Novelty is the spice of life

I was once a teenage (wannabe) goth. This "black period" lasted for about a year and a half, til I entered a confused ~kawaii/fruits phase, like so many internet kids before tumblr. I still have an eye for colour, or quirkier patterns, I'm not sure if my attraction to odd prints and styles is a remnant of these days. I get a kick from finding something unusual on the rails, and charity shops are the business for this.

I picked this skirt up in my favourite charity shop in Sligo town for €2.50, its viscose (don't google that!), with a very nineties interpretation of an art deco/1920s print. It's about 2 sizes too big so I've attempted to belt it in. I've been wary of maxi skirts this long time for fear of looking like a banshee (imagine for a moment the combination of my hair down, with a long dark skirt and my usual ghostly "away with the fairies" expression, just no). However, the distracting pattern of this skirt made this long skirt a little less serious, and less "fashiony" (is that even a word?) that some of the trendier maxi skirts I had been eyeing up. Ana is a girl who can rock a maxi skirt. FYI Georgia is a novelty print goddess.


Skirt: thrift (probably 90s) / High tops: Cheap Monday / Belt: Monki / Top: H&M

Still feel a bit awkward ~posing as of yet, but its not hurting anyone, so whatever. The third picture is meant to be ridiculous, if I was a lookbooker I could photoshop me into space or something, but I didn't because I want to taken seriously (debatable).

Arts and Crafts

I don't think my City friends give much thought to what I get up to in the West, but I'm having a blast as of late! Last week was the annual Cairde festival in Sligo. It's an annual week long arts festival that "celebrates diversity". It is comprised of cultural events for families, and grown ups, there were art exhibitions, plays performed in the woods, a cabaret show, too many gigs to mention, a vintage fair and the frolics concluded with a party in the park on Sunday just gone.

Barra Cassidy's exhibition was held in the Yeats Society building

My desk can't be seen for the amount of event guides covering it at the moment. I have to be selective or I'd be burnt out. I managed to go to "Burlesque Fantastique"; a cabaret show hosted by Lady Veda, an art exhibition (see above) and The Frivolous Fare, where I left my heart behind with a set of mint 1970s Babycham glasses. Retro Rummage, based in Dublin, is a specialist in vintage & retro home wares. If I ever have an apartment, (or a job!) of my own (a pipe dream these days) I will certainly be looking this guy up. My Dad, who accompanied me, looked over the retro goods, unmoved by my cooing and exclamations of joy. He'd seen it all before, having been a student in the 1960s and lived in Dublin during the 1970s, this was the stuff of his student flat days.

I wanted to wear my new wedges that I'd acquired a couple of weeks previously. I wore them with my favourite casual vintage dress. I was drawn to this as it reminded me of the Arts and Crafts style of dress, it fits like a pinafore, it buttons up at the back and ties at the waist, and it incorporates all my favourite autumnal colours. The trench has been well loved, but I've yet to find a summer jacket that will replace it yet - its the perfect colour, style and length. The search is ongoing.

1970s cotton empire waist dress (label David Silverman) / trench: h&m (circa 2009) / shoes: fly london / bag: ollie & nic (circa 2010)

A vintage suit

Ah, another chapter approaches. I was feeling blue these past couple of weeks, but to shake myself out of my gloom I have to remind myself that to get somewhere I have to do something about it. So, while not-blogging I was kept myself occupied reading new blogs. I found myself increasingly reading blogs with a definite vintage theme, and it occured to me, that while I make no claims to be a fashion blogger, I am passionate about vintage fashion (while acknowledging fashion history). This is not reflected in my day-to-day uniform of jeans and high tops. So when I dress up why not share it!

It got me wondering, what of the vintage scene in Ireland? It's far more fluid and apparent in our nearest neighbours, the UK. There has been an increase in vintage fairs and stores here in the Republic in the past few years. Events like Film Fatale have done much to bring some vintage glamour back to Dublin, once a month. However, where are the vintage bloggers? I only know of Little Ruby Robin, Vintage Irene and Enchanted Vintage Ireland (whose base is here in County Sligo). If anyone can make me some recommendations, please comment, because I'm not sure where to look.

I am the proud owner of some lovely vintage and retro garments in my wardrobe (bought at what my purse could stretch to at the time). I do pull them out and shake some life into them should an occasion call for it. (The definition of 'vintage' is something I'd like to touch upon at a later stage, a lot of stores are getting it wrong). So, while I do not possess a DSLR (a battered 2009 Canon Ixus for me), an SO with photo skills to snap and touch up for me, I won't left that deter me, so I'm going to go ahead and make some outfit posts, because I can. It's empowering in a way to have a platform to share these on, even if only for my blogger friends, because we have a mutual interest, that we discuss and indulge in across continents. My vintage 'scene' is primarily online, and with that in mind, I'm going to start sharing more, put more effort into it, instead of cooing over my friends vintage finds. So it begins.

1960s silk dress & jacket (label Wanda Zaklika, London), tights; uniqlo, shoes; melissa, bag; accessorize (circa 2007)

I loved being ridiculously matchy matchy with this one, turquoise and purple feature heavily in my wardrobe and fashion is about having fun, so I threw in this pink floral bag to clash with the whole outfit in acknowledgment of my OTT-ness (I hope you appreciate my posing). It was a wonderful coincidence having all these separate pieces, that go together (or not) so perfectly. I love 1960s suits, so often when buying vintage the individual pieces have been broken up to be sold separately, so its a thrill to find a two-piece. Check out the artistic inclusion of industrial silver stove pipe in background. I love this dress, it doesn't fit perfectly, its quite loose on the hips and waist, so I wear it a lot. I'm having trouble washing it though, because a lot of the dye ran last time I hand washed it. There's a some cigarette burns on it too, but while it baffles my mum, I appreciate all these flaws as part of its character and reckon the lady who wore it in a past life had the craic* on the regular.
I like to think of this of 'junior librarian goes for cocktails with co-workers'. In fact I was going over to a get-together of co-workers on Friday for a ladies night. Gin and champagne were consumed (sensibly, obvs), and I made my chili chocolate truffles.

*Just to be clear, this is the type of craic I'm talking about.