Embelishment

The burst of sequins in autumn fashion led to me post about what i have to offer in my wardrobe.A great example of the dedication to glitz was this A3 page from last months sunday times style magazine. The model is head to toe in sequins and embellishing, her make up to her boots...its amazing!

These are some vintage sequin and embellished numbers that iv'e had for a number of years. A couple are lable-less but the black and gold sequin knit is from the very famous Franpear from the 60's. The photos show wearing these by themselves, however the popularity to wear them in bulk has made me follow suit. 

Sequins were famed from their days feminising up the boyish and box figures of the flapper girls in the 1920's. These flapper gowns are some of the most coveted vintage pieces, and popularised the 1930's and 40's trend of evening wear to use sequin trimmings.  Females at this time just needed to add a touch of delicacy as the feminine silhouette came back, from such overshadowing from the flapper trend. As shown by my Franpear item, sewn on glitz came back again in the 1960's and also had a hit in the 80's as gold became a popular colour for clothes and not just for jewels.

I really embrace this daring nature to mix a couple of embellished items together in an outfit. As sequins have filtered through many decades, perhaps showcasing many sequins at once could be the uniqueness of its comeback in the 2000's? I think this statement is bold enough to be remembered, and i really don't mind swooning over intricate works by Alexander McQueen from October on his take on embellished outfits.

garments: vintage

Versace

Versace is one of my most favoured designers. The pieces i have shown below all have a hint of their 'bold print' and 'embelished' trademark.

garments: vintage leggings: topshop

The new designer collaboration between retailer H&M and Versace prompted the post. Im such a fan of gold on black, and their high street range suits my tastes well.

Here are a couple of images from their press release, Versace in the 90's was so known for forming outfits made completely of his recognisable house print, this elevated his brand to have must have status. He loved bright colours, short hemlines and tight trousers. Below i have linked a video from a very retro looking CNN. It adds backing to the fact that this 'new' collection for H&M this fall actually has nostalgic roots. The models parade in bright coloured trousers, beautiful (albeit pounding) prints, short skirts and accents of gold studding, not so far from the number worn by his sister Donatella herself (above) for this year.

The necklace in the photo of my garments above actually has the same rectangular or 'greek key' box shape of the studding on the hem of the jacket above, could i have a hidden gem? 

The designer is and will continue to be so popular despite his death in 97. Whilst researching him i found Versace promoted and profited heavily from using a supermodel clique. This involved picturing the most photographed models of the time: Linda Evangelista, Helena Christensen and Christy Turlington all together in his lavish pieces. He made the Supermodel of the 1990's alive, with a favoured model of his Linda Evangelista claiming "We dont wake up for less than $10,000 a day". Not bad!

Mod Cloth

I saw this and i had a thirst to re-create a retro look.

SHORTER HEMLINES AND CLEAN SILHOUETTES MARK THE RETURN OF THIS FUN AND FLIRTY FASHION DECADE.

Modernistic, minimal and designed around straight shapes and clean cut lines...thats what i have created? 

The 60's is a favourite decade of mine because of the mod culture, and i feel there are a few of up and coming brands that take its identity. Pretty Green, by Liam Gallagher, is a name oozing mod sub culture labelling the iconic parka, clean cut polo's and shirts and desert boots: all staples of Mod taste. Another reason for me to be biased toward time honoured fashion!

The 1960's was named "The British Explosion" and i think thats a good enough reason for us to hail it. Formerly Pairs was where people looked for fashion. Now all eyes were on London. The reconstruction of the damage from the war from the 50's meant that people had great aspirations, many of them youths, and now with money to spend...the best way for them to express themselves was through fashion. I honestly think they did this well. So i hope i see more Mary Quant - esq minis, and more winter tailoring because...i hate frills...and so did the 60's.

garments: vintage

That Japanese Label 1980's - 1990's

I HAD to boast about my latest vintage find...

I bought this for £25 in a charity shop, it was a vintage section but letting me think i found a gem amongst surplus donations is a better feeling.

"Intellectual Chic and the art of Zen". Japan opened itself to foreign trade in the 19th century, and through much filtering, that is the reasoning i got my hands on this asian creation. 'Pleats Please" was a fall collection by Japanese Issey Miyake. It only lasted until 1990 so i feel i have come into something with exclusivity. 

Trying to show detail in black is hard any day but this has so much to show! After a few years of practice Miyake founded the technique of pre sewing the garment, twisting then heat pressing to create the marvellous creases that 'Pleats Please' stands for. Almost guaranteed to be formed from 100% polyester, the fibres are easily manipulated.

The care label actually has instructions on how to maintain the details. When putting on or taking off please be careful for catching or pulling, or one that i found slightly humorous "Pleats are easily marred by heat and pressure, avoid sitting".

Quite up to date, the bondage fetish look is seen in the cut out details. These diamonds act as darts to the front, appear on the back of the neck and to the hem at the hip. Touched on in my last post this shows how fashion now is so reminiscent of the past.  Black also demonstrates this racey theme, but Miyake also experimented with brighter bases...

