A Style Post – Cobalt and Teal

Hi All,

S/S’12 and all those great new trends and colours we’re yet to wear! I wear black and navy blue so often that I long for bright colour pops when spring comes around.

Trend-wise I love the Tropicana prints at Stella McCartney, Salvatore Ferragamo and Dior. Tropical prints featuring palm trees, parrots, surfers and even mermaids (Versace) have .

Colour-wise, I love the  shades of rich blues and greens; I presume that when Spring / Summer colours are presented each year very often they’re pale pastel shades so as not to alarm us? Pretty but also pretty plain. I prefer the bold strong colours that filter through as the season progresses.

And boy am I getting ready to wear them.

Now I’m of the nearest Tiki bar for a piña colada, while I wait for some tropical sunshine.

Dress & Bag, ORVintage

Shoes, Zara

Yours, 

Whisty Xx

A Style Post – of sorts

OR: I’m a blogger and I gots to get paid.

Hey All,

How the dickens are you? It’s been a while, but I have returned from an impromptu sabbatical that involved a little vintage expedition. he role of ‘blogger’ is very often used with a slash. As in, she’s a DJ / actress / blogger. More recently the trend of the slash list is more along the lines of she’s a vintage seller / blogger.

It makes sense really especially if the blogger in question is a vintage fan and has a pretty large stock of vintage pieces… You can see where I am going with this right? So yes Whsity has embarked on a teeny tiny vintage project with a company called Once Removed, ‘launching’ a range of vintage pieces, called Once Removed Vintage.

Here’s a few of the pieces on-line:

Suits

Vintage 80′s Floral Suit

Vintage 80′s Thistle Print Suit

Maxi Dresses

Vintage 70′s Maxi Dress with Matching Cape

Vintage 70′s Tapestry Print Maxi Dress

Shirts & Skirts

Vintage 80′s Check Print, Roll Sleeve Top

Vintage 80′s ruffle-neck shirt & Vintage 80′s Leather Pencil Skirt

Vintage 70′s Paisley Jacket & Vintage 80′s Pleated Midi Skirt

Dresses

Vintage 80′s Denim ‘Rah-Rah’ Dress

Vintage 80′s ‘Laura Ashley’ Cocktail dress

Vintage 70′s Pink Secretary Dress

And a couple of pieces I may just have half-inched for my own wardrobe…

Vintage 80′s striped shirt & Vintage 80′s reworked pleated skirt

Vintage 80′s Leopard Print Blazer.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

‘Like’ the Facebook page HERE.

Shop the collection on Asos Marketplace HERE and Etsy HERE.

Lucy in Disguise in Dublin

Hey All,

If you watched any of Channel 4‘s Riches to Rags documentary you’ll know that Lily Allen and her sister, Sarah Owen worked together to create high-end vintage collection, ‘Lucy in Disguise‘ which culminated in the opening of a flagship store in Covent Garden, central London.

This weekend the two company founders were in Dublin to launch their pre-fall collection of vintage-inspired fashions in Brown Thomas Dublin and BT2 Dundrum. The collection takes inspiration from various past eras and each piece is named after a place or time from a different decade. Like, ‘Altamont’, ‘The Roxy’, ‘Goldrush’, ‘Capone’, and ‘Zanzibar’. It’s a clever way of describing each piece; without even seeing the collection you immediately imagine a  collection of romantic yet edgy pieces.

Lily wears, the short ‘Honky Tonk’ dress €130; Sarah Wears the Silk ‘South Kensington’ Maxi dress, €320. This one is undoubtedly my favourite.

More examples from the collection:Pink chiffon maxi-dress, €355; Black lace maxi-dress, €475.

Pink chiffon dress, €355

Red jersey jumpsuit, €230; Silk sequinned dress, €475

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It’s a brave collection, with so many Maxi-dresses and jumpsuits that are both notoriously tricky retail-wise. With original vintage dresses, they are very often made of heavy polyester so the design team behind Lucy in Disguise have been clever to use lighter, floaty fabrics for their vintage-inspired designs. I think I’d still prefer the real thing, but then with those prices I have no choice!

