The Wardrobe Shake-Up #3

While shaking up my wardrobe, I discovered a dress that still had the tags on. Now you know why I've had to embark on a clothes and footwear spending ban! In my defence, the only reason I hadn't worn it was because it’s a bit too big for me. As the returns period had well and truly passed, I had a few options – sell it, give it to a charity shop, or keep it. You tend to become very possessive of your current wardrobe while on a spending ban, and I was loathe to part with this lavender blue, mod style shift. You tend to become very inventive too, so I decided to alter it or use a belt to cinch it in. However, I realised pretty quickly that neither would work due to the nature of the fabric, stretch scuba, but then I had a lightbulb moment. Simply popping a jumper on underneath turned a baggy party dress into a snug but sweet daytime look. Eureka! The jumper in question is an oldie but a goodie; an acrylic and wool mix with tiny pearl stars stitched onto it. I purchased the silver T-bars with their wonderful block heels back in November. I adore this outfit and its icy hues; it makes me feel like a 1960s Space Queen.

Dress – Asos (available here)

Jumper – Penneys/Primark

Shoes – New Look

The Wardrobe Shake-Up #2

I’ve been making a mammoth effort to save money lately. Apart from a pair of knee high boots I thrifted for €8 and a reworked top from Nine Crows, I haven’t bought new clothes or shoes since January. This has required iron will and rigid self-discipline. Don’t get me wrong; I haven’t denied myself lipstick or mascara, life is hard enough without the occasional treat, but they’re always from budget brands. A wardrobe shake-up, I featured my first one here, was needed to keep me on the straight and narrow. This involves sorting through all your clothes and removing anything you don’t love. Drop the unloved items to your local charity shop and put the cherished pieces back in your wardrobe - but not in the same place. Yes, shuffle them around! You’ll be amazed at how many new outfits you’ll create by doing this. I unearthed this four year old shirt and paired it with this skirt, one of my last purchases in January, for a 1960s style dolly bird look.

Shirt – Asos

Skirt – Missguided

Cardigan – Schatze Vintage (formerly Shotsy)

Shoes – Asos

Bag – A gift from a friend  

Waiting For Spring

 April come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain

                                                                   - Simon & Garfunkel

 

Windswept. That’s been my permanent state these past few months. I’m not quite sure if this coat has left my back. I certainly got my money’s worth. While my heart is longing for luminous shades and pretty florals, I can’t get my head around the fact that it’s spring. Until the bitter weather eases, I’ll be sticking to my winter palette. In the meantime, in an effort to be less gloomy, I've been wearing jumper dresses without black opaques. Of course, there’s two tops under this one!  

 

Coat – River Island

Jumper Dress – Asos (available here)

Boots – Thrifted from my local SVP

Suitcase – Vintage 1960s

Retro Rates: Ashley Williams x Red or Dead

Be still, my beating heart (and rebellious credit card!). Never before has a shoe collection grabbed my attention so fiercely as Ashley Williams’ collaboration with Red or Dead. The British designer has teamed up with the label to create a seven piece range entitled #MakingMovies. The retro-inspired collection includes provocative vinyl kitten heels and pointed monochrome stilettoes. Williams was influenced by Red or Dead’s back catalogue from the 1990s and early noughties and her own kitsch designs. Her spring/summer '15 runway show featured an East meets West theme which fascinatingly came about after she saw photographs of Vietnamese prostitutes in the 1960s.  

The #MakingMovies collection is available now exclusively on schuh.co.uk

"For girls who live their lives through movies”

See more of Ashley Williams’ divine SS15 collection here

A Retro Day Out: Smithfield Market Fair

A day spent leisurely browsing market stalls brimming with treasures and trinkets is a day well spent in my eyes. As a lover of all things vintage I’ve been to several vintage fairs and flea markets. There’s something enchanting about sifting through rails of brightly coloured garments hoping to find a gem in your size, discovering your favourite band amongst the stacks of pre-loved vinyl, trying on glittering rings and necklaces and chatting to the stall owners about their carefully selected stock - every item with its own story. Now there’s a new fair in town and this one is like no other. The first Smithfield Market Fair was held on Sunday June 15^th in Generator in Smithfield Square. Generator is a hostel with a difference; it boasts a bar, a café, a cinema room, and can be used as a music venue…or a market!

