Over the last few outfit posts you will have seen a few extremely cute new additions to my wardrobe like this stunning purple cardigan and these bow bangles. Each of these pieces are by local Melbourne label Friends of Couture.  I absolutely love Friends of Couture and you will have seen me wearing their pieces for some time now, remember this little lamb cardigan? Occasionally you come across a collection that you think to yourself, ” Oh that is all so me, I just have to have it!”, well that is the way I feel about everything FOC does.  They have a brilliant knack of combining vintage inspirations with super cute detail and modern chic, which  is why when they invited me to review their latest collection, Paris After Dark, I jumped at the opportunity.

Jo Matheson, (chief designer) and Candice DeVille aka Super  Kawaii Mama

Nicole looks stunning in the “Little Red Ridinghood” dress is azure blue with the red striped Matelot top underneath.

Paris After Dark is the new Autumn Winter 2010 range by Friends of Coutures head designer Jo Matheson.  Inspired by the romance of vintage lines and a strong traditionally French colour palette, Jo has created something that is both wearable, collectable and very very head turning. The collection takes a journey from the flirty and feminine lines of sweet floral chiffon with a distinctly 1930′s flavour and meanders through to stunning, slightly puffed sleeved cardigan with beaded art deco detailing. I particularly love the Hotel DeVille cardigan in a soft, buttery cream wool with deep blue beading.  There are the iconic pieces that take wardrobe staples and give them just that much more punch by creating a strongly waisted silhouette and drenching you in azure blue; as well as classic boat necked tee’s with stripes that Gigi would have been proud to wear.

Jo Matheson is responsible for the beautiful Paris After Dark collection.

Hotel DeVille Cardigan (left) clearly must have been named after me! Little Drummer Girl cardigan (right).

The feminine detailing doesn’t stop at the figure flattering cuts, but continues through to corsages, bows (that can even be worn in the hair!), tulle skirts and the softest of soft cropped angora cardigans. (I don’t know about you, but the snuggle factor of angora wins me over every time.)  I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to find a local, accessible label that knows how to combine current trends with timeless classics in such a seamless way. For example, they’ve taken the military feel (so popular in that Balmain jacket) and managed to capture the essence of the style in soft, wearable cardigans that make the most of our assets without having to cash in any to buy them!

When I start to think about “Paris After Dark”, my mind drifts to Parisian bordellos (clearly I watch too many films), smoky eyed women in sumptuous fabrics, with kissable lips and strokable hips.  Jo has woven this intensity and edginess into some of the darker pieces in the range using velvet and sequins (bows!), strong shoulder lines and strategically placed zippers. While our Parisian girl by day may be all feminine pinks or jaunty stripes, at night her walk takes on just a little more wiggle in body con electric blue, violet and black.

Oh, and for those of you who have been drooling over my high waisted jeans… let me tell you, this collection has the most amazing pair of wide legged, high waisted black pants, Sartori.  With flat fronts, button detailing, even button on suspenders; when I tried these on, they fit like a glove and I even gave a little Squee in the dressing room.  You are going to LOVE them. ( Watch out for an outfit post with them next week.)

See them on the left? Awesome Sartori pants!

Friends of Couture pieces get my seal of approval for not only being infinitely stylish and cute, but also for their quality. I’ve worn some of their pieces over and over and over again in the last three years, washing the knit wear and popping it back on the next day, and they have kept their shape, their colour and their edge. I can’t say that for a lot of modern pieces in my wardrobe, especially not those others of a comparative price.

Yes, I could go on and on about how fab this range is, but you really must see it for yourself.  If you are in Melbourne you can head straight to the stores at:

225 Chapel street, Prahan

186 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Melbourne CBD 311 Swanston Street, Melbourne

And, because one can’t possibly not share something this good with the rest of the world, you can get your hands on some of these fantastic pieces for a ONE DAY ONLY 20% off Valentines Day Sale in the online store!! Just enter “bemyvalentine” at the coupon section at the checkout for 20% off on ALL stock!

***EDIT: Just to clarify they do sell online and will ship to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! So get in there while the Aussie dollar is still a bargain!***

So yay for awesome new designs and a great big yay for special sales too!!

This Valentines Day, Nuffnang is giving its bloggers a chance to win a $250 gift voucher. So we thought what better way to spend Valentines Day but together, attempting to win enough chocolate to keep us happily blogging away for a whole year.  And so…

Once upon a time there were two lonely bloggers.

They both loved pink and they both loved sparkles, they both loved anything fancy.. but they lived 1000 miles away from each other.

The distance seemed insurmountable.  They would never meet on a train, they would never meet at a supermarket, would their sparkly paths ever cross?

Then along came a little blue man.. a Nuffnang man.  He left them a little trail of digital breadcrumbs to lead them to each other.

The bloggers were ecstatic, they finally had someone to share their pink sparkliness with!

They shared similar academic pursuits…

And a love of excersise…

It was so nice to have kindness and support in such a mediocre, grey scale world.

Or not…

They explored the posibilities of alternative nutrition…

Though each was sweeter than the other… at times!

