Ebony & Ivory

Morning,

Two weeks today until our last day at our Wellingborough shop before we move to online only sales, so we have our massive clearance sale on in store and online. Make sure you grab your bargains!

Was perusing the catalogues of some potential new suppliers yesterday, including Religion and Disney accessories, and La Dee Da handbags. So much nice stuff, so we're very excited about the future!

Had my photo taken this morning for the Northants Evening Telegraph. We'll be in it on Monday, so have a look! Just wish they hadn't caught me halfway through my coffee, having just eaten breakfast, covered in grease with smudged lipgloss (I was saved by my Barry M Glossy Tube!).


Today's Pick Of The Day is one of the pieces in our huge clearance sale! This Monsalina Chic White & Black Mini Dress was £35 originally but is now only £19! The black with white version has already sold out, so get in quick and grab one of these (we have a few sizes left). Monsalina Chic has become a much loved label among our customers, due to it's fantastic quality, classic designs, and great value. This dress is beautifully tailored, with an elasticated back for the perfect fit. It also comes with clear straps that can be attached to the dress for a bit of extra security, or can be put onto a multiway bra if you prefer. This one looks fantastic with a tan, so claim yours then get out in the garden (with a sensible factor sun cream!).

Have a great weekend. We're out tonight to check out The Snakeman 3 and The Mobbs playing Retro-Beat at The Horseshoe down the road. Maybe see you there!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Run Baby Run - Sheryl Crow

I Got The Blues

Morning,

Hope you all had a good weekend! We were dancing about to post-mods The Francis Jetty at Retro-Beat and very good it was too. Hope you kept your copy of yesterday's Evening Telegraph as well for 10% off Yumi in store with our advert.

We did have a bit of a hiccup with the online shop overnight. We have received orders through, so don't think there was any problem there and it's all back up and running now. But still, if you placed an order and you'd like us to double check, just get in touch using the contact information on our online shop.

We've been browsing through the new Dr Martens catalogue for AW11. There's some fantastic new lines in there, including a few vegan styles. Very excited! Personally, I'm loving their new Mary Janes with interchangeable bows.

Pick Of The Day today are these cute handmade Irene Mosedale Pink & Blue Wooden Bracelets, £8.00. Each one is different, and they're made from a selection of wooden, metallic and plastic beads. Perfect for decorating your wrists now it's warm enough to have your arms out!

Happy Tuesday! Off to pack up last night's internet orders!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: A Little Soul - Pulp

Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves

Morning,

Quite like it when it rains, gives me an excuse to use my Audrey Hepburn umbrella. They're currently out of stock, but I will let you know when we get them back in. As it's Retro-Beat tonight at The Horseshoe down the road, with The Francis Jetty playing live, I'm tempted to treat myself to a new dress. I'm thinking of going for the Yumi Meila Lace Tea Dress, but I'm not sure which colour to choose. If you have any ideas, let us know on our Twitter account. I think I'm going to have to try them all on to see. It's a hard life! :)

Make sure you grab a copy of the Northants Evening Telegraph if you're in the area on Monday. Check out their fantastic fashion, beauty and shopping section, Spree, and look out for our fantastic new advert, showing our artist and model Rebecca in the Yumi Xaviera Parrot Sun Dress in beige. Cut out the advert and bring it in to receive 10% off all Yumi clothes!

Pick Of The Day today is this Ethically Traded 'Better To Have Loved And Lost' Retro Metal Sign, £7.00. It features the wise words 'It's better to have loved and lost than to live with the psycho for the rest of your life'. Admit it, if you don't need this sign, you certainly know someone who does! It features a retro fifties housewife image, and comes with the wire attached ready to hang. A great gift for yourself, or a recently single friend (maybe use your discretion on that one!).

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Karma Police - Radiohead

All White

Morning,

We've just seen the fantastic new advert that we'll be running in the Spree section of the Northants Evening Telegraph on Monday. If you're in the area, make sure you grab a copy of it to claim 10% off all Yumi clothing.

Can't believe it's Friday already! Looking forward to watching The Francis Jetty playing live at Retro-Beat tomorrow night! Anyone else going to any good gigs this weekend? Do give us your recommendations (or reviews, we like reviews!).

Plans for today? Well, we've just changed the window display (it now features the Yumi Marina dress in navy, and the Yumi Yaura Leopard Tunic Dress in mauve). Hopefully got some customers coming back to have a look at our range of Special Evening prom dresses, then might even sneak in a bit of reading to finish off Kate Atkinson's Case Histories. And of course, if you're popping in or ordering online, I'll be making sure we do our best to help! Always the priority, that one!


