Vintage

It’s the Modern Jazz Age

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Happy New Year!

2020 has finally arrived and it feels as though there should be robots wondering around on the streets by this point. But luckily a robot/alien invasion isn’t on the cards as all the movies have led us to believe, and instead we’ve been reminiscing about the 1920’s.  Like a dream come true, we (comprising of me, my boyf and his sister) hosted a roaring 20’s party to lead us into the New Year. As a pivotal time in fashion, I have always felt so inspired by the 20’s due to the glitz and glamour of the dresses, jewellery, androgynous hairstyles and the parties. As the quintessential novel of that decade, Great Gatsby showcased the excessive opulence of the era in addition to atrocities that were often masked by such conspicuous extravagance. But problematic events aside, the fashion was glorious and I had so much fun putting my costume together as inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s movie.

The dress was from my mum’s wardrobe, as they always are, which she purchased a couple of decades ago. I found this wig from Spotlight which looked nothing like the assigned photo and the description of ‘1920s Flapper Wig’. I’m thinking it gives off more Pulp-Fiction-Uma-Thurman vibes, or even Dora the Explorer, but that’s fine. I wore it with my leather, round-toe shoes from Florence and a white opal necklace.

Needless to say, my priorities were NOT sorted and I failed to get any individual photos. The obligatory front pose, side pose and back pose to show the outfit from 360 degrees was noticeably absent as I was too busy hosting. So the photos where my boyfriend performs the same pose in every shot will have to do. He’s trying to be Leo, just BTW.

Trying to be poised and dignified….

…Until we’re not

So just like that Christmas and New Year’s is done and dusted.

On a more serious note, it feels somewhat odd to be celebrating when disastrous bushfires are burning right across the country, and they’re showing no sign of slowing down. The climate crisis is is real, it’s here and it’s deadly. It’s also downright terrifying. But I’m grateful for these moments I can have with my friends and family, where we can join together and enjoy some laughs, have a dance and be safe. Others are not so fortunate and are unable to celebrate with their loved ones over this holiday period as they continue to battle the fires. I can’t pretend to know what that’s like, but I hope that this year we can all work together to mitigate the effects of climate change. Let’s all try to look after each other in 2020, and have a safe and happy New Year.

Thanks for stopping by! x

A Night at the Grand Budapest

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

My lovely sister and I headed to the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne on the weekend for a Grand Budapest Hotel-themed soiree. As big fans of the Wes Anderson film, we couldn’t miss the chance to attend this Underground Cinema event and to get all dressed up in our 1930s gear. We will take any opportunity to dress up – especially if it’s fancy.

Sorting out a 1930s-themed outfit was tough work, as it’s not considered a prominent time for fashion. I had to scour the internet for inspiration, then burrow into my wardrobe to find something resembling the trends, until finally I had no other choice but to rummage through mum’s wardrobe. As always, she provided the goods. I found this sparkly Cue dress that at least had the classic length of the 1930s and a little flair at the hem. Then I added her faux fur black cape, black evening gloves and some low heels. Even in the 1930s I’m sure I wouldn’t have been low-key, so I thought I’d go full glam on this occasion.

The actual event was super fun. Everyone threw themselves into the spirit of things, with all the guests dressed to the nines and actors wearing purple uniforms like the hotel staff in the movie. With ballroom dancers and hilarious acting sequences keeping us entertained, there were food and drinks to keep us happy and refreshed.

My sister and I loved going along with the dialogue of the actors, because secretly we just want to become actors ourselves. If they’re looking for volunteers for next year then we’re happy to help! We already have our outfits sorted.

After enjoying the grand environment of the Windsor hotel, we swiftly moved to a nearby church where we enjoyed a viewing of the actual movie. I can’t say I’ve ever watched a movie in a church before, but it was certainly a cool experience (notwithstanding the sore backside by the end of it). And when you’re finishing the night off with a bit of Wes Anderson magic, you can’t go wrong.

Dress: Cue

Shoes: Mimco

Bag: ?

Cape: ?

Thanks for stopping by! x

Seventies Flare

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

When my mum would describe in great detail the outfits she’d proudly don in the late 70s in all their glory, I tried to hide my disgust (not unlike my reaction to 90s fashion). But no matter how ridiculous trends seem at some point, they always tend to return and are re-rationalised as ‘trendy’. A few years ago I would say that you’d never catch me in flares, but I ate my words when I was immediately drawn to these fabulous Stella McCartney flares. They’re sort of impractical in the sense that I always need to wear them with heels as my mum consistently reminds me (“we wore the highest heels to make our legs look extra long!”), but regardless of this limitation they give me pure JOY.

