Sunday 29 June 2014

Styling at Durham thrift fair - what i wore and what i bought!




Today i was working and helping out the stylist at the Durham thrift fair held at the gala theatre. The point of the afternoon was the show people how to up cycle and put life back into clothing from charity shops or just old clothes in there wardrobe they never wear any more. And to show people to how to dress for there body shape. We also put together some outfit ideas on mannequins showing people how to style up items from each charity shop. And also just giving people a little bit of styling advice on clothing they'd bought from the stalls Giving them some interesting ideas on how to style it that maybe they wouldn't have thought of putting with it. It was also a great opportunity to work with a great stylist and the days atmosphere was great.

But of course they were local charity shop stalls with a few interesting vintage items so i couldn't help treating myself to a few vintage treats. And oxfam had a £5 a kilo sale where i managed to pick up a few good pieces. So here is some photos of what I wore for the event and what a managed to get my hands on.


1950s purple flower hat - eBay part of a job lot
Peggy French couture suite - £30 age uk
Fur coat - Armstrong vintage Edinburgh £40




Vintage brown leather handbag - £5 Salvation army
Scarf - 50p salvation army 


Lemon kid leather 1940s gloves - £3 Durham market


Shoes £4.99 salvation army


Balmain vintage nylon tights £5 - Age uk


Blue knitted snood £3.99 eBay


pearl earrings - gift from a lovely instragram follower all the way from Canada.

And now onto what i bought...




Picked up these amazing pearl earrings room the st cuthberts hospice stall for £1.50


Got this amazing real Alligator skin handbag from St cuthberts for £10



Got this cute jacked from the kilo sale so im not sure the price as everything i got from there ended up costing £5!


Hat - St cuthberts £6.50



Hat -  St cuthberts £6.50


Love the huge bow on the back!

Jacket - kilo sale


Dress - kilo sale



Jacket - kilo sale


Dress - kilo sale










Saturday 28 June 2014

Outfit of the day, tweed and red!





So when i was putting this outfit together i was drawn towards Tweed which i haven't worn for a while. With the summer on its way. Ive been wearing a lot more summer dresses and 1940s suits when its been chilly and my tweed jackets and vintage skirts have been at the back of my mind( and the back of my wardrobe). But i fancied a change so decided to pair my tweed jacket with a cream checked pencil skirt and cherry red shirt. And of course no outfit is complete without a killer vintage handbag and a hat which matches your outfit.


 

Tweed jacket (part of a suite) £1 charity shop.
Red shirt - £3.99 salvation army
Cream pencil skirt - Ding Dong vintage
1950s shoes - British heart £4.99
blue crochet gloves - My great Aunts.
Red belt - £1 charity shop
necklace - Mams.


1940s Alligator skin handbag - gift from my love 
Scarf - Car boot sale 30p


1950s hat - Red cross £5
hat pin - Whitley bay charity shop £1
Red knitted snood - eBay £3



Fox fur - Gift





Friday 27 June 2014

Fashion in Durham designer catwalk and launch party review



Every year Durham my city hosts its very own take on London fashion week however of course it isn't as good doesn't feature real "designers" and there are no "Celebrity appearances". But it is Durham where there are absolutely  no people interested really in fashion so its never a hugely popular event. But each year it is a four day event where shops and boutiques from Durham showcase there newest collections on catwalks across the city. This year was the second year of fashion in Durham But i have to say last year was a better event. 
However to get on track of the actual point of this post is to review this years "Designer catwalk" and launch party. But lets just say i am a brutally honest person and this isn't going to be a nice sugar coated review because it isn't going to be i am going to be as honest as i can be about the event. The event took part at the slug and lettuce a local bar/restaurant next to the gala theatre. This was already a huge down grade from last years event however The slug and lettuce have 2 for 1 cocktails so that started the night well. Last years even took place in November which meant it was cold but that didn't matter because the venue was Genius!!! the show took part in a local multi story car park. Which i know your thinking what? shes seriously saying a multi story is a good venue for a fashion show?! but when you think about it a little bit of decoration  is a genius idea apart from the cold thing! It was urban and interesting. But when you go from that to a tiny catwalk in a bar with around 30 seats when last year seated around 100. It is a huge downgrade and well really disappointing. Also last years show was a lot more diverse showing a wider variety of  Designers showcasing different things such as recycled knitwear inspired by WW2, various underwear designer. And local designers such as Jessica Bonarius who showcased her amazing circus inspired costume designs.And a local student who designed neon statement jewellery pieces.

