The Ladybug’s passion for charity markets and bargain prices!

I have been buying vintage and second hand for almost 20 years but there is nothing, and I say NOTHING, that can beat a charity market if you want to buy the best things for incredible bargain prices!

Since I live in Milan I am a charity market addict, you know those markets that happens once a year, where the rich ladies in town open their wardrobe and donate their amazing vintage designer pieces for a good cause? Well, they are definitely my favorite ones!

Not easy to find or to get into this “charity market lobby” but when you find one, make sure to subscribe to their newsletter and to find them for the next event (usually the best ones are just before Christmas) because that’s where the best bargains happen!

Last year I was invited to one of these amazing events by a friend of mine and I got out of there super happy about my finds (even more about their price!) and about the fact that all the earnings of the event went to a charity association. So: great vintage shopping + bargain prices + good cause, what can we ask more?

It was at this event that I found this beautiful green and purple tartan skirt with its tiny purple belt from Valentino in mint conditions for only 20 euros! I loved the colors and the buttons on the front (it also has buttons on the back) and the price was too good to leave it there!

It looks like an 80s piece (maybe early 90s) and I paired it with a new & Other Stories frilled shirt that looks so 80s and that I found during the last days of sales in super promotion last year.

Black laced boots are new from Ouigal while all my hoops earrings are vintage.

PS: I know that now you are wondering what other bargains I got from that event but I promise that I will show them all in the next few blog posts!

The Ladybug and the joy of self-acceptance

This set of pictures was taken a few months ago, on one of my worse days. I was not in a bad mood, just you know, those days when your face looks old and tired, your hair is a mess, you feel fat and not well dressed (anyway whatever you put on you just feel awful on your body). We all have those days: there is no make-up, hairdresser or favorite clothes and accessories that can help!

Probably it was not the best day for shooting but my friend insisted and I said ok. When I saw the pictures I just decided to throw them away! Hey, I cannot post this!

A few days ago I was cleaning my bin when I saw them and I said “Hey, stop blaming yourself for not being at your best. It happens! Just let it go and post these pictures! The dress is so cool and so is your smile!”.

Accepting myself in my bad days is still a hard task for me but I keep working on it and publishing these pictures is a way to fight my self-limitations which I try to do every day. It calms me down and give me a smile and I can feel a pure joy inside when I manage to take a little step towards my life free of self- limitations. Self-acceptance and self-esteem is probably the first step to reach and I am proud of making a step closer to this point by posting these pictures.

I was wearing a Zara dress that I bought on sale, after trying it a few times as it looked too stretchy for my body; but in the end I decided that to feel more comfortable I could wear it with a jacket, like I did here (velvet one from Massimo Dutti). Pointy ankle boots are from Francesco Milano at Merry Go Round in Milan, necklaces from & Other Stories and small loop earrings are vintage.

The Ladybug’s summer favorite: wax bomber jacket and mules!

This is one of my favorite outfits ever! It is not the outfit itself but this jacket is just one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe!

It took so long before I could get my hands on it, maybe this is another reason why I love it so much…I bought it on Etsy from a shop called Protect Talibés: all the products are handmade with African wax in Senegal and when I saw this bomber jacket with the fans I just died! I bought it immediately but I received it months later due to the fact that the postal service was incredibly slow and on top of that it was made for me which took a couple of weeks before sending it.

When it arrived I was all excited: beautiful fit and wonderful fabric, I just couldn’t wait to wear it, even if in Milan there were more than 30 degrees! Fortunately in Munich it was fresh enough to wear it in July so, here I am, just after a long workday (my tired face says it all!!) but just before a good dinner in Munchner Freiheit and of course a good Bavarian beer!

I wore this amazing piece with black tee from Asos and black culottes from Dixie. I added my favorite black mules of this summer from & Other Stories and my African handmade necklace.

The Ladybug’s Friday afternoons in Munich

Another post,  another outfit from Munich (I have a few left, well more than a few, so prepare to travel to Munich with me through my outfits!).

Fridays afternoons were the best while I was there: the weekday was over and new exciting weekends were going to start, full of friends, trips, shopping and a lot of city wandering!

This was not my first long stay in the Bavarian city but every time I go back I discover new areas and new venues: this year I was in the area of Munchner Freiheit, a real surprise for me; it is full of life, colored buildings, restaurants and bars and loads of people enjoying the summer vibes and the fresh nights out.

