Oops - I did a Primark

We don't have a Primark where I live and it's always been the case that, whenever you went somewhere that had one, you went mental and bought up half the shop, triumphantly returning home with declarations of "look at all this! And it only cost me 30 quid!". We're due to get branch this year (or maybe next. It was supposed to be last year) and how do you like this - I am totally losing the Primark feeling. Don't get me wrong, I still pop in and pick up the odd thing here and there, but I don't enjoy it like I used to. In fact, a few times recently, I've popped into Primark only to turn around and leave.

I don't know if it's all the exposes on their (and other high street retailers) alleged human rights failings leaving a sour taste, the fact that their prices have increased noticeably and while they're still cheap, they're not as cheap as they were (and I suspect it isn't the factory workers getting the difference. Yes, I know the cost of materials, transportation etc have risen sharply lately) or the fact that so often the quality and fit of things really is crap, but it just doesn't do it for me like it used to. There's definitely also an element of "she has my dress, she has my dress, she has my dress" ad nauseum. Plus, I find going into their shops, piled with stuff, rammed with people, things all over the floor, queues everywhere really offputting.

So, when I was in Glasgow last week, I thought twice about going into the shop but, not wanting to miss a hidden gem, I decided to go for it. And I bought some stuff (you didn't see this post going that way, did you?!). And I'm going to show you it! My apologies at this point if you thought this post was about becoming truly worthy and turning my back on the high street. I didn't mean to mislead you!

First up is this skirt. I know, I know, it's one of those "been on a million blogs and in a million magazines" pieces but is really is lovely on, it's super pretty, the fabric is stiff and heavy and I can honestly say that, even if 50s-esque stuff hadn't been having a moment, I'd have got it anyway cos that's my bag baby.

Skirt £16

Speaking of bags, I picked up this little khaki floral one. It's just the right size for all my bits and bobs (including my trusty water bottle - I literally cannot go anywhere without a water bottle. And when it comes to Christmas parties, my one rule is that my bag needs to be big enough to fit a cheeky wee gin bottle in. Don't tell whatever god awful hotel we're having the party in this year - I'm sure they would NOT be happy) and has a shoulder strap, a zippy inside pocket and other pockets - pockets (or lack thereof) make or break a bag purchase for me!

Bag £5

I also grabbed a shirt while I was in. I've got really into shirts lately - it's like I'm 14 again - all I wore then was oversized check shirts, dodgy t-shirts and leggings, with the occasional pair of jeans or hippy skirt. However, this time around, while I still love a checked shirt, I'm also foraying into patterns and this mint green floral number is adorable. PLUS, it's something that could be from anywhere and not necessarily the sort of thing everyone will rush to buy.

Shirt £6

Granny-tastic cardigan. This is the kind of thing I aim to pick up somewhere like Primark. As with the shirt, it's not the sort of thing you see in magazines, it isn't a standout piece and it could be old or new. But it's cute with a kind of lacey look and has gold lurex on it (can't resist a bit of gold lurex). Can I just say at this point, it isn't that I don't want people to think I've shopped at Primark (I wouldn't put my purchases up here if that was the case!) - I don't really care what people think! It's just that I'm not keen to buy the things you see every second person wearing or pieces you can't do your own thing with!

Cardigan £12

And finally, some wee jewellery bits! A flamingo brooch and a lizard ring. Well, they're just cute, aren't they!?

Ring £1.50

Brooch £1

"You look really pretty today"

Were the words that came out of Mr Scribbler's mouth this morning as we set off to work! He quickly followed it up with "not that you don't usually, it's just you really do today". Or something boyish like that. Bless him. To be fair, my dress had probably gone see through or something when he said it and I just hadn't realised. Kidding! He's a nice dude. By the time I took this picture though, I'd been to the gym and for a swim and was sans make up and the reason I'm mooching a big sexy hand on head pose is because my hair was at its Chuckle Brother best and I had to hold it down. Not cos I think I'm some kinda model all of a sudden. I'll be in a bikini pouting it up for you soon. Fnar.




dress: ASOS, cardi: Primark, leggings: Uniqlo, shoes: schuh

So what were the shoes at the bottom of the outfit that inspired Mr S's adoration?  You may well ask, as you can't really see them in the picture above. See they're black. I don't really do black shoes. Seriously, look back at my posts and you'll be lucky to find any. However, Schuh won me over with these ones. Why? Shiny. Patent. High heeled. Platform. Button. Bow. Polka dotty inside. Is that enough for you? They're getting to be a few years old wee bit vintage - they're circa around 2007, I think. And the probably-not-see-through-after-all dress is a wee ASOS number I got recently. It's a fine knit and is SO cosy! Plus, I'm loving all over Peter Pan collars right now and this one's just super cute.

