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For me, it's always been Audrey. There's nobody past nor present as effortlessly elegant or poised as she. Somehow the simplest of silhouettes look stunning on her. Never too little, never too much.

Today I'm going to show you how to incorporate some iconic style your very own wardrobe. All that's involved is a bit of research and a critical eye. Ready? Let's go!

Research

If your style icon is a film star you must have an all-time favourite movie that they star in. Your first step is to look at images, television series, or films and take note of what you love. Look at colours, make up, jewellery, hair cuts, bags, shoes, and hem lengths. Is there anything characteristic that ties it all together? Make some notes as you go, or start up a Pinterest board for inspiration.

This is Audrey in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. When I saw it recently I was drawn to the pockets in her full skirt, the wide belt that cinches in the narrowest part of her waist, and the strong collar of her shirt. I love that little scarf at her neck too.

Hello cigarette pants! In the second picture she has another strong structured collar. She's wearing ballet flats - I told you she was my kind of woman.

In this photo we've got shorts with a patterned shirt, again with some structure to it - especially in the cuffs.

Be Critical

So now we have a good sense of our style icon but how do you actually wear it? This is where a critical eye comes in. Obviously I am not Audrey Hepburn. You're not your style icon either. And that's awesome because what we want is for your style to come through here. If I walked around in a black dress and enormous sunglasses with my hair piled high and a cigarette holder hanging out of my mouth people would point at me. The idea isn't that you look like you're off to a costume party.

If your style icon is a skinny minny and you're not it doesn't matter one bit. You can still incorporate their style into your look. Maybe it's some stiletto heels with a splash of colour like Carey from Sex and the City, or black eye-liner and pale lips with a wide necked off the shoulder t-shirt like Brigitte Bardot. Perhaps it's a red lip and some sparkles like Marilyn Monroe, or some tailored pants and a sharply tailored shirt reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn.

Pick what you can get away with and be honest about what you can't.

Find the Goods

Let's look at Audrey.

As you know I'm a huge fan of thrift shopping. You can find some wonderful things for next to nothing in thrift stores, but it's all a game of chance. If you're after specific pieces try eBay or Etsy's vintage clothing sections. You'll pay more, but you'll find exactly what you're after and remember, vintage is still much cheaper than new.

A patterned cigarette pant is a great 1950s look teamed with a cardigan in a block colour and a crisp white blouse. Here are some vintage finds I saw on Etsy today:

1950s Cigarette Pant by Vintage Salvation on Etsy.

1950s pants by Maybel57 on Etsy

Match it with a simple vintage top:

1950s Blouse by VintageBoxFashions on Etsy.

Or a fitted white shirt:

Asos fitted shirt from Asos.com

If you can't find a vintage pant there are new options on websites like Asos:

River Island Printed Cigarette Trouser from Asos.com

Or reproduction pieces on websites like Collectif:

Bonnie Blackwatch Cigarette Trousers from Collectif.

If a patterned pant is too much for you swap it up by having a plain coloured pant and a patterned shirt.

1950s shorts by Allencompany on Etsy.

1950s shorts by Camp Bettie on Etsy.

Asos Luxe stripe tee from Asos.com.

The aim here is to find pieces that have the flavour of your style icon - they don't have to match exactly. I love everything about Audrey (except all of those cushions and bags with her face printed on them) but for you it might be Twiggi, or Madonna in her Desperately Seeking Susan phase. Maybe it's the 1940s that tickle your fancy, or 1980s shoulder pad glam. Whatever it is, don't be afraid to incorporate it into your wardrobe. Fashion is meant to be fun!

Ten years since

Today J was cleaning out the cupboard under the stairs. When we moved into this house we shoved everything that wasn't essential under there and most of it has remained unpacked. Over time it's become a jumble of boxes and junk so today seemed as good a day as any to have a good clear out.

Half an hour later he handed me a magazine with a smile. It took me a good few seconds to realise what he was giving me, and then I saw. It wasn't any magazine, it was my magazine. 

