༺ A Guide to Styling Vintage in Everyday Outfits ༻

A discussion in the comments on this outfit post got me thinking about the one of the major drawcards of vintage collecting ~ that one of a kind uniqueness that is only available once, represented in that exact piece of vintage.  This is a common trait that defines vintage, whether it be furniture or clothing.

It’s also a siren call to the vintage collector ~ “You can be the person who owns the only one of this thing in existence, you can be the one to show this special piece off to the world and nobody is going to have the exact same thing that you do.”

This is often the case with vintage fashionistas, and I know for myself it’s one of the things that I adore about wearing vintage ~ the challenge of styling unique vintage pieces to create a look that is all my own.

Sometimes dressing this way can draw a lot of attention, some of it negative or undesired as I wrote about here. Or, it could come across as a bit loud or costume-y which, depending on your preference, isn’t always a good thing. If you think that that means that vintage is not for you however, all is not lost!

It can be tricky to dip your toe into wearing vintage pieces and blending them with your everyday wardrobe, so I’ve put together a small guide for styling vintage with modern outfits.

~ 3 Tips for Styling Vintage with Your Everyday Wardrobe ~

1. Look for colour.  Finding vintage pieces that match the colours that are already found in your wardrobe is a great place to start. For example, if you have a modern skirt that is blue with white polka dots, and you wear that with a red top, or a navy t-shirt, why not consider purchasing a white vintage cardigan that has some embroidery on it to throw over the top? Or maybe you are a purse kind of gal, and you find the perfect black vintage bag.  Well, black goes with everything so no hesitations there!
   
   
2. Look for shape.  If you love full skirts and have a lot of them, there is no point in buying a vintage pencil skirt as it will probably sit in your wardrobe forgotten and neglected. If you only wear pants or jeans, try adding vintage accessories, or tops into the mix. The shape of the clothing you lean towards will help to either blend the vintage into your existing wardrobe, or make sure that you don’t wear it at all because you have nothing that works with it. Find pieces with similar silhouettes, and use that to your advantage.
   
   
3. Look for simplicity.  One of the great things about vintage is that even though there are a lot of fabulous, one of kind pieces out there, there are also a lot of simpler, plain pieces that can sort of just fly under the radar because they are a bit more basic. No, you don’t have to miss out on the fun vintage details you want to incorporate just because the piece is basic, but you can rejoice in the wearability of said basic pieces!  Think about things like: coats, cardigans or jumpers, knit tops, plain or simple print dresses and skirts, black, grey, brown or navy clothing, and simple accessories ~ belts and handbags.

 

~ 5 Blogs You can Read for Inspiration  ~

The Clothes Horse ~ Rebecca has the perfect mix of vintage and modern pieces on her blog, and shows you how to wear practically any vintage dress with flare and chic style. Some of her outfits will take you out for a perfect evening look, and others, a comfortable day outfit that you can sport while hiking in the woods.

 

Selective Potential ~ this blog by Tieka has a lovely range of wearable, everyday outfits which easily translate from modern fashion to mixed vintage style by swapping out outfit elements from new to vintage pieces.

 

Annie Pancake ~ a fresh take on vintage style, Annie’s blog has got you covered for outfits that can range from baby-doll, to simple jeans and a tee, all the while adding that certain vintage flair and mashing up modern and retro for fun looks.

 

Cici Marie ~ Cici’s blog is all about creating the best of the vintage looks using modern pieces. With attention to sweet details, much like those found in the lovely old pieces of yesteryear, Cici’s outfits range from casual to work appropriate looks that can take you from week to weekend in a jiffy.

 

Forever Amber ~ Amber’s lovely style blog features modern clothing, but again with a very vintage inspired silhouette and look. Just think of what vintage pieces you could trade out for the modern and voilà! A unique vintage outfit that is easy to wear.

 

~ Pinterest Boards You can Browse ~

 

 

~ More Resources for Buying and Styling Vintage ~

• How to buy vintage clothing ~ a great selection of tips for even the most casual vintage peruser
  
• Style Me Vintage: Clothes: A Guide to Sourcing and Creating Retro Looks ~ a helpful book for those looking for in-depth information into retro and vintage styling
  
• Vintage Fashion Style Tips ~ Achieving a chic vintage fashion style consists of adding the right amount of "old" and contemporary basics & trends
  
• Simple ways to look modern when wearing vintage ~ By focusing on a modern look, incorporating vintage pieces into your fashion vernacular will help you feel less costume-y and more timeless!
  