They dazzled the locals with style and grace…

Spreading love and happiness wherever they went.

But they kept large sticks in their handbags in case of disaster!

They went to bed early every night and made sure to get their beauty sleep…

But that didn’t always go to plan.

So they practiced their ellocution until they fell asleep.

All of this joy thanks to one little blue man. Thank you Nuffnang, we love you!

And while their world is now more beautiful, there is always room for another seat or two at the tea party.

We have more special Valentine love to spread to the insanley cute Cheesie of Cheeserland – because if we can have this much fun together when we aren’t even in the room together, imagine what we could do when she actually comes to visit!

Next on our lovely list is local Melbourne princess Aurora Hime and her Tumblr that never fails to inspire.

Last but definetly not least is the devilishly dark and deliciously bedecked Miss Amelia Arsenic of Destroyx for more reasons than we could possibly list.

So if you want to improve your reality, don’t take the red pill… take the little blue man!

We Heart You Nuffnang!

One of the goals I’d set mself for this year was to tackle so many of the outstanding personal projects sitting around neglected in my studio. Things like yesterday’s jeans had been on the waiting list since Septemeber!  So far, I appear to be off to a cracking start even if that does mean hand stitching by lamp light feeling rather Dickensian as my vision slowly fades….  Which is why I was quite thrilled to be featured in the January issue of UK magazine SEW!

Here is what it says…

-What do you write about and what inspires you to blog?

Super Kawaii Mama is primarily fashion and style related. It is all about choosing to live your most glamorous life, regardless of your income level or parental status!  Rather than focusing on the latest catwalk looks or fashion that needs to be constantly updated, I am passionate about vintage, recycled, cottage industry and alternative fashion.  It is all about creating a style that is unique to yourself and finding a sense of joy through what you wear everyday.

Amazingly, I never seem to run out of things to blog, in fact I have a hard time keeping up with my brain and sometimes have some very sleepless nights as it won’t shut off!  I don’t find much inspiration in current fashion trends but rather in things I come across in daily life that, when looked at from a certain perspective, open up a whole new world of possibilities. It could be a certain colour, a great old movie, or even a wheat field seen from the window of the car that inspires me to start thinking about Little House on the Prairie type fashion!
Everything is fair game and is interpreted through the lens of my own sense of style then served up on the blog ready for consumption.

-How does blogging aid you in the creative process?

Blogging has been the biggest boon in terms of aiding my creative process. It is a brilliant way to connect to like minded individuals as well as people that see things very differently to myself and thus open my eyes to the new.  It forces me to make sense of many otherwise unformed thoughts which means that so many projects that would never have made it out of my head, have been able to become a reality.
Blogging is also a great validation. When your life is so busy being a parent, wife and everything that goes with that; it is often difficult to justify the time we want to spend on projects for ourselves. Especially those that are simply frivolous fun!  So if I feel like making a fancy Cinderella gown that I may only ever wear once, I can justify it to myself when I share the process with others… Well at least that is what I tell my husband!

-What are your favorite things to make?

Wow, my studio is testament to my favourite things to make as it is full of supplies for projects I haven’t even started but have very good intentions to! I have a large collection of vintage patterns from the 1930’s – late 1950’s as well as reams of vintage fabric. I love making reproduction vintage pieces as it means that I can have the garments I really want in just the right size, as finding an authentic piece that is just what you want isn’t always possible.  I try to use all the original techniques and materials were possible when I’m doing these.  There is such a sense of triumph involved in getting some of these pieces right as the tailoring is critical, especially when the fabrics have no stretch and some that have no closures, just a complex construction.

If I don’t have the time to devote to such a big project, the other favourite is things that can be knocked over in a short space of time. Usually taking something old and altering and customizing it to become something entirely different.

-What are your plans for the future of Super Kawaii Mama?

There is some much in the works for Super Kawaii Mama in the new year.  The site is being redesigned for more depth and better navigation of archives.  I also get hundreds of requests for help and tutorials each month so I’m trying to find a better way to give readers what they need.  I have a number of creative collaborations in the works that will see the pages open up to a whole new audience and give you more choices in how you choose to interact with me. In short, I guess I never stop making things and never stop coming up with more and more outlandish ideas!

******

What about you?

Do you sew, do you want to sew or do you fear even the mere thought of reattaching a button?

Yep, I’ve been at it again. Finally I found some time to make myself another pair of those high waisted jeans I love so much. They are light weight, comfortable and just about the best pants I think I’ve ever made.  Today’s outfit post is also a very good example of why I started taking outfit photos. Sometimes things look one way in your mirror and quite differently once you head out.  It wasn’t until I looked at these shots on the camera that I realised just how transparent the top was and just why choosing a white bra was a bad idea! Straight off the change it before I headed out then.  So you’ll have to forgive the bad choice of undergarments here and rest assured that I didn’t spend the day like that!

Sheesh.. I am so glad I took these photos and checked things before I left!

