Each month I'm posting my clothing and accessory purchases in A Buyer's Archive, inspired by Elise, to keep track of what I'm buying and spending, and to compare with that of last year.

This year


I had another little charity shop jaunt. I decided that my gingham top, purchased last month from ebay, didn't fit well and I can only be honest and say I didn't have the inclination to alter it, so I'm putting it back on ebay. I found this Next striped top (£4.79) to replace it in my summer capsule, but I'm not sure it works now that I've got it home.

I also said goodbye to my Primark California t-shirt, bought for £2 in Cancer Research. I washed it three times before it became so misshapen that I could no longer wear it. I even tied it in a knot at the waist to disguise the wonky hem for a few wears, I haven't done that for years, possibly decades! To replace it I bought a cute blue shirt (£3.25) originally from H&M.

Then I found a lovely long sleeved floral shirt, originally from Oasis, for £3.25, which has been tucked away for autumn.

A few weeks later I somehow (?) found myself wandering around Next on the first day of the sale, I'd wondered if a skirt I'd tried on a while ago would be in the reduced. It was! From £60.00 to £25.00, I grabbed it, paid, and was back in my car before I could change my mind. With no occasion to wear it I decided to find any excuse to get it on my body, first up I wore it to Tesco - just because. Then I wore it to a friend's for dinner. I have a meal out coming up next month so I can wear it for that too. Can you tell I'm trying to justify my purchase here? If you love it, wear it, right?


Within the last few days I added a new bag to my collection. I'd been looking out for a small leather bag, and when I visited the Yoshi website and saw this one I didn't have to think twice (I blame Laura). It was originally £65.00, down to £30.00 with a 20% discount, making it just £24.00, how could I not?

Last year


H&M dress, top left, £16.78 and ASOS dress, top middle, £18.00, both pre-loved from ebay.

These dresses were a result of some slightly drunken ebay bids. I didn't need either of them but I purchased them for a wedding, for which the rose one was worn. I can't swear to it but I think the fact that they both had pockets fueled my desire to make them mine.  I almost wore the second dress recently, but didn't. I'm not getting rid of it though, it's too pretty. Perhaps I'll pop it on next time I go to Tesco?



Poncho  |  ASOS  |  £20.00
Purchased in case of a downpour at Latitude but for the second year running we had glorious weather. Instead it was worn for sitting and watching an outdoor performance of The Tempest in the rain, which was incredibly apt and only served to add to the experience in my mind.

Bracelets  |  H&M  |  £3.99 and £4.99
The silver one I still have and often wear it, the other was given away.

Bikini  |  Debenhams  |  £26.00
Purchased for the possibility of swimming in the lake at Latitude. This still hasn't been worn.

Ombre Poncho  |  Tu  |  £12.00
Worn a few times but I do believe it's been given to charity, but I might have to check my wardrobe for confirmation.

Sunglasses  |  H&M  |  £7.00
Snapped beyond repair and chucked into the recycling.

Sandals   |  £16.00
I haven't worn them yet this year, and it's unlikely that I will given the purchase of a much nicer, more comfortable pair in April. These are destined for the charity bag.

Festival hat  |  Latitude  |  £10.00
Sold at a carboot sale for a quid. I have three hats and I only ever wear them once a year at most.

Total for July: £60.29

Total so far for 2017: £392.39

Total at this time last year: £489.64

I did spend more this month than I anticipated but I think I've purchased some great items, that'll get worn and be enjoyed a lot. Maybe August will be less spendy?

Check out the #buyersarchive hashtag to see posts from everyone taking part.

Why do I have a capsule wardrobe? Why do I think so much about what I'm going to wear when I spend most days working alone at home?

Because I learnt that clothes have the power to change your mood, to lift your spirits, allow you to express yourself, and be the best version of yourself.

I used to watch Trinny and Susannah's What Not To Wear (how I loved that programme!) and was so touched each week when the person receiving the makeover was always moved to tears as their new look was revealed. They always said they felt like a new woman, they felt like themselves for the first time in years, their confidence was restored.

I remember one episode in particular. They worked with a group of OAPs, encouraging them to shop in places like New Look or H&M - young people's shops. Every single one of these ladies was unsure at first but, once they'd relaxed, all had a blast.

Trinny and Susannah convinced them that they didn't have to shop in 'old lady shops', they could wear clothes meant for younger generations, that is was OK to wear clothes that they liked rather than clothes they felt they should wear. They encouraged them to wear colour, texture, and to experiment with different shapes.