• How to wear vintage for beginners ~ Searching for beautiful pieces that you can incorporate into your wardrobe and focusing your search on a particular item will help you not to feel intimidated by the endless racks {or online shops!} of vintage
  
  

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I hope you found this guide helpful, but of course, that’s not all ~ do you have any tips or hints for slipping vintage into your every day wardrobe?  I’d love to add them to the guide if you do.  What about styling unique vintage pieces?  How do you work with those special items?

xox,

bonita

 

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༺ Goldenrod ༻

We are almost one month into autumn and the leaves are falling fast. Everywhere I look there are goldenrod carpets of crunchy, crisp foliage scattered beneath shaggy, half-naked trees.

Autumn is my favourite season ~ the late roses come into bloom, and brisk breezes cool the morning and evening skies. Fall days slip by, as glided beads sliding off string, and so time turns ever on.

In Australia, autumn weather is usually quite mild, and I’m lucky enough to still be enjoying my summer dresses, and my summer hats, including this new-to-me, vintage daisy yellow boater.

I had placed a bid for it on eBay, and then I spied this super cute, yellow enamel hat novelty brooch and knew I had to get that as well ~ all the matching pieces!  (＾ε ＾) ♡

Yellow isn’t a colour that features very heavily in my wardrobe. This dress is my one and only “yellow” dress that looks a lot more like cream with a hint of butter, but I like the effect of the yellow and caramel accessories with it ~ I think this combination works well. 

All that being said, after wearing this yellow straw boater I have realized that I don’t actually know whether it will work with the rest of my wardrobe! I did have a certain look in mind when I bought the hat, but I’m not sure that I considered the “wider” wardrobe picture when purchasing it.  This is kind of a problem, as I don’t really want to keep a hat that I can only wear with one dress. 

I don’t actually know what I might do with it.  I could keep it, but I’m not really wanting to waste the space on a ‘one look’ hat. I really only have the wardrobe space, and the time, for versatile items. I have a few vintage pieces like this ~ ones that don’t quite fit right, or that I’m not really keen on anymore. I think I might sell them, but I’m not sure where or how. eBay? Etsy? Instagram?? {Actually, I don’t have enough followers to sell through Instagram} Or maybe I could do a giveaway??? 

All these questions I’m pondering, and I’m curious ~ have you ever bought vintage only to realize you don’t know if you’ll get enough wear out of it?  Have you ever bought vintage online that you discovered you didn’t like after it arrived?  What would you do with vintage you didn’t want?

xox,

bonita

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Vintage Daisy Straw Boater Hat | eBay
Vintage Yellow Enamel Hat Brooch | eBay
Buttercream Wrap Dress | Thrifted
Vintage Buttercream Gloves | Gifted
Caramel Laced Belt | eBay
Caramel Penny Loafer Heels | Big W, Old

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༺ Come Back Darling ~ Advice for Postpartum Fashion ༻

 

Here we are, 3 weeks and 5 days postpartum, and outfit posts are making a come back!  I know the topic of this post is probably only going to be relevant to a few of you, but this is a subject I really want to delve into ~ dressing a postpartum body.

The reason for that is, and I’m shooting straight from the hip here, wearing clothing postpartum pretty much sucks. 

Yes, there are all the obvious statements like: “But you JUST had a baby.”  Er, yeah, despite the sleep deprivation I think I know that!  Or: “It takes 9 months of your body  changing while carrying a baby, it takes 9 months for it to change back.”  While the 9 months to get back to normal may be give or take a few months depending on your body, this statement is also a “Yup. It figures.” type thought.

The fact of the matter is, unless you like parading around in your birthday suit, you still have to clothe yourself for those weeks following the birth of your precious bundle somehow. And that’s where it gets tricky.

Dressing a baby bump can be a challenge, but it’s made relatively simple by the fact that you don’t have anything to hide. Babies are wonderful, and baby bumps are awesome! They are a celebration of the little life growing in you, and look really cute no matter how you dress them.

