Dial V for Vintage

Random Inspiration

2013-01-23T12:06:00.002+01:00

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-25T17:08:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note to wish you all a Merry Christmas/Yuletide/or whatever you are celebrating now. Due to some personal reasons, I haven't been in the festive mood lately but I hope things will change soon. I wish you all tons of love and peace and I promise you I will be back soon with more updates on my blog!

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Instagram

2012-12-08T13:01:00.000+01:00

Lately, in my life... (follow me on Instagram if you wish, dialvforvintage!)

Wearing my cherry dress from Pinup Girl Clothing // Because nice dresses should be worn.

Late birthday present: a red butterfly.... // ... and a radiant blue one.

Autumn colours: reds and pinks // Yellow and gold.

Funny socks and a cat. // Polka dot tights and a kitty tail.

Getting cozy // White collar! It's from American Apparel.

The most depressing grey and rainy monday at work... // Some music to regain strength.

Kitty hiding! // Pretending to be my dinner date

I'm in love with the print on my new Hell Bunny dress. // Nails!

Snow! // More snow, waiting for the tram to go to work.

How's your november been?

A Farewell to Autumn

2012-12-03T20:03:00.000+01:00

The first snow fell from the sky today, marking the beginning of winter, and the end of autumn. My favourite season has come to an end, it was far too short! Mesmerized by the beautiful autumn colours, I took these close-up pictures. To some it's rotting decay and dying nature, to others (like me) it's the true beauty of nature!

London Shopping

2012-11-12T19:34:00.000+01:00

I'm a bit late with this, but I still owed to show you what I bought on my London trip! I didn't spend too much in the shops, but I did find some nice things.

In some goth/alternative shop in Camden I found a cute Hell Bunny dress - it was my very first Hell Bunny dress and I have to admit I've bought two more after that (but at a better price)! The print features humming birds and roses, how could I not love it...

I also visited Collectif, both stores in Camden and Covent Garden. I liked the dresses, but ended up buying two cardigans. They're perfect for the colder seasons!

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Forbidden Planet, of course, is a must-visit for any sci-fi lover. I could not resist buying these Star Trek drinking glasses, and... a Dalek! They had so much cool stuff though, I had to be brave and leave some behind.

Vintage Autumn Inspiration: Collars!

2012-10-27T17:20:00.000+02:00

I've gathered some autumn inspiration from vintage ladies, and they all have one thing in common: gorgeous outfits with cute collars. I adore (peter pan) collars on almost every outfit, I don't know why. I am sure many of you will agree with me because I notice the admiration for collars on many blogs.

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Dragonfly

2012-10-23T19:36:00.001+02:00

We're currently blessed with my favourite kind of weather: sunny autumn days! There's nothing more peaceful and beautiful than a clear blue sky, bright but soft sunshine, the colourful foliage on the trees and beneath your feet... I wouldn't mind having this weather all year round. It's pure bliss. I am definitely an autumn-fan, oh yes!

Are you enjoying autumn as I do?

Dress: Forever 21(it has little hearts scattered all over!)

Cardigan: Mango

Belt: Thrifted

Shoes: Vintage

Jacket: New Look

Met this little fellow, look at how he (or she) loves the camera!

Instagram moments

2012-10-20T17:05:00.000+02:00

Here are some fragments of my life lately I have been posting on Instagram (my username is dialvforvintage, feel free to follow me!). For those who don't have Instagram, I would love to share with you the things I did, saw, ate, wore, bought...

Sleepy kitty / Autumn sun, my kind of sunshine

Bought this awesome skull, at Urban Outfitters / Ice cream!

Out & about / Beauty in architecture

My cute and tiny skull ring from Topshop / Red nails, of course!

I celebrated my birthday in October, and had breakfast / Shopped at American Apparel

in bed and drank orange juice from these cool glasses!

Birthday make up, without the lipstick / With lipstick (Revlon Matte, awesome colour!)

Birthday dinner / I love the decoration in this restaurant.

