East Meets West: How to Wear the Kimono 5 More Ways

Hello, my name is Sam and I'm a kimono addict... I've only managed a handful of kimono-free days since my latest fix came into my life (first paired with another of this summer's great loves, stripes, here). Back in September, when I was a mere baby blogger, I showed you 3 of my favourite A/W kimono-pairings (leather skinnies, pencil skirts and maxis), so a summer update seems timely...

Whilst its dark, sensuous glamour will see you stylishly through winter accompanied by Hollywood siren/rock chick/goth-chic co-ordinates, the kimono's combination of feminine sweetness and boho free-spiritedness also effortlessly surfs the sartorial waves of summer holidays, festivals and garden parties (or just ensures you look chic at the supermarket).

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'...

... and probably not tramping through muddy fields, but this could be the perfect festival outfit if you disregard my ickle bit of artistic licence and replace them with wedge wellies. Inspired by Next's idea to use a kimono as the basis of a "Dusky Western" look, with my own favourite wrap-and-tuck kimono-as-top tweak.

Kimono c/o F&F at Tesco (Available Here), Shorts: Topshop, Boots: Peacocks

Oriental Hothouse vs. English Country Garden

Kimono: As Above; Skirt, Belt and Shoes: All Primark; Bag c/o marc b. (Available Here)

Ah, I do love a good flix (floral print mix - at least I didn't say "prix" - oops). Combining traditionally Oriental and European prints and shapes for a vintage-inspired ladylike look with a twist, I've stuck to classic neutral accessories in an attempt to avoid clutter and keep the focus on the floral clash - do you prefer the kimono tucked in or belted over the skirt?

Fairy Print-cess

Kimono: As Above, Dress: Matalan, Boots and Floral Crown: Both Primark

Yup, sometimes I do actually wear it loose! This time adding a hint of edge to an-ultra girly look founded on fun, cutesy shapes and lots of pink!

Boho Meets Hobo

Kimono: As Above; Dress, Necklace and Boots: All Primark, Beanie: New Look

Kinda Shoreditch-hipster-meets-bag-lady, but I love it! The continuity of dark tones between kimono and dress stops the "piling everything on but the kitchen sink" look from becoming an eye-sore, whilst the beanie and neon accents add a bit of urban flair to the timeless gypsy feel.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Kimono: As Above, Skirt: Miss Selfridge (Available Here), Top: New Look, Boots: Peacocks, Body Chain: Topshop

Another "channelling-Glastonbury" look inspired by 2 of my musical/style icons - Rihanna meets Florence Welch. Yep, I can so see myself romping around a field in this - until my skirt gets dirty and I cry. Which may be why I have never actually made it to a festival myself...

Have you invested in a kimono yet? Will you be rocking it at any festivals this year, or staying safely within reach of the remote control/washer-dryer?

Follow Me:

 

DIY Neon Necklace

I was well and truly bitten by the DIY bug this weekend, polishing off 2 projects in 1.5 hours (look out for my first customised beanie, coming soon to a screen near you), and planning several more... One thing I'd wanted to try out for ages was using nail polish to remaster a clear crystal/diamante necklace in glorious technicolour, so, as nice as this £3 Primark crystal-on-neon-cord choker was already, as soon as I laid eyes on it, all I could see was the perfect canvas...

You Will Need: 

• the piece of jewellery to be customised
• nail polish in the shade(s) of your choice
• clear topcoat
• nail polish remover and cotton buds (in case of mishaps!)

The process is almost shockingly simple - before starting, I scoured the net for tutorials, looking for the catch, but it really is this easy: paint the stones in your desired colours, as if painting your nails. Speaking as someone for whom manicures typically produce more frustration than Primark's perennial disco pant shortage, it was remarkably stress-free (and, fingers crossed, the results will last longer than the few hours I get from my nails).

I used Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Satsuma, and Marks & Spencer Nail Colour in Neon Yellow (think this has been discontinued, sadly) and Mint. The thick, high shine quality of the Gelly polishes makes them perfect for projects like these - I used 2 coats, but 1 probably would have sufficed. 3 coats of the yellow and mint polishes were necessary for an even finish (not bad, considering I've had them for 3 years!!). For an opaque, even look, you'll probably need to use thicker coats than you would on your nails, so, to eliminate any risk of last minute nicks and smudges, I left mine to dry overnight before applying topcoat.

Although I was lucky enough not to have any accidents (starting with relatively large stones was probably a good idea!), I had nail polish remover and cotton buds on hand as a safety net, just in case! A potential lifesaver if/when attempting more intricate designs, I imagine...

I'm really pleased with the results (well, how often can you co-ordinate your nails so effortlessly with your accessories?), especially for a first attempt, but I'm already itching to take it to the next level with some special effects and custom designs... after all, who says we have to stick to neon, block colour, or necklaces, for that matter? I have a feeling that bespoke jewellery may well turn out to be a more rewarding medium for my burgeoning nail art skills than my slippery-as-butter-fingernails!


Have you gone extra-curricular with your nail polish yet?

Follow Me:

 

Even More Ways to Wear the Tutu: 1 Skirt, 3 Tops, 9 Looks

Back in February, I was lucky enough to win Coast's Dating Dress Diary competition with this post. Since Coast's pieces are firmly ranked in my personal "investment buy" (aka "in my dreams") category, I wasn't about to fritter my £100 prize fund away lightly. For me and my inner frugalista, the purchase of a £35 skirt would necessitate several days of agonising/a generous benefactor/a pig landing on the moon, so the concept of owning one 3 times the price took some time to get my head around, but somehow I managed it - I know, phew.

