If You Keep Anything Long Enough…

…it will eventually come back into fashion. That’s what my mum always used to tell me when I was growing up. And flicking through my books about ABBA recently, I saw that this was true. Known for their style at the time (after the first few years of garish costumes and platform boots were out of the way), Agnetha and Frida would actually still be pretty stylish today.

Trousers tucked into boots
Tunic dresses
Dresses over leggings
Boots with crop jeans
Voluminous trousers
Jumpsuits
Dress over leggings (again)
Ponchos & straight leg jeans
Large collared gold jackets

OK, large collared gold jackets circa 1981 are probably not going to make a comeback, but the exception proves the rule...



Thanks to agnethaarchives.com/id17.htm for the pictures of Agnetha.

Outfit: New Dress & New Shoes!

As you can see, the pattern on the dress does not really resemble the picture on the Long Tall Sally website that I posted a couple of days ago (this is why you need bigger pictures LTS). But I love it anyway. I just think I would have been surprised had I ordered it online, expecting one thing and receiving another.

Beige/green/blue dress – Long Tall Sally

Black cami - Topshop
Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (Charity shop)
Black mules – Nine West (Charity shop)
Black O pendant - Scope

Outfit: Spring Wednesday

It’s sunny out this morning but I’m not convinced it’s not going to rain later so I went for boots.

Teal cotton rib sweater – Gap
White shirt – Long Tall Sally
Brown/beige/blue wool check skirt – Next

Brown scarf - Charity shop
Brown leather boots – Faith

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing winter clothes again – it’s been really cold out over the weekend
…reading Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell (she of Sex and the City fame)
…watching Ugly Betty
…listening to Cats (the musical)
…eating pain au chocolat
…shopping in London on our trip away there next weekend!

Outfit: Back to Work Tuesday

Yes I wore this outfit last week. I was intending wearing my new red wedges instead of the court shoes to make it a bit different, but once again I was thwarted by the weather.

Black & cream stripe dress – Charity shop
Black shrug – Unknown
Red shoes – Next
Red heart pendant – Claire’s
Red stone earrings – Claire’s

Outfit: Leggings

The last time I wore leggings I think I was about 14 but I have finally succumbed and bought some this time around. And I think I am going to love them! Technically, they were free (see the shopping maths below), so even if it’s a huge fashion faux-pas, I don’t care.

Black cotton and cashmere cardi – Long Tall Sally
Pink cami – Marks and Spencer
Denim skirt – Tall Girls
Black leggings – Long Tall Sally
Pink Leather and Suede Mary Janes – Clarks

Outfit: Sunday Night Out

Since it was Spring Bank Holiday yesterday, we went out Sunday night for a change. We had a nice meal in a pub, then went to a different pub and met up with some friends to do the music quiz. The young man said couldn’t I wear jeans when I came downstairs in my outfit but I am so sick of wearing jeans to go out in that despite the rain I wanted to wear something a bit different.

Electric blue top – Tall Girls
Brown tweed city shorts – H&M
Metallic blue shoes – Office
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam

And Another Charity Shop Bargain

Red New Look wedges - £4.99 in the British Heart Foundation shop.

I also got a brown skinny scarf for £1.75 that I don’t have a picture of yet. I’ll try to incorporate it into an outfit this week.

Shopping Mathematics

I went out shopping on Saturday to spend my Long Tall Sally voucher – it was for £50. I ended up getting this dress, £49

A white shirt, £39

And black leggings, £17

Which totals £105. Minus the 20% discount promotion on everything in the store over the weekend, equals £84. Minus the £50 voucher equals £34, meaning I only paid for the shirt (less £5) and got the dress and the leggings for free! I like that kind of maths!

Huh?

I’m not quite sure what this is supposed to be (a coat? A dress? Who knows?) but I thought I’d show it to you for comedy value anyway! It certainly akes the concept of volume to the extreme. The picture was taken at the recent fashion show at the women’s San Vittore prison in Milan and was featured in The Times last week.

Faith Sale

Faith are having a sale according to Shoewawa. I would love to bring you my pick of the bargains but their website is down at the moment.

Long Tall Sally: 20% Off Everything All Weekend

Exactly what it says on the tin! And visit one of their stores for the chance to win a 50% discount.
Visit Long Tall Sally for more details!

