Little Scribbler: Bags some bargains

The tail end of the sales: often full of shite.

The Primark sale: usually full of shite.

The tail end of the Primark sale: should be full of shite. 

But, no! Not in Primark Plymouth. Yes, I was in Plymouth this week. Specifically, my buddy and I drove nearly 1200 miles, between Monday and Wednesday, from Edinburgh to Wolverhampton to Plymouth and back to Edinburgh. We were seeing Blur. And visiting Plymouth gin. I'll fill you in on it soon! However, on account of having forgotten how manky and stinky one gets in a mosh pit (I tend to hang out where there's dancing room at gigs these days but Blur demand some serious down the front squishing), we had to stop to get some clean clothes when we arrived in Plymouth. First up I needed a jumper. I got this holey pink number. It was not in the sale but 12 quid seemed fair to me.

And, being a ginormous magpie, I couldn't ignore this giant sparkly necklace (I know - 'needed clean clothes' doesn't exactly call to mind a giant sparkly necklace). I nearly hypnotised a colleague with it today. This could be useful at work actually... "you are feeling very sleepy. You want to give me a pay rise...". For £6, this is high end Primark pricing.

"Hypnotic"

And so to the cheapy bits...

This gorge teal calf length dress was a tenner. It came with a nasty plastic belt which is already in my recently created cash for clothes mountain. The tight-as-you-like underskirt needs chopped out but, aside from that, this dress is great! Look how skirty it is!

Next up, this super pretty, girlie, floral number was down to £8. Again, it has a woefully tight but, this time, mercifully stretchy underskirt (it'd be completely see through otherwise!). That aside, it's a floaty pink confection. Now if summer would come along, it'd be perfect...

And finally - the fiver dress. BARGAIN! It's super light, floaty fabric with a lovely silky feel. Mind you, I'd bet my ass that if you came near me with a match (lit or not), I'd likely go up in a dramatic POUF! The stripes down the sides have a glorious slimming/shaping effect and I love the vibrant purple/blue flowers. I should've flipped it for you too as it has a nice chunky gold exposed zip - you'll need to take my word for that...

 

Look - I loved it so much, I wore it as soon as I could!

dress and necklace: Primark (keep up!), flip flops: Havaianas.

 I gave the amazing necklace a whirl too. It didn't swing me a pay rise...there's always tomorrow ;-)

Fuck yeah, sunshine!

Firstly, apologies to those of a sensitive nature and the easily offended. I just REALLY felt like dropping a big fat swear word in there. So I did it. Uh-huh. Look, I don't smoke, so swearing is my big, cool and clever thing to do. Plus, did you also note that I dropped the 's' bomb (sunshine people - keep up). I live in Scotland. Ordinarily, it is chilly, sometimes wet, often grey and nondescript. So, when the sun shines and it's actually warm, I drop the 'f' bomb, neds and chavs lose their tops and blind the innocent with their pasty spotty torsos and skanky chicks of all ages whip out their corn beef thighs and saggy babs and erode the innocence of the pure. (Don't get me wrong, I'm all for 'if you've got it flaunt it' and a good dose of body confidence but, if you're rough as sin, cover it up a wee bit). Evidence presented m'lud, I think you'll find my offence by far the last, well, offensive of all. Hear, hear!

So, it is the age old dilemma - what should one wear when the sun shines? A girl on the radio this morning summed it up nicely: "when the sun shines, I get out my summer wardrobe. I wear a t-shirt with my jeans instead of a jumper". Good lass. But, seriously, as one with 'big legs' and a tendency to break sweat in the heat, (you so want to meet me in real life right now, dontcha?) I find summer dressing really quite tricky and it does often consist of swapping boots and closed shoes for sandals and flip flops and losing a layer somewhere. So gawd bless the maxi dress...

Dress: H&M, Belt: Primark, Sunnies: Urban Outfitter

Here's one I picked up last year in H&M. I frigging love it. Leopard print? Yes please. Plus there's millions of fabric in it so you're afforded the ability to waft around like a veritable safari goddess. However, I didn't realise during my coveting of it that it was intended as beach wear and is completely and totally see through. A wee slip dress underneath has seen to that problem though. Because the dress isn't leopardy enough on its own, I wore leopard print sunglasses with it.

And a leopard print belt. Bite me.

No need for a necklace with bejazzling detail like this on the neck line.

