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Bargains and Brrrrrr!!!

Monday 15 November 2010


I am not coping well with the cold at the moment. I'm blaming it on the diet - I'm considerably less padded than I was this time last year and I'm really feeling the effects of it. It's not so bad at home but my office at work is not on the central heating system and all the portable heaters are broken, so it's COLD. I think I need to a) buy a heater and b) wear warmer clothes. Lots and lots of clothes. I'm still thinking it's autumn and it's clearly not anymore.

Moan over. I spent the evening in a toasty warm pub for a colleague's leaving do which thawed me out and cheered me up. Wine, food, fire, friends - bliss. This is what I wore:


The lighting is so rubbish in this house! The dress is probably closer in colour to the second photo than the first.

Apologies for the boob shot but I wanted to show the draping in a bit more detail




Dress/tunic thing - ASOS via car boot sale
Black leggings AND tights - M&S
Cardi - Hawkshead
Shoes - New Look
Jewellery L-R - Blue John ring which I've had since I was little, my Grandma's Blue John pendant and a costume ring which I found in the bottom of my jewellery box

The dress and shoes are both way out of my usual comfort zone, but both were such bargains that I bought them anyway. The dress cost me 20p at a car boot sale and the shoes were £3, bought on a total whim during one of New Look's crazy, ooh-let's-reduce-all-our-sale-shoes-to-£3 moments. Had I seen the dress in a shop I might have thought "ooh, nice" but I would never have bought it online in case the drape looked bizarre on me. Either way, it's lilac, and I don't really wear pinks and purples. The shoes are much higher and thinner heeled than I'd usually be comfy in.

I definitely advocate buying something a bit different when it's cheap - one of the best ways in my opinion of trying out new things. But however bargainous they were, it's more important that I actually liked them. A £3 pair of shoes is only a bargain if you're going to wear them, otherwise you might as well just keep the money for something more useful. Luckily the dress is super pretty and, I think, quite flattering and the shoes are surprisingly comfy. Ok, so I had one minor wobble when I stood up to hug someone and then overbalanced and nearly landed on top of the person next to me but I don't think many people noticed...

27 comments:

  1. I'm glad you chose to step out of your comfort zone for this outfit, because it is GORGEOUS!

    I LOVE that dress & those shoes are just too pretty. I would never in a million years be able to walk in them though. But for £3 I probably would've bought them anyway, just to look at admiringly every now & again.. Yes, I really do have problems!

    I can't get over the fact your dress was 20p
    - amazing.

    www.heart-shaped-bruise.blogspot.com

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  2. 20p for that dress! it is so pretty, the drape detail is so so interesting.
    hope you warm up soon
    my heating has been fixed today so i can finally feel my toes again ha!xx

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  3. bloody love your shoes
    and 20p dress ! it can't get any thriftier than that :D

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  4. love the shoes! too cute. the dress is adorable too

    xoxo

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  5. You look lovely, Alex. What a bargain!

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  6. Bargain doesn't even describe it. You really look fantastic in that outfit Alex, just gorgeous! x

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  7. Dear Alex, you look gorgeous in it. Your hair looks really beautiful too, especially in the first shot where it's really shiny.

    I find if I keep my neck covered and wear something warm on my feet it makes all the difference.

    I am putting together a package for you... and still adding to it. Unbelievably I still haven't finished the wardrobe so my loss is your gain.

    Hope you like the latest interview. I'd advise a pot of tea to go with it xx

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  8. That dress really really suits you. I buy so much stuff online I feel I never try anything new, I always go for the same shapes. I shall have to keep my peepers peeped for a good looking bargain.

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  9. That outfit is am.az.ing. LOVE the dress and it looks brilliant on you. Can't believe the bargainous joy that's going on there! Also. Loving the shoes although those spindly little heels did make me draw my breath in, but I have a slight fear of super high thin heels since the embolism I think.

    I said to my housemate the other day "Do you think it's possible that the reason I'm cold is because I've lost weight?" I can't believe it's true but I think it might be!

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  10. Fabulous drapery - you look like a Grecian goddess, Alex! And don't apologise for the boob shots, if you've got it flaunt it.
    I can't resist weirdly shaped things, they are always divine on.
    Brrrr, I hate the cold with a passion. I'm with Christina, if I've got warm feet and a scarf on the rest of me stays toasty. xxx

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  11. Doesn't it seem to have switched to winter really suddenly this year? None of that frost on the windscreen that you just remove with the wipers, oh no, full on scraping just like that!

    I love that purple ring, but no way could I wear those heels! x

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  12. You look gorgeous, love the dress on you, and such a bargain. I could see this dressed up or down.
    The heels are lovely, look to me like they are 'sitting down' shoes though. :)

    xx

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  13. the beautiful drapes on the dress are definitely perfect for you!

    ♥ vanilla ice cream ♥

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  14. My I have had my bargain in my time but I don’t think I have ever managed to bag a lovely dress so cheap, 20p is obscene but a wonder for your purse.
    It looks stunning, I like the draping and the colour is very neutral, you can always add different coloured accessories x

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  15. That outfit is gorgeous!! The dress really suits you and the shoes are so pretty, too high/thin for me though. Yes I expect the weight loss is to blame for feeling cold, I'm a skinny minny and I'm ALWAYS cold. Layers, lots of them! x

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  16. I LOVE the shoes, they look great on you. You are building up a great collection of footwear, I am always noticing now what great shoes you have on with every outfit.

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  17. I love that dress, it looks really good on you. I love New Looks random shoe reductions, they seem to do it loads in my local store x

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  18. That top is lovely and it is really flattering, you look fab! Like Vix I though Greek Goddess.
    I would break a bone to be sure in those shoes, they are beautiful though.
    Kandi x

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  19. Dear Alex, thanks for your lovely comments. At the bottom of the Kim interview I've put links to three other pieces I don't think you'll have seen but I think you will like them xx

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  20. You look amazing in that dress! Gorgeous! xx

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  21. Love those shoes, and entire outfit!

    I'm having the opposite problem to you, I'm not used to feeling WARM(ish) in winter haha.

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  22. i love the drapiness of the dress, its beautiful! & you look lovely (as usual)so you should definitely take the plunge & step out of your comfort zone more often! i don't cope well in the cold either so i sympathise...i went outside earlier & it was so cold it pretty much took my breath away haha! i hope your heaters at work get fixed soon...i can't work if i'm cold so surely its in the best interests of your boss to get it sorted asap! :)

    http://messyourhairup.blogspot.com

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  23. You look fab in that dress. I love the draping and the whole outfit is very pretty. Really don't mind the cold too much ( though we all like to be cosy warm) as it EATS calories. That's my take anyway as I stuff my face with casserole and chocolate ( not at the same time!)

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  24. Cold weather sux!!
    That is such a pretty outfit,the soft colours and the draping on that frock are divine! And as for the shoes!Well!Love 'em!! It is very different,wearing a narrow heel like that.I'm not too bad at it,but after all,I WAS born to wear heels!
    Pretty,pretty jewellery too!
    Yep,I love how chazza shopping bargains make it easy to try different styles & looks.If you find you're not into it after all,o well,just give it away!
    love! xxx

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  25. That is my favourite OOTD outfit since I've been following you! It is just so pretty, but not in a girlie, pink way, if you know what I mean! Aren't those shoes 'taxi' shoes?...you can't actually walk anywhere in them? If they noticed the wobble maybe they put it down to the booze!!
    Z xx

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