Cold mornings and school runs can be wardrobe kryptonite. It is hard enough to get out of bed on those days let alone plan something fancy to wear; and this is is the reason that I simply adore my knits for Autumn Winter.  They are always soft, cozy and simple to mix and match.  They are as comfortable as wearing your pyjamas, but carry you through the day with infinitely more style.

I found this great knitted bolero on eBay, and it was listed as a rare 1940′s hand knit. But when I got it, it turned out to be a 1970′s does 1940′s machine knit. It didn’t alter how much I loved it, but I did contact the seller to let them know that what they sold me wasn’t what I got. Lo and behold the seller offered to refund half my purchase price to compensate for the mistake! For all the complaints we have about vintage on eBay at the moment, it goes to show that there are still some reputable sellers out there and it always pays to contact people personally if you have a problem.  Thanks Mr Seller.

The dress I bought at a recycle boutique about 7 years ago. Already second hand, it has done me very well with it’s classic cut and pure wool knit. It is an old Laura Ashley dress that has seen me through two pregnancies and is still going strong; always reminding me just why it is important to invest in quality pieces that last.  The little hat is a hand knit from the lovely Greetz from Tiz that I received at the same time as the lovely red 1940′s reproduction sweater, and I’ve clipped on a small red felt flower made by my girlfriend at Something Else Clothing.  I’m not sure if I can give this look a name, but I’m feeling an early 1930′s vibe for this autumn, so I thought I’d start to experiment a bit with bits from the wardrobe to see what I can knock together.

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I love the texture of this bolero. It is a strong chunky knit, but not a loose weave so it is delightfully warm. Oh, and the handbag for the day is a little hand made crochet bag that my grandmother made in the 1960′s.  I loved the way the textures of the bolero, hat and bag all mirror each other.

Outfit Details

Knitted cap – Greetz from Tiz

Red felt flower – Something Else Clothing

Cream knitted vintage bolero – eBay

Black knit dress – Laura Ashley from recycle boutique

Black suede flats – Target

Crochet handbag – Grandmother’s

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Summer in Australia has been so chilly this year that I began planning for autumn well in advance. One of my favourite purchases that has been sitting lonely on the shelf for a few months, awaiting it’s first seasonal outing, is this pretty top by Greetz From Tiz. I have some of the most marvellous vintage knitting patterns here at home, but the big problem is that I don’t knit. Well not really. I can make a rather wobbly scarf but that is the extent of my wooly skills. So I was chuffed indeed to find this lass in Italy who makes a selection of wonderful reproduction knitwear sold on Etsy.

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I wanted something particularly bright and pretty this public holiday Monday, as the family and I headed off to Geelong to visit my elderly grandmother and grandfather. We don’t get to see them all too often, but these are the people who sparked my love for vintage as a child. Nana always has a story to tell, and loves to reminisce with me about that days hair do. Today was no different, as we chatted for quite some time on the merits of snoods and just how they used to be worn.

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You’ll be pleased to know that this hair style takes about 2 minutes to achieve once you get the hang of it, and I’m working on a tutorial for it right now!

Outfit Details

Red 1940′s reproduction sweater – Greetz From Tiz

Black high waisted pants with suspenders – Friends of Couture A/W 2009

Black and white Spectator shoes – Ziera (formerly Kumfs)

Red snood – eBay

Red Bow – eBay and pinched from Miss 6′s stash.

Pearl and silver bow earrings – Chomel

Matching peral bracelet – Chomel

Lipstick – MAC Russian Red

You’ll all be aware of the devastating weather events happening in my home country at the moment. The most far reaching and cataclysmic of these are the floods in Queensland. We all have friends and family directly affected by these floods, with many loosing their homes, their businesses and some; their lives.

These are the times that we all do our bit to pull together and find ways to support each other in the best and most effective ways we can. A whole bunch of us local bloggers have gotten together with the help of Nuffnang, to put together a charity auction to raise much needed funds for the recovery effort.

The auctions, run with the official endorsement of the QLD Government, are taking place through eBay and you can bid on them RIGHT NOW!

What am I offering for this effort? Well, you can bid on a one on one session with me where you’ll not only be made over and transformed with vintage styled hair and makeup, but also learn a whole bunch of trips to perfect your look!

So don’t wait a minute more. Head on over to eBay and get bidding on the offering of your choice! My Vintage Hair and Makeup auction can be found here.

When I was visiting a friend last week she showed me a beautiful pair of enamelled bluebird earrings she’d just inherited from her mother. Tiny, perfect and just so vintage charming. There are certain images that strongly evoke a feeling of the 50′s and this is one of them. The Blue Bird of Happiness isn’t something we see so often these days, occasionally on Christening jewellery, and Sailor Jerry tattoos, but other than that, she’s all but disappeared from the realm of modern accessories.  For a little while there I saw loads of bird imagery in necklaces, wall decals and all manner of hip interior pieces; but an actual ‘blue’ bird not so much.  So I’ve been hunting.

As usual, Etsy has a gorgeous selection of vintage blue bird pieces, from linen to jewellery.

And a quick search on eBay uncovers some real stunners.

No hunt for vintage jewellery would be complete without a visit to Ruby Lane.

It is this last little guy with his Disney eyes that has stolen my heart though. Might be time for an early Christmas present, after all, these are heirlooms!

I love coming up with brand new ways to wear my favorite things!  I have this gorgeous red dress; in fact I do believe that everyone including red heads, needs a killer red dress in their wardrobe. So, I have this gorgeous red dress and it is just something else. It is a 1950′s full skirted, cord dress. Found for me by the lovely Nicole at Circa Vintage (where it seems most of my money lives) it was one of those heart stoppers that I knew had to be mine.  I watched it on the rack for a day and even encouraged a friend to try it on in the hope that I could get over another obsession. But, happily, it was not to be and this little red dress came home to make itself as one of my all time favorites that is likely to make it into the heirloom collection.

Anyway, back to my original point, the different styling.  To date, I had only worn this dress in a very high contrast, super slick type of manner. Very strong hair, black accessories, shiny shoes.  But on this occasion (shopping and taking a friend to the airport) I wanted something softer.  In a moment of, “oh duh”  I realised that I had not yet created any red and pink combinations with all the things in my wardrobe, so with the help of a new baby pink snood and the BEST jacket from Angel Sissi, this combination was born.

Outfit Details

Jacket – Angel Sissi    Dress – 1950′s Circa Vintage

Snood – Ebay      Cherry clip on snood - My Little Rockabilly

Earrings – Equip Shoes – Novo (about 100 years ago!)