Buying 'Deid People's Clothes' and other Bargains

Click bait title I know, but that's literally what my husband likes to call my charity shop treasure.....much to my dismay as one might imagine! He always takes great pleasure in grimacing to wind me up, denouncing my bargain finds as if they were actually clothing the previous owner as they kicked the bucket! Needless to say it never puts me off! I've always loved a rummage in second hand stores, whether it be for china tea sets (a business venture I didn't end up pursuing) or a wee hidden gem to add to my wardrobe but recently I've really gotten back in to it in a big way. I don't shop much for myself (the joys of being self-employed and careful with my dosh!) but when I received some birthday money last month I decided it was time to go shopping for some Autumn/Winter pieces. Uninspired by the high street, I took to the charity shops and boy, they did not disappoint. 

Having recently donated two lovely winter coats (which I'd simply fallen out of love with) to my local charity shop in a mass clear out session, I was in search of a warm but stylish coat or jacket to fill that seasonal must-have-shaped hole in my wardrobe. Following a Pinterest-athon I had it firm in my mind that I was in the market for a tweed or checked monochrome piece. Low and behold one Saturday morning on the way to the bank, a quick nip into our local The Salvation Army store resulted in the purchase of not one but TWO stunning coats. The first find was this brand new Tesco black and white checked single-breasted coat (currently in store at £39!) that I'd actually nearly bought the previous day at full price. I love it as it's got that smart/casual thing going on. It can be dressed up but also works well with my skinny jeans and Converse. Result!

On my way to the till, I spied another long-line coat from Principles and just had to have it.This pure wool coat will be perfect for our trip to Paris in November-stylish but warm! Both coats came to the grand total of £20!! Both in great condition and both very on-trend. The charity-shop challenge had begun...what else could I find?!!

Often it can just be your pot luck as to whether you come across something you really like and you do have to be prepared to trawl through those rails. A trip to Morningside Road in Edinburgh, where I was convinced I'd bag myself several bargains from the array of charity shops on offer, proved to be a flop with not one single purchase made. So I now try not to have any expectations when I venture out on a second-hand shopping spree. Another trick is not to hunt for something very specific, as chances are you won't find it. My search for a pleated metallic knee-length skirt goes on, however, in the interim I did find this brand-new grey pleated skirt (originally from Primark) for £3. Not metallic sadly, but still a good find which will go well with my both my new winter coats. And at three quid I can still afford that gold or silver skirt when I find it.....which I will!!

For sometime I've been on the lookout for some slogan tees. Instagram is awash with some seriously cool chicks wearing t-shirts brandishing all manner of statements and sayings that add a little more personality to an outfit. Teamed with a pleather skirt and heels it makes for an uber stylish Saturday brunch 'I'm not trying too hard-but I kinda did' vibe. An early finish on a Friday saw me in Stirling town centre (which has an abundance of charity shops!) in search of a bargain or two. This Topshop beaut was only £3 and as I'd found it actually on a Friday, I felt the universe was telling me it was meant to be!  

Additional bargains have included a Zara khaki denim shirt (yes, the paint splatterings are part of the design Dad!) for £1.99 and a leopard-print blouse and mustard fine-knit jumper, both from H&M and both only £3 each. You can't argue with that! 

I'm thrilled with every single piece and know I'll get heaps of wear out of them this Autumn/Winter. Bargains they may be but like with every purchase I make, I ensured each item was in good condition and fitted me before committing to a sale-after all, I don't want to add more stuff I'm not going to wear to my collection when I literally just had a clear-out! You can't beat the thrill of finding a hidden gem and unearthing something that not everyone and their granny is sporting right now. If you have an eye for piecing things together and are willing to experiment with your style you never know what you'll come across in those rails. I'll be sure to keep you all posted on my charity shop adventures. I love being able to support so many wonderful charities and breathe life back in to clothes that someone has fallen out of love with. I actively encourage you to go check out your local charity shops-it's amazing what you can uncover and you'll be helping the planet and a worthy cause in the process! 

Happy rummaging! 

Weesse x

Tales From The Far East

Mimi here!

Now, I loves to shop. Like, mega style. Think of that one person you know (we all know one) who shops all the time. Is always wearing something new. Is always coming home or coming into the office with bags and bags of goodies at lunch time. That person to whom you often say, “Nice top/jeans/bag!” and they reply with, “Thanks it’s new”. That person is me. Hi there.

