Tag Archives: vintage

How To: Pom Pom Purse

Ages ago, I vowed to try my hand at making a pom pom purse ala PS I Made This and my friend Sara (my original post here). I know that was a few seasons ago, but now that it’s winter, it seems appropriate to bring it back up again. In my previous post, I was going to add pom poms to a black vinyl purse that I had where the embelishments started to fall off. I changed my mind, and decided that I would actually use a very cute vintage tweed purse that I purchased on Ebay nearly 7 years ago. It’s been sitting in my closet and I was trying to figure out whether I should just add vintage brooches or appliques to it, or maybe even studs. Because I chose pom poms that were in browns, tans and yellows, I thought that it would fit this purse very well.

Also, rather than use a glue gun, I opted to use a fabric glue, to ensure that the pom poms would stay put (I found Aleene’s Fabric Fusion at my local Michael’s). I first stragetically placed all the pom poms generally where I would like them to be, then used the fabric glue to stick them all in place. To ensure that they adhered correctly, I made sure to add the glue to the pom pom, then pressed the adhesive side down onto the purse. I held it there for a few minutes before moving on. The glue actually dried fairly quickly and I was able to get through the purse in just about an hour.

Check out the finished product (below); I think it worked out quite well! This was a very simple and fun way to re-work a purse that would otherwise have been relegated to the back of my closet or a donation bin. An outfit post featuring this purse will be up next!

Old Navy

When I bought this sweater, it immediately reminded me of my father and old pictures of him when he was in the navy. I decided to really do up the outfit and I came up with something that made me feel like a vintage sailor girl, circa 1920’s to 1940’s. Then my sister and I went out to Harbor Drive near Downtown San Diego, so that we could have pictures with The USS Midway in the background. It was a beautiful day, which really made the pictures even more like the ones in our dad’s old photo albums, especially with the sepia color. I miss my dad, and it’s nice when we can pay some homage to him in small ways.

Outfit – Hell Bunny sweater from ModCloth; Libertine for Target dress; Hanes textured tights; Jeffrey Campbell shoes; Fleur de Lis necklace (close up here), “Recoil” and typewriter rings by Suki Bijoux; Wendy Brandes ring; handmade bracelet given by my best friend Janice; La Marquise glasses by BonLook; unknown brand purse

All photos by Rholnna Jiao

"Re-Live A Little" With Suki Bijoux

As mentioned previously, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a meet up for the San Diego Style Bloggers last month (post here). Not only did I meet and reunite with some fantastic local bloggers, but I also got the chance to chat with a couple of local jewelry designers. I instantly fell in love with the designs of Suki Bijoux, who creates original vintage infused jewelry, using authentic vintage pieces. I bought two pieces straight away at the meet up, and then bought six more later on because I was impressed by her use of the vintage materials, such as vintage maps, dictionary entries, sheet music and actual typewriter keys. I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Suki at the meet-up, and then again later because she custom made a vintage dictionary ring that I wear everyday since I bought it. Suki is as beautiful as she is talented, and I have discovered that she and I have the same taste in music and have actually been to a few of the same concerts! I knew there was a reason we hit it off when we met!

In this brief interview, Suki explains how she got started and her inspiration behind the jewelry she makes. Support local designers, especially Suki Bijoux jewelry!

How did you make the decision to start your own business and how did you get started with jewelry specifically?

Well, unexpectedly really. Since an early age, I have always been creative by nature and had an affinity towards vintage memorabilia. As a young girl and into my early teen years, I spent countless hours tinkering with bits ‘n bobs I found here and there -creating artistic collages, jewelry, ephemera, and hand-sewn articles.

I married at 18 years old and was a mother to two beautiful children by 20; between raising children, being a full-time college student, and working there was very little time to pursue my creative outlet… until 3 years ago! What with my children now adults, I decided to re-kindle my creative ability and started a hobby making unique jewelry from vintage components. I started out using old typewriters and watches to make rings and cufflinks, and then ventured into using anything and everything circa 1900 – 1960.

