Take care,
Sophie
Most of my wardrobe is second hand clothes, primarily sourced in charity shops. I don't talk about shopping all that much come to think of it. Buying new-new clothes is quite a rareity for me, I don't tend to go out with the purpose of buying specific things and I almost never see someone wearing an item, ask them and go out and buy it myself. It's usually more that I pop in to a charity shop for a browse and if something grabs my attention then more often that not I can't resist buying it.
This jacket was a great find, one that I was thrilled to get my hands on (even though C exclaims I must be off to the dog races every time I wear it). My knitted skirt is a firm favourite which I've worn loads of times and this brown sparkly knitted jumper ties the whole outfit together. I've accessorised with my charity shopped heart necklace, T K Maxx boots and Joules bag from Country Attire.
What I've realised about second hand shopping is the more you find, the more continuity your wardrobe has. These days I have far more that can be worn together in an interchangeable mix'n'match manner which is exactly as it should be.
These days fashion is a far more inclusive term than ever before and next week on Monday 14th March there is a new fashion show as part of Norwich Fashion Week called Norwich Fashion Jam which sees local students, bloggers, makers, stylists, creatives and designers put together outfits for the catwalk made only out of AgeUK Norwich charity shop donations. That sounds pretty cool. They have 24 hours to do it in starting Friday 11th March and then the show is held on the Monday at Norwich Castle! Want to get involved with the challenge or buy tickets to see the show? Money raised goes to support AgeUK.
Sophie
Maize. Or sweet corn. I'm not really sure whether they're the same thing or slightly different but it's not something you see all that often out our way. When driving on unfamiliar country roads at the weekend I spotted this lush looking field and thought it would be a perfect seasonal backdrop for a couple of outfit photographs.
We'd gone out for a spot of lunch with out much else in mind and it was all white cloud and cool when we left home so I wore this unusual cut of dress. It's clearly got to be worn in the warmer months as it's basically a lace overlay mini dress with elbow length sleeves but equally it's too much for a hot day if the sun is out. I was glad we hadn't planned a whole afternoon's walking as I would have got rather too hot in black. However, for a nice indoor lunch it was perfectly comfortable, not least as the gathering way up under the bust meant that maximum comfort was offered.
The neckline is spot on for me; I adore the high neckline with the buttons and the pretty fabric. I'm not usually sold on half length sleeves but I think they suit the rest of the dress so I'll roll with it.
Red lipstick for a secret smile.
Sophie
When the sun shines bright, I'll roll up my sleeves and relish the warmth of the day, but knowing when the daylight fades I'll be safe from the cold.
The cooler spring days call for a compromise between a summer dress and a good thick jumper but I think I've found a compromise. This knitted dress is every kind of awesome; long sleeves, strong material, loose casual fit and a drawstring drop waist. My very first though upon seeing it was that it looked Scandinavian, in a chilled out way. On the first outing for my new transitional piece I chose to wear it with some thick tights and ankle boots. It looks fine to me and I've got other variations I would happily try; namely bare legs and long boots or maybe my but out boots. Thicker tights and long boots with a warm jumper or a jacket when it gets cold again in Autumn.
That's the joy of buying second hand clothes; you never know what you might find and sometimes things just seem 'right'. This dress was found whilst in Ipswich on our shopathon Hazel devised for Kezzie and I.
Sophie
I'll drag my skirts through the long grasses, across the fields and down to the riverbank. The call of the wilderness is loud and clear, it overwhelms and proves irresistible; I can't help but return.
This Jaeger maxi skirt was a charity shop find I was so pleased to find, it's simple, very long and such great quality but also easy care. I love how this big old jumper sits perfectly along with it and how my favourite necklace feels right.
The bangle was a recent find and has a gorgeous mix of colours.
I'll walk my skirts though the wilderness anyday.
Sophie
Celebrating Halloween is not something I've ever joined in with over the years. Back in the olden days when I was a little girl it wasn't a 'thing' to go trick or treating, then when it did become a 'thing' my parents said it wasn't a nice thing to do. My Nan is very anti-Halloween as a devout Christian and her opinion is that you're pretty much in league with the devil for buying pumpkin at this time of year. There was one time I was allowed to dress as a witch with a few black bin liners but had to change back when Dad got home...
