Dare to be different – you bet baby

The slogan says it all really, Lulu Guiness make up bag found and bough for £19.99 from TK Max on Charring Cross Road London. What’s TKs doing in Central London? Guess it’s a sign of the times, prime site with St Martin’s Fashion Students being right opposite.

DKNY denim skirt from a chazzer shop

Found and bought this DKNY denim skirt in a charity shop in Staines for £4. I never know what I am going to find and that I even needed another one, it’s the luck of the chazzer shop draw. Finding this brand in a charity shop is the total opposite to what designer brands try to control and create. Love that once its bought it has a life of its own and ends up where ever it’s ex owner decides. Worn it a lots already, could be a sticker, can’t stop wearing it!

Peter Pan collar

This sweet little Peter Pan collar, spotted blouse is from TK Max, told you I was mad about the max! It’s by Gharani Strok and found and bought it for £6 in Staines Tks.

Pattern on Pattern

No such thing as too much pattern for me! Found this jersey white paisley print dress for £1.99 in Oxfam in Birkenhead. Then an Antoni and Alison printed jacket for £8 in TK Max in Staines. The graphic prints and black and white were made to clash with each other.

Garden rugs

Now here’s an idea, I came across when I was styling and photographing these finds in my garden. I found these rugs at a boot sale in Rye for £3 each. They look like they could be 30s rugs, love the floral design,colours and came up a treat when I washed them. So imagine if we had rugs in the garden made out of water resistant material, bringing the inside out. Put them in my bedroom for now and the idea has gone in sketch book, oh to design the world!

Nurse, Nurse!

When I was a snip of a young lady I had my fortune told she asked me if I was a nurse. At the time I was full on designing with a design ego and scoffed at such nonsense. Well she could have been a bit right as my latest fuy is a light blue chambray nurse’s dress, found and bought in Brighton from an army surplus stall for a fiver. I tried before I bought and the guy selling told me it was the same pattern as the uniform dresses used in World War 2. That didn’t help really but I did have a visual of the women in my head that I had seen before that got me interested. It’s very flattering and utilitarian with lots light buttons and more gathers at the waist and on sleeve head that I would have imagined and pockets galore. This dress could easily be a new denim trend teamed with a great belt and boots, carry on nurse denim into next A/W 10 season.


Outside a pub in Brighton checking out my new fuy



Full length of the dress , great shape



Love the button sleeve detail

Walking the dog in clogs

Seasonal fashion can be cruel or kind depending on your personal style and body shape. A look can be in for a season that totally suits your fashion thing and then out the next. So I have learnt to stock up when my era 40s, 50s or 70s is in the normal shops. Then the rest of the time I rummage for it charity and vintage. The return of the clog was one of these moments for me this summer. Clogs’ are so right for a 40s or 70s look. They give height and balance my legs as lets put it this way I couldn’t ever join the Jeggins gang as leggings don’t do anything for my legs. I bought these clogs from Kurt Geiger in Bond Street on sale for £59, love them they look great with floral dresses, big leather belts and Charlie’s Angels style jeans. sadly I still make mistakes as I bought these red Indian style sandals on the same day from Kurt Geiger for £29 ( sale ) and hardly worn them. Strap round the ankles not that great or easy to walk in as my feet slide around in them. The heart ring was a lunch fuy £2 from Primark in Hackney, that has to have the trendiest customers I have ever seen in a Prirmani.

Fuying ahead for next season with me Frank Usher

This totally 70s Hippy Moroccan Folk dress is a stunning winter warmer, got one of my fashion feelings about this one. Add pattern and cosy in the gloomy months to come. It’s a Frank Usher and I found it in a vintage shop in Rye for £8 . The only shame about this is that the Moths have had a nibble but I think I can do a bit of mending and it will pass for a bit of vintage wear and tear, you pay extra for that you know!

All these patterns for a pound!

Vintage dress patterns transport me right back to being 12 and learning to sew with my grandmother at weekends. She had a stash of patterns she kept in her incredibly organised sewing box and I would update them by adding bits on and off. We would watch old movies and be inspired by the beautiful clothes worn by the glamorous actresses of the 30s, 40s and 50s. Then quickly nip to the market and buy a piece of fabric for 50p and get going with the sewing.

