September bargains

Ooh, it's been a good month for second-hand shopping...

All Saints silk floral dress - £4.99, Oxfam

Zara paisley print shirt - £4.99, Barnardos

Dallas Simpson print - £5, Shoreham car boot sale

The Sarah Lund jumper

Just in time for a trip to The Scandinavia Show next weekend, this Denmark-made wool jumper has come into my life. At £5.99 from British Heart Foundation, it was slightly more affordable than the original Sarah Lund jumper - 280 Euros from Gudrun & Gudrun - and so thick and cosy that it requires no further outerwear.

After all, why would you want to cover up this beauty? Here's hoping for a cold winter...

New season knits & M&S love

It might not be the weather for it just yet - and I'm certainly not complaining about that - but I've already been stocking up on knits in preperation for my favourite season.

Autumn excites me for so many reasons - the crisp, fresh air and bright sunshine, the rich colours, the cosy nights and last but not least, the opportunity to layer and cover up in style.

Summer is silly season for fashion, and if you're not a teenager it's hard to get away with many of the out-there trends. Autumn offers much more interest for grown-up looks.

So, on to the purchases - a geek chic mosaic wool jumper from M&S (£35) and Orla Kiely short-sleeved waffle knit from the Preloved Designer Sale (£42). I fell for the latter when I spotted it on Carrie over at wishwishwish.net early last year, so was delighted to get the chance to add it to my wardrobe at an affordable price.

And while we're speaking of M&S, I'm very impressed with their fashion offering this season. Not only do they have rails and rails of spot-on cosy knits, they've also brought back the bottle green military coat (I really need to invest in one of these classic pieces) and I couldn't resist this Sixties-style geometric print collar dress. It hangs perfectly and is suitable for evenings out as well as work meetings.