Outfit: Blue Friday

I love these shoes. They cost me just £5 and are so comfy. And also: very blue and shiny! If I was forced to choose my favourite pair of shoes, these could possibly be it.

Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Blue smock sweater – Dorothy Perkins
White square neck t – Dorothy Perkins
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam
Blue silk scarf – Florence + Fred at Tesco

Sorry the picture is a bit dark – the bulb went in my lamp this morning and I didn’t have time to change it.

Outfit: Pushing It!

I know, jeans for work two days in a row, and it’s not even Friday! But my excuse today is that I’m going Christmas shopping this afternoon. My sister is meeting me from work and we’re going down to Meadowhall, just outside Sheffield. It will be very Christmassy with all the decorations up and I’m just looking forward to having all my shopping done. Then I can buy gift wrap on Saturday and start the mammoth task of wrapping it all up!

Jeans – Gap
Grey/blue long length cardi – Firetrap (charity shop)
White long sleeve top – Tall Girls
Blue shoes – Moda in Pelle
Blue sparkly scarf – charity shop

Outfit: Casual Wednesday

My department has two offices. I am at the second one today. There are fewer people here and the atmosphere is far more casual so I decided I could get away with jeans mid-week.

Blue & black dress – Dorothy Perkins
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Dark jeans – Next (charity shop)
Blue suede shoe boots – New Look

Outfit: Tuesday

I love winter dresses, it makes getting dressed so easy.

Brown polo neck knit dress – Long Tall Sally
Brown tights – Dorothy Perkins
Teal belt – Claire’s
Teal boots – Faith
Teal necklace – Claire’s

Outfit: Choir Practice

I am trying to post more of my casual outfits as well as my work ones so here’s what I wore last night for choir practice.

Denim skirt – Topshop (jeans made into skirt by me)
Teal cotton rib sweater – Gap
Brown shrug/cardi – Marks & Spencer (charity shop)
Brown wool rib tights – Levante at MyTights
Brown suede faux-fur trim boots – Roberto Vianni (Debenhams)

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing dresses
…reading ‘I Did A Bad Thing’ by Linda Green
…watching Miracle on 34th Street (the 1994 remake)
…listening to Christmas tunes. No longer too early – I saw the Coca Cola advert on Saturday night so that means it’s officially Christmas!
…eating apple pie
…shopping for nothing except Christmas presents

Outfit: Smart Monday

Brown wool mix pinstripe trouser suit – Long Tall Sally
Brown long sleeve top – Tall Girls
Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Teal faux suede wedge shoes – Matalan

Outfit: Birthday Party

My Dad is 65 today so, Happy Birthday Daddy! We had a family party for him at my parents’ house yesterday so I took the opportunity to dress up a little.

Black knit dress – Long Tall Sally
Teal belt – Claire’s
Teal heart pendant – Scope
Black tights – Boots
Teal boots – Faith

Outfit: Casual Friday

Dark skinny jeans – Gap
Grey cashmere & silk sweater – Zara
Silver belt – Primark
Grey boots – Ethel Austin

Outfit: Black Tie

We were having a discussion yesterday in the office about whether or not women could and should wear ties. I said of course they can and am out to prove that with my outfit today.

Grey ¾ sleeve wool sweater – Gap
Grey wool skirt – Gap
White shirt – Oasis
Black tie – Claire’s Accessories
Black Argyle pattern tights – Boots
Green suede boots – River Island

Outfit: Wednesday Evening

I’ve recently joined my local musical drama group and it was rehearsal night last night. It’s in a church hall so it’s cold which means layers are a must, especially as there’s usually a trip to the pub afterwards!

Grey sweater dress – Oasis
Grey wool rib polo neck sweater – chain store seconds
Dark jeans – Next (charity shop)
Pink shoes – Faith
Pink pendant – Scope

Party Shoes!

And of course, where would we be without shoes? Barefoot is where! Here are a few that will complement the items in the previous post.

Topshop, £50

Dorothy Perkins, £18 (I totally want these too!)

LTS, £50

Faith, £40 (and if you’re quick there’s 20% off everything at Faith today!)

