So the sales have started . . I did try to avoid them but the 'shopping bug' got the better of me. With starting a new job next week, I was kinda 'forced' to get new clothing to look smart and fit into my new role. I have also picked up a few 'non work' items which I said to myself were 'treats' (lame excuse, I know), but I couldn't help it. So I thought today I would blog about the items I have recently picked up, so here goes . .
Tesco clothing 'Fit and Flare' (Tall) dress £22.00
From time to time many supermarkets have clothing which I think is really nice. They are often reasonably priced and the quality is rather good. I popped into Tesco and saw this dress; a style of dress I have wanted for some time. But as I am quite tall, I often found many of these dresses are far too short. Good ol Tesco have actually produced three versions of this dress; normal, petite and tall. Seeing there was a tall version of this dress, I instantly snapped it up. Got home, tried it on and it fits perfectly and it's just the right length. I am 5ft 9, and the hem line finishes exactly to my knee which is suitable in my opinion for the working environment.
Amy Childs 'Millie Kingfisher' Dress £65.00
One of my good friends from university is getting married in a few months time. Usually when ever I am going somewhere special, I am always scrambling around trying to find something last minute. I am quite picky so thought I'd start the search early and get my outfit sorted. Amy Childs isn't to everyone's taste, but her clothing line has some gorgeous dresses. I spotted this dress a few months ago and I instantly fell in love with it. The style, cut and the colour (electric blue) I absolutely adore and pretty much ordered it straight away. I am yet to get my handbag and fascinator sorted but at least I have the main thing!
Polka Dot Bodycon Dress £12.35
As of late I seem to have developed a 'thing' for polka dots; I don't know why, but I am in 'awe' with it at the moment. The lovely Dawn at 'WhatDawnDidInHeels' always manages to find great items of clothing from eBay; I have always been somewhat a little skeptical in the past, but after seeing Dawn style some great outfits purchased from eBay, I thought I would give it a go. I found this polka dot dress, which was the only one I had seen online that I liked. I measured myself and ordered my size according to the measurements on the eBay listing. 6days later my parcel arrived (from Singapore), and it fits like a glove. I was worrying that being tall it would be too short, but it's just the right length. The material is of good quality and made very well. Even my mum commented on how lovely the dress is, and so reasonably priced. I often struggle with clothing on the high street, but I think from now on, I will take a nosey on eBay a lot more . .as you never know what great bargains are lurking.
BHS Black/White Polka dot Dress £30.00
My mum (bless her) popped into town and saw this dress. Knowing I have gone 'dotty' crazy, she kindly picked this up for me. The material is very soft and floaty, and is of reasonable length. The black centre part of the dress has straps, which enables you to tie around your waist. But I intend to remove it as it's somewhat a little annoying. But nevertheless, is a lovely dress.
Debenhams 'The Collection - Black and Blue Ruffle Skirt' RRP £23.00, sale £11.50 each
I tend to wear a lot of pencil skirts as I find they are a style that suits me most. Having a nosey in the Debenhams sale, I spotted these two skirts. Now they are definitely not something I would have instantly chosen, but I figured they are different and make an outfit a bit 'jazzy'.
Matalan Waffle Polka dot Midi Skirt £12.00
Matalan is a store I love to visit every so often, as I always manage to find something which is really nice and reasonably priced. I spotted this skirt and instantly took a liking to it. I have never had a midi skirt before but I figured, I'd go ahead and order anyway. Received the skirt, and it fits absolutely fine. As you are all aware I am tall (5ft 9), and I found this skirt to be of a good length, perhaps a tad too long, which may be a slight issue if you're short in height? But nevertheless, great skirt at a fab price.
