finally autumn

Blouse, brooch & skirt - vintage, cardigan - Woolovers, belt - market, shoes - made in Bali

I'm so glad that the weather is starting to cool down here now. I can finally pull out all of my winter clothing and get some wear out of some new pieces I've acquired lately, like both this blouse and skirt which I bought off Etsy after deciding to overhaul my wardrobe.

I had done a great job at planning out a colour palette and loose theme to stick to whilst shopping for clothes, but unfortunately the overhaul has been put on hold for now as we begin yet another mad money saving period, so hopefully I can recommence in a few months.

I did manage to pick up a quite a few new (old) pieces with the money I made selling some clothes on eBay which are yet to arrive so I am happy to have them to look forward to at least!

Blush & blue

All vintage/thrifted except for made-by-me skirt

This was a last minute in the morning before work outfit. I had plans to wear another blouse with the skirt (an outfit I have worn a number of times before), however when my eyes fell upon this new-to-me cardigan I realised that blush pink and blue was a colour combination I hadn't previously realised went so well, so I had to wear it.

I kept the blouse neutral and went for brown accessories to match with the beading on the cardigan. Which is so beautiful, by the way.

The quality of these kinds of 50's cardigans always blows me away - the beading is gorgeous and the fabric so soft. This one is in almost perfect condition, save for a couple of sequins missing and what looks to be slight fading in some areas (which, thanks to the light colour of the cardigan, you hardly notice anyway.) The bodice is lined in a soft pink fabric and it has dainty pearl buttons.

My cardigan/light layers collection has been sorely lacking, so this beauty is a very welcome addition, especially on these not-so-summery days we've been having lately.

Do you own any vintage cardigans? What's your favourite thing about them?

Sewing UFO's - 7 tips to get them organised & finished.

[original image here]

If you sew, and unless you are a very particularly organised kind of person, you probably have a few "UFOs" (Un-Finished Objects) lingering around the house.

Today I'm going to share 7 tips I sorely need to take on board myself to help you get organised and ultimately finish your unfinished projects. Please make sure you share any tips of your own in the comments!

1. Sort them out.

Find all of the pieces, fabrics, notions etc and put them all into a large Ziploc bag with the pattern. I just buy mine from the supermarket. You can label them if you like but I usually don't as I like to reuse the bags once the project is done, and since they are clear you can usually tell what's what anyway!

Just a few of my many, many, MANY unfinished projects

2. Organise into categories.

Some of my UFO's are clothing that needs alterations to fit/repair, some are almost finished, some are just simply cut out. Organise them into categories - like those above - and store them in order. This way when you come to wanting to sew something you will know exactly what needs to be done to each one and roughly how long you will need to complete it. This is handy when you have a spare 20 minutes and want to finish something quick, or if you have all day to spend on something longer!

3. Store them all together, somewhere visible but neat.

I have all of my projects together in a tub, which just currently sits on the floor of my sewing room. You could get creative with this, or even super-organised and put them into separate tubs by type etc, or hang them all up but I don't have that much space. Do whatever works for you - just make sure they are out in the open, not thrown in the bottom of some cupboard.

My as-yet-not-organised box of UFO's. Nothing fancy, but it does the job!

4. Go and buy anything you don't have. 

I know a lot of the projects I've abandoned were because I realised part way through that I needed something I didn't have (I know, a terrible habit).. And then I just forgot to go get it. Look through all your projects and make a list of EVERYTHING you need to finish them, then go buy what you need. And only what you need - no fabric for new projects allowed!

5. Sew when you can vs create allotted time.

There are two ways to slog through your pile of UFO's - you can either sew whenever you have a moment, instead of (or whilst) watching TV etc, or you can plan out a specific time space for finishing something off. I like to do a mix of both, I'll set aside an afternoon on a weekend day to finish large projects but also finish little bits and pieces after work during the week.

6. Start with the simple. 

Got a bunch of skirts that just need a zipper installed? Or an almost finished dress that just needs a bit of hand sewing? Do the little projects first. Once you finish one you'll feel like you're on a roll and will be motivated to finish the next one, and the next..

7. If you get stuck, take a breather. 
But pick it up again the next day or move onto a different project for a while. There's nothing worse than getting stuck and frustrated with a project and then making a mistake. Put it down for the day, go do something non-sewing related and come back when you are refreshed and ready to tackle it with a clear and level head!

So, spill, how old is your oldest UFO? Mine is about 3-4 years I think, yikes! Do you have any other tips or tricks you use to get yourself organised to finish them?

