My vintage buy of the week

May 7, 2016May 20, 2016 | blueskygirlie

Welcome to a new semi regular blog! As you may know I run a business on Etsy selling vintage items and often end up keeping things I fall in love with.

In these blogs I will share what I’ve bought and why (hopefully) it was a good buy!

Todays item is a dress I just fell in love with the minute I saw it. Made in the Netherlands in the late 1970’s/early 80s it is by the brand Suku San and is in a bold colbalt blue polyester crepe. At the same time I also picked up an unusual twisted vintage belt so the outfit is full on vintage which is unusual for me.

What I loved the most though was the draped front and split sleeves. Its so stylish and feels great on, plus the whole outfit cost me less than £5! Comfort and style…hoorah!

What do you think? Its definitely going to be one of my favourite dresses in my wardrobe.

Dress & Belt – Tomorrows People charity shop

(Tomorrows People is a charity in Kent that helps unemployed people get work experience and become confident to find a permanent job)

What bargains have you found recently in the world of charity and vintage shops? I would love to know…

To shop my Etsy Shop click here

To shop my eBay shop (where vintage clothing ends up) shop here

To follow my Instagram (where most of my buys get shared first) follow me here

Look out more more vintage buys in coming weeks…

My home style: The flat 2013

April 7, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Back in 2013 my flat was featured in the book ‘Style Your Modern Vintage Home’ by Kate Beavis which I was also the stylist on. It is a fantastic book featuring peoples vintage inspired homes from the 1920’s look through to the 1980’s/90’s look and also includes advice on collecting vintage plus lots of styling tips in how to display your finds.

I thought today I would share it with you to give you a taste of my personal home and interiors style…

All images courtesy of Simon Whitmore via F&W Media International Ltd.

I love to mix vintage and modern together so my home fitted the books brief perfectly. As an ex window dresser and now stylist and style blogger how things look are so important to me. Am I fussy? Maybe!

I also wanted to show what could be done in a rented flat as so often interior books and magazines only show the most amazing, huge older houses – totally unrealistic for the majority of us. Real life can still look fabulous. So take a look at the flat I lived in then…

The lounge – a fun mix of pop art, flashes of red and orange and retro 60’s styling.

Table – original 1960’s Arkana, Artwork – John Lewis, M&S, Sofa – Harveys, Cushions – Matalan, Primark, Lamp – M&S, China Cats – Villeroy & Boch, Rug – vintage.

The kitchen/diner – a rented flats modern kitchen styled to feel different & quirky with a dining area designed to maximise a small space.

Table & chairs – original 1960’s Arkana, Artwork – vintage 1980’s, John Lewis, Fridge – Smeg, Glassware – vintage 1960’s, Kettle & Toaster – Breville, Clock – M&S, Accessories – Alessi, Matalan, Vintage

The hall – Fun vibes with a practical need.

Side table – original 1960’s Arkana, Lamp – Dwell, Clock – vintage 1990’s Swatch, Chair (just seen) – original 1960’s Arkana, Trimphone telephone & telephone book – vintage 1970’s

And finally some of the styling details –

It was a great exerience having my home, as it looked in that moment in time, immortalised in a book!

I have since moved to a new house that needs work, so look out for blog posts showing my home styling there. A bigger space will be much more fun and now thst we are not renting anymore, we can change what we want!

‘Style your Vintage Modern Home’ by Kate Beavis is available from Amazon – here

All images courtesy of Simon Whitmore via F&W Media International Ltd.

10 questions you ask yourself when you’re 40+ & wearing vintage.

April 3, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I’ve blogged a bit about my journey to embrace vintage (see here), but still have the odd wobble. Once you are of an *ahem* certain age (OK, I’m 42), some fashion choices can get mixed up with just looking odd or people ‘not getting it’ and sometimes you find yourself standing in front of the mirror and asking some bizarre questions!

1) The item looked ‘hipster’ in the vintage store but does it look more ‘crazy cat lady’ on me? featuring a 1980’s original sweatshirt

2) Will people get this necklace is a in joke for my love of Instagram and not just a random strange charm? featuring a vintage brass camera necklace

3) Can an original Ra-Ra dress work when its not 1985? I did dream of being in Bucks Fizz… featuring a batwing 1980s ra-ra dress

4) Being a hippy is still cool, especially in the summer, right? featuring a 1970s mint cheesecloth skirt

5) Is a patterned silk scarf too ‘air hostess’ tied at your neck – it is such a gorgeous print though…? featuring a 1960s psychedelic print scarf

6) Is this batwing blouse more ‘Stand and Deliver’ than ‘Stand up and be counted’? featuring a 1980s Alexon high necked batwing blouse

7) Did I buy the dress because I like it, or because the label made me feel nostalgic? featuring a 1970s C&A fit and flare dress

8) Does that original Disneyland vest now making me look like I’m auditioning for an middle-aged version of the Mickey Mouse Club? And is 90’s fashion even vintage, I wore it the first time around?!? featuring a 1990’s Disneyland souvenir vest

9) Does having a coat with a OTT stand-up collar make you look like a super villian? featuring a vintage Cacharel tweed coat (thanks mum!)

And finally…

10) Is it ok you have no money but the contents of your jewellery drawers (yes, a mere jewellery box is too small) are worth thousands? featuring many years worth of vintage jewellery buys