DIY: Fresh Princess of Bell Sleeves

If you follow me on Instagram you'll noticed I've been working on altering a dress for Brighton blogger, Sarah Harris (aka English Rose).  Whilst Sarah was thrift shopping in Hove, she bought a dress for £4. She fell in love with the fun geometric print but wasn't too keen on the sleeves and the length of the dress. Knowing that I'm pretty handy with a sewing machine, she asked me if I could work some magic and turn it into her dream dress. Liking a challenge, I couldn't refuse!

Here's a pic of the dress beforehand. As you can see it's quite long and by taking the hem up I was left with a lot of excess fabric. It involved a lot of unpicking but it was worth it, as it gave me an extra 2" to play with. Then with a bit of rouching, sewing and hemming, I had bell sleeves! It completely transformed the style from being quite 90s into a beautiful swinging 60s dress. This is a perfect example of why you shouldn't be put off buying vintage just because the shape or cut of the dress isn't for you. If you find a pattern you love, the dress can always be altered.

I'm so pleased with the results. It's very rewarding knowing I have given this dress a new lease of life and that Sarah is going to get so much pleasure from wearing it. The only problem is that it's given me the bell sleeves bug. I want to add bell sleeves to everything!

So, when you're out shopping and you see something you like and it's not quite right, don't be too hasty putting it back. Have a closer look. It could be transformed into something wonderful! I do this a lot with my thrifty finds (you might remember me transforming a dress I found in Beyond Retro in this previous post) and it's definitely worth asking yourself the following questions...

1. Can it be taken up?  

Changing the length of a dress or trousers can give amazing results. Plus you might be able to use the excess fabric for something else

2. How much seam allowance is there?  

Be careful with thrift items as they don't always have the standard seam allowance that new garments have. Also if something is 2 sizes too small there won't be enough fabric to make it to the desired size.

3. How much will it cost to alter?  

Certain alterations can be quite expensive (especially if there's a lining). Taking up a hem or changing a zip can cost between £10-12. Whilst taking in sides or tapering trouser legs can cost between £15-£20 (these costs are for items without a lining)

4. Are there any holes that aren't on the seam?  

Holes not on the seam are very difficult to cover up, unless you plan to use a patch or applique motif. This might not necessary suit the style of the garment though

Hope this post has inspired you to have a bit more fun with your thrift hunting. If you have any questions or anything you'd like to alter I would love to help. I charge cheap rates :) Simply send me your enquiry to vintageowl@me.com for more info.

Biig love!

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REVIEW: MatchNails

Hello lovelies! I hope that you all had a wonderful half-term and, like me, are now basking in the wonderful silence of a child free house! I had a fun, busy week with Molly but was ready and eager to get back to blogging this morning. I have some very exciting blog posts coming up... I met up with Brighton blogger, Sarah Harris, last week and got some great shots of her wearing THE dress I altered for her. So be sure to return later in the week for my post on that!

Have you heard of MatchNails? Let me introduce you .  .  .

Just before half-term I was invited to visit new nail bar, MatchNails, situated in the heart of the Laines. I jumped at the chance to have a little me time and this little haven was the perfect place for pampering. On the way to my appointment I almost couldn't find the salon as it's tucked away from the hustle and bustle above the handbag and shoe boutique, MatchBags. On arrival I was met by beautician, Verity, who led me up to the nail salon. I was notably distracted on the way up by beautiful Italian leather handbags, on sale on the first and second floor (see pics below on a few of my fave).

On entering the treatment room I was instantly met by the tranquil, light and airy atmosphere. There were two luxury massage chairs in front of an inviting fireplace and a small nail bar for those wanting a quick manicure. I decided to have a Basic OPI gel manicure which entailed nail shaping, cuticle care, hand massage and polish of my choice. This was my first gel manicure so I was excited to find out if it would really last 2-3 weeks with no chips.