When I was 23 I entered a design competition through New Zealand's leading fashion magazine. The prize was Young Designer of the Year, a title I never dreamed I could possibly win. At the time I was making and selling a few A-line skirts made from remnants of designer upholstery fabric and I used the same idea in my submission. To go with the pale green floral Ralph Lauren fabric of the skirt I matched a soft peach silk that I found in an Indian shop on Auckland's K Road. I knitted a sorry looking swatch of blue wool for the cape and sent it in. A few weeks later I was walking home from the bus stop when the editor of the magazine called me and told me that I had won. I couldn't believe that my ideas had been chosen and was really excited, but the moment I hung up the phone I started to worry.

I'm a naturally shy person and the thought of having coffee with the face that looked out at me from the editors page of Fashion Quarterly made me ill. I fretted over what I should wear, what on earth I would say, how I would come across to her. The photo shoot was fun to watch, but it took hours and hours and in all of those seconds and minutes I felt incredibly awkward and like I should be more extroverted and fun. I feared they would see me as disinterested, which was the furthest thing from the truth. At the end of the day the photographer decided to shoot a couple of pictures of the model in the silk blouse I designed. It was more for fun than anything, but I remember the stylist saying that she liked it.

A couple of weeks later I received another call from the editor to say that they had chosen the photo of my blouse for the cover of the Spring issue. It was the first time they'd ever used an 'undiscovered' designer for the cover, a huge honour.


A tour of the publishing offices was my favourite part of the prize, I love to write and working for a fashion magazine was a huge dream of mine at that age. I so wanted to ask about work experience there, or at least indicate an interest in that sector of the industry - but I couldn't seem to find the words. A big part of the prize was work experience at WORLD but it never happened, mostly because I didn't push for it to happen. I was secretly relieved because the thought of being there for a week was terrifying.

For a couple of months my magazine was in all of the shops, and huge over sized covers where hanging in book store windows.

It's been 10 years since that whole whirlwind happened and I still have weird feelings about that time in my life. I wish I could have been braver and taken that opportunity with both hands. I wish I had been able to show them just how passionate I am about the industry and how I much I wanted to work for them. My regret was such that for the last few years I've avoided even thinking about my magazine and I certainly haven't wanted to look through it.

Today I decided enough was enough and it was time to sit down and have a flick through.

What did I see? I saw a fresh faced 23 year old woman, an interesting design, and some lovely comments from both the magazine and the designers who judged the competition. I saw an amazing life experience, a huge achievement, and something to show my children later on in life. I didn't see the regret any more.

So from now on I've decided I'm going to keep my magazine around where I can see it and be proud of it, not thrown in a box under the stairs. 

Revamping Vintage and Preloved Clothing

Have you ever seen the perfect dress in an Op Shop that's an awful colour? Have you ever spotted a scrap of the best fabric peeking out from a crowded clothes rack only to discover that it's been made into an 1980s disaster? This post is all about how to revamp those almost perfect vintage finds that you're probably leaving behind in the shop for someone else to discover.

CHOP IT UP

If you're a confident sewer there are endless ways to make a vintage garment fit your body type. You can take it in, let it out, add sleeves, remove or change sleeves, or cut off the skirt and add it to another top. If you're not that keen on doing it yourself don't discount an alteration service. It may cost you more than the vintage piece but you will end up with something that you'll enjoy wearing, and the price is still likely to be less purchasing new. Think outside the box and have fun - a dress doesn't have to be a dress.

This is a 1980s dress I bought for $2.50 at a thrift store the other day. Nice shoulder pads!

The first thing I did was remove the shoulder pads then cut the skirt from the top just above the elastic line. Then I cut the top straight up the middle  to make a little jacket.



Then I used the skirt to make a summer dress. The existing sash went through the old belt loops, crossed over at the back, then came over the shoulders to make straps. The old waist elastic worked to hold the dress up.

For more inspiration see New Dress a Day, where you'll see a vintage remake for every day of the year.

COLOUR

The next thing we're going to look at is colour. Wearing the best colour palette for your hair, eyes, and skin tone is the easiest way to look healthier and prettier. To discover what colours work best for you have a look at my Style Guide to Second Hand.

It's always great to know what colours look the best on you, but what happens if you spot a real bargain in completely the wrong colour?

Last week I bought a Metalicus dress on ebay for $10.95. It was described as "burnt orange" which I thought I could work with, but when it arrived it could only be described as peach. Which won't do at all. Here's the eBay photograph:

But really it was more like this:

Which is a really lovely colour on people with a warm skin tone and lighter hair, just not on me.
When buying online this happens sometimes, and it's always a little disappointing. Thankfully there's an easy and fun fix!