Kitty resting on a chair / Tired after work...

London Part 2: Museum of Natural History

2012-10-14T12:39:00.000+02:00

A bit late, but here's part two of my London adventure, I will show you pictures of the amazing Museum of Natural History. Set in a beautiful Victorian building, it hosts a large and fascination collection. I am a huge taxidermy fan and I could feast my eyes for sure! They also have an exhibition on dinosaurs with lots of skeletons, it's very impressive. And best of all, as is the case with most museums in London, the entry is free!

It is definitely worth a visit if you're in London, I am glad I had the opportunity!

The main entrance hall with a giant dinosaur skeleton, so cool!

I saved this pretty boy for last... isn't he a cutie?

London Part 1

2012-09-20T20:38:00.001+02:00

So, earlier this week I went on a last minute trip to London! Packed a few things and off we went on the Eurostar, lucky for me London is only a 2 hour train ride away. On the first day, we walked a lot and did a bit of the classic sightseeing. The weather was a bit grey at first but later the sun came out - we had no rain on our trip, which is the most important thing to me because walking in a city in the rain is just not fun.

I've made a selection of photos from my trip, and of course I will show you what I bought because I did some shopping too (obviously!). Stay tuned!

Big Ben and House of Parliament.

I wore a comfortable outfit on the first day, keeping in mind that we had to get up early to catch the train and sit for a few hours.

Faux leather jacket: H&M

Leggings/pants: H&M (they're great, I bought one in burgundy too! But beware, the sizes run very small!)

This church was the Church of St-Margaret (I think?), it featured such lovely details and was a perfect place to take pictures!

The Wardrobe in the Woods

2012-09-09T11:36:00.003+02:00

So imagine, you're walking in the forest, following the path and then you see this huge wardrobe blocking the path. This happened to my boyfriend and I on a Sunday walk (some of you may already have seen the picture appear on my Instagram). Totally random and a bit absurd! What in heaven's name was it doing there and how did it get there? We'll never know, I may have to go back and check if it's still there! But it sure was mysterious and the perfect opportunity to take some pictures.

Unfortunately it was an empty wardrobe so we could not escape to Narnia...

Outfit details:

Denim vest: Mango, customized by me

Skirt: Vintage, altered by me

Blouse: Second hand

Boots: Vintage

Bag: Thrifted

And here you see a small chair carved out of a tree stump. Probably made by dwarves. Or elves. Or...

Latest Purchases

2012-09-02T18:06:00.000+02:00

Lately I have been a bit 'missing in action' on my blog but I promise you I am back now! These are some of my latest purchases, I've been working hard and I think it's important to treat myself for my efforts. I mostly buy small things, a skirt, some jewellery, nothing too expensive though.

I will start with my favourite item: this shirt by Lip Service, I love it so much! It's super soft and comfortable to wear. It's actually a men's shirt, but who cares anyway, you can wear it as a short dress or with pants or leggings like I did. I'm always drawn to the occult and lately I feel most happy wearing things that embrace the dark side.

Amongst my other finds was this lovely black vintage dress with a cute floral print. I'm currently taking it in a bit but it is really pretty! I was very sad though to see that my favourite vintage shop keeps increasing the prices of their garments...

At the second hand shop I found this cute dress with a skull print, this will be perfect for autumn!

And at River Island I found these awesome earrings: silver spikes and silver spike studs (the studs are very heavy, didn't expect that!).

Last but not least, I bought this top at H&M after seeing it on Instagram of one my favourite bloggers: Vivian De Violet. It's very elegant, it has dotted sheer sleeves and neckline. Please excuse the dirty H&M mirror!

Summer Days

2012-08-15T11:45:00.000+02:00

On Sunday I went on a walk in nature to escape the heat - we're currently having a full-blown summer here with temperatures up to 30°C. I admit, it's a bit too much for me (this makes me a freak in my country because everybody adores the burning heat and they're tanning like crazy) so I went for a walk under the trees. I can perfectly stand the heat in the shadow of the trees, with a breeze on my (spf-protected) skin.

