Saturday, October 2, 2010

Tagged you're it!

If you haven't read Vintage Vixen's blog yet, then get thee there pronto and feast upon her daily vintage clothing finds and more.
You'll never look back.
Meanwhile the gorgeous woman herself has tagged me and I have ten questions to answer.
What's your favourite fashion accessory?
It would be a toss-up between jewellery and hats but I guess jewellery would come out on top.
I feel naked if I'm not wearing some kind of bauble that clatters or jingles and I'm known to go thrifting and acquire bits and pieces along the way which I end up wearing while I'm out.  Most days I come home in a slightly different outfit that I set out in.


Hat or jewellery?  I'll take both thanks.


Who's your fashion role model?
I don't have any role models as that's not what I'm about.  I'm actually inspired by the clothes hanging in my closet or that I see/buy in flea markets, charity stores or on eBay.  I see something, it flicks a switch in me, I fall in love and we go home together.  From then on, the piece is ready to wear there and then, it may get a bit of refashioning work, or it waits patiently until I'm in the right frame of mind to style it.  Sometimes the last option takes a few years.  I guess my earliest role model was my older sister M who taught me about fabrics, quality of cut and not giving a damn about what others think.  She also taught me to dance unashamedly while sober, something I've found most women of all ages have difficulty in achieving concurrently.  During my teens I had a girl-crush on Madonna who was a major influence on my style and I loved Prince's fashion sense too.  I love fashion mags but they do wear a bit thin with me as I have a very short attention span and get bored with the same-old-same-old.  


Time-warping in this post.

What do you always carry with you?
Red lipstick, iPod with lots of techno/dance, notebook and pen (you never know if a good story is around the corner), silver Glomesh wallet, spare rings, phone and sunnies.


How would you describe your style?
Completely normal.  Doesn't everyone wear Edwardian petticoats with 1950s head pieces, a leotard and platform wedges?  Because I'm guided primarily by the tactile nature of fabric,  I basically "feel" my way through my wardrobe.  I think that's why my outfits are never matchy-matchy.  Colour is important too of course, but proportion even more so.  I guess I would describe my style as Dress-Up Box Style.


Spanning the 20th century in this post.


What's your favourite?  Jeans, sunglasses or heels?
Well, I cannot live without sunglasses because it's very sunny here in Brisbane, so they're not really optional.  I have a basketful picked up at various op-shops and flea markets.  My favourite would be a white pair with black, glass lenses that I bought at an Auckland (NZ) flea market about three years ago and wore them to my Nana's funeral.  She loved bold colours and prints so I really went for it at her funeral.  She would have approved.  The sunnies belonged to a woman who had bought them in the late 1940s.
After the funeral with two of my sister's and me old mam:


Between jeans and heels, it would have to be heels.

What inspired you to blog about fashion?
I think women started coming over to my house to look inside my closets instead of visiting me - I'm kidding.  But friends, acquaintances, women I worked with or bumped into everyday seemed fascinated with what I wore and wanted to know more about each piece.  They'd become speechless or gob-smacked and I didn't know whether it was because they liked an outfit, hated it or were in a state of disbelief.  I suspect it was a bit of everything with a bit of horror in there too.  I had a huge upheaval in my life recently and really wanted to keep writing to stay sharp so decided to write about what I love the most.  Clothes.


Mum's 1940s suit is still wearable - more here.


What is your favourite fashion store?
My closet.  I love thrifting and I do a bit of online shopping using eBay mostly, a bit of Etsy and the odd emerging designer type stuff - usually because they're cheap.  I do have a Black Milk Clothing addiction which I keep in check through lack of funds - otherwise I would be in big trouble.


What is your favourite fabric in clothing?
What just one?  Not fair.  It would have to be silk.  But leather, cotton and fur are close favourites.  I have a now-dwindling collection of 60s and 70s clothing in man-made fibres as they are utterly impossible to wear here because of the humidity.  I've had to let go of some pieces that I loved but just couldn't wear anymore.


Some of my favourite fabrics here.


Who are your favourite designers?
Whoever is versatile enough out there for me to style my own way.  Give me a chance, I would stock up on Romance Was Born and Jean Paul Gaultier because I think they're versatile enough for me to put my own stamp on their pieces and use them to create something that's "me".  I don't like being told how I should wear something.


Who or what inspires your style?
I am utterly hooked on old movies.  I'm watching Louise Brooks in Pandora's Box and I've been YouTube-ing Clara Bow and Jean Harlow because I love their humour and sassy style. The older the movie, the better.  I think parents and grandparents have completely bullshitted us on the morals and habits of people who lived during the first half of the 20th century.  Just look at the talkies that were made before Hollywood studios were forced to take up the Breen Code by 1934.  Pretty raunchy stuff.  European film was not affected in the same way thank goodness, while pre-WW2 1930s Berlin was a cabaret hotbed.  I don't believe our generation is quite as "immoral" as many would like us to believe.
So I guess I'm inspired by subversion.
Style Like You is a great place to see others talk about their clothes, memories and evolving styles.
Another mash-up of eras here.


Would you choose to buy something high quality or make it yourself if you could?
It depends on whether the high-quality item is something that is versatile enough for me to style my own way.  I appreciate good workmanship, but I won't wear something I don't like just because it's well made or a certain label.  Then forget it.  I'll make it myself.


