*A blast from the past post*

Okay, maybe spark plugs are not what I can help you with, but the question remains; are you ready for Winter?  At the beginning of each new season, the magazines are full of tips of which boot / glove/ dress you need to survive the season. But one of the things I almost never read about is how to make the most of the wardrobe you have from last year!  So instead of giving you a bunch of advice on how to spend your money, today I’m looking at some of the key ways to ready your wardrobe for winter without spending a cent.

Autumn is the perfect time to start preparing and planning for the cold rainy days ahead. We get the odd cold day, but there is still enough sun to fool us into thinking that winter is still far away – until we’re caught out.

1. Boots & Shoes

If you’ve bought well in previous seasons you should already have at least one decent pair of winter shoes. Now is the time to make sure that they are up to another round of keeping you dry warm and stylish.

Check each pair for strained seams, check the soles for wear and check the join where the upper meets the lower.  If any of these areas is looking worse for wear make sure to take them to your nearest cobbler and have the small inexpensive repairs done. A little bit of sealant may mean the difference between wet or dry.

If the soles are worn or just looking a bit slick, have them replaced with a textured rubber to stop the potential for bruised butts and egos!

The upper should always be polished or nourished, depending on the finish.  Rather than carrying loads of different coloured polishes, I rely on “Zanolin”. It is a clear leather moisturizer that you can use on shoes, bags, seats etc.. It is one of my secret weapons in bringing vintage pieces back to life and will give your shoes a new suppleness and glow.

2. Woolens

At the end of last summer you should have washed and packed away your woolens, giving yourself more wardrobe space and protecting them from moths.  Now is the time, while we still have a few warm days, to get them out and get them freshly washed.  Use an eco friendly, eucalyptus bashed wool wash  or alternatively if you don’t have that on hand, a gentle shampoo with a few drops of eucalyptus oil will do the trick.  Make sure that you always hand wash woolens (even if they are acrylic I still recommend it), squeezing as much water you can from them, then drying flat on white towels to help them keep their shape.

Once they are washed and ready, check each one over for any repairs by holding them up in the sun and looking for holes that aren’t a part of the knit.  If you don’t know how to darn, now is the time to learn.  It may look or sound complicated, but it is quick, easy and can save you a small fortune.

Image by Yecatsml via Flickr

3. Gloves.

These guys take a beating each season, yet are so often forgotten when it comes to maintenance. Just like your sweaters, knitted gloves should be hand washed and repaired where needed.  But knitted gloves are also a quick and easy piece to fancy up with whatever your current obsession is.  All you need is a wool needle, things like beads, coloured wool or felt to sew on your own embellishments that are easily changed and removed with each year.

Leather gloves shouldn’t be washed but conditioned with “Zanolin”. Because these gloves are often lined, humidity can be a problem in keeping them fresh and clean.  I save those little packets of Silica that come in lots of products and keep them in the fingers when I store them.  If they get wet, dry the outsides then turn them inside out to air dry, but NEVER put them in front of a heat source or they’ll dry out and crack up.

4. Bags.

You don’t need the latest IT bag each winter,all you really need is a little care, attention and creativity. As far as care goes, the same advice applies here to leather bags as it does to shoes. Check seams, linings, hardware and leather condition.  Cobblers can also fix seams, hardware and split zippers on these.  When it comes to looks you can quickly change the look of your bag depending out your outfit. One of the things I like to do is to use big square head scarves looped and tied around the handle, choosing the scarf to match the outfit.  Then you’ll also have it on hand for rain, wind or any other of winter’s natural hair enemies.

The other one is using key chain clips. There are loads of commerically available charms, but I like to make my own; cannibalising old jewelery, kids toys or even bits of fabric to make over sized bows.

5. Create a uniform.

Now that you’ve made sure that all the critical winter pieces are in good working order, the other thing you’ll need to get you through the season is a uniform. A go to outfit that you can pull on in the dark, in a hurry or when getting dressed is an Everest of a task.  What your uniform is will depend entirely on your own style, but whatever it is make it easy.

