Sustainable Shopping at Stardust Years

One of my favourite shops in Winchester is Stardust Years, a vintage shop specialising in clothes from the 1890s to the 1990s. I’ve got some amazing pieces from Stardust Years over the last couple of years, so Anna and I went to visit the owner Karen and to shoot some of her amazing vintage finds.

All photos were taken by the amazing Anna Harding from Hello Ding.

This 1970s dress was a massive impulse buy while we were shooting at Stardust Years. My boyfriend described the dress as ‘confusing’, but I love it - it’s comfortable, velvet, a great length, and it has buttons AND pockets. My hair wasn’t behaving for the photographs hence the braid.

I also almost bought this skirt. The material was almost like upholstery fabric, but it was the high waist that grabbed me. The shirt is mine - it’s actually a dress from Cheap Monday that I got from eBay.

My hair is too big for hats and quite frankly it’s devastating.

Good Morning

Working from home can mean many things - freedom, flexibility, distraction, low motivation, pyjamas… I’m trying to take a structured approach to my morning routine to make sure I get up and get things done, without rushing around or panicking about the work I have to do that day.

All photos were taken by the amazing Anna Harding from Hello Ding.

Since I’ve been on the Gut Dysbiosis diet due to ongoing health issues, my breakfasts have been more of a focused part of my day. I’m terrible at waking up and up until recently very lazy when it comes to making breakfast (all meals actually), but now I make sure I eat properly. Normally it’s porridge, eggs or pancakes. These banana and blueberry pancakes are delicious and sweet, and only have five ingredients: blueberries, bananas, wholewheat flour, eggs and pumpkin pie spice mix from Trader Joe’s. No added sugar but super delicious.

I used to work for a coffee roaster in London and can’t begin a day without coffee. Although I drink decaff, for me it’s much more about the taste - as well as the habit and routine of making it - than the caffeine buzz. We use a metal filter as it’s reusable and I swear by Oatly, it’s unbelievably good. The spoon pot was made by Pip Hartle and it’s perfect.

I like to start my day by reading. I try and read before I look at my phone, but let’s be honest - this hardly ever happens. Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors and I’ve just preordered her new novel The Testaments which is due out in September. I’m counting down the days. The jumper is from Monki (thank you ASOS) and the playsuit is from Topshop via One Scoop Store, my favourite second hand shop that has amazing pieces at ridiculously good prices.

A happy unintentional matching of vinyl to furniture - this Band of Skulls record is consistently playing in my house.

After breakfast, I like to get ready as if I was going to work, I find it puts me more in the ‘office mood’. I wash my face with warm water and a Coco Shine pad (Louisa Revolta’s recommendation), before applying Rodial’s Dragon’s Blood moisturiser and eye cream. Then I use Boy Brow, Balm Dotcom and Lash Slick from Glossier, and when I’m feeling super fancy I use Fenty Beauty’s liquid liner, which stays on forever.

Getting Gig Ready

I’m fortunate to gig with a few different bands, which means lots of different outfits. Wherever possible i try to get my gig outfits from eBay, charity shops, and second hand stores online.

All photos were taken by the amazing Anna Harding from Hello Ding.

I scored this dress from One Scoop Store, my absolute favourite online shop - ‘a beautifully curated range of pre loved pieces’. This dress is a double whammy of fire truck red and velvet, and the straps alone are such an intense detail that I saw it and fell in love. Pure coincidence that it matches my Bridget Christie portrait taken by Idil Sukan. It was a present from an ex-boyfriend - it balances on top of a speaker in my office.

Those straps!

Trying to decide what to wear next for the shoot, which Anna caught on camera. I’m surrounded by charity shop sequins and velvet, One Scoop Store lace, hand me downs from my mum, plus a dress my mum made me for my cousin’s wedding. The pink dress I’m wearing was an absolute bargain from Stardust Years in Winchester.

The gold sequin dress was purchased off eBay; it was brand new with tags, originally from French Connection, and I literally snagged it for a 10th of the price. The pink dress is a ‘50s number from Cheap Jacks in New York. I bought it several years ago for my 21st birthday. When I went back to New York this January with my brother I was crushed to find the shop no longer exists. The black velvet dress is from Laura Ashley from a Wessex Cancer Trust charity shop.

Working 9 to 5 (and then some...)

I’m turning 30 this year. I used to dream about what my life would be like when I was 30. I knew I wouldn’t be married or have children, I hoped that I would live in New York (still hoping) or London (had a wonderful time living there in my mid-20s but happy to be out of it) and I wanted to have a steady career that I worked damn hard at and loved.

