New year clear out

Before

After

January always makes me re-focus on the home - preparing the nest for the cold winter months - and part of this involves re-assessing my wardrobe in order to accommodate new arrivals, plan winter outfits and identify any gaps that the January sales could help me plug.

This year I acted on tips from Elika Gibb's Practical Princess guide, taking everything out of the wardrobe, being ruthless when picking items for the charity shop (four bags full) and reorganising clothes by type, colour and print before placing on plastic hangers. I also invested in 50 space-saving, kind-to-clothes velvet hangers - alas not nearly enough for my full collection - which were prioritised for dresses.

A few hours work and I've rediscovered many old favourites, which can be afforded a new lease of life now that I can actually see what I have, and also learnt a few things; namely that I don't need any more cat-themed pieces of clothing and I'm not afraid of colour and print.

Think pink - outfit inspiration

Since its re-brand, Whistles has become one of my favourite high-end, high-street stores. Simple, contemporary items in every-day styles have been brought to fashion life with bold colour pops and spring/summer's Jackie O style pink waffle pieces were some of the most wearable of the season's ice cream trend.


Thanks to a bit of sun-damage, the skirt came home with me for £25, but sadly the slouchy jumper remained out of my price range, so I took an inspiration photo and vowed to keep an eye out for a similar gem.

Once again it was a charity shop to the rescue, as I snapped up this pink Topshop lattice jumper for just £4 in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, when visiting my granddad.


Patience is not only a virtue, it also pays off...

Christmas no. 1

No, I'm not talking about Little Mix's debut, this Christmas no. 1 was a day spent with the husband; opening presents, eating bite-sized and plate-sized food and repeatedly losing at Scrabble in preparation for the real family event.


My favourite present combined two great things - Tatty Devine jewellery and cats - and my new friend coordinated perfectly with the Christmas Lurex sparkle jumper I picked up from Barnardos' stall at the the Brighton Retro Fair.



Other gifts seemed to follow a theme, celebrating great artists who are no longer with us - RIP George Harrison, Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse. I've been playing the latter's posthumous release Lioness: Hidden Treasures on repeat over the last few days, revelling in the mix of classic covers (Amy's raw vulnerability on 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' is heart-renchingly beautiful), stripped-back versions of Back To Black songs and previously un-released tracks full of wit and charm.


As darkness descended and candles were lit and rabbits illuminated, Christmas dinner saw us make use of a collection of my ever expanding vintage crockery - vegetables were served in the Midwinter Sienna tureen and there was finally call for mid-century milk jugs thanks to some delicious gravy.

Scrabble defeats aside, a tip top day.

New year, same me

'New year, new you' - possibly the most over-used message peddled by the media, retailers and any one trying to sell you anything in January. Well, I don't want a new me thanks - I'm pretty good as I am. So when it comes to fashion, in 2012 I am going to continue to:

[This is my serious clothes-swapping face]

Wear black skinny jeans, even though I ‘shouldn’t’. A stylist this year told me that skinny jeans on those with hour-glass figures can make carrots of legs, as we carry most of our weight on our thighs and hips - not the best look perhaps. Yet while I can appreciate that this may be technically true, they're just too versatile to give up. Topshop's Baxter jeans are a real time-saver when it comes to throwing simple outfits together in the morning.

Invest in discount designer pieces. As I've written about previously, I'm all about investing in designer bargains on members-only sites, at pre-loved designer sales and via good old eBay. Much more likely to hold their value and great outfit focal points, my favourite designer bargains of 2011 were a Mawi skull pendant (£40 - Cocosa), Luella silk top (£45 - Rag Trade Sale) and lace detail T-shirt (£15 - eBay) and Alice by Temperley black lace dress (£62 - Cocosa).

Stock up on staples. It seems I can never have enough basic black tops, black cardigans or tights, as well as the aforementioned black jeans with which to pair colour pop pieces. I've experimented with many different looks over the years but am now, in my late 20s, leaning towards the sleek and simple Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic - hence the Monki lust. Although that's not the say the bold print dresses won't be making their usual appearance in the summer.

Rummage through people's left-overs. I don't think my love of charity shops, car boot sales and flea markets will ever wane. The thrill of the find is somewhat addictive, always a good talking point, and, most importantly, you can pick up unique pieces that no one else will be wearing at bargain prices - how would that ever get tired?

