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On Thursday I pulled this Seventies Soul (via Vinted) skirt from the wardrobe and, rather than combine it with the matching wrap top, chose a vintage gauzy Indian cotton blouse (bought from the original owner) and a velvet Afghan waistcoat. One of my young friends in TikTok tells me that the hair I've not tied into bunches is known as Slut Strands....every day's a school day!
Friday's outfit was the vintage Kate Beaver hand-printed maxi dress I bought from a charity shop for 99p back in 2015. The day kicked off with an early morning swim. I didn't wear a hat to the pool but wore one to walk to the corner shop as my new swimming cap had left a huge crease on my forehead and I looked like I'd been lobotomised.
Despite warnings of high winds and rain, Friday afternoon was gorgeous and I was able to sit in the sunshine reading with a cat slumped at my feet.
Inspired by Frida Kahlo, who didn't let her mobility issues stand in the way of looking fabulous, on Saturday I braided my hair and wore the army jacket I'd embroidered in her honour after visiting her exhibition in Coventry with Nikki in 2023.
Louise had asked if I had a cool walking stick ...here it is...
I'm quite fancying a gold pimp stick like Snoop's, it'd go a treat with my gold Adidas Superstars.
This spring sunshine doesn't half show off my slatternly ways. When Jon invited Akeel, one of the neighbours, to look around the house I was praying that he'd not notice the cobwebs festooning the chandeliers or the thick layer of dust covering the surfaces in the lounge. After I'd got back from my walk to the lockers to deposit my Vinted sales I dashed around the house with the feather duster and the dustpan and brush.
On Saturday night we met up with Liz, Adrian, Ruth and Slash in the pub. I wore this vintage 1970s Santagostini lurex maxi dress for the first time. I think it's Italian but the only Santagostini online is a Milanese poet.
I've just realised that there's something missing with this outfit...a gold walking stick!
What a fab night!
With having to drive to the swimming pool we're not only missing out on our Wetherspoons breakfasts but we're also missing out on the charity shops. Thank goodness for Vinted! Here's this week's purchases - which, as I'd sold a couple of my own things, were technically free.
As you can see, this week's Vinted recommendations were heavy on the vintage embroidered blouses, possibly because it knew I wore my Greek one last week. The brown one is 1970s St Michael and 55% wool and the label on the cream one is too faded to read.
I'm wearing it today with my India Imports of Rhode Island maxi skirt and here it is in action
Hope you're having a good weekend. Thanks for reading and see you soon!
Hi Vix, thanks for some great posts recently. They so cheer me up when i look at the way the world seems to be going your blog just rights the scales again so thanks! You are a star! I absolutely love the tiktok reels the music is just great, Neil Young brought back so many memories of my hippie days, or, “hairy” days as we were called her in the NE. That was to distinguish us from the Skins. I often see people in their seventies around the town and can still tell which they would have been HaHaHa! Your clothes are beautiful I'm always amazed at how much you find in your style but then i see you pick things not in that style and its the way you put them together that makes them Vix! Keep on trucking girl you are an inspiration, this is Shelagh! XX
ReplyDeleteIts always great to hear from you, Shelagh! Am old work colleague's mum used to call me a "long hair", like I was a different species to normal people, I wonder if that's what she meant...I was a hippie? I'll take that!
DeleteNeil Young was wonderful at Glastonbury last year.
I love that you can still spot the Skins & the hippies in town years later. xxx
I met a man who attached semi precious stones to the top of walking sticks such as beautiful ameythist - It look like a magical wand - flis xx
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of him! xxx
DeleteMy great uncle Paddy lived in a lively part of Camberwell back in the day. He took great delight in showing me his walking cane....more specifically the sword contained therein!?
DeleteA colourful week! I envy your ability to wear lurex, the feel of it just doesn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteSlut strands. The young ones at work were forever being told to pin them back. I mean who wants to see hair dangling over open wounds.
Glad our weather has been good.
It can be a bit scratchy, can't it? This dress is lined so it's pleasant to wear athough those threads have a nasty habit of getting entangled with my jewellery!
