Dorset Days

Hi Guys, long time no blog. Rest assured, although I havn't posted in an age, I have been reading you posts on a regular basis! So much to catch up on... I'll do a seperate post on that, for now I thought I'd finally post these pictures, since my lovely best bud Michael went to all the trouble of taking them.

My summer holiday this year consisted of a jolly jaunt to Dorset with my brilliant friends for 3 days back in August. We stayed in a real thatched cottage (courtsey of the lovely Nicola), drank cider, frolicked in the hills, drank some more cider, explored the tiny towns, ate in quaint country pubs, played a lot of board games, and drank rather a lot of wine. Road tripping in England is the way forward.

The photos were taken in the garden of Nic's cottage in not so sunny Dorset. I'm wearing my favourite shorts ever, found at the start of July in a charity shop (I don't remember which one) in Mildenhall, kindly purchased for me by my mumma, for the princely sum  of £2.25. I love their sweet pale green check and perfect high-waisted cut. The top you've seen before, and the cardi is pure wool, warm, slouchy, and a bargain at £1, from the Isabelle Hospice shop in Harlow.

It's good to be back, although with all the huge exciting, life changing things going on right now (& I'm not even being sarcastic), I'm not so sure I'll be 'back' regularly! Oh well.

Lots of love,
VW x

New Lengths

What I wore in St.Andrews, day 2. It was baking hot, for the UK in early June anyhow, so like I said in my last post, this beautiful hat was such a blessing. I burn easy and have a tendency to get sunstroke if I'm not careful, so having this as a sun hat was perfect, it was also lovely to feel covered up but still perfectly cool (long skirt).

I can not praise this skirt enough, I had been hunting for it for a couple on months now. I wanted it, I needed it, I thought I'd never find it, I gave up, and then there it was. I mean, not this actual skirt, but something exactly like it, although I wasn't sure it definitely existed. I dreamt of something long, chiffon-y, pleated, that sat high on the waist, was in a light, bright summery colour, and didn't cost the earth. I finally found something that fit the bill on Missguided but they were sold in my size (they now have some similar back in, but with a side split). I then stumbeld across this bad boy in a boutique called Thuder Egg on Oldham Street. I stupidly cut the tag off and threw it out, so I can't tell what the actual brand is!

It also came in cobalt blue and mustard yellow, I'm now considering buying one... as I love this one so much. What do you think is more wearable, blue or the yellow?

The jersey shirt/top is great too, a new purchase from Topshop, very comfy, has such a cute aztec style cross-stitch pattern around the neckline, and I love the extra roomy arm holes. I know that sound weird, but they're just that bit bigger, and kind of hang different, and I just think its a really contemporary design feature/'look'. (I snapped it up while they were doing 20% off for students last week!)

Hat - Charity Shop, Suglasses - RayBan, Top - Topshop (£26), Skirt - Thunder Egg (£25), Sandals - Zara, Bag - Vintage (my mum's)

Oh & I really need some new daytime summer sandals. I want something with a low heel, but not wedge (I'm just not a wedge fan) and versitile, so in like tan or cream or something. What do you think of these? I will definately snap them up next time I'm in town, if, a) they have my size in stock, b) they fit nicely and c) they're still down to £25! haha. Let me know if you see anything else that might fit the bill. I can't spend more than £30 really!


VW x

No Comment!

Hi Guys, I just wanted to let you all know that I've been experiencing a problem with my blogger for almost 2 weeks now, where it won't let me comment on any of your posts - it seems to be some sort of google account problem.

So anyway, I have been reading all your posts, and wanting to comment on quite a lot of them, but I type it out and then it won't let me & I get frustrated and just leave it! Sorry guys! Hopefully the problem will sort itself out soon, until then know that I am loving your recent posts :-)

Mucho amor,

VW x

A photo of some Henna I did a couple of weeks ago :-) Just because posts are boring without photos haha

Pleats, Polka-dots & Daisy-chains

This is what I wore in St.Andrews (Scotland) on Thursday, it was a day of glorious sunshine, great friends and childish fun and frolics!

