Thrifty outfit No. 2 - eBay bargains

I had been after a dress I has seen while out shopping with my cousin and foolish didn't take her advice when she told me to buy it as it was in the sale and would be unavailable soon. Anyway I took to eBay in my usual fashion when I can't afford something from the shop but still want it and searched for the object of my dress shaped affections. I did come across a quite a few in my travels but all sold for more than I wanted to pay so I waited a little longer, until last weekend that is. Sitting in McDonald's with my fiance having out Sunday treat (yes McDonald's is a treat to me) I bid and won the dress I had been after for a mere £8.27 + £3.50 postage. the dress is brand new and I love it! It will be perfect for a night out or one of those dress up extra special days at work :)



Warehouse animal/leopard print shift dress RRP £65

 

I urge you all to see eBay as your friend, be patient, be clever and set yourself a limit. You wont be disappointed!

Thrifty outfit No.1 - Carboot and charity shop finds

This part of my blog will aims to illustrate some of the fab things you can find in charity shops and at jumble and carboot sales. I love to rummage through clothes and get a bargain so second hand shopping is ideal for me! However I know it isn't for everyone so I thought I would share my finds so that people can possibly be inspired to give second hand/vintage/reused/recycled items a go.


Thrifty outfit No. 1 - Work wear

Thrifty outfit No. 1 - Chiffon blouse & Tweed Style skirt
This outfit is great for work as it is my typical "uniform" of choice. The blouse came from a carboot sale and was 50p (I can tell where it is from as the label is faded) I had been looking for something similar for ages as the shops were full of pretty chiffon blouses and shirts which I couldn't justify spending the money on when I knew I had seen similar things in the charity shops so I figured it was just a case of biding my time!

 

The skirt is originally from next and was £3.50 from the PDSA charity shop in Colchester, Essex. The great thing about this skirt is it was brand new and had the belt that originally came with the skirt.

 

So an outfit, fit for work for £4.50! You can't argue with that!

 

Worn here with a white vest underneath the shirt and lovely brown suede Monsoon heels (which I purchased in the sale one year for £22.50)  

DIY Bow Tie - Tried and tested

I always found myself quite drawn to ties when I was younger and even went as far as to complain to my mum that wearing a tie wasn't part of my high school uniform as I felt like I was missing out somehow. Perhaps the fact that I didn't have to wear one growing up is part of the reason why I am so willing to wear them now?

Anyway I have a few that I wear mainly in the winter so I can layer up i.e. shirt, tie and tank top and then look a little less like I am in fancy dress and more a mixture of power dressing (80's style but minus the shoulder pads!) and office wear combined. Recently I have formed an affection for bow ties though and found a brilliant old post on Honestly...WTF (click here for link) showing you how to make your own, like the one below. For the tutorial all you need is material, a safety pin or broach pin, glue gun, a ruler and a pen, I made my own from memory and a bit of adaptation of the tutorial but only because I didn't have my computer to hand so had to improvise as I didn't want to wait!

Image taken from 'DIY Bow tie - Honestly WTF'

I used what I had to hand  that evening which was some checked material which was once a pair of pyjama bottoms and set to work! The fruits of my labour can be seen below.

 

Old pyjama bottoms cut and
rectangle of fabric
ready to fold in half

gather fabric in the centre
secure ribbon around
 

Glue gun pin to back
and it is ready to wear
 

 


I now have plans to use some velvet material that I have to make another slightly larger one more like the one in the post linked to above but I have to say I was pretty pleased with myself and got some great comments at work AND they are great for putting in your hair too!