I almost committed a cardinal sin in the lore of chazzing* yesterday, I very nearly avoided visiting a charity shop because there's never normally anything decent in there.
The offerings in the rest of the town were so dire that, in sheer desperation, I gave it a go and, lo and behold, this wondrous gold, spray-painted jacket (cut down from a 1960s green leather coat) was waiting.
Not everyone's cup of tea but most definitely mine! I handed over my money and walked back happy, my January charity shop fix sorted.
To add to my joy I got home to discover a parcel from the Vintage Queen of New Zealand herself, Helga Von Trollop. This paisley maxi skirt was amongst the delights,
along with these fabularse orange suede platforms. I'll show you the rest soon!
 |
| Filigree silver bangle and dragon ring (my beloved Krista), Filigree ring (gorgeous Em), Natural wood bangles (the divine Senora Allnut) and the rest inherited/bought in India or second-hand. |
The moral of this tale? Never write off a charity shop no matter how useless, you just never know when you may strike gold - but you knew that anyway, didn't you?
 |
| Green leather jacket (£5, Rastafarian homeless charity), Satin maxi and platform shoes (Helga the great), Vintage Gladstone & tooled leather belt (20p each, Salvation Army jumble sale), Hindu print tee (last seen HERE), Earrings (£1, Walsall market) |
It's blowing up a storm out there, time to batten down the hatches and have egg and chips for tea.
See you soon!
* Vix's Black Country slang for going charity shopping.
Lucky you! Fab jacket and gorgeous skirt & shoes. You look great.
ReplyDeleteI am singing praises to the person who had the vision to create that wonderful jacket. I'm glad it has a new home with you! The paisley skirt and...(calm myself) the shoes! are punting wonders. Helga is Queen. You are gorgeous. Great shopping lesson.
ReplyDeleteI freakin' LOVE that jacket. I have been wanting to spraypaint one of my leathers. Now I'm going to go get mine out and think about this. What a fantastic idea!
ReplyDeleteYou always score!
What a fabulous find!
ReplyDeleteCool! never seen anything like that, charity shops i tell ya, they are full of suprises, this is why i like going as well.
Some days you find tons of stuff, sometimes nothing, but some days you find that special item!
Love, love those orange plattform! do you really walk with them?
Ariane xxxx
I love your new cropped jacket and this is totally my cuppa too! It was just waiting for someone with your unusual taste to snatch it up and give it a second go at life! Whoever did this improved that jacket by leaps and bounds! Your scores from Helga are so you, I wish I could pull off those orange platforms, I adore the color! Wish I was sitting down for chips and an egg with you!
ReplyDeleteLoveyou more than chazzing!
XXOOO
Good reminder. I also check parts of the store where I don't expect to find things. The staff at my local place are always putting vintage dresses in with nightwear and women's tops in with men's, so I give those areas a quick once over.
ReplyDeleteBack to your jacket. It's gorgeous and I love it when something has a history. Someone took a vintage jacket and made it their own. And now you are rocking it your way as you do with everything. I guess, including shower curtains!
You must be so glad you went into the charity shop. There is one in my town I often miss out - think I'll pop in tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteLiz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Vix you look fab!
ReplyDeleteDx
Ah, so this is the famed leather coat you were talking about on my blog. Yeah I figured you would be into Royal Enfield Bullets! Those suede platforms look super, and so do those wooden coloured bangles!
ReplyDeleteIt must be so delightful to keep getting such goodies in the mail, comes from being so lovable I think.
Love,
Shubhi!
Wow, that jacket is perfection magnified. I would buy it myself. And I never would've thought to do it - spray paint and stencil an old leather - until now. It plays fabulously with your new ensemble too. Though I don't know how you can even stand still without falling over in those groovy orange platforms.
ReplyDeleteI have to confess the jacket isn't up my street, but the shoes are fantastic. Once I was in a nightclub a guy asked what I did for a living and I said I was an art student. He said I didn't look like an art student and laughed. I went to the loo and came back and he said, 'I take it all back, I have just seen your bright orange platform shoes' lol I don't know if that constitutes 'arty' but they were fabulous all the same.
ReplyDeleteV
xxx
The back of that jacket is crazy!
ReplyDeletelove it!
What a fabularse parcel from the Antipodes, those platforms are amazing and perfect with the lush paisley skirt. Glad someone did OK at the chazza's. Egg and chips ....mmmm.
ReplyDeleteWheeeeee you're back and I'm loving having a catch up! Hope you had a fab hols....looking forward to reading all your posts about it. I've missed you!
