Eyecandy never goes astray, so indulge your visual palette and enjoy some vicarious shopping on a Thursday. Here’s a peek at some of the selection of goodies that came back with me from Bangkok.  Can you tell I was in a big ‘ol girly mood when I was shopping?

It’s enough to make your teeth hurt!

Birthday’s always call for something extra fancy. I’ve been known to break out the tiara on any occasion, so I needed something new to add to my arsenal of fancy head wear.  I came across these little extra teeny top hats while I was in Bangkok riding the sky rail.  There was a girl sitting opposite me with five (count them 5 !) of these in her hair, and I knew I just had to have one.   It turned out that these where the new ‘must have’ item and were everywhere in every shape, size and colour you can imagine.  So I stocked up on teeny hats as you just never know when they might come in handy – like yesterday, when it become my version of the party hat!

Of course I took it one step further (you already know I’m 9 parts style, 1 part crazy! ) and added false lashes with diamantes.  I do love my lashes, and these were just a bit of extra fun.  With all that going on up top, I pared back the rest of the outfit  and went with jeans and straightened (ish) hair.  The whole outfit wouldn’t have worked though, had it not been for my latest find via Etsy, this hot pink, custom made heart shrug with ruffled sleeves.  Made by the talented Nicole Linder, she customised the shrug to fit my requirements and did a cracking job!  Check out her store as she has lots of fancy things in stock for extremely reasonable prices.

Anyway, the Mr. and I then spend the evening in Gold Class watching The Ugly Truth – which if you haven’t seen YOU MUST!  It the funniest movie I can every remember seeing.  It left me wishing I’d worn waterproof mascara, as I nearly laughed myself sick! And it isn’t just a chick flick. Mr. SKM gave this one 10/10, as  the most hysterical flick he’s seen in ages.  Kicking back in Gold Class with pizza, beer and a movie about sex, is close to heaven for a man on his birthday.  All in all, a winner of an evening – and the hat even stayed put through all the giggles!

Outfit Details

Micro Top Hat – Bangkok department store     Lashes – $2 shop

Pink Shrug – Nicole Linder on etsy Black long sleeve jersey top – Hot Options at Target

Jeans – Carpenter Jean from Sussan    Booties – Candy

It is a big day here, so I am utilising my privileges as a blogger to say…

Happy 40th Birthday Mr. SKM!

image courtesy of Chris Vector

Must be all those visits to the nurse keeping you in such great shape!

^-^

As written for Debutant Clothing

When it comes to wearing vintage, there is no one single path to travel. Everyone’s interpretations of what is right for them is different, as well it should be, but how do you determine what is right for you and where do you find your inspiration?
Perhaps you are just setting out to dip a toe into the vintage pool, or perhaps your vintage look just isn’t working for you any more; there are a few things you can do to create a look that is uniquely your own and find your vintage groove.

Firstly, and most importantly, you need to decide WHAT you are dressing.  Are you dressing to suit your shape, disguising any flaws and highlighting your favorite features?  Are you dressing to emulate a certain era in the best approximation possible? Are you choosing vintage solely for its sustainable fashion perspective? Are you trying to find a more creative side to your personality by finding a look not dictated by current trends and styles?
All of these elements may play a role in how you choose to dress, either exclusively or as part of a whole; but you need to know which of these factors is the most important to you before going forward.

Let’s assume that your first priority is dressing to make the most of your figure.  This will play a key role in determining which era of vintage is right for you. For instance, if you have a more curvy figure, are amply endowed, and like your clothes to skim rather than cling; you’ll be looking towards the 1950’s for your shape. Dresses that are waisted, flared skirts, shawl collars and cinchers to create a waist shape if yours needs a little help.
If you are tall and slim with killer legs and not much waist to speak of, you’ll be looking to the 1920’s and late 1960’s for your style inspirations. With flapper dresses, bias cut jersey (thank you Coco) or even a pair of Go Go boots and a mini skirt; all of these elements can play to your body shape.  Getting the picture?

The Spencer Corset 1941 via Flickr

Dressing for your best features is one of the quickest and simplest ways to determine your vintage style, as each era is known for focusing on key features of the figure.  It’s just down to you to put in a little research to mix and match those eras to your shape.  Also, remember that in the latter part of the 20th century, fashion began taking it’s cues from the earlier years.  Thus the 1980’s did its own versions of the 1940’s and the 1950’s, which means you can still get the silhouettes you’re looking for at a lesser price and with more laundry friendly fabrics.

Once you’ve figured out your vintage motivation, it’s time to get cracking on creating a look all your own. A vintage look is more than just a 40’s floral dress hastily paired with some brogues or a cherry print dress and a flower in your hair. The variations are infinite, and it is up to you to make yours something special. A great place to start is by collecting images of your favorite silver screen icons from your chosen era. It is likely that you’ll find yourself gravitating towards the big names like Monroe, Twiggy or Hepburn. But once you have these in hand, it is time to do a little more digging.  Thank god for Google, because here is where it comes into its own for creating your look.  Start searching for movies made around the same time, with lesser known actresses/ actors, foreign film titles and advertisements.  What you’ll begin to see is much more variation on the styles within your chosen era. Marilyn and Audrey had a signature look all of their own, and it certainly isn’t a one size fits all. So it is up to you to create your own signature look, pulling the elements you love from the looks you’re researching. Remember too, that what you see on screen is not always achievable for your everyday look, so keep in mind to search for candid shots off set. Another great resource is to search people’s old family photos on Flickr to see what your everyday gal was wearing to the beach in 1951.  Trust me, it is an eye opening exercise and will shatter many of the myths around what it means to dress vintage.

