I started chatting to @LottieLoves1 on Twitter sometime last year.
It feels like forever ago! We got chatting, we had a lot in common, I realised she also wrote a blog called Lottie Loves and started following that too.
We met for drinks, met up at Twinwood, and then she moved to California. I didn’t realise I was quite that obnoxious!
Apparently it wasn’t to get away from me that she moved to California, but rather a requirement of her husband’s job. Even though she’s abandoned good old Blighty in favour of warmer climes, her blog still makes good reading. Now with the added interest of being able to peer into the life and trials and tribulations of a brand new British ex-pat dealing with all that pesky perpetual sunshine they allegedly get in California.
Lottie is a busy wife and mother of 2 who’s determined to help busy women bring a touch of practical glamour into their every day lives.
Reasons you should read her blog:
Lotties Finishing School will help you rediscover your inner feminine princess.
She’ll introduce you to some fabulous frocks.
It’s fun to be nosey about her new life in California (apparently, no mince pies at Christmas!)
1. What was the first piece of vintage clothing you remember buying or owning?
When I was seventeen velvet dandy jackets were all the rage and the best place to buy them was in what were known back then as ‘second hand shops’, I’m talking 1993. Second hand shopping was seen as a bit lowly but I quickly became hooked. I bought a dark green suede jacket which sadly I no longer have.
2. What was the last item of clothing you bought?
I bought a red cardigan from Target the other day. It’s been quite chilly in Northern California recently and I was short of cardigans. I don’t yet know my way around the thrift stores so I bought new for once.
3. What is the most expensive item of clothing you’ve ever bought?
The wedding dress is obvious isn’t it? Aside from that I splashed out on a What Katie Did corset which I adore and at the time was a lot of money to pay out. (Pictures of me in this are on my Facebook page – Lottie Ryan)
4. What’s your current favourite item of clothing.
The thing I love to wear and have for three years now is my red Florence and Fred dress, yes, it’s a dress from Tesco! I picked it up whilst shopping one day, in the sale for £7. It has been washed and washed and still looks brand new, it’s such a cute design and I like to glam it up with a big petticoat. I wear it as a day and evening dress as it’s so versatile and being my favourite colour will always be pulled out of my wardrobe.
5. Do you prefer heels or flats?
I prefer heels for style but flats for comfort. I wear flats more often now as being a busy Mum heels are not conducive to getting through my days.
6. Describe your style in 3 words
Glamorous, Eclectic, Vintage
7. Skirts or trousers?
Skirts of course!
8. How much do you spend on clothes in an average month?
This is so variable. Some months very little some months too much, much to The Magician’s chagrin. I’d say on average about $150 (approx £100 a month) – normally on thrifty bargains 🙂
9. How is your wardrobe organised?
Dresses, Skirts, Tops and Trousers. I sort out frequently and colour code but after a few days of tearing through my wardrobe in a mad rush in the mornings the colour coding quickly lapses.
10. Are you sentimental about your clothes?
No, I’m not. I wish I were. I think I would have kept a lot more stuff and not be sitting here wishing I hadn’t thrown pieces out if I were. I am trying to deny my natural sensibility to throw stuff out and store anything I don’t wear for the future when my tastes/interests come back to it. I get bored easily and always like to change up my wardrobe although I don’t mess around with my style much.
I do look back on certain items of clothing fondly. For example I shall never forget my first ever swing dress. It was a black and white check with a cute belt and netting underskirt. I have always adored dresses and vintage style even as young as the age of 11.
Oh wow. ‘Second hand’ shopping in the 90s. I remember that well: so many bargains to be had. I remember picking up coats for a fiver that now retail at £60…
I have a Florence & Fred dress too and its my favourite! It’s a green wiggle dress that fits beautifully!
Ooh, I love her style! Northern California is surprisingly cool and not as sunny as SoCal. And although California is beautiful the style sense is nowhere near what it is in England. In my humble opinion.
A huge thank you for this. You know why? I’ve talked to Lottie on twitter too, and she is really nice and clever and funny and I assumed I was already following her blog but she had slipped through the cracks and I wasn’t! Shameful! Now remedied.
Funny… pieces of age old style, are worth more than money can buy.