bijouxjoux

Jeepers Creepers.

bijouxjoux — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:32:20 +0000

Holy moly I am loving these shoes. They are so fantastically ugly, yet somehow beautiful. I will definitely be buying myself a pair of these in the near future. My favourites are the type called Monroe on ASOS. I wonder if creepers will be this year the craze that brogues were last year.

Tagged: ASOS, creepers, favourites, holy moly, shoes

A bit like Audrey.

bijouxjoux — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:27:59 +0000

As I talked about in my last post, I recently visited the Dump in Hamilton with my friend Pensy. The name sounds a little gross, but it is actually quite a treasure trove if you are willing to have a good look. This dress was a good quality brand, in great condition and only cost $2.50, which shows that you don’t have to have heaps of money to look awesome, just a bit of patience and vision. This dress is like a modern version of the iconic dress Audrey Hepburn wore as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hence the Audrey-esque photoshoot you see below.

Fun times with photoshop.

bijouxjoux — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:30:44 +0000

Photoshop rules! I only have the trial version, but I am having so much fun learning how to use it. I took this photo and played around with it on photoshop and this is the result.

The Rumpus Room Chronicles: Part 2

bijouxjoux — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:35:51 +0000

Here is the next installment in ‘The Rumpus Room Chronicles’. My Nan is an amazing sewer and these photos are of her equipment. She has had her machine for many years, as you can tell by the retro style, which I love. I also love the vibrant colours of the reels of cotton. You can also see the groovy retro cladding in these photos, which was all the rage in the 70′s. I think it’s pretty cool now too.

Tagged: all the rage, love, nan, retro style, rumpus room, vibrant colours

One man’s trash.

bijouxjoux — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:31:58 +0000

My friend Pensy, who is a fashion consultant, often gets clothing donated to her to show less wealthy clients that you don’t have to have a lot of money to look amazing. A while ago, the lady who owns the dump in Hamilton asked Pensy if she wanted to come and have a sort through some clothes and pick out the ones she wanted. Pensy asked me if I wanted to help her, so I went along for the ride. I had never been to the dump before and it was quite an experience. People may feel it is beneath them to shop at the dump or second hand store, but if we get over ourselves, it makes a lot of sense to buy second hand.

1. You can score some really good quality stuff if you are prepared to have a hunt.

2. Most of the time, second-hand shops are dirt cheap, which makes it much more affordable than if you bought new.

3. The things you find in op-shops tend to be different to what you can buy in mainstream stores, so you don’t have to look like every other Tom, Dick and Harry.

4. Recycling is good for the environment. Our consumerism is disgusting! We mass produce far more than we need. Why not use what we already have?

Out the back where we were sorting the clothes was definitely not the most pleasant of places, man it stunk! However, it was definitely worth it for the great clothing we scored for free. After sorting, we also had a look in the shop around the front, which was a lot nicer smelling and tidier than the back! The shop is immaculately organised and very reasonably priced. Definitely worth a visit. The photos below are of items in both the shop and at the back if the dump where we sorted the clothes. My favourite things in the shop were the beautiful Indian clothes. The intricate detailing on the dresses and tops is amazing and ridiculously cheap! I scored a beautiful saffron coloured dress for $2.50. Sweet deal I think. There was also an amazing retro chair in great condition for only $60 and some groovy vintage shoes. This shopping trip definitely proved that you don’t have to have a lot of money to own beautiful things. The dump is such a gem. One man’s trash is most definitely another man’s treasure.

Tagged: budget, clothes, creative, Indian, opshop, opshopping, shoes, shopping

Dinner Party.

bijouxjoux — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:19:54 +0000

I had a few friends over for dinner the other night and wanted to prettify the table, so I went on a treasure hunt around the house for decorative bits and bobs. The photos below are the result of my rummage through the cupboards. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found I already had without having to go shopping. I think creativity is more about using what you have than having lots to work with. If you apply this theory, you can save yourself lots of time and money and end up with something unique.

Tagged: creative, creativity, fashion inspiration, fun, pretty, random things, summer, vintage

Summer Romance

bijouxjoux — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:18:49 +0000

For a romantic summer look, mix creams, florals and prettily detailed fabrics. I scored this beaded top at Forever New, $19.99 down from $119.99 the other day. I don’t think many people would be crazy enough to pay full price for it, but it was still a pretty nice discount! My Nan gave me the cute little case, which is actually the case for an old film projector. Nan had a pearl necklace shortened and gave me the extra beads, which I made the bracelet with. For a more casual look, pair this outfit with summer sandals or ballet flats.

Tagged: fashion ideas, fashion inspiration, Sequin, style, summer, summer fashion, vintage

The Rumpus Room Chronicles: Part 1

bijouxjoux — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:22:59 +0000

Whilst cleaning the windows in my Nan’s rumpus room the other day, I noticed how many incredible retro and antique-y things it contains that I had never really appreciated. After this realisation, I went on a rumpus room rampage, taking photos of everything I thought was cool, to share with you all. Thus began ‘The Rumpus Room Chronicles’. Over several posts, I will share all of the photos I took. The beautiful woman whose face you see in the third photo is my mum on her wedding day. She defied the atrocity that was 80′s wedding fashion and went for a 50′s look in my Nan’s wedding dress, good move mum! The photos on the wall are of relatives of mine.

Tagged: creative, groovy, parents and grandparents, photography, random things, retro, vintage

These are a few of my favourite things.

bijouxjoux — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 01:49:16 +0000

I find that my ideas for outfits come from random items that I find inspiring. These items aren’t necessarily things that can be worn, but I love the way they look when arranged together. As you can see, some of the things that are inspiring my at the moment are old books that belonged to my parents and grandparents, my Christmas chocolates, stamps, coloured headscarfs, beads and the origami butterflies my little brother made for me. I also love this 1950′s style high waisted bikini I bought online this summer. As Coco Chanel so aptly expressed, “Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. ” So let random things that inspire you inspire the way you dress and you will be surprised with the unique and creative outfits you come up with. Don’t be afraid to be individual, being the same as everyone else is boring!

Tagged: coco chanel, little brother, old books, parents and grandparents, random things, street fashion

New Year’s Day.

bijouxjoux — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:39:33 +0000

This was the outfit I wore on the first day of 2012. I’m not into having everything matching, so threw in the blue earrings and denim shoes to keep things interesting. Normally I would wear a pink bow in my hair with this outfit, to give it a bit more shazzam, but I was in too much of a rush that morning!

Top: $10(AU), Temt; Shorts: $10(NZ), Glassons; Shoes: $35(AU), Therapy; Butterfly wing earrings: Price unknown, vintage.

Tagged: black, butterfly wing, cork, denim, fashion ideas, fashion inspiration, fun, glassons, pink and black, polka dots, quirky, summer, summer fashion