5 Cool Instagram Accounts: Vintage Style

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Hi Everyone,

While I don't have an Instagram for my blog, I do have a private personal Instagram account where I follow heaps of cool vintage enthusiast ladies, make-up artists, art artists, quote sharers and people I know in real life. I recently saw a really cool article about an instagram account doing the rounds on facebook that inspired me to share some of my favourite accounts with you guys. If you are anything like me, you probably only find new accounts to follow through what your friends like, blogs/pages you follow on other social media and what instagram recommends... 

I think instagram is a great place to be inspired, waste time and share images. I have so many favourites, but I thought I would limit it to five. That way, I can write more posts in this series and share some more of my favourite accounts as time goes by. 

I am going to embed posts here, so I apologize in advance if it goes a little funky on any devices you might be using to read this...

Here they are :-) 

A photo posted by Miss Nadia Faye (@nadiafaye) on May 9, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

A photo posted by Ruby (@missrubyrabbit) on Apr 25, 2016 at 2:01am PDT

A photo posted by Ella (@missvictoryviolet) on May 12, 2016 at 1:36pm PDT

A photo posted by Ida Cathrine (@idacath) on Mar 2, 2016 at 5:11am PST

A photo posted by Samantha Esther (@miss_samanthaesther) on May 21, 2016 at 3:40pm PDT

I decided not to write my own captions, because I feel like these pictures speak for themselves.

I think it's cool to follow other vintage enthusiast accounts because I like to see how different ladies put their own spin on the retro style. It's also cool to see how different people make the style work for them in their climate/location, career/lifestyle and with different colouring/body-shapes. It's a great place to get outfit ideas and to find out about repro brands and online stores.

Feel free to share your favourite instagram account names in the comments.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

5 DIY Projects That I Have Been Planning Forever

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It's not very often that I finish a DIY project or that I am happy with the end result. I certainly like to indulge in DIY inspiration and spend time going through the process of beginning a project, but most of the time it just doesn't really happen. I would like to think that at some point these projects will happen and I suppose that it's highly likely that they will happen, just later than originally anticipated. After all, Christmas will be coming up soon and it's at Christmas that I always seem to get the Craft Bug.

I'm always interested to read about the craft projects that people undertake on their blogs and I never really have anything to share with these accomplished people; seeing as my list of achievements in the DIY department are insignificant. And, while I know it will take me a long time to do the projects I dream of, I do get excited about them and I do want to share them with people. So here it goes, 5 projects I have been planning forever:

1. CROCHETED SQUARE BLANKET

I learned to crochet in grade 6. I haven't really advanced much since then, but I still find it to be fun. I also started making a square blanket then and I have around 60 or so squares sitting in a bag in the top of my old cupboard. By the time I had made what seemed like enough squares I realised that I had grown and that the blanket wouldn't be big enough. The blanket is supposed to be an Ice cream rug because it consists of Nepolitan colours. I have had difficulty matching up the same shade of brown for later squares so there's an awful lot of pink. 

2. ALTERING CLOTHES & REVAMPING OLD CLOTHES

I have a bad habit of taking in unwanted clothes (or buying second hand clothes) that are in bad need of an alteration. I have one particular dress that I inherited from an old work-mate that desperately needs to be hemmed, but I keep putting it off. Poor dress will just have to wait a little longer... I also have a bit of a collection of Men's shirts that I have been planning to make into skirts. My last attempt was a bit of a fail and it ended up being a top, but I still haven't figured out what I am doing with the straps... I 

3. CROCHETED CAPES, COLLARS and BERETS

I have also attempted to make a few berets and crochet collars over the years. I am not overly impressed with how the collars turned out, but the berets do look sweet. I have seen a lot  of cute lacy vintage style patterns for crochet hats, capes and scarves, but I'm not so sure about trying them out. While I do understand abbreviations I'm not so sure about the repeating, increasing, decreasing or where-the-stitch-is-actually-supposed-to-go parts of the pattern and I prefer to just make stuff up, instead of following the pattern. There are also some really cute crochet flowers books out there -it seems like they have endless possibilities- but, that means more patterns...

4. VINTAGE STYLE HATS AND HEAD PIECES

Earlier this year I acquired a book about the art of hat making. It's mainly meant for fascinators and felt hats for race day, but there were a few old fashioned 20's style head pieces and this cute flowered hat that had to be pinned into the wearer's hair. It got me inspired, but I would need to buy the materials online and I haven't gotten around to that part yet.

