Just button, wrap, tie...

I have once again destroyed my budget for this month by purchasing far too many beautiful items of clothing! I really just can't help myself at times, especially when I find a vintage piece that is far too good to be true. :)

One blogger that I absolutely adore is Fleur de Guerre over at "Diary of a Vintage Girl"... not only is she gorgeous, but her style is amazing and she has a wardrobe that quite literally takes my breath away. Her favorite vintage brand is Swirl, a line that was originally conceived to be a wrap-around apron (more information can be found in this article, written by Fuzzylizzie) and ended up as a wrap-around dress. One step above a housedress, to be exact! Anyways, ever since I began reading about the brand on Fleur's blog, I decided that I just had to buy one for myself. So I began searching... and I found that not only do they tend to be hard to find (especially in Germany), but they can also be extremely expensive.

Luckily, I finally managed to locate two on Etsy and although they are from the 1960's, they were reasonably priced and I am very happy with them. Depending on just how much I love them, I will probably continue my hunt in the hopes of expanding my collection.

"Lack of control" example #1: An adorable 1960's Swirl dress with wine and grapes... I admit, I love wine (glass, bottle or entire vineyard), so I feel this dress was made for me or at least was waiting for me to come along and excercise my frivolous spending tendencies. Courtesy of denisebrain on Etsy!

"Lack of control" example #2: A psychedelic 1960's Swirl dress with a neon flowered skirt. Bright colors usually look horrible on me, but I am convinced that the black bodice will be my saving grace! Courtesy of RaraeAves on Etsy!

Now that my bank account is practically gasping for breath, all of the other "too good to be true" pieces will have to wait until I get paid next week. That, or the boyfriend will have to sacrifice his funds! :)

A new creative venture...

When my grandmother passed away last year, she left me all of her creative bits and bobs... a sewing machine, a tin of vintage buttons collected throughout the years, fabric from the 1960's and 1970's, bags upon bags of yarn and knitting needles, and a whole slew of patterns for incredibly ridiculous 1980's sweaters. She was an extremely glamourous woman and a very talented seamstress and knitter, who made most of her own clothing from patterns and personal designs. I, on the other hand, have always dreamed of creating my own line of clothing, but have never actually gotten around to doing anything other than mending a few holes on various dresses and tops. Up until now, my new found collection of creative bits and bobs has remained locked away in a closet. Frankly, I have been too scared to get anywhere near the sewing machine or fabric for fear of destroying them.

To assuage my fears, I have started reading several blogs dedicated to sewing and have also been watching various sewing-related videos on YouTube. What a great website, by the way! One of the blogs that caught my attention is written by Gertie over at "Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing". Her inspiration comes from "Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing", a guide of 14 Vogue patterns written in 1952 and claiming to make the reader a seamstress. After reading through her blog and looking at the book, I decided that this would be my ticket to becoming the fabulous vintage seamstress I have always imagined. So I hopped on Google to find the book and the only copy I could find was on Amazon... selling for $111! I almost cried.

However, in a weird twist of fate, my mother called the other evening to tell me about all of the vintage patterns she purchased for me on Ebay. She had even managed to buy a book of vintage sewing patterns, although she couldn't remember the name of it and wasn't even quite sure if it would be helpful to me. I wasn't sure either, but I logged into her Ebay account to check it out... low and behold, the book turned out to be "Vogue's New Book for Better Sewing" and she had only paid $25 for it! I couldn't believe it!

I am so incredibly happy and can't wait to get my hands on the book... hopefully, the book's promise is fulfilled and I am magically transformed into a better seamstress! I'll be sure to debut my first completed masterpiece on here. :)

A very vintage giveaway...

I just came across an amazing giveaway hosted by The Glamorous Housewife over at "Tales of a Retro-Modern Housewife". In celebration of her 100th post and 50th follower, she is giving away this beautiful pair of vintage turquoise clip-on earrings to one lucky winner...

They would definitely be a stunning addition to any vintage outfit, so if you are a fan of vintage jewelry or just love all things shiny, head over to her blog and enter for yourself! :)

Of playsuits and rompers...

When rompers and playsuits first re-entered the fashion scene, I was forced to reminisce about the 80's when my mother would constantly attempt to force a tomboy me into wearing rompers during the summer. Rompers were right up there with skorts in my book and upon their revival, I couldn't help but think of them in an ugly and unflattering light.

But, as many trends seem to do these days, the style started to grow on me... not the full-on bodysuits, but rather the short ensembles with cute designs and belted waists. I will admit that I am now in search of my very own romper, preferably vintage or at least vintage-style. Some of the more 1940's pin-up style rompers are absolutely gorgeous, but I haven't been able to find one as of yet because I was a bit late in the "warming up to the trend" department. So in the event that I can't find my very one-of-a-kind lovely, I would definitely settle for any one of these:

Ditsy Floral Playsuit from TopShop

Military Romper from ASOS

Dirty Martini Romper from ModCloth

When those blustery winds start blowing...

Although the weather in Munich improved miraculously over the weekend, the constant rain and gloom from the last week and a half managed to dampen my hopes of ever having a proper summer. As pessimistic as it may be, I have pretty much given up on anything summer-esque this year and have decided instead, to focus on the impending fall.