I found all these patterns for a pound in a junk shop in the very hip Hastings Old Town.
Great mix of all era patterns in this bag , my favs the Vogue Paris pattern , very “Mad Men” A/W 2010 ,the His and Hers hippy tops , so cool and the oh I used to wear one like that 80s top and shorts combo

My mums denim skirt - style memories

When I saw that Stella McCartney had sent a denim skirt down the catwalk for this S/S 2010 inspired by her mothers from the 70s, I smiled. Because brother did my mother have a denim skirt too. She had a denim skirt and Jesus sandals her daily uniform with a change of printed tops. I so wished that she wouldn’t wear it on parent’s evenings and grown up things. I prayed to the style goddess above that she would go in a pencil skirt, stilettos and a clutch bag! (What a nightmare I was)How wrong I was as her denim skirt and sandals represented carefree fun and sister I am so glad about that now. So when I saw this one in a charity shop in Surrey by Per Una for £7.50 I snapped it up for myself. On that day I had already bought a Brown and Tan bag from a boot sale in Surrey for a £1. Then low and behold to finish my out fit I bought a Brown and Cream striped jersey Breton style top for £2.50 from a charity in, you guessed it Surrey. What a haul an outfit in a day all for £11, thanks for the denim skirt memories and a reminder of the style Stella!

Tk Maxing

The Tk Max shopping experience for me is so similar to Charity shopping and Car booting. It’s as close as I get to shopping in the real commercial world and Tks on clearance sale can be better than charity shop prices. As mentioned I adore the thrill of the find, rummaging and valuing anything if it’s my style and it doesn’t matter where it’s from. Below my latest designer finds from Tk Max in Staines (out of town Tks even better just as the Charity’s, same, same)



Antoni and Alison orange striped Cardigan £18.I have noticed my uniform appearing before my eyes and a little patterned cardigan is one of the things I always need to have and replace. A good quirky little number useful layering option that so needed with our British Springs and Summers.







The hippie in me just wont give up the ghost of 1969 with these J Brand Jeans £7, Tk Max Staines, and Gharani Strok floral floaty hippy top again £7, Tk Max Staines. I am not usually that keen on see through tops on ladies over 40 but this one looks smashing with a little cotton vest under and digging the puffy shoulders too man.

Dinner on London

Found these coasters with colour photo scenes of London in a charity shop in Witterings. Love the box that neatly holds them all in. When I spotted it I thought I had found some old family jewels’ as the box had that look of finding treasure about it. The photos on the coasters have an unreal picture postcard look to them. So strange to see the London I have lived in for 20 years looking so calm and clean?

Exotic Ladies

1970s commercial art has been a fancy of mine for a good while. I first started finding it in charity shops and boot sales for a pound or two many years ago. Sadly those days are gone, so I thought? Tretchikoff, Lynch and Pearson women can sell for as much as £60 these days, not that I bought my beauties for that reason. For me I loved the representation of the exotic lady, the kitsch and commercial art for everybody vibe. I found this Pearson Lady print below in an old junk yard in Reading for £3, couldn’t believe my eyes when this beauty came into my vision. She is such a stunner and will fit in a treat with my other ladies on the wall, you go ladies!

It takes two baby me and you!

So onto the next posting, thank you for the response I have had from friends about this blog. Makes the cockles of my heart sizzle and fire up to look for more ! Ok so I love January shopping because it’s always about a sale and lots of bargains to be found. It’s strange shopping / finding now knowing that I am doing this as its hard not to edit to much. This month seems to be about romance and couples and when I found some of these fuys in January, Valentines Day was way out of mind. I am not a big fan of the commercial side of Valentines but love the visual feast and idea of real romance. Low on clothes in my fuys this month and more jewelry 70s and 80s, still not grumbling, loving every minute finding and wearing my fuys.

Happy Fuying

Karen x

80s enameled bow broach from a Charity in Berkshire, give me a lapel and I will always fill it. Love the graphic enameling that gives an 80s graphic feel. Bought it and put it right on there and then, fuy and wear!



80s plastic black and gold earrings and broach set from an Antique Fair in Staines. First up, finding sets in vintage is a big plus and secondly not sure why yet a bit Angie Watts from early East Enders sprang to mind but why did I fuy ?




Couldn't resist doing a Wizard of Oz image when photographing these !

