h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A place for me to note down lovely finds, items on the search list, and outfits that worked.

Lovely find:

I'd seen beautiful pale blue dress with embellished Peter Pan collar in M&S. Ddidn't much fancy the £40 price tag, but kept an eye out for it in case it was reduced. Over recent months, any time I looked for it in the various stores, I couldn't see it, so I gave it up for lost. Yesterday, I happened to be in the Forestside store, and lo and behold, on the last chance rail, was THE dress, now down to £9.99. It was only in a 12, and I'd normally take a 10 or 8 in M&S's frankly vanity sizing, but I think dresses hang better when they're slightly loose rather than too tight. Even better, I still had £15 left on a gift card, so it was free, really

Search list;

J was wearing a gorgeous black jacket at Christmas, in soft leather with a fall away collar and zip detail. She recommended I get one too. Only problem, it was from River Island and they'd sold out. When out for cocktails with the girls on Saturday night, one of them was wearing an almost identical jacket, and it came from Dunnes (pronounced to rhyme with Hermes....). I did find that one, but at £50 it's a bit steep for something that I don't really need, and which isn't quite perfect. New Look had one in their sale with a grey tweed front and black leatherette sleeves, which looked great on. Maybe.

still got a pair of shorts on my wish list

I've realised that all the high street multiples will have very similar items each season. So I started looking for That Jacket in some other stores. Found one in Next which was similarish shape, but more a suede rather than leather look. Down from £55 to £25, and has a slight forest-green hue to it.

I also succumbed to Joe Browns and Boden's sale emails, so I'm currently waiting for my orders to wee what I'll keep.

Typo made me smile

Stoopit iPad!

I've just discovered wardrobe sodoku!

Draw a 4x4 grid.

Row one: Bottoms, top, footwear, accessory (BTFA)
Row two: FABT
Row three: AFTB
Row four: TBAF

Each row and column should now be an outfit. Also the diagonals, and the 4 corner squares.

Here's my first go:

B1 - brown linen pinafore dress.
B2 - blue floaty "Martha Graham" skirt
B3 - charcoal grey heavy cotton skirt with orange embroidered flower
B4 - charcoal grey linen trousers

T1 - Brown/ pink layered wraparound cardi
T2 - floaty cream Grecian Gok Wan sleeveless
T3 - ginger 3/4 sleeve T shirt
T4 - bronze silk shirt

A1 - flower necklace in bronze/ blue
A2 - tan suede belt
A3 - peach/ grey scarf
A4 - statement necklace in orange/ gold

F1 - lace up brown ankle boots
F2 - calf length tan heeled boots
F3 - brown/ pink cowboy boots
F4 - grey Mary-janes

That's a Latin Square. A Sudoku is merely a 9x9 version with additional restrictions

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/LatinSquare.html

Believe it or not, I once started to write a Guide Entry on them.

I don't own anywhere near enough clothes and those I do, are virtually all not fitting me well since I've lost weight even finding jeans to fit seems such a effort now, I can barely bring myself to go shopping for them

Thanks Icy, I shall inform those style bloggers immediately!

Good fitting jeans are always a real difficulty to find.

Best fitting jeans I found, recently, were a pair of female Levi (I think 471 ), slimfit, 32" leg, and 32" waist, but I've lost more off my waist now, and, actually not tried them on in ages not sure what make the ones I'm weraing ATM are, but apparently, accorindg to the label they're a 30" waist, and are now starting to get lose on me! Mind, the ones I'm weraing at the moment ar emens jeans, so don't fit me oddly enough, as well on the legs etc, as the Levis did but... the levis are so expensive at new proper high street price (the pair i got was silly cheap on EBay)

I have too many jeans. Though none of them are properly shortened and hemmed, so I really should declare them as flat boot or high heeled ones, and have them done accordingly. At teh minute I just fold back the hems, which isn't the most fashionable look.

Grey skinnies and bootcut (both M&S).

Lucky Brand from Vegas - one dark blue, one lighter/ more distressed. I'll make the darker ones a pair to wear with heels, and the lighter ones for flats.

Very stretchy "Not Your Daughters Jeans" . I tend to wear these tucked into knee high boots, so they COULD be shortened, but any turn-up activity is hidden inside the boot.

Harley Davidson mid-blue. Unlikely I'd wear these with heels, so I'll get them shortened to bike boot length.

Boden and Joe Browns packages all tried on and all gorgeous! Just have to decided what I'm wearing when.

Chartreuse dress with flippy skirt - Board meeting

Blue dress with Tibetan pattern - Arts Council meeting

Bronze/ black prom dress - Scottish dance ball

Grey/ mustard skirt with embellished detail - training course

Floaty peach shirt/ scarf - this weekend with one of my many pairs of jeans!

ahh... jeans are ment to be differnt length... depending on ones footwear.... explains why mine always seem too short, as soon as I put my boots on to go out

Shorts are the best

Wish I was better at stitching/sewing.... I've a fabulus pair of shorts, but I can fit myself in them, twice now... surely it can't be that hard to cut and sew them into two pairs

Wore the Boden skirt today. Gawd it's gorjus! Mostly steel grey, but with white and mustard yellow patches, and embellished with bead and button detail.

Lunchtime meeting at a Fablab - an amazing space with a laser cutter and a 3D printer! I was there for a meeting of a voluntary arts forum - the patchwork guild woman loved my skirt.

Onto the evening and a drinks reception with accountancy dudes. I went in by train, and so was wearing my flat black boots. I thought, these will never give the right impression to people I'm possibly schmoozing for job opportunities - could I buy something better en route between train station and venue?

And lo, there was a shop called "Foot etc!". And in the window were some of my favourite brands - Ruby Shoo, Fly, Irregular Choice.

I had in kind a sort of grey ankle boot with wedge heel. Browsed around the shop and my eyes lit on a pair on the sale rail - mustard peep toe courts by Fly. I tried them on. They were amazing with my outfit.

I bought them.
I got photographed in them.
I will wear them again tomorrow.

can we see the photo? were you wearing tights with the peeptoes? can you give tips on how to do that?

I shall try to link when the photo os published. Yes I was wearing tights - it worked becuase they were both bright colours, and the peep bit is very small.

You must have a massive wardrobe?! you only seem to buy clothes.... not throw them out

Ah, now, especially with shoes, I DO have to have a one-in-one-out policy. (Should that be 2 in 2 out?)

So yes, I'll have to review the current occupants of the shoe rack and decide who's leaving