I wore a cotton vintage circle skirt - the amount of fabric in this skirt is insane! I almost threw this beauty out of my wardrobe, what was I thinking. I'm glad I kept it! The red top is actually a bodycon dress, but it's a bit too tight and short to wear and to feel comfortable in for me, so I wear it as a top!

Top (dress): Zara

Skirt: Vintage

Shoes: Carrefour

Sunglasses: H&M

I hope you're all enjoying summer or whatever season you're having right now!

Instagram Fun!

2012-08-11T15:41:00.001+02:00

Like so many others, I have also joined the Instagram community (I'm a hipster now, right?). Feel free to follow me, my user name is dialvforvintage. Here's me today, wearing a tropics hat, just because I can! And because it's hot, too.

The Lipstick Collection

2012-08-06T20:08:00.003+02:00

Inspired by a post of one of my favourite blogs Violets in bloom, I thought I'd show you my collection of lipsticks I have accumulated during the years. And while I was sorting them out, I've decided to part with at least 10 I just didn't use, I'm donating them to my mother! So this is my 'new and improved' collection. There's still one or two missing, I clearly remember having 3 Revlon lipsticks but somehow I only found one.

Most of my lipsticks are cheap brands or bought at a reduced price. Good quality make up doesn't have to be expensive! The 'high end' brands in my collection include MAC and Shisheido (bought with a gift voucher), but in my opinion they're just as good as budget brands like Catrice or Rimmel.

I love red lipstick, so it's no surprise red is the most common shade in my collection. I'm thinking of adding some darker colours, I really like vampy shades.

From top to bottom:

4x Gosh - Revlon - L'Oréal - Wet'nWild

2x Manhattan - 4x Catrice - 3x Nyx

2x Wet'nWild - L.A. Girl - 2x Maybelline

L'Oréal - Shisheido - Rimmel Kate Moss - 3x Max Factor - Maybelline

Max Factor - Boots N°7 - Hema - MAC - 3x Gosh

And here are some of my favourites I love to wear and I usually carry with me:

Shisheido Perfect Rouge in 'RD 514': I think this must be my most 'high end' lipstick, I bought it with a gift voucher but if you feel like spoiling yourself and want to buy it with your own money, I'd definitely recommend it! The texture is really nice and comfortable to wear, it has a matte finish but doesn't make your lips feel dry at all. The colour is an intense, deep brick red.

Rimmel Kate Moss in '01': Lovely deep red shade, matte finish but again, not drying. The shade looks a bit like the Shisheido lipstick, but this one is cheaper of course. It also smells nice! I wore this lipstick in the pictures of my previous post, by the way.

L'Oréal Color Riche Serum in 'True Red': My absolute favourite, easy to apply and the bright red colour is perfect for every occasion and outfit. It's shiny and nourishing because there's also some lipbalm in the middle of the lipstick, very clever!

Hema Moisturizing Lipstick in '65': a really cheap dupe for MAC's Viva Glam I! The colour is pretty much the same (this one is maybe a bit more red), the only difference is that this one isn't a matte lipstick. Hema is a Dutch drugstore and these lipsticks don't come expensive, so maybe worth a try!

Gosh Soft'n Shine Lipbalm in 'Kiss': A highly pigmented lipbalm, basically. The colour is very, very intense and it acts like a lipbalm at the same time. Too bad they discontinued the Soft'n Shine lipbalms (I think...), so I made sure to have bought a backup! I like to use this one during the winter, for extra protection.

Boots N°7 Sheer Temptation in 'Smoulder': Another absolute favourite! The colour isn't very intense but it's more like a red lipbalm with lots of shine. I wear this one often to work because it's not 'in-your-face-red', it's a subtle red glow on your lips. But like most lipbalms/lipglosses, this one disappears quickly from your lips.

