Hello! My newly acquired Ottoman rings have rekindled the joy I get from my jewellery and I'm loving playing around with my huge collection of tribal necklaces and bejewelled cuffs. Diamonds, pearls and delicate, dainty stuff don't do it for me - the bigger, the bolder and the heavier the better!
Today I'm wearing a block printed maxi skirt (Vinted, £1!) with an All About Audrey cotton blouse refashioned from a sari and a vintage Anokhi waistcoat (both also via Vinted). Just peeping out from the skirt are my charity shopped M&S pewter trainers. If someone had told me three years ago that I'd be wearing trainers I'd have told them they were mad!
The Kuchi pendant was a charity shop find and the silver earrings were from Fayre Trade Fairy, festival friends and one-time neighbours at Beautiful Days.
This was Friday's outfit, a day for an early morning swim, breakfast in 'Spoons and a perusal of the town centre charity shops. I wore my go-to combination of a vintage India Imports of Rhode Island maxi skirt with an All About Audrey sari wrap top (purchased new in 2017).
.jpg)
A young woman smiled at me and told her partner, Wow, that's exactly what I want to look like when I grow up! Thanks, bab, that made my day!
I bought this Nepali pendant in Goa ten years ago.
William's terrible traveller and we were dreading taking him for his annual boosters at the vets on Thursday but the journey wasn't too traumatic and, for once, the prescribed sedative worked a treat (although they knocked him out for the rest of the day).
He's back to normal now and was being very helpful when Jon tested the campervan awning in the garden yesterday (not!)
.jpg)
I've just realised that every outfit I've shared features something by All About Audrey including this cotton kaftan which I scored on Vinted a few weeks ago. I'm not sponsored, their clothes suit my style and are all ethically made in India. The denim waistcoat was a charity shop find (£1.50) last year.
This Tibetan pendant was a cheap second-hand find.
I bought these coral and turquoise earrings in India in 2004, back when silver was as cheap as chips.
Being a self-confessed sun worshipper I've been spending almost every day since we got back from Marmaris in my bikini in the garden catching the rays but on the odd days when its been overcast I've been sewing.
You might remember me sharing this vintage kaftan last year. Bearing the American/Canadian ILGWU label (International Ladies' Garment Workers Union), it was made for the Great Entertainers label and sold through Sears in the early 1970s. The print features Alphonse Mucha's celebrated illustration of Sarah Bernhardt (c. 1896) set against a background of reeds and insects.
Enjoy your weekend! See you soon!
ReplyDeleteYour hair is such a lovely length.
The Kuchi necklace is gorgeous. I love the pattern on the silver plate.
And how pretty is that All About Audrey sari wrap top!
Happy weekend
Thank you so much! xxx
Deletelove all the rings and baubles, as usual!! xo, kelly
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly! x
DeleteYou Rick the dresses and bling. Practicality comes to all of us and sure footed tennies (as we call them) in your feet give you many more miles in your future.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! Yes, trainers and Velcro sandals are my daily wear these days, being able to walk takes precedent over looking sexy! xxx
DeleteI too want to dress like you when I grow up šI do, however take inspiration from your blog, hence my acquiring some new (to me) maxi dresses. Really enjoyed seeing your jewellery collection, the colours really stand out against the yellow nail varnish.
ReplyDeleteWilliam is such a handsome boy.
Enjoy your bank holiday
Mrs Catz xx
Awww, thanks MrsCatz (and William says thanks, too)! Maxi dresses are the best, you can wear all manner of sensible footwear beneath them adn nobody would ever know. Its a great time of year for maxi dress shopping in the charity shops, isn't it? xxx
DeleteThanks William.
DeleteIt is, I have tomorrow off specifically for charity shopping in my local city. Fingers crossed, as it will be books and dresses xx
Thanks for sharing your ethnic jewellery with us, you have a great collection and it matches your vintage style perfectly! I love your looks and the transformations you've made, I'd love to be able to sew but I'm not good at it! Hugs <333
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marisa! I'm a self taught sewer, I tend to make it up as I go along but its really rewarding when I come up with something wearable! xxx
DeleteOh, my... what a feast for the bobbles! So lovely and such master pieces (Those earrings are amazing!). Awesome outfits in this post. So good to hear William is doing well. Yes, those visits can be so stressful at the vet. šøšøšøšøšøšøThanks so much for your visit and comment. All the best to a brilliant weekend and the coming month!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elie Yes, we were dreading the vet visit, we've so relieved that it's all over now! Have a fab weekend. xxx
DeleteThat is a wonderful collection of silver! I have some Afghan bracelets that were brought home by my husband. Need to dig them out.