Work dress-ups

Blouse - c/o Dangerfield, skirt - made by me, earrings - Lovisa, shoes - Rubi

Here's the full outfit I was wearing in my last post, just something I wore to work the other day. I work in an office with a pretty relaxed dress code - the elusive "business casual" - but I still like to dress up a little. A lot of people in my office will just wear jeans or whatever closest-thing-to-pyjamas pants they can get away with, but I think dressing up for work is a huge mood-booster. I mean, of course I'd prefer to stay home in my pjs all day, but wearing them to my place of employment? Not so much.

One of the best things about dressing in a vintage or retro style is that the styles are (generally) super work appropriate. A 50's style skirt is never going to get you pulled into HR, swing trousers look perfect with cropped blazers or dress up a simpler t-shirt and also, skirt suits.

I know a lot of people worry about looking too "costumey" when wearing authentic vintage to work, but so many modern work-wear styles are based on vintage looks to keep them looking "conservative" that I think it is one environment where you can pretty much get away with it while just looking like you are a bit eccentric. Which is totally not a bad thing at all!

Do you wear vintage to work? Do you play it down or go full on authentic?

Pixie

Hello and happy February!! I can't believe its the second month of 2015 already.. It feels like Christmas was only yesterday!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I've recently had a bit of a hair-overhaul.. I went for a short pixie cut a couple of Thursdays ago and I am SO pleased with the result!!

I'd been thinking about chopping all my hair off since before the wedding, but was too scared to do it. One day I thought "enough is enough!" and called up Wildilocks to book an appointment for that week.

My hairdresser was super excited that I was going for such a dramatic change, which definitely helped quell my nerves a little! I've never had my hair this short, but I've seen pictures of my Mum when she was younger with a pixie so I figured it couldn't look too bad. 

In fact, this might be one of my favourite hairstyles yet! It's SO easy to do in the mornings, I just wet it in the shower, comb into place and it dries in about 10 minutes and looks perfect.. and to think of all the time I used to spend day and night slaving over my hair!

It's also meant I've been busting out the big earrings a lot more lately, which is awesome because I have a fair collection but always felt they were kind of wasted with longer hair. Bright lipstick and cat-eyes are also daily requirements now to give more of a feminine look - I'm excited to play with different coloured lipsticks, maybe even some coloured eyeshadow (craaaazy!)

I haven't done much in the way of styling it so far, just left it as-is, but I will definitely be experimenting with more styles very soon. 

Has anyone else taken the plunge and chopped off all their hair? What were/are your favourite styles/things to do with it while it was short? Any tips or recommendations are very welcome!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years Eve - how weird that it is January, 2015 already! I feel as though last year absolutely flew by!

This was me on New Years Eve. In true Taygan fashion I forgot to take proper photos, so have a selfie and a poor-quality last-minute-in-front-of-a-pub pic!

Earrings - given to me by a customer, dress & bag - thrifted, shoes -??

The Cheongsam (or Qipao) I'm wearing is just a modern one I found at the op shop near my house and then altered to give a bit more of a vintage shape. I've been doing a lot of reading about Shanghai in the 1930's which has been completely fascinating and was my inspiration for this outfit. I've fallen completely head over heels for the beautiful Chinese starlets of the day and now have a little list of old movies to track down.. hopefully with subtitles! If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!

2015 is already shaping up to be a super exciting year - there are a few biggish things in the works that I can't share right now (even though I'm dying to) that I am SO excited about.

In terms of "resolutions".. well, I know I never keep them, but my main one is to be a more social person. I'm the kind of person who usually says "no" or "I can't..." when invited out somewhere, partly due to social anxiety and partly laziness, but I'm hoping to say "yes" a lot more this year when it comes to seeing friends and attending events outside of my own home.

I'm also hoping to get my wardrobe situation a bit more sorted. Too many days of "I have nothing to wear!!!!" is really getting me down and now that we have an income and some of the smaller debts have been paid off (yay!) I can actually start looking at investing in pieces to build up my wardrobe. I've already got a little list started that I'll gradually chip away at, consisting of vintage, reproduction and made-by-me pieces. Being a "fashion" blogger who owns basically nothing that she wants to wear makes things rather difficult.

My last one is to *try* and be a little better with my blog.. I say this every year and it doesn't usually happen, but maybe this will be the year!!


How are you guys with resolutions? Do you have any for this year?

I just need some [p]inspiration

Thank you all for your lovely words on my last post - I've decided to put myself on a bit of a sewing ban until the new year, I find whenever I can't sew is always when I want to the most so hopefully that helps!  