Max Factor Color Perfection in 'Flame': Discontinued too, I found this for €1 in a dirty sales bin years ago. But I do love it so much, it is a bright but subtle red, again something I ofter wear at work. It feels like a lipbalm but without the shine, it's like a matte lipbalm. Why do they always discontinue the perfect products?

What are your favourite lipsticks?

Saturday

2012-07-22T16:23:00.000+02:00

How's your weekend going? On saturday, I went on a little stroll and I was pleased to see that the sun came out to play, well it was more a game of hide and seek really. After weeks of rain it's nice to see the sun again! Although they're already predicting a week of high temperatures, it seems that this summer consists of: extremely cold and wet weather, or burning hot days... nothing in between, just those two extremes.

We took a ridiculous amount of pictures, so I hope you'll enjoy them! I wore mostly non-vintage clothes, except my boots, they're vintage.

Dress: Forever 21

Cardigan: Mango

Boots: Vintage

Purse: Thrifted

Coat: H&M

Dress Inspiration: 'Libeled Lady' (1936)

2012-07-18T20:01:00.001+02:00

Directed by Jack Conway

Starring Jean Harlow, Willima Powell, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy

We're having some really autumnal weather right now: rain, rain, rain! So it's the perfct excuse to stay indoors and watch a movie, perhaps you will be inspired to watch 'Libeled Lady', a romantic comedy (or screwball comedy) starring the unbeatable duo William Powell and Myrna Loy, and also Jean Harlow and Spencer Tracy. The plot goes a bit like this: a busy newspaper guy tries to frame a lady who sued his newspaper. So he contacts an old friend who has to seduce the lady and then he can publish about their relationship. In order to make this scandal affair even more scandalous, this friend has to be married and the newspaper guy has just the perfect candidate for the wife: his own fiancee! Sounds a bit complicated, and it is, hence the multiple misunderstandings, hilarious dialogue and jokes!

But let's take a look at the fabulous 30's fashion...

Here's the gang! The ladies are wearing furs (obviously, fur is a staple in a thirties wardrobe), and the gents are looking great with their top hats and tuxedos!

The angry bride... She's wearing a slinky (silk?) gown, with a veil and hair/hat ornament.

Complaining to her friend on the telephone in a fluffly and ruffly (is that a word?) nightie.

Marrying your fiancees friend... the things we do for love! I really like the hat, her outfit is simple but very elegant.

'Come on honey, marry my friend, do it for me, please?'

'Allrighty then'

I'm in love with this beautiful outfit Myrna is wearing: a very elegant skirt and top, with a jacket lined with black fur. And a hat, of course.

More fur, and a white gown with a deep V-neckline!

Another glamourous and sparkly dress with matching scarf...

Possibly my favourite dress in this movie: a very fitted, long dress with floral (I think) details on the straps.

Another sparkly number... and furs! William Powell is looking handsome, even in his dressing gown!

A black dress with a striking floral detail, I also like her hair a lot.

Fur, fur, fur!

I just had to include this picture, it seems like a really painfull beauty treatment!

I've never been keen on 'one shoulder' dresses, but this one looks very pretty on her, I love the pattern on the fabric.

It all ends well, with champagne and furs...

... Or maybe not!

"Big things have small beginnings"

2012-07-05T19:27:00.000+02:00

Have you seen the movie 'Prometheus' yet? It has been on my wishlist for a while and last weekend we finally made the time to watch it at the movie theater. I liked the movie a lot, apart from some stereotypical characters, overall I would say it really is a must-see if you love science-fiction like I do. It is said to be a prequel to the Alien Series, but in fact it is much more than that, if you expect to see another Alien-movie you might get disappointed.

It was a hot day (it's starting to cool off now, as I am typing this there's a thunder storm outside!), and I wore a new striped top I bought at New Look. Black and white stripes, I was immediately sold! I also bought a black and white striped dress that day... it was clearly a monochrome day!

