you'll never get rich

As much as I love charity shops (had you noticed?) I do have a few favourite vintage shops. And let's not even get started on my River Island addiction. One of my favourite vintage shops is Beyond Retro on Cheshire Street, and no, not just because of the cat that lives there. The Brick Lane area is awash with vintage shops and it can be quite a headache, but if I'm short of time I tend to only visit Blitz and Beyond Retro. I like Blitz because I find it cleverly curated, which coupled with the smell of coffee from the in-store cafe makes it a nice, sensual shopping experience. Beyond Retro I like because I think the prices are reasonable and I've had some fortuitous times with their sale rail.  Which leads me on to this outfit: 

This dress was £12 from the Beyond Retro sale rail a few months back, and the shoes were £9 from their sale section on Friday. I love the pronounced shoulders and pulled in waist shape of the dress; it's that '40s silhouette I find so flattering, with a '90s print. And the green shade brings out the colour of my eyes, if I do say so myself. The tap/bowling/clown style shoes were from the Clarks sale, I was hoping with this dress I might look a bit Rita Hayworth rehearsing with Fred Astaire. A long shot, I know. 

Benidorm barmaid blouse y una bolsa de tapiz

I bought a floral jumpsuit from a vintage seller at Glasto last year, and was tempted by this blouse but thought better of its frothy frills and walked away. Not for long though, it had laid a little style egg in my mind, which hatched a few hours later and then I HAD TO HAVE THE BLOUSE NOW WHAT IF ITS GONE OUT OF MY WAY MOTHERFUCKERSSS. AKA I got a bit sozzled and dreamt it in to my wardrobe, because clearly its so versatile. Obviously no one else had bought it. I haggled it down to £8 and then sobered up and never wore it. Elle and I still joke about this as the 'i love youuu' blouse because I was so obsessed with having it, I caressed it and whispered to it once it was mine. I know other clothes lovers will know what I'm saying. It's not even flattering, I don't know what's wrong with me. It seemed perfect to wear to the Spanish food festival on the Southbank.

The bag was a 50p treat from a Sue Ryder sale at the Nettlebed Hospice. Because of it's two different sides it was a versatile bag to pack when I did a cat sit stint. On Friday night I wore it 'Madeira' side out, and on Saturday I wore it hibiscus side out. I am irrationally fond of this bag. 

It also coordinates perfectly with my Mexican belt

Eighties bridesmaid Barbie

It feels a bit weird posting this outfit considering the total about-face that the weather has done in the last week, but I actually wore this on perhaps one of the wettest days of this summer (well, the 2 quite decent months we can call summer in the UK). Unfortunately this was the weather on one of my friend's wedding days, but we'd be damned if we were going to change our outfit plans to suit the weather (well, for obvious reasons the bride wasn't going to). I bought this dress months ago from the half price rail in Beyond Retro on Cheshire Street (the one with the store cat!) for £14. I thought this was a total bargain. I wanted to save it for a worthy event, and isn't it just perfect for a 'summer' wedding?

Once the total outfit was assembled, in hand with my post-Barca tan, I realised it was all a bit '80s Barbie...and quite a lot briesmaidy - luckily I knew it was nothing like the actual bridesmaid dresses for the day. But as you can see, we had a bit of fun faux bridesmaiding with one of the real maids (in mint). The shiny, strappy pink shoes have nealy been sent to the charity shop a couple of times but luckily this was intervened and now I am so glad to still have them. I bought them in 2007 in Bracknell and my friend Simone who was with me at the time thought I had lost my mind. The navy blazer is old M&S bought in the Thames Hospice shop in Woodley Precinct for £6 (I have the short sleeved version too!) and the pink tote bag is Jaeger - a new job treat to myself. Now magazine had a thing in their issue out today abot how pink bags are 'the very latest thing' so I feel unintentionally 'on trend'.