Look at the cute round toe! Anyway, in case you're keeping up with my shoes wearing challenge, they're shoes # 45. I'll be hitting 50 before we know it! I'm thinking of doing a bit of a summary soon on what I've worn so far. Almost more for me than you, to be honest. I'm starting to forget what I have an haven't worn. Plus, part way through I realised I had some I was never gonna wear and I got rid of them. And on the other side of the coin, I've bought far too many a few new pairs since I started out too.

Here's a wee close up of my brooch. My lovely pal Bisto gave me it for my birthday - it came with a pretty little bird and a button too. It's from Miss Selfridge. Sadly it's not on site any more but they have a few other cute bits and bobs on there.

Time to head off. My colleagues and I are off to our on-maternity-leave colleague's house this evening and I'm hoping to get my first taste of Polish home-cooking.

Stripey pear.

I came across a new (to me) blog the other day. I'd spent a bit of lunch finding a bunch I hadn't looked at, by way of funny comments and whatnot - I barely have time to keep up with all the ones I follow anyway but that's by the by! The period in between Christmas and New Year is allocated as my organisational time. Until then I promise solemnly to blog and read as much as possible, albeit in a haphazard kinda fashion. Anyway, Alex of Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks talked about the breaking of fashion rules. I firmly agree that, if you like what you're wearing and it makes you feel good, then you should hurl the rule book out of the window. On account of the cold weather, I advise that you open the window, throw the book out and close it again quickly - no smashing. You'll thank me for the tip when you're not boarding up a broken window to keep out the bitter wind. Anyway, here's me well and truly stomping all over the 'don't wear stripes on wide bits' AND 'don't wear short/tight skirts if you have stumpy/chunky legs' rules:

Good lord - I look like I'm ready to go back to sleep. In fairness to me, this is my first EVER morning blog pic. The reason the image is blurry is because my camera was balanced on a towel and I think the floofy edges just busted their way in there. Ah well, as ever, this blog ain't about the photography. The images are just to help better illustrate the pictures the words paint. Anyway, as you can see, the stripes are no enemy of my relatively slim top half. However, my saddle bag region looks huge. And that's always the case, stripes or no stripes because I have ample thighs and a massive ass (you don't get much bum on this blog actually - it's a shame). So why should I not wear stripes if I enjoy them?! And I love this cosy little knitted dress. I'm right into my woolly things just now and this is not only stripey but has silver and gold metallic cuffs neck and hem. Which itch as bad, I'm sure, as any STD going (condoms kids - use 'em. I speak not from experience but from the sensibility angle) but I couldn't care cos it's cute! It's from Primark - I thought I'd let you know in case you've been charmed and would like one.

This outfit also included shoes (well boots) # 38. They're 80's-tastic black suede ankle boots from schuh. They're a good few years old and, fact fans, the only pair of boots I've ever actually had to re-heel because they're so well worn. I think they'll need re-soled this year too.

I love an almond toe and these have the perfect shape for me. They're high enough for a bit of glamour but low enough to get away with walking a bit in and I adore the pirate-esque folded ankle. Battered they might be but seasons worth of wear says they're a keeper!

And finally. Here's the brooch you can just make out in the first pic. He's a couple of stones down now but he's doing alright given that I've had him for ages. He doesn't have a name and, much as I'd love to tell you he's some thrifty or vintage find, I'm afraid he's from Topshop. Ah well, if I hang onto him long enough, he could become the vintage of the future.

Does it matter if they make my feet, knees, calves and thighs hurt?

Well, does it? I vote for no, most of the time. However, I do have to limit the wearing of these shoes on account of aforementioned pains. They're lucky number 13 (13 is totally lucky in my book. I was born on Friday the 13th and I honestly don't think there's been a much luckier occurrence in the history of, well, history. Oh lighten up, I'm kidding. Still, 13 = good) in the great shoe wearing challenge and, look, look - they're soooooo pretty!


