A Buyer's Archive - keeping track of my spending on clothes and accessories with Elise.

Rather a lot of purchases this month. April saw the start of my spring capsule wardrobe and I needed a few things to pair with items I wanted to include, but I also gave in to temptation and purchased a few things that I really didn't need.

Del Ray trainers  |  TOMs  |  £34.19 (originally £59.99)
I have a 'thank you' to say to Kezzie for these. I had a pair of the TOMs Del Ray trainers on one of my Weekend Wishlists and Kezzie commented and said to sign up to the email newsletter to be sent special offers.

Well I did, and they did. They had 40% off and offered a further 5% discount to email subscribers. These aren't the exact ones I'd been coveting but they're very similar and in a way more 'me'.


Grey t shirt  |  Charity shop  |  £1.50
Purchased to wear with the skirts I have in the capsule, but it's a staple so no doubt it'll be worn countless times.

Green wrap cardigan  |  Charity shop  |  £3.00
I had three of these when I was at college - in petrol blue, moss green and black - I wore them a lot. I felt very nostalgic when I found this. I bought it to wear with two of the skirts in the capsule, but I've also worn it with jeans, over a white t-shirt too, just as I did the first time around.

Ballet flats  |  £4.00
I wanted a pair to wear over the spring / summer, something I could wear with pretty much anything. In store they seemed to fit just fine, the first time I wore them they were too tight and cut my heels to ribbons. What's with that? It's the second time this year that I've purchased shoes that seem OK in store, but are actually unwearable. I know feet can swell in the heat but jeez...


Ankle boots  |  Amazon  |  £23.99
I bought these to replace my old ones, which have sadly seen better days (love those boots and as yet haven't been able to throw them away, I just keep thinking 'one more wear'). I don't normally look to Amazon for shoes but my friend got a lovely pair of Chelsea boots and I had to see if I could get a pair too (they didn't have my size), but these came up in the search results and are a good quality and really comfy for the price.

Mid month I went shopping with Sophie. We always seem to find loads of things when we go charity shopping together, and this time was no exception.


Next spotty top  |  British Heart Foundation  |  £4.29
My first purchase of the day. I already have one of these tops in orange (pictured right, also from a charity shop) and really like it, it's got a few tiny holes in the front and I don't think it'll be wearable for much longer, so I was really pleased to find this as a replacement. Sadly it smelled of school dinners but nothing a quick wash couldn't cure.


Betty Jackson denim skirt  |  Oxfam  |  £5.99
I really liked this denim midi skirt. I'm going to have to alter it so it fits as it's a size larger than I need but it has pockets and is a really nice length.

Kew dress  |  Cancer Research UK  |  £9.00
I don't normally spend this much on second hand clothing but it's very pretty, and having tried it on I was willing to pay a little more than normal. It's lovely and in excellent condition.

Poncho  |  Cancer Research UK  |  £4.00
The poncho was an emergency buy thanks to the fact that I hadn't dressed appropriately for the weather, I wore it over my jacket for added warmth.

M&S skirt  |  Cancer Research UK  |  £4.25
I don't have or wear a lot of skirts so buying a second one was a surprise but this M&S skirt was so pretty, I had to have it. I love the colours. I'm always drawn to yellow but it's not a colour I can wear, I think I can get away with this Monet-like pattern though.


Next maxi skirt  |  RSPCA  |  £3.00
The RSPCA shop is a little outside the main shopping area but I'm so glad we made the effort because I found this skirt (my third of the day!). I very nearly ordered it from the Next catalogue a few years ago at full price. And as Sophie said 'you have to get it, it's fate'. I wore it to a friends house that very evening, doing what I always do with a new purchase - wear it with black!

So lots of lovely purchases this month, some nicer weather would be good so that I can actually wear them! My jeans are seeing almost constant wear at the moment.

I really must stop spending now. Expect minimal purchases in May.

Total spend for April £93.21

Total so far £275.89

Look out for the #buyersarchive hashtag to see posts from others taking part.