One day, my husband brought to my attention just how much inventory I had made and he encouraged me to pursue an outlet for my creations. I visited a local boutique, who’s owner just fell in love with my designs, and offered to display/sell them. As it turned out, her customers loved them too! This was the start to what we know today as “Suki Bijoux”.

After the first delivery sold out, I made another… and all of those items sold too. I started to get really excited that people liked my creations, and was so inspired that I approached another local boutique with a sampling of “Suki Bijoux.” They loved it too! And so, one small step at a time, my business has grown slowly and steadily over the course of the past three years.

One year ago, I left my corporate job to pursue my new venture, my hobby gone wild… and there’s been no looking back. My designs are now in 18 boutiques between San Diego and San Clemente, with no end in sight.

When we chatted, you seem to gravitate towards a lot of vintage pieces that you rework. What inspires you most? Basically, do you seek out something to create, or are you inspired once you find a piece while out on a venture?

The inspiration evolves naturally. When I look at things, I try to envision if and how they can be re-worked into a piece of jewelry. Wherever I am, whether it’s on vacation in Europe or at a local Estate Sale, I’m always looking for unique vintage items to incorporate into my “Suki Bijoux” designs. For example, earlier this year my husband and I were vacationing in Italy, and ran across a Flea Market along the Grande Canal; I found some spectacular vintage Venetian buttons, tiny old hand-blown Morano glass flowers, and vintage postcards from the turn of the century. Occasionally an amazing item catches my attention, and I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do with it – sometimes months will go by until one day its’ purpose enlightens me and components seem to fall into place. I love it when that happens! Most days I go into my studio with no prior idea of what designs are going to come out of it… just like a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces come together. It’s so much fun!

Will you stick mainly to upcycling vintage or will you offer newer creations?

My passion is creating authentic vintage infused jewelry, and it’s really important to me to stay true to that origin. I love everything that original “Suki Bijoux” designs represent – a piece of authentic history, a peek into past lives and cultures, a story and journey from long ago, a twinkle of what once was. My creativity gives forgotten and unwanted vintage items another chance to be appreciated once again… with a new twist! Each “Suki Bijoux” item is a one-of-a-kind, designed and hand-crafted by myself, and infused with authentic vintage materials [circa 1900 – 1960] that I personally resource from all over the world. Truly unique in every essence.

What would you say is your “style”? How is that reflected in what you have to offer in your own designs?

I like to wear styles that are timeless classics, and then add personality with accessories: a fabulous pair of shoes, a unique purse, a statement ring or necklace, or edgy earrings. As I’m designing “Suki Bijoux” accessories I always keep this in mind, “if I wouldn’t wear it, don’t make it”.

What do you enjoy best about what you do?

Now that’s a loaded question! I love the fact that I’m in tune with my creative mind again… it is so calming! Being self-employed is amazing: to be able to enjoy my home by working from my in-home studio, and to embrace the benefits of a flexible schedule. Most of all though, I just love creating jewelry that makes other people feel good when they wear it… it really makes my day when someone sends me a message telling me how much they love their “Suki Bijoux”.

I am so thankful and appreciative to all of those who have supported my business and ventured to “Re-Live A Little”.

A custom-made “recoil” vintage dictionary ring, made especially for moi! Thank you Suki!

(Pictures 2, 3, and 4 are taken from the official Suki Bijoux Facebook page.)

Tailored Textures

It’s finally starting to cool down, so I’m feeling like wearing textured clothing and layering them in different ways. These pieces are not new, but I’ve never worn them together so it feels like a new outfit. The jacket is a colored tweed or boucle and the pants are corduroy. I kept the layering simple, but all in the same muted shades. I’m also starting to embrace wearing different shades of the same color. I was always hesitant to do so, but I think that it makes an outfit more dynamic and now actually expands my wardrobe possibilities!

