Pink Leather Lanvin Ballet Pumps

I adore Lanvin ballet pumps. I love the thick luscious leather, the classic style and concealed heel. They are so comfy once the elastic relaxes and they mould to your feet. 

My first two Lanvins were bought from a designer consignment store for around £70 each pair and I've almost worn them to death. They feel amazing broken in. Because I wear them so much I bought more for rotation to help make them last longer. 

The last two pairs I bought were from Ebay. One is made from gold patent, which came from the States and the latest are these pink ones. Also roughly around £70 each which is a good deal considering they retail for almost £300! 

LK Bennett Linen Floral Heels

These stunning adorned shoes are a charity shop find. I love the colourful ribbon flowers. They're linen so I'm not sure if I'll get that much wear out of them but I bought them anyway due to overwhelming cuteness!

ASH for Kurt Geiger Wedge Sandals

A quick post to show off my new shoes for summer!

Lanvin Ballet Flats

You're probably thinking these don't belong in a frugalicious blog but they were a bargain. Got them at my favorite shop in Hampstead, a designer store selling nearly new stock for a fraction of retail.

Guessing a wealthy lady with small feet had unloaded her shoes because there were a heap of size 35 and 36 shoes in stock. I tried on a pair of Louboutins but they were too small (but they were hawt). And made a difficult choice out of four pairs of Lanvin ballet flats.

Bought the bordeaux plain leather because they were the comfiest. They have leather soles and wedge insoles for hidden support. I'm getting them Topied once I break them in a bit more.

I must sing out my praises for the leather. Lanvin flats have the thickest and supplest leather I've seen in shoes. They are beautifully made and will last a long time.

A tip on sizing for the plain leather flats. I suggest going up half a size.

Carvela Brogue Lace Up Booties and Vintage Silk Scarf

Brrrrrr...London is FREEEEEEEZING and it's only mid October.

For autumn, these charity shop finds came at the right time. Could not believe my luck when I found these spiffy stiletto booties. Brand new Carvela (from Kurt Geiger). The soles are pristine and the leather is showroom supple.

Wanting lace up booties since they were featured in The Devil Wears Prada. Finally I have them for £9.

The spotted scarf is sheer enough to float through air. It was retrieved from a pile of scarves as I ran my fingers over all of them to detect for silk. It was an easy acquisition for £2. You can never have too many silk scarves!

And how to tell the difference between a silk or convincing polyester scarf? Silk feels light for it's weight and thickness. If the edges have a rolled hem, it's silk. If it's folded, it's polyester.

I'll be trawling for more silk scarves to add to the collection.

French Sole Ballet Flats

My faithful flats are worn to death so I ordered two pairs from French Sole. I'm a hater of heels now.

French Sole (and their US counterpart, London Sole) are feet friendly because they're soft and light. I can imagine them moulding to my feet.

These are in the Simple style although the black ones are cut lower at the toe. The soles are thin so after I wear them once or twice (for extra grip), I'll get rubber ones put on.

For those who are reluctant to buy online without trying on first, the size guide is quite accurate. I'm normally 6 Aus, 3 UK and 36 Euro, and their 37 fits me fine.

The shoe boxes are so freaking cute. The ballet flats were on sale for £40 each and shipping was next-day.

Now I get to wear them in Paris this weekend. Love 'em!

Back from NY - Stretching Jessica Simpson Patent Shoes

I'm still buzzing from the joys of my New York trip. I heart this city, exactly as in the iconic shirts which even the locals wear. The atmosphere is electric and the pizza is incredible. Of course, so is the shopping!

Century 21 is where I bought these patent shoes from Jessica Simpson (did'nt know she had a shoe range until I saw these). They are clearly Louboutin rip offs but for $32 USD, they hardly compare anyway.

I tried wearing these at work and they were too tight. Within 5 minutes, my feet were numb. Had to take them to the cobbler to break them in.

It was worth it even for patent leather which is harder to stretch. They're a little more comfortable but they have'nt stretched a size. No blistering numbness at least. I'm still working on these babies because there's hope now that the leather's softened. Within in two weeks with two hours wear everyday, I'm sure they'll fit!

Dior Sandals & Rose Quartz Necklace

Can't think how a day could get better. The sun was shining and the sky was clear. Summer in London is glorious.

As I was walking home from Hampstead, I spotted a beautiful pink necklace with a £10 price tag in a window. I figured for a store in this area, the necklace would have to be plastic but not so.

The necklace is made with rose quartz beads knotted along the string and the clasp is sterling silver. I wear it looped around twice and it's the perfect length.

Turns out I had stumbled across a designer clothing store where everything was nearly new.

After half an hour browsing the store, I also bought a pair of Dior patent wedge sandals for £28 and a textured linen scarf for £5.

A bit more than what I'd pay at the thrift shop but designer has never been so cheap.

Dolce & Gabbana and Zara Stiletto Heels

It must be my lucky day. Found these Dolce & Gabbana and Zaras for a steal! £9 for the D&G and £5 for the Zara. Both in good nick.

Before anyone reels back in horror, please bear in mind that I'm super picky when buying used shoes. I won't touch them if they look worn. They must be practically new with little wear on the soles. (It's pricey replacing heel tips, especially when cobblestone footpaths are everywhere.)

I disinfect shoes by wiping the insides throughly with alcohol and letting dry them in the sun. Have'nt had caught any nasties using this method. So if you find new looking shoes in an op shop, don't be afraid to buy them!

NB-Wanted to make a point that I buy new shoes too. Just waiting to go to NY where designer shoes are plentiful and on sale!

