The Buyer's Archive: February

A year ago I joined in with Elise's monthly Buyer's Archive project, recording all my spending on clothes, shoes and accessories. The idea was that by keeping a record of what I bought, I'd more easily be able to identify what were good buys and what I don't wear, therefore reducing my spending in the long-term. Well, that was the plan...

Last February, I spent £169 on ten items. Looking back on those buys, it's clear that I made some silly mistakes. A smart jacket (I literally have never worn a jacket in my life, because boobs), not one but two pink jumpers despite not liking pink, a pair of Converse which were slightly too big for me... not clever purchases. The only items from 12 months ago that get regular wear are the scalloped collar top from La Redoute, which I wear at least once a week, and a pair of slim-leg work trousers from H&M, which I wear for school. Of the rest, three things - the navy dress, the striped Boden jumper, and the Converse - have been sold on eBay, one - the grey t-shirt - has been sent to a charity shop, and the remaining items languish in my wardrobe.

So, not a good start to Buyer's Archive last year. But how did I do this February? A lot better, I reckon.

Heart print skater skirt, Primark via charity shop £2.99
This serves as a reminder to always look carefully at clothes in charity shops - this skirt is a size 12 so should be miles too small. However, I loved the print so took some time to examine it more closely and found that the stretchy waistband meant it'd fit me pretty well. I've been wearing it with a black t-shirt and mustard cardigan; it makes for a quick and comfortable work outfit on the days I'm not in school.

Black polka dot top, La Redoute £11 (with 50% discount code)
One thing I've learned through Buyer's Archive is that I love a discount; 30% of my purchases over the past year involved a discount code. Equally, it's hardly the news of the century that I like polka dots. Back in December I found a white polka dot blouse, which I love, in a charity shop so I was thrilled to see this top - basically a black version of the one I have - on the La Redoute website. It's already been worn multiple times, teamed with black skinny jeans and a cardigan, and is well on its way to becoming a wardrobe favourite.

Polka dot dress, Closet via House of Fraser £25 (not online)
I know what you're thinking, "Another blue polka dot dress Janet? Really?" But hear me out... I'm going to Cape Town next week for my cousin's wedding and, despite planning on wearing the navy blue Closet dress I bought in July for my brother's wedding, needed a second smart dress as we're having a somewhat fancy family meal the night before the actual wedding. And I also needed the second dress to be suitable for South African summer temperatures and it needed to go with the one pair of navy blue heels I'll be taking. So when I found a single size 16 polka dot dress in the sale at my local House of Fraser, and it fit like a glove, I sort of had to buy it. Right?

Striped dress, Dorothy Perkins via clothes swap £0
I wasn't sure whether to include something which was free in Buyer's Archive but hey, here it is anyway. I met up with Rebs and Bettie a couple of weeks ago to go to a plus size clothes swap in Loughborough and, although there wasn't tons of stuff in my size to choose from, I lucked out with this lovely summer dress. Stripes and navy blue? Janet heaven.

My total spend for February this year was therefore a far more manageable £38.99, enabling me to save some pennies for my trip to Cape Town, hooray!

This month, as well as Elise, Hazel, Donna and Lucy have all taken part in Buyer's Archive.

The Buyer's Archive: December

 
Last year Elise started a series called The Buyer's Archive as a way to track her purchases from year to year and figure out which items had been worth it, and which had already found their way to the charity bag. As reducing my spending is always a goal, I decided to give it a go too.

I'm now approaching the 12 month mark of doing these posts and am beginning to see patterns emerging: so much of what I've bought in the past year has ended up being re-sold or given to charity and it's clear that I need to be a lot more reflective about my purchases. December, though, was a good month.

Polka dot top, £2 charity shop
I've been wanting a simple, loose-fitting polka dot top for so long that finding this one in a charity shop was cause for a celebratory dance in the changing room. Really. With my boobs of doom this style of top often fails to fit - usually stretching over the chest and then hanging far too loose and tent-like elsewhere. However, this vintage BHS version is perfect. I already have plans to use it as a pattern and try and sew a few more versions

Mary Jane shoes, £10 Primark
I wanted a pair of comfortable flat t-bar shoes that wouldn't be as chunky and heavy to wear as my current pair from Office. Lo and behold, I found a single pair of these beauties left in stock and they happened to be in my size, so I broke my Primark ban to buy them. So far, so good, as they're comfortable and go with most of my wardrobe.

