Sod it, I'm shopping

Mim from Crinoline Robot and Vix from Kinky Melon
I went to see Vix; a new dress was a bonus!
I've bought more clothes. I didn't manage to lose any weight before my holiday, which left me the choice between wearing stuff that's too small - a choice that comes with a side-order of self-loathing - or buying stuff that actually fits. I'm still going to do lots of walking, and I'm doing very well at laying off the cake and comfort food, but it's not having much effect yet and there's no way I'll go on a trip I've spent three years saving up for and spend it feeling bad about myself.
So, last week I bought four dresses, two new and two vintage. I'll start with the vintage as they're probably more interesting to you. Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair was in Bath on Sunday, and I went along mainly to say 'Hi' to Vix and Jon as Kinky Melon were among the traders. I wore the 1960s Horrockses dress I bought from them a while back; it's a gorgeous dress and I felt great.

Vix knows my size and showed me an amazing Global shirt dress, white with blue swirls, that I was absolutely unable to resist, especially for a mere £10. Vix reckons Global is one of Tania's favourite brands, and I can see why. The dress feels extremely sturdy and well made. I wore it to work yesterday and felt fab. (Unfortunately I only have a dreadful selfie for you. Still, the freshly-painted bathroom wall seems to make a good backdrop.) I paired the dress with the same cream bag and shoes I wore to the fair, but I don't think they go do well with white and blue/aqua, so I'll be keeping an eye out for accessories to go with the dresses.
Global crown colony of hong kong shirtdress
Then wandering round the fair I spotted a stall with an amazing display of Welsh tapestry bags and coats/capes, and they had a fantastic print shift dress in fatgirl size for £15. It's a lot lighter in weight than the global dress, and Mr Robot reckons it does show off my tummy a bit, but hey: I have a fat tummy. And I adore that print. Hopefully it's busy enough that people will look at the print before noticing my wobbly bits. It's in big bands at the bottom, but gets sparser towards the shoulders.
The new dresses were both in the sales. One was a Seasalt one, the Talskiddy dress. I loved at full-price and even more at a discount. It's in a very 'me' print; abstract, with solid, toning colours. Graphic prints in block colours are definitely my thing. After looking at the dress' dimensions on the size guide, seeing the way it hangs on the model, and knowing the two tops I have from them are quite loose, I went down a size and it fits beautifully. I had intended to stop there, but then Collectif had a sale. I'd really liked the Aida Zak Phoebe dress when they had it for over £60, but I've found Collectif's quality to be really patchy in the past. For £17, though, it was worth a punt.

I think I make more sensible buying decisions nowadays. I'm more confident in the colours and prints that I like, and more aware of the shapes and styles that suit me. I've also learned the hard way not to get hung up at the number on the label. Fit is everything! To make room for these, a whole bag of old things went off to the charity shop, including the two Collectif dresses I already owned (one flapper dress that never hung right, and one 1940s-style dress that was too tight and not as nice as either of my House of Foxy 40s repro ones) and one Betty Jackson that I got with Debenhams vouchers but never felt quite right in. That said, if I'd known how many good things would be on sale at Judy's, I might still have bought the Seasalt dress, but I probably wouldn't have bothered with the Collectif one. I have definitely learned a lesson here: wait till Judy's is in town to go shopping – or wait till it goes to Oxford and drag Gisela out...

One odd aside – if you follow blogs via Bloglovin', do you get their emails? They're constantly recommending things to me that are completely irrelevant to my interests. I'm trying to decide whether the food or the fashion/makeup ones are funnier. While the constant barrage of Euro-fetishisation in the latter (French style, Italian smartness, Scandinavian skin etc) is entertaining, this week's juxtaposition of ways to have quinoa for dinner (my thought: don't) and recipes for cake 'you can have for breakfast' (my thought: that's any cake), PLUS a recipe for brussels sprout pizza (yes, really) is just comedy gold. I should really unsubscribe from these emails as I never want to read any of the posts they recommend, but they are kind of amusing in themselves.

Comments

  1. Definitely up for Judy's at Oxford, I have only done Lou Lou's there. The last Judy's was March so there must be another one due fairly soon.....
    Vix has such a good eye, (even if she does keep trying to persuade me to wear pink!) she has got it spot on with both the frocks.
    I love the Seasalt dress, it is very you indeed :)

    Funnily enough I looked at that dress on Collectif's website too. I do find their sizing a bit random so would hesitate to buy full price.

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    1. Quality is my main concern with Collectif - I'll let you know how I get on with the dress. Judy's doesn't have an Oxford date on their website at the mo.

