Daily Outfit – Leopard Print Love
Yep, I’ve been at it again. Finally I found some time to make myself another pair of those high waisted jeans I love so much. They are light weight, comfortable and just about the best pants I think I’ve ever made. Today’s outfit post is also a very good example of why I started taking outfit photos. Sometimes things look one way in your mirror and quite differently once you head out. It wasn’t until I looked at these shots on the camera that I realised just how transparent the top was and just why choosing a white bra was a bad idea! Straight off the change it before I headed out then. So you’ll have to forgive the bad choice of undergarments here and rest assured that I didn’t spend the day like that!
Sheesh.. I am so glad I took these photos and checked things before I left!
Outfit Details:
Leopard print top – Zara (Singapore) High waisted pants – designed and made by me
Snood – Lindy Charm School for Girls Pearl Bow Earrings – Equip
Cream Bow Bangle – Friends of Couture LOVE ring – Equip
Hair bow (almost out of shot) – My Little Rockabilly
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Will The Real SKM Please Stand Up?
Last week I received this email from a reader….
“I found your blog recently and absolutely love your girly inspirations. I’m glad there are sharers in the world, yay the WWW.
As an eighties teenager I was raised with no fashion sense at all, (in some ways that may be a lucky coincidence of fate) so I was wondering if i may ask, is everything in your wardrobe of matching fashion, is it all in your style on these pages? I wonder whether period fashionista’s have two fashion lives or its all the way?” – B
… to which I (of course) began penning a very long and involved reply. Once I realised it was going to be a short essay I figured it would be something to share with you all, so here is my answer.
If I understand correctly what she is asking is, is everything I own vintage style or do I have a “normal” wardrobe as well? I can’t answer for all other vintage enthusiasts, only myself.
To answer as best as I can, I am not a vintage purist. What I mean by that is that I will happily mix a 1950’s dress with modern shoes or a 1940’s jacket with a Disney headband (yep, I’ve done that at Fashion week). I’ve been collecting and wearing vintage for close to twenty two years now, and find that I wear it with varying intensity over different times in my life. There are indeed times that I wear head to toe vintage, from the hairstyle to the earrings to the shoes; everything is period accurate; but this could be for a variety of reasons. I understand that there are many enthusiasts out there that participate in “Re-Creation” types of events, which is something I have yet to experience. However, outside of specific modelling engagements where I might be hired for this purpose, there is no real rhyme or reason for when I decide to frock up in that manner. It could be just about anything, even a dreaded visit to the supermarket that motivates me to spice it up a little.
Going vintage all the way!
Do I have more than one wardrobe? Yes. But not in the way you might expect. I have (to be honest) about three wardrobes on the go at any one time, and this is to cater to space limitations. If I had a dream walk in robe with a place for everything, then I’d only have one. As it is I have it spilt across three areas in my own room, my guest room and my studio. I divide it up by things that are currently out of season, things that need repair or alteration and things that are in current rotation. It may sound fabulous but believe me it is a never ending source of angst trying to manage such a cobbled together system. The one thing you will not find…. the old jeans and t-shirt or logoed tracksuit anywhere to be seen.
I don’t have an “on duty / off duty” wardrobe, so everything you see on the blog is the way I dress, all the time. Yes, sometimes it is more theatrical and intense for specific purposes like show casing that amazing gown from Violetville earlier in the week, but you will also find that most of it is just my day to day look. I don’t fluff about styling fancy photo shoots in things I don’t actually wear, just for the purpose of this blog. Frankly, with two small children to get fed and out of the house on time I just don’t have the time, and when evening comes around I certainly don’t have the energy. 99% of my Daily Outfit photos have to be done in two minutes flat on the front porch.
While I believe that you can add more glamour and magic to your everyday life through what you wear, there are times when I have to make compromises and times when I just don’t have it in me to go the whole nine yards in dolling up. However, my version of dressing down or casual, seems to be a bit different to the generally held standard these days. The only time you will find me in a dressing gown for the whole day, I must be near death’s door with illness, only appearing from the bedroom to garner more sympathy.
I do own and wear gym clothes (like these), but they will only be seen in the gym or enroute – not picking up the shopping or hanging out for coffee. Now that is not to say that I expect the same from everyone else, it is just that for me if I spend a day dressed like this I don’t feel like myself and that doesn’t make me happy.
Makeup free (if you don’t count lipbalm) going to the gym.
