men's hanes t-shirt, vintage 1980s leopard silk jacket, seven jeans, HOPE stockholm pumps, Baggu reusable bag (with sack of onions inside), vintage Coach kelly bag
a while ago i was inspired by some photos of a past-season animal print APC jacket, and so i was really excited when i stumbled upon this lovely silk vintage animal print zip jacket on etsy. the leopard print is just right, and after taking it to my trusty dry-cleaner/tailor for a freshening up and some tweaks (i had the sleeves taken in a bit), it is now perfect as a lightweight spring/summer piece. (an alternative to the ubiquitous denim jacket!) i'm going to wear this all the time come spring.
some of you may remember that i refreshed an old banana republic camel coat a few months ago by getting the sleeves shortened. i think it's one of the most economical ways to enhance an existing item in your wardrobe or a vintage find.
have you 'remodeled' any items in your closet recently? let me know if you have any fun DIY or style/fit tweaking tips and ideas!
p.s.: just realized that i'm kind of channeling an 80s vibe in these photos. ha! :P but whatever. i'll balance out my undying love for skinny jeans and hot pink and leopard print by staying clear of the shoulder pads!
You kept it simple and effortlessly chic. Love it! Ponytail and hoop earrings would look so sweet with that outfit.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a way with proportions and toning things down. I think I would have saw that jacket and thought "whoah, that's loud." And yet, I see this outfit and don't think that at all! It fits great on you! I love that you are so daring and experimental yet never come across contrived, precisely because of how you are able to tone things down. Quite a feat.
ReplyDeleteLove it - and your reusable bag looks like the Jil Sander shoppers which are all the rage right now ;)
ReplyDeleteI got two pairs of jeans altered after the denim stretched too much. Got them taken in at the waist, and got the legs tapered on one pair. Such a great way to save a pair of jeans and give them a longer lease.
that leopard print and hot pink combo is seriously fabulous.
ReplyDeletefunny you mention this - i came home yesterday and decided to lop the sleeves of a blouse to make it 3/4 length. im quite scissor-happy in altering garments from fit to style , but my sewing skills are hardly up to scratch - id love to have your drycleaner as my local!
As soon as I saw this photo I thought 'APC!' - definitely reminiscent of the APC leopard coats.
ReplyDeleteIt's so good that you that you can see something and are able to think - "that would be perfect if I nipped in the wasit, shortened the arms" etc. I NEVER think like that - or I do, but think those thoughts in a wistful "if only I could.." way. Never actually think these things are possible and easy! Altering garments still seems like a bit of a mission in my head. Definitely a skill though to see the potential is something. Lovely outfit - the shopping bag is oh so Jil Sander! :) x
Dani: thanks! i don't wear hoops or dangly earrings but i'd definitely add a pair of wendy nichol stud earrings to finish it off! :)
ReplyDeletePret a Porter: ah, i tend to be very impatient especially once i see the potential in something. haha i'm definitely all about the instant gratification! your kimono sounds amazing. would love to see you do a post on it :)
S: gosh, you are too sweet. thank you!! :D whether or not i'm successful with all the random inspirations i try to incorporate is arguable, but i have become more open to trying out more 'out there' elements. curiously, i was A LOT more conservative style-wise when i was a teenager and stuck to a lot of safe basics from the Gap, etc. but now that i'm in my 20s i have a more 'whatever goes!' attitude. i wonder why that is? have you experienced something similar? it's really fun even when it doesn't work! :)
Ammu: i've only had jeans hemmed. i should do some more experimental denim tweaking on my own since i did take sewing classes 2 years ago and need to take out my sewing machine again.
as for the Baggu bag, the Jil Sander leather shopper *does* look suspiciously similar...:/ but Baggu definitely has been around for longer with their signature design! anyway i swear by my baggus - so handy for so many uses.
son: thank you! i'm lucky that i've had the same drycleaner for almost 6 years now. it's a husband and wife team and they're super sweet. so nice to work with a small local business and with trustworthy people who know you. i love 3/4 sleeves - it makes a huge difference in elevating a look.
Olivia: haha - i did the same when i came across it on etsy! something about the print just has the perfect color/pattern combo...it's really empowering to be able to visualize how you'd tweak something, especially vintage. this is how designers think, no?
That's funny that you mention being conservative during your teens, because I was the exact same way. I think it wasn't even the fact that I was a teen in the 90's, therefore, minimalism was huge. But I shopped at places like Gap because it was safe. I think I'm pretty conservative now, more because I try to be really practical lately, but I was a lot more experimental in my 20's as well. I think in your 20's, you definitely gain a certain confidence to wear something that might raise a few eyebrows that you might not have had in your teens.
ReplyDeleteYou wear your clothes with such confidence! I hope these blog relationships last, because I would love to see how each of us evolves and grows through the years :)
Oh, and I use Baggus too! I love that you can stick one of them even in a small purse, just in case!
I love the way you've styled it, with the Hope pumps. The jacket looks fantastic on you, I also thought "A.P.C" immediately! I hardly ever buy vintage anymore, just because I don't see the possibilities like you do. There's always something that you'd have to alter, and I don't think I can see what that would be and how I'd change it.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great leopard print! Once the weather warms up, I'm taking a few coats in to have the sleeves shortened. It takes me so long to get around to taking my clothes to the tailors. I wish I could sew well enough to do the alterations myself.
ReplyDeleteI can't stop myself from remodeling finds. It just makes the difference -- a few extra dollars to make the fit just right.
ReplyDeleteAnother great outfit! The leopard print isn't overwhelming, I like it a lot!
ReplyDeleteS: so funny that we had the same style habits in our teens :D i've just found that going with my instinct is the best way to go as i've gotten older.
ReplyDeleteGarderoben: i think you get the hang of it eventually. i was afraid to buy vintage a few years ago, but after seeing many similar styles in expensive shops like APC and others, i've really come around to valuing the importance of shopping quality vintage.
jennifer: i know - i do know how to work a sewing machine and do basic hand sewing...but i'm afraid i'll mess up on an actual clothing piece.
jocy: yes! it's also really fun to learn about the history of the style and the garment. much more meaningful than always buying what's currently in stores...
fleurette: thanks! the print is almost a neutral for me...:D