We bought food from Morrisons and had a massive feast of a picnic in the Botanical Gardens, it was the best lunch EVER, haha! We played 'dizzy races' like the mature 21 year olds we are, and wandered around the gardens soaking up the rays. It was really beautiful, and very hot! We then walked down to a stream and played for quite a while, it might sound silly but we all found it very thereputic, acting like a kid again is the perfect antidote to weeks of exams and the stress of finishing uni for ever, just what we needed! Everyone splashed around, Jamie built a dam, Fran collected pebbles and I made a daisy chain. On the way back home we saw a Heron which was cool, and stopped off at the beach which was COVERED in jelly fish, I've never seen anything like it, it was disgusting (I have a major phobia of fish & sea creatures, so found it particularly horrifying haha).

Jamie took the photos of me in the gardens, and many thanks to my wonderful bestie Michael for these beautiful pictures at the stream, his camera is sooo much better than mine!

Dress - Primark, Belt - Primark, Sandals - Zara (very old and falling apart now), Hat - Charity Shop, Cardigan - Vintage, Sunglasses - Ray Ban Clubmasters

I'm wearing a dress from Primark, which I'm sure a lot of you bloggers will recognise from their S/S campaign, it really is quite beautiful and comfy to wear, and was perfect for the sunny weather - im not really a huge fan of showing off my bare legs in the summer, so this longer/midi length is great. It's actually a size 10 as they were sold out of 8's, it maybe looks a bit bulky, but I don't mind too much! The hat I bought in an Edinburgh charity shop the day before and was perfect for protecting my rather fair skin from the sun :-) its a lovely sort of camel suede/felt, so will work in the winter too, only £3! (I put my daisy chain round it, but I think it will look nice with different scarfs and ribbons)

Did you guys enjoy some sun last week where you were? Do you guys ever just like acting like a child with your friends for the day?

Love, VW x

Edinburgh

This week I spent a few days in Scotland with my wonderful best friends (Jamie aka The Boyf, Michael, Francesca & Daniel), it was a much needed mini-break just to relax with each other after exams etc! 

Here are a few photos from our day in Edinburgh - we all arrived on Tuesday night, but just went for a delish dinner at a cute BYO indian restaurant and a few drinks and a dance in the Opal Rooms before crashing in our hostel for the night. On Wednesday we wondered around the city, went to a few vintage shops and charity shops, went to Edinburgh Castle and had a coffee or two before getting the bus to St.Andrews where the boys are at Uni.

Cardigan - Vintage, Shorts - Vintage Levi 501s, Glasses - Gok Wan for Specsavers, Necklace - Vintage (My Grandma's), Shoes - Cow Vintage

My cardigan is a new 'vintage' purchase, £12 from Ryan's Vintage in Manchester and goes so well with most of my summer clothes, its such a cute minty green colour and the bead work is beautiful. Its originally Escada & has detachable shoulder pads hehe. Also rocking my new specs, what do you think? 

Yes we had candy floss like little kids, and I got excited by many strange Scottish souveneir displays!

I found a few great bargains in the charity shops which I will post about, and wore some new bits and pieces whilst in Scotland which I will post the photos of soon!

VW x

Stylist for the Weekend

What have I been doing all week you ask? Now that I'm just another job-less, almost homeless, graduate in the big wide world?

Mainly watching daytime TV of course. I am a Come Dine With Me ADDICT. I also re-discovered Neighbours after about 10 years (although I'm pretty sad Harold and Lou are no longer, I'm quite content to at least still have The Kennedys, some things never change eh!?) and spent about 4 days hopelessly watching back-to-back old re-runs of Location Location Location and Dragons Den.

But then... I was lured in by ASOS' facebook page, offering a festival outfit styling competition (the winner gets tickets to Ibiza Rocks) and I havn't looked back.

I am now obsessed with styling festival outfits on FashionFinder (like Polyvore but more high-street items I have a hope of buying, rather than net-a-porter beauties I can't afford!)

