Old dress, New Collar

I find it quite funny that that number of skirts I counted a while back, 278 to be precise has stuck with some people and when people come up to me to ask me about the blog, the first question that they ask is 'So is it true....278 skirts???'.  I say 'Yes...' but what I don't tell them is that the number is probably over 300 now despite me frantically giving away things to charity shops and clothing bins.  So as I got stuck into sorting out my dresses to hoist into those miserable plastic laundry bags, I didn't really think about counting them as I thought there's no way that I'd even top 50.  But as I rolled, folded and scrunched (I resorted to sitting on a suitcase at one point to zip it up....), actually the number did begin to creep up.  No, not that silly figure of 278 but a very modest 142 which has now been edited down.  I discovered things that I THOUGHT I had given away and after my very stringent editing process, I berated myself for having to give away Martin Margiela, really old Super Lovers, vintage Lanvin and other gems (or clearly not...) to the charity shops.  (By the by, I did think about selling some stuff on the blog and having a mighty fine £1 sale but I'm having to move faster than I thought which means no time to fanny around with hawking my tat online...).

Anyhow, I did come across some things that I really thought had gone kaput and as I packed, I tested out Outsapop's zipper collar on a number of Susie Bubble's ye olde dress dregs.  Not to say that the dresses are rancid or anything but they've seen better days and got more attention a while back.  A Topshop boutique dress that I wore to death, a Catherine Malandrino dress I bought and wore once, that Roland Mouret dress that I scooped in the best sample sale I've experienced,  a M&S 'IT' dress that was featured in all the mags and for some silly reason, I succumbed and bought it but ended up loathing it, a £2 Primark find that struck me as a little overly deconstructed coming from Primark, a vintage Laura Ashley dress that I shortened and a vintage car print dress that I bought in Singapore as the ONE vintage thing I found there three years ago... I suddenly got a little sniffy after I packed them all away.  Moving is an odd thing and looking at all of those things, I remembered how much love I professed for them at the time but then cast them aside rapidly.  Fashion schizophrenia has struck my wardrobe hard and I was facing that fact last night shaking my head and talking to myself like a deranged old biddy.  Still, the collar does give a different play to those dresses which I momentarily discarded and hopefully with a more efficient storage system, I won't have to be so harsh to the 131 dresses that I have still got...

Comments

[selina]

i love those dresses, you could have said 'i just bought these' and i would have believed you. it always ends up a shame if you throw away things with a one-of-a-kind appeal or certain details that you wouldn't find in other places, but i frequently regret buying plain dresses and they go to the charity shop without a memory! i do like the car dress and the topshop boutique one

[Sushy_H]

Susy, I would gladly buy any of those dresses from you! Ha.

[carlotta]

ah one of my favourite things in life, rediscovering a long forgotten garment and finding it totally relevant to my current tastes... i have a feeling that alot of people are just ddyying to help you out with your overpopulated wardrobe

[KD]

I love how the collar works with all of these dresses, especially the Topshop boutique one and the Roland Mouret dress. You never cease to amaze me with your wonderful style!

[WendyB]

It seems to work well with everything!

[AngieMontreal]

The last time I moved, I was amazed to find that having a better storage system in the new apartment made my wardrobe seem twice as big. I used the Stolmen system from ikea (easily moved from apt. to apt. and adaptable with the movable shelving/rack system). Actually, now that I think about it Agathe from StyleBytes has the same system. It's for serious clothing hoarders I guess, when no closet will contain the mass of stuff. It's pretty much like turning your room into a boutique...perfect.

[jen]

pretty sure you want to give those dresses to me!!

i'm loving the collar with the toppyshoppy and the lanvin, well placed to update them (not that they really need it...you have such a good eye!)

[jen]

roland mouret even
wow, it is late here in oz :)

[Héloïse J]

thank you dear- i really appreciate. you're very kind (:

i may mail you for going out for a drink :P

[Drusilla]

The collar does look fantastic with all the dresses- I remember the post you made, all those ages ago, about wearing the Roland Mouret dress :). Funny thing is, I think there's something in my cupboard that looks a lot like it (I suspect mine is a knockoff)- is there any way to de-sexify a dress like that?

[emmie]

i wish you had more time to have a blogging £1 sale! i'd be happy to snag anything from your amazing wardrobe :]

[Shay Wilson]

oh my gosh, I can just see you packing your clothes for the move. ;) have you seen the Mighty Boosh episode where they go camping in the woods and Vince takes so much clothing that his stuffed suitcase later becomes an exploding weapon??

I like it most with the white shirt. sometimes it is too much. but great piece!

[cordelia]

Awwww dang! I really would be interested in ur susie £1 charity shop!!! I wish u had done it! I could do with a few skirts! I only started wearing skirts again last year!! I can't believe u found vintage in Singapore! Do u remember where was it? Btw, is the green chiffon-like dress by Catherine Malandrino?

[coco]

I love it against the green. So pretty!

[missmilki]

lucky people who frequent your local charity shop! ;)

[Zhori]

i'm falling more and more in love with that zipper collar.