Top: New Look

Skirt: Thrifted

Bag: Thrifted

Shoes: Carrefour

Belt: Thrifted

Fishnet tights: H&M

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters

Goofing around before the movie starts... my boyfriend created these animals/monsters!

This one really looks like a dog or a wolf, it's my favourite!

June In Pictures

2012-07-01T11:40:00.000+02:00

Another month has flown by, and we have officially entered summer! Although it rained most of the time, we've had some hot days too... June wasn't very different from May, I suppose, but these are some of the things I did in June:

- Applied for another job

- Watched many movies, such as 'Dreamcatcher', X-Men: The Last Stand, Hunter Prey, Ghost Rider 2 (UGH bad movie!), Underworld 1, 2 and 3, Prometheus, and some episodes of Poirot

- got soaking wet several times whilst riding by bike to work in the rain/thunder storm

- and those are probably the most 'exciting' things that happened. I so need that new job!

And here's what I saw/ate/wore/listened to...

New second hand dress from H&M! / With a delicate floral print.

Sweet treats! Yummy pie with whipped cream and / M&M's
sugar coated nuts.

But there was also healthy food, like these veggies for / Wild strawberries, not sure if they're edible...
a delicious stir-fry!

Blue-purple hydrangea flowers, proof they also grow / Flowers on my new dress (Forever 21)
in Belgium! (for Vivian)

I told you: rain! / And sun! Here's kitty enjoying a sunbath.

Forever 21 again... I searched the whole damn 3 floors / So I bought the dress online, so much easier.
of the shop in search of a dress I saw on their webshop..
No luck! But I saw these cute chairs.

Anthems of June: Watain - Stellarvore, awesome song! / Grendel - Serotonin Rush

Warning: my music taste is definitely not vintage...

New shoes + fishnet tights, waiting at the movie theater. / Random picture on a hot day.
We went to see 'Prometheus', I will show you my
outfit in the next post!

Cat, striking a pose. / Cute find: ashtray from How to marry a millionaire!

How was your June?

The Fruity Dress

2012-06-24T16:36:00.000+02:00

I think we can describe June in one word: RAIN! It has been raining a lot (also, some thunder storms and strong wind), but luckily we've had the odd sunny day.

This is one of my latest vintage purchases, a pretty dress with a fruity print. The dress was heavily reduced in price, and when I got home and took another look at it I noticed that it was a bit damaged. There were little holes on the sleeves, I think the moths have been nibbling away on the fabric. I have restored most of the holes though, so it's not that bad! Things like that are easily fixed. The cut of the dress is very forties and is very comfortable.

I am still confused about the fruit on the dress... what are they? Oranges? They seem too small for that, so my guess would be tangerines, or orange berries. What do you think?

Treat Yourself!

2012-06-19T19:32:00.000+02:00

When you're working hard (or just feel like it), you deserve to treat yourself from time to time. Go out there (or online) and get yourself some make up, candy, shoes, dresses or whatever your heart desires. I have recently treated myself to some budget things, they're a nice reward for the looooong weeks at work (I swear time goes backwards when I'm at work) but still friendly for my wallet. I applied for another job yesterday by the way, fingers crossed!

I bought some red summer wedges, they will be perfect for hot days. I found them at my local supermarket for € 10, bargain! (Belgian readers: I found them at Carrefour) The second item is a lovely cotton dress from River Island, it was reduced in price: -50%, yay! The style is very vintage, with the delicate rose print and flared skirt. It caught my eye immediately!

I promised myself these would be the last items of clothing I bought before the start of the summer sale... which is in 2 weeks, ahem! I guess I can wait until then.

What's your latest treat?

Burgundy and Black

2012-06-14T17:29:00.000+02:00

Another one of those colour combos that can't go wrong: black and burgundy! Black lace to be more precise, I simply can't resist black lace. I have a black lace dress waiting to be altered, I must find the time to do that!

