Saturday 23 March 2019

Sweet charity

We're more than halfway through March, and Spring has officially sprung. I'm usually bored with my Winter wardrobe by now, and this year is certainly no exception.

In all honesty, the season could hardly be classed as Winter in terms of weather. We've only had a handful of frosty days and there was even less snow than usual. Instead, it seemed like one long, grey and wet Autumn (the nasty stage!) merging into early Spring.

No wait, we already had Spring, didn't we? It was the sunny intermezzo we had for two weeks or so in February, which was followed by very windy and very wet weather.


This is the time of year when I'm critically eyeing my Winter wardrobe, looking at any unworn items and putting aside anything I don't think I'll ever wear again. This, mind you, isn't an easy task, as I usually find it hard to part with things I once loved. But I'm learning! Baby steps, though.

The absence of a really cold Winter means that there are quite a few - more than usual - unworn things in my wardrobe. My warmest dresses, woollen skirts and jumpers: I hardly had any use for them and, unless we're faced with a very late Beast from the East, I'm probably done with them for this season.

Last Saturday, as a last attempt to wear any other items which remained unworn, I pulled out this handmade shift dress, which has the grooviest of prints.


When I found it at Blender Vintage Shop, a gem of a shop that's sadly no longer trading, the sleeves had turned-up cuffs closing with two gold buttons.

However, the turn-ups made the sleeves a tiny bit too short and too narrow, which is why I hardly ever wore it. But oh, I loved that print, and pretty much else about the dress, apart from those pesky sleeves. So, I took it out, had a good look at the cuffs and noticed that the finish looked quite alright on the reverse side. Thus, I removed the buttons and moved them to what was once the inside of the cuffs, making the sleeves longer and less restricted in the process. Oh, and I replaced those boring gold ones with ... green buttons!


It's obvious that it's not going to exit my wardrobe any time soon now!

I topped my frock with a burnt orange cardigan, to which I pinned a brown-bodied cat brooch, a present from Goody.  Brown vintage beads and a plastic orange ring with shimmering green specks were my other accessories.



The rain had temporarily stopped, but with a gale force wind blowing, the weather was best suited for staying indoors. However, we did escape for a brief charity shop rummage after lunch.

I was back to wearing my Princess coat and was glad of its warmth with all that wind. My sage green beret came from Think Twice and the orange plaid scarf was a charity shop find.

So were the boots, which cost all of € 2, and which I've been wearing constantly. They are super comfortable, their only disadvantage being that they are pull-on ones. I'm also wearing an old pair of green opaques.

We drove down to a charity shop we hardly ever visit these days, to have a look at the leftovers of Retrodag. I almost got a fit when I saw a vintage handbag - OK, it was a nice one but still - priced at € 50. I actually threw it down in disgust ...



Purely out of habit, I had a look at the jewellery, some of which is displayed in a - very scratched - glass topped drawer built into the counter. I thought I detected a carved celluloid brooch, and if my eyes weren't deceiving me, its price label said € 1.

I wasted no time in asking if I could have a look at the drawer's contents.

These are the ones that came home with me for the ridiculous total price of € 7. I admit I couldn't help gloating just a little bit.



On the top left is the brooch I'd first spied. Continuing clockwise, this one is very similar to one I've already got, but at € 1 I wasn't going to leave it behind. In the end, it turned out to be sufficiently different to justify keeping them both. 

The delicate brooch on the bottom right might be missing some of its little flowers, but € 0,50 seemed a fair price for it. The little holes on both sides of the stag brooch (bottom left) are a clear indication that something is missing from it, although I have no idea what. It's perfectly wearable, though, and at € 1, I was prepared to give it a home.


Scottie dogs were a popular subject for brooches and other novelty jewellery from the 1930s onwards. I'm presuming these two are 1950s.

The twosome of dogs on the left used to have movable heads but age, possibly with the aid of some glue, has put paid to any further movement.

The brown Scottie beating a drum was priced at € 0,5. This in itself was sweet revenge for the ridiculously priced handbag, as I already have two of these brooches. See here. I don't remember what I paid for the plain green one which was bought from an antiques shop in Cardigan, but my blog tells me I paid € 20 (with reduction!) for the black one, found at a flea market last year.



I'm always on the lookout for cheap 'n cheerful vintage novelty brooches. These charming ones were € 0,50 each. My favourite is the one on the bottom right, the girl holding an umbrella over a gaggle of ducks.

Needless to say, I'm very pleased with my haul, as brooch pickings had been rather meagre lately.



Before going home, we stopped at the charity shop in our village, where the Retrodag remnants included six egg cups with matching spoons, still in their original packing, as well as an Emsa party dish.

