Out with the new, in with the old...

Hello hello, I've not written anything in a few days as I've been busy working and trying to organise an enormous amount of clothes to sell on eBay which is probably one of the most tedious tasks ever. Most of these clothes are old vintage pieces I've picked up here and there so it inspired me to do a post on vintage clothes and more importantly charity shop gems. I know a lot of people who wouldn't shop for vintage clothes because number one they usually smell like a musty granny and two because someone's already worn them. For me though that's exactly the appeal. I don't know why but I love the idea that someone somewhere wore the clothes that I'm now wearing and loved them, is that weird? maybe. I just think that vintage clothes are great because there's usually only ever one of everything so you'll always have an individual piece and the price is usually very reasonable (unless you're looking at vintage Chanel, that's pricey!) If I'm honest I would absolutely love to be able to afford designer vintage pieces but sadly they're just not in my price range, sometimes you find the odd designer scarf while rummaging through a basket in a charity shop though which is always great. The only designer thing I've ever come across was a Christian Dior men's silk shirt and I actually didn't even know it was designer until I got it home, which was a lovely surprise. Mainly though vintage pieces would usually be between £10-40 which is decent enough, especially if you consider that Urban Outfitters have now got Urban renewal where they "re-do" vintage pieces and slap a big old price tag on them and people actually buy these things just because Urban Outfitters sell them! Come on girls and boys, if you went to your local charity or vintage shops you'd find these things for half the price and you could do them up yourselves. I'm not trying to criticise Urban Outfitters here I mean they're one of my favourite shops but I think that paying that amount of money for re-worked denim shorts is a sin when you could find a pair of old jeans and cut them up yourself. Be wise with your money people! I suppose I say this because I don't have endless amounts of money so I'm always trying to find a bargain wherever I go, but no one should throw their money away like that. I used to work in a vintage shop in Belfast before I moved over to Liverpool and something that I found a lot of customers saying was that they didn't know where to begin to look because nothing is laid out on a mannequin for them. I understand that Topshop has things laid out beautifully and it's therefore easier to find but if you actually take the time to rummage through charity shops I promise you you'll find some hidden gems. If that is your idea of hell then you could try some online vintage boutiques or even vintage fairs, they have less things and usually only display their best pieces so less crap to go through. Recently in Belfast a new type of Vintage fair has popped up, Lola's Vintage is a kilo sale which means that you pay for your clothes per kilo (£20 per kilo) so you could get yourself about 3 or 4 items depending on weight for £20, what a great idea! These fairs are held every month and they have some amazing clothes there, it's especially great because there's cakes and drinks and a DJ playing so you can have a boogie while rummaging. The next one hasn't been announced yet but if you search for them on Facebook "Lola's Vintage" the page will keep you up to date on everything. 
Another great page that I found on Facebook is called "Come Together Clothing" the owner Kirsty sources all the best vintage clothes from up and down the country and brings them to fairs mainly in Birmingham, Redditch, Chester & Liverpool. 
Vintage fairs are great to find one off pieces and they're usually a bit more expensive as the clothes are hand picked, but if you're looking for cheap pieces that are one offs and something a bit different then I urge you to go to your local charity or vintage shop. The charity shop money goes to a great cause and the owners are always so grateful for business in a world dominated by high street. It may not always be your thing but there's no harm in looking, so give it a go! You never know what you might find :)
Love and kisses,
Katie.

Always time for camo..

There was a thunderstorm today so I thought it was the perfect excuse for me to wear all black again, yay! I went for my favourite slouchy harem pants that I got years ago in Primark that seem to have been a timeless investment. My t-shirt is actually just a plain black one from h&m that's been dipped in bleach by my very artistic little sister and turned orange and my jacket I found in the Topshop sale for £20! I know last year was the year of the camo but I will always love a good camouflage jacket. I like how this one is cropped and has a fur collar so it's not quite like the ones that EVERYONE wore last year but still a nod to the camo invasion of 2012. My rings here are a pack from h&m which are their take on those Balenciaga ones that everyone is dying about and were only £4. My necklace is the ASOS version of the Celiné ID chain which cost me £15.

My shoes are Deena & Ozzy from Urban Outfitters but they're actually pretty wrecked since I wore them to death last year so I won't give you a close up of them haha! Thanks for reading,

Love and kisses,

Katie xx

A very royal baby..

