The Bargainista's Rules...

Bonjour!

Apologies for the lack of blogging for the past few days- exams and revision are competing against the fashion world for my attention. I wonder who is going to win?! I was thinking of ideas for my next blog, and then I thought about how we are still in the first month of January, feeling the crunch of Christmas. Meanwhile the news is choc full of politicians and the like declaring that we are amid a second recession. So how do the stylish cope with these demands? The answer is simple, the Bargainista's Guide Rules.

I know a good Bargain, being claimed the 'Jammiest' of all my family. In Northern translation, this means I am not one to pass up a bargain, freebie, or a huge saving of any kind. Dont get me wrong, if I have money to spend, it burns a huge hole right in my Topshop Skinnies, pleading with me everytime i log onto say, Urban Outfitters, Zara, Topshop ect ect. You get the idea- the list goes on. However, I have learnt a few tricks on the way to save you some pennies.

The first? Explore your options. If your like me and have 'Shoe Envy' disease, don't buy the first pair of shoes that takes your fancy when you walk into a shop. You may find a less expensive, but still as gorgeous pair somewhere else. For example, a gorgeous pair of staple black wedges. 





Topshop 'Salute' Ankle Strap Wedges, £62



New Look Chunky Ankle Strap Wedges £24.99



See? Almost the same! You would honestly be surprised at the amount of times I've walked into a shop and seen a pair a shoes/bag/belt for a lot less than when I previously saw it.

Secondly, don't skimp on basics. These are your key wardrobe essentials that, if invested wisely, will last a lifetime. Why do you think so much vintage stuff is in good condition?! The basics that every girl needs in her wardrobe are go-to vest tops/Camisoles; Jeans; and underwear. It may seem pointless buying a vest top for £10 more than somewhere else, but you would be surprised in the long run how much you could save purely by investing in key pieces. No ladies, that doesn't mean the new Balenciaga bag! My favourite place to buy staple vests, tops and camisoles are Gap, American Apperel, and All Saints.



Stiped vest http://www.gap.eu/

Unisex fine jersey tank http://www.americanapparel.co.uk/

Jeans. I want them to be sturdy, fit well, keep their colour and not end up saggy-around-the-bum. I buy my jeans from Topshop, DKNY, Levi, or Hollister. I have found them all to stay true to their shape, colour, size and they always look great to throw on. Jeans, if good quality, should look as good as they did the first time you put them on, no matter how many times you wear them. 7 for all Mankind, along with J brand to the most amazing high quality (albeit it high price) and are known to clad the bottoms of the rich and famous.
Buy once, wear always.



J brand jeans- 811 midrise skinny leg. http://www.jbrandjeans.com/



One of the biggest tips I have learnt is to Shop Online. You may be entering into unknown territory, but believe me there is a whole world out there! People scoop up bargains that the high street couldn't even dream of. Kurt Geiger sales, Topshop Sales, Urban Outfitters sales, and Zara sales are among the best there are. Many items which have sold out in store because some lucky so-and-so has snapped them up, will still be available online. I recently saw a pair of Nine West heels online in Kurt Geiger going for £20! Unreal.. I am also a huge supporter of Ebay and Amazon, home to thousands of pre-loved goodies just waiting for you to snap up. Designer clothes from the likes of Prada, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Acne, Missoni, and Alexander Mcqueen (the list goes on and on) will be sold at starting prices around £0.99! I recently bid on a Burberry Cashmere scarf (The iconic check!) sadly I was outbid at the last second for the grand price of £18. One word of caution though- thoroughly investigate the pictures before you buy and always check for authenticity.

My last golden rule is that I make sure I know when and where my local vintage markets and Outlets are. There is a flea market near where I live every Sunday which I regularly attend, and Ive picked up a few bargains over the years. There are often vintage shops in City Centres, and Ive picked up a lovely neck scarf in the past, along with costume jewellery, hats and bags. Be warned though- the stuff worth having is like finding a needle in a haystack, but prevail, and you'll be sure to dig up gold. Outlets are a great way to find reduced clothing from high-end high street or designers, if you want the labels but don't have thousands to spend! One of the best Outlet shops is TkMaxx. (http://www.tkmaxx.com/) They sell just about every designer brand, and again, even more bargains are to be found online.

I hope my little guide has helped you lovely ladies scout out some lovely bargains and be sure to drop me a comment if you've found any of these tips helpful :)

XOXO

sunny with a chance of rain...

