Thrift Inspiration.....The Boho Hippy Ethnic Style Summer Jacket!!

Hi everyone!! Hurrah, the 'heatwave' is officially here- two days on the trot I've been in short sleeves and not needed a jacket, which is quite ironic considering my post is about them!!

I noticed in my wardrobe that I've plenty of blazers, winter coats and jackets and denim jackets. Upto last week I actually owned just two printed jackets which is my Camo Pepe jacket and my floral River Island jacket which are both for Spring and Summer. The River Island jacket is more of a bolero shape so although I love the pattern and colour, it's not been quite long enough for what I've been after. So cue Pinterest again, to give me an idea of the sort of jacket I would like to add to my wardrobe. I knew I wanted it to be patterned and to include some red or pinks in it.

Here is what I was inspired by:

My first find was on ebay and is actually the pink version of this Jaeger jacket that I found at a vintage fair about three years ago for my birthday present. I subsequently went and sold it on again so I was really pleased to find it's coloured sister!

The styling is very much an Ethnic Ikat pattern and is also 100% wool even though it feels like quilted cotton and it's also lined. It has some minor damage which requires attention, but after selling a jacket on ebay this one has stood me in at £2.33, so any professional repair and cleaning won't add much to the overall cost!

Then earlier this week on a thrifting trip in a neighbouring town I found this gorgeous washed silk, reversible Ethnic jacket by Neeru Kumar:

Neeru Kumar is a renowned Indian fashion and textiles designer and has been in the business for three decades and her clients include Selfridges, V&A Museum, British Museum and Zara Home Spain. She has also had her work featured in Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire. A similar silk jacket in the traditional Kantha work retails at $445 and uses patches of different vintage fabric sewn together, much like the processes of my one above. It's fully reversible and the other side is all red as shown in the cuffs and edging- a real boho authentic Ethnic bargain from the Sense charity shop for only £4!!

So my summer jackets are all sorted for now and when the gorgeous hot weather does cool down- not soon though please- then I'll be wearing these with a little cami vest top and jeans as my go to daily outfit.

What type of jacket is on your Summer wishlist for those cooler days? So many styles are in trend at the moment, from denim to floral bombers to boho chic to monochrome blazers, there's plenty to choose from whatever your own style and budget!

Wishing you all a really lovely weekend whatever you are up to and thanks once again for all your kind and lovely comments and for reading too!! xx

Thrift Inspiration............Blue and White Checks and Stripes for Summer

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great weekend, what with the freaky windy and rainy weather I haven't been up to a lot over the weekend- a lot of rest and relaxation, watching films, listening to music and indulging in my favourite pastime, pinterest. I've updated my cover boards and added more pins with my current summer inspirations, blue and white- in particular checks and stripes:

 

I'm wearing an All Saints shirt which is a thrift find from the St Francis Hospice and was only £2- this is my first time of wearing it and I've paired it with my black French Connection capri pants and black espadrilles:

I haven't worn the shirt 'blogger style' aka 'the half or full tuck', I'll check out this look another time!

I've been after a blue and white stripe shirt for ages now- I actually saw one at the boot sale a few weeks ago and should really have bought it, I don't why I didn't! Anyhow, I found a perfect one on Saturday which I'm hoping to get into an outfit very soon and these stylings have very much influenced how I may wear it. I don't own any white skinny jeans, so I'll substitute black or blue instead:

images: via pinterest and google

I think blue and white stripes are very chic and a smart or mens one can easily be dressed down with jeans and a blazer or black shorts, it's definitely a look I can't wait to start wearing regularly this season.

Are you hunting down anything in particular for this coming Summer? Black for Summer is also on my style radar and I'm keen to thrift some perfect cotton pieces, I'll keep you posted with any future finds!!

Wishing you all a great week ahead, here's hoping this heatwave we've been hearing so much about actually starts to materialise!

ThriftMyStyle Pictures and Outfits for April

Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a great week, sorry for infrequent and sporadic posts, life has been rather hectic and busy and what with work in the mix too blogging has been rather on the back burner.