Anyway, on to our Pick Of The Day which is these Dr Martens 1460 8-Eye Boots in White Patent. They look great with little Summer dresses and a tan, or they're perfect for a bit of customisation if you're feeling brave (if not, we recommend replacing the laces with ribbon in any colour you choose, for a bit of contrasting girliness!). We have a small selection of Dr Martens on our online shop, but you can browse the full catalogue in store, or just e-mail or telephone to ask if you're after something in particular. We usually only have a pair or two in stock, and get each pair in to order, so as soon as you let us know what you want, we contact Dr Martens (conveniently located just down the road!) and will let you know straight away if there's going to be any delay. We really do love our Dr Martens here!

Have a great Friday! Almost the weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Just Fine - Mary J Blige

Quimella Before You Lose It

Morning,

Almost done with all these excessive holidays! We're open as normal until 5.30pm today, then closed as usual on Sunday and Monday and everything back to normal (or as close as we get to that) on Tuesday.

If you're in the area, make sure you pick up today's Northants Evening Telegraph and cut out our advert. Bring it in store to receive 10% off our range of Yumi clothing.

Pick Of The Day today is one of those Yumi pieces. This is the Yumi Quimella Lace Skirt, £40.00. It's available in basic black, a rich chocolate brown or classic beige. It has a silky underskirt, with a cream lace overskirt. The lace on the hem and the elasticated waistband (good for a bit of give on sizing) are in colours to match the underskirt. The cut of the skirt dips slightly in the middle, to create a great lengthening effect on those of us who have stumpy legs! This is a very versatile Summer piece with an on-trend vintage look, that can be worn for casual or smart, and will still be great later in the year matching with a pair of tights or leggings. Really has to be seen (and felt! Lovely fabric!) to be appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Cover Me With Kisses - Kylie Minogue

Curiouser & Curiouser

Morning,

Hmm... not sure what's happened to the weather but I'm optimistic the sun will come back! But if that doesn't brighten your weekend, if you're in the area make sure you buy Saturday's Northants Evening Telegraph for another chance to grab one of our 10% off all Yumi clothing vouchers!

Any exciting plans for tomorrow? If not, pop in or order online. We're open from 10am until 4pm, then all day as usual on Saturday. Come have a browse and a chat!


Caught a bit of the Alice miniseries on Syfy the other day, so that has inspire me to have this Temporary:Secretary Alice In Wonderland Charm Necklace, £25.00, as our Pick Of The Day today. Hand-assembled by the oh so talented TempSec, it's made using brass vintage charms. Looks particularly fantastic with what we call our 'Alice dress', the Max C Bow Button Ruffle Sleeve Dress, but is a lovely piece to compliment any outfit. As this is our last one, order it or come in store before the close of business on Saturday and we'll throw in one of our Indian Glitz Heart Trinket Boxes as a little gift.

Ready for another long weekend?

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Venus As A Boy - Bjork

Hippy Hippy Shake

Morning,

It seems ages since the last blog post, what with various holidays. Just a reminder, we are open today and tomorrow, 9am to 5.30pm, then on Friday we're open from 10am until 4pm for those with a day off and no plans (we promise we won't mention the royal wedding, unless you do!).

Did you pick up a copy of Saturday's Northants Evening Telegraph? If so, bring in our advert to receive 10% off our Yumi Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

Pick Of The Day today are these Stargazer Glitter Shakers, £3.00 each. They're great for any celebration or night out. They come in a variety of colours (we like the black Onyx one, for something different) including a selection of UV ones that glow under UV lights. Not only are these available in store and on our online shop, you can also pick them up on your night out at The Horseshoe, Sheep Street, Wellingborough where we have a little pop up Stargazer shop behind the bar that also includes their fantastic Neon Gel Colours.

Have a great day!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Diamond Rings - Chipmunk feat Emeli Sande

In Flames

Morning,

We're getting ourselves all geared up for Retro-Beat tonight! If you're out on the town this Easter weekend, pop in and get your outfit sorted! Whatever you're doing, have a great Easter!

We'll be shut Sunday and Monday (as usual) and we will be reopening on Tuesday at 12pm until 5.30pm (because I'm moving house and need to go sign bits of paper!).

Our models Matt and Tahnee popped in yesterday and showed us the scan pictures of their new baby boy (expected October). Their son Zack is already a charming regular visitor to the shop, so very excited for them. So congratulations guys!

Also, make sure you grab a copy of today's Northants Evening Telegraph if you're in the area. Just bring in our advert to get 10% off Yumi clothes!

