Spending rainy days in my finest vintage find!

Yes....the *great* British weather strikes again.
Grey skies and lots of rain has been present for the most part since we had that burst of glorious sun a few weeks ago! And such weather can be a pain for a girl who likes vintage- I have an abundance of summer dresses and cardigans, but what do I wear when it's cold and soggy?

Well, I have recently been getting a lot of use out of my very finest vintage find. 

Wait, that's a big claim, I hear you cry! What's so special about it?
Well, price vs. age, vs. condition.
It is most certainly and undoubtedly my biggest vintage bargain....ever!

The item in question was happened upon when, 3 years ago, I decided to pop into a local synagogue's table-top sale to see if there were any bargains to be had. Now, as me and Mr Mike walked in we felt all eyes on us; there was literally no one there except the stall holders (all 4 of them) and their children. We got an overwhelming urge to run but, of course, that would have been rude! So we politely declined offers of kids toys and and baby clothes from eager stall holders as we made our way round the stalls.

...And then we arrived at one that looked promising. It had lots of clothes, neatly folded and priced at 30p each. I happily handed over a whole 60p for a couple of 60's-stye shift dresses; one Naf Naf and one Karen Millen. Result.

But as I turned to leave, something caught my eye. Just next to the table, laid out on a chair, was the most glorious coat I had ever seen! I tugged at Mike's hand and went back for a proper look.
As I picked it up the stall holder told me she had hoped I'd notice it as she wanted it to go to a good home, and that it was in fact a coat her mother had saved up for in the 1930's and treasured ever since!

I tried very hard to contain my excitement, as me and the woman discussed it's history. And then I tentatively asked how much it was....I was a rather penniless student who couldn't afford to spend a fortune on a coat, but I had fallen head over heels for it!
....the woman replied, rather apologetically, that unfortunately due to it's age it was a little bit more expensive. It was a whopping great £1!

Yes, you heard me right, ONE squiddly little pound!

I offered her more for it, but she wouldn't take it. In the end she let me donate her an additional pound but that was all, claiming that all she really wanted was for it to go to a good home.

The coat in question looks like this:

 

Look at the wonderful black velvet cuffs and collar, embroidered with rich yellow thread. 

It unfortunately doesn't do up over my *ahem* front....but I have plans for that!

The coat has the most phenomenal weight to it which gives the skirt a swing that is to die for.

 

Just out of sight are these boots, which are perfect for splashing around in.

Boots: Clarks via ebay, lined by me- you can see how here.

 And to keep my wrists from catching a chill (is that possible? I'm sure it is!), I wear these beautiful gauntlet gloves knitted for me by Iwona Jenner...psst, she takes orders, if anyone's interested!

What is your biggest ever vintage bargain?
And just what do you wear to keep you warm when the weather's this drab?

Pip pip xx

Winter warmers: line your boots in shearling for toasty feet!

The darkness has descended and that dastardly Jack Frost is back, which can mean only one thing: winter is upon us. Le sigh.
Now I must admit that I am a secret admirer of the winter months; twinkling lights in the darkness, fireworks, the smell of bonfires and best of all, Christmas (it all feels rather exciting, don't you think?). But one thing that I always struggle with is what to wear during the cold months, as my regular cotton dresses and sandals just aren't going to cut it!

Today I am going to tackle the issue of footwear, because no one likes a long day with cold, soggy feet.

A 1945 illustration from Paris et l'Elegance feminine.

On the hunt for a good pair of 1940's-esque boots to protect my tootsies, I stumbled across these Clarks boots on ebay and immediately saw their potential for a turned down, cuffed style...

These brown suede boots have a low, wedged heel and slashed ankles which are reminiscent of snug 1940's styles, but they still needed something...to be just perfect. So I set to work...

For this project you will need:

~ One pair of boots

~ Shearling or faux shearling (I found mine on ebay)

~ 1 pen

~Superglue which will work on fabric/leather

~Scissors

~And some newspaper to prevent any superglue disasters

Step 1:

Lay the shearling, wrong side up, over one side of one boot. 

Trace out the centre-back seam first, and then trace a rough shape, thinking about where you would like the shearling to sit when inside the boot, adding a bit extra around the top to be trimmed off when finished.

Step 2:

Next, cut out the shape you have drawn 4 times (2 for each boot)

Step 3:

Apply a reasonable amount of glue to the reverse side of the shearling, and then carefully place the piece into the boot; lining up the centre back seam first will make this easiest. Once you are sure that it is in the right place, press firmly and hold for a short while until the glue is well bonded. 

Step 4:

Take a second piece of shearling and repeat previous step, meeting the two lining pieces in the centre.

Step 5:

Repeat the same process for boot number two, et voila!

Step 6:

Once the glue is dry, trim off the excess shearling from around the tops of the boots. You may need to add a little more glue under the edges to make sure the lining is firmly stuck.

I also covered those rubber flower buttons with the fabric too, to give fluffy little buttons!

And the result?

Gloriously fluffy boots which will be both warm and cute with wool dresses and fur during the cold months of winter!

What do you ladies think?

Please to let me know if any of you try it. I'd love to see the results.

Pip pip xx