Christmas gifts £10 and under

Continuing my self-appointed mission to provide affordable gift ideas that will actually earn you smiles of gratitude rather than a dirty look and a next Chritsmas regifting, here are my picks of Christmas gifts for £10 and under.

Click image to enlarge

Black felt hat with bow, $9.80; Forever 21
Necklace with mirror pendant, £10; Topshop
Floral bangle, £6.85; Accessorize
Owl ring, £7.80; Accessorize
Jewelled belt, £8; Boohoo
Cupcake pin, £8.50; Dolly Dagger
Snake bangle, £7.50; Miss Selfridge
Pink sequin fascinator, Star by Julien MacDonald@ Debenhams

You may have noticed that the gifts are distinctly accessory heavy. This is because:

• Garments under £10 that you would give as a Chritsmas gift? Very few and far between
  
• Buying clothes or shoes for anyone except you most nearest and dearest, is walking very dodgy ground, I tell you
  
• Never. Ever. Buy underwear for anyone. No matter how near or dear. I speak as the voice of experience here. I shudder at the recollection.

Offers

Upside of the credit crunch, the shops keep taking money off their stuff in order to get us to buy. Take advantage if you can of the following offers:

20% off at Oasis online till Friday. Use promo code:CHRISTMASOFFER2008. Buy this gorgeous Wanderlust statement necklace.

25% off at House of Fraser from Midnight tonight till Friday.

Buy these fabulous Bertie lace heels.

20% off everything at Evans till Friday. Buy this outstanding purple check mohair coat with neck tie.

Enjoy!

Matalan wows for Spring/Summer 09

I was invited to the launch of the SS09 range at Matalan today and I bring you glad tidings of great joy.

Matalan is one of those high street gems that offer affordable fashion and good value for money. They're like a classier version of Primark. The only problem is their shops tend to be tucked away in shopping centres at the back of beyond. Getting to a Matalan near you can often be a mission and you're not guaranteed that all the stock you wanted will be at the shop you're at.

So you'll be pleased to hear the good news that, finally, finally, Matalan will be open for business online next year. Joy! They won't be offering full stock straight away but even if just favourites are available to buy online, it'll be a start.

So, what about the collection? It looks great. I forgot my camera to bring my camera, so I can't show you photos of some of the shoes and clothes I saw, and some aren't available in the look book. I hope to gets some more images later. However, I can say that the clothes look high quality but the costs are minimal.

An average item will set you back about £20. I'm especially liking the shoes, which range around £16-£20.

Remember those beautiful studded sandals from Burberry which were all the rage last year and the popular copies by Topshop? Well Matalan have got in on the act for next summer. Also on my list are ruffle-front, three strap Mary Janes; strappy, zip detail gladiators; and, stone the crows, they've only gone and done a copy of those black and white, Balenciaga gladiator sandals.

I'll do a best buys post later on this week.

Could it be time to Chiconomise?

It's pretty much a fact now that the money spending party's over and it's time to batten down the hatches and save, save, save. So what's a girl to do when the going gets tough and she can no longer afford a skinny latte, let alone the latest arm candy?

Why, Chiconomise, of course. Chiconomise-ing is the act of living stylishly for less. At least that's what it says on the weekly emails that I have started getting, chock full of insider offers covering fashion, beauty, eating and drinking out and books and art.

Founded by the fabulously frugal, Phoebe Frangoul and Michelle Dewberry (her off The Apprentice), this weekly newsletter is set to be the frugal fashionistas' worst kept secret. Timely too.

You can sign up for the weekly newsletter at Chiconomise.com, it just might save you a whole wad of cash.

Ack! I've been Primarked

Despite all my good intentions with the not spending more money and the focussing on the stuff already in my wardrobe, I've fallen at the feet of the mighty Primark monster.

I went there to check out the Gucci-alike shoes. They are rubbish. I mean really, really cheap looking - which, yeah, what do you expect for £15 but also, I've bought Primark shoes before and really, these are just cheap and tacky to look at. Disappointment.

I noticed that didn't stop anyone else buying them though. There was one woman who was stock-piling the shoes as if there was a famine coming and these shoes were on the menu. They'll possibly turn up in some market somewhere. Ebay, maybe? Trust me, don't bother. Buy something else, er, like I did.

