Frills 'n' Spills: charity shops

Showing posts with label charity shops. Show all posts

The return of jazzy trousers...

It's been a while since I last featured these jazzy trousers on the blog but I do wear them fairly often and always seem to choose the same colours when I pull them out of the wardrobe. You can't help but enjoy an outfit as exuberant as this, there's just something so wonderfully cheery about navy and coral together! I wore this outfit for running around town doing errands and it couldn't have been more perfect- these trousers are so comfortable but are a jazzy enough print to fool people into thinking that you have made an effort, win win!

Cardigan: Gap, top: Reiss via charity shop, trousers: Topshop, shoes: Deena and Ozzy via Urban Outfitters

You know you're pale when you can't tell that you are wearing a cream top...These photos came out surprisingly bright but I promise you that I am wearing something on my top half! ;) This Reiss top was a total bargain and one of my favourite ever charity shop purchases, I just wish I had more time to spend searching for bargains!

This bag may not be practical but it sure is fun!

Bag: Radley

It seems like I have spent my entire blogging life searching for the perfect pair of nude shoes and this pair comes pretty darned close. I love the scalloped edge and the soft leather makes them super comfortable to wear too. It's difficult to see here but they match my ~~pasty~~ pale skin perfectly!

Are you a fan of printed trousers? Which outfits do you always go back to?

1 dress, 2 ways...

This post contains a dress that was sent for review

As soon as you reach your twenties, weekends start to get taken up with weddings (and later christenings!) and your fancy clothes end up working overtime to cope. When New Look offered me a dress to style two different ways, I leapt at the chance. We have a few birthdays and a wedding to attend in the next couple of months and it is great to have a dress that can work for several different occasions. This floral Closet dress is absolutely beautiful and despite the strong print, it is surprisingly versatile. I have to admit I hadn't heard of the brand before but I am really impressed with the quality of this dress and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for Closet in my local store. I picked this beautiful silk coat up years ago during one of my charity shop trips at uni and although I have only worn it a couple of times, I could never throw it away as it is just so pretty! I felt like a right princess in this outfit and although it could have looked quite dated, the messy hair and smoky eye made it feel more modern.

Closet floral fancy occasion dress from New Look, Precis Petit silk pink princess coat, New Look nude pink pointed heels, Clarks black patent pointed shoes, cropped wool cardigan, 1 dress styled 2 ways

Coat: Precis Petite via charity shop, dress:Closet c/o New Look, shoes: New Look

I mean, just look at that gorgeous detailing! I recently bought Sarah's old Fitbit Flex off her and I am loving it so far. It is forcing me to get moving about and the targets are perfect for someone as competitive as me! ;) I was going to take it off for the photos but what could be more modern?!

I wear these nude shoes to every wedding as they go with absolutely everything and I can manage a whole day and night in them. Always good when you want to be dancing along to cheesy pop in the early hours!

I love that this dress has pockets too, they should be a feature on every dress! I really love the shape of the top, it is plain but still interesting...

The thick black waistband makes for a really flattering silhouette too, especially against that bright skirt. You can see the colours a bit better here too, I was worried that they would be a bit insipid but they are certainly eye-catching!

This look is much more suitable for a family party than a wedding but it felt a lot easier to wear. I inherited this cardigan from Mark's mum (thanks Sue!) and it is one of the hardest working pieces in my wardrobe. I managed to shrink it in the wash a while ago but the shorter length means it hits at the most flattering point on my waist rather than hanging at that weird awkward length above my hips.

Cardigan: BHS via Mark's Mum, dress:Closet c/o New Look, shoes: Clarks

Mark bought me these shoes for Christmas back in 2013 and although they aren't quite as comfy as my beloved orange suede pair, they're pretty darned close!

How would you style this dress?

P.S. I was sent this dress to review but if I didn't love it, I wouldn't feature it!

Drapery and denim...

I used to spend a lot of time stalking my local charity shops hunting out bargains and my final year at uni was a goldmine for bargains. Seriously, if you are anywhere near Kenilworth, go and have a rummage, the shops there have the nicest stock! Tewkesbury also has some awesome ones and I picked this top up a few weeks before Christmas but it has been hanging unworn in my wardrobe. I really love the colour but I wasn't sure how to style it. I have a couple of white and striped draped tops from H&M already but the colour of this one makes it much more difficult to wear- at least in my head. I originally planned to wear this with either a patterned skirt or blazer but the colour was statement enough by itself.

