Tag Archive | Fashion

Earrings as Art

Jan30

I have a creative and practical way of displaying and storing my earring collection!

I will show you the the steps of how to make this earring holder artwork. It is easy and only takes a couple of hours.

Materials you will need:

  • Picture frame
  • Fabric of your choice
  • Spray paint
  • Chicken wire
  • Small screwdriver
  • Staples
  • Staple gun
  • Hammer
  • Wire cutter
  • Pliers
  • Spray adhesive
  • Pinking shears

 

 

 

Instructions:

1. Discard the glass from your photo frame, and remove the backing board. 

2. Spray the frame in your desired colour. I chose a similar colour to the fabric I am using. Leave to dry.

3. Cut the fabric slightly bigger than the backing board using the pinking shears, which helps stop fraying. Spray the backing board with spray adhesive. Lay the fabric upon the board flat, being careful to press out any bubbles. Leave to dry for a few minutes.

4. Cut the chicken wire with the wire cutters slightly bigger than your frame.

5. Lay the chicken wire over the backing board. Using the pliers, bend the overlaying wire around the backing board pulling firmly so it remains taught. Once that is completed, I went around all the corners and edges with the hammer to flatten them to ensure they are tight. Cut off any excess wire behind the board with the wire cutters.

6. Undo the rope that holds the frame up. Just pull the staples out with your small flat screw driver on one side only. Now you are ready to place the backing board back into frame. It will be a tight fit, so do one side at a time.

7.. Then re-staple your rope for hanging with the staple gun.

8. Cut off any excess fabric or wire. Your earring artwork is ready to hang your earrings on.

I hope this inspires you to make your own earring holder. Send me photos of your finished artwork. I would love to see it!

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

Back to Basics: Your Guide for Channelling the 1950’s

Oct12

In order to achieve the perfect 1950s fashion look, you need to know and understand the fashion trends of the era. I have done some research over time and here is what I have found are the key pieces:

  1. Swing dresses
  2. Petticoats for fullness
  3. Slim sheath dresses
4. Tailored suits 5. Pencil / poodle Skirts6. Cape 7. Circle skirts 8. Capri / cigarette pants 9. High waisted jeans 10. Crew Neck cardigan 11. Peter pan collar blouses 12. Bolero 13. Twin set cardigan sweaters 14. Swing coats in winter 15. Neck scarf 16. Kitten heels, saddle shoes, stiletto heels 17. Small hats, headscarves, hair flowers18. Pearls, brooches, sweater clips 19. Gloves, belt, handbag 20. Buttlet bra, girdle, backseam stockings

I hope this has helped you gain more of an understanding of the fashion trends of the 1950s, to help you achieve your look.

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

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Style Me Vintage

Jun19

If you were looking for some step-by-step instructions or some inspiration on how to recreate and achieve vintage looks in clothing, makeup, hair or accessories then I suggest Style Me Vintage! Style Me Vintage are an excellent range of books to guide and teach you how to achieve some great looks. There are also editions focused on recreating a vintage home and hosting a vintage tea party or wedding.

 

There are a variety of Style Me Vintage books to choose from:

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Inside each book you will find so many wonderful ideas! Here are my favourite examples from the five books that I have purchased:

1. Style Me Vintage Accessories…

If you need help to achieve your final polished authentically vintage look, this is the book for you! It provides a guide on how to correctly identify items to attain your look, in terms of sunglasses, jewellery, hats, gloves, scarves, bags and shoes. The book provides looks ranging from the 1920s right through to the 1980s.

 

2. Style Me Vintage Home…

This book is a fantastic guide to help you achieve the vintage home that you desire. It will guide you from the 1920s to the 1970s on what was the classic look of each era.

 

3. Style Me Vintage Clothes

This book has plenty of information on specific details of vintage clothing, from the 1920s to the 1980s, and how to recognise vintage labels. There is also some handy tips on how to repair and maintain vintage clothing, and some great tips on developing your own unique vintage style!

4. Style Me Vintage Hair

This book has some useful step-by-step easy guides on hair styles such as: finger waves, pin curls, 1940s waves, victory rolls, the poodle, and beehives. There are also great guides on how to incorporate accessories, such as headscarves.

5. Style Me Vintage Make-up

This book is FULL of fabulous tips to help you achieve your classic makeup look. It gives you the tools and step-by-step guides for all the classic makeup looks from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Whatever is your vintage style, I am sure that you will find the collection of Style Me Vintage books exceptionally useful as they are full of handy tips and information to guide you through. Let me know which Style Me Vintage books have helped you. I would love to hear!

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

DIY Denim

Apr17

Do you have pairs of jeans or denim jackets, and find that you aren’t wearing them as often anymore? I decided to make some changes and up-cycle my denim to portray more personality. Here are some different ideas to make your denim extra fancy and express yourself!

1.Denim Jacket with Tulle Hemline

I purchased this jacket already like this, but this an easy DIY project. This denim jacket has tulle added to the bottom and bling badges pinned. All you need to do is purchase tulle and sew it to the inside of the hem of the denim jacket. You can sew on as many layers of the tulle depending on the look you desire or you can gather the tulle and sew along the hemline.