I don’t always wear makeup. There are times and days when it just isn’t appropriate. If I know I’ll be spending the entire day out in the garden working hard (ish), then I will usually be seen in my solitary pair of jeans, huge hat, bare faced only with slatherings of sunscreen and lipbalm. Attempting to reapply 40+spf over a full face of makeup whilst also attempting to keep dirt out of your eyes is just ridiculous. Besides which, with a slathering a red lipbalm and huge dark sunnies that is enough glamour for my rose bushes to handle!
I also try to have at least one makeup free day a week. A day to let my skin relax, breath and have a bit of a DIY facial. This is not as relaxing as it sounds however, as it is usually accompanied by screams of feigned terror at the Mama Monster and her masked face. I attempt to salvage my glamour factor in these instances by wearing a fabulous vintage dressing gown, sipping tea (whilst Tweeting) and imagining myself away.
So B, I hope this is the answer you were looking for, and for everyone else I hope this gives you a better picture of who I am. The short answer is that everything you see on this blog is me. There is no alter ego, no hidden stylist, no pro photographer. The reason I began writing this blog and the reason I am so passionate to spend a large chunk of my life on it is to show that should you wish to, it IS POSSIBLE to make your life a little bit more glamorous.
You don’t need to be rich or famous, you don’t need to be artistic or have a team of specialists on hand.
You just need to want it and be courageous!
What to Wear in Late Summer
Feburary is one of the hardest months to find wardrobe inspiration in for me. Here in Australia it is generally as hot as anything, and it has been for a while. So our enthusiasm for fresh summer looks is on on the wane. The stores start teasing us with thoughts of Autumn showers, but the sun still insists on frying us to a crisp. This week I’ve taken another imaginary shopping trip, delving into the reaches of my sweating subconcious, to put together some late summer outfits to inspire your days.
Light, bright, Ice Queen chic. Looking like a stylish snowflake will take the heat off!
For party or for play, baby blue envelopes you in a cool breeze as you dream of the sea.
They say that green is the most relaxing colour, and the colour most often chosen by geniuses. Either way, frogs and frills most certainly go together in this look to take you away from it all.
Red may be the colour of passion, but add lots of rosey pink and it is all girly love. It is summer showers and raspberry kisses with a nice tall sangria as the sun goes down…
To see the details of any of the items in these outfits, simply click on the image and follow the link.
See if you can come up with your own monochromatic masterpiece from what you have in your wardrobe – and NO- black does not count this time!
Feeling inspired yet?
Cooking with….
On Sunday I cooked.
Not just my usual cooking for necessity that has been the only real activity my kitchen has seen in the last twelve months, but real honest to goodness cooking for fun. I was quite thrilled to be included in an afternoon with some of Melbourne’s fabulous food bloggers, as they took pity on my less than spectacular culinary skills and taught me the secrets of making Dumplings!
Now dumplings may just be my favorite food in the whole entire world. I’ve been known to put plans on hold and drive half way across town for a fix. Now, thanks to the kindness of my new food blogging friends, I can gorge myself on these delights anytime!
Photo Credits: I Take Photos
What made me laugh was all the compliments I got on my dumpling pleating skills. It seems that as a Fashion blogger in a food bloggers world, I did have something to offer after all!
Expect more delicious delights as this little adventure has whetted my appetite.
A Romantic Makeup Look for Valentines Day
I’ve been experimenting with different makeup colours and styles this year. Lots of pinks, purples and even a bit of sparkle. One of the looks you’ve loved and asked for a tutorial on is this one, I call it my Romantic Makeup.
I am wearing lashes in these shots, but I’ve skipped them in the tutorial to keep it simple.
Also, because I didn’t get a good shot of the shadow I was using on camera, here is a detailed shot for you.
I’ve used the middle colour as the main base for this look and the darkest for the contour. I’ve also used a seperate purple shadow in the footage mainly because I’d already used up all the purple in this palette! I love these shadows and they way you can get very different looks by using them as either wet or dry. Hypo allergenic, fragrance free and suitable for contact lense wearers, these are a great inexpensive buy at $19.99 a pop from Priceline.
I’d love to see how this one works for you. Send me a link if you try it for yourself!
Our Hideo Wakamatsu and Kodak Winners are…
After much deliberation over all the outstanding entries to The Contest of the Year, the winners have finally been chosen.
