Homemade Harems and Handmade Waistcoats!! (And Cher Lloyds boots...)

Looking cool down at The Courtyard

Bandeau: Guess

Harems: Handmade; unknown

Waistcoat: Handmade; Bought from 'Sick' (Redchurch St E1)

Boots: New Look

These trousers were bought from a vintage shop on Brick Lane, as plain pale pink baggy trousers (in a light, almost see-through cotton fabric). They had two flaps at the waist, one secured by a gold button (the other was missing) and with a gold chain through the flaps. 

I decided to turn them into harems, by stiching them at the bottom (the bottom 6/7 inches) and sowing three mauve silk bows down the side. You can't see these very well in the pictures unfortunately. 

The waistcoat is another handmade piece, though I can't take the credit. It was bought already made from 'Sick' on Redchurch St (top of Brick Lane), where you can find loads of weird and wonderful one-off clothes. I think it was made from a thick wooly tartan blazer, which they cut the sleeves off, cropped the whole things and stuck safety pins, chains and metal spike studs down the sides and back.  Again, these photos don't display this hastily put together, haphazard masterpiece in it's full glory! I'll post pictures of the finer details of both pieces in due course....

The bandeau is just fabulous, and is also for sale on eBay (seller 'gargles') if you're interested....

The boots are denim look wedges from New Look, and in case you cared, The X Factor's Cher Lloyd has the exact same pair!!

 

Winter Lace

Dress: Charlotte Halton

Ankle Boots: La Redoute

This dress makes me feel beautiful! The material is so hard to describe, it is almost like knitted lace, lined all over except the arms, where the lace is more obvious because there's no lining beneath it.
It is clingy/stretchy and fitted, but the density and texture make it very flattering, hugging curves as opposed to thinly clinging to every bulge!
The neckline is quite chinese, with the 3 buttons going down to the armpit.
It's actually really warm because of the lining...great for a night out in autumn/winter, just chuck a sophisticated long coat over it and you're set. If it's really cold out, whack on some plain black or plum coloured tights.
But the best part about this dress?.......It was £3.50 from a charity shop.
Modernized/Sexified with lace-up ankle boots and a metal cuff...even brightened up with a feather in the hair perhaps.

My Two Little Protegees...

The Ladylike Vs. The Androgynous

Jasmine

Hat: Vintage

Viscose Top: Generation New Look

Sequin Bow Belt: Model's own

Skater Skirt: H&M

'Oatmeal' Tights: Noa Noa

Wedges: H&M

Jasmine (above) is chanelling the fun, flirty and very feminine look. It's sassy and confident with vibrant, punchy colours and a real 50s sillouette. The tights are a lovely colour (photo's don't do justice)- sort of a pale cream/sandy colour, which perhaps would have suited a fairer skinned girl.
The hat is a vintage find on eBay (from a box of 10 or so vintage hats for £15 I believe!)  and is in a silky fabric, with a bow at the back and slight netting. I loved the fact that the colour of the shoes and hat matched perfectly! As did the skirt and belt!

April

Trench Coat: Generation New Look

Striped Angora Top: Farhi by Nicole Farhi

Tie (Tied in loose bow at neck): Tie Rack London

Taupe coloured Trousers: Reals Jeggings

Lace up Ankle Boots: La Redoute

This is an androgenous, classic and uniform-like look but with a softness to it, in keeping with the current trend. The colours are muted and wintry, with the top adding just enough depth and richness to the palette, offsetting the coat and trousers. This top is divine, a silk/angora blend that is warm but still light, it is short-sleeved and has some ruching down one side. 

I have always wanted to buy something from Liberty, like a tie...But instead I found a lovely paisley print bluey grey slightly metallic tie at Tie Rack that could be mistaken for Liberty! I love loosely tying it at the neck like a pussy bow for smartness thats not too uniform.

The boots are leather lace-up ankle boots with a low wedge heel and go with EVERYTHING. 

You can't see it in the pictures (more pics to come) but she April is accessorizing with a lovely leather 'book' bag (I think they call it that, it's like a cross between a satchel and doctors bag- very cool) in black, by theLondon bag designers 'Chiltern'.

Flares, platforms and...horses

Jeans- Sass & Bide

Top (With lace back) - New Look

Scarf - Vintage

 Wool Hat - Random shop in USA

Suede platforms - River Island

I LOVE these jeans. Been looking for some high waisted flares for ages, and thanks to good old ASOS, I managed to bag myself some Sass and Bides (Hudson Glides) for a fraction of their usual price!

They are very slimming on the butt (not that I need it- but in case some of you do) and have cool little pockets on the front and a scarf attached to the back pocket.

The platforms are also deeply loved by moi, bought off ebay but originally from River Island. They were good as new, and fit me like a buttery soft suede glove. The colour is sort of pinkey beige (nude I suppose!) with a subtle gold trim . Huge platforms and heels to I stand very tall when I wear them! (In fact, I'm so tall and they're so perfect, I'm always afraid to wear them so this shoot was a great excuse!)

The scarf is 100% silk and vintage, from a little boutique in my town. It has equestrain design which looks really classy.

The look is 70s and a bit western/country, with the hat and the horsey scarf.  I felt very USA. The little scarf on the back jean pocket is even the colours of the USA flag! (Ok I realise it could also be French or English!)

Vintage Hats, Royal Velvet and Castle Ruins

White sleeveless 'bib' blouse- Topshop

Dark blue Velvet skirt - Topshop

Red Suede Belt (Gold circular buckle) - Emmanuel

Blue hat - Vintage

Pale blue spotty bow brooch - Noa Noa

Coolest Goth ever...

Viscose polo neck tee AND belt - Generation New Look

Lace skirt with nude silk underlayer - DKNY

Sleeveless Cardigan- 'Meteor Shower' (Bought in The Laden Showroom, Brick Lane)

Leather, plastic, metal necklace - Spitalfields market

Sunglasses - 50p from Superbuys!

As you can see, the colour has been altered in the last picture, my hair is not QUITE that red in real life!

But I love this outfit...it captures both the gothic trend and the textures trend (chunky knit, fur, lace, leather....)

It was put together last minute using bits and pieces I'd collected over the years, and the DKNY skirt is the only part one might consider costly- but one would be WRONG because it was in fact bought from an amazingly small/strange little vintage shop in Crystal Palace, London. It is hidden off the main street down this little slope by a restaurant if memory serves (pizza hut perhaps??) by a dusty old second hand book shop...Downstairs is random things (records, furniture...) but upstairs is a HAVEN of vintage clothes and jewellery (even a fetish section- rubber thigh boots and all!).
It is actually a bandeau top! But looks great worn as a skirt. I also got a karen millen crop top from the same place, and paid under a tenner for both!

Black boots (faux suede lace up with fringing) - Tammy

Blue canvas lace up wedges - New Look

Sunglasses as above

Extracts from my wardrobe

Going to bed now....but my next post will be stunning photography by Kyle Davies...modelled by three sisters (one of whom is...you guessed it....ME!)....

WATCH THIS SPACE!!