Country Bumpkin

Dungarees - vintage / Shirt - vintage / Shoes - Converse

Just a quick post to show my outfit from an eventful bank holiday Monday on Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire, where hundreds of people quite literally throw themselves down a ridiculously steep hill racing after a rolling block of cheese.

In order to reach our viewing spot half way up the hill, we had to scramble up loose ground on all fours; grabbing whatever branches for support we could get our hands on. It is certainly not for the faint hearted! I clearly did not envisage this; or I would not have worn tights. Against all odds I managed not to snag them and the cute outfit risk paid off! Although next time, I think I will opt for jeans…

Vintage Shopping in Barcelona

I recently went on a city break to Barcelona where I had to check out what the local vintage shops had to offer. Here is a little guide of some of the best ones to visit if you’re ever in town.

The best street to head for if you’re looking for vintage is Carrer de la Riera Baixa in the Raval district. This small and short street contains a total of eight quite different vintage shops. Here is a selection of them: 

Kilostore

The concept is simple really. Each type of clothing is priced per kilogram and you can weigh the clothes yourself on the retro scales in the middle of the shop. Choose from ball gowns to tea dresses; from sequin tops to denim shirts; from woolly jumpers to Adidas jackets and from bags and belts to Converse trainers priced at €15.

Billie Jean

This beautifully decorated vintage parlour has a great choice of what I would describe as, more delicate vintage. There is the usual offer of Levi denim shorts for €20 and cute dresses for €25, but unlike the others also sells lacy underwear, jewellery and trinkets. Don’t miss the €5 bargain rail at the back of the shop!

De Faralaee

This is the only shop on this street that offers a mix of new and vintage clothing. New items such as cute tops with collars, printed t-shirts and skirts are priced around €25. The vintage section consists of a couple of bargain rails and a rummage box. This way of selling vintage is always a bit more of an effort for the customer, but personally I love it. You’ll always find a gem, which I did. I purchased a lovely red shirt for just €5.

Lullaby

The last shop on the street is one that you certainly should not miss. There is an excellent selection of bags and shoes as well as beautiful blouses priced at just €20 – being a shirt enthusiast I had to try a couple on! Take a look at the range of jewellery too – from delicate to chunky and bright pieces. As if this wasn’t enough, the vibe of the shop is fantastic too, with music blaring and the couple in charge joking with customers and dancing around.

And if you want even more vintage…

Holala! Plazza – Plaça de Castella, 2.

Having a few locations around the city, Holala! could be considered as more commercial than the shops of Riera Baixa. The size and layout of the shop, as well as the items on sale, gives it the feel of an American thrift store. Whether you’re after a brightly coloured t-shirt, a sequined top or even table and chairs, Holala! will have it. Everything is well organised into male/female, by item and in colour order of the rainbow that shopping here is stress free. Prices start at €20 for tees and shorts.

http://holala-ibiza.com/blog/

Produit National Brut – Carrer d’Avinyò, 29

With a great selection of vintage on offer, it is worth a trip to this quaint street in the Gothic quarter to visit this shop. Browse the colourful tea dresses, floaty skirts and beaded tops, as well as the usual denim shorts and denim shirts. There is a good men’s section consisting of loud shirts, retro jackets and shorts. There is a great collection of ladies’ boots and they also sell roller skates!

https://www.facebook.com/pnbvintage

Izzie x

Why not follow me?

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Barcelona, baby...

House in the Gotic Quarter / Fluffy ducklings and their mama / Boating in Parc Ciutadella / Arc de Triomf / Camp Nou stadium for Barcelona FC v Valladolid / Thali at Veggie Garden Cafe / Park Güell / View of Barcelona / Street sellers making a run for it

I have just got back from a little trip to the beautiful city of Barcelona with my boyfriend. It really is a fantastic place, with such a warm and welcoming atmosphere so it is no surprise that this is our third visit there! As a keen photographer, I always try to have an interesting setting for my style photos and with its incredible architecture and lush green parks, being in Barcelona was a perfect opportunity to do just this.