ReplyDeleteNow that union jingle is stuck in my head. "look for the union label when you are buying that coat, dress, or blouse". Sunday nights when you could buy a brand new VW Beetle for $1999 US , watching the FBI with Ephram Zimbalist Junior! Don't go down that rabbit hole.
Thank you! I love my clanky jewels! I bet those Afghan bracelets are stunning, you must dig them and out and wear them.
DeleteYou know I'm going to vanish down a rabbit hole now, don't you?
Hope your husband is doing well. xxx
I have just started to appreciate the fun of costume jewellery and have bought a few vintage pieces off Vinted, will prob post a pic on my blog soon. I think your co-ord sewing creation is a great update and perfect for Glastonbury. I love All About Audrey and have several of their kaftans, their wraps look great on you. When I visit the Brighton shop, I rarely go home empty handed.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty! There's a wealth of incredible vintage jewellery on Vinted and once you've bought a couple of pieces they keep popping up in the Recommended for You section and tempting me further! I can't wait to see what you've bought.
DeleteI'm very envious of you being within travelling distance of All About Audrey. I love how she styles her clothes, the only reason i ever go on Instagram is to look at her photos! xxx
p.s. poor William, in another life he could roam free so he probably doesn't like being confined to a carrier on his vet trips - Mollie is the same, it's quite a challenge to get her into the carrier and involves getting her into the smallest part of the house and dropping her (gently) into her carrier, she puts up a fight.
ReplyDeleteWe dread those vet visits. You're right, he spent years living on the streets so he's never got used to car travel. The good thing about the tranquiliser tablet is that he's really floppy and can almost be folded into his carry box. Poor Molly, Stephen used to be a nightmare to get in his box ! x
Deleteamazing jewellery. And just love your sewing
ReplyDeleteThank you! xxx
DeleteOh my! Your co-ord is just fabulous. You'll be receiving plenty of compliments at Glastonbury, I'm certain.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to see your jewellery collection, and to read the stories behind the different pieces. I would love to be able to wear such beautiful designs, but I struggle with anything that I can feel the weight of :)
Thanks, Jules! I was panicking that I wouldn't have enough fabric once I;d unpicked that kaftan but it all came good in the end. Let's hope Glastonbury will be warm enough for bare midriffs!
DeleteSome of the earrings and pendants (like the one I wore yesterday) are as light as air but some of the necklaces give my neck a real workout, they're so sturdy! xxx
The crop top and the maxi skirt that you turned into a dress are fantastic,
ReplyDeleteyou are incredible!!
Your jewelry is wonderful, I really liked the hoop earrings!
Have a beautiful Sunday, Vix!!
Thanks so much, Katerina! I'm so pleased with how that co-ord worked out! xxx
DeleteSumptious, everything!š
ReplyDeleteThank you! xxx
DeleteYour jewelry collection is amazing and compliments you so beautifully. Great job on turning the caftan into a two piece. Hope the weather plays nice and you enjoy your sun .
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jill! xxx
DeleteFab as ever. I love the silver and turquoise cuff turquoise is my favourite stone and colour. That was a lovely comment from the young lass wanting to look like you. William is so handsome that's good he travelled better to the vet. Our dear old car hated the car when we took her to the vet too. Still he looks in fine fettle now. Happy Bank holiday. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! I love turquoise especially in the summer. I was really happy to find that turquoise cuff, I'd been on the hunt for one for ages. Good old eBay!
DeleteI'm not sure who was more traumatised by the vet trip, Jon, me or William! xxx
Your collection of tribal jewellery is just incredible, and so very you! I'm particularly swooning over the Nepali pendant you bought in Goa, which is something I'd gladly wear too.
ReplyDeleteYour outfits are gorgeous, as always, and your All About Audrey garments fit so well in your wardrobe.
I love how you refashioned that fabulous kaftan into a crop top and maxi skirt. Glastonbury won't know what hit it!
I'm glad William's visit to the vet went well. I'm also glad that our visit does home visits as I'm not sure how Bess would react to having to being put into a cat carrier and travel by car! xxx
Thanks, Ann! I love that yellow butter quartz stone in that Nepali pendant, Jon insisted I bought it )( I was going to stick to my trademark turquoise!)
DeleteYou are so lucky to have a vet who offers home visits, the nearest to us is in Cheltenham and its £200 just to visit! xxx
As ever my style muse! I had to jump on and tell you how I check every few days for a post and aside wondering how on earth you update so consistently, do a little happy dance everytime there’s something new. I love the snippets of your life and of course the style inspo, you are a Godess!! I admit after I saw your gorgeous monsoon patchwork dress I was on Vinted the next day and found one! Thank you so much it not only fits over my bump, it’s one of the only outfits that makes me feel like pre pregnancy me! Stylish and practical! As ever love all your outfits in this update.
