I haven't bought anything other than second-hand clothing for over three years. Not only does paying pence for clothes make me swear out loud like crazy old lady when I see the price tags in real shops but racks and racks of the same old mass-produced tat bore the pants off me.
Today was different. On the way back home after a morning's chazza shopping I noticed River Island were closing down and everything had to go. These fabulous knitted bell bottoms from their retro-inspired Chelsea Girl range were reduced from £35 to a fiver.
Then I popped into Boots and found this sun hat reduced £3. It's paper straw and can be scrunched up to fit in my backpack, perfect for my next trip.
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| Chelsea Girl flares worn with a 1980s leopard print swimsuit (20p, jumble sale), 1970s souvenir basket (£1.95, Acorns Hospice), vintage velvet lace-up waistcoat (The divine Kitty) |
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| Barry M Blueberry Ice nails. |
It's quite a treat to own something with the labels still attached.
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| Chelsea Girl flares worn with a 1980s leopard print swimsuit (20p, jumble sale), 1970s Madeira basket (£1.95, Acorns Hospice), vintage velvet lace-up waistcoat (The divine Kitty) |
I did find a few second-hand lovelies but they'll have to wait until tomorrow. The sun's shining and I have a date with a stagnant fish pond.
See you soon.
The waistcoat is divine! Genius idea to pair it with a swimsuit (don't envy you when you have to go for a wee though!)
ReplyDeleteWow you bought from an actual shop! *thud* that was me fainting ;o)
ReplyDeleteMind you they are still bargains!
What fabulous pants! And I adore the hat; I am a consummate hat person. The silver bracelets and the blue polished nails are perfect together, and the waistcoat is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful date with the pond!
xo, Anita
Gorgeous! What a find, personally I could never wear those (unfortunately I have a little too much thigh!) but you look cracking.
ReplyDeleteLove the nail varnish and can't wait to hear about the other lovely things you picked up.
xx
those bell bottoms are a bit lush. I do love Chelsea Girl.
ReplyDeleteBTW I changed my twitter account!
xo
amazing!! as always! i do love river islands chelsea girl range. those bell bottoms suit you so much, and the price is even better!
ReplyDeleteRachel x
good job I'm sitting down to read this!
ReplyDeleteI haven´t bought anything new for ages either, but those trousers are absolutely you.
ReplyDeleteLoving your fabulous jewellery, my dear Vix.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
oooh very Missoni, I love them. Look fabulous on you & your fab figure xx
ReplyDeleteSuper cool!!! Love bell bottoms!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're the best, ever!
I hope you're not wearing those for your trip out with the fishies!
ReplyDeleteWill startle their poor eyeballs to see you with tags attached!
Well done on the bargain hunting - They are gorgeous on you and will fit right in to your glamorous wardrobe.
Love and light,
Fhi x
i love those bells. i'd wear them in a minute! i recently purchased brand new pants myself. they were deeply discounted but it still killed me a little. but i must say they fit pretty fabulously. anyway have a lovely weekend vix.
ReplyDeleteobviously they look amazing on your skinny pins! well done, things can be found on the high street (though I tend to go to Sainsbury's for my clothes :S)
ReplyDeleteYou look stunning! That bag is amazing :)
ReplyDeleteOoh, they've been absorbed seemlessly in to your style, no one would ever guess they were (*whisper*) new :)
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly outraged at the price of clothes in shops. I like to have a nosey around in Hobbes but I've never bought anything there. The other week I was examining a £179 shirtdress - it wasn't even 100% wool - ha! As if! :)
Ooh love the flares! And the rest in fact... River Island is not somewhere I usually go, may have to check if mine has a mega sale on! :)
ReplyDeleteGaaah, they are amazing! Can't believe they're River Island! Such a bargain though.
ReplyDeleteCatherine, XO.
I'm a big fan of the Chelsea Girl range, those pants were waiting for you, as was the hat. This weather made me wonder what you'd be wearing today. Liam was aghast at my head to toe black ensemble - "but its BOILING mum".
ReplyDeleteNew clothes feel so different, don't they?
Good luck with your fish pond.
ReplyDeleteFab bell bottoms, they look great on you!
Lis x
This outfit is perfect!! The top with the leopard with the bellbottoms with that bag! Ahh. You find too many goodies. Love love.