Throughout the gloomy days and constant Gail-force winds and rain, wreaking havoc with our perfectly coiffed hair (haha...) However I have scouted out a few key things for this up and coming year. For many spring shows, tribal was a huge feature, demonstrated in shows like Missoni Spring/Summer 2012. (see link below) I loved the way they Incorporated a new twist on the tribal theme, including browns, purples, blues, oranges in the patterns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcaaIZVPUbE&feature=related



tribal shorts- topshop.com



fringed top- topshop.com



For a high-street smattering of tribal, the 'Navajo Boot'  along with any leather, tassel's or detailing, is a real winner. The 'I-just-flew-back-from-a-hot-desert-country vibe' is lovely and there are some really nice variations of the 'tribal' theme out there.



Navajo boot- Linzishoes.com

Another aspect of Spring/Summer that I picked up on, was the emphasis on Metallics. Topshop Unique S/S 2012 show was a riot of metallics. A lot of luxe gold, bronze, burnt amber, rose gold, along with a slightly dodgy gold-coated hair, made for an interesting show. Aztec prints were a dominant part of the show, and already if you visit http://www.topshop.com/, they've show cased a few sneak peaks of their key focus points already. Some pieces that have took my fancy, include:

skirts, trousers and top, all Topshop.com.

To see Topshops latest show visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClGAU90OrrU.

Hope you all enjoyed the sneak preview of whats in store for us this year!

XOXO.

style for students

bonjourno!

Like many other students, exam period is looming and hence adsa is running low on coffee. If your like me, with a million and one exams at the moment, you want to have a couple of 'go to' outfits to throw on in the morning time. you don't want to be panicking about what your going to wear, when you may have a really important exam. Like wise you don't want to be in an exam hall in your scruffs and be thinking 'oh god everyones going to be thinking i look a state' just as much as you'll be wanting to avoid that body con something-or-other because believe me, sitting in a rock hard chair that hurts your bottom for two hours whilst wearing something horribly uncomfortable isn't going to do you any favours!

black Chelsea boots, topshop.com

black blazer, forever21.com

black jeans DKNY.com

For this reason, i keep a few fail-safe outfits ready for me to throw on in the morning. My favourite is currently black DNKY jeans, with either slouchy tee or jumper depending on the temperature. I pair this with a black structured blazer from Forever 21, black biker boots or Chelsea boots, and either a cream slouchy shoulder bag from Marc B- or currently, my favourite, a checkered structured satchel from Co-Operative from Urban Outfitters. I throw on some thin gold necklaces, pair with a watch and I'm ready to go. Hope this gives you some ideas for outfits over this stressful time!
XOXO

Trend Alert; little baggies.

Now that winter is starting to calm down a bit and were getting the first glimpse of sun (albeit still cold sun) in what seems like forever. Following this, new trends are emerging and one of the key things I've picked up on lately is the shopper bag. The shopper bag is basically a rather large practical bag, structured and unstructured, the handle stays short.
Personally, because bags last me approximately 1 week before they start to look battered and bruised, i prefer the slouchy style ones, because i think the more worn-in they are, the better effect they have.

leather shopper- http://www.ethicsgirls.co.uk/

 As well as the slouchy style, there's also the structured shopper, a la Longchamp. These are for your no-nonsense down-to-business girls! Longchamp do some of the most classic shoppers out there, capturing that classic french style.



structured shopper- Longchamp totebag. http://www.longchamp.com/



 Longchamp have recently done a collaboration with Kate Moss- a distinctly different direction than classic Longchamp. To see Kates eclectic style visit http://www.longchamp.com/ These shoppers are everywhere at the moment and celebrities, designers and high street alike are all sporting these little baggies.

XOXO

re: myself and me

hello lovely people, this is my veryyy first blog for blogspot; so i think im going to start it as if im rambling to myself, or a friend, which incidently im sure that in the future you may well be! considering when (and please god if) i get followers, you may probably want to know a bit about me.
Im 18, and live in the north west England. Im a student attending Winstanley College, studing psychology, english language, history and pointless general studies. when im not working my backside off trying to obtain decent a-levels, i love fashion, music, books, tea, vintage photographs, visiting charity shops and being 100% committed to the destruction of my education in favour of browsing shops, blogs, you tube and ebay. i am a big fan of cheesy cliche quotes and to prove it a have a whacking hardback of them. i could ramble for hours and could talk the hind leg off a donkey. my analagies are much loved by my long-suffering best friend and boyfriend. i love taking an outfit and making it my own, and i dont care if anyone else doesnt like the way i dress! i love experimenting with makeup and i love the way clothes and cosmetics can be changed depending on your mood for the day. my room is constantly a mess and i swear by having a floordrobe it makes life easier. this is already approaching an offensive length so i will draw to a close and aspire to bring something different to blogspot. hope you enjoyed reading!
XOXO