I used to think about my work space a lot. I feel like I’ve finally created an environment that’s conducive to getting things done but doesn’t feel oppressive or pressurised in anyway. It’s organised, but not sparse and super tidy. I like to keep meaningful items and things collected from my travels around the office, and if I see something in a magazine I’ll tear it out and put it on my wall. I like structure, but I also like the freedom of not having a specific colour scheme or decorative theme.

Having said all of that, I’m typing this on my sofa so I’m still not used to having dedicated writing place, but I’ll get there.

All photos were taken by the amazing Anna Harding from Hello Ding.

Wearing a second hand grey sweater from Beyond Retro, navy corduroy skirt from Uniqlo and tortoiseshell glasses by Ray-Ban. The chair was bought by my dad from Habitat in 1980; it looks like it wouldn’t be comfortable but it works perfectly as a desk chair.

My locker is by Mustard. I purchased it from Trouva, an amazing online store that sells pieces from beautiful independent boutiques. it’s my favourite item I have bought for myself - it really ties my entire office together. I like to swap the pictures and postcards on the locker around. I love keeping photos of my family and boyfriend on there to remind me why I do what I do - to make them proud.

Old magazines, crystals and a delicious candle from The Box Of.

The figure of Leslie Knope was a present from my brother last Christmas. She now oversees all of my work, which just feels right. The Ben & Jerry’s print is actually a napkin from a Ben & Jerry’s shop in the US that my parents had framed over 25 years ago - the frame is completely broken but the napkin is still very much a piece of art.

Much to the joy of my neighbours, I also practice saxophone in my office.

Sustainable Fashion: Part Four

Wearing Ray-Ban Wayfarers from eBay, silk trousers from The Vintage Room, and a black t-shirt and sandals, both from ASOS.

These trousers were such a score. They are so comfortable, and the print is really eye-catching. They originally had bright blue buttons running up both sides but I took them off. 

While on the shoot with Anna, we popped into The Hambledon, one of my favourite shops in Winchester. It's really hard to resist purchasing anything! I came away with some blank notecards from Paper Poetry. 

Super casual posing here. 

All photographs: Anna Harding from Hello Ding 

Make Up: Mac and Glossier

Sustainable Fashion: Part Three

Hotter than the sun, and I'm still WEARING KNITWEAR. 

I got this LL Bean sweater from Beyond Retro in Brighton while I was studying at Sussex Uni. It's probably my favourite item of clothing I own. It is beginning to look very dishevelled (or loved, as I like to call it). I bought a pair of Lee jeans the same day, and I didn't take them off until the jeans literally began to wear away. I still have them, even though they are unwearable. 

The Kurt Geiger boots were a purchase from eBay. I really like to prepare for the autumn months in advance, so they are ready and waiting in my wardrobe the moment the first leaves begin to fall off the trees. 

All photographs - Anna Harding from Hello Ding. 

Make Up - Mac and Glossier. 

Earrings - ASOS. 

Sustainable Fashion: Part One

I'm really enjoying the sustainable fashion movement at the moment; I've been reading a lot about reusing and recycling, and I'm trying hard to buy clothes from charity shops, vintage stores and websites like eBay, One Scoop Store and ASOS Marketplace. 

I decided that I wanted to explore what I already had in my wardrobe that is secondhand or vintage; turns out, there are a few pieces that I own that have previous lives elsewhere.  I wanted to explore all the clothing options that I had that to prove to myself how easy secondhand and sustainable fashion is. 

Anna from Hello Ding (who is also a fellow Spitfire Sister of course!) agreed to be the photographer for the project (her instagram is amazing, you can check it out here). 

Checking out the second hand book store in Winchester Cathedral grounds.

This red knit dress was designed and made by Annie Durkan in the early 1980s. My mum modelled the dress for her and was allowed to keep it at the end of the shoot. I had it in my dressing up box from the age of 8, and I used to pretend it was an evening gown and I was off to some fancy party. This was the first time I've ever worn it outside! I'm so glad I kept it in my wardrobe all of these years. 

I bought this book.

The denim jacket also belonged to my mum many years ago. It's very old George by ASDA, darling. This is a wardrobe essential, I take it everywhere, all weathers, all temperatures. 

We stopped by The Square by Coffee Lab for sustenance, which I would thoroughly recommend. I understand the irony of drinking out of a takeaway cup when writing about sustainable fashion - normally I'm really good at remembering my tumbler, but I forgot it. Classic. My tumbler is from Corkcicle and they are amazing. You can check them out here. There are so many benefits to using your own mug - apart from the whole saving the planet thing, you also save money at loads of places. Good vibes all round.  

Jacket - George by ASDA, Dress - Annie Durkan, Shoes - ASOS, Makeup - Glossier & Bourjois

Here's my mum in the same dress 35 years ago...you can't get more 80s than that.