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Photography Focus: A Romance Antithesis

Hey All,

I trust you’re getting suitably amorous in the knowledge that the cheesiest day of the year is upon us…

If, however, you’re anything like me, you couldn’t care less about Feb 14th. Indulge yourself instead in some positively non-romantic photography from James McLoughlin.

The Dublin based photographer got the cover of Totally Dublin magazine this month. He photographed three Skinheads on Ha’Penny Bridge… in the snow. I’ve posted about skins as a fashion & music-related subculture before – here, so it is great to see the subculture in Dublin.

If Skinhead subculture is not your thing, then this shoot James McLoughlin did for 9Crow Street, Vintage store in Temple Bar might be more up your street.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

As Seen in: RTÉ’s RedRadar Blog

Hey All,

It seems the extraordinarily in-the-know people at RTÉ have embraced Irish bloggers with gusto and asked us to contribute to their new alternative fashion and music blog, RedRadar.

Today, Whisty joined the list of great bloggers, Angela Scanlon, Blaubushka, A Chick Named Hermia and The Style Strutter by contributing a few words.

TRANSCRIPTION:

It used to be, that buying from charity shops was an absolute no-no. But now-a-days most in-the-know shoppers wouldn’t dream of passing a charity shop without popping in for a browse. The same goes for vintage boutiques; both offer a chance to find unique and fabulous second-hand pieces. The main difference is simply price.

Charity shops are cheaper, but you often have to go on the hunt to find the vintage pieces. Not all charity shops sell vintage, so you really have to know what you’re looking for. However, it is becoming more common to see specifically dedicated rails to all that is chic from a bygone era.

Vintage boutiques on the other hand, display everything with detailed descriptions including make, style, fabric and most importantly what era it’s from.

TOP TIPS

• TRY IT ON: Sizing has changed a lot over the years. If you are a size 10 in today’s shops, you might find that size 12 fits better in vintage.
• ACCESSORISE: If you’re unsure about buying from charity shops, think accessories. Jewellery, scarves and hats are a great place to start and you can easily incorporate them into your current wardrobe.

The photo is me and one or two of my better vintage finds:

I’m posting this photo from the HerApparel post because you can just see my new Carvela for KG shoes (from BT‘s).

Yours,

Whisty Xx

A look with a view – a style post

Hey All,

I thought I would get to work on managing this new palette. I’ve since discovered that  when wearing leather in trench coat form, chocolate-brown is pretty much the only colour you can get away with. Black is a bit Goth and grey is a bit Schindler’s List… Also, showing a slightly unhinged obsessive personality trait, I went to 4 Topshops before I finally managed to get this hat.

This coat was actually my Da’s when he was, quite evidently, a ‘cool-cat’ a long time before I was born…

All other outfit details on HerApparel.

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Day 4 Style Post – 5 days, 5 posts, 5 outfits

Hey All,

Here’s my fourth style post, 7 days & 4 posts down, 0 days & 1 posts to go… (Oh well)

Distracted as I am by snow and such, it seems that I have failed to step up to the challenge that I set myself. I am a day (or two) behind but hey, seriously does anyone really give a you-know-what?! Another distraction was the long-awaited visit from the minx that is Blau von T, of Blaubushka.com. We had a midnight frolic last night before freezing our bits off and going inside for an old man’s hot whiskey.

Whisty: Coat & bag – vintage, Dress – Dandelion Daydreamer Vintage, Henry Holland mock-stockings – legslove.ie, Shoes - Butterfly by Matthew Williamson for Debenhams.

Blau von T: Cape – Topshop, Hat & dress – Urban Outfitters, Bag – AWear, Jeans – French Connection, Boots – Bertie

Whisty

Xx

Style Post Intermission – Vintage Shopping

OR: Dandelion Daydreamer Vintage Pop-Up and Interview

Hey All,

In case your horribly bored of looking at my wardrobe, I thought I’d better post about some of the clothes that I wish I had in my wardrobe.

Imagine spending your summers by the beach, shopping in markets and boutiques in the South of France; hanging out with beautiful friends and your boyfriend; who happens to be a bit of a dab-hand, dans la cuisine. It may sound too good to be true but is the real-life of Sorcha Gillett, owner of Dandelion Daydreamer Vintage clothing and interviewee on Whisty.