Whenever I pop into these jeans, I feel like I’ve been transported to the 70s. Admittedly this would be a pretty interesting time to experience, based on my knowledge of the 70s stemming from the Bee Gees, Farrah Fawcett and Anchorman. I suppose the inner disco diva (originating from my mother who claims she was a “famous disco diva” in her day) comes out of me and I feel a need to disco-up the outfit further, as shown below by coordinating the jeans with a plunging bodysuit, a wooly red jacket, some dangly big earrings- oh, and some sky high heels, of course. 

As horribly clichéd as it sounds, fashion is so much fun. I can dress like I’m from an expired decade, occasionally receive some funny looks, but remain totally content with the chosen outfit because dressing up is the best fun. And I think the 70s, just like the decades preceding and following it in the 20th century, will continuously deliver the goods despite the evolving world of fashion.

Jacket: Minkpink

Jeans: Stella McCartney 

Bodysuit: Witchery

Bag: Italy 

Boots: Witchery

Thanks for popping by! x

Vintage Party

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Last year, my aunty generously donated to me a heap of her old clothes. The treasure-filled bag contained silky materials, some sequins and plenty of shoulder pads- a homage to their 80s roots. Most of these clothes were specifically made for her, and in particular she adored this peach A-line dress. 

You can immediately acknowledge the power of well-made clothes by the way they sit on your frame. This dress falls naturally over the waist and gathers into natural pleats in the skirt, forming a flattering silhouette supported by the gorgeous lace that really gives the dress a vintage vibe. To me, it just seems like the ultimate vintage party dress. You can imagine twirling around with the skirt following suit to some jazzy music.

I paired it with Nine West nude court shoes (they are killers to wear, but aren’t they so pretty?) and a pearl embellished clutch. Funnily enough, the jewellery is all vintage with a bracelet I picked up in an op shop and earrings that used to belong to my grandmother.

I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to wear this beautiful dress. My Aunty Mary sure has style. x

A 20s Soiree

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

A fabulous exhibition called ‘Night Life’ is on display at Rippon Lea Estate in Melbourne, featuring original fashion items from the 20s and 30s that were made and worn in Australia. The ‘roaring 20s’ manifested a time of economic prosperity and joy due to the conclusion of the War. Skirt lengths and hairstyles were shorter, and sequins and fine embellishments were all the rage. Although there was reluctance to adopt these new controversial styles that brought fashion into a less conservative era, they soon became accepted in the western world by the mid 20s. Even in the present day, the 20s are known to have produced some of the most desirable and chic fashion of the 20th century.

Elaborately detailed wraps and capes rose to popularity in the 1920s, as can be seen in the above picture where the sheer cape decorates this plain black maxi dress.

This dress exemplifies the look of the 20s with a dropped waist, skirt measured just below the knees, and fine embroidery with sequins.

Floral prints became popular in the 1930s, and obviously this trend was repeated in the 1970s. These historical fashion exhibitions present how trends will always repeat themselves, and how in our own lifetimes, we are bound to experience the same trends a few times over. Nevertheless, style will always be in fashion, and fashion these days is so broad that it is constantly integrating trends from different eras into single outfits. This is also demonstrated by the contemporary Melbourne-based stylists and photographers who have featured their work in this exhibition.

This collection of stunning clothes and accessories made me wonder about the fabulous and fashionable women who wore them. I would have loved to know the stories behind these outfits, and the exciting shenanigans that were performed in them!

Tassels, tassels, and more tassels. These vintage bags were hand beaded with gold clasps and exclusively worn for formal events.

As hemlines became shorter, shoes became an important feature of an outfit as they were constantly on display. These shoes appeared very small and narrow, almost meant for a modern-day child.

How I wish I could be transported into the 1920s for just one night to enjoy a sophisticated society party. If you are in Melbourne, I would highly recommend visiting this lovely exhibition that is open until 30 July.

Follow me on Instagram @ilikeyourshirt_blog for more fashion snaps and musings. Thanks for visiting! x

To the 1950’s and Back

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog
Dungatar is the fictional rural Australian town where the Dressmaker movie is set.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I visited the delightful Dressmaker costume exhibition at Rippon Lea estate and the requirement was to dress in 1950’s get-up. I looked to my history of fashion books for inspiration on the design classics of the 50’s, and naturally had a bit of help from Google. The fashions were classy, accentuated a petite waist and typically involved bags that matched with hats. Fur was a necessity in the winter time, and hair was of utmost importance. I wouldn’t mind travelling back into the 1950’s for fashion purposes, as I love the elegance and femininity that it exuded. There’s a hypnotic power that is conveyed from some of the 1950’s fashion photographs, as the women pictured appear untouchable and formidable with their armour of graceful clothing. The dramatic effect of the black and white filter definitely enhanced that.

