Walk the walk

 

This is actually my second oufit of the day.  In my rush to get ready, I spilled the lunch I was making all down the first so had and emergency rush back up to the wardrobe. It must have been fate as this skirt was the first thing I saw. It’s vintage Karl Lagerfeld and part of a suit, the jacket of which I wear quite a lot but the skirt has so far not seen the light of day.  I can’t for the life of me think why,  it fits well and is comfortable, the only drawback is that it made climbing the stairs to work a little tricky this morning. Maybe it’s meant to be worn by people who don’t have to work, maybe if I wear it I won’t have to work either. Even if it is by incapacitating myself on the stairs.

Pass it on

There are three things you can do with clothes you no longer want. The first is to put them on Ebay, the second is to give them away and the third is to cut them up and bodge them into temporary cushion covers.

I put things up for sale on Ebay a lot simply because I buy so many clothes and a lot of them are so bizarre that they can’t be worn too often. Of course, there are some things I own, such as an awesome Pepsi & Shirley cocktail dress, that I could not part with them. Otherwise, I am not emotional about my clothes. I lend them out and give them away all the time. There will always be more clothes.

So here is my latest Ebay lots. The first being this amazing plaid jumpsuit. I should love it but it’s the colours that don’t do anything for me. I’m not a fan of Autumn colours, I should be as they probably suit me but it’s still brown and brown and I are not great friends. The fit is lovely, it’s really comfy but those shades are just not me.

This next jumpsuit is however, totally me. I’ve had it years but never worn it, I am just a little too tall for it to fit comfortably. I could lengthen the straps but I am worried I’d ruin the lines of it. It’s gorgeous gold metallic pinstripes on a black patterned fabric.

At the other end of the scale is this oversized jumper. I bought it because of the colours but I am just never going to be a woolly person. It’s kind of geek chic too, which is good but not with peroxide hair.

So they did not make it as permanent residents in my wardrobe, along with a few other bits and pieces all listed on my Ebay I hope they go to good homes.

And so to the cushions. I love a cushion and I like change so tonight I ran up some covers from two tops, a dress and a jumper. This is one of my favourite wastes of time. They are never perfect as they are never meant to last that long; there’s always a queue of clothes waiting to take pride of place on the settee.

Old, gold and cold

Matching your facial expression to the weather is a true talent; check out this gloomy mug. Matching gold with gold is not such a talent but at least makes for a little shine on an otherwise grey day.

This dress was one of four items I bought for £10 from a German lady at the last Car Boot Sale I visited, along with a black lycra bodycon dress, a black velvet one and a leather pencil skirt. I had the impression she was the kind of woman who never threw things out as long as they still fitted her. She very lovingly folded them all immaculately before placing them in a bag for me and telling me she wished she could still get into them but she was sure they’d look lovely on me.  I now wear all the dresses to death, I am sure this is partly because of that little interaction that still makes me smile.

The shoes were a present from my mum, they are vintage
Charles Jourdan that had never been worn but not stored properly as, the first time I wore them (to a gig with a particularly sticky floor) the soles came clean off. With a lot of tlc and a little glue, they are making a valiant effort to keep it together. So it seems fitting they should be worn with a bolero trimmed with tiny gold medals. On closer inspection, they look more like coins and the cardigan is made in Turkey so I suspect it was a whimsical tourist purchase which someone lost the guts to wear once back on British soil. Their loss as it’s warming me up a treat today.

Vintage 80s Gold Button Dress – Royal Cyclamen via Car Boot Sale

Turkish Gold Coin Bolero – Oxfam

Vintage 80s Gold & Black Pumps – Charles Jourdan via gift

Reprise

So it seems Winter is most definitely here.  All my Summer dresses are packed away and out have come the jumpers, scarves, gloves and hats.  It’s depressing enough outside without looking as though you’re dressed for a funeral so my latest purchase of an 80s cropped red mohair jumper made the trip to East London with me. As did my new 80s Jacques Vert blazer. This thing has the most outrageous shoulder pads that make me look like a cross between Bryan Ferry and one of the shrunken heads from Beetlejuice but it fits so nicely over bulky jumpers that I don’t really care.
I was tempted to put my ace snake head belt over the actual blazer but it looked a bit too power dresser, if such a thing exists.

Vintage 90s Black Lycra Bodycon Dress – It’s At via Car Boot Sale
Vintage 80s Red Cropped Mohair Jumper – Marks & Spencer via Oxfam
Vintage 80s Oversized Shoulderpad Blazer – Jacques Vert via Oxfam
Studded Hi Tops – Reebok via Ebay

Day 30

My last day of the 30-day project seems to have conincided with the last day of Summer as well as me being back at work . It’s too miserable out, so a few jewels to cheer things up.

This gem is from the jumble sale I went to last week, it’s making me happier just feeling the weight of the shoulder pads.
So, what now? Should I carry on? Perhaps I can but not on a daily basis. It’s been an education at least, I now know I have a lot of shorts and not enough trousers and am now even more certain that people do not respond to what you wear, but how you wear it. As long as you love your outfit, you’ll feel amazing, even if you do take a blurry picture.

Day 29

We’re going on a day trip!

Day 28

Oh look, another pair of shorts. I am celebrating this day off by going into town to the charity shops, pretty boring by anyone’s standards but work always gets in the way of my fun.
I bought these loafers yesterday at a car boot sale. I had wanted a pair for ages but everything on the high street seemed so flimsy and I get through shoes very quickly. They were yucky beige but for £2, I thought I’d try out my black shoe dye. It has turned them navy instead but this is okay as I realised I only have the Bubbles non-trainers and a pair of heels in navy but lots of blue clothes.

There were better pictures but I thought this one was funny as the timer caught me trying to put my hand in my pocket. My face looks as if I have never seen a pocket before.

Vintage 80s White Shorts – Marks & Spencer via PDSA
Vintage Cropped Striped Shirt – Unknown via Jumble Sale
Navy Opaque Tights – Christian Dior
Vintage Navy Loafers – Curtess Shoes via Car Boot Sale

Day 27

It’s a grey kind of day and I am doing chores. I do love my houndstooth cardigan though and my new glittery pumps my mum got me yesterday. These things bring cheer to what is otherwise a gloomy day.

Day 26

Gone skating.

Day 25

A very late post today as I get into fully into days off mode. Late starts, meeting friends, jumble sales, Caribbean food and power naps; it’s how every day should be. A double dose as compensation. Last night I went to The Birdcage to celebrate a friend’s birthday with drinks and karaoke. I decided it was time to dust off this 50p bargain that I have only worn once before, at a fancy dress as Pat Butcher. It’s a ridiculous purple satin, shoulder-padded, bat-winged triumph of a top in size 20 and I love it. I wore it as a dress with a skirt underneath and the Martini brooch pinning it together for modesty’s sake, finished off with a pair of my favourite heels. As you can see, I found it all very exciting.

These shoes are awesome. They are part of a line by Donnie & Gaynor for Freed of London. As they are dance shoes, they are so comfortable. They have malleable soles which means it feels like you are wearing flats. I have a few pairs of dance shoes and I always look out for them as you can wear them all day and, because of what they are intended for, they last really well. Plus, they are nearly always very glitzy which is how all shoes should be.

Today was very dressed down in comparison, a little bit boyish even but just right for a relaxed but busy Saturday.

If I could, I think I would wear shorts almost every day. Maybe I should move somewhere where the weather allows it but for now, I’ll make do with tights underneath. These are pretty special ‘snowflake’ ones. Lavender with white dots all over.  My shoes get laughed at a lot, mainly because I call them ‘my trainers’, these and converse are the closest I get to trainers. I like them because they have white eyelets all the way around and a little tag that reads ‘Bubbles’.

Vintage 80s Purple Satin Batwing Top – Kim London via PDSA
Vintage Gold Dance Shoes – Freed of London via New Hope Trust
Striped Navy & White Cotton Breton top – Amor Lux
Navy Deck Shoes – Bubbles
Vintage 80s Lavender Polka Dot Tights – BHS