These pictures were taken last week, it was nice and warm outside but not boiling hot. I wore my vintage black lace skirt I altered some time ago, with a thrifted see-through burgundy blouse, a bit of a 'goth' combination (but that's a good thing!).

It's almost Friday, dear readers, I am longing for the weekend. Do you have any plans for this weekend?

Blouse: Thrifted

Skirt: Vintage, altered by me

Shoes: Second hand

Ring: Forever 21

Necklace: Got it from a giveaway from the lovely Hannah!

Dress Inspiration: 'To Catch a Thief' (1955)

2012-06-10T15:52:00.002+02:00

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Grace Kelly, Cary Grant

Costume design by Edith Head

With summer just around the corner, I think this movie is suitabe to mention for some serious dress inspiration! It features the lovely Grace Kelly and its setting is the French Rivièra, needless to say there's plenty of nice dresses and outfits to be admired. The movie tells the story of a famous jewellery thief, nicknamed 'The Cat', played by Cary Grant, who is retired and lives the good life at the Rivièra. He tries to solve a number of burglaries done by a copy cat thief, with the help of Grace Kelly.

If you're going on summer holiday this year, maybe you can find some inspiration amongst the outfits that the movie has to offer, and what better way to start than with a pretty yellow bathing costume! With matching headscarf, and glamourous sunglasses. Sunbathing in style!

Cary Grant is looking very 'French' in this striped shirt and red scarf!

Dining in style, with this pretty pale blue dress. It's very statuesque, I think, it makes her look like a Greek goddess!

What would you wear if you had a date at the beach with Cary Grant? Maybe something like this, a super elegant outfit in black and white, with a large sunhat!

Pretty in pink, she sure is with this outfit! I know that Cary Grant was famous for his bronzed skin, but in this movie it really struck me just how tanned he is! Maybe a bit too much, Cary?

This next dress is probably one of my favourites, a simple white gown - but very elegant and sophisticated in its simplicity. Again, she reminds me of a Greek/Roman goddess!

A lovely white daytime dress with yellow details, perfect for strolling around.

The last dress may be a bit over the top, but wouldn't you want to wear it for a masked ball? It's a golden gown, a bit Marie-Antoinette style with a huge skirt!

The Summer Dress

2012-06-05T19:04:00.000+02:00

These pictures were taken last weekend, when we were in full summer mode. This week, we've entered June with plenty of rain and temperatures have dropped dramatically, quite a difference! But anyway, those hot days were perfect to wear my newly thrifted dress for the first time. It's a recent buy, actually it was my boyfriend who pointed it out to me at the store. It has tiny flowers all over and is nice to wear when it's so warm. I guess I'll be wearing this dress a lot during summer!

What's your favourite clothing for this summer, to battle the heat?

Dress: Thrifted

Belt: Thrifted

Ring: Forever 21

Shoes: Second hand

I wore it with my pointy moon manicure you already saw in one of my previous posts. It was a perfect match!

May In Pictures

2012-06-02T20:55:00.000+02:00

May flew by... can you believe it's June already? Time sure flies! I didn't do anything special in May, so here are some everyday snapshots from my days in May.

I wore this colourful skirt a lot, / Sailor socks!

I revamped it ages ago (it used to be floor length)

Top I wore with the skirt in the picture above! / My first leopard item in my wardrobe, a cute top.

It's from H&M and it drapes beautifully.

At the movie theater, waiting for my friend. We watched / After the movie, waiting for the bus.

'The Cabin in the Woods, pretty good, and freaky!

I met this Angry Bird in a shop! / Night lights.

Sunbathing, kitty style. / Cat pretending to be a ferocious tiger!

Playing Carcassonne ( a board game) / A yummy snack!

I saw lots of flowers, like these pale pink ones! / And purple flowers.

We had some very hot and sunny days. / Flowers & sunshine.

Watched Blade Runner and listened to the soundtrack. / My mother bought these super cute stamps!

I also watched the Evil Dead trilogy, awesome!

Forget-me-nots / I'm trying to take a nap here!

How was your May?