January 16, 2019

Vintage Skating Party

Nicole outfits outfit, style, vintage style

If I were going to a vintage skating party, this is what I would wear! Actually, even if it wasn’t a “vintage” skating party, this is still what I would want to wear, because it just seems like a vintage skating outfit, doesn’t it? Not that I have been doing much skating lately. . .  I haven’t gone once this year!

I have been making good on my plan to sew more this year, however, so there’s that. This past weekend I actually sat down and unpicked two of the wool skirts I got recently at the thrift store, altered one of the skirts, and finished several other mending and alteration projects that have been sitting in a pile for much too long! 

This knitted top, which is actually a 70’s inspired mini dress, was one of the garments I altered on Saturday. I got it several years ago from the thrift store, for an ambitious plan to do photoshoots of every era since 1900. Well, the photoshoots never happened, but I still really liked this dress- just not as a dress! The mini dress might have been a thing in the 70’s, but it’s really not my thing.

I was going through clothes a while ago, and came across it wondering whether I should just pass it on, as I was never going to wear it, but since I absolutely love the sleeves, I couldn’t bear to get rid of it. Then, I thought that I could try wearing it as a sweater, tucked into a skirt. It works quite well as a sweater, but it originally had a keyhole opening in the back. (Only the top two buttons were there.) 

However, when you are wearing a sweater, it probably means that it’s chilly, and having an open back was COLD! I added some more buttons and loops and now this is a much warmer and more practical pullover! Well, as practical as it can be with sleeves like this! 

I know the dress is supposed to be a more 1970’s Missoni style, but the sleeves really remind me of the 1930’s. What do you think?

I paired it with my black wool circle skirt, so the look isn’t truly 1930’s, but it seemed kind of like a skating outfit, so I decided to roll with it, and add a beret (my hair is actually long enough to wear berets again!), this lovely oversized pearl headed hat pin a lady in my church gave me, and a gold belt. These sparkly earrings my mom and dad got me for Christmas gave a bit more bling, and then these boots, with a fur detail, kind of completed the “winter skating” look.

I’m so glad I decided to dedicate some time on Saturday to mending and altering, as I was able to add several “new” items back into my wardrobe! It’s my own version of “shop your closet”! 

Do you get excited to add items you’ve mended or altered back into your closet?

I would not be on one foot if I was actually on skates. . .