Car boot sale season starts

Being somewhat of a wuss - a fair-weather car boot saler if you will - this weekend marked the start of the season of early morning bargain hunting for me. And I wasn't the only one brought out by the sun - BHASVIC was buzzing with seller chatter, good natured haggling and excited exclamations when gems were unearthed. I was very happy with my haul:

Hornsea pot - 50p
Iron mirror - £2
New Schuh boots - £7
River Island striped dress - £3 (similar to the £95 Whistles dress I've had my eye on)
M&S leopard print tunic - £3.99 (actually picked up at British Heart Foundation charity shop)

Geometry lesson

Geometrical prints are so evocative of Sixties style, and this season the shops are full of pleasingly positioned shapes that form simple patterns to add interest to any outfit.


The printed pant is another key trend for spring/summer, and I took the fact that the only pair of these green cigarette trousers that had been delivered to Brighton's Cos store were my size as I sign that they had to be mine. They've already served a very important purpose - forming the base for my first wedding outfit of the year - and paired with my Marni for H&M polka dot cocoon coat make for some on-trend Mid-Century magic.

Pretty pastels - spring shopping

Pretty pastels is by far my favourite trend for spring/summer 2012. Mint green, light lilac, powder pink and soft blue hues are the perfect colours to welcome in the warmer weather, and the dreamy retro-inspired S/S Louis Vuitton and Mulberry adverts in the glossies are making me yearn for an ice-cream day.

Here are some of my favourite pastel pieces to whet your appetite for some new season shopping:


Clockwise from top right: River Island shift dress, £28, lace three-quarter-length coat, £65, Monki blouse, 30 Euros, ASOS round sunglasses, £12, Topshop purse, £16, Cos midi-dress, 69 Euros , Mavala nail colours, £4.30 each, Cos skirt, 59 Euros, Topshop perspex purse, £6, H&M jersey dress, £7.99, ASOS T-bar sandals, £45,
ASOS blue round sunglasses, £6

Spring fling

Today's charity shop find - H&M floral shirt, £3 from Spiral - is easing me into spring fashion, and is the perfect match for my Models Own pastel nails. The daffodils have also started to peek their heads out from under their protective green hoods - the change must be upon us!

Teenage fashion meets grown-up style

Johnnie b, Boden's teenage collection, is one of those fashion secrets that you feel so excited to stumble across, you want to keep all for yourself. It's not an obvious place for a twenty-something to look for classic, easy-to-wear yet on-trend pieces, but that's exactly what it offers.


As a little style experiment, and because I wanted to take my new Marni x H&M polka dot coat out for a walk, I dressed my Johnnie b anchor jumper and purple ink skinny jeans with pieces that I felt would offer a healthy mix of grown-up style and fashion fun. And I'm pretty pleased with the result.


There's colour, motifs and print here, but all in subtle enough doses not to make me look as though I accidently wandered into the wrong part of the shop. Johnnie b’s sizing is also accommodating for those with the womanly bits many teenagers don’t yet have – this jumper is a large (they go up to XL), and the jeans a 32L. By marketing the range at 10 – 16 year olds, I think they’re missing a trick here, but I’m quite happy to keep this collection as my little style secret.


Coat - Marni x H&M
Jumper - Johnnie b
Jeans - Johnnie b
Satchel - Boden
Boots - vintage from To Be Worn Again


Jumper, jeans and satchel received as review items.

Marni x H&M in Brighton

Yes, I was one of the fashion sheep queuing up for my ten minutes in the Marni x H&M pen today. As I'd cleared it with work to go in late - a fashion & retail editor needs to be top of this type of fashion frenzy, or something like that - I rocked up to the Western Road store at 8.45am. Not quite early enough, it turned out, but as I was in Brighton and not London (3am people, 3am), this secured me a wristband for the 9.55am slot.


Just enough time for an M&S lingerie jaunt and to feel the excitement build as I queued with my fellow fashion fans. Unlike the Versace hoards, this wasn't one for the teenagers. Marni being a favourite of chic Italian businesswoman, the majority of those queuing were in their thirties and forties, all anxiously watching as the groups in front of us frenziedly snapped up the pieces on their hit list.


When it came for my group's ten minute slot, many of the items I'd had my eye on - the polka dot trousers, bunny T-shirt and silk shirt - had gone, or existed only in a size 6 or 8. But I did manage to pick up the Sixties-style polka dot coat, cut in a lovely boxy, swing style, and cute jacquard top. Both very wearable and pretty reasonable at £79.99 and £59.99 respectively.


Shoppers were only allowed to take one piece of each style and the timed slots and re-stocking were managed with military precision by the H&M staff, so I didn't really understand the grumbles from those who joined the queue a little later. "So we might not get what we want?". "Well I don't have time for this". Erm, that's kind of the point, that's what 'limited edition' entails - why it's such a big deal...


I dropped by after work to see what was left and it was as if it'd never happened - every-day stock was back in place and the only hint of Marni mania left were two rails dotted with stiff and shiny patent leather tops and teeny tiny sizes.

What did you think of the collection? Did you manage to pick up your favourite pieces?

I love pre-loved

The fact that everyone seems to be in the same financial boat at the minute, i.e. a bit skint, has resulted in huge demand for quality clothes at great prices. Just because you can't afford something, it doesn't mean you stop wanting it. Thankfully for us Brightonians, there are various ways of feeding our fashion hunger whilst remaining on a strict financial diet. And for that we have to thank the hard-working organisers of innovative events such as the My Swish clothes swap and Preloved Designer Sale.


By popping along to both of these at the weekend I'm now the proud owner of a Ted Baker cardigan, silk dress, designer jeans, Bertie suede boots, a vintage Burberry cardigan and leopard print bag - and it all cost me well under £100. While I've had good finds at car boot sales and charity shops over the years, it's meant putting in some long hours. But the quality control at events such as these means that great labels, quality pieces and even never-worn gems are right there at your finger tips, and with no early starts required. They're the ideal no-hassle, quick fashion fix for savvy shoppers.

On the other side, I also got rid of some wardrobe clutter at the swish and may even make some of my money back from labelled pieces I donated to the designer sale - an all-round win.

Admire the beauty of my haul below and let me know if you picked up any bargains at the My Swish and Preloved Designer Sale by leaving a comment.

Ted Baker cardigan, £21 - Preloved Designer Sale

No Nationality jeans, £24 - Preloved Designer Sale

Silk tunic dress, £35 - Preloved Designer Sale

Vintage Burberry cardigan, 50 points - My Swish clothes swap

Bertie boots, 50 points - My Swish clothes swap

Matalan leopard print bag, 20 points - My Swish clothes swap