By the end of the programme there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And do you know what? They didn't look like a bunch of old ladies trying to look young. They looked happy, well dressed, and at ease with themselves.

The message was clear - wear what you love.

And I do. In truth I'm more confident with my style now than I ever have been. I know what suits my body, what I feel good in, and I was tickled the other day when I realised that how I dress now is exactly how I'd wanted to dress back in college.

Limited funds meant I had very few clothes back then. I remember two pairs of very boring jeans, one black maxi skirt, and three long sleeved tops, a few vest tops (that I would never wear without something over the top lest someone see how little I had in the boob department) and several black t-shirts. A black shirt pilfered from my older brother. And a pair of DMs.

I realise now that back in college I was already living with a capsule, albeit not through choice.

I hankered after a pair of vintage 501s, not the straight leg stonewashed Pepe jeans I had, does that brand still exist? I wanted a selection of long flowing skirts, a distressed denim jacket, cute floral summer dresses that I could team with my DMs - it was DMS everywhere, all the time.

The floral shirt dress I found recently would've sent college me into a spin, the black ra-ra dress from H&M would've been worn until it fell to pieces (with black tights - even in the summer - lest someone notice my pale legs).

It makes me smile, and cringe slightly, to think of myself back then - shy, unsure of myself, horribly self conscious when out of my comfort zone. But even then I was aware that clothes had a huge impact on the way I felt about myself. I always felt my best when in my favourite outfit.

I ventured into a few charity shops during my college years but I was too shy to have a good rummage, I never bought anything. I imagine I would've found some amazing pieces, as I do today, had I really looked.

I'm not interested in looking young with what I wear, I'm not trying to disguise my age (despite dressing how I would've liked to as an art student). I don't want to look young, I want to feel good and I do this by wearing clothes that I think best suit me and my personality. I wear the things I'm drawn to, the things that make me smile, things I love.

I used to think that giving a lot of thought to how I dressed was shallow, but I've learnt it's a form of self care, a form of expression, and a form of armour - don't mess with me, this floral shirt dress give me super powers!

You've seen those pictures of French lavender farms, right? They're so pretty, I've always wanted to visit one. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I found out that we have our very own Lavender Farm in Suffolk. Obviously I wasted little time in getting myself there.


Set in four acres Suffolk Lavender Farm isn't huge, and it's not at all commercial, which makes it utterly charming.

Sadly, when I arrived I was told that the best show of colour was about three weeks earlier, but it was still stunning to look at. Karan, the owner, offered me a glass of water and invited me to just wander the field and please myself.


So, with glass of water in hand, off I went. The distinctive lavender scent wafted into the air as I brushed passed the stems, bees buzzing from plant to plant, ignoring me entirely.



The odd butterfly fluttered by, landing momentarily on a bloom, but never sitting still for long enough, wings fully open, for me to capture it with my camera.


I sat for a while, unable to see anything but purple blooms and blue sky. I could've happily lay down for a small nap right there in the field, and I'm pretty sure no one would've minded.



Wandering around, lost in my own thoughts was enchanting, I felt utterly at ease.



I had a little look in the shop - a delightful shed painted in two shades of lavender - and purchased a jar of lavender honey, which is every bit as delicious as it sounds. After a lovely chat with Karan and with a promise to return a little earlier next year I left feeling refreshed, and so pleased I'd found is little hidden gem on my doorstep.


This is one of 27 lavender farms in the UK, I'm contemplating finding a few more...

Visit a lavender field is no.87 on my Day Zero Project list.

If you've read this blog for a while you might recognise this skirt. It first appeared back in 2012 and was one of my very first charity shop purchases. It's one of my favourite wardrobe pieces, and it comes out every year without fail. It's comfortable, easy to wear, and despite it's unusual colour, fits into my wardrobe with ease.


It started to look a little faded recently, which isn't surprising when you think of how many times it must've been washed over the last five years. So I decided to restore it to it's former glory with a little fabric dye. I picked a Dylon fabric dye in Sunflower Yellow and smiled to myself as I handed over £4.20 to the lady in the haberdashery, the skirt only cost me about £2.99 in the first place.

