Style Steal

Everyone likes to get a bargain and I'm no exception. Earlier today I was on a secret mission to buy some almost spanx like leggings from Primark. After a hot tip off on their amazing ability to flatten the tummy and create a clean shape I was happy to part with £4 to test them. These leggings are in the lingerie section and there is an array of tummy and thigh type underwear at bargain prices. I have to confess I'm impressed. After all control underwear is just underwear one can't be too sniffy about where it is from and in these hard times it is money well saved.

Equally I checked out the M&S shoe range and found some great little heels in the Autograph section which are very Park Lane Princess or Sloaney depending on which side of the Atlantic you prefer. I like them because there is a little bit of height and enough detail to make them look slightly more expensive than they really are. I always love a shoe that puts me in mind of Monica Vitti as Vittoria in Antonioni's L'Eclisse (1962)

Autograph Kitten heel t-bar sandal £39.50

There is a wide selection to choose from depending on your taste and lots of steals when it comes to style.

A Little Black Dress or 4, but first...

It was at the recent Elizabeth Emanuel LFW show that I met Laura Richenberg the person behind the my987wardrobe venture. We met due to my lovely original Anya Hindmarch clutch, which she admired. That led to talk about blogging, car boot sales and her business.

Last week we met up with the intention of an interview, which was hard to achieve as we could have talked about anything and everything! I'd already done some prep and received one item of clothing to check out. I selected a pair of black harem pants, something I would never buy. I wanted to try before I buy because the ethos of my987wardrobe as a value stockist.

It was weird wearing harem pants but the material was lovely and they were a good cut for the style. At £9.87 they beat Primark for material quality and seemed no different to all the harem pants I'd passed by. I have been converted to their usefulness for a summer holiday. I attempted to take a photo - on a self timer- of the make do outfit. Um, it is a game of more than 2 halves. In fact I had to go into extra time. But I was pleased I compiled a universal holiday look for travelling or out and about with the harem pants and my old gladiators, a cut up Gap stripey tee, the Topshop shrug and my trusty Mui Mui sunnies. I bought these about six years ago on sale in Sunglasses Hut at Heathrow Airport For £36 on route to Philadelphia. I'd forgotten mine, it was November but I can't be without sunglasses, ever.

Yep the self timer worked

Attempting to get a full body shot but failing

Oh hang it here are the feet

I might not have sold harem pants to you and I'll readily admit they are pretty shapeless but these pair are so soft I trusted Laura's judgement on her stock. I persuaded her to give 4 dresses away. They are all the same style but there is one in Small, Medium, Length, Xtra Large. It is a 60s style swing dress and all you have to do to win one is be a follower and state win in the comment box plus tell me your best recent value purchase.

my987wardrobe 60s style swing dress £9.87

And the full interview with Laura to come soon....

UPDATE - Laura emailed me to say she's just come back from a buying trip with lots of great new pieces to add next week as she moves into A/W stock phase 2.

Interview outfit on a budget

What with Messers Cameron and Clegg pulling on the purse strings and those interviews getting harder to grab, a good interview look for the more traditional and professional sectors is a must. Then comes problemo deux, what to buy without wasting too much money.

Bearing in mind preferences, I've gone with a trouser/blouse combination or a dress look. The look is based on a pair of shoes from M&S, because these are so reasonably priced. I've kept the rest of the items as low as possible and offered readily available supermarket options if possible as a really budget option. The benefit of this outfit is, it is for your interviews only but if you nail the interview then it becomes your work outfit, job done!

Portfolio Round Toe Mid Heel Court in Black Mix £45

Limited Collection Snake Print High Heels in Black £35

Your choice of shoes affect how you style the selection of dresses. If you go with the court shoe then choose a cardigan with the shift dress and the snake print ones will lend more towards a jacket. I'll provide some options after the dress choices.

Sleeveless Chevron Belted Dress M&S £35

The supermarket alternative is from Tesco and it is a F&F tailored dress available in grey or black at an introductory offer of £22.
If you would prefer a colour then go for this M&S one in green at £45

If you prefer the snake print high heels with a shift dress then keep the look edgy with this Rivet detail cardi from ASOS at £30


Or this kimono style jacket from Topshop £45
I know it is a print but it has texture and will set you apart from the crowd. The real problem is when you look to buy a jacket under say £50, they can really look cheap. The grade of material says cheap. So, better to feel confident in something that looks the business but a bit more flamboyant than cheap tat.