2. Painted Denim

If you are a talented artist, or know someone who is, then you can paint on your denim! Make sure you draw your image first, using fabric pencils. Then with fabric paint you can go ahead and paint your desired image. You can do basic images or fancy depending on your preference. Be careful to never iron straight on the paint.

3. Iron on Transfers on Denim

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If you’re not too artistically skilled, another option is to purchase an iron-on transfer. You can find many excellent retro inspired designs online. Follow the instructions, but most just require ironing upside down onto the fabric. Be careful to never to iron straight on the transfer, when ironing your denim, as it may melt!

4. Patches on Denim

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You can purchase retro patches and sew or iron them onto your denim. Patches are an easy and affordable option to decorate your denim, and there are so many designs to choose from online, at markets or sewing shops.

5. Embroidered Denim

Embroidery is a super fun DIY if you already have the skills, or are willing to learn! There are plenty of online videos and tutorials making it easy to learn. I am planning on embroidering cherries on a pair of denim capris, so check out my blog in the next few weeks! Some sewing machines also have embroidery functions.

6. Fabric on Denim

Retro fabric can be sewn onto your denim, for a fresh look! To make it look professional I like to sew the fabric along the sewn sections of the denim, such as collars, pockets or the back seam of the jacket, like above.  Place the fabric over the area you want to sew it on, and cut it about 2.5cm bigger. Pin it to the area while tucking the edges under, for a tidy edge. Now you’re ready to sew! Try sewing as close as possible to the fabric edge. With excess fabric you can also make matching headbands, scarves or bags.

Double denim was big in the 1950’s, and I have achieved this look by sewing the same fabric on denim pants and jacket!

I hope this inspires you try up-cycling your old denim items. You can even purchase second hand denim from op shops, markets or vintage clothes shops to try out your DIY ideas. Send me photos of your finished products, I would love to see them.

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

1950’s Ladies Gloves

Mar7

In the early 1950’s, ladies were required to wear gloves as etiquette and as part of fashion. They wore gloves that match their shoes or their outfit, while some ladies wore traditional white gloves. Fashionable ladies would wear striped gloves or patterned with matching scarves. Not only fashionable, gloves were also worn to warm hands.

1950s Glove advertisement

The 1950’s glove etiquette for ladies was that gloves had to be worn in most public places, including the streets of cities and large towns, at church, to a luncheon or dinner, reception, a dance, theatre, restaurant, wedding and any official function. Smart ladies wore gloves on trains, buses and trams.

When wearing formal wear, ladies needed to wear elbow-length gloves. This made a person look fashionable and glamorous.

Everyday gloves were not fancy or piped or in contrasting colours. Ladies kept everyday gloves very simple, like all the basics in their wardrobe.

Brides had to keep their hands covered. A bride wearing short sleeves had to wear long gloves but had to slip her hand out easily for the wedding ring.

Bracelets could be worn over gloves but never rings.

Marilyn wearing bracelets over her gloves

Some ladies wore leather gloves. They could be deerskin or cowhide. For warmth some wore theirs lined with sheepskin but this meant the gloves looked bulkier.

Ladies wearing their gloves

A lady only removed her gloves before eating, drinking, smoking, playing cards or putting on makeup. Long gloves remained on at all times at dances. Gloves even remained on when shaking someones hands. At a restaurant, a lady removed her coat, then was seated and could only then remove her gloves.

To me, I think gloves are very stylish and I love to wear them at formal outings to match my vintage outfit. What do you think of gloves? Stylish or not? Let me know your thoughts.

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

Fashion Icons of the 1950s

Feb20

The 1950s saw a huge change in fashion. The transition from the 1940s post war fashion moved from the saloons to the streets. It was easy care fabrics with speedier manufacturing. This meant fashion was available for the masses! Designers such as Christian Dior, Givenchy and Chanel were influential designers in the 1950s.

1950s Fashion

Christian Dior nipped hourglass shapes which created a new era in women’s fashion. After years of fashion oppression and fabric rationing during the Second World War, the era of Womanliness was here.

1950s Dior

Designer Cue Hubert de Givenchy, a Parisian designer whose designs were worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn. The most famous being the black dress worn by Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the famous gold embroiled gown worn in Sabrina.

1950s Givenchy

Coco Chanel was creating fashion since 1910 but in the 1950s she created the famous ‘Chanel Suit’ as we still know it now. It is a slim tweed jacket and skirt with contrasting bound edges. It is an elegant look.

1950s Chanel

Fashion icons of the 1950s were stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Sophia Loren, James Dean, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelley. They were the first to showcase the fashion.

Audrey Hepburn mainly wore Givenchy gowns. Audrey epitomised elegance and was an example of less is more. She always relied on her little black dress when out on the town. Her pixie haircut was her trademark.

1950s Fashion Icon – Audrey Hepburn

Marilyn Monroe was one of the greatest and most recognisable fashion icons of all time, she defined glamour for generations to come. She was famous for her platinum blonde hair, red lips and her beauty spot.

