Thrift Inspiration..... Doing it Designer Style for Bags in Neutral Tones

 Leather handbags in beige, ivory or cream that fit the trend for this Winter Season!

Hi everyone! So on my last thrifting trip I bought another handbag- but in my defence, I don't have a neutral beige or ivory bag!

There are some awesone designer bags that fit the bill if you're keen to get a light colour bag for Winter- going neutral means it will go with any colour coat or jacket you choose to wear and makes a perfect change from the traditional black or brown, 

Here are my favourite designer picks:

Wandler bag, Net a Porter

Laurent bag, YSL.com

See by Chloe at Farfetch

I picked up this cute vintage leather mock croc bag for just £3.50 in the charity shop and it's so well made and definitely will go with so many of my coats and jackets for this season:

Liz Clairborne vintage leather cross body bag

I love cross body bags as they're so stylish and versatile and particularly in Winter your hands want to be in your pockets and holding as little as possible!

Is a neutral colour bag on your radar for Winter? What colour accessories are you wearing this season?

Thrift Inspiration....Doing it Isabel Marant style!

 The Tale of my Isabel Marant Manifestation True Story Find, Plus my Marks and Spencer Coat Finds!

Hi everyone! So this is an awesome account of how my weekend went on the coat and thrifting front and how I came upon my latest purchases!

So I'm constantly evaluating, culling and adding to my coat collection- it's certainly an ongoing work in progress as many of you stylish ladies can attest to! 

My eldest son had kindly said he would pay for a coat that I had ordered from H&M for Christmas. It's a camel teddy coat and it was £39.99 in the sale but although it's a gorgeous coat I was constantly in two minds as to whether it actually suited me and eventually decided it didn't. So Friday evening, I packaged it up ready to be returned and then decided I wanted to hunt for a tweed coat or jacket and was busy happily browsing (hunting) eBay for a good few hours until past midnight! 

I remembered that a few years ago I had thrifted- and sadly gave or sold on again- a fabulous tweed coat which was very similar to the Isabel Marant Bator coat- see my post from 2013 here I actually screenshot this picture on Friday night from my blogpost (manifestation starting!) and as it was a Debenhams Classic coat I was stalking eBay for the exact coat- but no joy!

This is the jacket that sadly got away, pictured from my 2013 blogpost:

Well I ended up finding a coat on eBay before I went to bed, although its not in the same kind of style as above it's grey wool herringbone tweed, single breasted and looks great so I went to bed quite happy! I also bought another scarf- so am eagerly awaiting both of these to now arrive!

So Saturday morning I decided to go thrifting in two towns I hadn't been to in a while. So I arrived in the first town and parked up right outside a charity shop. I immediately spotted a beautiful lilac coat in the window and once I was in the shop the lady kindly let me try it on and did a sterling job of selling it to me!

It's by Marks and Spencer from their Autograph range and is a beautiful colour and weight too- as soon as I saw it and tried it on I knew I wanted it!!

My pictures don't do the coat justice, its really so lovely and was a fabulous bargain at £25, so worth the price!

Although £25 might seem fairly high to spend in a charity shop I figured that high street coats are generally £40 upwards anyway and the quality and niceness of this one meant it was well worth paying for, plus it's a decent amount for charity too!

 So I carried on my browsing in the charity shops and ended up visiting the next town, where I found a lovely leather handbag- blogpost to come on that one!

I was queueing to go into one shop but decided to leave it till last and visit two more before returning to queue to get in! So the last rail was the coats and right in front of me was this beautiful brown wool Isabel Marant coat!! Again my photos do not do the coat justice- it's a beautiful find and definitely a forever coat for my winter wardrobe for years to come.

As soon as I saw the label, the size and that it was in immaculate condition I queued to pay and the best part was that is was actually cheaper than my previous coat buy- just £15!!

A true manifestation of an Isabel Marant coat purchase going on- I was utterly amazed at my fabulous find and not only had I bagged two wonderful bargains, they actually came to the same price as what the H&M coat was! It just goes to show what awesome bargains you still can get from thrifting and at a lesser price than the High Street too.

I'm always amazed at what you can find and there are so many lovely bargains post lockdown that have been donated- I definitely recommend you go thrifting for your winter coats if you haven't done so already!

I headed home and both coats fit like a glove- perfectly just slightly oversized so I can get jumpers underneath and both colour coats I don't already have too. So I'm now definitely taking the H&M coat back and also donating a black faux fur coat I bought in September- sadly it's too big- in my excitement of buying it I didn't really notice how big it was but I'm sure it will go to a good home once I've donated it!