The trick is to pull together pieces that are basic, simple, comfortable but in luxe fabrics that can be dressed up quickly with good accessories.  For me, my go to outfit is a long black cashmere dress. It wasn’t cheap, but it was a great investment. I’ve been wearing it each winter for the last six years and it never fails to impress. It feels like wearing pajamas, but throw on some sparkly earrings and you can head out to dinner.  A long, soft scarf and some boots, and it becomes perfect for the school run.

Your uniform should consist of as few actual clothing pieces as possible, relying on accessories to change it up. Choosing neutral colours is the obvious way to go, but you could always go with something like a dark plum in place of black, even chocolate or navy.

Think differently this Winter and rediscover the hidden potential in your wardrobe.

Remember, style isn’t about what you spend but how you wear it!

Before I begin, let me say that I had no idea that yesterday post would be such an emotive issue. Indeed, I am aware that representations of Blackamoor’s in all sorts of mediums (including the famous Golly in the Noddy books), have caused much controversy. However, in the context of a vintage collecting blog my thinking is that the beauty of my piece would be appreciated in the same way as if he had appeared on Antiques Roadshow or The Collectors. It seems this is not the case, and hence I’m now having to defend both myself and my beautiful man.

I’ll say this first, as one reader pointed out, it would have been wise to put some sort of disclaimer at the beginning of the post explaining my intentions, I have now done this. However I assumed (that was my first mistake, never assume anything) that my readers know me and as such would have a very good idea of the context and intent of the post. When it comes right down to it, offence  is all about context and intent.

I’ll get right to the meat of it. Yes indeed, there are many representations from history that we find offensive, hurtful, racist and sexist. When we consider their original intent, to mock, belittle or devalue individuals; they are indeed hurtful. But it isn’t their meer existence that causes the problem, it is the intent they are imbued with. And this is why I have no problem having a piece like this in my home; because not only is he highly collectible but I think he is beautiful.

The question that remains under debate is whether having a piece like this (an indeed another reader said that the cartoons in last weeks Raffles post were equally insensitive), glorifies harmful stereotypes and by extension makes me a racist? This is a question one can only answer for themselves, as I believe the answer to this lies as I’ve said, in both intent and context.

To give an example of something else I believe is beautiful but has also unintentionally caused offence and hurt stemming from a similar historical context is this. Once, when all dressed up in my 1940′s outfit, hair done and ready to hit the dance floor; I was told in no uncertain terms just how insensitive this was.  The venue for the dance was my local RSL Club (this is Returned Service Man’s League Club for those of you overseas), and the problem was that by dressing in war era style at a venue where many elderly soldiers went socially, it caused great distress by bringing back memories of the war.

Now where I had only seen beauty and romance (even though fully aware of the historical implications of the period as I am with the Blackamoor), my intent was not to cause distress. My context however, was poorly chosen and so I no longer break out those outfits at venues like that unless specifically requested to.

So I come back to my original point, that of intent and context. This blog is my life, my home and my space. It is one that I choose to invite you all into to share a piece of and over time I feel I’ve gotten to know many of you. And this is why I would share a find like this. Because in the context of both the vintage and collectable subject matter of the blog and my intent in appreciating his beauty, I feel he can still be appreciated (albeit with understanding of his origins) and loved.

The irony in all this talk of giving offence and being offensive, is that through some readers conviction of their viewpoint, they have taken the path of calling my own moral character into question, name calling and frankly causing me more hurt and offence than it is likely the image of the barman caused them.

I realise that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but neither is my intent to stir up trouble. I know that just about everything I post on a daily basis could cause hurt or offence to someone of another culture, but I rely on the honesty of my intent and the vintage context of this space to give it relevance.

Just as posting images of Gil Elvgren’s pinup work are not intended to glorify the objectification of women, neither is posting the pictures (or simply having in my home) the beautiful Blackamoor barman intended to condone racist attitudes.

