Nasty Gal - Wearable Vintage Online

I love thrift shopping and searching for over sized jumpers and 60's style dresses in vintage shops. I particularly love a good rummage through various outlets on Brick Lane, and I'd quite happily get lost for hours there on a weekly basis. However in this day and age, time doesn't allow this remotely often enough, so I'm very thankful for my handful of favourite online retailers, who have buyers with impeccable taste!

With that in mind I wanted to post about one of my latest online obsessions - Nasty Gal. It features both new and vintage collections from a range of designers, and not only are there some great wearable vintage styles, the story behind its founder is fascinating too. Founded by Sophia Amoruso in 2006, it's a real rags to riches story. Sophia built an empire from an Ebay shop called 'Nasty Gal Vintage', a name inspired by Betty Davis. She did this by selling her prized vintage possessions, sourced from a secondhand shops (a thrifty lady after my own heart).  She went from photographing and uploading her own stock, spending hours by herself meticulously making sure everything was perfect, to a huge staff team and revenue of $24 million by 2012, which made Nasty Gal the fastest growing online retailer. Her story really resonates with a girl like me, who has big dreams and an entrepreneurial flare.

Here are just a few reasons why I'm happy to have stumbled across Nasty Gal,

1)  First and foremostly, I love the clothes! From the wearable, quirky vintage designs to tasteful choices from other designers and retailers, I love that I've found a website where I want a whole host of items from their collections, and actually have to restrain myself when buying.  Believe it or not, I'm actually a very picky shopper. I recently bought the sherbert jumper, above, and the metallic dress on the left, and am eagerly awaiting their arrival. My only complaint is that as a US based company,  I live so far away I have to wait a few weeks for it to reach my doormat!

2) I run an enterprise centre that supports young entrepreneurs, and I love a success story in business, especially when there is so much fear of failure about. Don't get me wrong, businesses CAN and do fail, but you never truly fail if you learn, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. Real entrepreneurs take knock backs as a learning opportunity and just persevere.

3) Looking around the office, pretty much 100% of the businesses set up and working from the centre are male, and that's not from lack of trying on my part to encourage some female entrepreneurs to move in. Now I'm not a multi-millionaire, I've merely dabbled with a few business ideas so far myself, but where are the young women that are getting out there and making a go of doing their own thing? I know there are lots of girl bosses out there,  and I'm just reflecting on one start up unit, in one area, in the UK, but across the board it does seem a little male dominated. It's not a mans world, and powerful women like Sophia who have made their own fate really prove that. I hugely respect those who go against the grain, set a goal, dream big, and just make it happen. Sophia Amoruso recently published her story under the title #Girlboss, which looks like an inspiring tale - I can't wait to read it, and hope that it inspires other fiesty and creative women to get out there and make their mark.

I'm running a giveaway with fellow blogger, Tara over at the Penniless Socialite right now for a $50 Nasty Gal gift card, which is perfect for a wardrobe update. You can enter through the Rafflcopter links. I hope you love Nasty Gal as much as I do! I'm also co-hosting Tara's 'Favourite Fashion Friday' link up, join the fun below :)

NOTE: This is not a sponsored post, Nasty Gal are in no way affiliated with me - I'm just a fan.

Do you have any latest fashion obsessions? Please do share them with me!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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An InLinkz Link-up

My Top 5 Current Trends!

I've realised recently that I have a tendency to opt for certain styles whilst shopping, and totally ignore entire trends just because I'm not sure whether they'd be right for me. I've always stuck with safe clothes that I know will work, because I know if I let myself, I have the potential to make strange fashion choices. Not that it matters what everyone else thinks, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable in your own skin but, come on lets face it, it matters a bit.

I first learnt that I had a bit of an imaginative fashion streak when I got all excited at about the age of 10 by a bright blue blazer that my auntie was throwing away, and wore it to an own clothes day at school. Now, there were some definite fashion faux pas in the form of 80's hand me downs before the age of 10, but this one was clearly my doing. It was very much noticed by my classmates, not least because it had gigantic shoulder pads that swallowed me up almost whole.  Continuing further down this train of thought, and whilst we're in the spirit of sharing, there was also  the mild attempt at a Cyberdog phase (where I tied a load of coloured ribbons in my hair and actually left the house) and my brief flirtation with being a goth. Not a good look for a pale ginger like me.

However I can trust in my own sense of knowledge in my shape and what works and what doesn't. With this in mind, and with the intention of not getting stuck too much in old habits, I decided to put together a list of items of clothing inspired by summer 2014 trends that I'm currently considering adding to my repertoire.



1. Cigarette Trousers  & Metallic Trousers

I've been seeing these around and I've decided its time to break my no patterned trousers rule (I tend to try and tone down my lower half).  On that note, I'm also loving patterned, loose trousers in general. These ones are from ASOS, but I'll be searching for a bargain on Ebay with my ever thrifty head on!



