Chloe Find & My Wardrobe Philosophy-How I View It

I've been really inspired by two of my favourite bloggers latest posts-the lovely Make Do Style posted here about 'Thought of the Week-Clothing Allowance or Budget' and the gorgeous Wendy B posted a link to her fab post about 'Why Does Buyers Guilt Focus on Fashion'. They were both such interesting reads and although I don't really budget as such, I've finally learnt my Wardrobe Philosophy, which is to buy quality items that are either wardrobe basics or have the 'Wow factor'.

The reason I don't have a clothing budget is that I generally do 95% of my shopping in the Charity shops or Boot sales and as I am so selective in my purchases, its usual for me to spend from £1 to £5 on an item and its rare that one piece will be £10 to £20.

I'm always looking in my very local charity shop, if not once a day on the way to or from work, then every other day.

The first picture is a gorgeous Chloe blouse from Matches Fashion for £701. Its lovely, but I certainly couldn't spend that sort of money-even if I could afford to-on a blouse.

So you can imagine how please I was to snap up this lovely one earlier this week from my local Sue Ryder Care for only £4.95!! Pricewise, its on par with a new blouse from Primark, but I know which I would rather!!

Its the perfect summer blouse-I'll team it with jeans most probably and its certainly an investment piece in my wardrobe. Its a typical Chloe style, with the ruffles and pintucking, a quintessential summer blouse that is timeless in style.

I culled some of my wardrobe last week and next to wardrobe basics, have these plus items which to me have the 'wow factor'. To me quality beats quantity every time.

Funnily enough, I don't have a 'Signature Style' but I tend to buy what I like-preferably vintage pieces and designer if I can find it. Its good to open your wardrobe and have stylish timeless, good quality pieces that will work for you year after year and season after season. We are all guilty of buying on impulse or ending up with items that are on trend but just don't suit us-note to self, no more shiny snakeskin leggings, LOL! I've learnt that I can actually like pieces but appreciate that its not necessarily right for me.

Having items in my wardrobe that are from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties give such a variation in style and moods and as long as you care properly for your items, even a small wardrobe can last years and pay dividends.

There you go, thats my Wardrobe Philosophy, hope it inspires you too, in looking for quality over quantity wherever you shop-be it in the charity shops, boot sales, Ebay, T K Maxx, The Outnet or Net-A-Porter.
Happy Shopping and don't forget 'Shop Your Own Wardrobe' before you step out the house or browse the 'net, you may well save yourself some money or re evaluate what you actually need or want!!

Carbon Neutral Products @ Louise Galvin

Louise Galvin is one of the top hair colourists in the UK. She launched her Carbon Neutral beauty company in 2003 and ingredients such as SLS, parabens, petrochemicals, silicone and synthetic fragrances are not to be found in any of her products-clean formulations are the byword for her hair and beauty products.

By using Louise’s unique formulas means hair colour lasts longer and regains it's kind of youthful shine and bounce that can be lost through the colouring process.

Her clientele includes Sophie Dahl, Patsy Kensit and American Vogue editor and author Plum Sykes, along with countless other women who rely on Louise’s 20 years experience as a colourist. She has also trained many of the top colourists working all over the world today, whilst she is based at her father’s famous Daniel Galvin salon in London.

Her Natural Hair Care products include: Body Care; Fine Hair Collection; Mothers To Be, New Mothers and Baby Too; Natural locks; The Curly Hair Collection; The Discovery Collection and Traveller.

Prices start from a very reasonable £10 per product and for a lot of the products, an extra 25ml is only £2 extra!

One of the Frequently Asked Questions is are the products also suitable for hair that is not coloured-well yes they are-the gentle formulations and natural ingredients make all Louise's products suitable for both coloured and uncoloured hair, and ideal for all the family.

Vitox, another unique product from Louise, is a two-pack chemistry which naturally aids oxygen and vitamin uptake and provides a perfect platform for successful colour treatment. It is an ideal product if your hair is discoloured from 'holiday' hair or is hair is looking dull and tired.

Her range is completely available worldwide too, not just from her London salon. Check out the stockists via her website and if you are in Europe, Australia, Hong Kong, Russia or the USA, you will be able to indulge in her products-go on, what are you waiting for-check it out!!

Next- My New Coat!

When I went shopping with my mum last month, she very kindly bought me my Christmas present of a new coat. Its from Next and you can see it here

It really was a good bargain-£65 and yes, I know for me that I don't generally spend this sort of money, I think for a High Street coat which is a wool blend was really good value for money.

Its a great fit, belted and has an oversized collar which along with the houndstooth check design drew me to it.

Next really does have some great pieces, do check them out online or in store.

Winter Florals

I really love florals, so I've been on the look out for a floral dress or skirt that will work well with winter wear. I found this floral rose patterned skirt from the Red Cross charity shop a few weeks ago for a bargain £1.50!

Its by 'Per Una' which is a Marks & Spencer range and the features I love are the asymetrical hem and the chiffon type fabric. I decided to toughen up my look with my black biker jacket, boots and studded belt.

Will you be in florals this winter?

Online Shopping @ Koodos

It's great fun to do online shopping, choosing an item at the push of a button and then having it delivered to you is a service that cannot be beaten!! Its even better when instead of scouring up to a dozen different sites, you can browse one site and have a plethora of designers all on one page to compare.

At Koodos it doesn’t matter if you’re looking to pull off the latest celebrity style or want to update your wardrobe to exude timeless designer-chic, because their range of discount designer clothing-including designer shoes, designer bags, jewellery, menswear and kids is alway plentiful and always on sale.

Different designers include 7 For All Mankind, Marc Jacobs, Nicole Farhi, Preen, Karen Millen and DKNY, plus many more besides!! All at bargain prices and with currently up to a massive 80% off in their clearance sale. It's also great to check out for mums to be, as they also have a Maternity section too, featuring dresses, jeans and lingerie.

Here are some of my favourite picks of what they have available:

Emma Cook rope jumper, £140

Aftershock sequin cami, £39

Michael Kors boots, £169

Lou Lou & Law top, £95

They also offer a weekly newsletter if you sign up, receiving seriously special offers and previews of their designer sales.Stock does changes very frequently, so its worth checking them out on a regular basis if you're after that special item-they offer designer chic at bargain prices, what more can a girl want, LOL!!