The City

Sunday Morning Find

Over Breakfast with friends at The Vintner, a winter jacket displayed in the charity shop opposite caught my eye. Eagerly pouncing as soon as the shop opened, I discovered the size 12 fur-lined jacket fresh off the manakin was PERFECT! For £20 (and a couple of quid for some new tortoise-shell buttons) I've got a snug winter coat! Oh how I love Sundays!

London Calling

There's something about London Town... After travelling the world, stopping at tonnes of cities, I struggle to believe that there's any city more charming or fashionable than the capital! It's not just the designer labels paralleled with vintage warehouses that makes London the most incredible shopping destination, it's something about the whole aura & attitude that floods from Fleet Street to Mayfair that gives London that edge. Stepping off the train at Marylebone you'll feel it. That originality that comes from the centuries-old buildings & the old-school vibe is enough to inspire anyone. Teamed with a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan influence & you can see why London is home to some of the most different, original & classic style. There's a sense of acceptance in London. No matter how you dress, you will always encounter someone who understands & appreciates your concept. Whether it be on the Tube or in a chic rooftop wine bar, there will be someone who is inspired by you or inspires you! The tradition yet progression of London is reflected by the Londoners classic looks with modern touches. You only have to visit one of the locals favourite haunts to be witness to this. Stepping down the narrow, steep staircase of Gordons Wine Bar, you'll see 20-something's donning flat-caps & vintage t-shirts which reveal sailor-jerry-esque tattoo sleeves. In the same bar, you will also see 20-something's in tweed blazers & brogues sat in a low-ceiling corner with a bottle of wine chatting intently about the stock market. No judgement. Following a recent jaunt to the city, I now feel London calling. That's the problem see, the smoggy streets, old pubs with roaring fires & hidden bars in dingy cellars also makes London the ideal place for dreamers...

Something Old, Something New, Something Velvet, Something Blue.

 To someone it was old. To me it was new. It was velvet. It was blue. And my recent charity shop purchase renewed my love for charity shop hunting & reminded me that the best outfits are those that just kinda happen. Recently feeling very uninspired (hence the lack of blogging!) & the bank balance looking less than healthy (hence the silly amount of working), it took a size 16, petrol blue, velvet, £4.99 floor-length skirt to re-awaken my love for creating an outfit from a spark of inspiration.
 In theory, charity shops are everything a fashionista could want. Full of one-offs, you can guarantee your find will be individual, different from the mundane high-street selection and, best of all, CHEAP! However, I know this is easier said than done. In all honesty, I sometimes really doubt whether the girl who owns the 'amazing leather satchelll' I've just complimented really did pick it up for £2.95 in Oxfam, because when I set foot in any charity shop in my home town, the choice is very much limited to variations of old Laura Ashley knits & musty-smelling blouses. In my opinion, it's a bit of pot-luck. But after my recent finds, my confidence has been restored in all things second-hand, unwanted & cunningly re-labelled 'vintage'.
 Aren't I glad now that I showed a bit of self-restraint when resisting to buy a velvet, burgundy skirt for £39 from American Apparel last week now I picked one up from The British Heart Foundation for just £3.99 today! I must also be glad that people seem to be removing all velvet from their wardrobes. That's the best thing about charity shops; by giving away your unwanted clothes, not only are you supporting the cause of the organisation, you will also make the person who buys that item a very happy person. Nothing beats that post-purchase high whilst shopping!
 I've developed a technique for bargain-hunting. A key rule being: don't just take an item of clothing on face-value. A shirt could be a dress, a dress could be a scarf, a scarf could be skirt. Look for textures and patterns you like. Talking from experience, charity shops at the moment are brimming with velvet, corduroy and silk. All key materials & textures this coming Autumn/Winter. If a neck-line is hideous, cut it up. If a hem-line is too long, shorten it. With a few minor adjustments, you can have an outfit that's quirky & on trend. And you don't have to be a creative genius to make these alterations.
 Not exactly a talented seamstress, I kept it simple. I teemed the velvet skirt with a brown belt to alter the shape of the garment and quickly tacked the back to transform the 5-sizes-too-big skirt into a dress that was showered with compliments, all in under 4 minutes. Sure, I was slightly late for the party. But I went with the satisfaction that only comes when you are completely happy with an outfit that only cost you £4.99. Imagine my joy that now, when someone asks where my dress is from, I can be one of those girls who smugly responds 'Oh this?! I just picked it up in a charity shop...'

Blue skirt worn as dress-£4.99 Charity Shop

Black Velvet Skirt-£3.99 Sue Ryder Charity Shop. Hat, Cardigan & Cami top-all H&M. Shoes-Urban Outfitters

PUNK ain't dead!

  I confess, back in the day my Mum must have had a wardrobe Vivienne Westwood would be envious of. As a die-hard fan of the Bay City Rollers, her wardrobe contained more tartan than a Scotts-man on St Andrew's day. And boy do I wish she'd kept it all now! I must have been a punk in my former life because I LOVE everything that a bit of leather, a few studs and a LOT of tartan stand for. Rebellion, freedom, Rock n' Roll. So imagine my joy when I discovered Punk-revival is tipped to be a key trend this coming Autumn/Winter. Think 1970's rebels, The Sex Pistols, smoking, drinking, swearing, with a hint of Lady Gaga and you've got yourself a bang-on-trend look. Now I'm not trying to start a full-blown revolution, but adding a hint of tartan to an outfit or throwing on a leather jacket on the odd occasion wouldn't go a-miss. For inspiration, look towards Viv, Doc Martins, 70's Rock bands. But maybe steer clear of the Bay City Rollers on iTunes... 

