sweater

Animal sweater: Vintage . Skater skirt: Primark . Platform boots: Topshop . Glitter-trim socks: H&M . Leather satchel: Charity shop

I am, what is clinically referred to as, a hoarder, and a pretty bad example of one. Although I had a good clear-out a couple of months ago, my rather modest wardrobe is already suffering from a few (apparently too many) items of clothing. But an area of my wardrobe I cannot seem to shift is one that falls into the "but when it's really cold I'll definitely need them" or "they're just handy to have" categories, and therefore remains piled up at the bottom of said worn out wardrobe; jumpers.

They range from the humble chunky knit, those hoodies you get from various university functions or societies that you couldn't possibly throw away because of the "sentimental value" - enter garish, bright red, oversized zip-up Cardiff University Kickboxing Society hoodie, which aptly reads "Go hard or go home" on the back, *sigh* - and then amongst the mix you find a few gems that have been forgotten due to being lost in the milieu of knit. One of these gems comes in the shape of this adorable sweater that was very kindly given to me as a gift from my sister during one of her trips to Brighton a few years ago.

I absolutely adore Brighton for the amazingly wild and wacky vintage and completely original pieces that you can merely stumble across whilst mooching down any of its cool little streets. I do think my sister struck gold with this jumper though as I've yet to see something quite so unique. Admittedly, I haven't worn it half as much as I should be, but now I've found this cute Spring-y outfit, I'll be definitely wearing it more.

As for the leather saddle bag, I think it shows that although charity shop shopping can often seem futile, especially when everyone else appears to be picking up amazing pieces from every charity shop under the sun, and all you can find is a potentially cool (probably faux) silk scarf and an oversized man's blazer which is that bit too oversized, every now and then you can be super lucky and come across a genuine leather bag for under a tenner (and doing your bit for charity let's not forget!) like this one. I did have to get the strap fixed, but since then it has been a fantastic, versatile satchel, fitting just the right amount of junk for the day, and being gorgeously unique.

My advice, then, is not to become too despondent with unsuccessful charity shop ventures, as there are still soooo many gorgeous, vintage-inspired pieces on the high street or at independent online retailers, but you could always pop to Brighton to satisfy a vintage urge...but in the meanwhile, hasta luego.
eleanorrosemary x