The things you own, own you!

Now that I'm concentrating on trimming down my vintage collection instead of perpetually adding to an already crammed setting, I'm actually starting to find stuff again.

Stuff that I'd forgotten I had bought or perhaps worse still stuff  that can't even remember ever buying, oh dear!

The sign of a proper hoard addict, someone who has stuff in their wardrobe they have no idea how it got there, crazy!

I am also being reunited with "old friends" that haven't seen the light of day for ages. 

Many have been skillfully sandwiched away in a far away corner of the wardrobe or folded up in a storage bag up in the loft.   

It's like a blanket of heavy snow slowly melting away in the spring sunshine & revealing long forgotten about little daisy buds. 

Perhaps a little needlessly florid but that is exactly how it feels.

I'm happy the snow is finally melting, I'm happy to see frocks wing their way out the door and for each and every one that flies, I'm feeling lighter.

That's the whole thing, I woke up one morning and thought to myself...
"Shit man, I am being imprisoned by my possessions, even if I wanted to move today, I couldn't cause of all this STUFF"
...and that really scared me!

So instead of doing my usual ostrich act and burying my head in the nearest pile of vintage clobber, I have taken some steps in the right direction.
Besides my Frocktasia on-line shop, I'm eBaying, Gumtreeing and will be car boot selling too in a couple of weeks.

After being inspired by wonderful Vix's vintage fair post, I've even been eyeing up that avenue today.

I will not rest until I have made a big dent in my stockpile and in the meantime I suspect I shall continue to unearth forgotten about buys galore and be reunited with "old friends" like this vintage 80s glitter bow print prom dress that I bought when I lived in Edinburgh in the 90s and this DIYed goth bride veil made for a Halloween do in a South London pub that I worked in many many moons ago...

Getting rid and letting go, feels so incredibly cathartic & liberating...

I never thought it would!

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

Digging the line-dancing queen

Last Sunday I went for my monthly treasure hunting jaunt. 

I've cut my buying right back to the bare bones cause I've got too much stuff already.

It's actually really nice to have my Sunday mornings back, although I admit that I did suffer from acute withdrawal symptoms the first few weeks.

Now I'm concentrating on selling rather than buying, I want to shrink my vast amassment of vintage clobber to a more manageable size cause it has grown into somewhat of an Albatross and that is not good.

  So what did I get last Sunday?

I'm currently working on some garments for the shop and I was after some vintage lining fabrics and scored well in that department.

I was also thrilled to find a fabulous vintage 80s mohair cardigan coat and a pair of awesome Wrangler pillar-box red cowboy boots. 

I had actually spied a pair just like them on eBay a few days earlier but they were a size too small for me so I didn't buy them.

Lucky old me that's all I can say cause these bad boy boots are the perfect fit and cost me less than what the eBay pair would have.

We took some pics for the shop earlier and at the end of the shoot I posed for some pics in my fuzztastic cardi-coat.

The guitar was hubbies idea, he thinks I should use more props in my pics ;)

...and here are my frigging awesome boots...

Red cowboy boots with tassels...yay, chuffed to bits!

Busy day for me tomorrow, another shop update in the pipeline :)

Take care peeps.