Pick Of The Day today is this Spiral Direct Phoenix Rising T-Shirt, £15.00. It has a fantastic phoenix print on the front, with a contrasting print on the reverse. It's a really great piece, and we only have one left! Perfect if you're planning on rising from the flames!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: In Sleep - Lissie

Flat Pack

Morning,

Hope you all had a good weekend. Thought we'd let you know our opening hours for the bank holidays coming up. We will be open as normal, and closed on the Mondays as usual, except for Good Friday (22nd) when we will be open 10am to 4.30pm, Tuesday 26th when we will be opening at midday until 5.30pm, and Royal Wedding day (29th) when we will be open 10am till 4pm. I apologise if any of this causes an inconvenience (and to be fair, I'm moving house that week, so I need to grab some spare hours here and there to do that!).

We were also mentioned in the Northants Evening Telegraph again the other day (yeah, yeah, just call me rentaquote). This time it was commenting on a flyering campaign run by another local town, Corby, trying to persuade Wellingborough's shoppers to go over there instead. Think the headline Corby tactics anger Kettering and Wellingborough in store wars might be a bit melodramatic but is probably infinitely more attention-grabbing than 'Traders slightly miffed'. :)


Pick Of The Day for today is a little bargain and a great way of support local artists. This Cat Flat by R.L. Sturdgess Postcard Set, £2.00 for a pack of 6, is taken from the Cat Flat comic book designed by local artist and Unorthodox model Rebecca. Drawn in an anime style, they are perfect for sending out your thank you notes for all those Easter eggs you're anticipating!

Enjoy the sun (or whatever weather you have where you are!).

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!) (Remix) - Blu Cantrell feat Foxy Brown

Purple People Eater

Morning,

It's Saturday! Which means several things: for our in-store shoppers, it's your last day to get your Stargazer hair dyes for only £4.00. Also, for those in the Wellingborough area, make sure you get your copy of the Northants Evening Telegraph today and look out for our advert. Just bring it in with you to get 10% off all Yumi clothing.

Today's Pick Of The Day is this gorgeous piece of hand drawn, signed, original artwork by Pippa Alice. This is The Purple House, and all Pippa Alice pieces have now been reduced to only £20 each. It is on handmade recycled cotton rag paper, and measures approximately 11x15.5cm so it's a small and perfectly formed piece for decorating any space.

Have a great weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Atrocity Exhibition - Joy Division

Life In Mono

Morning,

You know how I was talking about all that planning meeting stuff yesterday? You can check out the full story from the Northants Evening Telegraph. Also, make sure you get your copy of the ET tomorrow and look out for our advert. You'll get 10% off all Yumi clothing if you bring the advert in the shop with you!

We have now sold out of the Max C 'Damien' Skull-Studded handbag in Khaki that we featured as Pick Of The Day yesterday, but we still have one left in Grey so if you fancy one, snap that up now!

Pick Of The Day today is this Monsalina Chic Black & White Mini Dress. Perfect for nights out, Summer cocktail parties, or proms, this is only left in a few sizes and is on sale (as is the white with black detail version). Beautifully made and a really classy example of monochrome chic, this dress has an elasticated back so it fits like it was made for you, and it also comes with clear plastic shoulder straps that can be attached to the dress or to a multiway bra, if you choose. Curvier ladies who may usually shrink away from off the shoulder numbers or shiny materials should really give this one a shot (and we still have size 16 available), as it is surprisingly flattering (we always make an effort to stock clothes that don't just look good on tiny girls... because I'm not one!).

Have a great weekend. Remember, you have until tomorrow to take advantage of our in-store offer on Stargazer hair dyes (all colours back in stock), reduced to only £4.00 each, and online shoppers that registered with our site before Tuesday morning have until Sunday to use their 10% discount code (see earlier blog entries if you missed it).

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Clint Eastwood (Ed Case Refix) - Gorillaz

Everything Zen

Morning,

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Just placed our Stargazer order for more hair dye. So as an added bonus, I will keep our in store offer for hair dyes at £4.00 each until they arrive. For those shopping online, as we promised, we have launched a discount code for those already registered with our online shop. Just enter GIFT10 at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

We were in yesterday's Northants Evening Telegraph, in their fantastic fashion and shopping section Spree, talking about the colours for this season. Check out Jill Robinson's article, Return Of Colour. If you're looking for brights this season, make sure you have a look at our pieces by RedRock Fashion.

Pick Of The Day today is this handmade, one-off JP Jewellery Buddha Necklace. This is a unisex piece, with a distinctive chunky chain and a wooden buddha pendant. Great if you need a little extra good karma. As it's a handmade, one-off, you'll have to be quick because when it's gone, it's gone!

