In which I buy an old frock, a new frock, and abandon a project (and whinge about how fat I am!)

My first bargain of the week is this little top/dress which I got for £1.99 at Barnardos (currently the only charity shop which doesn't have ridiculously priced stock) I loved the shape of it - its like a shirt dress but with a frill at the bottom. I'm thinking I may remove the frill, add some black fabric as a flared skirt, then pop the frill back on. I dunno. Maybe I'll just remove the frill full stop. Or maybe the frill will look fine if I lose some weight! It is just getting added to my stash at the mo for later attention.

 Heres the top details. Nice gathered yolk and sleeves.

My second 'bargain' isn't really a bargain. I went a bit mad buying clothes online at Izabel the other day, knowing full well I couldn't afford it. I saw a fifties style dress in Dotty P's the other day but they had none in my size. Well they did online! Apologies for the flash short and bad photo, but this is the one I'm keeping (it was full price sadly, but my first order did have 20% off and also got10% quidco cashback - so £24.50 is not bad is it?!)
I love the shape and thought it was really flattering on my, lets face it, size 20 figure (the dress is a 16 - snug but wearable - I'm back on the diet again) Its a lovely 50's shape - very modest but very bright. I think the brights suit my colouring best, so this is the one I have kept. I'm actually astonished that something with a low waistband (I'm not sure its meant to be but I'm short-waisted so it sits below my natural 'in' bit) is flattering. I favour empire styles on a day-to-day basis.

 This adorable little number is quite 50's too - and disappointingly looked cr*p on me. The hemline was also wonky - I'm not sure if this is a feature but due to it being uneven I don't think so. I suspect if I'd been 2 stone lighter I'd have wanted to keep it, but I'm not, so I ain't.

This shirt dress looked cute, but I couldnt even get it on - or rather I could get the dress on, but not the sleeves - bane of my life. Sleeves too tight when everything else is OK. Fat arms begone!!

This dress looked cute on - but is bizarrley made of this nasty thick jersey style fabric which is really hot and scratchy. So it looks like a summer dress, but feels like a winter dress. Returned!

Another pic of the dress I have kept. I bought three of these - a purply one, a pinky gerbera one, and this one. 

The purply one I immediately discounted - pretty but not my colours. I rather liked this pinky gerbera one - and its more subtle - (plus it was only £24 in the sale so would have been  £16.80) but it couldn't win over the bright one. I couldn't justify keeping both either.

The dresses below I'm just showing off as I seem to be on that subject so may as well stick to it for today. Both are new with tags on :)

This is one I bought in a closing down sale in Sydney in 2006. I never wore it and I can't remember why. Its so pretty. Crossover front, big sash that wraps from the back to around the front and back again. Full swingy skirt. Very 50's. I can't even get it zipped up now, so I'm lending it to the lovely Anna to wear to the vintage tea-party on Sunday. She should look a treat!

Thjis is a rockabilly style dress in a 14  I got on ebay for a tenner about a stone and a half ago. Even then it was too tight on the backside. One day it will fit... I do have a similar one with white piping in the 16 but the arse is still too tight, even though the bodice is fine <sigh>

The dress I have abandoned is the blue star swing dress #2. It just hasnt worked. The shape is wrong and the piping is wrong. I'm going to have to unpick the entire thing and start from scratch sans piping. It was a nice idea that failed. I'll be wearing swing dress #1 to the tea party as originally intended!