Stealing from Sleeping Beauty's wardrobe

I failed to mention yesterday that this weekend's poke around the charity shops was in Pimlico, not on Goodge Street. I used to live very close to the cluster of charity shops in Pimlico and I'd go there of an afternoon when I didn't have any classes nor anything to do. I hadn't been for a while when I went yesterday, and I'd forgotten how much fun it was to browse these shops! I especially recommend the Fara shops and the Crusaid there. Crusaid stocks things that are often too expensive for me anyway -- yesterday I saw a Banana Republic white shell, perfect for work and pretty enough for other occasions, for £25 (too much for a thrifted top), secondhand Jimmy Choos, and a brand new Moschino dress for £50. But they have bargain bins outside where you can luck out and get something for a decent thrifting price -- I got my Swiss Cross Army bag there, for instance.

While I was walking there yesterday in the sunshine, dodging the tourists around Parliament Square, I saw a girl in a military green jacket and a white skirt through which the sun shone, turning it sheer. Wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if I could find a semi-sheer skirt I could wear in the sun, with my legs just faintly (but not scandalously) outlined against the fabric ...

So when I saw this ridiculous vintage nightgown in a charity shop, I knew what I must do.


It is so peach and sheer and ruffled! Emphasis on the sheer -- it's not as ridiculously see-through here as it is in person, but even here you can see that it doesn't do much in the way of covering up. I put on high-waisted short shorts and a tank top underneath it for the purpose of taking this photograph, 'cos otherwise it just wouldn't have been decent.

I'm not usually very fond of nightgowns as sleepwear but this is so soft and ruffly and long! It swishes in the most pleasing way. I'd be okay with just wearing it to bed and not ever doing anything else with it, but what tipped me over into buying it was putting a blazer over it and wondering if I'd dare wear it outside ...



Putting a belt over it gives it a pleasing empire waist.


T-shirts over it goes some way towards solving the problem of its scandalous sheerness.


Though, er, that doesn't solve the problem of the bottom half. I'm thinking a) leggings/tights underneath, b) skirt over, or c) short shorts and shamelessness.

Or d) stick with longer T-shirts!




Slouchy/sweet boudoir look.


It's certainly not the most practical purchase I've ever made, but it's like white shoes -- their prettiness outweighs considerations of practicality.




And it's fun trying to figure out ways of wearing it without, er, revealing all. In the meantime, while I work up the courage to wear it outside, I shall wear it to loll around in bed -- something I do a lot of. So in a way it is a sensible purchase after all!

- Zen