Well I say, something but I believe the accurate term would be somethings. Because as soon as I had got into the store and been thoroughly disappointed by the Gucci-alikes, I became totally overwhelmed by the wall to wall shoe-age. Long story short, I am now the proud owner of some Primark red, faux-patent foldover pixie booties, purple faux-patent shboots, aaand black snow boots.

What do I want snow boots for? I don't know. I just took one look at them and a sleeker, taller image of me in shiny black leggings and other suitably frozen-tundra-chic garments, finished off with my new Primark snow boots, flashed before my eyes. I will. Make them work.

Silver lining? I only spent £35. Result.

Shoe Lurve- Thomas Burberry for SoleTrader quilted biker boots, £90

Good golly! When I first saw these boots on Stylefinder, I had to do a double-take. "£90," I thought, "shurely shome mishtake?" But upon further digging, it turns out there is no mistake at all.

These lovely, quilted babies - the result of a collaboration between SoleTrader and the Burberry - are indeed only £90. But forget that, because they are - and this is most important thing, afterall - straight up foine.

I'm finding it hard not to think of all the wonderful, things that I could do with these gorgeous boots:

• Wear with leather/shiny/PVC leggings? Oh, yes!
• Wear with pretty, lacy goth babydoll and black tights? Don't mind if I do.
• Wear with skinny jeans and slouchy tee? And why not?
• Wear with a pin-striped suit? You know I would!

They roll into Soletrader in September. Can't wait. Till then I'll be stalking SoleTrader's website like it's Angelina Jolie and I'm a random, shiftless, horny dude with a thing for big lipped brunettes and multiple psychological problems.

On your marks...

Be still my beating wallet. I know we're still in high summer but the Autumn/Winter Primark collection is looking mighty desirable to me. Shapes that look almost cutting edge, edgy-shoe designs and still at low, low prices. Unbelievable.

Of course, this could all just be photo-trickery but honestly just perusing the lookbook has got me drooling onto my key board. If I didn't love the sunshine so much, I'd be wishing it was Autumn already.

Priceless!

Knowing you've got no butt = £0
Going to the shops to find a remedy = £0
Finding the perfect pants to make your booty buoyant = Priceless!



Thanks to Winona at Daddy Likey for this priceless Monday morning image. I always knew that Mondays were pants and now I've got proof!

Step away from the shoe sales!

My thoughts on buying shoes at sale time run something like this:

Before I hit the shops: Hmmm, time to buy a decent and reasonably priced pair of sandals and maybe snap up a pair of sturdy shoes/boots that'll see me through Autumn.

Once I'm in the shops: Shoes, lovely shoes and all so cheap! Shop assistant, I'll have every pair you've got in my size!! Yippee!!! *gibber, gibber*

Trust me, loosing your mind in the presence of shoe choice overload is not the most useful way to approach the sales. All you end up with is a load of cheap shoes many of which you will never wear unless you live in a place of perpetual summer and have genetically modified centipede feet...

Okay thinking about what that would look like is really freaking me out... Moving on...

So this summer, I've decided for my mental health to do a little forward planning and set a tight budget. First I'm online checking out what might be onsale and deciding what I need to buy. Then, I'll go see if I can find what I want in the shops and hopefully return with only one pair of summer sandals and - if I'm lucky a nice pair of boots.

Summer sandals (click on image to enlarge):
I adore those lace-up flat pumps from ASOS, even though their pleather. They are dirt cheap at £5.

Sturdy autumn shoes (click on image to enlarge):
Those Chloe wedge shboots are now reduced to £99 at Kurt Geiger! They're dark green, perfect Autumn colour.

Thrifting in the outer-Nethers

This week I had a little thrifting time, so I took myself off to my favourite charity shop in the outer-Nethers (or CSitO-N as will be known from now on) and set myself a strict £5 budget.

One of the reasons why I love the CSitO-N so much is because it's larger than the average and filled - but not overfilled - with all sorts - from bric-a-brac to doilies to bits of cloth, as well as the usual clothes, bags and shoes combo.

They don't filter out the less fashionable stuff and they don't overprice, which makes for a satisfying bit of rummaging and the chance of a real bargain. My £5 budget was ample.

I found a vintage suitcase with leather trim and bakelite handle for £3! (click on image to enlarge) Vintage suitcases are brilliant for storage. I've been looking for an affordable one of these for ages. When I do come across one, it's usually teeny and wildly overpriced.

This one's quite large - 26x15 inches - and 10 inches deep. I just need to figure out which of my bits and bobs I'm going to store in it.

