Spring / Summer 2011: Perfect Pleats

Pleated skirts used to make me think of school, netball and old ladies. Now however I have a new love for them as the Spring/Summer collections have reinvented them proving them now to be a chic, ladylike and very flattering addition to the wardrobe.

For a romantic feel go for the midi length or full length as at Chloe and Tommy Hilfiger...

Chloe


Tommy Hilfiger

Or for a more flirty approach take the hem higher as at Derek Lam; but not too high or you will be verging on netball/tennis skirt territory, and frankly that is only acceptable on athletes and school girls.


Derek Lam

Be sure to keep the top half young, not too fussy, and preferably slim fitting in order to avoid grandma chic.

...And here are some Charity Shop Chic beauties I picked up and reinvented in my own way...


Leotard: Primark
Skirt (altered): Charity Shop
Belt: Charity Shop
Heels: Primark
Lipstick: Collection 2000 Mudslide

Leotard: Primark
Skirt (altered): Charity Shop
Belt: Charity Shop
Clutch: Primark
Lipstick: Collection 2000 Mudslide

Charity Shop Styling

I know for a fact, that for some people shopping in Charity Shops is an almost impossible task. One can get overcome by the amount of styles, sizes, and colours all mashed together on one rail. Intense. And yes, I must admit that some days even I cannot be bothered to sift through the rails; it does take more time and patience (and a rather speedy "hand on hanger flick through" motion which I have managed to refine over the years) to find something in a charity shop than in the perfectly categorised High Street shops, but the rewards prove to be much greater when you find that hidden bargain gem.

There is help however, for those who cannot master the art of Charity Shop shopping or just simply want to relax and let someone else do the finding and styling for them, and this comes in the form of the British Heart Foundation Style Labs.

BHF held their first Style Lab event in Leeds on the 12th of February with Style and Beauty expert Bethanie Lunn offering Fashion advice and tips on buying clothes from charity shops to suit their bodyshape and style.

This first event was very successful and the BHF are hoping to bring the Style Lab to more and more BHF stores over the UK. Fab news!

Click here to read more about this style event.

Recent Charity Shop Chic purchases...

Today my Charity Shop jolly found me empty handed in the clothes department. This is quite unusual for me as I usually buy something every time I go Charity Shop shopping; great for the wardrobe, not so much for the bank account, but hey, at least it's for charity and the prices aren't exactly going to break the bank. I did however find a few little bric a brac gems...


A 1977 Kodak Instamatic 25 which simply looks cool, but also takes beautiful retro photos (well it would if I could find anywhere where I can buy the film for it...). This was just £1 and came with the original Kodak leather case and strap. I always seem to be drawn to old cameras; anything up to the 1980's before they started to get more technical and plain to look at. There is something about an old camera; its history and what it might have captured through its lens. Magical.

I also got a couple of kitsch little photo frames, one with a rather cute little monochrome picture inside and another with a lovely white and gold edge which I will be sure to fill with something artistic or just a photo memory.