The return of polaroid!

I am so hot damn excited about the return of Polaroid film. No more bidding wars on eBay! The Impossible Project is teaming up with Urban Outfitters to BRING BACK Polaroid in selected stores. Wheeeeeeeee!

Here are a select few from my collection, namely me with a penguin in Madrid:



Mia and I with friends:



me:


loves it.
Corinne x

mishamarket

I don't usually go for multi-wear items, I had the American Apparel Le Sac dress and it slowly drove me to despair. I just couldn't get it to look good no matter how many times I manipulated the fabric and the cord. It just looked like... a sack with some ribbon wrapped round it.

Then I came across Mishamarket on Etsy, which offers beautiful versatile fabric dresses that allow you to play and adapt till your heart's content. Run by Misha from Dusty Dress Blog, the designs is so simple and beautiful and I can imagine wearing it alone or with shorts in the summer, and layers in the winter. I WANT ONE BAD.

Misha describes the dress as:

"Dress 06 is a white/light gray loose, draped knit dress that can be worn as a long, loose dress, a draped top, a one shoulder dress or top, a scarf, etc. The top portion of the dress has an large hole for the neck and two irregular sleeves. There are other holes in the lower part of the dress that can be loosely draped or worn around the neck or used as an armhole to convert the dress into many different forms."

Get it now!

Corinne x

My tights

Tights and leggings are having a moment right now and I'm pleased as punch about it! I particularly like these mesh suspender leggings by Natalie Encanita and the sheer panel biker leggings. Paired with a baggy grunge jumper and some heels these'd look amazing. They're available from ASOS for £65 (which puts them in my 'dream on' category!).








I'm also after the Henry Holland range for Pretty Polly which includes these amazing colour block tights available in pink, blue, black, green and purple. Grab them while you can - they're not bad at £10 a piece...

Mix and match

Woke up this morning to a giant beanstalk pile of ironing. I hate ironing. FACT. Not least because my wardrobe is so disorganised that stuff gets creased again within an hour of being pressed. Don't get me wrong, I iron… but as soon as I iron the giant beanstalk starts to grow again.

This morning, picking stuff out of the clean pile of clothes I realised how uninspiring my weekly outfit choices can be - rather than looking in my wardrobe for an item I haven't worn in months, I'll be there pulling things out of the unironed heap, desperately recreating week-day outfits that were a bit boring to begin with. I mean, I know workwear isn't exactly inspiring as a rule - I wouldn't be wearing 5 inch heels and a feathered hat… but it'd be nice to be prepared enough to know what goes with what, which items really work and which ones could be cast off.

So, this morning on the tube.. I was looking through ASOS magazine and oooohing and aahing at their latest ranges for A/W when I realised how badly I need to figure out the basics in my wardrobe space. It's come to the point where I'm literally throwing on items of clothing on a morning and not really thinking about what goes together and what doesn't. Frankly, it's just lazy.

I've never been one of those people that could throw on an outfit and look ultra cool, and I'm fine with that… but finding the time to consider clothes and think about them is usually confined to 15 minutes before I leave the house. I need one of those computers that Cher has in Clueless that matches her outfits for her. That and one of those massive retro cell phones that she keeps in her handbag...I'd quite like to have her clothes too. But that's another post!

While I'm trying to save money at the moment I've decided I need to invest in some key quality pieces (and make an effort to spread the cost). Less items with more wearability. I need to stop being an impulse shopper and buy items that'll actually match up with one another. That's not to say I can't continue to buy fantastic items, I just need to think about them a bit more before I purchase. All sounds pretty straightforward... why is it so hard then!?

I do enjoy a bit of disorder in my wardrobe, I shop in charity shops, vintage stores and car boot sales and when I see a dress or a top that makes my heart skip a beat I can't leave it behind no matter how wearable it is, and that's unlikely to change. I have a few dresses that have never made it off the rail but I can't part with them because they're so special.

So, the question is - how the hell am I going to become organised? Is it possible to be an organised vintage shopper?

Corinne x

PS: I'm gonna leave you with the trailer for Clueless = amazingness:

The perfect white shirt

A white shirt is probably the most versatile item I've ever worn. Roll the sleeves up, button up to the neck, tie in a knot around the waist. Worn with a belt it can transform into a dress, tucked into jeans it's simple but structured. It's timeless, sexy and elegant all at the same time.

I used to have a white shirt that I absolutely loved, it was just the right size and shape but it fell victim to a washing machine incident (I put it in the wash right after a smokey night out with a pair of black jeans... and it came out a rubbish shade of grey). Since then I've been on the search for a similar shirt with the same kind of size and fit. A shirt that could be tucked into pencil skirts for volume or dressed down with blue jeans. It must be white and long in length.. but not so long that it's impossible to wear with trousers.

