As an undergraduate I, like many students, was always strapped for cash and constantly on the lookout for ways to save money. Living on a budget means making sacrifices, but that doesn’t mean your wardrobe needs to suffer. Of course, I would still shop at all my high street favourites, but it was here that I discovered my love for the humble local charity shops. Over the years I’ve discovered all sorts of hidden gems: designer jackets; vintage bags; and even first edition books. Thrifting is a great way to save, have fun and most importantly give back to the community.
Last Saturday I spent my afternoon scouring each of the charity shops in my town. My objective: a corduroy skirt. Several hours later and only a few pounds lighter, my mission was complete. And I picked up a few bonus pieces along the way.
My first find was this burgundy striped bodycon dress from H&M. This would have been a university staple: quick to slip on and easy to style for those times I was running late for class (which may have happened a little more than it should…) In keeping with the varsity theme, I paired it with the Superman Converse I practically lived in during my third year and a navy bomber. Perfect for the morning dash to class: cute, comfortable, and easy to throw together and be out the door in five minutes. And for extra protection from the forces of evil and essay, the all primary colour palette calls to remind Superman’s classic outfit.
The second piece is yet another striped cotton jumper for the collection, this one from TopShop. I’m a huge fan of tops like this, as they are so versatile and can be dressed up or down to create a variety of looks across the whole smart/casual range. My initial thought was to match the jumper with a pair of black skinny jeans and strappy black heels. Whilst I still think this would be a great look, I’m a little burnt out on black and wanted an injection of colour: enter these mustard yellow culottes.
I really like how the white in the jumper helped compliment both pieces; bringing two contrasting colours together and giving off this very soft end of summer colour palette. Sticking with the soft tines, I wanted both the shoes and bag very muted; something to compliment the yellow of the pants. So, I chose to pair it with my trusty brogues from Clarks to help tie the smart/casual look I’m aiming for. I did the same for makeup: I stuck to warm brown tones for my eyes. As for the nude lips, I’m wearing Bobbi Brown Semi-Matte in the colour Brown with Nourishing Lip Colour in Beige Gold as my topper for the illusion of a plumper lip.
Last but certainly not least, my primary objective: this beautiful burgundy high-waisted skirt in corduroy. This skirt might be my favourite from the haul, not just for the way it looks, but also because I finally found something which works with the awesome red boots I have had sitting in my wardrobe for months. This look was a lot of fun to create; I’ve been waiting so long to wear these boots that I was determined to put together something that could be worn day and night. In addition, I wanted to keep things nice and simple on top: the t-shirt is from F&F and the denim jacket is French Connection which was thrifted many years ago. A find I will always rate as my best because it was brand new and I got it for less than £10. To ease the transition between the different textures and pattern of the top and skirt I picked out a black western style belt. Not only does this help define my waist under my oversized jacket, but it also ties the look together by, paradoxically, splitting it in half.
This was a great haul and the corduroy skirt, in particular, epitomises everything I love about thrifting. Not only did I manage to find exactly what I was looking for, but I also picked up a bunch of pieces I didn’t even know I wanted all for under £15 whilst giving to the community. And this is what I really like about thrifting; you never know what you’ll end up with, but you can always be certain it will be one of a kind rare find.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by! If you want to see a little more of me during the week my Instagram and Twitter are linked in the top corner. Have a good week and I’ll see you soon.
-Paphapan.
This is not a sponsored post. All items featured were bought by me. All/any affiliate links are in bold and underlined.