Penny Pinching Fashion

It’s the end of January and many of us are clawing on to our last pennies until payday (everyone hates the six week pay gap between Christmas and end of January!)

With all the sales on, it is difficult not to get drawn in (for example, Zara has a cracking sale on at the moment with their trousers/skirts selling for £9, and their blouses/shirt dresses going for just a fiver).

So instead of buying more clothes, as there is physically no room left anywhere in my flat for them, I decided to root through my drawers and see what I could find. I’m talking right to the bottom, where the bandage skirts and peplum tops are!

What I came up with had a geek chic inspiration, as it was an outfit for work but I wanted it to have a cheeky edge and be a bit playful.

I used a bit of layering with the kitted statement jumper (Next) and chiffon blouse (Primark) underneath – although it is winter, it has been particularly mild this year so too many layers would have been sweltering, especially on my power-walk into work. No, I am not a morning exerciser, I have severe issues with timekeeping… 
The skater skirt (about £6, Amazon) was a firm favourite from when I was about 18; I love the burgundy wine colour plus it is RATHER short, so being A-line skater style makes it appear more acceptable for the office.

The accessories are an accumulation of fashion internships and sales over the years. The bangles were from Fabulous magazine's fashion cupboard, as were the oversized geek glasses (which look so adorable but as I have never worn glasses they give me chronic headaches but totally worth it!) The brown leather watch with oversized gold face and Roman numerals was from Red Herring from a Debenhams Blue X Sale about 4 years ago. The bone-style Aztec necklace was from Dorothy Perkins from 2012/13 when the whole Aztec print and statement jewellery started doing the rounds – still a gorgeous piece and always gets compliments for its versatility and intricate design.

The black boots were an eBay purchase, drawn to my attention by Daisy Street. I love the panelling on them and the chunky heel with the gold buckles gives them a biker chick feel, but with the ability to still look feminine. Plus they are super comfy, and with a heel of 4 inches, you can get away with them on a night out – win win! 
If you let your hypothalamus dictate your temperature rather than your insatiable need to look good (unlike me), then try a pair of patterned tights instead of going bare-legged. Primark have a fantastic selection for £2.50 per pair. I recently picked up a gorgeous pair of 10 denier with dark love heart prints all the way up the legs - super cute and an absolute bargain.