Christmas Charity Shop Challenge

One thing I embrace is recycling. I am an avid charity shopper and love a thrifty bargain. I often take my 10-year-old sister Arnelle (we've nicknamed her Annie) on trips with me to charity shops as she loves getting carried away in the book sections. I decided to pose a little challenge for her to get Christmas gifts for the family with a mere £20 and to give her a bit of responsibility and independence.

Seeing as I've passed on my spendthrift nature and pearls of wisdom she didn't fail to disappoint and rose to the challenge admirably.

This is what she picked for me from PDSA in our local Pinner branch:

She knows how much I love Lazy Oaf's clothes and jewellery and managed to bag this jumper which I know is worth £60 as I wanted one a few years ago. SHE GOT IT FOR £2.25 discounted from £4.00 so major hugs, kisses and kudos for that.

She also picked up theee most gorgeous belt: a steal at a ridiculously meagre 99p (not even a full quid *shock horror*).

It's vintage St Michaels and has a very Versacesque feel to it with the embossed gold lion heads. The heads were made in Spain and the belt itself in the UK. I have to also add it's real leather. REAL. Whereas most of my belts are PU leather from H&M, Primark and the like you can only imagine how much this thrilled me. My older sister Vanessa will most probably nick this as only sisters can next time she's home *grumble*.

For my mum:

Okay so it's not an item of clothing but my mum has an unnatural obsession with owls. Annie picked up this hooter for £5. It's abstract and creepy, quite frankly, but I know my mother will adore it.

For my grandma she bought a nice handbag from local charity shop chain St Luke's Hospice:

And lastly my aunt will be receiving a pair of gorgeous earrings, a bargain yet again at £1.99 from PDSA.

I was a little disappointed I didn't get them to be honest...I mean am I really to be held accountable if they just acquire legs jump into my handbag and find themselves travelling to Stoke with me? I hope you can keep a secret!

All in all she only spent £12.23. What do you think of my sister's loot? Leave comments below :)

P.S. and being the nice sibling I am, I let her hang onto the change before you ask haha!

ASOS Grey Pumpkin Heels

Where did you get it from?: ASOS
When did you get it?: February 2010
What's it's Wear & Tear Factor: 0
When was the last time your wore it?: February 2010 when they came in the post ha! (Terrible, I know)



These heels were from ASOS and I bought them early 2010 from a Spring Sale. They were a bargain at £36 reduced from £60, and Frankie from the Saturdays and Leona Lewis have been spotted sporting a pair. They look stunning on but are super high measuring at 6.8 inches and pretty uncomfortable.



The feeling of teetering around on my tiptoes during a night out would send me to despair as well as fear of the high likelihood of falling and snapping my neck. I've only tried to break into the beauties in my room so due to this their wear factor is a great big ZERO. My aunt used to cite the mantra "you must suffer to be beautiful" but I've never been one to succumb to it. Being the scatterbrain I am I couldn't find the return note (the A4 sheet I found only when I was moving out, just my luck).

The upper of the shoe is grey denim and the heel and platform is a patent grey. They always recieve gasps from people who survey my shoe collection, partially out of admiration for the design but mostly an awe of their staggering heel height.

Would you consider stepping out in these- what do you think of them? Comments below :)

Ten surprising statistics on British Fashion

80 billion
Number of garments produced per year worldwide

£23 billion
Amount spent on clothes and shoes in Britain in 1990

£32.5 billion
Amount spent per year on clothes and shoes in Britain alone today

1.72 million
Amount in tonnes of brand spanking new fashion items purchased in the UK every year

1.5 million
Amount in tonnes of clothing that Britons throw away every year

4.1
Average number of items of clothing a shopper buys in the UK each month

10%
Drop in retail prices between 2003 and 2007

3 weeks
Time it takes a speedy fashion retailer to imitate a design from concept to shelves

40%
Percentage of British clothes bought at value retailers

1 million
Items of clothing sold by Primark Oxford St in its first 10 days of trading

Battleplan!

Today I have come to the realisation that My room is a shit-tip (pardon my French). It's not fit for human nor animal habitation.

Not like I suddenly woke up this morning and had a grand epiphany about its state; it was it was more an acceptance of its horror when my foot connected with an upside down earring puncturing my foot. Blood was drawn and teeny tiny tears shed.

I survived.

Now my intense university newsdays have come to an end today (hurrah) I can finally focus on getting things spick and span in my room and start organising a thing or two.

