The Buyer's Archive: January

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.

Sugarhill Boutique fox jumper, £22.50 in the sale
I mean, look at it. Navy blue and with a cute fox intarsia: how could I not?

Topshop Jamie jeans, £36 including 10% student discount (not pictured)
Why, I asked The Wardrobe Angel, do my jeans always end up saggy and baggy? Had I thought about trying a size down, was Steph's reply. And no, I hadn't, because frankly I'd always thought it weird that I even squeezed into a Topshop 16 so a 14 would definitely be pushing it. Nevertheless, I took myself down to my local branch and grabbed a 14 in both the Leigh and the Jamie, and when I tried the latter on, I swear angels sang and fairies frolicked. Yep, they're that good: like a hug in denim form.

H&M floral print dress, £6 via eBay
I wear my H&M heart print dress in this same style constantly (actually, I have two, and one has had to be repeatedly mended I wear it so much) so I've been looking out for the same dress in alternative patterns for a while, and eBay finally came up trumps. I'm not crazy about the pink (it not being my colour, really) but to throw on for work with tights, boots and a cardigan, it'll do fine.

Primark polka dot top, £6
I mean, we can all see why I bought this, right? Dots plus collar is the Janet brand, and for £6 it was too good a bargain. Sadly, I failed to try it on first and it turns out to be not completely perfect: the collar sits just a bit too high and makes me feel like my boobs are a huge shelf. Time will tell, but I doubt I'll get much wear from it, so not such a bargain after all.

All together, that gives me a total of £70.50 for January, which is a little more than I'd like. However, I did sell almost £100 worth of clothes on eBay, so swings and roundabouts I suppose.

The Buyer's Archive: October & November

Earlier this 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 (Donna and Steff are also now taking part in the series). As reducing my spending is always a goal, I decided to give it a go too.

This time around I've combined two months because amazingly, apart from the necklace (which would have made a paltry Buyer's Archive post), I didn't buy anything clothes-wise in October. We won't mention all the other stuff - gig tickets, CDs, meals out, Christmas presents and train tickets - that I spent my money on.

November was less successful, spending wise. I sold a pile of clothes on eBay at the start of the month, making almost £200. My plan had been to save that and cut my spending to the bone in preparation for the drastic reduction in salary coming up in the new year.

But it didn't really work out like that.

I found myself, instead, spending quite a bit on both things I needed and things I didn't, with the justification that I'd better spend money while I still have it! I never have got the hang of saving...

First, the items that have been on my shopping list:

Black cocoon coat, ASOS £46.40 (thanks to a 20% off code)
I've been in dire need of a smart-ish winter coat for almost two years now. I have a navy duffle coat which is warm and cosy but also has a broken zip  and holes in. But could I find a coat I liked? Could I hell. I've spent the past two winters trying on coat after coat, without finding anything I really wanted. Even this one, I'm unsure about. Bulky winter coats don't flatter the huge-boobed, and this one is designed to be quite loose-fitting (the fact it's a size 12 and still has room to spare shows you just how loose-fitting it is). So I'm not totally sure it's the most flattering coat ever but hey, I'm trying to embrace the 'fuck flattering' mantra.

Black lace dress, H&M £18.74 (with 25% off)
I've wanted a black lace dress for a couple of years and H&M do one pretty much every winter but I invariably can't squeeze my chest into their size 16s. Luckily, they go up to size 18 online and I just happened to have a 25% off code burning a hole in my pocket when this came back into stock briefly, so I pounced on it. Although it's still really tight around the waist, it fits perfectly everywhere else so I'm hanging onto it in the hope it'll stretch out a bit.

Statement necklace, John Lewis £16
Did I really need this? Possibly not. But I've been looking for a gold-coloured, simple, non-blingy statement necklace since at least this time last year, and without any luck whatsoever. So it was very much on my list of things to buy and I was thrilled to find one I liked so much.

Dark green cardigan, H&M £19.99
Ok, so my cardigan collection is ridiculous - up to about 30 at last count - but what I was lacking was both a green cardigan and a longer-line cardigan, so this super-soft H&M number was perfect.

Topshop Leigh jeans, £34.20 (with 10% student discount)

The other essential was a new pair of black skinny jeans: my current pair being now baggy of arse and holey of thigh. I was holding out for a Topshop discount code, but they're pretty rare, and in the end I gave in and ordered a new pair using Thomas's still-working student discount.