I know where I got my love of shopping, and my love of a bargain, from; my Mum! We affectionately call her Bargain Betty. Always kitted out in chic, stylish ensembles, she has a keen eye for unique, versatile, flattering, fashionable, yet age-appropriate clothes and pairs them with eye-catching jewelery, shoes and bags. And ALL at a fraction of the price it originally retailed for. Whether she needs a top at £2 or not (true story), or whether I need a pair of ankle boots reduced from £15 to an ACTUAL pound (ALSO a true story), Betty can sniff out a bargain at 20 paces and is mighty proud of it. Why pay more, right?

Now, being the busy little bumblebee that I am, I do a lot of online shopping. I wholeheartedly appreciate the sheer convenience of being able to buy online. Sometimes, just looking at a store's new arrivals can help me figure out what I need in my wardrobe, what I need to get rid of, or what sort of look I might go for if I have a particular occasion coming up. I research. Then I buy.

Isn't it strange how there are now shops online that don't have a physical presence on the high street? I am of an age where I remember the pre-online, pre-mobile phone days. Online shopping is great for getting your size in an item that wasn't stocked on your high street, but more and more I find myself buying from retailers that don 't actually exist as physical stores. Trippy, man.

I buy A LOT from H&M and Sports Direct (due to there usually being a discount code or online offer available) and more so from MissGuided and Forever21 also. But it is my love of fashion from the Far East, and their ridiculous prices, that I am going to write about today.

Ladies, welcome to the world of what I like to call “the random Chinese shop".

My first ever armchair-to-overseas purchases were from sellers in China on eBay. I bought a few tops here and there and my experiences were generally a hit or a miss. A great fitting find here, a cheaply made disappointment there.  But the prices were SO GOOD that anything I bought that wasn’t up to scratch was put down as a relatively cheap learning curve.

That is why, my friends, I have shopped til I virtually dropped in these Asian online stores and came up with a guide for getting a great deal on a great item without getting stung by the various pitfalls. Yep, I did all that shopping just for you. You can thank me later.

Rule 1: Know your measurements

What is the circumference of your waist? Where is your waist? Nobody know? I want you to get yourself to your local shop and purchase a measuring tape. Then take that measuring tape and wrap it around various key parts of your body:

• Your waist (about 1-inch above your belly button)
• Your hips (your widest part)
• Your bust (straight around your front over the nipples 

Take a note of what they are EXACTLY in inches AND in centimeters (because the rest of the world likes centimeters). Make a note of it somewhere you can access easily, like on your phone. The reason? Because when it comes to buying in “the random Chinese shop” you CANNOT rely on the sizes stated.

WHY?

Did you know the average Chinese woman has a 34A bust, is about 5 feet tall and weighs about 8 and a half stone.  This average woman may be considered an Asian size Medium. The UK average is a UK16…see the difference? An Asian size Medium is like our size XS-Small in many cases. Most Asian stores online provide a size chart for this very reason where it will provide measurements in centimeters usually. There is usually always some variation, so if you are just fitting into a cute dress based on measurements, go for the next size up…you can always have it altered (which leads me to my next rule)…

Rule 2: Be prepared to Get Your Clothes Altered

I would imagine that there are very few people in this world who are a true size “anything”. With sizes varying so much between shops, it can be very hard to buy something that fits PERFECTLY. It’s always better to overestimate your own measurements and order a size larger from these Asian shops because measurements can vary so much. A lot of what I have bought has been slightly too big, but is easily rectified with a trip to my local seamstress. I tend to go to the same one because they are quick, cheap and do a fabulous job (big up Sew Quick in Bellshill). Yeah the top you want to buy is £5 including postage…but spend that extra £5 and get it tailored to fit you properly…it certainly won’t look like it cost you a tenner.

“But hey, you can just return the item if it doesn’t fit and order the next size up, why err on the side of caution” I hear you cry. Well…

Rule 3: Returns and Fraud

As a rule, eBay has the most reliable system for returns and exchanges because any shops are bound by eBays rules and agreements. If a store gets a bad returns reputation, they will not fare well on eBay, plus I think eBay protects it’s buyers from any tomfoolery.