I also found an adorable picnic case for 75p. It's about the size of vanity case and has pretty red gingham lining. And for those of you who've been following my DIY frustrations with the sewing machine, you'll appreciate the delicious sense of irony when I picked up a book called A-Z of the Sewing Machine for 50p.

So, a satisfying rummage, marvellous buys and I still had change left from a fiver. Result.

Sales and discounts

This'll be a short but lucrative post. Basically, we're all running out of money and so are saving it for essential things like grain and water. This makes the retailers panic and - after they have pulled out their hair and covered themslves with sack cloth and ashes - they think: "time to give the buggers some discounts!"

Below are the ones I know about. Enjoy!:

What: The Secret Sample Sale
Why: Up to 80 per cent off clothing by Prada, Serfontaine, Belstaff and more
When: 29-31 May. Thurs., 1-8 p.m.; Fri., noon-7 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m
Where: 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grv., W11 2QA (020 7229 4179)

What: The London Accessory Sale
Why: Up to 80 per cent off accessories from Anya Hindmarch, Marc Jacobs, Balenciaga and more
When: 29-31 May. Thurs., 1-8 p.m.; Fri., noon-7 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m
Where: 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grv., W11 2QA (07900 432661)

What: Yoox online
Why: 25% off plus extra 5%off + free delievery with code - 4day@yoox
When: till 26 May

What: Peacocks online
Why: 20% off with code - MAY0820PT
When: till Midnight May 24

What: Cath Kidson online
Why: 15% off with code - 15CKSD
When: till May 26

What: Aldo online
Why: 30% off selected styles
When: N/A

What: Kurt Geiger
Why: 25% off with code - KGFF08 and free delivery
When: N/A

Sorry about the rush. Don't know about you but I can't wait to get my weekend on! Have a great long weekend and see y'all Tuesday.

Offers, offers, everywhere...

Typical. I'm at my most broke, ever (okay, at least since the last time I was broke. Which is... Not terribly long ago... What?). Where was I? Yes, most broke ever, and suddenly the one-off offers are pouring in left, right and centre. It's so unfair! *scrunches up face and pouts like a hormone addled teen*.

Anyway, I figure if I'm not getting any joy out of it all, I'll at least share it with you in the hope that someone, somewhere, is flush enough to take full advantage.

Faith, one of my favourite high street shoe shops, is offering 20 per cent off everything online or, if you can be arsed to go into the shops, a buy one get one half price offer. Which would allow you to buy any of these:


Of course, when they say everything, they don't really mean everything. The Finsk collection is not on offer. So you'll have to pick up these totally covetable lace-ups for the full asking price of £65! Why, Faith, why?
Yoox are doing the mother of all sample sales with 90 per cent off on designer everything. Even as I type, articles are mysteriously disappearing, so you better get in there quick. You've got five days. Make them count.
Dress, Sinha Stanic; boots, Galliano, lace-ups, Le Silla ; wedges, Patrizia Pepe

ASOS are doing 20 per cent off selected heels. Here are a few you might want to "select" for yourself. So cheap, I might even consider buying a pair myself.

Topshop's mid-season sale is now on. So grab yourself a little ombre or a one shoulder wonder.
That's all for now folks.

At last, some real bargains

Since I moved to the Nethers and realised that I am never, ever getting out of here, I figured I might as well get acquainted with the area. There are quite a few charity shops that I'd been in a few times and then quickly run out of because they were so ridiculously expensive you just know that they have a fashion student volunteer in there somewhere practising mark-up. Seriously, I don't want to go to a charity shop that thinks it's okay, not only to stock Primark/Peacocks cast offs but also try to sell them for £10!

The "boutiques" here are similarly up their own behinds, full of snotty-nosed wannabes selling brash, raggedy, badly thought out dregs of designers collections for more than any sane human being should be willing to pay (no, really, souls have been sold for less). All in all, it's been rather disappointing.

Until yesterday, when I ventured forth into Deludedville and actually found some quite cool stuff that cost very little. I don't know, maybe the fashion student volunteer was on holiday, or (in my dreams) had died in an horrific accident involving overpriced high street cast offs and a malevolent length of tulle... What?! It could happen. *sigh*

What I got:

• Black Charles Jourdain clutch with red chevron stripe, £2.50 - I liked the look of this clutch already but then I saw the tags, did a double-take and got that sneaky, feral, beady look in my eye. Avarice. It's a deadly sin. Look it up.
  