Ding Dong vintage

Jessica Bonarius

Ding Dong vintage

Ding Dong vintage

Jessica Bonarius

And that's before we get started on the actual show. The show started with Anthony Hutton apparently a celebrity?! which was introducing and commentating the show. He came on at the start of the show and read from two sheets of A4 paper looking down at the pages the whole time could he not have learned what he was going to say before hand? surely he cant have been that busy?

The show then proceeded to show 5 small sets from  "Designers" showcasing jewellery, urban wear and handbags before taking a small interval. The hair and make-up was mediocre compared to last years fantastic hair which resembled a horses mane. Which was wacky and very high fashion however this years hair looked rushed and was different on each model. We then had another small interval which wasn't scheduled then there were another 5 designers showcase there work. The only designer that caught my eye of course because of my love of hats was a hat designer " The Libertarian" Which showed interesting and insightful, Playful hats They immediately caught my eye and i thought i need my very own! Her work was worn by various people at Ascot. And in my opinion was the best of the night.

But overall i think the show could have been more planned and put together it seemed as if the show was all over the place and rushed last minute. As there was 3 intervals in the end as models didn't seem to be ready and a lot of the guests left after the second interval which did make me think people were losing interest. Oh and can i also mention there were goo die bags? which weren't to bad but weren't good. You got  a 10% shoe zone voucher, County Durham book, and a variety of other offers. But when if you over look the venue the designers shown although there was a better selection last year the designers shown where great and where chosen well. With a variety of both accessories designers and clothing from urban wear to wedding and occasion wear. They didn't disappoint.

But now for the pictures from the show.

The Libertarian



My favourite piece by the Libertarian.

I would have featured my images from the event however they were not added to there website yet. All photos credited to Durham Bid.








Thursday 26 June 2014

Outfit of the day and some charity shop bargains


So recently i was gifted this amazing fox from a friendly old lady a friend of my Grans which was her mams in the 1930s. It is in perfect condition as if it has never been worn and is a gorgeous ginger/brown colour. I love fur and enjoy wearing only vintage fur of course as it was very fashionable and popular up until the late 1960s when the fur ban came into action. I am a huge fur lover and believe fur is beautiful and why should it be wasted locked away somewhere and hidden from the world when it was killed and made into a coat or stole over 50 years ago. Thats what it was killed for therefore it shouldn't be wasted. However i do not agree with today's fur industry and the mass amount of fur and mink farms and the conditions. But i believe that it is a different case for vintage fur as it wasn't as mass produced and was more humain. I understand other peoples beliefs and that a lot of people dont like fur But just to warn any anti- fur people that this post and many of my other posts will be featuring furs and any rude or nasty fur comments will be removed from this blog. But i hope you enjoy the outfit post. :-)


Lucille Ball inspired hair.
Hat - £2 scope charity shop
Fox fur - gifted
1950s Satin lined pink coat but costumer of Newcastle part of a set £5.99 salvation army.
1960s Baby blue suite - £3 scope
wicker handbag - £22 vintage fair
1950s shoes £4.99 British heart.
Snood eBay £3.99







1950s shoes £4.99 British heart.


Brooch £2.50 charity shop.


Snood eBay £3.00
Hat scope £2.99


Plastic bangles - Various charity shops
Purple vintage gloves Durham market Vintage £3



Picked up this amazing pink vintage suite today for a steal got it for only £1! reduced from five for a charity shop in the market. And these red vintage summer sandles for only £2.99






Tuesday 24 June 2014

A peak into my bedroom/dressing room..



