Dorky Couture...embellishing your way to a cute & quirky vintage inspired wardrobe...

I have a soft spot for what I call Dorky Couture. I've also been known to call it Euro Nanna Chic, purely because it's the sort of stuff my European Nanna and Mum wore back in the mid to late 50s and early 60s. Think Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, and Gina Lollabrigida.
 

It's not what is considered mainstream 'fashion' nowadays, but I adore the fun, almost childlike embellishments used, and wearing things like this just makes me feel good.
 

I'd forgotten how much I adored this style, until a visit to Dolce & Gabbana in Old Bond Street during a trip to London last year, reminded me that clothing doesn't have to be so serious. It was early in the morning (as far as high end shopping goes!), and the friendly assistant was happy for us to touch, look and try on if we wanted. We were too shy to try on, silly really, but OH! the clothes! So fun, vibrant, quirky and vintage-inspired in their cut and design. Love at first sight!
 

The thing is too, that you can turn some quite obnoxious looking items, be they new or thrifted, into something special with a bit of tweaking and embellishing.
 

Now I confess, I'm new to this whole idea of full length selfies. I'm terribly self conscious, and I'm short and cuddly, to put it politely. Ah the creep of late middle age...sigh....
 

Also the only full length mirror in the house is either the one on my sewing room attached to the wardrobe doors and believe me, you do NOT want to see mountains of projects in various stages of completion as my backdrop, or the one in my daughters room with hallway and teen stuff as backdrop.

 

For the purpose of this post, you're stuck with my teen daughters room. Sorry. I'll work on remedying that for future posts.

So first of all, here's what I wore a few days ago. This is a thrifted tshirt (great quality, and still had the tags on it) and a beautiful A-line skirt in a fine gingham print. Just the sort of thing I like to play with.

 

Now if you're talking dorky, this is it. If I'd left it as it was, yes, I would have looked like most Nannas out there in my suburb. Nothing wrong with that, but not really 'me'.

I started by shortening the tshirt, and taking it in significantly, so that it became figure skimming, but not skin-tight, and straight away, I looked 5 kilos lighter, and a bit more 'vintage' inspired, rather than just plain daggy. Well, I think so anyway....lol! The cute little jelly sandals are, again, reminiscent of a pair my Nanna wore back in the 1960s which I think must be the reason they caught my eye. I've had them for years now, and I still think they're adorable....and I can walk in them for hours.

Look, here's a whole group of 1950s Italian beauty queens (including Sophia Loren), wearing dorky sandals...

 

 

I love them, and find them much more practical than designer stilettos, no matter how much I adore those as well! For everyday wear, at least. Bring back the cute, dorky sandal for heavens sake!

 

From there, I've decided to embellish my skirt and shirt.

 

Now I to-ed and fro-ed over this for a few more days. On that day, I wore the outfit, as is. I was only venturing to the local fruit shop and the school, and not really trying to impress anyone. My Bohemian wedding beads were enough. They always draw an admiring comment.

 

I've eventually decided upon a pompom trim for the bottom of the shirt, and an Eiffel Tower applique and some oversized running stitch embellishment, for the skirt. Am I channelling the 50s? My childhood? Dementia? Probably. But at my age, I'm wearing what I want. If it makes me happy, then I guarantee it's going to make my family happy too. Done. No debate. Go the Dolce & Gabbana vibe, I say!

 

I'll share that one tomorrow when it's finished, mainly because I've just accidentally hit 'post', instead of 'save'....hahahahahaha!

 

Next task....my version of the fabulous Dolce & Gabbana skirt at the top of my post.

 

Here's where I'm going with that one. Some red and white Ponti knit grabbed on sale last week for a total of $17, and some sequinned appliques, purchased online from sequinapplique.com, for a further $40. For a total of just $57, I'm hoping to conjure something reminiscent of the Dolce & Gabbana skirt at the top of this post, which sells for $3,800 AUD. I can't go too far wrong when I'm saving $3,743 on my efforts!

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

I think it's going to be as much fun to make, as it will be to wear!

 

Stay tuned!

 

Five Star Frou-Frou is now a neverending linkup, with a featured blogger each and every time I post.

 

Todays featured blogger is...

 

Leigh at A Chat Over Coffee, who appropriately, shared 5 SewingPatterns I'd Like to Try. I'm tempted too!

 

 

 

...Mimi...