Today I played in my wardrobe. I do this sometimes, living some sort of late childhood I guess. Perhaps all things not done in due time come back with a vengeance and haunt one later in life? If so, it is so far a case of enjoyable haunting, because this game is rather fun. There are no rules to it, no system, it starts differently each time. I may try to build an outfit around a bag, reconstruct a vintage silhouette with improvised, modern means, absolutely die if I don't try out the latest hat to come in the post with everything I have, or simply be bugged by a tenth of an idea that I've picked somewhere, without remember where, or what exactly is that made me feel inspired. So I play...and today is teal.
The outfit above I struggled a bit with. Modern fashions do fall short of their vintage counterpart, and this 20's style outfit smells wannabe from a distance. The only old thing is the coral necklace, so that's fair enough. The rest consists of a Primark turtleneck (the only thing bought new) with a silk short sleeve top from French Connection layered on top, a home made knitted skirt, and Pas de Rouge shoes. These I had been drooling over for a couple of years in a local store, thinking how wonderfully comfortable yet stylish and vintage looking they were, only to be so lucky as to find them at some point on ebay, good as new, in my size! I still paid a fair amount for them but nothing compared to what they retail at.
Here I'm wearing the 20's bag shown in a previous post with a Jigsaw hat that matches in colour, which I have reshaped into a cloche, the same basic top and a 70's skirt with a pleated detail at the front picked on etsy, thick ribbed tights from TK Maxx, a Hobbs belt and my Alfred Sargent shoes which were again a very lucky buy. They were an ebay buy in fact, the same as the belt, bag and hat (I know, I'm a junkie!). I like this outfit, but somehow I don't think I've quite managed to shake the 70's out of it.
Not a lot of changes, yet a different look with a beret and scarf from Accessorize, and a Deco lizard skin bag which I am very determinately clutching, although in spite of what the picture may suggest, not with something like 6 fingers :). I have worn this outfit to work since (without the bag), and I am pretty much sold on it.
I was finding quite difficult to integrate this skirt in my wardrobe, as everything that I was trying to pair it with screamed old lady, but this seems to work. My husbands still hates the skirt with a passion though.
Finally getting out of the teal top only to throw it over the shoulders and swap it with another turtleneck , this time from Jigsaw (it's Garbo's fault!). And blimey, I have some tights in the same shade! I love it when this happens, as opposed to the usual frustration of not being able to match things (see how the hat and the teal jumper clash?!...). I went for another 20's look, inspired by the colours in my newest hat, a Mad Hatters creation in teal with cute wine velvet bows.
And right at the end of the game, guess what came out of the wardrobe? A 50's wool plaid skirt that I am having forever trouble accessorizing - but not anymore! - and a Karen Millen velvet vest. All but the tights were second hand buys, and this unlikely pairing produced the most delightful and bizarrely quite authentic looking 20's ensemble. I was so happy with this I took numerous pics which I will share with you in my next post.
So if you hate it, this a good time to look away :)!