I LOVED the bride's dress so much. It was Candy Anthony and looked so fantastic and swishy when she danced.

club tropicana (drinks ARE free)

This rather lurid tropical shift dress used to be a holiday staple of my mum's, it reminds me of happy holidays in Florida. She gave it to me before my holiday last year and it has now had two trips abroad; I think it's the kind of dress you could only wear for cocktails on your holibobs. For extra holiday tackiness I like to wear it with my parrot earrings (charity shop) and MAC lipstick in Costa Chic.

hot like Mexico

Last night my flatmate had people over for some Mexican style grub and I helped cook/provided the Margaritas. Making and eating the churros was the best bit, mmm. Typically overdressed I wore this vintage ruffle sleeved dress that I swiped when my flatmate was having a clear out. I had my eye on it since I first ever saw it and couldn't hide my delight when I saw it in her charity bag. In preparing for the Mexican night we discovered this awesome shop that is so near to our flat that we couldn't believe we never knew it was there before! The skull and feather earring is Little Wing.

http://www.casamexico.co.uk/

 

The tan is Vita Liberata which I definitely recommend as it is the only product I have tried that does not smell of fake tan at all.

you and you alone bring out the gypsy in me

Last weekend I joined Furr who was tour managing for the brilliant Jess Hall Band on their tour with Newton Faulkner. This is what it has come to if I want to see my boyfriend.

Acoustic/folk is not really my bag but everyone was lovely and I actually really enjoyed Newton's set; he has such an easy, relaxed sense of humour and is clearly brilliant at what he does.

As the two people who read this blog will know, I do like a bit of Carrie Bradshaw dressing, that is to say themeing my outfit with the occasion. It's not like I dress disingenuously, I just hand pick from my own clothes something that feels right.

 I thought this would be a good occasion to crack out the kimono top I got in the Peacocks closing down sale for £7. It was a risky online purchase but I think it has worked out well. I like the fact that it is not black, and the antique roses on it make it look a bit rock n roll. It is really comfy and easy to wear, but the sleeves add a bit of drama. I wore it with jeans, my dad's oversized cardie, tie dye scarf, tan brouge ankle boots and tan leather satchel. The leather satchel was from my old Sue Ryder shop, so I've had it for years and its a complete staple. The lipstick is Benefit's 'No Competition', a berry shade. The second day of the tour I was back in black with ripped jeans, but I enjoyed my folk-y moment while it lasted. I know this post makes me look like a total dick. Suck it.

blue and green should never be seen

Today was glorious and warm so when I finally got over my hangover (after a night at the dog races followed by stupid dancing at Catch) to go for a Mexican dinner in Shoreditch, I wore this flirty little floral dress. I think it looks like of 40s so I accessorised it with some maroon satin flower hairclips. The dress is only Primark but I got it for free when I bought a jumper from the Sue Ryder charity shop in Woodley as they had a buy one get one free sale on clothing; £3.45 for a jumper and a dress, sweet deal. As we were walking to the restaurant I am just wearing my espadrilles for comfort but I would like to wear this dress with my blue platforms and navy lace gloves for an evening look. The bag was another second hand clothes shop bargain, £2.50. In all this outfit cost less than a tenner.

you look good in blue

the last two saturdays have been music-centric in very different ways. Last week was High Voltage in Viccy Park (10 mins walk from my flat, the old lady in me was really chuffed by that); and yesterday it was Horrible Histories live at The Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms. I was disgustingly hungover but it was free and we had box seats so we were on to a winner. I have to say it was so much better than I had imagined!

They performed familiar songs from the show; Charles II rap, Cleopatra Lady Gaga style and the Vikings as stadium band singing a rock ballad were my personal favourites - no Dick Turpin song, booo, they misjudged that because a few people had come dressed as dandy highwaymen.

The actors were backed by a 30 piece orchestra and choir, and the songs from the show were seamlessley woven in with pieces of music from various eras so you learnt about music, composers and instruments at the same time. And the music was fantastic! They played an excerpt from Danse macabre, one of my favourite pieces of music, and other atmospheric, goth named pieces such as 'March to the scaffold from 'Symphonie fantastique' (Berlioz, 1830). I also loved the orchestral version of Greensleeves (another great piece of music), and they played the wedding march and I did a bit of learning when they said that it comes from the music composed for A Midsummer Night's Dream by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, and Queen Victoria's eldest daughter chose this piece of music for her wedding, and since then it has become the standard walk down the aisle music for Bristish couples. Queen Victoria also made the white wedding dress so popular that after the 1850s it started to become the desirable norm that we still see today. Before her, metallic dresses in gold and silver were very popular among the wealthy classes, which sounds awesome to me. If you bear in mind that a few of our Christmas traditions also come from Victoria's husband Albert, it is funny that a number of what feel like staple, British traditions, are actually German in origin and have only been around since Victorian times, so just do whatever the eff you want.