So no, I don’t “Think this shit is funny” as one reader accused me of (I have no idea how they came to that conclusion); and I will continue to collect and appreciate works like this. And yes, I will keep him on display on my bar no matter who was to come over for cocktails, as by very virtue of his existence he has now become a symbol of a time passed and a conversation piece in which we can celebrate that passing.

Warning: Some content may offend. Please read this disclaimer.

This post contains pictures of artworks considered racially insensitive.

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So perfect, so kitsch – the Blackamoor barman with his bartools makes the perfect addition to my living room bar.

I’ve been itching to go on a decent treasure hunt for weeks now. So this weekend I took all my pocket money and headed off to markets, op shops and even my local antique dealer to see what awaited me.  I have a theory about treasure hunting; in order to find the most fantastic pieces and the best bargains, you first have to let go of some of your other possessions in order to balance out your shopping karma. Scoff if you will, but I can say that without fail, this system has stood me in good stead.

Now that I have spent the best part of four weeks doing a major, if somewhat unseasonal, spring cleaning of my house; I have sent out to the thrift shopping universe enough to cover me for the rest of the year! Over the last 24 hours of sifting through the trash to find the treasure, I’ve come up trumps with such a  selection of beauties I couldn’t be more pleased. Cue vintage eye candy!

I have to start with my absolute favourite piece because he is just such a stunner. This mid century blackamoor barman is too kitsch for words. In absolutely perfect condition he even still has all his tools so he isn’t just fabulous to look at, but can actually do his duty at my bar. And yes, the location of his corkscrew will no doubt leave me giggling into my 90′s…..

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I’ve unwittingly begun a collection of flamingos and lustreware in the last year, so adding to this is a very inexpensive but beautiful pursuit. Many small and unlabelled lustreware vases can be had for as little as $5, but their moonlight glow is worth far more joy.

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I love the faded elegance of vintage fabric flowers. They have a soft, dusty quality that is hard to find in reproductions and bundles of these can be had for a song.

More wonderful pin curl clips on their original card to add to my work kit,(Yes, I use authentic tools for creating authentic vintage style hair and makeup) as well as some fabulous buttons for restoring some lovely sweaters that had been sadly button – harvested before their time.

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Did I mention that before I went shopping I made a mental list of the things I needed and managed to find just about everything? Well I did! I went out looking for an anodised lamp for my newly tidy desk and picked up this soft pink one for a whole $7. I even found another bonus, a little plastic bead bag to add to yet another accidental collection. These are Italian designs but were made in Hong Kong in the late 50′s and early 60′s.  The bobbles on them remind me of seaweed…

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$4.50 can buy you a great selection of books at a church jumble sale.

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Although this pretty comforter has been dyed, it still retains its original beauty with the thick cotton damask design work. A little something to fancy up the guest room.

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And last but not least, this late 1940′s ice blue satin bed spread has been on my hunting list for ages! Given that the theme for my bedroom is a lovely shade of blue with a rather ornate feel, I’ve wanted just the right bedspread to finish it off. The problem though is that my bed is King sized, and nothing vintage was produced in that size unless it was custom made. When I saw this one, I knew it wouldn’t fit as it was only designed for a double bed… but, because the side of the quilt are designed to reach down to the floor as dust ruffles, when it is all spread out it fits!! All I would need to do is add a separate valance to compliment it and bobs your uncle. It did have a single rust stain on the pillow sham, so a little applique magic and no-one’s the wiser. So for the princely sum of $14 I found exactly what I needed. And by the way, I found this one in my local antique store where the prices, (unlike many opportunistic ‘vintage’ markets), remain very reasonable.

And now I’m spurred on, spurred on to continue the clean out and keep up the balance with my vintage shopping karma. Thanks shopping gods!

