Winter's Wonders

Two items have dominated my wardrobe this winter: this vintage fur coat and velvet leggings. I bought the coat in the summer meaning I obviously had to wait a few impatient months to wear it. It's been my go to coat all winter, keeping me warm and cosy. The floral velvet leggings had me enamoured at first sight. I love the colours used and the devoré effect...it's sort of like Autumn exploded all over my legs. I went a little crazy with the photographing of them, but they photograph so beautifully.

Vintage coat and dress, antique belt, leggings (Urban Outfitters), shoes (Dune), gloves (M&S)

^Beautiful Egyptian/Art Nouveau style brooch my boyfriend bought me.

And below, a close up of my feet. The chains are anklets I bought two of, so I could wear them both together. They go well with a lot of my shoes, but hurt like hell.

Tudor Style

Alice bands are quickly shedding their dodgy 80's connotations (something I doubt scrunchies will ever achieve). Browsing Asos earlier, I came across this leather studded spine alice band, which I found rather intriguing. Despite its modern, even Alien-esque/sci-fi look, I immediately thought of Anne Boleyn. The model looks rather regal don't you think?

Anne Boleyn: way ahead of her time. Almost 500 years ahead in fact.

Alternatively, Jennifer Behr can help you achieve that Tudor style, with these rather beautiful twisted velvet designs. I'd be willing to give these looks a go, not sure how I'd style my hair though.

images from: asos.com; jenniferbehr.com; cavendishlibrary.org/blog; myclassiclyrics.com

Prey

I love this antique lion brooch. Unfortunately for me, someone else loved it and bought it before I could. Spewing forth out of his mouth are tiny little charms of his prey. It's pretty macabre, but rather poetic too. I can't help but wonder who first wore this, or commissioned it...

All images from Etsy seller 'Iciernia'

Festive Frock

Terribly sorry for the long absence. I was enjoying the festive period and catching up with this and that. Christmas may be a distant memory now, but I thought I'd share some photos from the day as I wore a beautiful dress. I've been meaning to photograph this dress since I bought it early last year, yet never quite got round to it. Luckily, Christmas provided the perfect excuse to wear such a posh frock. The dress is from 1944, with black semi-sheer material layered over pinky red. The bodice has a lovely rose motif and a floppy collar fashioned into a bow. The pleated full skirt is so swishy and perfect for floating around in. It is a little large for me (the arm holes gape a lot so I have to be careful not to flash sideboob) but the sash at the waist helps pull it in and keep things in place. It was a delight to wear, now all I need are more formal events to go to so I can enjoy wearing it again.

Vintage dress, shoes (Poste Mistress)

I've had these lace-trimmed velvet shoes for over 5 years, but never have worn them outside of the house. So scared I'll ruin them!

Rediscovered Gems

I recently enjoyed an afternoon browsing at a local antiques fair. I'm a bit of a regular at the fairs and often get recognised by the sellers, so I always make sure I'm glammed up as I have a standard to uphold, plus it keeps all the old dears entertained! I was there to collect a ring that was being resized for me; a ring that I fell in love with a few months ago and have been eager to collect ever since... but more on that later.

The turban-esque hat I am wearing has constantly been on my head since I purchased it. The rich red colour and velvet exterior make it the perfect hat for this time of year. I added a little articulated peacock brooch, as no turban is complete without a central jewel! As I was wearing high-waisted trousers, I wanted to keep my outfits proportions sleek with a cropped jacket. Luckily, in the depths of my wardrobe I found this fur collared creation, which I haven't worn in years. Long leather gloves ensured my arms didn't succumb to frostbite.

Jacket (Mango), vintage hat, shoes (Kurt Geiger), gloves (Oasis), trousers (Louise Amstrup for ASOS), vest (Topshop), top (H&M)

And here is the ring I was collecting.... The setting and overall design is nothing too special, however it is the central stone that had me instantly enamoured. The vivid, fiery red glows like lava. My boyfriend so eloquently said it looks like a 'cheap ruby', it is in fact a fire opal. I'd never heard of these before, and found its colour fascinating especially in comparison to the 'common' opal. The couple who sold it to me (who, incidentally, also sold me my Victorian beetle brooch) don't normally stock jewellery from the mid-century, however they made an exception with this ring as they considered it so special, and I have to agree!

C.1950-1960 fire opal and diamond ring

Chinoiserie

I'm back in England after my little trip to Scotland. It was cold and snowy, just the way I like it. The main reason for my visit was to try on my bridesmaid dress, as my brother and his fiancée live up in Scotland. Visiting a bridal shop was way too fun.

This is a bit of a lame outfit post, but I just wanted to share the vintage jacket I found a couple of weeks ago. This sort of faux Chinese styling complete with frogging can look kind of tacky (Louis Vuitton's last collection springs to mind) but I love the colours and as long as I show a bit of restraint when styling it, I'm sure its not too bad taste. The jacket is warmer than it looks, being fully quilted.

Vintage jacket, hat (Oasis), gloves (M&S), boots (Blay), trousers (New Look)

Cheeky sneak-peek at my dress. It's a gorgeous purple, in quite a simple, elegant style. Excuse the straggly hair, I got incredibly snowed on just before I went to the dress shop.

The hallway to my brother's flat is full of beautiful antiquated portraits. One lady in particular had her black hair piled high on her head in a massive bouffant. She reminded me of someone...