Working It In

Just because you’re creating a new look (or revamping an old one) for yourself, there’s no need to toss everything you currently own.  You may have a piece or two that you just love and can’t part with, or that are designer and you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted the money.  Is there already a colour theme in your wardrobe?  Or is one of the reasons you want to revamp because there is no unity?

My current wardrobe has no unity, or colour theme.  I have pieces that I won’t want to lose, so I will want to create a wardrobe that will allow me to incorporate some of what I already have.

And don’t forget your accessories!  Beloved shoes, or handbag?  A scarf that has wonderful memories attached?  Don’t feel like you have to abandon ANYTHING that you love because you want to revamp/do up your wardrobe.  Even if the pieces are anachronistic, there are ways to work things in that makes them playful, or purposefully ironic.

Working the vintage wardrobe isn’t always about being 100% authentic.  Fashion and subculture movements like Steampunk and Dieselpunk show us that we can take elements from the fashion of the day, twist it a little and make it rock.  The important thing is that you enjoy what you’re wearing.

Best thing to do is really look at your current wardrobe, and select the things that you already own that you want to incorporate into your ‘new look’.  Hang them together and take a photo of them to see what you have, and see if there are any commonalities between them.  Colour.  Shape. Potential for alteration to suit.

Looking at my own wardrobe I have 4 or 5 dresses, half a dozen tops/blouses, 2 skirts, a coat and a waistcoat.  Most of which require some kind of alteration to either fit properly, or be appropriate, a couple of which don’t currently fit but will work into the wardrobe at a future time but most of which will be phased out of the wardrobe as I start shedding some weight.  There’s no great colour theme, and if not for the fact my skirts are black, there’s very little coordination going on.  And while black is a great equaliser, I really don’t want to have my wardrobe full of it.

As far as accessories go, most of my shoes are black, with a couple of specials as seen here.  And while I have one great vintage handbag, I do enjoy making my own, and while they may not be vintage or even vintage inspired, I do love them all the same and will make them work.  I have one Trilby hat that works in winter, and I have plans for some cute hats for summer later this year.

So now with the assessment out of the way, now comes the what to add first?

I seem to have quite a few tops/blouses, so what I need are pants and skirts, but a couple of new blouses would be nice too, but I don’t want to make any jackets or dresses just yet.

Next week:- Patterns & Planning

I think little victories help when you think that you’re not suceeding in what you’re attempting to achieve.

I’ve had a rough couple of days here, nothing major, just those days where the universe (and your 3yo) think that you need a challenging day.. or three.

But I stepped on the scales this morning, and found that I have lost 2.6 kilos some time in the past month-ish.  This might not seem like much, but every time I try to exercise, I end up getting a cold or something that knocks me around.  I had certainly not expected to have lost any weight recently.  But there it is!

So I feel a little good, despite having a couple of bad days. Yay!

So I won’t be going from Frumpy to Fabulous in less than 60 seconds. In fact, I see this being a very long and slow transformation.

I have to start slowly, I can’t overwhelm myself with ‘mandatory changes’ or I’ll just get freaked out and won’t continue on. Baby steps are definitely the key.

My first baby step has been to make sure that every time I go out, that my hair is done and my face made up. I’m also making more of an effort to wear some of my nice shoes, rather than resorting to my Crocs all the time.

I’m hoping to be able to make myself a new dress for Christmas, I really don’t have much summer stuff in my wardrobe at the moment and it will be nice to have something new to wear.

I’m on the countdown to my hair cut, and have decided not to touch the colour just yet. I think the shorter hair by itself will be a whole new look. And quite frankly, I don’t want to freak my son out too much all at once.

It’s hard to move forward without some kind of starting point… I need to change some things, but too much at once will get overwhelming for me.

Things that are going to be the easiest to start with.

Hair – I’m going in a whole new direction with my hair.  A few months ago I was seriously considering staying a la naturale and growing it obscenely long.  But I realised, that’s really not who I am.  Going grey doesn’t bother me at all, but I like the option of being a different colour when the mood strikes.  And really long is nice if one has no intention of styling in vintage hair do’s… but I do.  So I’m going for a cut that is going to be very easy to style and to take care of.  I will take before and after shots when the time comes (appointment is later this month).  It will be versatile for up and down, casual and dressy, styled or a la naturale (I have curly hair).

Clothes – I do not love my current wardrobe.  Not just because of the size, but I have compromised the styles I enjoy wearing for whatever fits.  To combat this I’ve compiled a list of patterns that I want to buy across all of the main brands.  As they come on sale, I’m buying them slowly.  I have a stash of fabric, some of which is earmarked for special vintage patterns that I already have, once I’ve lost some of the weight I have put on over the last decade. So it will mean more fabric shopping (which I love, so that’s ok), but it also means a lot of alterations on patterns, which I don’t mind at all, because the final fit is always much better.  My biggest hurdle is sewing clothes for my current size, which I have to get over if I want to have clothes to wear now that I love.

Exercise – While heading into summer is the wrong season to start thinking about walking and getting outside (for fear of melting into a puddle), I have new joggers and some great walking routes in my area, so I’m going to get out there and pound the pavement.

So those are the three things that I can do now.

I have no specific plans or timelines.  I have a starting point and an ‘ideal’ goal.  I should have more of a plan, though.  Not just so I know in which direction to head, but it will also help me keep things a little more organised.

Yesterday I had taken time to style my hair a little before going out, and I thought it was worth preserving a little of the body of the ‘do.  So before bed last night, I pinned just my fringe area (or bangs) into some pincurls and pulled the rest of my hair back, to keep it neat.  It worked great as my fringe went right back into it’s nice full semi-pompadour.  It’s a small thing, but it made me smile this morning.

I want to start exercising again, too.  I have an exercise bike at my disposal, as well as a Wii Fit (so much fun!), not to mention a pretty view if I head down to the bay to go for a nice level walk.

I think the key here for me is small steps, and not expecting too much from myself all at once.  I know if I start feeling overwhelmed I’ll go into ‘hiding’ again because it’s just ‘easier’.  And yes, it takes no effort at all, but it’s not easier on my mental and spiritual health.

I want so very much to share my journey.

I want so very much to get back the style that I let slide away.

I want, hopefully, to inspire at least one person to take back their self and inject their life with vivacity.

Ten years ago I was a vintage styled, singing, dancing and superbly coiffed young woman.  To no fault of anyone but myself, I have become a tracksuit wearing, non-dancing semi-slob

I decided that this has to change.  I’m not happy in my own skin, I hate the clothes (or a great part thereof) in my wardrobe, I miss my “hair time”, my vintage/inspired clothes, I miss dancing and most of all, I miss a part of me that has fallen into semi-oblivion.

I have the commitment of my family to support me.  I am investing in some new ‘classic’ and yet vintage styled sewing patterns so that I can love what I see in my wardrobe every day.  I also have bought some velcro rollers, curl clips and a setting net so that my coiff can be silky smooth and bouncy.

So that’s the external stuff, right?  What about the mentality, the drive, the ambition to make *this* time the time that it works.  Well, at almost 34 I have to make the change now if it’s ever going to happen long term, right?

I plan on including lot of different things along the way.  From hair and makeup, to garments I sew for myself, bargain shopping finds, recipes and exercise triumphs!

I have no time frame, as it’s more important for this to be a lasting change.  But I do have other goals.

• Eradicate ’sweats’ and the like from my wardrobe.  I deserve to look fantastic every day.
• Look after my skin better, from within as well as externally.
• Maintain a vintage hair cut & style it every day.  NO MORE PONYTAILS!
• Do something that makes me happy every single day.

Join me on my path from frumpy to fabulous!