Five Pound Glamour

Last weekend was my first night away from The Tiny Overlord*. Wah! She's growing up.

However it does represent a milestone in terms of life: a year of trying to balance a baby and work has changed into balancing a little girl and work. And as such, although it is busier in some ways, it is easier in others - she doesn't need mummeh milk in the night anymore, which means parenting can be shared more flexibly.

I'm hoping this will enable me to get back into vintage and thus blogging more regularly. This first night out was a 20s-30s themed night at Harry's Bar in Frinton. It was really nice to catch up with an old friend, get thoroughly impressed/envious of her cottage home and chill by the seaside.

I wore a skirt and top which both together cost just £5! I bought it on Everything Five Pounds, a site I have blogged about before - it's brilliant because it sells old stock from well known shops (so not throwaway stuff, decent clothing) at just £5. The outfit - originally by Boohoo - is a gun metal lace with a pretty scalloped edge. It's lined throughout - it's very fitted and the skirt is nice and long, with a cropped top. This means it is easily adapted for a range of vintage inspired looks; by pulling up the skirt, you get a 60s-does-20s vibe with no midriff on show, or you can wear it as a crop top and maxi for a 90s style --yes I know that's far too young to count as retro-- or indeed break the items up (the skirt is a perfect 50s wiggle with a blouse, and the crop top would go well with velvet flares). It's practical too - machine washable at 30. I can foresee using this outfit a lot, from formal to relaxed nights out. Or rather, using it a bit because I'm hardly a party animal these days. Given that, I might team the skirt with smart knits for work and church!

The thing with bargains is, they aren't really bargains unless they are of good quality and wearable. This outfit ticked both boxes and I'm really pleased with it. Have you had any bargains recently?


*Did. Not. Care. Waved me a cheery hello like I'd popped out to Tesco.

No-Heat Hair Tips & Tutorials

Yup, back again. Not really been anywhere to be honest - hence lack of blog posts! Being of the same measurements as Mr Greedy and having to do a wee every fifteen seconds does not make for exciting around-town journeys.

With it being summer (well, hopefully it will hang on a few more weeks!) one thing that a lot of us have in common is wanting easy, low-fuss hair - often a bit more natural and tousled than in the winter months. I dye my hair red which is notorious for dulling with heat, so am always on the look out for no-heat curls and other easy overnight styles. Here are a few of my most recent online finds...

A time my no-heat curls worked and did not get rained
on. A rarity in Britain.

Bargain Review: "Everything £5"

£5 clothes, brand new. I know what you're thinking: how could there possibly be a website selling clothing for just £5? It sounds too good to be true. It sounds like they must sell seconds or the garments would fall apart. You wouldn't go for it unless you head someone tell you it's OK.

Skater Dress: £5

So, I tried it. And I can tell you ... "Everything Five Pounds" is OK! The clothes are absolutely, positively normal high street stock. Indeed, my latest purchase had a tag on it with an RRP of £15.99. I would guess that they buy up old sale stock, deadstock and the like and sell it on - meaning, interestingly, that those of us with slightly alternative tastes are well catered for. Many of their items tend towards a retro or rock-chick style (perhaps that's why they didn't sell out on the high street?) and I've noticed the plainer and more 'key basics' an item is, the more unusual the sizes (top tip for you big or small footed ladies- black flat shoes- only ever in large or tiny).

October Outfit

It's Ethical Fashion Bloggers' monthly challenge this week, which is useful seeing as I just about manage to post an actual outfit post about once a month and that if you're lucky. I'm the worst vintage blogger ever, it's like "hmm, I have all these vintage clothes and mid-century items in my house... hmm, I write this blog ... if only there were some way of combining these things. If only!?!"

I take 50 photos, always, always I look angry in them-
I tried to soften my face, it blurred. Damn you Pixlr.

2011; A Perdita Pictorial

Now is not a time for complex words. We are too hung over. Now is a time for reflecting on things pretty and silly, and contemplating exactly how much fun one can have using only 365 days, charity shops, beer and a little imagination...

Cherish your local parks and museums

Make like a starlet with Rockabetty Studios

Relax in the garden, mismatched tea and china or mismatched
wine and crisps, it's all elegantly chilled.

Keep an eye out for those retro cook books!

Have your drink appropriately labelled
by  Penny Dreadful Vintage, and...

...Buy the perfect maxi. Scowl: stylist's own.

Be silly on HMS Belfast

Rehydrate. It's important.

Revel in chazza shop shoes

Rehydrate some more.

Enjoy vintage British summertime weather with Retrochick and
Landgirl1980.

Have love for the EBay.

Visit National Parks.

Buy something from the 30s 'in poor vintage condition'.

Rehydrate some more whilst you recover from the shock.

Escape to glamorous Norwich.

Consider living in a tent.

Geekify your home-sweet-home.

Rehydrate.

Relax.

How has your year been? And what are you looking forward to as we venture bravely into what can only be called.... the future....?

Mystery Dress!

I have been having fun on EBay again. My latest purchases, whilst bargains, have posed me a couple of dilemmas; namely, (a) what to do when a dress is so far out of season it would be foolhardy to try to wear it out and (b) who the bleep was Lois Young?

Nunc bibendum volutpat terrere

*Now we drink spooky drinks.

His Lordship has been snooty and unreasonable about this post, dubbing it 'gimmicky', 'low-brow' and 'twaddle'. Like some alcoholic RSPCA advert he abhors the connection between any cocktail and a specific date, proposing that they are something to be celebrated every day. Anyway, he has refused to contribute to my 'novelty post' and is thus in the blog-house for now. So I am writing it. I don't know much about the finest ingredients, nor can I enlighten you with obscure anecdotes, I've just chosen some recipes for my top 5 Halloween cocktails, innit.

Rockin' Outfit Post

I'm a bit of an 80s rock-chick at heart. Yesterday, the really Autumnal weather hit and it gave me the opportunity to crack out a truly tasteless and inelegant t-shirt and jeans combo. Which rocked.