Tall Party Wear

It’s that time of year again when (hopefully) you will have some sort of ‘do’ to go to: family get together, work party, Christmas Eve drinks, New Year’s Eve party. With metallics and embellishment being huge trends this year, there’s plenty of choice out there at the moment, but if you’re tall, finding something that is correctly proportioned for your body can be tricky. Fortunately, Topshop and Long Tall Sally have come to the rescue! Here’s my picks of the best from their selections:

Corset Top (also in black), £35, Topshop

Embellished Top, £28, Topshop

Tie Back Top, £30, Topshop

Sparkle Anna Ra Ra Dress, £40, Topshop

Frill Sleeve Dress, £38, Topshop

Satin Shift Dress, £89, LTS

Satin Sash Dress, £79, LTS (How much do I want this dress?!)
Jewelled Tunic, £35, LTS

Sequin Cami, £29, LTS

Outfit: Pink Wednesday

When it’s grey and dull outside, you need a little colour in your life and what better way than with a brightly coloured outfit.

Pink sweater – Dunnes
White shirt – Long Tall Sally
Brown tweed city shorts – H&M
Pink tights – Jonathan Aston at MyTights
Brown peeptoe shoes – Primark (charity shop)

Another Shoe Bargain

I snagged these for just £2.99 in a charity shop on Saturday. They are Primark ones but were hardly worn and such a bargain!

Outfit: Brown and Blue

I needed something comfy and warm for today as I have a sore throat and am fighting the beginning of a cold. I don’t have time to be ill so I’ll stay warm and drink tea and Lemsip to feel better. Also a good excuse to eat: starve a fever, feed a cold! I’ve left my blue knitted scarf on with this outfit to help my throat.

Brown cord trousers – Tall Girls
Brown top – Tall Girls
Blue wool cardi – Ebay
Blue shoes – Moda in Pelle

Brown scarf (in hair) - charity shop

Outfit: No Snow Monday

So the snow that was forecast somehow managed to miss my area again, and hit further south instead. Most unfair! Now it’s just raining.

Blue wool cable knit v neck sweater – Gap
Blue shirt – Topshop
Brown skirt – New Look
Brown wool tights – Levante at MyTights
Brown boots – Faith

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing brown. I have been neglecting this Autumn staple this year.
…reading a book. Surely not?! Yes, tis true, I am about to start ‘I Did A Bad Thing’ by someone whose name escapes me at the moment
…watching Love Actually. It’s my 5 weeks to Christmas ritual (because that’s when the film starts, 5 weeks to Christmas)
…listening to Christmas tunes – is it still too early?
…eating chocolate & drinking tea
…shopping for nothing except Christmas presents

Outfit: Saturday Shopping

I went for a wander round the charity shops on Saturday and it wasn’t too cold in the sun so I didn’t need to wear a proper coat.

Denim skirt – Tall Girls
Black polo neck sweater – Marks and Spencer
Black leggings – Long Tall Sally
Tan boots – Faith
Brown silk scarf – M&Co
Black rib long hooded cardi – Next
Silver belt – Primark
Cord baker boy cap – Dorothy Perkins

Why I Love: Blog Fashion

There are so many fantastic blogs out there and so many lovely people authoring them (they leave such friendly comments for each other). So I’m going to pay tribute to another of my favourites, Blog Fashion.
I like to think that Londyn has a style that is similar to mine as we’re both twenty something girls working in an office. And she always looks so happy, how could that smile fail to cheer you up of a Monday morning?

Outfit: Casual Friday

Grey wool rib polo neck – chain store seconds
Red long sleeve T – Primark
Long and Lean jeans – Gap
Red shoes – Barratts

Outfit: Cold Feet!

I was going to wear my new shoes this morning, and even got as far as putting them on and taking my picture this morning. But then when I opened the curtains I discovered it was frosty and so decided that the more sensible footwear option would be boots. So I’m back in black (boots) as they were the ones by the front door. I’ll change into my shoes later on if it warms up any.

Grey wool rib polo neck sweater – chain store seconds
Grey wool skirt – Gap

Turquoise rib tank - Topshop
Grey tights – Aristoc (Ethel Austin)
Turquoise peep-toe shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Black boots – Arturo Chiang (Century 21)

Outfit: The Emergency Skirt

This is the skirt I was forced to buy last week following my trouser crisis! I don’t think it’s bad considering it was chosen in about 5 minutes flat. My mum said it was lovely and commented on how well it hangs. I think it’s stretched out in the wash or something though as I don’t remember it being as loose on my hips as it is today.