ReplyDeleteI have done the same before, not popping into a chazzer as its normally a pointless exercise, only to find a gem! That jacket was made for you.
Big hugs and kisses xxxxxx
Yay, the parcel arrived!
ReplyDeleteFark, I love that jacket! So creative, and such a fabularse score!!! Must have been waiting for you to pass by so the chazza goddess could nudge you in! Goes great with that skirt-omg, I thought that might be too small! Fits perfect-like!
Lovely accessorising, you really are the Queen of Bling!
Indeed, I ahve been guilty of not going into the odd oppy for the same reason, but I think I'll be thinking twice about it now!
Love Helga xxxXXXxxx
Wow the pure chance of stumbling upon that beauty just goes to show it’s always worth visiting every charity shop – regardless of the usual offerings. It suits you Vix, what a brilliant find xxx
ReplyDeleteLove both the jacket and those amazeballs shoes - fabularse, indeed.
ReplyDeleteI've certainly been guilty of the 'no, I won't bother in that charity shop as I never find anything there' philosophy before now. In fact there is a now-local-to-me CS that I'd NEVER found anything in before, but these days it's turning out to be quite THE place for great finds.
it's the shoes i love most of all! yeah helga!
ReplyDeleteMe encanta tu chaqueta y tus zapatos!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMe gusta tu blog, te sigo.
Saludos
http://judithbysucre.blogspot.com.es
Oh I know, it's so true - you can go in a charity shop 50 times and see nothing, but it only takes one more visit to uncover a gem! (And of course I know the charity shop of which you speak - funny old place!)
ReplyDeleteYour jacket IS a gem, I love that someone customised it - some 70s rock/hippy chick, what do you reckon? And no doubt a woman after your own heart, Vix!
Helga has sent you a wonderful skirt and those platforms are so you, it hurts!
Mmm, egg and chips, delicious!
PS. Thank you for your lovely comment, you are a bit of a gem yourself! xxx
OOoh, I adore the shape and colour of it and I am not one for leather jackets usually!
ReplyDeleteNice pressies from the girls! I always try a charity shop- even the smelly ones!x
skirt and shoes are hippy perfection!
ReplyDeleteOh that jacket is fabolous and so you, I love it. What are the faded words on the back above the tree I couldn't quite work them out. That is one hell of an awesome maxi skirt from Helga and those platforms oh my, both in one of my other most favourite colours.
ReplyDeleteAs always dear Vix your are perfection. X
That's rather lush! What a find.
ReplyDeleteI am knocked bandy by the Helga platforms..I might have to have a sit down to cope with their stupendousness.
I'm off for a wee bit of payday chazzing tomorrow.
Mmmmm egg n'chips. Tomorrows tea I think.
Loves ya.
xxxxxxxx
What a great parcel of joy! I love the skirt and shoes and the sight of your tiny feet in those platforms is so cute!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a successful chazzing trip and yes, that word in all its forms is definitely yours, I had never heard of it before. Respect is due! xxx
Yes, that jacket is just so you, along with that beautiful parcel of goodies. xxx
ReplyDeleteThe jacket is so cool! The plattform are so fab - feeling such envy of your lack of snow!
ReplyDeleteFookin awesome jacket.
ReplyDeleteI wonder who the inspired genius was who made it?
What a wonderful revamped jacket, it's so completely right for you. The stenciling at the back is magic, I love the cropped sleeves & the cut and green and gold is an awesome colour combo...Vix scores again!
ReplyDeleteI bought an 80s leather jacket some months back that someone had done a bit of a DIY spray paint job on but it doesn't hols a candle to this. Gorgeous jacket, gorgeous outfit, gorgeous you!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx
oh that emerald green and orange combo totally brightened up my day! this jacket really was waiting for you and gosh the maxi skirt is one of a kind!
ReplyDeletekiss,mary
http://www.maryloucinnamon.com/
That jacket is amazing. The spray painted pic, the cropped sleeves and length-- brilliant, totally perfect now. Lucky you to get that package-- those orange shoes are fierce!
ReplyDeletewhat wouldn't I give to charity shop where most ppl pass up this spray painted beauty. Most places in Sydney are picked to death. You look fabulous in your goodies from NZ...You truly are a style Goddess xxx
ReplyDeleteLove the suede platforms : ) x
ReplyDeleteThat jacket is my cup of tea, and I just want to steel those gorgeous shoes, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
ReplyDeleteWOW--that jacket is FANTASTIC!!! I wonder if I could do something like that??? HMMMMM????
