I probably owe you a better explanation, but in simple terms, exams = brain plaguing which = no blog updates. Clearly, I am not a blogger who has any skill in time management so it’s just better if I just stop until these exams are over. Only a few weeks really, but sorry nonetheless guys & gals! If I do find something interesting to post, I will do so, but otherwise, consider me on hiatus until after June 18th. Ta Ta For Now!

image from oxfam.org.uk

What I take from it is that, Oxfam, are now jumping on board the DIY antics, spreading like a bug over this small island – and doing so with remarkable success and style. Possibly largely down to Mrs Jones (new one on me, but then I am not London-centric nor do I have a vast knowledge of err… noteworthy creative types) who appears to be the lady in charge of the whole shebang. The primary aim of the project being, of course, to persuade people to buy secondhand from Oxfam and DIY their own look.

By the looks of the site & video, Londoners are getting a pretty good deal – I mean, the Oxfam shops around my area are vile! I don’t think there has ever been a time I have successfully found something which I could alter, let alone wear. Save perhaps an early DIY t-shirt when I was 12 and even that was horrid thinking back. But I really shouldn’t pick bones because that’s more to do with the donations in my area than the actual charity shop!

Oxfam DIY 2009 from Susie Bubble on Vimeo.

Anyway, I know the whole idea of DIYing your own look is not exactly a new concept now, but I do think it is nice that Oxfam is at least trying to appeal to a more DIY fashion-conscious market – if only because, let’s face it, it is a much more fashion-conscious world now and DIY is on the up. Despite Londoners seemingly having better picks in the charity shop department (I’m led to believe it’s more expensive though… so hmm to that thought…), the Oxfam site has a few nifty DIY tutorials (my favourite being that shoe one) which aren’t location-specific, thank goodness!

Whilst I see the aim, possibly rather pessimistically, as being a marketing ploy (business revision on the mind, sorry!) at least we can argue the “it’s for a good cause” line one more time. Still, no matter how skeptical I can’t help but feel, I mostly think it’s as Susie said, “I am most definitely going to be keeping an eagle eye out on Oxfam’s DIY happenings that make a whole lot more sense to me than their upmarket Westbourne Grove boutique“ – because secondhand clothing and DIY have been partners in crime for a long long time and this venture does, at least, make sense!

With petticoat

Without petticoat

Apologies for my having to model it – I didn’t want to, but the dress fitted me and I had no time to find someone else. I calculated that it took me 30 hours in total to make, 5 of those hours spent on that hand-beading… I now have a new admiration for hand-beaded garments. The little roses you can see on the strap are clip on and actually there to disguise the hole I accidentally made with the iron! But sshhh, they are a ‘feature’.

Details, details, details

Errm… what else? Oh, the ‘dress’ is actually in 3 parts – a bodice, a skirt and a petticoat. Because the brief was to create a wedding dress which could be re-worn/reused rather than sitting in a cupboard for the foreseeable future. Hence the colour choice and the mix ‘n’ matching going on. May I add I dislike weddings, so I was pretty much coerced into doing this… I wanted to do a recycled garment but apparently that has no commercial aspect… ERR HELLO, there are numerous brands doing rather successfully with recycled garments… but hey ho, what can you do.

I took inspiration initially from 1940s make do & mend, but due to the ‘modern market’/commercial stuff, it adapted into late 1940s styles (those buffs amongst you may notice the sweetheart neckline) with a big poof making it more 1950s (in my view) and more appropriate to the majority of modern folks, who like poofy apparently. However, it has straps! Which I am told is abnormal in bridal-wear atm because most dresses are strapless. Errm… it was not aimed at a traditional white wedding market btw, but I still wanted to make quite an elegant dress… because I guess most people want to look elegant on their wedding day.

Anyway, there it is more in context. Just so you can kind of understand where the design is coming from. Also, thanks to all the birthday wishes last week and sorry for being completely absent all week. It has been the hardest & longest week of (school) work I have done in… err… my entire life. Thankfully, DT coursework is done, art exam is out the way and things are slowly going back to normal. Only a copious amount of revision to do! Which, although sounds horrid, is somehow more manageable in my head and may in fact mean that more meaty posts may pop up again. Celebrations all round!

Just like I did last year, an outfit snap was in order for today. I’ve already said in the last 2 posts that it is indeed my birthday today so really there is no point me repeating myself. But I can thank everyone who has already wished me a happy birthday – thankyou guys & gals! You’re all so lovely.

• Patterned knit dress: orion (via clotheshow live about 2 years ago)
• Silver scarf: h&m
• Yellow tights: h&m
• Silver pumps: charity shop
• Celtic ring: gift (several years ago now)

The outfit feels a bit 1960s mod. It’s the dress I think. I don’t like wearing skirts this short normally, but the tights are opaque & I’ve only been lounging around the house all day so figured it’s fine. Though my dad did tell me I looked like a pelican! Charming.

Anyway, nothing much else to say. Hope you’re all having a good bank holiday weekend! I’ll be doing schoolwork for the rest of it, what joy. TTFN x

I think it’s part frustration really because I’ve been feeling a bit lost of late. I guess as a child you always think 18 is so “grown up”, but the truth of the matter it’s not and you’re not either. Anyway, before this turns too much into a personal blog, I’ll move swiftly onto the nostalgia tripping I have been doing – yep, digging through old family photographs!

Finding ones of my parents, aunties, cousins, grandparents & brother made me smile so much! I want to put them all into big scrapbooks or albums, but alas, time is not on my side right now. Anyway, I scanned in a few of myself (because I don’t think my family would be too happy if I posted photos of them for the world to see) to share my pre-internet ‘fashion’ existence. Well, actually it was my parents who dressed me, but hey ho, maybe my ‘old lady’ way of dressing (been told I am a granny trapped in a younger body by a few people recently… still not entirely sure if it’s a compliment…) stems from my youth dress?

Ahh, the glory of film photos! Do you think this last one could possibly be my first ever wardrobe remix/outfit snap? Haha! Anyway, I’ll leave you with all those cutesy pie photographs and will try to catch you on Saturday, when I think I’m going to do a outfit post like I did last year for my birthday – just for comparison. Until then…