Clothes swap. Even better - if you can imagine - than the above is clothes swapping. Free clothes, yes FREE! I resolve to acquire yet more free clothes next year, and the year after that, and... you get it. But it'll be hard to beat the Marc by Marc Jacobs sun dress I snapped up at Brighton's first vintage and retro swish.

What are you going to continue to do in the new year?

Photo by Anj Daskarolis

Kitsch creatures

Our flat is full of kitsch creatures, which I enjoy all year round, but I feel that Christmas offers the perfect opportunity to celebrate these little friends and show them off to their full potential. Hooray for cute useless tat!

Monki magic

I'm falling ever more in love with Scandinavian design, and my latest crush is Swedish-born concept store Monki. The brand takes the simple silhouettes of the Scandinavian aesthetic and adds urban, girly and fantastical twists, resulting in easy-to-wear pieces imbued with a tongue-in-cheek sense of fun.


Prices range from 3 euro for socks to 130 euro for coats, with the majority of pieces on the international site under 50 euro. So affordable that my wish list for spring/summer is, for once, within the realms of financial reality. Peter pan collar top, camel coat, quirky tee, heart print dress and sheer cranberry shirt = £150 - throw in a black pleated mini and some cute accessories and you've got yourself a covetable capsule wardrobe.


Can't wait to raid the real-life stores in Stockholm next year!

My Swish vintage clothes swap

Clothes swapping - ain't it great. My Swish events offer the perfect opportunity to swap those unwanted clothes cluttering up your wardrobe for new-to-you gems from beyond your circle of friends.

Brighton is full of stylish folk, so there are always fabulous finds to be had, but their first ever 'vintage and retro swish', held at the Blind Tiger this Sunday, was in my humble opinion, the best yet.


Goodie bags with free copies of Vintage Explorer magazines, tea and Cloud 9 chocolate brownies served on vintage china from Roses All Over and vintage styling and shopping courtesy of from Emily Inglis from Wooden Hill Boutique - and all that on top of free clothes!

Helping the Swishettes sort, tag and hang the clothes, I got to have a sneaky peak at the best bits before the snatching began, and managed to bag a cute green beaded knit, canary yellow floral summer dress, 1960s pop art mini for a friend and, the steal of the day/month/year - a Marc by Marc Jacobs sun dress!

Christmas sparkles

Yes, the pre-Christmas excitement has well and truly infiltrated the Fortune household and my most recent second-hand purchases are two very special sparkly tops perfect for the party season.


Silver cardigan with pin polka dots, £24 - Rag Trade Sale


1960's party top (part of a skirt set), £9.99 - Barnardos at Brighton Retro Fair

Loving the Lurex!

Christmas windows - Brighton Lanes

Fairy lights, foxes and decadent displays - the shop windows in Brighton's Lanes have infected me with Christmas spirit today. Ho, ho, ho!

Custard cable-knit

Looking to add to my collection of winter woolies with a colourful cable knit, I've spotted some covetable cosy pieces in River Island, Zara and Topshop this season. However, as is always the case, the more I saw these on others, the less I wanted them.


Once again I'm glad I held off on a pricey high-street purchase, because yesterday I snapped up this custard/mustard-coloured cable knit for just £5 a the Art Junky fair in the Phoenix Gallery. Such a bargain and the perfect piece to compliment my Tatty Devine autumnal leaves necklace.

Rabbit lamp

Our new pet - rabbit lamp, £34.99 in the sale at England at Home:


I'd been lusting after one of these for a while, having spotted a few different designs on the market, so snapped this up when this went in the sale.

The price points for 'novelty' homewares such as this are so varied, as these two items illustrate nicely:

Moooi rabbit lamp - £320 and Next rabbit lamp - £35

A confused closet

Unless it's pants and socks, I never buy clothes at full price, and I'll even hunt those essentials down on sale a three-for-two deal. Charity shops, car boot sales and second-hand boutiques are my bread and butter, topped with the occasional spreading of high-street sale and designer bargains.

The thrill of picking up wearable vintage or second-hand high street pieces for a few pounds will never leave me, or at least I hope it won't, but as I've started to become more knowledgable about high fashion, the investment potential of designer bargains has seen me break through my £30 one-item-spend ceiling on a more regular basis.

