I'm going old school and posting today's outfit. I've had to organise myself to do this - it's dark by half past three - winter isn't conducive to taking outfit photos in the daylight!
One of the things I love about charity shopping, aside from the thrill of the hunt, is that my wardrobe is constantly evolving. Yesterday I didn't leave the house with any intention of buying an electric blue beret or a 1970s knitted midi dress but, by chance, I happened upon both, liked them and - at 99p and £2.99 respectively - gambled on them looking okay when I tried them on at home. Of course, when you sell vintage for a living it's no hardship if things don't fit, you simply stick them in the stockroom and, if you like them then it's inevitable that you'll eventually meet someone else who does, too.
Luckily for me I was happy with both!
Although it's not particularly flamboyant I loved this dress on sight and was thrilled to discover that it fitted - knitted dresses often look deceptively shapeless on the hanger. Hidden by my scarf, the bodice fastens with three covered buttons and the sleeves are pleasingly full without being a nightmare to get a coat on over the top. Annoyingly, the maker's label has been partially cut out. Along with Doc Marten boots, a black Kangol beret was a staple part of my wardrobe in the 1980s and although I always buy them when I find them, I automatically stick them in the stockroom - I hadn't considered keeping one for myself until I discovered this one in Barry M blue.
This 1950s leather overnight bag was from a jumble sale ages ago.
How fortuitous that my nails were already painted the same colour as the beret - good old Barry M Nail Paint, obviously! The Kashmiri papier mache bangles are charity-shopped, the mirrored ones came from a village in Gujarat.
The 1970s knitted tights were deadstock (ie., with the original labels still attached) and were in the 3 for £1 basket in the local hospice charity shop. The Topshop boots were 75% off in their sale earlier this year.
Helga sent me the vintage Tyrolean belt about seven years ago.
I found this 1960s Liberty silk scarf in a 99p basket of scarves in a vintage shop. I'm not a walking advertisement so I always make sure the Liberty logo is at the back of the scarf when I wear it.
Needless to say, I wore a coat on top of my new old dress when I left the house this morning - it's hideously cold out there today!
If I can organise myself properly I'll try and photograph some more of our recent charity shop finds and hopefully a DIY project we've got planned for the weekend should be completed in time to share next week, too.
Linking to Patti & the gang for Visible Monday.
Linking to Patti & the gang for Visible Monday.
The lady in red!
ReplyDeleteLove those pops of blue you've paired with that scarlet dress!
xox
Thanks, Bibi! xxx
DeleteWow, it is a lovely outfit!
ReplyDeleteThank you! x
DeleteLove that dress , I cant believe it was only £2.99 xxx
ReplyDeleteI know - a quarter of the price of the rest of the dresses on the same rail! xxx
DeleteStunning outfit! I love it. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annie! x
DeleteLove the knit dress and all the blue!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becky! x
DeleteThat outfit looks really good Vix. You have such a knack for putting unusual things together.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
Thank you, Sheila! x
DeleteYou have a French flair to your outfit today. I love it! The blue is just the perfect highlight.
ReplyDeleteStanding outside to have your photo taken without a coat! Brrr it's so cold today and also dark by mid afternoon. I took Ziggy for a walk and lost sight of him a couple of times! xxx
Don't lose Ziggy! I nearly went with a brown hat and boots but the blue just seemed to pop! xxx
DeleteI was going to say there was a certain French flavour to your outfit, but Sally beat me to it! It's such a great mix of colour and textures, and yes, you DO suit a beret. The colour's gorgeous, too! Ooh, that belt! Not in sync this time, as I beat you to it yesterday, but believe it or not, I'd just started composing my next post, lamenting the fact that it's hard organizing outfit photos due to the lack of daylight! I don't mind Winter so much, but I do hate that. xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks,Ann! You always look good in a beret!
DeleteThese dark days are a nightmare for us bloggers especially when the camera flash has broken! xxx
The hat, shoes, and nail polish seem to all match! And the dress looks divine on you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Tracie! x
DeleteI am a huge sucker for crocheted dresses like this. I've sold a couple as they were always tight on me. I've never spotted one in such a gorgeous shade of red before. Combined with the electric blue boots, hat and wild scarf this is one of my favorites of yours.
ReplyDeleteThis outfit is going to my Pin board. As per usual, your outfits are always inspiring.
I'm also getting into the groove of the evolving wardrobe now that I have my shop. I no longer have nagging feelings of regret when I know someone else will love the piece I'm moving into the shop and out of my closet. Win, win I say.
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
Thank you! I'm honoured to be pinned! I'm just starting to use Pinterest after joining years ago, loving it for inspiration.
DeleteI love the evolving wardrobe, finding something that looks better than a garment you already own, adding it to the shop rails and finding the right person to own it. So satisfying. xxx
I love the pattern on your knitted dress - it looks lovely on you, would also look very nice with black. I like berets, they are so feminine. With snow on the way my vintage faux fur coat is coming out of hiding.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betty!I thought about black - and brown. I'll try it another way soon!
DeleteI bet you're glad of your faux fur this week - my Afghan's a lifesaver. xxx
Love that blue beret - blue always looks fab on you! Dark here early too - 4pm. Can't wait for the long days of summer again
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hear you, these long dark evenings are so wearing...not long now until the shortest day. xxx
DeleteTechnically, that is a knitted dress, not crocheted, but I'll let it slide (hee hee). I love the shape and slight bell of the hem - it's just smashing on you, Vix! I love the booties and beret bookends. I also hide my logos - why must they put them front and center? I've already paid for your product!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend!