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

The Haggis Hunter

I finally managed to bag a new camera just before we headed up north for the weekend.
As someone who takes customer service very seriously I have to say that I was utterly appalled with  Jessops.
Not only did they have me road-running throughout London all of Wednesday afternoon but when I came to pick up my "new" camera from the third shop on Thursday morning, I found that they had in fact stuck a shop display camera back in its box and tried to palm it off as new.
I just shook my head..."-mate, would it be at all possible to get a brand NEW one in a sealed box"...the dude realized that he'd been rumbled and got me another one.
They might have got away with it, had they cleaned the lens cap and replaced the battery pack seal before sticking it back in the box.
Apparently this sort of practice is not uncommon so if you are buying a new camera always make sure you check it out before you leave the store.
I mean don't get me wrong, if I had been offered a reasonable discount on the display camera, I may have considered taking it off their hands but if I'm paying for a new one then I expect a new one.
Anyroad...Jessops may suck rotten eggs but my new camera ROCKS!
It got its first proper outing in the Scottish Highlands over the weekend.
I've been wanting to shoot some of my own designs for ages and Glen Coe creates a magical backdrop.
We headed out in the early morning hours so that we could have the hillside all to ourselves...if you don't count a gazillion midgies that is.
Everyone was saying...
 "You're doing what tomorrow morning...where? You are going to get eaten alive! The midgies will have you for breakfast!".
It wasn't too bad to be honest, thankfully there was a slight breeze blowing through the glen so we managed to shoot for an hour before they started getting to us.
It was very early and a tad nippy to say the least and although I tried my hardest to stop it, my face was all too keen to bear witness to this.
However as per usual we took a mother load of photos and some came out not too shabby.

I brought four kilts but we only managed to shoot one of them. I wanted to get the other stuff done first and by the time we got around to the kilts the midgies were biting and we had to pack up and RUN AWAY!

Vintage kilt, 90s mohair jumper, tights, DMs, Frocktasia 'Dear Darkness' chiffon rose headdress, bangles galore & etno-earrings.  

For me tartan is an autumn/winter style perennial, it just feels right at this time of year.

I tend to team my tartan with stuff that make it a bit more punk than prim...

DMs or a pair of battered lace-up hiking boots, a washed out band Tee or a shaggy mohair jumper.

Tartan inspiration...

Audrey Horne from Twin Peaks looking prim, two pics from a grunge laden 90s Marc Jacobs collection and Liv Tyler wearing a cute mini kilt in the 'Empire Records' movie.

Fan-tartan-tastic!

I'll leave you with a tartan OTT look from the Frocktasia archives...

'THE HAGGIS HUNTER'

Take care y'all!

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

Frocktasia's Mohairy Midsummer

It's been a while since my last installment, just haven't had the time nor the inclination lately :(

However I thought that as it's midsummer already, I'd better do at least one posting before June ends :)

So far summer has been a a story of starts and stops, just when you think you can push the tights & jumpers to the back of the wardrobe temperatures take a nose dive and I'm back sporting my trusty grey beanie.

We have had a few cracking days though so I guess I shouldn't complain too much...this is England after all!

We had planned to get out of London this weekend, pitch our new tent somewhere on the coast and just sit on a beach and chill-out but we decided against it as the weather forecast pretty much spelled rain in bold capital letters for most of the country.

We did go for a wee walk along an urban nature trail to forage some elderflowers and snap some pics instead.

I brought with me a few of my current wardrobe faves and a couple of bits that I have made/revamped recently... 

I love this quirky 80s mohair jumper that I bought on eBay a few years ago.

It's super comfy and it goes really well with my bright orange revamped cut-offs...

These denim cut-offs were made from a pair of hubby's old jeans.

I tie-dyed them with Dylon and embellished them with faux-gems salvaged from a top that I got from the car boot sale.

The kick-ass Steve Madden boots were also a car boot sale buy from a few years ago.

Whilst on the subject of  fabulous car booty buys...

I bagged this frigging awesome camo jacket from the car boot sale a while back.

I absolutely love camo jackets and I love Bob Marley so for me this jacket is DA BOMB!

I bought this refashioned desert camo jacket from a shop in Camden a few years back.

It's fabulously fitted :)

The vintage Moschino belt was a second hand market find, the 80s aviator sunnies where dead-stock off eBay and the funky handmade African earrings were a pressie from my folks.

I made the headdress from a bunch of  deconstructed chiffon scrunchies fashioned into cabbage rose shapes and mounted on a wide padded Alice band...

My trusty grey knitted beanie...

...that I'm rocking a helluva lot more than I should be doing considering it's late June!