Fashion's Night Out.

 As Fashionistas, Designers and Celebrities alike throw on their highest Louboutins, most elaborate outfits and most outrageous accessories, it can only mean one thing...Fashion's Night Out! To kick off Fashion Week, the uber-cool take to the chicest of bars and clubs in New York for a party like no other. New York is flooded with fashion's elite, A-list celebrities and 'hot, young things'. And as pictures emerge of one of the biggest events in the fashion calendar, I'm more than jealous! Everyone from Anna Wintour, DVF and Giuseppe Zanotti to the Olsen Twins and Usher attended, making it a night for everyone who's anyone to attend. If only I was in the Big Apple...

Dreaming of FROW

 As Fashion Week commences, myself and Kate (allornothing89.blogspot.com) go into a severe state of depression. It's not only the fact that we're NOT there, it's also the fact that we've returned to work after our 5 month travelling stint. Less 'front row' and more 'front of house'. Thank God that Fashion Week is live-streaming on Youtube! Just watched the Diane von Furstenberg vid and nearly cried. Mostly at how beautiful the blue evening dress with gold detailing is. But also because WE'RE NOT THERE. Hey-ho! The best we can do is blog about it...

Follow allornothing89.blogspot.com. She's kinda cool and a really good pal o' mine.

And speaking of Karma...

 After an extremely heavy night out poisoning my body and spending money I don't have, it was only right that something suitably shit happen to me today. And true to its promise, Karma came round to bite me on the bum. As if waking up with a shocker of a hang-over wasn't enough, the low blow came whilst on my way to the brilliant Wendy O'Hare's salon for a facial. Running out the door (naturally I was late) with phone to ear, reminiscing about how I was 'soooooooooooooo drunk last night', I bunged some £10 notes in the top of my handbag and flung it on the front seat of my car. It was only when I went to pay for the facial that I realised only one, lonesome note was left in my bag. It's pretty windy today so I'm guessing the notes fell out my bag & blew away. I retraced my steps, cleaned out my handbag (three times) and turned my car upside-down, but there was no sign. I can't complain though. You can't expect to be that mean to your body, all in the name of fun, without something rubbish happening whilst you're stone cold sober so you can really feel the pinch.
 I was going to try and turn it around. Somebody will find my £20 today and be a very happy person. So in a backwards way, I've done a good deed for someone who most probably deserves it. After-all, to get such good Karma of finding £20, you've gotta be a pretty great person. I've kind of done a good thing for someone, so maybe something good will happen to me now. Maybe I'll find the £20. Highly unlikely. And after just eating, in true hang-over style, a microwaved, pre-cooked chicken meal that was a day out of date for breakfast, I'm guessing my day's only going to get worse...

Barry M's 'Blue Moon' is the nail colour for tonight! Had to try it out after seeing it advertised in Elle magazine's September issue. LOVE IT!

Jog, Cycle, Yoga, SCONE?

 As we all know, there is a very delicate balance that has to be kept in order for the world to maintain its equilibrium. Ying and Yang, for example. Or Karma. You do something good for someone and, in return, something good happens to you. Take Yoga; this practice focuses on balancing, not just in awkward poses, but balancing your mind in order to achieve a state of well-being. It's a given; balance makes things work. And taking all this into consideration has brought me to the conclusion that today I will eat both a scone & some cake. After a morning jog (which I've decided was in fact twice as long as I actually did because it's gale force winds therefore you have to consider wind-resistance), followed by a cycle to town & then a yoga class, I feel I owe it not only to myself, but to the world, to keep the balance. After-all, I'd hate to disrupt the equipoise. Although I should probably keep in mind that the dictionary definition of balance is also: 'an instrument to determine weight'...

Middle-Earth

 Being from a small town in the countryside, there's little diversity when it comes to fashion. Any variation of Wellington boots & Barbour jackets seems to be the done thing. Go back a few years, then a few years before that; I'm pretty sure that my parents' parents, and then their parents before, would be able to slip on an outfit from one of the few shops in town & comfortably fit into any decade without anyone batting an eyelid. Is this middle-earth? No. It's just the way it is. And, I'm pretty certain, how things will always be. The Cotswolds is a time-warp.
 Imagine the excitement when a Jack Wills recently came to town? The only problem is that now you can't walk down high-street without seeing every other tween in a 'WILLS hoodie', accompanied by the standard Gillette & underwear protruding from the top of their jeans. Not that I'm complaining. Don't get me wrong, we could do a lot worse than the classic, colourful garments Jack Wills has brought to town. It's just that now everyone is wearing it, it's a little bit mundane...  
 Hoping to keep things a little different, we want to share our finds from eclectic vintage pieces to bits & bobs picked up on our travels. Spoilt by stumbling upon a 5-story shopping paradise in Hong Kong, little vintage boutiques that seemed so out-of-place in Thailand & bohemian heavens in Australian (amongst many more), we've been inspired to inspire. The Pig & Pony Club is somewhere to post fashion ideas, styling tips & encourage people to be different. After all, no one wants to be a clone. So share the knowledge... Share the love...