Now if there's one thing I love on this earth it's a good old theme. Themed parties, themed cupcakes, anything with a theme really and you can be sure that I'll love it. I don't know if this has stemmed from my obsession with dressing up as a little girl (well I say little girl but I still dress up at every chance possible) or maybe it's because I've always loved the idea that when you dress up you can become a totally different person. This is probably why I also love wearing sunglasses, I always say you can be anyone you want to be behind a pair of sunglasses and it's true! Back to themes though, today I'm channeling probably one of the most well known themes in Britain, "Rule Britannia". Think Kate Moss for Mario Testino in that Union Jack jacket and trousers, now minus Kate Moss, add me and make it less attractive and you've got my very own royal baby outfit. I'm not particularly into the royal family, I mean I don't mind them but they're just sort of there aren't they? They don't really DO anything except sit around and be posh all day, but I suppose I wouldn't mind being a royal so who am I to criticise eh? No one really cared that much about them until the addition of the nations favourite - Kate Middleton. She's just perfect isn't she? she's like that person that everyone wants to be friends with in school who always has nice hair and clothes and is smart as well as beautiful, everyone should hate her but we're all so enchanted by her that we just bury our jealousy and praise her instead. So if we love Kate so much of course we're going to love her new little baby boy who will grow up to become a little heart throb and your granny will say "oh you should get yourself a nice boy like the prince", you know it's going to happen. Anyway enough about that, I need to get this outfit posted so I can sit in front of the TV to get a glimpse of him as he comes out of the hospital!
Lots of love and kisses,
Katie.

Red White & Blue
Shirt - Vintage
Trousers- River Island
Shoes - Kurt Geiger

 Royal Jewels
Michael Kors watch
Topshop necklace
Sparkle nail art by me

Copy Cats..

Hello again!

I was just looking at my instagram and realised that I'd posted about Kenzo jumpers and forgotten all about my post I said I'd do on designer copy cats on the high street, whoops! So basically I was having a snoop in the Topshop sale and found an amazing jumper with a tiger on it which is almost identical to the Kenzo one except for the print on the jumper (and of course the quality but shh.) What's even better is that the jumper was only £18 in the sale which is great knowing that I could pretend I was in Kenzo when really my jumper was about 300 pounds cheaper than the original :-)

The thing that I hate about myself most is that I have the most expensive taste, give me a page of items and you're guaranteed that I will pick the most expensive without even meaning to, maybe I've just got an eye for quality ;) but really though, I hate it. I always want something that I could never afford so I make it my mission to find a similar but cheaper option and considering almost everything on the high street is inspired by the catwalk I always manage to find something. I've decided to do a special post for all of you who want some new clothes but don't get paid until the end of the month; my top 5 under £25!

Number one is this amazing mesh crop top from Motel Rocks. These are a big hit this summer, especially considering we're in the middle of (or coming to an end of) a heatwave! You could wear this over your bikini on the beach or you could throw it on over a really lovely bra or bandeau and pair with a pair of denim shorts/disco pants to head out for the night. Also this is only £19 which is a very decent price for one of the most wanted items of clothing this summer.

Find this here at http://www.motelrocks.com/shop/products/Motel-Lulu-Mesh-Crop-Top-in-Black.html

Number two is a rather raunchy mesh bra from Smut, if you're not already familiar with Smut and their infamous "Naughty Vicar" t-shirt then get acquainted because their clothes are amazing. This bra is not for the faint hearted but I really love mesh bra's. I find them much more comfortable to wear, especially in the summer heat. This is priced at £16 and would work well underneath the mesh crop top from Motel Rocks, if you don't mind flashing a bit of nip that is ;)

Find this product here at   http://www.smutclothing.co.uk/product/smu-mesh-bra

What do you know, number three is a kimono (surprise surprise) which I mentioned I am in love with this summer. If I haven't already mentioned I am all about monochrome, I'm pale so I don't think bright colours suit me that much and I tend to wear a lot of black and white so this Aztec print kimono (£21.99) from Misguided is perfect for me. The great thing about a kimono is that it can change the most simple outfit into something amazing AND the short sleeves on this won't make you feel so guilty about wearing black in the summer.