As fall is my favorite time of the year, I'm not exactly dreading the official end of summer and actually have quite a lot to look forward to. When I lived in New England, I loved watching the leaves ignite into a showcase of colors and spent most of my time picking apples or walking in the woods. Sadly, all the leaves do in Germany is turn yellow and brown before coating the ground with dead, soggy bits. And picking apples is near impossible unless you happen to have a farm or an apple tree growing in your backyard... which I don't. So that really only leaves me with the biggest beer festival in the world (Oktoberfest) and the prospect of resurrecting some of my favorite "warm weather" outfits. Both are wins! :)

Like most people, my fall wardrobe tends to contain the following colors: pumpkin orange, army green, eggplant purple and of course, black and gray (come to think of it, black and gray are my staple colors for almost every outfit). I absolutely adore cozy cardigans, high-waisted skirts, form-fitting dresses and colorful tights, so these items will once again be making an appearance this fall. However, I do need to stock up on just a few more items before my wardrobe is rounded out- mainly, a few warm dresses and some winter accessories.

I did find these two 1950's dresses on German Ebay recently, which has actually been providing a decent selection of vintage clothes as of late. In total, I paid 12€ for both dresses and that includes shipping! I couldn't believe my luck, especially because they are both the perfect mix of fall colors. I found a great pair of 1950's brown leather pumps last week in one of my favorite thrift stores and they should fit quite nicely with the first dress... I'll have to find a more appropriate pair of shoes for the second dress, mainly because the pattern has so much potential. Either way, I'll be pairing both of these dresses with stockings and a cozy cardigan. :)

Oh, and I submitted to a guilty pleasure last night while perusing the internet... they may not be vintage, but I cannot seem to get enough of sky-high platform heels or peeptoe boots. I have been drooling over the versions done by Yves Sanit Laurent, Christian Louboutin and Charlotte Olympia, but the price tags just don't (and probably never will) fit my budget. So I've been on the hunt for an affordable take on this season's catwalk must-have and guess what? I managed to find the perfect combination on the H&M website for €39,90! Fits my budget and the design is definitely a win. SWOON! Not exactly sure what I will pair them with yet, probably just a funky skirt and some colorful tights, but I am counting down the days until they arrive on my doorstep and I can wear them outside. :)

It's a mod, mod world...

Although it can be difficult to find fabulous vintage pieces in Germany, I have built up a healthy wardrobe practically exploding with a slew of vintage dresses and skirts, retro t-shirts, gorgeous high heels, and funky accessories. I tend to go through stages when it comes to shopping, latching on to one particular style, era or brand and buying pieces until my wallet can't take anymore abuse. Terrible, I know! :)

At the moment, I am loving anything 1960's- despite being a 1950's girl through and through, I can't deny how absolutely amazing mod dresses and shoes are. I'm particularly drawn to A-line dresses because they tend to fit perfectly and the high neckline means that I can easily cover certain tattoos when at the office (more about that later). Plus, who can resist the bright colors and funky details?

My latest find in this category? A 1960's "Stewardess" dress, bright blue with arrow-point pockets and white piping. Because German Ebay doesn't always have the best selection of authentic vintage clothing, I had to swallow the thought of extortionate shipping fees and order this lovely from US Ebay. Definitely worth the cost of shipping and the potential threat of having the package stopped at Customs... can't wait until it actually arrives!



I have always been a fan of wingtips and saddle shoes, but since my trusty Doc Martens bit the dust years ago, I have never been able to find another pair that I really loved. However, after I bought the "Stewardess" dress, I came across these in the seller's other auctions. They quite literally took my breath away and I managed to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to bid on them. Hopefully, they arrive soon because I can't wait any longer!

Both of these pieces will be great additions to my "fall" wardrobe, especially the dress because I can either wear a long-sleeved shirt underneath or a cardigan over it. Wingtips and brogues are back in style this season, so the shoes will be the staple to several of my outfits. They are sure to make a statement with a pair of colored tights and a vintage dress or skirt!

P.S.

For those who are interested, the seller I bought these items from has a great store on Ebay... she sells a lot of great vintage dress, shoes and other treats. http://myworld.ebay.com/intrigueu4ever/

New beginnings...

Because I have spent so much of my time in the past few months lurking various fashion-related blogs, I decided it was time to take the plunge and start my own. I have always been interested in fashion, but prior to moving to Europe, most of my outfits consisted of jeans, t-shirts and hoodies (albeit with a snazzy touch). While this is nothing to be ashamed of, I have to admit that my un-creative style was based on more on lack of inspiration rather than enthusiasm. Moving across the ocean two years ago provided me with a completely different outlook on fashion and most of all, helped me re-create and tweak my own style.

Since I was a little girl, I have been in love with another era and obsessed with everything vintage. My mother collects antiques and used to have her own antique shop, meaning that I spent many hours learning about the wonders of times gone by... you name it, I can probably tell you something about it. To this day, I would still much rather get lost in a vintage boutique or a thrift store than the mall. Not only are the pieces truly unique, but they have lasted through the ages (despite some of the more modern clothing I own) and haven't lost an ounce of glamour. And perhaps the best part of all is that vintage pieces can be easily incorporated into today's fashions... all it takes is a bit of inspiration and creativity!

This blog will be filled with a showcase of amazing vintage pieces, tips and tricks on how to incorporate vintage into a modern-day wardrobe, how to create great looks on the cheap and anything else that possibly falls into the vintage or modern fashion-related category. :)

For anyone who loves fashion, may it be vintage or modern, welcome to my blog!