My New Personal Style Blog- LIVE TO LOVE DENIM

Hi everyone!! Well it's the last day of 2012 and I have actually now put in to action those ideas and inspirations that have been at the back of my mind for so long and hopefully deliver me out of the blog wilderness that I have been enduring for a number of months now. 

Work and health issues have been main concerns during 2012 and I have felt that this year really has not been one of my best regarding posts and blogging. I have had several bouts of low inspiration and interest during this year and I feel it has reflected in how often I have posted on Thriftmystyle. On the plus side I have joined Twitter and although I haven't tweeted that much this year, I hope my new blog venture will change this. It is no secret that I have always had a love-no scrap that-self confessed obsession with all things denim and what better way to channel that but into a self contained personal style blog which is aptly named LIVE TO LOVE DENIM :

I am constantly inspired and enthused with all things denim, particularly jeans and now I have a dedicated blog I sincerely hope that you will join me there on my new denim journey through 2013 and beyond.

I still fully intend on posting on Thriftmystyle as of course thrifting at boot sales and charity shops is still a great passion and very much on the agenda for 2013 and beyond-it's just I have always wanted to put my other main passion-denim- into a structured footing and having my own blog for it means my followers and readers have either or both to hopefully gain some style inspiration from.

I do wish you all a very Happy New Year and a successful 2013 in whatever ventures you are currently involved in or plan to execute-good luck and best wishes to you all!!

Thriftmystyle outfit post and my sales savings and purchases!

I hope you all had a Very Happy Christmas- ours was spent eating, drinking, watching Christmas TV and relaxing and for me a first, a day at the Christmas Sales.

Younger son had a wishlist and a hole burning in his pocket so we set off to Oxford Sreet, London on Thursday which proved to be most successful and enjoyable! He managed to buy two pairs of trainers which were both half price-saving a whopping £130. We enjoyed a sushi lunch in Wasabi in Oxford Street which was my first proper Japanese sushi experience and very delicious it was too- I will certainly be having it again and it was so nice to have something so fresh, healthy and enjoyable whilst eating out. We were so surprisingly full afterwards so headed for a browse through Soho and Carnaby Street before going into Liberty's, which was amazingly my first ever visit considering the numerous times I have been to London.

I succumbed to the sales too by snapping up a gorgeous  blue wool and cashmere animal and tiger print reversible wrap by Mulberry which was half price, saving me a whopping £147.50!! 

All shopped out we headed home happy in the knowledge that between us we had saved nearly £300 on items that we truly wanted and will wear-very chez thriftmystyle!!

 

The outfit below is one I wore last weekend and shows off one of my recent thrift finds from the last boot sale before Christmas- a midnight blue buttersoft leather jacket by Jaeger for only £2. Its a great layering piece under my winter favourite faux fur gilet and I'm also wearing my Guess scarf which my older son got from their SS13 press day for me-it's animal print and stars and one of my favourite scarfs of the moment!!

 

 

I am wearing my Pavers boots from a few years back which I have been itching to replace with a lighter sheepskin version-well not replace, but have as an addition. So when Celtic Sheepskin emailed me earlier today with their upto 50% off sale on footwear I snapped up my coveted pair and saved myself £40 in the process. They will hopefully be with me next week and again I've saved on something that I've wanted for ages and wil be wearing straightaway.

 

Jaeger midnight blue leather jacket- £2, boot sale

 

So how is your sales shopping going-did you manage to bag the bargains you wanted either by shopping online or going to the sales in person?

 

In case this is my last post of 2012 I wish everyone a very peaceful, prosperous and happy new year and a successful and fabulous 2013.

Happy Christmas and some thrifting Peruvian style!!

Hi everyone!! I would just like to take this opportunity of wishing all of my fellow blogger friends, commenters and readers a really Wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year! 2012 seems to have passed so quickly and I must say it's been not a bad year at all-quite mixed really regarding health and work issues but family wise which is the most important, it has been very good indeed so I really do give thanks for that.

