East End Thrift Store Haul

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As part of my birthday antics in London, I finally got to visit The East End Thrift Store. Whilst my job as editor of Judy's Affordable Vintage Mag means I'm pretty loyal to their kilo sales, it's always nice to check out the competition and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found at The East End alternative: a £10 and a £20 sized bag, and the challenge to fill as many as you liked with as many goodies that could fit inside (provided the handles met!)

Warning: this is not a thrift shop for the faint hearted. There was stuff literally EVERYWHERE, and a lot of it was pretty damaged, dirty, smelly or all three. Still, if you fancy a good fixer-upper and are the type of person who enjoys looking for items with potential rather that the finished article, you could do a lot worse than visiting. We stayed for well over an hour sifting through huge jackets, endless flannel and plenty of hipsterlicious t shirts until I found a selection of pastel gems perfect for summer-ising my wardrobe. 

And here's my treasure! A blazer, cardigan, jumper, skirt and a pair of shorts for £10, can't really say fairer than that! Everything is a little crumpled because of how hapharzardly it was thrown in the bins but it's nothing a good iron couldn't sort out - the Blazer in particular came up a treat after my mum ironed it out and scrubbed up the cuffs for me. The shorts may well be my favourite vintage find ever - when Kev pulled them out I loved the colours but wasn't initially sure they'd fit me, but I'm so glad I took the risk because they are amazingly comfy, high waisted enough to be on trend but with a long enough leg that I don't feel as I'm Miley Cyrusing if I wear them without tights. I wish they had a co-ord jacket - Clueless worthy 90s chic.

Have you been vintage hunting recently?

Spring Pastels

Here's to my first proper outfit post! This is a look I put together for the second issue of Judy's Affordable Vintage Digest, which should be out very shortly. I can't wait for the weather to cheer up a little so I can actually wear this outfit outside without looking like a fancy dress party reject. Although I suppose the skirt would also work with something darker on top for a more 'School Librarian meets HBO Girls' look, with a Parka coat casually thrown on top.

Outfit

Lilac Jumper - Judy's Kilo Sale

Plaid Wool Skirt - Judy's Kilo Sale

Bow Pumps - eBay

Pearl bracelet and headband - handmade (tutorial here!)

August Haul - Bits, Bobs and Sappy Sods

Eh Up! Time for another round up of some of the thrifty bits and bobs I have procured this month. 

Tapestry Vanity Case
First  up was this lovely vanity case, which I got from Lockwood Car Boot for just £1. I used to love a good car boot, and having been inspired by some of the amazing bargains that some of my favourite thrifty bloggers have been picking up, I thought it'd be fun to get started again. Unfortunately for me, my nearest sale was more of a small gathering of grannies than a full blown morning fest, but I thought this would be sweet for holding my sewing projects in, plus it was in perfect condition, with a teeny mirror and pocket inside. I might even add some trays to turn it into a proper sewing box.

Mint Stripe Skater Dress from eBay
We all know I love a good eBay sesh, but I've tried to be good this month and have only bought a couple of things from the money I made selling some old things on there. A very modern form of recycling! First was this toothpaste stripe dress, originally from Miso, which I won for just £2.20. It looks really nice with converse and bare legs, although this doesn't look like much of an option in this rain! I'm hoping it'll still work with a denim jacket and tights as it gets colder. 

Primark Lilac Cardigan from eBay
Next was this Primark cardi that was mine for 99p. I bought it originally to cover in embroidered daisies as a DIY tutorial version of a cardi I saw on Pinterest, but it actually looks really nice as it is and is a great way to brighten up my wardrobe seen as all my other cardigans are either black or grey.

Primark White Converse pumps from eBay
I saw these in store and thought they were a great lookalike to the real thing at only £3, but unfortunately they'd sold out of my size. Luckily, I managed to grab a pair on eBay for £2. They're a really great casual shoe that works well with dresses and I'm loving the ease of low tops having spent the last four years stuffing my feet into my favourite black and pink high top connies. 

Vintage School Teacher Dress from Antiform at Beacons Festival
As mentioned in a previous blog post, I was working at Beacons Festival last weekend (my full review of it can be seen here), and had an amazing time. There were some really cool shopping opportunities there, including Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair and an Urban Outfitters tent with 20% off, but what really caught my eye was the Antiform vintage tea tent. With vintage items starting at just £1, it was ransacked by the time I got there, but I managed to snag this on-trend tartan style dress for a fiver  that will look really nice in autumn with the sleeves rolled up. 

Phillips Headphones
One of the stages at Beacons was sponsored by Phillips, and because of this, every band who played that stage were given a pair of very snazzy looking headphones each. I was pretty jealous watching them get doled out, until my boss Simon sent me one of the leftover pairs in the post as a thankyou for my work. Ultimate blag! The sound quality is pretty cracking and they're a welcome additional to my Journalistic equipment collection, thanks to the comfort of the over-ear cans and the fact that my old skull candy ones were on their last legs.

