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!