The egg cups have been added to our kitchen display, while the party dish has already been roped in to house some of my jewellery collection.



So that were our charity shop finds, but I still need to show you what I picked up earlier that week at Think Twice, who were having another one of their famous sales.

It had been quite a while since I had a decent haul there as well.

The floral Diolen frock with its butterfly sleeves was € 5. Its print is very reminiscent of the one in this dress.


As a lover of green, I simply can't have enough green frocks! Isn't this one fabulous? I fell in love with its mix of plain green and printed bodice and its gorgeous chevron patterned skirt. This was € 5 as well.


This plain green dress (yes, another one!) isn't even vintage but from Belgian label Wow To Go. 

Back in 2012, I used to have the same model of dress but in burgundy, with a burgundy and turquoise striped bodice. I dearly loved that dress but it had become too snug, so eventually I gave it away to a friend.

You can see part of it in this photo dating from way back. Note the very short hair and the tiny spectacles. And Phoebe!



As this green version is a perfect fit and in pristine condition, I couldn't hand over my € 4 fast enough.

Meanwhile, I've selected some dresses and other stuff I no longer love and bagged them up ready for our next trip to the charity shops. 

There, you see, I can do it!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style!



34 comments:

  1. You give it away to charity? Perfekt! it's a cycle.;)
    This green dress looks amazing. Great you have it already in burgundy ;)
    The last two days were wonderful spring days, but tomorrow it will be over, and windy rainy weather is coming again.
    I wish you a wonderful weekend, with a very huge hug Tina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I usually make a pile of things to give to charity, and another one of - mostly vintage - things I think will sell at our yearly flea market. But space is limited, and if I keep things for too long, they might end up in my wardrobe again ;-) xxx

      Delete
  2. Well done, Ann! ;) It's time I do a bit of a clean out too! I love your groovy shift dress! The colours and print is fabulous. Those boots and opaques complement it perfectly. Your new green dresses are pretty too. I'm also impressed with your awesome brooch haul! Love the scotty dogs! Hope you're having a great weekend, Ann! XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sasha! The Scottie dogs are my favourites too! xxx

      Delete
  3. How great you could alter that dress and make it work for you, it looks beautiful! You scored such a good deal with the brooches too, so many cute ones! :)

    Hope you are having a lovely weekend :) It's a quiet one here as it's still so hot, too hot for autumn!

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mica! I'm not a sewer, but through the years I've picked up a couple of skills, which are almost a necessity when most of your clothes are vintage or second hand ... xxx

      Delete
  4. Well done on the declutter! I've done the same to make up for all my new additions!
    Loving the fabulous psych dress, so glad it got an outing. Green buttons are so much more exciting than gold! Love the orange cardi with it, such a zingy combination.
    Thank goodness you got some bargains after the handbag debacle. Some charity shops are seriously deluded charging vintage fair prices for goods they've been given for nothing. Love all the brooches and that wonderful kitchen set.
    Your new frocks are fab. Fancy having the twin of the green one. Love your short hair there! Good to see Phoebe, too! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't abide gold buttons, which get replaced every time. This particular shop is notorious for its outrageous prices, but they often have a good selection of vintage frocks. Not this time, though. Those brooches more than made up for it! xxx

      Delete
  5. I'm so glad you were able to rescue the green pattern dress after doing a MacGyver on the sleeves! (Are you familiar with the 80s show, MacGyver, where the hero always managed to get out of tight situations with things like hair pins and duct tape?) It is clear you love the dress--and rightly so! It looks great on you. Your other thrift finds are treasures as well! Congratulations on shipping some stuff out while discovering new beauties!

    Hugs,
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sherry! Yes, I am familiar with MacGyver, which did make it to Belgium. I used to have colleague who was handy with duct tape Etc., whom we called MacGyver! xxx

      Delete
  6. Snap I've got the double scottie dog brooch except mine are both white.
    I love the print on your shift dress and youve matched the tights beautifully.
    Im wearing a combination of winter and summer clothes by layering petticoats under summer frocks and adding cardigans on top. Sometimes I colour coordinate a long sleeve thermal vest under short sleeve frocks. Still wearing tights and boots though.
    Could do with a decluttering session on jumpers and blouses I think. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fancy you having the my double scottie dog brooch's twin. The scottie dog quadruplets! Can they still move their heads? Oh, and I'm very much a layering girl myself! xxx

      Delete
  7. My goodness what a bargains! Those dresses are fabulous! I need to shop with you! Btw, is there any other way to subscribe to your blog, because I am missing out a lot and I don't get any notifications!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Nancy! I'm not very technical, so I've no idea why you are not getting any notifications. But if you are on Facebook, you can also follow me there: https://www.facebook.com/polyesterprincess55

      Delete
  8. One of the tricks a friend taught me for passing on the pieces I don't wear is to actually to thank the pieces and tell them that although you once loved them, they no longer fit into your life. You'd be surprised just how liberating that is. I don't feel as much guilt about getting rid of the pieces.