5. DIY STOCKINGS

I have seen a few different DIY projects involving stockings and I thought it would be fun to try them. I did actually try one, but it was a tad lame and the stockings are ruined so I'm not so keen on more attempts.

Do you have any DIY projects in the works?

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

5 things: The clothes I dream of

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I decided to do another 5 things post, because I'm still on a bit of a style bender. After reading 'A Life in Frocks' by Kelly Doust and reading all about the author's dream clothes I felt that I had to document mine. Who knows? Maybe someone in the wide world web can share a cool website with me or has some advice? These dream clothes are so great (impossibly so - it seems) that I feel they are worth documenting anyhow.

 

1. THE PERFECT WORK SKIRT:

I dream of one (one style, quantity three or four or five) black, knee length skirt, with pockets, that sits on the hips, gathers at the waist-band and flows outwards; giving me plenty of room for movement. I do like high-waist, but think the line is ruined when they are teamed with uniform shirts (that tend to be longer shirts that aren't designed to be tucked in). It seems that many of the skirts on the current market are either too long (which can be a bit dangerous) or too short (which isn't appropriate for a gal who may be using a ladder). The "work skirts" that are available for sale in my town are huggy shorter things meant for the office, and even online I have difficulty finding anything close to what I want, unless it's over $30 dollars (and I'm not prepared to pay any more than $10 for something that I can't return).

 

2. THE HALF-SLIP:

I love petticoats. They are great for skirts that are just a bit see-through. My problem is though, that the cheaper petticoats tend to be the knee length ones and that if I were to want a shorter one I would need to pay more money for it - which is ridiculous. I haven't checked out the op-shops in a while, but there is nothing on ebay at the moment for a reasonable price.

 

3.SNAG-FREE STOCKINGS:

Stockings add class and I love the feel of them on my feet. The problem here is that they snag, a lot. Ladders on the other hand, don't look so classy... Having finger nails, A pet dog with claws and working in a department store (where one of your jobs involves the possibility of Velcro coming into contact with your legs). I have managed to buy a few pairs that tend to get snag marks rather than ladders, but still, am I game enough to continue wearing them?

 

4. A LOOSE FITTING SWEATER/CARDIGAN:

I dream of a cosy jumper in neutral shade of grey or cream (or even camel) made of soft knitted yarn that I can chuck on (or button up) when it's cold (whether I'm dressing up or down). The fabric must be incredibly soft and fit loosely without being too baggy under the arms. Also, I don't want it to get  that smell about it like some worn clothes do.

 

5. PLAIN COLOURED T-SHIRTS:

I dream of shirts in a rainbow of unusual shades. Made of a soft, thin fabric, but not see through. These shirts will be the sleeved kind, a scoop-neck, boat-neck or v-neck top with a ruffled or puff sleeve. I want the shirts to be a comfortable loose fit (and not too long) which is perfect for tucking in, And I want them in plain, block colours (maybe a few with sailor stripes across the chest). Also, I don't want them to get that smell about them, like some worn clothes do.

 

Obviously, those aren't the only clothes I dream of. I spend a lot of time on Polyvore, tumblr and the fashion section of ebay... I work in a department store (that mainly sells clothing), I read Instyle (and vogue) and I have more clothes that I probably need, but it always seems like I need more... I also dream of shoes that fit, a comfortable bra, a pleated chiffon skirt, brogues, boots and messenger bags...

 

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

My Top 5 Wardrobe Theatrics Part Two: Photos!

Today I was working on a DIY post and decided (while I had my camera out) to take some pics of some of the items mentioned in my My Top 5 Wardrobe Theatrics post. I didn't take pictures of every single Item I own that fits the description, just the main ones I talked about. And, I didn't get a picture of socks worn with ballet flats because well, I think you get the idea. And, I didn't model them for you...

1. TULLE SKIRTS:

2. OVER SIZED CHIFFON BLOUSES

3. PATTERNED TIGHTS:



4. VESTS

And, I just couldn't resist doing some booktography when I saw how well this book and skirt matched!

 

Enjoy!