Black v neck cashmere sweater – Florence + Fred at Tesco
White shirt with cufflinks – Next
Tweed skirt – charity shop
Black tights – George at ASDA
Grey shoes – New Look (charity shop)

Outfit: Black and Cream

Black and cream print wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black wool rib tights – Levante at MyTights
Black and cream shoes – Next (charity shop)

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing knee high boots
…reading December’s issue of Elle UK
…watching old episodes of Neighbours – my second DVD arrived
…listening to Christmas tunes – is it too early?
…eating chilli
…shopping for nothing except Christmas presents

Outfit: Freezing Monday

I was intending wearing my new shoes today, but as it looked cold out I decided I wanted to keep my toes a while longer (they’re pretty useful for standing up and walking you see) so I opted for boots instead. Just as well really, the thermometer I pass on my way to work read -0˚C which I don’t think technically exists, but nonetheless means it is quite chilly!

Black cotton rib polo neck sweater – Marks and Spencer
Grey wool skirt – Gap
Grey wool tight – Levante at MyTights
Black boot – Arturo Chiang (Century 21)

New Shoes!

I went out on Saturday to buy Christmas cards and to have a wander round the next town up the road to see where the church was that I was going to on Sunday morning. And I ended up buying some shoes! They were only £3.99 in a charity shop so it’s not really a big deal. And aren’t they fabulous?! They’re New Look ones, worn once at the most. Why are there ALWAYS New Look shoes in a charity shop?

From My Referrals…

I've come up with a new title for these 'advice' type posts.

Is it still ok to wear pointy shoes?
Well I should hope so! Otherwise I can kiss goodbye to most of my shoe collection for a start. But seriously, pointy shoes are classics and will therefore never go out of style. There’s something very feminine about a pointy toed high heeled shoe peeping out from under jeans or trousers. And they look fab with a skirt too.


How does Asda cashmere wash?
I only own one cashmere sweater from ASDA but it’s been through my washer twice and has come out fine (the cashmere is getting softer if anything). I put it through on a 30˚ delicate wash and just used my ordinary detergent (*slaps self on hand*, use Woolite or similar next time Shoegal).

Outfit: Cold Friday

It was 3˚C this morning when I was on my way to work and I don’t think it’s going to warm up much. I had to fetch my cardi from the car and leave my scarf on until I can find someone to turn on the radiator by my desk. I did a closer headshot for the second picture so you could see my new hairstyle a bit better. I had it done last Friday but I don’t think you can really tell from this picture that I the front bits are shorter now. They fall over my forehead during the day in a sort of fringe (bangs) and I really like it.

Teal wrap dress – Primark (charity shop)
White cami – Dorothy Perkins
Cuffed crop jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Teal boots – Faith
Brown cardi/shrug – Marks & Spencer (charity shop)
Brown silk scarf – Mackays

Outfit: Brown and Blue

This is one of my favourite pairs of shoes. They are pretty comfy to walk in and pretty to look at as well. I’m making a trip to the local high street this afternoon to look for some jeans for a friend. They’re from Ethel Austin and there are no stores where she lives.

Brown pinstripe jacket – Long Tall Sally
Brown pinstripe trousers – Long Tall Sally
Blue v neck sweater – Florence + Fred at Tesco
Blue patent shoes – New Look

Why I Love: What I Wore Today

If you have not yet looked at Kasmira’s fabulous site, I urge you to do so right away! She has some great outfits, and everything is very brightly coloured and cheerful. She has a flamboyancy about her and is often very theatrical, this could be something to do with her love of am dram! Here are some of her outfits, but go check out the rest of her site.

Outfit: Tan and Black Layers

After yesterday’s mishap, I am playing it safe in a dress today.

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall
Tan long sleeve henley – Topshop
White cami – Topshop
Black tights – George at ASDA
Tan boots – Faith

Tuesday Outfit 2: Emergency Shopping!

Had a nightmare yesterday. About 9.30am the zip on my trousers decided it would be a good time to break (the trousers are old and have had a lot of wear). A wardrobe malfunction of the highest degree. As the zip was the only thing holding my trousers up and closed, this was not good news. However, every cloud and all that, and there were two silver linings to this: 1. I was in the bathroom at the time and, 2. I was still wearing my black scarf. (Being cold all the time has its uses.) So I was able to fashion a cummerbund out of the scarf to cover the gap and hold my trousers up. Had I been going straight home from work this would have been an OK solution and I would have coped. But no, last night I was not going straight home, last night, I was having tea at my parents’ and then going to a church meeting. Foolishly I had opted not to bring jeans to change into later. Deciding that trousers held up by a scarf would not really cut it all evening, I was forced to pop out at dinnertime (yes it’s dinner at midday in Yorkshire) and see what I could find in the local charity shops (fortunately there are 3). Knowing I was unlikely to score any trousers with anything like a long enough leg, I decided a skirt was the best option and I could buy some tights in Morrison's to go with it. So that is the reason that all afternoon I was sporting a tweedy looking skirt with an uneven hemline that cost me just £4, and some lovely thick black tights (I needed some new ones anyway). And the lads in my office didn’t even notice.

