Thursday, September 27, 2012

Suspender Tights and Jelly Shots

This 80s vintage dress has been sitting in my wardrobe for a good six months, but I finally got around to altering it with the hemming technique I described in the previous blog. To be honest, I think it's a little bit too short (I got a bit carried away). I wore it out on town to a 50s/60s night at The Austral on Rundle Street, which turned out to be a cracker of a night!

I wore my City Chic black belt with the dress, and made a feature of my tights, which I purchased from the UK on Ebay. I thought that since the neckline of the dress was so high, it needed to be balanced out with something a little bit flirty down below instead! I've had these tights for a while now, and this was the first time I've worn them. It just seemed to work. I've found it difficult to get interesting plus size tights in Adelaide stores, so I've been venturing online to find some more quirky offerings.












Here's a picture of the hem so you can see my awesome sewing skills! Just don't ask me how long it took! But it was well worth the effort in the end.

On a side note, I made some sexy cherry vodka jelly shots.


I always struggle to get the jelly out of those little plastic shot cups with my tongue, so I sprayed canola oil into a silicon ice cube tray (about $1.95 at Ikea), put a glacé cherry in each mould, then poured the cherry jelly/vodka mixture in. Once the jelly is set, you just push the jellies out! Delish!

Giving The Vintage Dress The Chop

Do you ever find yourself sifting through a rack at a thrift store and see a cute vintage dress, only to think, "If only it was shorter..."? This happens to me ALL THE TIME. I suppose if I had a sewing machine and more skills in that area, this wouldn't be an issue. Due to these lack of skills, I have about six dresses in my wardrobe that I love but haven't worn because they need shortening.  However, I have found a way to hem these dresses that requires minimal sewing skills and materials. All you need is thread, scissors and a sewing needle. I'll explain how for those of you who, like myself, are challenged in the ways of the needle. 

 Fold the skirt of the dress in half, being careful to line up the edges as neatly as possible.

 Fold over again.
 Fold over again. I usually fold it over twice, but the number of folds may vary dress to dress.

Cut the excess material to your liking, as straight as you can. You may want to use a ruler or pins to achieve a perfectly straight cut.

I usually use this stitch to hem the dress afterwards because you can't really see the stitches on the other side.


I should probably warn you that sewing the hem can be really time consuming. I watched a couple of episodes of Dawson's Creek getting it done! Alternatively, you could use hemming tape. I've never used it before, but I've heard it's super easy - once applied you just iron it, and it permanently seals the hem. 

Here's how it looked afterward.








Alternatively, you can use hemming web tape, which is so quick and easy. I bought mine for about $4 from BigW. It works best on non-stretchy fabrics and you just iron it down and it melds the fabric.




Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Hell Bunny; Something For Everyone


"Hell Bunny was born out of a need for a new look in the punk and streetwear scene. As the popularity for unusual and retro fashion grows, Hell Bunny continues to evolve into a major force in streetwear."

The unimaginable has happened! I have been able to introduce my gorgeous and slim younger sister to a brand that suits us both! So much so in fact, that we both wore this brand to her vintage themed 21st

What you'll notice in these photos, is that as the night went on I got more and more...ahem...tipsy.

 I'm wearing the Peggy Sue Circle Dress and my sister is wearing the Blue May Day Dress. We're both wearing Hell Bunny petticoats. 
Shoe: Doc Marten Mary Janes

 My boyfriend's entire outfit was thrifted. The suit cost him $5 from a Salvation Army store.


This is one of the few shots where I'm actually wearing the beautiful satin gloves that I picked up from a vintage store.


The hair is down, the shoes are off and the bow is untied!

At the end of the night, I somehow managed to slip between a mattress and the bed frame and needed help getting out. One moment I was sitting on the bed, and the next I'd disappeared!

I first came across the Hell Bunny brand on a plus-size second-hand buy-and-sell Facebook page. I purchased the red dress featured in the photos and loved it so much that I searched on Ebay for more.  I now have four of the lovely dresses, a petticoat and a black coat – which incidentally is the best winter jacket I’ve ever had and has carried me through an especially harsh Adelaide winter and many a yard duty.

The pin-up styles of Hell Bunny accentuate a woman’s best assets, enhancing feminine curves. Pin-up fashion reflects styles from the 20s, right through to the 60s, and has had a huge comeback over recent years. It’s no wonder, considering that unlike fashion today, pin-up suits women of all ages, body shapes and sizes. The wide variety of styles, colours and patterns means that everyone can find something to suit them and their fashion identity.