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  2. I love the print of that Global shirt dress from Vix. From the new dresses, I would have gone for the Seasalt one as well, as the print and colours are gorgeous. All in all, good choices, Mim. Sometimes a girl's got to spoil herself. I gave up on Bloglovin' and unsubscribed some time ago, as I was in the habit of deleting their emails anyway. It didn't really work for me, I guess. xxx

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    1. It's an ace print, isn't it? The collar on that dress is much longer and pointier than I'd usually wear, but I gave the dress a go and think it looks fine.

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  3. More photos of all your finds please!
    I can only get my 'retail therapy" vicariously here in Nepal so while I love your vivid descriptions of your purchases - can we see them?
    That being said the Horrockses & the Global shirtdress look fab on you! I think you need a pairs of navy pumps & sandals to go with both, & a handbag or 2 also of course.
    What is up with Bloglovin? Their emails (which I thought were to keep me updated on blogs I follow) seem to show up randomly. I really don't have any need nor desire to peruse "LIFESTYLE" blogs promoting quinoa, expensive handbags, or $10,000 sofas.

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    1. You will deffo get photos! The Seasalt one is going to Spain, and I'm not going to wear it till them simply because I'd have to wash and iron it, and I have enough washing and ironing to do before my holiday as it is.

      Aaah, the strange world of so many lifestyle blogs... Most of them seem completely out of touch with my reality here in the UK, it must seem like another planet from a Nepali perspective.

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  4. Oh and yes I get shedloads of the Bloglovin emails I delete them all without even opening them, maybe I should take a look at a couple. Breakfast cake Mmmmmm

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    1. I was tickled by the notion that someone did a post on cakes it was acceptable to eat for breakfast, like that was some sort of earth-shattering revelation. Surely one of the joys of being a grownup is being able to choose what to eat and when!

      Vix and I had a good chuckle at the fact that we've never seen anyone in France looking much like the recommendations in those 'How to look like a French girl' fashion posts. (Well, I saw one once, in Paris, but as soon as she started speaking it was clear she was English, so perhaps she'd read all those posts before packing.)

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  5. It was an absolute treat to see you again, Mim! A couple of traders commented on how nice it was to see someone in proper vintage. I'm delighted that you shared my love of the Global frock and that you found that stunner of a shift on Babouskha's stall. Both Judy's events - the Affordable Vintage Fair and the Furniture Flea are the best around.
    The new dresses are fab. Love that Seasalt one. What a bargain. I love that you know exactly what suits you (very rare, trust me) so you'll feel fabulous in your new purchases, relax and enjoy the trip of your dreams.
    Those emails are bizarre. I can't think of any blogs I follow to suggest I'd be in the remotest bit interested in! xxxx

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    1. I guess not everyone wears vintage all the time - I don't, though I'm usually toting a vintage handbag - but events like a vintage fair strike me as a good time to get things out of the wardrobe. It would be sad if people only ever did it for fun at festivals - can't they have fun with clothes the rest of the time?

      I felt guilty about buying new dresses instead of vintage or chazza ones, but choice is rather more limited at my size and, dagnabbit, I wanted them!

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  6. Wow, Mim

    Beautiful dresses - can't wait to see the outfit posts.

    I've found since I started blogging last November and seeing lots of photos of myself in different clothes, that I've learnt more about what suits my size and shape than in the past 40+ years I've been buying my own clothes!

    Veronica
    vronni60s.blogspot.com

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    1. Yes, photos really help, don't they? I've taken to scrutinising my outfits in the lift at work (I don't have a mirror larger than A4 at home) and seeing what works and what doesn't. That's still not as good as a photo, though. Somehow, photos come closer to seeing a person the way other people see them.

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  7. I think the dress looks lovely. I commend you for buying clothes that fit rather hten beating yourself up. I am a lover of food and clothes and Ive promised myself that if I gain weight as I get older as long as Im healthy Ill be ok with it and Ill just get new bigger clothes. However, I do find authentic vintage is so hard to find even in medium sizes. Now Im about a UK size 12 US size 8/10 and true vintage is often too small

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    1. Weight gain is a hard thing - I'm now about five stone heavier than I was in my early 20s, and I don't exactly relish it!

      A couple of Etsy sellers I'd recommend are FabGabs (she specialises in 30s/40s, so her stock would suit you) and StutterinMama; both split their shops by waist size and they stock a decent range of things in my size (UK18), so they might well have stuff you'll like.

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  8. I'm happy to see you bought some beautiful clothes-and they are beautiful!

    Weight shouldn't determine a right to purchase new clothes. My mum would buy me clothes at the start of each school year that were at least a size too small thinking it would motivate me to lose weight. They never would fit, and ended up being given away tags still on, after making me feel terrible each day when I saw them hanging there unworn. Clothes should make you feel GREAT, and if they don't then you're quite right to "Sod it" and go shopping. Clothes come in all sizes because people do.