So i am a bit of a compulsive hoarder and collector of all things vintage. I am constantly shopping and sneaking into charity shops when im told not to spend money and always buying new things. And they all end up in the exact same place my bedroom which is more like a dressing room (if only i had one) of course its every girls dream to have her own walk in wardrobe but sadly i  live at home with my parents. But a girl can dream, so my bedroom is almost like a walk in wardrobe but with a bed and TV. But everything else in it is clothing so i just call it a wardrobe except for the fact i dont have room for a wardrobe so i ended up having clothing rails put it to house the amount of clothes i have collected. I have collected over 70 pairs of vintage shoes with the odd designer shoe exceptions. I am also a massive vintage hat fan and have 90 vintage hats in total! I am also like any other girls a lover of handbags and jewellery because jewellery completes an outfit doesn't it?

So now you know i am a huge clothes fan and spend every penny i make funding my clothing addiction. But i don't drink or smoke With the exception of the odd glass of wine on special occasions. So why not? So heres a sneak peak into my bedroom/dressing room.



One of my scarf holders housing my most worn vintage scarf's. And some of my vintage belts.



 

My vintage handbags. Some of my favourites include my original 1940s alligator skin handbag above ^^ I got as a gift from my love. And a real Kangaroo skin handbag i got for a steal above ^^


Some of my shelves which were originally meant for a few decorative items but i ended up over filling with junk and souvenirs. For example the pin up girl glass bottles my dad got me from Italy above ^^. But my personal favourite is the rare black vintage sausage dog from the 60s i got for only £3.
I also hang some of my hats on the wall using nails but there not to easy to get to now i have a rail below housing my vintage suits. ^^


Some shoe boxes i got from my Vivivenne Westwood animal toe shoes the most comfy Mary janes!. Some of my favourite vogue magazines and the amazing lucite purse i got from Madame Pauline vintage vintage in milan! you should go check out there instagram and facebook!


Hat box where i store some more of my hats! ^^


My new favourite vintage hat. The amazing pink feather Audrey Hepburn esk sun hat! My mam got me for only £6 bargain! And some framed vogue covers i got from New York.


Marilyn vanity case and my feather hats.



My main clothing rails housing my skirts, shirts, jackets and dresses. Ranging from the 1940s to 60s.


 some  of my less worn hats hanging on a clothing line above my clothing rails ranging from 1920s to 50s


Some of my daily worn shoes. Which i am planning on buying shoe racks to organise them.


My most worn vintage hats i have collected over the last year. 


Gloves galore. And of course a pair of vintage driving gloves even though i dont drive....


Vintage jewellery box  given to me by my Gran and a lot of the jewellery was my great aunts she left to me. And a cigarette holder I dont smoke but its good to have..


Pink glass bowl i picked up from a charity shop which is featured in a previous post. holding my vintage brooches. Also a vintage pearl and earring set bought by my love And a green vintage earring and ring set given to me by my lovely friend all the way from Canada.


What girl doesn't love a turban? and nail varnish which majority were borrowed from my mam and not returned yet.


My bedside table turned dressing table to house and display my jewellery.



Where i keep my seamed and fully fashioned stockings. corselette, suspender belts, girdles and shape-wear. Every girls gotta have the perfect underwear.


My Grandma gave my her "Skyline" vanity box from the 1950s. I now use it to store all my beauty products.





Bought this cute miniature draw container from poundland to store my vintage earrings.


Well that's my over crowded untidy bedroom/dressing room. I hope you have enjoyed this post and i hope you dont think i am "bragging" about what i have because i am not at all. I just really enjoy looking on blogs at other people bedroom and vintage collections and thought i would share myn. Everything i have bought i have bought myself from my Saturday job working at a vintage shop so i dont have much money and everything i own is either a gift from a friend or family or have bought from either a charity shop, vintage shop or car boot sale. But i hope you have enjoyed the post.