if i dress like it's summer, will it turn into summer?

QUAB T-shirt, from Natalie Dee
Red mini skirt, Gilles st Markets
Blue ribbed knee high socks, American Apparel

what i wore today

Mink Pink top, from the Gilles Street Market
Vintage belt, thrifted
Vintage skirt (altered, since it was floor-length), from the Irving Baby $2 sale
Tights, from American Apparel (which I got for 30%, thanks to Not So Naked alerting me to the sale)

wearing shorts

Vintage t-shirt from Vantage Point Vintage

I rarely wear pants, or shorts. I do own some*, it's just that I rarely ever feel in the mood to wear them. And before you say "don't you get cold in winter?", yes I do. But I wear tights and not wearing pants for the last ten or so years has built up quite a high tolerance for cold (in my legs at least).

But yesterday the planets aligned and I woke up feeling like I wanted to wear some shorts. Of course it was still quite cold, so I ended up also wearing my huge mustard-coloured** fisherman's jumper from the Clothes Line Saga. But still. The first appearance of shorts for the year!

Mink Pink shorts, from the Gilles St Markets

Rubix Cube Converse sneakers, from Nadia's House of Serendipity
vintage grey socks, eBay

*four pants and three shorts, which for someone who maybe wears them once or twice a year, is probably enough.
**also known as 'the only shade of yellow I can wear without looking odd'.

in which i also create things

Well, it has been quite a long time coming, but I finally properly completed it: The Tie Skirt. It feels like I've been working on it for aaaaaages, but really it's only been like two months, and out of that, it was only really about two-weeks worth of evenings.

I didn't use a pattern, but with something like this you don't really need one. Just make sure you got the ties at the right length, pin then to a ribbon big enough to fit around your waist (or your hips, if waist-height's not your thing), and then sew all the ties together. Use any leftover tie ends to fill in the gaps, and you're done!

late night shopping in style

It's no secret that I love street style blogs. The photography mixed with the woman-or-man on the street wearing inspiring/weird stuff will always have me coming back for more. Ever since I found The Sartorialist, I've sort of wanted to do one as well.

And so it was that, out while searching for stuff to send to my partner (Jess of 'The Amazing Adventures of Lady Times' blog) for the Package Project that I decided to finally start doing it. This is one of the few scenarios in which having glasses works in my favour, as it makes me seem extra-non-threatening, even when I'm approaching people in the dark, asking to take pictures of them.

I started off down Rundle st until I saw a very nice lady in Sta travel wearing an awesome-poncho/cape top. I had to stop for that, partially because of my love of 80's jumpers eccentricity, and partially because capes and cape-style things* coming back in (or so I keep being told by various websites).

Tarnia, who took time out of busily working to let me harass her take a photo.

I've been seeing this style around a lot lately, although mainly in the form of button-up jumpers, so it's nice to see some variation. An 'ethnic' prints are always nice, especially this time of year when I start getting a bit tired of black/grey/beige jumpers, and want something with a splash of colour to it.

The Wanderer Cape from ModCloth

From Yangdu Duyang's A/W09 Collection, 'Budda and Pest'

70's Vintage Cape via Lookbook.nu

Another wardrobe staple this winter is the duffel coat. You might remember duffel coats as something you wore when you were little and you went to the beach in winter. I bought a more adult-sized one recently. I think it's something about the big toggle-button-things.

Sujini, in a very nice dark blue duffel coat.

The Heart Coat in Ann from ModCloth

Duffle coat from Gloverall

via Style Clicker

Of course, the classic large-button coat is back again this winter, so if you don't already have one I would defiantly advise picking one up before winter really starts. They're a good standard piece that never seem to go out of style, and getting them in a block colour ensures that they will go with pretty much any combination of clothes that you throw at them.

Natalie, of the 'A Hat and White Gloves' blog. It's always nice to meet another Adelaide blogger, especially one who has such lovely style.

Kitty Wool Jacket, from FCUK

Umbrellas of Cherborg raincoat, from Fred Flare

*ie shrugs, capelets, ponchos.

store: Supermarket Sarah

There is a wondrous place, where all your dreams can come true. Although Supermarket Sarah might not be exactly that place, it is pretty close. Featuring a collage-type wall of products which regularly changes to display more of the fabulous finds, Sara showcases vintage pieces as well as up-and-coming designers.

