paisley appreciation society part 6

This little paisley print carpet bag was £3something from a charity shop in Henley. It's such a good little across the body bag that fits your few key bits in it. It was made by Carpet Bags and they have a website

paisley appreciation society part 5

I got this weird sparkly, paisley bed jacket type thang at Chiswick carboot last year. It was £1. It's great to dress up a vest and jeans. I was wearing it with my formal joggers and my sister called me Aladdin. I'm cool with that. My outfit is weird and apols for the tits but in my defence I had just got back from my holiday.

paisley appreciation society part four

When I started college at 16 it was the first time that I had to pick my own outift, every single day, as opposed to wearing school uniform in the week and two days of self-styling. In order to get the coach to college everyday I had to get up at 6, often with a hangover. I didn't really have any money, but I wanted to look cool and different - this was the era of s8er boi, girls wearing boys jeans with visible boxers, brightly colured hair clip-ins, beaded bracelets and shell necklaces. Its no suprise really that college was the birthplace of Badly Dressed Thursdays. 

See my theory is that Thurday's outfits are often a low point in the week. Monday morning, you're fresh from the weekend, you've probably ironed something, you've had your Sunday night bath and laid your outfit out for the next day. Tuesday, you can wear your second pair of jeans, its basically a similar outfit to Monday's (or its the outfit you wore to the Fez club the night before with a zip-up over your slutty top). Wednesday, probably got Monday's jeans on again but with a different top, so its all good. 

Then you get to Thursday. You've spent the last three days in jeans, its been the same silhouette all week, you're panicking a bit, its Thursday, by now you're a bit arrogant and hitting the snooze button. When you eventually do get up (late) you don't know what to wear and you've little time to decide. Trust me, this is a real thing, I still do it now.  Thursday is a bad day for bold wardrobe decisions.

Today I got up late. Have been in jeans for three days. Nearly wore my 'racist' jumper 'for a bit of colour' (this will be explained at a later date) but luckily I was able to gather my senses and think; wear a dress you've worn before.

I like this dress; its feels nice and swishy to wear. it's from Next and I like Next because I can fit in to a size 8 in their clothes. Its a weird length because - cut a long story short, no pun -I bought the petite because it was £8 cheaper. It looks great with suede things (or maybe it doesn't, I just like to wear it with suede) and I like to dress it up with either pairs of my velour platforms. I guess it's not technically paisley, but whatevs

it's a family affair (paisley appreciation society part 3)

On Mothering Sunday we took Mumma out to The Mill House in Swallowfield (coincidentally just down the road from the wedding reception I had been at the night before). I would highly recommend, EVERYTHING ON THE SWEETS MENU WAS AMAZING (as a family of 6 you often have a lot of bases covered regarding menus) and it would make a lovely wedding venue, as my mother repeatedly pointed out (she'll be waiting a while, poor dear). 

Mother looked beautiful, and the family as a collective were repping charity shop buys quite prominently. Farv's jacket and shoes were from charity shops, my sister Amy's cardie was from a charity shop and her bag is an old hand-me-down from Muv. I kept it for years because I loved the colour but never really used it so I passed it on. The bag I am finding myself using most often at the moment was a total bargain from the RSPCA shop in Upminster - £2.50. I adore it. 

topshop, do your worst

I got a couple of topshop giftcards for my birthday, they have so many great pairs of shorts in there right now. I used to look great in shorts but something has happened, still going to try loads on though, favessss

paisley appreciation society part 2

I have just found this fabric again while tidying. I bought it from the charity shop when I was working there and wish I had the skills to make it into something, maybe a maxi skirt.

paisley appreciation society part 1

Peggy Lipton

I got my first piece of true brilliant paisley a couple of years ago at a Sue Ryder Nettlebed sale for 50p, it is bright green and I love it - I will blog it when I next wear it (hence this being part 1...). When I went to the Chiswick car boot sale last month I picked up this FANTASTIC, very similar shirt for a fiver:

Pictures can't really do it justice, it has royal blue and yellow details. It looks great worn with jeans and these boots, compadres from the same car boot for £6, sort of Debbie Harry stylee:

And I think it will look good with these platforms (couldn't resist buying them in navy too, if I find a pair of comfy, affordable shoes gotta buy them in every colour). I quite like to pick up on the colours in the print, hence the blue shoes and...

... red lips and yellow nails. I am a bit weird about matching things, although I know that makes me quite unstylish

This is how it fits, nice and baggy and loose. Toilet shot, well what do you expect with these bargain basement prices?