By the time I was old enough to go to house parties I didn't have any friends anyway.
These days I'm more than happy to put the lights off and pretend we're out in the hope that greedy kids don't bother calling round, in fact I may hand craft a 'BEWARE THE STAFFIE' sign even though the small print would technically need to read 'because he really wants kisses and cuddles'.
Jumper, jeans and tee – charity shops, boots – yard sale, feather necklace – Iced Rainbow Jewellery, bangles – misc.
I just thought I'd share this outfit today as the new-to-me jumper is vaguely Halloween-y colours. Chris immediately pointed out that it's obviously THE MATRIX which wouldn't have thought of independently, but it's so obvious now he's said it.
Whether you're partying, hiding in your house or have forgotten about Halloween altogether I bid you a good day and may your weekend be filled with merriment too.
Sophie
It's not often I wear orange but when I spied this old Debenhams dress for a single British Pound Sterling in a charity shop I knew it was meant to be. The absolute simplicity of the shape is particularly appealing to me, especially considering the rest of my wardrobe which is full of a whole mix of everything. Sometimes something really straightforward just feels right. A-line is A-OK.
What's that on my bonce? Another floral crown, that's what. It's not even the first time I've worn it, just the outing on the blog here. It's a sweet one from Johnny Loves Rosie “English countryside floral garland crown headband” who make some gorgeous ones indeed (might have bought another, shhh). The ones that are a proper circle are my thing, not so fond of the bouquets on the Alice bands.
The white polka dots of the dress told me they wanted to be paired with those jolly uncomfortable which faux litas that I shouldn't have bothered buying (eyelets are trying to fall out). What better choice of footwear for climbing on logs in the forest? Naturally I wore some more practical ankle boots for our walk around Sandringham Country Park and had a swift shoe change for a couple of minutes.
Arm party as standard. Vintage belt to match heels.
This is pretty much what I want to wear all.summer.long.
Sophie
Bodycon. That b*tch.
Bodycon and I have never been BFFs and while we may flirt on and off for a while it's never going to become a full time relationship.
I picked up this dress last year and complained it felt too big for my liking so I guess it went through Sophie's ruthless washing rigmarole and came out a size smaller (as anything delicate has tended to) as upon this wearing it feels and looks pretty fitted. I added the belt for an extra cinch at the waist (long live Gok Wan) and to break up the endless pattern.
Maybe it's the belt, or the way I clenched for dear life but I'm sure I'm starting to nip in at the waist a teensy bit more. My regular bootcamp sessions are supposed to be helping little by little but I do feel like the progress may be starting to show. By working on toning muscle you burn fat as well as re-shaping where it hangs on your body. True that; I have intermittent abs showing (dependent on bloat) and am darn pleased about it. Maybe one day I'll have my dream washboard abs but until then I'll have to employ the 'remain on high alert at all times whilst wearing bodycon' method. A girl can aim high, yes?
I wore this bodycon dress in a practical way that was toughened up by the desert boots. The high neckline and almost masculine shoulder cut meets well with my style and I enjoy keeping this type of dress kind of robust instead of overly feminine. That's just the kind of girl I am.
Dress and necklace – charity shop, belt – eBay, boots – River Island, bag - Aluna J, jewellery – gifts
This weekend has been a half-busy one but I do have plenty of juicy posts to share with you over the coming fortnight so don't stray too far away.
Have a great week, you lovely people!
Sophie
I swear this dress was longer last time I wore it! You know when you need to get dressed within a minute and have no idea what to put on? Well I saw these long red socks and decided I had to wear them with my long riding boots for a trip to The Fire Pit campsite, this cherry print dress appeared in front of me and who was I to say no? As it transpired, my outfit consisted of 75% thigh with a token amount of clothes but I tried! After reviewing the pictures I notice how it reminds me of something the 70's loving legend Vix would wear, what do you think?
Dress and jacket – eBay, top – Primark, socks – unknown, boots and necklace – charity shop
The long socks and boots combination is something I'll be diving back into come autumn, I might be 2 years behind the trend but I wont apologise. However I might have to beg pardon for flashing my derrière for such a daftly short skirt.
There is so much I want to be sharing with you over the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes peeled each day. Congratulations to Tracy for winning the Delimano giveaway!