Find it here at http://www.missguided.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/79776/s/lorayne-aztec-waterfall-kimono/

Next up at number four are Juju Jellies which are just an absolute must for the summer time. These particular jelly shoes are a different style to the usual ones that everyone is wearing but I think they are adorable and are only £6.50 in the ASOS sale (everyone calm down and thank ASOS later.) Sadly you don't get to choose your colour because these are in the sale but I think these off yellow/lime ones are perfect anyway and nice and bright to go with all the monochrome items you've just bought (I'm such a bad influence.)

Find them here at http://www.asos.com/Juju/Juju-Petra-Lime-Slingback-Flat-Sandals/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2800425&cid=1931&Rf-400=13871&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=36&sort=-1&clr=Lime

And last but not least my fifth item is going to have to be an accessory to complete your look so I'm going to go against my rule of always buying Primark sunglasses and instead suggest these Gina metal trim ones from Boohoo. Again black, I'm sorry I just can't help but be drawn to it! Black is a good choice for sunglasses though as you can wear them with any outfit. Even better that these are only £10 so a good investment to complete your summer look. I'm like the clothing devil on your shoulder....

Find them here at http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/accessories/icat/accessories/sunglasses/gina-metal-trim-
sunglasses/invt/azz56465

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope I've not tempted you too much if you are really short on money ATM like me. Thankfully I start my new job on Saturday so you will all be subjected to my constant posting when I spend all my wages on clothes. 

Lots of love and kisses,

Katie.

Too hot for trousers..

Note to self: don't wear denim in the sunshine. Excuse my wearing of the same blouse but I haven't been home (although I did change my trousers which I brought thinking it would be cold, it wasn't.) These high waisted Levi 501s are my absolute favourite thing to wear because they go with everything and pinch your waist in at its smallest point which is very flattering. They cost me £30 from a vintage shop in Liverpool and you can find them in most vintage or charity shops, roll up the bottom for the ultimate 80s look. My blouse is the same as before from Urban Outfitters and my fedora hat was £8 from H&M last year, Misguided do a great version on their website and it even comes in burgundy so you can buy two :) My bag is from Primark and cost me £10 but I think it looks rather expensive and is one of my favourite purchase of the year, it's a complete Mary Poppins bag and holds everything but the kitchen sink!

OOTD

Hiiiyas! I decided today to do a little mobile post in between my next blog and this is my first ever outfit post as well :) Most fashion blogs usually consist of people posting their own outfits for others to see so I thought I'd give it a go. Sadly I don't own as many lovely clothes as most of the bloggers online but ah well I'll try and make the best of what I have! Today I'm wearing a Primark Aztec print maxi skirt that I grabbed last minute before I left Liverpool (obviously they wouldn't have this in Belfast!) which cost £10 and my favourite summer shirt; my mint green floaty shirt from Urban Outfitters which only cost me £5 in their summer sale last year. My boots are from Office and are the one thing I own which I never have off me, partly because they cost me £85 but it was worth it. So without the boots my outfit cost me a total of £15 and you can find this sort of thing everywhere now. The best place to find maxi skirts I feel is in a charity shop, there's always tonnes of 90's maxi dresses with wacky prints on them and they're usually no more than £7. You'd also be surprised what gems you can find at the back of your mums/aunts/granny's wardrobe so go and have a rummage and see what you can find! Maxi dresses on a hot day are always a winner.
P.S I've tied this skirt up with a bobble to show a bit of ankle clevage so I wasn't walking around looking like a nun, give it a go if you want to jazz things up a bit ;)
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Katie.

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet...

Hi guys, I know I haven't written anything in a while but it's sunny outside and this NEVER happens in Belfast so I've been out trying to tan myself. If like me you're whiter than white and reflect the sunshine then you'll probably not have tanned either, but never fear because I've found a great new tan for us all to fake it with. It's called Xen Tan and it's just great! most people I know are religious about sun beds but I'm far too lazy to constantly go on them so fake tan it is. Usually I find most tans drag on my skin because I have quite dry skin or else they'll all just wash off in the shower but this tan is definitely a contender for the best one I've used. If you go on the website http://www.xen-tan.co.uk/ you can order online or find where your local stockists are and even better which salons use it for spray tans. I'm wearing the dark lotion (236ml) that costs £28.99 which isn't bad considering you don't need to use a lot to get a nice bronzed even look, so it lasts for a while. Usually I would wear medium but this washes off to leave you with a nice glow instead of a horrible dirty brown colour like most tans. The great thing about this is it starts to develop immediately and you can see it on your skin so you know if you've missed a bit while applying, plus it only takes 3 hours to fully develop - the white girls guide to quick tanning.

