All seasons vintage look - part 1

I am a mad collector of vintage clothing but because my style is from 60 years ago the clothes are very fragile and don't stand up to very vigorous wear. Because fashion always reinvents its self, weight long enough and you can find reproductions for a lot cheaper but sometimes that can take years and if you are not so seamstresly gifted (I love my sewing but it still can cost a fortune) you can normally find what you want from op-shops if you look hard enough.

Below I have just put my favorite peaces to wear everyday to make a vintage outfit for all seasons. There are a few things that stay the same (ie. undergarments) but most of these can be used in all the seasons (if you live in Perth) that can be layered. This is just to show that you can do a lot with very little.

Summer/Spring - shirt (op-shop), shorts (Tempt), straw bag (vintage), skirt (Ally), thin cardigan (Cotton On), wedges (Target), necklace (op-shop), brooch (Pigeonhole), scarf (vintage), belt (Big W), hair clips (?), slip (op-shop), garter belt (op-shop), seemed stockings (What Katie Did), cross body bag (op-shop), dress (op-shop), plimsolls (Keds)

Autumn/Winter - shirt (op-shop), wool pants (op-shop), thick cardigan (Alannah Hill), cable knit vest (Dotti), tweed jacket (op-shop), jumper (op-shop), heeled brogues (Big W), knitted scarf (made by me), snood (made by me), scarf (op-shop), brooch (op-shop), wool skirt (make by a friend), knee high cable knit socks (Dangerfield), brogues (Target)

Next I will show you how I put my looks together.

Obsessed - Black Cable Knit Jumper

Inspiration

Where to get one

from asos.com

from topshop

from h&m

How to make one

Keep Calm and Carry On

When I started going on holiday with my grandparents we where only ever allowed to take one bag each with us making me an excellent packer by the age of 10. I am still an obsessive packer but when it comes to my carry on I am still quite a novice. Carry on is a very hard thing to pack, unlike your checked in baggage you are restricted by size and weight, you are also restricted by what you are traveling on (plane, train, bus, ect.). I am constantly up dateing my carry on list.

etsy.com@schampagne farm and etsy.com@The Habbits of Rabbits

I have a grate pet hate of people taking large wheelie suitcases as carry on only for them to arrive and pick up a huge case in checked luggage, unless you are only taking carry on, a suitcase is way too much. The bag you take on needs to be small enough to fit neatly into a small space but big enough to hold everything. I have an obsession with 60's/70's weekend bags with them being the perfect size for traveling but can be used for a short long weekend trip. A shoulder strap can keep your hands free or if it only has handles make shore that they can be comfortably hooked over your shoulder. My bag is a rip curl overnight bag that is large enough to hold at least 3 days of clothing and is waterproof outer so you can wipe it clean.

etsy.com @ the two sparrows

A good idea is to take one change of clothes with you on the plane in case your luggage gets lost in transit and it takes a few days to get to you (this happens quite a lot) you can at least mix and match what is in your carry on with what you wore on the plane. A small makeup bag is also a good thing to have with you that contains some moisturizer and hand cream in case your skin gets dry, a lip balm, concealer, toothbrush and tooth paste so that you can be a little refreshed when you get to your destination. If you are on a train or bus some sunscreen is also a good idea.

etsy.com@OiseauVintage

Entertainment is a must for going anywhere long distance. iPod, laptop, camera, and books are handy. If you are crafty like me and need to keep your hands busy some sewing is quite handy or a plain exercise book to draw in. A healthy snack is a good thing to pack if you get peckish but if you bring fruit and you are traveling between states in Australia or from overseas into Australia remember to put it into the quarantine bins when you get to your destination to avoid paying a large fine.

OMG - do i dress like that

Yesterday I went shopping in Perth to get some things I needed while the shops still have winter stock (fleas lined opaque tights = heaven) and went to our outlet shopping center just a 10 minute walk away from the CBD. Harbourtown where all the outlet shops are is a place I only go to once a year if that. The clothes they have use to be very cheap but now with all the shops having large sale racks in them all the time it is more a place you go to if you can't find what you want in the city and want to look for it without having to spend 5 hours of going around the city doing it (yesterday all I wanted to find was a cross body bag that had a zip to close the whole of the bag up and then a flap to go over the top to keep the zip hidden, I found only one and bought it) which is handy.

I bought myself some lunch and sat down to do some people watching and found myself being able to identify where the people on holiday came from without them having to open there mouths. Have you ever found that?Perth is not a place that has lots of tourists but is the cheapest place to fly to if coming from Africa, the middle east or Europe I started to formulate a few ways of identifying them and Australians overseas.

Skin tight clothes, white pants, spaghetti strap tops in very bright colours = English girls

Short hair with way too much product in it,jeans with polo shirts and very flashy trainers = English guy

Baggy relaxed fit clothing, effortlessly polished = french girl

Shirts with the sleeves rolled up to there elbows and jeans that hug the legs but not tight = french, Italian or Spanish guy

Shorts and walking sandals, t shirts in all weather not feeling the cold, jeans, very thin scarf = Scandnavian

Flowy dresses with very minimal makeup and a small jacket if it is cold = Dutch and German girls

t shirts and shorts with very sensible shoes = -Dutch and German guys

Very form fitting style (not skin tight) that looks overtly expensive or gym branded clothes = Eastern European

I love the modern middle eastern girls style of dress with there modest lengths but there accessories are to die for. They have a similar style to the eastern European girls but know how to work there makeup with the focus on there amazing eyes.

