Well, we are nearly into the middle of October and my 30-day spending ban has officially come to an end! I did pretty well, really well actually, I managed to save a little towards my 'Wellies' fund - an I am no longer lusting over Hunters (but that's another post, for another time).
The spending ban really got me thinking recently about our spending habits in the UK and I don't make it any secret that I'm a little anti-mass consumerism, when it comes to shopping. So I got to thinking (in a very Carrie Bradshaw manner), could I do a whole year without buying clothes from mass global conglomerates?? Here's why I think I should, let alone could....
1. Lifestyle Change - Having undergone a HUGE lifestyle change since having Daisy, FRUGAL really is FABULOUS in our world at the moment - a combined love of vintage and moving ahead in these economic times, means we love creating a beautiful but simple life over here at Peachy Towers. No, babies don't cost the earth but, in November, I officially become an at-home Mum, Freelancing Wordsmith and a seller of quirky crafty wares - what better time than now to relish in the art of being frugally fabulous?
2. Personal tastes - Last month I wrote a little post about Ditching the Jeans and finding my own personal style again. I totally coin my unique look as 'The Modern Gothic Librarian' and I take great inspiration from people women such as Dita Von Teese in my style. I am heavily influenced by the 1930s and 1940s, which can invariably mean I find it hard to find anything that I like or I feel comfortable in, in high street stores (a common problem faced by us on the cusp of the thirties I feel). Neither do I want to look like every other person walking down the street. I've often relied on wondrous charity shop caverns and eBay to shape my image - so why not make more of a statement about it?
3. Ethics vs Purse Strings - It really bothers me that most people pay little or no attention to where their clothes are made or who by. We are incredibly lucky, in the UK, to be reasonably sheltered from some of the hideous truths about how our clothes are made. But that doesn't mean these problems don't exist - Primark may well be winning awards left, right and centre for bringing affordable fashion to the masses; but it doesn't change the fact that they use sweatshops and, if you remember the coincidentally under-reported fire in a Bangladesh factory this year,
their staff are poorly treated (figures suggest that a Bangladeshi employee for Primark makes less than half a living wage each month). I think it is important, as a consumer, to be able to make informed choices about how we shop and where our clothes come from.
4. Make, Do and Mend - As a huge fan of all things craft, I am really keen to learn how to dress-make. I think it would be amazing to become self-sufficient in creating my own wardrobe, so the Frugally Fabulous Year challenge would be a great way of developing my sewing skills and learning to create some truly unique clothes! Customising and upcycling are also such great ways of breathing new life into things, without having to spend hundreds! For a while, I have been really keen to explore how to create a more sustainable way of life and blog about it - I can't wait to start putting more of it into practice.
5. Wardrobe vs Wants - As an ex-employee of the fashion retail world, I do have some fantastic dresses in my closet that I am slowly starting to fit back into! It is a truth universally acknowledged, that most women only wear 10% of their wardrobe. So when it comes to finding that special outfit - can I root something out that I've worn in a while? Can I upcycle a beloved old garment or find a new way to wear it? Wardrobe vs Wants challenge accepted!
So here it is....my challenge, The Frugally Fabulous Year. And here are the rules
1. In the Frugally Fabulous Year, I am aiming not to purchase any new clothes for myself from the high street. This is strictly for MYSELF, clothes for Daisy do not count, neither do gifts!
2. Tights and underwear are not included - but will still buy from more 'responsibly sourced' outlets.
3. Throughout the Frugally Fabulous year - posts will include Wardrobes vs Wants and Looks for Less updates. I want to show how great you can look on a very frugal budget.
4. At the end I will tot up a total annual saving from not purchasing from high street stores, not to mention what I will do with the saved cash! Kerching!
I'm surprisingly quite excited about this challenge and would love to hear your feedback about it! Better still - if you are feeling frugal why not join me for a month or two and see how you go? Interested? Comment below with your email address and I'll get in touch!
