jacket update!!!

I got a denim jacket a week ago- mainly cos it was super cheap, so it was worth the risk. 15euro @ penneys! yesssss. Whenever I wear it I feel like I look super cute and on trend, but my fiance gives me dirty looks, and actually said it makes me 'look like a boy'. Like I said, I need some fashion concious girlfriends in this country!!!

Being creative

Recently I have had a creative BLANK. I have never really felt like this before. I love to sew and design, and I've never had a problem coming up with ideas. Designers always get asked 'where did you get your inspiration?' and I always hate being asked that question because I can never answer it. I don't know where my ideas come from, they just pop into my head- often when I am in bed falling asleep. For example, the design on the left was entered in a competition and I got asked that question. So I obviously said 'oh the shape of leaves and the way they move and bla bla bla'. Really though, I just thought of it and thought it would look good. It evolved from another dress I made with a big flower and leaves on it. They also asked me 'where could this be worn?' WTF??! The answer is just A CATWALK- I designed it for a catwalk competition. But of course I didn't say that either, I had to say a big 'race day', even though its wat too OTT for that.

So, anyway, I never really thought that other peoples ideas/fashions etc affected my ideas too much(aside from changing trends), but they obviously do in a subconcious way. Its really weird.
The thing is, in Australia I have lots of friends who are also interested in fashion. When I put on an outfit that I think is cute, I look forward to seeing them to get some feedback. Here in Ireland I really don't have any girlfriends yet. My fiance often rates my outfits out of ten, but anything remotely fashion forward often earns me a score below 5! Not that I let that bother me, but obviously this lack of feedback has contributed to my creative slump. Not only that, but I am scared that when I go back to Australia I am going to be dressing completely differently to the way I was dressing when I left- what if I start to dress completely daggy?? Who will stop me?? My fiance won't, he doesn't have a clue! His mum will probably tell me I look beautiful, as will his sister. My god! I need the feedback- I didn't think I did, but I do!!
Thankfully, my creativity has come back-hopefully not temporarily, I need it to stay! but how will I know if my ideas are any good??!!! ajaksdhlaksjfhaksjdhhhhhhhHH!!!

Irish+sunshine=dorks

There is nothing like a sunny day in the west of Ireland to bring out a number of fashion faux pas. From pale, chubby men walking don the main shopping street ith their shirts off, to chunky, bad 'slides' and sandals. Terrible. And I'm not even talking about a proper 'heatwave' here. I am talking like 20 degrees.
I don't even know how to put what I have seen into words. I thought it would be easy enough, but its not. I guess the main problem is, they get so little sunshine here that their summer clothes get kept for years and years rather than new ones being purchased the next year. So waist heights are funny, top lengths are weirdly short, prints are dated- then theres the matter of fake tan on legs!
I don't mean to sound so cruel. I mean, I don't really care, nobody is forcing me to dress like them. At the end of the day, I will never be bored when the sun is shining, the people-watching is too damn good!!!

