Red Houndstooth Skirt Sewing Adventures!

I'm back with a little update from my last post and I'm happy to report that I made a decent skirt. Go me! I have this anxiety about sewing, I feel like I'm going to waste a bunch of fabric! I'm getting over it though. I'm trying to create one article of clothing each week. This will help with the need to hold off on starting a project. So I made the skirt and my next project was a playsuit for this weekend, also a success! Below are a few shots of my skirt/outfit. I tested it out on a date night at the Queen Mary. The plan was just to walk around but we stumbled on the Mods versus Rockers rally. There was live surf music and lots of classic mopeds and motorcycles. My phone wouldn't take good photos unless there was really great lighting..and there wasn't in the bar area. But I still got a few (sort of shoddy) snaps of my outfit in other areas of the boat. It was really fun goofing around..I think it'll be a common theme since it's so close to home.

A great shot of the pattern and the sheen, oh I love sheen! Plus background photo bombing objects.

I made the Missus a matching tie. She really liked it. We looked very dashing if I do say so myself! (Apologies on the chest shot, luckily my boobs aren't that big)

Sewing is officially my favorite hobby! I'm wearing the playsuit I made tomorrow

to a birthday party, photos to follow!

Til then,

~The Retro Natural

Retro Style: The Flapper Gal

The hair, the makeup (yes, yes the photos are black and white but you get the idea!) the style, the moxy. Ahhhh, I love flapper girls of the 1920s! Some were bad girls who partied too much and stayed out smoking and drinking way too late but we've all had some fun nights like those and besides, carpe diem, no? I get a kick (pun absolutely intended) out of the shenanigans of women in the 20s because it was a tough time for us and I really take delight in seeing women do what they want and for me, working your damn job, rebelliously cutting your hair and rolling down your stockings makes for a very rad lady! I kinda wanna dress up as one for Halloween but I'm torn on that and Josephine Baker. Hard decisions, I tell you!

Anywho, enjoy!

My much coveted modern flapper look!

All images from Google Images
 

~The Retro Natural

Retro Natural won a Contest!

A little while ago, I was delightfully pleased to find that I won a pair of Pretty Polly stockings from Peek Brooklyn. Seamed stockings at that! Woo hoo! Look ma' - no hands!

Thank you to Desiree of Pop-O-Matic Deluxe for offering the contest, I didn't think I'd actually win, but I've got a new pair of stockings that I cannot wait to wear! If you're not familiar with Desiree's blog, you should definitely take a gander. She finds the coolest vintage decor items and she's got some vintage clothing I'd steal if I were a thief - good thing mom taught me better than that! ;)

Getting my mail!

The grand opening, love their packaging!

Ahhhh, pretttttty! The seams stayed in place pretty well for someone putting on seamed stockings for the first time!

Peek Brooklyn has really cool brands and styles, so do drop by and take a peek, pun absolutely intended! I'm loving these Pretty Polly's, they seem sturdy and though very sheer and 10 denier (what's that? read on below!) I didn't feel like I had to be super delicate with them.  Plus the sheerness is quite sassy and the Cuban style heel is oh so cute! Thanks Desiree for offering the contest! I will wear these babies with as many outfits as humanly possible!


Now, education time! 

Do you know about denier as it pertains to stockings? It sounds like duh-neer - at least that's how the online dictionary pronounced it for me. ;)

Here's a little breakdown so you know what to look for when stocking shopping.

• Ultra-Sheer (less than 10 denier): these stockings will offer you the appearance of bare legs but you'll get the bonus of a little coverage. Be very careful when putting on ultra-sheer stockings, as they are delicate.
  
  
• Sheer (10-20 denier): these stockings are stronger than the ultra-sheer and great for both everyday and evening wear.
  
  
• Semi-opaque (25-35 denier): these will be even stronger than the sheer and will last longer, while still looking quite elegant.
  
  
• Opaque (40 denier plus): these durable and long-lasting stockings are practical for everyday wear and offer added warmth in winter.
  
  (from www.freshpair.com) 
  
  

Alright, now have fun stocking shopping!  

~The Retro Natural

Red and Black

What is is about the ever so cool and bad ass red and black color combination? I think it's romantic and dark at the same time. Add some beading and lipstick and I'm a happy camper!

 Simple bun and side roll but this time with a red bow and pearl beaded snood. 

I've finally wore it out..it DID snag on my hair but it didn't do much

damage - thank goodness for a thick head of hair!