Congratulations to ICY who has won the First Prize of…
A gift voucher from Hideo Wakamatsu to the value of $700!
&
The Kodak zi8 in red just like mine!
This was her entry..
……….
If I could choose, my
Own perfect adventure, I’d
Leave now for Japan.
To stroll the byways
Of the old town of Kyoto.
Heart-stone of Nihon.
I would walk beneath
Falling Sakura blossoms
And watch the sky swirl.
Filled now with treasures,
My Sakura trolley case.
And memories special,
Saved forever, safe,
Within cherry z-i-8.
Some day soon. I’ll wait.
………
And coming in as our Runner up receiving a prize of..
A gift voucher from Hideo Wakamatsu to the value of $300
is Susan L for this entry..
……
Amble along the Otway Fly tree top walk (done)
houseBoat along the Murray River
Capture new memories using my Kodak i80
Discover Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain
Explore the Great Barrier Reef
Finish the day with a Barossa Valley wine
Gorge on King Island cheese and beef
Hug a koala
Immerse ourselves in the colours of the Outback
Jostle with the crowds at the Tiwi Islands football final
Kayak the Bells Rapids at Perth
Luxuriate on Hayman Island
be aMazed by Aboriginal rock art
have fuN at the Gold Coast theme parks
Ogle the costumes in the Sydney Mardi Gras
Promenade along Brighton Pier
inQuire … into absolutely everything!
Ramble around Port Arthur
Swim with the dolphins at Monkey Mia
Tour the country with gorgeous Hideo Wakamatsu suitcase
admire Uluru
marVel at the Sydney Harbour Bridge (done)
Wander the Bondi Beach coastal walk
eXperience the Blue Mountains Skyway
Yell with the crowds at the Melbourne Cup, and
snooZe the night away in a Coober Pedy underground hotel
……..
Congratulations to both the winners and a big thank you to everyone who entered. There is some amazing talent out there amongst Super Kawaii Mama readers!
Of course a HUGE thank you must go to Hideo Wakamatsu for supplying such an incredibly generous prize of their amazing and superior luggage, as well as to Kodak for allowing me to share the joy of perfection that is their new digital mini HD video camera, the Zi8.
I come across some truly fabulous products in writing this blog and it is even more fantastic when I get to share them with you.
WIN a Gift Voucher from Violetville Vintage!
To celebrate the launch of the amazing new Violetville Vintage webstore, the delightful Tina is giving Super Kawaii Mama readers the chance to win a $50USD gift voucher to spend on some of her pretties!
I first came across Violetville and their Ebay store back in 2008, and was immediately impressed by the calibre and quality of the pieces they have on offer. All the things that are rarities, even in the best vintage stores here in Australia. Frothy prom dresses, immaculately tailored 1940’s suits, beautifully embroidered 1930’s evening gowns and highly covetable YSL. I have a small heart attack every time I visit their store from the sheer fabulousness of it all!
I’ve featured my Violetteville crushes here before. Pieces I just fell in love with and had to share. But today’s outfit is something extra special…a 1930’s Honeymoon gown courtesy of Miss Tina herself at Violeville.
So what is all this about winning a gift voucher to the Violetville store? All you need to do is to add youself to the all new Violetville mailing list and you’ll be entered to win a $50 USD gift voucher to spend in the store! Click here to enter and then just leave me a comment on this post.
Entires close on the 18th Feburary and the winner will be choosen by a random number generator.
You don’t have to do any fancy tricks for this one – just become a part of the stunning world of Violetville!
Of course I had such a lovely time in this gown I couldn’t resist putting together a little montage for you….
Super Fun Hair Time!
Hold onto your hats friends, because today’s hair tutorial is a never before attempted feat of daring!
Two of my blogging buddies (who are also well known for creating fun and interesting tutorials) and I were having a little chat one evening when we came up with this idea. It went something like this, “Hi Violet, Hi Cheesie. You know how much we love doing awesome hair tutorials? Well how about we try this?”
It is a simple and fun hair do you’ve seen me wear an casual days and asked for a tutorial on. It’s also one you can customise to your own style.
Enjoy!
You can visit the awesome Violet Le Beaux and Cheesie to see more of their fun tutorials!
Shopping for Vintage in Singapore
I’ve been asked the question recently about where to buy vintage in Singapore? I haven’t had the opportunity to do a totally exhaustive investigation, but when I get the chance to spend a week or two doing nothing but visit Singapore’s vintage scene, you’ll be the first to know!
