Short and sweet what I bought post! Showing you two things I bought for myself last month - I did take advantage of some of the black Friday and Cyber Monday sales but that was to buy Christmas presents for others. So I wanted to share some things I picked up for myself before all the sales, just two things!
The shoes were such a lucky find. I have never been able to find shoes in my size at an opshop but I always glance at the shoe rack just in case. I was thrilled to realise these were in my size and just $3! Looking a little worse for wear I figured I could clean them up a bit at home, trying a few different things to get rid of the yellowing the scuff marks and stains on the leather. They certainly don't look new but $3 for a $150 pair of shoes I'm pretty happy with how they scrubbed up!
The bag was an impulse buy - and while I also bought it at the start of November it was on better sale than it ended up being on Black Friday. I'd been eyeing it for a while unsure about the colour it looked on the David Jones site, but once it was further reduced I had so snap it up. As you can see in the video I didn't need to worry about the colour! It's been a firm favourite bag to wear since I bought it.
How I've Worn It:
The bag has had the most wear as I've only worn the shoes once so far as it took a while to clean them up. I was pleased with how they were looking so wore them on Monday to check out how comfortable they would be with my knee injury. Pretty happy with them! I know both pieces will get a lot more wear in future too.
I'm not planning to make any fashion related purchases in December but who knows what sales will tempt me 😂 At the moment though I'm on track to be under my 2020 fashion budget and I want to stick there!
December seems like the perfect time for my thrifted green skinny jeans to star in a 30 ways to wear post! They could be considered a very festive shade of green. I haven't worn them with red but I have worn them with a lot of other colours so I'm putting this post together to give you some outfit ideas and inspiration if you have a similar pair of jeans - or pants!
30 Ways To Wear: Green Skinny Jeans
I thrifted these jeans a little over 2 years ago, back in August 2018. They were a $5 bargain opshop find, especially considering that they were new with tags and petite sizing. Being short I usually have to get jeans hemmed unless I buy cropped or petite styles - so happy these are perfect length on me! Also the only pair of Asos petite jeans I've tried before. I have noticed them starting to get quite baggy when I wear them which I'm not too impressed with, but having worn them 30 times and only spent $5 on them I really can't complain!
Cost Per Wear
30 wears at $5 works out at 17 cents a wear which is really impressive! And despite them getting a little baggy I'm still going to keep wearing these - I don't think I'd have the luck of finding jeans in my size and length, also new with tags and just $5 in an opshop again! I'm also surprised that these hit 30 wears so quickly - I was wearing them frequently this spring to hit that goal with them admittedly, but I've also found them really easy to rewear so often. I used to be a bit scared of green but I've been embracing it more and all the different ways I've worn these jeans is a good example of that!
Green Jeans Worn With Black
One of the simplest ways to wear green jeans - with black! The perfect neutral that goes with everything, you don't have to worry about colours clashing with this combo. And there are so many good options - black tees, jackets, cardigans, kimonos, tanks... Sticking with neutral pieces for the rest of your outfit lets the green jeans really shine. You can always add in a bit more colour with accessories too thought like I have with the green scarf and bag there.
Spring Outfit Ideas For Green Jeans
I like wearing my green jeans in spring - they work well with kimonos which are a staple for me in warmer weather. Especially navy kimonos. Bright spring-like colourful printed tops go so well with the green jeans too! Such a fun pair to pull out for spring when we tend to embrace a bit more colour.
Winter Outfit Ideas With Green Jeans
Of course I don't just restrict myself to one season with these green jeans! While they worked well with light layers above for spring they also work really nicely as a pop of colour with all the extra layers you need in winter! Knits, cardigans or scarves and a bright pair of jeans is a cosy and comfortable outfit with a little extra colour among all the winter greys! I like to do the same thing with my red jeans too.
Green Jeans and Printed Tops
Another super simple combination I repeat often (although you can see I have a fondness for stripes!). Much like classic blue jeans, these green jeans go so nicely with a printed tee or tank - stripes, animal print, polka dots... jeans and a printed top is such a staple outfit formula and one you can continue to wear even with colourful jeans like these.