Op Shop Haul - LUX, Pied A Terre, Dune and M&S Autograph

It's week 5 of unemployment and I'm officially on a spending ban.

The problem is, I can't help taking a look when I pass an thrift store. In London, there are heaps of them. I even live around the corner from one!

Yesterday I found this purple LUX (from Urban Outfitters) batwing wool knit for £7. It's tagged as medium so I told myself to put it down and walk away. I went home and came back 20 minutes later because I could'nt stop thinking about it!

It was originally intended to be a lounging-around-at-home top. In the photo above, I'm wearing it over a IRO slip dress with a Longchamp belt and Dune kitten heels.

On the return visit, these Dune heels had made it to the rack. They were £8 so I rationalised that I needed a comfy pair of work heels. (Eventually.)

Today I found an oversized clutch from M&S Autograph. It's in brand new condition and the leather smells intoxicating. I just want to smell it all day!

The clutch is mushroom grey with purple stitching. It's main feature is the intricate "fortune teller origami" design on the front.

The clutch had two price tags, £3.99 and £4.99. The sales lady kindly let me have it for the cheaper price.

As I was leaving the store, a random ankle boot caught my eye. It was from Pied A Terre and had the softest broken-in leather. I normally consider it to be a cardinal sin for Asians to wear brown (let alone, with black) but when I tried these on, I was hooked.

The boot did'nt have a price tag so the sales lady quoted £4.99. I found the other boot on different shoe rack and bought them.

It was'nt until I got home, I realised the other boot had the price tag. It was marked £6.99. Yay, an even better bargain!

Luscious Leather Wedge Boots

Stupid feet! Why oh why is it so hard to find shoes my size?

I'm a size 6 Aus, which is 3 in the UK. It's the smallest adult size and sometimes they can still be too big.

I was in a Camden op shop today and found these funky wedge boots with the lushest leather. Buttery soft leather inside and out. They had recently been Topied (protected soles) so the condition was amazing.

Would have bought them in a jiff because they were only £8.50. After trying to convince myself that I fit into them, I realised I was kidding myself. The boots were a size too big. But oh my goodness, the leather was so glossy and divine!

I took this picture in the changeroom with my iphone. I'm obsessed. Should I go back and rescue them? Perhaps I could stuff the toes with newpaper. Heh heh!

Target Red Satin Bow Peeptoe Pumps

I had a housewarming party to attend to but had no shoes to wear with my new dress.

Went to "Tar-jay" and was surprised to see how fashionable the clothing was! There were lots of gorgeous floral print dresses and comfy casual clothes for cheap. In fact the ladies section looked like Primark!

Ladies shoes were 30% off. They had heaps of synthetic leather heels. I recalled my friend slapping me on the wrist for picking up a plastic bangle while shopping. She said: "Don't waste money on plastic because it looks cheap!"

So I scored these hot red satin heels for $28 AUD. Although they're high, they're comfy because of the concealed platform. Received lots of compliments at the party. Some people could'nt believe they came from Target!

These will come in handy for an upcoming work Christmas party and wedding reception.

Top End Slingbacks, Vicenza Wedges and Vintage Necklace

Please excuse these dodgy photos as I was too impatient to wait for daylight before taking them.

Summer's around the corner. Today I was melting in my beloved uggs so its time for warm weather shoes. Here is my latest op shop haul.

Top End Snakeskin Leather Heels $6 AUD - In pink nude and cream which goes with everything. I never had a chance to indulge in the nude heels trend until now! Unfortunately the straps keep slipping off my heels so I need Foot Petals and strappy strips.

Vicenza Red Slingback Wedges $4 AUD - comfy shoes made in Brazil and these were pristine. The leather is super soft calfskin.

Vintage Goldtone Necklace $5 AUD - Not usually a fan of wearing gold but when worn with a plain outfit, it blings the look tastefully. I like how unique it is :)

Black UGG Australia Boots

Most Aussies groan when they see Ugg boots in public. They were originally for keeping your feet warm indoors. Now the Australian icons are street footwear. Lower and upper classes alike have no concerns of being seen in such oversized lumpy boots!

I've converted since moving to London because with the climate-they are a necessity! It's cold in Sydney so it's time to invest in a tall pair.

Tried on a few non-branded ones in Flemington Markets and some shoe shops. They were cheaper but no way as soft and furry as the Uggs Australia ones. Fortunately Myer had a 30% off sale on boots so I snapped up a pair for $209 AUD!

Not a steal but a very good shop price. Especially compared to how much they are sold for in the UK and US. I remember seeing the equivalent boots duty free in London for £180!

Who wants to go to work freezing in cold boots when you can enjoy sheepskin comfort? 

Italian White Leather Peeptoe Slingbacks & MAC Satin Cosmetics Clutch

Picked up these two beauties from the local op shop today.

These Louboutin-esque stilettos are in excellent condition and I wished so badly that I could fit into them. They are summery and look gorgeous with a dress. Too selfish to pass them by so now that I've taken some shoe porn, I'll list them on Ebay. Any size 8.5ers out there? Come and get 'em.

At first I thought this was a very chic pleated satin clutch but inside was a MAC cosmetics label. Guessing it was a gift with purchase and you can keep your make up brushes in there? It doesn't fit all of my brushes anyway so I'm going to use it as a evening clutch.

Marc Jacobs Satin Bow with Snakeskin Trim Heels

I watched these on Ebay for a month before the seller dropped the price further. I nabbed them for $58USD and they are brand new. Including registered shipping, they were only $130AUD. The price sticker under the sole says there were $865, reduced to $519. What a bargain!

They are adorable with the satin bow and comfy to wear. Now I can't wait to get a job so I can wear them out of the house!