If you haven't already checked out my Instagram feed, you will see another recent lovely coat find that I thought I would share on here too. It's a beautiful alabaster colour and is a Marks and Spencer wool Autograph coat which I found for just £4.50 and it's come up a treat after being dry cleaned too.

The Autograph range at Marks and Spencer are really premium coats and if you can source them preloved these are forever coats that will last forever- I now truly understand why my mum has loved Marks and Spencer for years for her clothes and food!

So I think I'm nicely up to date with my coat purchases for the moment and I have to say the Isabel Marant one has to be up there with one of my best charity shop finds ever!

What coats are on your winter wishlist? I hope you've enjoyed my coat finds and they inspire you to seek your own fabulous finds for this winter season!

Summer Linen- choosing preloved Marks and Spencer

Last of my Thrifted Summer Buys! 

Hi everyone! Last Friday was a lovely afternoon spent with the girls, lunching, then charity shopping and then back to the local Wetherspoon's for afternoon dessert and a needed cup of tea!

My Summer thrifted buys this season have been a lot more thought out as to what can be saved for following summers- I really want to have pieces that will transcend trends and that I will enjoy wearing and will keep me cool and looking stylish too!

This first item I found was in a charity shop where they were doing a 3 for 2 offer. I've mentioned in previous Instagram and blogposts that I really do like finding preloved Marks and Spencer linen  it not only keeps you cool but I do feel it's effortlessly stylish and very practical to wear and if you choose neutral colours then separates such as tops, blouses, shorts and trousers can so easily be mixed and matched for lots of different looks within a capsule summer wardrobe. 

I really like the stripe detail and the self belt nicely cinches the waist without feeling too fussy or tight. This will go with some white linen trousers I thrifted in June, plus cut off denim shorts or one of my denim skirts.Whilst thirfting, I try to envisage if an item will go with at least three items in my wardrobe- if it does then there's a good chance I'll buy it!  Also I find linen really doesn't have great hanger appeal, but once tried on it does look and feel nice!

My next find was a second black linen jacket the first one you can see here in July's post 

The difference between the two is this one is a slightly longer length and is an unstructured, unlined style so I can wear it with shorts or trousers for a more relaxed, casual style:

My last find was this awesome vintage cream linen vintage St Michaels Marks and Spencer dress- I think it's from the 80s- it has a dropped waist, soft pleats and detailed horn style buttons. I was unsure about it in the shop, but decided to buy it anyway and once I had tried it on I was so pleased I had snapped it up. I may not get a chance to wear it this Summer but this is a keeper dress that I know I'll wear in future Summers. It's a classic style, comfortable and I've hankered after a cream dress for a while, so this fits the bill perfectly!

So the grand total for all three was £9.50- a little over £3 per item which for Marks and Spencer items I think is awesome! I've built up a great variety of items for Summer dressing  and preloved Marks and Spencer linen features a lot in it. I've four linen shirts, a couple of jackets, two pairs of trousers and a dress that are preloved M&S and I can safely say that they are definitely items that will have longevity in my summer capsule wardrobe.

I constantly culled my wardrobe this season and the things I had left and bought this season are items that I can mix well with each other for all and any occasions. I have bought a lot of plain neutral things these last few months and as a lover of prints and floral items for Summer, I feel I now have a good variety of colour and style in my current wardrobe!

Have you finished your Summer wardrobe shopping this season? My next blogpost will feature a couple of new buys that will be perfect for transitioning to Autumn- stay tuned!

ThriftMyStyle with Vintage and Preloved Jackets and Blazers

Summer and Transitional Jackets and Blazers in key basic neutral colours for a perfect capsule wardrobe 

Hi everyone! I think this post is a long overdue one from me- I really do love a blazer!

My Summer favourite, year in and year out ALWAYS consists of a good quality blazer or jacket- preferably vintage or preloved in a key colour that I know will last me for seasons to come. You can't go wrong with having a few in your wardrobe- they can either transition for Autumn or be kept again for the following Summer!

This first blazer is one I found eleven years ago- check my original post 'Ferretti and Frills' from August 2009! Its definitely one of my all time favourite finds and I always wear it every Summer. A navy blazer is a must and this one by Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti has stood the test of time in quality and style in my wardrobe for sure! I really love the longer length and double breasted style and this style never dates, so timeless and classic in cut and colour:

This next blazer was bought a couple of years ago and was found in the same Salvation Army charity shop as the one above, its a Calvin Klein steel grey light wool blazer and was £3.99.

