Easing into Autumn with some August Thrift Finds- It's all shirts, blouses and shirts!!

Hi everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying your bank holiday weekend and the summer holidays in general! The weather in the UK has definitely become cooler and more sporadic outbreaks of sun are now more regular than the summer heatwave we experienced only a couple of weeks back.

I'm slowly laundering and packing away my summer items, I've a drawer left of skirts, shorts and dresses that is staying put just a while longer in case we have an Indian summer over the next few weeks, you never know! In the meantime my latest thrift finds are for wearing now and the next season-shirts and blouses.

I have never really been a big shirt or blouse wearer over the years, but over the last few seasons I've noticed that carefully picking the right designs can mean longevity, versatility and ease of choice when picking pieces for casual or smart outfits.

I love wearing jeans and having a multiple choice of blouses or shirts that I can wear on rotation means having a nicely growing collection is perfect for all seasons for me, especially the in between ones. My most recent find of which I've been searching for a while is the perfect check shirt. I've seen many on thrifting trips and have come across many variations of little checks, big checks, monochrome and coloured but this one by legendary jeans manufacturer Lee (a real 70s favourite) was the 'one'. It is the perfect fit, colourway and has lovely detailing across the bust and for just £3.99 from the PDSA charity shop it's one I'm wearing already and is perfect for the milder weather:

 I love how it sits under a jacket too and a real requirement for me now the weather has turned cooler is to have a collar on at least one of the items I wear as I'm not a fan of an exposed neck whilst wearing a top and jacket:

This buy was a really perfect Autumnal find and the bird print and blue and brown colourway is just a real stylish classic that will be a permanent fixture in my wardrobe for years to come:

I've always been a fan of Liberty print and this was a must have for just £5.30 from the British Heart Foundation charity shop last week. In the same shop I found this Uniqlo flannel shirt for just £2.99, another perfect shirt for wearing come Autumn:

In the thrifting trip at the PDSA I also found this lovely London Fashion Week stalwart designer Paul Costelloe silky style blouse for just £2.99. I love the colours-again, perfect for a chic daytime look with jeans or dressed up with some smart black trousers for a stylish evening outfit:

Another item which I just had to have too was this cute fine gauzy boho style blouse by Monsoon- at £2.99 it was a real steal and is again a versatile piece ideal for day or evening wear:

I know a lot of bloggers have not been spending too much in August- I admit to indulging in quite a few items which were mainly summer wear at the start of the month when I was away in Worthing and in the last couple of weeks my spending has been mainly on the shirts and blouses for now and later seasons. I'm very pleased though as I've picked up five quality items for less than £19- I'd be hard pushed to even get one of the above for that in any of their original shops- all hail charity shopping I say!!!

What is on your Autumn style wish list? Have you started buying any clothes or accessories to update your wardrobe or are you saving for bigger items, such as coats or boots- I'd love to hear!!

As always, I value your continued support with reading and commenting-thanks so much for stopping by and I look forward to visiting you all as soon as I can-wishing you all a great week ahead!!

Dune Mongolian Scarf & Liberty Tartan Scarf- Scarves of the Week

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely week so far and like me, looking forward to the weekend. This week has seen me start my official role as a library assistant which I'm really enjoying plus I'm meeting really nice co-workers too, making the transition of starting a new job so much easier!

I'm not sure what I'll be doing this weekend but if the weather turns particularly nasty it will mean having to stay indoors snuggled up watching TV, films and listening to music, whilst catching up with my blog reading and book reading!! 

I thought I would show you this weeks scarf purchases-the first one is my Dune Mongolian shaggy wool scarf/shawl which I treated myself to whilst in London on Saturday:

It really is a scarf of substance and I actually felt naked after taken it off instore to put back the display piece- I love the softness and shagginess of it as I've always wanted a scarf like this for so many past winters. I really would recommend it if you're looking for a shawl like item over a variety of different coats and jackets this winter-it really blocks out the cold and looks really nice on too.

My second scarf was an accidental find whilst in town early this week, as I'm trying not to spend anything on myself after my splurges this month. I was really only trying to browse my local Salvation Army but it's always the way-when you don't want to see anything or are watching the pennies, something always shows up! Thankfully when I saw this scarf, it was well worth buying and I couldn't leave it behind for just £1.99:

A pure wool black and white tartan scarf which is immaculate and still has the original Liberty paper sticker on it too:

I'm so chuffed to find this one as I don't have a monochrome scarf and this fits the current tartan trend perfectly. It's a lovely length and width and it looks like one of those items that has been bought and not used and donated to charity, waiting for me to swoop and buy!!

I keep saying it, but I'm really on a strict (ish) self imposed thrift and shopping curfew-apart from maybe getting a new pair of black trousers or jeans for work that will be my only spending for the forseeable, but I can never say never.....sigh!!

