Outfit details: Thrifted jacket, early 1970′s vintage. Vintage gloves – from Nana, Wide leg pants – Made by me (Pattern Kwik Sew 2990), Wedge shoes – Wittner, Parisole – China Town, Earrings – Vintage clip ons, Lipstick note – Boots No.7 – Moulin Rogue.

Recently, a reader wrote to me wanting to update her ‘Stay At Home Mum’ style. Already quite the cute mama, she wanted to incorporate a more vintage feel into her daily wardrobe, and asked me to look to Rosie The Riviter for some inspiration. So I’ve put together a few options for daytime and a few for playtime.

Outfit Details: Blue 1940′s vintage hand knitted cardigan – Circa Vintage, Wide leg pants – Living doll, Black top – Miss Shop, Shoes – Wittner, Earrings – Diva, Cherry Clip – Genki.

Firstly, excuse the gratuitous outfit shots today, but I am just tickled pink with my new blue cardigan! I love the way something as simple as a well made, beautiful piece of clothing can put such a spark in your day. This beauty is an original 1940′s hand knit that I picked up at the wonderful Circa Vintage, (you can read my previous post about them here). It is a fine woolen knit with slightly puffed sleeve, shoulder pads and even knitted covered buttons! Delicious. It is such a delight to find a vintage piece with this kind of quality and personality, and the price was more than reasonable. Let’s just say that you’d pay more than this for something new, that was both made in China and mediocre.

I’m also quite chuffed with today’s hair experiment. Inspired by The Freelancers post showing how she rolled her hair up at the back, I had to give it a go. While not quite as perfect as hers, I love the overall faux short effect. I used the barrel roll and sides up technique from my first hair tutorial, and combined it with the rolling technique. It is very 1940′s and very kawaii I think.And now that the little fashion show is complete… I spent my afternoon having tea with my Grandmother and my girls, which was why I decided to give my beautiful cardi its first outing. The only thing Nana appreciates more than a lovely cardi is a killer 1940′s hair do. Not so much for its style points, but more for the nostalgia factor, and I am only too happy to oblige.

In other news of the day, I was interviewed by author Johnny Dale for his blog. Johnny writes a serialised online novel The Darling Budds, and his blog is an extension of his writing, along with a personal exploration on what makes style. He asked some very interesting questions that got me thinking both about my style and my life from an interesting perspective. (These thoughts should prove interesting post topics in the future too.) Here is a little excerpt.

• What was your style like when you were a teenager?SKM: Not surprisingly, I have had a strong aesthetic my whole life. When I was a teenager I was into some very contradictory styles as I loved both Gothic and child-like Rave wear. Now that look has its own term – Graver. That sounds so much cooler to me. For my first school formal, when all the other girls had coloured taffeta dresses made up, I wore a red velvet and black lace, 15th-century styled gown. I also took the one other Goth girl from my school as my ‘date’. That may not raise an eyebrow now, but at the time it was quite shocking! I also remember being thrown out of Sunday School for wearing a floor length red cape at 15. There was much talk of me being a witch as I chose not to go with the Laura Ashley style that was so popular at the time!

You can read the whole interview HERE.

I thought you might like a little peek into a slice of my world. This is my studio which also doubles as my guest room thanks to a nifty Ikea sofa bed. It is the first time I have had such a large and dedicated room for my projects. But it seems that no matter how large my space I never seem to have enough. I am yet to really fit out the room for its purpose, but having a large double wardrobe certainly helps. There isn’t a spare place to hang anything though as I have fabric stacks as high as I am tall.

I’ve always loved making things, even as a child. Mum was great at inventing projects to keep us kids entertained; making dolls clothes, furniture from old boxes and even a pair of pants for my teddy bear that I had to pin to him as I neglected to include a crotch! So it is a part of me that I just can’t let go. I haven’t always been able to sew. Mum was so fabulous with a needle and thread that I would simply put in a request with my amateur design sketches and viola! But after a while I figured I had better pull my finger out and have a proper crack at it. That was only just over three years ago and I’m surprised at what I have been able to achieve. I was not a natural at sewing. Design yes, but the technicalities and the math?! Not my strong suit. But in typical Leo fashion I refused to be beaten and kept at it. I do have quite a large box of failures suitable for the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but for every two failures I have now some absolute gems that I am rather pleased with.In fact, I have a couple of newly completed gems to show you that I am saving for some special occasions this weekend. So I won’t spoil the surprise of the outfits just yet, and instead just show you where the magic happens. And from my vintage thread tin to my Hello Kitty iPod dock, you’ll be able to see just how eclectic my inspirations are.