Lipsy 'Bow' Jumper RRP £38.00/20% off = £32.30
I very seldom order items of clothing from Lipsy purely because the majority are too short. However I received an email from Next offering existing customers a preview of the new A/W collection, and 20% off the RRP. Of course, it would have been rude not to have taken advantage of this so I took a quick browse. I spotted this jumper from Lipsy and thought it was really cute, although I was a little skeptical about the length of the arms (I have long arms, often difficult to accommodate). Nevertheless, I ordered and patiently waited for the item to arrive. To my surprise the jumper fits me really well; the jumper itself is long in the body and the sleeves are really long. The jumper isn't thick, so I would advise when the colder months start to lurk, perhaps wear a camisole top underneath to keep warm.
Next Cotton Rich Cigarette Trousers RRP £28.00, sale £14.00
The one thing I notice about Next sales is the 'Long' and 'Extra Long' items of clothing are always left on rails/online. This is to my advantage as the Long/Extra Long Next trousers/jeans is all I ever buy in the sales. They're great quality, fit perfectly and last for a very long time. I had a browse on the Next online sales, and I spotted these trousers. They are of a mint green colour, a colour I have never worn out and about before, but they are gorgeous and are different from standard dark colours.
Next Sleeveless Shirt (Blue/White, Birdie, Black/White) £24.00 each
I originally picked up the blue/white sleeveless shirt as at the time I was preparing to head back to Jamaica for my Grandad's funeral. I wanted something light and cool, and I figured this top would do. My only regret was not buying the other 2 tops at the time and taking them with me; incredibly soft and so cool. I wore just my bra underneath and that was absolutely fine, although you can wear a camisole underneath. The length of the shirts are just past my bottom, which make for wearing with leggings just right. I would like to point out however that the shirts are incredibly delicate and snag easy, so treat them with care.
H&M Sleeveless Shirt £12.99
H&M I find is a haven for finding clothing to wear to work. I pretty much visit the store at least once a week to see what new lines are in. Seeing as I have a 'thing' for the sleeveless shirt, I spotted this top and instantly picked it up. It's very light (as with the Next shirts), although a bit longer in length. The colour is a gorgeous sky blue colour which I thought would go lovely with either beige/black skirt.
H&M 3/4 length sleeve shirt £19.99
I wouldn't normally choose a top like this, but I thought I'd choose something different. The top has gorgeous detailing down the front, etched with stitched pleating. The top is great for the summer months as it's light and 'airy', although I would perhaps wear a camisole underneath to keep the top/outfit more professional and smart.
Dune 'Calm' shoes RRP £70.00, sale £27.00
Have had my eyes on these shoes for 18months, but I just refused to pay £70.00 for them. When I saw them in the sale, BAM, ordered straight away. I usually hate peep toe shoes as they do nothing but cripple me by the end of a night, but these are completely different. The leather is soft and comfortable making it very easy to mould and nuture to my feet. The shoes are easy to walk in, and as an individual with wide feet, these are surprisingly quite wide.
Dune 'Aleen' shoes RRP £65.00 , sale £32.00
(price has fluctuated since time of purchase)
Another pair of Dune shoes I have had my eye on for 18months! But again, decided to 'shoe watch' and wait for them to hit sale. I currently have a pair of nude heels but they are fair too high for work, so I opted for these. I figured these shoes are ideal for work; will pretty much go with any outfit. The heel is of reasonable height, and as the proud owner of 'wide feet', these are very spacious on the toe area and aren't pinching my toes. They are patent leather which take a while to mould to the feet, but they are a gorgeous pair of shoes which I sense I will get a lot of wear from.
Clarks Sandals RRP £49.99, sale £19.99
Would you believe I have never owned a pair of wedge sandals/shoes? Yep, I know shocking! When my mum heard me whinge about this, she popped into Clarks and spotted these. I have been wearing Clarks since I was a child, as their shoes are very friendly to feet and fit properly, so it is no surprise that I get shoes from Clarks from time to time. However the styles are somewhat hit and miss. When I first saw these I wasn't too sure, but they are in fact really comfortable, fit well and look really nice on. The leather is nice and soft, which instantly puts your mind at ease from getting the dreaded pinch/ouch/hobble along effect!
. . . Phew! Didn't realise I had purchased that much. Hope you enjoyed this blog post.