Pictured are a few of my favourites, but I have made like 15!! The Boho-Luxe one (below) is on the ASOS facebook page as an example and has like almost 50 likes, ah! To be honest I don't care that much about winning, I just like playing at being a stylist, and it's lovely when people like the outfits I've created! Finally I've found the hobby I've always dreamed about, I dont' even have to get out of bed to participate, yipee.

Check it out people, the comp is on for another month, and you can use it just like Polyvore to style outfits for all sorts of occasions not just the competition. You can't flip, rotate or crop the items though, slightly annoying!

Going to any festivals this year? I'm not :-(
Unless I win of course, then I'll see y'all in Ibiza bitches, haha.

VW x

PS. Not to sound like a total sad act, I did go to lunch at Nandos and a wonder round the shops on Saturday with my friend Charlotte, and successfully disstracted The Boyf from revision on (Orange) Wednesday to see the new Pirates of the Carribean, have dinner in Henry J Beans, play pool (I won, wooohooo) and have a cocktail :-) So I do get out sometimes, haha. Plus I'm job hunting... know any fashion buyers? Drop me an email, desperately seeking any and all offers.

Beaded Bargain

Just a post to show you the most beautiful, and unbelievable, bargain find. I challenge anybody out there to find something this perfect for THREE POUND. I actually kid you not. You probably don't believe me, but I'm telling you now, this fully beaded, silk lined dress, with built in breast cups, thigh split and stunning back detail, cost me the princely sum of £3.

As you can see, it fits like a glove (ok perhaps it was a little tight after my 3 course meal...), I wore it to The Boyf's final year Law Ball 2 weeks ago, at Manchester Town Hall, which was concidentally fell on our 5 year anniversary <3 A beautiful night. It only cost £8 to get dry cleaned too, haha. 

Where did I find this beauty... 'Mr Ryan's Famous Second-Hand Store' on Oldham Street, Manchester. Otherwise known as 'everything £3 or less'. It is a big airy, damp room, that I think smells like dead people, full of old sweaty football shirts and the like. I personally can only spend a max of 10 mins in there. In amongst the old stained Fruit of the Loom t-shirts, there it was.

Dress - 'Vintage' - £3
Shoes - Next
Hair Clip - Primark - £2
Bag - Accesorize

I do not want to mis-lead you. I have never found anything I want in that store. Until that fateful day. It is not full of vintage treasures, and £3 is usually way over-priced for the crap you see in there.

It did have a tiny stain at the hem.. which the dry cleaner identified as blood and promptly removed (someone probably died in this dress.. but for £3 I couldn't care less haha) and a tiny 1/2 centimetre rip to the sheer overlay at the bottom (most likely where someones high heel got caught on it) but you couldn't really see it.

Back detail

Jealous much?

VW x

Back by Overwhelming Demand

There wasn't really any overwhelming demand, just The Boyf and my mum actually.. haha. So anyway, I'm back. I took a nice long break from the blog to sort out dissertation, then work experience, then revision and exams, but now all that has passed...

Here are a few snaps from way back when (the Easter holidays actually, so not that long ago), of the famously brilliant orange trousers. I hope they don't let you down... to me they really are the most amaing trousers I own. I even bought a pair in red 2 weeks ago because, well, who doesn't want red trousers? And they are so darn comfy and fit perfectly. Yes I'm going to get them in green too when they're back in stock in my size. Obsessed much.

Leather Jacket - Miss Selfridge
S/S knit jumper - H&M
Orange Trousers - Zara Kids
Heels - Vintage (BCBGirl)

My hair looks gross, really long and grown out. I didn't mind that much, as it was grown out for my friends wedding, and looked fab on the day. But then of course once the wedding was over I didn't have a woman to blow dry and style it for me, so it just looked far too plain and sensible for me, despite the compliments I had receieved. Naturally, I popped into Toni & Guy for a little demo modelling on Tuesday and had it all cut off, hurrah! I'll post pictures when I get round to it... but its quite simliar to this, same cut but no pink this time, more yellow with the orange.