Cowgirl Boots (not Cowboy) from Dune Bond Street, London in the sale. Getting a bit over my uggs and wanted another pair of everyday boots to replace the whole that will be left when I toss uggs to one side. ( can I do it ? ) I always slip up with boots as I think surly someone has come up with a solution for ladies with chunkier calf’s, no no no! So its mid length Cowgirls with shaped top, very flattering. Feel like I am channeling Annie Oakley (Google her she is so fab my new style icon) in them.

Address book Charity shop in Berkshire, great pattern, good size, need a new one! Not going to slip up with the loose my blackberry loose my numbers , oh no !

Spotted camping cups in a Charity shop in Berkshire. To quote the lady behind the counter “I saw you make a bee line for those” Cute little cups to sit road fire in garden or full on glamping experience. Would love to find more of these, let’s see ?

Victoria Sponge from Staines Antique Fair. I debated about putting this in but it looks to good and tastes too good to leave out and I couldn't’t stop photographing it. I know need to get out more. Home made gem with all ingredients typed on sticker, love simplicity. Bought for a meeting, enjoyed by all and meeting went well too.

Historical couple’s glasses from Charity shop in Berkshire (big haul that day) this is part of my it takes two vibe. Love the prints and how they look as if they are walking on air when on a dinning table, remind me of the famous fake fairies photo.

Tapestry made in 1975 most probably machine made of Victorian Ladies in Garden from an Auction in Berkshire. Love the subject and that it’s so very female and fertile. Bought it with a view to making a big cushion out of it as not to keen on the frame.

Steel and blue stone pendent from Charity shop in Berkshire. Got a thing for pendants especially 60s and 70s.

Agate stone pendent 70s harking back to Victorian love of stones and fossils, another one for the collection.

whatkarenfound - the beginning

For a long while now, I have been asking myself the question, if I documented everything I find on my buying trips and travels ,what would it look like? What would I learn? Would I like to see it all documented or would it take the magic out of it all?

Here goes as one of my New Year’s resolutions, New Year ,New Me, no a new blog will do. Whatkarenfound is a documentation of my fashion and lifestyle items I find and buy in a year. I am not a conventional shopper. I find high street and shopping centers/ complexes uninspiring and patronizing! I shop alternatively, Charity Shops, Boot Sales, Markets, Swaps, Auctions, Antique Centers, Retro Shops and the good old Jumble sales.

This is also an experiment to see if what I find inspires my work as a designer and stylist.


Enjoy my fuying (find – buying)

Karen x

These first posts are my finds from December 09 and it being Christmas the season of family visits you will see where ever I go I look for finds.


Camera from a Junk shop in Birkenhead , don’t know if it works but loved the idea of learning more about film photography. Love the leather case too.

Mulberry canvas and leather strap bag from an Antique Shop in Hampton Court. Love the tapestry print on canvas and leather together. Bag doubles up as an over body and shoulder bag, what more could I ask for.

Vintage Sunglasses from a Charity Shop in Witterings. So big and so bonkers dreaming of summer already.

British Herbs vintage Pelican book from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. Love the cover colour and pattern and want to find out more about Herbs too.

Victorian framed photograph of Married Couple from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. Was taken with the formality of this image and so great to see a photograph printed this size from so long ago. The man looks like he has been drawn in to the photo, strange.

Victorian framed photograph from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. Couldn’t believe my luck when I found the same couple again this time with a child. Love the clothes they are all wearing and the poses are so formal.

Roses wall print from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. Small print of roses, love the roses on the black background.

Vintage Fan from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. Again love the Roses and Black combo. Something a bit disconcerting seeing Roses on Black.

The Story of English Industry and Trade vintage book from a Junk Shop in Birkenhead. This may shed me some light on the Credit Crunch or may be it will be way to out of date. Thought it was worth a buy and a try.

Red Coat Eastex from a Charity Shop in Lytham St Annes. What a find, Made in England. I love the combo of Red textured tweed with Black velvet Collar. It has a look of Vintage Royal and a bit Kate Bush Hounds of Love. Although I don’t really like to think of the hunting connection, block that out, looks great dressed down with Jeans.

Camel Coat M & S from a Charity Shop in Lytham St Annes. Goodness it was my day two fab Vintage coats in a Size 14, Made in England. This one is defiantly an elegant lady coat and looks great dressed down or up. This so reminds me of my Grans coat she use to wear for our Saturday shopping trips to town.