One Pound

One of the charity shops in town had a sale on the other week, in which all of the stock was reduced to £1! Although I had only visited to purchase a burgundy-coloured velvet blazer that I had tried on the previous day (unfortunately it had already been sold by the time I got there), when I realised that all the stock was so cheap I couldn't resist having a look.

I came across a rather fetching pair of navy and green tartan trousers, which I immediately envisaged as shorts - à la this post from all the way back in November 2009. They were pretty easy to re-hem as they didn't fray too much, although I did have a bit of a palaver when I accidently melted them with the iron... hopefully no-one will notice :). I tried to give them a 'turn-up' effect, rather than simply re-hemming them, which I think gives them a nice finish.

Of course, after cutting them down to short length, I had two trouser legs' worth of spare material, which I thought would make a nice neck tie. I borrowed this idea from Cait (from the blog Wayward Daughter), who made a very charming matching outfit from some gorgeous tweed material last year. As with Cait's outfit, I've gone for that 'Gossip Girl' look - complete with a boater hat. What do you think?

Before and After pictures:

It was a bit chilly outside so after taking the main outfit shots I also had a play around with the camera settings indoors, and ended up making loads of silhouettes against this frosted glass window. The photos aren't entirely relevant to the post, but I thought they came out quite nicely so I thought I'd share them anyway!

Sadie xxx

The re-launch of Chelsea Girl at River Island

Chelsea Girl at River Island

A few months ago, I wrote a post about the recent changes in River Island’s ‘direction’ – a move from nasty diamanté-embellished denim, to some much more retro inspired garments that seemed to reference the brand’s earlier 60s/70s incarnation which went under the name of ‘Chelsea Girl’. Well, it seems as though the literal revival of their older self was already in the pipeline, as they recently re-launched the name with a collection of mid-century style garments.

So as a lover of all things retro, you can imagine my excitement when I noticed the ‘Chelsea Girl’ logo appear on their website. But after looking through the clothes on offer, I felt a little let down – it felt like the disappointing re-launch of Biba all over again, albeit a slightly more affordable version. Sadly, some of the clothing seems like it was designed for the mainstream store and then put into the re-launch to ‘pad out’ the collection, whilst other items focus too much on the name without thinking about the styling.

However, there were some particularly ‘of the era’ designs that caught my eye. The current collection seems to be focussing mainly on the 1970s revival, meaning denim flares, ‘gypsy’ blouses and flowing dresses – and a fabulous pair of suede hotpants. I can see some of these pieces fitting seamlessly into my current wardrobe, adding a relaxed bohemian vibe in the process.

All photos (except photo of website) taken from telegraph.co.uk

I think I was just disappointed because I expected an immaculate re-make of my favourite era, forgetting high street stores need to maintain a balance of the old and the new. Although some of these pieces do reflect that ‘carefree’ 1970s spirit, I’d rather have the originals – so I think I will be sticking to vintage shops from now on!

What do you think of their new range? Would you rather own the vintage versions?

Sadie xxx

The Silver Screen

This month has been incredibly busy - filled with deadlines, revision lectures, London protests and long journeys across the country - so I hope you'll forgive me for abandoning the blog for a few weeks! Also, photographic opportunities are rather limited when you inhabit the world's smallest university room, meaning that I have been rather uninspired. But I'm back home now for a bit, so I'm hoping to finally go thrifting again - with the added bonus that it is carboot season once again!

Anyway, before returning home for Easter, I popped into the city centre with my dad to have a look around the markets. I discovered a little retro stall - the type that looks like a disorganised jumble of musty oddities, with clothes piled high and rails jam packed, making it a real physical effort to look through everything... i.e. the best type of vintage shopping experience! I came across this raspberry pink turtle neck blouse, which is about as retro as you can get - I'm totally in love with the flared sleeves and typical busy 1960s floral pattern. The best thing about it is that it appears to be home-made - I wonder if the person who made it thought that 40 years later, a girl would purchase it and show it off to the world? 

The magazine I'm holding is really there to compliment the pink/1960s theme - its an old copy of 'Picture Show', featuring the famous Brigitte Bardot who is looking as stunning as ever. My copy is actually from 1959, and it is filled with pictures and TV/Film reviews from back when the silver screen was a very glamorous affair. I picked this magazine up at the carboot well over a year ago, and re-discovered it when having a rummage through my room the other day!

Sadie xxx

P.S. I keep forgetting to mention it, but I'm on Twitter - so feel free to follow me there if you'd like!

Masculin Féminin

I love days off uni - for me, they usually start off with a lie-in (of course!), followed by a raid of my wardrobe (delving to the back for all of the items I'd forgotten about), putting together an adventurous outfit, then parading about the flat in it for the rest of the afternoon. Today's outfit has slight masculine influences, namely the leather tie and my new patent leather brogues.

Words cannot describe how much I love this tie - it has such an amazing retro look, which could be anything from the 1920s to the 1980s (although obviously I prefer to place it firmly in the 60s category!). Unfortunately I'm not daring enough to wear it out on a daily basis, but if I did, then I think it is a match made in heaven for this lace shirt - the masculinity of the tie and the femininity of the shirt strike a great balance. It also looks pretty cool with a brown shirt I own, which is a more subtle look as the colours match exactly.