So apart from tanning myself I've only gone and got myself a job FINALLY which means I can buy lots of nice clothes to bask in this sunshine (if it lasts!) I went for my interview on Tuesday for Schuh and found out I got the job the next day which means SOOO MANY SHOES FOR ME. For anyone who knows me they'll probably know I love my trainers, I would much rather go for a rave in a pair of air max than fall over myself in high heels, unless they're my white wedges from Kurt Geiger because they're just perfect. Here I am with my beautiful friends wearing my beautiful white wedges. I fell over myself SEVEN times that night. 

I'll let you all in on a secret which kills me but I really should spread the joy, they're now down to £59 on Kurt Geiger online, sickening.

Here's a close up of them in all their glory 

I completely digressed from trainers to heels there but as I was saying, I love trainers and have already spied some beauties that I want to get my hands on. When you work in Schuh you have to wear trainers that you can buy there, so that's my excuse for all the trainers I plan to buy. These are actually men's and only start in a 7 so I'm praying they'll be a small fit, look aren't they beaut!?

Nike air base ii - £72

Seeing as I'll have some money soon I've started to make notes of all the clothes and bikinis I want, I'm not actually going on holiday but I figured if this sun sticks around then I'll need more bikinis to wear - right?

My favourite but most dreaded shop is Urban Outfitters because they're so pricey but so god damn good at making clothes that I want. I think they definitely take the crown for best high street bikinis and I actually bought one of my favourite bikinis from there last year. It's high waisted, cost me £30 and was worth every penny. Here I am with my sister pretending I'm a 1950s pin up girl on the beach..

Mia (left) wears Primark bikini & Topshop shorts and me on the right wearing my bikini and denim shorts, both from Urban Outfitters! Headband from a Vintage shop in Glasgow and both pairs of sunglasses from Primark.

Here's my list of summer must haves -

• Sunglasses from Primark, they're cheap and on trend and never more than £4 so you don't need to worry about losing them and can buy as many pairs as you like.
• A pair of denim shorts, they're versatile and go with everything and easy to throw on over a bikini if you're not brave enough to bare it all.
• A head scarf or hat, a burnt scalp is not pleasant and no one wants to put sun cream on their heads (the greasy look is not chic) so get yourself a scarf from a vintage shop or even use one of your granny's old scarves to avoid the pain!
• Jelly Sandals, like flip flops and sandals but comfier and more fun. Embrace your inner 90's kid and get yourself a pair of JuJu Jellies like this. JuJu Jellies can be found in Office, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel and many more shops. Check out their website to see where you can get them near you. http://www.jujushoes.co.uk/jujustockists.aspx

These come in almost every colour you can think of!

• Sun cream!! I don't know why people are so anti sun cream, fair enough it stops you tanning a bit but hellooo ladies we don't want to look like leather bags when we're older. Skin cancer is not fun! Plus it's only about £3 a bottle so save yourself the hassle in years to come and get it on.
• A kimono, I am all about the kimono this year. I absolutely love the ones Topshop have in ATM and even though they're a bit pricey, they're the perfect cover up for the beach or even just to throw on over shorts and t-shirt to glam up an outfit a bit. 

  

  This Aztec Embroidered Kimono is £60 from Topshop but I think it's worth it!

• Finally, a tan. Whether you fake it or bake it everyone loves being tanned - it's the ultimate accessory.

So if you're going away or sunning yourself in this heatwave then hopefully that checklist has reminded you of something you need for that last minute holiday, or if you just want to look your best in your back garden. The suns just come through the clouds as I'm writing this so I'm definitely rushing the end of this to get out in it, I am taking every second of these rays as a blessing from the sun gods. I'll be back soon to talk about the sun and more clothes I want, I can guarantee it. 

Thanks for reading!

Lots of love & kisses,

Katie.