Suede Love

I 'liked' this photo of Suki Waterhouse a few weeks ago on Instagram as I loved the overall styling of this  look but mainly the shape of this sleek leather jacket. I took a print screen and decided to go on a quest to find something similar.

From previous posts you will know that I've fully embraced all things seventies, particularly suede in any form. I was browsing suede jackets online on eBay and found this 100% leather suede jacket in exactly the same style as the Instagram photo!

Luckily for me it was a Sunday morning auction and so with some dedication (it ended at 9am!) I managed to swoop in and snap it up for just £10. I know I'll wear this with anything and everything and I can't wait to style it with a turtleneck top and a messy beehive a la Suki.

Next on my list is something in that earthy orange tan suede like this gorgeous Urban Outfitters bomber jacket...

Charity & Vintage Shopping in Manchester- Cheadle

My wonderful flatmate and fellow bargain hunter Becky  and I have recently moved to Manchester and, naturally, the first thing on our agenda was to seek out the best charity shops in the area. After a quick google search we decided that Cheadle was a safe bet to find a few shops in one place- we were not disappointed. With around 10 charity shops to choose from on the high street we were spoilt for choice, especially as Cheadle is home to the only exclusively vintage Barnado's store, easily one of my favourite shops I've ever been into, (but more on that later, I've saved the best till last!)

Our first port of call was St Ann's Hospice shop which is directly opposite the bus stop (get the X51 from Piccadilly Gardens in Central Manchester and it will take you around 40  mins). This was a well laid out and colour coordinated store, Becky picked up a '70s style tan button up skirt and there were plenty of fashion forward pieces to chose from. But we really were in for a surprise when we spotted the sign for a vintage section upstairs.... 

The vintage section was completely surprising and had a gorgeous interior, look at that ceiling! The 'bar' area was topped with copper with French posters on the walls, glass and crystal ware on the shelves, and mirrors everywhere. There was some definite hints of art deco pieces dotted around which would look amazing in the right home. I found a 100% suede slouchy jacket here for £14, I fell in love with it but sadly it just didn't fit correctly on me. 

Our next stop was a Barnardo's store, in which most items were £1.99, the quality of some of the garments reflected this but there were still many a bargain to be found in here. I found this cropped, ribbed top with a keyhole detail on the front which will look great with a pair of denim shorts for a simple summer look.

Next up was the British Heart Foundation, the shop was jammed with loads of colour and prints for summer, there was plenty of good quality clothing here and you could easily deck yourself out for a holiday after a quick browse through their rails. The prices are a little expensive for some items but this is due to the fantastic condition of every item. Becky found a '90s meets '70s mesh crop top here with bell sleeves.

PDSA is a chain I've not often come across before but they had a great range of higher end high street brands such as Oasis and Marks and Spencer as well as a lovely homeware collection of their own.

Both Becky and I struck gold at Cancer Research, each snapping up French Connection dresses for less than a fiver, this is a small shop but with a large range of dresses, jackets and blouses. I love the neckline of this dress that I picked up, I've been after one for ages and this is just the ticket.

Drum roll please... Our favourite store by far was this vintage Barnardo's, it is the only vintage Barbado's in the UK, previously there were stores based in Edinburgh and Glasgow but I'm so pleased that we are lucky enough to have the only one left right on our doorstep. The store is beautifully laid out as you can see by the pictures with racks of real vintage clothes, homeware, haberdashery, records, books and even toys and dolls. The best part is, everything is genuine, quality vintage for fantastically reasonable prices.

The furniture was gorgeous inside and had knick knacks over every surface- look at this beautiful cabinet filled with cameras! On the left hand shelving there was also a shelf dedicated to vintage brassware- I was in heaven!

I loved the arrangement of these lampshades on top of the sewing and haberdashery area- how cute is the baby blue sewing machine?!

A whole corner of the store was dedicated to vinyl and vintage books, I have recently bought a record player so will be shuffling through these boxes on my next trip. 

Sadly, because I had to go and get a train we only had about 5 minutes to run around this shop in awe and so didn't get a proper chance to look through everything and make some purchases! I can't wait for my next visit though and I'm sure I will come away with armfuls of beautiful old treasures. I couldn't recommend this store enough with it's wonderful layout and unique items. The store can be followed on Instagram and Twitter @vintagecheadle.

If you're looking to charity shop in Manchester, Cheadle is definitely the place to go! 

P.S Vintage Cheadle Barnado's has recently updated their window for the summer and I am in love. The chair, the white suitcase, the floral dress- it's all too much! Head down on Saturday for their fundraising event with the chance to win some prizes.

The Jumpsuit Game

At a pint-sized 5"3 I've often shied away from trousers and long-length clothing because most (all) of the time I have to either roll the legs up or get the hem altered to make them fit. However, after purchasing my first jumpsuit earlier this year, I'm a full on trouser fiend. To me, ASOS currently have the best offerings by a mile. 

