Oh no she di'unt...

...oh yes she did! I got the AA disco pants, like many a blogger before me. To be honest, I wasn't that interested in them the first time I saw them a few months ago. However, I have been wanting to try some high waisted trousers, and with my unusually large hips + unusually small waist, they were going to have to be stretchy if they were going to fit me well. Putting them on I experience a mixture of emotions....am I involved in a Grease re-enactment?....am I about to go scuba-diving? But, tuck a blouse in and shove on some high-heels and all those emotions dwindle. My only gripe is that they are shiny, but I can get over it. I'm aware that it helps to be pin-thin when attempting the disco pant, but I have hips and yeah a hint of the old saddlebag, but lifes too short to obsess over getting a body like Natasha Poly! I made sure to wear a long cardigan to cover the big bum, especially as I wore these in bright sunlight.  

Shoes (Dune), cardigan (Topshop), vintage top, trousers (American Apparel).

(^please ignore the pants drying on the line behind me, and if you hadn't noticed them, forget I said anything)

Red glitterly nails! Anything that sparkles causes me to shout and use exclamation marks!!

Weight On My Shoulders

A couple of months ago I was fortunate enough to purchase an exquisite example of Victorian attire. When I saw this black beaded capelet come up on ebay, I knew I had to have it, and I feel lucky to have got it for under £100. The work that has gone into it is incredible, furthermore, its condition is remarkable. When I received the capelet, there were only a few areas where beads were missing, and I have spent the past couple of days fixing these, mainly along the collar. There's no doubt it's the most extravagant piece of clothing I own. The sheer amount of beadwork on the body in addition to the long beaded fringing, means it weighs a lot.  

Rogue pink bead (below), no idea why it's there...some mad Victorian did it?

Yesterday was a lazy, not-leaving-the-house kind of day, hence the messed up hair and leggings/vest combo. But I took the opportunity to take some photos in the sunshine. I can't think when I'll get the chance to wear this, but hopefully my future holds some sort of fancy event. Part of me wants to keep it on display, but I think I'm correct in saying that hanging it would cause undue stress to it? For now, it is tucked away in its tissue lined box. My favourite aspect of the capelet is the zig-zag hem of the fringing- just makes it that little bit more special.

Of course, exaggerated shoulders and fringing are bang-on trend at the moment. Whilst this is a Victorian piece, I don't think it would look out of place in a modern context. Many Victorian pieces are quite stuffy ...strict ...fuddy duddy ...just generally old fashioned (duh), but this example of Victorian eveningwear is rather desirable even today. I could see someone like Eva Green wearing it on the red-carpet (love her). There are a lot of fancy, beaded/fringed/lace capelets/evening jackets about at the moment, with a distinctive Victorian feel to them. The following 4 are all by Topshop. A large part of me wants to buy the fringed jacket at the bottom, but I feel like its one of those pieces that everyone will have. Plus, I don't fancy giving Topshop £120 for a jacket, especially when I'm paying an inflated price for its affiliation with Kate Moss (who, I couldn't care less about). 

Topshop Premium lace beaded jacket - £85

Kate Moss for Topshop ss08 - £80

Kate Moss for Topshop Christmas 07 - £?

Kate Moss for Topshop ss09 - £120

images from topshop.com

Brooch Attack

I've been thinking about attaching a load of brooches to a top for a while now, but finding the right top to accommodate said brooches has been hard. I tried the brooch attack plan on the outfit in the previous post, attaching the brooches to the silver top worn underneath, but felt the sparkle of the top was too much, competing with the brooches. So, after trying out a few more options, I settled for this black lace top, as the lace panel provides a nice canvas for an array of brooches (and earrings, but make sure they are safely attached!). I'm rather pleased with the result, but it took a bloody long time to attach and remove all the brooches. Speaking of brooches, this past weekend I bought two amazing antique brooches, which I'm sure will be showcased on the blog in the near future.

Shoes (Ravel), vintage skirt, top (Miss Selfridge)

One Vintage

Net-a-porter has recently added vintage clothing to its offerings, provided by One Vintage. Because I'm lazy, I'll just steal the blurb about One Vintage from the site itself: 

A former partner in Paul & Joe UK Boutiques, Marcelle Symons used her substantial fashion know-how and love of all things vintage to launch this London-based brand. One stands for "one-off, one and only, just the one" and the idea is that Symons sources beautiful vintage pieces from the 19th Century to the 1970s and then lovingly restores them to their former glory. 

So, this was pretty exciting for me, being a big fan of special vintage pieces. However, this being net-a-porter, you know it ain't gonna be cheap. Most of the pieces have now (surprisingly) sold out. There was only one item that really impressed me and had me lusting after it, unfortunately this item has disappeared from the site all together before I had the chance to save pictures of it. The divine 1930's dress above is the piece that really made me swoon. I wanted to show you guys the detail on this amazing dress, but I only had the chance to save one picture before it disappeared, so you'll have to use your imagination. Were it full-length, I think it would make a beautiful wedding dress. If the dress magically re-appears on the site, I'll post more pictures of it, as the details really are worth seeing. 

Many of the items aren't really my style, but have been really nicely restored. However, there is a fine line between restoring something, and reworking it. A lot of lace has been reworked into modern cuts, a heinous crime if you ask me. The top below combines some beautiful Edwardian lace with a 1930's floral embroidered panel. The materials used are lovely, but the top isn't doing it for me. I think the cut is rather tacky and cheap looking. I'm not saying I could do a better job than them, but to me it's such a shame to turn some beautiful lace-work into this. £660, sold out.

Again, some lovely lace has been used in creating this top, but I'm not a fan. A Victorian cotton lace blouse has been reworked and given a contrasting 1930's embroidered belt. It actually pains me a little to think that a Victorian blouse has been cut up and turned into this. I'm all for restoring and recycling clothes, but I'm sure the blouse was fabulous as it was! Anyway, someone out there liked it enough to pay £570 for it, as it is now sold out. 

No age is indicated for this stunning white maxi-dress. To me it looks Edwardian, but it could be a 70's piece from when Laura Ashley made Edwardian style popular again with long, high-necked, feminine dresses. £2115.

all images from net-a-porter.com

Feeling Fluttery

Those who know me personally will be aware of the fact that I'm afraid of butterflies. In fact, I hate any insect that can fly. I'm also not keen on butterflies in jewellery. I just think the butterfly motif is so overused, a bit boring and just a bit cliche now. Having said that, one is always allowed an exception to the rules they create, and here's mine; a rather wonderful long black butterfly necklace. Speaking of things that flutter, I am a fan of clothes that flutter; specifically, fluttery sleeves that move gracefully around your shoulders. This grey top has said sleeves, but is so ridiculously low cut that I have to layer a top underneath it, lest I show too much skin. Rather unusually, I didn't tuck the top into my skirt, something I nearly always do when wearing a skirt. It's nice to have a change now and then! Also worn today is a great pair of loafers I got recently. I like pointy shoes, I like silver shoes, and (currently) I like loafers, so these are pretty much amazing. My hair today was some kind of accidental genius. Somehow, I managed to make a mini-quiff in front of a larger beehive towards the back. Completely unplanned, and I bet I'll never be able to do it again! It was kinda tricky to photograph, but you hopefully get the idea. 

Vintage shoes, top (asos.com), vest (Topshop), skirt (Topshop)