When I thrift a blazer I always try and source either designer names or brands with a high natural material content, such as wool, silk or linen.

If you can find a good quality well made jacket that covers these bases you will have a piece that will have longevity in your wardrobe and be a keeper for many years to come! This Calvin Klein one has a white striped lining on the arms so I do like to fold them up sometimes for that relaxed 90s Summer vibe!

This Jaeger beige linen vintage blazer was also £3.99 and I found this in a charity shop last year. It's a go to jacket for wearing with shorts or a mini skirt as it is a longer length style and again I like to wear it with the sleeves pushed up. This one is unlined and a perfect cover up over a cami or a new trend season vest top and I do think a neutral colour is a must for any Summer wardrobe.

Viewers of my Instagram page will know that I purchased this Gerry Weber tobacco brown linen blazer from ebay earlier this month. I've never really worn brown much, but have really embraced this tonal colour this season and it really is a great colour to have in a neutral colour capsule wardrobe as it goes with so much. This classic single breasted style works well with jeans and floral or plain coloured summer dresses. I love ebay for preloved items- this was just £4.99 with postage and a key tip for finding a bargain is to check 'ending soonest' in your chosen colour and size, that's how I won this one!

This last jacket was a fabulous find a couple of weeks ago from my local Cancer Research charity shop- it was on the 50p rail! I love the shorter length of this black linen jacket from Marks and Spencer, it makes a change from the oversized or longer length jackets that I already have in my wardrobe. I do actually own a few black jackets but I didn't have a linen one, so for 50p I couldn't leave it behind!

A good quality blazer really does pull an outfit together and it's amazing what can be found in your local charity or thrift shops and also from the boot sale too! As I've said before, look for ones with a high natural material content, that is a neutral colour and style and choose styles that are either longer and shorter to mix and match well with pieces already in your wardrobe!

What are your favourite Summer styles, are jackets on your radar too? 

Thrift My Style with Summer Linen

My Charity Shop Haul this week including other Summer Items!

Hi everyone! I was so happy to see the opening of the charity shops earlier this week, so with this in mind, I did a declutter and took a few things for donation.

 Now is the ideal time being post lockdown to have a good sort out and to have a trying on session too. I've actually sorted another bag of donations these past couple of days due to not trying stuff on before which now does not fit or is making room for newer pieces I've either thrifted or bought.

I've also put some things on eBay too-check them out if you fancy!!

So on my wishlist has been neutral items for Summer and although I don't need a new bag I really couldn't resist this as it ticks all the boxes- neutral style, linen look inspired and for only £2 it was such a good bargain I couldn't not get it!

It's ideal for shopping trips, beach days or any summer awayday- it's a very versatile size and very lightweight to use- if I go on holiday it will be a perfect travelling companion and can also fit effortlessly into luggage too:

Another couple of bargains from later last week were this pure linen pink Marks and Spencer Blouse for just £3.50 and these white linen Marks and Spencer trousers for £3!!

I always look to size up on linen as it looks so much more classic and chic to be loose fitting- so I was especially happy to find both of these in bigger sizes to oversize my outfit choices:

Linen is a practical and chic option for Summer and if you buy quality items it will last you for summers to come. I do try and thrift good high street pieces for longevity in my wardrobe and you generally can't go wrong with M&S!

Two other finds from earlier in the week were a Laura Ashley linen tee and a pair of tailored linen trousers in traditional linen colours.

The M&S tailored trousers were only £1 from Sense charity shop and again these were a size larger which fit me really well!

I really love this Laura Ashley linen tee- it was £4 and I especially love the embroidery detail too! This will look great dressed up or down with denim for a casual summer chic look.  

Both pieces really launder and iron well- again a good sign of buying quality preloved high street items.

This chambray blouse by TU for Sainsburys was only £1 from Sense and is a piece that will go with shorts, skirts and denim for Summer. Chambray is a perfect Summer option, softer and lighter than traditional denim, it easily goes with anything for an easy Summer outfit choice: 

I do love sportswear pieces and I couldn't leave these Adidas shorts behind from Barnados charity shop for just £4! Ideal for lounging or yoga or walking, these will last for ages and are a timeless piece of sports fashion:

If you check out my Instagram- thriftmystyledotcom then you can also see the cute preloved Topshop black slip dress I found for just £6 too!

It's certainly been a winning week of thrifting and charity shop finds for me! What is on your summer wishlist? I have always tended to gravitate towards floral for Summer but am enjoying looking for different things like plain colours and linen- what is your Summer style?