Outfit: Red, Grey & Black

I will change colour combinations soon, I promise! My excuse is that I like my bag to match the rest of my outfit and at the moment I’m using my red one and haven’t had time to switch it for a while. That’s also why I’m wearing the same shoes as yesterday. Yes, I know I’m lame…

Grey wool rib polo neck - chainstore seconds
Red long sleeve t – Primark
Black cord trousers – Topshop
Red shoes – Barratts

A Question From A Reader

I've got a question for you Fi! Where can I find a really well-fitted polo-neck to wear under dresses etc this winter? All my current polonecks bunch up if worn beneath things and create considerable bulk - have you seen any nice fine-knits in your shopping travels?

Thank you in anticipation,
Caroline
Secondhand Shopper


Dorothy Perkins have this ‘cashmere’ sweater at £25 (it’s only 5% cashmere though), and when I was in there at the weekend they had various thin polo necks in a variety of colours for about £15.


New Look lack a proper website but also had thin polo necks, perfect for layering.

I don’t know how tall you are Caroline, but my current favourite knit is this one from Long Tall Sally. It’s pricey at £32 but I’ve got my cost per wear fairly well down as I’ve worn it constantly for the last month or so. In fact, I bet my readers are wishing I’d find something else to wear. It’s thin and light weight and is perfect for layering (check my outfit archives for the last month or so!) and is also available in red.

This M&S roll neck is just £9.50 and is available in 6 colours. It looks quite loose on the model but if you try sizing down it could work.

I would try Gap as well as I find all of their sweaters and t shirts to be very thin.

I hope this gives you a few ideas as to where to look. Let me know how you get on!

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing cosy clothes to keep warm whilst watching fireworks
…reading a book about Hilary Clinton, lent to me by a friend
…watching fireworks and a bonfire
…listening to the sound of fireworks exploding – the louder the bang the better!
…eating Parkin pigs and bonfire toffee?
…shopping for nothing except Christmas presents

Outfit: Bonfire Night!

It’s cold outside and will be even colder tonight to go watch the fireworks at the city bonfire. I’ll be changing later on for that but this is my work outfit for today.

Red cashmere sweater – George at ASDA
White shirt – Next
Grey wool skirt – Gap
Grey tights – Ethel Austin
Red shoes – Barratts

More Fictional Reader Mail

Do cropped jeans look good with knee highs?
By knee highs I assume you mean boots, so my answer is yes! I am a great believer in showing off fabulous boots and what better way than wearing them under crop jeans. It’s a cleaner look than tucking your jeans in which can lead to bunching around the knees.


Do I have to wear tights with sweater dresses?
No, you can wear leggings, jeans, cigarette pants, anything you like in the way of skinny trousers. I would steer clear of wide legs under a sweater as volume on the top and bottom will just make you look, well, voluminous! And please, never go out in a sweater dress with nothing on your legs. You will be cold and blue legs is not a good look.


What tights go with cream shoes?
Cream, nude, brown, blue, black. It really depends what you’re wearing as the rest of your outfit.


Will knee high boots go with a wrap dress?
Absolutely! Knee high boots will go with most things.


What shoe colour would you put with a teal dress?
Whatever colour you like. I would go with teal or brown and have my other accessories brown too, but that’s because I like the combination of teal and brown. Black or grey will also work well.

Outfit: Grey & Red Friday

This is a repeat of the outfit I wore on Sunday afternoon to go out for a late lunch/early tea at the pub. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture then though. It’s also a great outfit to adapt for later on as I do youth work on a Friday evening. I will switch the heels for my red patent flats and change to skinny jeans that are a shorter length so I don’t trip up on them without my heels! I may also add some grey socks as the church hall (like all church halls) tends to be freezing!

Grey cable knit cardi – Warehouse
White long sleeve top – Tall Girls
Dark Long & Lean jeans – Gap
Red belt – Next
Red shoes – Next
Red scarf – made as a stole to match my bridesmaid dress for my sister’s wedding last year
Red earrings – Claire’s

Outfit: Autumn Thursday

This outfit combines two of my current favourite items – the black polo neck and the black shoe boots. On reflection I think that black tights might have worked better, but you live and learn.

Print dress – Long Tall Sally
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Teal tights – Primark
Black shoe boots - Next