Green And Yellow Outfit Ideas With Green Jeans
This is a bolder and brighter combination - you can see how I kept it small in a few of these outfits. Adding a little yellow accessory or two, or layering up with neutral navy scarf and cardigan over a yellow tee to downplay the bright pairing a little. Or going all out, with the mustard cardigan and marigold tee for something really statement-making. Any shade of yellow works so well with this shade of green!
Green and Blue Outfit Ideas
I used to believe the "blue and green should never been seen" rule, but now I know it's a silly one! Blue and green should definitely be seen - and I've certainly worn a lot of different shades of blue with these jeans. Navy is a good fail-safe shade to try, but I can't resist a brighter pop with cobalt either! Wearing these jeans with blue is my favourite kind of outfit combination.
It's that time of year again, where blogs turn into gift guides! Each year I publish this one gift guide: the perfect gift guide for a handbag lover, no matter your budget! This year, because it's 2020, I've added a little bit at the end for ways you can support some local Aussie businesses too. I try to pick pieces that will ship internationally, but I'm sure you will understand that the local section may only ship within Australia.
So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for a bag loving friend or relative, or just a little bit of bag-candy, this is the gift guide for you!
Spectacular Splurge-Worthy Spoils
These bags are $500+ and above - not the kind of thing you would give to a casual acquaintance, but certainly something special for someone close. Wives, girlfriends, mums, sisters - if you have the cash to splash you can't go wrong with something from this list! Sticking with classic styles and neutral colours is always a good idea, especially if you're not entirely sure what their preferred colour bag would be. Probably something to be 100% sure that you know they are after before investing so heavily in this section though!
Modest Mid-Range Designer Choices
At $100-$250 you can look at bags from their favourite contemporary designers, or maybe even a SLG (small leather good) from a luxury brand. There are so many options at this price point to choose from, this budget doesn't limit you but lets you get creative with how you want to spend. Think wallets, clutches, card holders, wallet on chain bags, wristlets... You can give them an accessory from a brand of their dreams or their perfect bag from their favourite contemporary designer. Mine being Rebecca Minkoff of course!
Bargain Bag Finds
Got less than $100 to spend? No worries! Think of ways they can accessorise bags they already have - keychains and bag charms are a good way to go, or a skinny silk scarf to tie in a bow on a bag or wrap around bag handles. See my video for more ways to accessorise a bag! What about a little pouch or wristlet they can use to keep things safe in their bag? Or a gift card to help them purchase the bag of their dreams they have been saving for? You can even hit up sites like ASOS for high street versions of designer styles, without the high price tags.
No matter the budget you have set aside, remember that the Thanksgiving Black Friday sales in the US will be starting soon, and other countries are starting to follow with similar sales. That bag that may have been out of your budget before might be a much more attractive price now or in the days to come, so get adding to cart in preparation for the sales!
All that shopping for other people can lead to a little splurge or two on yourself! The categories above are good for gifts as you get the "new bag" experience with all the wrapping and boxes and that new bag smell! But if you're looking for a bag for you, why not try the preloved market? Easier on the wallet and the environment! Sites like Fashionphile, Yoogi's Closet, Bag Mad Boutique, Vestiaire Collective make it easy to snap up an authenticated designer bag at a bargain price - just be sure to review all the pictures and description carefully so you know what to expect with the condition. eBay is an option too, but I highly suggest using an authentication service like Authenticate First before buying anything designer from eBay.
Shop Local
There are so many local businesses who would really appreciate your support this Christmas. In the sprit of shopping small and supporting local that's so needed for 2020, I wanted to share some. While they are certainly not all bag based they have a lot of great gift ideas to surprise, spoil or entertain your loved ones this Christmas.
Yondale Designs - beautiful silver jewellery that will be treasured for years to come (I have two cuffs I adore from this company that I never remove from my wrist)
Handbags on Etsy - you can filter for the perfect gift from your country, state or city!
Fashion Scarf Girl - another Queensland mum, with multi-buy scarf discounts! (I have been a brand rep for this company in the past and I have also bought a lot of her scarves with my own money!)
Have fun shopping and finding that something special to bring yourself or someone you love a little bit of joy this year!
