My cousin Lizzie and I - both from the quaint little town of Shrewsbury - decided to embark on a new shopping experience in Manchester, which I realise isn't quite exciting enough to warrant the use of the word "embark", but nevertheless we found our Mecca in the shape of Primark.
Shrewsbury is home to a few of my high street favourites - H&M, New Look, Topshop, and that's about it - but what it is severely lacking is a Primark, for all those spur of the moment 5 items for under a tenner shop to which I would treat myself during my hellish finals last year in Cardiff. Unfortunately us Salopians must go a little further afield if we want to satisfy our bargain shop needs, but the 90 minute or so train journey was worth it just to be introduced to the loveliest Primark I have ever come across. And neither did it disappoint in its excellent organisation and surprising spaciousness, nor its fabulous array of SS14 products!
Somehow I managed to avert my gaze from the gorgeous selection of pastel knitwear (as my jumper obsession is obscene), but I was drawn to row upon row of printed and slogan tees, which I have been interested in investigating since the huge typography trend hit the high street. While I couldn't find much in the line of typography, there were a lot of cartoon and comic strip printed tees which very much appealed to my love of all things Disney (pre-Pixar obvs) and my cousin's obsession with all things superhero. My printed tee purchase, and one of my favourite buys of the day, was this adorable cat print tee, which for £5 was an absolute bargain for something so comfortable and bloody cute.
My next purchase was something that I definitely didn't need, as my striped top collection is extensive enough, but is a lovely cosy long-sleeved top which has been layering nicely with pinafore dresses and skirts alike (as you will see later...). Primark is very good at long and 3/4 sleeved basics so I tend to feel an obligation to reap the benefits everytime I enter the threshold, and I'm not sorry.
Now this next item is not something I usually go for, as I'm not generally that confident about my overall silhouette - separates or fairly shapeless one pieces are more suited to my shape and style - but it was in the sale for £5 and the lovely print and muted hues actually masked some of my lumps and bumps that I was insecure about. Can't wait for a special occasion so I can pair this with some chunky heels.
And last, but by no means least, I picked this little number on a whim whilst on the way to the cashdesk as it was only £2 and I fell in love with the cut out shoulder and dainty daisy print. Having not tried it on before buying, I ran the risk of it not being the perfect fit and, lo and behold, it wasn't. However, I wore it with my scuba skirt and Topshop Astrix boots out to dinner and, providing my bushy hair was covering the slightly gaping neckline, it went down a treat! Needless to say, my date wasn't too bothered about said gaping neckline...
Having not been blown away by the footwear selection in Manchester and incidentally craving a new pair of trainers as my trusty Vans rapidly deteriorate, I took the plunge and bought some Puma suede trainers from an extremely well-timed 40% sale selection on the Office website. I always worry when online shopping as I've always been one of those in betweeny sizes - really I'm a size 11 with size 4-5 feet, depending on a deluge of different criteria - but I am so impressed with the fit of my size 5 Puma suede trainers. They're slim enough not to need a pair or two of socks (which is what I often have to resort to regardless of the size of shoe) and provide lovely padded support around the ankle which, to my delight, didn't rub and still hasn't. I adore the colour, too; I was expecting a more muted maroon, but having a fresh, springy, raspberry shade trainer is immediately uplifting. Highly recommended! Unfortunately they are no longer in the sale, but £55 for a gorgeous new pair of sneaks isn't the biggest drop in the ocean.
My next set of treats came this weekend with my trip to Cardiff to stay with one of my university besties Nina. We had planned this for months as we couldn't pass up the offer to see James Vincent McMorrow playing in Bristol, so we were both pretty excited to be reunited and consequently be a bad influence on each other; we are both self-proclaimed splurgers when it comes to eating out, kooky clothes and brightly-coloured lippies.
Being slightly rushed for time, we didn't have the opportunity to go on a spree, but we did satisfy our lipstick cravings with 3 for 2 Revlon ColorBurst Matte and Lacquer Balms at Boots. We were both taken by the array of shades in both balms, but being fans of a more matte finish, Nina went for a brilliant purple shade called Shameless, and we were both swayed by this gorgeous rosy pink shade called Elusive, so dreamy.
Going back to my recent purchases from Primark, I was keen to showcase my new striped tee to fellow Breton enthusiast Nina, as well as my expanding tartan wardrobe. I've never shyed away from clashing prints and patterns, yet I hardly consider stripes and tartan as clashing, so all the more reason to team the tee with my Asda tartan skirt and almost matching tartan jacket which I picked up in a local charity shop for £6. Complete with new sneaks, here is my I'm-too-comfy-and-happy-to-care-about-torrential-rain Sunday afternoon tea in Cardiff outfit. Apologies for terrible picture quality again; smartphone camera and bleak Sunday greyness to blame.
If you ever happen to be in Cardiff, you just have to get high tea from Barker Tea Rooms in the High Street Arcade, it's just dreamy!
I'm hoping to have more opportunities for Spring outfits soon, but in the meanwhile, posts may continue to be inundated with layers upon layers and knits. Look out for Spring-worthy high-waisted River Island trousers and knee-length cardigans coming soon...but until then, hasta pronto.
eleanorrosemary x
No comments:
Post a Comment