Here's hoping you all have a lovely weekend and what with the Festive Season and my new job I may not be around as often to blog new posts and comment back, but I always take pleasure in reading your blogs via bloglovin' and google+ to see what you are all up to in the style and fashion blogosphere!

Wednesday's Winter WishList Item by Barbour at Liberty of London

Hi everyone! For those of you wanting to add a pop of colour to your wardrobe and invest in a good quality statement item that will last you for years to come at the same cost as a high street sweater, take a look at my chosen wishlist item which is this merino wool and cashmere scarf by Barbour:

Not only does it give a splash of colour to any chosen winter coat and jacket, the cashmere wool mix will keep you really stylish and snug and from a heritage brand such as Barbour, you know you're getting a really lovely statement item for Winter. 

It's also a fabulous way to indulge into the plaid and tartan trend for this season and is easily an item that will never go out of style or fashion, looking great for day or night time dressing. I love the three way colour scheme of red, black and white as it would go with so much:

Now on to the price- a really worthwhile £40 from Liberty of London!!

I'll definitely be adding this to my list of 'Winter Wants', for me it ticks all the boxes for price, quality and colour, what's not to love?

What is currently on your Winter wishlist?

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?

Thrift Inspiration....Loving Liberty London this winter

Hi everyone!! This time of year is when I really enjoy going through my scarf collection to see what ones I will still keep and wear and also determine what will be this seasons new purchase for myself.

I have adored Liberty scarfs forever-not only are they super stylish and timeless, but they are certainly an investment buy which will last for decades too.

For inspiration, I browsed Liberty London's scarves section and immediately fell in love with this black winter fruits wool silk scarf which is massive enough to wear draped as a shawl or spun round to form a more everyday scarf. In fact Liberty have made 2 great video series on  'how to tie a scarf'. Do check it out, my favourite is of course the oversized scarf video which is exactly how I intend to wear my newest purchase.

 

Liberty London black winter fruits print wool mix scarf, £195

Unfortunately the scarf  above is way out of my budget, so I put my thrifting skills to good use and I found this wonderfully large Liberty Veruna wool scarf  a liitle while ago from a vintage seller on ebay for around a fifth of the cost of the ones currently in Libertys:

 

The print looks like it could be from the 80s and the scarf is in excellent condition-I have already worn it and its proved to be a cosy and stylish addition to my scarf collection. As a lover of all things floral, this is a perfect winter accessory that will stay in my wardrobe for years to come.

What winter accessory will you be adding to your collection this season?

Mixing Modern and Vintage Liberty

A couple of months ago I posted that I found these Liberty vintage 80s shorts and wondered how I was going to style them. I had some excellent advice and a lot of comments suggested a white tee or vest top and a denim waistcoat.

I bought the Zara linen mix vest top a couple of weeks after getting the shorts and I've being wearing my Topshop denim gilet a lot this summer as its proved so versatile and goes with a lot of my wardrobe, plus its a great layering piece when the weather is being so unpredictable:

The sun has finally appeared in the South East and is glorious indeed, I hope it stays for quite a while longer. I do so hope you're having a good start to the week whether you're on holiday or at work. At the boot sale yesterday I stocked up on a good few books to last me the month, at 10p each and the most expensive at 50p, its a cheap alternative for ensuring I have a relaxing and chilled out time off before I gear up for our house move which will be either late August or September.

Whats on your agenda for resting and relaxation this summer?

I'm wearing my studded Matalan sandals too to pull the whole look together:

80s Thrift Finds for Summer

As you all know, I am doing my Vintage Fashion Fair every month and love to find suitable pieces for my stall. It is very tempting to keep pieces myself but generally I am good and have been putting things I find aside to sell.

However, I've been coveting an item of vintage Liberty of London for a long time now and when I found these, it was two finds in one for me-floral shorts and vintage Liberty.

They are typical 80s design, long line and high waisted and I think they'll prove versatile as I would also wear them rolled up. I would welcome styling suggestions too, as I don't want too much of a typical vintage or typical girly look when I wear them.

Another fab 80s find for me was this neon green Hunza stretch skirt, which is a lot more vibrant and colourful and neon-y than the photo shows!!

I loved Hunza back in the day, I had bodycon dresses and a gorgeous 2 piece skirt suit sourced from a boutique in the Roman Road market in East London - I still wish I 'd kept all my pieces, but gave them away when the boys were young. So when I find their pieces now, I'll try and make them wearable for me.

Again, style tips most appreciated, I think I may go for a grey or black tee, denim or leather jacket and flats-maybe cowboy boots.

I love finding vintage or retro dresses, but its great to find separates so you can incorporate them easier into a modern looking outfit.

What has been your recent favourite thrift find?