If you going all Mad Men on me and grabbing those courts then a nice short proper cardi will do the trick. At £18 these two below from Dorothy Perkins offer great value and the choice just depends on personal preference! But go for a black one with a coloured shift dress.

Burgundy cotton button cardi

Magenta heart button cardi

Then the trousers ...

Gap perfect trousers £35

If you go with the snake skin heels then wear with ASOS twist front blouse £32 available in 3 colours but I would only choose the oyster or green for an interview.

With the courts I would wear the trousers with a boxy double breasted jacket like this blue mix one from ...yep.. M&S at £35 wear done up with a cami underneath. Add a brooch to liven it up.

Hard as I tried, lots of the supermarket items were lacking but there is no harm in looking when you are doing your groceries. I saw good pencil skirts in Sainsbury from £5 to £15 (shocking I know but needs must). All the above are for guidance to keep you focused on a simple but effective look. You will need a small bag too. Keep it neat like this one again from M&S but you could find something similar in a charity shop if you want to keep the cost down.

High Street pick of the week

Today you have two options courtesy of New Look- one is for now and the other is a S/S investment piece!

If you feel like adding some colour and fringing to your life then this purple shopper is a bargain at £10.00

You know you are going to succumb to polka dot even if you can't bring yourself to wear it. So, this bag will add 'on trend' moments into your life for £6.00!

Why pay full price?

I popped into Kingston TK Maxx lat week and flicking through the rails found a great Dolce & Gabbana jacket reduced from £790 to £230 - no I didn't buy but it is about time I reminded you of the great bargains and items they sell! If you don't want to undertake random pop ins to the store you can sign up for alerts of new deliveries.

Still stuff to be had in the sales (and a rambling to boot)

Normally, I'd be fully absorbed in the new items hitting the stores, I'd have left last season behind without a by your leave. Sales, pah! Who cares about the sales has always been my mantra...but... a combination of forces, global economics (actually I'd love to be more specific and execute a rant about a bunch of ****** who played monopoly and one player failed to tip the board up to prevent the game going to far, I'm big into digressing at the moment), personal circumstances and the fact fashion went too far, or more specifically the retailing of garments went bonkers. Equally this time last year I'd be chomping at the bit for my weekly fix of Grazia and I was also fresh to blogging, I'd been reading quite a few and then decided to join the party too. Well my views on sales have changed and my life has changed due to blogging - bizarre!

On the sales front there are still plenty of desirable items to be had. Take these going out shoes in Reiss at £74.50 they make more sense than at their original £149.00 price tag.

Still at Reiss this belt at £24.50 is bang on colour for the coming S/S09 season. It is a hip belt and the leather is quite iridescent, not quite patent, but nearly. I quite like hip belts because I can pop to my little man at Bond St tube heel bar and he punches new holes in the belt and I can get more use out of it wearing it on waist or hip. He keeps telling me I can buy better hole punch pliers in B&Q and I keep telling him do I look like I want to go to B&Q!

Of course, the reason sales are better is due to a downturn in spending and also over proliferation of stores and garments in the high street. However, I will wait in future to see what the sales deliver on items that are nice but indulgent when I can spend again!

What changes have you made? Are sales more appealing than before?

PS. Plus more on my rambling later...

A toast to florals

For those of you in need of a floral injection there are some veritable bargains to be had online at Toast.

A 90% reduction on many items might tempt you.

If you need any persuasion on florals then take a peek at Sharon-Rose Vintage or Mahalo Fashions - Sea of Florals in the 27th of July posting.

If you're a bit short, go without toast and marmalade for a month and you'll be able to spree £19 on a skirt. you see girlynomics - it works every time!

A little tipple at lunch

Today I discoverd Primark. Obviously I'd known about the P and I had on a few occasions stumbled in but today I found it!

I'd never thought it was for me and hadn't factored it in as a place to shop. The only reason I went was because my bank didn't have anyone to see me at lunchtime! I did accuse them of being last century. When I huffed out, I thought what am I going to do for an hour...oh look there's a Primark.

An hour later and a great rummage I had two lovely new dresses and a top for under £30. Now I know why people like Primark. I like their brown paper bags too. I was going to put dresses on and appear out of the bag in an ironic Marc Jacobs way, but it is progress in deed that I've photographed and loaded up piccies anyway!

Blue top with bow detail round collar

B&W print dress , Ivory shiny dress

It did feel very nice being indulgent.....