After learning and laughing and singing we strolled around Chelsea and Kensington where the other 'arf lives, checking out all the amazing massive houses with huge windows and gates and cars and felt thoroughly mizo about my financial situation. But thesun was shining and I got to wear this skirt that I got from a charity shop in Reading a few months back:


It is vintage M&S, couldn't guess a date on it but it is a large kids size. It may not be the most flattering shape on someone of my figure but the swathes of cotton swish around when you wear it and it feels AMAZING. I accessorised with this navy bag, again charity shopped, glasses from the Next sale and Primark espadrilles that are blue with white straps - WILD!

showing some ankle

I got this dress from a charity shop in Camden for £4.99 a few weeks back and have cracked it out (along with my ankles) in this glorious weather we have been enjoying. It is a weird midi length and quite 90s, I feel like Elaine Benes when I wear it with my flat tan ankle boots, but I love the masses of swishy skirt fabric. I wore it quite plainly styled today with my genuine Pioneer wear suede two tone jacket (chazza shopped - will post a pic sometime) Primark platforms and Topshop jewellery, but it also looks good with a hat, with suede fringed waistcoat, a denim jacket, various vintage belts...Ah I just love it.

mistletoe and wine coloured dresses

I'll keep it brief, Christmas is fab times, I love it. I had gorgeous presents and ate too much and generally felt merry. We are a family who dress up for Christmas, none of that pyjama dwelling, and as we are a predominantly female house we just love dresses. I wore this on Christmas day, it's a nineties (?) number from Wallis I got from my shop. Matching nails too. Father Christmas brought us Mario Kart for our Wii, two more controllers and the steering wheels; this leads to no end of excitement in our house, I'm sure mama has pics which I will share when I can.

bad photos of a good jumper

I still need to write a blog about my fantastic monday night and tuesday day in London for my bffs birthday, but until she uploads her superior photos I'm going to try and hold off and you're getting this instead.

I absolutely love this jumper. I'm not so sure about my hair, I've had some lowlights put through it and a fringe cut and I think I look like a fat spud face with streaky ginger spice hair.

outside it's raining but in here it's entertaining

So tonight's film is Moulin Rouge. I don't know how I've never seen it either, I'm pretty sure I tried once but fell asleep. I thought I'd hate it but NO, I have been gripped. I love the postmodern intertextuality with the songs, like when Satine is singing 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' and then breaks in to 'Material Girl', the video for which was a homge to Monroe's scene in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. Also, it's got dancing in, and I love a bit of all that. I won't carp on about the costumes in it; I can't say I'm really a fan of all that frilly knicker, corsets, stocking and suspenders thing (not all girls think the sun shines out of Dita Von Teese's -hole). I do like the men's clothes in it. McGregor's turn as a bohemian writer, I mean that is a classic look. Hoo Ray.

Another Scot I have been indulging in is that there Paolo Nutini. During two days of utter despair and potential breakdown I have not been able to stop listening to his music, tracks 'Candy', 'Pencil Full of Lead' and '10/10' in particular. I know there have been mixed reviews re. 'Sunny Side Up' vs. 'These Streets' but he really can do no wrong, they're both fantastic albums. I'd even lay it out there and say he's the only current 'pop' or 'chart' artist worth listening to. I shan't try and analyse it too much but basically I think there is depth and sincerity to everything he does, even though to look at him you'd think he was a wee scamp who put it about rather than singing 'It was in love I was created and in love is how I hope I die', but there we are. He claims his mum is more rock 'n' roll than he is but I can't say, can't say.

Ok what else? Here is my Marsha Marsha Marsha (Brady) shirt. It's a hundred years old M&S; seriously, it's the oldest thing from M&S I've ever seen and I've not seen another label like it. Everyone laughed at me at work when I bought it. They may have a point but I carry on regardless.

I really like the shirt, excuse the fact I look like I'm having miserable time wearing it.