That's a wrap! A fortnight of fabulous top-to-toe looks for under $200 / £100

What a big bloody #BegBorrowBargain Brissy whirlwind! Ladies, if there's ever something I can wholeheartedly recommend it is to travel light... like REALLY light. I'm talking Leave-All-Your-Clothes-At-Home, light! Convinced I'd be walking around Brisbane on a rolling outfit rotation of my crumpled Aussie flag and a meat-pie stained pillowcase, I was genuinely and overwhelmingly shocked at the incredible bargain style I was able to snaffle and all in support of amazing Aussie charities like The Salvation Army, Lifeline, Endeavour Foundation and St Vincent de Paul Society. A total of 21 days of dresses, shoes, bags, brooches, bracelets, earrings, scarves, shoes, tops and skirts - two overflowing suitcases of style gold now bursting from every drawer and cupboard in my tiny Glasgow flat. All the finds from weeks 2 and 3 below and all for just $180.50 / £90.25. Not bad, huh?

Day 8 - $8  / £4

When I first put out out the #BegBorrowBargain Brisbane call, I was delighted that my awesomely stylish pals came to the rescue! Overcoming my total fear of wearing trousers in public, I made it work for this stunning sheer striped shirt... feeling very "sexy referee" thanks to Laura! And you'll never guess what? She said I can keep it!  

• Top borrowed from my pal Laura
• ​Crop trousers altered from some old leggings! 
• Belt $1, Salvos
• Scarf $1, Salvos
• Wedges $4.50, Lifeline 
• Bracelets 50c each, Salvos
• Earrings $2, Salvos

Day 9​ - $4.50  / £2.25

I discovered this gorgeous autumnal skirt for $5 at Lifeline and shed a little tear to find it had a broken zip. I spoke to to the lovely store manager, who offered it to me for a $1. She then suggested I take a look in the box of sewing bits and bobs for a similar zip as a replacement... low and behold, I found a perfect match for 50c (which I clunkishly installed later that eve). Voila! never be shy ladies, ask, ask, ask!

• Top as per week 1, Salvos
• Skirt $1, Lifeline
• Shoes $3, Lifeline
• Scarf borrowed from Laura
• Belt & clutch borrowed from Sami
• Bracelet 50c, Salvos
• Brooch borrowed from my lovely Mum

Day 10 - $16.60  / £8.40

Had such a cheap one for day 9, I happily treated myself to a blow-out with this taupe candy striped number. I stumbled on a little Eco-cycle Emporium - a second hand / up-cycle haven - packed with all sorts of weird and wonderful pieces... and knew I'd found gold as soon as I read the "make us an offer" sign! I bundled together a few frocks, shoes, scarves and a fab wool wrap (a total of $67) and offered $50. Don't be afraid of a good, especially when you're buying a few things! Finished the look with a $1 Cassowary brooch - a little slice of home to bring back to the UK.

• Dress $8, negotiated down from $10 from Eco-cycle Emporium, Morayfield
• Scarf $2.40, down from $3, Eco-cycle Emporium
• Belt as per week 1, Lifeline
• Bag $3, Salvos
• Bracelets 10c each, Caboolture Recycle Market
• Earrings $2, Salvos
• Cassowary brooch $1, Salvos
• Shoes mine from The British Heart Foundation

Day 11 - $7  / £3.50

Love this floaty monochrome daydream which was originally $8, but nabbed it for $3 in the Salvos blue tag sale!! I had never realised that most of the larger op-shops (look for Super / Mega in the name!) have day-by-day specials. So, on this particular day, anything with a blue tag priced $6 and under was $1 (see Day 12) and anything priced $15 and under was $3. How good is that??

• Dress $3, was $8, Salvos
• Belt $1, Lifeline
• Scarf $, Salvos
• Fish Brooch $2, Lifeline
• Wedges as per week 1, Lifeline

Day 12 - $8  / £4

So, I absolutely loved this dress form the outset, but finding out it would be just $1 made my heart sing! It was enormous and utterly shapeless and I had no idea if I could actually make it fit! But, is if it wasn't worth the risk for the price of a Chuppa-Chup?! Hilariously, a woman in the store was so offended by it's existance that she tracked me down in the changing rooms to tell me I should put it back on the rack. Ha!

• Dress with belt $1, was $5 Salvos blue tag sale
• Bag borrowed from Laura
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
• Earrings one half of $5 earring/necklace set, Lifeline 
• Bracelets $3.50, Salvos + Lifeline
• Shoes are my own from Barnardo's

Day 13 - $11.50  / £5.75

The perfect dress for a glorious sunshiny (Brisbane winter's) day... this floral frock just $6 from Salvos.  It was a near-perfect fit off the rack, but I popped in a few super small darts just to give the waist a lovely nipped-in feel for wearing without a belt. I almost never alter a belted dress (seriously, why?) but when unbelted, it's worth investing a few minutes to get that great silhouette.

• Dress $6, Salvos
• Wedges $3, Lifeline
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
• Watermelon brooch $1 upcycled, Salvos 
• Bracelets 50c each (half price), Salvos 
• Clutch borrowed from Sami

Day 14 - $13.50  / £6.75

Day 14 and yet again loving the #BegBorrowBargain excuse to try things I ordinarily never would. I picked up this glam vintage twin set at the Eco-cycle Emporium but had nothing to pair it with... until I found these culottes in Mum's immaculately organised wardrobe (circa 1998). Still deciding how I feel about them but totally addicted to the comfort and freedom of wearing shorts (no more flashing the poor people of Glasgow every time I jump the Kelvingrove Park fence to let Hettie swim in the steam!)

