Thrift Inspiration........Gap Trench for £1!!!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed some moments in the sunshine-the weather appears to be creeping up temperature wise so hopefully we can now say Spring is here, yay!!!

On a thrifting trip last week I went into a town that I had not visited for a few months and one of the lures to visit is there is a £1 charity shop-the Sense charity have been doing this for quite a long while here so it must be very popular. After looking at all the other charity shops I didn't see anything that really inspired me so when I went into Sense I wasn't really expecting anything.

The manager was in the back room steaming and sorting items and as I walked past the room I saw the Gap trench coat hanging up. She said it was going to be put out so I said I would take it and as I had it in my hand I noticed a full length Tissavel faux fur coat which she had only put out a few minutes earlier so that was snatched up too! Two coats for £2, less than a regular sized coffee and these definitely raised my adrenalin levels without the need for caffeine!!

So here is the Gap trench after I had laundered and pressed it-it is a cotton coat and unlined so is very low maintenance in the care stakes. I would go so far to say the coats are my best thrifted items for 2013 so far, you really can't go wrong with quality items at such ridiculously low prices!

There are a lot of traditional features on the trench, around the neckline, shoulder and collars and the back has an inverted pleat detail too. 

Sizewise, it is just slightly bigger than I may have chosen if bought brand new, but I can't complain for £1!! Actually it fits fine around the shoulders and the sleeves are a perfect length it just feels roomy around the body from the waist down but that could be because of the double breasted style which I'm not used to:

My weekend outfit of choice was a thrifted boyfriend style denim shirt which was £2 from a local charity shop, black wet look ruched leggings and my trusty black leather Marks & Spencer biker style ankle boots:

I'm also wearing an Eiffel Tower pendant that I bought when I went to Paris for my 40th birthday

I am linking this post to the lovely Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday.

What has been you best bargain of the year so far-was it thrifted from the boot sale or charity shop or did you get an amazing bargain in the recent sales, please share!!

The Lands End Powder Belle Boots-Blogger Recommended!!

Last month I was a bit disappointed to notice that one of my wellington boots had a split across the foot, so they had to go straight in the bin. I've been wearing my brown Pavers boots which I've had for about three years now but they're not insulated so don't keep my feet totally toasty.

So doing my blog rounds earlier this morning I was most excited to read the lovely Avril of SchoolGateStyle's latest post and her recent purchase which was on recommendation from Fiona at Avenue 57, the Powder Belle Tall boots from Lands End. Not only do they have great reviews on the website, they've been reduced from £80.00 to £24.95 AND if you order from Lands End by 7 April, they are offering an extra 20% off - I went to savoo for the code and my total bill for the boots were £23.91, bargain or what!! Here is a picture of Avril rocking her boots:

I decided to order the dark wine colour but they also have availability in black, brown, ivory and fawn. Not only are they perfect for wearing with skinny jeans, they are waterproof in suede and quilting, have a maximum traction rubber sole and 200 grams of insulation-perfection for the current weather!!

I cannot wait to get these and start wearing them, I could have done with a black pair but I thought I would go with colour seeing as it is Spring!

Thanks to Avril and Fiona for the heads-up on the boots and wishing you all a fabulous weekend too!

Swimwear for Summer

With summer just around the corner that dreaded time to don the swimwear is almost upon us but is your winter body all set to step into summer?!

With the fabulous range of styles that are already coming onto the market in anticipation for the upcoming summer season, you might have recently spotted the perfect little swimsuit, bikini or tankini that you have in mind for your summer holiday. However, over the winter months, like many people you may have neglected the diet and the gym in favour of some creature comforts and winter warmers.

But do not fear; there is plenty of time to prepare your body to fit into that beachwear and look good in it. Simply get your diet back in order with a little common sense that says put the biscuits back and with spring coming up, take advantage of the weather and introduce a walk into your daily routine or, even better, a run. Also try drinking plenty of water and less alcohol.

Safari print swimsuit, £34.99

To ensure you look your absolute best, make sure your desired swimwear is flattering to your shape and size; there is something out there for everyone so do not think that one bad bikini means you need to lock yourself away for the whole season. It is no longer simply a question of a swimsuit, bikini or tankini anymore but a halter neck top, a bandeau style top, swimwear to suck in where you want and push up where you want, bold print, elegant print and the list goes on. Know your shape and find a style that best suits you.

Black wrap shaper swimsuit, £27.99

If you have a summer holiday coming up and are looking for the perfect swimwear try visiting bonprix.co.uk where you will find a range of styles designed to make the most of those curves, to shape where needed and to offer support and comfort.  

Springing Forward with a Pop of Pink

Hi everyone, I hope you've all been having a great Easter weekend! My weekend has been a mix of going in to town, r&r with the family listening to music, watching films, some (not much) housework and surfing the net.

As I was doing nothing in particular, I decided that a uniform of cardigan, tee and jeans were the order of the day and to bring a pop of colour to the look I dug out a pashmina that I've had for a few years that is in the summer pile. It's a perfect shade of pink, not too vivid and not too pale:

I'm wearing: Gap Always Skinny jeans (ebay), J Crew tee (charity shop), M&S black leather biker style ankle boots, Edinburgh Woollen Mill lambswool cardigan (charity shop), pashmina (local ethnic shop, now closed)

I went into town to take back the River Island jacket and was nearly tempted to buy a bag in there, but resisted. I'm trying to hold out for the boot sales to get into full swing and nab a couple more for the wardrobe, preferably in Summery colours.

I'm linking this post to Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday, wishing you all a really good week ahead!!

MyStyle of Spring Jacket

With Spring hopefully not on the too distant horizon I wanted to pick a new Spring jacket and have been checking out the charity shops, the high street and online for some inspiring picks. My first choice is a biker jacket-I have plenty of  other different styles already in my wardrobe and I wanted to choose something that was not too lightweight and would be ideal for the temperamental weather we constantly experience. Here are the jackets that inspired my choice, these are from Net-A-Porter:

ACNE Merci jacket, £1100

Karl Jovanna, £269

ACNE Rita, £850

Phillip Lim, £1705

 Rebecca Taylor, £360

So after checking alternatives in my price range I plumped for this cream Melton wool mix biker jacket by River Island.  I was in luck as it was the last one on the website and in my size too. It also helped that it was half price from £70 and when it came I noticed that the wool content is actually over 50% , very impressive for £35 and being a mix of black and cream means I can wear it with virtually anything:

It's  a great weight, warm enough to be a Spring or Autumn jacket as I have a lot of jackets already that are more suitable for Summer. It is also really well made so I think this one is a keeper. I'm really loving River Island at the moment and they have a fabulous range of Spring biker jackets online now, some in the sale and some full price- certainly there are enough of a variety of different colours, prints and materials to choose from. I also can't recommend their delivery service highly enough, they email you and text you with an hourly timeslot of when to expect your delivery and so far it's been spot on, very good indeed.

One jacket that is going back is this off white pleather jacket also from River Island-although it fits, it feels rather boxy and starchy and I'm in two minds over it. It doesn't really feel right on despite the £30 price tag and really if I'm looking to wear a Chanel style jacket this Spring then I should start wearing my lime green and yellow Chanel jacket.

The jeans however I will be keeping, a review of which I've done over at Live To Love Denim, my dedicated denim style blog-check it out if you've not visited yet!!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter, keep warm and cosy and enjoy whatever you are up to!!