ReplyDeleteWow no wonder you rushed in and brought these bell bottoms, they look fab on you!
ReplyDeleteSophie
x
Wow no wonder you rushed in and brought these bell bottoms, they look fab on you!
ReplyDeleteSophie
x
fabulous pants, really pretty design!, and love how you wear them with so summery accessories and your new hat!
ReplyDeletebesos
If you hadn't told us we would have never known, those trousers look vintage to me ;-)) Glad you had a baragin like that. I used to work in River Island years ago i used to be the shoe Manageress but i haven't been in there for years. Hope you managed to sort the pond out been another gorgeous day. dee xx
ReplyDeleteI swear this has to be a new favorite outfit!!!!! I friggin LOVE these pants on you! You look so hot in them and for $5 I think those are jumble sale prices, ok not really but out here there are thrift store prices for sure. You rock the floppy hats like no one else I know.
ReplyDeleteI have woke to snow the last three days, granted it's just been a light dusting but COME ON ALREADY, I'm over it!!! Enjoy some sun for me honey!!!
Love you loads!!!
Krista
oooh they're fabulous! though don't get hooked back into buying "new" though... at least you redeemed yourself by spending the morning chazza shopping first ;)
ReplyDeletehope the kitties keep their claws in when you wear them - I'd be worrying about minor details like that ;)
fishpond? where? we need a map of your garden, methinks!
am spending some of tomorrow sorting my garden out - or doing something practical to the bathroom as I've just had some plumbing work done and its a building site... tough choice as to which to do really ;) xx
I love the pants what a great pattern. I feel like I say it everytime I comment but your jewelry is just so awesome :)
ReplyDeleteWell,a gal can't turn her nose up at a good bargain! Those pants are damned funky!Looking generally pretty frigging HOT,actually!Like you should be hanging with Anita and Marianne,shooting the breeze!YEAH!You wear pants better than ANYONE!!!
ReplyDeleteStagnant fishpond?!Ugh.Better get on a bikini and your waders!
Love you!
Love Helga xxxXXXxxx
I love the Chelsea Girl range but I must say I like to stick to the sales! Those are super! Sadly my local RI is NOT closing down (well happily for the people working there and the local economy) so I'll have to wait for the sales.
ReplyDeleteHow cool that you were able to find such great bell bottoms retail clearance! The waistcoat is a perfect touch. xxoo
ReplyDeleteThe trousers are great - nothing wrong with having something new now and again if it's that cheap.
ReplyDeleteI often find myself exclaiming like an old person at high street prices and poor quality!
Hope you had 'fun' with the fishpond!
What a fabulous pair of trews! They look very Cher, in fact the whole outfit is very Cher! You look amazing!
ReplyDeleteOOhh Vix, now I do like that look! Just stunning baby!! :D
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel I shudder at the high street prices and quantity of tat, but it is nice to get something you like for a good price once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI'm like that with my home too, I really need a TV stand but I want to find something suitable at the junk shop or boot sale as I refuse to buy some generic tat from Argos as seems to be the rage, yuk!
Kandi x
That lace up waist coat is saucy sexylicious on ya.
ReplyDeleteThose bell bottoms are fantastic with your straw hat.
You find the best sales!
I know i love a good bargain from RIverisland.
That nail polish goes perfect with your fab jewelry collection.
Besios
At these prices it's well okay to break the habit. The bellbottoms and the hat look amazing on you (especially in combination with the hot top :) and isn't it wonderful that a sun hat was in order today?! xoxo
ReplyDeleteLovely outfit. :D
ReplyDeleteWhat groovy bell bottoms, they look terrific on you. I didn't know RI did a Chelsea Girl range. Loving the new hat too and looking forward of course to see what you discovered in the chazza shops today.
ReplyDeletexx
Well, those trousers definitely are your style and you look HOT in them, so I reckon that makes them a good buy - hat too! Great look, loving the corset/waistcoat, you saucy minx!
ReplyDeleteDate with a stagnant fishpond? Hmmm, that's not sounding so great, but looking forward to hearing how you got on and to seeing the chazza bargains. xxxxxxx
I'm very much liking the bag Vix!
ReplyDeletelove the accessories!
