The New Retro

This article by Jess Cartner-Morley, declaring the death of the ballet pump and the re-emergence of the pointed flat to take its place quite perfectly reflects my own tastes at the moment.  Ballerinas have been the prevalent flat shoe for everyone from schoolgirls to women commuting to work for about a decade now, and whatever gamine French charm they once possessed has long since lost its appeal, for me at least. I'm more than happy for an alternative, and the early noughties (bleh on that word, can we please find something less cringe to replace it with?) favourite suddenly seems appealing again.  Which brings me to my newest purchase:

They're Marc by Marc Jacobs, bought off ebay for a stupidly low price, and whilst I'm not sure exactly what season they're from, I'm quite certain they've been around since the last time this style was trendy.  But it got me thinking that perhaps my long-standing tradition of selling/donating clothes and shoes the second they're the tiniest bit "last season" might not actually be all that wise.  There are loads of old shoes (and clothes, come to think of it) that when I got rid of them, I couldn't imagine wanting to wear again, but looking back, I really wish I still had them.  Obviously it's not the best idea to keep over a decade's worth of shoes, clothes, etc, especially when you live in a succession of tiny flats with limited storage, but it seems slightly wrong that I'm now trying to hunt down items on ebay that resemble the ones I myself sold in the not-so-distant past.  Still though, however much I'm sick of the sight of my once-beloved Repetto ballerinas, this time round, I'm just sticking them in the back of the cupboard until the next time they have their moment in the sun.  Because if there's one thing that's inevitable in fashion-land, it's that every. single. trend will come back, to be worn by a younger, cooler generation than yours. And as I'm hoping the 90s revival dies very, very soon, the full on '00s one can't be far behind...

Second time round...

I think I've made it fairly obvious that when it comes to fashion obsessions, I don't tend to move on ever too quickly.  I posted about a year ago that I had finally managed to get my grubby paws on a pair of Miu Miu shoes that I had been lusting after for four whole years, thanks to the magic of ebay.  Well, this time, the wait was a bit shorter.  Meet the newest addition to my footwear family:

They're by Chloe, from Resort 2012, and I've wanted them ever since I first saw photos of the collection online.  Sadly, they were completely out of my reach, even on sale, even at bloody TKMaxx this past autumn.  And then the gods of ebay smiled on me and I found them, in my size, at a price that would be more at home at Topshop.  I've got a bit of a soft spot for all things multi-strapped, and seeing as I can't have the Vivienne Westwoods of my dreams, these will do very nicely.  As a side note however, I must say that Chloe shoes, in my limited experience, are an absolutely nightmare to break in.  These ripped my feet to shreds the first time I wore them, and left me hobbling slightly the second.  I've literally never felt leather so stiff and unyielding, at any price point.  It does make me think that perhaps I'm hasty in writing off high street offerings as sub-par, when something that cost hundreds orginally is of such comparatively low quality.  However, I'm thoroughly smitten, so I'm quite determined that they will one day be broken in.  Fingers crossed that day comes soon... 

This Week...

Hampstead Heath, bus stop selfie, new Asos jumper, Ebay bag, new candle and charity shop owl, Fireworks over the river...

New(ish) Mius

After months of buying almost nothing, I seem to be going a bit mad on ebay and in the sales at the moment.  The latest addition is these Miu Miu courts, bought secondhand and ridiculously cheap.  I originally saw them on a customer in the shoe shop where I worked circa 2009 and fell in love with the way she had styled them- all black, a bit grunge-y and the perfect contrast to the primness of the shoe.  We actually stocked the higher-heeled version at work and I tried them on multiple times afterwards trying to convince myself I could wear them, but they were ridiculously high and spindly so I reluctantly gave up on them.  I never came across the lower ones, either in the shops at the time or on ebay afterwards but I always had them at the back of my mind (I'm nothing if not loyal to my shoe crushes).  Clearly though, they were (eventually) meant to be, and the three of us can now live happily ever after. 

Continuing on from my last post, a couple more oufits featuring things I've either had forever, or have bought secondhand off ebay.  For the first time in ages though, I'm actually quite pleased with my wardrobe and don't just want to burn it all and start again, so clearly I've done something right.  And whilst everyone else is moaning about the lack of a summer thus far, I'm secretly quite pleased that the low (for Greece) temperatures mean I can wear things like long sleeves and closed shoes for a while longer.  

blazer- Primark (ancient), top- Topshop via ebay, skirt- Zara circa 2010, shoes- CB Made in Italy

dress- Topshop Boutique via ebay, shorts- diy, shoes- Chloe via ebay

I *heart* Ebay

I mentioned previously that I had bought some ridiculously cheap Chloe sandals from ebay but didn't want to say any more lest they not be quite right.  Well, they've arrived, and they're perfect.  

I've been searching literally for years for the perfect pair of neutral, go-with-everything sandals and had failed spectacularly to find anything suitable.  It doesn't help that I for some reason don't consider sandals proper shoes and refuse to spend very much on them, despite living in them in summer months (yes, even in rainy British summers).  They're just not very exciting, and more of a necessity than something I'd fall in love with and need to own.  So any perfect specimen I found, from K Jacques to Miu Miu, never actually came home with me, and I'd end up with some inferior version from Topshop or Primark, which would get me through the rest of the summer and the whole process would start again the next year.  This year though, the fairy tale finally has its happily ever after, and these shant be leaving my feet until at least September.