During busy workdays, I sometimes fail to get the whole outfit..

but I'll post up some detail shots in the next post :) 

~The Retro Natural

Sailor Girl

I found this vintage sailor style top recently (and failed to get the red one - but I'm going back!) and couldn't be more smitten wearing it out.  Paired it with a white hat with a little lace detailing just for that extra dash of girlie-ness. I failed to capture my denim pants but they're wide legged medium blue jeans. I wore blue/white stripped espadrilles but I didn't drive in them so they were in the car at the time. The hat is from a local Good Will, it may be a bit snug because my head ached a bit later in the day. I hate that!

 

I paired it with a skinny cincher style belt to make it look a bit more feminine. 

Side note: How bold is this red photo border? Got a lil heavy handed there ;)

It's polyester which means sweating in this kinda sucks! 

But it's great for cooler days and it's very sturdy for a top sewn by hand!

This is more of a Spring/Summer look...but then again, I'm in Southern California, I'm sure I'll get to break it out sooner than next Spring. It's totally a happy outfit..you know the ones you feel great walking around on the town in? Yep, that one ma'am! I love it when that happens!

~The Retro Natural

Snoods - Fashionable Life Savers

I've gotten a few snoods as gifts from the beloved and they're great when I don't know what to do with my hair or when what I wanted to do can be best described as an epic fail. They always rescue me and the bonus is that they add that retro touch at the same time!

This one is black with white pearls, I haven't really worn it yet because I think it's too classy for every day/work day wear.  I mean I could but I happen to like saving things for nice occasions, maybe when we go for a nice Italian dinner somewhere!

This is a simple black snood, my everyday one I pull out when I failed to set my hair or when it came out pretty badly.. I like it a lot but I do notice that if my hair rubs against my neck while in the snood, it gets tangled a bit so I have to be a little more careful when removing it.

This is a unique one, it's yellow netting with brown fluffy bits attached.  It didn't come with an elastic band though so I think I might put one in..I like them to be effortless, that's the point 'n all, right?

So there you have it, a few snoods for a nice hair day or a completely awful, failure hair day.   I think every gal should have a couple in her arsenal.

I hope to get red, green, and royal blue next! Do you wear snoods? If so, what colors do you have?

~The Retro Natural

Outfit Snapshot : Leopard+Brown

Just an outfit shot, I took this a while back but never got around to posting it, probably because the coloring is a bit funky..que sera, sera! :)

My dusty boots from Burning Man look oh so interesting next to my tweed pumps!

Note to self: Find similar shoes with a shorter heel and get more leopard print stuff!


~The Retro Natural

Black & Gold Embroidery

I like circle skirts, they're so simple and yet so elegant. This one I found at a Goodwill isn't vintage but the embroidery was so pretty, I had to get it.  I feel like it may be a costume piece. I don't mind that though..maybe if it were red, white and blue - I think I'm alright with black, gold and yellow.

My head got cut off twice so I said forget it, but I promise, it's me!

I wore this vintage cuff, I forget what thrift store I got this from but it was in Riverside. I've found amazing things at the shops in the IE!

~The Retro Natural

Retro Dress DIY Dye Job

  Hot heat = poofy hair, que sera sera!

The creative juices were flowing over this past weekend. It was random and I didn't use measurements, just threw in turmeric and a raspberry tea bag and sat back. :)

(Click to view it larger.)

After this, I realized I didn't have a hair accessory to wear with it so the creative juices kept on flowing. I dotted a piece of light tan fabric and then made it into a bow. I don't know if the dots will keep but I'll get at least a few wears out of it.  I found a tutorial over at Vintage in a Modern World's blog on how to make easy, no-sew bows and it was so simple! Then I broke a hair comb that was way too big and glued it on to the bow before I dyed it (silly idea, duh!) which caused the glue to just melt..lol..sometimes you just don't think things through fully. Tis ok! I let it dry and then glued it right back on!

I'll take a photo o the finished bow, it didn't get captured in my photos from the picnic unfortunately.

I wore the dress to a large picnic for the LGBTQ gal community (but very inclusive) rightfully titled Dyke Day and had fun in the sun with great friends.  As you can see in that first photo, my dress lightened up as it dried and then it ended up looking a bit washed out since it was super bright and super hot out. I felt pretty happy with it nonetheless but I think I'd like to re-dye it and see if I can get it to have the same pop it had when it was hanging up to dry.