Image via Flickr

Once you’ve sorted all this out, create some collages of your inspirations, or simply set aside an image folder on your computer to store all your favorite pics and have a simple ‘go to’ file for those moments when you feel your inspirations waning. If you’re going for a true emulation of your chosen era, there isn’t much more to do other than follow through on creating the subtleties’ of your look; hair, makeup, shoes; and committing to it. (No, not much at all Ha!)  But if you’re seeking a unique look that has the stamp of your own personality woven into it, now is your chance to go wild!
You can pick and mix pieces from your chosen eras and hair from another.  Have a thing for cats? Find some great cat print fabric and have a vintage pattern made up in that.  Start collecting vintage brooches in your theme and attach them to the hats you find. Have a favorite colour? Choose to go monochrome and develop your wardrobe into a collection of harmonious pieces in a single shade.  Don’t just stick to the clothes, choose all our accessories in that colour and go wild with parasols, handbags, glasses frames and the rest. I think you’re starting to get the idea.
Whatever your motivation for dressing vintage, the interpretations are endless.  Don’t be dictated to be the current fads for certain vintage eras, nor by big name labels (unless yours is a serious investment collection).  The beauty of dressing in vintage and living in the now, is that we are limited only by our imagination.  Set yours free!

Image via Flickr

Image by Elineart via Flickr

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I have an ongoing project, a nemesis if you will. The quest to have a house filled with “nothing that is neither useful nor beautiful” in the words of William Morris.  Sure, it sounds simple enough, but for me it gets right to the heart of a daily struggle.  You see, I am a Maximalist Minimalist. There exists within me an eternal struggle for the bright,the shiny, the hoarder and collector; and yet I hate to dust and know that I would spend far less time having to tidy up if I had less stuff! Indeed, this is a luxury of a dilemma to have, but a dilemma nonetheless.  So this year I have been working ever so slowly towards getting it under control.

Being a vintage clothing collector, I often feel compelled to “liberate” pieces from their current situation. Find a beautiful vintage dress two sizes too big in an Op shop? I still have to have it in case it is ragged, or bought by someone to be cut up for a school play. There is little logic involved when it comes to collecting, and fashion even more so; as it is difficult to store, requires constant care and attention and it’s display relies primarily on your body remaining the same shape! Why on earth do we do it if not for love?  The problem is that when you start to attach such strong emotional values to your vintage clothing, it starts to extend into your regular wardrobe, which then extends into your family’s wardrobe… and on it goes.  So I find myself sitting it a storage room filled with three racks of clothes I no longer wear (or am ever likely too – maternity pants anyone?), boxes of baby clothes and toys, hats, purses etc… and each piece has a memory attached.  Somehow giving them away feels like a betrayal of those times.  As if by letting go of that little pink baby suit, I am letting go of the baby who wore it. Like I said, no logic.

It is at this point of having moved the unnecessary items into storage, that I must face this crisis of emotion and move onto the next level of enlightenment.  My very good friend Nicole has become my spiritual leader in this regard. Not to sound too serious, but unless you face a similar crisis yourself it is hard to understand its hold in you.  She tells me, (to paraphrase) ” I let go of clothes. Let them out into the cycle of clothing karma where they will find a new home and come back to me in the form of that perfect vintage dress I have been looking for all these years.” And then the penny dropped.  If I continue to hold onto all these things, they will only serve to be a burden for me.  There will be no space to let anything new in, and neither will the well be replenished for others if we all keep on hoarding it.

So I am letting go.  I have forgone the marketing or eBaying of this last lot, as it is just too much effort.  Instead, I have boxed things up and sent them on their way to new homes with my blessing.  Yesterday I took about 40 kilos of clothing and accessories to my local Op Shop. (Please – don’t ask why there was so much!) I make sure that everything is clean and well presented to allow it to hit the shelves straight away, and always hand it to the volunteers in person.  Part of my hesitation in letting many of these pieces go, is the rate at which they are simply put into land fill and treated as rubbish.  But my rational is that if I treat them with respect that the store will also, and then they will find a good new home.

After letting go of many of my personal pieces, I headed into some serious emotional territory and opened the boxes of baby clothes. I had sold off many at the local market, but still had a ridiculous amount remaining, and knew that I had to let them go to move on.  When it comes to baby gear, knowing that they will go somewhere that they are truly needed and appreciated is the only way I could part with them.  So I did a little research and found a small hospital that cares for mothers and new babies from disadvantaged backgrounds.  (The Caroline Chisholm Society in Melbourne needs your little baby gear if you have it to spare! ) Knowing that these pieces, so lovingly knitted by Nana,  would keep another baby warm, was all I needed to let them go.  I have kept a few pieces.  Things my girls wore home from hospital, heirloom pieces and one handmade piece from each family member.  The other pieces I found hard to let go, I photographed and then boxed up.

I know this isn’t the end of my quest, but just the beginning.  The day I master it I’ll let you know, but until then I will keep on working towards my goal;  heading off a future that sees me living as a  slave to stuff!