    What a smart idea using that party bowl for jewellery storage.

    You've had a good run on dresses again. The green dresses are fun. They will be beautiful with your hair colour.

    You did a great job on fixing the cuffs on that dress. I love the green buttons you chose.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll keep that in mind, Suzanne! Oh, and I already have several of such party bowls to store my jewellery. xxx

      Delete
  9. Oh my goodness haven't you dine well. I just love the brooches and of course they made up for the ridiculous price of the handbag! The novelty brooches are enchanting; I don't think I've ever seen any like these on my travels...

    I loved all your dresses and your first outfit was beautiful and so beautifully co-ordinated.

    What a clever idea to use a kitchen dish for jewellery storage; I need more necklace storage and have been looking in vain for more necklace hangers.Hopefully, something will turn up soon!

    Hope you have settled weather this week; we look as if we might. Fingers crossed and have a fab week.
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Veronica! I love these novelty brooches, but they usually don't come this cheap. I bought a clever necklace storage thingy some time ago, an ex-shop display unit for zippers. And I have a multi-tiered party bowl for my rings. Still, I keep running out of space ... xxx

      Delete
  10. Orange and green are such a fab combination and it's a great dress. Your green button upcycle really works well.
    Those cups are just my cup of tea!
    I love the photo of you with short hair, it suits you :) xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sally! I'm forever changing buttons and I've got quite a stash. The egg cups are delightful, aren't they? xxx

      Delete
  11. That is SO clever about the cuffs! Excellent 'make do' spirit. And what a lovely set of Spring green dresses. You are all set for sunnier days (the Beast can skip this year thank you!). Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah! That's what you get when you buy vintage all the time, you do pick up a skill or two along the way! xxx

      Delete
  12. What a great haul of brooches and dresses.

    ReplyDelete
  13. gorgeous haul!!
    the last green dress is definitely made from an vintage pattern - 30s i think.
    and so many brooches for such fun prices! love the one with the paillettes (?)
    after a few very warm sunny days we are back to normal with stormy winds, icy rain and gray sky..... but i already packed away the fur lined boots, most of the heavy sweaters and skirts and the ski clothes :-D
    hugsies! xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Beate! I do think it was based on a vintage pattern as well. Oh, and I too have packed away my warmest clothes by now. Very daring of you to do so! xxx

      Delete
  14. Good work on weeding out the garments you no longer love, Ann! It's hard, isn't it? To get rid of things you once loved - it's like giving away books (for me, also an issue). They're family! I will be doing my giant closet swapover this weekend, and I'm excited/dreading it.

    Love your funky retro-print dress, and well done on fixing the cuffs! You certainly did well with all those brooches! The cut-out ones appeal to me - such bargains, too!

    I love that Wow dress, and aw, look at you and Phoebe! So cute! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, getting rid of books is just heartbreaking! I could only take part of my Dad's books home, and it was such a wrench. I've started my swapover too, but as I don't have a walk-in closet (the stuff of dreams for me), I need to do it bit by bit. xxx

      Delete
  15. Glad that you could make this dress sleeves longer and more comfortable, great job! and it's a lovely dress in a lovely outfit with the rust color cardi and fab coat!
    And also glad that you found those cute brooches!, and green dresses! (both of them are fabulous!).
    I've been making my first winter clothes inspection too, and storing some of the warmer coats. Now I have to pick what is going to the donation bag, which is a hard work!

    And you look adorable in the last pic, your hair looked lovely!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you Monica! Yes, it is hard work, but I did manage to give 4 bags to charity already and I've already started a 5th. I really, really need to declutter! xxx

      Delete
  16. Aaaah you had a good haul there! And 50 Euros for a bag in a charity shop is ridiculous - it'd have to be a really good one for me to even consider spending that much with a specialist dealer. Good job you spotted those brooches.

    I have loads of old clothes stashed away; getting rid of them would feel too much like getting rid of memories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, € 50 is absolutely crazy. It was a nice one, but I have a similar one in another colour, which I think was € 8. I'm getting better at getting rid of things, but there are some old clothes I will never part with, even if I can't wear them anymore. xxx

      Delete
  17. Well done on the brooches and goodness me those green dresses!!! I am very jealous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gisela! I know I was very lucky to find those dresses! xxx

      Delete