[Zest]

i like the fourth dress, the pattern and the colour are lovely. i wish you were doing the £1 thing, that would have been amazing!

[esmee]

Likely!

xxx

[SwanDiamondRose]

i'm so glad you are back Susie. i stopped myself from saying anything greedy like- DON'T GO! do NOT push that button!

but seriously- DON'T PUSH THAT BUTTON like EVER!

ok. i'm done. and as before LOVE this Outsapop creation :) she's good.

[fashionistadiary]

that green looks fantastic on you susie! love the zip accessory with it! great look xo

[lady coveted]

as much as i love the collar and the dresses, the graphics are really cool, i just love that color scale stuff.
:)

300 skirts? good god, you're going to need a new house just for your clothes!

[sopchan]

i love the cars! beep beep! would wear that in a blink!

[Jay]

Hey, Susie, do your bit for charidee and tell us which charity shop you donated these dresses too? I'd certainly go check them out, as would other readers, and I'd bet that'd increase the shop's takings a bit - all for the good!

[Samantha]

This of course comes with no obligation to even view my blog, but yours is one of my favourites so I've added it to a those lovely little 'blogs i read' lists. It feels a little strange to do this and not notify you so here is notification. (Blogging etiquette is an unknown territory). xxx

[SOS!]

I love the zip collar necklace! I love outsapop's trashion projects..she's so talented. The necklace looks fantastic on you, and it goes great with a lot of versatile oufits. Rock on!

[The Clothes Horse]

That collar looks so great with everything--glad to see the bf returned it. ^_-
I'm quite jealous of your collection. Storage is a problem for my humble collection as well though. Most start getting more intentional about it.

[bronwyn]

Aha...love it when you do these personal style posts! All great looks - the collar is such a clever touch. For my two cents, my fave looks are no 4, the satin mini, no 5, the yellow black & grey dress - I like the sporty style and the dress shape/style really suits you and my winner no 6, the florals - I'm just loving that Rodarte Fall 08 pallette right now, and that very feminine look, fab interpretation!!! ( Not to mention how cool those knee highs are)I'm surprised they're all on the giveaway heap - they don't look the least bit old and tatty!

[bronwyn]

PS also wanted to say, I really hope you don't have to stop blogging, even if you only post once a week, it would be such a pity to close this blog, your view and style is so unique, and you have built up something so good!!!

[Carl Starling]

Although the dress isn't really in keeping with your usual style...and you say you hate it!...I think the collar goes best with the M&S 'IT' dress (if thats the short, satin one with a large navy floral print?). The proportions suit it really well, as does the colour, shape and fluidity! Nice Work Cx

Which charideee shop????????? The hem on that boutique dress of divine but I know how especially topshop boutique dresses get after lots of wear.

[Hannah]

That zipper collar is amazing. I love the colour of your emerald green dress and the fact that you've paired it with all green.. and that dress is from Primark? Seriously?!

[Make Do & Mend]

Goodness the M&S number, so not you and am suprised you bought not becaus eit is M&S but the details seems at odds with your usual ability. Shows what bad cutting does.
The RM dress is a dream and the others look great - surely you didn't ko a Lanvin...that reminds me of my old Westwoods that I charity shopped - agh!!

[Becca]

great dresses, I'm envious to the extreme! Not to mention that I am wishing to be someone who followed you into the charity shop after you got rid of lanvin and margiela!

[susie_bubble]

Mass confusion! These dresses aren't the ones I'm giving away but rather they're the ones that I've unearthed that I totally forgot exist....

I have chucked away 10 or so dresses, 20 skirts, 5 coats and a bunch of sweaters etc and to stop myself from buying them back I've actually asked my boyf to drop them off at charity shops and not tell me where he's dropped them off....so it's a mystery to me where they have gone as well...some have also gone into the clothing bins in East Finchley to go to Romania as well...

[suzanne]

I love your tartan tights, where did you bought them? Because I'm desperatly looking for a cheaper version from those from D&G.

I saw there where some at H&M but I haven't seen them in the shops neither the online shop. Maybe they don't sell it in Holland. Can you help me?

Love suzanne

[ambika]

I love the car print dress--how they put the fabric in a chevron style is too clever. The Queen Anne's lace print dress is awfully pretty, too.

I love love love, the first two dresses, the navy and white one is completely perfect! The collar works too, i need to make sure that i keep more of my stuff, every year i pine over something (a number of things actually) i threw out and could have worn again, like me you have quite classic peices but dress them up with accessories and tights etc... I get my key clothes from topshop, shopgoldyn.com, american apparel and vintage/thrift/markets in NY and London, am gonna start recycling and storing!!

[a dreamer]

wow, i knew you had a mountain of clothes but hearing the exact numbers? i'm a little freaked out now...

[nanda]

i love that you wear tights with your clothing...
i have a lot of different colored tights
and i wear it with all my dresses
:D
thanks!!!

[Shoes]

can you please tell me where the white 5 strap boots are from?? i would die for a pair.
Favourite. x