Have a great day! Enjoy your discount codes!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: We Are Family (Sure Is Pure Remix Edit) - Sister Sledge

The Tiers

Morning,

First of the month, so lots of admin to do today, so I'll keep this brief. We're adding Yumi pieces to the online shop all the time, so keep checking the New In and Yumi sections on the online shop.

Just started reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire, so hopefully will get time to dip into that later as well!

Those in the Wellingborough area, did you see our advert on the front of the Weekend section in Saturday's Northants Evening Telegraph? Of course, if you're reading this, none of it was news to you, but still!

Remember, with Mothers Day coming up, we can always help you find the perfect gift for your budget, from our bespoke Barry M gift sets, to our Smashing Glass glassware, artwork, and ethically traded gifts, to our clothes and accessories. If you can't decide, you can always opt for one of our gift certificates!

Pick Of The Day is this Yumi Marlana Lace Tiered Dress. It's been in our window for a week, and it's already much admired. Beautifully vintage looking, it's available in black, beige or grey. It has gorgeous rosette detail around the neckline, and long ties at the waist that you can use to create a variety of looks (we like tying it into a bow at the side).

Find your Yumi Marlana Lace Tiered Dress on our online shop.

Have a great week. See you tomorrow!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: B-Boy Stance - Freestylers feat Tenor Fly

Emptee At The End

Morning,

Hope you all had a good weekend. Had a fantastic Saturday night watching local bands Transmission and The Francis Jetty at Retro-Beat at The Horseshoe in Wellingborough. Was a fantastic gig!

We were in yesterday's Northants Evening Telegraph, in their Spree section. The article can be found here and the pictures from it are below.



For the record, the dress I'm holding is one of the Monsalina Chic Grecian Tunic dresses, and the mannequin is all dolled up in the Death Kitty Bow Skirt, RedRock Fashion Bleach-Out Tunic Vest and Temporary:Secretary Guitar Necklace. Big thank you to the lovely ET people for all their support and for covering local independents.


Pick Of The Day is something to get you in the mood for spring. This cropped tee is by RedRock Fashion, a Northampton based label with great attitude. This hot pink tee is decorated with shiny spandex and black lace. Cute and fun, with just a little sexy. RedRock is gathering an increasingly big following, including former Skins cast members, and is getting attention in the media, so take this opportunity to be fashion forward (I swore I'd never use that phrase!) and get a piece of the action now!

Right, off to sort out the weekend's internet orders to spread the Unorthodox love. Have a great day.

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Je ne pars pas sans toi - Luka

Numbskull

Morning,

Our chat with the Evening Telegraph was yesterday, so those in Northamptonshire, keep an eye out for us in Monday's ET.

Our Pick Of The Day is this fantastic Max C London 'Damien' handbag. This is the grey one and it's studded in little silver coloured skulls. It has 2 internal pockets, a zip fastening, and is great quality. I can definitely vouch for this as I've been using one in khaki since they came in and it always gets comments and is big enough for all the junk I choose to lug around! I'm really chuffed with mine! It's also available in the aforementioned khaki colour, as well as in black with gold coloured detail. All these can be found in the Max C section of the site, along with all of our other Max C clothing, a lot of which is on sale (some at half the RRP!).

More on the Max C Damien Skull-Studded Handbag in Grey on our online shop.

Enjoy!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Albatross - The Besnard Lakes

Pack Up

Morning,

Should have our Special Evening dresses on the online shop by the end of today so keep you eyes open for those!


To make a change from getting involved in everyone else's clothes, this article was in yesterday's Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph where I showed them through my wardrobe. Please don't judge the shop on my fashion mistakes! :)

Pick Of The Day today is this Maddie Satchel bag. Satchels are very in at the moment, and great way of keeping your essentials close to you. These Maddie ones are handmade, so each is different, and we only have a few left in stock so get in quick! They add a little bit of hippy chic to any outfit. Plus, they're only a tenner!

Maddie Satchel Bag on www.unorthodoxshop.com.

Stay warm!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Believe (Groove Chronicles Mix) - Goldie

Twinkle Twinkle

Morning,

Well, I've got all the props ready for the window display, which a group of us are working on tomorrow, ready for the street party on Saturday. There's also a competition for which you will need a voucher from the Evening Telegraph. Copies will be available on the day, but I think more details are in today's paper. Also, there is the Odd Man Out competition (possibly aimed at a younger audience, but hey, give it a go) where you have to spot the item in various shop windows that belongs in a different shop. Looking forward to it all!