 Primark Tea Dress
Speaking of Journalism, a very exciting job interview has cropped up for me in London next week, so I decided to treat myself to something smart and office-weary off my Primark lust list for the interview. This tea dress was only £8, which is pretty good value considering it is brand new into store. The material is silky and comfortable, and although the waist is a little baggy in a size 12, it should look really nice with a belt, tights and a hair bow. Wish me luck! 

Office Mary Jane Shoes
Which brings me on very nicely to the last item in my August Haul. Avid readers will probably have noticed several mentions of a certain boy across my posts. Said certain boy (Kevin) and I recently celebrated our first year together whilst at Beacons Festival, but decided to do something special once we got home. I was quite happy with a cooked dinner, bit of wine and catching up with Made In Chelsea, and thought nothing more of it. Still, sneaky boy had to go to Manchester for the day to pick up some paperwork, and rang me to say that he was going to Office to buy a pair of trainers he was after, and did I want anything from town. I sent him off to pick up the aforementioned Primark dress, feeling a little mean for sending a boy into a MASSIVE girls shop, but hey ho. When Kev returned with my dress and an Office bag and told me to take a peek, I assumed he wanted to show me his new shoes. But OH NO. Out fell these bad boys. 

As you can see, WAY better than the Topshop pair I have been lusting after for months and bending Kev's ear about how I was going to buy them when student loans came in, not to mention perfect for my interview. Even three days later, I am in awe of how easily tricked I am and how thoughtful a boyfriend I have. I mean hey, any boy who buys you shoes has got to be a keeper right? Even after a year, every day feels like our first together (in a good way) and I have to regularly check he is not some sort of super-perfect cyborg person built purely for my happiness. Sickening, I know. Don't worry, his present is coming too! I won't mention it on here just in case he decides to take a sneaky peek at this blog. 

That should tide me over for the rest of summer and early Autumn! Definitely no more dress or shoe buying for now - winter woolies and layers will have to come out soon! What have you been buying (or been gifted!) this month?

Primark Autumn/Winter 2013 Lust List

It's that time of the year again! As much as I love summer and ice cream shade dresses, sunglasses and bare legs, my heart truly lies with Autumn when it comes to fashion. I love layering up, fun coloured tights and that back-to-school feel. 

With Primark probably one of my all time favourite stores due to it's affordability and ever increasing quality (I am a thrifty fashion lover after all), I was super excited to get a login to their press site and catch a glimpse of their upcoming A/W range. It looks like grunge is going to be here for the forseeable future, although the tie dye of summer has seen a subtle slide into punk as it is replaced with lots of tartan and leather. Boxy fits and adrogyny also appear tyo be playing their part with lots of blazers and cigarette pants.  However, for the more girly girls amongst us, here are some of my picks that I will no doubt be tracking down come September. Cut Out Mary Janes (finally an affordable end to my Topshop Lust?) - £12

Tea Dress - £8

Collar Clip Cropped Blouse - £12

Princess Coat (obviously a ode to Kate Middleton!) £25

Raspberry Open Knit (so similar to American Apparels but a much nicer shade!) - £10

Bottle Green Skater Skirt -  £8

Leather Strapped Denim Pinafore - £12

Tartan Tea Dress - £13

Padlock Tote - £10

Which items will be buying from Primark's Autumn/Winter Range?

My first mini bargain haul - the pastel edition!

Hello team! Hope you're all well. I've had a bit of a stressy couple of weeks what with a broken laptop and various other bits and pieces not going to plan, but, determined not to let it get me down, I thought I'd cheer myself up with a bit of retail therapy, pastel style! In typical Jenessa style, the whole lot happened over a period of about 10 days and only added up to just over a tenner but I still feel a teeny bit guilty. Still, on to the bargains!

Sally Hansen and Revlon Nail Varnishes

These were £1 pound each from poundworld. I normally favour rimmel or collection 2000 nail varnishes as a rule, but after hearing that you could get branded varnishes in poundland of all places, I thought I'd give some others a go. It always disgusts me how expensive nail varnish is! The colours were a bit hit and miss instore, lots of crackle varnishes and ugly reds, but after scouring a few branches of poundland and poundworld I settled on these two. The Sally Hansen 'sea' coloured mint was a bit runny but after three coats that were easy to apply thanks to the super wide brush, they came out a really sophisticated shade that was summery but not too in your face. Sadly I think I might have applied it a little too thick as it started to peel round the edges two days later, but I shall have another go. The 'electric' yellow from Revlon was a lot better - two coats and you could see it glowing from the other side of the room! the high pigment is great, especially for a yellow shade - I don't want my nail to just look like they've gone mouldy! I'm very happy with it and looking forward to wearing it with...

