What I bought in the sales 2016...

I didn't just buy half a dress....

Between seeing family over the festive period, a few personal shops between Christmas and New Year and lucky wardrobe angel clients using their Christmas Gift Cards, I didn't have the luxury of a full day to go and browse the sales in January like I usually do. Wouldn't change it for the world, however, The Wardrobe Angel business is booming!

Here's what I did pick up in January....

First up -

Midi dress - I have been after a midi dress for ages. I had seen one on the Atterley Road website but with no sizes 6 or 8 left I was left despondent so the search continued. Since getting married last year I have opened myself up to the possibilities of 'big'dresses and the one I found lurking on a sale rack in Banana Republic in Trafford Centre certainly fitted the bill. The store was closing down (boo! They had a great petite section! You will be missed, BR!) but they had 40% off sale prices to sweeten the deal. So the Heritage Dress (below) was picked up for £17.99 down from £110 originally. It is awesome - two deep pockets in the skirt, beautifully cheeky cut away front and constructed in a wonderfully dense cotton.  I need to get it taken in at the sides, and up on the straps, as I have a slightly short torso, but that'll be a £10 outlay at most. I'm going to layer a black cashmere jumper and a leather jacket over it so I don't freeze to death.

It's a massive, full skirted thing of beauty.

Zara Jumpsuit - £14.99 down from £29.99.  All you need are shoes and jewellery to complete a jumpsuit. Wardrobe Win. I find they are great for work - I can be cleaning out a wardrobe on my hands and knees and in that situation a pencil skirt just won't work (believe me, I have made that mistake once or twice...) so I need clothes where there is loads of room for manoeuvre but still look super cool.

Joseph Trousers - I've been upping my wardrobe label game in the past year: MIH jeans, Baum und Pfungarden dress to name 2 pricey but "worth it" items. However, I still bought a fair amount from Zara BUT this love affair was not destined to last. The Zara trousers I bought last year in the sales gave up the ghost in November - bobbled, dye fading at a rate of knots and the stitching coming undone on the hem. I read an article in the Telegraph about what fashion editors wear - mostly navy and mostly Joseph it turns out. So I bit the bullet and headed to Harvey Nicks in Leeds to try on some Joseph goodies and yes, there is a reason why I can see the trousers especially are a favourite with fashion's top women - the FIT. Superbly flattering, fantastic weight of fabric and considered detailing - inset pockets, neat zips and fastenings, basically nothing too bulky. Being my frugal self I went home and ordered some from eBay for a wallet friendly £14.99.

And finally..

Vintage t-shirt - I spend a lot of time advising women and men what to buy and wear. Occasionally I lose sight of what I like to buy and wear so last month I sat down and wrote a list of all the things I feel awesome in: vintage, logo t-shirts and sweatshirts, big necklaces, structured jackets, black, 80's inspired stuff, jumpsuits, fur. Then I hit up eBay to find some gorgeous logo beauties. I found an amazing MTV sweater for the princely sum of £0.99 and bought this super cool t-shirt (above) for £15 from Cow Vintage in Manchester. The t-shirt got an added seal of approval when my 3 year old nephew, Ben, said "that's a cool t-shirt Auntie Stephy." Rock on, Ben!

So mostly basics really! What did you buy in the sales?

Stay wardrobe happy....til next time x

The Wardrobe Angel

Things I'm looking forward to #January

Hello New Year!

1. This month last year saw me try and buy my wedding dress. This January (and whole entire year, in fact)  I'm really looking forward to a wedding planning free zone!

2. The Sales - last year I welcomed Helmut into my life and my wardrobe. I'm still committed to the leather sleeved jacket of beauty but I'm excited to see what else the sales will bring me this year.

3. Rich's birthday - after being my Toy Boy for a couple of months, this month sees Rich catch up and join me at the grand old age of 35.

4. Re-decorating our bedroom. It's the last room of the house to be done. We currently have a thick, mint green carpet (yep - tasty), mismatched curtains that used to be in the dining room and some baaad "plastering" where the previous owners ripped off the picture rail and in-filled the holes with Polyfiller but forgot to sand it down before painting.

5. New haircut. I've been growing my hair since September 2014 and it's time for a change. It roams free and slightly frizzy when I let it out of it's daily bun prison due to years of over processing with the GHD's and in the morning I have a tendency to look like Brian May.  Now past my shoulders, I have more options so I'm thinking a LOB with the option of curling it every now and again. It'll be a stark contrast to the sharp bob I used to previously sport but style is an evolution and when your hair and Brian May are involved, best to evolve sooner rather than later me thinks.


Stay happy

Til next time...x

The Wardrobe Angel

How to Shop on Black Friday

I'm not sure whose image this it - please let me know if this is your image and I'll attribute it!

We all love a craze, a band wagon to jump on - snap bands and Swatch watches in the 80's, grunge and Nirvana in the 90's and Trinny & Susanna telling us What Not To Wear in the noughties. Over the past few years us Brits have opened up our arms and embraced Halloween with a fervour that frankly didn't exist when I was a kid (I distinctly remember a couple of teenage lads trying their luck at "trick or treating" with just their hoods pulled up for a costume and my Dad telling them where to go in no uncertain terms.) And I think Black Friday is just that - a trend, a craze, an awkward phase in our shopping history. Black Friday has been a 'thing' in the UK for about 5 years but this year some retailers have gallantly bowed out of the Black Friday retail race including Asda, John Lewis, Oasis and Mothercare.

I was in the Trafford Centre doing a Personal Shop on Monday and there was already plenty of 'Black Friday' merchandising tickets on clothes. Many retailers manufacture items especially for Black Friday - think of these items as the less well designed, less well made, cheaper cousins of what's already on the shop floor. All I'm saying is:

don't be swayed by what deal you THINK you are getting ...

If you are shopping this Black Friday plan ahead and do your research: better deals may be available online verses what's instore. And ask yourself this:

1. Do you really need it? Or do you just want it? 
2. If it wasn't on offer would you still desire it as much? Are you panic buying?
3. Can you afford it? 
4. Is it essential?

Take care out there this Black Friday - shopping can bring out the worst in people!

Til next time...x

The Wardrobe Angel