My little junior vintage hatbox

Every week I get emails from readers asking the same questions; how do you pack when you travel? And while the destinations may vary, the principles of successful holiday packing do not. What I’m going to share with you is the thought process behind the how and why of my packing system.  It won’t be an expensive list of things to buy and how to create a carefree Riviera look. But it is a plan that you can apply yourself; whatever your style and wherever your destination.

1. How much space do I need?

Even before I begin to think about what might be needed to wear, I firstly start to build a picture in my mind of just how much luggage I’ll need. Here’s what you need to think about-

What is the airline’s luggage weight limit?

Will I have to carry these bags alone and how many changes of transport will I have to do that for?

Will the luggage be so big and heavy that I’ll need work boots just to drag it around? (Oh so very un-glam)

How much shopping will I be doing? At which destinations and what size of items do I intend to bring back?

Are there different luggage weight allowances on internal domestic flights in the areas I’m visiting?

You may be able to tell from this list that these are tips I’ve learnt over time, sometimes the hard way. And one other hard and fast rule I’ve learnt to apply is this; never bring large carry on. Not only are you not guaranteed a space for this, but it leaves you no wiggle room for that magic luggage expansion that happens on the very last day of your trip.

Keep hand luggage to a minimum both for your own comfort and speed of boarding flights.  Generally my hand luggage consists of those things that are irreplaceable like my vintage hats and jewellery; even then I keep it small so I don’t have to carry too much around airports.

Now that you have a mental picture of the size of luggage you need to bring, you can start thinking about the weather, activities and events you’ll be enjoying at your destination. Here is my secret trick to planning the perfect outfits…. I simply imagine the hollywood film version of myself on holidays. What does movie me wear for dinner on the beach, or when dancing a tango, or simply lazing in the shade with a book? Sure, it’s a romanticised version, but it is a great launch pad for ideas.

2. Write it down

For each possible activity I write down a generic description of what I need to wear. Swimming? Bathers and something to wear over them. Shopping on a hot day? Long cool dresses and good walking shoes.  Once you have this little list down you can start thinking of which items fit the bill.

3. Pick a pallette

Choosing a basic wardrobe colour palette for your trip is the key to making a few pieces go a very long way. It also saves you from needing to pack a large selection of bulky matching shoes. On my last trip I picked a base palette of red, white and blue, allowing myself a bit of green in there too as an accent colour. Here is the overview of my outfits for a two week trip-

This is what my bed looked like as I packed for my two weeks away. I haven’t pictured accessories, underwear or toiletries here so this isn’t the sum total of my suitcase content. But aside from those other small items, this is it. Keep in mind that I was away for two weeks; one at a beach and the other a lively city.  I needed to dress for heat, humidity, walking, lazing, shopping, dinners, conferences and meetings.

In the interest of illustration and helping you piece all this together, I’m going to break it down.

Firstly; scarves, pashminas and sweaters.

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You’ll notice that the colours I’ve selected all work within my defined palette for the trip. I had two pashminas, two little cropped sweaters and one long polka dotted scarf.  These will be your best friends on a summer holiday.  When you are in and out of air conditioning, dining as the evening cools, or simply looking to cover bare skin for modesty; these all do the trick.

The secret is to find pieces that are made in good quality yarns and with a very fine weave. That way they roll up to nothing and you can always carry one in your handbag. The ones I packed are made of angora, cashmere and silk. Breathable, natural and investments that will last you ages if you take care of them.

Let’s break down the rest of the key pieces…

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Far left from top down

Zebra print sheer beach cover up – can be worn over swimwear or over singlet tops. Just belt for shape and add some great jewellery.

Black lightweight cotton skirt – made of cotton voile this works for beach wear, dinner wear and day wear. Separates are your friends.

Bikini - I will only wear this at the pool. Not to the shops, not to dinner, and certainly not to play table tennis in as I saw some girls doing.