ReplyDeleteHelga certainly sent some awesome stuff--those platforms are stunning!!! And that skirt screams Vix!!
Oh Rasta Jacket! So much nicer to see you gleaming locks instead of dreads streaming down the back. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteFabularse? Love it! :-)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous jacket and really suits you!
wouuaaah!, hippietastic jacket, amazing gold spray paint!
ReplyDeleteand love all that gold and green and orange you're wearing, fabulous color combo!
Of course, you look gorgeous in that paisley skirt and orange platforms, you're actually a dream!!
besos & orange
I absolutely love that jacket - it actually looks loads better cut down and I salute whoever had the idea. And you've helped homeless Rastafarians too, which is always a bonus.
ReplyDeleteFAB orange shoes n all!
xxx
I don't know how you do it. You would look gorgeous wearing a table cloth.
ReplyDeleteGreat jacket, obviously a one-off, just like you! I think it must have been waiting for the Queen of Customising! Love the skirt and platforms - wish I could walk in them!
ReplyDeleteThere was one in town we didn't tend to go in cos we felt it was too expensive and it still is in the front of the shop but if you go out into the wilderness at the back then there be treasures to be there be! The leather jacket was made for you luv! And I just remembered a pair of orange heeled stilletoes I tried on yesterday, must share that on FB! Watch that space lol!
ReplyDeleteThat shop is worth braving the scratchers and creepy stalker for that jacket. it's amazing!! it looks great on you and I bet you'll wear it loads. Plus the green looks great with the awesome orange skirt and oh my god those shoes!! too high for me but I can live my impossible shoe dream through you!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous green and orange combo!
ReplyDeleteI can only come up with blasphemous phrases to express how I'm feeling about your manna from heaven. But as I'm not the slightest bit bothered about such things, then HOLY FREAKING SWEET JESUS MOTHER OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteIt's cool that you're the one who usually re-makes these things, found something cool that someone else had already done the work on for you. Once again, I have jewelry envy....
ReplyDeleteWOW! Really well done and truly OOAK! You wear it so well! And only a fiver? SUPER score, girl!!
ReplyDeleteOur local hospital charity shop is like that. It has mostly unexciting donations from the neighboring retirement community. But you won't believe the stylin' designer 70s poly maxi dress and matching jacket I scored there recently. Found it amongst the bland granny clothes from the 80s and 90s. I'll find a couple of really awesome things a month there. I've made a chunk off of reselling stuff a lot of it.
Umm Umm! Those orange platforms from Helga are da bomb! You lucky duck, you! :)
Stay warm and cozy, friend. :)
xxx
Love the skirts and shoes from Helga and the deity shirt!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the best treasures are hidden in the least expected places.
I love your amazing jacket. Such pretty rings and bracelets too. You look so good in maxi skirts.
ReplyDeleteRastafarian homeless charity? The name only would draw me in. Great way to up cycle an old leather coat. Does it say the king on the back? I love those shoes, but I'd probably fall over. It's raining buckets here right now, threatening to have a freaking tornado!
ReplyDeleteRastafarian homeless charity! So specific, I love it.
ReplyDeleteThe jacket is SUBLIME - the painting is absolutely spectacular!!! Love the gorgeous skirt and the AMAAAAZING shoes! I must admit I do occasionally pass by an op shop where I've never had any joy... I should know better!
LOVE you more than jacket art! Sarah xxx
what a find. that is awesome. and yep, you never know what you'll find. gorgeous skirt too. what friends you have! xo
ReplyDeleteYay to the op-shop universe that guided you to go and find that truly fabulous jacket. It looks great with the Miss Helga skirt and those orange suede heels!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right a few weeks ago I was heard to say "ahhhh there won't be anything in that oppy" but you guessed it I went in and walked out with the most fabulous dress!!!!!!
Love V
Oh, Vix! I had to laugh because I have nearly commited that horrible thrift girl crime myself!!! Not going in because nothing will be there. But like you, I have shocked myself before over unexpected finds!! You look perfect in that jacket!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Lynn
Holy Cow! How did I miss those orange shoes when I was here this morning?? You changed your pictures didn't you? ;)
ReplyDeleteI finally saw your Green Legs and Glam suggestion. Love it! How did I miss something so simply perfect!
That jacket is so YOU! I guess you never know what you may find in the charity stores. Also the shoes our Helga send you are amazing:)
ReplyDeleteI love your outfit today, it is right up there with my all time favourites. That jacket looks amazing on you. It has been waiting a long time for you.