Honestly, I find styling postpartum fashion to be far more challenging than styling maternity fashion. No longer do you have a cute bump to hide the fact that you have no abdominal muscles, waist, or shape from your chest to your hips. ‘Coz when the bump is gone and the baby has arrived you still don’t have any abdominal muscles, waist, or shape from your chest to your hips!  (￣。￣)

I’m not going to beat around the bush ~ this is where supportive undergarments really come into their own. Whether you’ve had a natural delivery or a cesarean section birth {Because of some complications, Charlotte was born via cesarean section}, wearing some sort of support is definitely helpful. It could be it a bandage, a wrap, a foundation garment such as shape wear, or a waist cinching girdle.

Not only do support garments help your clothes to sit nicely, they also assist with recovery for postpartum muscles.  I know for myself I feel so much better with something on. I’ve been wearing a tube bandage nonstop since the day after Charlotte was born, and it’s been a real help. My posture is better, I’m not as sore in my abdominal region, and my back doesn’t hurt as much when I am wearing some support.

The challenge for dressing still remains despite this foundational trick. Maternity clothes are too big in all the wrong places, pre-pregnancy clothes are too small in all the wrong places! Nobody wants to buy a wardrobe for such an in between phase though, so here are my tips for postpartum vintage style.

~ 6 Tips for Vintage Postpartum Outfits ~

1. Belt it! Wide belts are your friend. They help to cinch in loose clothing and define your waist. Narrow belts don’t work as well because you don’t actually have a waist yet, you are just pretending.  ; )  
   
   
2. 1950’s full skirts are comfortable and look great with those wonderful child bearing hips. I personally find 1950 styles to be the only vintage fashion that really works with the post-baby body in those first few months.
   
   
3. Shirtwaist dresses with full skirts win the “easiest to throw on” award ~ you have your fashion sense covered with beautiful vintage style and your baby covered with easy nursing access. Two birds with one stone.
   
   
4. Loose, blouse-y styles will sit better than clothing requiring a tight fit. Then add that wide belt for waist definition, and you’ve got yourself a cute look.
   
   
5. Prints are great for skimming over your shape, and creating interest aside from the cut of the clothing.
   
   
6. Finally, don’t forget your support garments!  There are many different kinds available online; I personally favour Tubigrip, or a torso support bandage, for wearing 24/7 around the home, and a Waist Cinching Girdle for when I’m going out.

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Of course, all the frustrations of getting dressed are nothing compared to the gorgeous feeling of snuggling that little baby bundle in your arms. The soft, silky brush of baby hair on your face, the satiny warmth of pudgy baby cheeks and that delicious, one of a kind, milky newborn scent… (✿◡‿◡) ~❤ 

For those that have had babies, what would be your fashion advice for postpartum mothers?  Would you dress in vintage style if you just had a baby?

xox,

bonita

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50’s Tea Rose Dress in Aqua | eBay
Mint Satchel | Typo, Current
Lacey Daisy Ballet Flats | Target, Current

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༺ Seven Popular Vintage Items I Don’t Own ༻

When you dive into the wide, wonderful world of vintage, it usually isn’t long before certain items start popping up on your radar. For me, when I first started perusing vintage blogs, it was Bakelite. Particularly, Bakelite bangles.

Bright stacks of delicately carved, polished plastic gracefully encircling the wrists of divinely dressed women would parade across my screen and I decided that I simply must acquire my own special supply to nonchalantly dangle on my wrist. Did I achieve that dream?  Well….

Even vintage lovers have those “must have” items that everyone aspires to collect. It might be due to the latest trend to buzz around blogland ~ at the moment I’ve noticed a lot of vintage bloggers really embracing a 1930’s look.  Or it might be that certain piece of clothing that every vintage collector has to have one of ~ a 1940’s suit or a 1950’s circle skirt for instance.

However, in the style of Jessica from Chronically Vintage’s post on Seven vintage garments it might surprise you to learn that I don't own I thought I would put together my own list of vintage items you might be surprised to find out that I don’t own.

~ A Wiggle Dress ~

The thought of 1950’s fashion seems to evoke two distinct images. One is the full skirted, floaty dresses of cotton print or dreamy lace ~ the other, slender and sleek silhouettes of traditional tweed or elegant satins.

A lot of 1950’s vintage lovers tend to enjoy both styles freely, but I must confess, I’ve never been that attracted to the slim-fit silhouette of the wiggle dress and pencil skirt. So I don’t own any of this basic keystone style for a vintage wardrobe!

