Its Spring! So I'm going to take one last chance to celebrate the winter coat...

So I've been away for a few weeks and the weather has changed and so has my wardrobe. In the few weeks that I have been away from the blog I have put all my coats away, stored my super thick black tights and swapped my winter boots over for more dainty shoes. I am loving spring!

But I wanted to take one last minute to celebrate the winter coat.

Boy oh boy was the Collectif sale good this year, so good in fact that I bought 3 coats! But when they are around £35 each over 3 months it really doesn't seem like such a naughty thing... Maybe.

I though it was worthwhile mentioning this coat too as even though it is out of stock right now Collectif are really great at tweaking popular designs and releasing improved versions in new and exciting fabrics and colours. I for one hope a version of this coat comes back, in a navy blue!

So this coat is the Annabelle. It came in two colours; mint green and pink. I decided to get the green as I thought it was a simply gorgeous colour. 

It has a lovely sumptuous fur collar and cuffs too and a silky floral lining that makes it really comfortable. It is generally a warm coat but it is not quite as warm as the Rachel coat I showcased in this post and because of this I think it is the perfect coat for transitioning from winter to spring.

As always the Annabelle features a full skirted design which is great for fitting over full skirts like the Mary which I am wearing underneath ;)

One thing I will say is that this coat is small fitting. I was able to buy the Rachel in a size 12 and this size 14 Annabelle only just fits me so if they do re-release a similar style to this be wary when choosing your size.

Did I mention how much I am loving spring?

Outfit Details

Coat: Collectif

Jumper: Collectif

Skirt: Collectif

Shoes: Clarks

Have you made the wardrobe transition yet? What do you do to switch to spring? Do you do anything at all?!

Thrifty Outfit: A Splash of Colour on a Rainy Day

In amongst the scorching days we've had in Tunbridge Wells so far this summer there have also been a few really hellish thunder storms. 

Since its not cold but it is rainy a light rain coat is a must for this time of year. Now rain macs come in all shapes and sizes but my favourite one for brightening up a rainy day at the moment is this blue number from M&S.

I believe this coat is Limited Collection from a few years back and I got it in a second hand shop for under £10 (just). Its shower proof, lined and it has a hood. I think its a slightly too bright colour, but I find that it goes with so many different colours (red/yellow/green/black) that it really isn't a problem.

The jumper was bought online and has a lovely bit of beadwork around the neck. The skirt if old St. Michael stock and is the best shade of green.

Obligatory I'm wearing a hood shot:

Rain Coat: M&S via eBay

Jumper: Unknown via eBay

Skirt: St. Michael via charity shop

Shoes: Clarks

OOTD: A post about a hound's tooth coat

Disclaimer: This post happened on a very bad hair day. Please don't judge me.

Naturally the best plan hide and cover a bad hair day is to wear a lovely hat. 

                             

This hat is a beret shape with a gorgeous pattern, it is from Cath Kidston's last season and I got it in the sale a few weeks ago. I think it's rare to find a hat like this that also has a good lining, so that combined with the really cute pattern and I was completely helpless to resist its charms. Especially at £10.

This post however is where I want to showcase this coat:

                   

             

It's a camel and blue/grey hounds tooth weave in what I think is wool (or maybe a synthetic wool mix). And it came from eBay for £4.99!! What a bargain!

But what is really cool about this coat is that it is beautifully home made. There are no labels and you can see around the seams where it has been HAND SEWN together. I mean, hand sewn, that must have taken ages! I do have the feeling that some of the stitches will need re-enforcing with regular wear but that shouldn't be too difficult, I just need to get a stronger set of needles.

I think the colours have a lovely 60s 70s vibe so (although I have no idea when this is from due to the lack of labels but I think somewhere between 60s and 80s but that's as good as my estimation gets) to go with this I did a light 60s inspired make up with eyeliner and pale pink lipstick. This one was from collection 2000 and is part of the Deluxe range and the colour is called Talullah. Its a pretty nice colour, but it does need blotting very heavily.

Underneath I wore a 1960s inspired large lace floral dress from Monsoon, I adore this dress, and I featured it before in this post here.

Finally you may have spotted that these pictures were taken in a park. What was I doing in the park? Going for a swing. You have no idea how hard it is to get a non-terrible swing picture, especially with a shoddy camera phone, as its getting dark.

Coat: Home made vintage via eBay

Scarf and gloves: Accessorize

Hat: Cath Kidston

Bag: Vintage thrifted

Boots: Clarks via eBay

Dress: Monsoon

Lond sleeved t shirt Primark

Anywho, that's it for now, I'll make sure it doesn't take quite such a long time for an update next time!