At the end of the day, as a plus size girl, if I can find a brand that makes me feel sexy, it has to be shared around!

There are several stores throughout Australia that sell the Hell Bunny brand, or alternatively, you can purchase from their UK based website. However, everything I’ve purchased has been from local Ebay sellers.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Beautiful, Well Dressed Fat Women

 

In the past, the fashion industry has ignored and punished the plus sized shopper. When I think about my teenage years, I have a strong sense of dismay and disheartenment when I recall clothes shopping with my mum (I sure as hell didn’t go clothes shopping with my friends – there’s only so long you can stand at the accessories shelf in Supre with growing humiliation). I lived in XL t-shirts from The Disney Shop and cargo pants. That was my wardrobe in the 90s, which I felt was more or less forced on me, as the alternative was knee-length, flowing linen shirts and three quarter length white pants. No, the fashion industry was not kind to the fat teenager. Not many things are.

The day I found what was then called Big City Chic, I remember feeling wonder. Plus size clothing in flattering and trendy styles. It had finally happened. When I first starting getting paid a decent salary, I easily (and happily) spent $200 a week on City Chic clothing. Sure, my wardrobe was primarily satin cocktail dresses and frilly tops, but it was a start. I was starting to feel like I fit in.

After a while, “fitting in” became boring and I wanted to explore different styles. I lost some weight and discovered that going from a size 24 to 16 opens up a lot more options. Most brands go up to 16 and I learned the joy of thrift stores. Fashion became an obsession. And I suddenly loved being a curvy size 16-18.

Needless to say, it’s not only easier for the plus size shopper now, but it’s also kind of exciting. Bizarrely enough, I think part of that excitement is the sense of achievement we have, because we have to look closer to find trend-setting, edgy outfits. As Celeste of The Big Girl Blog says, "I guess it's the old adage of working twice as hard to get half as far". I have a larger sense of accomplishment and adventure when I try a new outfit and it works. Let’s face it; plus size girls have to try harder, shop smarter and face more challenges in regards to perceived fashion rules (e.g. the dreaded “horizontal stripe”).

Bronny, writer of Fat Aus!, wrote, “Recently I was thinking about all that I went through when I was younger and I wished that I’d seen more beautiful, well dressed fat women because maybe that would have helped me realise that to be attractive, you don’t necessarily have to be thin.” When I read that, I didn’t feel so alone in my childhood memories. I grew up feeling awkward and different and certainly unattractive. But somehow, I think “feeling different” has served me well, because now I am not afraid of being different and taking risks with fashion. Yes, I will wear a bow tie to work today. Yes, I will wear Doc Martins and a 70s dress to buy milk.

While the fashion industry still has far to go, there is a tribe of “beautiful, well dressed fat women” out there. And I’m so proud to be a part of that community.


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Walk To Dulwich in ASOS

I had no intention of taking photos for my blog today. I have a terrible cold and was dragged out of bed by my sister and boyfriend for a walk to Dulwich for lunch. On the way back, I was so impressed by the stunning streets of Toorak Gardens that I made my boyfriend take a few quick snaps.





Dress: Asos
Shoes: Therapy

The moment I saw this dress on ASOS my heart skipped a beat. It's that little bit unusual, and I just had to have it. The fit is perfect (I'm wearing the size 18) and it's such a lovely lightweight dress. Definitely my favourite purchase in a while.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

The Trouble With Fashion Blogging...

-->

So far my blogs have been centred around trends, which has been fun, but not sustainable for a regular blog. That aside, my favourite fashion blogs are about the ‘daily outfit’ and the process of getting up in the morning and not just putting on clothes, but piecing an outfit together carefully, which is not unlike a jigsaw puzzle. You try a piece to see if it fits, and sometimes it doesn’t, so you try again. But the trouble with fashion blogging is that you need a willing participant to take photos of you. I’m still working on figuring that out, as I wanted to veer away from selfies. Until I get that underway, I’ll just share some of my favourite things at the moment. 


 Ring: Swarovski Crystal Nirvana Emerald Ring

 Shoes: Doc Martens, Ebay

 An English teacher's delight :)
Found these at a local games shop

 Head Scarf: Etsy
Vintage Eye Frames: Ebay