Black and Blue

The Details:
Bathing suit- thrifted
Asian caftan jacket- thrifted
Gold belt- hand me down
Hat- thrifted
Platform heels- old purchase from JCPenney of all places!  Can you believe I used to wear these to work ALL DAY?!!!

Asian Flair

You've probably caught on by now that I'm in love with exotic influences and traditional costumes! So...imagine my reaction when I spied this Chinoiserie dress in a gorgeous bold red hue while out thrifting recently! For a fun modern mix I paired it with black patent platforms and a gold mesh clutch.

The Details:
Dress-thrifted
Gold mesh clutch- thrifted
Platforms- Steve Madden

Linking up at Ta-dah Tuesday!

Refashion Rescue: Beaded Headband

Today I wanted to share a fun Grecian inspired look I did. The inspiration piece was this DIY headband I refashioned from the beaded collar of a top I had that was stained. All I did was cut around the fabric of the collar area with fabric scissors- all the way to the back so that I had two long fabric pieces. Then you can just tie those pieces together and pin for a headband or wear as a necklace. That's it!

The Details:
Headband- DIY refashion rescue
2 teal scarves tied together to make one- free (part of a uniform for a company I worked for)
Cotton lounge-around dress- thrifted
Floral wedges- hand me down from Stacy
Bracelet- part of a set from an Indian store in Atlanta 

Do you have any DIY projects you've done to rescue an old favorite? I'd love to hear about them!

5 Ways To Wear a Piece of Fabric

I'm always enticed by the seemingly endless possibilities for styling or wearing a piece of fabric. Here are a few ideas...

1. Draped over your arm on a windy day

 2. Sari-style

3. Turban

4. Shawl

5. Kimono look

Outfit Details
Vintage nightie worn as dress- yard sale
Red sheer printed fabric- thrifted
Gold choker- Steinmart

What's your favorite way?

Empress of Fashion

I had a phone disaster yesterday (dropped in toliet!) and I had tons of photos that may be lost! So for now, here are some iphone shots that I found on my husbands phone.You may recognize the dress and shawl from other photos- this is another look I did for a friend's birthday dinner out at my favorite local Thai restaurant- Saigon! The only difference is the accessories and hair. I like that this look has a bit of a Roman empress feel to it. (I would have worn gold jeweled sandals if only I had them- still trying to find the perfect pair I can afford or may do a gold leaf DIY)!

Outfit Details:
Dress- gift from Therese @ Cherry Picked Consignments
Shawl- gift from Therese
Pearl & gold headband worn low- had forever
Earrings- gift from Therese
Beaded purse- borrowed from my mom
Wedges- gift from Therese- Ralph Lauren

Outfit Post: Inspired by India

I was feeling inspired by India and on a roll after the dinner party outfit recently...Here's something with a bit more color I threw on for dinner out with family in town.

When going for an Indian-inspired look- more is always MORE with color- as it's such a huge part of the culture. The sky's the limit- have fun experimenting with combining rich, vibrant colors together!

So I think I will take my own advice and really go for it with even more color next time- loving this second image especially:) Stay Tuned!

Details:
Silk dress (made in India :)- consignment store- gift from Therese
Pashmina scarf- gift from Therese
Elephant purse- thrifted
Gold choker- Steinmart
Wedges- Ralph Lauren via Macys (purchased with christmas gift card from Therese)

Image source for orange/pink here.

Image source for multi-color here. 

Outfit Post: Dinner Party

The husband and I recently attended a dinner party for South magazine out at a local Indian restaurant- Pakwan (excellent food!). To get into the spirit of things, I dressed accordingly, with a little help from my thrifted sheer tunic. This piece has a special memory attached to it... I was late to a date with my husband when we first met because I was thrifting and couldn't pass this little gem up!

Uploading these pictures reminds me that I read the other day in my latest issue of Marie Claire that Indian-inspired fashion is a current trend of the moment. Think gilded embellishments, black and gold color combos, and tunic dresses layered over leggings or trousers. To really go all out, you can add much more embellishment than I did here (and trust me I will!) Use sheer fabrics or saris, load on the embroidered and jeweled details (headwear, sandals, clothing), and pile on bold jewelry of gems or gold via ornate necklaces, earrings, and bangles/arm cuffs!

P.S. That face above is the one I like to do for my husband to play around :)

Details:,
Sheer tunic top- thrifted
Belt- borrowed from another dress
Clutch- vintage via yard sale
Leggings- H&M
Black tank-Target
Black stretch mini- Charlotte RusseBlack socks- Gina's beauty supply
Platform wedges- Steve Madden @ Macys

Linking up at Ta-dah Tuesday! 

Vintage Vogue Covers

Spied these vintage teens and twenties Vogue magazine covers at my new favorite antique store, Wright Square Antique Mall  (walking distance from me ;) and had to snap some photos...



This dark-eyed 1927 beauty in creme is my favorite and I'm considering going back for her! She's modeling the iconic 20's makeup look- pencil thin expressive eyebrows, heavily made up eyes, circle-blushed cheeks and red cupids bow lips.




Loving the colors and florals in this 1910s cover look! In particular, I'd like to have the middle look in my closet- shoes and all. Love the blue and gold and all the trims and texture going on in her outfit!




Love the excessive exoticism in this 1917 cover look. From her headdress, to the shape and print of the dress, down to the trims of her riticule purse and pointed red slippers- Poiret's oriental influence abounds!




What an inspiring image of summer... Love the face-framing hat worn by this twenties beauty sipping her drink through bee stung lips! Twenties hats such as this one and the popular cloche (helmet-like style) were all about framing the face in order to show off the dramatic makeup and sleek bobs that were so fashionable.




This 1911 cover is my other favorite. I love the turquoise/red color combination and of course the drama of that mile long feather in her turban! Another strong example of the exotic and orientalist influences that so defined fashions of the 1910s.

Which is your favorite?

-Jenn