Outfit: Casual Friday!

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (Charity Shop)
White tank t – George at ASDA
Sequinned jeans – Long Tall Sally
Teal boots – Faith
Teal scarf – Per Una at Marks & Spencer
Necklace – Scope

I have had these jeans for about 5 or 6 years and I love them at the moment. They are very stretchy though so I go through phases of not liking them because they are too big. They are very comfortable and soft but the sequins make them a little bit glam. They are flared (my leg was just at a strange anle here trying to get a picture) and the sequins are just on the one leg which, for some reason, is always a source of amusement to my mother.

Latest Charity Shop Find

Pierce II Fionda dress, black silk, asymmetric hem, £1.99. It’s a Designers at Debenhams one but I’m guessing it would have retailed for around £100 new.

Fashion Juxtaposition

I just love this picture. It is commonly captioned ‘3 Queens in Mourning’ and shows (l-r) Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) at the funeral of King George VI. This picture was taken in 1952 and I think it’s fascinating how out of place Queen Mary looks. Dressed in a full length black dress (she always wore full length skirts according to my mum) and a headdress/veil thing, she looks the stereotypical Victorian, especially when standing between the Queen and Queen Mother, dressed in a relatively modern style. What you have to remember though, is that Queen Mary was a Victorian. Born in 1867, she was the wife of King George V, mother of Albert (King Edward VIII) and of Bertie (King George VI). Having seen the death of her husband and second son (her eldest son, Edward VIII was sent to France in exile in 1936 having abdicated the British throne in favour of marrying American divorcee Wallis Simpson), she died the following year, 1953, at the ripe old age of 85.

Outfit: Dark Thursday

I have no idea why this picture is so dark. The light was on and everything.

Black and cream wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins
Cream rib tank t – Dorothy Perkins
Pink bangles – Accessorize
Pink pendant – Scope
Pink scarf – made by me by cutting up a vest top
Pink round toe court shoes - Faith

Dresses

I am loving dresses this spring. I was never a dress wearer in the past, I’ve had trouble finding a style to fit me as I am sometimes as much as a size larger on the bottom than on the top, meaning that what fit on one half was either too big or too small on the other half. At university I used to joke that one day I’d own a shop that sold dresses that were different size on the top and bottom – it can’t be just me that has this trouble, right? But this year dresses with a wider bottom (or no structure at all) have been widely available and they are perfect for pear shaped girls like me.
Whilst the tunic/smock look is still huge, I prefer something with a little more shape to it. So let’s see what the high street has to offer us.

First up, Topshop. My favourite colour is blue so this Lace Detail V Neck for £38 is perfect for me.

Maxi dresses are popular too this year, and this one has a retro print to match the 70s style of the dress. This is also £38.

I saw nothing I liked at Miss Selfridge but to make up for it, over at Dorothy Perkins I could spend a LOT of money!
Blue flower dress, £30 (also available in green)

Pink & black print dress, £30

Pink pleat jersey dress, £15 (also available in green)

Black & white print dress, £30

Dark red embroidered dress, £30

Pink flower print linen dress, £15 (this one really reminds me of the drawstring bag I had to carry my PE kit in infant school!)


Warehouse is more expensive but look at the bead detailing on this cream silk dress. Perfect for a wedding or evening event, it’s £85.
For a daytime look from the same store, try this black and white number, £55.

This palm print is pretty, £40. I think I would always be wary of some joker thinking it was funny to untie the straps though!
As is this silk print dress, £60

If you are looking for something to wear for a wedding, or even in which to dress your bridesmaids, check out Warehouse as the choice is vast.

Oops, I Did It Again…

…went charity shop shopping that is! (Actually, I like the US word ‘thrifting’ better.) And for £4.99 I picked up this H&M dress (it’s pink and orange spots on white, despite how the picture looks!). It was a little big round the top but I’ve taken it in a bit and now it’s fine.

These shoes were £2.99, Nine West ones and they’re a size 11M which you never see over here.

Outfit: Brown and Black

A combination I think it’s fine to wear, though I’m sure some people would still disagree.

Black dress – George @ ASDA
Brown shrug – Marks & Spencer (Oxfam)
Brown belt – Dorothy Perkins
Brown shoes – Evans
Brown pendant - Scope