When Queen Chung wore this navy utility jumpsuit on The Great British Bake Off for Comic Relief, I knew I had to find a similar outfit. (Mary and Alexa in the same photo! It's too much!) 

(Source: Comic Relief)

I personally favor a more slinky alternative to a chunkier cotton boiler suit, these are both beautiful.

Vila (via. ASOS) £28

Whistles (via. ASOS) £225

ASOS have also fully immersed themselves in the wide leg trouser and brought them into jumpsuits. I particularly like all the cut out detailing which I think counteracts the wide legs to make for a more flattering silhouette. This black number is my favourite...  

ASOS, £50 

The wide leg culotte is not something I will be embracing myself but I think they look amazing on the taller ladies out there and admire those who are giving them a test drive- how gorgeous is this denim all in one?

ASOS, £50

ASOS, £25

The Great Indoors... The Bedroom

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I've been busily lusting over home ware items online and filling up bookmarks folders to share some of them with you. I didn't realise quite how many gorgeous things were out there so today I thought I'd focus on bedrooms. With it being so chilly it seems like staying  indoors is the much better alternative to braving the ice and snow, so why not do it surrounded by pretty things?

BEDDING

Personally, I'm a fan of keeping things simple when it comes to bedding and usually opt for crisp white cotton sheets but whilst searching I found some white bedding with a twist and have been converted!

ZARA- I am completely in love with this set with the luxurious rippling silk trim. 

MATALAN- I was pleasantly surprised to find that Matalan had loads of choice when it came to bedding and at such affordable pricing. I love this set with the black satin trim and this reversible stripey set with piping on the edges. 

CUSHIONS

ZARA- As always, Zara Home offers amazing quality products, look at these beauties! The first one  would go amazingly well with the white bedding above. 

H&M- These cushions are definitely on my 'must buy' list, I love mixing up textures with cushions and this grey velvet cushion will be a cosy addition to my bed. The yellow chevron print cushion is a no-brainer, yellow is my favourite colour and this is too cute to resist. 

MATALAN- Along with their Alphabet charity scarves, Matalan also stocks a range of monogrammed goods in their home ware selections, I think this cushion is nice and simple to add to any bedroom (and would go with my L mug!) 

RUGS

H&M- I love the African feel to this printed rug, this would look great in a stripped back room with white or varnished wood flooring. 

IKEA- Ikea has some quirky offerings in terms of floor coverings and I think this folk print would look lovely in a white-walled room. That texture on the grey rug looks pretty unique and would look great in any room. 

STORAGE

H&M- Everyone needs some storage baskets round their room whether it's for electronics (ahem, my many hair straightening, curling, waving, tools), records, magazines or just plain junk! H&M has loads of wire options in a few different colours and this gold bucket shape basket is my favourite. 

IKEA- I love the zig-zag print on this hand woven basket, another 'must-buy' for me.

ZARA- I adore these blue and white hat boxes, and again, I'm showing you my devotion to zig-zag chevron print with this cute wooden box. 

DECORATIONS

H&M- H&M really does have some of the best selection of  affordable home ware around and particularly excels in the 'knick- knacks'  department. As I mentioned in the previous post, I love brass ware at the moment and that goes for any kind of metal home additions, this twisted copper coloured hook is perfect for keys or the back of your door. I had to include the swan pot because we used to have one exactly like it in my family home! I also love this copper coloured glass photoframe and have included this green glass bottle which I think always contrasts nicely with metals.

MATALAN- This mantle clock is so cute! Again, the copper will look  great amongst some other trinkets on a mantle piece or bedside table.

Charity Shop Finds- Home Edition

A friend and I are moving into our flat in Manchester, and although things have been delayed it’s meant that I've been able to snoop around and find some amazing homeware items to take with me. I’ve seen a lot of vintage brassware around at the moment, I think little touches of shined up brass can look amazing amongst other trinkets. Here’s a couple of photos featuring gorgeous brassware that I pinned on Pinterest recently…

So as you can imagine, I was thrilled to find this little engraved brass vase for just 50p. This will look perfect on my dressing table holding some flowers next to some candles. I also picked up this glass box in an orange/amber colour which will be great to put jewellery in or to even use as a candle holder with the lid off, this was £1.25.

If you can't tell, I'll buy anything candle related, and also found these holders which look so effective with tealights inside them for just 50p for all four. They’ll look great grouped together in the corner of the bath or on a bedside table.

This corked cut glass bottle was another lovely find at just £1.50 which will be great for the kitchen. I also picked up this decanter and shot glass set which was £3 and will be perfect for that first housewarming party. I was sure to use sterilising tablets in each of the bottles before using them which I would recommend doing with glass bottles if you are using them to hold food or drink. 

Keep your eyes peeled for my next post on my favourite homeware items in store at the moment.