• ​​Twin set was $10, $8 Eco-cycle Emporium
• Belt $2, Salvos 
• Culottes borrowed, thanks Mum!
• Clutch 50c Buderim Recycle Market
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
• Earrings $1, Lifeline 
• Bracelets $1, Salvos
• Wedges mine The British Heart Foundation

Day 15 $9.70 / ​£4.85

Picked up this sky blue number only to find make-up stains all down the front. I'd have happily paid $10 but - thanks to the lovely store manager - $5 was even better!  I originally picked up a white belt but had a stern word with myself for being so obvious... and remembered this cute peach belt... so when I found the beach brooch in the cabinet for $2, I instantly pictured the whole look. 

• Dress $5, was $10, Salvos 
  
• Belt $1, Lifeline ​ 
  
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
  
• Brooch $2, Salvos 
  
• Bracelet 50c, Salvos ​ 
  
• Earrings 20c, Beerwah Recycle Market
  
• Wedges, mine The British Heart Foundation

Day 16 $13.40 / ​£6.70

​Hugely chuffed with my most ambitious alteration yet.. the shoulder seams of this $3.50 dress were almost at my elbows. I added two large darts/seams from the front waist, all the way up and over the shoulder and down to the middle back. I can't quite believe it worked and really happy with result. Honestly - if you stumble on a bargain but it's just too big (whether a little or A LOT), why not take a risk? Pop the dress on inside out, grab at the problem areas, shove a few pins in and just sew it up. What's the worst that can happen? 

• Dress $3.50, Salvos 
  
• Belt $2, Lifeline  
  
• Bag $2, Salvos 
  
• Scarf on bag borrowed (now gifted!) from Mum
  
• Brooch 50c, Beerwah Recycle Market
  
• Head Scarf $2.40, Eco-cycle Emporium 
  
• Earrings I've previously owned these and was devastated to have lost one! Was so excited to find a pair for $2, Lifeline 
  
• ​Bracelets $1 each, Salvos ​

Day 17 $14.25 / ​£7.15

Sunday Funday in this cheeky polka-dot linen dress. A little shorter than I'd ordinarily like - but you only live once, huh? Mixing my fave combo of navy/blue with red and yellow accents, all framed with a crisp white shirt (the 25c shirt I've been trying to incorporate since buying it on day 1!). If you're ever self-conscious about your arms, add a white shirt with rolled sleeves for an instant touch of vintage style. 

• Dress $7 was $14 on Endeavour 50% off rack! 
  
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
  
• Watermelon brooch upcycled $1, Lifeline  
  
• Shirt 25c, Buderim Recycle Market
  
• Bag $2, Salvos ​ 
  
• Wedges $3, Lifeline ​

Day 18 $16.85 / ​£8.40

Working polka dots in a different way on Day 18 for this red, white and black, tricolour look. Loved this simple linen midi dress (not my usual style but so beautifully made and surprisingly flattering) and when I spied this little white top in a Salvos 3-for-$1 sale, I knew the look was complete! For years I strapped myself up in girdles / Spanx / fat pants (whatever you want to call them) and it was only when I started donning waist belts and showing off my shape, that I finally turf them all!

• Dress $9, Lifeline 
• Top 35c, Salvos  
• Bag $3, Salvos  
• Scarf $1, Salvos ​ 
• Wedges $3.50, Lifeline 

Day 19 $21.50 / ​£10.75

Love this super sheer, handmade shift dress in tangerine and green AND these crazy 80s-style patchwork shoes!! Totally broke the budget on this combo... I actually umm'd and ahh'd about buying this dress as it was comparatively simple to others I'd bought. But, with so many rich colours in the lovely floral design, I hoped it would really pop with the right accessories. After years of agonising over individual pieces, I've realised that my favourite outfits are those that work together as a whole package.

• Dress $6, was $12, Endeavour ​ 
• Cardi $8, was $9.50, Lifeline  
• Belt $2, Lifeline 
• Shoes $4, Salvos  
• Scarf $1, Salvos 
• Bracelets 50c each, Salvos ​

Day 20 $16.70 / ​£8.35

Feeling every inch the big-bottomed Sugarplum Fairy in this floaty floral delight. One of the first things I did when touching down in the UK was to get a full tulle petticoat underneath it! I was lacking a soft pink scarf to finish the look - but managed to get my hands on an old hair-roller hood, which I turned back to front and tied at the crown of my head. Voila!

Dress $8, was $10, Eco-cycle Emporium
Cardi 50c, Beerwah Recycle Market
Belt $1, Endeavour 
Heels Half price shoe sale, $4.50 was $9, Lifeline ​ 
Brooch $2, Salvos  
​Clutch 20c, Beerwah Recycle Market
Scarf 50c, Salvos  

Day 21 $19 / ​£8

And that's a wrap! With my final #BegBorrowBargain I signed out with all the colour I could muster. Not usually a fan of strapless any/everything strapless, the boning made the dress really wearable and cropped cardi keeps the silhouette without adding bulk. Of course, with a dress like this - I splashed out on the most kaleidoscopic accessories I could find. The full skirt with thigh high split (whoops!) is just the kind of cheeky flair that makes charity shopping so exciting (seriously, find me another one??).

• Dress $9, Salvos
  
• Cardi mine from New Look
  
• Brooch $5, Lifeline ​
  
• Wedges $4.50, were $9 Lifeline ​ 
  
• Bracelets 50c each, Salvos

Want to know more about this crazy #BegBorrowBargain style challenge? Click here. See how I fared in week 1 of the challenge here.

Hungry for even more Love Blog morsels? Wrap your chops around these beauties...

• Style Overhaul Part 1 : All aboard the HMS Decluttery
• Style Overhaul Part 2 : A choppin' and a changin' - How to sew darts 
• You're damn right I'll #DOTHELOT