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!!

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!!

Thanks for the Inspiration....ThriftMyStyle 5 Favourite This Season Pieces

Hello everyone! Well it feels great to be back- I'm hoping that this will be my first of fairly regular posts now my mindset is slowly getting back to all things thrift and blog inspired!

I've my wonderful friend Michelle to thank at MyFashionable40s who really kickstarted me back in to action-her latest post here is about her favourite 5 this season pieces which are not just trend led but real style classics that will transcend from season to season- check out her fabulous post and also her very inspiring different daily outfits- she truly rocks casual chic in her own stylishly unique way!

So on to item number one which I actually picked up today whilst doing ahem some Christmas shopping- in keeping with the modern 70s vibe that is currently on trend at the moment, I picked up this 100% wool boho black floppy hat in Primark for a bargainous £8!! This will be a keeper for all seasons barring summer of course but word of warning- have a spare hand ready as the wind has a habit of whipping up under the brim!

Here is a picture of just the hat to give you a better idea of how the brim flops!! I haven't looked but I'm pretty certain that this will be at least double or triple the cost in other leading fashion outlets so if this is your style I would say don't delay and grab one while you can!!

On to item number two which I picked up at the start of the Autumn season in Primark again, from their Tottenham Court Road store. It is lovely and warm and oversized and the perfect colour tartan that is missing from my scarf collection-at just £5 I couldn't say no!

Still on the subject of tartan, last month I found this gorgeous tartan wool vintage cape/poncho in a neighbouring towns Help The Aged charity shop for £5.99- loving the blue as it works so well over my black leather biker jacket and also looks great with dark denim too:

It's quite thick so is a nice different style of layer instead of a scarf and a great way of having some more tartan in my wardrobe.

Item number four was found only yesterday and in keeping with the lace obsession I've had over summer- a really cute black lace shirt which has a lovely all over sheer design and perfect for winter evening dressing and summer day partnered with denim, There is no label inside so not sure if it's current or vintage but was a definite must have from Oxfam for just £2.99:

Onto my last item which is so much inspired by the long style trend of the white tennis shoe- unfortunately my budget doesn't stretch to the lovely Adidas Stan Smiths or even their Superstars, as shown below:

Well as you can see, my chosen Heritage tennis shoe of choice is by legendary British tennis brand Slazenger- I found these in Sports Direct in September and considering they are leather and under £20 I really couldn't leave them behind!!

They have mixed features of the Stan Smiths and the Superstars and for the quality and price they can't be beat, especially as they go with anything and everything!!

So that's my round up of  my favourite five this season- have you already indulged in the tartan, trainer and hat trend yet??

I would just like to say to everyone who follows, reads, comments and doesn't comment that I'm so grateful for your continued friendship and support you've given me- I'm optimistic that next year I'll be back to publishing regularly and most importantly get back to reading what all of you lovely people are upto- I've really missed everyone but I'm hoping that I'll be back on track before too long and thank you all so much for stopping by and catching up!

On that note I will leave you all by wishing each and everyone of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year- roll on 2015 and I hope you all have a wonderful festive season- see you all very soon!!

Thrift Inspiration....Autumn Classic Must Haves, The Brogue

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and what a mix of weather we are having at the moment! The sun is out in spurts and it's really quite nice and warm- those extra layers have been held at bay for the foreseeable future. So when layers are not necessarily needed the next logical style step to think of is footwear. After indulging in some skate shoes and wearing these in between trainers and sandals, I was really pleased to find some long lusted after pair of  shoes last week which are ideal for all seasons- the classic black brogue. Here are my picks of the best this season:

Saint Laurent patent leather, £530

TODS, £270

ASOS Millionaire leather brogues, £35

ASOS brogues, £25

Here are my version- they are vintage Loakes, bought as new and unworn in my local Salvation Army charity shop for just £15. Brogues are such a versatile and stylish alternative to a trainer or skate shoe and can so easily smarten up a jeans and jacket combination too:

To what I wore one day last week for a day out in London- my newly thrifted Monsoon blouse in one of my recent posts, some Reiss skinny jeans which were thrifted last year from my local Sue Ryder charity shop for just £1 in their sale and my Primark skate shoes:

I can't believe how comfortable skate shoes can be, if I'd realised I definitely would have bought some in Spring, but better late than never, huh!

Wishing you all a fabulous week ahead and I do thank you for your continued reading, support and comments- they are so much appreciated and I look forward to visiting you as soon as I can! 

A Thrifted and Gifted Outfit Post!