• Vintage green leather bag with square metal handle, £3.00 - a gorgeous green with pink lining. And it exactly matches a pair of Shellys Mary Janes I have - also lined in pink. I love pink and green as a colour combo. It shouldn't work but it does.
  
• Gorgeous hand-painted chunky bangle, 75p - It actually fits over my giant man-sized hands, bonus.
  
• Ebony and ivory choker, £2 - will look rather spiffy with some safari/tribal gear. Which reminds me, I really must get round to doing something with the African material I brought back from the trip home.

The other good shop I've found in the Nethers is great little haberdasherry which is fantastic for rummaging around and picking up bits of material for DIY. Unfortunately, it's closing down this month - sod's freakin' law. While it's still open I've stocked up on lots of netting, chunky, coloured zips and the like and am currently embarking on a DIY marathon. 

So far, I've made a lovely pouffy (blue net skirt for wearing under skater skirts and over long tops) and I'm doing something clever with zips and a plain blue vest from Primark. Will reveal how-tos and finished products in another post (and as soon as I find my camera, which I know is hiding in one of my bags, darned if I know which one...)

Outfit of the week 03/04/08

As you might have read, after a long shopping hiatus, I went shopping at Primarni last weekend and picked up what I believed to be the best superclutch ever for a mere £6. My friend K was not so impressed, and I'm beginning to wonder if I will actually be able to wear it with anything. So I had a root around on t'internet (as you do) and came up with not one but two ways to wear my bag. So this week you get two outfits of the week in one.

Outfit A: Funky, punky, fun
For this outfit, I was thinking keep it simple and let the bag be the star. This is probably as simple as it gets for me cause I've just got to have some colour. It's kind of of bubblegum pop meets punk, the kind of outfit Debbie Harry might have worn in her hey day. I am deeply, deeply in love with those gladiator sandals from All Saints. I was seriously tempted to buy them online today. If this love continues, I shall have have to put the credit card in the freezer (am I the only one who does that when I decide I cannot spend any money?)

Tee dress, £8, Joia at Oli
Gladiator sandals, £115, All Saints
Pink tights, a selection, Tabio


Outfit B: Gorgeous, girlie goodness
Oli is still my go-to place for pretty pieces, this gorgeous, feminine dress from Looking Glass being a prime example. I've paired it with multi-coloured shoes from Office - I used these in my Minnie Mouse comic book collage - to match the bag and bare legs now that we're having warmer weather. I'm also slightly mad about alice bands with bows at the moment. I think this patent PVC one from River Island is brilliant.

Dress, £60, Looking Glass at Oli
Shoes, £55, Office
Alice band, £2.99, River Island

Which outfit is your favourite?

The results are in and gorgeous, girlie outfit B wins by 41 per cent
33 per cent of you wannabe Debbie Harry and voted outfit A
25 per cent of you loved both outfits so much that you couldn't bear to choose between them
8 per cent of you hate my bag. Boo!

Outfit of the week 11/03/08

I was genuinely pleased last weekend when I picked up a copy of the Sunday Times' Style supplement to find fashion face of the moment, Agyness Deyn (for it is she) on the cover with a strapline purporting to let us into the secrets of her "fashion on a shoe-string". Afterall, enquiring minds want to know if there are still shops off the beaten high street left to trawl in London that offer genuine bargains.

So I was a little disappointed when in among the blatant advertorial for the new Giles Deacon collection at New Look were a tux that cost almost £900, a bag that was over £600 and a perfume (perfume!) that cost just under £200. So. This shoe-string. Is it for a giant? Because otherwise, that cover was a bit misleading.

Still, my heart was gladdened when I saw the genuinely bargainous summer goodies due to hit Primark over the next couple of months. This week's outfit is dedicated to Primark cheap chic and how you don't have to spend a month's wages on a tux to look good, no matter what the Style pundits say. I've also added what times the items are due to be out. You're welcome.

Click on image to enlarge

88 per cent of you recognise a bargain when you see one and rate this outfit a Do
11 per cent of you couldn't face the world in head to toe Primark and rated this outfit a Don't

Dress, £8, out March
Tribal plaited belt, £2.50, in store now
Bangles, £1.50 each, in store now
Leather gladiator sandals, £10, out April
Wooden handle bag, £6, out March
Animal print sunnies, £2.50, out April; all Primark

Hang on a minute...

