Last Christmas and in summer, I did some personal shopping with Topshop to find the hottest trends of the season. I did one festive post, and one festivAL post (see what I did there…)
I love the whole notion of personal shopping, as other people look at you, your shape, and your style differently.
This year, I wanted to do something a little different. Fast fashion and sustainability in the industry are at the forefront of people’s minds. I thought it would be cool to go vintage personal shopping, instead of focusing on the seasonal trends.
I headed to Sparrowhawk Vintage, where Rhi and her mum Debs had picked out some festive outfits for me to try on. What’s great with vintage is that it was made to last, works well with ‘modern’ wardrobes, and will more than pay for itself. You also won’t see anyone else in your get-up at the work’s do.
Outfit 1 – Oversized 80s blouse
This XL blouse with a loud 80s pattern works amazingly as a dress. You can hear Rhi explain in the vlog that when it comes to vintage fashion, you should pretty much just ignore size labels. It’s become quite a liberating thing for me not to become fixated on the number in my jeans, and I’ve been preaching to my mum and sister to do the same. Wear what is comfortable and what looks and feels good. You don’t have to wear it like everyone else either, what looks great as a blouse on a plus-size gal can look equally as good as a dress on someone smaller.
I ended up getting this quirky number, which was priced up at £8.50. I love the abstract pattern on the cuffs and pockets, and adore the tie-waist feature.
Outfit 2 – Green satin evening gown
I’d taken my goodies into the changing room, and passed the treasure chest of discounted garms in the bargain bin. Teal/emerald has really caught my eye on the high street this season, so I picked up on a gorge piece of fabric hanging out of the bin. This £3.00 beauty fit like a glove, but I dressed it down with a £5 leather belt.
It was put on the rails last Christmas, but not snapped up. Then put out again for Halloween in the hopes someone would pull off a killer Poison Ivy look. After no-one took it home, it found itself in the bargain bin, and into my wardrobe.
Outfit 3 – Sparkly top and skirt
This outfit is a classic casual Christmas look – a bit of sparkle can make anything festive in December. A leather skirt is a must-have in every woman’s wardrobe, and I paired this one with a pre-loved Topshop glittery tee.
This top could even be worn with a pair of flares or jeans to keep it casual, or under a black satin slip for something with a bit more sass.
Outfit 4 – M&S blouse and skirt
An almost identical outfit made its way into my festive look book last year, seeing as I already own this beaut blouse.
It’s an Alexa Chung for M&S number, and this one is the third one Rhi has had in store. It is absolutely stunning, and only £8.50! It looks stunning this time of year and the details on the cuff and collar make it extra special.
A blouse makes the top/skirt combo that little bit more chic and sophisticated than a tee, but keeping it comfortable and wearable almost any occasion.
Outfit 5 – Gold overload
Rhi had picked out this black and gold glittered blazer, so I went hunting through the rails for something to match and pulled out a gold glittery skater skirt.
I paired it was a H&M glittered halterneck top, but it would look equally as festive, albeit toned down, with a black blouse.
Outfit 6 – Navy velvet bodycon dress
I adored this River Island number from the 90s. It’s crazy to think how many different looks have been created by the high street over the years. I do find that things were made to last longer then, and whoever owned this dress before certainly looked after it.
Again, we were ignoring sizing labels, as this was supposed to be a size 14, but was nowhere near.
The oriental keyhole detail on the neckline is gorgeous, and I always associate velvet with Christmas. This was marked up at just £10 – a fraction of the price of what you’d see on the high street.
Check out my YouTube video for more!
