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!

Its All about the Dress! Transitional Dressing from the High Street

Choosing print dresses for end of Summer and Autumn styling!

Hi everyone! I've noticed that on Instagram that dresses seem to be the most popular go to for effortless style and comfort this Summer! Whether it's a puff sleeve, little black dress, grecian maxi or a flowing floral number, I do think dresses are definitely on many stylish IGers and Fashion bloggers radar this current season!

I really love dresses in Summer although I do tend to gravitate towards jeans and sweaters in Winter! However, I would like to carry on wearing dresses as we leave Summer and go into the next couple of seasons and I've found two dresses that I feel fit this remit very well indeed!

So breaking away from my current Summer habit of buying plain neutrals, I've bought print neutrals which I think are perfect transition choices when heading for the Autumn season! My first buy was in the Marks and Spencer's summer sale earlier this month and with a special offer on my Sparks card too, it was just £4. 

It's a really pretty paisley and floral taupe print dress with tiers and the near maxi length is ideal for wearing with sandals, trainers or boots and also a denim jacket or cardigan whatever the style occasion as the cooler weather approaches:

My second dress was purchased this week- Primark have their new current season instore and I literally picked this up as soon as I walked in! I haven't got a leopard print dress and again, the length and style of this dress make it a perfect transition piece from Summer to Autumn- it's also an ideal Day to Evening dress simply by adding jewellery, a pair of strappy sandals and a statement handbag and I'm good to go! 

Primark do some amazing leopard print clothes every season- I wore a year old leopard print denim skirt not so long ago which is featured on my Instagram feed. If you pick well, you cannot go wrong with Primark clothes and I do enjoy styling and wearing thoughtfully chosen items that I've had year after year!

Also leopard print is such a great print to style with- adding a splash of red or gold or silver carefully curated accessories with it ensures you'll really elevate your chosen leopard print piece with style!

This dress was £15 and I'm delighted to have 2 new High Street purchases that have stood me in at less than £10 each! 

Top Style Tip I do tend to size 1-2 sizes up in Primark- sizing up on certain high street brands ensures the said item looks a lot more stylish and expensive looking and drapes better too!

I do feel that Summer is slowly slipping away- well we've had an amazing one considering it started at the beginning of Lockdown! I doubt I'll be buying anymore items for Summer now unless it's an awesome thrifted one that I will have to have for next Summer!

Will you be wearing dresses this Autumn? Are they your go to for easy styling or will you be back in jeans? I'm a denim lover anyway so whether it's a jacket or skirt or jeans, denim will definitely feature a lot in my Autumn wardrobe- and hopefully dresses will too!!

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.......Autumn Check Shirts plus Valentino and Marks and Spencer thrift finds

Hi everyone! I hope you've had a really good week- the weather here has been quite up and down- not much rain, fairly mild and some sun- all quite 'ordinary' for September really, which makes for layering.

As I stated in previous posts I've become quite taken with the shirt- summer saw stripes and checks and now Autumn has arrived I'm continuing the theme with checks and am loving flannel, with three now in my hopefully to be extended collection. Although this is a silk number, it would be my number one choice if money were no object, I really love it:

Equipment silk check shirt at MyTheresa, £332

For those of us with budgets in mind you can't go too far wrong with Uniqlo. A real autumnal must visit store, I'm sure a lot of us will be quite taken with either their merino or cashmere knits, the winter jackets, the collaborations- for me I'm loving their check shirts in a fabulous variety of different colourways: 

Flannel shirt, Uniqlo £19.99

Really love this and could be very tempted to indulge, Uniqlo £19.99

I featured my Uniqlo thrift find a few posts ago- a flannel shirt bought in hot and sunny August seemed rather premature but now the weather is cooler, I wouldn't be without it. It was a bargain £2.99 from the British Heart Foundation: 

I was really inspired by the Equipment outfit above to team my shirt with all black, so I wore my Dune ankle studded boots gifted to me last year, River Island thrifted skinny jeans from last year (recently dyed to get them jet black again- I highly recommend this for any faded black items you're tempted to part with purely over the lack of black in them), my Primark thrifted leather biker jacket which is a few years old now and my black Celine style cross body bag: 

So this morning saw a thrifting trip on the bus to a neighbouring town to see what goodies I could try and snap up. The first shop off the bus was the Sue Ryder charity shop who had a £1 rail outside the front of the shop and I immediately picked up this Marks and Spencer flannel shirt:

Love the blue/black colour combo, this will be so easy to wear with blue or black jeans and like wise any style jacket too.