ReplyDeleteIts lovely to hear from you and I'm so touched by your sweet words!
DeleteI bet that Monsoon dress looks amazing on you, its such a beautiful thing, I love the quilted bodice. Did you know that there's also a smock style blouse in the same fabric? I've not worn mine yet but I can't wait to give it an outing. xxx
Love your jewellery. My eldest son arrives home from Nepal tomorrow after a month there and I did drop a few hints about jewellery and bags. Can't wait to see what turns up (and him too haha)
ReplyDeleteHello Mandy! I hope your son brings you something fabulous from Nepal, what an adventure he must have had! xxx
DeleteWhat a fabulously unique and thrifty outfit — love how every piece has a story!
ReplyDeleteThat sari-turned-blouse sounds dreamy, and a £1 skirt?! Absolute steal!
And hey, trainers can be surprisingly life-changing — comfy *and* cool. Who knew, right?
You’re rocking sustainable style with serious flair!
Lovely to meet you and thanks for the comment! xxx
DeleteYou've gotten very nifty with the old sewing machine, well done, your 'co-ord' looks brilliant. I find that I don't like wearing ANY jewellery these days. My only constant items are my four little rings. I might as well sell everything else as it never sees the light of day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! You ought to sell that jewellery if you're not wearing it - enjoy the proceeds! xxx
DeleteI am truly SWOONING over all your gorgeous silver jewelry, Vix! Your outfits are a beautiful backdrop, but also very aspirational, as your fan noted. Clever repurposing of your falling-apart dress! It looks fantastic as separates! Well done.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing William out there in the grass, and to hear he's been "helping" you and Jon.
Thanks so much, Sheila! There's nothing like a week of travelling with the bare minimum to make me appreciate the loads and loads of things I have at home!
DeleteWilliam is such a helpful boy. He had Jon running up the avenue this morning after him and Gordon decided to fight another feline interloper. xxx
I love your jewelry collection! I wish I could find stones like that and that type of jewelry over here in the US from alternative sources, but it's nearly impossible.
ReplyDeleteI am crazy for anything Muchas too. Great salvage job!
Thanks so much, Alex! When I search online there's loads of American sellers but the prices are insane! xxx
DeleteI love how you redesigned that Mucha's print dress into a cropped top and skirt. The new design fits you perfectly and kudos for the sewing.
ReplyDeleteI also love that you have so many pieces from All About Audrey. We need more brands that produce clothes ethically in India.
Just the other day I read how all the plastic bottles in UK and Belgium aren't being recycled in Europe at all, but just shipped to India and deposited illegally and how India is fighting a losing battle with all that plastic waste from Europe and it's really horrible we're doing this to them. More ethical methods of producing and recycling things are badly needed.
Your collection of silver jewellery is most impressive. I love all the statement bracelets, pedants, necklaces and rings. This kind of jewellery has a special place in my heart, even if I don't wear it often due to work related dress codes and so on.
Thnaks, Ivana! It was a challenge to get both a skirt and top out of that kaftan but I managed it in the end.
DeleteAll About Audrey is wonderful, we need more ethical companies offering cool alternatives to boring mainstream fashion. Yes, a lot of our recycled materials is shipped off to Indonesia and Malaysia - it's absolutely shocking. xxx
That's a Fantastic collection of tribal jewellery!, and you make it shine with your own fabulous style!. I totally agree with you about massive, bold and beautiful jewellery, even if not so fan of heavy earrings or pendants (ouch!). So lovely block printed skirt and cotton blouse and waistcoat, so summery and cool, and also lovely wrap top & skirt ensemble (you rock those wrap tops, looking gorgeous!). And I'm admiring particularly that multi-colour pendant that matches your nails, and obviously, the Tibetan pendant which is totally my kind of thing!.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on refashioning that kaftan, that fabric is so amazing!
besos
Thanks, Monica! I loved that Mucha fabric and was desperate to refashion it into something that could be seen!
DeleteSome of my jewellery is so heavy, I do suffer for my art!
Those wrap over tops are so useful and easy to wear. xxx
Absolutely stunning.. the jewelry is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you! x
DeleteI'm in a vintage jewellery selling group and I always think of you the minute I see big cuffs listed! What a wonderful collection you have amased I'm not surprised you love it so much.
ReplyDelete