Outfit Details:

Leopard print top – Zara (Singapore)         High waisted pants – designed and made by me

Snood – Lindy Charm School for Girls Pearl Bow Earrings – Equip

Cream Bow Bangle – Friends of Couture LOVE ring – Equip

Hair bow (almost out of shot) – My Little Rockabilly

Last week I received this email from a reader….

“I found your blog recently and absolutely love your girly inspirations. I’m glad there are sharers in the world, yay the WWW.

As an eighties teenager I was raised with no fashion sense at all, (in some ways that may be a lucky coincidence of fate) so I was wondering if i may ask, is everything in your wardrobe of matching fashion, is it all in your style on these pages? I wonder whether period fashionista’s have two fashion lives or its all the way?” – B

… to which I (of course) began penning a very long and involved reply.  Once I realised it was going to be a short essay I figured it would be something to share with you all, so here is my answer.

If I understand correctly what she is asking  is, is everything I own vintage style or do I have a “normal” wardrobe as well? I can’t answer for all other vintage enthusiasts, only myself.

To answer as best as I can, I am not a vintage purist. What I mean by that is that I will happily mix a 1950′s dress with modern shoes or a 1940′s jacket with a Disney headband (yep, I’ve done that at Fashion week).  I’ve been collecting and wearing vintage for close to twenty two years now, and find that I wear it with varying intensity over different times in my life.  There are indeed times that I wear head to toe vintage, from the hairstyle to the earrings to the shoes; everything is period accurate; but this could be for a variety of reasons.  I understand that there are many enthusiasts out there that participate in “Re-Creation” types of events, which is something  I have yet to experience.  However, outside of specific modelling engagements where I might be hired for this purpose, there is no real rhyme or reason for when I decide to frock up in that manner. It could be just about anything, even a dreaded visit to the supermarket that motivates me to spice it up a little.

Going vintage all the way!

Do I have more than one wardrobe? Yes. But not in the way you might expect. I have (to be honest) about three wardrobes on the go at any one time, and this is to cater to  space limitations.  If I had a dream walk in robe with a place for everything, then I’d only have one.  As it is I have it spilt across three areas in my own room, my guest room and my studio.  I divide it up by things that are currently out of season, things that need repair or alteration and things that are in current rotation. It may sound fabulous but believe me it is a never ending source of angst trying to manage such a cobbled together system. The one thing you will not find…. the old jeans and t-shirt or logoed tracksuit anywhere to be seen.

I don’t have an “on duty / off duty” wardrobe, so everything you see on the blog is the way I dress, all the time.  Yes, sometimes it is more theatrical and intense for specific purposes like show casing that amazing gown from Violetville earlier in the week, but you will also find that most of it is just my day to day look. I don’t fluff about styling fancy photo shoots in things I don’t actually wear, just for the purpose of this blog. Frankly, with two small children to get fed and out of the house on time I just don’t have the time, and when evening comes around I certainly don’t have the energy. 99% of my Daily Outfit photos have to be done in two minutes flat on the front porch.

While I believe that you can add more glamour and magic to your everyday life through what you wear, there are times when I have to make compromises and times when I just don’t have it in me to go the whole nine yards in dolling up. However, my version of dressing down or casual, seems to be a bit different to the generally held standard these days.  The only time you will find me in a dressing gown for the whole day, I must be near death’s door with illness, only appearing from the bedroom to garner more sympathy.

I do own and wear gym clothes (like these), but they will only be seen in the gym or enroute – not picking up the shopping or hanging out for coffee. Now that is not to say that I expect the same from everyone else,  it is just that for me if  I spend a day dressed like this I don’t feel like myself and that doesn’t make me happy.

Makeup free  (if you don’t count lipbalm) going to the gym.

I don’t always wear makeup. There are times and days when it just  isn’t appropriate.  If I know I’ll be spending the entire day out in the garden working hard (ish), then I will usually be seen in my solitary pair of jeans, huge hat, bare faced only with slatherings of sunscreen and lipbalm. Attempting to reapply 40+spf over a full face of makeup whilst also attempting to keep dirt out of your eyes is just ridiculous. Besides which, with a slathering a red lipbalm and huge dark sunnies that is enough glamour for my rose bushes to handle!

I also try to have at least one makeup free day a week. A day to let my skin relax, breath and have a bit of a DIY facial. This is not as relaxing as it sounds however, as it is usually accompanied by screams of feigned terror at the Mama Monster and her masked face. I attempt to salvage my glamour factor in these instances by wearing a fabulous vintage dressing gown, sipping tea  (whilst Tweeting) and imagining myself away.

So B, I hope this is the answer you were looking for, and for everyone else I hope this gives you a better picture of who I am. The short answer is that everything you see on this blog is me. There is no alter ego, no hidden stylist, no pro photographer.  The reason I began writing this blog and the reason  I am so passionate to spend a large chunk of my life on it is to show that should you wish to, it IS POSSIBLE to make your life a little bit more glamorous.

You don’t need to be rich or famous, you don’t need to be artistic or have a team of specialists on hand.

You just need to want it and be courageous!