Grey makes me feel colourful

I think it would be all too easy to feel flat and grim wearing grey - but I love it. It isn't as harsh as black but looks classic and smart however you wear it - and it's a very good shade to add any and all the colours too to add some excitement to your look without having to go for the bold patterns and colours I would wear that others might shy away from.

You can make any outfit look bright with accessories - as this necklace that my kids call the planets clearly shows! 

This little grey jumper dress is from Asda a couple of years ago, it's holding up well and has kept its shape despite my aversion to irons and much wear and washing. 

Now I need to work on finding some more flattering trousers to wear underneath - this jersey pair, though more comfortable than anything on earth, look misshapen and lumpy these days - I can get away with it at home with that small man for company, but perhaps not so much out and about! 

He's a blur - he's a busy little man - but he too likes a bit of grey ;-) 

How do you wear grey? Show me what YOU'RE rocking x

In interview outfit

I had a meeting with someone recently which I hope will lead to some work. I wanted to look smart and capable, so I opted for something I felt good in that wasn't shabby. 

This blue dress, from Asda, is always a favourite - it fits well, it's flattering, it has a built in belt under the bust and goes well with just about any shoes or cardigan. 

I paired it with a black (maternity, shh) cardigan I was given when I was expecting my youngest son, which I love because it ties with a ribbon and always feels extra smart over my other with buttons. 

A pair of thick tights and some smart shoes, then the cameo necklace I adore, and you almost couldn't tell that my glasses are wonky! 

I added the new fake fur coat I was given, because after all you can't take the me out of clothes even for an interview, and kaboom I was ready to go. 

Smart casual...

With family coming to visit I wanted to look nice, but be warm and comfortable (old house cold house is so true!) so I popped this little ensemble together for the day.

Thick tights - wonderful for warmth AND tummy squashing magic. 

Floral wrap dress - an old favourite seen in early posts from Asda's sale rails, which I adjusted to fit better as it was a bit of an odd shape.

White polo neck - a basic from New Look that was around seven pounds, because we ALL ought to have these kinds of basics, it's practically the law.

Big fat belt from Peacocks - seen better days, gradually dying, ought to be replaced. 

Headband from Asda - you all recall the big DIY haircut and The Fringe - I'm growing it out at the moment (man alive but a fringe is high maintenance) and so rocking lots of headbands and hairclips. The added advantage of headbands is that they're basically a hat that you're allowed to wear indoors. Useful when you live in a giant refrigerator in the Somerset countryside. 

All the colours - again!

It's probably quite obvious by now that I like bright colours - ALL the colours. Hence my mad love of this dress. It's slinky, colourful, and faintly ridiculous. What's not to love?!

I'm pretty sure I got it at George in Asda, and think it was around £5 but I bought it quite a while ago so I could be wrong. It was definitely less than £8. 

The cardigan is one I had as a hand-me-down - and is, actually, a maternity one - but I don't think that's obvious! I love it and even though I've had it for a couple of years now, and it wasn't new then, it still looks perfect and is SUPER comfortable to boot. It's a jojo maman bebe one - so no way was it less than £10 - but to me it was free, so baboom! 

I'm wearing the Liberty print wedges of wonder and purple tights too - and - joy of joys - after a hideous gastric flu attack I lost some weight and had to poke a new hole in my belt this morning! 

All in all a good #WhatYouRocking day!

What did you wear today? 

Peach

I do so love my peach crochet top - I found it in a sale (New Look) and it is the kind of thing I never normally buy - or even try on - but is also the kind of thing my very trendy sister-in-law (who is much younger and prettier than I) often wears, and I always think she looks gorgeous. 

So now I am going to bore everyone I have ever known by wearing it far too often, until it falls into pieces. 

Huge heels - New Look - Owl Bag - Ebay - Massive Cardi - TKMaxx - Skirt - Asda - overall look - floral, pastel goodness

And just to stop me looking TOO cutesy - this amazing skull cameo broach from a blogger charity raffle. 

Your turn!

I get asked a lot how I find clothes at such good prices, and how I always have so many things to wear.