For example, I bought a bikini from an Asian shop and it arrived. Unfortunately the bottoms fitted and the top was mahoosive. Like, unwearable. So I contacted the shop and asked about their returns process. Helpfully, they said that it would be less hassle for all if they gave me a partial refund and I just kept the top that didn’t fit. So, I paid £6 for a bikini, got £3 back and spent another £6 on a second bikini in a smaller size so I could get a top that fit. I then listed the too-big top and the too-wee bottoms separately to sell on eBay for, yep, £3 each.

NO MONEY LOST.

And no postage costs in returning items either because I didn’t need to return them. This has happened to me a few times and it’s great when it does. It’s even happened when I have been dissatisfied with a product and have wanted to return it. I even received a full refund AND got to keep the item. I think it’s generally just so much hassle to send and receive items from overseas that companies are happy just to make you happy.

I have, however, been burned.

I bought a number of gorgeous dresses (our Kennedy Cupcake polka dot dresses to be precise) from an Asian eBay store. Weirdly, the dresses were MASSIVE (very uncommon) so I had been left with a size small and medium that could be worked with, but a large and XL that were unwearable and unalterable. I contacted the eBay shop and asked to return them (the dresses were around £20 each). Unfortunately the company’s return postage policy was so expensive (tracked to China was going to cost me £40) that it was simply not cost effective to return them. So either way I was out £40 whether I sent them back or not.

Great.

The company didn’t make this explicitly clear on their page and experience has taught me to ask about returns if buying something more expensive from an Asian online store in future.All’s well that ends well though as I managed to sell both dresses on to very happy people, for the price I bought them at.

The second time I (kinda) got burned was when I purchased from an Asian store called SheIn.

I LOVE SheIn. Like, really LOVE IT. The stuff is quite cheap, they have a great selection and actually the quality had been pretty decent so far. Their measurements are accurate about 70% of the time though, which has meant items have arrived that I would like to send back.

I done a quick Google search (“SheIn + returns) and found that many people were extremely dissatisfied with their returns efforts. SheIn  have a very swish online system where you can log your return before you pop it in the post, but many people had said that their items never arrived at the other end and that they were left with no item and no refund.

Pants.

Luckily I haven’t fallen victim to this and have just decided never to return to them. Anything I buy that doesn’t fit, can’t be altered or gets put on eBay or given/sold to a friend. I did buy a dress once that was so short my PANTS were visible, so I contacted them and told them their pictures were not accurate representations of the item. I also told them that I was reluctant to send it back to them because of the poor reviews I had heard. They apologised and gave me a full refund and a discount code for my next purchase. DONE. HOW NICE.

***TIP: Fancy a wee £ or ££ off your order with them? Add items to your SheIn basket then close your browser. I can guarantee within 24hours they will send you a discount code. It MAY say 30% off…it’s not. But it’s still a couple of quid off. ***

The moral of this story is basically to be wary. Do a quick search of the shop name and “scam” afterwards and see what comes up, or look up their eBay feedback. This will also highlight any fraud issues too. Read into their returns postage policy and confirm it with the seller. If you are not into their policy, be sure you really want what you are about to buy, or be prepared to buy two sizes.

Rule 4: Be Sensible

With any online shopping be wary of what you are buying. If something looks not quite right, it probably is. For example, I saw a gorgeous dress on SheIn and wanted to buy it...

Something about the photos was putting me off though. They were quite grainy and you couldn’t see the model’s face (it had been cropped). So what did I do? I put on my Mac, got out my pencil and went all Columbo up in their grill. I saved one of the photos and done a Google Images search (go to Google Images and click on the wee camera logo on the search bar…you can attach an image and search for other instances of THAT image on the web…also handy to find out if anyone is catfishing you online). Hey presto what did I find but that the photos had been lifted from ASOS. The ASOS dress (the brand was Chi Chi London) was much more expensive, which made me question whether the product listed on SheInside was going to actually be anything like the one pictured.

I decided against it in the end. If there is a lack of images or the images are poorly lit/too cropped/grainy or appear overly edited, so a quick search and see what comes up.

SheIn also has a helpful feature which encourages buyers to post photos of themselves wearing their items along with their own sizes and the size they bought in order to help people decide if they like the item or not. It helps you actually see what it is like on a real human being. They have also started featuring a “catwalk” for some of their items, meaning a video plays of a model wearing the item. I therefore tend not to order anything from She Inside now that doesn’t have a couple of photos next to it of regular folks who have bought the item. The reviews also allow people to state their dress size etc. and whether the item was true to size or not. HANDY.