I thought I wouldn't find one ever again but I got very excited when I saw this longline boyfriend shirt by Pepe jeans on Asos:



My only worry is that the collar is a little bit too small... well, that and it's £40.. which seems a bit steep for a white shirt... but then I suppose it's a basic that'll get worn to death...

Corinne x

How to make a DIY feather necklace

Hello! I've been working away with my job the last few days so I've not had chance to write any posts. However, today I've had a day off and instead of cleaning my flat like I was supposed to... I thought I'd have a little go at some DIY with feathers. Now, if you've read this blog before you'll know of my love of all things Etsy and in particular a little store called I heart Norwegian Wood. Angie, who runs the store sells all kinds of lovely hand made items (including the cage skirt I bought earlier this year and blogged about). Anyhoo, if you haven't checked out her store you should! She's recently made some amazing feather necklaces, which are stunning but a little out of my price range right now. Instead I had a browse over eBay for waaay too long looking for the right kind of feathers to make my own (less amazing but on a budget) version! As we know, I'm not much of a DIYer - most of the stuff I have made had fallen apart or collapsed within hours of completion. However, I found some pretty feather fringe in a lightish brown and white and it was surprisingly easy to sew it to a chain. I managed to find an old necklace I bought in Primark several years back but had never worn, removed the chain and used that.



Corinne x

Craftacular Spectacular

I'm really looking forward to meeting up with some old friends in the Westcountry this weekend. It's been a fair few months since I've seen my school buddies and we have A LOT of catching up to do.

That said, I have to admit to being a teensy bit disappointed when I realised I am going to miss Bust Magazine's London Craftacular event. I first stumbled across Craftacular last Christmas, when Corinne invited me along to a night of craft and dancing in a cute little social club near Euston.

It's every girl's dream come true - craft, shopping, music, dancing and a licensed bar (though I have to admit it can be dangerous - booze+cute things to buy=this month's rent money rapidly disappearing and being replaced by some fetch earrings and a super-cute scarf).

This weekend sees the Craftacular return and it's bigger than ever, with over 50 stalls selling handmade jewels, gifts and nick-nacks. Plastic Fantastic jewellery designers Tatty Devine will be inviting visitors to help them set a world record by creating the world's longest charm bracelet. There's also music from a host of DJs including the fabulous Queens of Noize, a tea-shop serving vintage style refreshments and the chance to hone your DIY and crafting skills with help from the experts.

You can get crafty this Saturday, 22nd August, 12-8pm at York Hall, 5-15 Old Ford Road, London, E2. Unfortunately I can't, but I will be downing a cream tea and planning my next attempt at DIY in tribute.

I've been checking out some of the exhibitors' wares. Here are a few of my favourites:

This cute 'retro girl ring' by Fluffstuffs is just adorable...

I absolutely must get my hands on a classic bow necklace by Lucie Ellen...

and EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! How good is this Friendly Foxxx Fur Scarf by Knit and Destroy?
Love, love, love it.

Ah well. Off to pack for my westcountry weekend. There's always next year.

Mia x

Specs Appeal

I've spent an unprecedented amount of time at the optician's this week. I've had every eye test under the sun, discovered I'm even more short sighted than I thought (a whopping +6 of blindness fact fans), been told off for wearing my contact lenses too much and for wearing too much eyeliner, which apparently is clogging up my eyeballs. Ewwww.

The upshot of all of this is that I'm in desperate need of some super stylish specs. I figure if I can find my perfect frames I'll want to wear them to death - a selfless act of kindness for my poor peepers. I don't want much - a pair of vintage style tortoiseshell oversized frames, with angles Ronnie Barker would be proud of. I ruled out the high street opticians almost immediately, every pair of glasses made me look like Anne Robinson, Deirdre Barlow or Gok Wan. So I headed to Spitalfields Market, where I remembered spotting a specialist vintage glasses stall a few months ago. Maybe I was too late, but I couldn't find them (though it's possible I was too blind to see them).

So in a final act of desperation I resorted to google - and immediately discovered http://www.retrospecs.co.uk/. Specialising in vintage and reproduction glasses and sunglasses, they stock hundreds of pairs in every style under the sun, from the vaguely retro to the ridiculously kitsch. Not only that but you can enter your glasses prescription online and they'll make it up and send your specs in the post. Which is exactly what I plan to do as soon as i've been paid.

I've not 100% decided on a pair yet - these are my two current favourites:

I'll keep you posted.

Mia x

Wedding Hell

As you may or may not know I am getting married next year and I am SUPER excited. We've set the date, made the guestlist and picked the cake. I have a reasonable idea what my dress will be like (more on that later), what colours the bridesmaids will wear, what we'll eat, what kind of table cloths i'll be whipping up on my vintage sewing machine - basically it's all taken care of. Apart from one, fairly important detail. The venue.