Thrift Inspiration.....Embroidery Patches for Autumn/Winter 2016

Hi everyone! So London Fashion Week has been and there are many trends all under the radar for this coming season- tweeds, velvet, ruffles, long sleeves, metallics-to name a few!!

I'm particularly loving this Autumn the return of embroidered badges-from designer to high street, this is a trend that seems to come and go over fashion seasons and never truly goes out of style,

The first image is from Christopher Kane's collection of 2014 and perfectly relevant inspiration for anything embroidered at the moment:

These jeans are currently online at New Look and add a great nod to the lok without going overboard-a perfect pair of jeans for day or night:

Seen at Fashion Week, this style blogger certainly loves her badges and with one statement item in your outfit, it's a fabulous look for any season and is an ideal accompaniment for a smart blazer or biker jacket and bright bag:

This coat is perfectly on trend for winter- cute badges and although this is masculine tailoring with a twist, this is certainly a look for women or men alike:

This is a really feminine quirky look- who wouldn't want to wear this cute cardigan-the warm yellow and badges make it a really unique piece which could be worn with anything!!

What a gorgeous coat! Lilac hues, awesome badges and immediately dresses up a simple hoody and jeans combo:

For those of you looking for a new jacket this Autumn, there is a plethora of jackets from designer to high street banging out this trend- another favourite is this jacket currently available online at New Look which will see you effortlessly into Springtime next year and will be a really amazing cost per wear style essential:

(All pictures above: Pinterest)

So now to what I have indulged in for the new season!! Last month I had a lovely meet up with a gorgeous blogger friend and prior to meeting I had to have a sneak peek in my not local Primark. So glad I did as I found this lone jacket in my size on the rail for a bargainous £20!!

A couple of years ago I passed up on a DKNY denim jacket with similarly quirky patches in a charity shop and suffered buyers remorse on missing out- so when I saw this silky bomber with similar patches and the perfect shade of khaki I snapped it up and can't wait to start wearing later this season!!

Another item I scored on in the charity shop was a pair of black skinny jeans by Banned Apparel which were only £2.75- they've this patch on each back pocket and are a perfect evening trouser jeans which I had to purchase:

What trend is on your radar for this coming Autumn/Winter season? I think I may look out for something velvet too- jewel brights or black are a possibility!!

Thrift Inspiration..... Back to Black-Hobos for 2016

I. Love. Black. Bags. Yes- whether it's large, medium or small, has gold hardware or silver hardware then I'm drawn like a magnet to them. Even though I've easily got a black bag for every day of the week if my mind is set on obtaining a certain style then I'm on it until a purchase is duly made!!

So my last phase on the black bag front was the oversized tote and I must admit it has been a regular and well used purchase- Primark for just £5 and with a touch of gold hardware its a very cute-and massive- bag. But oversized large is now off the radar in favour of the smaller hobo. I do have a lovely Fendi black Zucca hobo but I prefer not to use it on an everyday basis-a leather one is more ideal.

What I really love about the hobo is if you pick the right size you can get everything but the kitchen sink in it and for regular daily use, it's the perfect go-to. Plus it's such a classic style that never dates and is ideal for any season. So here are my favourite designer picks if money were no object:

Gucci Soho Leather Hobo £1210

 Givenchy Zanzi Obsedia Hobo £1216

Mulberry Tessie Hobo £695

Radley London Bridgewater Hobo £219

So my most recent thrifting trip came up trumps on the bag front with this Tula black leather hobo for just £3.99 in my local Salvation Army charity shop. Barely used and as new it's a welcome addition to my black bag brigade and has been in constant use since I bought it!

I was won over by the chic silver hardware and the classic simplicity of the slouch- and yes everything but the kitchen sink is currently residing in there!

A perfect shoulder bag for daytime that will remain a favourite even when my 'style phase' starts to wane and the next style beckons!!

Are you a fan of hobo bags? What style are you currently using? 

Thanks as always for stopping by and reading and commenting- it is always much appreciated and I look forward to catching up with you all!!

ThriftMyStyle Favourite Trend- The Sweatshirt, Plus Some Carine Roitfeld x Uniqlo

Hi everyone! Its a lovely winters morning and with that in mind it brings me on to what my signature daytime style for this season is gravitating to. I've been finding of late that I have indeed adopted a 'style uniform' which my lovely blogger friend Michelle at My Fashionable 40s mentioned in her fabulous post on 'Wise Style Words' and certainly for me it's all about the sweatshirt, jeans, trainers and chosen winter coat or jacket on top.