Got any old light clothing items you're bored with? Give this a try..it's a fun experiment! ;)

~The Retro Natural

DIY Retro Sweater with Appliqué

If you see a vintage sweater with appliqué decor, sometimes you'll notice that it's a bit high in price. If you're like me and can't really be bothered with spending too much on sweaters and cardigans with adorable designs, fret not my retro gal pal, you can create your own! The teal blue cardigan is Roxy by way of Buffalo Exchange and it was under $12 bucks. The flamingo patch was $2.69 with free shipping!

All you need is an iron and an iron on patch from Ebay. Check out this list of iron on appliqués.

 Borrowed my beloved's nerd glasses, they're fun but I don't know if I have the guts to wear them out.

I feel like Poindexter!

Have at it! It's fun and it takes about 5 minutes to do. If you revamp a cardigan of your own, send me a photo, I'd love to see it. :)

~The Retro Natural

Retro Gardening

A couple of weeks ago, I engaged in some random gardening after returning from someplace I can't remember.  It' tough work! It looks like fun and it can be (oh can it be fun!) but after about 20 minutes of pulling up weeds and whatnot, you're just ready to sit down and have some lemonade.  If I had planned to garden, I wouldn't have put on this outfit but it happened ...organically, if you will. Don't the best things happen organically? My hair's in a lop sided faux bang (why does it do that?!) and the rest of my hair was nicer when I first went out but after a little while, it got a bit disheveled (pic 2).

Anywho, it was bright out that day which was nice.

cardigan/Free People via Goodwill, pseudo capris/Goodwill, faux suede mary janes/Payless, gloves/Home Depot!

Catch ya on the flip side! 

~The Retro Natural

Vintage Bows and Pleats

Outfit post! Just showing the vintage threads... The skirt is from the 70s and teal blue with cute bows and other festive bits on it. I got this from Iron Orchid Vintage on Etsy.  The blouse is probably 70s too. It's really satin-esque so it comes out and spills over the skirt a bit as you can see.  The shoes aren't vintage though, got those babies from Ross. In Las Vegas. Last summer. So I don't know if I'll ever find the exact same pair but I wish I had purchased 3 pairs...so comfy, so perfect in heel height.  These are so scuffed up though, what's the best way to get rid of marks and scuffs on (faux) patent shoes? Do I have to take them to a shoe repair/shine place?

The skirt's a bit wrinkly, I'd been sitting all day, excuse the crumpled-ness.  My face? It was cut off so I figured I'd just crop it out and focus on the clothes. :)

 

It's warming up so that means more skirts and more sandals! Soon, I'll probably be retiring these shoes for a while.

~ The Retro Natural

Vintage Style Inspiration - Frida Kahlo

I came up with a different way to do an updo yesterday while washing my hair. I still have to perfect it so I'll show ya the back once I "get it" but for now in the front at least, I'm channeling my inner Frida today! What style! :)

photo credit for the Frida photograph

Red and White and Black and Prince!

Just the colors I had on today..nothing complex or epic hehe.  This acrylic knit skirt is really cute but I could kick myself for treating it so badly...I've used it maybe twice in the past as a head wrap because I thought the skirt was a bit too long and I couldn't figure out what else to do with it at the time. I know, shame on me!  I was more into the sweater that came with it (lonnnnng sigh).  It was fitted at the waist and it had adorable knitted collar and faux pearl embellishments.  But alas, it was too, too small and I gave it away to the Goodwill.  I hung onto the skirt (thank goodness!) and now, I love this length of it - maybe 3 inches past the knee.  My apologies on not getting a full outfit shot... but I think this'll do! :)

My hair's in a large bun (got a bit lazy!) and I figured I'd incorporate a side faux bang before sealing the deal with a big bow. Simple 'do but still fun and colorful. Those are fishnets but you may not be able to tell from the photo. Fishnets = automatic femme fatale feelings, no?

Do you all have any fun plans for the weekend? I do, I'm going with a few friends to see Prince tonight - the only man I'll probably ever throw my bra at on stage hahah. Anywho, I've got to dress up for Prince so expect photos - not of the show though, I'm sure they're not going to go for that!

Happy Friday everyone! 

~The Retro Natural

p.s. Just wanted to set the record straight, Blogspot was being a bit stubborn but I think all is well now. Yes!

My Birthday Suit

(um this was suppose to post on my birthday, last Wednesday- auto post hasn't been working at all on my end. hmph!)

Yes my birthday suit. No not that one.  A vintage-inspired one, if you will!  I'm quite alright with doing a tasteful nude photo shoot but not today my dearies :P

Today marks the day I was gently placed into the world.  I'll be celebrating the entire month because I love the scenery/weather during the month of May and I love the energy of Venus.  Beautiful flowers, yes!  Rich food, absolutely!  Lounging around in vintage slips, but of course!  Just a few things that encompass the Taurus/Venusian energy :) Here's my "birthday suit"!

