donated a tee which although I'd rejected as a working day item would have been perfectly adequate as a lounging piece with leggings-c'est la vie!!

Wishing you all a really great week ahead whatever you get upto!!

My Weekend with Michelle of MyFashionable40s and a Thrifty Sunday!!

Hi everyone!! I hope you've all been having a great week, the time seems to be flying by and I'm so behind with catching up with my favourite blogs! I hope to remedy this over the next couple of days as I'm not working so should have time to make overdue visits to you all!!

This weekend was an absolute scorcher weatherwise and for me a really fabulous one too as I finally got to meet a wonderful blogger friend- Michelle from MyFashionable40s. We've been in contact with each other for a while and our day on Saturday has been a few months in the waiting and we met at Paddington station and immediately went into the nearest bar for a glass of prosecco and an eagerly awaited chat!! Fast forward nearly two hours later we decided to jump on the tube to Kensington for shopping and firstly lunch at Cafe Rouge. We started off sharing some pain a l'ail, which is rustic bread served with garlic butter and we were very good for our mains as we both had Paysanne salades, which was a chicken salad with bacon, egg, avocado, tomatoes, french beans and parmesan, soo delicious!! I had martini and lemonade and Michelle had prosecco to accompany our meal and after we were delightfully replenished we decided we had to check out the shops along Kensington High Street. Sadly, we both pretty underwhelmed by H&M, Uniqlo, Zara and Topshop- not for the want of looking, we just didn't really see anything that got us swooning. Just as we were about to leave Topshop, I did spy these slides and for £22, I did indulge as they will be very handy for Summer:

We then decamped to the nearest pub for some much needed liquid refreshment and sadly had to make a move so Michelle wouldn't miss her 8:30 train back home. As I had known I was seeing Michelle for a couple of months it gave me a chance to put together a goody bag of thrifted bits and pieces for her that I'd seen over the last few months. I was over the moon when she sent me these pictures of her looking fabulous in this Celia Birtwell for Uniqlo dress I'd found for her:

Plus these gold Gizeh Birkies which she manged to wear whilst out and about this week!

It was testament to what an awesome day we had as we were both as bad as each other in that we never got any obligatory blogger shots of us together, our outfits or our meal, hehe!! It was too much chatting, laughing and enjoying the day which was top priority and Michelle is such a wonderful kind lady who is now a very lovely and good friend indeed and we've already made plans for future visits this year- I so cannot wait to see her again!!

So after having a fabulous Saturday I was up and out early on a gloriously hot Sunday to the local booty, where I did quite well on the thrifting front. I'm into black for Summer and I found this perfect little black wraparound Broderie Anglaise sleeveless shirt by Ralph Lauren for just £2:

I also found a pair of black linen shorts for £1.50 which I'm so pleased with as I currently had only 2 pairs of shorts in my wardrobe- a pair of 7 For All Mankind denim cut offs and my Liberty print floral shorts:

After the boot sale I went into town for a much needed iced fruit smoothie and sit down in Costa Coffee and walking on route to the park I found these gorgeous Monsoon Fusion floaty bird print chiffon shorts for just £5.99 in the local Barnados charity shop:

I then went onto my local park and spent a couple of hours chilling out under a shady tree, watching the cricket and relaxing- a great way to spend a hot sunny afternoon!!

I had such a wonderful weekend and it was made all the more special for meeting up with such a lovely lady-thanks Michelle for a great day and a firm friendship-look forward to seeing you very soon my lovely!!

I hope you all have a good long weekend to come-it's a Bank Holiday here in the UK so fingers crossed we get a weekend weatherwise like last week! 

Thanks as always to you all for stopping by and catching up with reading my posts, it is very much appreciated and I look forward to visiting you all as soon as I can!! xx

Thrift Inspiration.....The Boho Hippy Ethnic Style Summer Jacket!!

Hi everyone!! Hurrah, the 'heatwave' is officially here- two days on the trot I've been in short sleeves and not needed a jacket, which is quite ironic considering my post is about them!!

I noticed in my wardrobe that I've plenty of blazers, winter coats and jackets and denim jackets. Upto last week I actually owned just two printed jackets which is my Camo Pepe jacket and my floral River Island jacket which are both for Spring and Summer. The River Island jacket is more of a bolero shape so although I love the pattern and colour, it's not been quite long enough for what I've been after. So cue Pinterest again, to give me an idea of the sort of jacket I would like to add to my wardrobe. I knew I wanted it to be patterned and to include some red or pinks in it.