I've spent months searching for my perfect place. We're going for a bit of a 1960's theme overall, so all I'm after is something that looks a bit 'retro' without being the full on Jane Austen style country mansion. A nice bar would be fine. Ideally it will look a bit like the interior of a boat, or a cute diner, or a wood panelled swiss chalet. It will seat 120 people. Oh and it needs to be in Devon or Cornwall. That's not much to ask... Is it?

Basically, I want to look this happy:

I'd settle for somewhere that's a bit of a blank canvas, or a nice outdoor space where I can decorate my own vintage marquee. Somewhere by the sea would be nice. I plan to collect lots of psychedelic 1960s fabric and make tablecloths with giant kitsch daisy prints on, and I'm slowly building my collection of 1960's tat (sorry - vases, lamps and paintings) to decorate the room and make it feel really special.

But I'm stuck, so for now I will gaze wistfully at these...

Mia x

New sequin dress

As a follow up to my post about vintage sequins I wanted to let you know that I found the most amazing sequin dress in Beyond Retro. It's so amazing! Gorgeous swirly sequins in gold on a peachy pink fabric. It cost £30 but I had £8 in vouchers so that cut the price down to £22. Score!



I've been wearing my LOVE HATE f-troupe sandals too but they've cut my feet to smithereens. This is what happens when you try to convince yourself you can fit in shoes that are a size smaller than usual.

Weardrobe Malfunction

Something very strange has happened to me this month. It's really not like me at all, but for the last two weeks I've been getting up early. Many have tried, and failed, to tempt me out of my pit before 8.30am. But now I finally have something to get out of bed for. For this month, I have discovered weardrobe.com. It was actually my boss who started this whole obsession when she suggested a couple of weeks ago I should photograph my outfits and create my own personal fashion archive. I happened to mention it to Corinne and she introduced me to Weardrobe, a website where hip fashionistas do just that. The site's full of super stylish girls (and boys) sharing their latest fashion finds.

Weardrobe isn't just pretty, it's also super brainy. By tagging your items it also organises everything you've worn into neat sections, so you can tell at the click of a button how many times you've worn your suede hotpants (none).

So now I'm on a mission to capture a year in the life of a horse-loving, dress obsessed, super-kitsch vintage-a-holic (that's me that is), by sharing my daily dressing decisions with the world.

It requires early rising, forward planning and forcing my boyf to hold a camera more than he would like. I hope it will be worth it.

You can peek inside my Weardrobe here: Mia's Weardrobe

And don't forget to visit Corinne's while you're there: Corinne's Weardrobe

Mia x

Horsing Around

I think I should be banned from looking on etsy.com. I'm absolutely not allowed to spend any more cash before payday, but I am finding it VERY hard to resist this fabulous horse luggage by roundtrip.

If you've met me you'll know I absolutely can't resist a cute pony print. I've wasted many hours typing the word 'horse' into ebay, with more success than you might think. My absolute favourite vintage horsey purchase has to be this dress:

I digress. Back to the luggage. roundtrip specialise in taking vintage bags, cases and purses and adding adorable prints. I cannot wait to get my hands on some. Roll on payday.

http://roundtrip.etsy.com

Mia x

I Dream of Jumpsuits

You won't be surprised to hear I spend a fair amount of time in East London's vintage district - the stretch from Brick Lane's shoe haven Absolute Vintage to Cheshire Street goldmine Beyond Retro is always paved with polyester treats aplenty. But on my last visit I veered ever so slightly off the beaten track, and popped into lesser known vintage emporium I Dream of Wires.

It's a cute, friendly little shop hiding on Cheshire Street just before Beyond Retro, which stocks a range of vintage shirts, trousers, cute dresses and accessories. The stock is good but nothing out of the ordinary. I was actually drawn in by the window display, featuring items from I Dream of Wires newly launched own label. Channeling over the top 80s disco vintage, their collection features jumpsuits, harem pants and crop tops, dripping with stripes and metallics.

I bagged myself this cute little playsuit:

I LOVE it. I was tempted to try their gorgeously cut harem pants too but chickened out at the last minute. I know it's contraversial but i'm still not sold on whole drooping crotch look. But playsuit I can do. Next, maybe one of their kitsch bum-bags... Maybe.

Mia x

LOVE and HATE

Okay so I've been after a pair of f-troupe shoes for a while but could never afford them. They're like £95 a pair usually and that's too much for my purse to handle. BUT.. you can imagine my glee when I spotted the f-troupe sale and purchased these GLORIOUS love hate sandals for £32 including postage ...










There's still some shoes available so get them while you can!