DeleteOh yes, no slut strands in hospitals or in catering!! xxx
Hi Vix, I am pleased to see the lovely Kate Beaver dress again- a great look for you. Is that the Spanish tooled leather bag I spot too? Your braided hair and embroidered homage to Frida Kahlo are a fun look. I can quite understand her appeal- as a student of Spanish for quite a few years I too like to learn about her and her art and admire her championing of traditional forms of dress. When we visited Mexico a number of years ago I loved the vibrant and stunning traditional embroidery.
ReplyDeleteHello Alysia! Thank you so much! I'd love to go to Mexico and visit Frida's house.
DeleteOur local cinema is screening the Frida documentary Encore next month, I can't wait! xxx
hiii! i love this sooo much. the outfits are amazing :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! xxx
DeleteSlut Strands! 😄 That's a new one on me too.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the clogs out. I've managed to snaffle a pair from Vinted, so very happy with that. Thanks for the tip about the shoe boots, I'll definitely do a search for those Clarks ones. Sadly, comfort really does have to be a priority for shoes for me these days.
When I'm aching and feeling sorry for myself, I always think of Frida. I was lucky enough to see a big exhition about her at the V&A some years back. She really did refuse to be defined by her injuries. Incredible woman.
Love the embroidered blouses, and you definitely need a gold stick! X
We're clearly not down with kids, Annie!
DeleteWell done for snaffling some clogs on Vinted. I was delighted to discover I could still walk in mine! xxx
I love the Vinted circulation rule you apply. My girls abd I really need to look there for finds and sales. The Khalo hair is beautiful. My hair is not nearly so long, but I love a good braided style.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! Its really exciting all this shopping for free. If I see something pricey listed I'll go and have a rummage through my wardrobe to see what I can sell to raise the funds. xxx
DeleteHave a great week Vix.
ReplyDeleteGreat spring suggestions.
These embroidered blouses are the best!!
Luckily there is also Vinted!!
Thanks so much, Katerina! xxx
DeleteI wouldn't be at all surprised if you've already turned your walking stick into a fabulous shade of gold..
ReplyDeleteYour embroidered jacket is outstanding! Xx
Thanks, Jules! I've not done anything with my stick yet! xxx
DeleteThe cream blouse at the end of your post is probably from East, I have one the same/similar that is about 8 years old. I love the idea of a gold walking stick, I have a gold wand -( it was made for me specially by a friend and the handle was soldered and coated in sparkly gold) having a bit of bling to hold really makes you stand out that's for sure but I don't bring my wand out that often - maybe I should! Your dusting made me smile, my mother rarely did housework, she said that after the first year dust doesn't get any worse/thicker. Betty x
ReplyDeleteHello Betty! The fabric content label, which I can just about make out says "koton" so I think its probably Eastern European as opposed to East but I do rememeber seeing your lovely blouse and it is very similar.
DeleteThat gold wand sounds very cool, you definitely need to bring it out, you could work some allotment magic or attract something weird and wonderful in the woods!
I'm sure my mum used to say that, too! xxxx
I've been obsessed with Frida Kahlo since I was around 12 - so for almost three decades:). What first draw me to her was that she was the only person I saw wearing her brace openly and after that- just the immense force of her art.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing your embroidered jacket. It's great you embroidered it in her honour. The embroidery looks so great and the dress you paired with it is perfect. Your Frida Kahlo exhibition outfit was simply perfect. It is great you share your outfits on Youtube Shorts now, I love seeing them in more detail. Video shows the fabrics and the materials of the dresses better.
Anyhow, I loved all the outfits you shared here! Your hairdos are always fab as well.
The gold stick is very Snopp Dogg indeed. :)
The white blouse and India maxi skirt are a great pairing...and aren't those glasses fab?