Shopping today @ New Look/Penneys

So I entered a competition here in Galway called 'Garbage to Gorgeous'. Basically it was a design competition run by a shopping centre where students and customers were invited to create fashion from trash. I came third which was pretty cool I guess. More Importantly, I got a 150Euro voucher for the centre. This is very exciting for someone who a) loves fashion and b)is currently 'between jobs'. The Eyre Square Centre- the shopping centre in question- has some ok stores, the best being New Look and Penneys(known as Primark in the UK).
While I wanted to go nuts and just buy fun things- New Look are well known for their amazing shoe collection- I decided to plan ahead and think about what I actually 'needed'. I have been watching Gok's Fashion Fix and he goes on and on about having a 'capsule wardrobe'. I am taking my own spin on this- I love my wardrobe, but as I have only recently moved to a significantly different climate, it's all a bit all over the place. And its very black, which is just not me. Its very black because I bought all my 'practical' warm clothes with me from Australia and well, practical= black. Also most outfits include either leggings or tights, also black, and my old faithful black cardigan.
AAAAAAAAAnnnnnnnnnnnnyway, I bought this awesome black bodysuit from New look about a month ago, for like 8euro. its very cool but the only high waisted skirt I had to wear with it was black- so some colourful high-waisted skirts/trousers were on the list. The weather is a little warmer so a lighter jacket, also not black, went on the list, and some gold ballet flats.
The flats were easy- 4euro at Pennys, amazing! Perfect! comfy...enough!. I also got 2 very hot skirts at Penneys- a grey high waisted number with a narrow yellow belt for 11euro, and a beige mini with frills for 15. Perfect. I invested in 2 cardigans- 1 coral(soooo this season!) and 1 grey(as practial as black but not black). Penneys are also great for accessories- I got some sunglasses that are dark purple and black zebra print- very cool, a little 80's, out there but not too out there; an awesome chain bag(which they have LOADS of in different colours). Mine is grey with some abstract purple and gold- so hot and only 9euro. amazing!
The best thing I found at Penneys was a 'boyfriend blazer'- very hot right out, and they were obviously just in. Despite that they had already sold out all sizes smaller than a 16. That got me thinking, did I really want a boyfriend blazer? If everyone was going to be walking around in these cheap 25euro penneys blazers, I didn't want one. It was the case at New Look as well, all sizes smaller than 16 sold out- in black, navy and cream. So, while I was dissappointed I decided to give up on it and go for a denim jacket. Also trickier than I thought. As they aren't as in as the blazers yet, there wasn't many in my price range- aarrrrghgshdjkjhg!! And then theres also the frustration that comes with owning a denim jacket, ie, when you have jeans on, you go to put in on, then remind yourself that denim on denim is a NO-NO!!!
Who knew it would be so hard to get a cool, on-trend jacket on a budget? I wish I could tell you this jacket-hunting story ended happily-ever-after, but it didn't. I mean I got a dress at New look that made me happy- but alas, no jacket.
I wandered out of the shopping centre and into the amazingness that is topshop. Of course they have amazing blazers there- Jersey ones, snakeskin ones-Fantastic. They were out of my shopping centre gift card zone and totally out of my budget. That said, a trip to topshop is always like a breath of fresh air. I love it, its like an oasis, it makes me happy.
So if I am asking the question, should I invest in a blazer or will they be out as quick as they came in? and do I really want to revert back to my tween years and get a denim jacket- now thats just scary!!

Welcome to my blog

Galway City, Ireland

Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Me!

I have always threatened to start a blog, and well, here I am. I have decided that I am so good at finding fashion bargains that I need to share my finds with the world via the web. I will be the perez of fashion one day, I swear!

Well, thats the plan anyway.

I make clothes and love designing. I am also a milliner.
I am from Newcastle, NSW, Australia- not exactly known for its fashion scene- but there is a scene, you just have to look for it.
I am currently living in Galway City, in the West of Ireland. It is a bit like Newcastle in that its not huge city so theres not as much of a fashion Scene as say Dublin or London. Galway is a student town so theres definately a focus on budget and loads of really arty people and stuff. That said, Vintage should be bigger here. Theres about 8 Charity shops in the city, but no specialist Vintage stores as such- thats my other ambition in life- but I have many.
So Basically I think I am good at Shopping and I am good at forecasting trends- I mean not in the way professional trend forecasters do it- they predict stuff seasons in advance- but I think I follow fashion more than most people, and could tell you whats going to be big in the next few months, and what I think will be over before it even starts. I am pretty accurate with it. The only problem is, just cos I know whats in, doesn't mean I can afford it. I can usually only afford stuff when really cheap knock-offs have been created- and by then everyone else is wearing the item and I am over it. I am sure other people understand this.
SO, I am going to share what bargains I do find, and give tips on how to customize clothing- you can turn a cheap high street dress into something amazing with some little alterations, and most importantly it'll look different to everyone else's. I'll usually be referring to high street stores in Ireland/the UK, as well as online stores.
I'll shut up with my little intro now, I hope you enjoy my blog.