Beware of the Leopard

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

I'm not sure I'll ever get bored of leopard print. 

It can be right amount of retro chic. Or a good healthy dose of trashy. And even provide lashings of rock and roll to the dullest of winter days. And inspired by these pictures I think I am also going to be digging out some turquoise and red accents pretty sharpish. 

How do you wear your faux-leopard skin?

(There will be some personal posts coming soon - we are off on a BIG adventure this week. So watch this space x)

Something for the Weekend: Oracle Fox

All images from Oracle Fox

I'm sure you must have seen Mandy's blog Oracle Fox by now. But she had to be first in this little series because she steals my heart nearly every time she posts. Her fashion insight combined with the beautiful images of her surfer girl lifestyle makes me flutter. Plus she's just done a clothing collaboration with Billabong... well it must be a real struggle. 

Have a look, it really one of the internet's happy places.

Hearts and Denim - A Mini Outfit Post // Guest Post from Heather of Sunshine & Rhubarb

We pretty much let the little lady have free reign on her outfits and this was no exception. Apart from the fact that it ( rather unusually) looked great! 

Her fashion taste is good, but ensemble wise it's a jumble of Peppa Pig and party frocks with neon Converse, but Thursday was a good day – it was a well thought out outfit – for a 3 year old! 

You know those days when it's not hot and not cold, not dry and not really lashing down, well Thursday was one of those days and I have to say the outfit was chosen for a day exactly like that. Gold star to the small blonde girl in front of the camera. 

 Dress: Ebay

Leggings: Primark

Shoes: Asda

Jacket: Unknown ( I cut the label off for comfort!)

Sunglasses: Baby Banz

You can visit Heather and Sunshine and Rhubarb here

The Firebird Guide to Popping Your Vintage Cherry

The other day someone asked me what the first vintage item I ever wore or bought was and I honestly can't remember. As a child I always loved dressing up in my Mum's fabulous clothes. Then I started supplementing my wardrobe with items found in charity shops as a teenager, firstly out of desperation for something different – the retail choices were rather limited in North Essex. When I was 13 I found a pair of 1970s flared Levis that had belonged to Dad and wore them in to the ground, beyond the point they got holes. I think the first vintage boutique I ever went to was in Cambridge, aged 16, and I bought a long red crochet cardigan. I later wore it with a floral skirt and stripey tights to watch the Brand New Heavies. I thought I was the bomb...

Luckily, with age and some experimenting, I have settled with a style I am comfortable with – a mixture of vintage, secondhand and high street classic separates. I often think people fear trying vintage because they are intimidated by many vintage shops (come on, we know there are a lot of snotty ones out there) or worried about getting it wrong by mixing eras. In my world this is all daft, vintage is nothing to be afraid of. In fact once you start you'll find the most amazing array of unique, beautiful and fascinating clothing. Sustainable too. And I guarantee you'll find something for you, no matter what your personal style.
So lets throw any preconceived ideas about vintage out the window and get rummaging...

The first lesson I learnt when buying vintage (though I think this should also apply to all clothes shopping) is to ignore that little number on the label. Due to diets and the contraceptive pill, our bodies have changed shape over the last couple of decades, which means a vintage size 12 is now often more akin to a modern day 8-10. But don't be downheartened – ignore that number. Always. 

The best thing to do is to measure your own clothes, lie them flat (this is how a lot of online vintage sellers take their measurements) and measure the shoulders, the bust (about where your nipples would be), the smallest part of the waist and the hips. Use items of clothing that aren't reliant on lycra. Hang these clothes up on the front of your wardrobe and get used to the size and shape of your clothing. Now if you spot a bargain in a charity shop you won't have to rely on the label and will know by sight if it might be for you or not. 

Ignore the number on the label! Really, it is irrelevant. Are you still ignoring it? Then we'll continue...

The second thing that I think will open up a whole new world of vintage to you is if you can fix a few flaws. 

By it's very nature (ie. Being old) most vintage is imperfect. 90% of it has been worn before which means it has been subjected to daily wear and tear. And perfect unworn vintage is expensive. You will save a fortune if you can do some simple clothing maintenance like fixing a hem, darning a hole and replacing buttons. 

Not only will you be able to pick up beautiful preloved items for next to nothing, but you will also be able to give everything in your wardrobe a longer lease of life. A win/ win no?

I'm going to upset my purist friends here but I am a great believer that if you love something then you should wear it how you like. 

Don't be intimidated by anything because it is a certain era. I like to mix maxi dresses with a denim or leather jacket to toughen them up a bit, a funky 70s shirt can look great with a pencil skirt, turn a sun dress in to something for winter by putting a long sleeved top and leggings underneath... 

The point I am trying to make is just because you like the look of that tea dress doesn't mean you need to learn how to do victory rolls. You want to go for the complete land girl look then great. If you want to wear it over a pair of jeans that is absolutely fine too. These are your clothes, not some costume for a period drama.

If you are curvy like me, a lot of vintage can be a little intimidating because the fabrics don't have the same stretch and give we are used to today. You might find a cute dress that is a stunning fabric but because of the way it is cut, if you are heavy on top, it is likely to make you look about seven months pregnant. This is where the belt is your friend. I have a whole collection of them: wide leather ones, elasticated waisted belts, chain belts, though my favourite is just a simple plaited belt that I seem to wear at least three times a week. 

Take that sack-like dress and belt it in the middle. Suddenly it is much cuter, no? You could even try belting with scarves or wide ribbons. Don't dismiss things because they might not instantly look fitted. With belts as your allies your vintage world has opened up even more.

