Yep, you read that title correctly, Becca now likes coffee. I spent the first 22 and a half years of my life thinking that coffee just tasted like soil water, and whilst it kinda still does, I'm very pleased to announce that not *all* coffee repulses me anymore. 

Coffee at Riptide Espresso & Records, Poole


Coffee at Riptide Espresso & Records Poole


My incredible friend Sam recently opened Riptide Espresso & Records with her boyfriend Aaron and, spoiler: I like it there, A LOT. 

On my second visit, Sam convinced me to order a coffee - a single shot vanilla latte - and I actually really enjoyed it. As someone that has always been a tea girl, this was big news. Whilst we're on the subject of vanilla lattes, I've since ordered one at Costa and it was actually pretty gross... Does this make me some sort of coffee connoisseur now?

Anyway, based in Poole, down by the quay, Riptide Espresso & Records is by far the most Instagrammable coffee shop in the area. With exposed bricks, loads of plants, little palm tree spoons, and rattan light fittings - the attention to detail is amazing. It's the perfect cozy spot if you're looking to take some pictures for the 'gram and have a good cup of coffee.

Coffee at Riptide Espresso & Records, Poole

Now, not only are the drinks great but the brownies really are next level. Made by local company SoCo Brownie Studio, I've tried both the Vegan Biscoff Brownie and the Jammy Dodger Blondie. Both were a solid ten out of ten and I think about them regularly. 

Coffee at Riptide Espresso & Records, Poole

If you couldn't already tell, I can't rave about Riptide Espresso & Records more. The decor is amazing, the food and drink is amazing, the staff are amazing, it's a great place. If you haven't already been down and checked it out, I highly recommend doing so! 


Have you visited Riptide Espresso and Records yet?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE shopping on Depop. It's like thrifting, just without the physical sifting through rails upon rails of musty clothes. I don't know about you but the charity shops I have near me are never filled with gems. I see other people's local Oxfam's filled with Levi jeans and cool band tees... Mine? It's old Primark vest tops and thick itchy jumpers from the 70s. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that I really enjoy shopping on Depop as a more sustainable, slow fashion option and would recommend it to anyone. 

Not sure where to start? I've written 5 tips for shopping on Depop. You're welcome! 

I've posted a Spring Depop Haul and a Summer Depop Haul, and seeing as it's currently Second Hand September it felt only right that I add an Autumn Depop Haul to the mix too. I'm currently not sure where to take my style, so here's a bit of an eclectic mix of items I've picked up recently...

Autumn Depop Haul

Autumn Depop Haul

You know summer is on its way out when 'sweatshirt' is the term you're religiously searching. This Levi's jumper was only a tenner including postage and I love it because the logo is actually embroidered not printed. How did I justify buying myself another black jumper? By telling myself that this one is more of a charcoal wash and therefore isn't a black jumper. Winner winner. 

Autumn Depop Haul

These jeans were actually inspired by a girl I saw wearing a similar pair in Padstow. She had them on with a big baggy black tee and a load of necklaces and I really liked how they looked. Lilac mom jeans aren't something I've seen too many people wearing so I can't wait to put a few outfits together with them! These were originally from Boohoo and I paid £11 for them with free shipping, result. 

Autumn Depop Haul

Everyone needs a big baggy striped tee in their wardrobe so I don't think this purchase needs any justification at all. This was originally from Asos and it set me back the grand total of £4. 

Autumn Depop Haul

In an attempt to add a little *spice* to my wardrobe in the form of a sweatshirt that's not black, I bought this Tommy Jeans number. It's a women's size small and I'm not going to lie I would looove for this to be a bigger size but it's still fab nonetheless. I wore this with my white and black grid trousers in Cornwall and I loved how they look together. Plus, a Tommy jumper for less than £15? What a steal. 

Autumn Depop Haul

Oooh look, another sweatshirt. We knew we were going to end up back here didn't we? My workplace has a suuuuuper casual dress code so these jumpers are going to be perfect for when the weather starts to turn and you don't want to be sat in the office with your coat on all day. This Vans jumper is a little on the bobbly side but considering it was the grand total of £6, I'm more than happy to give it a little TLC. 


So, there we have it, my little Autumn Depop Haul. As I'm writing this I have actually just bought a pair of black lace-up boots on Depop and I cannnnnot wait for them to arrive. A nice pair of chunky black boots are the perfect transitional piece in my opinion and I can't wait to pair them with all my skirts and dresses as I hang on to the last little bit of summer. 



Have you made any Depop purchases recently? 
What has been in your Autumn Depop haul?

A few months ago I posted all about Lost Stock and the fashion parcels they were making to help those impacted by the fallout of COVID-19. Essentially, in case you missed it, with lockdown and everything being shut, many fashion retailers decided to cancel their clothing orders. Now, this doesn't sound like too much of an issue on the surface, but, many of the factories had already made hundreds of thousands of items but weren't going to get paid for them. It was estimated that cancelled orders totalled over $2 billion USD, and this amount is likely to have only increased since. 

Garment workers are grossly underpaid, but garment workers in a pandemic producing items for companies that aren't going to be paying? Well, that's thousands of people receiving no income at all despite holding down their end of the bargain.

Not only were the workers not going to get paid, but the items produced were also going to be sent to landfill. It was estimated that 982 million garments had been cancelled or suspended from 1150 factories due to COVID. That's a lot of clothes. 

Lost Stock Box Review & Haul

So, this is where Lost Stock comes in... For £35 (+ £3.99 shipping) you can purchase a Lost Stock Box. This not only supports a garment worker and their family for a week but you also receive 3 items of clothing based around a little questionnaire submitted upon ordering, saving these pieces from ending up in landfill.. Sounds good, right? 

Almost too good... 

For those interested in the timescale, I placed my order on the 18th May (the day the boxes were launched) and the package arrived on the 11th August. 

So, my order arrived and it's fair to say it was not what I was expecting at alllll. I mean, I obviously had no idea what to expect but this certainly wasn't it. 

My answers for the questionnaire were as follows:
- A normal fit
- Brights 
- No patterns 
- I like to be at the cutting edge of fashion 

Here's what arrived... 

Lost Stock Box Haul & Review

As you can see, it's certainly not the prettiest line up of items. The pink dress is by far the best of the bunch but definitely isn't an item that would get much wear. The yellow top isn't my sort of thing (as you can probably tell from my face in the photo) and the two patterned vests are definitely suited to a more mature wearer, they're certainly not at 'the cutting edge of fashion'. 

Now, I totally understand the logistical nightmare that arranging these boxes probably was and that they were never going to get everyone's order right. But, from all of the posts I've seen online, it seems like everyone had a very similar experience to mine; random items that didn't fit the questionnaire and that weren't ever going to get worn. 

Considering the boxes were originally marketed as being items from shops such as Zara and Topshop, I think it's understandable that people are unhappy with the items they have received. These tops clearly weren't destined to end up in Topshop. The boxes are meant to be worth a total of £70 RRP, but many people have found the items in their boxes in-store in Matalan for much cheaper than this, which has raised a lot of questions surrounding the value of the boxes...

I know people will probably read this and argue that it shouldn't matter because it was all for charity anyway. Well, at the time of release it wasn't totally clear how much of the £35 was going to go directly to the garment workers in Bangladesh. But, it's now known that only 37% (or £12.95) of that is donated, and had I known that at the time, I think I'd have just donated directly. 

Overall, I don't think I'd recommend ordering a Lost Stock Box. Rather than paying nearly £40 for some clothes you're very unlikely to wear, donate the £12 directly and buy a piece of clothing you know you're going to love and wear to death.



Did you order a Lost Stock Box?