I know and you know but we're hookers (of the crocheting type!) I've seen a lot of knitted dresses labelled as crocheted and vice versa on eBay - I've even gone so far as to email the sellers and put them right, I'm such a pedant!
Deletexxx
What a fantastic outfit! Love the pops of blue and the knitted dress is gorgeous; I loved these knitted dresses back in the day. I simply adore the bangles; they go with everything and always look wonderful. God bless berets! Both stylish and practical and much needed in this bastard freezing weather!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend and stay warm.
xxxxxx
Thanks, Vronni! My Mum always used to wear those knitted dresses back in the day - its a bit scary seeing myself in one!
DeleteBerets are brilliant when it's bastard windy, too - Jon gets exasperated with me forever having to hold onto my hats when we're out! xxx
Such a perfect match of blues. It does my eyes good, although sometimes in real life electric blue can be too much for my eyes! I love the pairing with the red dress and old leather bag. You must have people waiting outside your house to see what you will wear each day. I know I once had a stylish neighbour who had me agog every day ;-)
ReplyDeletexo Jazzy Jack
Funnily enough, I saw a photo of a room painted in electric blue earlier today, the result was lovely, not at all as hectic as you'd imagine it to be!
DeleteThere's a few charity shop ladies who tell me that they look forward to seeing my outfits every week - I have to remember to rotate my dresses to make sure they don't see the same ones too often!xxx
Another fabulous outfit, Vix! I love it when you do closeups of the items you are wearing - the details of vintage clothing and accessories are fascinating to me. That beret looks wonderful on you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Alli! I'll have to nag Jon to take more close-ups of the details. He's always desperate to get back inside when we're taking outfit photos in the Winter! xxx
Deletewhat ever happened to Helga? does she still blog?
ReplyDeleteNo, she's gone over to the dark side (Instagram!) xxx
DeleteGorgeous!! so artistic, Real great finds.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! xxx
DeleteI love this whole outfit especially the belt from Helga. I miss Helga's blog but it's a good thing she's on instagram.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what you'll be making. A dollhouse? Repainting some furniture? X
Thanks, Jess! I don't own many plain dresses so it was a bit of fun experimenting with how to wear it. xxx
DeletePS Helga was one of my main reasons for joining Instagram!
Matching your hat, boots, and nails is a new level of chic to aspire to! If you ever get bored with your sunnies sell them to me!
ReplyDeleteThank you - a wonderful compliment from someone who accesorised as well as you do! If I ever find another pair of these sunnies they're yours! xxx
DeleteVix, I love the entire outfit but that belt has go to be my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cherie! It really is a pretty thing, isn't it? Well travelled too, my friend found it in an op-shop in New Zealand! xxx
DeleteLove the blue at both ends!
ReplyDeleteThank you! xxx
DeleteLovely dress!, I love its interesting texture and colour, it looks warm and comfy and it fits you like a dream! so it's a winner!. And I'm admiring your beatiful scarf and cool beret with matchy boots!. It's even more fabulous that your blue nails match too!
ReplyDeletebesos
Thank you, Monica! Wearing plain clothes can be a challenge but I had real fun with this dress! xxx
DeleteYou look wonderful, this outfit looks like an actual Gucci advertising shooting! The dress is perfect and the belt is so lovely! Definitely impressed by your style :) Kisses
ReplyDeleteFashion and Cookies - fashion and beauty blog
Wow! Now that is a compliment! xxx
Deletelove the coral red of the dress!
ReplyDeleteand well done to keep the beret - its perfect on you. did you ever try to shoot with a flashlight in the early dark? it makes for dramatic photos....
xxxxx
Thanks, Beate! Unfortunately the flash on my camera blew up at the beginning of the year. It costs more to repair it than to buy a new one which I'll have to do before India! xxx
DeleteLoving the shape and color of this dress on you, dear Vix! What a great find, along with the brilliant cobalt beret (and nails!). xox
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patti! xxx
DeleteThe outfit is just wonderful from cobalt beret to cobalt boots. The knit dress is perfect and the belt sets it off and shows your tiny waist. The scarf and bag just right and take this from being an ordinary outfit to the next level. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Jill! xxx
DeleteThis knit dress is amazing. It fits you like a glove. Such a great find. I like how you paired it with that vintage belt, it accentuates your waist perfectly. Adorable blue beret, it matches your manicure and boots so well. A fabulous outfit! Charity finds are always fantastic and with your experience with selling vintage, I'm sure you have a great eye.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ivana! Funnily enough Jon and I always split up when we go charity shopping and both turned up at the shop counter carrying knitwear in identical colours, him with a polo neck and me with the dress, The shop assistant told us we were the weirdest couple she knew! xxx
DeleteAwww, this must be my all-time favorite outfit of yours!! Bravo, bravo! This dress is all sorts of amazing - beautiful knitted pattern, delicate material (not bulky as some sweater dresses can be), and gorgeous color. I think knitted skirts and dresses can be very flattering and sensual, even though they don't look like much on a hanger usually - and this is a perfect example of it. But of course with your inspired accessorizing it is a bomb! Love the scarf, electric blue booties and beret! Stunner!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I LOVE the outfit! All the items are amazing but the belt is the best for me!!! I really like it. xx
ReplyDeleteThat is such a pretty, and flattering dress. I like knitted dresses like that but they do reveal all the lumps and bumps (of those of us who have them). I did find a Sonya Rykiel one at a thrift store that is a thick enough knit I should be able to get away with it. The pops of electric blue look great!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant outfit! I'm like you, I always hide logos and labels too. Oversized logos and labels are a poor substitute for quality imo. *eyes 'designer sportswear' ranges*
ReplyDelete