Rule 5: Be Prepared to Wait

China is like, far away. Don’t know if you knew that, but it’s like, ages away. All of Asia is actually, so don’t order stuff and expect it to be here in a week, a fortnight or even a MONTH. eBay sellers tend to give an estimate of when an item will arrive and some online shops provide tracking information but not all do (SheIn do and it’s actually pretty good). If in doubt, check out the FAQs of a seller or contact them and ask their average delivery times to your country. I have often forgotten I have ordered stuff and been very surprised when it has arrived 7 weeks later.

I must say that She Inside tends to post quite quickly, and I have received items within 1 week in the past.

So, if you have scrolled past all of the above information in a bid to read some handy conclusions, here they are…

PROs:

 Cheap clothes

• Online shopping (can be done while in the bath)
• Some stores offer discounts
• Some stores offer customer reviews
• Some returns advantages (50% refund and let you keep the item)
•  

CONs:

 Delivery takes an age

• Quality can be a hit or a miss
• Returns can be extortionate and unreliable
• Detective work needed to suss out legit-ness (totes a word)
• We haven’t even STARTED to think about the potential ethical issues involved in some companies. As far as I know, SheIn are an ethically run organisation.
• ADDICTIVE
• People asking you where you got your cute top / jeans / coat. HOW. ANNOYING.

Thought I would share some photos of just some of my purchases from SheIn so far that I have been happy with. Now go buy yourself a tape measure and HAPPY SHOPPING!

Soup Bag, £12.62 SheIn

Red lace dress, £15.17 SheIn. I had it altered at the waits- was too big. 

Black & white Breton-style dress, £17.90 SheIn (had the dress altered at the waits, too large)

Dress £15.47, SheIn. I had the straps shortened 'cause I'm a shorty. 

Blue floral playsuit, £14.04 SheIn (was a perfect fit)

Two-piece set, £11.39 SheIn (was a perfect fit)

Top, £9.36 SheIn. Best buy by far. Looks and feels great, true to size and had many compliments on it. 

 You'll notice everything here is under £18. Natch.

:)

Playing Dress-Up: Does it Get Easier?

Dressing for the weather. Dressing for your shape. Dressing for your age. Dressing for your job. Dressing for your partner. Dressing to conform.

But dressing for you....when does that start? 

We all have a personal style that we endeavour daily to inject in to all of the above scenarios, to in some way, shape or form to express our individuality & personal taste. Even if you're forced to wear some ungodly uniform at work that you positively detest  (I remember my McD's days well. That 'Lobby-jobby' outfit was so fetch!), you find (sometimes unconsciously) a way of making it more you, putting out your message to the world. Roll up the sleeves, tuck in the shirt, wear the trousers low slung, accessorise...if 'the man' makes you where a suit when you ain't a suit kinda dude, you make it work for you. Point is if we were all to put on the exact same outfit, we'd be sure to wear it differently, purposely or without even thinking about it . So when we get to choose what we wear, it gets a whole lot more complicated....well for me anyway! 

Working out what your personal style is (what I'm now discovering) a lifelong quest. My style has evolved so much from the first days of being allowed to dress myself, selecting outfits from my wardrobe & to then later being given the opportunity to shop for clothes by myself. My personal styling has gone through so many transitions. Moments of the good, the bad & the ugly! 

Going back to my opening statements, I think that many of these are really about what we think others expect of us.  I won't wear that dress as it's 'too young for me'. Who says?!?! When we reach around 12 years old clothes no longer are sized in relation to our age but our clothing size, so who then decides what's too young & indeed too old for us to wear?!? Shouldn't it be, if you want to wear the dress just go for it?! 'Yes of course!' I hear you say....but then, do you dress like that? Toss any concerns for what society might think of you & wear exactly what you want to? Hats off to you if you genuinely don't give a monkey's..but I reckon, like myself,  many of us, consciously and even unconsciously, dress with others in mind. 

