Designer Consignment – Second Hand Designer Fashion at a Fraction of its Original Price Tag

Recently, I have become obsessed with this kind of shopping experience. After purchasing an immaculate and authenticated Louis Vuitton Speedy 35, in Damier Ebene (A bag I have dreamt of owning for a long time), I am now completely addicted to designer consignment. This kind of establishment can take many names, some examples are; Dress agency, pre-loved store, designer consignment, vintage designer and second hand.

 

This Blog post offers a guide to some of my favourite designer consignment shops. I have found these little gems after hours of trawling the internet, along with looking into any that are advertised in the back of high-fashion glossy magazines (Vogue has a lovely selection of vintage/second hand designer outlets on its back pages).

I have organised the shops into geographical areas, along with detailing some of the better online stores. It is unfortunate for me – living up North – that most of the larger shops are based in London, with only some offering the option to buy online and this is also sometimes limited to a small selection of items they have in stock. Never-the-less, there are still a good selection of stores in more northern territories, especially surrounding the Manchester area. The online shops detailed below have an excellent selection of items. Remember, this is only a small selection, there are many more around the country.

London

Pandora – Knightsbridge www.pandoradressagency.com

The Dresser – Connaught Village www.thedresseronline.co.uk

The South

Secrets – Weybridge, Surrey www.secretsdressagency.co.uk

The North

Elite – Altrincham and Manchester www.elitedressagency.com

Worsley Dress Agency – Worsely, Manchester.

Online

The Dresser Online - www.thedresseronline.co.uk

Champagne and Lemonade – www.champagneandlemonade.com  

High Fashion Society – www.highfashionsociety.com

Of course, these shops are by no means cheap, but I feel the prices are fair and certainly a lot more affordable.

However, if you are looking for a bargain, I once spent an afternoon searching the charity shops on Kensington high-street and found everything from Zara to Prada. Charity shops in the more affluent parts of London are most definitely worth a try, believe me there are bargains to be had.

Have you got any experience of designer consignment? Any shops you think I should know about?

Boots No 7 Day and Night Moisturisers

As I have written about in a previous blog post, I am on a quest for a skin care regime that will halt the aging process for as long as possible!

 It’s hard to know what you should be doing in your mid-twenties in regards to skin care as everyone is different, but I feel having a child and all that entails, along with endless partying during my university days has probably resulted in me having the skin age of a 30 year old, or older!

I figured that, if I start looking after myself now, maybe the ageing process will slow down a little (I can hope!).  This brings me onto to a lovely Christmas gift I received from my brother. The Christmas gift being, Boots’ No 7 Day and Night moisturiser, along with lots of other lovely beauty treats.

Although the creams range from £20-£30, which is at the high-end of the price range I have been focussing on, they can often be bought on 3 for 2 offers or in gift-sets which makes them more affordable.  

I have been using these creams now, for a little over a week and I must say this is the closest yet I have found to my ‘miracle cream’. My skin is most definitely softer and smoother, which makes make-up application a dream. I have also noticed the time in which blemishes take to disappear seems to have decreased significantly.

I have looked at the ingredients and undertaken a little comparison research and found that there is sufficient evidence to support my findings. There is a unique anti-oxidant complex which prevents further damage and supports collagen restructuring. A more interesting set of ingredients is the combination of peptides – including a Lupin seed extract – which aids skin repair and structural protein damage. This would correlate with my thoughts on the speed in which blemishes took to go.

I have also been told the eye serum is worth a try, so I may add this into the mix!

I will continue using these until they run out and let you know if they are still impressing. Have you tried any of the Boots No 7 range?

Lizzie xxx

 

Sale Shopping Wish List

You either love sale shopping or you don’t. I don’t like the busyness – partly because, busy shops and a buggy don’t mix well – but I do love a bargain. I feel making a wish list or simply knowing what you are going for, helps enormously with decreasing the stress of sale shopping.

My wish list includes; a fur coat, wedged ankle boots, a warehouse 1920s style dress and beauty product bargains!

 

Boots – Zara £79.99

Coat – Topshop £250

Dress – Warehouse £130

Do you have a wish list?

