Major charity and vintage shop haul yesterday which included bagging purchases branded Tommy Hilfiger, Dash, H&M, Lipsy, Scots Royal (cashmere!!!), Gap and Shein. I also bought an Italian top that was unbranded. Two of these are in perfect condition but the rest need a bit of make, mend and do!

I spent a grand total of £13.75 (I’m not counting the books) and bought three pairs trousers (Tommy Hilfiger, Dash and H&M), two tops (Lipsy and an Italian top) one cashmere jumper (Scots Royal) and two dresses (Gap and Shein). Not bad! Of that haul, the two dresses need nothing done to them. They are both in good shape. The trousers may need to be taken in slightly, but I will wait til they are washed to determine that.

The Dash trousers are also quite short but as the hem is held up with hem webbing, I’ll remove that before I wash and see where we go from there. The Lipsy top just has a bit of bobbling while the Italian top was very confusing. Sense had it in the skirt rail and that is what I initially thought it was. It was only when trying it on at home I discovered it had arm holes! It’s one of those oversized tops that can look amazing over a pair of jeans, but because the neckline is so big that it fits easily onto my waist, I’m wondering if I can turn it into the skirt I intially thought it was. It also has bobbling a couple of areas where the seam has come apart and two stains that I am hoping come out in the wash. The cashmere jumper feels sooooo goooooood! However, it is full of holes, so my thought there is to see if I can make a pattern of a contrasting colour and sneakily patch it without it looking too much like a botched home repair job!

A word of warning… always check the size on the label which can be very different to the size on the item! I am a UK size 12, sometimes 14, and have managed to not follow my own advice and come back with one pair of trousers a size 16 and the other an 18! Now with sizing being completely different for many brands it so happens that they are both around a size 16, and sitting low on my hips means I can just take them in a bit. However, if you are not that confident a seamstress or home repairer… do make sure you check! Anyway, for progress on these items, please check out the links I will be adding below for the more interesting ones. This will detail what I have done with each to have it ready for me to wear!

Keep sustainably clothes buying lovelies! x

©Fiona Doney 2025

Links

For an update on the Pink Dash Trousers – see Pink Dash Trousers