However I thought I would share some pictures with you from April, starting with a clothes swap event I attended a couple of weeks ago at the East London Fashion Exchange 

Event organisers Elisa and Krissie were on hand to oversee designer, vintage and high street goodies were immediately displayed for instant swapping and whilst I was there a good few ladies came with items to swap, so the rails were constantly being refreshed 

My bargains of the day were a Miss Selfridge floral summer skirt, perfect for pairing with a little vest top and denim waistcoat or jacket for the coming season; I also snaffled this gorgeous tan leather vintage handbag which the lady behind me in the queue had in her items for swapping, I eyed it immediately and couldn't wait to nab it! I've still got a good few stamps left for my next visit at the end of May which I cleverly realised meant I don't have to lug any more clothes next time to get swapping with! 

After leaving the event I had to check out the local charity shop and was so pleased I did, as I found this cute dark apricot broderie anglaise trimmed summer dress by Whistles for just £4.50; up close for a mix of black embroidery and denim, my outfit of the day

Wearing H&M denim waistcoat, thrifted at the boot sale last year; cream tunic with black embroidery from the Salvation Army chairty shop bought a few days before the clothes swap for £2.50; black French Connection capri trousers from my local Sue Ryder charity shop bought about 3 weeks ago for £3 and my trusted orange Birkies. Outfit number two is another charity shop find from March and is an authentic Austrian linen smock blouse for £1 from the St Francis Hospice charity shop, worn with thrifted Gap slim boyfriend jeans found last Autumn from the Salvation Army, £2.99- photobombed by the eldest boy!!

A boot sale find from the beginning of April was this moss crepe Celia Birtwell style print vintage 70s dress for just £1- unlabelled but a fine piece of vintage which fits perfectly for Summer

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend ahead, I hope the weather takes a turn for the better and this long awaited heatwave we've been promised starts to materialise.

I also just want to thank all of you for your continued reading and comments on my blog, I really look forward to your thoughts and opinions and I'll be trying my best to come visit you back as soon as I can xx

Hotter Shoes- Being Spoilt in Style and Comfort

Hi everyone! As you may be aware, the ethos of my blog is generally all thrift related as I shop mainly at charity shops and boot sales for clothes and accessories. Of course I do indulge in retail therapy at high street stores but with a couple of exceptions I have held no particular allegiances to any brands-well, not until I actually stopped and thought about it.

In Autumn 2012 I was introduced properly to Hotter shoes by my mum who for years now has religiously bought her summer and winter shoes from there with no exceptions. It was back then I was looking for a stylish, comfortable and durable work shoe which would see me through the immediate three seasons of Autumn, Winter and Spring. As an early Christmas present from her I chose a pair of black leather desert style ankle boots and then promptly forgot about it until she let me know they had arrived.

Well fast forward another three seasons of Autumn, Winter and to Spring 2014, those boots are gloves for my feet and unbelievably have not worn down (which I've since learnt is a trademark of Hotter's durable soles). They are still as new and I can wear them all day without a murmur of them being uncomfortable or sore for my feet.

So when I was invited to attend Hotter's press evening dinner and presentation at Toms Kitchen, Somerset House I literally jumped at the opportunity- I can honestly say that without realising it, I've sworn allegiance to a company that really does deserve the recognition of being a quality, comfortable and stylish brand.

The evening started off with complimentary champagne and I was pleased as punch to finally meet my gorgeous blogger friend Sharron of Style At Every Age who has been blogging right around the same time as me-six years and who I'd not had the lovely opportunity of meeting before.

We were shown through to the restaurant where the presentation was being held and where we were dining. The lovely Alex Longmore who is not only Hotter's style ambassador, but a stylist in her own right within the celebrity world gave a super presentation of the brand's history, concept and an intensive styling brief of how Hotter shoes and sandals can be worn and as such are key ingredients of being stylish without compromising on comfort or durablity. Features such as nude tones, florals, metallics and pastels are all part of Hotters amazing collection of summer shoes and sandals in canvas, leather or suede and as most of their footwear are made in the UK in their factory in Lancashire you really are buying into a fabulous British brand which I truly believe beats it's competitors hands down.

