Recreating the catalogue outfit

I thought I'd share an outfit today. I've worn lots of outfits that I like and would like to photograph to share but most of the time, I just can't be bothered to faff around with a tripod and bad light- I'm so much better at this in the Summer!

This outfit is based on one which I created about 14 years ago or so.

Most of my clothes for most of my life have been bought second hand or in the sale.  But, a year or so after I started my first full time permanent job at the Royal Academy of Music, I came across a White Stuff catalogue. Oh, how I loved that catalogue! The outfits the models wore were SO my type of thing, so pretty, little details and cosy (and the models were the type of aesthetic I like- girl next door, brown hair, cutesy). I pored over that catalogue for weeks.  One day, I decided that I really liked a few things so much that for once, I would actually order something online (I was fairly new to online buying then- the occasional eBay purchase) and there was one outfit which I ended up ordering 4 elements from. I didn't order the skirt or the knee-high boots as I had something that would work for that already.

This white top, button up lilac tank top, brown heart patterned knee high socks, tights with  a circle pattern and then I ended up also ordering a knitted dress with a hood and heart elbow patches.

I was horrified as the order ended up buying about £150 but for the first time in my life, I had some money (I saved every month, paid my tithe, paid back student loan). I was SO excited for when it arrived- it was such a pretty parcel.  All the labels were really cutesy with a scalloped tag, pretty button embellishments on the tag, pink cotton thread attached with a little round safety pin. I loved all the little details.

The weird thing is, I have not recreated that first outfit based on the catalogue for about 10 years.

Last Saturday, I decided to.

I wore that same top, the knitted button down tank (I wish I had a close up as the buttons are all different colours and shapes and the top has pretty applique leaves at various places.

I wore those same knee high socks but instead, this time, I wore a charity-shopped black velvet skirt (the original outfit had a corduroy button down skirt) and black charity shopped leather Ugg buckle boots and then black thick leggings instead of tights.

The original look had a long beaded necklace (with thread between beads) but this time, I wore my silver bee necklace and some cute earrings from Lorelai LQ made out of recycled single-use straws.

As a last minute thought, I found this lilac beret which I had forgotten about which was charity shopped a few years ago.  When we went out to go to the zerowaste shop, I lost the beret as it flew off my head and ended up getting muddy but at least I relocated it!

I will never forget that first order and how exciting it was to buy NEW things that cost money when I was new to working full time not alongside study (I'd worked since I was 14 but alongside study)