Fashionista Tracey's wardrobe down-size not really working!
Julie Kenwell • Published 16 Feb 2012 09:30
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BRIDE-to-be Tracey Bratton is having to curb her spending habits ahead of her big day next year.
The self-confessed shopaholic admits to owning well over 100 pairs of shoes. And since moving out of her family home in Lack to live with fiance, Ashley Wilkin, in Kesh, she's been attempting to down-size her wardrobe...but with little success!
The 28-year-old, originally from Lack, has been the store manager of Lifestyle Sports in Enniskillen for four months now.
But as this week's Lifestyle model, she admits she doesn't practice too many sports herself!
"I've just signed up to the gym. But I haven't actually gone yet!" she says.
Lucky for Tracey, though, she doesn't really need that gym membership.
Wearing a pair of leather shorts from Exhibit, a plain top and scarf from H&M and shoes from River Island, her enviable figure is shown off to perfection.
"I'm a big H&M fan," says Tracey, "It's got lots of different stuff that you can mix and match and there isn't a shop in the town so you can usually guarantee no one else will be wearing what you've bought. It's cheap and cheerful too. I would wear a dress once and wouldn't put it on again for a while so I don't like to spend too much on just one item."
In her second look for this week's photoshoot, a cream top from A-Wear and a pair of leather trousers, bought for her by her fiance, Tracey says she's found her perfect match in Ashley!
"He doesn't get too mad about my shopping habits!" she jokes, "We were engaged after 10 months and have been going out for two years so it's been a bit of a whirlwind romance!
"Ashley works in Iraq in security over there so he has been away since the middle of December and won't be back until the middle of March. So it's been a while now! But we stay in touch every day and I have the wedding plans to keep me busy!"
Tracey's third outfit is a more casual look: a fake fur scarf from TK Maxx, a pair of skinny jeans from New Look, a grey cardigan from Warehouse and black court shoes from Next.
"I love clothes," she says, "I spend far too much! I don't want to tell you how much I spend a month because the engagement could be called off if he found out!
"I have a lot of shoes. I keep some in my mum's house. When I moved out I was unable to bring so many things -- there was just no room. So I keep shoes in my wardrobe, under the bed -- they are absolutely everywhere. Ashley introduced me to Ebay which was probably the biggest mistake of his life. I tried to sell some of my stuff off online and I ended up buying more than I was selling! As the money was coming into my Paypal account it was going out again!
"It was hard to part with stuff but I had to be ruthless. We had to compromise when we moved in together, or as we called it 'merge' together. So the merge was difficult!
"Now that he is away I am doing we bits around the house. I'm going to paint the kitchen. When we were moving in we bought paint together. He wanted to paint the kitchen yellow. I really hated it, but I couldn't say anything to him! So I'm going to paint it cream now ahead of him coming back!"
Wearing a cream shift dress and green necklace from H&M and sling-back shoes from River Island, Tracey describes her style as "classic".
"I really like Kim Kardashian's style. She wears a lot of natural colours like blacks and creams. I suppose I don't really go for anything that is too fashionable. I like things that last.
"I have a pair of long black over-the-knee boots from TopShop -- they are my favourite item at the moment. They are really comfy."
Although Tracey wasn't able to spend Valentine's Day with Ashley this year, his gift to her on February 14 last year more than makes up for it.
"He bought me a Louis Vuitton handbag last year!"
In her final outfit of the day, a red dress from H&M, teamed with her black Next shoes, Tracey says she gets plenty of offers from friends to call over while Ashley is away.
"I have plenty to keep my busy while he's gone. I go out with my friends at the weekend or go visiting. My maid of honour lives a few doors down from me. She has just had a baby so I see her quite a bit.
"We usually head out in Omagh or Belfast. But I also just like staying in now too. My niece comes down from Belfast every other weekend and we have a girly night in, just me, her, my mum and my sister. My mum is a wee legend. She is the total opposite to me. I have to bring her out and take her shopping and pick out her clothes! I'm the dedicated fashion follower in my family!"
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 16 Feb 12
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