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..... 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!!

Welcome to a Stylish 2016- Favourite Trends and Buys for January So Far!!

Happy January to You All!! Its great to see in a new year and I really hope I'm going to contribute to my blog on a fairly regular basis this year- style inspiration permitting of course! It goes without saying that I hope to catch up again soon with you on either your blogs, instagram, twitter and pinterest too! I admit to being a more regular contributor to instagram as its so easy and slightly obsessional to interact this way-if not a tad lazy though!!

Anyhow I've been inspired by stripes- from mutual bloggers, friends, style magazines, social media and mainly the fact I've always had a 'thing' for stripes-Breton in particular. Navy or red  in any style combination works great for me and I seem to be constantly adding to my ever growing collection.

Here are some pictures (credit: pinterest, google) that have really piqued my interest- you really can't beat a red, navy and white combination!!

Love how Kate is rocking this red cardi/jacket over her Breton top!!

One of my favourite striped looks, I recently shared this pinterest on instagram. A reverse of above really!!

A red bag is an essential with navy stripes if a red jacket is unavailable this coming season!!

Love the crop top and those sleeves are just soo cute!!

So here are my new Adidas Pro Model high tops that I snagged in the sale a few weeks ago- I purposely was looking for some Nikes or Adidas that could scratch the red stripe itch and these fit the bill perfectly!! I also caved in to my renewed vintage bag obsession, starting this year with a new to me Louis Vuitton Speedy 25!!!

I defintely needed (ok-wanted badly) a red and white striped Breton so this lovely new Armor Lux version is going to be seeing a lot of action!! 

So slightly off topic on stripes but going back to the bag itch- I hunted for an oversize black tote and found this perfect one for me in Primark in the sale for £5!! Perfect for work and afterwards when you've forgotten to put a few plastic bags in your handbag for those last minute grocery purchases!!

So onto a really coveted thrift find- I do love a logo sweater so I was really pleased to score this 90s original Benetton sweatshirt in a local Cancer Research for just £6.99!! Perfectly my size and a year round item that can be worn with anything- I love it!!

Onto another Primark find, these new pleather fronted leggings which were only £10 and perfect for daytime wearing  with a sweater and trainers during the day or with a structured jacket in the evening

I admit to another striped top and more Louis Vuitton but I'll share that another time!! So what is inspiring you this January- have you indulged in any purchases that will be seen regularly?!! I look forward to seeing your new items for 2016 in action!!

Thanks as always for stopping by, reading, commenting and remebering I'm still here too!! Wishing you all a fabulous 2016!!

Thrift My Style Perfect Handbag Finds- When Fendi costs the same as Debenhams!!

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all keeping well- I'm sorry for being such a rubbish blogger of late, I seem to be having so much 'life priorities' that blogging has been taking a back seat but I will be trying my best to visit you all so soon!

I had to do a blog post today as I was so lucky on my thrift trip earlier today. Like many fashion and style bloggers I admit to having more than my fair share of handbags in my wardrobe, ranging from small to mid to large size in an array of different colours but I suppose a quarter to a third of them are black.

But why is it when you know you've over half a dozen black bags you still hanker after 'the right one'? Examining my handbags in my wardrobe in more detail this morning revealed that I had only two with silver hardware- one is a DKNY tiny cross body bag and the other is just a bit too fiddly (but still lovely) to be used on a regular basis. I know the gorgeous Michelle at MyFashionable40s had a similar dilemma- I won't call it a problem in the great scheme of things!! I was very impressed with her research and if I had not have found this mornings finds I would have been seriously contemplating buying a black mid size Longchamp bag. So here is what I found this morning:

This first bag was from the Help The Aged charity shop for £6.99 and is a black leather Debenhams Classic handbag. It is actually more mini than mid size but as it has lots of compartments it's not too much of a problem and of course it has the obligatory silver hardware that I was after- I just won't be able to shove a brolley in it, hehe!!

Then my second find was in the Cancer Research charity shop and as soon as I saw it on the shelf, I nabbed it quickly. Of course I didn't want to examine it too closely in the shop but on a quick assessment the overall quality reassured me it was genuine and I'm guessing at least five to ten years old too:

A classic Fendi Zucca hobo bag which when I checked on my journey home has the serial number and authenticity label but having been around fakes and authentic bags for years and knowing that quality is a key indicator I am more than happy that my find is genuine- not bad for £6.99 too! It is mid size and has the silver hardware too and is big enough for a brolley!!

