The pleasures and sorrows of not-work

I've been having pretty good luck with charity shops lately. You know how sometimes you go and it's just a sea of old lady shirts and sandals? Though I shouldn't be snarky about old ladies' clothes -- I've been cooing over Advanced Style lately. It is a blog featuring old people street style! 'Old people' sounds derogatory but it shouldn't be, any more than 'fat' should be. The photos on the blog have been making me think about how women's fashion and men's fashion differ and how central sex is to women's fashion in particular ...

But that's a post for another day. Anyway, as I was saying, you know how some days you go charity-shopping and it's just a sea of hideous shirts and funny-smelling beige trousers and the occasional bizarre kitschy porcelain ash-tray shaped like a clown? Boy have I had those days. But shortly after I acquired the super tat lui, cute and sturdy Karlen Törbel shoulder bag, I've been enjoying a series of neat charity shop discoveries.

This dress being one of them.

Dress - Et Vous via charity shop; socks - Artbox; black canvas jazz shoes - F-Troupe via TK Maxx

It's super cute right!!! Don't tell me if you disagree because I won't believe you. It came from the Oxfam online shop -- £10, which is not dirt cheap, but pretty good considering it was unworn and still tagged up.

Also considering it is the cutest dress ever! I love the buttons and the faux-belt buckle.

From the same source, new shoes! I have too many shoes already and will never buy shoes again. (I may breach this undertaking.) But these are so happymaking!

Stephanie Kelian - purple wedges

That heel is 3.5" but -- okay, I am having to exercise heroic restraint to stop myself from indulging in the cry of every shoe-infatuated, self-deluded girl: "It's really comfortable!" Let's be real: a 3.5" heel is never comfortable. The human foot was not made to be elevated in such a way.

But they're wedges, so they're walk-in-able, and they aren't as uncomfortable as some of my other heels. And they're really fucking cute. Will you just look at the twirly whirly punch-out pattern on the toe. Whenever my feet start saying "hey how come we're throbbing so much :(" I will just console myself with that pattern.

I got a couple of other dresses from Real Life charity shops, but I haven't memphotographed them yet, so that'll have to wait for another day. But seriously, I recommend Oxfam online. I suppose it is kind of cheating in a way, "I clicked through a bunch of links" doesn't quite have the same ring of "I rummaged through a rack of smelly old bathrobes while being eyeballed by the weirdo behind the counter before I emerged triumphantly with a rare vintage Chanel piece!" but it does make you click through several pages of fawn knee-length corduroy skirts from Marks & Spencer if you need that treasure-hunting thrill. And it has neat things at OK prices. Por ejemplo:

Amazing blue knitted jacket with weird gold decorations, £19.99


I ... what is this? Some kinda beaded top, £6.99.

I think this is weird but for that very reason think it would look awesome on somebody more avant-garde than me. Like, a real fashion blogger.

Hobbs apple print skirt, £21.99

This is kind of expensive for charity shop clobber, actually, but it is pretty cute and requires very little Ability to Pull It Off. I mean, I'd wear it.

Floral halter dress, £19.99


Grey herringbone trilby, £9.99

I would wear this with the beautiful floral halter dress and pretend to be Philip Marlowe trying to solve the mystery of how he became a girl in a beautiful dress.

Leather messenger bag, £24.99

Mind you, there is the occasional er unsuccessful purchase. Like this weird lace vintage dress, which has since gone back in the post.

Wow, that looked terrible on me!

- Zen