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I was SO privileged to be featured in this article, back in September, wearing one of my most beloved vintage dresses https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/sep/06/grandfather-readers-vintage-clothes-oxfam-fashion and talking with some amazing (and incredibly well-dressed) people about the joys of second hand shopping.

Vintage M and S dress - £5 (RSPCA Charity Shop, Framwellgate Moor, Durham)

I am a complete magpie for a St Michael tag (vintage M and S - they rebranded in the late nineties, so if you find an item of clothing with a St Michael label it's a safe bet that it's at least 20 years old), but this was like no M and S item I'd EVER seen. It really gave me insight into how forward thinking the brand was in its high street heyday (or maybe just how much more diverse high street fashion used to be) - it really does feel like a painting or graffiti in dress form.

I know that I 100% would have broken my charity shopping budget (£5 and under, just FYI) for this dress and I still thank my lucky stars that I didn't have to!

As you can see even from the brief selection in the article, charity shops provide a huge range of different styles to choose from, but they're also a lifeline for people for so many different reasons, not only economic.

Outfit of the Day 9/11/19 - bright blues for grey skies!

Vintage BHS dress - £1, The Project Too, Southchurch, Southend. 

Office Ankle Boots - £5, Anthony Hopkins charity shop, Pimlico, London. 

Vintage satchel - £2, Community Fundraising Shop, Southchurch, Southend. 

Sneinton Market Square - I loved this new graffiti! 

Words cannot express how LUCKY I feel to have a wardrobe stuffed to the brim with amazing '£1 and under finds' (God bless Southend second hand shopping - of which more in a later post... stay tuned), but this dress was love at first sight even before I knew it was a complete steal. It was a risky purchase, as it's a few sizes bigger than me, but I loved the double-breasted waist detail and the bold block of colour, and also the low neckline which I think is a nice counterpoint to the longer length. A lot of my vintage purchases are things I'm drawn to because of an intense pattern (love a good eighties floral, me) so this is relatively plain by comparison but still eye-catching because it's such a gorgeous bright blue. It might seem odd but it makes me feel powerful and confident, especially teemed with my beloved heeled ankle boots - a slightly more extravagant purchase from 2017 but they really have paid for themselves by now (even with a couple of bouts of reheeling thrown in because ya girl is Hard On Shoes).

For YEARS I thought midi length dresses and skirts were to be Avoided Like the Plague because I'm so short but honestly - they now make up the bulk of my wardrobe and I ADORE them, especially with any of my prodigious collection of ankle boots. 'Should' and 'Shouldn't wear' rules re. fashion are best chucked aside before you embrace charity shopping - it's so much more fun being able to approach all of those goodies with an open and experimental mind.