All In A Day's Work

 I've fallen behind with sharing our vintage chazza shop finds so, before I start laundering, polishing and putting them away, here's what we picked up this morning. Not bad considering we only visited three shops!

• A 1990s wool midi length coat from Benetton, a label I'm always excited to spot to charity shops. Back in my youth it was such an aspirational brand, I loved going in their shop in Walsall's Saddlers' Centre and admiring the rainbow of folded jumpers neatly arranged in wooden pigeon holes, never daring to unfold them.
• Another 1990s coat, this is in textured cotton and by West & Webb, a British-made boutique brand who had a concession in TopShop back in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Labelled as Dry Clean Only, I've just chucked it in the washing machine and its come out a treat.
• A 1970s green velvet jacket, made in the UK by Snugcoat. It's cotton velvet as opposed to the modern synthetic stuff so I'll be bleach dyeing this ready for the festival season.
• A 1980s Indian silk cocktail top with black bugle beads and sequins, these are always popular at festivals. 

Loblan cowboy boots, made in Venezuela. Too big for me, too small for Jon so off to the shed they go!

• I was amazed to spot this vintage 1960s Castelli, Italia wool cycling jersey in amongst the shapeless acrylic jumpers. They're rare and highly sort after and command prices in the low £££s.
• Army surplus, a perennial festival favourite.
• Vintage Indian block printed shirt which will probably end up in Jon's wardrobe!

• I've already got a cossack hat in black so this beauty is destined for the Kinky Shed.

I couldn't care less about Halloween but spotted this handmade felted cat and the mad looking feline atop the box behind the counter and remarked on how they looked like William. The shop manager tried to give them to me for free as he was about to pack them away for next year but I insisted on giving him a donation - the box can store William's treats and the felted cat is just too adorable to leave behind.

 

 Talking of whom...here he is. 

The Indian-made coat rack looks like something from Ian Snow or another of those fairtrade Indian homewares importers I drool over online. I was very pleased to see it marked up at £4, it'll be great for bags or belts or scarves or necklaces.  

Here's what I've been wearing this week. On Wednesday I gave the Lara Ethnics *Santa Fe* maxi I found for £3 in Cancer UK an outing. I wore it with my bruise-coloured Rawhide suede coat (Banardos, 2021), a Fatface woven tote (Hospice Shop, 2023) and my new-to-me snakeskin ankle boots.

Hardly visible, but I know it's there, is this gorgeous Nepali turquoise necklace I found on Vinted. Like I need another tribal necklace! 

Thursday's choice was one of my vintage Pakistani kaftans, which are so comfy to wear that it feels like I'm cheating when people compliment me on them.

I wore it with a Aldi fedora (charity shopped in 2015) and another pair of some snakeskin ankle boots (these were bought new, discounted from £95 to £12 in Urban Outfitters' sale back in 2020).

'scuse the strange face, it was the most flattering photo of William (he was licking his unmentionables in the other photo!)

Today I wore a 1960s Indian velvet maxi embroidered with daisies (eBay, 2019), last year's Monsoon fedora (I buy one every year) and a 1930s Liberty, London silk scarf scored for £2 from a car boot sale in November, 2009.

The vintage leather jacket was a Vinted find back in the summer. The seller bought it from Topshop back in the 1980s when they used to have a vintage department. I'm not sure if Dave Dee of 1960s pop group, Dave Dee, Beaky, Mick and Titch ever had a clothing line, I can't find any reference to it online!

SOURCE

I love that cutaway detail, vintage clothes rock!

We came home with two pieces of vintage vinyl today, the school disco classic, Stool Pigeon by Kid Creole and The Coconuts on 12" which Jon's currently blasting out and this double album from 1970, when Arnie was an unknown bodybuilder.

Although there's some great tracks, it's the Thomas Deegan is a pimp and wants a scrubber to manage at 20% a shag scribble which sold it to him. I wonder if Thomas ever achieved his ambition?

I'm off to play with my sewing machine. Thanks for reading & have a great weekend!