ReplyDeleteI love the design on the back of the jacket, and your maxi skirt and shoes go so well, it's as if the whole outfit was meant to be.
ReplyDeleteHi my dear! Wonderful charity shop find, I love the feeling you get when you hit lucky with the perfect item and this really is so unique and gorgeous, well done! Your whole outfit is lovely, the skirt goes brilliantly with the jacket! xx
ReplyDeleteThose shoes are soooo devine. Great find there in the chazza!! :-)
ReplyDeletexo
Gah! Perfection as always. You wear your outfits in the best way - always!
ReplyDeleteSQUEEEEEEE!!!!Helga's presents are Helgastic, only you and her could wear such fabulous shoes and walk like goddess!!
ReplyDeleteI think that I would bring home that wonderful jacket too, I like that is a restyled vintage piece and the illustration they paint on the back is stunning!
I love the krishna shirt and the skirt very much!!!
Love
That jacket looks insanely good on you!!
ReplyDeleteAnd those orange platforms, wow!
Lx
www.whatlisawrote.blogspot.co.uk
Fabulous jacket. I was just wondering, HOW does everyone who sends you things know your exact size? Those orange platforms are so yummy-- and just right size. The same with the maxi skirt. Do you have a charmed existence?
ReplyDeleteCheers from Rosemary,
www.foreveronthecatwalkoflife.blogspot.com
this outfit is brilliant head to toe!the skirt, top, that brilliant jacket!!!and your eye make-up is fabulous!
ReplyDeletei have added your blog on my "inspirations online" list :)
ReplyDeleteLove your platforms & I was thinking "chazzing" another word I'll have look up like when I did not what a car boot sale was! Lol
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful Vix and I love your shoes xxx
ReplyDeleteI love it that you, Curtise and Joni have all featured green pieces in your most recent posts! Vix, what a funky find, it looks great with your outfit and I'm lusting after(and also really envious of, considering I haven't been wearing heels lately) those wonderful platforms! xoxo
ReplyDeleteLove that jacket, reminds me of back in the 80's when lots of us kids painted the back of our leather jackets. Does it have a band name at the top-"the Kin"? The image is so interesting makes me want to know what the band sounded like.;)
ReplyDeleteAnd, that skirt and shoes fit perfectly with it! Miss Helga has such a great eye and style!:)
Your bangles. Your nails. That jacket. Everything about this outfit is sheer perfection.
ReplyDeleteI always avoid a certain charity shop in town because of its lack of stock, I gave it a go today following your advice but I was still unsuccessful! x
ReplyDeleteThat jacket is like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. What a beauty! The orange pumps pretty much made me forget my own name. They are art.
ReplyDeleteThat jacket just screams "Vix" - I love the creativity that went into the vision of this gold and green beauty. Orange suede platforms - OMG!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a find! The vibe/concept makes me think of Madonna's jacket in Desperately Seeking Susan!
ReplyDeleteLooking gorgeous as always glad you got your fix ;-) Im off to Exeter in a minute hoping to score to fingers crossed. Have a great weekend, dee xxx
ReplyDeleteFab outfit and the jacket looks like it was made for you - so unique!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab find Vix!!! That jacket is just awesome and a great DIY idea! Can't believe you always find such amazing cheap stuff! Have a nice friday!!! XX Tani
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing jacket love it!! :) x
ReplyDeleteOoh I love your jacket, your skirt, your tights and your shoes Vix, it's all gorgeous, I wonder who handed that jacket in, some local kindred spirit? I have committed that sin too with a local charity shop that I avoided for ages just because it was difficult to get to with the pushchair, being up a flight of stairs, but I braved it and now I'm addicted, I'm hanging around outside it at 10am waiting for it to open nowadays, can't believe I neglected it for so long. xx
ReplyDeleteOH MY GOODNESS, THOSE SHOES! Now that I have gotten that out of my system, I love the color combo of the tights and the shows. Looking great as always :)
ReplyDeleteOw wow, that jacket! I would have brought it home also. The back of it is so amazing. It is really beautifull. And what a great present! I love your new platforms! Wonderfull color.
ReplyDeleteYou look so lovely....
xxxx
The jacket is brilliant! I sold my blue painted leather jacket, this makes me miss it so much. You look gorgeous! xx
ReplyDeleteyou crack me up, <3 you!
ReplyDeletewholesale ladies clothing
Nothing beats the color combo of orange and green except the dazzle of a beautiful woman rocking a great pair of platforms. Paper Rock Scissors, you all lose. Vix wins!
ReplyDelete