No excuses

Tomorrow I am going to clean my room. There. I've said it. So now it has been ordained if the Gods of cleaning shine a light on me my room may just be livable by the evening. I'll keep you posted guys!

Famous last words...

Office Snakeskin 'Kiss' Platform Boots

Item on the agenda:

Purchased from: Office
When: February 2011
Wear & Tear Factor: 1

When was the last time your wore them?: June 2011 during a night out to my Students' Union

I bought them from an online Office sale. Their sale is infamous for being never-ending amongst bargain hunters with a penchant for discounted shoes. At their point of purchase they looked really cool but their unusual teal colour makes them quite difficult to match with an outfit. Perhaps it's simply my pedantic nature and slight obsession for elements of an outfit I step out just going together.



Their wear and tear factor is so shockingly low as I have worn these boots probably about 1 and a half times in the entire two years I've owned them (I say and a half as I put them on but in a slightly inebriated state just before a night out I decided better against it). They have moved between university houses with me but are being neglected.

The main reason I bought them is because they were on sale- a bargain at £10 down from £85: I was sold.

What do you think of these? Awful or amazing? Should they stay or go?

Vintage Sequinned Butterfly Cape

Purchased from: eBay
When: September 2010
Wear & Tear Factor: 3
When was the last time your wore them?: March 2011 during a night out to my Students' Union

I bought this ridiculously sparkly top when I was going through a seventies phase of wide legged trousers, big curls and platforms during Autumn 2010. I am a sucker for anything gold, sequinned or embellished and this cape top encompassed all three of those elements so naturally I was sold.

I remember seeing a similar styled top during a trip to Brick Lane (well an involuntary one I was dragged to by a friend who wanted company) a couple of years ago. It was in vintage flagship store Beyond Retro and cost a whopping £35. To most mere mortals who work that might seem like a meagre amount...but to a girl who was shelling out for driving lessons and saving for a car that was a hefty amount to pay. I left the store empty handed with my tail between my legs.

Turning to eBay I was determined to find a cheaper substitute. After days of watching and endless 'sniping' I finally bagged this one for a tenner.

The irony of this tale is I have worn it once. Despite falling absolutely in love the reality is that it's just a bit too much even for me, and I haven't had anywhere really suitable to wear it other than a SU night of Christmas 2010.

Being unlabelled and vintage they're quite a rare find but it's time for me to say goodbye as it's taking up space!

Do you think this cape is a hit or miss?

Maybe not getting my deposit back?

This morning I was due to be doing a spot of reporting at Clothes Show Live.

After I got out of the shower and attempted to get dressed I got on my clothes before realising in a post sleepy daze my trousers had acquired a life of their own and disappeared.

Tearing up my room frantically late I was going to make my friend Steff and myself late I began tearing up my already messy room in a vain attempt to relocate them.

After the clock had ticked 10 minutes away with only another 15 to spare before I was due to leave I thought: 'Why not check my drawer?!'

It would not open.

After grappling with it and trying to yank prise it open as I knew in my efforts to categorise and organise my room I had put all bottoms and skirts in the last draw.

Turns out the base of the middle draw had somehow fallen through under the weight of the clothes inside it.

That, or maybe my landlord decided to call on Ikea for the worst possible furnishing for our house. I don't know.

What I do know though, is that I now have a broken drawer which isn't as bad as the broken window handle debacle in my last uni room but that's for another day...

Oh and I was late.

Topshop Floral Culotte Shorts

Stats
Where did you get it from?: Topshop
When did you get it?: April 2011
What's it's Wear & Tear Factor: 2
When was the last time your wore it?: On a night out, possibly in June 2011

Thanks to an impromptu seventies revival on the catwalks this Spring culottes made a comeback. Initially I looked at the skirt-meets-shorts hybrid and thought against them, however eventually picked up a pair from Topshop earlier this year, simply because I liked the print and they cost a tenner.

I love anything floral with a dainty print and I had a blouse that I envisaged would go perfectly with them. Alas when I returned home and tried to couple them with things in my wardrobe their odd ballooning silhouette didn't really do me any favours! To make matters worse the high waisted style didn't seem tight enough to sit high and fell around hips looking sort of odd.

About four times since I bought them I have put them on, looked in the mirror and thought, "What WAS I thinking?" and put them away again. I can't even bring myself to give them to someone else as they looked so blah on me. Yes, most unflattering garment ever.

However my friend was in love with the style when I showed them to her. They may be practical but they look awful- even if you're slim they make your hips and bum look massive.

What do you think of these-a great big yes or a definite no no?