Thrifting & Styling Street Wear Trends

Hello, Hello. 

So while I was scrolling through Vogue's homepage the other day, I came across an article on the latest street-wear trend, animal print (original article here).  It listed many of ways for you to incorporate it into your everyday style, from outerwear to handbags. I recently picked up this snakeskin printed shirt at the charity shop, I thought why not bring the two together. Deciding to delve into more of there "How to Shop The Street Style" articles I came across one on Trench Coats (original article here), this was a match made in fashion heaven as alongside my new animal print piece I picked up the most gorgeous Orange Trench Coat, and they just so happen to go together perfectly - ah, the fashion Gods are with me! So today I am going to be talking you through my two new current thrift favourites, which just so happen to be incorporating two of the most popular street wear trends at the moment - what a bonus!  

Animal print is something I have been on and off with for years, I was never really much of a fan because I thought It looked "cheap" and "tacky", however nowadays the "tacky" aesthetic is one that I go for quite a lot. Never the less back in the day I was a lot more self conscious of what people thought, so I always steered clear from it (apart from my faux fur leopard print coat, which I loved). Now that my style has evolved much more, and I am more into prints and playfulness I am fully here for the trend. I have a few pieces in my wardrobe, one of my all time favourites is my Spice Girls esque. Jumpsuit which I have done a blog post on before which you can catch here if you are interested. However I think the classic button down shirt is one of the easiest ways to try out the trend for yourself, and see if you like it. You can easily pick up an item like this for a couple of £'s in your local charity shop, and I think with "trendier" items there is no better way to shop. This is simply because if you are uncertain on it, if you'll wear it, or if the trend dies down quickly you haven't wasted too much money and it doesn't feel as bad. This piece is a grey semi-sheer snakeskin printed shirt, I liked that it was a snakeskin pattern as its a nice variant on the more typical cheetah / leopard print which we see more commonly. (High on my list is to find some incredible cow print and zebra print items, I've got my fingers crossed that I find some funky items soon!) The fit is very classic, meaning that it could be styled a multitude of ways and I think that is one of the things that drew me too it. I also knew that it would look amazing with my pink snakeskin belt to make more of a statement, which is what I envisioned as soon as I picked it out. I think with thrifing, one of the most important things when you are picking out items is if you can picture them working with pieces you already have in your wardrobe, this way you know if you are going to wear it / be able to style the item.  

Now for the second Street Wear Trend, and for me the showstopper of this look - my orange trench coat. Arguably, unlike the shirt these are a lot harder to come by especially in this colour - but your standard light tan / sand colour can easily be found. With it being such a timeless piece that comes around every year you can always find one in your local charity shop, its as easy as finding a denim jacket. However I could not believe my eyes when I found this, I had been eyeing up the trend but I just wasn't sold on the classic light tan colour, and  I had never seen a bold colourful one (well not in my price range), until I found this. Due to this not being my typical style, I am more into sporty and vintage / retro style outerwear, I would never buy an item like this new. I wouldn't be able to guarantee that I would wear the item enough as it does not fit into my more urban street-wear / casual vibe. However I love the item, and it is making me try new things with my style and go down a different more chic road. It has such a timeless shape and style but the bold orange gives it that uniqueness to keep it more fitting to my style, and it makes for such an amazing statement item. It can be styled and worn a multitude of ways, but it such a perfect transitional piece to have in your wardrobe, especially with living in England where we have the most unpredictable weather. 

Today I decided to go for a quite chic city-esque look, I styled my shirt tucked into my knee length high waisted mom-style shorts with my trench coat over the top. Denim shorts aren't usually my thing, as I have pretty chunky thighs and I just find them uncomfortable, but because of the length of these I find them super flattering and I think they give off a very chic vibe. They are also a more elevated / classier take on my much loved cycle shorts which are my current wardrobe go too. These are actually cut off Levi 501's made into shorts, which is a nifty little trick incase you wanted to D.I.Y a pair yourself! I love the slight distressing and the more classic blue denim wash, I think teamed with the shirt it made for a really cool unique look, and added a masculine touch to the more feminine shirt. Playing around with androgyny is something I really enjoy, as I love the contrast between feminine delicate cuts and styles and harsh industrial masculine style. A very popular example would be the pretty floral dress teamed with Dr Marten boots. The vibe of this outfit isn't one that I usually gravitate towards but I felt fantastic in it, I had serious GIRL BOSS vibes and felt like I could take on the world! Isn't that the most beautiful thing about fashion? The feeling of empowerment. 

