Only In Your Underwear

Yay! The joys of being self-employed. There's no Monday morning blues in this house. The sun is shining and I'm off to 'Spoons in somebody else's underwear. 

Yes, this cotton top is a Victorian camisole, helpfully labelled by the previous owner's seamstress.

I did a bit of research and discovered it most probably belonged to a young lady called Elizabeth Deakin who was born in 1870, lived in West Bromwich (Walsall's nearest neighbour), had 6 siblings and died at the age of 30.  Yet another reason to embrace shopping secondhand, you wouldn't need spend hours searching the 1891 census if you bought your clothes from Primark. Not only do you get a wardrobe full of all manner of mad stuff nobody else has but you get to learn some local social history, too.

It's not looking too shabby for something 131 years old, is it?

The tasseled choker is made by the Hmong tribe (via Krista) and the earrings were a present from Curtise.

Check out my clogs! I've wanted some Scandi clogs for years and a fortnight ago I bit the bullet and splashed out on these low wood, vegan beauties. Delivered direct from Stockholm, both the alder from which the soles are made and the staples holding them together were sourced in Sweden. To help raise the funds to pay for them I stuck my charity-shopped Stuart Weizmann sandals on eBay and to my amazement they made enough to pay for these plus extra cash to go towards a second pair (which are winging their way to Walsall at this very moment!)

Orthopaedic shoes don't have to be ugly....or neutral coloured! I can walk to the pub in confidence with these and know that even if I am bladdered I won't break an ankle on the way home.

Don't worry, a brand new splurge hasn't dented my passion for charity shopping. Here's Friday's finds:

Clockwise from top left: 1950s horse's head vases; hand painted 1980s shirt; Markus Lupfer cat print sweat shirt (Retail price £168!! One for eBay, I think); Early 1960s Peter Baron day dress; Handmade 1960s shift; 1970s Greek cotton maxi; 1980s swimming bag; Tissavel fake fur; 1960s Moygashel travel blazer; Horse brasses (in the words of Tom Hardy...I have a use for you); 1950s mosaic plate; 1970s Indian block print silk scarf, 1980s day dress; 1980s 100% rayon Hawaiian shirt.

Right, I better make a move. I've got to buy a new iron on the way to the pub....I know, I'm just so goddamn rock'n'roll! 

Antique camisole (£1, charity clearance shop); 1970s Ulrike of Sweden patchwork print maxi (£5.19, eBay 2011), Patchwork and pom pom bag (Birthday present, handmade by Liz)

Linking to Patti & The Gang for Visible Monday.

See you soon!