    Posting photos of myself has been interesting. I never noticed that my right eye droops, and that I have one calf smaller than the other!You'd think at some point that would have been pointed out, but it took blogging for me to notice. More importantly I've learned I should never wear pastels. I sort of suspected, but the blogging confirmed it.

    When do you leave on holiday?

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    1. We're overnighting at Heathrow on Friday, and flying out first thing on Saturday. Woohoo!

      Yup, photos can be really self-educational - though the lessons they impart can be hard. My first reaction to shots of myself is usually "HOW MANY CHINS?!" to which I tell myself, "You're a fat lass, Mim, that's normal." And then I can look at the things I *can* change easily, like cut, fit and colour suitability. Photos have confirmed to me that whatever vintage fashion may dictate, high-waisted skirts and trousers are not friends with my thick middle and giant boobs...

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  9. Absolutely love the Global dress with blue swirls and what a steal at £10!

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    1. I think Kinky Melon might be my new favourite vintage shop.

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  10. Yes, sod it, you did the right thing. Flipping heck, is it nearly time for the holiday? How exciting. Thank goodness you've got some bits you'll look and feel fab in. I love both your turquoise and white, and white and turquoise Kinky frocks! Global produced lovely, quality, flattering dresses. £10? Wow! That's such a great deal. How long 'til you're off? Xxx

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    1. Heathrow Friday night, fly out Saturday. It's going to be aces. (I apologise in advance for the Spain Spam that's going to be hitting my Instagram feed.)

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  11. Perfect post, Mim!
    So many true words (of wisdom) coming my way. You have done nothing wrong, there's a real threat of "not wearing suitable clothing and you have jumped in and dealt with the situation.
    Fit is everything!
    You've said it. Fit is everything, since there's no other way of finding the best item. MY grandma never ever gave up carrying a tape-measure with her, when she was shopping. She simply decided that "those tricky numbers" mean nothing, and she would buy clothes that match HER figure (as measured that very day, by her trusty tape-measure) - we can learn a LOt from the older ones, right?
    ..as for not fitting into your garments - do not feel discouraged, please. I've said it once, I'll say it again: to me, your figure is amazing - much (much, much!) more feminine than my own. So, flaunt it, you gorgeous woman!

    Marija

    P.S.
    I have found out a horrible thing: my colleague FORGOT to take the letter into mail. I was searching for some business mail in this desk and I was shocked to find that my letter to you has been under a pile of returned mail since Easter!
    I'll add up more pages - and send it your way.
    (you just can't trust people to do a simple task.. Tcs, tsc, tsc..)

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    1. Aha! Colleagues, eh? We've got a saying in English, "If you want a job done properly, you have to do it yourself." Is there anything like that in Serbian?

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    2. Yeah.. there IS something similar.. I just need to properly translate it for you. It goes "If you don't want errors to be made - do it yourself" :)

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  12. Your new dress is cool! The blue swirls look both current and vintage at the same time.
    Bloglovin is always sending me silly emails about travel and current fashion trends. Obviously they don't have an algorithm (or however programs work) that tells then that I don't care about current trends.

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    1. Yup, you'd think they'd know better than to send people signed up to a whole list of vintage blogs bumf about current trends. I'll sometimes look at the things they recommend and feel like Alice in Wonderland, stuck in an utterly baffling world (where everyone is half my size, haha).

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  13. Hooray for the shopping! The two new vintage dresses look lovely, I like the prints on them both. I agree, fit is far more important than the number, though it took me a while to get my head around that! You are right to have clothes that make you feel good for your lovely holiday. I don't suppose you know who was selling the Welsh tapestry? It is my weakness!!

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    1. It is Baboushka: https://www.facebook.com/Baboushka-123529807813678/?fref=ts

      Tina collects Welsh tapestry, and has an amazing private stash, by all accounts - so you can be sure she knows her stuff and her stock is good.

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  14. How lovely to have met up with Vix again! Your dresses look lovely. I have never been to a vintage fair.

    I recently unsubscribed from all bloglovin emails as I was deleting so many xxx

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    1. I don't meet nearly enough bloggers. I am determined to hop on a train and visit both you and Gisela this summer.

      There's usually *something* to be found at a fair, even if it's just jewellery. I'm getting more and more into buying clothes from them now - though that could be because Vix is so excellent at finding stuff that'll fit me!

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  15. Fantastic approach to things, dear Mim. One really does have to live in, and dress for the hear and now, even if it isn't always our 100% ideal. I think it's fabulous that you were able to do a spot of shopping before your trip and can't begin to tell you how much I hope your getaway is an incredible one. Three years is a seriously long time to hope, dream and plan for a trip.

    Big hugs & many thanks for your wonderfully nice recent blog comments,
    ♥ Jessica

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  16. You've done brilliantly with your purchases, I hope you're enjoying wearing them on your fabulous trip!
    P.s. would love to hear about the Phoebe dress, as I was eyeing that one too...

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