Bit of sad news, for those loving our Worn Free t-shirts, the seasons have changed, and we can't get any more of the designs we have, so it's first come, first served on the designs left. Already sold out completely of the Muhammad Ali 'Float Like A Butterfly' t-shirts in black and the Keith Moon 'Gun' t-shirts in green, but we still have plenty of other designs and sizes left, and what's more they're currently on sale at £30! But be quick, because once they're gone they're gone! The good news is that this means we'll have room for some of their gorgeous new lines, including women's fit!

Pick Of The Day is this gorgeous JP Jewellery Star & Leaves Charm Bracelet. The JP Jewellery range is exclusive to Unorthodox, and is all hand made, and predominantly one-off pieces. This is one such piece. The chain measures about 8 inches, and has star, heart, flower and leaf charms, as well as other pretty sparkly things! We have several other one-off charm bracelets from JP Jewellery in various styles, as well as their other pieces, so have a look at the JP Jewellery section on our website.

View and order the JP Jewellery Star & Leaves Charm Bracelet here.

Getting close to the weekend!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Freak Me - Another Level

Sailor Moon

Morning,

We got on the radio yesterday! You can hear the show on BBC Radio Northampton using iPlayer here. Skip ahead to 1 hour 46 minutes and hear all about the new Wellingborough Cashback Card that launches tomorrow, and that you can use in the Unorthodox shop. We're also in today's Evening Telegraph so I'll try to get a scan of that up here soon, with more info on the scheme.

Yesterday we got our first selection of RedRock Fashion pieces in. We have t-shirts, vests and necklaces from the label, all really individual, bright, and exciting. We're getting them photographed properly tomorrow, but in the meantime, this quick snap gives you the general idea. This one is the Blue Double Bow T-Shirt. It's navy blue with white bows, and is perfect for the nautical look. However, to me, it's definitely reminiscent of Japanese schoolgirls and the Sailor Moon Manga. Love it.

Have a good Friday The 13th! Be lucky!

Kat

Now Playing In The Shop: Please Forgive Me (Paul Hartnoll Remix) - David Gray

Ghost Town

Wow! Work has started today on Sheep Street & Silver Street so there's no traffic coming past. It's eerily quiet outside. Hopefully it's not going to effect things here too much and make everything a bit prettier when they're done. But the quiet does get some getting used to! I've had to turn the music down to compensate!

Survived our first weekend being open. Thanks to everyone who popped in, and to Pete & SteveO for flyering! It was good to get some feedback from people (Temporary:Secretary accessories seem to catch everyone's eye!) and I'll do my best to accomodate their suggestions. Obviously, being a new business, it's not possible to do everything at once, but it's great to have some ideas on where we should go with it. Unorthodox also made it into Saturday's Evening Telegraph newspaper.

Saturday also saw the arrival of some bags by our first local label to come into stock. They're by Maddie, and they're all hand made so each is a little different. There are some shoppers (with some fantastic 60s prints!) as well as the Ladies Who Lunch bags (little fabric handbags that are light enough to go anywhere and big enough to fit in your essentials and, crucially, your lunch!). They're definitely bright enough not to lose! Anyway, my pick of the day is one of the Maddie shoppers.

Have a good week everyone!

Kat
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Vote For Unorthodox!

Well, this is Unorthodox's 3rd day of being open. Had lots of people in to have a look around, and if you haven't had a chance yet, please do! I can't help but wish the English language had its own version of the French phrase 'entrée libre'. It's usually a sign on a shop door, and it means that you are welcome to go in and browse ('without obligation to buy'). That's pretty much how I feel about Unorthodox. Noone is under any pressure when they come in, but some people look so nervous and I feel very guilty when they do! So please, if you're walking by, have a look! Have a seat! Be as quick or as lingering as you like! :)


Anyway, Thursdays are traditionally half-day closing in Wellingborough (but we're open till 5.30pm!), and town does seem a bit quieter today. Or maybe everyone's off voting. It's a bit dull and grey as well, so for everyone who, like me, is longing for sunshine, I have picked out a cute-as-anything summer dress as my pick of the day. It's a Max C dress, and we currently have a few in stock. It hangs really nicely and has the oversized pockets that seem to be everywhere at the moment, and seems a pretty versatile addition to anyone's wardrobe to me!

Just had a chat with the Evening Telegraph so keep you eyes open for us being featured in there over the next couple of days! I'm sure I babbled like an idiot, so please do not judge the shop by my incoherence!

Right, back to work! Please keep me posted on the type of things you'd like to see in the shop (and on the website when it's finished!). I've been looking at some lovely 50s style dresses, and hoping to get a few local labels involved too.

Kat
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