I do so hope you are all looking forward to Christmas and your preparations are in full swing. I have done all my present shopping and tomorrow will see me complete my food and drinks shop-thereafter it will be a menu of relaxation, eating, drinking and being extremely thankful of being able to celebrate this special time of year. Being a thrifty Mrs I tend not to go overboard at Christmas with material items and spending unnecessarily-as long as we eat well over Christmas and my family are happy and healthy this is all that matters. Myself and DH have given each other and the boys just ONE present each -our gifts are what we all truly wanted so it will be special for each one of us. My boys will both receive exactly what they asked for as prudent saving has ensured they got what they desired-no tat or quantity over quality at chez thriftmystyle!!

Anyhow, back to all things stylewise- I was particularly pleased to thrift this week my second item of favourite label 'Peruvian Collection'. If you haven't heard of them before do check out their website which is a gorgeous offering of all things exquisite and unique which have been crafted by highly skilled Andean artisans-craftswomen whose textile tradition goes back millennia. Their gorgeous knit and woven pieces are made from luxury fibres native to the Andes—silky soft alpaca and Peruvian pima cotton.  My first item was thrifted last year and is a wonderful pima cotton intricately woven patterned tote bag and as soon as I saw this in the PDSA a few days ago I knew I had to have it:

Its a wonderfully warm and stylish felted baby alpaca and wool jacket which feels amazing on. 

So on that note I am now officially starting my Christmas break with the family and I look forward to catching up with you all very soon- wishing you seasons greetings and a peaceful and prosperous 2013.

ThriftMyStyle.........Joining the Puffa brigade

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all keeping cosy and warm-funnily enough, the weather here at the moment has been quite mild and sunny for December, so extra thick layering is not quite on the agenda just for the moment!

One trend that has been in fashion for a couple of decades now has been the 'puffa jacket'-it is definitely one of those 'marmite' trends in that you love or hate them. I fall in to the 'love' category- I remember having a bright orange Miss Selfridge one back in the 90s and although I still love the style I would only ever wear neutral dark colours now!

The celebrities certainly know that not only can they be stylish, but they are just so warm and snug and in the Daily Mail last week it looks like this is a trend that will be around for quite a while to come, especially for those in colder climes:

Sarah Jessica Parker managing to look so casual chic and ultra snug and comfy

Emanuelle Alt showing us that puffas can be stylish

Naomi Watts doing dress down layered chic

Over at Net-A-Porter they have some really fabulous picks and if money were no object I would certainly be picking one of these snuggly options:

Mulberry quilted jacket, £1800

Peter Pilotto Ri printed jacket, £1300

Gucci padded jacket, £1130

I picked up this Armani black puffa jacket last winter and its very 90s inspired in the crop style:

I love the little Armani details on the zipper and pockets and being down filled, it really is a cosy option for the winter. I found it for less than £10 in the Sense charity shop and I must have had good jacket thrift luck that day as I also found a H&M khaki and fur lined parka jacket that is still going strong for me again this winter.

I cannot resist a jacket and any style seems to be on my radar for this season-wool, puffa, faux fur- in fact my wardrobe is bulging purely in winter wear!

What style of winter coat or jacket is on your style list this winter-do you love or hate the humble yet cosy puffa?

Dresses from Crossroads Australia

Australian brand Crossroads offers a whole range of different clothes, ranging from plus size dresses to jackets, denim, skirts and accessories. They currently are offering free delivery on items ordered over 60$ and orders placed before 18th December are guaranteed delivery for Christmas.

They take a variety of payments including paypal, making online shopping a pleasureable and safe way to shop. A lot of their dresses are currently reduced, so if you are looking for bargain, then they have a great selection to choose from:

Party print dress, 29.95$

Ruffletastic diamonte dress, 29.95$

Ombre maxi dress, 29.95$



Mid lace kick flare dress, 29.95$

ThriftMyStyle.....Faux Fur in my Winter Wardrobe

Well winter is well and truly here and whenever I am on my thrifting trips I always seem to be drawn to faux fur-be it a hat, scarf, coat, jacket or cape. For winter dressing,  faux fur is definitely my go to for stylishly warm dressing as any chosen piece will totally work with a day or evening outfit and keep you super cosy too!