As for my wardrobe slump, well, sometimes you just need a bit of inspiration - like this lovely photo of a model from the 50's I've had on my Pinterest board for ages. I was looking through my boards hoping something would leap out at me, when I realised I had basically this outfit, but in reverse..

I tried to copy her pose but forgot what she was doing.. close enough! 

Thank goodness for Pinterest and copying vintage outfits! Not thank goodness for brightness and windiness...

Jacket, trousers and scarf - thrifted/vintage, blouse c/o Dangerfield, shoes - Wittner

just dandy

I've been in a bit of a slump lately. I've started yet another new job (well, it's actually my old job again) and am as usual finding my wardrobe lacking in basic pieces to create outfits with. Obviously I've been wearing clothes to work, but not a great deal of inspiring or "blog worthy" outfits.

I've also been having a bit of a crap time with my sewing. One of those periods where nothing you make turns out right and you encounter all kinds of silly issues, so I'm taking a break from that so as not to stress myself out or waste any more fabric/money.

But on a lighter note, it's Christmas time! I have to admit to feeling a bit cheated living in the southern hemisphere and therefore having Christmas in summer - all of the photos I've been seeing of people up north looking cozy in ugly sweaters, ice skating, building snowmen, having roast meals and hot drinks are making me very jealous. Usually this time of the year is all dry heat and blue skies for miles, afternoon drinks in the sun and days at the beach but we're having a pretty dreary December in Melbourne this year (as I type it is 16 degrees, overcast and drizzling.) Hm. That lighter note turned out heavier than intended.. must be the weather.

Ok, here is an outfit I cobbled together that turned out well, coupled with a good hair day and some smiley faces - I'll leave you with that while I go and eat cookies and try and build up my positivity reserves again!

coat - given to me by a friend, blouse - made by me, pants - Vivien of Holloway, shoes - custom made in Bali

florals for spring...

Dress made by me, everything else vintage.

I made this dress from Simplicity 1159, a lovely and easy to make 50's dress with a V neck and short kimono sleeves. The fabric I bought last year some time and ferreted away, bringing it out only on occasion to stare at and stroke it … my precioussssssss…. it's a gorgeous, slightly shiny coated cotton and the colours are just beautiful - I was too afraid to "waste it" so was waiting for the "perfect" pattern. In the end I bit the bullet because this pattern is just so simple and pretty, so how could it possibly go wrong?!

In general life news; I've just started a new, full time job at a very faaancy store, and I am completely exhausted and out of whack, so expect the sporadic posting to continue for a while until I work out some kind of routine. I've realised that my downfall with keeping up this blog, even while I was unemployed and had all the time in the world, is lack of routine (also lack of money) so thats something I'm going to try and work on!!

stripes + engagement photos

Hi!!!

Long time no speak (write? read??)

The last month has been crazy, turns out I just didn't have the energy to plan our wedding, work and keep up the blog so I apologise for leaving you guys out of the loop.

We've just gotten back from our honeymoon this week, and Eli has been whisked off on a tour with his band so I'm without my trusty photographer for the moment.. which is all good really because it gives me an excuse to play catch up and reminisce about our wedding a little.

At the start of the month we did an "engagement" shoot with our wedding photographer - our friend Aleksandar Jason. I ended up whipping up a dress for the occasion, modifying Simplicity's 1873 from the Cynthia Rowley collection to feature a bateau neckline in this blue and white stripe fabric I found at my local op shop.

I had some issues with gaping at the back of the neckline, which I didn't have time to fix for the shoot so had to cover with a cardigan (I was sewing right up until we left!!), but having since washed the dress that problem has resolved itself so I guess I'll put it down to the fabric stretching slightly as I was sewing and/or the bias binding around the neckline.

It also has the fullest skirt I've ever made - perfect for twirling! It's definitely become my new favourite warm-weather dress.

Here's some photos from the shoot, Eli looked particularly dapper in his blue houndstooth suit from ASOS and matching stripes :)

Guest post: 5 Summer Trends for 2014 - Vintage Style

Today I have a post brought to you by Nick from Mela Mela Vintage, which will especially appeal to those of us in the southern hemisphere easing (eeeeasssing) our way into warmer weather. I used to be an avid follower of "runway trends", always interested in what styles stores would be trying to convince us to buy in a few months time (and then work out how I could find and wear them in a much more economical way.) I must confess I'm pretty clueless about the trends these days, so it is interesting to see just what will be "in" this summer, and how you can adapt these styles to suit your vintage style!