Burgundy circle scarf, £7.99 New Look (no longer online)
I'm really into burgundy this winter and am also loving snood/circle scarves, so buying this was a no-brainer. I've already got lots of wear out of it, despite unseasonally high temperatures, so I'm confident it will turn out to be a good investment.

Which brings my total for December to... £19.99. Not bad at all, and I'm particularly impressed that I managed to resist the lure of the sales.

What I Wore: That 70s Show

This is an outfit I put together last summer after finding my dream button-down chambray skirt in a charity shop. Imagine my delight, then, when at the beginning of spring 2015 the 1970s revival was being touted by fashion pages up and down the land? Finally, I was ahead of the curve!

This outfit is something I wore a lot in Copenhagen last August, and it came into its own again in Canada. It's such a cool (literally cool, as in not-hot: I don't have notions above my station about my metaphorical coolness!) outfit to wear when sightseeing in a city. The t-shirt is a very thin cotton that's a joy to wear on hot days, and the skirt - once teamed with cycling shorts underneath to combat chub rub - is comfortable to wear when pounding the pavements.

This is, though, a sucky outfit post in that you can't buy anything from it: charity shop finds, past seasons stock, and a ring from my travels in South Africa. Oh yeah, and I cut my head off the lead photo because my hair and face were so bad in it!

By the by, if anyone knows where I can get a similar pair of sandals to these old Dune ones please tell me! I absolutely love them but after two summers wear they're starting to break and I need them in my life.

* Striped t-shirt: Zara (not online) * Skirt: Charity shop * Belt: Charity shop * 

* Sandals: Dune (old) * Ring: Shop in Cape Town *

What I Wore: A Date Night Outfit

I've always been a dress girl but last summer and this I've also started collecting skirts (not such a great departure, I know, but still...!). I found this one last week in a charity shop for the princely sum of £2; it's originally from mum-store Bon Marche but I really like it. Paired with a grey marl t-shirt, my beloved new clogs (seriously, these shoes are so comfortable and fun to wear, I adore them) and a statement necklace, it was the perfect outfit for date night.

We spent the evening in the The Orange Tree in Leicester, sampling their delicious vegan mac & cheese and a few ciders, before cycling home in the twilight. An outfit I love, great food, cold cider, a bike ride and my boy? Makes for a perfect date night.

* Skirt: Bon Marche via charity shop * T-shirt: H&M (old) * Belt: Peacocks (old) *

* Necklace: New Look (old) * 'J' tote bag: Alphabet Bags * Clog sandals: TK Maxx *

The Buyer's Archive: April

Oh man, I thought I was doing so well this month. I began April with a decent amount of money - £120 - in my account from selling some clothes and shoes on eBay, and a list of things I wanted for summer: a new school bag, replacement skinny jeans (as my current New Look ones are literally coming apart at the seams), a pair of tan sandals, and some more t-shirts. I'd found everything I needed (how often does that happen), I'd spent most of my eBay cash, and I was being really controlled about not buying any more. But then I got close to payday with money still to burn and things went to pot: a sale bargain skirt, a splurge in Bravissimo and a fab bicycle print dress become a precursor to buying an actual new bike by mistake. Oops. Add in a splurge on Sugar & Vice necklaces and both Sufjan Stevens & Father Jon Misty tickets going on sale, and my bank account is looking fairly unhealthy right now.

So first, the stuff I was meant to buy...

 

M&S bag via charity shop, £5.95
Having put aside money to buy a new school bag, imagine my delight when I found the perfect candidate in a British Heart Foundation shop in Thirsk. Bargain!

If I had a hammer I'd smash patriarchy t-shirt, Cafe Press £14.40 with discount code
I freaking love this tee, it makes me feel like such a bad ass feminist warrior.