So, my wardrobe is now an odd mix of designer dame and charity shop chic, see exhibits A and B below:

Bottle green velvet beaded collar dress, £12 - Cardiff charity shop (taken up by my lovely friend Sarah) and Alice by Temperley black lace dress, £62 - Cocosa.com

Luella silk black and floral panel top, £45, The Rag Trade Sale and John Lewis floral silk top, £3.99, British Heart Foundation, Western Road

It's great to have a few really special pieces for occasions that warrant them, and to know that these are likely to hold or even increase in value over the years - I may even pass them on to my children if I have any, and they give a four-letter-word about pretty tops and dresses.

What type of pieces is your wardrobe made up of?

Through a child's eyes

Illustration is becoming an ever more desirable art form online as websites struggle to identify themselves as unique. As well as fashion illustration, such as that showcased at Amelia's Magazine and on blogs such as Canned Fashion, I've also come across some fabulous children's illustration that I thought worthy of a quick share session.


In September, H&M launched a range of children's clothing, All for Children, to raise money for UNICEF's initiative to help some of poorest cotton-growing communities in the world. As well as some super-cute ensembles, the collection includes a picture book telling the tale of Moritz the sheep and friends, created by H&M children's print designer Therese Bruckner and her sister Caroline Bruckner, who wrote the story.



On our summer jaunt to Amsterdam, a very affordable Woolworths-style shop called Hema also offered up charming illustrations in the form of products decorated by artist Fiep Westendorf. I'm sure Jip & Janneke, Westendorf's little boy and girl characters, and Pim & Pom, a pair of cats, are much-loved by Dutch children.


And finally, a children's illustrator a little closer to home - I recently visited Catherine Grimaldi's flat to do a shoot for the vintage interiors book I'm creating with Mat from Southern Retro, and not only marvelled at Catherine's impressive Snoopy collection, but her own art work. This piece is from her book 'It's Raining'.

Good night, sleep tight

Girl and Boy pillows by Jennie Desmond through The Poundshop. £10 each.

Reiss coat

It's going to be tough to top this charity shop find this month - a great little boxy Reiss coat, bartered down from £20 to £15 at British Heart Foundation, Western Road.

I love Spiral

If you read this blog regularly, you probably know that already, and to be honest I shouldn't really be talking about it so much, because I want to remain the little-known treasure trove that it is. But I can't help it - it's just too good not to share!


Yes, there's a lot of crap to sift through, but the gems make it worth putting in the time (and I admit I do pop in or at least have a gawp in the window most days on my way home from work).

Recent finds include a Fred Perry cobalt blue jumper dress for a fabulous fiver, this 1970s coffee set for £2.50 and a Midwinter side plate - just 50p!


So, keep it quiet, but listen up...The charity shop is located on Bedford Place, Brighton, just a few streets along from Waitrose if you're heading towards the sea, and sells an ever-changing variety of second-hand furniture, clothes, crockery, books and CDs. Look hard enough and you're bound to find some mid-century gems.

The new do

After nearly a decade of long hair, I finally took the plunge and went for the chop. Thankfully, I think the new crop does just what I hoped it would - it makes me look like a grown up, and a rather sophisticated one at that, if I do say so myself. The lovely Spencer at Trevor Sorbie Brighton (pronounced Sorbee, rather than Sorbet I'm told) is to thank for the new do.

Before

After

In-between the steady snips and blow-dry blasts, Spencer told me that several of the salon's clients have been in for restyles over the past month, due to the change in season and the fact that many just don't get chance to get to the hairdressers in the school holidays. Many customers are asking for soft perms and waves, he said, predicting that the most popular Christmas party style this year is going to be big hair - blow dried, backcombed and curled. Time to invest in some super-strength hairspray...

Midi to maxi

There's no better time to bring out those midi and maxi dresses and skirts than on a summer holiday abroad, when wind and rain are less likely to ruin that Seventies glamour-puss look. So, making the most of the weather, I wore little else on my recent jaunt to Turkey.

Midi and maxi lengths are perfect for that late twenties-mid-thirties age range, which means these pieces will no doubt become holiday staples for years to come. Curve-skimming and pin-covering, they're also pretty handy if you want to over-indulge or hide any embarrassing sunburn.

Dress - Primark, clog sandals - Swedish Hasbeens x H&M

Ribbed top - Primark, floral skirt - vintage via Etsy.com, tan sandals - Clarks

Maxi dress - Fashion Against Aids at H&M, black flats - Terra Plana