I wanted a tartan skirt, so I made one.


I'm tagging the following inspirational blogs:

28 comments:

  1. Well, I am sooooooooooooooo honored to be tagged. That will be my next post and also will keep my mind off my knee operation on the 6th.
    You are so wise, and so wild, wowwwww, Madonna wish she was you, he, he.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

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  2. AMAZING outfits hunnie....love them all:)


    Enter my F21 Giftcard Giveaway!!
    Statements in Fashion Blog

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  3. OMG, each outfit is more amazing than the one before, but my favourite has to be the orange- black pouffy skirt. I would kill for a piece like that. :)

    Love from Toronto, Canada

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  4. I knew your answers would be brilliant! I love everything you wear, it's so creative and utterly fabulous. That picture of your mum and sisters is gorgeous. xxx

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  5. SO AWESOME! Thanks so much for the tag!!! I really appreciate it. ^_^

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  6. I somehow missed that post with the green 20s dress. I love it! I have an attraction to 20s style and just want to cry looking at that dress. I don't mind a little tear or stain here and there when I buy an item.

    I bought an old tablecloth with scattered hand emroidery on it that had some stains. The lady selling it said it was always used for special occassions so whatever stains had accumulated represented the memories of the many Thanksgiving meals she shared with family and friends. She hated to part with it. I almost started crying right there!

    Loved reading your answers and esp. loved the photo of you and the girls!

    xxx

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  7. I loooooove it :)))

    http://minnja.blogspot.com/

    XXX

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  8. I think I'm going to have to take the no shopping pledge like you did, so I start working my own closet...and return to MY sense of style. Blogging has had a subtle effect on it.

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  9. Feck me,you're amazingly styley!!! OMG!!!
    Wowza,baby!!!

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  10. I love your answers and that first outfit is superb, I am in love with the corset top!

    XXASAB

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  11. I'm glad I found your blog! Vix tagged me on this post too. SO I clicked on your link and saw that you're aussie too! Looking forward to becoming a regular reader. :)

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  12. Superb outfits. I am in love with the 1920s, prohibition, gangsters and all that. If only I could find some vintage 1920s dresses ... ;0)

    Shirl x

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  13. Great outfits and loved reading your answers! (going to have to look up the Breen Code) - those Studibaker Hawk pieces are so amazing. And love love love that green flapper dress! Hadn't seen that one till today. Vix tagged me too so still working on my post!

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  14. Thanks for the tag :D I did the same post last week though hehe.

    I love the outfit where you are wearing the tartan skirt!

    Sal xXx

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  15. you are so glamorous looking at your style is such an eye-fest!

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  16. Teehee, crazy outfits! Wish I were more experimental, but I always end up going matchy-matchy... Thanks for the tag, it comes in handy on a laundry day without a fashionable outfit :)

    Cheers,
    poet

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  17. Amazing outfits!

    agitarsimonroe.blogspot.com

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  18. wow! your style is amazing! it's very vintage, yet very modern. :)

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  19. I am so impressed and inspired! Stunning outfits, each and every one!

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  20. hello- your blog is fabulous as is your style :) . just found it .

    love these ensemble and how you have put your outfits today . tres unique .

    do feel free to check out/ follow 'betsie' at:

    www.ohbetsie.blogspot.com

    betsie.

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  21. Girl..you got AMAZING Style!!! Love the floral suit that you are wearing that used to be your Mom's..you made it soooooo PRADA styles! Love it with the fishnets! TOO COOL!!! And that chiffon mint dress is so 1920's flapper!!! I'm droolin..it's so beautiful!
    kisses
    xoThe Beckerman Girls

    http://www.BeckermanBitePlate.com

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  22. you have so many beautiful items!!!! I have quite a few things similar to yours and I recently did an amazing photo shoot with a feather collar like yours in a grave yard,you should check it out! x

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  23. i am so on the hunt for a sheer vintage dress now!
    I scoured Goodwill yesterday, and am even considering making one :) However, I suck at the whole sewing thing. You so rock my fashion world and am glad I /we found each other ;)

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  24. SUCH a fun read! You are truly a style inspiration, girl. I love your fashion philosophies and how you are always true to your very own sensibilities. Completely awesome :)

    xo,
    Jenna
    http://sevenstylenotes.blogspot.com/

    P.S.
    Love all the outfit shots! But my favorite is the second...that skirt is bananas! In love with it :)

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  25. I love the first outfit and how everything just works together.

    xx

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  26. I'm late to the party as usual... Life has a pesky way of stopping me from keeping up! Thanks so very much for the tag, been in a bit of a writing slump with all the writing deadlines, so this will hopefully get me going again! I promise to post my answers this week. I'm completely in love with that green 20's dress -- green is my fav colour and 20's style is just amazing! I have a beige one similar but afraid to wear it aa it's so fragile! thanks again, love your blog and think you have a fab way with clothes and how you put them together! Now I have to get my Punk Glam Princess to give me lessons on how to pose as I suck!
    XXX
    Suzanne

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  27. I love the gold dress. you are such a stylish lady. Hope you had a great christmas.

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