 

Yea, I'm hiding my face in all these pictures, I wasn't wearing any makeup so just used my long blonde mop to block out my blotchy face, at least it was good for something ;-)

I'd like to introduce you my beautiful new shoes - they're orangey and metallic and made of soft worn in buttery leather, with a little platform and decent height heel. All things I am attracted to in a shoe to be honest, so when I saw them in the 'vintage' YMCA at home I couldn't resist trying them on. They didn't have a price on though, I didn't want or need them enough to pay £10-£20 (as the other shoes were labelled).

I went and asked the guy and he didn't really know and the manager was at lunch, so he just randomly said £5! When I got home I realised they said BCBGirl inside, turns out they're the old version of BCBGeneration, part of the BCBG Max Azaria company, the range retails for like $90 - $150 as a sort of youth diffusion line.

They're really comfy, and look perfect with my orange trews :-) I wore this outfit to the dentist to get a filling actually (ewww & ouchhyy) because it made me feel happy and confident. Then we spent the morning charity shopping to cheer me up and distract me until my mouth de-numbed and I was allowed to eat lunch. I bought another pair if shoes (£4) and a few bits and pieces that my mum collects, for mothers day - vintage war comics and buttons.

Since I'm finished uni now (FOREVER!!), I'm just sitting at home searching for jobs, so I'll try to get posting regularly, I do have rather alot of new bits and pieces to show you! 

Ciao bellas,
VW x

'Vintage' Clothing Survey

Hi everyone, its been a long time coming, but you may recall me mentioning my dissertation on a few occasions (it is an every constant pain in my arse - which I'm sure all you final years will understand haha) and now I need your help!

It's on 'vintage' clothing, and basically how popular it becoming! 'The evolving and current perceptions and consumption of pre-owned apparel.' Haha that sounds so pretentious doesn't it?! Of course it's an interesting topic, and one I was initially passionate about, but really dissertations destroy your soul, I swear, and I'm starting to regret choosing a topic which involves such a recent phenomenon!

http://www.kwiksurveys.com?s=INDHJF_81804c17

Please fill in my very short and simple survey, its only 10 questions, so won't take 5 minutes or your time! :-)
Its women only, please please please pass it on to any and all women you know, your friends, sisters, cousins, aunties, mum, gran, etc. I need as many responses as possible!

http://www.kwiksurveys.com?s=INDHJF_81804c17

You don't have to be a lover of 'vintage' fashion or thrifting or anything like that, in fact its absolutely perfect to get a range of different opinions, so don't feel put off at all or anything! Feel free to write as much or as little as you like in the 'please explain' boxes etc. It's all anonymous too, so don't worry about feeling silly!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I'm sorry if I constantly pester you with this, its all over facebook and twitter too! I'll be posting it as part of any comments I make on blogs this week etc, and emailling it out to people, so just ignore it if you've already filled it in!

http://www.kwiksurveys.com?s=INDHJF_81804c17

Proper spamming you, haha, I know you all love it really ;-)
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Major loves, VW x

Here's a pretty picture of the little bit of spring time in Manchester that I've seen to keep things beautiful... ;-)

Ode to Orange

I made the best purchase ever last week... ORANGE TROUSERS. You do not understand the excitement, I can tell. But I'm going to attempt to explain...

This was just going to be a small paragraph tacked on to my last post, with 1 measly picture, but then the excitement took hold, and I rambled & rambled and realised my new love deserve a post of their own, because yes, I am that obsessed!

Here's a lovely little collage I made on a weird bit of trial software that came with my new laptop... all I had to do was put the pics I wanted in a folder anf click a button, voila. Ok it has a cappy little watermark thing across it, but you get the idea.

It basically shows what my mind has been thinking, all day, every day... orange, orange, orange. colour-blocking, colour-blocking, colour-blocking. bright, bright, bright. Jil Sanders, Jil Sanders, Jil Sanders. haha.