Australians girls are easy to spot they are usually in something relaxed surfy style (even if you don't surf, shorts, dresses and lots of skin. Australian guys are ether in jeans or wearing bordshorts as normal clothing is the dead giveaway. As I had my coffee I thought to my self "i hope I don't look that obvious when I'm on holiday" and then I thought who cares if I do.

PS. I am sorry if I have offended anyone by this, it is my opinion and not meant to offend anyone

My Favorite Trends

Neutrals

joanna goddard

urban weeds blog

keiko lynn

Statement making Prints

birds closet

bikes and babes

ruby slipper journeys

dainty squid

Yellow

lucy laucht

Saving Money - Food

Traveling is an expensive thing to do. If like me you do not have a lot of money but want to save you have to not only put money away every pay check but you have to change your attitude to how you spend your money. I have found that these work for me when I am trying to save money.

1. STOP DRINKING

Some people will fall off there chair at this statement but this is one of the biggest ways to waste money. If you think about it that a bottle of wine costs over $10, that is money that could be used on your food budget. I know so many people on working travel visas that complain about never having enough money but can spend $50 in one night out drinking that they do nearly every Friday and Saturday night. Going to student and backpacker nights where a jug coats $10 is not cheap if you end up buying 3 of them and then the takeaway dinner to soak it up and the taxi home. I do like a drink but especially in Perth where a night out can cost you $100 in cocktails the morning after when you see that there is nothing left in your wallet the comedown you will have (along with the hangover) will not be worth it.

2. Make friends with your freezer

Being able to make batches of stews and soups and freeze them will give you lots of lunches and quick dinners for a few weeks. Frozen veggies are grate to add to your dinners as a way to save money and also up your veggie intake if you are not the kind of person who buys lots of fresh veggies at the shops. When it starts to get hot instead of buying ice cream on your way home make easy ice pops with one small pot of flavored yogurt watered down with milk or some water or if you don't want any dairy try freezing some ice pops of tea (did i hear you say cheap) more cooling than a hot cup. Try not to get sucked into buying lots of junk food just because its cheap, you don't want to have to worry about loosing weight and saving money.

3. Quality over quantity

Try to buy food that will keep you full for longer so you don't spend money on snacks. Things that are made with refined white flower will not fill you up the same as wholemeal and whole grain flower will, you will only need to eat half as much of the wholemeal as you would the white. Instead of always having meat swap it for legumes that will have the same amount of protein but will have a big price saving difference. Take fruit, nuts and muesli bars with you to snack on instead of buying snacks when you are at work or out and about. Start loving salads that are healthy for you, can be made in so many ways with any leftovers and you can buy enough fresh salad basics for a week for about $15.

Learning the Language

I have only a few months to start to learn German so I am in a bit of a panic mode. You may say that I have left it a little late to start now but when your boyfriend is a huge procrastinator and is always having new ideas for where we should live overseas (I booked my tickets a week before he booked his tickets to force him into picking a definite date to leave) so I was still very skeptical that it would ever happen. My boyfriend has been learning German for about a year so he has a good understanding of the basics (last year he was learning Italian, see very skeptical) but I need to learn fast.

My Plan of attack:

1. Free online courses

I have signed myself up to Livemocha and GermanPod101 that help with the spoken language and written language. Livemocha has a focus on the online community as well allowing you to get pen pals so that you can get a language swap with your language for there's.

2. Podcasts

I am a very auditory learner so listening over and over to something I manage to absorb it. GermanPod101 has daily podcast but iTunes has many podcasts from the very basic to detailed courses.

3. Language Immersion

Surround yourself with German in written and spoken form so that your brain is trained to pick it up and it will not sound so foreign when it becomes the norm. These are the bloggers that I have been watching to help me. One thing never to do is eavesdrop on conversations it will just annoy the people you are listening to and anyone you are with that you will be ignoring, trust me one this, it has happened to me with my boyfriend.

So cool

I am so exited after watching this clip to try every knot, twist and tuck. Thank god that I am going somewhere cold that I will need a scarf (it is currently 30C in Perth today).

Siting in the heat wishing that I could dress like this

Boo

Just a little photo of me and my boyfriend on Saturday night in costume, Murder Suicide Bride and Groom. Very Goolish

Travel Crafting - Knitting

So travel always gives you lots of time to slow down and relax, like a long long weekend, but after you have seen the sights and met some nice people what can you do in your ME time? the normal options are a nice book but if you are a very fast reader you don't want to take so many books that will just weigh you down and playing games or watching a movie or tv show on your laptop can also be fun but you don't want to spend ALL your free time doing it because you could have staid at home and do that.

If you are a creative person like me how about taking some craft with you? but what to take?

