Day 14

Last night, a group of people seemed to be having a Hen Night at 3am outside my bedroom window, complete with New Kids On The Block blaring out tinnily from a mobile phone. This disrupted my sleep somewhat. Waking up 20 minutes before you are due to leave is never a good thing, especially when you have to take a self-portrait before you go.

I don’t know if tiredness also gives you one giant leg but these are the things there was no time to correct.

I love this pink thing, mainly because I have no idea what it actually is. Someone has lovingly started making it and never finished, which is an all too familiar story for me. I often wonder what it would have ended up as but I do like it in its current incarnation. It makes me think of a 1930s aristo hobby artist, prancing about with gin in hand, which is a good way to make it through a groggy day.

Vintage Pink Chiffon Batwing Shirt – Home made via Jumble Sale

Vintage 80s Silky Tank Top – Marks & Spencer  via PDSA

Vintage 90s Lycra Skirt – Unknown via Car Boot Sale

Day 8

Wednesday, never the best day of the week. In addition, the sky is a very English off-white. What a wishy washy Wednesday needs is a little tropicana.

Though you would not tell by my gloomy expression, I love this newly discovered outfit. The skirt is one from Saturday’s haul. I have a few lycra skirts that are literally just tubes of fabric. They tend to ride up quite a bit, sometimes so much so that you dread standing up and not being sure you’re wearing a skirt anymore. This one has darts and a back split, this one’s going nowhere.

If it rains, I might not be going anywhere either for fear of trashing my shoes. I have only ever worn these twice, once to an art event and once to a work fancy dress. They received compliments at the first and thinly-veiled criticism at the second. I don’t care either way as they are doing a great job of brightening up my day.

I tried to find a link to the company that made them, but I suppose they don’t exist anymore as all I can find is this.

Vintage 80s Tropical Vest – Unknown via Jumble Sale
Vintage 90s Lycra Skirt – Unknown via Car Boot Sale
Vintage 80s Colour Block Shoes – Pimento via Car Boot Sale

Day 7

This is my absolute favourite skirt. My mum bought it for my birthday a few years ago and it has become something of a tradition that it gets wheeled out around Springtime. It’s not quite Spring anymore but maybe it’ll inspire some sunshine.

I love a full skirt and a bit of  volume. I spent a huge part of my childhood drawing ridiculous tiered and hooped dresses with bows, frills and drapes everywhere. They were quite hideous, but  it was the 80s. During a costume exhibit I asked my mum why it was that women did not wear dresses like that anymore, she replied it was because they made it very difficult to get onto buses. Which is a good a reason as any to give a child obsessed by flounce, but who needs buses when you can do this?

 

Vintage rose print full skirt -Mondi via gift.
Black cardigan – Marks & Spencer
Vintage 80s Silky Tank Top – Marks & Spencer via PDSA
Vintage Patent T-bar Heels – Unknown via Sue Ryder

Day 2

I’m going to dress like it’s summer proper, even if it rained for most of the night. There is nothing particularly wrong with this dress, yet I don’t wear it too often. Maybe because it’s simply feminine, no glitter or sparkle or bizarre motifs, just plain and girly. It fits nicely, is really comfortable and I love the oversized floral pattern. In fact, I love the pattern so much that when I took it up (it was below the knee, which made it a bit granny-ish) I kept the remnants and made a bird motif cushion cover. Matching patterns was a very 80s phenomenon; I remember having a matching floral nightdress, dressing gown and duvet set by Laura Ashley. If you wanted (and thank goodness my parents didn’t) you could also buy wallpaper in the same pattern. Wear the whole ensemble at once and you could remain undetected for days.

Vintage 80s blue floral sundress – Dorothy Perkins via Car Boot Sale
Vintage 80s gold and blue sandals – Clarks via Jumble Sale
Vintage bamboo and canvas handbag – Unknown via Jumble Sale.

I am still working on the picture-taking…