After studying art in his youth its not surprising he produced the black dress worn by Grace Jones above left, in 94. The pleating is exactly the same as the blouse i have photographed. Dominating the image is the pink and red above, strong use of colour is also a trademark of another Japanese Designer, Yamamoto. Regardless of colour, 'Pleats Please' will remain iconic.

cardigan: vinatge

Shaggy Furs

After seeing this on the front of the Daily Telegraph magazine a couple of weekends ago, it inspired me to pull out my very own alternative. The jacket above is  £5,000 worth of Ostrich feathers. Exceptional craftsmanship from Giorgio Armani, mine however was a £30 steal from what i think was a hippie/grunge label from the 90's.

I pulled this quote out from a retail magazine, edition by John Lewis in August:

"Fashion revisits its heritage and draws you in with the good bits".

I do find this to be quite true. One of the most common things heard to the ear about fashion is that its all about the new. False. My jacket owns a good 20 years in existence before the engineers behind Armani found inspiration. They may create beautiful wonders, but is there fall 2011 collection really 'new'? 

Much of fashion is about revitalising classic looks, varying a colour combination or placing emphasis on a different part of the outfit. The 90's number is hugely accountable for a great burst of pink and plum colour. While autumn this year is also about berry shades - renamed to Bordeaux and brandy 'boozy colours' - great delicacy is proven by Armani in their use of Ostrich feathers. Emphasis is placed on texture in the designer piece. My affordable alternative shows the influx of grunge, bright colours of the R'n'b&pop music culture and street fashion.

The advent of MTV in the 1980's cemented the link between fashion and music as the music video became as important as the record. TLC? This early 90's image of the trio shows the vibrant colour palette. In releasing four multi-platinum albums is cannot be argued they weren't a successful band. # Don't go chasing waterfalls...

Their image indefinitely helped concrete music taste into a fashion led trend: street fashion. This was an amalgamated outcome of youth cultures like music and the want to create mainstream everyday wear.

Back to the jackets. The two differ in quality and occasion. Club culture also pulled together the two strains of street fashion and high fashion as the inventiveness of nightlife dressing became influential.

So i think my shaggy yeti coat is a fancy item from the 90's casual and dressed down age, and Armani have just triumphed a high end premium version. I may be biased in that i love time-honoured fashion, but it can be proven here that designers do dip into the past for substance to create new.

jacket: vintage, gloves: h&m

Tailoring

Formal workwear like suiting is as common to the female wardrobe as denim. After again browsing the autumn/winter lookbook of Rokit vintage i found tailoring to feature, but only to mens attire. Researching designer takes on Androgyny i wasn't surprised to find the likes of Paul Smith - who regularly dips into the likes of masculinity for ladieswear - to have neat cut tailoring feature in his items to stream the runway come October. It could be argued that the classic Chanel Jacket was a take on masculinity but made feminine with tweedy fabrics.

I wore tailoring firstly with this blazer. Bought overseas its greatly representative of old fashioned and traditional masculine cuts. The buttons, collar and lapels are all satin in contrast to the polyester mix body. The shoulders are given support with padding to create a more angled and masculine shape, its also streamline with no give to the bust or darting. However it was the pockets that gave essence of hunting jackets, generally worn by males, where the pockets were placed high with no intent to be forgiving to the hips. This blazer is great and current despite being second hand.

Another i have is less sleek, this cropped jacket is navy with a grey lining, quite a box shape like the Chanel jacket previously described. The age of this jacket really attracted me to it, the label was actually a list where the material content was written, rather than printed as a component. This is possibly an indicator of it being handmade, maybe even that of made to measure. Regardless, the cuff and collar give this the great smartness of tailoring, to rival that of Celine and YSL this fall.

Celine Fall 2011 VOGUE


garments: vintage leggings: H&M

Winter Warmers

Fur has dominance this winter. Be it real or fake, winter gear (on the high street) has been given a touch of luxe.

After hearing furore of 'no fur or no show' for Fendi's fall show in Korea, it has brought to light the amazing things that can be done with subsitutes! Hats, fur lepels, fur coats, cardigans, handbags, stoles and shoes are to name a few of the things sporting the animal-esq texture. It could be argued its more fashionalbe to have the fake alternative with the great offerings from high street giants. H&M, presenting itself as leader of the pack, is the king of simplistic adverts.  The image below is a magazine advertisement needing no labels, no other extravagant item of clothing to zoom in on...just the fur.

Also a bag from them, just an excuse to add fur and follow the trend, a feisty price of £14.99.






The offerings make it hard not to avoid buying something along the same style guide. Along the vintage lines i wanted to showcase my favourite two fur textured items. The jacket photographed to commence was a fifty quid steal from a section in a favourite charity shop, it has evidence of being a coat as the seam inside is slightly uneven and half of the label has been removed at the bottom seaming. Why would someone want to remove any value to this?? Nonetheless its beautiful as a jacket, an American Coney fur.