Blazer: New Look, top: Jasper Conran via charity shop, jeans: Topshop, shoes: Marks and Spencer

Now I have worn it once, the fear is gone and I will be wearing this a lot over the summer. I knew this top reminded me of something- this coral dress from H&M! The colour is a lot brighter but it is the perfect colour for summer, I'm just imagining it with turquoise jewellery... Drapery is one of my favourite details on clothing and I think it is super flattering too, especially if it has some clever gathering like this one does!

I am still on the hunt for some new jeans- I love the stretch of these but hoicking them up has been driving me mad recently. Does anyone have any recommendations for indigo high-waisted jeans? I am at my wits end now! I dug out this owl necklace to add a bit of interest too, I have had it for years and it is one of my favourite pieces of jewellery, owl themed or otherwise!

What details do you look for with clothes?

Blush pink...

Picking a Christmas outfit is always tricky, you have to be able to eat insane amounts of food (I can't be the only one to have eaten 10 tons of cheese over the past few days, right?!) but still look (relatively) dressy. My family have always dressed up for Christmas and Boxing Day but Mark's family are always slightly less OTT so this year I had to tread the line between smart and casual which I always find really difficult. I had been planning on either wearing this dress or this dress but when Mark and I were in town on 23rd, I spotted this lacy beauty in one of the charity shops in Tewkesbury (yes I may have a bit of a thing for lace dresses!)

Dress: Debut at Debenhams via charity shop, tights: Tesco, shoes: Office

I was originally a little unsure of the colour as pastels can make me look really washed out but with the black belt and strong make-up, I think I managed to pull this blush pink/ lilac colour off. I really love the lace overlay and it was an outfit I felt really comfortable in, even after eating my own body weight in mince pies.

The dress was originally from the Debut range at Debenhams and I think it shows in the cut and fit of it, this was clearly designed for a special occasion and it made me feel really elegant when I was wearing it- a very strange feeling for someone as clumsy as me!

Oversized bows are always the way forward...

I imagine this would look really lovely with nude tights or bare legs come the warmer weather but the single digit temperatures convinced me to wear my trusty black opaques instead. These cosy tights were a Tesco bargain and I have been wearing them non-stop. 40 deniers just don't cut it in this weather but unless I am outside for a prolonged period of time, the Primark fleece lined tights are just too warm for a radiator like me so these 60 deniers are perfect!

How do you pick a party frock? What did you wear for Christmas?

1970s inspired denim...

A couple of weeks ago I went to visit my friend Cindy and helped her to pick up some pieces for a 1970s fancy dress party. I wore this outfit to work on the following Monday and obviously I had been influenced by the time we spent wandering around the charity shops in Portishead. This outfit is almost as 1970s as you can get! Swap the skinny jeans for flares and you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped back in time... You can tell it is starting to get darker in the mornings as these photos came out pretty dark, I think it will be back inside for photos soon :(

Cardigan: Gap via Matilda, top: Primark, camisole: Tesco, jeans: Topshop, shoes: New Look

This top was a charity shop bargain from Primark which I really love, the print reminds me of terracotta tiles and the colours are deliciously seventies - what more could you ask for in a top?! My beloved mustard cardigan provides the perfect layer to protect against the creeping Autumnal chill. I am really looking forward to wearing cosy knits and ankle boots again but the colder weather has been a bit of a shock in the mornings, I need to get used to it again!

The grass by our flats hasn't been cut for weeks and with all the ~~weeds~~ wild flowers it is almost looking like a stereotypical blogger meadow. Now, to qualify as a 'proper blogger' I just need a lace maxi dress and a flower crown to take pictures with ;) In all seriousness though, it is very pretty and much nicer than boring old grass, here's hoping they don't cut it for a while longer... You can't really see them thanks to the long grass but these tan loafers are a long standing resident in the Frills 'n' Spills wardrobe and have been my shoe of choice recently - New Look really are brilliant for simple comfortable flats.

Does the 70s ever inspire your outfits?

The Real Housewife of... Tewkesbury?

I don't exactly what it is about this outfit but it just feels a bit 'Real Housewives'- perhaps it's the combination of the low cut top and the high cut of the skirt?! Luckily a black slip dress helped to make it a bit more work appropriate and it was actually super comfy too. I picked this wrap dress up from a charity shop but I will definitely be looking out for more to add to my wardrobe as the weather cools back down. Until I can afford a Diane von Fustenberg one, any ideas for where I can find some nice ones?

Dress: F&F from Tesco via charity shop, slip: Lipsy dress, tights: Tesco, shoes: Office, necklace: Accessorize

My ~~atrocious~~ attempt at bouncy Kate Middleton locks paired with peachy make-up helped to lift an otherwise dark outfit. When Autumn starts to kick in though, I imagine a brown smoky eye would look nice (if only I could actually do anything with my make-up!)

Just look how low cut it is!

