Shelf Scouring

When op-shopping, it's probably best to keep an open mind about the sorts of things you are after. I've often found if I am looking for one thing in particular I will spend all my time rummaging through the shelves in a desperate search for something that even vaguely resembles what I had in mind. In the meantime I have missed all this other fantastic stuff, all to find some mediocre version of the thing I thought I wanted. It's these times when I tend to leave disappointed and fed up. So now, I try to enter an oppy with no expectations, and like to consider what the entire store has on offer, not just the sections I would usually look at ie. dresses, tops, etc.

So looking through my closet, I've found that there is a complete mish mash of clothes of all different styles and from all different eras.....just the way I like it!

Here are a few more today....

This came from the old Salvos in Ringwood before it was relocated a few doors down Maroondah Highway. It was a couple of bucks, and I have had so much wear out of it, particularly to uni with a pair of jeans, an old shirt and a scarf. It has great colours and a really nice worn in feel to it.

This dress is sooo much fun. It came from Savers Greensborough, and from memory cost about $8. You can't really tell from the photo, but neckline falls across the shoulders and the big puffy sleaves go around the middle of the upper arm. Wearing this is like entering an old Madonna video clip. So many frills and black lace! Again this is something I've had tonnes of wear out of, be it to a costume party, or simply wearing it on a Saturday night out. :p

This brightly coloured dress came from the amazing Value City in Coburg. This place is one of my new favourite places in the world, and I can't remember if I've talked about it yet....

Basically its like Savers except with a section dedicated to hand selected vintage pieces for really really good prices. I always leave with an armload of stuff (which is why I have restricted my visits there of late). I bought this dress purely because the colours captured my attention. I haven't yet found occasion to wear it, and I think it needs a few adjustments before I do, but I appreciate the colour scheme non-the-less. Think it was about $12 or so.

Also! Completely off topic, but today my lovely friend gave me lessons in how to crochet!!

This my first attempt, and I am very excited about it! Hopefully I can make it into a big blanket in time for next Winter. Plus there is the bonus, that as we are moving into summer, wool prices should be dropping. Fingers crossed!

MisterMode

On Thursday night some girlfriends invited me to the "MisterMode Night Markets", which were held in an old warehouse just off Chapel street. It was an $8 entry fee, and well worth the money, because there were so many goodies to be found!

I got in there a bit late, so was in a bit of a frenzy when I arrived, trying to see as much as possible and making sure I didn't miss any bargains. In the end I came away happily with these:

This dress was just $10, and the only problem I could find was one of shoulders needed to be pinned down a little. I even wore it to my dear friend's 21st yesterday.

This jumper was also $10. Sparkles!

I also picked up 2 pairs of earrings from MisterMode for $2 each.

This is the dress I wore, which I happened to find at the Wonthaggi Vinnies the day before for $5.50. The recent sunny weather made me buy this impulsively....it looks like a lovely springtime, picnic dress.

Fran Drescher

I like to think of this dress as one of my "Fran Drescher" numbers. It's so bright and colourful, and to be honest probably not for everyone. I love it! I wear it all year round, (in winter with a long sleeve top underneath + stockings). It can be dressed up and down, or just pulled on last minute as bit of a fun change.

Last year I even wore it as my dress to Oaks day. Not bad for something I picked up from Savers

Greensborough for 3 or so dollars!

This is a snap from Oaks day:

Lot's and lot's of shoes!

My addiction to op-shopping is getting mildly unhealthy of late. For my bank account I mean. You would think, buying things second-hand would mean I was one to keep a close watch on my spendings, and only buy things when necessary. Definitely not the case. Yes, I love a bargain. In fact during the times when I am not shopping at op-shops/ thrift stores, rarely will I buy anything that is not on sale. Despite this though, somehow my brain has decided that because I don't spend much on each thing individually, I can buy loads and loads of stuff and not feel guilty. As a result of this sick logic, my bedroom looks like this..

And look at my wardrobe...it's spilling onto the floor :S:S:S

Scary stuff people!!

Despite the sty my room has become, I just can't seem to give up this obsession. Perhaps I shall just sell it all on Ebay and start again! :(

Anyway, enough of these dark revelations....what I really wanted to do today was show you (my non-existent readers) some new finds I picked up/found recently...SHOES! Have a look :)

These brown suede shoes/booties I picked up from the Wantirna Salvos on Stud road. I have been into this oppy a few times before and have never been too impressed with my findings, but today I came out with an armload of things. These shoes are great. I wore them to uni yesterday with my jeans, but forgot to wear socks, so have a couple of blisters. Still not bad for $5.99 :)

I got these clogs from the same Salvos surprisingly! I have been looking for a pair of inexpensive clogs for ages and couldn't believe it when I saw these. Although I'm not the biggest fan of the writing on them, I think if worn with the right spring outfit, these could work. It's a bit of a shame really, because right before I found these, I had just ordered a pair off the internet for a fair bit more, and lots of stuffing around. Oh well! These clogs were $4.99

Check out my blue suede shoes! They were found on one of my NEW addictions, etsy.com. Etsy is like Ebay, only products have a set price, there is no bidding required AND it is for the most part, a marketplace for handmade and vintage goods.