Black Peter Pan collar dress, Modcloth $41.24/£27 (with 20% discount code)
I'm more excited about this dress than one should reasonably be about an item of clothing. I've been eyeing it up on Modcloth for months - I mean let's face it, with that collar it's pretty much the perfect Janet dress - but I wasn't sure which size to go for and was wary about the prospect of hefty customs charges. But when an alert landed in my inbox about a 20% discount code, and when I opened the app to be told that it was back in stock that day, I figured it might be fate. And when it appeared on my doormat, with no customs charge, and turned out to fit perfectly, well... it's definitely fate. Me and this dress, together forever.

Peter Pan collar jumper, charity shop £3
I always need jumpers as I find it pretty difficult to find ones that don't give me a boob shelf of doom. so to pick up this M&S jumper in perfect condition, for only £3, was a stroke of luck. It'll be perfect for work now it's colder.

Navy & cream striped top, charity shop £4
I do find that buying variations on my favourite styles is never a bad thing: it means that whatever I buy ends up getting worn, rather than languishing at the back of my wardrobe. So that's my excuse for buying yet another striped top (well, that and I ruined my new-ish H&M top on Friday by spilling a tomato-based stew down the front, leading to a stain not even Vanish could, err, banish).

Which brings my total to... £169.33. I know I say this every month, but I honestly don't think that's too bad for two wardrobe staples plus the other bits, all of which genuinely fill a hole in my wardrobe (shhh, I definitely had a collared dress-shaped hole, I promise).

Finally, sorry for the rubbish quality photographs; it's that time of year when there's never enough natural light, and even when there is, I'm not at home to take advantage of it in photographs!

What I Wore: Nautical Stripes

After an autumnal few weeks, today was just about warm enough to bare my legs for what is almost certainly the last time this year (that being said, I only lasted until the early afternoon, when the clouds moved in and I scampered to put on jeans and a jumper).

This dress was a bargain find back in June, setting me back the princely sum of £3. It's been a central part of my wardrobe this summer, being made of stretch jersey cotton and therefore a great dress to throw in a bag whenever we went away (it got a lot of wear in Canada, for instance).

And when I'm wearing nautical navy and white stripes, what better accessory than a swallow necklace, which harks back to sailors' tattoos? 

* Dress: New Look via charity shop * Cardigan: H&M * Belt: Peacocks *

* Necklace: Online purchase years ago * Sandals: Marks & Spencer *  

What I Wore: Vintage 80s Style

Although the sun has deigned to show its face today, overall the summer's been pretty rubbish, weather-wise. However, here's evidence that we did have some nice weather this summer. I wore this outfit in the school holidays for a sunny Saturday bike ride followed by a picnic. I can't say a pair of wood-heeled sandals were ideal bike-riding attire, especially considering we returned home via the pub (where I had one too many ciders), but they look pretty so *shrugs*.

There's a story behind my purchase of this vintage madras-check skirt, though. When I was a kid, my family was friends with a couple called David and Sue and I basically idolised Sue. She was our piano teacher, and the leader of the choir at church in which I sang, and they lived in the most beautiful cottage with a huge garden, while we lived in a standard semi-detached on an estate. Sue wore fashionable clothes, things that had clearly been bought brand new, while ours - my mum's included - were cobbled together from jumble sale finds and hand-me-downs (of course, now I know that jumble sale finds are the best thing ever, but when you're 10 it's hard to understand that line of thinking). And I very clearly remember Sue wearing a madras check skirt exactly like this one, and thinking she was the coolest person ever.

So of course, when I was browsing in a vintage store a few months ago, it was a given that the madras check midi skirt would be coming home with me. My attempt at shortening it perhaps took a tad too much off - I don't think the new length is exactly right on my proportions - but it's otherwise really comfortable and fun to wear. And look, pockets!

* Skirt: Vintage * T-shirt: H&M * Tote bag: Ella Masters Studio *

* Belt: Peacocks (old) * Clog sandals: TK Maxx *

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: Bicycle Print Dress

Is this the most twee dress ever? It's bright blue; it has a print of tiny daisies and bicycles with baskets; it features a Peter Pan collar. I think it just might be. I think even Jess from New Girl might reject it for being too twee. Me though? I love it.

My favourite mustard cardigan from H&M goes well with the dress (it's hard to see on these images, but some of the daisies on the dress are yellow) and I finished off the outfit with my new Clarks shoes, which are crazy comfortable for a pair of shoes with so many potential rub-points.

This was my get-up for Indietracks a couple of weekends ago, where is made the perfect outfit. After all, if you can't be twee as fuck at an indiepop festival featuring steam trains, when can you be?!

* Dress: H! By Henry Holland for Debenhams (not online) * Cardigan: H&M (old) * 

* Shoes: Henderson Luck from Clarks *

The Buyer's Archive: July

Earlier this 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.

July has followed my usual pattern of very little spending until the end of the month, when I suddenly buy all the clothes - before this weekend, all I'd spent was £30. But preparing for our trip to Iceland and Canada led to a shopping spree yesterday, when I picked up stacks of items... some I needed, some I didn't.

Striped top, H&M £12.99
Did I need this? No. But did I have a space in my wardrobe for a short-sleeved striped top? Certainly. I love stripes and this top has a lovely airy feel, perfect for summer (although not for the summer we're currently 'enjoying' in England, with torrential rain and chilly temperatures).

Floral skirt, charity shop £2.00
I've already featured this skirt in an outfit post and it's shaping up to be a favourite. Originally from Bon Marche, I found it in a local charity shop and was particularly drawn to the floral design and the buttons down the front.

Yellow raincoat, M&S £75
Eek. It actually makes me feel a bit sick to think about how much this cost. However, I'm notorious for not wearing weather-appropriate clothing if I don't feel it's cool enough (I know, I'm such a teenager) and with our visit to Iceland coming up I really needed a raincoat I'd be happy to wear. I know yellow raincoats have become something of a blogger cliche, but that didn't stop me snapping it up. It's cut really nicely, fits well, and the yellow is a darker mustard shade, which is a lot more flattering with my skin tone and hair colour. Plus, I figure a coat is the kind of item where it pays to, well, pay.

Black sandals, New Look £15.99
These sandals fill a gap in my wardrobe: I have plenty of tan sandals but no black ones. I saw someone wearing these on the train home from Bristol a few weeks ago and fell totally in love with them, so as soon as I got home I began an internet search. I was dead chuffed to discover they were not only still available, but also quite a bargain.

T-Bar shoes, Topshop £25.20 (with Thomas's student discount)
These shoes are definitely not something I needed, as they're almost identical to a pair I already own, but I loved the cute cut-out design and when I realised that they were almost sold out I decided to grab a pair.

Polka dot dress, H! By Henry Holland via eBay, £4.20
So much navy blue in this picture! I've come to accept that it's the signature colour of my wardrobe. This jersey and cotton skater dress is something I won on eBay and is yet another addition to my collection of summer dresses when what's really needed in this country is plenty of winter clothes.

Navy blue dress, Joy £24 (not online)
I found this in the sale at Joy in Bristol. Made of a lovely, heavy, lined viscose that falls beautifully, it's well cut and classic, and paired with a statement necklace and some heels, I think it will do very well for my brother's wedding this autumn.

My total for the month was therefore an eye-watering.... £159.38, with almost exactly half of that total being the raincoat.

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 *

What I Wore: Polka Dots (Again)

This is the dress that I just had to buy when I was on holiday, despite having bought an almost-identical one from New Look a few days before. I mean, €14 - I'd have been mad not to, right?

The cut of this is really flattering: short sleeves, a very fitted bodice going in at my narrowest point before flaring out into a full, 50s-style skirt. I love the deep back, too, which kept me nice and cool on a warm night in the pub.

Because the dress itself - both the 50s shape and the twee print - is edging towards cute, I decided to add some tough-talking accessories. My 'Bitch' necklace is one of Sugar & Vice's custom name necklaces, the colour deliberately matched with the 'Riots Not Diets' tote I picked up from Etsy this winter.

The only element in the outfit I'm not convinced by is the shoes, which is also the one thing that, fashion-wise, I tend to be fairly clueless about. Because I do a lot of urban walking, my main concern is that my shoes are comfortable, rather than stylish, which tends to mean chunky Mary Janes and brogues in winter, ballet pumps and comfortable but slightly dull sandals in summer. This pair are perfect for pounding the pavements but I don't think they quite 'go' with the rest of the look. Any suggestions on what other shoes might work gratefully received.

* Dress - C&A (the Netherlands) * 'Riots Not Diets' tote bag -  Miss Harry via Etsy * 

* Sandals - Dune (old) * 'Bitch' necklace - Sugar & Vice Designs *

What I Wore: A Re-made Vintage Skirt

I can't figure out why the picture quality on these shots is so bad: taken on my usual Nikon camera, I haven't edited them or changed them in any way, yet they look really pixellated and blurry. Weird. Anyone got any bright ideas on what the problem might be?

Anyway, onto the outfit! This is basically my summer uniform, and one you've seen (here and here and here) many times before: printed skirt, scoop- or v-neck tee, tan belt and tan sandals. Throw in a slogan tote and I'm good to go. I'm not going to win any awards for fashion innovation in this outfit, true, but I still love it.