She's an inspiration, isn't she? The politics, the refusal to give into her healtgh issues, her incredible art, her wisdom and her passion for championing traditional dress. You were a very wise young woman (and still are!) xxx
DeleteSlut strands - love it - up until fairly recently (and due to a hasty and very regretful moment) used have rather good slut strands - but when working they constantly got in my eyes, mouth, soil, the garden, wrapped around my glasses etc etc so I chopped them off - in a tasteful (hopefully) way and for a week or two was reasonably happy to be able to work with out hairy interference, now I have left work and they are growing out - shameful! too short to tuck behind ears, too long to leave 'loose' as make me look like a mad professor - what was I thinking!?!
ReplyDeleteI want my Slut strands back!
I suspect my dusting levels are on a par with yours 😁life is too short especially when the sun is shining!
You need to grow back your slut strands! I was worried when I had mine cut in that they'd they'd get in the way but so far, so good. They really do improve how my hair looks when I wear it up, its too severe and school-marmish otherwise. (No offence to my teacher friends).
DeleteLife is too short for dusting, it only comes back! xxx
Slut strands made me giggle. Every day's a school day indeed!
ReplyDeleteI used to have exactly the same walking stick!
Why not start a walking stick wardrobe, which you can match (or clash) with your outfits?
Not much dusting going on at Dove Cottage either. I dusted the downstairs rooms when Jos was in hospital in January but upstairs hasn't seen a duster since early Autumn. I just can't be bothered.
I'm quite partial to an embroidered blouse, so I'm swooning over your latest Vinted finds! xxx
I thought you might have had the same stick, Ann! I've not used mine for years, I'm glad I didn't chuck it out in a moment of madness! xxx
DeleteWe need a Sisterhood of the Stick - I have a few but always come back to my vintage cane with an acorn on the end of the handle (carry an acorn to prevent sore joints apparently). A very nice man who I (sadly) only know by sight, does charity shops/car boots to find treasure that he either sells for/gives to charity with a note on value - gave it to me some years ago. I also have a very nice rams horn one - sadly, a previous owner tried to remove the silver collar and has left a mangled remnant - I just need to glue a big of Afghan jingle over the worst of it!
ReplyDeleteElaine Anon
Sisterhood of the stick! I love that! That acorn stick sounds wonderful, that man sounds like an absolute gem. The mangled rams horn one deffo sounds like something that needs reviving!. I was hoping to see what the cobbler had in his basket this morning but we ended up going straight home after swimming. I might have to see if there's anuything groovy on eBay! xxx
DeleteI’m having a right chuckle here because when my Mum started having to walk with a stick she insisted she wasn’t having some dull old lady thing (her words) so she had the exact same blue floral one as you, but also has a ‘posh’ stick which is sparkly rose gold! I never thought of it as her pimp stick before but that is what I will forever call it from now on. Shame about your walks to swimming but as always, you still look fabulous xxx
ReplyDeleteI much prefer having a pimp stick to a bog standard walking stick! I'm determined to add a gold one to my repertoire! xxx
DeleteSlut strands! My gawds, the youngs! I love your outfits - always gloriously colourful. I'm always nervous new people will judge my dust...
ReplyDeleteI know, kids, eh! xxx
DeleteThe outfit with the army jacket is so pretty and cool, it looks great on you.
ReplyDeleteHave a great new week!
Thanks, Andrea - wishing the same for you! xxx
DeleteYou look amazing as always
ReplyDeleteAthens update - had an offer accepted on a 3 bed apartment a five minute walk from the Acropolis - and a three bed bungalow over the border in Wales . Hoping for all to complete in about 12 weeks
I need to start packing …..
Siobhan
That's so exciting, Siobhan, I'm so thrilled for you! xxx
DeleteAlways lovely to see that Kate Beaver dress in its glorious orangeness, but that Frida Forever outfit is my favourite now!, so great inspiration!
ReplyDeleteObviously, I'm in love with your embroidered blouses, totally a favourite style.
And so fab to meet friends and enjoy some social life, sunshine and fun!.
besos
Always lovely to see that Kate Beaver dress in its glorious orangeness, but that Frida Forever outfit is my favourite now!, so great inspiration!
ReplyDeleteObviously, I'm in love with your embroidered blouses, totally a favourite style.
And so fab to meet friends and enjoy some social life, sunshine and fun!.
besos