From China with Love: Cut Price Fashion Review

 
I’ve shopped on ebay for years but I always used to be sceptical about buying from China. While the vast collection of eastern fashion always appealed to me I was concerned about the quality and sizing of garments and worried about items being lost or delayed in the post. Then a few months ago I spotted an owl pendant that I’d been unable to find on the high-street, at just over a pound including international shipping from China it seemed too big a bargain to pass up so I ordered it and prepared myself for a long wait. Amazingly it arrived in well under two weeks -a lot faster than the 28 day estimate. It was carefully packed in a padded envelope and the quality was on par with what I’d expect from fashion jewellery sold in the UK.

Since then I’ve purchased other jewellery, stationary, electronics and even a ball gown from China, while not every transaction has been perfect any problems I’ve had have been minimal. Recently I bought one item that arrived damaged and another that just didn’t turn up, in both cases I found the sellers very friendly, approachable and eager to help. They both acted quickly to solve the problem, offering my choice of replacement or full refund.

My latest purchases are a studded collar shirt for just under £10 and a ribbed bodycon skirt for an incredible £2.85. I was delighted when they both arrived last week within a couple of days of each other. The shirt is so pretty and versatile –I can imagine layering it under sweaters or pairing it with a simple blazer and coloured jeans. I’m really happy with the design and the quality, the chiffon fabric has just the right level of sheerness and has some weight to it so it hangs beautifully. The collar too has been embellished with high-quality riveted metal studs, I can’t imagine them coming loose or falling off with use. My only minor quibble is that despite being quite narrow at the shoulders the body of the shirt is very boxy, I’m considering slimming the sides a little for a better fit. The shirt was described as ‘one size’ and measures approximately 14’’ at the shoulders and 18’’across the body. It is 22’’ long and the sleeves are approximately 20’’. It can be found on ebay.co.uk here. 

I am equally happy with the bodycon skirt, the colour is beautifully rich and the simple design will work with everything from a blouse to a graphic tee to a sweater. The thick woven material has a really nice feel and I think the addition of the pleating detail makes the skirt look a lot more expensive than it was. The fit however highlights just how different Chinese sizes can be from western ones. Described as a size ‘S/one size’ the skirt measures a mere 10.5’’ at the waist and just over 12.5’’ at the hips, although the fabric does allow it to stretch a couple of inches this still makes it smaller than the average UK4. If you need a petite fit like me buying from China can actually really work to your advantage, but I’d still recommend checking measurements very carefully before buying or if in doubt asking the seller. If you’d like to try the skirt it can be found here.

Snapshots from My Phone

Photography is one of my passions, I don’t always have my DSLR with me though so when I want to snap a quick picture I usually reach for my mobile phone camera. Due to my extra-ordinary ineptitude with touchscreen phones that camera is a 2mp point-and-shoot housed within my increasingly ancient LG Shine (that’s right, I’m the proud owner of possibly the coolest phone of 2007! Hehe) Over the last five years it has served me well and I’ve amassed a huge collection of mobile phone snapshots, here are some of my favourites, collaged together like Instagram for the non-smart phone user: 

From left to right

~ A burnished silver Buddha from Next 

~ Ice lolly shaped sponge and other bath goodies from M&S 

~ The shape of a horse leaping from the flames at last year’s bonfire night 

~ The new Northumbria University campus at Newcastle

~ Giant butterflies suspended from the ceiling in a local shopping centre 

~ The spectacular fountain at Alnwick Gardens 

~ A gorgeous rose bouquet I was gifted for my birthday

 ~ A cute display of cupcake shaped lip balms, scented wet wipes and Russian dolls in Accessorize 

~ A single pink rose 

~ Guildford castle, Surrey

~ Criss-crossing escalators and skylight in Debenhams 

~ Canada…or is it? The Florida version at the world showcase, Epcot 

~ The undisputed king of doughnuts…a Krispy Kreme with limited edition orange glaze

 ~ Key Lime pie on board the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship 

~ An old fashioned (but still fully working!) petrol station in Barnard Castle, County Durham 

~ A shoe shaped cake at the Cake International show NEC Birmingham

 ~ An adorable cake and patisserie shop in London 

~ ‘The Village’ luxury designer shopping in Westfield, London 

~ Another amazing cake creation at the Cake International show 

~ A patriotic Union Jack shop display

 

Sale Shopping and Bargain Homewares

I've never really been a big fan of sale shopping, just looking at those rails of badly organised, jumbled clothing gives me a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think it’s partly that I just don't have the patience required to wade through the masses of clothes looking for the best bargains although I’m sure my lack of sale shopping success isn’t helped either by the pandemonium that is the first few days of the post-Christmas sales with all their attendant pushing and shoving, clothes trampling and disgruntled screaming children –anyone who has ever dared to venture into Next on Boxing Day will know exactly what I mean.

Nowadays I avoid the first weeks of the sales completely and usually stroll in around mid-January when things are much quieter and I can browse at my leisure. This year this strategy really paid off and I found some amazing bargains that were double or even triple discounted!