I was kindly given the opportunity to review a pair of Hotter shoes and I chose the pewter Singapore wedges, in a wide fitting size 7.5. I've tried them on and of course with the torrential rain we've had I've not had the chance to wear them properly but they fit like a glove and I was desperate to indulge in some metallics for the coming Summer season: 

They feature a gladiator style upper, a mid wedge heel and adjustable strap:

They are a fantastic style to go with boho style dressing, denim or monochromes- I am really chuffed with my choice and judging by my black shoes that I have already I know these will be a keeper for many summers to come.

I met some wonderful ladies and it was great to catch up with my lovely friend Mrs TNMA and to meet hosts Caroline of Wingfield PR and Lisa, Marketing Executive of Hotter Shoes.

Although I met new acquaintances, it was like being with old and dear friends as my dining companions were extremely attentive, chatty and entertaining-I had such a good laugh and indulged in some wonderful conversations it was a shame the evening had to end! 

A massive thank you to Wingfield PR and Hotter Shoes for a truly amazing evening, my wonderful sandals and  more importantly, a realisation that brand allegiance with Hotter shoes really has hooked me- not only do they have a wonderful website to shop from, they have 63 hotter stores nationwide and are available in over 200 independent retailers. With a top style ambassador on board they really are on point with style and comfort in equal measure and honestly need to be worn to appreciate how excellent they are. 

If they're good enough for my mum then they've more than earned my seal of approval!! Whether you're looking for loafers, heels, sandals, boots or trainers I wholly recommend you check out Hotter first- you won't be disappointed!!

Wishing you all a fabulous bank holiday weekend and I hope to catch up with you all very soon too!

Outfit Post & Current ThriftMyStyle Summer Style Obsessions- Lace, Embroidery, Espadrilles and Denim

 Hi everyone! After hearing the weather report on Wednesday evening for Thursday to Saturday I was really ready to embrace summer dressing-bare legs, dress and some summer sun ready to sit out in and enjoy. Alas, the outfit was there on Thursday but definitely no summer sun to radiate in! 

Style obsessions are currently lace, embroidery and denim and in various mixes for good measure. This outfit features a thrift find from last Sunday- a Gap slim fit denim jacket in exactly the shade I've been looking for this coming summer. I was at a local boot sale on Sunday and saw it on a ladies rail, so I asked the price and she said £2. Definitely cheap enough but for some reason I said to her 'Will you take £1.50?' We both burst out laughing at the same time and I'm sure it was because of my cheek but she said yes and off I went!

I'm wearing one of my items from the clothes swap party a couple of months ago, a Topshop blush pink lace dress. It's sleeveless and backless and is an ideal length for me and so perfect as a daytime summer dress if I wear it with denim. I'm also wearing some tan sandals which I thrifted a couple of summers ago- they are Clarks and were from my local Sue Ryder charity shop for around £8:

My new pinterest board, Crafted Style-Embroidery, Lace et Al is quickly expanding with images of everything embroidered, lace and summer boho orientated:

With this inspiration in mind I stopped off in another local town for a spot of charity shop thrifting this morning as the boot sale didn't appeal weatherwise and found this charming embroidered lace cotton camisole by Fat Face in the £1 Sense charity shop:

It's a replacement for one I stupidly put in the charity shop bag a couple of years ago for no good reason and will be perfect under denim jackets and waistcoats and summer blazers too.

Another style inspiration that's been hot on my mind are espadrilles and slides so how chuffed I was to find an unusual mix of the two earlier as well- they are Pare Gabia espadrilles made in France and were in the Sue Ryder charity shop for £3.95:

Brand new too and a much needed addition to my summer wardrobe, these will get worn a lot and will go with so much that I have already.

Unfortunately the sun shows no sign of returning any time soon where I am and my feet are freezing- I may have to get the socks and boots out  ;- (

What is on your style radar at the moment- are you shopping for summer and if so do you have current obsessions of the moment?

Have a lovely Easter weekend and I hope the sun is shining for the rest of you, wherever you are!!