Pics

Sorry the pictures are the wrong way round, tried to swivel them before putting them on here but they just wernt having it, but hope you can still see the pictures clearly.

Top Man

Top Man has gone down hill. I walked in there a few weeks back and most of their clothes looked far too feminine they seem to focus on just one style which mainly to be honest are 14-16 year olds or blokes who feel comfortable showing their feminine side. Quite a few people have complained telling me how there quility has gone down-hill and that their items now look cheap. I don't own any items from Top Man myself but it seems a shame that that they have let themselves loose so many customers.

'The World of Interiors'

Ive just looked through one of my old copies of the 'The World of Interiors' magazine and saw some great patterns on an arm chair and table cloths that would be wicked as a dress/top. Ill take pictures and put them up on here but I cant say how clear the images will be as im taking a picture of another picture. I guess what im trying to say is that the oppurtunities are endless if you just open your eyes to what is around you.

Research

A brilliant quote from
 http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/35479/second-hand-clothes-brussel-h-and-m-crises.html

""The crisis is the time when one should create new ways of doing thing, find solutionsand put even the mos basic things into question." The need for belt-tightening can be added to this concotion. Denying yourself a new clubbing top comes easier than denying yourself food.This is more so since you can find the very same item rummaging through the racks at almost any second-hand shop or fle market"

:(

I am afraid im ill so I will have to delay the next charity shop try out till tomorrow but I will just for example create adventurous outfits from my own wardrobe. This is to show how to dress up the simpler outfits that may be in your own wardrobes at home. I hope I can create outfits too inspire.

Going to another charity shop

Im going to go to another charity shop but this time on my own because I am disappointed with how the outfits were not as adventurous as i would have liked. Last time I was with a friend and felt like she was getting board and I was becoming uncomfortable spending too much time on one  outfit. This next time i will have more exciting/extreme outfits.

Try Out

Here are some pictures of outfit I managed to create just from trying on a range of clothes from one charity shop. The skinny jeans are mine but see how I have created drastically different outfits using the same jeans for the majority of the outfits.

The simple stuff

You don't even need to spend your money to look or feel fresh. Just the simple things like wear your hair differently straight / curly / messy / neat bun / to the side or spend a little bit of money on a diy hair dying kit. Change the way you wear your make up slightly dark eyes/ lighter eyes / shade on lips / blusher / bronzer. Or wear a brightly coloured nail varnish to catch peoples eye, grab an already made up outfit and then add a bit more (you never know it might just work).

Simple ideas that won't hurt your budget but make a difference.

Make Do and Mend

The plan was to try and make as many stylish outfits as I could find in one charity shop. There were plenty of different sizes to fit all or mabe just oppurtunities to adapt larger sized items with belts/cutting/stitching. what I have taken pictures of are the basics of stylish outfits with a touch here and there with some already owned jewelery you can spice up any outfit. The main thing I have learnt whilst trying on all these items from the shop was that the majority of the time I had my own skinny jeggings on and yet just by wearing a pretty blue top and some gold hills I looked ready for a night out on the town, whilst in the overly large creame mens jumper and some boots looked like a casual/slumpy look and so on.

So this is where I believe charity shops can help us they can provide all those small changes that can change the 'look' so dramaticaly for next to nothing. For example the overly large mens jumper costs just £5.00, the blue pretty top £3.50 which at the end of the day isnt going to burn a hole in the majorities pocket, yet the items themselves contribute to two whole outfits bargain for £8.50 if you ask me.
 But, if you are going to hunt in charity shops you have to really hunt and don't be afraid of trying things on and pulling the material around till maybe it gives you a better fit and see if it is possible to permanently manipulate the item after purchase.

'Make Do and Mend' and perfect slogan that fits my explanation on how more and more people should be behaving in life, especially the fashion industry. Its a chance to be creative and build an outfit around you, none of these high street mannequins 'telling' you what to where but each and everyone of us wearing what suits our personalities, our body shapes and our life styles.

Be your own person. Be confident.

Charity/Second Hand Clothes Galore

Im am a 19 year old student who loves keeping up with the latest trend and I have no problems at all with shopping at charity shops, boot fairs or accepting hand me downs. We all could save a few pounds here and there so why not?

Also I currently work at Primark which is a hugely popular store that means many people around the town are wearing items the same. So not only are you saving a few bob but your outfits will always look that bit more unique. As everyone knows one of the worst things in the fashion world is bumping into someone who is wearing the same clothing as you have on!!!

You can find some really funky stuff, don't be afraid to try on some ALL sizes fix it with a belt/ safety pins a few stiches here and there.

Heres some pictures of few items in my wardrobe.

Getting Older...

I had to help my mum the other day find something nice to wear for Valentines Day. She asked me and my sister for help claiming that she didn't have a clue how to create a stunning yet suitable outfit for the night (she'd forgotten). Not only this but she now feels uncomfortable dressing up in something nice because she doesn't feel used to it and believes people will be staring at her.

It seems to me when people get older they haven't  got time to spruce themselves and dress only for practical reasons. After a while this becomes a habit and people don't find time to dress up and feel good about themselves which then leads to lack of confidence and feeling unattractive. This can cause strain on any relationship and its sex life or even a persons social life.

No person should feel out of place dressing up to look nice or sexy. You should embrace what you have and feel comfortable with yourself and who you are. If you feel lost experiment try on some different lippy  and put on something new and daring, wear it out and see how many compliments you get let your confidence soar.

The place to start is in front of the mirror.

Gok Wan

Just watch Gok's Clothes Roadshow and loved it!
He is definetly an inspiration to me, the way he also shops mat charity shops believes that you do not need to spend a fortune on an outfit to make it look amazing. For example on Gok's Clothes Roadshow he made a tarton dress using two blankets it was amazing, also the black leather fringed leather skirt he layerd up using lace, bed sheet tassles and finally the leather strands. This gave an  amazing effect with the black see through dimante top that he put the crystals on himself.

A good old rumage

I have decided to gather every item of clothing I own scatter them all over the floor to see for myself how many 2nd hand clothes I own through bootfairs, charity shops or just simply just hand me downs. From this I would like to see how these items bring possiblities to the other items in my wardrobe creating many differnt outfits. I will take pictures and document everything on here asap.

Pictures...

Pictures of charity clothes I have found/bought and put together as outfits will be on here tomorrow.

Looking at the youngsters style

Teenagers today seem to have one style and I describe it as the rustic style with the work boots skin tight trousers/jeans leather jackets. I feel that this style is unisex so females and males are walking around in virtually dressed in the exact same clothes. You don't seem to find groups of many different fashion styles any more, for example when I was at school you had defined groups of 'chavs', 'skaters', 'emo', 'goth', 'girly girls' etc... now this difference in style a lot less defined.

I can't help but wonder is this a good thing?