Hi everyone!! Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a healthy and prosperous 2014 to us all! For me the 1 January was greeted with the worst migraine and flu like symptoms I've ever experienced and I was in bed all day and all night, I don't know what brought it on as I didn't get at all drunk on New Years Eve but I did have a couple of glasses of ginger wine which have sulphates in it and I have since read that sulphates can trigger migraines. Well I won't be drinking that ever again and thank goodness I was well enough to go to work today!

Here is an outfit from last week which features some Christmas gifted items and thrifted pieces too, both recent and from 2012.

My Christmas gifts were my Anerkjendt (Danish brand of clothing) camo beanie and my grey Hype sweatshirt, which my lovely son gave me-him working in fashion pr definitely has its perks! I so love the sweatshirt, it has a lovely warm interior and is just perfectly oversized- I love wearing my cuffs poking out of my sleeves as shown here. 

My thrifted items are the River Island wine colour skinny jeans which were from the Salvation Army last month for around £3, my faux fur Maine (Debenhams) gilet which was a jumble sale find in 2012 for £1.50 and my midnight navy blue leather Jaeger jacket which was also from Summer 2012 at a local boot sale for £2.50:

Not forgetting my trusty Primark tartan scarf that I can't live without and my Dune black leather biker ankle boots which were gifted to me in Autumn.

I also received some trainers from my son and I'm sure they will make an appearance on the blog at some point soon! I hope you've all managed to pick up some fabulous bargains in the sales this season-I actually haven't done any sales shopping as it's not near payday and also I'm really just going to thrift or buy items that are on my style hitlist to be worn and kept for a long time to come-one of them being the 'perfect' grey blazer, preferably a wool longline version to wear over skinny jeans. 

What is on your style list for this coming year? I'd love to hear what items you are currently lusting after!

Wishing you all a really good weekend whatever you get up to- I've a mound of housework to catch up on and am hoping to be near on 100% fit for a week of work from Monday!

Splurge at J Crew vs Sensible at Zara vs Steal at Primark!! The Statement Pearl Necklace

Hi everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend-the weather has been rather hit and miss where I live but yesterday when I took a walk into town, it was brisk and sunny and a welcome spot of exercise after overindulging in ciders and curry on Saturday night!!

I am not really much of a jewellery wearer- I do have a selection of real and costume jewellery of course but I tend to wear just earrings on a regular basis with rings and necklaces being worn occasionally. It seems that the 'statement necklace' is very much evident this season and visiting different blogs and reading the magazines it seems that a lot of designers and the high street have a lot to offer that are being snapped up by many to style up winter sweaters and chunky knits. I've been keeping my eyes open for the right one for me and on Friday I finally managed to track down the one I wanted and bearing in mind I know I won't wear it regularly it was great to get one for less than a fiver!

Being inspired by what is being worn by other bloggers and what is currently on the high street gave me a lot of inspiration for what I was after. Here are the necklaces that finally inspired me for my chosen choice: 

J Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace £98

This J Crew necklace is a great choice for those who have the funds to indulge in a chunky pearl necklace that is timeless and elegant in style and with the new J Crew now open in London there is sure to be a lot of stylistas eager to grab their statement necklace for under £100 for the coming festive season and beyond!

Zara Pearls and Chain Necklace, £19.99

This is a really trendy, stylish choice for anyone who wants to mix pearls and stones and a real bargain price which will not only look great in the daytime over a grey sweater or chunky knit but just as gorgeous for a night out over a LBD or a black sweater and leather skirt or pants combination!

Primark Silver Gilt and Chunky Pearl Necklace, £4

There is no link to this one as it was bought in store and I'm pretty sure it is new in as I hadn't clocked it when I was in Primark a couple of weeks ago. The picture doesn't really show how lovely it is- a good weighty piece for the money and the chain and pearls do not look cheap either, which has been a main sticking point for me when choosing my ideal piece of costume jewellery. A lot of necklaces on the high street look really pretty, but close up the stones look quite cheap looking even when the necklace isn't.

I am linking this post to the lovely Claire Justine for Creative Mondays, if you get a chance to check out her blog with links to a lot of other stylish and creative bloggers. 

Have you indulged in a statement necklace this season or do you already have one (or more) in your jewellery box already? Maybe you've a special one on your Christmas list, do share!!

Wishing you all a really great week ahead!

Downtime Casual in Gant, Zara & Primark- 3 Shades of Claret

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a great week so far. With half term finished, my household routine can get back to normal and my days are now consumed with general housework, working at the library and if there is time spare, then of course blogging and some thrift shopping thrown in for good measure!

