killacraftzzz

Urgh, attempting to lose weight, so here I am eating Smarties. Fail.

p.s., they tasted better when they were packed with E-numbers.

Woah! So many people loving the Amber Alexander post I put up earlier!

You should check out her beautiful stuff. It’s all pretty bangin’.

Went into House of Frasier today, (had a gift card, wouldn’t ever go in there normally) and BY THE BEARD OF ZEUS everything was expensive! My £20 gift card wouldn’t have even scratched the surface on some of the stuff in there! Even the Mango section which I made a bee-line for was all £15+ on top of my gift card. Pffft! Couldn’t believe it. So I thought I’d peruse the cosmetics counters, but I just felt like I was getting ‘You’re here to steal stuff, aren’t you’ looks from the cosmetic girls. Made me very sad! No one offered to help me, and on the reeeeally expensive counters (like YSL, Chanel) they don’t put out prices! So when I asked and got told that a SINGLE LIPSTICK WAS £23 I was like :| really? I actually said to the girl ‘woooah that’s expensive’ and she just gave me this little knowing smile, like she didn’t even know why I was asking, there was no way I was going to afford one.

To counter being belittled in department stores, I use Ebay and charity shops! Currently I am wearing a rather dashing £1 jumper (see below)

…and I am very happy about it! It’s hardly been worn, it has a very fetching diamond pattern on it and it’s a light beige/cream colour (I know the picture makes it look like granny heaven, but oh well!) and it was £1. £1! And I bought an equally fetching waistcoat with rabbits on it for £1 too. Not sure if I should burn that waistcoat though.

So yes, fuck you House of Frasier and Primark, I don’t need either of you! (I always get the guilt in Primark. Clothing mountain, slave labour…I know that other high street stores are probably doing the same, but Primark are so obvious about it) And in fact, the last time I shopped in Topshop was because I had a gift card, I’ve pretty much stopped going into high street shops now (except H&M…still can’t resist them, especially as they’ve started doing a lot of stuff in chiffon) and I am very happy for it.

I can’t believe it took me about 3 years to realise that striving for trends and iconic pieces that you’ve seen other people wearing is such a waste of time and money. Most of the time when I eventually got a hold of the pieces I’d have spent waay more than I wanted to, the piece wouldn’t suit me, or I wouldn’t want to wear it because I’d just spent lots of money trying to get it. And then when I try to flog them on Ebay I don’t get as much for them because not everyone is willing to go as high as I did.

Moral of the story: always search on Ebay. Always. Key words, like ‘peach Topshop’ gives you a world of options, most of them starting at 99p, or you can use the categories to whittle down your options. Ebay is full of unusual, not always second-hand stuff, and it’s always in good nick - and if it’s not, then you complain! You end up paying a fraction of what you would’ve done for a new item, for an item that has been washed and worn maybe once or twice! I’m really not picky about other people wearing my clothes before me, in fact I think this is the most effective way to tackle the clothing mountain being created by pretty much every store on the high street. Ebay is definitely the best place to get retro and vintage stuff too, you can even search by era and type of item to find your perfect piece :)

Cruise your local charity shops. Rummage. It’s half the fun! And when you find an absolute gem, maybe a dress that just needs turning up or needs a waist belt, or a big cosy jumper that you can slouch about in, then you’ll feel so satisfied that you’re taking an item off the charity shop’s hands and you’ve got a bargain! Charity shops pay reduced rent and taxes, but they still need all the help you can give.

So yes! Don’t be a slave to the high street. Second hand clothing is NOT yucky, and is often the best option for people on a budget who want to look dashing :)

OR splash out a bit and go for a more ethical option like American Apparel or another such the like (I can’t think of anymore at the moment, sorry!) Or have a cruise around Etsy - there’s so much vintage and handmade stuff everywhere! Wear something unusual and be smug in knowing that you got a bargain, or that it was hand made, or that you just gave money to charity! :)

Wheee!