Bold eBay buy

The beauty of eBay is you can meander around and discover items you didn't mean to find and find a use for them! I still find there are plenty of good bargains to be had. Conversely when I'm selling it is a bit of a pain as things go for less than my greedy little mitts would want but I stick to the auction element of it on principal. I feel better if I sell honestly rather than setting a reserve or buy now price.

My recent eBay bargain was a See by Chloe top for £5.19. It is a size 16 but isn't that big and it doesn't matter as it will look fine loser and I can belt it as well. It was the perfect find completely by chance and I was taking a risk regarding the size. But I was drawn to the boldness of the stripes. It is perfect for this season with the influence of the big and bright Prada stripe bearing down on the high street. For £5.19 it is a cheap way to buy in to a trend that won't last!


What has been your best recent eBay purchase? Do you think eBay still provides bargains or is it getting overpriced in your experience?

Buy designer direct from blog!

My last ebay stint reminded my why I dislike ebay so much. The process and then the sale fees.

Before I go down the route of ebay with two designer items, I though I would offer here first. The beauty of this is I will post for free because I will be so grateful not to have to list the items.

The first item is a dress from Red Valentino it has only been worn once. It was used for a shoot and worn for all of 20 minutes as I made the model wear a dressing gown until right before the action moment. I'm an old fashioned stylist like that as I love to keep clothes pristine. For some reason I was given the dress and as I love Valentino I said yes knowing my fat hips wouldn't pass muster with the dress. I have admired it in my wardrobe for over 6 months and now need to move on!!

Red Valentino cocktail dress £105
Italian size 40, UK 8, US 4
Viscose, dry clean only

(price at new £480)

The next item is a pair of beautiful Tods shoes. Left behind after a shoot they have only been worn in doors although the leather sole is marked because the tape wasn't properly applied by an assistant. They are size 38.5 which is a size 5 or 5.5. I don't like to be imprecise but one persons 5 is another 5.5. I tried them on with very thick socks in the hope I could wear them as they as so classy but it didn't work!

to show heel not worn down

Tods patent leather courts/heeled pumps £85
size 38.5, US 8
(price at new £390)

If you are interested in buying at the stated prices then please email me (as per details on blog).

Wears it well

The Sonia Rykiel H&M collaboration is something to look forward to. And I did treat myself to one of her fun hair bands from her November 2009 lingerie collaboration with H&M.

However it broke the same day as I bought it, which is sort of a reminder about the quality of items produced. I do steer clear of the collaborations yet equally think it is a great way to get designer input into your wardrobe for less. I'll remain torn between my purist head and my hopeful heart.

But before it broke petit garcon modelled it!

If you go down to ...

...anywhere that sells old stock then you never know what you might find. Imagine being Lorena of My Everyday Wear and her beyond bargain Lanvin find!

images from my everyday wear

And if you are stupid enough to go down to Primark on Oxford Street on a Friday afternoon as I was you might up screaming. I'm teaching next week and needed new t-shirts of different colours which I always buy in Primark. I hang them to show trainee stylists the impact of colour (this time I will try not to wear black!). At £1.69 or £2.49 they are a complete bargain. However I have never stepped foot in the store after 10am and I have only been there about 3 time in my life.

Seriously I nearly had a panic attack because I couldn't breath. It was packed with people, clothes strewn everywhere and no way to escape. Hideous!

High Street Shop of the Week

I've sort of over done it this week, what with having a rant. I do have to say my dyslexia causes me dreadful argument skills, a mixture of creative passion and jumbled words in my head don't always make for orderly objective communication, so I struggle to get it out in a specific order without resorting to brain dump passion. Still one day I'll crack it.

I behaved very well on Thursday night at London Fashion night, although I regret not getting the t-shirts. Probably just as well I might tie dye them in a moment of madness.

Anyway I popped into Kingston upon Thames mainly to get some new knickers from M&S, but I didn't get passed TK Maxx. Basically I blew the budget on 4 tops of which one was a £5.99 grey Ice Age film long sleeve t-shirt for the petit garcon. I also managed to barter down the price of one of the tops, I am very cheeky like that 9 times out of 10 it works.

I'd kept a bit of money back for the Gap suede boots which should hit the stores on the 1st of October now. However there is a design flaw if you have a foot with a high arch - not enough room to get you foot in. I managed with effort to get into a larger size but then my foot was flapping about inside. This is all immaterial now as I've spent the money on the following:

A sheer floral Dolce & Gabanna shirt
I've been hunting for 3 years for a floral shirt I could love

a Hussein Chalayan tank of exquisite design and material

(it was a real died and gone to heaven fashion moment when I found this in my rummage)

a long sleeve See by Chloe tee which is a this season second and also had a little teeny tiny hole at the back near the bottom and so it was a complete bargain after bartering!

All hail TK Maxx, a bit more than thrifting but worth every penny.

A date with Glasgow

Had a great day at TK Maxx for the NHJ Style and TK Maxx designer sunglasses style session. It was all rather super from the moment I left the house in lovely sunshine at 6:15am to when I set foot back through the front door at 8:30pm.

I enjoyed the splendour of Terminal 5 and particularly was taken with Carluccios in the check in area. A bicerin at 7:20am was a treat, a glorious blend of espresso, Florentine drinking chocolate and cream, all served in separate jugs to mix in the cup yourself.

My lovely assistant stylist for the day was Claire Wacey and we had good fun from the start to finish. We both agreed there is nothing like a smile and some pleasant chat with all and sundry to make for a positive day.

Claire and I snapped in the afternoon sunshine of Glasgow

The TK Maxx at Southbank in Glasgow featured the most pleasant and helpful staff I've encountered for ages anywhere. In all the people we met in the other stores there and the customers of TK Maxx were fabulous. Truly, the peeps of Glasgow were a delight, so much so I've forgiven the taxi driver who charged us an exorbitant £20 for a 5 mile drive, which took 10 mins, and I hope he sat down with his family and enjoyed a fine wine!

My favourite customer of the day was young Aaron who snaffled a bargain pair of Mickey Disney Club sunglasses down from £49.99 to £7.99.

Young Aaron trying sunnies on for size!

Designer sunglasses date

My trusty favourite for all sorts of bargain and delightful purchases TK Maxx, is hosting in conjunction with NHJ Style, a fabulous in-store styling session to help you find the perfect sunglasses.


I'll be the stylist on hand to help you with choosing from a selection of designer sunnies in store at Glasgow on Wednesday May 20th and London's High Street Kensington store on Thursday May 21st.

PS am in store from 1pm to 3pm at both locations.

Warehouse clearence

Well for those of you who have a few pennies to spare and fancy a bargain then on Friday 29th of August from 12 - 8pm and Saturday 30th August from 10am to 5pm - it is the Matches warehouse sale. The location is The Hellenic Centre, 16-18 Paddington Street, Marylebone, London W1U 5AS.