Miss Monroe famously said 'Give a girl the right shoes & she'll conquer the world'. Which ones though?  Is it the flat, comfy ones we can walk in all day that ain't nowt to shout about  in the style department or is it those 'killer' heels that actually do kill after 20 mins but  knock 'em dead everywhere you go?! Conquering the world may require you to wear both actually....at the same time perhaps? One on each foot it is then?!  At the ripe old age of 32, I'm having a bit of a style overhaul that came unexpectedly. My clothing choices have taken a bit of a U-turn recently & I can't quite work out why   frustratingly. I can't figure out if what I'm opting for looks good on me or whether I'm choosing more for comfort & practicality. If both bases are being covered then great! Can I look AND feel good at the same time? I have more staple pieces in my wardrobe now that I rotate & pair up with each other in various random combos. I'm totally over buying 'in trend' and just want to own more of a capsule wardrobe that will see me through the seasons effortlessly. I ADORE fashion but don't particularly enjoy shopping for myself (I'd love to shop for others) so I now realise (after years of buying tonnes of stuff on a whim & then not wearing it) that I need to be super selective with what goes in that on-line shopping basket. I also think it's a sign of the times where a disposable income is a thing of the distant past for many of us and you choose far more carefully about what you're buying as you'd rather it costed a bit more but lasted you way longer than the £10 top that you'll wear once and then see it banished to the back of your wardrobe or the charity shop. I guess if you're looking to conquer the world as Marilyn so eloquently pointed out, whether you opt for the flats or the heels, you'd be best to choose the more classic pair that will last you a long while.....as you continue on you path for world domination.

I don't think I've always been one to dress with others in mind, it may just be something that has derived from being in a long-term relationship. As a teenager I didn't rebel or reject the trends of the time more so than I just tended to wear what I liked, despite it being so far removed from what was 'cool'. Long gypsy skirts, Doc Martins and other bohemian attire was my go-to style and then on to my uni days, it was bell bottom jeans, fitted shirts and tees....again it was what I wanted to wear over what I thought I should to fit in.  As I then went out in to the working world as a dance teacher, in my down time I tended to dress up more, as I felt I was spending my life in joggers and baggies. I actually remember hubby (before he was my hubby)saying to me that I didn't need to be so dressy when I came to visit him...but to me making an effort was something I was doing more for myself than him....or at least I think it was. He was happy to see me in what he thought I'd be more comfortable in but really I was looking to enjoy that process of getting dressed-up and feeling girly and sexy. Of course if your partner compliments you in something then you may wear it when you know you'll be spending time together...their opinion matters to you and it's nice when they say they like you in something. I know that nowadays I frequently dress with hubby in mind, hoping he'll like my outfit. Deep down I actually do know that if I'm wearing what I like and what I feel comfortable and confident in then that's what he's going to prefer me in but somehow I often still think of what his opinion will be about my choice. I mean I'd never expect him to wear a 3 piece suit on the weekends to impress me when I know he'd hate every minute of it and I know he's the same with me but it doesn't stop me thinking of what he'll find me attractive in. Funny eh? Our brains are often programmed in this modern-day society to be concerned with others' perception of us over satisfying our own inner desires and comfort zones. I'm just grateful that more often than not I've really only got myself and hubby in mind when I'm dressing .....not society as well! 

       

So with personal style, although it evolves overtime and you may at points be 'on trend' and other times be totally 'uncool' in your selections, I think what's most important is that you aim to dress happily. Happy dressing should be made compulsory and this idea of wearing 'what's in' or what someone your age should be wearing must be phased out. After all, Oscar de la Renta and Karl Lagerfeld get to design exactly what they like. They don't create dresses that they hate but know are 'cool' for that year. They let their own creative juices flow and have garments made that evoke their personal style and taste. So in turn we as consumers in society should have free reign to wear what we want free from judgement. It's hard enough figuring out what your personal style is never mind then having to worry if other people will like it or think that it's too young, short, frumpy, fancy etc etc for you. Just wear what you want goddamnit!  I wish I could say this to every young girl and boy I come across who is feverishly trying to keep up with the 'in-crowd' and the latest fashion trend. I see a lot of them wearing stuff that I bet they don't even like that much but are buying it (or pleading with mum or dad to buy it!) because they 'have to have it' . I love fashion and religiously buy fashion magazines but I buy them for inspiration, to spark my imagination not to look at the Spring/Summer collections and worry that I'm not wearing anything like it. Yes, I'm still over here scratching my head, figuring out what my personal style actually is but at least I'm not too concerned about whether Joe Bloggs likes it or not!  

Over and out, 

W x