                                                       Vintage clothing at Vertigo Vintage

The fair kicked off at 1 p.m. and by the time my two friends and I made it in at 1.30 p.m., the place was a hive of activity. Over thirty stalls were dotted around the split-level venue. Not only was there genuine vintage clothing but also upcycled vintage pieces, vintage reproduction, handmade and second-hand clothes. There was also a lot of handcrafted gifts including cards, jewellery, art, contemporary art, hair bows, headscarves, hats and painted tiles. The cinema room was showing cult classics and a band were starting to set up in the bar. I couldn’t stay for long as it was Father’s Day but I believe there was live jazz, skiffle and hip hop until the wee hours. That’s why Smithfield Market Fair stands out from the crowd; it’s the bad boy of fairs. While other fairs are packing up at 6 p.m. and trotting off home, Smithfield Market Fair is pulling an all-nighter. Food was available in the café but we couldn’t find a table. We did however find an Italian restaurant across the square; Bel Cibo serves reasonably priced, tasty food. Perfect for ravenous bargain hunters!
 

                            Handmade jewellery, headscarves & bowties at A Little Idea

                                                 Vintage reproduction clothing at FiftyFive65

                                                          Handmade jewellery at WhimsyJig

Lovely Maeve of Vertigo Vintage with her beautiful clothes & bags

 

 

What I wore:

 

 

Dress – Vintage 1960s from The 3rd Policeman

Shoes – Mel

Sunglasses – Tiger Stores

 

 

What I bought:

 

Upcycled 1970s top from Dottie & Pearl & 1960s skirt from Vertigo Vintage

 

 

 The next Smithfield Market Fair is August 10^th. Check out their Facebook page for updates.

 

 

 

Spring Style: The Modern Mod

 

 

"People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around - the music and the ideas.” – Bob Dylan

 

I can’t stop wearing these block heels, they seem to go with everything. Paired with this shimmery bouclé coat, I feel like I should be strutting down Carnaby Street circa 1966! To give this look a more contemporary feel, I've abandoned a typical Mary Quant style miniskirt for denim hot pants and a thrifted blouse.

 

Coat – Asos

Shoes – Asos

Blouse – Charity shop

Shorts – Asos

 

 

Photos kindly taken by my friend Maggie

Spring Style: The 60s, Monochrome & Floral Print

The 60s is a key fashion trend this spring/summer. Designers, in particular Louis Vuitton and Moschino, showcased shift dresses, cropped trousers and boxy jackets in typical sweet spring shades. However, it wasn’t all pastels and pretty floral prints on the catwalks. Surprisingly there was also a strong emphasis on black and white.

Monochrome is timeless and one of the easiest ways to sport the 60s trend. It's also flattering and there are a number of ways to wear it - stripes, spots or block colour. Add low-heeled pointed shoes and a ladylike handbag and you have a one-way ticket to 60s chic!

 

Dress – Penneys/Primark

Shoes – Asos

Earrings – Penneys/Primark

 

 

 

Dress – Warehouse

Shoes – Asos

Bag – Vintage  

 

 

 

Hair Inspiration: The Beautiful Bob

For as long as I can remember I have worn my hair shoulder length or longer. The thought of anything shorter appalled me. However, over the past few months my hair has become dry and damaged snubbing my overzealous efforts to style it.  I was also bored with it and in the midst of a mid-20s crisis last month I went under the scissors and got a bob!

The history of the bob is an interesting one. Originating at the beginning of the 20^th century, it was seen as a shocking statement of independence in young women. It was only considered respectable when women joined the workforce during World War I and no longer had time to style long hair. By the mid-1920s it was the dominant female hairstyle in the Western world popularised by actresses Louise Brooks and Joan Crawford, the original flapper girls. As the 1930s approached, women started to grow their hair longer and the bob was abandoned.

Vidal Sassoon is credited with bringing back the bob in the 1960s, revolutionising the style with his precise, geometric cuts. Sassoon created some of the most iconic hairstyles of the 60s including Mia Farrow's pixie crop and the five-point cut worn by stars such as Mary Quant, Nancy Kwan and Grace Coddington.

                                          Vidal in his salon. Oh to have a time machine!

More 1960s Inspiration:

Anna Karina

                                                      Chantal Goya

                                              Jessica Paré as Megan Draper in Mad Men

Modern Inspiration:

Krysten Ritter

Kimbra

Alexa Chung

Taking inspiration from the 60s (my favourite decade for music, fashion and beauty) I asked my hairdresser for a blunt bob a lá Chantal Goya. However, she nervously recommended an A-line bob (where the front is slightly longer than the back) for fear I’d turn the scissors on her due to my lack of length! I took her advice and it was the right decision. I love my hair. It’s in better condition, more manageable and I think I look a little more elegant! Also, in a world obsessed with big hair and extensions it’s nice to sport something a little different.

  My gorgeous friend Katie and I at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby last weekend