interview: cheapskate chic

I love to interview fellow bloggers because it means that you can ask really nosey questions that borderline on the freaky like 'what's on your bedside table?' and it's completely appropriate and under the guise of 'an interview'. Michelle Wu of Cheapskate Chic is one of my favouritest of bloggers. She live in Brighton, has a fantastic eye for old school and forgotten about editorials, chunky shoes and an insane ability to find personal style blogs that are absolute gems yet have remained under everyone else's radars. Besides this, she's been blogging for about as long as I have, so I always have a bit of a soft spot for 'fellow dinosaurs' who have also had to get to grips with modern stuff like 'Twitter' and 'Wireless'. I gest, I gest. Kind of. It's taken me a while to get round to publishing, but as follows is my interview with Michelle from back in May. Her cat may or may not still be hanging out on her bedside table.

What's on your bedside table?

My cat.

Some pieces of clothing you have on current rotation?

Baby blue cashmere jumper that I won from a tug of war with a desperate housewife in Oxfam.  Rusty orange corduroy skirt from Topshop. Navy Fjallraven Kanken Backpack and taupe ankle boots from Isabel Marant.

Which are your go-to blogs?

There are many but I really like:

Cool and Beauty, Through a Glass Darkly, Love Ship, Young Shields, Seaweed Tea, Two Breads Please, Phantom and Hipsters Musings.

What would you like to be ‘when you’re a grown up’?

Since I am technically a ‘grown up’, I want to be a teenager.

How do you start your average day?

I have croissant and coffee followed by quick dash to the train station (with another coffee) to go to university. I stack German Language books in the library and make more coffee for my colleagues. If there are still time at the end of the day I might even do a bit of research for my degree! And drink more coffee.   

Tell us a joke.

Have you heard the joke about the bed? It hasn’t been made yet! Hur hur hur.

If you were creating a moodboard to sum up your own style and your favourite references, what would feature in it?

The English countryside. ‘Vintage’ Kate Moss. Turned Out. 60s meet 90s. Chloe Sevigny’s casual style. Leather. Alasdair McLellan. Cigarettes.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Internet memes and Charlie Sheen. My sense of humor is not exactly, ah, refined.

Is it accurate to say you have a frugal approach to clothes? Where do you buy clothes and how much would you say you spend on clothes?

The majority of my clothes are either from H+M or charity shops. I scout vintage/second hand clothes on Etsy and occasionally I will splurge on a designer item during sales time. I probably spend way too much of my income on clothes though these days I rather buy one nice thing than a plethora of shitty things.  

A couple of songs you’re listening to at the moment?

On Battleship Hill by PJ Harvey and She Was Surprised by Psychic TV.

How do you like to spend your weekends?

I see my friends and go on adventures till the mornings, followed by Sunday lunch with my mum. Though most of the time I like to stay in bed trying to read three books at once and browse Tumblr.

What is your approach to beauty? And whether high or low maintenance, what is your routine?

I cleanse, moisturize and tone religiously. I have sensitive skin so I try not to wear too much make up, but I do like lipsticks and eyeliner. I also wear perfume everyday, Stella’s Absolute Rose is my favorite.  

Your favourite films to stimulate the sartorial senses?

Anna Karina’s wardrobe in Une Femme Est Femme gives me palpitations every time. I also like the punk girls in Vera Chytilova’s Daisies and Derek Jarman’s Jubilee. Margot Tenenbaum is of course an icon, forever and always.  

Aside from direct style references, what are your other interests. People that you find interesting, other ways you like to spend your time etc..

I read a lot of Science Fiction and listen to ‘banging’ Italo Disco, alone.