Location: Parc Ciutadella

Dress - vintage / Lace cycling shorts - H&M / Converse / Sunglasses - Rayban / Necklace - vintage / Nail varnish - Sephora

This dress was a bargain find from my favourite vintage shop in Paris. I am a big fan of denim and this is a more girly version of dungarees (which I also own and adore). As it is just a bit too short, I wear these great laced cycling shorts, which, if you can get your hands on, are an outfit saver in summer!

Parc Ciutadella is a must visit location in Barcelona. It is situated at the bottom of the grand walkway lined with Palm trees leading to the Arc de Triomf. There are lots of beautiful trees, secluded areas and places to explore. We went boating on the little lake, which is one of our favourite things to do on holiday as it allows you to get up close with nature and the local wildlife - we saw some adorable ducklings and goslings!

Location: Museu Picasso

Peter Pan collar top - Topshop / Jumper - Asos / Leather Jacket - Asos / Levi shorts - vintage / Patent boots - Topshop / Bag - Longchamp

I managed to drag my boyfriend to the Picasso museum and we were both glad I did! It was really interesting to see his early works, which are completely different to his well known Cubist style. These photos were taken at the exit of the museum. It looks does not look like I'm wearing the sort of clothes suitable for Barcelona does it?! Well, there were some chilly and wet moments while we were there - a leather jacket is perfect for this kind of unpredictable weather.

Location: Parc Güell

Dress -  River Island 

Parc Güell, although swarming with tourists and street sellers, is one of Gaudì's most triumphant masterpieces with its winding pathways, panoramic views and unique stone and mosaic work. It is no wonder that where these photos were taken was also the setting for an America's Next Top Model shoot. I love this tie dye print midi dress - it is a great length for spring and the shape of it means it is easy to dress up or down to fit the occasion!

Look out for my guide to vintage shopping in Barcelona coming soon!

Wishlist for a British Summer

Sunglasses - Asos / Trousers - Vero Moda, Asos / Jumper - Daisy Street / Backpack - Dune / Pinafore - Topshop

The likelihood of having some sun with proper warmth this summer in Britain is not something that I would put money on. The bank holiday weekend brought us sun and temperatures in the 20s and now in Bristol the weather is back to its usual gloomy, rainy and chilly self. So, I thought I would do a wishlist for a British summer.

The cropped trousers are perfect for spring and summer – being a compromise between shorts and full trousers in our unpredictable climate! I love the paisley pattern, which would be a new one to my wardrobe. The cropped jumper is a lovely lemon colour, which would certainly brighten up a cloudy day. I thought the pinafore was cute and smart, a new style this season that builds on the dungaree, which I also enjoy. It will look great with a patterned shirt underneath. As for the sunglasses, well… I have my trusty black Raybans but these nude sunglasses in the stylish round shape are completely different so I think I can justify them! A leather backpack is something that I have been looking for, for a while and this Dune one is such good quality and has a great reduced price tag!

Love Izzie

Art inspiration

One of the things that I love about fashion is how inspiration for styling, designs and outfits can be drawn from other subjects, such as literature, nature, music and art. Over the bank holiday weekend I visited some University friends in London where we went to the Lichtenstein exhibition at Tate Modern, which I had been dying to go to. Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist during the 1960s, known for his comic strip-like paintings. This exhibition was interesting because, although his famous works are fantastic, it enabled the public to see some of his less recognised pieces.

It is Lichtenstein’s celebrated unique style of using dots of varying sizes to create his images that have inspired today’s outfit choice. This playsuit exhibits the contrasting of colours, as well as the light and dark shades of blue used in his paintings for landscapes, water and the sky. Although Lichtenstein used many bold colours, pastels were essential too, as they are this spring in the fashion world. The playsuit has two different textures, which is also seen in Lichtenstein’s work, with his use of dots to create an illusion of colour alongside the bold blocks of colour and thick black lines. The polka dots depict his style and it is a pattern that should never go out of fashion.

Playsuit - Motel / Loafers -  Asos

Another way of combining pastels and Lichtenstein’s dots is on your nails. Just last week I painted L’Oréal’s black and white dotty top coat on top of a lovely pastel purple shade. It looks great and perfect for the spring weather that has finally arrived!

Love Izzie