Piqué

A few weeks ago I mentioned I had bought two new antique brooches, the first of which was my beetle brooch, who I introduced to the world here. The second of the brooches is this example of Victorian tortoiseshell pique work. Pique refers to the technique of inlaying gold or silver into the torstoiseshell, by means of pressing a heated rod of the precious metal into the tortoiseshell, thus metling it slightly. The tortoiseshell then hardens around the precious metal as it cools. The results are amazingly refined and detailed. My brooch only showcases a small example of pique work, but much larger, more elaborate examples can be found. Good quality Victorian tortoiseshell is always in demand, and its increasingly difficult to find good examples in undamaged pique work, so I feel quite lucky to have found this brooch at a very good price (if you're interested in seeing more examples....earrings, brooch, pendant, coin purse and journal, more earrings).

Britain is going through a bit of heatwave at the moment, which means I can happily wear my favourite summer sandals. I purchased them last year, when they successfully kept my feet cool and looking pretty. I also wore my fringe top, which doesn't get nearly enough wear, and accessorised with plenty of long beaded necklaces. Todays bag is one of my most favourite vintage pieces ever. It is a c.1920's black velvet bag with gold thread work in the form of the Taj Mahal. Its kinda kitsch, but the detail is incredible and I love it!

Shoes (Bruno Premi), vintage bag, trousers (H&M), top (H&M),

Make-up shot below - I always wanted to be able to do mad black and white 60's eyemake-up (you know, like this)...but everytime I try, I fail. I think my eyes are too small to carry it off properly, but I'll keep practicing and eventually get something with more oomph than this.

Le Sigh

1920's blue crepe-chiffon flutter dress - $350

I was having a poke about on Etsy when I came across a fabulous seller with amazing antique and vintage dresses- Timeless Vixen Vintage. All the dresses sold have a high price tag but this is due to their great condition and wow factor. Each dress for sale really is a collectors item, there's no polyester 70's tackyness to be found in this vintage shop! The blue dress above makes me want to cry a little. It's just so pretty! I've selected a few of my favourite ensembles from the shop. The cape at the end of this post is really really mad. You'd have to be a mega dramatic person to be able to pull it off. I could easily write an essay on why I like each of the pieces, but I've waffled on enough so will let the pictures speak for themselves. As usual, click to enlarge and see the yummy details.....look out for the bunches of grapes made from lace.

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1910's ivory lace tea-dress - $410

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1960's metallic leaf applique tiered column dress - $680

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1890's Chantilly lace black and green dress - $450

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1920's pink silk and Battenberg lace dress - $1200

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1950'S mocha flocked taffta party dress - $390

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1890's lace ensemble - $1600

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1905 lavender wool cape - $920

all images from Timeless Vixen Vintage

Comfort Zone

This cardigan is one of the most practical pieces I've bought recently. I've already been wearing it lots, and plan to do so for the forseeable future! This time last year, I was rather wary of draped, loose fitting things, but now I can appreciate them and have embraced a more relaxed silhouette into my wardrobe. The cardigan drapes beautifully, and is mega comfy. Also, I've been looking for a long grey cardigan, so it's pretty much perfect for me right now. The gorgeous belt cinching my waist is also new. I love the way the strong black lines look over a plain piece of clothing. Initially, I was reminded of Christopher Kanes aw09 collection, and his use of black piping throughout. However, looking through the collection again, its clear his use of black lines was less intricate, and far more simplistic. A few pieces from said collection are now on luisaviaroma for pre-ordering. I love love this dress (my birthday is coming up...hint hint people who love me). It could be the lighting, but the runway version looks black, whereas the online version looks like a khaki/army green colour? Or is it just me that thinks that?

Belt (Topshop), shoes (Miu Miu), bag (asos.com), cardigan (Topshop), vintage vest, leggings (Topshop).