1950s Fashion Icon – Marilyn Monroe

Elvis Presley was the poster boy of the 1950s. He invented his own brand of preppy rockabilly. His style was biker chic, guyliner and high waisted trousers.

1959s Fashion Icon – Elvis

Sophia Loren made famous the fashion item eyeliner. Also her hourglass figure accentuated her feminine fashion style.

1950s Fashion Icon – Sophia Loren

James Dean was one of the most handsome and iconic men of the 1950s. Dean has an effortless fashion style with his leather jacket, blue denim jeans and collars always up.

1950s Fashion Icon – James Dean

Brigitte Bardot wearing a bikini in the Cannes Film Festival, 1953, stole the show. This secured the bikini as a must have fashion item.

1950s Fashion Icon – Brigitte Bardot

Elizabeth Taylor’s style was brave, admirable and inspirational. She loved elegant jewels. Elizabeth liked to push boundaries with fashion and start trends, with her plunging neck lines, fur wraps, feather boas and eye catching head pieces.

1950s Fashion Icon – Elizabeth Taylor

Grace Kelly both on screen and off screen outfits, were the most talked about and copied of the decade. Her wedding dress in 1956 was one of the most memorable and elegant wedding dresses of all time. Grace epitomised classic and timeless beauty with her wardrobe.

1950s Fashion Icon – Grace Kelly

1950s fashion was, without a doubt, one of the fashion industries favourite decades. What do you love about 1950s fashion? I would love to hear.

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Ridiculously Retro Xx

Guide to Shopping Rockabilly

Jan27

My aim is to help people that are just starting to love and wanting to live the rockabilly way.  Here are some of my favourite labels that you can look out for when wanting to purchase a Rockabilly outfit.

  1. Lindy Bop  https://www.lindybop.com.au/ – Lindy Bop has stunning rockabilly dresses and skirts. They have such a wide and stunning range in traditional styles.
  2. Kitten D’Amour https://kittendamour.com – Kitten D’Amour have gorgeous rockabilly dresses, skirts and tops. You will adore visiting their shops, they are so glamorous and full of great accessories to accompany all your outfits.
  3. Hell Bunny https://www.facebook.com/hellbunnyclothing/ – Hell Bunny have a great variety of rockabilly dresses, skirts, pants, and tops. This is one of my very favourite brands to buy. I just love their 1940s inspired dresses, they really suit my body shape.
  4. Sourpuss https://www.sourpussclothing.com/ -Sourpuss would also be one of my favourite brands. They have great diner style dresses that I just love! They have a huge rockabilly variety in pants, skirts, dresses and tops. Sourpuss have great Christmas dresses and a variety of Halloween dresses and skirts. I have purchased a few as I love dressing up for special occasions.
  5. Liquor Brand https://www.sourpussclothing.com/brands/liquorbrand – Liquor Brand have some really unique and stylish tops and dresses. They also produce great rockabilly handbags. One of my most worn outfits in wintertime is their cherry print top and leggings that I accompany with my black pinafore dress
  6. Dangerfield https://shop.dangerfield.com.au/ -Dangerfield have great rockabilly dresses and skirts with different prints being released each season. These are great choices as they often make matching cardigans which mean your dresses can also be worn in winter time with a cardigan
  7. Revival https://shop.dangerfield.com.au/ – Revival also have great dresses in 60s or 50s style. They are really cute and in adorable prints.
  8. Princess Highway https://shop.dangerfield.com.au/ -Princess Highway do the cutest prints in their rockabilly dresses and skirts. I have so many different styles in this brand and there is new prints coming out each season.
  9. H&R Hearts https://www.handrlondon.com/ – I don’t own any items in this brand but I investigated the brand online and there is some really pretty rockabilly dresses to choose. I might have to purchase one! Lol
  10. Collectif https://www.collectif.cpo.uk/ – Collectif are another brand that produces gorgeous rockabilly dresses and skirts. I have a few of their items in my wardrobe, mainly tops and skirts but they are great to accompany some of my outfits.
  11. Voodoo Vixen https://www.voodoovixen.co.uk/ -Voodoo Vixen is another glamorous brand with designs by Micheline Pitt. She produces great T-shirt’s that I have a few in my wardrobe. She also designs lovely tops, skirts and dresses and produces a great makeup range to add to your pinup look.
  12. Banned https://www.bannedapparel.co.uk/ – Banned Apparel is a fun brand for rockabilly dresses and skirts. This brand has a lot of other styles available but it does also accomodate rockabilly styles.
  13. Chic Star https://www.chicstar.com/ – Chic star release great pencil skirts for a rockabilly look. I own a few and I find they are great for working in the office. They look professional while still keeping your rockabilly look. They also have great 50s full skirts and dresses.
  14. Steady Clothing http://www.steadyclothing.com/ – Steady clothing accomodate men and women’s rockabilly clothes. They also have a range of rockabilly bridal dresses, if you need one.

 

I hope this helps you find the dress brand that best suits your rockabilly taste. Let me know your favourite brand or any brands not listed.

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Ridiculously Retro Xx