I didn't find it, it found me...

Today, I'm thinking how much we have to thank our fashion forefathers for. Now surrounded by a fantastic orbit of glossy magazines, endless lists of 'in' tidbits and throwaway fashion scraps, it is nigh on impossible not to gorge yourself silly on style. And why not? Beauty innovations move faster than botoxed lips, and even the stylistically challenged need not leave the house in search of a 123 guide to throwing together an average outfit; it's all at our fingertips thanks to the internet. If fashion was the food of life, we'd all be morbidly obese. But the savvy stay lithe with the continuing wave of thrift, vintage and inherited goods. Fashion just isn't fun unless you have to forage.
Treasures
I didn't find it, it found me... Some fashion pieces and dear homewares open your eyes to all sorts of wonderful things you didn't think were possible. I'm talking about charity shop designer rags for pennies, curiosity shop delights and inheriting dusty antiques and tarnished jewelry that, with a little TLC, turns out trumps. For me, I shall always treasure the Christmas baubles from my mother's childhood (pictured above), my beaten up £10 Chanel shoes and my late Grandmother's diamond engagement ring.
Fur
If you are willing to shrug off the obvious immoral connotations and don a honey coloured coney coat, you're not alone. Vintage furs are in demand, and with the current cold snap forcing us all to look to Siberia for any style guidance with enough backbone to survive frostbitten conditions, people are thinking twice about the objections they once held against Granny's old pelt stuck in the loft (after all, it's been dead a long time). Small sizes are notoriously hard to come by, but come Summer real bargains will once again surface, so if you can stick it out til then to nab one, do!
Silk scarves
Surprisingly versatile for something so cheap, and not even something you need to buy in mint condition. Frayed edge? Mysterious mark? Pulled stitch? Just knot it in a cunning manner, and silken sins are hidden. Scouring vintage shops and markets and you'll find store holders with massive bags of the things are two a penny, so search long and hard for one you'll really love (because trust me, with scarves, there is always 'the one') and barter.
Bags
Cracked crocodile, gladstone, worn carpet or Birkinesque tendencies? The satisfying sound of a vintage clasp on a bag snap reminds me I was most certainly born in an era of quantity, not quality - they just don't make them like they used to.