It's £4.20 well spent in my opinion. I love the new vibrant, yellowy version. Now I'll be able to wear it for at least another five years, and I won't have to worry too much about middle aged spread as the waist is elasticated ;)

Spring seemed to go on for ages, and yet the year seems to be flying by. Here's how I got on with my spring to-do list

See the bluebells
I love doing this and look forward to it every year. Andy and I went twice, as we always seem to go a little too early the first time, and have to return to see the best floral display, but it's time spent with my husband, so it's time well spent.

I was delighted to discover bluebells growing in our garden a few weeks later.

Plant up container pots and hanging baskets
I planted up my hanging baskets in autumn with winter flowering pansies and violas. They lasted until early June, even though they were largely ignored. They're now filled with Bacopa, a million bells, Lysimachia, and variegated Nepeta, despite being planted later than usual they're looking lovely. They make such a difference to how the house looks, they add personality and colour. They make the house look quite cheerful!


Hit the beach
My first visit was to Felixstowe with my nephews in April and involved arcade games, where I won some odd looking characters that I have no clue what to do with now I have them, and fish 'n' chips. I managed to talk my youngest nephew into joining me for a paddle - it was freezing cold!!

I returned in May with my Mum to celebrate her birthday. We spent some time painting pots, rummaging in charity shops, eating al fresco at Prezzo, playing on the arcades, and strolling along the seafront eating ice cream.

Do It Myself
I've been doing little bits and pieces around the house but my focus has largely been in the garden. It's hardly DIY but it does come under the umbrella of home improvement so it's good enough for me. My plan is to turn my attention inside and decorate when Andy disappears into harvest.

Make a plan to grow soft fruit
I have a raspberry plant that seems to be doing really well so far. As for strawberries I failed to buy any plants. I have an ancient plant in a pot by the front door but I doubt it'll be fruitful. I haven't given up on my plans for a fruit cage though, that's something I'm still plotting.


Mend
So far I've patched two pairs of jeans (one of which now has a busted zip!), and mended a torn hem on a maxi skirt, and a split side seem. It's not huge progress but it's a start. That said since doing these I've added a few more things to the mend pile. It's never ending.


Once a month veggie meals
In April I made Chickpea Tikka Masala - Andy Loved it, I only liked it, every mouthful was a bit samey.

In May I whipped up this Creamy Hummus Pasta dish that we both really enjoyed. I've made this several times now, it's a really easy weeknight recipe. I want to have a go at making hummus, I know I have a recipe kicking about somewhere.

In June I made a Three Bean Chili which we both really liked. Andy topped his with extra jalapenos, I added cheese and chopped red onion. Yum.

I also made this cucumber pickle recipe I found thanks to Vix. I made a half batch just in case we didn't like it. I think I needed to slice everything a little thinner (a Mandoline might be a good addition to our kitchen). Or perhaps cut the cucmber and onion into chunks so it has more of a Branston feel to it. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first but it's definitely grown on me. It's especially good with cheese and crackers, and lovely with a quiche.

I had planned on cooking a veggie lasagna but the recipe was American and some of the ingredients were hard to find, and I simply can't be bothered to work that hard for an everyday recipe.


Read 12 Books
I read 14 and of these Sylvia's Farm was my favourite, I still think about it now. I'm going to write a review at some point in the near future, I'm normally terrible at book reviews but I like this book so much I'm going to give it a go.


Attend the Suffolk Show
I've lived in Suffolk since I was tiny but I'd never been to the Suffolk Show before. So to remedy this I went along with my Dad, we had such a lovely day. We indulged in some shopping, spent ages watching horse demonstrations, and blacksmiths in action, ate Cornish pasties, strawberries, and date and walnut cake. We meandered around the many stalls and exhibitions, including an art exhibition. At the entrance to this was a large sculpture of a dog with a big stick in it's mouth, which was surrounded by three real dogs, barking at it but all too chicken to try and nick his stick. It was so cute, and noisy.

Also during spring, Andy and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary, I hit the charity shops with Sophie and Kezzie, I started my bee friendly garden quest, made elderflower gin, a malteaser cheesecake, lemon curd thumb print cookies, granola, and I started a new wardrobe challenge.

Although I make these lists each season and I never manage to tick everything off, there are always many other things that crop up to keep me busy and out of mischief. Making plans is all very well but there is always something to be said for last minute plans, acting on ideas as and when they strike, and going with the flow.