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

My Top Five Wardrobe Theatrics

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Since I got such a great response on my Style: Keeping Things Interesting post I decided to write another '5 Things' fashion post for you guys. This post is about the five most outlandish things I've worn and how I've gotten away with (or tried to) get away with them. I'm known for wearing things that my sister refers to as "granny-clothes" or "weird" and there have been several arguments in the household about whether or not I would be allowed out of the house in "those clothes", but I've still managed to wear some unique garments out and about.

I've always liked way-out old-fashioned things like corsets and candy-coloured shoes and I've been guilty of wearing some very dodgy looking DIY projects. I think the biggest thing with wearing something a bit left-of-centre is knowing what to wear it with. Some garments are very age specific and can make you look older or younger than you are (in a not-so-good way), especially when they are worn with items that don't quite go together.

In no particular order, my most theatrical style ideas are/were/will be:

(Yep, I still wear these things. I'm not ashamed. I don't think these clothes are weird or ugly. I just don't think people like them as much as they should.)

1. TULLE SKIRTS:

I think my infatuation with tulle has something to do with my primary-school-self's obsession with wanting to be a ballerina. I have two tulle skirts that are plain, gathered, elasticated waist skirts and I have a few dresses and one other skirt that have a little bit of tulle on them. I've worn the dresses and the "other" skirt that was mentioned, but I have only worn one of the plain tulle ones once. The skirt is a teal colour with a black waist band and it was a lot puffier than I originally thought it would be (I bought it online). I still really like it, but there just aren't any events happening that I can wear it to. If I lived in a city I would probably wear it anywhere, but because I live in a small cliquey town I try to wear things appropriate for an occasion.

I wore the tulle skirt to the local pizza restaurant for my eighteenth birthday last year. It still looked really out of place, but I really wanted to wear it and I guess because it was my birthday I could just do what I wanted. I wore it with a black top that had lacy sleeves and my silver jade heart necklace. I think If I were to wear it again I'd probably wear it with black or cream and I would try to wear a top that didn't have much shape to it, to balance out the structured look of the skirt.

2. OVER SIZED CHIFFON BLOUSES:

I have quite a collection of these. I think they are great for those Spring or Autumn days where it's just a little too cold for a dress or a skimpy singlet top. I started collecting these after I saw one at Supre' (an Aussie chain store). It was very plain and was a nice peach colour. I didn't like the price tag though, so instead of buying it at Supre' I went to the local op-shop and bought the next best thing. This one was a light pink and had a frilled collar.

I now own 5 of these shirts (all second hand) and I wear them undone over dresses or singlet-tops. I got the Idea to wear them this way (instead of wearing them buttoned up and tucked in) from my mum who said I could wear it as an "over-blouse". I've worn the pink one  and one of my cream ones once each and I've worn a black one numerous times. I think the tip with these shirts is to stick to a simple colour scheme and more modern clothes to balance out an old-school blouse.

3. PATTERNED OR BRIGHT STOCKINGS:

If you follow my blog you probably already know that I love love love stockings and tights. I've worn skin colour, black, bright pink, grey, lace and patterned stockings/tights before. The thing about bright or patterned tights is that they look really cool in the packet and in a vogue photo shoot, but they can look a bit crazy in the real word. They can be really difficult to style and they can really make your legs stand out. I think that patterned or bright tights look great with black, denim and some bright accessories.

I have two pairs of floral tights. I've got a footless pair of purple/green ones and a full length pair of black ones that have pink and cream flowers on them. I've worn them both once each. I think they make me look like I have tattooed legs.

4. OLD SCHOOL VESTS:

I have a few of these which I accumulated recently. I've got a navy patchwork vest, a pale green 2nd hand vest (cost me $1) and I've got a hand-me-down khaki vest that's got black flowers on it. I haven't worn any of these, but I'm planning to when Australia goes into spring. I think they'll look really nice over some of my day dresses, but I'm not sure about the floral one.

5. SOCKS AND BALLET FLATS:

I like wearing socks with ballet flats, mainly because of Frankie Mag. I've seen some cool Australian Designer's collections, where the model in the shoot wore socks and ballet flats with everything (And, yes I'm talking about more than one shoot). I think wearing socks with pointy toed flats gives and outfit a bit of an edge. Sometimes it looks a bit sixties, sometimes it looks a bit eighties and sometimes it gives my outfit a bit of a rock 'n roll edge.