Back from France for the winter and armed with her vintage collection, Sorcha invited me along to try her wares this weekend. We drank mulled wine, ate mince pies and chatted as I shopped…

Whisty: So you live in the South of France most of the year but have come back to Dublin for the winter? How Come?

Sorcha: I have lived there for 2 years now; about 2 hours south of Bordeaux on the coast in a surfer’s paradise. It is a seasonal lifestyle so while it is quiet there in the winter I have chosen to return home to launch Dandelion Daydreamer Vintage in Ireland; also to enjoy living the city life for a little while!

Whisty: Where do you get all your pieces? Can you give us any insider tips on how / where to hunt for vintage bargains?

Sorcha: When I’m in France I travel the country to markets, and as my French has improved, private vintage sellers. For anybody who is visiting France – Paris in particular – look for “friperies“. These French vintage shops selections can vary but generally treasures can be found. When I find a good shop I always ask the staff for local recommendations. When I lived in Dublin I remember trekking along Georges St up to the top of Camden St. in search of charity shop bargains. I have heard wonderful things about the Dublin Flea market and am looking forward to checking that out this winter… if the snow permits!

Whisty: Where are your favourite places to shop?

Sorcha: New York, New York! The Big Apple has such a diverse choice of vintage to choose from. Whether I’m rummaging through vintage boutiques in the East Village or warehouses in Williamsbourg, I will always have a huge smile plastered across my face! San Francisco is another vintage goldmine, particularly around Haight Street where you will find almost 20 vintage boutiques lined up in a tantalising row. If you have the patience, there are some huge charity shops in America where you can find bargains a plenty but often time is of the essence and it’s better to go somewhere with quality not quantity! France is my number one spot for vintage handbags, belts and shoes. I have recently posted a little guide to vintage shopping, eating and sleeping in Paris on my blog with some tips for any potential visitors.

Whisty: So you spend your life shopping! I’m so jealous, is it really as good as it sounds?

Sorcha: In a word, yes! It is a huge excuse to travel and when you are passionate about what you do it never feels like work anyway! The only drawback is that I literally find it impossible to pass a vintage shop/market without popping my head in. It can make for a very frustrated boyfriend sometimes!

Whisty: How do you convince yourself to sell all the stuff you buy, and not keep it all for your own wardrobe!?

Sorcha: If I am lucky all the beautiful pieces will be too large or small for me, then the decision is already made! I do find it very hard to part with items sometimes, that’s when I have to remind myself this is a job not a personal shopping trip!

Whisty: What is your favourite vintage era?

Sorcha: Hands down it’s the 1950s, give me Betty Draper in romantic florals and nipped in waist day dresses over 1980s bling any day!

Whisty: When is the next Dandelion Daydreamer Vintage pop-up shop please!!

Sorcha: We are currently open all week up until Christmas Eve and I am already working on the next pop up shop! I will be sure to let you know as soon as the preparations are finalised! For any Dublin ladies who wish to visit our showroom for a private viewing just drop us a line to book an appointment. (sorcha.gillett (@)gmail.com) tel : 0861283472

The coat I should’ve bought…

I think I need a bit more lemon yellow in my life… Hello pretty vintage 60′s dress. Now mine.

Dandelion Daydreamer on Facebook HERE

Dandelion Daydreamer Blog HERE shop HERE:

Whisty

Xx

Day 2 Style Post – 5 days, 5 posts, 5 outfits

Hey All,

Here’s my second post, 3 days & 2 posts down, 4 days & 3 posts to go…

I had to run a few errands at lunchtime, with the weather all meh, grey and drizzly, layers are still the thing. I love these boots though, not wellies but still warm and waterproof.

Post #02 of 5…

Hat ‘borrowed’; Jumper vintage Dior; DIY denim cut-offs; Socks & bag River Island; Jacket vintage Topshop; Boots thrifted.

Until tomorrow,

Whisty

Xx

Snow Style – Black on White

Hey All,

Worst thing about wintry weather? The fact that style and practicality don’t go hand in hand. I mean, I love my Parka and Hunter wellies for keeping me so warm. But style-wise, I look like I should be heading to a festival or mucking out stables. Doc’s, leather jacket and layers, kept me kind of warm today; I went for a walk in this tiny park near my house; hardly anyone had been there so the snow was still perfect and white.

All outfit details on HerApparel.

Whisty

Xx