Outfit – din bin jacket (from Nordstrom a long time ago); LEI corduroy pants; Old Navy blouse; Wet Seal tank; Poetic License shoes; Rebecca Minkoff MAC purse; Michael Kors watch; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA; Vintage brooches; Tiffany & Co necklace; Wendy Brandes ring

How I Rock Vintage

(This was originally a guest post for the blog Mrs. Bossa Does The Do, but I wanted to repost it here on my blog in anticipation of a new feature that I will post about this week. I want to thank Mrs. Bossa again for the opportunity to post the original back on July 11, 2011.)

Firstly, I would like to thank Mrs. Bossa for allowing me the chance to do a guest post on her fantastic blog! This is something that I have been working on for awhile, so what better way to share than as my first guest post. I wanted to honor her love of vintage by expressing my love of something similar.

AN ODE TO THE ROCK T-SHIRT

With so many t-shirts out there bearing some kind of “saying”, the rock t-shirt has received a confusing wrap. Are they are or they not fashionable? It depends on who you ask, and I personally love them. I have bought a t-shirt from every concert I’ve been to since I was 14. My first two were Duran Duran in 1984 and Depeche Mode in 1985. Both still fit and now have that “worn in” feel that clothing companies can only hope to emmulate.

I’m heavily influenced by 80’s alternative, which sneaks its way into my outfits in the form of a spiked belt, bracelet or rock t-shirt. Designers like Vivienne Westwood and Stephen Sprouse have infused punk into their lines, and that’s what I love to do with my own wardrobe. They basically took the t-shirt and made it into a fashion statement. One of my favorite newer designers, Idil Vice, has created an entire line of clothing that takes the rock t-shirt to a whole new level by placing those rock and punk images on other pieces of clothing like dresses and skirts (like the one below).

The rock t-shirt not only showcases my musical tastes, but it allows me to have greater expression. I can wear them either completely casual, all the way to glammed up. They become conversation pieces and can actually bond people. When I went to a recent concert by OMD, I wore a Joy Division shirt. There were three other people wearing the same shirt, and we all gave each other a knowing nod, understanding why we were wearing the shirts. I received several compliments, including an acknowledgement from OMD’s lead singer, Andy McCluskey (he said “Look at you in your Joy Division shirt!”). Wearing the “right” rock t-shirt can say “I am a connoisseur of music” without you having to say a word.

(Just to give you a bit of history, OMD toured with Joy Division back in the very early 80’s. When the lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide back in 1982, OMD wrote a song in his honor. Joy Division later changed their name to New Order).

I came across this article from Cleveland.com called “Vintage roc k T-shirts not only make a fashion statement but make a good investment, too“. Looks like I’m not the only one with a love of the rock tee. People are not only snapping up shirts from bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, but even the random Styx or odd REO Speedwagon shirts seem to be a hit. The article explains that vintage and current rock t-shirts are not just fashionable, but can bring in some cash if you are so inclined to give them up. True vintage t-shirts have increased in value, especially on auction sites such as eBay, fetching up to $1000! But beware of the wannabes being sold by sites who mass produce them and pawn them off as “vintage”.

“You can always tell by the tags: The originals have much smaller tags and if the tag isn’t as worn as the shirt, you’re probably buying a fake.” – Erica Easley, author of the rock shirt history, “Rock Tease.”

Who knew that my vintage concert t-shirts that I spent $15 on at the most back in 1985, could be worth so much? Looks like I have a gold-mine in my closet!

(Top image courtesy of The Anti-Fop from Google Images. Middle image courtesy of Cleveland.com.)

The Story of Libby

I thought I had finally given up on finding a camel coat for this fall/winter season, since I failed to get any of the ones I posted about previously (see here and here). I had even thought that I would have given up after finding one that I had in my grasp because I was so disappointed when it sold out. But in the process of searching for any elusive item, I always stumble on something unexpectedly good, especially when I’m not really trying.

