I always feel confident in this skirt as I love the length and the pretty purple flowers. It was also a total bargain -just £15 in the Dotty P's sale :-)
My current job predicament has made me think a lot more about money and the amount of it I spend on clothes. Working a one day week is not going to generate enough cash to cover my rent, bills and irresponsible shopping splurges.
Although I plan to line up some freelance work and get another part time job, it is clear that something has got to give and, unfortunately, that something has got to be clothes. Yet, surprisingly enough, I don't feel that depressed about it. In fact, I am actually excited by the challenge of trying to look stylish on a limited budget.
As if aware of my financial plight, this month's issue of Vogue is a More Dash than Cash special. From 380 tips on how to look glam for less and clothes that are made to last; to "Thrift Chic Heroines" and DIY couture -this is fashion advice for the credit crunch generation.
In her article The New DIY, journalist Chloe Fox shares her experiences at her local Stitch and Bitch club -a group of glamorous city dwellers who meet weekly to set the world to rights over a cable knit jumper. "I can't quite shake the feeling that it's all deeply uncool," she writes. "But then as Georgia, an actor's agent in a Marni dress tells me over the clack-clack of her needles, it's all the rage -Kate Moss, Madonna. Julia Roberts and Winona Ryder are all keen knitters. So, bizarrely, is Russell Crowe."
Chole is writing about the resurgence of interest in crafts and traditional pursuits, which is sweeping the country and has certainly taken hold of Kendal. While I was working at the Gazette, me and the other reporters write numerous articles on everything from rocketing waiting lists at the WI, to an increased appetite for jam making.
The opening of a new wool shop, William's Wools, is also testament to the growing popularity of crafts in the area.
I too have been bitten by the bug. Just over a year ago, my friend Karen, who incidentally makes gorgeous bags, purses and soft furnishings, taught me to knit and since then I have been hooked. I even joined Kendal's answer to Stitch and Bitch -Knit, Natter, Stitch and Chatter and got a sewing machine off my mum and dad for Christmas. So far, I have just used it to make one shift dress but now I have the time and the motivation to put my good intentions into practice.
Fashionittas the world over have embraced the Made Do and Mend mantra of their grandmothers and I am determined to join them. I am excited at the prospect of trawling through charity shops and making and modifying clothes.
Maybe I won't be able to raid the high street every pay day but -hopefully- the satisfaction I glean from creating my own couture will be all the greater!
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