So here's a little gift from me to you.


These are available, right now, online, all for less than £10.

George at Asda, £9.00 

George at Asda, £7.00

George at Asda, £7.00

George at Asda, £6.00

George at Asda, £6.00

Ok, so they are all from Asda. You might have noticed I get lots of my things from there. You want to know why? Because they have great prices, they use nice fabrics for the cost and they make things well. Those things wash, they are bright colours, and they make me happy.

So you should go and buy their nice clothes, for bargain prices, and then rock the crap out of them all over the place.

You can also get these sale items in store, with even more variety. If you wait another week, towards the end of the sale, they'll drop the prices even more. You might have less choices but they will be even lower prices, and you can honest to goodness get some real treasures. 

Go! 

Another Monday came!

Another Monday arrived and, after a weekend of some serious party, I was tooooooo tired for thinking about what to wear. Or heels. 


I know.


So this is what I rocked. 

That's right, I banged on FLAT SHOES and a proper old lady cardi. Oh yes I did. 

The cardi is one my husband bought for me, he got it in Asda (we both love their clothes!) and I don't know what he paid, he says probably £5. It was definitely in the sale so won't have been much.

It isn't often I can't remember where I got something - but I do not remember where I got these shoes. I remember getting them shortly after our wedding - so this time two years ago - but I don't recall where from, or what I paid. I'm not crazy about flat shoes so they don't really stand out in my mind, I probably went into town in something totally unsuitable and wanted to go on the beach so grabbed these from some bargain bucket somewhere. They're comfy, ish, and I do love the beading. I also REALLY need to paint my nails.

If you've read any of my other posts you'll know this dress already - Peacocks, strawberry print.

The belt is also Peacocks and people always comment on it - it was in the sale, it was £4. I love it, but it is started to droop! 

I was comfortable, I felt good, and the outfit was very inexpensive! Even when I want to be a bit of a slob, and just pull on sandals and a cardigan, I think it can still look ok! 

Flowery June

For a day that had some actual sunshine I thought I would dress in flowers. I do love flowers.

The t-shirt came from Asda (of course) and I was very pleased to get it for just £2 in the sale - it has a wee pocket on my left boob that I could do without, but it's a lovely soft cotton, and I like the colours of the flowers because I can pretty much pair it with anything and it'll go somehow. 

The skirt was from a charity shop - one in Dorchester for a local hospice - and it was £6. Today was the first time I wore it because it was too small when I first bought it (I never try things on in charity shops because I figure if it doesn't fit I can donate it back and I just made a donation) I absolutely love the detail around the hem. 

The shoes are these previous stars - £16 from Matalan (available in other colours and I do keep thinking about going back for the light blue ones, but I already have blue wedges!) and I adore the colour (which matches the skinny belt - also from Matalan, two for £3) 

I loved my outfit today - and all in it cost me £25.50

I was also complimented by a gay man, and that, my friends, means it's a success. (I'm ignoring the comment I got on Instagram from a foot fetish oddbod - we'll just gloss over that!) 

Don't forget to blog your own #whatyourocking and add your post to the (so far very quiet) linky! Don't leave me hanging! 

#WhatYouRocking

Just another Monday

Today I wore one of my favourite outfits. I LOVE this top - I love the collar, I love the tiny velvety spots all over it, I love that there's a button on the back at the neck, I love that it's just a bit see-through (I wear a vest underneath for work!) and I love that it is just sexy enough to stop me looking too smart!


The top is, of course, from Asda, and I, of course, got it in their sale - I paid £5 for it, which was a bargain for something I love so much, even by my standards. 


I am wearing a vest underneath that was 2 for £3 in Peacocks. 


The skirt was a real treasure. I got it in a charity shop - one for a local charity that cares for premature children and young mothers - for £6. It was pretty unflattering when I got it - mid shin, A line, not a great shape or style - but a lovely fit around the waist and nice, soft fabric in a good colour.


I cut the skirt considerably shorter (saving the excess fabric for some possible future project - you never know!) and shaped it to be more pencil skirt than rara skirt. It is now a lovely shape, and makes me feel, as some twitter friends would say, shminky. 


