Long ago, in the mists of time, a first time mum-to-be who might look a little bit like me once wrote of her pregnant state, ‘Don’t worry, I promise I will try my best not to flood this space with nothing but baby talk…’ and then went on to post, well, mainly baby talk from there on in, if she posted at all! Yeah, sorry ’bout that. This blog very much started out as a place to post outfit photos, no matter how rubbish those photos were, but it’s been quite a while since I wrote anything style related. Well, it’s been a while since I posted much at all, truth be told, but when I do find the motivation to write these days, it is normally inspired by my family. There are a few reasons for this I guess. Firstly, I only shop preloved now, and one of the ways I stick to that is avoiding browsing in store or online, meaning I have a lotless opportunity to talk about clothes. Secondly, Instagram happened, and Instagram is, to be fair, a far more appropriate platform for daily updates on what I’m wearing. I mean, let’s face it, it’s a miracle I managed to write quite so much on quite such a regular basis relating to the often rather mundane ensembles I pulled out of my wardrobe on any given day. There is only so much you can say about why you paired a certain pair of shoes with a certain skirt, right? How many different ways can you say, ‘Here is a dress – I like it!’ I ask you?? I can barely muster the words for a caption these days, never mind an entire blog post! Secondly, it was far easier to find content to write about when I was a raging shopaholic who spent most of my time scouring the sales and obsessing over Joanie Clothing’s latest drop. My daily routine now pretty much revolves around juggling work with caring for my three boys, so it’s no surprise that on the rare occasions I do find time to write, it isn’t new clothes or fancy get ups that I have to write about. And completely honestly? Those boys are the ones that really get my heart a-flutter these days. Not peep toes or pussy bows or darling prints. And I do hope that doesn’t sound quite as sanctimonious as it did in my head, because I don’t in any way feel that those things are meaningless now I’ve been blessed with the miracle of motherhood or some such #humbleandblessed bollocks, just that I am time poor, and those things are no longer the first things that pop into my head when the opportunity arises. They do still matter to me though, and style posts have always seemed to be the ones that get the most engagement from you guys, so I thought I’d dip my toes back in by sharing my Autumn/Winter thrift list!
It’s been two years since I wrote my last thrift list – I was a bit preoccupied with going back to work last year – but I had a pretty good run finding 2021’s hearts desires:
I found the white nursing/wrap top – of course I don’t specifically need it any more with the twins only feeding sporadically now, but I still get a fair amount of use out of it and it’s nice to have a different neckline to work with in some outfits. I also added a few more of those wrap cardis to my repertoire as wanted – I now have them in cream and black and even a rogue mint green, and they continue to be my favourite way to layer up over dresses and tights. My favourite find was the Zara boots though – not only are they exact make, style and colour I was after, but thanks to an accident prone (I’m assuming!) seller who’d spilled something sticky on a brand new pair, I found some for the bargain price of £10!! A quick sponge was all that was needed to get them good as new and I’m still in love with them a year later! And I managed to track down some black Topshop ankle boots – they were actually very similar, but sadly they have only lasted me two winters, and I discovered the hard way last week that they are no longer weather proof so that search may have to resurrect that search…
There were also a couple of ‘close, but not quite…’ finds:
The houndstooth blazer never made it to me, but I did find this gorgeous vintage houndstooth coat and this rather fetching checked blazer, and between the two of them I feel like they have it all covered so thats another gap closed! I also am yet to find the perfect camel trousers – these beige ones have entered the mix, and I love them, but the colour isn’t quite what I was after and the style is a little more casual. I’ll be keeping them for sure, but the camel trouser search continues…
So that leaves the fluffy white beret and the fine knit camel sweater left to find, and a few more things have snuck onto the list….
Blue or yellow block heeled ankle boots
I feel utterly ridiculous for even saying this one because I have so may already and couldn’t possibly argue I needed any more. And I absolutely will survive without them, so I won’t be investing any serious time or money into this one. But fairly frequently I find myself trying something on, feeling its not quite right and thinking, ‘If only I had….’ My wardrobe is very dress heavy, and while I try my best to make sure the majority are year round styles I can get the most out of, its my more summery blue shades that I struggle with once the lower temperatures roll in. I CAN wear them with tights, but it never looks quite right somehow. I feel like a bright pop of blue on my feet might help balance things out a little. And the yellow ones are an even more frivolous wish. I already have some mustard ones which I found after compiling my 2020 thrift list and they won’t be going anywhere, but they are stiletto heeled and since the twins I struggle to wear them for longer periods, so a more casual style would be just the ticket for work or gadding about at the weekend! Though now I need to make that tough decision between a bright yellow or a more muted mustard…
Sweater vests
In true Steph style, about a year after everyone else I’ve decided to jump on a trend. I wasn’t sold on this look at first, but now I’m back at work and wearing trousers more often I’ve found myself pinning this layered look and thinking it would be a great way to keep warm on work days while still feeling smart! I have no issues finding any – they are absolutely everywhere and my Vinted watch list is full of them right now, but I need to work out just which colours, and whether a crew neck or V-neck will work best on me and with my existing clothes. I have also just noticed that all of these looks involve a white shirt which I’m also without, so I should probably stick that on the list too….
White or cream chunky knit cardigan
This one also seems a bit silly given I literally just featured a wrap over one that I got last year, but while the wrap style is perfect for wearing over dresses, I’ve found ,myself hankering for one to wear with jeans too. I’m not hugely fussy what it actually looks like, but in a way that’s making it harder as I have approximately 100 of them saved on my favourite preloved sites but can’t bring myself to make a decision. Jazzy buttons? Balloon sleeves? Oversized? Cable knit? Just too many options for a girl as fickle as me. One day I’ll narrow it down, but I guess that’s proof it’s not exactly essential, so I’m happy to wait it out until I find something I love.
White blazer
I know, not your usual Winter item – far more of a Spring affair! But last year one of my favourite looks was layering one on top of a mini dress and under a big coat, and once again those blue shades just didn’t get a look in as they didn’t really work with black. And I don’t feel a white blazer is an item that will ever go out of style really. I’d love it if I could find a vintage one – St Michael is my favourite – but when the right one pop up at the right price, I’ll know.
Kurt Geiger Burlington boots in black
Yes, another pair of boots, but these ones are far less frivolous – honest! I’m sure you’ve noticed the boots in the image are not black, but green. That’s because these are ones I already own rather than the ones I’m after. I picked them up on a bit of a whim last year because its a colour I wear a lot, and at the time I thought they were a bit of a gamble, but I actually ended up wearing them all winter long and absolutely cannot wait to get them back out again as soon as its cool enough! They are just perfection – a stunning shape, a low heel, but still chic enough to feel smart – I genuinely think I’ve found the boot to end all boots. And if I felt that way about green ones, imagine having them in black?? If there was just one thing I could have off this list, it would be these. In fact, I’d happily buy them new if they were still available! But they’re not, and so I must hnt for them so my soul can rest, or some such melodramatic nonsense. You get the picture – I reeeeeeally want them. I have a pretty good track record so hopefully one day they’ll be mine, but I’d appreciate you crossing your fingers all the same!
And that, for now, is that! Until Christmas, of course, when the realisation that I can’t get any of my party frocks over my mum tum anymore, but that’s a post for another day….
Love,
Picking the Day 