THEN VERSUS NOW | HOW I PLAN MY NEW SEASON PURCHASES

What a freakishly warm October we're having ey? This outfit was shot last month but still feels oh so totally relevant for right now doesn't it.
Despite storm Callum tearing shit up this weekend the temperature has been strangely warm and I even went out on Saturday night in JUST a sheer top (with trousers of course) and didn't feel even an inch of cold.
And whilst I'm excited to whack out the faux fur very soon, it's felt really nice to be eased into the colder months gently.

It's been a hot minute since I last spoke with you all and whilst I feel endlessly guilty for neglecting my usual posting schedule across pretty much all my channels, I know that you guys understand that sometimes you can't be quite so regimented as you'd like and that things inevitably crop up from time to time. Our house is still a bit of a building site as we work at getting our hall, stairs & landing and our little bathroom finished off before the end of the month, so filming videos has been near impossible which sucks. And with regards to blogposts, last week was a chaotic one with not one moment of calm to sit and write a post to you lot, which I truly, truly missed, writing and chatting to you lot is my therapy!
I'm also a wee bit behind on shooting outfits too (so please bear with me) as I've been working away on a passion project which has taken up the majority of my time, all of which shall be revealed in less than TWO WEEKS TIME... ARGHH!

But alas, here I am, back with a new style post that I hope will inspire you for the last of the transitional weather.

When selecting the images for this post I thought it would be interesting to discuss my new season thought process and how I plan my new season purchases.

Planning my purchases for the season ahead has always been something I've enjoyed for as long as I've had my own disposable income. I'd flick through countless magazines, circling and tearing out the things I just "must" add to my wardrobe for the new season. I'd study the catwalk shows of my favourite designers before scouring the high street to find something of a similar ilk. This was always a really exciting time for me as a fashion lover and I looked forward to both the planning and the purchasing process.

However, this season it's a little different.  This season my outlook on fashion on a whole is different and in turn my outlook on creating content around fashion has shifted.

When I say outlook I basically mean what the fashion industry is doing to our planet and how I am learning more and more every single day about what goes in to making our favourite clothing items.
It's totally incredible how much we're all educating and supporting one another to do better for our planet of late, but honestly I find it so totally astounding that we didn't know just how much damage the fashion industry is doing to our planet until only recently, or at least I didn't!
Just last week I tuned into Stacey Dooley's Fashion's Dirty Secret and sat, mouth wide open from start to finish as I learnt more about the cost of fast fashion and the devastating affect it is having on our planet. If you haven't watched it yet then please do, I think it'll really open your eyes and make you think twice before buying yet another slogan T-shirt that you really do not need.

Every single day I am learning more about this industry and it's affecting the way I shop and therefore the way I share, so the way I approach new season purchases is a little different to previous years.

Usually I'll write my new season list and I'll hit the high street on the prowl for the latest designs and trend pieces that will instantly update my wardrobe ready for the new season.
I'll select those pieces that really set my soul alight, whether that be the must have lilac shade of the season, a touch of animal print or the latest designer handbag that I've put money away for every month. However, this season has been a little different, my list is more of a "mental" list rather than one I've physically written down, mostly because it is so damn small. There really isn't much that I require this season, and to be perfectly honest theres probably not been much I've absolutely "needed" for the past few seasons.
My twice-weekly ASOS scrolling has diminished to just once every couple of weeks, I've been investing in better quality pieces particularly when it comes to knitwear and footwear, two things I normally 'collect" at this time of year I must admit.

I've also been taking my "mental" list over to charity shops to scout out some pre-loved pieces that tick those on trend/AW18 boxes and I've been SO seriously impressed with what I've found. Just last week whilst in Cornwall I found the PERFECT bottle green velvet blazer that fit's like a glove and seems to have been made with me in mind. I also found the most amazing faux fur bucket hat which is just SO key for AW18... One mans trash is another mans treasure hey!?

Shopping second hand has really opened my eyes to the role I've been playing for the past 6 years since I started my blog and I guess for the last 10 years since I got my first Saturday job. I've been a slave to the high street and I've honestly enjoyed it; I love clothes and I love trends and I love writing and sharing it all with you guys but that doesn't have to start and end with the high street, as much as I love our high street.
Investing in better quality items from time to timevs means I'm shopping and purchasing less, which is great, but shopping second hand is truly thrilling and i've really fallen in love with thrifting once again.

I've also fallen in LOVE with finding designer items on second hand websites such as eBay and Vestiaire Collective. Not only are you saving money and helping the environment but it's also SO insanely rewarding when you find that perfect second hand piece after weeks of searching high and low for it. Take the Dior Saddle bag for example, a bag I've coveted for years and years and a bag that was reissued this season with a 2018 leather update. I fell in love once more but knew I wanted the OG Saddle bag so set to work scouring Vestiaire Collective until I managed to find this baby... It was a beautiful moment.

And whilst I will absolutely be treating myself from time to time as we head into winter and in-turn party season I'm really enjoying scouting out something a little different, a little more conscious and sustainable and something I'll wear more than just the once.

So my new season thought process is a little different to that of the years previous. I still have a huge passion for clothes and styling and that won't ever change, I'm just looking at the bigger picture. I'm educating myself and hopefully you guys a little too and I hope that you will join me on this little journey.

I am by no means saying that we shouldn't treat ourselves from time to time; it is purely the needless consuming of pieces we just "like" with no real thought behind where that item has come from, whether we'll wear it more than just a handful of times and whether we actually, really need it.
I've found my thrifting bug once more and I'm really, truly enjoying it. I'm donating more and more to charity in order to give other shoppers the opportunity to thrift something fabulous and do their bit of the environment too and I'm challenging myself to style up the pieces that remain in my wardrobe in different ways.

I've always said that it takes a true stylist to be able to rewear the same item in a number of different ways and I'm going to live by that mantra for reals this time.

x M

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSIE BUTCHER