Never mind, there is still time for summer to sort itself out and when it does I'll be on the first coast bound train out of here, armed with my tent and sleeping bag, I can't wait ;)

Hope you are all having a wonderful Midsummer weekend.

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

Ruddy reflections & fabulous frocks

I was so intensely happy to see the back of last week, I could have cried tears of joy on my way home from work.

It was just one of those weeks that dragged on like a vexatious Eastenders omnibus or a jukebox stuck in a brain-numbingly ceaseless loop of Steps "greatest hits".

Friday night was celebrated in a flurry of fajitas and non-alcoholic cider and today we went for a relaxing stroll along the Thames.

We made a quick detour to Brick Lane to take in a few of the vintage shops that are sprinkled in that area but for once I didn't buy a thread which for me is almost unheard of behaviour.

Never mind I've got a car boot sale to go to in a few hours and I daresay I shall not return from it empty handed.

The weekend is zipping past like a blue bottle on bennies and Monday already feels uncomfortably near.

It feels like time speeds up at the weekend and there are so many things that I want to cram into those two gold dust days.

I just never quite seem manage it all & this frankly bums me out somewhat.

Too much running around like a headless chicken to amass bits of paper with some old crone with a crown printed upon them and it's not even as if I've got a well stuffed mattress with mullah...OH NO!

As quick as I can make them, some other fecker claims them...tax, rent, bills, bills, bills!

I wish I could live outside this detestable loop, break free from the perpetual hamster wheel & move

somewhere nice with lots of trees, far far away from Starfucks designer coffee shops & groTesco.

Anyway enough of my rantings, here are a few snaps taken during our lovely riverside stroll...

I'm wearing: Vintage 60s psychedelic paisley day dress, DKNY longsleeved top, ribbed tights, vintage 80s cowboy boots, wide leather belt, vintage 70s camera bag & vintage 80s sunnies.

Here's my lovely hubby wearing a folksy top that I bought for him at last Sundays car boot sale. In the background you can see 'the shard' or Mammons butt plug as I like to call it.

FROCK ON!

In my last post I showed you some of my latest frockquisitions & I'll end this post with some pics of the rest of my recent frocking loot...

Have a fantastic Sunday peeps ;)

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

Spring Mourning

The weather here in Ol' Blighty has been pretty friggning dreadful for weeks now.

The sweet fragrance of lilacs that usually fill the warm spring air on our balcony have been overpowered by the dodgy smell coming from a clogged drainpipe next door. 

Our drainpipe kamikazeed off the wall during a ferocious rainstorm last week, so now when it rains we have a waterfall display from the roof onto the balcony & into the kitchen if you happen to leave the door open.

Och, grumble grumble!

Despite it being a dreich and grey morning, I still braved an excursion to the car boot sales yesterday and I am very happy that I did cause came back with vintage dress treasures galore, every cloud has a silver lining as they say!

Last night I spent taking pics for my upcoming eBay auctions and today I played dress-up with all my new purchases :)

Besides frocks I bought a stunning gothic maxi skirt that I wore today.

Opening the curtains this morning and peering out onto yet another day of dreichness made me feel decidedly morose, so I decided to wear something to mourn spring...

Vintage 70s maxi length underskirt, sequin cami top, metallic swirl patterned mesh long-sleeved top, Demonia heels, leopard print tights, Frocktasia PVC headdress and DIYed chiffon & sequin cape poncho made from an Indian hippie skirt. All clothing items were purchased from various car boot sales bar my wig that came from PAKcosmetics.

Here are some gratuitous shots of some of the gorgeous garb up for grabs in my current eBay auctions ;)

SIZZLING REPRO 50S PIN-UP STYLE LINGERIE DRESS:

 FUNKY 90S CLUBBING MINI DRESS:

 

AWESOMELY HOT 90S BLACK VELVET MINI DRESS:

 

 TRIPPY TRIBAL PRINT MINI SHIFT DRESS:

 

SENSATIONAL VINTAGE 80S HOT PINK COCKTAIL DRESS:

VINTAGE 80S SCARF PRINT DRESS:

I'll leave you with a little of my eBay auction inspiration ;)

Hope you will all have a fab week!

