The perfect dress for the end of Autumn

So too bad it’s summer here. I’m autumning it up today with this gorgeous leaf patterned dress which I scored vintage some years ago, and was actually thinking about selling online, because it had never fit me – until now! So I am trying to set up an online store at the moment to recycle my wardrobe, but it’s really difficult because then I start taking pictures of the item I want to sell and decide I really like it and will keep it instead. But I REALLY need to get rid of some clothes!!! Anyway, I hope you like it :)

Wearing:

Dress - Vintage

Sheer Spotted Stockings - www.wholesale-dress.net

Red Double Buckle Heels - www.wholesale-dress.net

Pocketwatch from Markets in Sydney

Lace & Waves

Pink Lace Blouse - Forever 21

Red Pleated Skirt - Vintage from Japan

Black Boots - Vintage

Lace & Crochet socks - Tutuanna

Bowler Hat - from Markets in Osaka

Orange Satchel Bag - Wholesale Dress

Bowtie - Polka Dot Black and White Bowtie

Pocketwatch - Paddy's Markets (in Sydney)

It’s near impossible to dress well in a hot climate. These photos were taken up in very very northern Australia on the beach, and if you zoomed right in on my face I’m pretty sure you would be able to see the sheen of sweat (and these photos were taken at SUNSET). I had just bought all these amazing autumn clothes from Japan, and then found I was unable to wear most of them once in Northern Australia! The most that I could do every day was to throw on a singlet top and a long vintage skirt – very basic, but at least looking like I’d made some effort. So basically the point of this story is, if you live in a hot place and are able to still care about what you wear, then I really admire you!

Also, my obsessions at the moment? You may have noticed. Bowties and Petticoats. Awh yeeeeah.

 Love to you all :)

My feet are wearing petticoats too

1. Badge, Vintage

2. Crochet Socks, Tutuanna

3. Vintage Cat Ring, Vintage

4. Black Bow Embellished Heels, www.wholesale-dress.net/plus-size-bowknot-embellished-platform-pumps-black-g1326286.html?union=2365

5. Embroided Satchel Bag, www.wholesale-dress.net/goods.php?union=2365&id=1275481

6. Maroon Bowler Hat, Markets in Osaka

7. Lace Bustier Bodysuit, $10, Vintage

8. Vintage Hermes Belt, Vintage

9. Floral Patterned Skirt, Forever21

10. White Lace Petticoat, Vintage from Japan

 It's now the 7th un-sunny, un-summery day of summer in Sydney. I was super excited to wear all my summer clothes, but I can't even! What is going on? I got this lace bustier bodysuit yesterday from Vinnies and I reaaaaally like it, I will be wearing it much more when the weather warms the heck up!

Hope you like it too :)

DIY Cutout Dress #2

So I've been chopping up all my dresses lately, trying to turn them into something nice, and it has actually been working kind of alright! You can check out the DIY for my other cutout dress here. Basically for this triangle cutout, all you need to do is get a cheap vintage dress (one with a waistline already sewn in is best, but not necessary), turn it inside out and carefully slice out an upside down T where ever you want the triangle cutout to be, fold back the little triangle flaps that you make, and then hem around all the edges either using a sewing machine, or using small handstiches like I did here.

Here's a pretty badly drawn paint diagram if you don't get what I mean:

Finished product:

DIY Cutout Dress / Merry December!

 Inspired by A Pair and A Spare's DIY blog, I have been cutting up a whole bunch of my dresses in the last couple of days, trying to give a new life to some of my older and slightly more boring dresses. I've done two and a half so far! It's really simple and easy to do, and I didn't even know that I could sew, so really anyone can do it! And it makes your dresses pretty and new!

This is how you might want to go about slicing up your very own dresses:

(here is my very informative paint diagram)

1. Turn dress inside out. I then used a right-angle ruler because I wanted a triangle shape cutout from my dress.  If the dress already has a waistline sewn in, that's great because you can use it to go from. Put ruler against the dress with the bottom edge on top of the waistline, and the sloping edge sloping towards the middle of the dress. Draw with pencil along the longest edge of the triangle.

2. Do this on both the front and the back of the dress.

3. Cut out the front first, then the back, along the line you have just drawn in a triangle shape (do NOT try and cut the front and back together, you will end up accidently cutting through the waistline (like I did at first).)

 4. Cut down the middle of the piece that you have just cut out (down the side of the dress) just to the waistline.

5. Fold the triangle halves down into the dress, folding on the waistline. Then hem all sides. I just hemmed it by hand, it doesn't take long because it's only a very small section.

6. Do on other side of dress (unless you want it to be lopsided, which, you may!)

Hooray! You now have a cute new dress with sexy cutouts.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Hype me on lookbook if you found this useful/interesting!

Also, please don't try this first on your favourite, most expensive dress. Grab a dress with a cute print from a vintage store or op shop for cheap, or find one at the back of your wardrobe, so that you won't end up in tears/super angry at me if you stuff it up a little (mine was give to me by a friend, and she got it from KMart, but had never been worn because it was too unflattering).

Vintage Japan!

Wow. So I made the discovery while on my trip to Japan last month that their vintage stores are absolutely incredibly amazing beyond-belief. This is why:

1. Everything is an amazing quality. Japan must have some seriously trendy grannies because the quality of clothing is fantastic. You don’t have to turn the place upside down to find just 1 or 2 okay vintage pieces – basically every piece on the racks is good. The only hard part is choosing what to buy!
2. Everything is my size! No more searching through endless size 18s and 20s. Japanese people are small and so are their clothes, so everything fit me!
3. Everything is well priced. Well, half the stores were “boutique” and very expensive, but the other half were very well priced, such as the 390 yen and 780 yen stores (that’s about $5 and $9). There were also loads of sales.
4. They are open late at night, which is fantastic if like me you don’t get out of bed until way past midday.

If you are seriously into vintage, you seriously need to consider going to Japan. The best suburbs for vintage are Shimokitazawa, Harujuku and Koenji in Tokyo, and Namba in Osaka. This particular photo was taken in Fukushima in Osaka (not THAT Fukushima by the way). My suitcase literally split at the seams trying to lug all these clothes back but it was completely worth it! There will be more photos up from Japan asap! I'm so excited to post all about it!

Wearing:

Cream Polka-dot textured Cardigan

Vintage from Japan

Lace Frill Socks

Tutuanna (Tokyo)

Maroon Bowler Hat

Markets in Osaka

Vintage Bubblegum Patterned Bow Tie Dress

Vintage Shop in Osaka

Orange Satchel Bag

www.wholesale-dress.net

Black Boots

Vintage

Did you miss me?

xx Annika