Vintage Uniqueness

June 5, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

The other day I bought a fantastic water inspired print skirt amongst a few other vintage items. It was so unique and although longer than I normally wear has a great prom style flare to it from the waist. As ever with vintage its a pretty small fit – this was sized as a 12 but only just fits me. Thats a real tip with vintage – ignore the size in it and just try it on.

I teamed it with a vintage St Michael knitted turtle neck top (remember when M&S clothing was called that?), a white beaded bracelet and white pumps for a fresh summery look.

The delicate print to this skirt is just lovely and very unique. I love how the pattern graduates down to the hemline. The wide waistband is flattering, as are the box pleats on the front.

Vintage is still doing it for me…how about you? Get into those charity and vintage shops now and have a rummage! Remember – ignore the size in the item, check for any wear or stains and alter it if you need to. Plus at the same time you are helping the enviroment, looking unique AND saving lots of money – this gorgeous skirt only cost me £2!

Have a great day dressing up in the sunshine.

Top – vintage

Skirt – vintage

Bracelet – Accessorize

Shoes – Primark

Aye Aye Captain!

May 22, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Its all feeling a bit nautical today! I’ve teamed a vintage striped top with M&S sailor style wide legged trousers and navy boat shoes for a fresh summery look.

Tucking a top into fitted trousers accentuates any curves (and my tummy definitely curves!) but today I’m embracing that! Yes my tummy is on show but the buttons on the hips draws the eye to the edge of your silhouette rather than the centre and the wide trouser leg balance it out. Also – thank God for M&S’s short lengths – I didnt have to alter these trousers for once!

I have added two button brooches I bought from eBay to the vintage top make it even more unique. This 80’s tee is a great jersey piece with panels of stripes rather than a continuous block which is more flattering.

Navy leather flats from Matalan finish the look. A pair of navy shoes is definitely worth having as works great with jeans too.
When I go out later all I’ll need to do is throw on a denim jacket and I’m good to go. Smart, fun, easy to wear and perfect for a Friday casual day if you dont want to wear jeans.

Top – vintage

Brooches – eBay

Trousers – Marks & Spencer

Shoes – Matalan

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

All items pictured are various vintage pieces I have picked upon my travels…

So do you embrace vintage like me regardless of your age?

All photos are via my Instagram, follow me for more here

Living in the 80’s?

February 10, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I’ve blogged before how in the last few years I have learnt to embrace vintage clothes and now love the fact you can end up with something totally unique and different from what others are wearing. I have a lot of different vintage pieces now that I really do treasure.

Today I chose to a wear a great 1980’s vintage dress. These sort of ‘RaRa’ dresses always have a double or triple frill of skirt levels and this dress is particularly nicely done. The print is great too – browns, blacks, reds and purples and not garish like some vintage prints. However, when I got it was a little more 80’s looking than I liked so I have altered it slightly – I have rolled and sewed the sleeves so they are not so bat-winged and cut down the neckline so it is a little more flattering. This is key with a vintage piece – if you need to tweak it then do – make it work for you, now!

As its still chilly here in the UK, I co-ordinated it with a Wallis fitted roll neck jumper, a thick three buckle belt from ASOS, opaque tights and Topshop knee length leather boots. I find dresses like this look so much better with a belt and I do love a cinched in waist!

My hair and make-up was simple. I gently straightened my hair and used Max Factor concealer and powder, a L’oreal brown eyeshadow, Rimmel mascara and a neutral Dior lipstick.

I think 1980’s fashion still has life in it, don’t you?

Dress – Vintage branded Claudia Fashion
Jumper – Wallis
Belt – ASOS
Boots – Topshop

Do you wear vintage?

January 12, 2015August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

Do you wear vintage? I do. Sort of. Let me explain…

I never used to. I found the sizing always came up small (thats true) and I was worried I’d look like a granny. However, when I started working at various fashion head offices I hated the fact that sometimes you would come in and three other people would be wearing the same top as you. Fashion nightmare!

So I started buying vintage. A necklace here, a top there and a collection started to form. Since I’ve been working with and writing for Kate Beavis Vintage (formally Your Vintage Life) my love of vintage has increased even more and I’ve become more adventurous with my mixing of vintage and modern. In todays blog I style up an 80’s blouse I found in a local charity shop for just £1!!!

I spied this Jacques Vert 1980’s blouse and saw its potential. With its high collar, blouson sleeves and gathered in pleated waist its unusual yet not 80’s crazy!

I paired it with ultra dark skinny jeans and heeled black boots. I wore my hair up to show off the collar and accessories with gold Origami bird earrings.

As an extra touch I added my new Accessorize clock bag I got for Christmas.

It might not be to everyones taste but I know I’m going to look unique! I love its style.

Blouse – Vintage Jacques Vert
Jeans – New Look
Earrings – New Look
Bag – Accessorize
Boots – Next

The Jane skirt by BOB by Dawn O’Porter

December 3, 2014October 8, 2015 | blueskygirlie

I have fallen in love. With a skirt – a stunning one of a kind skirt – actually two of them!

A few months ago when Dawn O’Porter announced she was launching a fashion line my ears pricked by. I love her style and I think she’s done great work making vintage cool to a whole new market and showing how good it can look. In the last few years since writing afor some vintage businesses I’ve embraced vintage fashion myself and now wear quite a lot of vintage pieces.

The BOB range is a collection of dresses and skirts based on vintage shapes but for a modern customer. And it looks great. The ‘Jane’ skirt is an A-line skirt in 4 Karen Mabon prints. They are cool, clever and funny. My favourites are ‘Quotes’ which has images of book pages and post-it notes with quotes by Virginia Woolf, Jeanette Winterson and Emily Brönte and ‘Paper Planes’ – a design based on 90’s school including Fab ice lollies, highlighter pens, Wotsits and pencils. This 90’s school one with its brilliant random items all over it is my overall favourite – its such a talking piece!
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Heres the close ups of the prints – they are amazing!

At £180 each they are not cheap but this isn’t disposable fashion – you would wear these skirt for ever.

There are 2 other designs available – ‘Geese in Flight’ and ‘Dog Walkers’ and I can imagine depending on your personal loves they’ll be really popular too.

Buy it at http://www.bobbydop.com – the website also has a great vintage section.

Let me know if you love these skirts as much as I do. Now I just need to save up!!!

Leopard print Loving…

December 2, 2014August 5, 2015 | blueskygirlie

It’s got cold. Bitterly cold. And I really feel the cold! Thankfully I love coats…I have quite a few and view them as much part of my outfit as any other bit of it. You wouldn’t wear the same shoes every day, so why would you wear the same coat?

Last year I managed to buy the most amazing vintage faux leopard coat from a charity shop for the princely sum of just £5. Its a 1950’s coat I’d guess, probably hand-made as it has no makers labels and has an adorable peter pan collar, wide sleeves and a slight swing shape.

So with the wintery weather almost ever present, the coat is out again. I wore it the other day dressed all in black so it stood out. I styled it with knee boots and a black knitted beret style hat. I felt super cosy and also quite fabulous! Meow!!!

I think this coat, although it’s practically a pensioner in age, will be used for many years to come and I’m thrilled to be giving it a second lease of life!