Here is what I was inspired by:

My first find was on ebay and is actually the pink version of this Jaeger jacket that I found at a vintage fair about three years ago for my birthday present. I subsequently went and sold it on again so I was really pleased to find it's coloured sister!

The styling is very much an Ethnic Ikat pattern and is also 100% wool even though it feels like quilted cotton and it's also lined. It has some minor damage which requires attention, but after selling a jacket on ebay this one has stood me in at £2.33, so any professional repair and cleaning won't add much to the overall cost!

Then earlier this week on a thrifting trip in a neighbouring town I found this gorgeous washed silk, reversible Ethnic jacket by Neeru Kumar:

Neeru Kumar is a renowned Indian fashion and textiles designer and has been in the business for three decades and her clients include Selfridges, V&A Museum, British Museum and Zara Home Spain. She has also had her work featured in Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire. A similar silk jacket in the traditional Kantha work retails at $445 and uses patches of different vintage fabric sewn together, much like the processes of my one above. It's fully reversible and the other side is all red as shown in the cuffs and edging- a real boho authentic Ethnic bargain from the Sense charity shop for only £4!!

So my summer jackets are all sorted for now and when the gorgeous hot weather does cool down- not soon though please- then I'll be wearing these with a little cami vest top and jeans as my go to daily outfit.

What type of jacket is on your Summer wishlist for those cooler days? So many styles are in trend at the moment, from denim to floral bombers to boho chic to monochrome blazers, there's plenty to choose from whatever your own style and budget!

Wishing you all a really lovely weekend whatever you are up to and thanks once again for all your kind and lovely comments and for reading too!! xx

Thrift Inspiration............Blue and White Checks and Stripes for Summer

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great weekend, what with the freaky windy and rainy weather I haven't been up to a lot over the weekend- a lot of rest and relaxation, watching films, listening to music and indulging in my favourite pastime, pinterest. I've updated my cover boards and added more pins with my current summer inspirations, blue and white- in particular checks and stripes:

 

I'm wearing an All Saints shirt which is a thrift find from the St Francis Hospice and was only £2- this is my first time of wearing it and I've paired it with my black French Connection capri pants and black espadrilles:

I haven't worn the shirt 'blogger style' aka 'the half or full tuck', I'll check out this look another time!

I've been after a blue and white stripe shirt for ages now- I actually saw one at the boot sale a few weeks ago and should really have bought it, I don't why I didn't! Anyhow, I found a perfect one on Saturday which I'm hoping to get into an outfit very soon and these stylings have very much influenced how I may wear it. I don't own any white skinny jeans, so I'll substitute black or blue instead:

images: via pinterest and google

I think blue and white stripes are very chic and a smart or mens one can easily be dressed down with jeans and a blazer or black shorts, it's definitely a look I can't wait to start wearing regularly this season.

Are you hunting down anything in particular for this coming Summer? Black for Summer is also on my style radar and I'm keen to thrift some perfect cotton pieces, I'll keep you posted with any future finds!!

Wishing you all a great week ahead, here's hoping this heatwave we've been hearing so much about actually starts to materialise!

ThriftMyStyle Pictures and Outfits for April

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a great week, sorry for infrequent and sporadic posts, life has been rather hectic and busy and what with work in the mix too blogging has been rather on the back burner.

However I thought I would share some pictures with you from April, starting with a clothes swap event I attended a couple of weeks ago at the East London Fashion Exchange 

Event organisers Elisa and Krissie were on hand to oversee designer, vintage and high street goodies were immediately displayed for instant swapping and whilst I was there a good few ladies came with items to swap, so the rails were constantly being refreshed 

My bargains of the day were a Miss Selfridge floral summer skirt, perfect for pairing with a little vest top and denim waistcoat or jacket for the coming season; I also snaffled this gorgeous tan leather vintage handbag which the lady behind me in the queue had in her items for swapping, I eyed it immediately and couldn't wait to nab it! I've still got a good few stamps left for my next visit at the end of May which I cleverly realised meant I don't have to lug any more clothes next time to get swapping with! 

After leaving the event I had to check out the local charity shop and was so pleased I did, as I found this cute dark apricot broderie anglaise trimmed summer dress by Whistles for just £4.50; up close for a mix of black embroidery and denim, my outfit of the day

Wearing H&M denim waistcoat, thrifted at the boot sale last year; cream tunic with black embroidery from the Salvation Army chairty shop bought a few days before the clothes swap for £2.50; black French Connection capri trousers from my local Sue Ryder charity shop bought about 3 weeks ago for £3 and my trusted orange Birkies. Outfit number two is another charity shop find from March and is an authentic Austrian linen smock blouse for £1 from the St Francis Hospice charity shop, worn with thrifted Gap slim boyfriend jeans found last Autumn from the Salvation Army, £2.99- photobombed by the eldest boy!!