Corinne x

Ruffy tuffy cuff

I was browsing Etsy today after reading Christina's DIY post on ruffs. While her finished project was awesome my DIY projects tend to conclude with me pulling out my hair. With this in mind I figured I'd see if there were any reasonably priced options to buy.

I came across a store called costumerenaissance. It is AMAZING. The shop stocks a multitude of handmade cuffs and ruffs in a variety of delicate pinks and violets, jet blacks and white organza. Many of them are finished with pretty pearl beads and open-work lace.



Imagine one of these delicately crafted items teamed with a gorgeous vintage dress.

Corinne x

Afternoon Delight

I've just run home from work like an overexcited school girl. It doesn't happen often, but today is an exciting day - ASOS day. Yeah, it's the day when my latest asos package arrived, and I am SO pleased with myself right now.

I was laid up on my sofa with a virus last week, watching my third episode of Cash in the Attic, when I remembered the joy that is the ASOS clearance. It's big, it's daunting and you need a good three hours to sift through the hundreds of cute dresses to find your perfect match, but it's also chock full of amazing bargains.

I picked up two GORGEOUS dresses, both for half price. I'd seen this cute nautical number by Dahlia in a boutique in cardiff just last week, but they didn't have my size, so I was thrilled to find it in the asos sale. Look how happy I am!

I also chanced upon a totally 60s inspired babydoll with Peter Pan collar (I LOVE a Peter Pan collar) by Darling.

I think they've both now sold out (smug? me?)

But there's plenty more loveliness waiting to be snapped up in the ASOS Clearance, don't miss your chance.

Smug Mia x

Style Crush: Krysten Ritter

After watching Confessions Of a Shopaholic last night I've decided I want to be Krysten Ritter. She plays the kooky but sensible friend of the raving shopaholic Rebecca (Isla Fisher). She's got gorgeous black hair, pale skin and the most amazing outfits ever. Andddd... best of all, she has the same hair cut as me! Finally, someone who makes my shoulder-length fringe effort look super glamorous.

Corinne x

Mad About the Girl

I have a new style crush. Ok ok, so I've come slightly late to the party, but I've just watched the whole first series of Mad Men and I am HOOKED. It's funny, it's sexy, it's smart, and most importantly of all it's GORGEOUS. For anyone who's managed to miss this amazing drama it's the story of a New York advertising agency circa 1960, and the lying, cheating and general manipulation that goes on behind the scenes. It's old news, of course, that the costumes are incredible - think slinky pencil dresses, full petticoats, bullet bras and sexy stockings.

But the big news is there's been a huge shake up in my Top Style Icons chart (believe it Pop Pickers). Forget Twiggy, Jackie O and Diana Rigg, for me it's ALL about Mad Men's Betty Draper, played by the gorgeous January Jones. She's the put upon wife of advertising bad boy extraordinaire, Don Draper, and she somehow manages to be full-time mum, social butterfly and perfect housewife while a) looking immaculate and b) losing the plot. There's a lesson there for all of us.

Since falling for Betty I'm determined to perfect my 50s hairdo, and have started experimenting with rollers, so far it's been a medium success, I'll post some pictures once I've got it right. I'm also on the look out for some super chiffon 60s negligees, a huge netted underskirt and some super cute blouses. Oh and some vintage white gloves. Think I need to put in some serious shopping hours...

I've also found myself scouring ebay for some cute home accessories. Right now I can't think of anything more satisfying than feathering my nest, so to speak, with a selection of super kitsch 60s nik-naks. Oh and I went out last night to a pub in Clapham and had to stop myself ordering a Campari and lemonade. This has gone too far I fear...

Mia x

Vintage sequins!

I love sequins. Dresses, cardigans, jackets and skirts - coat them in a million tiny flash bulbs and I'll wear them with a massive smile on my face. It always makes me happy that sequin clothes are so readily available in vintage stores because it can be a trend that gets really expensive. If sequins are hand sewn on an item the price can sky rocket.

An easy way to get the vintage look without spending tons of cash is to purchase a butterfly sequin top. Mia has one of these and I always wish I had one every time I see her wearing it! Good news is, there's always a few floating around on eBay and if you're clever you can probably get one for around £15/£20. The one at the top of this post is currently on Etsy for $18, which is pretty damn cheap for something so detailed...

If butterflies aren't your thing you could go for a sophisticated blazer or trophy jacket, which were all over the catwalk this season (see Chanel's Resort 2008 Collection). There's loads on the high-street at the moment but you'll find them in abundance in vintage stores too.







You can pick up the above left sequin trophy jacket in Topshop for £180 but the rest I found on Etsy. The vintage ones are much more individual and cheaper too - ranging from $20-$60. They'd look fab with a black jumpsuit or dress.

Corinne x