There are some that would rather swallow rusty razor blades than attend a job interview. I have had my fair share, from both sides of the table. I worked for a number of years as a recruiter, hiring everyone from Secretaries to C.O.O’s, and do I have some stories to tell! But this time, rather than revealing others in their most embarrassing moments, I can hopefully help you to avoid yours. I recently received an email from a Stay at Home Mum, who is no longer staying at home and has to hit the interview circuit. Not having been in paid employment for years, and her best suits long since gone to charity or the costume box, this Mum is in dire need of interview fashion magic. While I have a list of general interview tips a mile long, I’ll keep this advice specific to the aesthetics of how to present yourself – on a budget.

Firstly; The Suit. While not all jobs call for a suit, interviewing in one is your safest option. You can get out your elasticated pants once you have the job, (but for god’s sake please don’t!). And one suit will do you for all your interviews. Worry about more once they start to pay you for being your fabulous self.

Now I know that everyone thinks that black is slimming and goes with everything, but that isn’t always the case. Black fades when pieces are dry cleaned separately, it gets a nasty sheen with ironing, and will give the interviewer a clear picture of how many pets you own. So ‘No’ to the black from me. Instead opt for a grey that suits your skin tone (yes, there is one for everyone), in a shape that is both modern and conservative. Personally I love the 1940′s look that is going around now, as good tailoring in your outfits sends a subtle message of an organized personality to your interviewer. Pant suits can be lovely, but skirt suits have more power, (and that’s a whole topic right there) so if you have the option, make sure to buy both matching pants and skirt. This one suit will be the basis for all your interview looks so buy the best you can afford.

Corporate Job Keep it simple, sleek and classy. Pair your skirt suit with a neutral coloured blouse that still has great detailing. It says, ” I may be conservative but I still have imagination.” That way your interviewer’s first impression will not be that their next hour would be better spent chatting to Joe in Accounting.When wearing a skirt ALWAYS wear hose. Do NOT wear coloured hose, sheer black hose (so 90′s) or nude hose from the supermarket, (these always look like they have the texture of cheap sandpaper and come pre-prepared with dubious lumps). Instead purchase yourself a pair of near nude, ( just a little darker than your skin colour) hose with a subtle sheen. Make sure you get two so you have a spare pair for your interview bag.

Jewelry: Keep it to a minimum. Rings should be simple not statement, and earrings should just peak out with a little sparkle from behind your hair, not blind your interviewer with their size and brilliance. Bracelets and bangles are a no go, as they jingle around creating a distraction during the process.

Bag: Here you can use black, if for no other reason but that I know women are more likely to spend good money on a black bag than any other colour. Make sure it is large enough for everything you need, (but not oversized) structured (without being a brief case) and NOT containing baby bottles, left over sandwiches or a hundred parking tickets – they will come tumbling out at the most inopportune moment.

Jewelry: This is where you can have a lot of fun in these interviews. Pick something that reflects your personality or interests. Something with irony or whimsy, not just another knock off vintage brooch. Interviewers love to have a visual cue that can get them talking to you on a more personal level; and jewelry is a great conversation starter.

Bag: You have your great black bag, but how can you punch that up? Add some embellishment in the form of key chain dangles to the handle. This can be customised easily and specifically to the job you are after. Travel involved? Add an Eiffel tower or an I Heart New York, (you get the picture). But just one please, we are not a Christmas tree.

This time pair your suit with a witty T-shirt and industry humor jewelry. There is loads of this to be found online, (didn’t you know that Geek is the new black?) so have fun, but make sure you get the joke, because there could be some very awkward moments if not.As far as pants vs. skirt, I would still chose the skirt for this one, but if the job calls for crawling around on the floor with networking cables, those pants could come in handy. Oh, and even if you don’t wear glasses, you could always get a fashion pair because they always seem to add a few points to the perceived IQ; and it is another chance to accessorise.

Relax the suit a little with a structured cardigan jacket, belted with a contrast belt. Once again, the hose with a sheen is still appropriate here. Keep in mind that you want to look professional and fashion-forward, but not outshine your prospective employer. So show of your style with some well chosen accessories instead.

Shoes: VERY important here. Shoes are always important at interviews, but this is the interview where you can really choose fabulous shoes that give a clue to your personality. A good rule for interviews is to never wear open toed shoes. However, for a fashion interview, something along these lines with opaque hose would indeed work.

Jewelry: Given that you are likely to have a fairly animated interview in this environment, I’d recommend a huge, sleek and gorgeous cocktail ring for all that gesticulating. Not super sparky mind you, but still dramatic and day appropriate. And remember to leave those bangles at home.

Bag: Using your trusty black bag, give it a little character that is a hint to your personal style preference (and probably budget too) by adding a colourful scarf tied to the handle. While I’d go for skulls on pink, you might choose Hermes or Versace instead.

So, ‘No Longer Staying At Home Mom’, you should now be well kitted out to make a great impression at your interview.

Better make sure that your resume is just as fabulous as your wardrobe.