This skirt started life as an 80s sundress with midi-length skirt, picked up from the Sue Ryder vintage shop in Leicester. The already-elasticated waist meant that chopping off both the top and bottom of the dress was a quick and easy job, turning a dated and ill-fitting dress into a cute floral skirt. Meanwhile, this bargain H&M t-shirt is my find of the summer. I'm not sure what it is about the cut that's SO flattering, but it works.

* Black v-neck tee - H&M * Floral skirt - re-made from a vintage midi dress * 

* Belt - Peacocks (old) * Sandals - M&S (old, similar here) * Tote bag - the Netherlands *

Finding My Style

An edited version of my Pinterest Spring/Summer Style board, where you can also find all the links & sources for these images

The title of this post is perhaps a tad misleading: I've always had a very defined sense of style - generally involving dresses, cardigans, collars, polka dots, stripes, and lots and lots of navy blue - so it's not that I needed to find a new style so much as I've recently wanted to be sure that said style was at least vaguely age-appropriate.

I turn 37 in June, which I am quite frankly terrified about. 40 comes ever closer and I don't understand how it crept up on me so damn fast (I swear I was just 22 a couple of years ago). Now the very human fact of ageing itself doesn't bother me too much; most of my fears are related to lifestyle and, particularly, fashion. Questions plague my mind, like can I still get away with dressing almost exclusively in H&M's Divided range? Should I really be wearing the same coat that every Year 9 girl at school also seems to own? Or is it time to give up the fashion ghost and start wearing stylish separates from White Stuff and Boden?

Now, considering I still get ID'd on a semi-regular basis, I'm relatively confident that dressing 'too young' isn't an issue for me yet. However, as much as I think it's important to wear what I damn well want, I have to agree with the fashion maxim that if you remember something from the first time round, you probably shouldn't be wearing it the second. With my usual shopping haunts such as Topshop and H&M crammed with 90s-inspired grunge fashions for the past year, this has been a hard lesson to learn. As much as I'm drawn to the little floral dresses and Docs look, I just can't bring myself to try them on. I fear the sight of mutton in the mirror.

But the more ladylike - and yes, perhaps more age-appropriate - catwalk trends, such as you might find at Zara, aren't really me either (I've been called a lot of things in my time, but ladylike is emphatically not one of them). What's a girl to do?

Instead of resorting to the Boden catalogue, I've been keeping my eye out for new fashion inspirations; women who put together outfits that catch my eye, which I can then try and emulate when I'm out shopping. To my not-so-great-surprise, as soon as I got pinning it became clear that stripes, brogues, polka dots and collars are all still very much what I want to be wearing. Throw in a midi skirt or two, add some brighter colours to my usual navy blue, and I think I've got this style thing sorted.

Is ASOS Premier worth it?

The #BEDM topic for today is Top Tips and for tomorrow it's Style & Fashion, so I thought I'd combine the two and turn my attention away from politics and to the more pressing issues of the day. Namely: is ASOS Premier worth it?

I buy a lot from ASOS (on average about two orders a month, although luckily most of it goes back after trying on, otherwise I'd be even more skint than I usually am) and so, when I was placing an order I needed urgently, it seemed worthwhile to take a punt on Premier membership.

What do you get?
For £9.99 a year, the ASOS Premier service (currently available in the UK, USA and Germany) offers three things:
- Unlimited next day delivery
- Occasional discount offers and early access to sales
- A monthly magazine

The next day delivery is obviously the most important part of the package. With ASOS free delivery generally taking between 4 and 8 days to arrive, the ability to order something in the evening and have it arrive the next morning is fantastic for impatient shoppers like me.

The membership offers were less important in terms of convincing me to join Premier, but in six months of membership I've already had at least eight pre-sale invitations or discount codes (for anything from 10% to 25% off). I'm not terribly bothered about access to pre-sale, but getting 25% off my shopping once in a while is a huge bonus.

Finally, the magazine is published ten times a year and although it would be of fairly limited interest if you're not into fashion and music, I find it entertaining enough for a half hour flick through over a cup of tea.

Is it worth it?
I joined last autumn and although I then spent four months on a spending ban I still feel like I've got my money's worth. If you'd be buying from ASOS anyway, the regular discount codes more than cover the £9.99 annual fee. And if, like me, you're horribly impatient, being able to order something at 7pm one day and have it arrive the next afternoon - without paying through the nose for express delivery - is brilliant. ASOS carry a huge range of high street brands, from Dr Martens to New Look, so being able to access next-day delivery (and regular discounts) on those brands is also a big selling point.

Personally I think that, at just £9.99 for a year, Premier is well worth it. I'll definitely be renewing my subscription when it comes up.

* This is not a sponsored post, I'm just a big fan of ASOS Premier! *

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?)