I paired the skirt and blouse with a chunky belt (Peacocks, £4) and the New Look heels (£16) that you've already seen a lot of. 


I also popped on a coat - Peacocks, £10 - that is pretending to be sheepskin but is some kind of pretend fabric. Super soft and can go in the washing machine! 


All in this outfit cost £18 (we don't count shoes and coats in the cost of #WhatYouRocking remember - those are bought for MANY outfits!) which is, by anyone's standards, an absolute bargain - and I felt pretty darned hot! 




What did you wear this fine Monday?

Sparkle

Today I changed about twenty times before I left the house, having slept through my alarm - if I wake with plenty of time I wear the first thing I spot and don't fuss much but today I fussed and fussed!


Silly really because I ended up in a really simple outfit.


I love this dress because of the sparkly sweetheart collar. It's yet another Asda find - I think I paid £8, possibly £10. It means I don't have to think about jewellery because I can't wear a necklace with it anyway, and it sparkles and glimmers when I move, which makes me feel all special.


It is also a flattering fit and I can wear a skinny belt, a wide belt or no belt and still feel good in it.


This skinny coral belt came with the dress my husband bought me that I posted here so cost nothing extra - the matching shoes I bought for a Jubilee party (to go with that dress too!) and they were £16 in Matalan.
















They're really comfortable but a little wide over the toes so clumpy to walk in!
























This bangle here I got in the British Heart Foundation charity shop and it was about £2 and I love it - but it's silver and enamel so weighs rather a lot!










By the way - the pink things at the top of the shoes photo are my knuckles. No matter what Tamsin might say!

A touch of blue

Today I couldn't decide how to dress - it's June so it should be summer - but it's not is it?!

I ended opting for this dress - I do love it, but it is a bit big and I constantly fiddle with it to keep my bra covered up, with varied levels of success.

The dress came from the last day of a sale in asda and cost £2.

The skirt on it was a bit of an odd style and some of the seam had pulled leaving a hole so I machine stitched it into a more flattering style and removed the skinny blue belt and always wear it with a chunky waist belt.

This sparkly one was £2.50 in Oxfam.

I got the necklace from a market stall for £5 and the earrings are from the British Heart Foundation - I think they were £4.

I have on a black cardigan, also from Asda from a couple of years back, and bright blue tights that are also a couple of years old and from a New Look sale bin.

Same shoes as yesterday - £16 from New Look - and topped off with a three year old white jacket from Peacocks, I paid £7 for it and love the bow on the back!

There are always real bargains to be had if you hold off until the last day of a sale - you might have less choice but with some imagination you can alter things and really change how they look to suit your style, and you'll be rocking something nobody else has.

Welcome

Welcome to What You Rocking?

Some of you may have seen my first aborted attempt to blog the What You Rocking thing - it was rapidly abandoned as it floundered along its way.

In place of the blog I stripped it right back to basics and have been using the #whatyourocking hashtag on Instagram and on Twitter - and a fair few people along the way have started joining in. Some are aware of the background, some aren't - and either way it's been amazing to see people from far and wide using the tag and enjoying fashion and style, in a thrifty way!

The idea behind What You Rocking isn't just style - it's about feeling amazing, thinking about what you're putting together, and doing it on a budget. 

With my own #Whatyourocking pictures the general rule is that the outfit has almost always cost me less than £30 to put together - and I very, very rarely spend more than £10 on one item of clothing - though I might push the boat out for shoes and double up the budget! 

I am fanatical about bargain hunting and always on the look out for something different that I can style up. I have some basic sewing skills, a mad love for bright colours and tend to go a bit bold and OTT. 

I do most of my shopping from sale rails and charity shops, think TKMaxx is like Mecca and take huge delight in saying things like "You like it? FOUR POUNDS IN ASDA!" when people compliment my dress. 

If you want to rock some fabulous style and have tight purse strings to do it with, stick around - I have a lot to teach you grasshopper. 

Dress - Asda, £5. Shoes, New Look, £16. Necklace, Matalan, £2.