OOTD: Rockabilly Rocker

 

Outfit Details:

Shirt - Stonefield band shirt

Skirt - Dotti

Shoes - Dr Martens

Scarf - Op-shopped

Yesterday was my first exam for this session, and because I am a mega procrastinator, instead of cramming in my final hours, I decided to do my hair and make up so I'd feel good going in there. I've always really loved the rockabilly scene, but struggled to get up the self-confidence to really try anything too out there. The closest I've ever gotten is buying a couple of seldom-worn 50s style dresses and wearing a cat eye and a red lip, but yesterday was the day I finally tried something rockabilly with my hair. 

I've been wearing this skirt/shirt combo to death since the weather started warming up, swapping out the Docs for thongs on particularly warm days. It's very casual and comfortable, but I feel really confident in it, and confidence is sexy, so what better time to pop on some vintage inspired make up and try out a bold new hairstyle? I think the combination of the 50's style make up, bumper bangs and head scarf with the 90s vibe band shirt, a-line skirt and Doc Martens is really cute and interesting. It adds a bit of flair to an otherwise casual outfit and I felt a lot more dressed up than I actually was all day.

Even though its far from perfect, I'm proud of the way my hair turned out. I certainly gleaned a lot of compliments all day, and think I'll definitely be popping to the op shop for some more cute scarves to make this hairstyle a part of my regular rotation.

I've been really stuck in a rut in the last few years trying to figure out what "my style" is. My sister has a set style, and many of my friends seem to have a set style, but I've always seemed to float between vague semblances of different styles - vintage, kitschy, punk rock, boho. I think I've finally come to a point where I feel confident enough to say "fuck it!" and just follow my gut and wear what I want, when I want. My style is clearly fluid and depends on the weather, what mood I'm in, where I'm going and what's inspiring me at a given time, and I'm okay with that. I'm also a lot more confident to mix styles like I did here, and maybe I'll get up the confidence to go out in full rockabilly regalia when my new petticoat arrives off ebay in the next couple of weeks. 

Look out for more rockabilly hairstyles on the blog soon!

 

 

 This was an outtake but I actually really love it!

 

 

Make up details 

Foundation - Too Faced Born This Way

Bronzer - Arbonne

Lipstick - Arbonne in Runaway Rouge (discontinued)

Eyeshadow - Revolution palette from  Boots in the UK

Eyeshadow - Arbonne in Smoke (discontinued)

Eyeliner - Maybelline Hypersharp Wing Liner

Mascara - Arbonne It's A Long Story

Brows - Natio Brow Kit

 

Wednesday Wish list: Retro Kitchen/Dining

Retro Kitchen/Dining by sunae-reilly featuring yellow kitchen towels

So, now Jake and I have been in our home a few months, we are starting to nut out how we would like our home to look. Jake hates isn't a very big fan of the chintzy, shabby chic, vintage look I love so much, so in the spirit of compromise, he is allowing me to still decorate in a vintage/retro theme as long as I stick to a more gender neutral colour scheme and make it what we call "mid-century industrial kitsch". He doesn't know what kitsch means and I'm not sure he would approve of those salt and pepper shakers, but since I know I'l be the one spending the money to make our place look nice, I like to think I should be allowed a few kitsch and novelty bits and bobs of my choosing! Most of this stuff is from ModCloth. I deliberately chose stuff from an international store so the postage would put me off spending all my savings on everything in one go haha. I would really like to get bits and pieces here and there though, and will mix this stuff in with vintage stuff I already own and stuff I find along the way.

What do you think of this kind of style?

Mod Couples

I came across snaps from this fantastic photo series by Carlotta Cardana on a couple of blogs this week, and once I clicked over to her website and read her description of the photo series, I just knew I had to share some too! It focuses on Mod Couples - couples who belong to the subculture that is passionate about the 1950s and 60s aesthetic and music, and what struck me in particular about this series is what Carlotta Cardana had to say about the styling of it:

"I decided to focus on couples because I am fascinated by the way their identities blend together to produce something larger than the sum of its parts. Within the formality required by shooting with a medium format camera, I don’t “direct” the couples by asking them to pose in a specific way. Instead, I let them assume a pose that feels natural to them. I believe that in the subtleties of their posture, a lot is revealed about themselves – as individuals and as a couple."

She also let the couples choose their own clothing and scene for the photos so that it reflects their own sense of style and "the world depicted in the pictures is entirely the world they have created for themselves."

I've always wished that Jake was into the whole vintage thing, too. I dunno about you, but I wouldn't mind stepping into any of these couples' worlds, would you?