The colour I went for was 'OPI on Collins Ave'. I love the red-orange tones! My current favourite lipstick is Mac's Morange and I thought it would compliment my new nails nicely. The service was really good as well, Verity made me feel instantly relaxed and expertly shaped and buffed my nails in prep for my first coat of nail varnish. Once painted, they were cured under a UV lamp. This causes them to dry and harden within seconds.

It's now been 2 weeks since I had my nails done and they've done pretty well considering the bashing they've been through. Baking, making, day trips and nights out - nothing has chipped away at this polish! Only one of the nails has a chip and you can see how much my nails have grown since the treatment too. I love the fact they still have their shine as well. Being a busy mother means I don't always find the time to paint my nails, especially when they only last a day or two, so I don't do it as much as I would like. So, this is the perfect lazy girl manicure for me! I'm just hoping this isn't going to be very damaging to my nails especially as the only way to remove the polish is by having a nail soak.

Have you had a gel manicure before?

Big love,

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IDOL FRIDAY: Mary Quant

It's been 60 years since Mary Quant opened her first boutique, Bazaar, on Kings Road so I thought she would be the perfect choice for this weeks Idol Friday.  She brought fun to fashion by bringing us the mini skirt and hot pants in the 1960s and her use of bold and colourful fabrics has been a big inspiration to me personally.

Quant, 81 last week, started making clothes as a little girl, cutting up bedspreads or any other bits of fabric she could find at home. Eventually she managed to persuade her parents, probably bored of late night raids on the linen cupboard, to send her to Goldsmith's College of Art in London. This is where she met and fell in love with her husband, Alexander Plunket Greene.

When Greene inherited £5000 on his 21st birthday, they teamed up with fellow student and photographer, Archie McNair, and went into business together. In 1955 they rented Markham House  - a three storey building with a restaurant, Alexanders, in the basement and a boutique on the first floor. And so the first Bazaar was born.

Quant started out by purchasing stock for the shop but soon had the frustrating realization that she couldn't find the youthful styles that she was craving for. Never one to be defeated, she started making her own designs and hired a dressmaker to work through the day whilst Quant worked through the night, making sure she had made enough stock to sell in the shop the next day. From the late 1950's she had been experimenting with shorter hemlines, leading to the creation of the miniskirt in 1964. Quant herself would go on to admit that she didn't think it was solely her creation, more a reaction to the demand of the Kings Rd. girls that would visit the shop.

Quant was one of the first designers to bring affordable fashion to the high-street. Before, to keep up with fashion trends, you would either have to visit a couture house or rip a page out of a magazine and take it to a dressmaker. It's easy to see why her simple and clean cut dresses were popular with the London girls of the 60's! The shorter hemlines allowed it's wearer to have more freedom to move and were designed with running for a bus in mind.  Just two years after opening her first shop, she had a team of machinists working for her and was busy opening a second branch in swanky Knightsbridge, with a layout designed by Terence Conran. 

Raincoats from the 'Wet Collection'

In 1962, she entered the American market with J.C Penny and soon enough she was selling her clothes worldwide in over 150 shops. Quant's popular designs gave girls a chance to embrace a fun, affordable and youth defining look. Her bold colours and usage of fun materials was a breath of fresh air from the drab and boring fabrics left by years of war rationing.

When discovering PVC, Quant put together a whole range called the 'Wet Collection', first shown in Paris, 1963. Working with this new fabric was a steep learning curve, taking her 2 years to work out how to effectively use the material and perfecting issues like bonding the sleeves successfully. It was fabulous for making raincoats and she would sew white PVC peter pan collars onto mini dresses giving them a futurist look.

By the Seventies and Eighties, Quant was using her design skills to make other creations. She was the first designer to commercialise tights, as well as an early pioneer for designer cosmetics. Her line of make-up boomed in Japan and was eventually bought by a Japanese company in 2000. She had wonderful opportunities to put her unique style into a number of things such as the chic air hostess uniforms for Court Line Aviation in 1972. I wish uniforms looked like this today. I used to work as cabin crew years ago for Excel Airlines and my uniform was SO boring compared to this!