I'm so thrilled with my finds because I knew in my head before I went out this morning what I wanted but I didn't dream I'd stumble across a designer goody! I've always loved Fendi and I know this particular bag will be used so much!

Did you have 'mission accomplished' with sales finds so far this season? Or if you're a thrifter like me have you found items that were on your style list?

Thanking you as always for you continued support, lovely comments and kind words- even though I'm so slow in responding I really do appreciate you all giving me the time and effort by stopping by.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead!!

Double Denim Outfit Post, My New Red Handbag and some Vintage Sunglasses

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely week and are enjoying your weekend-it's great to see Spring is officially here and the sun is shining today even though temperature wise it is cooler than in the week.

On my day off midweek I decided to wear my degrade denim shirt that I got from the Voucher Codes swap shop party last month and I paired it with my 7 For All Mankind indigo straight jeans that I've had for a while (originally thrifted). I think this shirt does work well with a darker denim rather than a bleached or lighter colour denim and I'm wearing my Matalan navy ballet pumps:

Even though ballet pumps are flat shoes and in theory should be comfortable, by the end of the day my ankle and foot was hurting- I believe I can't wear flat to the floor shoes for a long period of time so it's just as well these didn't cost me too much- the shoes themselves are great value for money at £6 a pair but I don't think this style of shoe is a regular for me!!

In one of my previous posts I mentioned how I've been searching for a red handbag. I've looked in charity shops and decided this morning whilst in town to look in the department stores. I went into Dorothy Perkins, River Island, T K Maxx, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer and although I did see a couple of bags I liked, they were either just too small or too much money for non leather. I didn't really want to pay £25 upwards for a bag that isn't leather- I was tempted by a Jasper Conran cross body bag in Debenhams which with their 20% discount would have made it £28, but it was just too little.

On my way back to the car I stopped off in a local handbag and shoe boutique that has been in my town for years but I've never been into. I spied this red quilted bag and reduced down to £10 I knew I had to have it: 

It's rather more of a giant wallet on a chain as the inside has credit card slots, a zipper compartment and 3 clear compartments for keys and phone, definitely big enough for carrying the essentials and style wise it's quite classic and ideal for day or evening.

For a non leather handbag the price was right and just an ideal size too! 

If the weather's nice then I may go to the boot sale tomorrow morning- I managed to pick up a pair of vintage 70s Ted Lapidus sunglasses at last weeks one for just 50p-it's inspired me now to get a cracking little collection like my lovely blogger friend Vix at Vintage Vixen- hers include a few Ted Lapidus, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent so watch this space for future finds!!

My vintage Ted Lapidus 50p find from last weeks boot sale

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Thrift Inspiration.....Net-A-Porter & Blogger Style!!

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great week-the weather overall has been pretty awful with some being a lot worse off than others in different areas of the UK. I do so hope you haven't suffered very badly with flooding and the like. It is so sad and soul destroying for people who have lost goods and treasured possessions because of the continuous floods- I hope and pray they will be able to get their lives back on track as soon as possible.

My week has been busy with working at different libraries but I have the weekend off-yay!! When I go to different towns for work I always try to sneak in visits to the local charity shops. Wednesday lunchtime saw me browsing at six during my lunch hour, bagging a bargain and still having time for a sneaky McDonalds before going back to work! 

Style wise I've noticed that I go through phases-if it's not denim and jeans, then it's jackets and coats and if it's not neither of these then it's handbags!! Like jeans and jackets, I can never have enough handbags- if I spy a quality one then I'm there like a homing device!!

I've been on a slow burning mission to get a slouchy hobo style leather bag- I have a good few totes, structured handbags, cross body bags and clutches but wardrobe purges over the years have seen me get rid of my slouchy hobo styles. Here are my favourites at Net-Porter of what's influenced me:

Elizabeth and James textured backpack, £445

 Anya Hindmarch Maxi Zip satchel £795

Chloe The Marcie £1195

Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier Hobo, £350

 Proenza Schouler PS1 Large Satchel, £1440

So this is what I found below- a gorgeously buttersoft, slouchy hobo style leather black bag by All Saints for a fabulously frugal £3!! It is actually so roomy-it has three large compartments, a front zipper pocket and inner compartments too:

To be fair, I most probably didn't need another black bag, but I really couldn't pass on this one and on days when I need to store my brolly, hat, scarf, lunch and other general bits and bobs it's great to have just one bag that doesn't look like you've stuffed your whole world in there and can't close the zip! I've culled four bags that no longer make the cut in terms of quality and size so I don't feel so bad buying another one!