I think I must be slightly obsessed-here are my most recent faux fur thrifty finds which I will not be without this winter. Firstly, a cossack hat is the perfect winter accessory-the one I found is a mid grey fluffy one by Marks and Spencer and was a bargainous £5.50 from the Sense charity shop. They are currently on sale in Marks and Spencer for around £20 but these sort of hats are so readily available from charity shops and vintage fairs for at least a third of the shop price:

Faux fur grey cossack hat by Marks and Spencer £5.50, Sense charity shop

My second thrifty find is this unlabelled snow leopardprint faux fur snood which I picked up from the Cancer Research shop for just £4.99. A faux fur snood is such a versatile piece as it can be worn with a variety of outerwear for day or night and also with a cashmere cardigan or crew neck jumper for easy daytime lounge wear.

Snow leopardprint faux fur snood, £4.99 Cancer Research charity shop

I'm always on the hunt for faux fur vintage jackets and last month I found this caramel number in the PDSA charity shop for less that £10. I was looking for one that had fastenings up to the neck and has a high collar to keep out the chills and this fitted the bill for my requirements. The colour goes with so much in my wardrobe and vintage faux furs always tend to be such good quality too:

Vintage faux fur jacket, PDSA charity shop £9.99

This weekend was a really busy one as DH and myself were at vintage fairs in London. Of course I always have a sneaky peek around for a stylish bargain and I was really happy to find this gorgeous chestnut vintage faux fur cape which kept me deliciously warm this weekend. Its the ideal find for me as I've been after a poncho style cape for a while and this looks amazing over a wool coat or jacket as an extra stylish layering piece:

Chestnut faux fur vintage cape, £26 Vintage Fashion Fair

So what styles are keeping you stylish and cosy this season-is faux fur on your fashion radar?

Dresses from Autograph Australia

Hi everyone! For any readers who are looking for dresses online in sizes 14-26, then Australian fashion brand Autograph have a lovely selection of dresses which are perfect for day or evening wear and also ideal for Christmas too.

 

 

 

Red bandage style dress $90.30

 

Black lace dress $90.30

 



 

Animal print mesh dress $55.99

 



Multi print tier dress $62.99

 

 

They offer free shipping, easy returns and take paypal too-if you are after some stylish plus size dresses then they have a great selection of outfits to choose from!

Valentino: Master of Couture

Hi everyone!! You may already be aware that master couturier Valentino has an exhibition currently on at Somerset House in London. It is celebrating his life and work and showcases over 130 iconic and exquisite haute couture designs worn by the likes of Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Sophia Loren.

The exhibition is split into 3 sections and is accompanied by a series of talks, screenings and events- without doubt, Valentino: Master of Couture is a journey into the secretive world of Italian couture and should be a must see event for any die hard lover of style and couture.

 

Tickets for the event should be prebooked if possible and are £12.50. The exhibition runs until 3 March 2013, so if you can't get there before Christmas then this can be a New Year's treat!!

 

 

 Of course, a Valentino red dress would be the most coveted item to own and wear, unfortunately unless I stumble across one in the future I shall have to just dream of owning one. However, I was very fortunate last year on my of my boot sale trips to find this stunning Valentino black tuxedo, which has lace detailing around the collar and fits like a glove-thats proper tailoring for you. The icing on the cake was that I paid less than £5 for it and it definitely is a piece that I will keep forever:

I am really looking forward to seeing the exhibition and marvelling at Valentinos extraordinary works of art.

 

Check out what the grand master of couturier has to say on all things Primark in Vogue yesterday too!!

Designer watches at T H Baker jewellers

Hi everyone!! It's the time of the year where I am busy drawing up my 'Christmas list' for my nearest and dearest with the intentions that I will have happy, satisfied bunnies on Christmas Day.

 

I also drew up my virtual Christmas wishlist and at the top of it would be a designer watch from family jewellers T H Baker, who celebrate their 125th anniversary next year.

I have always loved quality designer timepieces and I thought I would show you my favourite current picks any of which I would be happy to receive in my Christmas stocking-well, you never know!!

 

Gucci rose gold watch, £635

 

 



Gucci silver and bamboo style watch, £650

 

 



 

This would be a real treasure to receive!! Omega Ladymatic 18ct gold watch £11730- a girl can dream huh!!!

This would look amazing with ANY chosen outfit- Tag Heuer Formula One watch, £1550

 

 



 

I can't leave DH out, he would adore this- Tag Heuer Monaco watch £5500

 

 

What's at the top of your virtual dream Christmas wishlist- will it be a nice watch or item of jewellery or are you hoping for something else to be under the tree on Christmas Day?