Off to a craft store I trotted this morning with my four year old in tow. He calls this particular craft shop "The most BORING shop ever". So as you can see, it was going to be a good trip!

I bought some iDye for fabrics with a polyester content for $12.95. Before buying any dye make sure you know the fabric content of the garment you want to dye and buy the appropriate product.

You can dye in a washing machine or on the stove top. I've used this product before when I dyed a merino wool jumper of my daughter's and it worked really well in the machine. For this one I decided to use the stove top as it promised the "best results" and I thought the polyester blend might take a bit more effort to get a good result.  I used a large stock pot on the gas range.

This is what I ended up with, an orange dress a lot closer to the photo on eBay.

It's still quite a "warm" colour for me, but I think it'll work in summer when my skin tone changes.

For a small amount of money you can change the colour of a garment really quickly. It works wonders on stained kids clothing, or pieces that you might otherwise throw out because they don't suit you. Try it!

Rules for using clothing dye:

• use the appropriate dye for your fabric fibre content
• don't overfill the pot - enough water to cover and allow the garment to move freely is enough
• don't be too ambitious - a dark green garment is never going to end up baby pink. Try going a few shades darker to get a good result. 
• if you're wanting to lighten a garment look using a colour remover first

HEMLINES


The easiest vintage fix! As a rule, you don't want any garment whether it be a skirt, dress, or pants ending at the widest part of your legs. If you have wider calves a mid calf boot or skirt isn't going to look that hot on you. Go for knee length instead. Taking up a hem on a vintage garment is a quick way to give it a new look and to tailor it for your body type. Non sewers out there can even trim the excess then use hemming tape.

EMBELLISHMENTS

Adding buttons, lace, ribbon, a brooch, or a piece of linen to a garment can completely transform it in minutes. One of my favourite tricks is to use a vintage doily as little capped sleeves on a dress or t-shirt. You can see how to do this on my post about  remaking kids clothing and here on my Sound of Music dress. Vintage linen also works well as pockets, just cut an oval or rectangle shaped piece in half and stitch on.

The next time you're op shopping and you see something that's not quite right I hope you'll grab it and have a go at some of these revamp ideas.

Enjoy your Sunday night and don't forget to check back in the morning for Make it Monday!

Casual Style using Vintage Finds

When I left work to have my daughter almost 8 years ago I made myself one promise. No track pants (that's sweats for my American readers) unless I'm having a lazy Sunday. I know it would be all too easy for me to walk around in trackies every day of the week. That doesn't mean that I totter off to school drop off in stiletto spikes either. My aim is to be casual and comfortable with style. And since I love vintage and I'm on a budget, most of my clothing comes from thrift stores.

Most of my time is spent at home with my preschooler Ben. We play and do craft together, go on walks, do the groceries, run errands. My clothes have to be practical and not get in the way of being a hands on mum.

In this instalment of my Style series I'll show you how I use vintage finds to dress up jeans and a t-shirt - whether it be short sleeve, no sleeve, or long sleeve as the weather dictates.

We all love jeans and a tee right? But it can come across as a little too casual and dare I say it, sloppy. These simple ideas will show you how look casual, but effortlessly stylish too.

JACKETS

My latest fashion obsession is Winter Kate, a label designed by Nicole Richie. I love the vintage style prints, the floaty fabrics, and how easy they are to wear. The designer is, of course, a mother with small children herself. My only problem with the jackets and tops I so love from Winter Kate is the small matter of the price tag. I've been stalking things as they come up on eBay but I knew that I could do better than that with a bit of luck.

This is the silk Eden jacket from Winter Kate. See how cute that is with some simple jeans and a singlet top? Totally wearable.

When I was home in New Zealand recently I found a shop selling vintage kimonos and scraps of silk fabric.

I found a beautiful silk short kimono jacket with a detailed floral print for $25. Yep, I was pretty excited about that.

Because the jacket has volume the key here is to make sure the other pieces are fitting. The jeans need to be a straight or slim fit (no bootleg either) and the top needs to be relatively slim fitting also. A belt also looks great with this look.

Another great match for jeans and a t-shirt is a tailored blazer. Roll the sleeves up a bit, add some red lippy, and a long necklace. Ballet flats, boots, or heels complete the outfit.