Summer feels like it's taken forever to arrive. I got bored with my spring capsule and started to wear items from this one ages ago, so it seems like this is well overdue but as I normally start my summer capsule on July 1st it's really not all that late.
I'm excited to have so many items that I really, really like in this capsule. I got my spring capsule wrong, I selected too many warm weather clothes and ended up wearing jeans and a t-shirt most of the time. Not that there is any thing wrong with that - I love a jeans and tee combo - I just wanted to be wearing other things, I wasn't inspired by it at all.

To create my capsules I choose my favourite items of clothing and then make sure I have a few things to wear with each item. Then I fill in the gaps with more standard items - jeans, jumpers or t-shirts. I've done some reading on how I 'should' put a capsule together but I've largely ignored the rules set out.

There is a school of thought that says you can wear prints either as tops or bottoms, and you should have a colour scheme with lots of neutrals and a few pops of colour. Most capsulers like to be able to wear any top from the capsule with any of the skirts or trousers. I don't bother with that. As long as I'm able to wear each piece a few different ways I'm happy. I put together these capsules for my convenience, to wear my favourite clothes, not to follow as set of someone else's rules. It means I have an uncluttered wardrobe, I am more aware of the clothes I have, and I have fewer 'I have nothing to wear days'. It works for me.

Most of the time.



As I said my spring capsule didn't work well, I didn't have enough cooler weather options and felt rather uninspired most days. It wasn't until the sun started to shine, and I was able to wear more summery pieces that I perked up, before abandoning it completely in favour of my summer capsule.

Bring on the skirts, the prints, and the dresses!

I love Instagram, not only for the pretty pictures, and the Instagram Stories, that I've somehow become utterly addicted to, but also for the things I stumble across.

In this instance I'm referring to discovering a beach clean up not too far from me, hosted by a local company, Adnams.

I popped it in the diary and promptly forgot all about it until the morning of the clean up. It was a nice-ish day so I decided to hop in the car and go.

Sadly I was held up along the way by two separate packs of cyclists riding two, sometimes three, abreast, on narrow country roads with little opportunity to over take. I hate these people with a passion, but that's not what I'm here to talk about today.


Anyway, I was late and had missed the meet up time, and was pissed off about it, but with the sight of the waves, and the smell of the sea air, I spotted a stone that seemed to be grinning at me and I decided not to let it spoil my day. I would spend the day there regardless. I ambled along the beach, picking up litter as I went along, figuring that you don't have to attend a beach clean up to pick up litter.


Half way between the pier, where I'd started out, and the sea wall, I saw the clean up party, they were just about to start. So I nipped over and asked if I could join in. Of course they said yes, all hands on deck and all that. So after a group photo, we set off. Bin bag in hand, with clip board to record everything we picked up in the first 100m of beach. Of course I found very little in that first 100m, only really finding anything much the moment I handed in my clip board, but what the heck, it wasn't a competition.


I should probably mention that the beach was Southwold. I wouldn't have said that it was a litter strewn beach, I've always considered it to be very clean, but when you really start looking you see lots of little bits and pieces. Mostly plastic.

I found string, small bits of rope, the remnants of balloons, a toy truck, a sock, the back end of a rat (I didn't pick that up but left it for the tide), used shot gun cartridges, wet wipes, and the plastic sticks from cotton buds. All little bits that are easy to miss but will not decompose.


It was really enjoyable, and felt very satisfying. I walked along the shore line, also looking at pretty stones, enjoying the feeling of sand beneath my shoes. I found my first piece of sea glass, albeit very small. For the first time ever I saw dead fish on the beach, tiny little things - they looked a lot like whitebait to me. I've never seen fish on the beach before, and another lady commented on it too. I took a rather morbid series of photos, but I'll spare you those.


The weather was perfect, it was cloudy so the temperature was warm but not too hot, and there was a warm breeze. I did get sunburn on the back of my neck, despite having suncream in my bag. It just didn't seem like a burning kind of day.


Between us (25 people in total) we collected 21 bags of rubbish, and on our short walk to the Adnams pub once we'd finished, I couldn't stop looking for litter and wanting to pick it up. We were rewarded with a free pint (just a half for me as I was driving), I sat talking to a lovely family who have been getting involved for a while. The next one is in September to clean up after the busy summer season, and I'm told participants are rewarded with free fish n chips for that one.

Being on a beach, feeling great satisfaction by picking up litter, and then eating good local grub? I'm in. It's already in the diary, in pen.