So, now for the little details. As mentioned above, I added another snakeskin touch with this pink belt. I love the added statement, and the extra dimension it gives the look. It ties in, but also contrasts the shirt really well and makes the look feel more thought out and pieced together. For shoes I decided to rock my platform Jeffrey Campbell sandals, they give me a bit of high but also make the look more smart as they are a more formal shoe. Also side note, can you believe I picked these up for the mere £2 at a carboot?! Absolute steel. Probably my current favourite of the accessories has to be my striped straw bag, I LOVE this piece. Straw bags are so on trend at the minute and can be found in every high street retailer, but are also super common in the charity shops too! I guarantee that I will spot a variation on the bag at least once in almost every shop I go too. I think the uniqueness of the square shape and striped detail is what drew me to this bag, as it makes a change to the usual round or oversized bags which have saturated the market. Also, the orange stripe ties in perfectly with my orange coats and ties the whole look together. The devil is in the details with this look for sure. To finish off I just chucked on my trusty baker boy cap (mostly to hide my atrocious roots), a pair of funky earings (because I never wear jewellery and I'm trying to branch out) and that is the full look.

I really enjoyed dressing up in a more chic classic look, it is always fun to switch up your style and try something different. My style has no aesthetic, it changes day to day depending on my mood. For me it would be a waste to stick to one aesthetic, because they're are so many styles and trends that I love. I think its super important to not feel pressured to stick too one thing, into such a small box when there is so much out there for you to experience. You never know till you try!

XOXO, EMMA 

Five Ways To Thrift

Hello,  hello! As we have established here on my blog - thrifting is a massive passion of mine. So in keeping with this theme I thought I'd discuss the five different ways in which you can shop sustainable fashion, and the key pros and cons of each, or at least what I think the pros and cons are.  You never know, one thing may be more you than another.

1. Charity Shops / Thrift Shops

These are what I have discussed before on my blog - and if you want to read about my thrifting tips then the blog post on it is here.

PROS: 

• Good variety of items
• Most items are relatively cheap
• Discount shops are even cheaper
• Can be found in near enough every town / city
• The items have to fit a certain criteria, so everything should be in good condition

CONS:

• The prices of items depends on your area (especially in Cities) 
•  Items might have been researched so up ticking prices can occur

Charity Shopping is my favourite way to thrift, as it is reliable and I have my favourite areas and shops that I like to go too. Once you find an area that suits you, you stick too it.

2. Vintage Shops

The enhanced charity shop, but without the charity aspect. 

PROS: 

• Great selection of hand picked items
• "true" vintage
• Unique / one of a kind items
• A more condensed selection of items you are more likely to want
• More likely to come away with a purchase

CONS:

• Very expensive / overpriced 
• Not as easy to find as charity shops - more shops in city centres

I love vintage shops, especially those within Manchester (they have the BEST shops, and ones that aren't too overpriced as well). However due to my success charity shopping I am always stunned with how much certain items can cost, especially items like flannel shirts and t shirts. They always have a selection of everything that I would want, however I am a bit of a scrooge and refuse to pay the prices (especially when I was a student) I also think it's more special when you find a diamond in the rough, rather than something that has already been scouted (probably from a charity shop or carboot!)

3. Carboots

My favourite way to thrift in the summer, and it keeps you fit too! 

PROS:

• Probably the cheapest way to thrift 
• Can haggle on prices!
• keeps you fit - your walking long distances but don't even realise it
• A lot of fun 
• Wide variety of sellers

CONS:

• Weather permitting (unless indoors) 
• Less reliable 
• Usually a small cost to get in (50p/£1) 
• Not as accessible

For me car-booting is the most exciting and fun way to thrift in the warmer months, it can literally be the highlight of my week. I love find hidden treasures and gems for bargain prices. However they are weather permitting, the nicer the weather the better the turnout. If you don't know of any in your area give it a google search, I think everyone should go at least once just to experience it (and have a laugh in the process!)

4.  eBay

The most popular / well known online buy and sell retailer, and the most trusted.

PROS:

• Online
• Good if you have a particular item in mind to purchase
• can get a good bargain through bidding 

CONS:

• Bidding can be frustrating and disheartening 
• Postage Costs 
• less reliable than shopping in a store

eBay is a good platform, but it is one I do not h use often anymore. The image quality is usually really bad and it's hard to visualize the items on. Also, its very time consuming trying to find an item that you want due to the amount of listings. Bidding may be frustrating - but my biggest tip if you find something you like, but in a bid that is the highest you would like to pay for it. If you don't win it, then that means that it sold for more than you think it's worth.