3 x t-shirts, Zara £7.99 each
I wore my Zara Organics striped tee to death last summer - it's now a rather sorry mess of sunscreen stains and what I suspect is tattoo ink on the sleeve. So I went a bit over the top when I saw the same t-shirt back in stock in my local store and bought every one in my size. This is such a great tee for tucking into skirts, with the perfect depth of neckline and great sleeve length, so I know I'll be wearing them for years to come.

White t-shirt, H&M £3.99 (not pictured)
Not much to say here: it's a white t-shirt.

Leigh jeans, Topshop £34.20 with T's 10% student discount
My New Look supersoft skinny jeans were one of the great loves of my life; when they changed the 'recipe' I was distraught. Luckily, Topshop's Leigh skinnies seem to have filled the hole in my heart. I love the wash of this mid-denim pair.

Tan sandals, Clarks via Debenhams £40.10 with discount code
A pair of sandals that are basically brogues with loads of holes? Sign me up. I walk a lot, and in summer I walk even more, so having shoes and sandals that look cute but are comfortable enough to pound the pavement in is the holy grail. Clarks are good at cute and comfortable.

And now the fun stuff...

Cloud necklace and Bitch necklace, Sugar & Vice £14 & £11
I had a £12.50 voucher to spend on Sugar & Vice after I supported their Indiegogo campaign in January, so I decided to treat myself to not one but two necklaces (using the logic that if I'm paying P&P, I may as well get the value from it).

Summer skirt, Cath Kidston £23 in sale
I've worn this to work a couple of times and as cute as it is, I'm still not 100% convinced. I have a feeling it might make its way onto eBay pretty soon.

Polka dot cardigan, H&M £12.99 (doesn't seem to be online)
I bought this when I was in town in only a t-shirt and feeling a bit cold; that'll teach me to think you can leave your jacket at home in April.

Bicycle-print dress, H! by Henry Holland for Debenhams £21.40 with discount code
How utterly brilliant is this dress? Blue, with a collar and printed with little bicycles and flowers, it couldn't be more me if it actually had my name on it. I snapped it up with 25% off plus an extra 10% discount code.

Hand knitted scarf, Daisy Gray Knits on Etsy £14.99
It's no doubt mad to buy a scarf at the start of summer, but this had been on my Etsy favourites list for ages, so when it came down in price I pounced. It's a great shade of mustard and so cosy: perfect for next winter.

Aqua polka dot bra, Bravissimo £29
How could I resist the cuteness of this turquoise polka dot bra? I also picked up a staple white Alana bra for £26, but paid for them both with a gift voucher I got for Christmas so have left them off my total monthly spend.

And so my total is (ouch) £223.79, of which £103.79 was 'overspend' from what I sold on eBay. Oh dear. But I've got some wardrobe essentials there - t-shirts, jeans, new bras, shoes - plus some really fun pieces that I know I'll get a lot of wear out of. And hopefully May will be a better month (I say that every month, don't I?)

What I wore: A madeover midi skirt

You know when you look in the mirror and think, "Yep, looking good," and then see a photograph and cringe? Yeah, I have that with this outfit. The photo shoot involved a good amount of swearing and tears (mostly on on Thomas's part) and, after about 100 shots, I'm still not happy with how any of them look. But I wanted to use them regardless because I was outside! Wearing summer clothes! This is very very exciting to someone who has been pining for the sun since about January 3rd.

This outfit features my bargain midi skirt (£3 from a charity shop), which is evidence of my long-held belief that you need to ignore size labels, especially when vintage or thrift shopping. The skirt is a Primark size 12, a store in which I usually need a 16 or 18, but I'm pretty well able to size things up by looking at them and I guessed it would just fit. A couple of snips to the elastic waistband when I got home, a quick cut and hem to shorten it, and I have a very cheap and well-fitting midi skirt.

This is also the first glance at my extended tattoo: I had more flowers added so that the whole piece now stretches from my elbow to my shoulder. So pretty!

And because I'm such a brilliant fashion blogger, I only realised when I saw the shots just how badly the sleeve of my t-shirt is stained with suncream from covering up my tattoo last summer. Oops. Off I trot to Zara to stock up on some more...