In the meantime I thought I’d let you know about two favorites that I actually have had a chance to visit.
First up.. Dust Bunny Vintage.
I came across Dust Bunny when hunting online for some examples of good quality vintage bags. I was so impressed with their range and variety as well aas the calibre of what they had. I was thrilled last week to receive an email telling me that they have just revamped not only their online store but their real world store too, and now have over 700 sq feet full of vintage dresses, hats, shoes, bags and jewelry! That is a lot of vintage! Not only do they have so much stock that you’ll need to spend the day there and take a packed lunch,but they even offer inhouse alterations and customisations. So no more buying something that just ends up living in your project pile for a year. If you’re looking for great iconic 1970’s, a bit of Philip Lim or Alexander Wang, then this is the place to be.
They can be found at :
- Blk 112 #01-203 Bukit Purmei Road, Singapore 090112
As I wandered through Haji Lane (a must do expereince for tourists in Singapore I’m told), I came across a delightful little store where a ginger cat wandered around my feet and another snoozed on the window sill. It was calm, light and airy; something not often associated with vintage stores, but in the case of Dulcet Fig they have the perfect mix of old and new. Everything is well displayed and can be clearly seen, so no digging around is necessary. They carry both their own Dulcet Fig label as well as a selection of vintage. The vintage pieces consist mainly of cute little 1970’s frocks and a good range of accessories.
Dulcet Fig can be found at 41 Haji Lane, Singapore
If you have any favorite vintage stores in Singapore you’d like to recomend, then please leave me a comment. But they must actually carry vintage to make it onto my list, not just second hand or vintage inspired. If I get a good enough list together then perhaps there may be another investigative trip on the horizon sometime soon!
What are your experiences with vitnage in Singapore? Can you find what you want or if you’re a real vintage lover like me, do you simply look online for everything you need?
In Defence of Princesses
It seems Princesses are getting a bad rap again. Mia Freedam wrote this piece the other day about why “Princesses Piss Her Off”. All this talk about “there are no Happily Ever After’s” and “Why doesn’t Cinderella go to Tafe?” – is missing the point entirely. It is about FANTASY!
Too many people spend their lives wallowing in misery, delighting in the misfortunes of others to make themselves feel better or perhaps bitching at fairytales as false advertising. These are the same people that never seem to look on the bright side, find the silver lining or make the best of it with a smile… like a Princess would do.
Now we are not talking about REAL Princesses here. Not your Diana’s and Mary’s, but your Cinderella’s, Mulan’s and Giselle’s (a personal favorite). Those often told stories of gowns, fairy godmothers and Princes as well as those that have been animated several times over. I find it entirely riddiculous that Snow White can be derided for her (animated) diminuative waist and its unrealistic proporations when you consider the context of the story; with Wicked Queens, Poison Apples and Seven small men who mine for carts full of diamonds each day! If we are going to go after Snow White for her dietary restrictions then certainly we must equally expect birds to come and clean our house when we whistle for them. The argument that our children will grow up with a warped sense of reality or expectation of an immenently arriving Prince, also assume that the same children will live in squalor until the forest folk come in to spritz the place up. Frankly, if you think your children will grow up warped from having these girls as role models then perhaps you should step in and bridge the gap to broaden their education rather than burning poor Ariel at the stake.
So we know I think this “Princesses are the Anti-Christ and leaders of the feminine enslavement movement” are just bollocks. But just why do I love them?
Firstly, because they are stories I can pick and choose which elements I want to take away from them. As a child I grew up reading loads of Agatha Christie, but you won’t find me in the parlor walloping someone with a candle stick on a Saturday night. Here is what I choose to take away for my own indulgent uses:
Cleaning - Cleaning, when done with a song or at least music, is infinetly more plesant. Cleaning in a sweeping skirt and tiara is the bees knees.
Big Skirts - Petticoats, swishy skirts and dresses make you feel a million bucks on the inside and make you smile on the outside – especially when you catch a breeze.
Animals: Having animals as friends makes you happy.
Appearances can be decieving: Just because it looks like a metaphorical shiny red apple, doesn’t mean it is always good for you.
Beauty shines from within: Whether they were a frog or a beast, there was a good hearted Princess who looked past her fear or prejudices and sought to know the goodness of the person inside.
Princesses have manners: Enough said.
Choose what you take from the story to build your own Princess perfect fairytale.