5. Depop

eBay's trendy younger sibling.

PROS:

• Online
• All items are very current and on trend 
• good if you are searching for something in particular 
• Easy to use format 
• Room to negotiate on prices 
• Heavily influenced by street style

CONS: 

• Can be overpriced 
• Postage Costs
• Less reliable than shopping in a store
• More aimed at the younger generation (teens to early 20s) 

Depop is my favourite online thriting platform, I am very much influenced by street style and younger trends so it has everything I want all together. I also love the instagram like layout, it makes is super nice and easy to shop. Some items might be overpriced but you can find some hidden gems, and can always try and negotiate on price and bundles from the same seller.

-SHAMELESS PLUG- 

I do have my own depop shop (if any of you are interested), I buy that much stuff all the time that I need a good clear out near enough every month. I donate most of it, but list my favourite pieces on my depop. My username is @emmalouisloves Or click here.

-OUTFIT DETAILS-
Rugby Shirt - Charity Shop , but was inspired by pieces by Lazy Oaf / The Ragged Priest
Joggers - Select Fashion ( also in the sale) Link: here
Boots - Charity Shop, but originally from Ecco. I bought these boots as a take on the sock boot trend which is everywhere at the minute.

So there is my roundup of the 5 different ways to thrift, something to note is that my preferences might not be the same as yous. My pros might be your cons, etc. etc. You just need to find out what works best for you, and what your preferences are (I just felt like sharing my own!) If you want to, leave a comment if you're an avid thrifter too, and what some of your all time favourite purcheses are! That's it for today, so till next time..

XOXO, EMMA 

The Colour CLASH

Hello everyone! As I said in my previous post this is part two - in today's look I am styling 4 pieces that I got when thrifting. A hat, top, pair of jeans and a coat. The only thing that isn't thrifted is the boots! I could've done a complete lookbook featuring all the items but in all honesty there would be way too many looks for one post! Instead what I have decided to do on my blog is to show how good sustainable shopping is by featuring at least one item of clothing or accessory that is second hand in each look (which isn't even a challenge really). I want to show how with the right styling, and the right attitude you can be the trendiest person walking the streets and no one would batter an eyelid - in fact when I wear my second hand ensembles that is when I get the most compliments! Alongside the posts I am going to be linking similar items to ones I am styling that are on the high street - to prove that you can find the top high street trends at a fraction of the price! But for the items that aren't dupe-able - well it reinforces how special the whole experience is/items are. SO without further ado lets get into the look.

So let's start from the top with the red felt beret. These are literally everywhere - you can pick them up in near enough any popular high street brand and they are identical. This one only cost me £2. Which is probably well under half of what you'd pay new. HOWEVER if you must there is one in the zara sale for £3.99 here.  You can find these so easily so I would definitely recommend keeping an eye out as they are such a key trend at the moment.

Let's move down to the top, I wanted to keep in touch with the Parisian style so opted for a black and white striped smock style top. Originally from Zara but I paid £1.99 for it. Stripes are classic - and are always in fashion. But I liked the smock style as it made it a bit different. This one from Asos is the most similar I have found here. As well as the beret striped tops are some of the easiest things to thrift, and you can pick up some pretty unique styles as well.

So my personal favourite thing about this look at the cropped kick flare high waisted jeans. I almost squealed when I found them, and I did squeal when I tried them on and they fitted perfectly once I got home. These jeans are a prime example of looking at other sizes, these are a size 16 but because they are retro / vintage they run smaller much more like a UK 14. These are such a stylish piece, and I am still utterly obsessed with red (as you can tell). So these turned out to be my favourite purchase - mainly because I know I'll get so much ware out of them. I found quite a few similar pairs while having a browse. These are in the sale on H&M of £17.99 here. There are also a pair of weekday one's in the sale for £20 on ASOS if you'd rather have a higher quality jean here. I really wanted to go all out RED as I am an all or nothing gal and I love the effect that wearing these pointed red kitten heel boots have given, super fun and different. These are old season Primark but these are only £9.99 in the Zara sale! (Lord Bless January sales).