On that note, another bag which has been on my radar thanks to the lovely Michelle of Myfashionable40s is this Autograph leopard and black leather cross body bag. She blogged about it here in November and I couldn't indulge at the time as I had bought the wedge boots in the same post when M&S were doing their 20% off. However last Sunday whilst browsing ebay I was ecstatic to find it for less than £25 on a buy it now!! 

It arrived on Thursday and I'm so pleased with it-everytime I've seen Michelle wear hers I've been thinking how it was 'the one that got away'. It really is so versatile and stylish and the perfect size too and the money I spent was gifted so I actually didn't spend my own money-yay!!

So two 'new to me' handbags for February and having bought a red woolly hat in Dorothy Perkins on Tuesday too, my total spends thus far is £8-not too bad, but I had envisioned a couple of weeks ago that I might be doing Avril's Frugal February style challenge-it's been an unfortunate fail there for me but I shall certainly be trying to be as frugal as possible for the rest of the month.

How is your February going style and frugal wise? Wishing you all a good weekend-i'm having a relaxing one with a dash of housework thrown in and also looking forward to Sunday evening when the next installment of Mr Selfridge comes on-my TV highlight of the week!

Thrift Inspiration..........For Autumn Tote Bags

Hi everyone!! Whenever I am on thrifting trips I'm always looking out for jackets, bags and jeans as first things to look for. I love thrifting bags as you can generally find really great quality ones that are leather or a good quality fabric for so little. 

If money were no object then I would definitely be choosing this gorgeous patchwork Fallabella bag by Stella McCartney-so many trends all in one: metal chain hardware, the colour of the season-oxblood, faux snakeskin and mock croc, this really is a lovely bag for Autumn:

Stella McCartney Fallabella Tote bag, £760

Earlier this week I found this fabulous leather patchwork oxblood tote bag for £5.99 at a neighbouring town's Oxfam charity shop. It's a perfect size, not too small and not massive but certainly big enough for all essentials and a fold up umbrella too:

It's ideal for daytime wearing and I'm so drawn to the rich colour too. It reminds me of a brown leather slouch patchwork bag that I bought for myself on my first ever girls holiday when I was seventeen from Ibiza and I used it until it fell apart, it really was a special bag and I'm hoping this one will live up to expectations!!

This next find was from my local Sue Ryder charity shop a couple of months ago and I absolutely adore it. It's pure wool carpet and I'm sure it comes from Morocco, it has such a hippy boho chic vibe to it and was a bargainous £3.99:

In the early 90s I went to Morocco for the weekend for a 'Diamond Hunt', it was a tour operator's educational as I worked for a major travel agents at the time. It was an amazing adventure and I brought home a wool rug for my mum that had been hand loomed by local Berbers in the Atlas Mountains. The bag really reminds me of the wool rug that unfortunately is no longer around as my mum got rid of it when she moved house last year.

Do you have handbags that have a sentimental value to you?

Wishing you all a really great weekend, it's pouring with rain and cold and windy where I am at the moment-(ugh) so it really is so right to turn on the heating and get the layers at the ready!!

Thrift and Vintage Inspiration, The Liberty of London Bag with a past!

Hi everyone! My latest thrift find was this gorgeous brown leather mock croc messenger bag by Liberty of London and I bought it earlier this week in my local Salvation Army for just £1.99:

I really didn't need another bag as such, but one that leaves you hands free is always welcome and the bag has a real 'Heritage' vibe which seems to be always in trend come every Autumn season. Another buying plus is it's leather and from Liberty's of London!!

It is an ideal bag to take shopping as I can fit the bare essentials of my phone and purse in it and still have some room left over. I generally always come back from town with food shopping bags so a handbag that goes cross body will really be handy. 

The bag is Italian leather and I know for a fact it is at least nearly 20 years old, because I found an interesting piece of paper in the side zipper pocket:

The previous owner obviously loved their Arts and maybe attended this exhibition for the private viewing?? Having this in the bag really feels like the bag had quite a 'cultured' life before it finally came to me! I can't promise it any visits to future art exhibitions, but I'll certainly try to use it as often as I can!!

What is your bag of choice to use at the moment? Do you stick with one bag for weeks on end or do you like to chop and change your handbag on an almost every day basis?

Accessories: It's all in the details-From Machu Picchu to Me

Hi everyone! As the weather has been pretty awful lately, I've been focusing on how the little details such as accessories and colours can make a difference to an outfit.