  So my recent thrifting trips have seen me adding to my growing sweatshirt collection this week with a couple more finds as seen below:

I already had the black DRMTM sweatshirt (new from a couple of years ago) and the United Colors of Benetton one (recent thrift find), which are both firm favourites and worn regularly. The Swedish Cheap Monday sweatshirt was a find from the Cancer Research charity shop for just £4.20 and literally 10 minutes later I found the grey cropped style Gap sweatshirt in the British Heart Foundation charity shop for just £4.30!! 

The Cheap Monday sweat is ideal for wearing right now-a darker shade of grey for winter and I'm really loving logo tops as they work so effortlessly with jeans and trainers for a stylish, on the go outfit that is pretty comfortable too!! The light grey Gap sweatshirt is an ideal Spring/Summer one which I'm sure will be a regular wear.

A new sweatshirt which my lovely son got for me is this logo sweat by Nicce London- it has a lovely fleecy lining and is a crop style which works well with higher waisted jeans. 

Sweatshirts never date and fpr me are a real style essential- the Benetton I found last month is an original 90s one which has stood the test of time and I'll be on the look out for other retro sweatshirts or T-shirts this year on my thrifting trips!!

Onto some more style inspiration from the First Lady of Parisian Fashion-Carine Roitfeld who has brought a chic collab with Uniqlo- hooray!!

I'm lusting over the blouson jackets-the reversible ones are gorgeous and the camo pieces are also on my radar too!! 

A really stylish and amazing collection which is so chic, wearable and on point for this season- are you tempted to indulge in any of the pieces??

What is currently in your daytime wardrobe this season- do you have a signature style for daytime or do you like a different look every day? Thank you so much for stopping by to read and comment too- its so very much appreciated especially when my posts are quite sporadic and irregular- I'm hoping to post more in general so please do continue to "watch this space!!"

Thrift Inspiration.....Doing it 70s Style for Summer 2015!!

Hi everyone! Like a lot of style bloggers I'm really inspired lately by all things 70s and 70 style- soft tobacco hues in suede and leather for jackets, boots and handbags are the perfect accompaniment for cream crotchet peasant tops and flared denims or the perfect denim 70s style skirt.

So accordingly I've been taking my inspiration from the Spring/Summer designer catwalks, pinterest and fellow bloggers to find the perfect thrifted pieces that will be featured a lot in my Spring and Summer wardrobe this year:

Chloe Spring/Summer 2015

This is a find from last Autumn and is a deliciously soft tobacco suede shirt/jacket from a neighbouring towns St Francis Hospice charity shop and was just an amazing £2. The picture doesn't do it justice really-it's as new and a perfect nod to the 70s style theme of the season:

I'm so loving cream crochet and lace for the summer and two more fairly recent finds inspired by the likes of the ladies below at Milan Fashion Week will see my purchases being worn regularly with the perfect 70s style denim pieces:

This crochet lace peasant top feels like cheesecloth but is a very light jersey and I picked it up just before Christmas from my local Salvation Army charity shop for just £3.99:

This original 70s Marks & Spencer crochet waistcoat was a bargain find last week again from the Salvation Army for £3.99 and I'll wear it as a top with just a couple of the top buttons done up:

Well when I saw this Gucci handbag on pinterest I really swooned- who wouldn't want this in their wardrobe not only for this season but as a forever investment piece-totally and utterly divine!!

So on yesterdays thrifting trip I was really pleased to find this original 70s leather bag for just £5 in the Cancer Research charity shop- this will be my go to bag this Summer for sure, I'm loving the chain belt detail, the colour and how it will go with endless items already in my wardrobe:

I love it when my son comes thrift shopping with me as he's definitely got the eye for it and tends to look in places I've missed-which is just as well because he found my star buy for the year so far- an authentic vintage Gucci belt for only £5!!

Not only did I need a black belt, I've wanted a Gucci belt for such a long time but finding a preloved or vintage one in the right size has been like finding a needle in a haystack but my boy came up trumps! Can't wait to wear this with some perfect denim flares and a yet to be purchased 70s style denim skirt!!

So as usual denim is on my radar for this season, I really want to find the perfect style skirt and I'm lucky that I've already got some fabulous Topshop thrifted flares and some French Connection ones that I thrifted in my local Sue Ryder charity shop last Autumn for under a fiver!!

So is 70s style on your shopping list this Summer- what pieces are inspiring you and where are getting inspiration from- I'd love you to share!

Wishing you a lovely week and look forward to receiving your lovely comments too!