~ A Pill Box Hat ~

Another iconic vintage item ~ the pill box hat.  Beloved by many, it comes in all sorts of fabulous shapes and fabrics from leopard to fur to tweed that matches your suit!  Although the pill box hat was really in its heyday toward the end of the 1950’s into the 60’s, you can still find quite a few examples of pill box hat styles in 1940’s millinery as well.

But, well, I don’t own any, nor do I really plan to either.  I much prefer the look of a hat with a brim, or a half-cap.

In saying that, I almost forgot how much I adore cloche hats, so maybe I’m just prejudiced against the pill box hat?

~ A Pair of Vintage Shoes ~

Oh, loveliest of footwear!  I have seen some incredible vintage shoes out there, and some that might even fit my feet {surprisingly enough after three babies I still have quite a small shoe size ~ EUR 38}. While I have often thought I would like own some vintage shoes, in the past I couldn’t afford them, and now I find myself rather reluctant to purchase any, even though I could.

Partially because, though my feet mightn’t be long, they aren’t particularly narrow either. I have heard that vintage shoes tend to be rather on the narrow side because of the foot shapes in the past. However, I haven’t taken that final step mostly because I fear that they will fall to pieces if I wear them!

I’m rather hard on my shoes. You never know when I might suddenly decide to scramble over some rocks or up a tree {dress, or skirt, and all} and though I generally try to restrict such activities to times when I am wearing appropriate footwear/clothing, sometimes you just never know…  ( ~ _ ^)∠☆

~ Vintage Unmentionables ~

I know that some lovely vintage ladies commit to full vintage, head-to-toe-to-underthings, and I have great respect not only for their style choices, but also for the fact that they are helping to recycle those pieces that would most likely end up as waste otherwise. Honestly though ~ I cannot do it.  The thought of wearing vintage undergarments squicks* me out… 

I probably wouldn’t mind wearing vintage stockings, and maybe a garter belt? But unmentionables?  No thank you, not I!

Note: This doesn’t include slips and petticoats for some reason. I’m perfectly okay with wearing a vintage slip or petticoat under my dress.  

~ Tropical or Nautical Themed Vintage Pieces ~

Almost every vintage blog I’ve ever read will have either tropical or nautical themed posts pop up at least once or twice.  I don’t know if the same holds true for those vintage collectors that don’t happen to blog {and I am sure there are many of them out there!}, but themed pieces along these lines seem to be quite highly desirable amongst the vintage loving crowd.

I haven’t really had many items in these motifs cross my path however, so I haven’t collected any.  I probably wouldn’t collect tropical items anyhow as bright, cheerful, and busy isn’t my style at all! I wouldn’t, however, be adverse to a bit of smart navy & white nautical in my wardrobe.  I do like those big sailor collars, and I would really like to make a nautical inspired play suit one day!

~ Palazzo Pants ~

Another greatly loved article of clothing that everyone raves about is the palazzo pant. Recently they’ve had a comeback in main stream fashion and I’ve seen a lot of vintage bloggers picking up on that trend.

Personally, I don’t think they are for me.  I don’t really like the super wide pant leg ~ it just seems like all that fabric would get in the way all the time! However, I would be happy to be proven wrong as they do have quite a reputation for being comfortable.  Maybe I should see if I can try a pair out one day?

~ Bakelite Jewellery ~

To end this list, and the story I left dangling above, in a word ~ no.  In the four or so years I’ve been wearing vintage I never did start my much-desired collection of Bakelite bangles.  In fact, I don’t even own so much as a single bitty button of Bakelite!

Bakelite seems to be continually rising in popularity as it is highly collectable ~ even outside of the vintage community, and as a result the price is continually rising as well. Not only that, in Australia we have a very limited supply of vintage, and Bakelite is scarce. I see beautiful pieces at vintage fairs going from between $100.00 for a brooch up to $200-$300.00 for bangles!

So maybe one day I’ll  be lucky enough to own a beautiful brooch like the one pictured, or some shiny Bakelite bangles to dance on my wrist, but not just yet!  (✿◠‿◠)

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Are there any popular vintage items that you don’t own but want to?  How about the items you don’t own and don’t want to?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on popular vintage trends! 

xox,

bonita

*Yes, “squicks” is a word. 

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