2. Open toed shoes

OK, this is not a fashion revelation at all. You may be wondering why this is even on the list as it's pretty much an essential for most people EVERY summer. This might sound really sad, and I'm desperately hoping someone empathises with me here, but I hate my feet. I generally wear closed toe heels which is really quite sad as there are so many pretty peep toe shoes that I want to welcome into the fold of my shoe cabinet. (and by that I mean my bedroom floor).  So this summer I'm going to get a pedicure and go for it. They're only feet, right?

I'm really liking these open toed heel sandals from Lulu, which would look great with a nice pair of jeans.







3. Crop tops

The crop top usually conjures up scary 90's images for me.  But I've been seeing some great crop tops around lately and, if done correctly, I think the crop top can actually look really cool. They're back in fashion so we may as well embrace them! I'm particularly loving high waisted skirts so that you are in actual fact only showing a small section of midriff, rather than the whole thing (I have somewhat of a way to go before I'm quite toned enough to do that).

 4. 60's Flower Power I actually love a good 60's inspired outfit, and I do venture to this from time to time. But I generally avoid floral, as people already think I'm floaty enough as it is without going down the frumpy route. But this kind of floral is cool, as is the fitted floral skirt above.




 
 5. Blazers

In a complete 180, and back where I started, I'm going to face my cringey memories and consider the blazer as a good fashion choice. I was clearly wise beyond my years back then, as there are lots of them on the high street now, reigniting the 80's vibe, like this one from Misguided. Blazers ARE great because they smarten up casual outfits and are the right kind of jacket attire for UK summer weather, too. Perfect!

So I guess my message is, BE BRAVE this season, and try something new that you wouldn't normally consider!

What are your summer must haves?

London Fashion Weekend - Favourite trends

 So I got last Friday off from my day job AND my night job (from spinning a few tunes) and hopped on a train to the big smoke, where I got to soak my retail senses in the world that was London Fashion Weekend.

Layla Frends headphones - £140

I know these aren't very thrifty picks below, and I'm going to have to ask you to forgive me for that in advance, and also point out here that I absolutely love high street, reworked, charity shop, and sustainable pieces. I love a bargain, and I love the individuality.  But a girl does still have to have the occasional dabble in the high end wish list. The exhibition was full of great British brands, and amongst my favourites had to be Emma J Shipley, and the Textile Federation, who are both incorporating some really quirky prints into their collections. Leading on the accessory front for me was Tessa Metcalfe Jewellery, and Jane Carr with her absolutely beautiful scarves, not to mention the genius bag creator that is Lulu Guinness, and Layla, who have some utterly beautiful headphones that are going to have to be mine very soon.

Lulu Guinness, Union Jack Lips Clutch £325

Textile Federation, Stellar Eye Dress - £60

Emma J Shipley - Lemur Scarf, £195

Tessa Metcalfe - Gold Pigeon Claw Necklace £250

Everyone I spoke to kept congratulating me for being there alone, calling me brave, and looking at me like I was some kind of ultimate weirdo. It just feels a bit odd pulling weird faces in photographs in some shades by yourself. With your best mate, funny posing = hilarious, on your own, funny posing = mental. However, I did treat myself to a few products from the label.m hairdressing stand which also meant I got to have my hair done in a style inspired straight from the catwalk. I went for the 'Bardot' :)

I also popped along to a trend catwalk, which meant I could glimpse some great new looks for this season.

A summary: lace is most definitely on trend (yes!) as are neons, flower prints, metallics, and... funky sportswear - which I can't say I'll ever be on board with. Sadly I didn't get any usable pictures as I was seated in a non friendly camera location, but I did meet a new blogger friend, Emily!

 Favourite trend: Lace Embrace - There were some gorgeous outfits paraded on the catwalk from the likes of Christopher Kane, Diane von Furstenberg and Oscar de la Renta.

Good Sport: Designers featured included Alexander Wang, Peter Pilotto and Stella McCartney, with some creative little sporty numbers that have been dominating the catwalk for a while. It's 'sports-luxe' so think basketball mesh bright colours and skirts with folds reminiscent of cheerleader pleats, rather than trainer wedges (shudder) but to me, it is still a wildly exaggerated throwback to the sports days we probably love to bury in our minds (and if you were like me, often had a sick note for). Perhaps that's why I don't really get this one!

Later, I met up with Trig who hotfooted it down to meet me after he finished work, and we rounded off the day by meeting up with some of my friends in Soho.  We ended up in a ladies only bar - needless to say he managed to blag that one very well with a beard. Random nights out are the best!

Alice x


Tagging the lovely Beauty Rae :)