Lizzie xxx

Saying Goodbye to 2012 and Welcoming 2013

2012 has been an eventful year, most definitely one of the hardest yet, but also one of the most fulfilling.

The highlights of 2012 include; 2 wonderful weddings (watching my little girl be bridesmaid/ flower girl for both – very proud moments!), completion of my MA (this being the hard part), holidays, birthdays, my daughters nativity and learning to love reading and writing.

The final highlight on the list will hopefully continue into 2013. You can never be sure what will happen in the future, things always seem to come along that are totally unexpected, but I will certainly endeavour to continue to educate myself. I am looking into a Sage course (trying to remember some of my accountancy degree!) amongst other things, to keep my mind occupied and enhance career opportunities.

Another hope for 2013 is concerned with the position I find myself in relational to homeownership, or lack of it! ‘Generation Rent’ as it has been termed, is something that also always plays on my mind. A lot of people I speak to are in a similar situation, where we pay rent money straight into a landlord’s pocket, making it dead money to us. Being able to put that money into a house I will one-day own outright is a much more pleasing prospect.     

New Year’s resolutions are either something you do or don’t do. I always make them, sometimes keep them, sometimes don’t! This year I am setting a realistic goal, I intend to go swimming once a week and I am leaving it at that!

We cannot predict though can we, so whatever will be, will be. What do you hope your 2013 will bring?

Lizzie xxx

The 1920s – Flappers, Charleston, Great Gatsby and a whole lot more!

With Baz Luhrmann’s newest film, The Great Gatsby gracing our screen this summer (2013) I am thrilled to think that all things 1920s could make a HUGE come-back.

What is it about this era that is so appealing? I am especially a sucker for the dance styles of this period, for example the Charleston. This cheeky and slap-stick dance has me reaching for my dancing shoes. I just wish the clubs and bars of Leeds were full of this kind of dancing, but this is sadly not the case, so I will have to settle for my Saturday night fix of strictly... for now.   

 

The fashion of the day is also something that I find fascinating, and I am hoping this film will have an impact on the high-street. Some pieces can already be found in Topshop, so I’m hoping this is a sign of things to come.

Not only was the clothing so unique, but the jewellery was too. I have instructed my partner - of 4 years – that if he considers proposing one day, it better be with an antique, 1920s art deco ring!  

 

The strings of pearls, flapper head dresses, tassels and feathers set me off into a fashion frenzy.

Please let there be a big 1920s revival, do you think there will be?

Lizzie

The Guilt Trip

The Guilt Trip

My two year old has just had a full week at nursery without tears. This needs writing about!

Usually however she has got the guilt trip off to a T, as soon as we walk through the door the water works turn on and I’m left feeling like an awful mother! I know full well I am not alone in this with the knowing looks and smiles from other mums, but this doesn’t make it any easier.

Once she cried so much she was sick on me (well this happened a few times), that important lecture had to take a back burner while I went home and got changed! It is also very hard to be stylish in these situations so that also had to get pushed aside.

 This week however has been amazing, and I don’t know what has prompted the change in behaviour, but I’m not complaining that’s for sure. I am worried though, that after a nice weekend with the family it could mean she reverts back to her old ways.

Anyone have these problems and want to enlighten me on a way to solving them?

Lizzie.  

You Look So Different!

I have a personalquest for myself, ever since having my little girl and then loosing the babyweight people are telling me- ‘you look so different to how you use to’. Now I knowthis is not a good different, you can tell in the tone! Apparently my faceshape has changed! This I have taken to meaning I have wrinkles, or ‘laughterlines’ as my mum likes to call them.

My personal quest thereforeis to try all the anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, creams, serums and whatever else I canfind to try and stop the dreaded wrinkles!

I am starting offwith a free 14- day trial of  GarnierUltraLift. Heres the link if you want to try it with me.  http://www.garnier.co.uk/_en/_gb/home.aspx?cm_mmc=sem-_-google-_-google-_-garnier&gclid=CI33ta-N37ACFUdItAodNglPuw

I think I will then goonto the Manuka Doctor skincare range that seems to be getting a lot of pressat the moment.

Anyone have thisproblem? Do you know of anything I should be trying?

Lizzie