Leopard print dress – Again a light weight cotton dress with a shirred waist line, primarily worn poolside. On it’s own it is a bit basic (even in spite of the print), but with a black cinch belt, great shoes and a chunky bangle it becomes far more chic daywear. I wouldn’t wear this one to a more formal evening out as the cotton is too light weight to be fancy enough for my taste.

Center from top down.

Stripped peasant style top – again light weight cotton, but super fitted with a side zip. Cute with long or shorts skirts, heels or flats.

Red faux silk dress – cool, comfortable and will take you from the shops to a night out at dinner. Just change up the height of your heels, add a little cropped cardigan and a flower in your hair.

Gingham halter neck dress – Day or night, gingham works, It doesn’t translate to more formal settings, but a beachside dinner, or wine and tapas at a local cafe; gingham and halters come together to make you feel all Roman Holiday.

Red winged bust top – One of my best friends. Because it is so structured with boning, shirring and a convertible and removable halter strap; these babies will take you anywhere. With a cropped sweater , to make the best feature of your waist line, these can become chic little tops for cocktails when paired with an ankle length skirt.

1940′s reproduction 2 piece swim suit - yes, for swimming; but the top piece can also work as as singlet top for cute casual day wear. To make it look less like swimwear, I like to pin a large fabric flower onto one of the should straps at the neckline.

Far right, from the top down.

Large brimmed red hat (out of shot) – for sun protection, drama and mystery. See also hangover cures.

Navy and White ankle length jersey skirt - bloody brilliant! Whether in stripes or a solid colour, a long jersey skirt will take you easily from a comfortable plane ride to a swanky dinner. It can be worn with almost any style of top (steering away from the cut off versions to avoid any muffin incidents), and looks equally as great with flats as it does with heels.

Blue cotton voile 1950′s reproduction day dress – This one will do secret rendezvous, lunch dates, and with a few rhinestones for good measure; even a formal evening dinner.

Blue winged bust top – read the description of the red winged bust top so I don’t keep gushing about these.

Hawaiian print dress – Happy hour anywhere!

Khaki culottes - They are the skirt that isn’t a skirt, the solution to more active pursuits that can’t be handled in a skirt, and far cooler and more forgiving than jeans. The French know their stuff.

4. How to Accessorize

Picking a small but cohesive selection of accessories is key to getting several different looks from each of your outfits. These make the difference of day to night, formal to casual and are also the way you introduce your own personalised flair to each outfit. Here’s what I took to change up my outfits.

Belts – Simple, inexpensive elastic cinch belts in black, red and blue

Jewellery – For day time I chose chunky beads and a scrimshaw bangle in red or white. For evening I picked clear diamontes. A small necklace, super sparkly earrings and a pair of dress clips that you can wear on tops, shoes, bags or even in your hair.

Flowers – Both fabric corsages and faux flower pieces.  Each one has both a crocodile clip and a brooch clip on the back; that way they can be pinned on hair, bags, shirt, hats, used to keep scarves together.. you name it! A selection of four key colours and you’re good to go.

Shoes – two pairs of wedge heels, one black ballet flats and one pair of flip flops for the pool. That was it! Not having any short skirts in my capsule wardrobe meant that flats and wedges would work for any occasion. I stuck with red, black and one bright floral pair for a bit of fun.

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All in all, there really isn’t all that much here; but each piece (minus the bikini) must do at least three different outfit combinations, otherwise it just doesn’t make the cut.

5. The Finishing Touches

Just as they do every day at home, the finishing touches to your holiday outfit are what take your look from clueless tourist to chic international traveller. And what are they? Your hair and makeup. Being well groomed at all times on your holidays not only makes you feel better but it will save you money too. Hear me out on this one…

When you find yourself in a new city or even at a fancy resort, you are constantly bombarded with images of good looking people, just as you are at home. It may be the pictures of the gorgeous lady getting a massage at the spa, or it may be the urban dwellers you’re bumping shoulders with over a sale rack.  Nothing will make you reach for your wallet on holidays faster than when you feel inadequate. Yes, it happens to everyone no matter how much above it we’d like to think we are.

