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

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

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

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

Here are my favourite designer picks:

Wandler bag, Net a Porter

Laurent bag, YSL.com

See by Chloe at Farfetch

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

Liz Clairborne vintage leather cross body bag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summer Linen- choosing preloved Marks and Spencer

Last of my Thrifted Summer Buys! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thrift My Style Hand Knit Aran Cardigans for Seasonal Styling and Thrift Tips

Getting ready for Autumn and Winter styling!

Hi everyone! Although it's high season Summer at the moment, whenever I go to the charity shops or boot sales I'm always keeping my eyes open for alternative season pieces.

Which leads me nicely to My First Thrift Tip - Shop items that are not for the current season This really applies if they are available to buy in a charity shop or at the boot sale of course! Keep an open mind in the heart of Summer to check out coats, winter jackets and knitwear as it's a great cost effective way of adding to your wardrobe and likewise so is seeking out and buying summer dresses and swimwear in Winter too!

So to my chunky knits! My first hand knit cardigan was a gifted purchase a couple of years ago which was from the clothes market at Columbia Road Flower Market. 

I featured it on my Instagram feed in 2018 and what I really like about it is the longer length and how I can wear it as a 'coatigan' and as you can see I styled it over a denim jacket and skirt- this kind of styling for me is perfect for Autumn and transitional styling:

What drew me to it was the gorgeous olive colour and chunky style, it definitely is a 'keeper' piece in my wardrobe as it is versatile and stylish and who doesn't like a hand knit cardigan in the wardrobe!

I went to the Saturday boot sale yesterday in Chigwell again and there was a massive stall selling all kinds of different clothes which had a small selection of hand knit aran sweaters and cardigans. 

I've been looking for the traditional cream colour for a while now and have always seemed to come across sweaters rather than cardigans in my size.

Anyhow I found this one which also seems as new and unworn and on the same stall I found a vintage football shirt for the boys. 

So armed with my booty I asked how much for both. The reply was a tenner, which of course is pretty good to be fair, but I decided to put my haggling skills to good use and we negotiated and settled at £7!!

It's a real bargain buy and it's a great feeling to find something which you've actually been after for ages too!

This particular cardigan is a shorter length to the olive green one that I have and has laundered up so well- it hasn't shrunk and because of the summer heat has dried naturally very quickly!

So to reiterate on my Second Thrift Tip - Do haggle at boot sales! I tend to if I've got more than one item and I make sure I don't take liberties as I know this can also be someone else's important source of income. Sometimes I don't even haggle, if I really like an item I'll snap it up at the price given!

But it never hurts to ask and I'll always accept a no with grace and a smile, particularly if I want the said item!

Third Thrift Tip - The Early Bird catches the Good Items! I was at the boot sale before 7am yesterday and it's good to be able to browse whilst sellers have just set up their stall and you know you are one of the first to view their wares!

Fourth Thrift Tip - Buy Quality whatever the price!  So the cardigan stood me in at £3.50 which I was very pleased about- I wouldn't be able to get a cardigan on the High Street for this price plus I'm all for items that promote slow sustainable fashion, that are also preloved and also will have a long term future in my wardrobe!

I remember buying a couple of jumpers in the Primark sale a couple of years ago for £5 each and they didn't hold up well at all, so that was £10 wasted as they didn't last a full winter season.

Fifth Thrift Tip-  Get Charity Shopping now! The charity shops are all beginning to reopen now after lockdown and with donations being received thick and fast in their shops and a limited amount of people being allowed in for social distance reasons, now really is the perfect time to be checking out a new thift bargain- whether it's for this season or for Autumn and Winter! 

HAPPY THRIFT SHOPPING! 

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 - Vintage Preloved Jewellery from eBay

Thrifted Preloved Jewellery 

Hi everyone! I really love costume jewellery and generally I enjoy sourcing pieces from boot sales and charity shops. Obviously I haven't been able to do this recently so I decided to check out what eBay have had to offer.

There are some great vintage costume jewellery brands around from the 80s and 90s and eBay is the ideal place to source preloved or secondhand pieces for really good prices, either by auction or through buy it now.

I've wanted a rope chain necklace for a very long time and a recent search brought up this great find- real good vintage finds stand the test of time and this necklace is by a brand called Trifari, who do some lovely items and are such good quality:

It has a good weight to it and it has not discoloured in any way- if you are going to invest in vintage costume jewellery then choose a reputable, established brand and your item will last a long time.

I also sourced this cute diamante necklace which is also a Trifari find and it was less than £10 so a real bargain which I really enjoy wearing:

Vintage Diamante Necklace

This is how the Trifari triple rope necklace looks like- I think it will also work really well with sweaters and jumpers in Autumn and Winter. 

Vintage Gold Rope Necklace

Do you enjoy wearing vintage jewellery? Where are your favourite finds sourced from?

I hope you've enjoyed this and it's inspired you to pick good quality, preloved and stylish pieces from places like eBay!

Thrift My Style.....Currently Trending- Denim Skirts

Florals and Denim- Always In Style

So Summer is hitting and for me its all about florals and denim- either together or separate, these are two trends for this season that never seem to date or go out of style.

I love denim skirts for summer and always try and make sure I| have denim skirts not just for work-yay- I'm fortunate I can wear denim as part of my work uniform- but of course for leisure and social occasions too! I tend to go for a shorter hem line and right now there is plenty at high street level for all tastes!

Here are my favourite looks, all sourced from Pinterest:

A logo tee and denim skirt is just effortlessly stylish

My favourite combo-floral on denim

This seasons trend-unfinished hem

Am just lusting over this gorgeous skirt currently on sale at Zara for £49.99

I picked up this skirt in Zara a couple of months ago- a very reasonable £25 and still instore:

So when I went shopping this weekend and stopped off at a larger Sainsburys as a pit stop for my mate, we couldn't help but have a browse through the TU clothing range.

I can never pass through TU without wanting something and in the larger branch I was in they had an amazingly large section of fashion and accessories at half price or less.

So two for less than the price of one!! I found this cute scalloped edged hem skirt and the studded unfinished hem skirt, what a bargain indeed and perfect for the festival and holiday season that I've got coming up!!

The one thing about denim is you can style it up or down- a pretty chiffon blouse or a faded band tee work so well with a denim skirt or shorts and paired with bejewelled or metallic sandals will take you into a casual stylish evening look too!

What summer trend are you all over 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!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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