Juju Hello Jellies for TopShop

I'm normally pretty good at resisting the Topshop summer sale, but these were crying out to me at the lowly price of £5! With the british summer all over the place(heatwave one second, thunder the next), i figured a waterproof sandal was the way to go. Costing me only £6.50 after opting for the instore click and collect option and using student discount, they are a great happy medium between a cheap sandal and the more expensive traditional juju gladiators which I love but would almost certainly never wear. Plus look at the colours, they're so happy! the jury is still out on how comfy they are but I am very impressed at the speed of TopShop's instore delivery - i ordered these friday afternoon and picked them up at my local topshop branch at 3pm the very next day. I just wish I was going on holiday now...

Papaya Mint Short Sleeved Sweater 

 This was a little ebay bargain at only £3, including postage. Clearly tired of how long it takes me to choose outfits in the morning, my boyfriend pointed out recently that it'd probably do me good to get some more plain things to work my love of patterns around. Wise boy eh? I actually tried one of these super-soft knits on in Matalan about 6 months ago and loved it, but never actually got round to buying it, so I'm very glad it popped up online! With it's gentle hue it's a very versatile piece, although it's going to need a run through the wash as it still smells a bit smokey from its previous owner. Still, that's what you get with ebay isn't it? I'm looking forward to pairing it with jeans, a white undershirt and ankle boots come uni in autumn. Back on the hunt for the lavender version.

And last but not least...

Vintage Pink St Michaels Skirt 

For anyone that hasn't been to Huddersfield, it's worth it if only for the sunday market. I've recently discovered a new favourite stall that sells amazing granny chic at ridiculous prices - my friend charlotte got an incredible satchel for a pound that upon reflection, i probably should have nabbed first! Still, on our last visit i saw this skirt peeking out and thought it was perfectly twee - even better when I spotted the label of my favourite vintage brand, St Michaels,closely followed by a label that said £2. The elastic band means it fits perfectly worn at both waist and hips and has a great demure length that should see it last me all the way through summer and autumn.

Not a bad haul for £11.50! Have you bought any bargains recently?

Market Bargain: Jack Wills Dress

When I started this blog, I thought it would be a fun place to share all my bargain finds, crafty tutorials and things that I buy. However, I really struggle with spending money without feeling guilty and sometimes I forget to put little purchases up here because it reminds me how I'm meant to be saving! I am definitely a thrifty blogger and a girly girl when it comes to clothes, and I have very little other indulgences in my student budget, so maybe I should just stop beating myself up and accept that I deserve a little treat every now and then.

My latest dress bargain actually happened a few months ago but I forgot to put it up here - that still counts as new right? Basically, I have a wonderful magpie of a boyfriend who has been trained into recognising a 'Jenessa' dress when he sees one, and also happens to be pretty darn thoughtful. I was sleeping away at our student house when he came home from work and woke me up with a surprise that he had bought me from Huddersfield market, which turned out to be this -

Straight away it was right up my street- floaty with a lace ruffle lining, a delicate floral pattern and a good, thick fabric. However, when I noticed that the label stated Jack Wills I turned a little bit pale and had to ask Kev how much he paid for it. With a beaming smile that knows my bargain loving way a little too well, he announced "£7!"

SEVEN POUNDS! A quick hunt of ebay found this dress, which turned out to be a Jack Wills 'mornier' print to be selling for just over £50, way nearer to its actual original retail price. Although I have always admired Jack Wills womenswear I have only ever been able to afford a polo shirt from them, so having one of their dresses is just delightful. I feel very british!

So, the moral of the story... don't underestimate your local market! And secondly, don't be afraid to take your boyfriend shopping.

Matalan's Dress Event

Afternoon bloggers! Just thought I'd give you all a heads up about a cheeky little sale that is going on at Matalan at the moment - The £5 event! Who doesn't love a bargain, even more when it's dress shaped? Matalan seems to get a bad rep from what I've seen, perceived as a slightly older-fashioned brand, but I've found them recently to be on top form, selling classic, well made pieces at very reasonable prices.

I had an amazing day yesterday in Leeds with a very exciting business meeting (that I hope I can tell you all about very soon!) so decided to treat myself on the way home. I've been wanting one of the renowned Topshop Speckle Dresses for ages, you know the one - 

Very nice, and perfect for dressed down days, but a bit plain for me to spend £26.00 on, even now it's been discounted to £20 in the sale. T-Shirt dresses are a really versatile piece to have in your wardrobe - they're breezy, can be dressed up or down, and don't clash with ANYTHING. Luckily, Matalan's £5 event included their own version of the dress, as seen here - 

As you can see, the different in minimal - a slightly lighter colour, and a longer hem. The Matalan fabric actually has a much softer finish and the longer hem just hits my knee, rather than Topshop's bum-skimming version.

So all in all, a bargaineous result! I'm in the midst of an ebay clearout at the moment as I attempt to save some money over summer, so won't be spending much on clothes, but who can resist a little grey dress?

Here are some of the other dresses in Matalans £5 event, on until Sunday. Get shopping!