When you’ve given your outfits careful consideration as to when and where you’ll be wearing them, you need to pay equal attention to your hair and makeup.  Learn some quick and easy styles that don’t take an hour with the straightener each morning. If you’re going somewhere humid and your hair hates you, be prepared. Pack a small bottle of macadamia oil for emergency smoothing and plan some sleek styles that avoid the issue altogether.

Makeup needs to be simple, straightforward and climate friendly; but even when at the beach I don’t leave my red lipstick at home. I just pick the right formulas. Heavily tinted lip stains, mineral makeup that doesn’t melt and waterproof everything else. ( Come to think of it I really need to write a whole post on ‘beach face’).

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In short, consider the whole package. Does it live up to that ‘movie’ version of the holiday in your head, and will that woman wear what you’ve chosen for her? Is it too much hard work or do you need to simplify?

Once you’ve got the basic strategy down, you can mould it until it is the perfect fit for you. It works for summer or winter, the simple holidays or the fancy.  I’ve written a hell of a lot here, and as I’ve deconstructed what comes naturally to me, I realise that it isn’t about the little details of what I took, but why I packed each piece. And I’m hoping you can see the big picture emerge from all of this.

Of course, this may leave you with even more questions and you’re always welcome to ask away in the comments section. But for now, go forth and know you can really relax when you get to your destination; packing ninja that you are!

My Vintage Living Room

Last week I was honoured to join the renowned fashion writer Maggie Alderson and my local vintage clothing guru Nicole Jenkins, in a panel discussion on Paul Barclay’s show Australia Talks on ABC Radio National. While for many of you, like me, we are so immersed in vintage culture that we often forget that for the mainstream consumer, this influence is only a recent development.

Having been a treasure hunter and collector for the most part of my life, I’m one of the fortunate few who have amassed a collection of vintage paraphernalia before this recent trend took hold, pushing many pieces out of our reach financially.  But before the advent of this wonderful thing we like to call the World Wide Web, finding others who shared the passion only really occurred when at swap meets, or when I got chatting to antique store owners and ladies at the CWA.  Now, we’ve become a world wide community of crazy people obsessed with beautiful old things. Their collection, display, restoration and all consuming pursuit. What a wonderful thing it is.

It is because of this amazing community that we have the chance to share our stories, to have someone who understands the rush of finding that missing coffee canister to your Nallyware set. (N.B: I’m still looking for one of those…) It is this community that opens up a whole new world of treasure hunting possibilities as we trade 1930′s girdles across the Pacific, and trade those heartbreaking stories of love and loss.

While there is indeed a strong commercial element to the new ‘Vintage’ craze, (the bastardisation of the term simply for profiteering boils my blood) there is a silver lining. You won’t find me in high end vintage furniture stores eyeing off labels and forking over a months salary for something that is, at present, the height of chic. But you will find me, tape measure in hand, rummaging through boxes at a car boot sale in the country. You’ll find me with a dust mask and bug spray at the clearing of an old warehouse. And you’ll most certainly find me always up for a cup of tea and a chat to discuss the merits of a little old hand knit.

And that is why, oceans apart, Maggie, Nicole and myself all knew a kindred spirit when we heard one. Just as I recall dressing in my grandmothers knee high, hook and eye red suede boots as a 12 year old girl; I could imagine Maggie doing just the same and knew at that moment, exactly the measure of her passion.

It is these moments when you talk with someone, or when you leave me comments to tell me the stories of your finds and treasures, that bring to light that special warmth that is to be found in marvellous vintage. A pleasure shared in a pleasured double, and even though we now compete with many more for our special finds, I like to look at it as if our neighbourhood is growing. Fancy popping over for that cup of tea now?

To listen to Candice DeVille, Maggie Alderson and Nicole Jenkins on ABC Radio National talking vintage, just follow the link to the official podcast. Or you can download the podcast to listen to later here.