Before I actually caught the bus I went into my local Sue Ryder charity shop to check out their offerings. This charity shop has been extremely good to me over the years- I've found an Ossie Clark dress, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, Belstaff as well as top quality high street too. Today was no exception as I found this fabulous navy collarless coat by Valentino Red for just £7.95. It is raincoat material so will be perfect for milder autumn days for smartening up a jeans and shirt:

Not a very good picture unfortunately, but it's really nice in the flesh and also unworn with the tag still attached. I  reserved it and picked it up at the end of my travels- a shirt and coat for less than a tenner can't be bad for a morning out! 

What style of items are you drifting towards this season? I know the oversize cardigan is very popular and I for one am looking out for the right one! Do share what items are on your autumn style wish list! 

Thank you as always for your continued support, reading and commenting- it really is very much appreciated and welcomed and I hope to visit you all back as soon as I can, have a great weekend and a good week ahead too, lovely people!!

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.....Stockpiling Leopard Print this Autumn

Hi everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend, my one was very low key due to not feeling that well but I was very well looked after and fed with favourite and healthy foods and drinks, and sweets and magazines were regularly topped up too.

For this coming season I have been having a mild obsession with leopardprint-it hasn't come full force so far as I've not bought and kept anything new or thrifted as yet this Autumn. In my mind I have a semi wishlist of what I would like- I'm holding out for 'traditional' leopardprint, rather than the coloured variations and just key pieces like the ones I have from last year, that will roll forward every Autumn and continue to be items that I look forward to use and wear.

These items are what I already have from last season and are beginning to make appearances. This Autograph by Marks & Spencer leather tote bag is already a perennial favourite that I love using at this time of the year and goes with a variety of different coats and jackets:

The gloves were also purchased last year, another Marks & Spencer item that will just always be an Autumnal favourite and hopefully not get lost!! I love the mix of red leather and leopardprint, it provides a perfect pop of colour against khaki, brown, camel or black:

The perfect accessories that go great with all my jeans are skinny and normal size belts and the bigger one is a real staple in my wardrobe- it was a thrift find from my local Sue Ryder charity shop and is real leather by Topshop. The skinny one was a bargain buy from Primark last year:

I have already an idea of newly thrifted items I would love to try and get, so watch this space as the leopardprint obsession becomes reality over the next few months!!

What style has really grabbed your attention this Autumn-will you be searching out new pieces or do you have them already in your wardrobe?

I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Mondays, wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

A Fashionable Collection Of Christmas Gifts

Hi Everyone! With the festive season fast approaching, those who like to plan ahead are already turning their attention toward their Christmas shopping. Finding the right gifts for friends and family every year can quickly become a headache, as we all tend to descend on our nearest shopping centre and the pressure of shopping can sometimes makes it difficult to figure out meaningful, personal gifts.

Of course, there are always the predictable gifts to consider. This season for example, there will probably be a new Xbox One or Playstation 4 wrapped up for a lot of people on Christmas Day and of course the latest Apple and Samsung devices always make nice choices. If however you're looking for a particularly fashionable, stylish, or personalised gift for someone, you might want to look into something more unique. Marks and Spencer has a wonderful tool this festive season to help with the task as the store's 'Presents They'll Love' Collection section features gift ideas to match different personalities and taste, particularly with regard to style, beauty and fashion. Here are a few examples from this exciting selection to help get you thinking.