Here's to being Frugally Fabulous
E x
In my books, anyone who describes their Twitter location as 'Twirling in the Midlands' is someone I can get on board with. Add to the mix a constant timeline of cheer and rainbow-coloured, unique designs and ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Scrapunzel.
Scrapunzel, AKA Niccy, is a truly one of a kind designer, creating beautiful and original clothing that wouldn't look out of place on a fantasy film set.
Think fairy tales, think Lord of the Rings and think ethereal; there you have a little slice of the Scrapunzel pie!
Growing up without a TV, Niccy developed a great love of crafting and learnt how to both construct and deconstruct garments. A strong talent you might say, but it wasn't until researching the alternative clothing industry that she found she could bring a niche to the market. Concerned with both the environment and the problems the industry faced with sizing, Scrapunzel was born - selling handmade festival style clothing to suit all. And to top all that, she uses locally sourced fabric as much as she can. Her designs are based on clothes that she likes to wear and how she likes to wear them, you can't get more honest than that for a clothing brand.
Just a browse at Scrapunzel's website is a joy! There are plenty of rainbow colours, pointed hoods, flared skirts and rustic patchworks to feast your eyes on. Everything about Scrapunzel's collections screams 'experimentation and nurture'; if I didn't know better I would almost believe these beautiful garments had grown and flourished themselves.
What I find most inspiring about Scrapunzel, aside from the fact that she clearly loves all things Scandinavian as much as I do, is that she is completely self-taught and has managed to develop such brilliant skills for her business. Much like Vivienne Westwood, who is a huge inspiration for Scrapunzel, she has had no formal training has developed a unique and beautiful style in a very organic way.
Check out Scrapunzel's website here --> http://scrapunzel.co.uk/
Why not give her a follow on Twitter too to keep up with the latest news: @Scrapunzel
If you're anything like me, it's not just your own clothes shopping that can be a nightmare. Sometimes I like to look for really individual little things for Little D and that's where my love of small, handmade businesses come in. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce the lovely Vicky from This is Lullaby to you!
This is Lullaby, is a unique business selling handmade children's clothing from vintage and upcycled materials. Vicky set up the business in May 2012, when her daughter, Lucie, turned one year old and she has not looked back!
Inspired by her own love of making, sewing and breathing new life into old fabrics, Vicky's business is an extension of a 'hand-me-down' tradition and she uses her talent to bring unique and individual products to the children's clothing market. Vicky designs the majority of patterns herself, though on some she does modify existing patterns to suit her designs. The only downside to making such beautiful clothes is that she gets a lot of adults saying, 'I want that in my size'. After flicking through her shop on Etsy, I am quite happy to join them!
Just look at this beautiful dress she made, made from beautiful vintage florals! I'm envious of Lucie's wardrobe!
Although based in the UK, This is Lullaby's majority of custom comes from the US, who are in love with her classic styling and use of more unusual and traditional fabrics. Her use of lovely fabrics such as Herringbone and Tweed, make her quite the go-to business for more formal children's clothing such as Christening or wedding outfits.
Vicky's designs really stand out as she does not use children's fabrics (though Lucie would love to be head to toe in Peppa Pig),
I'm wondering if she might branch out to adult clothing too?! This is Lullaby caters for clothing aged 0-24months and prices start from £7.00 for a bib through to about £25.00 for a lovely dress.
In short, Vicky loves what she does. Everything is made by hand at her home in Manchester and she is (rightly) proud of setting up her business and makes a point of stressing the importance of celebrating every small success along the way. Running a hands-on business with a toddler running about must take it's toll, but overall, Vicky loves being her own boss and the opportunity to introduce and sell her designs to another country has been a real positive.
In the future, Vicky would like to see This is Lullaby gain more customers in the UK and she has plenty of product ideas developing right now that she wants to roll out in the near future. What is so interesting about talking to Vicky, is that she is so keen to keep improving her ideas and products as her business develops. I'm predicting big things for this brand, Vicky certainly caters for my type of 'mum' shopping - unique, with a little bit of history.
You can view Vicky's Etsy shop here --->http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisislullaby
While you're at it, why not give her a like on her Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/thisislullaby