* Striped tee: Zara * Midi skirt (originally a maxi skirt): Primark via charity shop * 

* Sandals: Dune (old) * Tote bag: Ella Masters Studio * Belt: Peacocks (old) *
* Name necklace: Gift * Turquoise ring: Gift *

Thomas has just told me a really terrible joke, hence my look of pain here.

The Buyer's Archive: March

I did extremely well while thrifting this month, although arguably I could have been just a bit more adventurous with my finds: how many striped dresses and navy blue items does one wardrobe need? I was also very much dreaming of summer whilst shopping (ignoring the fact that it's still fucking freezing here in Leicester) so I actually haven't yet been able to wear a single one of my new acquisitions. But never mind, my wardrobe game is going to be so on point come warmer weather.

Striped jersey dress, New Look via charity shop £3
I was bemoaning my sucky charity shop luck when I stumbled upon this gem of a dress in the local Cancer Research shop. Navy blue? Stripes? In my size? I didn't even bother to try it on, just ran to the till to pay. Luckily, it fits perfectly and will be ace with a mustard cardigan.

Navy cardigan, Primark via charity shop £3
In the same charity shop as the stripey dress I found this cardigan, brand new with tags still attached. I already own this in cream so knew it'd be a great addition to my wardrobe: I love the openwork design, which is perfect for keeping me cool in summer when I still need to cover up my arms at work (scars + tattoos + teaching = not a good combination)

Vintage dress made into skirt, Sue Ryder Vintage £6
I had no need for another skirt in my summer wardrobe but I absolutely loved the print on this. Although it started life as an extremely unflattering 1980s dress, a few snips and a sewn up hem and waistband later, and it's now a super cute floral skirt.

Striped French Connection dresss, ASOS £33 (on special offer)
I'd never pay full whack for this, but at its sale price I pounced. It's got an interesting v-shaped back detail with exposed zip, which lifts it above standard Breton-striped-dress territory. It'll be perfect in summer with bare legs, tan sandals and sunglasses, and when I get bored of it in my main wardrobe it's also smart enough to wear for work.

Black t-shirt, H&M £3.99 (not pictured)
Because one can never have too many black tees, and I lacked one with a v-neck.

Black midi skirt, Primark via charity shop £3 (not pictured)
There's an Age UK shop in Leicester that is an absolute diamond for skirts. A black midi skirt has been on my 'need' list for ages, so when I found this I pounced. It was actually a maxi skirt, but half an hour with the sewing machine and it's the perfect length.

Overall, my total spend for March was £51.99, with 5 items coming to only £18.99 plus £33 for the French Connection dress at 40% off. Bargain hunter or what? This month has reignited my love for charity shops and given me faith that great wardrobe staples can be found therein. Now I just need some warm weather so I can get wearing...

What I wore: Old clothes, new tricks

You know those days when everything in your wardrobe sucks and you hate each and every item of clothing you own? Well, I'm having one of those days but it's been going on for weeks. I think it's the fact that we're coming to the end of winter and I'm just so bored of wearing all my winter clothes (also, the fact I've spent the entire winter on a spending ban means I haven't had much in the way of new clothes coming into my life recently).

Anyway, while throwing the entire contents of my wardrobe around the bedroom in a strop the other morning, I chanced upon this combination: as the floral dress flew threw the air and landed on the collared blouse, my eyes lit up. And so this outfit - which I'd categorise as a sort of preppy cosplay meets cute indie pop - was born. There's something deeply satisfying about taking items I've had in my wardrobe for ages and building a whole new look from them. This, combined with a recent post by Hazel, has prompted me to look more closely at the clothes I own and try to think of new ways of styling them.

The floral dress is an ancient A-Wear one which I hardly ever wear due to its weird puffy sleeves and strange neckline, but layering it with the Peter Pan collar blouse and the cardigan creates a whole new silhouette. The amazing Scrabble tile J brooch that Kezzie gave me stops the cardigan from being one massive expanse of navy blue boob. Finally, cosplaying at being preppy would be no good without the addition of a satchel. It made the perfect outfit for a cinema date last week (we saw Wild, which is ace).

* Blouse: Primark * Cardigan: H&M Basics * Dress (worn as skirt): A-Wear * 

* Shoes: Office * Satchel: H&M * Brooch: Gift (homemade) *