So in the last few months I've managed to wear out TWO pairs of jeans! Looking through my wardrobe I realised I was seriously lacking in comfortable and appropriate trousers for work (I'm on my feet and moving all day so skinny jeans aren't the best thing to wear), everyday dresses, and skirts. I decided that it was finally time to go clothes shopping. Except I didn't want to do that in Iceland...it's way too expensive.
I'd heard horror stories of the inflated import taxes on imported items and so up until this point I had avoided ordering anything online to be delivered to Iceland. I either ordered it to the UK and waited a few months to collect it on my next visit, or had a relative post it a a gift if it was urgently needed. However this time I decided to be brave and have something sent straight to Iceland for once! I looked on my favourite website Boohoo.com to see what I could find, and was pleasantly surprised to see that they offered delivery to Iceland.
Sweetheart Neck Skater Dress Colour Grape - £20
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| Photo: Boohoo.com |
| I've actually owned the same sweetheart neck skater dress before. It had a different name on the website back then (around 2012/2013). It was my favourite dress until one day I wanted to wear it on a date. I was in a rush to leave the house and needed to iron the dress, the iron setting was on high (I hadn't checked it) and the fabric melted! I was devastated and kept the dress even though it was unwearable. I looked on the Boohoo website back then but couldn't find it, I'm so glad they have it again. I did wear it once more a couple of years after I ruined it. My friend's 21st birthday party was Alice in Wonderland themed. I didn't have a costume but I made some patches out of felt to cover the burn mark. |
Anyway I ordered the dress in the colour Grape, I think it is slightly brighter than the last dress but it was the closest colour they had. I did notice that the new dress doesn't seem as well made, the material is thinner than the old dress but it still fits nicely!
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| The Alice themed decorations I added to my old dress, the clock covers the burn mark! |
Tall Jess Cigarette Trousers Colour Black - £7
I was eager to try trousers from the Tall range which is recommended for people 5'6" and over. I'm 5'7" so just about fall into this category. For the last couple of years I've noticed that so many British shops have been selling ankle grazers and not much else. I'm not a fan of ankle grazers, but even full length jeans look like ankle grazers on me sometimes! I hoped that the Tall collection would have some decent full length skinny black trousers, and I didn't want jeans.
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| Photo: Boohoo.com |
I found 2 pairs in the sale, and there was just one black pair of each left in my size! The first were the cigarette trousers. I've owned one pair of cigarette trousers before but they didn't suit me at all! They were ankle grazers though so I thought I'd give them another chance. I absolutely love these trousers! They fit like skinny jeans, they're very comfortable and they're high-waisted with an elasticated waist band. The only thing that I find weird about them is a little V-shape cut out at the top with wires inside. I might take the wires out as they dig in a little bit when I'm sitting down.
Tall Esme Crepe Joggers Colour Black - £8
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| Photo: Boohoo.com |
The other trousers were the crepe joggers. I was most excited about these as I like skinny joggers and I thought they'd be good for work as they look like formal trousers but they're comfortable! the material clings to all the wrong places and creases up, although I could probably get away with wearing them with a long top. There's another problem with them...they're too long! I couldn't believe how long these were! The cigarette trousers are the perfect length for me but the joggers bunch up a lot around the ankles.
*Edit* It's been over a month since I bought these and now they've become my favourite trousers. They look quite stylish with the ankles rolled up and they after I washed them they don't cling so badly! The material is very thin though so I've had to wear them with thermal leggings on cold days.
Plain Full Circle Midi Skirt Colour Black - £14
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| Photo: Boohoo.com |
I used to live in black skater skirts back home. I didn't bring one with me to Iceland and have learnt to live without them but this caught my eye. The ones I used to wear were mini skirts, and a mini skater skirt would be awful in Iceland - the first gust of wind and I'd be exposed! This midi one is is perfect though, and it's long enough to wear throughout the winter months (with thermal tights underneath!). The material is thick and the skirt feels sturdy.
Long Sleeve Midi Dress Colour Berry - £14
Importation fees Now for the scary part - the taxes! From the stories I'd heard I was expecting to pay 100% or more in taxes on what I'd bought! I'd heard of people spending 1500 krona on something and paying 5000 krona in tax and handling at the post office. I hoped it wouldn't come to that! Here are the numbers: Subtotal of items: £63 (8,759 isk) Delivery: £9.99 (1,389 isk) Total before import fees: £72.99 (10,148 isk) Customs duty: 2681 isk (£19.29) Total after import fees: 12,830 isk (£92.28) Divided between the five items that means I paid just 2,566 isk (£18.46) per piece including postage and import taxes, which is still a massive bargain for Iceland! Strangely only the skirt was listed on the customs declaration, I don't know if this had anything to do with the low fee but I thought it was very reasonable non-the-less. I was relieved that it all worked out okay and I will definitely be ordering again in the future! Loppy x |
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