A simple cardigan in a good colour with some ballet flats can lift a jeans and tee combo. Cardigans are cheap in thrift stores, look for the colour first and don't be afraid to change buttons to update it.

HATS

I know what you're thinking. I promise we're not talking about huge crazy hats here, we're talking understated. You can do it!

ACCESSORIES

When you're starting with something simple like a plain white t-shirt and jeans adding colour and interest through accessories is really important. The Wow Factor is in the detail.

I love bright, big necklaces and bracelets and I wear them often. When picking a necklace remember your colour palette from the first instalment. If you're going with something quite bright, make sure that your t-shirt is plain. Pick up a colour from the necklace and try and feature it somewhere else - your shoes, lipstick, or your handbag.

Let's talk handbags for a moment. I know some women who have a little handbag obsession. I have a very modest collection. My favourite every day bag is a vintage Ferragamo that I bought second hand for $355. Now I realise that $355 is a lot of money for something that's second hand. But I can tell you that I've had that little baby for almost 6 years now and she looks as good as the day she arrived in my post box. Whenever I have that bag on my arm I feel great. It goes with pretty much everything and the quality is amazing. I'm not saying you should go and buy a designer handbag right away, however the next time you're in the market for a new bag have a think about investing in something that's well made, elegant, and timeless over a knock off of the latest trend.

SCARVES

Scarves and wraps are an inexpensive way to dress up a simple outfit. Whether it's a soft cotton one or something with weight for winter, throwing a scarf around your neck can completely transform your look.

SHOES

What you wear on your feet is going to say a lot about your look. Please, please, do not match big white runners with your jeans. I get that it's comfortable but it doesn't look good. It says: Seinfeld! 1990s Soccer Mom! And what do you see on the feet below?

Enough said. Now if you do like a casual shoe with jeans there are some alternatives to the big white sneaker that will work.

These are my limited edition gold boat shoes designed by Missy Elliot for Adidas. I bought them about 5 years ago. I had a thing for gold shoes at the time (still do actually).  I still wear them, and I still love them. 

This Lacoste slip on is very cute.

The Chuck Taylor is a classic that can look really cool. 

I'm not a huge second hand shoes person so I tend to buy my footwear new. When buying casual shoes online what you're looking for is Fashion Sneakers not sports shoes or runners.

SO WHAT NOW?

• First and foremost, buy a well fitting pair of jeans. Go into a store that specialises in denim and try lots of pairs on. Most denim stores have well trained assistants who can give you suggestions and help with sizing. Don't forget that jeans do relax so that well fitting pair can end up looking quite sloppy. In some cases it's a good idea to buy one size down - have a chat to your shop assistant about how the jeans wear in.
• Have a think about what t-shirts you want to buy and what you'll be matching them with. If you want to use bright accessories like necklaces and bags then a plain t-shirt is best. Stick to your colour palette, and remember you can't go wrong with white! 
• Necklines - V neck? Crew? Boat? Try on different styles and see how they work with your body shape. 
• Don't be afraid to try something different. It might feel strange at first to wear something with colour, or to try a hat but keep stretching your comfort zone.
• Lastly, I want you to know that you deserve the extra few minutes it takes to wear something you feel good in. If you're a mum like me it's so easy to forget about yourself in the rush of taking care of everyone else. I don't have much time in the mornings (I plan what I'm going to wear in the shower!) but I do make sure I have a couple of minutes to myself to get ready for the day.

Style Notes

1: Winter Kate silk 'Eden' jacket. 2 - 5: Op Shopping. 6 & 7: Vintage silk kimono $25; Citizens of Humanity jeans $8 from Vinnies; Something Else singlet; 1970s clutch $4 from Vinnies. 8 & 9: Tigerlily blazer $10 from eBay, Citizens of Humanity jeans $8 from Vinnies, Something Else singlet; 1980s vintage turn down boots $10 from eBay. 10 & 11: Wool crochet beanie from PeonyK; Citizen of Humanity Jeans $8 from Vinnies; white long sleeve tee from Target. 12 & 13: Vintage Red Cross hat $8 from Vinnies; white long sleeve tee from Target. 14: Vintage Salvatore Ferragamo bag $355 from trademe; stone and metal necklace from kagi jewellery. 15: Red wool wrap from Greytown, NZ. 16: Green cotton scarf from Malaysia.