White cotton top/some thrift shop, belt/Goodwill, houndstooth full circle skirt/Buffalo Exchange, red/white polka dot wedges/Payless, sunglasses/flea market, bracelets/I can't remember!

I've been thoroughly enjoying my day so far and though I'm working today, I'll be off Friday to celebrate even more.  I'll show ya a few of the goodies I've received on the weekend.  Because I know you're all really sweet folks, I'm gonna thank you in advance for the well wishes :)

~The Retro Natural

Seeing Stripes

I'm pretty sure this is an 70s/80s does 40s dress because it's got elastic and surged seams. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love peplum dresses? I think it's due to the added curves it gives you. There's something about this little skirt that just makes me smile.  I found this at the Long Beach Flea Market..possibly the LBC's best kept secret!

  belt/Goodwill, shoes/Ross, glasses/Forever 21, snood/Meow, Sun kissed skin/Mother Nature!

Happy Friday!

~The Retro Natural

Wash Day!

I don't really enjoy the process of washing clothes by hand but for the things I'd rather not risk messing up, I'll do it and I'll refrain from complaining that my hands hurt from ringing out water.

Exhibit A:

Oh and in case you're wondering, I use an eco-friendly, biodegradable detergent in liquid form for all my clothing, vintage and non vintage.  You can find various eco detergents like Seventh Generation at supermarkets and in bulk at Costco.  Though I sometimes dread it, eventually, I'll have two really cute dresses (plus a full circle skirt!) that  I can wear and show you all verrrry soon!   :)

~ The Retro Natural

Vintage Style: Skirts

I think my favorite articles of vintage clothing are dresses and skirts. I think it's because of how nicely they fit.  Of course there are modern pieces that are retro inspired that you can also add to your wardrobe. I'm not a snob about what era a garment is from, as long as I like it, anything is game.  I found this red high waisted A-line skirt (maybe 70s/80s but I'm not 100%) at a local thrift shop for about $6.  It was in great condition and it fit like a glove so I grabbed it. I usually got for vintage or retro inspired skirts in 3 styles: pencil skirts, circle skirts, and A-line skirts.   These skirts showed off the waist and skips (excluding circle and A-line skirts witch have open hip measurements).  Here's a visual of each, the photos are from Etsy vintage clothing stores.

pencil skirt, $34

Photo Credit: Glam Star Vintage

Full circle skirt, $48

Photo Credit:  Cats & Crickets Boutique

A-line skirt, $28

Photo Credit: AllGreen

I'll be showing your more of my various skirts in the future, but hopefully this little visual guide can help ya out when you're out looking for a few key pieces! :) 

~The Retro Natural

Nautical Fashion: Part Two

I left my thumb drive at the office so I couldn't upload my curlformers video. So in the mean time..these are some photos from the birthday party near the Queen Mary at Parker's Lighthouse. There are a few better detailed photos too. I found this dress at the flea market for $10. The purse is from a Goodwill and the shoes are from a local marketplace commonly known as a  "swap meet" for $16. The dress did have a few tiny holes that I patched up fairly well and it wasn't lined so maybe that's why the price was lower than other dresses. I didn't mind though, I like a challenge! Click to view the photos larger. :)

~The Retro Natural

An Ode to Spring

 Sometimes it's just fun to strike a pose!

I like Spring. I like Spring colors.  Sea foam green, peachy orange, sky blue.  They remind me of the movie, Bambi and make me say, "awwwww".  While I was slumming it a bit yesterday, I did wear some cheery Spring colors. My bottom half isn't all that interesting. I just wore jeans and comfy shoes. This eh.."top" is a vintage lingerie piece from Pandora by Chic - yeah, how cheeky! I know some out there probably hate the lingerie as daywear trend that became perhaps a bit too popular a while ago but I'm mildly fond of it...especially when it's warm out.

My hair's pinned in the back as usual and in the front, I've got this reverse roll which is a victory roll that's ...well, reversed! I'll show you how to do one in a more detailed fashion in an upcoming post but before we get to that, I also set my hair last night on Curlformers, a newer invention (I think that's the best term to use) for creating curls without heat.  I haven't worn my hair "out" yet so to speak, I've just used them to get my hair smooth. It takes longer to put the things in but the results are nice! So that's next. See ya then lovies!

~The Retro Natural