Etsy sellers are mainly located in America, which can mean expensive shipping, but if you look hard enough, there are bargains to be found. One tip is to show search results from least expensive to most expensive in order to look for the best deals. I think I paid around $25ish AUS for these including shipping from the states, which I didn't think was too bad for my first purchase.

Anyway, I hope to post again sooner rather than later, which always seems to be the case for me! Later folks xo

Addition One: The Green Frock and the Birthday Slippers

From the minute I began this blog, I knew this dress had to be the first selection for my wardrobe "showcase". I suppose this is because from memory it is the first piece of clothing I owned that really ignited my love for vintage/op-shopping. Although I have been in and out of Salvos and Vinnies stores since infancy, I don't believe it was ever really an intrigue for me, until my mother brought home this beautiful frock for me a few years ago. It came from a little place near my family's beach house in Portarlington called "the Coastal Trader". Owned and managed by a young, wayward surfer in somewhat of a garage/junk-yard set-up , this little hotspot is a goldmine for gorgeous antique furniture, household bits and bobs, and as I discovered, fabulous old clothes, bags and accessories. Navigating through the array of ancient ornaments and rummaging through the shambled piles of collectables, I found was half the fun! I have a few other pieces that I have picked up over the years from here, which are bound to surface soon enough, but this green dress is definitely my favourite, and unlike most of my wardrobe has been worn out and about on multiple occasions.

Features: Wide, frilled collar with a scooped back. High-waisted and can be worn with or without a belt. Made from cotton (I think) with a gorgeous circular pattern of greens and blues. Makes me adore my curves!!!

At the time I was taking the above photos, it was the evening and I was getting ready to go to bed. Consequently and rather conveniently I was wearing my new slippers, given to me by my dear friend Sigrid for my recent 21st birthday. I am actually in love with these little gems, they have not only warmed up my toes during this dreary winter, but made my days a little brighter..*sigh*

Features: Yellow felt with a swede sole. Big pink fake flowers on the toes, and blanket stitch around the edges for extra cuteness.....look at the photos and hopefully you will be able to see what I mean. My only wish is that they could be made out of a sturdier material so that I could wear them out and show them off! Regardless, I still get equal amounts of satisfaction from looking down at them when I sitting in front of the T.V in my lounge room, they're just that sweet.

A light bulb

I first created my blogger account some weeks ago after reading some great posts from friends, and thinking it would be an excellent medium to express some of my inner creativeness. When it came to beginning my first post however, I came to the realisation that I didn't have anything innovative to share with all you lovely readers. This actually shocked me somewhat, as I have been brought up in a hugely arty farty, eccentric family, yet could find nothing to offer! So I saved my clumsily written few lines, and retired the idea.

Since then however, there have been a few little things I have seen on the net that have made me realise that perhaps I have something to flesh out this blog of mine after all!

Firstly I have been reading (and am now addicted to) a fashion blog written by a girl I went to high school with. I stumbled upon her page after she posted a note about it on facebook. In it she talks about fashion from high end runway couture, to the best bargain spots across Melbourne. I was really impressed by her lack of prejudice when it came to expensive labels vs op-shop finds or cheap alternatives. Her own wardrobe was also highly enviable, with so many of her outfits, looking as though she has stepped straight out of a Sportsgirl catalouge. But in truth she has managed to find most of her clothes for bargain prices, and made them to look like super expensive ensembles.

Another bright idea that sparked my attention (also thanks to facebook), was a little project that my Production Manager for a show I'm doing has started: 30 Shoes in 30 Days. As the title suggests, she will be wearing a different pair of shoes each day for 30 days, as well as trying to co-ordinate these various shoes with an appropriate outfit. Each day she has written a little description about the pair of shoes she is wearing eg. where they came from, how much they cost, why she loves them etc. I just think this is such a fun way to express to others a little part of yourself and to be able to show off your wardrobe at the same time.

So.....trying to veer away from copying the above ideas, I have decided to simply share with fellow bloggians, the inner-workings of my terribly chaotic wardrobe, and in turn, will hopefully encourage myself to dust off some my poor clothes that haven't been worn in a while!

Each post I will try and upload a new outfit, and tell the story of how it found its way into my hands.

I hope this blog in even mildly interesting, and if it is not, then at least I will have developed a catalouge of my clothes just like that girl from Clueless has....there's one lifelong dream ticked off the list!!

Stay tuned for my first outfit show and tell!! xoxo