I wandered back down the beach cooling my feet in the surf. I hadn't eaten since breakfast so stopped off at a cafe for an emergency ham and cheese toastie, and mug of sweet tea. It was most welcome, and not bad for £4.00.


I wandered down the high street, popping in and out of the charity shops (1 book, 1 skirt purchased), before heading back to the beach. On my way I passed a bakery and queued for a while for a sour cherry gelato. It was worth the wait.

A short walk and I was on the beach again. After a stroll and bit of a sit, I reluctantly decided it was time to head home.


I spotted this building near the car park and something alerted me to the fact that it might just serve tea, so, feeling a little parched, I went to investigate. With an Earl Grey I read the first few pages of my recently purchased book, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler, and decided it was going to be a good read.


And then it really was time to make my way home. It had been a lovely day - spontaneous and something a bit out of the ordinary.

Signing up to the Fast Fashion Fast has put a spotlight my spending habits, so I decided to note down any thoughts I had on clothing purchases. These are from the last few weeks.

Having signed up to the challenge, I immediately failed and purchased some hosiery. I was going out for a meal that evening and realised I had no flesh coloured tights, and the occasion and venue called for tights, so I had no choice but to make a last minute dash to Asda to pick up a pack of two for £4.00.

Later I looked at the Falke website, having heard that they are the best for good quality hosiery. I found what I was looking for, for £18.00. At first glance that sounded like an awful lot of money for tights, especially when you consider the £5.90 delivery charge. But if they really do last as long as they say they do maybe it's not so much. I could always search around for a stockist with cheaper postage. Would these tights last as long as 4.5 packs of my Asda tights? It's worth further consideration.

I went to Felixstowe to return an item and thought about popping in New Look, to have a look at their summer tops. Then I remembered signing up to Fast Fashion Fast and kept walking. I have plenty of summer tops anyway.

My summer slippers became uncomfortable. I purchased them last year from Asda and they've been worn a lot, but the soles had compacted and the bit between the toes had started to niggle, instead of buying another pair, I'm wearing my flip flops instead. Admittedly, and I totally see the irony here, these flip flops are a recent Primark purchase, 90p, chucked mindlessly into my basket as I made my way to the till point.

Then I fancied a gingham top to go with my new skirt. I looked on ebay and found one I really liked and won it, and I'll be able to wear it with a number of things already in my wardrobe. I've noticed that when I make an impulse purchase, like my green skirt, I invariably end up buying something else to wear it with.

This top was to wear with my green skirt, I didn't need it another skirt but I really, really, wanted it. I know I'll wear it a lot, and I feel that the more options I have the more I'll wear it, but how many options do I really need? I've always said there is absolutely nothing wrong with being seen in the same outfit over and over again.

I also wanted a plain black top to go with my green skirt - I thought about making one. So far I haven't acted on this. I do fancy making something but I really should do something about my mend pile instead, to make unwearable items wearable again.

I want a floaty summer maxi or midi dress - again I could make one but I don't really need it. I already have a maxi I like, why buy another?

The heatwave made me want some cooler PJs bottoms, I pondered something 3/4 length in a thin cotton fabric. In the end I found some pyjama shorts I forgotten all about. I don't like to sleep naked - what if there's a fire? or an intruder?

The hot weather also had me hankering after some non padded, non underwired bras. Nobody likes sweaty boobs. I looked into ethical underwear brands, and although I admit the search was hardly exhaustive (five minutes Googling), I came up with nothing. If you know of any, do let me know.

I wondered if underwear specialists M&S counted as fast fashion? I'd had it in my mind that, to make things easy, I wouldn't do any high street shopping at all during the Fast Fashion Fast, but not all high street shops fall under the umbrella of fast fashion.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a list... *Googles it* ... there is! On Wikipedia, it's not an exhaustive list I'm sure, but it helps. M&S isn't on it, but most of the shops I frequent on the high street are - H&M, Next, New Look.

It's clear that sometimes I shop for the sake of it, mindlessly. Sometimes I could avoid making a purchase by using something else from my wardrobe, but mostly it's made me really think about the high street and how to tell a fast fashion retailer from a non fast fashion retailer. Some are easy to spot - Primark, Peacocks, Matalan, but I was surprised to see Next listed as fast fashion for example.

Is the criteria absolute or are we to decide for ourselves? What high street shops do you consider not to be fast fashion? Are there any shops that you absolutely won't set foot in?