Still not sure about the clothes, why not think about bags, bracelets, brooches, necklaces? So many modern trends are inspired by vintage looks so good vintage accessories never really go out of fashion. 

If you really don't know where to start buy a scarf first, a square silk type one. You can probably get a really pretty one from a local charity shop for under the price of a cup of coffee. Then tie it to the strap of your handbag – it may be from the high street but now it is different to everyone elses. Another day take the same scarf and fold it up and use it as a cute neck scarf. Or as a hair band. 

You're wearing vintage. Now that wasn't so scary after all was it?

This guide is meant to be fun, because that's what clothes should be. 

So take a chance on something vintage and try it out. It doesn't have to break the bank and there are no rules that you need to follow. If you have got this far reading this then I can guarantee that you are going to like it... x

Why I Love Vintage: Sustainability

Wearing vintage is probably the classiest way to recycle. You probably don't even realise you are doing it - wearing vintage is fun, pretty, distinctive, individual and a fascinating way to look at history. There are loads of reasons why I love vintage but, with Earth Day just around the corner, choosing vintage is also really green, almost sickeningly tree-huggingly green, but mind your beautiful dress on that bark.

The fashion industry has changed indescribably over the last 30 years. Prior to the 1980s/ 1990s, clothing wasn't seen as such a disposable commodity, as it is today. There was certainly fashion and high fashion at that, I'm thinking of the boutiques of the Kings Road in the 1960s. But the clothes themselves were different. Vintage clothes were made in smaller numbers, made by hand or certainly made locally. People had less disposable income, so clothing was made to last. 

Today things just aren't the same, the production of modern clothing is often polluting, exploitive or just designed for short-term consumption, made of flimsy fabrics and falling apart after a few washes. In the UK it is estimated that each person throws away about 35kg of textiles a year, most of which is clothes. Some of this is recycled, mainly through charity shops, but a lot can not be resold and most of it ends up in landfill (source). Chosing some vintage items for your wardrobe helps stop this amount of waste.

I know I am biased, I have a little vintage clothing store after all. But vintage is something that appeals to me primarily because of it's green credentials. And it's a lot more stylish than a hemp tunic. But if vintage fashions really are not your thing, the same principles applied to any good quality second hand clothing, it doesn't have to be over 20 years old to deserve to be taken out of landfill. There are also some wonderful ethical clothing brands as well and shopping with them supports good labour and environmental practices right now. Trying to buy the 'vintage of the future' can also be sustainable. Maybe we should buy everything with the hope that it will last 20 years and beyond?

I know I am not perfect at this, my budget sometimes sways me toward budget brands, but if I am high street shopping I try and stop and think and that can really make a difference. Do I really really need it? Try and think about how this item of clothing was made, how long it will last, whether I can fix it in a couple of years time and if it would be something that I will really love forever and hope that someone else might want to wear in twenty years time. 

Just a little less disposable can still be really stylish.

Loving: Vintage-Inspired Swimwear

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I go on holiday in five days and I am having a swimwear crisis. Nothing is right, nothing makes me feel nice and nothing seems to look like anything I want. The perfect vintage inspired one piece and bikini has got to be out there (at an economical price!) hasn't it?

Here's a peek at my dream swimwear inspiration, I shall keep looking...

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Inspiration: Natasha Khan

As we approach Christmas all things pop and musical in the UK always appear to descend down a manufactured and vacuous (albeit occasionally entertaining) hole. So this week I shall be mainly looking towards people like the incredibly beautiful, feather-adorning, face paint-wearing and supremely talented Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes) for style inspiration:

The other side of LFW?

(image - Craftivist Collective)

A really inspirational evening spent in a vintage shop with the Craftivist Collective, which coincided with the start of London Fashion Week, has left me thinking long and hard about about ethical fashion. The Craftivists have been displaying (beautifully made) mini protest banners at LFW trying to expose, in a non-confrontational way, the true cost of many of the clothes we wear.

I love vintage clothes and I also love a charity shop bargain, I try and buy separates from more ethical clothing companies like People Tree and American Apparrel. But the High Street is so instant and accessible and often meets that 'need' feeling at a low impact on my wallet. However, I have resolved to try to stop and think hard about the wider impacts of my purchases.

An excellent article by Ruth Rosselson on the Ethics Girls website suggests the following principles of being fashionable 'ethically':

Putting ethics into practice – the future for ethical fashion

• Wash all your clothes at as low a temperature as possible. This will not only mean that they’ll last longer, but will also reduce the amount of energy that you use.
• Develop your own style, rather than following the fashion crowd.
• Dress for your shape and ignore impractical and unflattering trends.
• Choose timeless stylish garments that you’ll be able to wear (and look good in) whatever the current ‘fashion’.
• If you’ve got an occasion coming up and want to wear something special, instead of buying something that you’ll only wear once, consider renting or borrowing instead.
• Develop some basic sewing and mending skills to customise your clothes or make them last longer.
• Try vintage fashion stalls, second-hand shops and Ebay for good quality second-hand clothes.
• Use tailors and stylists to help you create stylish, timeless, personal garments. Search out ethical clothing companies that eschew virgin resources and instead customise clothes, remake or recycle fabrics.

There are also countless inspirational blogs out there, that I hope to provide me with the motivation to avoid the instant high street fix:

• The incredible Natalie made all her own clothes she wore for a year as part of her Makeshift project.
• The hilarious Marisa is making a new dress a day for a year out of 365 dresses bought with a budget of $365.
• Countless revamping inspiration on Wardrobe Refashion.
  
• Plus I will also be looking to vintage, carbooting and thrifting queens like Vix and Jem to learn to stop following the high street crowd.