I was looking for the Tulle single breasted vintage wool coat in khaki because it sold out on Tulle’s main site and on Lulu’s (I actually had a chance at one more in my size before it sold out!). It wasn’t difficult to find the coat itself on many other sites, it just wasn’t in the color I really wanted. I’m sure the reason it’s selling out is because of the camel/khaki color, the very cute vintage feel and the fantastic price. The highest price I’ve seen for the coat was $110.

I did eventually find it in the color I wanted on a couple of sites, but they were more than the price on Lulu’s and Tulle, so I continued to search. If I couldn’t find it for a better price, I would have bought the jacket at Urban Minx (their photo of the jacket is pictured on the upper left). They had the jacket at $99, which is still a great price for an adorable coat.

That’s how I found Libbystory.com. I found the coat in my size for only $57, which was less than what I would have paid on any other site. And I think that my timing was perfect because as soon as I placed my order, the khaki color swatch disappeared from the size medium, which meant I got the last one (which is why I could only include a picture of the green one, pictured right).

Once I placed my order, I started checking out the rest of the site and I really like what I saw. I’m always driven to sites that have a vintage section (like ModCloth, Lulu’s and Urban Outfitters). This site has the same type of vintage section, but they also have a “Recycled” section where they sell re-worked items, which tickles my upcycling fancy as seen in a previous post just this week (seen here). The owner of the site, Libby Story McRight, opened her first two stores in Mississippi, which has new, vintage and recycled items, then opened this online store.

One of my favorite parts of the Libby Story site is the lookbook section. Check out this picture, which includes the Naughty Monkey boots that I just bought (seen in yesterday’s post), worn in a way that I’m going to definitely have to steal. The plaid jacket and the exposed knee socks with the little dress are oh-so cute. It has that retro/vintage feel that I try to incorporate into many of my outfits, which is the way everything on this fantastic little site is styled.

What a find! Libby Story is definitely a site that I will go to again and again. It’s charming, vintage, upcycled and affordable, with a little southern charm.

Cameo Appearance

Aren’t cameos beautiful? I own three (so far) and am always happy to add more to my collection whenever I come across a beautiful one. Full of whimsy, they always remind me of the era of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth anyone?). They are delicate and intricate, adding a vintage touch to any outfit. I wore one for my “Military Luxe” outfit that I bought from Forever 21 (seen here), but I have an antique cameo that I got from my mom quite some time ago that can be worn as a brooch or a necklace (the one pictured above).

I’ve included a couple of cute cameo items I found on Modcloth that I will be adding to my collection (I’m such a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” that it’s funny the bracelet I found is called “Ms. Darcy”). I just purchased a mini-lot of cameos on eBay (sparking the idea for this post). Now that my cold has run its course and as soon as the weather permits, I guarantee that all of these cameos will accompany a few outfits on many a pictorial.

(Click on the Modcloth pictures for links to the items)

Everything Old is New Again

Hermes Pale Green Silk Pochette Scarf Pierres d'Orient et d'Occident - Portero Luxury

The search for online vintage items is a fickle thing: Sometimes the find is great and sometimes it’s far less than what you hoped. Ebay is a good start, but I have discovered a better place.

Portero Luxury is one of the best places to find luxury items for a fraction of the cost. I’m not sure how many people are in the hunt for Hermès scarves, but I was able to get it at a decent price. It’s a Pierres d’Orient et d’Occident pochette scarf by Zoe Pauwels, which was originally issued back in 1988 (from what I’ve read, and I don’t claim to be an expert by any means). Granted, it’s not a shawl, stole or large scarf, but it is vintage Hermès.

Portero labels their items by their condition (examples: Good, Fair, Very Good, etc). This scarf was labeled “Pr” for “Pristine”, meaning it was never used and came with the original box. Portero stands behind their authenticity or you get your money back. Plus, there is no bidding. Everything is has a static price.

I will always use Ebay for my initial searches. But if you are in the market for vintage items that are guaranteed authentic, give Portero Luxury a try. It’s the difference between hoping and knowing.

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