Monday 2 January 2012

THE CHAZZA SHOP CHAMPION CHALLENGE COMMENCETH

I've been rambling about this here challenge for a while, but only recently did it dawn on me that I actually had to start planning etc, else I wouldn't have a university project to hand in come June. So a couple of days after Christmas, I made an attempt at busting through my chronic Festive Laziness Syndrome and got cracking with the preparations. So here it is, in full.
  • There will be no buying of any clothes that have not had a prior owner, and no buying from any retailer that could be considered a 'chain' or 'brand'. Any clothes, shoes, jewellery etc purchased must have had a prior owner, and have been bought from a charity shop, vintage seller or other such independent business.
  • Clothes may be handmade or customised. First-hand clothes that are already owned may be worn if customised, but only so that a significant change to the garment has been made. Fabric and patterns may be bought new to create new dresses, but no new items can be bought during the month to customise.
  • Clothes may be swapped with friends to obtain necessary items. As long as a friend hasn't specifically bought the garment to give to you (gifts included) and has worn the garment themselves, it may be worn.
  • Underwear is exempt from the above rules. Wearing someone elses knickers for a month is a bit grim.
  • Every day for the duration of the month, an outfit must be created from the vintage and handmade clothes and posted on this blog, with a small burble of typed drivel to accompany it. Aforementioned drivel may include musings on the delights of sewing your own clothes, acerbic rants about the effects of consumerism on our society, or full-on bitchfits about having nothing to wear. Ready...set...GO!

Day -1, 31/12/2011: Undertook the heartbreaking task of consigning every single bit of new clothing I own to recycling bags. Sealed said bags and shoved them into the wardrobe outside my room. Realised I have no trousers whatsoever to wear, five pairs of heeled shoes, and six skirts. I'd better get sewing.

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The above is pretty much all I currently have to wear this month, save for a couple of mad 80's jumpers.

00.00 1/1/2012: Have my last cigarette (sob) and bid adieu officially to all non-secondhand, vintage, or handmade garments.

2pm 1/1/2012: Wake up, feel pretty groggy. Decide that leaving the house is not an option due to copious amounts of lemon and ginger vodka-tea shots consumed. Look for warm hangover clothes and remember that my dressing gown and warm pyjamas are packed away for the next 31 days. Bah. Chuck Oli's second hand Xmas jumper on with a dress from Jenny, old ballet pumps and mong out - vowing to do better next time...

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Jumper - Oli via my mammy, dress - donated by Jenny, shoes ?!, face - aww shee-yit.

2/1/2012: Woke up feeling slightly more optimistic about facing the world, which is always a bonus. Shuffled through my clothes and managed to find a lovely little ensemble. Sadly, said ensemble included a pair of shoes that definitely weren't second hand. I'd just forgotten to hide the. Even worse, when I put them on I was immediately confronted by Oli, who seems to have taken on the role of Fashion Gestapo. Brilliant.
"Those shoes. Where are they from?"
"Uhm, I, um...*mental brainwave* Zoe gave them to me! We're the same size!"
"Hmm...I'm not sure I..."
"No, seriously!!! She lent them to me after a night out!! Honestly!!!"
.....
.....
.....
"Honestly!!!"
"You're a terrible liar. Take them off. And the skirt. I don't care if it's from Camden Market, it's still new."
"Buggery shitting fuckfuck."

Which is how I ended up, dispirited and grumpy, wearing the following to my Mothers house for lunch.

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Jacket - Swapped with Loz, cardigan - knitted by Mammy, belt - 30p at Drop Dead Budgie (R.I.P), wool skirt - swapped with Ello, tights - non-existent. Oli reckons it's cheating. After walking for 15 minutes in the biting wind with me screaming abuse in his ear, he has since reconsidered his stance on the matter. Shoes - Donated by Mandy, bag - charity shop.

3 comments:

  1. How cute are you with no make up?

    I LOVE that last pic!

    Now, I did this last year and I tell you, you can still do a lot of (financial) damage on etsy. Hang on, is this a financial thing, or an environmental thing?

    Oh, smoking, how I miss you. I'm at five years as a non-smoker now and I tell you, I could just pick one up and have it any time. *sighs*

    Have a great 2012 and best of luck with your challenge.

    x

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  2. the last chanelesque outfit brings the best out of you, you look like a part of mad men, few women can pull this look off and consider yourself one of them.

    i know this may sound as a spam message but i made a new post about how beautiful our little flaws make us, how unique and amazing. and my next post will be about curvy women and how curvy can mean sexy and seductive.
    if u agree with that maybe u could check it out, right?
    lureofthedarkside.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I WANT THAT COLLAR so badly!! Did you do it for sale or is it for yourself?

    ReplyDelete