Last month I found an awesome tote bag at the boot sale, all the way from Peru- Macchu Picchu to be precise. I do love authentically made pieces from South America and what drew me to this particular bag was the colours- fuchsia pink and orange, perfect for Spring and Summer:

I just love the style too- a tote is the perfect bag for this season and it's barely been used- it would have been rude not to have bought it for a bargainous £2, no?

I paired it with my current favourite scarf of the moment, a Primark buy a couple of months ago which is a watercolour floral style which I'm really loving for now- it's quietly vibrant and understated in a mix of colours and it seems to go with practically all of my outfits- I've worn it here with my thrifted black leather biker jacket by Primark too:

What are your favourite bags and accessories of the moment- are you all about colours, or are you sticking to neutrals?

The LBB- My 'Go To' Black Bag Style Essential

Hi everyone! This post is about the everyday, go to, no fuss LBB-little black bag. Like many of  you, I do have a selection of different bags ranging from shoulder bags to totes to clutches in an array of colours and from vintage to high street to designer.

Generally though when I am out and about on an everyday basis and I'm not going anywhere in particular without the need to impress or dress up then an everyday little black bag is my perfect partner.

I was fortunate to find this lovely little black bag by Kipling in the British Heart Foundation charity shop a couple of Autumns ago for only £5.99.

What drew me to it was the shiny gold hardware and detailing and the easy clean nylon material which even to now has not faded and still looks great and feels like an up to date version of the classic nylon Prada bags of the 90s. It slings easily over my shoulder and fits snugly under my arm and I can get so much into it considering it looks a small bag-no holding my umbrella! Plus it has a good variety of outer and inner compartments too:

Kipling black hobo style bag, £5.99 British Heart Foundation charity shop

No fur monkey here, his portrait is now emblazoned on the gold hardware!!

I still love the bright and shiny gold detailing on this cute bag!

Do you have a particular 'go to' bag that you just can't help using, despite the many you already own?

Here's wishing you all a really lovely weekend, lets hope now it's the start of March that Spring will now be in the air to stay!

Thrift Inspiration......Valentino snakeskin style!

One of my favourite trends over the last few years has been snakeskin and particularly coloured snakeskin. It's very much in style for this summer, featuring in blouses, sweaters, scarves, bags and shoes.

 Like leopardprint, it's really a stylish animal print of choice that is most inspiring to wear and also transcends seasons, ensuring it goes with any colour outfit too. I really love this clutch bag available at The Outnet, which has a great selection of different coloured snakeskin pieces this season:

Valentino snakeskin effect leather bag, £626.50

Out of my price range but luckily for me I will be channelling my own coloured snakeskin vintage clutch bag that I found a couple of summers ago at my local boot sale for a bargainous 50p!!

It's an ideal size for all my handbag tat and the colours mean it's an ideal day and evening clutch and goes with virtually any outfit too!

Will you be working the coloured snakeskin trend this season?

Thrift Inspiration..........Doing it Asprey style

A structured handbag should be a must have for any woman's wardrobe-they add a chic look to any outfit, giving it a more formal air without looking like you've tried too hard.

Asprey's of London was founded in 1781 and they opened their flagship New Bond Street store in 1847. In 1862 it received it's first Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria, swiftly followed by its second one from King Edward VII in 1889.Since then they have produced fine jewellery, leather goods and silver ware to Royalty around the world.

 Asprey received the Queens Award to industry in 1975, celebrating 200 years

In 2006 Asprey celebrated it's 225th Anniversary by receiving it's own Coat of Arms

In May 2012, the company collaborated with Katie Hillier to design a collection exclusively to Asprey and she continues to consult on their current collection for Spring/Summer 2013.

 Featured here is the Morgan Day Handbag in Sapphire Crocodile, a truly stunning bag which is available online for £15,800:

 As you can imagine, completely out of my price range-so was I pleased then to find this lovely vintage Asprey handbag last month for £15,795 less than the one above in a neighbouring town's Sense charity shop:

This one is in a midnight blue and has quite a few compartments too. It's style is fairly similar to the Hermes Kelly bag, another iconic brand which I unfortunately can't afford either!!

Still I do now have a structured vintage handbag to add to my collection and it's style will inevitably stand the trends of time and be wearable for decades to come.

What style of handbag are you hoping to add to your handbag collection this season- will you be wearing a vintage number on your arm or are you looking for something more modern?

Images:Asprey