Vintage vs New Vintage

While some of us may have changed our fashion style preference from mass produced to one of a kind vintage, but how do you get more 'umph' from your existing vintage clothes? Or do you seemed like to have just raided your grandma or mother's wardrobe?

You need to restyle or revamp vintage clothes to give it a fresh or updated look. This is what I called 'New Vintage'. Two simple ways to add 'umph':-

Check the length of the dress and perhaps the sleeves too.
If you are fine with the length, then leave it. But if you are not, you may send it to a tailor to shorted the dress. The new length? If you want to be flirty, make sure the length of the dress is two inches above your knees. Otherwise on your knees would be fine too.

Mix modern, trendy accessories with vintage ones to complement the look.
Try vintage bag and belt with modern watch/earrings/necklace and trendy shoes.

There is no definite right or wrong here as long as you achieved the look you wanted. Play with your accessories and also your make-up or hairstyle. The main point is not to look like you have just traveled through time.

Fashion notes:
Mustard dress 1 - Graphic print scarf, vintage nude belt and vintage bag
Mustard dress 2 - plastic pink belt and vintage nude belt
Baby blue dress 1 - white bag and vintage nude belt
Baby blue dress 2 - white cotton BF blazer, vintage leather belt and vintage bag

Optional places to find vintage clothing

Tired of surfing the Net to find vintage clothing? Though there are great vintage blog shops in the cyberspace, however the feeling of real shopping - see, feel, touch and smell - is more fun than just sitting in front your laptop whilst sipping a cup of coffee in a cafe.

Recently I rediscovered the weekend flea market in Amcorp Mall. All this while, I know that you can find all sorts of stuff in Amcorp Mall, from antiques to cakes. Little that I know, there are few stall that sells pre-loved and vintage clothing at third floor. And the prices are pretty cheap too.

Another place you could check out is Second Charm in TTDI. I was briefly there couple weeks ago but you need to have all the time and it is advisable to wear something light (preferably a tank top and shorts) for your session of digging and looking for hidden treasures.Through my brief excavation, there were few 80's work suits and I managed to come across with Ann Taylor suit. (too bad it was in size 12). Not bad, right?

Jumbo sales organized by NGOs or community centres is another good source to find vintage stuff. People donates stuff which they no longer want or use. Most of these items are still in good and usable conditions. Last Sunday I went to jumbo sale in Atria Shopping and I couldn't believe what I've got - two pieces of vintage bags, three pieces of vintage belts and few pairs of vintage earrings. All these cost RM20!! So look out for any jumbo sales in your area.

The above are just few optional places where to find vintage clothing. It needs patience and a bit of luck to find great vintage pieces. Whether you manage to find anything to your liking, remember to enjoy the process of digging with your girlfriends.

Fashion experiment: Mixing polka dots with stripes

Mixing prints is one of 2010 Spring Summer's trends. For first timers (including myself), this can be tricky. The easiest combo to try out is to pair polka dots with stripes.

The tricks:
- pair prints with similar family colour or background colour and add one contrasting colour
- one print is more prominent than the other print
- minimize accessories or keep accessories simple to avoid looking 'too busy'

Other combos to try:
- Large floral with small polka dots
- Tie dye with tropical prints
- Checked with stripes or graphic prints

For more tips, check out: http://www.shopbop.com/ci/3/trends/spring/print-on-print-01.html Have fun!

Fashion experiment: White BF Blazer

Whilst black BF blazer gives a formal feel, to get relaxed and casual feels, I ordered a white BF blazer from Vintage Packstocks few days after I purchased black BF blazer. Material of the blazer also plays a role in determine the feel or look of your desired. A cotton white BF blazer can definitely achieve this.


- to add some edge onto floral summer dresses (either long or short), put on white BF blazer with rolled up sleeves. Wear a belt to show shape of your body.
- when rolling up the sleeves, roll them together with the sleeves of the top underneath the blazer. This adds something interesting onto the blazer's sleeves, so to speak.
- to avoid baggy-ness, ensure the inner piece is nicely tucked or fit nicely onto the body.

Above are some sample looks that I've tried. If you're not a fan of denim short skirt, replace the skirt with a pair of shorts - denim or khaki. This gives a masculine look.

If you are contemplating to try BF blazer, do start with basic colours such as black, white, navy blue or neutral colours to be safe. Once you are comfortable with it, slowly experiment with other colours or prints. Check out fashion magazines, websites, blogs to get inspirations. Happy experimenting!

Fashion Experiment: Black BF Blazer

Yay! The black BF blazer that I've ordered from Pretty Happy Things has arrived. And I experimented couple of looks. Throughout these experiments, I discovered couple of rules to wear BF blazer:


- roll sleeves up to show more skin
- wear with a belt to give more shape (good for petite frame)
- length of skirt or dress should be maximum 3 inches longer than the blazer to achieve flirty look

Black is the most safest because it is one of the classic colours, therefore one can't go wrong. BF blazer trend is not easy to carry especially for both petite and big frame people, it requires the right blazer (right cutting - not too slouchy and material - not too thick). Try and try and try till you find the right look. Utilize accessories to achieve the look you desired. And don't forget to have fun while doing it.