Yesterday saw a day where I was in more than I was out so a casual approach was called for. I am not really a jogger or trackie bottom wearer so on days which feature housework and lounging duties, I'm generally in jeggings or jeans. A couple of weeks ago whilst in Primark window shopping for scarves as I do, they had a basket of dark claret jeggings for just a fiver. I'm not normally a fan of Primark jeans but as I always try things on before I buy I thought I'd give it a shot, being that I have no jeans in this colour and the price was right! I also got a great pair of black leather gloves for under ten pounds so that shopping trip was quite successful. I'm wearing the jeggings with a thrifted Gant mens merino wool oversized sweater and my Zara chelsea boots:

This is a really relaxed and comfortable outfit and is ideal for when there is nothing much in particular happening- I really love mens knits as they tend to be really good quality and if you pick right can be worn for years to come. My Gant sweater was bought last winter and was just £3.99. It washes and wears really well and is just the ticket when you just want to chuck on something for those 'in between' weather days:

My Zara boots are being worn constantly lately- they were a boot sale find last year for only £2 and I'm letting them get a little scuffed for that 'lived in and distressed' look, so my outfit doesn't look too 'prim'. 

I don't generally dress head to toe in one colour pallette but I thought 'why not?' It makes a change to colour co-ordinating an outfit and gives a nod to the on trend colour of the season too.

Do you or plan to dress in one colour pallette? If you haven't tried it, give it a go!! Wishing you all a good week whatever you are up to!!

Reiss, George and Primark - Recent Style Thrift Finds for this Summer

Hi everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the glorious summer weather we are having at the moment, school holidays are just arriving and it's such a nice feeling not to be worrying about ironing school uniforms, setting the alarm and making packed lunches- a nice hiatus until September for a lot of us mums!

I thought I would share some fairly recent thrift finds which I intend wearing for this summer. The first blouse featured here is a find from last week from my local British Heart Foundation charity shop for £3.75. It's a George by Asda top and is brand new. I've been after some coloured leopardprint for a while so this top really fits the bill with it's vibrant purple and red hues and with it's silky and loose feel it's a great dressy style top for right now:

This next find was in a neighbouring town's Scope charity shop and when I saw the price I couldn't believe it- £2.50 for a silk Reiss tunic top!! What made it even more unbelievable was there was a Primark top I really liked too but it had a visible run/pull on the shoulder and was priced at £4.95!! The only instance I've seen Reiss cheaper than Primark, hehe!! It's a really cute tunic top with satin buttons, pintucking detailing and lace around the front top and back:

It's an ideal evening top with a pair of  summer leggings or skinny jeans and is a great trans-seasonal piece too, one of my most bargainous quality finds of this year.

I have also wanted some coloured denim for the Summer but not in jeans- I was hoping to find either a skirt or jacket. So I was pleased to find this coloured denim yellow, fairly neon skirt by Primark for £3.50 at a neighbouring DEBRA charity shop last month. I've already worn this a few times and it's proved to be a real summer asset in my wardrobe- I just love the bright colour of it and it looks great with a black or white top:

So have you managed to plug the gaps in your summer wardrobe? Are you looking for any particular pieces or are you making the most of what you already have in your summer closet?

Why not check out your local charity shop's offerings next time you are in town, you may well be pleasantly surprised that you can pick up a real quality item for around the same cost of a large latte from Starbucks-that is how I view it and at least I've still got my item long after the coffee has been consumed!!

Have a great week ahead!!

St Katherine's Dock and Tower Bridge, MyStyle Out and About

Hi everyone! Today I thought I would share some pictures from last month when the weather was especially hot and sunny where I live. We decided to visit St Katherine's Dock and Tower Bridge, which is our favourite choice for either a spot of weekend breakfast, a mint or fennel tea pit stop or just for an afternoon browse taking in the sights, soaking up the sun and a spot of people watching.

Stylewise, I was a tad overdressed for all the sunshine- I wore Wrangler tan boots, Zara bleached jeans, grey Whistles tee-both thrifted and a new Primark scarf:

I really love this part of London-to me, it can't be beaten when you want to have a chilled out, relaxing time in the sun for a while and with it only being a 15 minute drive from where we live we do tend to visit fairly frequently:

Everytime we visit I always say that when I win the lottery, I'll be buying an apartment in one of these blocks!!

The Marina has some awesome yachts and sailing boats, sigh.....

A gorgeous view of the Thames, the Shard and Tower Bridge

This was the flotilla used in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year

My full outfit of choice for the day!!

What is your first choice destination for getting out and about in the Sun this Summer?