They're a wee Miss Selfridge purchase (good shoes, abysmal service. Reply within 24 hours my arse! Unless they're working on lunar time or something) and, on account of their weight, I totally tone up each and every time I wear them (can I just say at this point that Mr Scribbler is watching 28 weeks later and I've had to crank up i-tunes on my headphones because I CANNOT handle that shit. My nerves are actually up to high doe and I think I may be on the verge of a heart attack. Just think about pretty shoes, pretty shoes!!). Anyway, after that cinematic diversion, it's time to enjoy the shoes. Here's what I love about them:

• They're H-I-G-H! I'm 5"7 anyway and in these I come close to Mr Scribbler's 6"2.
• They have a lovely rounded point to the toe
• They're polka dotty
• They have a tremendous over sized bow on the toe (I'm a sucker for a bow. Before I chopped off my lovely long hair for my short do I loved nothing more than Blair Waldorf-ing it up in a hairband resplendent with over sized bow. They look kinda silly on me now, sadly)
• They have a platform. I LOVE a platform. And I ain't talkin' 'bout train stations.

So what did I wear with these lovely creations? I went simple with black leggings and a cute purple dress with fitted waist. Where did I get it, you ask? Ooh, I made it!! Uh-huh, I'm not just handy with the words! I dolled it up a bit with an assortment of brooches from Topshop, H&M, a vintage fair in NYC and an anniversary gift from Mr S. Speaking of Mr S, check out his handy shelf making skills to the left (to the left). He ain't just a pretty face.


Wow! Who knew the shoes would look just as good upside down!? Well, if you're gonna be kicking about with your feet in the air, you should do it in shoes that look good upside down...I'm just sayin'.
Time for some Ben and Jerry's.

She's in fashion. Ooh, ooh, ooo-ooooh!

Now that there is a reference to popular 90s indie band Suede (Google 'em kids). I quite like them retrospectively but at the time, blinded as I was by loyalty to Damon Albarn who had a long running hate thing with them (him and Suede's Brett Anderson had both shagged Justine from Elastica who, let's be honest, looked a bit like a boy. Albeit a kinda hot Damon bagging boy), I simply couldn't consider enjoying Suede.

Anyway, The title refers not to my own sense of style or choice of clothes but the fact that I do indeed work in fashion. Therefore, I am in fashion. Ooh, ooh, oooo-ooh! And today saw our new season range review for a/w '10. Always a good chance to catch up with pals from across the country, have a free feed and make a shopping list the length of 5th Avenue. Plus, I always enjoying having a neb (Scottish word - it means being nosey, kind of) at what people are wearing. Being in fashion, you'd think it's be a joy to the eyes and often it is but you do get some slightly, er, how shall I put it...off the boil, looks too. Anyway, if I'm out there judging all and sundry, it's only fair you get to judge me too.

I'm sticking with the headless look for now and, bear in mind, this is about the pretty clothes, not my sexy figure or fabulous photography skills. I decided that, as we were at the a/w preview, I should channel and a/w look and I picked the 50s silhouette, as championed by Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton and Prada. Mad men had a lot to answer for. Here it is...

The dress is one I got AGES ago at Oasis and is part of their 'floral frocks' collection and is actually a reworking of a vintage 60s (I know - talk about fucking with my eras!) design featured in the Bath museum). It has a lovely v back, the skirt is beautifully full and it literally floats as you come down stairs. I swear, coming back from the loo I was in soft focus as I descended the stairs. Wonderful.

My cardi's a Primarni bargain, the tights are actually purple and from ASOS, the necklace is from Accessorize. I went for the 'cupcake' necklace as I love little gold necklaces AND I figured that, channelling the 50s housewife vibe, I was probably gonna head home and bake some cupcakes. I actually went to the pub but that's by the by...Anyway, the brooch is from a Coast dress I sold ages ago and the shoes are from schuh. I decided flats were called for as the day was standing room only and I adore the cameo detail on these pumps. Plus I'm a sucker for a clashed floral. The bag (below) is Accessorize and I love it so much (see leopard print obsession) that I'll have it til it's actual vintage and/or breaks. Anyway, here's the pictorial evidence. Enjoy and good night.