I'd set my heart on the Tressi tutu-style skirt featured in my "Dream Date" outfit as soon as I'd laid eyes on it, so was desolate to discover it sold out in my size by the time I found out I'd won, and decided to bide my time, haunting Coast's New In section until another garment bewitched me in an equally compelling would-quite-possibly-kill-for-it type manner... Finally, as "spring" (I think we'd all agree it required quotation marks this year) prepared to give way to summer, seasonal chocolate disappeared from the supermarket shelves for 3 minutes and the fields o'erflowed with gamboling lambs, who should appear but Tressi, reincarnated and freshly dip-dyed for the new season!

Not only did she satisfy my 3-month-long craving for a just-below-the-knee tutu and tick "ombre" off my "urgently need to acquire in order to retain self respect as fashion blogger" list, but I nabbed a jammy £23 student discount with my NUS card, taking her down to (a by now clearly bargainous) £92.

As you'd expect, Tressi is beautifully crafted, sublimely comfortable, and a precise fit as per the Coast size guide, with layers of satin and tulle combining to create the picture-perfect '50s-Dior silhouette. Although the colour is described as "mocha", mine has more than a hint of dusky lilac about her (fading to off-white, with both satin underskirt and tulle netting dyed), which I personally love - perfect with neutrals like the monochrome and soft grey hues I've paired her with, accessorised with oodles of glitz.

If you've already dismissed tutus as acceptable attire only for the birthday bashes of pre-schoolers, I beg of you - open your mind - they are FUN. And yes, I have managed to tease out a few more styling ideas since my last How to Wear the Tutu post - the difficult part isn't actually finding new ways to wear them, but trying to stop! For now, I've limited myself to creating (more or less) 9 looks with the help of 3 different tops  - a cropped boyfriend tee, striped shirt and sheer lace peplum top (plus unlimited accessories) - which could take you from Shoreditch tavern to Buckingham Palace banqueting hall (if they so happen to be regular haunts).

The Cropped Boyfriend Tee

1. White Swan

Skirt: Coast (Available Here); Top, Shoes and Headdress: All Primark (Current)

Praise be to the grey marl tee - the lazy savvy gal's instant dresser-downer/edger-upper. This cropped, slouchy version is the perfect replacement for winter's sloppy knits... and will reduce your bank balance by just £3 (which surely justifies an investment in the skirt). It also tips the fash balance far enough away from Ballerina Barbie and toward hipster to allow for a little fun in the shape of an amaaaazing Swan Lake-esque headdress - apparently a Primark Oxford Street Exclusive, I cannot believe that this only cost me £4.

2. Spiked Swan

Skirt, Top and Headdress: As Above, Trainers: Primark (Current)

Adding a little '80s dash-and-derring-do with wedge high tops... no, I'm still not taking the feathers and pearls off.

3. Beanie Baby

Skirt, Top and Trainers: As Above, Beanie: New Look

Oh OK, let's try something else... this is one of the infamous beanies given out at the New Look AW13 press events... not sure I'd ever have invested in one of my own accord (too "annoying boys kicking air flow balls around the playground circa 1995") but I must admit to having developed a now-not-so-covert passion for them since they found their way into my hands and thence onto my bonce... so cheers, New Look!

The Striped Shirt

4-6. Bowled Over

Skirt: Coast (Available Here); Shirt, Hat and White Shoes: All Primark, Black Shoes: Pied A Terre

Having eyed this striped boyfriend shirt across the rails for several long weeks, I relinquished my willpower, and £12, just in time to nab the last one in my size - well, as I've discovered many times over already this season, stripes always return on their investment, with interest. I found that plain white shirts looked a little too Pink Lady (yep, turns out there is such a thing) with such a frothy delight of a skirt, but monochrome tones + graphic stripes turned out to be the perfect foil for Tressi's apparent desire to participate in a Rydell High pep rally. Simply add bowler +/- brogues for a touch of offbeat boy-meets-girl chic (and happy feet), or courts for added ladylike glam (and potentially angry feet)... This would have been the perfect moment to try white heels if every pair in my price range within a 20 mile radius didn't seem to have sold out - grr.

P.S. I will own that simply holding the hat rather than wearing it may not in itself constitute a separate "look" - I did say "more or less", OK?

The Lace Peplum

7. Candy

Skirt: Coast (Available Here), Top: Primark, Collar: Dorothy Perkins (Current), Shoes c/o F&F at Tesco (Current)

Once I'd sated my urges to subvert, grunge down and "man" up, it was high time to embrace Tressi's full, gloriously girly, vintage-vibin' Grace-Kelly-meets-Anna-Pavlova-meets-Fairy-Godmother potential. Starting with lace, frothy peplums, sweetie-tastic collar necklaces and Twix-wrapper stilettos - what else?

8. Flower Fairy

Skirt and Top: As Above, Floral Crown and Boots: Both Primark

A little unplanned detour through flower-studded pastures on the way to my last look - my floral crown and printed Lita-dupes are never too far from my grasp at the moment! And yes, this is the same peplum top, masquerading as a simple vest - who doesn't love a BOGOF?

9. Diamonds Are My Bestest Friends

Skirt and Top: As Above, Headdress and Shoes: Both Primark, Shrug: Jane Norman, Necklace: Peacocks

Well OK, diamante... My final look was inspired by the "Dream Date" ensemble in my winning Dating Dress Diary entry post (see it here). This is one piece which is exceptionally receptive to styling up (as well as down) without looking crass and overdone - OK, circumstances may never necessitate the wearing of diamonds, faux fur, sheer lace and glittery shoes, topped off with a Sugar Plum Fairy 'do, but sometimes you just want to - anyone with me?!

.

Follow Me: