Good Tidings

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has had an enjoyable festive break, with plenty of delicious food and fun. I have had a busy few days, finishing my Christmas shopping, seeing friends and family and generally enjoying the holiday. As a short post, I thought I would share some of the lovely gifts I have received over the past few days, plus the odd thing I have bought for myself. My next post will be dedicated to what has to be my best vintage find ever I think. But that can wait for now.








A lovely tiny black leather vintage bag with a beautiful silver clasp, a few cards of antique buttons, and a pair of black flats - I finally found the ideal pair in the Office sale, they remind me of old fashioned tap shoes.

Not quite Coco

Coco Chanel, the real deal and as played by Audrey Tatou

I know this is a bit late considering the film came out a little while ago, but I promise there is a point to this post about the iconic Coco Chanel. I think I was being secretly inspired by the film when I bought this striped tee shirt from H&M and these black trousers in Gap. The trousers are a bit of a problem though, I liked the idea of them being ankle skimming but however I try and wear them, they tend to end up looking like I just bought trousers that were too short for me. I think it would be easier if they weren't loose. Yet worn in the simplest, Coco influenced way, I think they kind of work.

Part of the reason I have been considering Chanel relates to a really awesome jumble sale find, for 40p, I give you... a real pair of Chanel ballet flats. To my great sadness they are a size 7, so miles too large for me, but I just couldn't leave them behind. I think they will end up being a Christmas present for one of my friends with more appropriately sized feet. To make it more annoying, I have been on the lookout for a nice pair of black flats for ages. I can never seem to find any that meet all my requirements, flat, but with a little heel, stylish and comfortable. The pair that comes closest is probably this pair from Topshop (second picture). Can you see where the inspiration came from?

How to get dressed for under £2.00 *

* does not include tights

This post is a celebration for my love of jumble sales. Jumble sales are a great untaped resource for the vintage lover. Many people visit charity shops and car-boot sales, but I have yet to hear of many people who enjoy a good jumble sale as much as I do. Jumble sales have one massive advantage over all other forms of vintage shopping and that is they are cheap, and I mean cheap. You generally pay around 20p entrance and then clothes/scarves/belts are all 20p, shoes and bags 50p each. Books range from 10p-50p and bric a brac depends, but it's rare to spend over a pound on anything that's not large or electrical. They are great.

Of course some are a waste of time, and on occasion I have come away with nothing, but there is always the possibility you will find some real treasures. The best thing I have ever found at a jumble sale was a pair of black and silver satin dancing shoes form the 1930s in excellent conition. They even have diamante clasps, I can't wear them as they are about a size 3, but I love them, and they cost just 10p, which makes me love them all the more. Based on these excellent prices, this post was originally meant to be 'how to get dressed for under £1', but the because of shoes the prices didn't quite fit. Still stylish for £1.50 isn't bad. I'm hoping to make this a regular blog feature, maybe once a month. This first one is dedicated to checks, the trend that refuses to go away.

Felt Hat: Gift from Grandmother
Flannel dress: (Hemmed) Laura Ashley, Jumble sale, 20p
Leather boots: Jumble sale, 50p
Leather bag: Jumble sale, 50p

Crochet scarf: Gift from Grandmother
Check shirt: Jumble sale, 20p
Snap front skirt: Jumble sale, 20p
Leather boots: Jumble sale, 50p
Leather bag: Jumble sale, 50p

I've had the flannel dress since March, but had to wait until it was suitably cold to wear it, I think it's 1980s Dorothy Perkins, I had to hem it as it was originally well below the knees. The check shirt is a boys' age 12, but I quite like the lose fit. The skirt actually makes me a bit squeamish - it's made of suede. I would never buy something like this new plus I think I look a bit too much like a cowgirl in the last outfit. Oh well. I do love the boots though, I think I actually squealed when I caught site of them. They are the perfect brogue style boot, dark brown and nicely worn down so they are very comfortable. They are my new go with everything shoes.

Longevity

Hello. Autumn is officially over as far as I am concerned, a sad thing since it is my favourite time of year. The leaves, bonfire night, fireworks, Halloween, my birthday, all the best things. Now I can look forward to a long English winter, and the challenges of staying warm without losing all sense of style. More on that later I think because winter has caught up with me and given me a bit of flu, so this will be a very short post - apologies. I thought I would share with you this photo, I photocopied it from a very old book about the Bauhaus a couple of years ago. I wish I knew the book's name, if anyone recognises it please let me know! Unlike most books I could find on the subject this one had lots of photos of the people who worked or attended the Bauhaus. I've lost some but I have a few left, which I will post in the future. This one is my absolute favourite though. The serious expression, the intricately ruffled dress, the jaunty little hat. It never fails to inspire me.