I have raved about Tesco tights before on the blog but I think it is well worth mentioning again, they are absolutely amazing and really opaque... I probably should have worn heels with this outfit but my feet just can't hack it recently so it's flats all the way!

Where can I buy more wrap dresses?

Orange and polka dots...

I don't know about you, but I can't get my head around this weather (how very British of me to complain about it...) It goes from being freezing cold when I leave the house at 6 am, to being a balmy 25 degrees by the time I get home. My answer to the weather dilemma? Layers. I really loved this combination when I last wore it back in June and it has made a reappearance here because it is perfect for these inbetweeny days. I picked up this orange jumper in a local charity shop and it is so warm, especially considering how thin it is! I love the bright orange colour and I can see this getting a lot more wear in the winter. I just wish that I had played with the proportions with this outfit a bit more, it would just make it a lot more interesting if I had worn a flowier top or something ...

Jumper: Marks & Spencer via charity shop, blouse: Marks & Spencer, top: Primark, cord trousers: ASOS, shoes: ASDA

I have always loved the buttoned up look and although I'm never convinced that I can pull it off, I can't resist a polka dot blouse paired with a high neckline, especially if it is brightly coloured! I liked this pairing with the glasses too - the oversized frames and it feels quite androgynous too, a rare occurrence for me. This polka dot top has been in my wardrobe for a couple of years now and it is so versatile although I am more likely to wear it like this than how I last wore it on the blog. I'm not sure I can pull off little cropped tees any more!

I bought these cords back in April as an alternative to jeans to wear to work. I don;t know why but even though they are as comfy as jeans (maybe even comfier) they look much smarter, goodness only knows why! These dalmatian print shoes seem to get pulled out every time I wear polka dots, I guess they're as close as I am going to get to polka dot shoes...

How would you make my outfit more interesting?

Panda print...

As we still seem to be in the midst of winter (thick jumpers and boots in May, really?!) I have been reaching for cosy layers at work and this outfit has been one of my favourites. This panda print blazer doesn't get worn anywhere near enough and it was the perfect way to make plain trousers and a stripy top more interesting. It is so easy to repeat the same outfits over and over again when choosing what to wear to work so anything that shakes me out of my comfort zone is a good idea! Saying that, I have been wearing these trousers a lot recently. Slim fit trousers in interesting colours will always have a place in my work wardrobe, they are such an easy way to introduce colour into the office without ~~looking like an escaped clown~~ being too garish...

Blazer: Primark, jumper:Topshop, top: Oasis, trousers: Matalan via charity shop, shoes: Dorothy Perkins, necklace: Miss Selfridge

This jumper is another neglected favourite, it's a bit too flimsy for the depths of winter but it is ideal for the horrible weather we have been having recently. It's warm enough for the chilly mornings but the short sleeves come into their own by the afternoon. I imagine it would look fab with one of my maxi skirt too, I love good cosy jumper! Can you tell that the heating in our building is atrocious?!

A close up of those adorable little pandas!

What do you wear when the weather is rubbish?

Film noir inspired...

These photos have been sitting on my computer for a while now, I took them way back in March but I have been a bit unsure about using them which is strange.I loved the outfit and I quite like how the photos came out but the photos are a bit 'posier' than I am used to and it felt slightly like a costume rather than an outfit. I had been looking for a proper mac/raincoat for a while now and I picked up this Paul Costelloe number up in a charity shop for a few pounds. It is very light but keeps out even the sharpest of showers and although I think I need to get it tailored and perhaps shortened (there is a lot of material here!) I really love this coat. The oversized lapels and collar make me feel like I could be a film noir detective- those guys knew how to work a trench coat!

Coat: Paul Costelloe via charity shop, dress: Sugarhill Boutique, shoes: Marks & Spencer, goofy pose: model's own

Paired with a rather cute tea dress and some rather vampy heels, I felt like a proper femme fatale! I love Sugarhill Boutique dresses (Sarah has an enviable amount which I am very jealous of!) but had always put off buying them as I wasn't sure how they would fit. I spotted this one reduced on Amazon and decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to try out the brand. One thing I would say is that this is pretty short, you can see from the photo how much leg is on show and when I wore it to work with some flat shoes, I felt a bit exposed. This is definitely one for the weekend when you aren't going to be constantly trying to pull it down all day! This jazzy red clutch doesn't get many outings but I have been trying to use it a bit more when I go out as it is pretty roomy. I bought it on a college trip when Sophie and I bunked off from the British Museum for an hour or so to hit up Oxford Street, smuggling it back on the coach was pretty funny!

Belt: Primark, bag: Dorothy Perkins

Brushed out curls, cat-eye glasses and a slick of red lipstick topped off the 1940s look. I love the print on this dress too, the little rocking horses are adorable!