For Fashion Followers

This is a particularly excellent section, as it incorporates some of the hottest autumn/winter fashion trends as gift ideas for all tastes and budgets. The suggestions here range from trendy scarves, to chic clutches and handbags, to an array of other accessories and can make excellent additions to any woman's wardrobe this season and work wonderfully as gifts. Giving clothes is difficult, as fit can be tough to guess on - but accessories make fantastic Christmas presents, particularly when they are this much in tune with seasonal trends.

For Beauty Addicts

This is a great selection, particularly for stocking fillers and smaller gifts. For those people on your Christmas present list who love to take advantage of the latest beauty products you'll find some perfect choices here. Hand lotions, bath products, lip glosses are all fabulous choices in beautiful packaging and in some cases are available as mixed presentation packs - all making wonderful festive presents.

Gifts For Her

If you want to step outside of specific fashion and style collections, the "Gifts for Her" section is excellent for providing some variety. This section not only has a good range of fashion accessories and beauty products, it  also includes jewellery, stylish home accessories and even some gorgeous lingerie choices. It's a first stop choice collection full of the kind of gifts you always want to find for others but can't seem to track down!

These are just a few of Marks & Spencer's innovative stylish gift categories and collections, so if you're starting to look for presents already for the festive season with fashion in mind, these three are well worth checking out first!

Marks & Spencer, Thrift Style-Another Thrifty Summer Dress Find

Hi everyone! I thought I would show you another of my summer dress thrift finds-this one is from the newly opened St Francis Hospice in my local town and I bought this about a month ago and wore it for the first time last week. It's by Marks & Spencer and was only £2.50-and it's only a size 10!!!

I really love the colours, the cut and the fit-it is so floaty and light and is a real dressy dress-but as I've no occasions as such this summer I thought I would wear it on a shopping trip with my youngest son to Westfield shopping mall to get a few things for him. I did look in Marks & Spencer as I'd seen a couple of sweatshirts that I had wanted to try on, but on seeing them on I decided they were not for me.

I used a new clutch that I bought a couple of months ago from Primark-it's a grey suedette one with diamante studding and was only £6:

It's a perfect neutral bag to wear when you haven't got a certain colour in mind to go with a chosen outfit and it will be ideal to use this coming Autumn too. The way the weather has been recently may be the last of my summer dress wearing, but I'm pleased to say that I've worn all the thrifted ones I've bought this summer bar one, so that's not bad going at all!!

I hope you are all having a great week so far and it's now countdown to back to school and Autumn-my, summer has gone so fast but it's been great to have had such glorious weather!!

Thrift Inspiration........Doing it Net-A-Porter Style for Floral Trousers

Hi everyone! One item that has been on my summer wishlist for a while is a pair of printed cotton summer trousers. I've been a bit late to jump onto this trend, but with enough summer dresses in my wardrobe I really wanted to try and hunt down a pair of stylish comfortable pants that would see me through this season.

There are certainly lots of prints and styles available and on Net-A-Porter they have some really inspiring and colourful designs that are perfect for Summer. Here are my favourite picks- I so love the Erdem pair which are currently in the sale, but sadly out of my price budget!!

Chloe pants, £410

Erdem pants, £168

Michael Kors pants, £250

Rag & Bone, £189

So I was really pleased to find my perfect pair early this week- they are by Marks and Spencer and were bought from the Cancer Research charity shop for just £3.50. They have a nice slouchy feel to them and tapered to the ankle, which was the sort of style I was after. The colours of the pants are black and beige, perfect neutrals which will work with practically any colour tee or vest top too:

I'm wearing them with a pair of thrifted Topshop sandals from last years boot sale, I'm sure they were only a couple of pounds:

 

I know these are going to be a favourite to wear over the next few weeks and I'll certainly snap up any more similar pairs that I see- better late to the trend than never, haha!!

Are you wearing printed trousers this summer- if so, what brands do you recommend for quality, fit, design and print? Wishing you all a really good weekend too!!