She also collaborated with Mini Cooper, designing the interior of the Mini Quant in 1988. The car featured black and white striped seats with red trimming, along with red seat belts. The steering wheel also had her signature daisy logo in the center. Just 2000 of this very limited edition were released in total in the UK. 

Quant's determination and creativeness has been an enormous influence on me. I've always admired her ability to put her hand to new things and always make something singular, unique. She went to art college to study illustration, but became one of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Her eye for trends, persistence and dedication over the last 60 years has had a massive role in shaping the fashion world as it is today. From short hemlines to tiny cars, the girls done it all. 

Thank you Mary Quant :)

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IDOL FRIDAY: Guy Bourdin

Welcome to the first of a new weekly series; Idol Friday! This week we are looking at French fashion photographer, Guy Bourdin. Since his death in 1991, Bourdin has been hailed as one of the greatest fashion photographers of all time. He was never a natural self-promoter or preserver of his work and wanted it destroyed after his death. Fortunately for us, his art had many admirers and much  was saved by private collectors.  You can currently go and see the largest UK exhibition of his works at Somerset House. The exhibition features over 100 pieces, including unseen material found at his estate.

Bourdin was born in Paris in 1928 and received his first photography training as a cadet in the French Air Force taking aerial shots. He was an aspiring artist and his main medium at the time was to draw and paint. It wasn't until he saw Edward Weston's 'Pepper' image that something stirred in him, pushing him towards photography. Influenced by Surrealism,  Bourdin became a great admirer of Man Ray who was a huge inspiration. After several attempts to visit Ray at his home and each time being turned away by his wife, Bourdin finally managed to introduce himself to his idol and they soon became firm friends, helping each other with various exhibitions and projects.

At the age of 27, Bourdin landed himself a job with Vogue Paris. Whilst there, he worked alongside Helmut Newton and they'd often get competitive with how much sexuality they could push into their work and to the limits of what could be published in the magazine. Although there was rivalry, their work complimented each other beautifully. So much so, in fact, that if they hadn't been working on the same magazine it's likely their audience probably wouldn't have received them as well. One of Bourdin's major clients whilst at Vogue was shoe designer, Charles Jourdan. He worked on Jourdan's ad campaigns between 1967-1981. He had full creative control, which frightened the company a little but his narrative power exceeded the bounds of conventional photography advertising. Because of this his work was greatly anticipated by the media.

As you can see from his images, Boudin liked to use hard acid colours and play on reflections. This was a contrast to Newton's work who was the complete opposite and loved working in black & white with S&M influences. Inspired by the memory of his Parisian mother, Bourdin would pick models with a deathly palour & their make-up had to have a doll-like quality. He was definitely a perfectionist and would often work for days on one piece until he felt he had created his vision. But once a piece was created to his liking it would very often get disposed of once published in a magazine. It was as if he preferred the process of perfecting a shot rather than the end result.

Even today, at first glance, it's hard to tell that some of his photos are 40 - 50 years old.

On the other side of the lens, Bourdin was often described as troubled and impish. It was observed that his wife, Sybil, who sadly committed suicide, was not allowed to leave their home and the many glamorous models who would work with him were often dismayed at the remoteness and squalid conditions that Bourdin lived and worked in. Many blame this on the abandonment he faced from his parents as a child. As with many revered artists, it seems that his talent stemmed from trauma.

It would be intriguing to know what Bourdin thought of his work now, being exhibited in such a large exhibition and hailed as one of the top fashion photographers of all time. He was definitely a pioneer and was the first to show the product as a secondary subject in an image and also the first to truly connect with the lower and middle classes. His images brought them a brighter future, parallel to a darker side, images with a cinematic quality, containing suspense and anxiety.

What do you think of Guy Bourdin's work? Have you been to see the exhibition yet?

Big love,

Guy Bourdin: Image Maker exhibition is running until 15th March 2015 at Somerset House. Tickets are only £9 and you can buy them in advance here

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