I dug deep into my wardrobe and produced a blue mint A-line skirt from Forever New, a vintage lace top from a market and a shapeless winter coat from Asos. My accessories had to be matched with my crutches, so I chose metallic silver for my bag and sparkly loafers.

I stumbled on this issue of hair. I overreached and hit 1960’s territory with this Jacquie Kennedy inspired hairdo. There wasn’t much time to get the curlers out so I let my hair do what it did once I blowdried it, which happened to be flicking up at the ends.

Everyone abided by the dress code and it was so wonderful to see the effort each person had exerted to look as though they had jumped out of a 1950’s film. Women had borrowed their grandmas’ fur stoles, home-made dresses were worn and some must have spent the afternoon wearing hair rollers. Complete with champagne and dancing, it was a fantastic evening of going back in time.

Coat: Asos

Top: Vintage

Skirt: Forever New 

Shoes: Aldo 

Bag: Nine West 

Want to see more of my personal style and fashion musings? Follow me here and on Instagram @ilikeyourshirt_blog ! x

Autumn Leaves & Lace

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

My affinity for white lace has reached its peak in this long-sleeved Sportsgirl dress. I love the conservative sleeves and dress length which gives it a feminine vintage look, and I paired it with my oxblood-coloured satchel and burgundy lips to maximise on the vintage style. There is nothing that signifies the first signs of autumn and winter like dark red lippy with hues of purple. It compliments the grey skies and resembles autumn leaves, and is often worn with white because it contrasts so beautifully. Also, dark red is essentially a winter colour because it is the same colour as wine, and wine is drunk in winter. There you go.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In order to slightly modernise the look, I wore lace-up gladiator sandals.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Dress: Sportsgirl

Satchel: The Leather Satchel Co.

Sandals: Lipstik

Want to see more of my personal style and fashion musings? Follow my Instagram @ilikeyourshirt_blog ! x

Sunshine on a Rainy Day

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Well, judging by the bright hues of green plastering braches and nature strips, spring is well in force but is taking its time to bring the increasing warmth with it. No matter though, in the rare glimpses of summer I tossed off my jeans and let my legs breathe. Ahhh, the unfamiliar yet refreshing feel of a warm breeze. I’m even sporting florals to express my spring jubilation.

The top is actually a playsuit. My growth spurt has forced me to stop wearing it in its natural form due to the over-exposure of, um, flesh.

Playsuit – Forever New

Skirt – Target

Belt- Cotton On

Shoes – Lipstick

Bag – Vintage

Leather in the Fields

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

Leather for winter is like being offered free money: always welcome. And especially this year with a massive revival of the silver-studded biker jackets from a couple of years ago and the clunky leather boots, leather (real or fake) is always on trend for winter one way or another. However I chose to downgrade the edgy, lethal look black leather usually provides by pairing it up with a relatively dainty dress that is often too delicate in appearance to wear on its own. Incorporating my vintage leather jacket balances out the wildly feminine look and also makes the dress wearable in winter, which is a bonus.

Leather jacket- Vintage

Dress- Sportsgirl

Shoes- Lipstik Shoes

Bag- Vintage

Belt- ?  

Spots and Socks

by ilikeyourshirtfashionblog

It was suspiciously not bone-cold chilly the other day which granted me the luxury of deciding not to don a coat outdoors. This was exciting because I don’t own a coat that compliments the dress to my liking, so a single layer could suffice in the pleasant temperature. I bought the dress yonks ago from a small market and thankfully leopard print in public continues to be acceptable, and although I’m not entirely convinced that the kinky print can be pulled off as a beacon of sophistication, I am completely sold on this dress.

The over-the-knee socks worked well in the weather and to liven up the outfit I adopted a vintage bag that I discovered during my annual exploration through my mother’s wardrobe. She may have owned some timeless pieces, but there was plenty of rubbish among the gems that she is convinced will come back in style ‘sometime soon’. I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s 20 years past the time.

Dress- Sweetaeacia

Bag- Vintage

Shoes- Nine West

Socks- DIY made