Coming soon: sell your preloved Brittique purchases

I love this Basso & Brooke gown. I've worn it to every wedding I've been to since it came out in February 2007. It never fails to make me feel spectacular. But after so many weddings and special events it's done the circuit. People are going to start whispering that I own a boutique and yet wear the same dress over and over and over.

Inspired by the need to declutter, we are about to launch Brittique preloved. What better way to bulk up your bank balance and clear out your closet of unworn items than resell them? Just email us details of the items you wish to sell along with your price. Once it has sold you send out the item. When the customer is happy we'll send you the money. We don't charge you a commission, we'll add a little something on top of your price to cover our costs.

So start sorting those closets and email us.

Back to it after a long break

Well it's kind of been a break. I have been working away in the background as and when my new little man allows me. Behind the scenes here at Brittique we were kept busy by London Fashion Week, London Fashion Weekend and now the arrival of all the new spring/summer 08 collections. Here we are out and about at the Tribeca Film Festival that's running this week. I'm wearing a fabulous vintage dress bought from ebay.

During London Fashion Week Susie Bubble did an incredible job of selecting some real treats for AW08. I can't wait to show you some previews in the coming weeks. She was able to pin point exactly what the core Brittique customers love and I know her selections will be snapped up come September when they arrive online.

Here in New York the weather has been perfect - 25C days with a slight cool breeze. It means that I'm having to think about my own summer wardrobe. I am one of those people who pack away the winter woollies and plan what I'll be wearing. I then take pictures of my key outfits and stick them on the back of my wardrobe door. It helps me keep organised - something of particular importance now that I have even less time.

With my baby came a change in body shape. I've had to kiss goodbye my small waist (hopefully this is temporary) and embrace a more flowing style of dressing. Thankfully my personal shopping from Brittique hasn't been too hard. I'm just lusting after everything from Emma Cook. These drop waisted, striped denim pinafores will be perfect for this tween season over a little tee and then without as it gets warmer. The cotton voile blouse is stunning too and will hide the last of the baby blub.

We have had new arrivals from Louise Amstrup, Gil Carvalho, Aei:Kei and Peter Jensen. Now to find some time to get them all up on the site!

A tale of two firsts

Today I experienced two firsts in NYC – my first sample sale and my first vintage shopping trip.

I experienced firsthand the marketing power of DailyCandy.com. I hit the Botkier sample sale with an advertised start time of 11:00 at 11:23. Already the queue was around the block. After 49 minutes of waiting in line I was allowed to enter a busy but sparsely-bagged showroom. Apparently they were going to bring out more bags at 3:00. I felt a little ripped off after spending nearly an hour queuing.

Disappointed by the bags I decided to go to a couple of vintage shops nearby. My visions of $35 dresses as dashed to pieces. The dresses were more expensive than many designer ones! We’re talking multi 3 digit dollars. That said, every one was in mint condition. For the first time my bust was too big for a few dresses. Those vintage dresses are really small! I believe what I read about breast sizes increasing over the decades.

But I didn’t come home empty handed. Stopping by Legacy, I met the lovely owner Rita and got chatting about flea markets in Paris. Maybe it was her delightfulness that convinced me to buy this fantastic dress. It fits perfectly and is truly so beautiful! I can’t stop wearing it.