This was taken the first Friday afternoon: relaxed face, messy hair and casual style!

I wore these amazing African wax culottes by Heka Couture (the pattern is just one of my favorites ever as well as the 50’s shape!) with & Other Stories navy tee, Mango 90’s denim jacket and Nike 4 & Other Stories white sneakers.

PS. There adorable vintage golden loop earrings just broke two days ago…I am still sad because I loved them. They were original from the 80’s and I definitely need a new pair! Any suggestion?

The Ladybug in Baby Blue and Baby Pink

Every night before going to sleep I try to decide what I am going to wear the next day. Basically I do it, I don’t try. But when I wake up in the morning, most of the times I change my mind. And mostly these changes depend on the weather (and on how much I could sleep at  night!). I see grey (outside and inside!): I dress in black. I see the sun: I take out all the colors of my closet and I mix them with no fear!

That day I felt the sun; more inside than outside actually, but before leaving the house I decided to switch my Burberry beige trench with this colored pink coat from Zara and I am pretty happy that I did it because the colorful outfit put me in a great mood (it was Monday, don’t forget!).

I started the outfit with this new & Other Stories denim dress that I bought online last month and I decided that I wanted to pair it with my adored Madame Cosette velvet boots (by the way, did I tell you that I decided to wear velvet shoes this summer? I love velvet too much to use it only in winter!). 

Tights were necessary that day…not only because it was quite fresh but also because my white legs are really awful so I won’t show them until I get a good tan or my new Collistar bb cream for legs!!

The Ladybug and a daisy fragrance…

This wasn’t meant to be an outfit post but it happened that during a special party for the launch of the new Marc Jacobs fragrance “Daisy” at Sephora, they offered us real daisies.

After the party, my friend and I were going to an aperitif with some friends, and in the beautiful frame of the Porta Nuova area she said: “I like the way you are dressed, the flower and the area, can I take some pictures of you here?” The vain ladybug that I am accepted the idea (the truth is that I was wearing my new shoes and I loved them too much to deprive them of some good shots!) so, here it is, a short outfit post to start this hard week (I am just back to work after my summer holidays!).

There is nothing vintage this time, except for my vintage silver bracelet (an old memory from an old holiday) and my retro inspired new shoes, a pair of black fringed sandals from Marella that I bought on sale on the way back home from the supermarket this summer. I just saw them in the shop window, they were 40% off and I fell immediately in love. I just asked my size and guess what? It was the last one! I surrendered immediately!

This day was their first day out! I paired them with old Pinko trousers (not old enough to be vintage though!) and a & Other Stories top (another find during the sales session) and my Miu Miu bag.

The Ladybug Does Vintage for Charity: Vogue’s Vintage Project at Serravalle Outlet

“So this is Christmas and what have you done?”…sang John Lennon in 1971. A song that plays almost everywhere during the Christmas holidays, which I think is a good thing because when we are shopping madly or looking for Christmas presents for our families and friends we can allow ourselves some time to stop and think about what we’ve really done for those we don’t know who may be in need of our thoughts.

Last weekend I was entering the temple of shopping (Serravalle Designer Outlet) for the good prices to start officially my Christmas shopping season, when a big panel at the entry way caught my eye: The Vintage Project. When I read the word vintage, I got immediately intrigued and I couldn’t find peace until I finally found out what it was all about.

The Vintage Project is a charity shop, inside the Outlet, in which the total proceeds are given to support and promote charity initiatives; and what you can buy there is pretty amazing: clothes and accessories from the biggest designers like Fendi and Roberto Cavalli with amazing pieces at affordable prices. Behind this initiative stands Vogue Italia and Franca Sozzani herself, who also donated some of her personal pieces.The charity shop is only open on weekends for three months. It places on sale new products given by fashion brands and vintage gems.

Last weekend I had the chance to meet Antonio Capitani, who is not only a famous astrologist for Vanity Fair (I’ve always loved his horoscopes), but also a very special spokesman for Anlaids (www.anlaidsonlus.it), a charity association aiming to stop the spread of AIDS and help those affected by the disease (such a shame I didn’t think about a selfie with him… I simply got caught up in the things that he told me about the association and the cruel reality around AIDS).

I couldn’t find anything my size, even if I fell for some great pieces. But when I got home, I made a donation on their site. It is a small drop, but the sea is made by drops… right?

I wore Max&Co coat, Replay biker boots, & Other Stories scarf, Michael Kors bucket bag and a vintage hat.