And the shoes? Number 57 in the shoe wearing challenge. What could be better on a sunny day, with a cool maxi dress, than a lovely gold pair of Havaianas? I managed to curb my rabid Havaianas habit last year - I realised that people don't just say things like "there's only so many pairs of shoes you can wear" for shits and giggles. Nope, I did some Scottish weather maths, discounted the "only so many shoes you can wear" theory (you want a fight?) but realised that the sensible investment wasn't in millions of pairs of flip flops I can wear about 4 and a half days a year and I was far better investing in heels I can't walk in. Duh. Still, I am a sucker for a cute pair of Havaianas and these gold ones are as much of an every day staple in summer for me as leopard print is the year round. This is the closest you're getting to my feet right now. They don't smell (on the contrary, Lush's Vanilla Puff Power keeps them sweet enough to eat), they're just NOT summer ready yet. Look - there's another pair of Havis...

Flip flops - Havaianas @ Schuh

Oh Little Scribbler weez all zeez posts you are truly spoiling uz!

Uh-huh you better believe it. 4 posts in one day! The thing is, I was in Alton Towers at the end of last week and, frankly, when you're on the world's first vertical drop roller coaster, the last thing on your mind is blogging. So I have a build up of pictures of shoe wearage waiting to go up here. Ladies and gentlemen, here is pair # 14 from schuh. Oh, oh yes, and # 15 too, Havaianas, also from schuh. Two pairs in one day people. I'm a shoe slut!


The first shoes are this pretty leopard print pair. They're mid height (soooo a/w '10) with a delicious almond shaped toe. They're satiny (but not in a cheap way) leopard print, trimmed with burgundy grosgrain edging and bow. Adorable. The heel is slightly conical and is burgundy patent. S'cuse the heel scrapage - Edinburgh pavements and cobbles are a bitch.

And she wore 'em with...a Primark wrap around dress I've had for ages. I love this dress - it makes me think of old school cleaning ladies who wore kinda turban things. Maybe I'll rock it with a headscarf next time. Does anyone else feel as though, if they suddenly try to work a headscarf, having never worn one before, they'll look like a twat? Yes, no? Just me? Anyway, I added a leopard print Warehouse cardigan for the match/clash factor and a black vest/leggings for decency's sake. People just don't give enough credence to decency these days...The combo is topped off with a bejewelled Topshop snake necklace.

Ssss!

And finally - with the gold Havaianas. I wear these all the flipping time and never picture them. I just forget! Anyway, my leg was doing something weird and I needed to go out so the heels were ditched and the flip flops taken up! Good times. Flip flop and you don't stop. And I should stop. Stop.

hot, hot heat

So, wow - it's been a beautiful weekend! Especially for us pasty Scottish folk. But the hot weather got me to thinking about fashion crimes commited when the temperature soars AND those who get it right when the mercury rises.

On Saturday, I chose to rock (if I do say so myself), my gorgeous new yellow leopard print maxi dress, courtesy of H and M, belted at the waist so as not to look like a moo-moo. Fling on some gold Havaianas (the most comfortable flip flop) and I was hot to trot. Of course it was far too hot to trot anywhere, so I made do with a casual stroll.

Now, there were some lovely ladies out there working fabulous looks. I'm favouring rolled up denim cut off shorts with an oversized slouchy vest or cotton top worked with some slouchy military sandals - check out these lovelies from schuh! Anything that says casual and comfortable yet chic works for me. Sadlly, my legs are not fortunate enough to be knocking about in shorts but I just look on enviously and give silent fashion points to anyone I see doing a good job with them.

What doesn't work? Hmm - black skinnies, black top, tan leather jacket? Any other day, I'd rate it as understated chic. On a HOT day, it's a sweaty mess of a no-no! Ditto military boots. I am LOVING them and am so on for them being worked for S/S - it's schuh ones I'm feeling again - but, on a day so hot, they're all wrong. However, my pet hate is the very British, 'no idea what to do on a hot day' wearers of inappropriate-unless-in-a-gym (and even them you're pushing it) jersey leisure wear. It does no favour and makes the lithest of people look lumpy. And slobby. Oh dear. Still, maybe better that than a crispy yet wobbly overexposed torso, eh?

Ladies, if in doubt, flaunt what you got, and hide what you don't with cool cotton. God bless the maxi dress...

ps - Baz Luhrmann (or Mary Schmich) had it bang on with the sunscreen!