 

 

My first purchase this year was this wooden Shabby Chic ‘Love’ hook to hang jewellery on. Before buying this my necklaces were in a sprawling knotted mess spilling into three separate jewellery boxes, now I’ve used it to hang my favourite pendants and beads on which keeps them tangle-free and has freed up a lot more space for other items in my jewellery box. It wasn’t a huge saving but still a bargain at £5.

While browsing online I also found this very elegant voile and crystal light shade from Argos, I think it looks much more expensive than its £9.99 price tag. It’s still available here but unfortunately no longer on sale.

Last but not least of the homewares (and not technically a sale item) is this wooden ampersand. I was in Primark exchanging an unwanted Christmas gift when I spotted it, I love freestanding letters and symbols and after looking at similar items for a lot more I couldn’t believe it when I learnt this was only £4 full price! I’m not keen on the matt black finish though so I will be customising it in some way very soon.

Also spotted during my inaugural trip to Primark were these adorable short pyjamas. In the past Primark sizing has started at an 8 so I was pleased to see they’ve now added a 6 to their range, although I did find that while the shorts fitted me perfectly the top was verrry long in the body so despite the small size the fit wasn’t very petite-friendly, nevertheless I thought they were just too cute to resist so I added them to my basket, and as an extra bonus when I got to the till I found they had been marked down to a ridiculously cheap £4.50!  

Next I popped into Miss Selfridge –who had the best organised sale section I’ve seen for ages combined with some fantastic reductions! I chose these light beige chinos (£15, reduced from £38) that I thought would be the perfect spring/summer transitional piece. Being chronically short-of-leg I wasn’t sure I’d be able to carry this type of trousers off but I found by cuffing them and adding heels they actually looked ok. I loved the fact they also came with a great quality tan belt that in my opinion would have justified the price on its own. Available here online.

Lipsy has always been one of my go-to shops for pretty evening dresses, over the past couple of seasons I've noticed they've started to add more wearable daytime pieces too. I think these shorts are the perfect blend of both, paired with a sparkly top, a clutch and heels they’ll work for a night out, equally I can also see me wearing them with a vest and sandals during the day. I picked these up for half of the original price- £17.50.  

Finally although I live in heels I do occasionally see a pair of flats I really like, and these Ravel patent ballet pumps immediately caught my eye. I thought the shape was really delicate and flattering and the patent finish and bow detail gave them a chic, Audrey Hepburn-esque vibe. I’ve always been a fan of ravel shoes since they had high street stores so I was excited to find something from them that I knew would be great quality for only £17!

Purchases made: 7 

Money saved: £££   

Sale success at last: Priceless!

35 Years of Warehouse + Save 25% Off Your Online Order!

My Warehouse Wish List

 Button Top Full Dress

Metal Bow Narrow Alice Band
Peter Pan Jumper

Ponte Skater Skirt

Textured Heart Small Necklace

Silk Bird Print Dress 

Diamond Oversize Bag

Triple Lock Purse

Warehouse appeared on the British highstreet 35 years ago when it opened its first store in London in 1976 with the aim of making fashion accessible to all. I’ve always found Warehouse great for quality fashion staples as well as the occasional stand-out piece. A few years ago a large portion of my wardrobe came from them, however I’ve found recently their sizing has grown increasingly erratic and the stores can be a little drab and uninspiring.

I was tempted back to Warehouse when I saw a 25% off promotion advertised in the November edition of Elle magazine. The Warehouse website is well laid out with clothes grouped into clearly defined categories as well as by trend and occasion. True to form their basics were great –just as simple and chic as I remembered. I was also really impressed by the way they’ve updated their collections with a lot of more adventurous fashion pieces. The website showcased an absolutely stunning range of dresses from casual day dresses to elegant evening dresses to fun party dresses -perfect for the festive season!

Soon I had compiled a lengthy wish list of items. I narrowed it down to a few pieces and added them to my basket. I was disappointed that half way through the checkout I was told several of them weren’t available and were removed from the order. Because I spent over £75 I qualified for free next day delivery (normally £4.99), so I had my parcel before lunch time the very next day- an unexpected bonus! Everything was really well packaged, either neatly folded in individual bags or delivered hanging with a plastic cover. I was impressed that even the belt buckle on a skirt I ordered had been carefully wrapped in tissue paper.  

The appearance and quality of the two dresses and skirt I ordered was excellent, fabrics felt luxurious and hung beautifully and little finishing touches like brass buttons or exposed zips were lovely, but once again inconsistent sizing let the clothes down. One dress, a stunning pale pink lace shift –very Jackie O!- fit snuggly, yet the silk bird print dress I had ordered in the same size totally hung off me, leaving me unsure whether to risk alterations or simply return, a shame as I absolutely loved everything I ordered.

If you want to try Warehouse out for yourself use the promotional code BIRTHDAY3 online at Warehouse.co.uk  to receive 25% off until 13^th November 2011. To claim the discount in store look for the voucher in the November issue of Elle magazine.

