HAUL!

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post - mainly as I've been ridiculously busy with the new term. 3rd year is scary!

Anyway, as recession blows its cold wind across the nation, my buying habits have been reduced to pretty much nil - especially I bought quite a few of the 'essentials' i was previously missing toward the end of the hols. My wardrobe is currently filled with fun bits and pieces - a mixture of favourites both new and old, and a medley of clothes that had been languishing in the back of my wardrobe back home. I'm not really having many sartorial crises, as my core wardrobe is pretty sorted, and my only problem is how freaking far the laundry is from my current digs!

However, I haven't had anything new to play around with for quite a number of weeks.

Yet today, the clothing gods smiled upon me, in the form of a few freebies given out by my friend who runs a creative space here in Cam. They had a make-do and mend event today (that I was unable to attend due to being at work... sob!) which left a number of clothes unwanted and unloved in the studio this evening! So, in return for some romantic advice ( - my proper use around here lol - ) I was allowed to rootle through the leftovers and found some plain totes, a fat square of fabric, three dresses (two of which require altering to sort bagginess in wierd places - can't help it that I'm HUGELY hourglass / slightly less weight on my hips after a month of weight gain due to stress-out yukkiness and torn cartilage-forced lack of exercise), a suede jacket, a red wool coat with black collar and a black knit halterneck with sparkly tie at the front... ALL FOR FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Yay! Right. Tomorrow, I work. Honest!

*photos and descriptions to come soon...*

Xxxc

Office Dressing...

Well, after selling my soul for seventy quid a day, I find myself in a solicitors office in London, 'til it's back to Cam next week, twiddling my thumbs while I wait for someone to find me some photocopying to do. It's wierd to be in an environment where I have to do 'office dressing' - something I've never had to do in a big way. My everyday wardrobe is quite smart anyway, and the jobs I do tend to be either just requiring being presentable (working on a box office) or wearing comfy outdoor-able clothes (lifeguard, archaeologist, leader at summer camp). So... I bought two new pairs of TROUSERS - things I never really managed to buy (except for a pair of peg leg GAP men's ones in the sale a few years ago that I ADORE) - which go against my usual skirts bias... But after 3 days in the office, I find I LOVE them. They're warmer, easier to coordinate at 7.30am when I'm dazed from the earliness, comfy (yes, I get the horrible rubbing thighs thing that makes summer dressing a tad less easy) and I have to admit, make me feel amazing!



The first pair bought were the pair from Isabel Marant Etoile. Having put on a little weight since then (I had a job for 2 weeks which gave me too much extra money for food, so I bought dark chocolate, gluten free biccies and coconut rings every day for two weeks... yuk) they fit, but don't look amazing at the mo... Unlike pair number 2.



Having battled with trouser-buying before, and lost to the point where they just didn't figure on my fashion radar (except jeans, which I am currently weaning myself off...) I have made up my mind that since high street ones are often just so ill-fitting / made out of icky material (yes I'm a snob but I think trousers are the one item of clothing which really really show up such things), I will stick to high end stuff. Obviously not ludicrously expensive, but certainly investment pieces.



So along came my Diane Von Furstenburg high waisted, flared, woolen pieces of gorgeousness. Okay, so I have to wear heels with them (I may be tall, but my legs are stumpy compared to my wierdly long body), but they make me look, and feel amazing - which considering the steps backward with the weight gain, is GREAT! Hopefully, the fact they're on the tight side means I can re-lose this annoying stress-and-free-f00d-weight and they'll still be perfect! They're the trousers on the right in the left salt-and-pepper colour.

So, office dressing sorted. YAY!

Object of Lust

Look at this Acne skirt... (Can you tell what my favourite label is? ;D)

All 3 metres of folded fabric, inspired by the matador Juanita Cruz...

I especially like the back view...

Beautiful...

I can just feel the weight of it...

Sigh...

Only 3 left online. At £280, it's just too much. Damn!!!

Drinks, Driving and a Darling 'new' Teeshirt...

I've had a week of being down-in-the-dumps and staying in, missing people, post finishing at the Summer School, and have just started being sociable again! Leaving behind the cat and Murder She Wrote...

None of my home friends are being particularly approachable at the mo (comes from spending the first 2.5 months of the summer away or working 24/7...) and my 'rents, who were supposed to be away on holiday, but for various reasons aren't and have been underfoot, have been driving me INSANE!!!

So, I got out. Dinner and quite a few cocktails with my workmate La on Tuesday (outfit post will eventually surface... along with the full story), and yesterday, I went to the pub with another workmate... We had a brilliant time - him drinking two small glasses of red wine (classy ;p), me on one cider and then lime and soda as I was driving.

Anyway, I wore the following outfit:

- Acne Hex Royal Grey Jeans (new pair I got on sale at their website to replace my old faithful, but falling apart and a tad too big, slightly darker grey pair I've had for YEARS), two tone converse (denim blue and shell/salmon pink tabs from office) and massively oversized print tee I bought for Є1 at a rag-stall in the market by the Capella Medici in Florence... The tee was to be tucked in and the (almost down to my elbows) sleeves rolled.