Anyway, I feel the need to introduce my new shiny brogues, which cost me rather a lot (£50 took a lot of saving up for!) but I love them very dearly. I've actually had them for about a month now, and I still get the same sense of excitement when I get them out of the box as the day I bought them! They seem very sturdy, so hopefully they won't fall apart like my old Topshop ones.

Sleeveless Blouse - Carboot
Tie - Vintage
Cardigan - Newlook
Shorts - Next
Shoes - Clarks

You'll have to excuse the blurryness of these photos - indoor lighting doesn't lend itself very nicely to outfit photos, and there is no way I'm taking my tripod outside to pose (university halls!). Haha.

The title of this post comes from a Jean-Luc Godard film I watched yesterday, which was absolute eye-candy from start to finish. I'm still trying to work out what the metaphors throughout the film meant, but the black and white 'film noir' style, as well as appearances from Chantal Goya and even Francoise Hardy, makes this a new favourite of mine! I've just borrowed A Bout de Souffle as well - have any of you seen it?

Anyway... what do you think of the tie idea? Should I wear it out?

Sadie xxx

Lomography - My Diana F+ Photos!

It's sadly nearly the end of the two week 'Loblography Challenge', which has been a brilliant little adventure into the unpredictable land of Lomography, accompanied by the delightful Diana F+. I took her on adventures around the more interesting parts of the city centre, which was very happy to pose for me in all of its photogenic glory! Of course, some of my shots came out terribly, and I definitely need to work on my double exposures (so many failed attempts!) but here are a little selection of my favourites from the 2 films that I sent to be developed.

I think having a little bit of experience with the Kodak Colorsnap definitely helped, as I remembered to hold the camera still and to open the aperture a bit more than I'd naturally think to, so that definitely helped a lot! Although I tried to bear in mind the 10 Golden Rules of Lomography (see below), I found myself planning most of my shots - it's really hard not to when you only have 12 shots on a film!

1. Take your camera everywhere you go.
2. Use it any time – day and night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
4. Try the shot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
9. Afterwards either.
10. Don't worry about any rules.

 I'd definitely try to 'think less' next time - its just a case of getting used to analogue cameras - and remembering to take the lens cap off, of course! I'd also test out more of the flash colour filters - I was only daring enough to try out a pale yellow one on the strawberry shot, in the hope of getting a vintage glow.

I'll leave you all with a rather ghostly photo of myself sat on a bench. It was supposed to be a double exposure, with a second shot of my boyfriend sat at the other end of the bench, but he seems to have been cut off in an unfortunate case of misaligned frames! Oh no!

Anyway, which is your favourite shot?

Sadie xxx

P.S. Many thanks to Lomography.com for giving me the opportunity to try out the camera!!

The Diana F+

A few weeks ago, I entered a competition to take part in 'The LoBlography Challenge'. The prize was to try out a Diana F+ Toy Camera over a period of two weeks - with developing and film all courtesy of Lomography.com! With only 10 places available in the challenge, I didn't think I stood much of a chance, but I was delighted to discover that I was accepted!

The challenge officially started on Tuesday, and it involves competing against the other 9 bloggers to gain the most comments on our Diana F+ based posts - (so I'd love it if you could help me out there, hehe)! The overall winner will win a brand new LC-A+!

So without further ado... introducing my new Diana! Isn't she beautiful?

The camera came in a box with lots of added extras - including this lovely little photo book, filled with immaculate examples of photos taken with the Diana, as well as a little bit about its history, shooting techniques, and a few interviews.

Being a lover of all things from the 1960s, of course, the Diana with its simple yet stylised aesthetics really appeals! Back in the 60s, it was sold as a novelty 'Toy Camera', costing just one dollar per camera - but it was discontinued in the 70s as it didn't take off. It was later revived by analogue photographers, attracted by its unpredictable outcomes, including vignettes, light leaks and random contrast.

I've already taken my Diana for a day out, shooting various sights in the city centre. I'll be sure to post up the results once I get them back from the developing labs!

Have any of you used a Diana before? How did your photos come out?

Sadie xxx

P.S. I'd like to say a big thankyou to one of my readers, Holly, for notifying me about this challenge! You can find her Lomography account here - I particularly love her shots of Brighton sea front!

Brighton Rock: 1964

Last weekend I was lucky enough to see the new version of Brighton Rock at my local cinema (which happens to have a full art deco facade and matching interiors!). It isn't the typical sort of film I'd choose to watch, but when I heard that the remake was set in 1960s Brighton, complete with mods and rockers, I was compelled to watch it!

The film is based on the book by Graham Greene, written all the way back in 1939. It focuses on a gang of Brighton-based criminals, one of whom finds himself at risk of arrest after the violent murder of a rival gang member along the sea front. In order to stop the evidence reaching the police, the main character Pinkie tries to seduce the only witness, a young naive waitress called Rose.
 