5 reasons to craft while traveling

1. instant conversation starter - everyone wants to know what you are doing and what you are making

2. can keep you sane - you can pick it up and put it down when you need a little normality while you are traveling

3. grate to do in public - all travelers don't like to be singled out as one when on trains, buses or in cafes but with craft being such a global thing you will just look like you belong

4. can make you some cash - most people would love a trinket to have or to give to someone that has a real story behind it

5. ongoing project - unlike a book or program that always has a definite ending, if you don't like it, take it a part and start again

Knitting

Knitting is a good craft for traveling with, all you need are a pair of needles and a ball of wool. It is grate as you can make a scarf if you are some where cold or a bag if you are going some where hot. If you are traveling buy your self you could always make a little travel companion to come a long for the ride.

Knitting needles are unfortunately are not allowed on planes (a place where you need to keep yourself occupied) in case you become a renegade knitter and try to high jack it but there is an easy option to make a pair.

-Take a pair of disposable sushi chopsticks

-roughly sharpen the tapered end into a point with a pencil sharpener (do not make it into a pencil point you will hurt your self)

- blunt down the end with an emery board (not a metal one) or if you do not have one blunt it down rub the end on tray table

-tie some wool around the other end to make a stopper so that the stitches can't come off

-finally rub some chap stick/lip balm onto points and massage it in with a napkin or tissue, this will help the stitches glide over the needles without catching any splinters

There are lots of kits on Etsy that will give you all the equipment you will need plus a pattern to work off. If you are a first timer and think your holiday would be the perfect time to learn how to check out the youtube clip down below for a simple how to online course.

Tips and Tricks

1. Guide books are so passe

I do like to pick up maps of the city I'm in from the info points but carrying around huge guide books just adds weight. A light weight solution is to use free apps and downloads of each city you go to. Every guide should give you a good idea of what there is to see and do and safe areas to be in. ArrivalGuides.com have over 400 city guides in 22 different languages and most are linked in with the destinations official tourism bureau, they are also in a dual format so that you can have a printable download or as an app for your smart phone. In your pocket specializing in European cities heavily focusing on eastern Europe and there developing tourist destinations. Hostelworld.com has printable downloads but also has video and podcasts so that you can take a guided tour without the tour guide. And a good old favorite is Lonely Planet because you can get your app ($5.99 per city so not that cheap) but you can also get the phrase book for the city as well making it an easy option for quick and easy travel.

2. Travel towels do work

I know that people are ether a lover or a hater of the travel towels but I find that they work for me. They fold up to nothing giving you lots of space, they manage to take most of the moisture off your skin and can dry within only a few hours of hanging. They can start to smell if you don't wash them often so after a week you need to just give it a go through the washing machine or give them a good scrub with a body wash and rinsed until there are no suds left. If you can get your hands on some use a little white vinegar when you wash it to get rid of any fungal growth (I got that tip from a microbiologist) and dry in the sunlight. Travel Gear.com.au and gogogear.com.au both have microfiber towels in varying sizes starting from $15 and free delivery in Australia.

3. Always take warm clothes on planes

An plane is always cold and wearing shorts and a t shirt because you are going somewhere hot will not save you from freezing on the way there. The best way is to wear layers that can be easily put on and taken off when you get too hot or cold and stretchy enough so that you can curl up into a ball on your seat to take a nap. I like to start with some loose pants, stretch jeans, long yoga pants or full length leggings, long socks and loose or slip on shoes to keep your feet warm, a warm cardigan, fleece or knit to throw on over your top and ether a wide scarf or wrap wide enough to go around your shoulders to use as an emergency blanket. If you have bad circulation in your feet you may want to keep another pair of socks in your carry on just in case they get too chilly. Another thing is to take your heaviest shoes on the plane to avoid having them add weight in your checked luggage. Another thing is the better you look the more inclined you mite be to get an upgrade, we can all live in hope.

Colour

Charlotte Olympia love

I am a colour whore when it comes to my wardrobe. I can never go past bright colours or bold patterns to add a little extra to an outfit. I know that the new trend for summer is colour blocking that in Perth is starting to take hold, but for most people i think that colour is a scary concept at other times of the year, but it should be embraced at any time of any season.

Image from qs daydream

A good place to get inspiration is from the catwalk. There is always designers showing us how to use peaces in a new way.

Images from little bird fashion and college fashion

You could always take a safe route with sticking to a few striking coloured peaces mixed in with more neutral peaces to make a statement. I love both of these outfits that have concentrated colour on the top and made it a little more somber on there bottom half.

Images from skunkboy creatures and facehunter

I know most of you will not want to go a complete shock value but I know we all have a day that you just want to show everyone how happy you feel. I can't get enough of the yellow coat and the turquoise top and pants outfit. I bought a bright pink duffle coat this winter and am so happy that I will get so much use out of it.

Images from dottis dots and milkteeths

If you are thinking that you want to do colour but not at a shock value try going tonal instead. Try varying shades of dark greens, blues, purples and reds. Add a little interest with only using one other coloured accessory to complete the look.