On Point

Despite my many posts on charity shopping, I will happily splash the cash on high quality and long lasting footwear (after the sole of a boot fell off whilst I was scaling a wire fence in Berlin last year and I had to hobble back to the train station in the rain). I always gravitate towards black shoes and so I will always make sure I have a nice pair of leather low heel boots, leather heeled boots and leather flats in black. It's come to a time where I need to spend some dollar on a nice pair of new flats.

This season I am in love with the pointy loafers that have graced many a catwalk. Reminiscent of mens winkle picker style shoes, the pointed loafer offers a durable winter shoe and adds a bit of edge to any outfit. My favourites are as follows...

Phillip Lim 

Proenza Schouler

Ivanka Trump

Acne

H&M

River Island

That's my round up of my favourites, (I tried to add a smattering of non-black shoes to the equation), I personally adore the Acne suede loafers- with just a hint of a heel and almost completely enclosed upper these are perfect for the winter, the $500 price tag is a bit of a down side though... 

Proenza Schouler was my absolute favourite label when I was about seventeen or eighteen and I used to borrow inspiration from their clothes all the time. A few years later and I am still enamoured with their collections. Their ponyskin cross over shoes are gorgeous, and, although highly impractical for the puddle-ridden streets of England, would add some gorgeous texture to any outfit. 

Luckily there are some other less pricey options such as these River Island and H&M beauties. Although these shoes are likely to only last a season quality wise, they'll put you at the front of the fashion forward and are a great alternative to the classic pump. 

Charity Shop Finds IV

Yes, you guessed it; it’s another Charity Shop Finds post from me! The urge for bargain hunting remains strong as I try to seek out all of the bargains to be found on this island before heading back to the mainland (England) next week. This post features a few things I've found over the past few weeks…

This cute vintage button down dress was £4. It was originally a size 16, unflattering, above-ankle length dress so I whipped the sewing machine out and took in the sides and shortened it to a more flattering length. I absolutely love the print and the style of this dress (reminiscent of some of Motel’s recent cuts) - it will look great with some low denier tights and black boots. (Excuse the poor ironing). 

This silver engraved collar necklace was only £2 and has absolutely beautiful detailing which makes me think it’s probably vintage costume jewellery- perfect for minimal accessorising.

As we all know, winter is now fully on the way and making its presence loud and clear. Never one to shy away from knitwear (more like run round a shop with armfuls) I bought two quite similar high necked wool jumpers in a deep red and cream for £4 and £2. The red one will be great for December and cream really does go with anything so will come in handy for layering. I also got this grey silvery cropped eyelash jumper for £4 (originally from Miss Selfridge) which is on trend for some 90s glam and will be something a little different to my usual leather jacket cover up for evening drinks.

Other recent finds include a See by Chloe blouse £3, boucle pencil skirt £4, black work trousers £2, boxed Pretty Polly stockings £2 (so expensive normally and they ladder so easily!), gold plunge top £3, blue sparkly backless dress £3. 

Exposed Brick Inspiration

With plans to move to Manchester in full swing, it’s time to think about interiors for our new pad. Manchester is famed for its red brick architecture (part of the reason I love this city so much) and the city is awash with converted mills and factories that feature gorgeous red brickwork complete with huge windows in many a flat.

Take a look at these images from Pinterest that offer some red brick inspiration.

Red brickwork had me at hello on first viewings of ‘Gossip Girl.’ Dan and Rufus (and Jenny) Humphrey live in a gorgeous converted loft in Brooklyn, NYC on the show and the place oozes bohemian style with stacks of records, guitars and worn in furniture.

Brickwork adds warmth to a room and gives it a traditional ‘rustic’ feel. I personally prefer brickwork in open living spaces in kitchens but as these photos suggest- red brick really does work for a bedroom too.

Sourcing iron furniture to go with the walls will complement the traditional industrial feel to the room but plush sofas, rugs, warm lighting and wooden accents will make a converted loft feel more like home.