Amaya Arzuaga is the Spanish mind behind the design of the knitted polo neck. Not owning a huge vintage label, probably from around the 90's, the top was part of an early collection of hers. Bought from The Closet Vintage store, the top was a must for me because of its statement shoulder detail. The structure filters through from the previous 80's identity where accentuated shoulders were meant to ooze notions of 'power' and 'money'. With reference to this, the shape spells vintage and also the use of fur adding to add a touch of opulence.


Showing the different ways it can be used, fur is back this winter...in more ways than one.

garments: vintage other H&M: www.hm.com

CRazy Print

A few words this season. Aztec? Navajo?

Lately, it’s been impossible to sway through stores without being completely bombarded with tribal and Aztec-inspired prints.  Tribal print dresses in the summer are a given, but this fall; accessories to sweaters, dresses to tights, there is nothing that you can’t find with such a style stamp. The print is transitioning to cooler weather clothes as well. Bolder prints seem to suit the chunky knit so harmoniously, alike the classic Norwegian knit, or christmas jumper that make you feel suited to staying in and warming up.


Although both are similar aboriginal prints, 'Aztec' and 'Navajo' were the names given to tribes that essentially fought for status. Without delving into too much history i have perceived prints with repetition of triangles, horizontal stripes and lines to fall under the aztec ruling. The remaining loosely woven prints are often wider and feature larger pattern repetition, significantly differing from the latter of tight, intricate triangles, to be the navajo detail. Often both are rimmed with tassels common to that of ponchos and fringed bags.


Both can be seen below from womenswear brand Proenza Schouler in their most recent autumn winter campaign, here they have winter aztec knitwear.

Navajo here showing a thicker and looser woven strand, the weave appears speckly.

Regardless of origin, both are impacting autumnal clothing design. The aztec bag i known was a purchase from a retro store in Copenhagen for a mere £6 british money, the shirt teamed with it is Topshop from the 80's. 


Warnings and sytle tips seem to circle around clashing two prints but avoiding going to far. I think the monochrome of black and compliments a clash of bright aztec red. 


So whichever tribe your on, wear it this winter.


garments: vintage.

Cover up and Bare

"A flash of skin beneath a chunky knit adds a whiff of scandal"

October's Harper's Bazaar featured a shoot, "Go with the Flow", which focused on the knits arriving for autumn/winter. The stand first explained that “its all about dressing down this winter’: mixing elegant with slouchy, bulky with sheer, sequins with sweaters and even an evening dress worn with a parka.

I was given inspiration with the above image to use a jumper that I purchased in a vintage store for a few pounds to create the said dressed down yet evening feel.

The caption alongside their image states "A flash of skin beneath a chunky knit adds a whiff of scandal". Imitating this i used a hand knitted cropped jumper with lurex glitter threading and leather leggings. What was noticed about the shoot was the differing textures; wool v sequin and shiny leather v fluffy knit. Both the knits quite evidently tend to be day items, such technique effectively supplies a casual sense. 


Aimed for was night out getup, however with the temperature rapidly reaching single figures come the evening hours at home i don't know how long a bare midriff would last!






garments: vintage, leggings: H&M

70's

After browsing a favourite vintage site, Rokit.co.uk, I came across their Autumn/Winter 11 Lookbook. Amongst their key ideas for the coming season was a revival of the 70’s guise. Although 70’s and 60’s shone through this summer in the form of floppy hats and loud prints, a change to cooler climates inspired the likes of Gucci this fall to bring out the bell bottoms and high necks.

Their catwalk collection here showing shaggy fur and the wide leg. A rich colour palette, resemblant of gem stones, reds and purples have also proved popular.

The flares worn were an online purchase and as a consequence needed a few inches removed before I could wear them. As a lover of black the aim was to keep the style but mix with another trend target: bondage and fetish. Such a fashion scope uses leather, open knits and sheer fabrics to reveal skin and the silhouette underneath. A reflection of see through knits and mesh can be seen in the turtleneck. 

As i mentioned with the colour, the 70's wave hitting the catwalk is often lacquered with metallics and deep tones. H&M have the casual approach, mixing terracotta, burnt orange and mustard often in cable knits or floaty tops billowing over light blue denim flares. This also brings into light how responsive high street stores have behaved toward demand for retro fashion. River Islands line Chelsea Girl brings 70's styles to the modern shopper, using the stores old name from the 60's and 70's before it changed in 1988. This nostalgia has presented the retailer with fashions of flares, crochet, and bright coloured furs. Too, their mix of rich v soft colourings offer a significant salute to the 70's and its bold identity. 

Be it designer or high street offerings, the strong staples from 40 years ago have proved high impact to filter from history, to catwalk and easily into the hands of style seekers simply by shopping in their favourite stores.


garments: vintage