I fell in love with these shoes as soon as I laid eyes on them back in the January sales and I knew they would be the perfect finishing touch to this outfit, I just need to find a way to make them stay on my feet. I seem to just fall forward in them which is bad news for someone with such atrocious balance as I have!

What weird style inspirations have you had recently?

Marvellous mustard...

I really love this outfit, my friend Matilda gave me this cardigan a while ago and I was never sure what to pair it with as it is such a bright mustard colour. My love affair with mustard has been slowly growing since January last year but I'm still not convinced that the colour suits me, what do you think? I try not to wear jeans more than once a week to work because it feels kind of lazy for me and also because I have so many clothes, I want to wear them all as much as possible! This is such a typical Friday outfit though, the vagaries of public transport and the weather call for some clever layering and this is pretty cosy with the cardigan.

Cardigan: Gap via Matilda, top: Vero Moda via charity shop, jeans: Topshop, shoes: Betty London ankle boots c/o Spartoo

A close up of that gorgeous print and a necklace I have had longer than I care to remember. I constantly switch between short and long necklaces but I think long ones will always be my favourite, even if they do bash annoyingly on my desk at work!

This shape of blouse is not something I would ever normally choose but I loved the print when I saw it in the charity shop and it is perfect for making my jeans look a bit smarter for the office. I felt quite 70s inspired in this outfit, I think it's the mustard paired with the floaty blouse and the suede boots. Apologies for my facial expressions here, I'm not quite sure what was going on with them! I have still been brushing my curls out into waves but I'm not sure if it makes this look more modern or more retro, what do you think?

The most lovely pair of boots, paired with some turn-ups equals casual perfection!

What colours do you find difficult to wear? Any tips for other colours to pair with mustard?

P.S. This post was done in collaboration with Spartoo

Edinburgh, I love you... (PICTURE HEAVY)

Apologies for the delay since my last post, I spent the weekend staying with two of my best friends up in Edinburgh. I haven't been to Edinburgh since I was about ten so I couldn't remember much of it but as soon as I landed, I felt like I had come home. I will definitely be visiting again sooner rather than later. The weather was gorgeous (apart from Sunday morning) and I took so many photos that I will have to split them into two posts, you still have the National Gallery and the world's most hilarious bagpiper to come!

Is there anything nicer than being greeted with tea, snacks, a stack of magazines and a gorgeous bedroom to sleep in? I think not!

Fettes really is the most beautiful school, it looked like a gothic Disneyland!

I mean check out those pillars! ;)

After a wander through Inverleith Park- filled with smiley faces and frolicking dogs, it was starting to feel like we were in a movie. The setting was stunning and I love the fact that you can see all the way down into Edinburgh town too...

Banks of daffodils are guaranteed to brighten up your day.

I had never heard of Stockbridge before but it was recently voted the coolet place to live inScotland which I can well believe. With 13 charity shops and plenty of cute delis and cafes, it was a fashion blogger's dream...

Peter's Yard was our choice for lunch- these cakes sounded amazing but I was just about able to resist their charms...

Mainly because of this amazing 'winter slaw'- who knew cabbage could be so delicious?!

This was the most amazing veggie pizza- I love anything with artichoke hearts on and this sourdough pizza was delicious.

Plus, anything with parma ham on is bound to be a winner in my book!

I wish I could have taken this giant brie home with me but it was already a struggle to get everything back on the plane. Which stupid person decided to take hand luggage only?

Cobbled streets look beautiful but can be hellish on your feet!

I think Fredericks may be my new favourite tea shop, it was beautifully decorated and so relaxed. I love places where they aren't constantly trying to rush you out of the door! Definitely another stop on the fashion blogger tour too ;)

Plus, they didn't get too annoyed when we were spelling out Edinburgh in sugar sachets- definitely a win in my book!

A nice glass of wine (or two) ...

Delicious homemade fajitas, BGT and A Knight's Tale were the perfect combination for an amazing Saturday night. The best kind of friends are the ones who you can kick back in your pyjamas and watch rubbish TV with, amirite?

This was what I expected Edinburgh to look like everyday...

...but actually I couldn't get over how good the weather was, it made a beautiful city look even more gorgeous!

Have you ever visited Edinburgh?

Frills 'n' Spills

The return of jazzy trousers...

1 dress, 2 ways...

Drapery and denim...

Blush pink...

1970s inspired denim...

The Real Housewife of... Tewkesbury?

Orange and polka dots...

Panda print...

Film noir inspired...

Marvellous mustard...

Edinburgh, I love you... (PICTURE HEAVY)

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