Category — Vintage fashion

It’s handy with vintage if you lived through the looks the first time around. Also, I’m blonde(ish) for summer (thanks Wildilocks).

Ah suspenders - gotta love em! Berserk skirt with skull print, lotsa kitsch accessories

I’m wearing eye makeup again. Hooray! Still going subtle for a day at the pub. Liquid liner and side flicks, a bit of brown shadow under the eye, a bit of black and brown shadow in the corner of the eyes, blush and a dark red lippie.

I’m really into crosses right now – love these Perth designed sterling silver earrings, and some leather tied around as a choker. (90s orama.) Finished off with some glow in the dark Kreepsville 666 clips. The suspenders are vintage.

As an old codger with a long history of fashion addiction, I’m pretty well aware of what suits me. It’s just that a lot of the time I don’t care. Flattering?! I want a mohawk goddamit! Fashion for me has rarely been about what looks good over what I think looks cool.

But in the past year I’ve been embracing rather than fighting the way I look. Maybe it’s because I realise I won’t be young forever, or maybe it’s because when I’m exhausted after a 40 hour week I couldn’t be bothered redying my hair pink. Yup, I got lazy.

So what will I be wearing in this, the last summer of my 20s?

Hipster goth… in white.
The hipster nouveau goth thing is so hot right now. Perth has gone all Melbourne on us with black simply everywhere and little touches of vintage, pinup and goth. The young alt fashionistas are looking a bit like an army of pale skinned ultra thin girls with minimal makeup in flowing black fabric.

I love my goth, I really do, but when it’s this trendy the alt kid in me kicks up a hissy fit. So  sexy flowing fabrics? YES. But in white. My skin tone has gone three shades darker in the sun so it sets it off nicely, and I’m adding touches of black like dark polish (in a dark maroon rather than jet black) and a femininely cut leather wristband and a leather thong around one ankle.  Plus cross earrings by a local artist I picked up at Beyond the Trapdoor, and a necklace of Queen Nefertiti I nicked from my mum. It always makes me feel like a queen.

Kate Moss in a grecian looking white flowing dress.

1940s and 1950s hits the beach with vintage glamour

I own a white bikini with cherries on it and a matching towel, which sits well with the Stop Staring high waisted jeans I picked up recently. I also own a giant sunhat and like to pair it with giant sunnies I picked up from OJ recently. Beach stylin’ . I’m surprised at how much a good lipstick can add glamour to a look also, so I’ll be living in Mac’s Totally IT lipliner used as a full lippie and their 15+ foundation. The hair won’t stay at the beach but pinning an air-dried fringe back into a faux victory roll can be an easy substitute.

1950s beach glamour

Goth minis for dance parties
I picked up a couple of t-shirt dresses from Mame recently. This is my dance party and dance festival look, with my favourite minis from Kreepsville 666.  I have some heavily buckled knee high PVC goth platform boots for cooler nights and picked up some black gladiator sandals with buckles up the back as daytime flats. Not sure why I’ve gone back to goth looks – maybe a contrarian kick against the minimalism of current makeup trends and also just the desire to wear LESS in summer.

I’d also recommend the Black Milk skin tight dresses which look amazing on. I’ve veered off them because they started as a leggings brand and that style doesn’t suit me (what with me being under 5′ tall and pear shaped.) They do do a number of spooky designs though, and their prints hold up very well to stretch.

While i’m at it I’m slightly in love with tshirt modification tutorials, especially this lady. Check out her suspender tshirt, her side laced dress from an xxxl tshirt and all the slicing and lacing techniques: http://www.youtube.com/user/itsblitzzz#p/u/6/xqes0rflf-0

Have been browsing the pretty on facebook. Check out these shots from last year’s Circa Nocturna, Melbourne’s annual dark alternative fashion show. These are only my faves and there are plenty more cool creations in the folders. Click for the Facebook albums for more.

Another vintage inspired work outfit complete with shiny new accessories!

Things that make it work:

Okay do I have to mention my favourite vintage look jacket custom made by reddoll on etsy again? That.

Also….

1) Urban Originals waterproof travel wallet

2) Home made hair accessory to deal with hat hair in colours that match my parasol.

3) Boston umbrella bought from Beyond the Trapdoor. Waterproof parasol look will take you from winter to summer – *love*

4) Melissa rubber shoes won’t get damaged in the rain

5) Vintage influenced felt hat bought from Scally & Trombone in Melbourne.

I’ve rediscovered charity shopping and picked up these awesome shoes and hat. Whee! Paired with, once again, my favourite jacket (custom made from Reddoll on etsy) and a few charity shop accessories, and winter is suddenly feeling 60s.

Excuse the douchey expressions…

Things I love that made this outfit work:

1) Sock glue so I can finally make these stockings stay up

2) A cameo I picked up from a charity shop work in the centre of a high necked top.

3) Simple, tightly fitted crocheted beret gives a 20s look

4) My favourite goes-with-anything jacket purchased from Reddoll on etsy.