clothes from an unknown origin

I think, clothes wise, this last week has been my best for thrifting in a long time. The Aquascutum skirt was a good find, but my heart has been utterly stolen by two adorable blouses and the biggest coat bargain I’ve ever seen.

eBay (my second port of vintage-esque call) was responsible for me finding this little beauty:

Not long ago, I sold my faux fur coat because it was a) beige and did nothing for me and b) it was just a short jacket, and I wanted something longer, darker, and just more…. vintage-y. I trawled through for a couple of weeks, and found some that looked OK, and others that looked horrific, some that were perfect and the wrong size, and some that were the right size but completely the wrong style. Sigh. And then, like a furry beacon in a sea of darkness, the coat just appeared in a search one morning. I added it to my watch list, and then…. forgot to bid on it. Damn. Fortunately, so did anyone else, so I bought it directly from the seller (naughty, shhhh) – she was so lovely, and sent it super quickly. Unfortunately, the postman took it to the wrong address, and somehow it ended up back at the depot. By the time I actually got to it, I almost chewed his arm off to get to it – and then was so happy with it that I got the Husband to do an impromptu outfit post photo right there in the car park.

Ta daaaaaa:

 

I love it. I love everything about it. I love the fact that its huge and heavy (it really is vintage, not just ‘vintage style’ – not that it makes a difference to me, it was a certain look I was after), and that it has a thick cotton lining. I love the colour, and the length and the buttons. I love the fact that it looks cracking with my gold sunglasses (the sun was out, honest!), and that my friend said it made me look like I was from another era. I’m literally so happy with it that I give it a little smooth every time I open the hall cupboard.

I can’t possibly put the rest of my finds in order of adoration, they’re all wonderful and have their own merits. So I’ll do them randomly. Continuing with the eBay theme is this lovely peter-pan collar, velvet ribbon tie, printed super-blouse. It looks pretty roomy, and I’d say it’s roughly a size 12 (I’m a 10), which has turned out perfectly because I love a bit of volume, and it will work whether tucked into a skirt, or left loose over skinny jeans.

My favourite vintage shop was where I found the most adorable blouse for a bargain £10 – I have no idea what era it’s from, or even what size it’s supposed to be, as the girl who owns the shop hadn’t even had time to price it before I clutched it to my chest, dribbling a bit. I also got a scarf, a ring, a neck tie thingy and a belt. A good haul!

 

When it comes to clothes, I’m more about the print, the fit and the details rather than insisting everything be vintage or ‘on-trend’ (should I admit that? Maybe not. Oh well…). Oh, and the price point. Being a mother who only works part time, and who has a Husband who is a mere insurance clerk (or something insurance-y), we don’t tend to have a great deal of disposable income leftover for my clothes addiction. Which is why I buy the majority of my clothes from eBay or charity shops, and also why I choke whenever I think about paying more than about £5 for an item of clothing. People have mixed views on charity shops, and I have friends even now who refuse to go in them, and are constantly amused by my bargain hunting and love for ‘old lady clothes’. And I honestly don’t own anything more old-lady-ish than this mustard coloured cropped knit vest that I stumbled across in the British Heart Foundation. For a bargain price of £2.99. It’s yellow, it’s knitted, it has a lacy detail in the stitch. What more could a girl want to put over her tea dress or blouse? Happy days indeed.