Sadly, some of the stuff it a little* out of my price range, but it's still wonderful to look at.

L-R: Rainbow Cape**, Dazed Dorothy Clutch, Red Party Dress, Electric Fish Disc Hat, Bauhaus Blouse

Some of it is reasonably affordable (and a great way to get something interesting for your wardrobe/house/good friend***).

L-R: Circus Animals Necklace, Upcycled Frisbee, Moustache Mugs, Average Rosettes, 80s Bikini, Red Heart Print

And some of it is just wonderful. The sort of thing that, when I see it, I feel happier knowing that something like it exists in the world.

L-R: Champagne Lamp, Vintage Wooden Toy Counter****, Paddy Field Hat, Tiny Tin Animals, Sweet Corn Jar, Garden Creatures.

Of course, you guys know me. If I visit a site enough to have done a whole blog post on it, I would have bought something from it. Because it was too amazing to not get one, I bought an Attitude Toy Gun.


How cute is it? With it's little face. I think they've only got two left of the toy guns (they're all different too).


ALSO I should point out that, if you live in London, Supermarket Sarah is currently doing an exhibit, so go on down and have a look.


*And by "a little" I of course mean "maybe if I win a lottery or two/rob a bank/don't buy anything else for a year I will be able to afford these".
**I am in love with this. This is how capes should be - the colours, the fringe-tassel-things, the badges, I love all of it.
***Like maybe for their birthday. On October 19th. Hint hint.
****I had one of these when I was little!

oh, 80s

Guys, I have a confession to make: I love 80's jumpers. And not the oh-that's-king-of-middling-okay, I mean the really-terrible-omg-my-eyes-are-burning, the-colours-why-are-there-so-many-colours type of 80s jumper.

At first, I would just pick them up to look at them because, let's face, those colours are pretty eye-catching. And I would smile and think "oh 1980s people, did you think we were going to run out of colours or something, so you had better use them all on this one jumper?".

But then, one day, I saw someone wearing one as a dress one day. And I saw someone else wearing one of those half-adorable, half-hilarious Christmas sweaters, and I thought "I could do that. I could make that work". And now I'm one of them. At least I'll be warm this winter.

Work those sequins girl (Chictopia)

Hand-Knit bear jumper (via FashionIndie)

Pop-Art Sweater (Vintage Trends)

And I have saved the best for last:

HAND-MADE ARCADE GAME SWEATERS. I think I might need to get better at knitting like, right now, because these are amazing. Also from the same site, a Super Mario sweater vest (the pattern can be found HERE).

current obsession: playsuits

About six months ago, I was browsing eBay* and I came across this playsuit. Of course, I'd heard of playsuits (also called rompers/onesies/jumpsuits) before, but I'd always thought of them as those babies wear/1970's disco jumpsuits. I think I fell in love with this one because it didn't look like the bottom half had awful-butt-enlargening-shorts. It looked liked a dress (except with the added bonus of not flashing people accidentally). I was in love.

Sadly, I didn't win it**, but I did get something from that eBay item: the beginning of an love for playsuits. I won two more (which are both nautical-y, another obsession of mine), and bought another at the Sass and Bide sample sale (which I cannot find a picture for anywhere, but trust me, it's amaaaazing).

Blue Criss-Cross Playsuit (Pixie Market)

Hawaiian Print Ruffle Playsuit (Topshop)

Vintage Black Playsuit (Oh Dear Vintage)

*and by "browsing" I do of course mean "searching with complete single-minded obsession that would would put Monk to shame".
**I'm still so mad about that. I got totally sniped at the last second.

shoes glorious shoes

Sorry for the lack of posting as of late. I've recently moved, and I am also sadly without a proper camera (I've borrow my parents but apparently normal batteries aren't good enough for it to actually turn on).

HOWEVER I have still been endlessly browsing blogs*, where I came across these absolutely lovely shoes on The Clothes Horse:


They are so, so lovely. They remind me of summer and picnics.

I've been towering over my domain in some similar shoes today. I bought them on eBay, mainly because I loved the thought of owning wooden shoes.


They are made of (solid) wood and amazingness. Plus, they are actually quite comfortable to wear. And they make me a good inch or two taller, which is awesome.


*yes, it is time for me to be doing assignments again.