Lot's of love,

Jennie

xXx

One Thousand and One Outfits (not really)

Hope you've all had a splendiferous weekend.

I've finally finished sorting through all the holiday pics, huzzah!

 As I mentioned in an earlier installment I would do a 'random holiday outfits' post as well, so here it is.

First off is a caftan that I bought from a car boot sale two months ago...

This stunning turquoise caftan is perfect for throwing over a bikini when going for lunch or just as a cover-up when doing a spot of beachcombing.

******
I brought a few pairs of lightweight trousers with me cause I read that it can get pretty nippy out in the desert at night.
 These ones I bought several years ago from an Indian clothing shop, they are double-layered with a stunning cream jacquard fabric and sheer black chiffon...

This quirky top was another car boot sale buy and I've teamed it with one of my Indian choli tops that I won on eBay last year.

******
These are the trousers that I for some obscure reason deemed suitable to travel in.
Wide-leg trousers are possibly the worse thing to wear when traversing the London Underground during crush hour and especially when you are loaded up with heaps of luggage.
My foot got caught in the swishy trouser leg but luckily I have cat-like reflexes and I managed to grab onto something instead of loosing my two front teeth, phew!
I do love these trousers though, just not to travel in.

Emporio Armani top teamed with another one of my Indian choli tops.

******
I got this wine red mesh top from the car boot sale the week before we went away.
The design is really quirky and its even got a hood.

Harem jumpsuit, tribal mirror & coin belt, Topshop hammered brass disc necklace that I scored from the car boot sale for a quid.

 ******
We went to Luxor for an outing and visited the very impressive Karnak temple complex, The Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut's Temple.
It was a real whistle stop outing and we even managed to cram in a short boat trip on the Nile.

Those double-layered trousers got another outing,  I teamed them with a rose print silk blouse by Diane Von Furstenberg and my trusty vintage jazz dance trainers.

******
I brought my harem jumpsuit & two pairs of harem pants, I'm still in love with this roomy trouser style...

Indian silk harem pants, tassel-tastico hippie top and in the last picture my beloved vintage 70s suede vest/waistcoat.

******
The second pair of harem pants have more glitz than you can shake a stick at...

Bronze harlequin diamond patterned harem pants teamed with a sequin embellished mesh top and low-slung leather belt.

Shake your tail feather! OMG, I think I've just attracted a randy ostrich ;)

Here I've added an embroidered chiffon top and my funky sequin elephant cap.

PIMP MY CRIB!

******
 We also went for an awesome day out to the stunning Sataya reef where you are sometimes lucky enough to swim with dolphins.
Unfortunately the dolphins stayed away until we were on our way back home, so we saw them from the boat, however we did get to swim with a huge-ass Napoleon fish and we also managed to do some pretty spectacular freediving.

Those Indian silk harem trousers again,  this time teamed with a cut-out butterfly Tee, turban fashioned from a sarong and my bestest fashion accessory ever...my hubby of course!

Early morning at divers paradise Tondoba Bay, chilling before scuba ;)

As we spent most of the day on the beach or in the sea I was sporting a bikini or my wetsuit most of the time...

I brought two bikinis and one tankini. The fabulously colourful one was a gift from the divine Helga.

Hubby scored this Mares wetsuit on eBay...what a kind, clever and awesome man I am blessed with.

Snorkeling, freediving  and scuba...I absolutely LOVE IT! The Red Sea is awesome and I couldn't recomend Egypt and Marsa Alam highly enough.

Last but by no means least my underwater kit...Mares fins, Scubapro snorkel and Cressi mask all purchased off eBay.

That's it folks...now you've seen all my holiday get-ups.
Now I'll have to put my thinking cap on to figure out what to blog about next, any requests?
Have a fantastic week!
Lot's of love,
Jennie
xXx