Tag Archives: Topshop

Sale purchases: Vintage and new!

Posted in New purchases by

In the past week I’ve purchased a few very nice items in the sales, and I just want to share a few of the items, in outfit form.

This was my outfit for my first day of spring term at uni. Day 1 and already readings and essay set *sob*. I am super excited though about the modules for this term. One of my module is about the eastern/ western cross-pollination in fashion primarily. Knowing me I’ll be turning up to uni in appropriate outfits every tuesday for my seminars.

The cardiagan is from Lovely’s vintage emporium. Super soft and COVERED in little white pearls. It ia also incredibly warm.

 

The belt came from Catherine Smith vintage in Harrogate a few years ago. It is real snakeskin in rich red.

Plain and boring gap t-shirt- I dread to think how many of these I own.
Sarah Coventry vintage brooch- I also have the matching earrings.

Russell and Bromley brougues. Ever practical.

AND this fab skirt. Reduced from £65 to £20 in the Topshop sale. It is one of the J.W.Anderson pieces. The quilted effect and paisley decoration actually reminds me of my Grandad’s dressing gown. Not sure whether that’s a good thing or not!

The shoddy workmanship in a pair of high street trousers

Posted in Uncategorized by

This morning whilst getting dressed I pulled on a pair of printed Zara skinny trousers that I bought in late September this year. This was only the fourth time I had worn these and as I readjusted the pockets my hand went through them. AGAIN. I’ve often bemoaned the shoddy quality of high street goods but this pair of trousers really took the biscuit…I thought after some amazing purchases from Topshop (which I will blog about later this week) I had rekindled my love affair with the high street, but these trousers really angered me.
So here goes a tale into my sorry trousers.
On the first wear my hand went through the first pocket (which I have since sewn up so I can’t show you the damage).
By the second wear the buttons on both the back pockets had fallen off.
After this I decided to wash them- and this happened to the stitching around the button holes. It all came unraveled, so that I now have button slits rather than button holes.
The cuffs at the bottom of the leg of one of the trousers also came completely unstitched.
 
And then, on my fourth wear my hand went through the other pocket.
Not only this, but the stitching on these trousers genereally is quite frankly shoddy.
 
(it’s not even like this could be backstitching to secure- this is right in the middle of the trouser leg)
How much effort does it take to cut off a bit of overlocking?
How difficult is it to stitch in a straight line?
 
After this incident (and considering my current addiction to high street printed trousers) I’ve vowed to look more closely at the workmanship before I purchase anything, because quite frankly after four wears for your trousers to be falling apart isn’t right. Paying £30 for a pair of trousers to be such poor quality? Not on Zara, not on at all.

Cheltenham Literature festival…or the night where 200 people saw my pants

Posted in Uncategorized by

Back in early October I had the pleasure of modeling for my dear friend Naomi Thompson at Cheltenham literature festival, along with Jenni Siggs of Yesterday girl. We were there to show vintage fashion from the underwear up, and help to promote Naomi’s wonderful book Style me Vintage: Clothes, which I review here!
Thanks to the ever wonderful Hanson Leatherby I have some wonderful pics from the event to share with you.
Here are a few from the day…
Naomi looking blimmin’ gorgeous, whilst I look an un-made-up mess!
Sat on stage in one of Naomi’s gorgeous vintage robes.
This is me in my pants ; ) My bra is from What Katie Did, pants are Topshop and the girdle is an original vintage number.
This was then topped off with one of my all time favourite dresses. This little checked number is by Alice Edwards. One of THE ultimate party dresses I own.
Sadly the bag you see here has now left my collection, some lucky person on ebay purchased it from me a few weeks ago!

The cocktail party with all of the guests post-talk!

…And just to finish, Naomi looking lovely with lots of copies of her fantastic book : )