Post-sedate-pubbage, I agreed (after much persuading) to let my (graduate) mate, who has never learnt to drive, have a first 'driving lesson' a la moi down one of the private roads around the school we live in... It was hilarious! I don't think my little Clio will ever forgive me, but a little bit of clutch abuse was worth the obvious enjoyment he got out of it... I was hanging onto my seat in paranoia, but it was a great laugh. He didn't once crash into anything!!! Hehe. We did 1st and 2nd gear and speed bumps. Not too bad for a first timer eh! Regardless to say, it was approaching midnight, so we thought a longer lesson would have to wait for another time...

New Favourite

As I start dressing for the new season (it being freezing in August an'all, on top of the shops being filled with A/W goodies, the nicest of which will be snapped up by Actual Autumn), I find myself using one particular item a great deal.

I bought it in my local TRAID about a week before I trotted off to Italy, and had no idea it would become such a staple!

Said item is ticks several 'trend' boxes, according to glossies such as Vogue and Elle etc lol, such as being mid-calf-length and mustard... Despite the fact that on the surface such a description doesn't exactly lend itself to instant lust, I LOVE IT!

It is probably from the early 90s or late 80s, but is in great condition... It goes with Loads, and it's colour is actually really easy to wear!

Worn here with a navy Zara cardigan, bought in Florence. (I always find stuff in Zara abroad, but never at home!!!) Please excuse the mess at home and the - as usual - wierd colour in the photos...

And... the Cat loves it! Hehe.

It has even prompted the resurfacing of my gorgeous sample sale Eley Kishimoto shoes! (Pictured with cat and sadly neglected sewing machine...)

I've done quite a few outfits with it in the past week, and will have to post some more, so you can see how versatile it actually is!

Sigh... Xxx (a lovestruck) c ;)

I Really Want to Run Away to Paris...

Over the last week, I've felt an overwhelming urge to take a day trip to Paris...

First came this (that I have purchased from Urban Outfitters... On sale... Cross Fingers it's fulfils my HIGH expectations!!!) :



Then I found a £49-£69 under 26 deal on Eurostar returns!!!

Now I await my best friend's verdict on a day to go!!! Woooooo!!! Let's hope I can get this plan off the ground!

Xxxc

About Face

In another turnaround from one of my earlier posts about my hatred of Topshop, I have, I must admit, ventured into the murky (to my mind) waters internet clothes shopping at Topshop.com - very late to the game! I had tried on a shaped black skirt with a red rose print on a few weeks ago at Selfridges, but refrained from buying due to being unsure and at the same time, making a purchase of too expensive office-wear trousers from the Isabelle Marant diffusion range (high waisted, navy wool, nautically inspired button up bib front, to die for!!!).

Since then, I've not really been near a Topshop store, but had been mooning over it online... A few days ago, my lust for the skirt, along with a grey jersey 'origami' skirt and two items used in the latest ad campaigns - a batgirl tee and a black and coloured metallic stripes structured puffy skirt, had caught me, hook, line and sinker. And since my four items of joy added up to the scary total that Topshop.com require for shipping it all free, I thought it must be fate! That and the fact that I can return things to the nearest Topshop store, rather than faffing about with postage, if they don't quite work!

They all arrived today... I excitedly ripped open the pleasantly polka-dotted package, and tried them all on. First was the 'origami sweat skirt' (not exactly the most pleasing of titles!). I have a bit of a love affair with grey going on in my wardrobe, but I must admit that this will not be added to the collection. In part, probably due to it being rather big, and on arrival was creased and not particularly good quality. I quite liked the front, but what made it interesting there made the back hang badly and though it wasn't expensive, I have too many clothes, and additions really have to work...

Then I tried on the rose print black skirt that had been the reason for my purchasing in the first place. I love the print as I did before, but I realised that my misgivings in the store were not misplaced. I just felt quite apathetic about it. It's nice an' all, but I don't know if it will fit perfectly into my wardrobe. However, I'm going to mull until I venture out to my local Topshop tomorrow, as I did think over the purchase, and I'm going to have to get a second opinion from the mothership...



In part, my willingness to return the rose print skirt is because while I'm not poor at this particular point in time, I had wanted to save up a bit post-summer jobs... I decided that the Batgirl tee would fit nicely into my wardrobe and fits my too long, kinda lumpy body well (also, my big boobs don't obscure the print - bonus!!!).



And I am growing to love the striped skirt... While on the surface, I am going to have to work hard to get it to fit my wardrobe, it really ticks my boxes for a going out skirt... Short, shiny, interesting shape (not puffed out as it seems on the ad pics, but slightly lantern shaped), sits high.



It was sold out on the website in all but my size and one bigger (it's now sold out completely), and I'm really glad I got it. It's in a slightly crumpled state, which shows a bit due to the stiff fabric, but I really like it! I'm planning on wearing it for my next dinner and cocktails out with the girlies with a forest green strappy top, black tights, black (and gold detail) suede ankle boots and a vintage red cropped suit jacket I rescued from a covering of dust in my mother's wardrobe... What do you think?

So... All in all, I have added to my Topshop stash! A skirt and a tee for definite, and poooooossibly, a second skirt. Though that will depend on mother's eye and how ruthless and thrifty I'm feeling pre-shops tomorrow!

Xxxc