The final thing -and probably the biggest bargain of the century is this Made in England vintage Sherpa coat. It has real leather details, in near perfect condition and cost me the mere amount of £1.99! Can you even believe that? They were only just ticketing the item and I grabbed it before it even touched the shop floor. Later on the manager said it was a trainee that priced it up, and if i hadn't of got it they would've priced it a lot higher, so what a score. I researched it and they are selling for between £60-100. SO if that's your game, buying to sell - then keep them eyes peeled. This is one of those items which I can't seem to find a close dupe for, bu the teddy bear style is absolutely everywhere this season, with big fluffy coats being a massive trend. So I've managed to bag a true vintage piece that is still very current and trendy, that is one of a kind.

So if I haven't managed to sell you on thrift shopping these past two posts then I don't know what will! But you will for sure see more thrifting related content and images on my blog, I'm thinking of doing a 'where to thrift' post in the near future talking about all the different ways to shop sustain-ably so keep your eyes peeled for that if you're interested!

XOXO, EMMA 

Masculine Looks & Thrifting Tips

Hello guys, so today was a lush family day spent doing my favourite past time - thrifting! For today's look I opted for a masculine / work wear influenced ensemble. The trousers, jacket, bag & Beret were all thrifted pieces (so tie in perfectly with this post), the boots are old season Primark but these from Boohoo are basically identical . The oversized top is a H&M Men's Divided piece, which I can't seem to find on the website but this is a similar design: here I wanted something structured but also effortless and I think this look achieves this.

I thought alongside my look I would bring to you some tips I've learnt along the years about how to find the best buys at the charity shops / thrift shops (if you're American). Something to note about me is that this is my all time favourite way too shop! With my style being an ecclectic mix of all styles, especially that of earlier periods like the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90s, vintage pieces are always catching my eye (and heavily vintage inspired items too!). I feel like if you look at today's current trends they are paying homage to some other period, which means most of the time you will find pieces in the charity shops that are almost identical to what we are seeing in the fast fashion high street stores. I really love the idea of recycling fashion, you are adding a new lease of life to an item of clothing that would've just done to waste. I also love the idea that you are picking up items that no-one else you know will have, it makes your looks even more special. I am certain that 90% of my wardrobe is secondhand garments, and with the resurgence of thrifting / it being "cool" now a lot more people are hitting up the charity shops too! So I thought for any newbies to the game, or to anyone who just wants some tips I thought I'd share my top 5.

1. Don't shop in City Centres

The worst mistake you can do is try and shop here, the stores will be hella overpriced and most of the good hidden gems will be long gone. The locations which seem to be best are lesser populated towns, places that may seem a bit 'rundown'. Here you are much more likely to find more shops, and much more bang for your buck. Best thing to do is do some research, look into places near you on google maps and search for charity shops within the area - its the best way to find out without wasting a psychical trip out there. 

2. Discounted Shops

Keep an eye out  for these, they have them for a lot of charities but are mostly Barnardos, Age UK & Sue Ryder. They will have signs in the window that will say everything is either £1. £1.99 or £2. These shops are my favourite, as even though they are discounted they still get really good high quality items. So don't let the 'discounted' sign put you off, I have found most of my gems in these stores. Along with this look for independent charity shops that are local / not countrywide charities. These usually have very good pricing too.

3. Don't be afraid to ask 

If there is something in particular you are looking for, or you have seen something in the back that you like the look of - ask! They will be more than happy to help, and more times than not you get your hands on something before it has even hit the shop floor. 

4. Look through everything 

The key to good thrifting is too look through everything, more times that not items are in the wrong area or are sized up wrong. I always shop in the men's section for over sized t-shirts, flannel shirts and band tees. If you are more petite I know people like to shop in the kids section as you can pick up some cool crop tops etc. Working in with this don't pay much attention to the sizing, if you have time try things on. If not, just judge it by the size of the item not by the size on the label. Older items run a lot smaller to our sizing now. 

5. Volunteer!

If you want the top picks, the ones that no one else has seen (and you have some free time on your hands) then volunteer! Not only will it fulfill all your thrifting needs you will be helping out a deserving charity, as well as getting some experience that will look brill on anyones CV.

So, those are my five tips for successful thrifting, but something to note as well is that not every trip will be successful so don't be disheartened it you don't find everything you want straight away. There will be a part two to this post which features me styling all the items I picked up on this shopping trip, so keep your eyes peeled for that if you want too see what I picked up! 

XOXO, EMMA