ReplyDeleteOMG River Island closing down? Noooooo, that's one of the few high street shops I love... Nooooooo, I hope Cov's is safe. Fab flares my lovely, sometimes you just need a with tags treat. Xx
ReplyDeleteI NEVER get tired of your ensembles!! This one is no exception and it's hard to comment on one or two items (except maybe that vest!!!). Oh yeah, and the jewelry. Those pants are pretty fabulous too. And what about...oops. There we go again.
ReplyDeleteLove love love, Jean
Fabulous look! You look like a classic Barbie in these pics!
ReplyDeleteThose pants are perfect for you.
ReplyDeleteWe can forgive them for being
new. They won't be always.
Brand new when in the most amazing sale is the very best!!! I do like heavily discounted stuff and those pants look amazing on you, you hot thing you!!! Hope you had fun in the pond!!
ReplyDeleteLook at you, all retro in retail! Yay! Looking good. I've gotten some new items recently, but they were all trade ins. Actually, my mom buys me stuff retail all the time, I just forget about it haha.
ReplyDeleteMuch like you, I rarely buy anything new but if a bargain hits you sometimes you have to go for it. Especially when the bargain is a pair of fab bell-bottoms - they look like they were made for you!
ReplyDeleteOh glory be to closing down sales when all the cool stuff is still left! Yes, it feels weird to me to walk down the street with a piece of clothing, tags intact, in a new bag. Those pants were just WAITING for you, begging for you to take them home and love them up - as you certainly have!!! Phwoar to leopard-print swimsuit and your waistcoat - you deserve a jolly good arse-pinching me lassie;))). Oh your bag is a bit like my Madeira embroidered bag - sigh ... aren't the colours just so incredible? xoxoxoxoxoxooxox
ReplyDeletethese flares are killer xx
ReplyDeleteThose bell-bottoms are gorgeous! They suit you down to a t. I love the character of second-hand clothes, but it is nice to buy something "with the tags still attached" as you say every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteGood buy with those flares - they look brilliant on you. Chelsea Girl brings back memories...I've still got a CG black jumper that I brought in 1985 when I was 16. I treasure it still even though I don't wear it anymore; but I'm glad that clothes can't speak and reveal their secrets!!!!! ;-)
ReplyDeletexxx
I have a great weakness for lace-ups around my torso! Yours is fantastic!! I hope the fabric on those pants feels as groovy as it looks. Score. I like the silver Nancy Cunard arms.
ReplyDeleteGreat bell bottoms Vix. I got a not dissimilar retro pair from, erm, Forever 21 last year. 15 quid, but I'm really pleased with them. Not good about River Island closing down though. I know the fashion business is hardly perfect, but we can't afford to lose the jobs right now.
ReplyDeleteI do wish you hadn't mentioned stagnant ponds though, I've been putting that job off!
LOVE the waistcoat! And the pattern on the bell bottoms is so funky and gorgeous! xxx
ReplyDeleteI've been pleasantly surprised by the Chelsea Girl range, although I haven't yet indulged myself. They bought one or two pieces from me when they were setting the relaunch up, although I haven't seen any reproduced yet! xx
ReplyDeleteYou look fab! Very Missoni :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't got the hang of this yet Vix, so please bear with me.
ReplyDeleteI've replied on my blog, but I just wanted to say thank you for reading and commenting. I've been reading your blog for awhile, so it was lovely to get a 'welcome' message from you. Thanks again x
Such a great find!) They look amazing and your legs are just gorgeous in these pants <3
ReplyDeleteYou`re so chic! Check my blog and follow me if you want!
ReplyDeleteIoana
http://www.fashionspot.ro/
Those are DEFINITELY Vix pants!
ReplyDeleteWow love how you're wearing the waistcoat, I knew you were up to the challenge, ha ha!! A most awesome and excellent outfit.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
ReplyDeleteim loving the hat!!
ReplyDeleteand the pants are amazing!!!
u rock!!
http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in
There is always an exception to the rule, and it would have been rude not to purchase those bargain flares and hat xxx
ReplyDeleteThe pants are worthy of breaking out of the charity shop circuit!
ReplyDeleteOh those pants are fab!! Very Missoni at a so not Missoni price! Love the seventies vibe you're rocking here xx
ReplyDeleteYour new pants are amazing and they look really vintage. The bag is also very cool.
ReplyDeletex