I am actually in love. I've mentioned before my obsession with the colour orange. It is literally the best. But even though my bedroom was orange, and my phone was orange, and my hair is orange... I generally I stay away from wearing my favourite shade... until now (well apart from my prom dress, and my reeboks, and one of my coats, oh ok, I've prob worn it more than most)! Hello colour blocking, the best trend to ever cross the face of the earth. I will be wearing my new babies ALOT. I'm thinking teamed with purple, hot pink or electric blue will be beautiful. But at the mo I've only trialed them with a light grey jumper and black leather jacket, kinda like the lovely lass below, who's photo I stole off the Topshop website ;-)

I'd been dreaming of THIS pair from Zara for weeks and weeks, I literally couldn't get them off my mind, and was determined to buy them as soon as I could get my ass into town and try them on (you never know with Zara sizes ... xs, s, m or 34, 36, 38, bla blah, they can't keep it straight forward). Well, I was right as it turned out. They didnt even have the orange ones in the Manc store, but I took the 6 and 8 in blue to the changing room, thinking I'd just order off la tinternet, alas I have apparently lost a lot of weight and the 8 literally fell off me. There was me thinking the 6 would probably just be too tight round my bum and show a horrible VPL etc, but they too were also too big, like bloody paper bag trousers on me (after using a belt to secure them on my waist). Harumphh, I was devastated.. I know that sounds sad, but seriously, you have no idea how much I loved them. I'd planned out all thses outfits in my head, and trawled the internet for new bargain tops to go with them, etc. I wanted to wear them for work experience at Easter (2 weeks in the Tesco boyswear buying department woo!), and be the cool intern girl with the amazing orange tailored trews...

So... after a few minutes of sulking I charged up the elscalators to the kiddy's section. Zara - If you're not gona make big girl trousers that fit me, you leave me no choice. I'm going to buy your 13-14 year old 'basics' coloured jeans (in the exact same colour and fabric as the slacks downstairs) for half the price! Mwahaha. Gotta love the fact theres no horrible increased VAT on childrenswear. I got them for only £14.99 (instead of the womens £34.99) and they fit perfectly, YAY. Ok so they're cut like skinny jeans instead of tailored trousers, but are made of a nice slightly stretchy woven cotton and if I turn them up a bit at the ankle and add a belt I get the desired effect.

So there you have it, beautiful orange trousers, that fit me. And I promise to wear them to death. I don't even care if 'colour-blocking' goes out of fashion, or people think I look too bright, or crazy, or 'like an american convict'. Because orange, oh orange I love you.

Are you guys OBSESSED with any colours or trends right now? Please say you like orange too? You'll be my bezzie for ever haha.

VW x

PS. I don't even like Rihanna - I know that comment alone will make me a social pariah, because apparently she's like everyone in the worlds fave

But, I want to look like this, her whole outift is beaut.

Charity Case

I'M ALIVE!
Sorry I've been completely M.I.A these last few weeks... well almost a month out really! I have been thinking of you all, and have occasionally had a little read, but I just havn't had the time or energy to post myself!

NB: These plimsoles actually have a cute floral print all over them, but came out like fluorescent white in the pics :-S hmm

To catch you up, I had a few big deadlines at uni, including a presentation, urgh, and a stupid logistics assignment which I really struggled with :-( That coupled with writing my weekly College Fashionista articles (have you been keeping up? sign up to site for free and comment on you're favourite outfits/articles *mine* haha) and generally just trying to keep up with life -  nothing particularly interesting to be honest!

eek should have put some more lippy on! Oh and my fringe is so long and crazy in my eyes now, as you can see its sitting very strange against my raybans! Have had to start wearing it sweeped to the side instead of full fringe :-(

Oh of course, major stress last week was my laptop dieing! My beautfiul HP, it served me well, but alas it is dead. I was in such a tizz because i had so much work to get done, thankfully after a frantic phone call to Oz my wonderful parents transferred the money for me to buy a whole new laptop :-) I just got the cheapest full sized one they had in the shop at the time (couldn't handle one of those crazy little notebook things *technophobe*)! Lucky I havn't lost any of my files, and I got all my work handed in on time!

