Pleat Treat

I bought this handbag at a Church fete a couple of weeks ago, from the knitting stall. My friend snagged a sensible chocolate brown one with a tortoiseshell style handle but my £4 went on this beauty. My sister's first words upon seeing it were "That is so wrong. It looks like a merkin."

The bag hate makes me more determined to use it.

If you don't know what a merkin is, Google it. Just not at work m'kay? Well, I for one was very pleased with my handmade, limited edition bag. From henceforth, in a tribute to the classic 'Birkin' bag, I shall call him 'Merkin-bag'.

I styled it with a couple of other bargains snagged from local fairs and charity shops. Light, pleated 80s-style skirts are massively in right now and I was coveting this one from Toppers - but, as luck would have it I found an original for £2.50 in a chazza shop: get in! It is utterly see through when faced with sunlight or flash photography though. It really needs to be layered over another shorter dress or worn with a slip. In fact the only reason I can show you the picture below is that I wore a dress as a vest and thus my knickers remain forever an enigmatic secret.

If you look closely you can see
Snoopy on my thigh: it's not ink, it's me dress.

Scarf: 70s, Fara Charity Shop (£2)
Dress (worn as vest): H&M kids circa 1998 (Cannot remember)
Skirt: St Michael, 80s, Fara Charity Shop (£2.50)
Shoes: New Look Sale 2010 (£8)

The other bargain-basement-buy was a floral, 70s scarf, seen here knotted about my neck air-hostess stylee.
Keep your eyes peeled in future posts for a myriad of neck, waist and torso enhancing scarf tips. It's my new big thing. I want a massive Hermes size (because I've too much of a thrifty povvy type to own an actual Hermes) - if you have one of those, as far as I can see, you don't even need any other clothes.

The whole soft, late 70s-early 80s aspect to this look satisfies me. It has enough about it to give that 'tough chick' vibe of 70s workwear, but without needing the overt, masculine colours, so it's lighter and brighter for summer. The pleats have a delightful swing to them which is cute and sassy without being saccharin. All in all (with a slip) a sound look.