As the plot unfolded, I fell more and more in love with the various sets and costumes used in the film. It was nice to see so much attention paid to the male cast's outfits, perfectly portraying the lifestyle of the characters with a mix of smart shirts and tatty trench coats. Of course, the female outfits also appealed to my inner mod, especially an ensemble comprising of a dusky pink babydoll dress, white trapeze coat and white tights carefully put together by Rose after a visit to a mod boutique.
 

I couldn't help but notice that all of the mods seem to be over the age of 30, so perhaps not quite historically accurate, but they still retain their edge... perhaps the local scooter club were enlisted to be the extras?

 

Anyway, how could I resist the temptation to don my best Mod-inspired outfit after this 111 minute journey into the 60s? Due to a severe lack of funds, I haven't been able to treat myself to as many of the highstreet peter-pan collared delights as I would have liked, so I've combined the jumper from this post with the wonderful polkadot minidress from this post, kindly given to me by my boyfriend's mum. The burgundy cardigan was a bargain at 20p(!) and I've finished the outfit with my trusty Clarks patent loafers!

 

 

If you're interested in finding out more about the film, you can watch the trailer here!

 

Sadie xxx

 

P.S. I've been lucky enough to be selected to try out a Diana F+ camera, courtesy of www.lomographyuk.com! It's arriving at some point this week - I'm so excited!

How to Upcycle a Chair

Way back in December 2009, I wrote a post about upcycling a chair and using it as a unique Christmas present. Upcycling cheap furniture has been at the back of my mind ever since, and so when I found this chair in a charity shop for £3, my thoughts turned once again to paint, sandpaper, staple guns and spare fabric.

This time, I wanted to avoid shabby chic and instead go for something more sleek. I had a sample tin of black matt wall paint left over from when I painted a black and white scene earlier in the year (shhh... wall paint is cheaper than artist's acrylic and basically the same!), and thought it could be put to excellent use on the chair. I had also just purchased a scrap of fairly thick material from another charity shop, which just so happened to go well with the matt black! So the project was born.

Upcycling a chair takes about 2 hours from start to finish. Here are some basic instructions!

1. Find a chair with a seat that can be removed (test it by pushing up under the seat).
2. Use sand paper to remove the layer of gloss on the outside and to make a nice surface to paint on. You don't really need to be too thorough.
3. Wipe all of the sandpaper dust off using a damp cloth.
4. Paint all the wooden parts of the chair - you may need to give it a second coat, especially if you are using pale paint. Then leave to dry!
5. Cut your fabric to size so that it fits the seat area (remembering you need enough to wrap around to the underside and possibly fold over for a neater finish).
6. Hold it in place and use a staple gun or a hammer & tacks to nail the fabric to the wood on the underside of the seat. Mind your fingers!
7. Once the chair is dry, slot the seat back into the frame!
8. Find a nice corner to put your chair, for everyone to admire :).

***

I've just found a house to live in next year for uni (the most stressful thing ever!), and I'm looking forward to incorporating the chair into the room design - hopefully it won't be such a 'small space challenge' as this year is :).

Sadie xxx

P.S. Have any of you upcycled anything? I need inspiration for my next project!

P.P.S. I recently did an interview over at Dirt on Your New Shoes. I'd definitely advise having a look at Chloe's blog, which is filled with great outft inspiration!

My 'Mad Men' Blouse - Homemade!

During one of my first weeks at uni, I bought a length of delicate floral fabric from a market stall. The fabric waited in my room for the whole semester, desperate to be turned into something! I always had a blouse in mind for it, and I wanted to try out a slightly more pointed collar, à la Mad Men. Anyway, I found the perfect solution when I went to the Clothes Show - an amazing Maudella dress pattern, tucked away in a box of other retro designs in the new 'Sknitch' zone.

I had to adapt the pattern to turn it into a blouse - creating an overlap at the front for the buttons and getting rid of the back zip. I was pretty surprised when it turned out that the blouse actually fitted - it's the most complicated thing I've made, so I'm quite proud!

I decided to be bold and go for bright pink stitching down the sides of the buttons, then added the thin ribbons around the cuffs.

What do you think? I feel a bit like Peggy Olson when I put it on!

I'm in two minds about how to style it - here, I've gone for a land-girl-meets-librarian look, but perhaps a skirt would be better? I might try it out with a matching bow tied around the collar :).

Sadie xxx

Mustard

When I first put this dress on, my mum's reaction was 'eurgh!' - mustard yellow isn't her cup of tea! However, I personally am a massive fan of the colour, especially as it's so reminiscent of the 60s. I suppose it is different when you remember the era from the first time around, but I'm perfectly happy to embrace the revival - colours and all!

I found the dress on the same retro rail in Cancer Research as the blouse in my previous post - I love the idea that charity shops have now started to recognise the vintage trend. I'm pretty sure the dress is actually supposed to be a jumper, but who am I to turn down the chance to wear something super short! The dress really reminds of of something Twiggy would have worn, and I love the little Mod-style pockets on the front. It was a total bargain at £5!

What do you think of it? And are you a fan of mustard yellow?

Anyway, although I'm a bit late to jump on the band-wagon, I've just joined twitter - you can find me here!

Sadie xxx

P.S. One of my friends has just started her own blog, Idle but Inspired - have a little look and leave her a comment :D