A boot sale find from the beginning of April was this moss crepe Celia Birtwell style print vintage 70s dress for just £1- unlabelled but a fine piece of vintage which fits perfectly for Summer

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend ahead, I hope the weather takes a turn for the better and this long awaited heatwave we've been promised starts to materialise.

I also just want to thank all of you for your continued reading and comments on my blog, I really look forward to your thoughts and opinions and I'll be trying my best to come visit you back as soon as I can xx

Hotter Shoes- Being Spoilt in Style and Comfort

Hi everyone! As you may be aware, the ethos of my blog is generally all thrift related as I shop mainly at charity shops and boot sales for clothes and accessories. Of course I do indulge in retail therapy at high street stores but with a couple of exceptions I have held no particular allegiances to any brands-well, not until I actually stopped and thought about it.

In Autumn 2012 I was introduced properly to Hotter shoes by my mum who for years now has religiously bought her summer and winter shoes from there with no exceptions. It was back then I was looking for a stylish, comfortable and durable work shoe which would see me through the immediate three seasons of Autumn, Winter and Spring. As an early Christmas present from her I chose a pair of black leather desert style ankle boots and then promptly forgot about it until she let me know they had arrived.

Well fast forward another three seasons of Autumn, Winter and to Spring 2014, those boots are gloves for my feet and unbelievably have not worn down (which I've since learnt is a trademark of Hotter's durable soles). They are still as new and I can wear them all day without a murmur of them being uncomfortable or sore for my feet.

So when I was invited to attend Hotter's press evening dinner and presentation at Toms Kitchen, Somerset House I literally jumped at the opportunity- I can honestly say that without realising it, I've sworn allegiance to a company that really does deserve the recognition of being a quality, comfortable and stylish brand.

The evening started off with complimentary champagne and I was pleased as punch to finally meet my gorgeous blogger friend Sharron of Style At Every Age who has been blogging right around the same time as me-six years and who I'd not had the lovely opportunity of meeting before.

We were shown through to the restaurant where the presentation was being held and where we were dining. The lovely Alex Longmore who is not only Hotter's style ambassador, but a stylist in her own right within the celebrity world gave a super presentation of the brand's history, concept and an intensive styling brief of how Hotter shoes and sandals can be worn and as such are key ingredients of being stylish without compromising on comfort or durablity. Features such as nude tones, florals, metallics and pastels are all part of Hotters amazing collection of summer shoes and sandals in canvas, leather or suede and as most of their footwear are made in the UK in their factory in Lancashire you really are buying into a fabulous British brand which I truly believe beats it's competitors hands down.

I was kindly given the opportunity to review a pair of Hotter shoes and I chose the pewter Singapore wedges, in a wide fitting size 7.5. I've tried them on and of course with the torrential rain we've had I've not had the chance to wear them properly but they fit like a glove and I was desperate to indulge in some metallics for the coming Summer season: 

They feature a gladiator style upper, a mid wedge heel and adjustable strap:

They are a fantastic style to go with boho style dressing, denim or monochromes- I am really chuffed with my choice and judging by my black shoes that I have already I know these will be a keeper for many summers to come.

I met some wonderful ladies and it was great to catch up with my lovely friend Mrs TNMA and to meet hosts Caroline of Wingfield PR and Lisa, Marketing Executive of Hotter Shoes.

Although I met new acquaintances, it was like being with old and dear friends as my dining companions were extremely attentive, chatty and entertaining-I had such a good laugh and indulged in some wonderful conversations it was a shame the evening had to end! 

A massive thank you to Wingfield PR and Hotter Shoes for a truly amazing evening, my wonderful sandals and  more importantly, a realisation that brand allegiance with Hotter shoes really has hooked me- not only do they have a wonderful website to shop from, they have 63 hotter stores nationwide and are available in over 200 independent retailers. With a top style ambassador on board they really are on point with style and comfort in equal measure and honestly need to be worn to appreciate how excellent they are. 

If they're good enough for my mum then they've more than earned my seal of approval!! Whether you're looking for loafers, heels, sandals, boots or trainers I wholly recommend you check out Hotter first- you won't be disappointed!!

Wishing you all a fabulous bank holiday weekend and I hope to catch up with you all very soon too!