Am I the last person on the fashion planet to know who Ann-Sofie Back is and that Ann-Sofie Back, the Ann-Sofie Back, did a 2007 fusion line for Oli? Or is this some kind of blood secret where anyone who reveals the truth is caught and gutted alive and forced to eat their own bloody entrails until they choke to death... (Oh, dear. Far too much watching of the Masters of Horror). 'Nyhoo... back to my musings...

I only ask because I really, really like ASB's stuff. It's got everything: style, cut, edge, spunk. In fact if I had to be reincarnated as an item of clothing, I would like to be one of these:

Back's clothes have front. They snarl at you, challenge you to a fight and kick your damned arse. Love. Her.

If you want to buy some affordable Back, check out the Oli sale. These are a few of my favourites:

Image sources:
First collage images via Ann-Sofie Back
Second collage images via Oli.co.uk

Speaking of the Oli sale, it's got some fab bargains. Here are some of my other sales picks (little add: I would watch out for the kimono dress. Although it has a lovely shape, it's a cunning blend of wool, nylon, acrylic and a teeny bit of cashmere - which, I find, never bodes well):

From top left to right: Fever tie-waist coat, £55; Jasmine Guinness tux, £60; Naughty Kimono dress, £68; Looking Glass nautical dress, £32; Fever knit dress, £40; Thomas Vicary pencil skirt, £40; and cut and sew skirt, £55

Click on all images to enlarge

Sales surfing - bargain boots

Continuing my sale odyssey on the information super highway... These days, you just don't know when you're going to find something you like or whether you've just missed out on a bargain, so it pays to be vigilant.

I came across this site called Shoe-shop (obviously hiding in plain sight with a name like that!) which sells shoes from most of the well-known brands and currently has a sale on. Oh joy of joys, they had these Bronx slouchy, funnelly, pirate boots that I've had my eye on ever since the start of the season, reduced from £99 to £60.I've also been in search of some supercute, superugged, flat calf-length boots since my old faithfuls are now on their last legs. These moulded plastic soled ones from Doc Marten look like the perfect replacement and are reduced from £84.99 to £60. Sweet!
Now all I have to do is decide which pair I like the best... Aah, who am I kidding? I want them both.

See more sale surfs

Sales surfing - Treasures to treasure

Recently, I find myself spending quite a lot of time idly surfing the interweb for sales items. Today I came across a site called Polkadot who do a nifty trade in beautiful and unique vintage jewellery. Best of all, they've got an up to 50% sale on.

I totally drooled over some of the more dramatic pieces like the Yve Speight choker. I've been dreaming of wearing it with amazing off-the-shoulder gowns and my hair in a chignon. It is sooo Cinderella. And the ruby ring makes me think of the decadence of a Russian Tzarina. I want them all.

Selection of jewellery images from Polkadot Jewellery

You'll probably have noticed the "Top Tips" box in the top right hand corner. Keep an eye on it cause everytime I get wind of interesting offers or sales, they go in there. Don't miss out on a bargain or two!

See more shiny

Here's one I made earlier

I really, really loved this beaded silk collar by Day Birger et Mikkelsen. I thought it would look cute on a simple shift LBD but I had to do a double-take at the £140 price tag. I mean, in the end, it's only arts and crafts. Surely they can't be charging that much. I could make it myself, I thought. And so I did.

Here's my effort:

Okay, I'll admit, it's a little wonky (although my first effort, so, you know) and there's less beading. But it does look pretty cool and with materials (I've got plenty of sequins and beads left, by the way) came in at under £25. Add to that, the therapeutic, zen-like effects of beading and I think it was well worth my time and money.

I think it's plenty cool and I'm wearing it to a party tonight with a sequinned shift and shiny tights from H&M. I will also, finally, be wearing these shoes' so I'm gonna be hella shiny. I'm already thinking of my next bib design which will have way more beading. I'll post it when it's finished.

Materials: Black felt, seed beads, applique butterflies, applique flower, sequinned edging, single sequins, diamante buttons, flat buttons, all from John Lewis. Silk tie (found) and arrow pendant (left over from last DIY project).

Get 10% off at Boohoo

It's not really my thing, but if you love shopping at Boohoo then you're in luck. As if things round there weren't cheap enough, they're giving a 10% discount on purchases until 31 October.

Promo code: nws004.