I don't want to look expensive thread. I like colour, prints and comfortable quirky stuff.

[NevermetaGilesIlike]

Thought I'd start a thread for anyone who finds capsule wardrobes in muted tones tedious as feck.

Ditto little diamond studs and designer bags with glossy bobs.

I personally admire the style of Alys Fowler and Helena Bonham-Carter.

Also love a bit of Gudrun/Lagenlook and other cheerful offerings.

A successful charity shop rummage is a joy to behold. I like messy hair, well -loved clothes and making my own stuff too.

Anyone else?

Ah, whysorude another silver sister .

Meadowhay I would definitely recommend charity shops for good value bargains, also tkmaxx and bargain sites like brandalley. You can pick up something unusual for less money, often of good quality.

I wear a mix of plainer clothes and a few more unusual items. If you need to gain confidence, why not start with your usual style and add the odd piece to make it more interesting and build up your confidence slowly.

Hi meadow. For a start I would suggest that you don't look at it as dressing wackily, but more a dressing how you like. Today I'm wearing a plain red wrap dress, with high black clogs and tons of silver jewellery. Not quirky, not wacky but me. I embrace the idea of this group as one that appreciates dressing for yourself and not how you feel you should be dressing, whether to look expensive, French or bohemian. If you feel that a style is you, and that you're wearing it and not the other way around, it's easy to be confident in it. I would feel very out of my comfort zone wearing jeans, t shirt and converse anywhere other than walking the dog!

Meadow - what sort of thing do you like?

Re hair it is easy to colour yourself and that brings the cost right down.

Are you crafty at all? Adding something like a homemade bag/necklace to otherwise plain clothes can really give it some quirk.

A lot of fairtrade clothes (if that is your sort of thing) can be bought reasonably on EBay and Amazon. Gringo have started selling directly on their website and have a sale section with loads of bargains.

Also charity shops are great. I often pick up things and customise them to my liking. I use Dylon a lot too to change the colours of things I pick up.

Meadow, I would echo pp that it is about finding the clothes that are 'you'.

I also shop a lot in charity shops as I'm also on a budget. Also, keep an eye on sales for your favourite shops. I mix plain clothes with something more interesting. Etsy is a great place to find unique jewellery.

Pinterest is where I find my inspiration - so many interesting looks to explore and find what suits you.

Also doing stuff like adding gauzy ribbons to old boots can brighten them up. Sometimes it's about looking at the stuff you have and putting it together differently.

Today I have an urge for striped socks. I have just bought a black Lagenlook dress in a charity shop which is calf length and NEEDS them 😁

Also want some purple boots that are a bit Trippen in their style but not as £££. Has anyone seen anything?

Sorry, I don't mean I want to try and look as 'out there' as possible just for the sake of looking quirky or whatever. I just always see people wearing outfits that I think are lush but know I would be too scared to wear myself. But also it is hard to find exciting things when my budget is so limited to high street shop sales .

I don't know how to describe what I like style wise. I like all sorts really. Eclectic. Brands that I like but can't afford for example: Cath Kidston, Hell Bunny, Dolly Dagger, Voodoo Vixen, Irregular Choice, TUK...but I do still find more boring things that I still like in the cheap places I shop now. Loads of my wardrobe is from Dorothy Perkins because they constantly do sales so I can buy my clothes really cheap. It's alright but bit boring. I always have a problem finding shoes too because I won't buy leather as I'm vegetarian.

I'm not artsy at all and I'm not sure I can even dye my hair myself although I could get DH to do it for me. I'm on the autistic spectrum which has impaired my coordination so I can't do things like sewing etc, it's taken me years to actually feel able to competently apply quite basic makeup. Plus my hair is very dark brown so I would need to bleach it first and I do worry about how that would damage my hair?

Meadow - Ebay!

I love Ebay and get a shitload from there at great prices, especially as I like vintage. If you spent a bit of time looking at stuff you like and noting preferred brands, you can get alerts etc when something comes up (e.g. I get new listings of Fly shoes in Size 5 alerts). It's a cheap way to get stuff which can be different from usual high street fodder.

Perhaps you could make some Pinterest boards?

Never I'd love some Trippen boots too. These are among my favourites. I want ALL the colours in the third picture, I'd settle for the grey if I had to choose.

CateGory8 Those are lovely. I would choose grey too!

Meadow I would also add Ebay and Etsy as well. And I "fiddle" with clothes, not great at sewing but can add patches to jeans, alter armholes, and have dyed loads of stuff to customise it. Also, craft or vintage fairs have some more unusual, often good priced things. I've bought quite a few jewellery pieces that are one offs like this.Good for ideas too.

Can you wonderful quirky lot help me style this please? It's calf length and needs a top underneath otherwise there is very visible bra

I wear pearls, a necklace, it's a long flapper style one.

Those are fab boots

Billy- would a Gringo shrug work with the dress? They are usually excellent with dresses to cover straps etc.

This sort of thing...

Today I embraced my 1970s nostalgic mood and bought this much hankered after tunic. It has splendid owls. Many. . I cracked out my flares today too. I am feeling they need adorning with something though . Well they will certainly be original 😁

Alsa no! It's not so much the straps that are a problem I have strapless bras, it's the little triangle shapes are too deep a v to cover my quite frankly massive boobs.

I'm tempted by chocolate brown tights brown boots and some sort of shirt underneath, I just have no idea what sort of shirt...

Hello my people!
I'm getting my hair cut in two weeks for the first time in 6 years. I'm quite scared but excited as I'm going to ask for a Queenie Goldstein 20's curly bob and then I'm going to dye it at home.
I can't wear long things because I'm dumpy, but I love tweedy things, and cotton patterned shirts and old jeans.
I've bought a £4 pale green Lindy Bop dress off eBay which I'm wearing to my friends wedding, with boots or vans.
I love trollied dolly dresses too.

NevermetaGiles channelling the 70s here too. Flared jeans, trainers, biker jacket and a felt baker boy hat.

Jellyboobs I love tweed too. I have a pair of wide, tweed trousers from Maxmara courtesy of the charity shop and a (very old) green topshop, tweed jacket.

I love fashion, but I love style more.

Thank you for all the inspiration here. I had the courage yesterday to change up my hair, going from a shoulder length bob with a few highlights through gray to a deep red with an asymmetric undercut. Its given me back some of my younger confidence. I was getting lost in frumpland and feel a slow return to my true self.

I love that haircut Fab, especially the grey with the deep red.

Great hair @Fab41
@quirkychick I dream of those charity shop finds!

Jellyboobs we have 2 very good charity shops at our local shops, but I often pop in and come out with nothing!

Etsy is brilliant.
I've got loads of good priced 1970s stuff off there. £20 for a pair of corduroy flares still with the original tags on. And they are much better quality than high street stuff today.