When in Rome…

St. Peter's Basilica

Rome is a beautiful, vibrant city where the sacred meets the secular and the ancient rubs shoulders with the classical and the modern. It’s an eclectic mix that gives the city a unique buzz all of its own. Occupying just a few square kilometres central Rome is compact and easily navigable on foot or via the city’s public transport network. Hop on one of the intercity buses and buy your ticket from the coin operated machine on board, a single journey costs a euro or for €4 you can buy unlimited travel for an entire day. The buses run every few minutes but are usually hugely overcrowded with standing room only, I found the newly modernised (not to mention air conditioned) metro system much quieter and easier to use. There are stations all over the city and all of the major tourist attractions have a metro stop nearby. 

Rome's Metro network

Because there is so much to see in Rome –I once heard it referred to as ‘the world’s largest open air museum’- it’s essential to plan carefully if you want to see everything. The big attractions can get incredibly busy so you can save time as well as money by buying multi-tickets in advance. The Roma Pass for example gives you free admission to two museums or archaeological sites of your choice plus reduced priced tickets to any of the others in the city. It lasts for three days and comes in at €25, it also entitles you to use the public transport network free of charge for each of the three days. Best of all –and worth the price on its own in my opinion- you don’t have to wait in line at any of the attractions. 

For many people the ruins of the Coloseum, the Vatican, the great works of art speak for themselves, however I really recommend paying a little extra and hiring a good English-speaking guide to give you the background information necessary to understand and situate Rome’s great monuments in context.

A Roman street

As well as sightseeing, Rome is renowned for its shopping. At the heart of the shopping district there are several streets of high-end luxury and designer stores –all of which were showcasing their autumn collections, I cannot describe how weird it is to be looking at fur coats in the middle of August when the temperature is in excess of 35 degrees! If you find designer boutiques a little intimidating Rome boasts a wealth of more middle-of-the-road chain stores that have either virtually disappeared from Britain’s high streets or else aren’t well established in the UK yet like Benetton, Sisley and my personal fave, shoe heaven Aldo. There’s also the ever popular Zara and H&M along with some Italian chains like Stefanel and Le Group. The fashion may be very grown-up and serious but the Italians do have a taste for the kitsch and the retro, the city is crammed with amazing quirky boutiques selling unusual homewares –think Alessi but on a grander scale.

After the hustle and bustle of central Rome, visiting one of Rome’s parks is the perfect way to relax. I went to the Villa Borghese Gardens, Rome’s second largest park encompassing 148 acres of winding footpaths, statues, fountains, a lake and several museums. If you’re feeling adventurous it also has a zoo and places to hire roller blades, segways and bikes. 

A fountain in the Villa Borghese Gardens

Having failed to persuade my traveling companion to hire a Vespa in Rome, she did eventually relent and agree to rent bikes to explore the park. Prices start from around €5 per hour for basic bike hire increasing to €12 for an entire day. You usually need to leave photo ID as a deposit, I didn’t have any with me, fortunately I managed to convince the man running the rentals to accept a credit card instead but if you don’t feel like risking your passport or your bank account(!), I recommend carrying some form of photo ID with you, even if it’s just a library card.

Gelato

After a day in Rome you’re sure to work up an appetite and luckily the food is delicious. As well as the traditional pizza and pasta dishes you would expect, there are lots of meat and seafood options. There are so many restaurants, cafes and bistros in central Rome you’re spoiled for choice, although prices are expensive and portions are usually quite small.  This holds true even if you buy food from street vendors, where a soft drink will set you back €3 or €4 and a slice of pizza around €5. I found the best way to eat well on a budget was to have a light lunch, perhaps half of a shared pizza or a panini, and to eat dinner early as many restaurants introduce more expensive dinner menus at evening. Rome is famous for its gelato, a delicious Italian ice-cream, and true to form there are gelaterias on virtually every corner. Prices usually start from €2 or €3 for a single scoop going up to €10 or more for a really lavish multi-flavour sundae. You pay more to sit and eat in gelaterias so you can save by enjoying your gelato standing up! Nearly as delicious as gelato are the flavoured crushed ice drinks. I particularly liked the lemon, which was so refreshing after a hard day sight-seeing.

We stayed at the well-appointed Hotel Capannelle, which is approximately three kilometres from central Rome. Although this meant a 25-30min bus journey into the city each day, thanks to the out-of-town location the hotel is a lot more spacious than its city centre equivalents and even boasts its own pool –a rare luxury for a Rome hotel. Ultimately wherever you stay Rome is an amazing city unlike any other, and one you definitely cannot afford to miss. 

Keep scrolling for more photos...

The Hotel Capannelle

Reception

Hotel Room

The Trevi Fountain

The Roman Forum

The Vatican Museum

One of the ornate ceilings in the Vatican Museum

View over the city

Bernini's 'Sinking Ship' Fountain

Jelly Babies in the Park

The Colosseum

The Colosseum

The Spanish Steps

A street performer

Fountain of the Naiads

Lemon Slush