Hat - Miss Selfridge, Sunnies - Ray Ban Wayfarers (Chrissie pressie from Oz only £30 from an outlet mall), Shirt - Charity Shop, Leather Jacket - Miss Selfrideg, Denim Cut-offs - Vintage Levi's, Belt - Primark, Plimsoles - Australia (5 dollars)

I went for a little wonder the other week to discover some new charity shops, the kind that are down little side roads and are tiny and a bit 'scummy' with rails crammed with crap, but in amongst it all you can find some truly wonderful things at bargain prices! You know, the best kind of charity shop. I hate ones like the Oxfams on the highstreet, all newly fitted out with colour coded rails of completely overpriced stuff... the moneys going to charity for goodness sake, just take what you can get for it, don't charge us a tenner for a 2 seasons old dress from Primark that probably only cost 8 quid to start with!! haha. Found the floral shirt pictured for £4, I love that it has poppers instead of buttons, and it's little breast pockets. Buttoned all the way to the top, naturally.

Also got this blouse, I have no idea whats going on with the print but I was immediately drawn to it. The little doodles remind me of the margins of an old maths book or something. The inner workings of someones random imagination. I'm not crazy about the colour, but I couldn't resist for £2!

Got the navy heels for £2 aswell, they're real leather, fit perfectly and are in great condition, there's like barely any wear on the soles apart from a few little scuffs. No idea when I'm ever gona wear them, but what the heck!

I was gona add another photo here of my favourite purchase of the last few weeks (not from the charity shops though so didnt fit really anyway) but I am literally so obsessed I wrote like 3 paragraphs and have now decided that their own post is well deserved.. so I'll schedule that now.. love to keep you hanging ;-) haha you'll probably think I'm crazy actually...



Anyway... I'd love to be able to tell you I'm back on form, and you'll be seeing a load of beautiful outfit posts in the next couple of weeks, but.. that'd be a lie. My 9,000 word dissertation is due in 3 weeks...and we have our two amazing bestest friends Michael and Francesca coming to stay for a few days next weekend (Hi guys, I'm literally so excited, eeeee!!!), so... we'll see what happens!

Love love, VW x

Ps. Look at my yummy FREE Graze nibble box... someone on my facebook had a code, to get you're first box free and a second box for £1.75, so naturally, student, free food, ordered. So exciting getting yummo, free food posted through your letterbox and bonus its all healthy too! I recommend the 'chanachur panch phoron' which is kind of like bombay mix with a rew raisins and goji berreis thrown in and was literally polished off in 2 mins!! So my favourite thing.

So my gift to you lovely readers, go to http://www.graze.com/ and sign up using my code - W8Z2TJ63 and you can get a free box too! You rate the things you like, and then they'll send you a 'balanced mix'.

I'm Gonna be a Supermodel, and Everyone is Gonna Dress Like Me...

Ok guys, so I'm really sorry I've been kind of off the grid recently! I spent was on my lovely friend Hannah's hen weekend (for whom I am one of the bridesmaids) from Friday til Monday in Bournemouth (but the pictures are too drunken and embarassing to put on here haha) and returned to Manchester feeling incredibly ill. I fought through it to participate in The Retro Show presented by La Mode, which I mentioned a few posts ago, and then came straight home to curl up in bed and die from the flu/tonsilitus :-(

Here are a selection of photos that have cropped up on facebook from the show, there are rather a lot, enjoy!


'Backstage' with some of the other beautiful models....



On the catwalk...

(Modelling clothes from Pop Boutique, Loving Vintage and Junk Shop - all located in Manchester's Northern Quarter)

It was such a great night, I only wish I hadn't felt so ill so I could have stayed for proper drinks and partying! I'm hoping to make a quick recovery from this horrific illness as I have a train ticket all booked to go to Cambridge tomorrow to see my bestest friend Francesca for belated 21st birthday fun, and then a bridesmaid dress fitting in London on Monday morning on my way back!

In other news, my first proper article for CollegeFashionista went up on Monday, so check it out here and 'like' and 'tweet' away if you havn't seen it already :-)

I hope you've all had a fab week, I havn't even had a chance to catch up on all your posts, or get back to people on comments - I'm really sorry about this!! I'll get back on it all next week with outfit posts and such between the mountains of uni work I have to catch up on.

Loves, VW x

(NB. All photos by Thom)