* * * * * * * * *

With the Summer upon us, it’s time to start thinking about our warmer weather wardrobe. We’ve picked out some of London’s hottest vintage Summer trends that will see you through the months to come. 

1. Low heels

For Spring/Summer 2014 your shoes need to be flats, low heels or chunky platforms.  Low strappy heels are a Summer essential, they add femininity to any outfit and work well with skirts as well as cropped, tailored trousers or shorts.  Pick some strappy low-heeled sandals in a metallic shade for extra kudos and style points, and an all round versatile Summer shoe. 

These gold leather strappy sling backs by Stylo are the ultimate Summer shoe, and being original 1950’s wear; they are achingly on trend.

2. 1950’s dresses

1950’s style dresses are massive Spring/Summer style must haves items.  Emilia Wickstead featured them heavily in her SS14 shows.  Opt for debutant style dresses with full skirts and a flirtatious 1950’s style silhouette.  The skirt must reach to below the knee, and you ideally want to choose single coloured silks or satins. 

This 1950’s vintage dress from Mela Mela in burgundy satin is just the ticket.  I love how the cream embroidery lifts the depth of the satin.  The fitted bodice and full skirt are beautifully feminine, and are the perfect 1950’s shape for the Summer ahead.

3. Block colours

Block colours are huge right now after Ralph Lauren went crazy over them in their runway shows.  Opt for 1980’s style power dressing, or simple yet striking monochromes.  Vibrant contrasting colours will really set each other off and make a powerful fashion statement, while monochromes will look classic and sophisticated.

This 1950s shift is a stunning statement dress that is bang on trend for Spring/Summer 2014.   The shot silk really illuminates the dress, and the figure-hugging style is a flattering and alluring cut for the Summer months. 

4. 1930s and 1940s trench coats

As seen on the runways of Dries Van Noten and Carven, the trench is the way forward.  Trench coats are worn open, and loosely belted.  It is far more about being draped in fabric that staying warm or layering up.  Opt for trench coats in jewel shades or tones of grey, rather than dull browns.  Belted dresses are a beautiful way to wear this style as day wear.

This 1940’s coat from bottle green gabardine is the perfect Spring/Summer coat for cool evening walks along the beach or statement wear. 

5.  Florals

Florals are always big news in the warmer months, and every year designers think of new and fresh ways to re-introduce them.  Going vintage with your florals is the perfect solution, as vintage clothing lends itself perfectly to flowery motifs.  The big colours this season are icy pastels, pinks and orange.  So why not pick a vintage floral frock that includes these colour-schemes to be sure to really rock the current floral trend. 

This 1980s taffeta floral dress not only includes the perfect colour palette and a striking floral design, it is also a gorgeous tulip shape that will really make you stand out from the crowd.  The off-the-shoulder neckline adds a sexy allure to the feminine prettiness of the layered skirt and flowery print.  Wear it with low sandals or ballet pumps in soft pastels shades. 

This article on London’s vintage summer trends was written my Nick Williams at Mela Mela Vintage. Mela Mela Vintage changes their stock seasonally, so now is a great time to find that vintage coat or jacket.

Sun Days.

(everything thrifted)

My new neighbourhood is so lovely. These photos were taken at the park by the river near our house, while we looked for branches to take home for our bird cage.
I'm so excited to be able to have picnics here once the sun is out a bit more and I have more free time!

springtime plaid

Hat & belt - thrifted, scarf & gloves - vintage, dress - made by me, shoes - Urban Outfitters

Hello! It's been a while!

I know I've already talked about how much I love winter, and I do, but this time of year is always so exciting - spring is here!

I tend to get a wee bit sick of the cold by the last month of winter and find myself daydreaming of warmer weather, floaty dresses and picnics with friends. 

This year I'm determined to actually get my wardrobe sorted in advance, before the hot hot weather sets in, though I say this every year so who knows if I'll actually stick to it… That said I've made a bit of a start with this pretty dress I made - the fabric is a marvellous find from the op shop around the corner from my house that I knew what I'd do with as soon as I saw it. I used the same pattern as I did for my yellow flower dress (Simplicity 2539). I actually made it exactly to the pattern size that I have this time, which is for a 31 1/2 inch bust, despite my 34 inch bust since last time I made it a little bigger and it just ended up too roomy.. this time it is actually quite fitted (which I prefer). Just goes to show that ease is as much an issue in vintage patterns as it is in modern ones!