I also like wearing socks with ballet flats, because my feet sweat and wearing those shoes for a long amount of time without socks often results in very uncomfortable itchy feet. Depending on what your wearing white, grey, brown or black socks look great when they are pushed down a little bit at the tops.

What are your top style theatrics?

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Style: Keeping things interesting

5 things that you can purchase to help mix things up in the wardrobe department.

 

I came across this idea when I was planning another blog post. I was thinking about the things in my wardrobe that I have absolutely flogged. To me, items that get a lot of wear are good value for money. When you aren't really sure about what it is you should be buying when you buy clothes, maybe you should look back on those articles of clothing you wore until they were holey, shrunk in the wash and/or discoloured beyond belief. What was it about that shirt that made it so wearable?

If we bought clothes that we knew we were going to wear this much, instead of buying other garments we rarely wear we might not only save money (because, you'll obviously decide to replace the things you never wear with more things you'll never wear and so on), but it also makes for a more interesting wardrobe. E.g. you're less likely to be recognised by friends or family in crowded places because of your t shirt (which lets face it is probably more like a uniform). Also, I noticed when I was jotting down some ideas, that most of the items I selected were the anti-basics; a new term I have come up with to describe essential wardrobe items which are in fact, not basic.

While the type of clothes that I'm normally attracted to is of the vintage, sartorialist or dorky variety I don't want to limit this blog to just that. I have decided to write this post in a such a way that, no matter what your style orientation is, it can still be of use.

THE FIVE ITEMS:

1. THE T SHIRT

Whether it be a reference (to a band, novel or film), a dictionary meaning, a saying, a cute artwork  or something applique'd, a t shirt is a fun and comfortable way to change-up your wardrobe.

- T shirts can be dressed-up or down, depending on what you pair them with. E.g.  tucking a shirt into a high waisted maxi skirt and teaming it with a blazer gives it a classier edge than say a pair of denim shorts and trainers.

- Pick the fit that suits you most. I prefer a looser fit. Also, you can purchase things like tank tops, sweaters and tube dresses with similar prints etc to T-shirts. E.g. you can now purchase band tube-dresses.

-According to Sexy Nerd Girl (Youtube) , T-shirts can be a great way for people to express themselves and start up conversations with other fans etc.

-Also according to Sexy Nerd Girl (Youtube), you should be aware that wearing a fan shirt may require knowing things about your chosen fandom.

-Apparently great T-shirts can be found in online stores. I haven't come across any great ones lately, but if you know any please feel free to leave a link in the comments.

-Chain stores often sell a range of nice T-shirts.

2.JUNK JEWELLERY

Jewellery is something that dresses-up outfits. And, not just any jewellery. It needs to be the right jewellery.

-Junk jewellery is a very important part of 21st century fashion. Now also a way of expressing your fandom (through cameo necklaces and such), the range of jewellery available has become quite varied.You can purchase telephone box earrings, spider rings, octopus necklaces, beaded bracelets, colourful resin brooches.... The possibilities are now endless.

-Etsy.com is a great place for purchasing jewellery. Please note that like ebay, each store charges postage individually. So, it may pay to try and find one or two stores that you like and purchase most of your jewellery through there.

3.SKIRTS OF THE PRINTED AND PATTERNED KIND

It could be polka-dotted, stripey, ditsy print, stars, geometric... I find that patterned skirts allow for a lot of different colours to b matched up with them.

-Pretty typical op-shop find. Especially the elastic waist, floral variety.

-Online stores like yesstyle.com also have heaps of options for sale at decent prices.

4.LIPSTICK (OR COLOURED COSMETIC OF CHOICE)

To me, lipstick generally finishes off my look. I feel naked without it if I'm going out. If you're not into lipstick, maybe nail polish or eyeliner is more of your thing?

-Usually available at your local pharmacy. Mine stocks a cheaper no name brand, that lasts just as long as the more expensive ones and has a larger, more abstract variety of colours available.

-I'm becoming a lipstick collector. So far I've got: Black, mauve, brown, purple, dark red, bright red, coral, bright pink, dark pink, orange...

5. HOSIERY

I'm talking socks, footless tights and stockings.

- These things are both cheap and necessary. I'm always losing socks, getting ladders in my stockings and hate wearing socks when you can see that they have aged to the point where they are growing fluff-balls.

Sooo, what do you think? Helpful? I'm thinking about doing a "five things that..." segment on fashion.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie