My favourite thing to do in the summer

When the meter hits +26 Celcius, the city is not the best place to be. So I decided to cool off on Sunday and Monday at my parent's place in the "country side" (about 6km off the center of Tampere). We had a small barbecue and just shook off the tiredness of the weekend's heavy partying.

My absolute favourite thing of all summer is to lay in the sun and read magazines or a good book. As I love looking at catwalk books and they usually cost a fortune, I bought the Elle collections which is a good package for its price. I also bought the YSL collections of 1957-2002 magazine/book since past decades fashion pictures are really hard to find. I warmly recomend this to anyone interested in vintage clothing. For all you denim addicts, check out this month's WAD.

As for my work outfit I wore the H&M Trend puffy skirt with a houndstooth sleeveless turtleneck; a shirt that I, don't know why, have not worn in a long time.

Shirt: Cheap Monday
Skirt: H&M Trend
Shoes: Björn Borg

I also popped at the local Salvation Army and I made amazing finds! Some have to be modified a little but some are just great as they are. This Salvation Army is a true gem, not so many people know about it, so the best items are still hanging on the racks. I will show my findings later.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Stockholm to do some shopping and meet my relatives, so I will be back with new clothes next week. See you then!

Hot town, summer in the city

Purchasing the Levi's jeans for the Friday's costume party had another purpose than to just wear them once. I have been looking for a pair of old Levi's to create denim shorts for the summer but none of my finds seem to be right. I own a pair of low waist denim shorts I made last year but I am now looking for something with a higher waistline. 501's would have been a better choice and I am still keeping my eyes open for a baby blue version of them, however, these slightly darker 510's, will do for the time being. Last night I wore this outfit to my friend's going away party and by changing the shoes also to the local indie club. On my finger you can see my latest purchase, a rose shaped ring.

Shorts: Levi's, second hand, cut by me
Shirt: Cheap Monday
Shoes: X-IT, Dinsko
Belt: Second hand
Ring: Stockmann

Saved by the bell

Yesterday I went to a costume party called Roska (translation is "Trash"). The dress code was 80's and 90's, and as a huge costume party fan, I decided to wear 90's gear from head to toe. Kelly from the American TV-show Saved by the Bell was my muse for the outfit. She always wore those tiny tops with mom jeans and had a huge wave in her hair.

I purchased the shirt a few years ago at H&M in Stockholm in the vintage section. At the time I was thinking that belly shirts will definitely come back in fashion some time soon. From what I've seen on runways lately, in fact, like it or not, they are coming back big time. I also bought a pair of second hand Levi's and made a scrunchie out of some excess fabric that I had. The earrings are my mother's and from the 90's, and the shoes I got from a friend long time ago. The party itself was not all that great because most of the people just bought some neon shirt from H&M thinking they're all that. I wish people would put more effort into costume parties..

And oh yes, I am doing funny poses just like they did in the 90's. Can you see the resemblance between mine and Kelly's look?

Shirt: Vintage
Jeans: Levi's, second hand
Shoes & belt: Second hand
Wayfers: Glitter
Jewelery: Mom's old

Are teenage dreams so hard to beat, everytime she walks down the street

Sometimes your own closet can be a true treasure chest when it comes to finding styles that are coming back into fashion. I recently dug through my old closet at my parents place and I found my very dear denim overalls from the 90's. They used to be my best buddy in the summertime circa 94'; so easy to put on in the morning and to take off when you fancy a swim in the lake on a hot summer's day. They are also extremely comfortable, its no wonder why I see a lot of pregnant ladies wearing them; however, I am NOT pregnant!!! Another thing that is cool about the overalls is that with another type of shirt and shoes, you can completely change the look from laid back to chic. I chose the last option and added a pair of brown heels to complete the look.

 

Denim overalls: KaDeWe, old ones from the 90's
Shirt: Poco Loco
Heels: Second hand

Greetings from the land of fjords!

I'm back from the wonderful trip to Norway. The scenery is really amazing and the city of Tromso is so pretty! Most of the clothes I wore on the trip were just comfortable travel clothes and since it was really cold up there, I wore my trench coat everywhere I went. I'd rather post only scenery pictures but since this is a fashion blog, I'll post the outfits that I wore. If only the weather would have been a bit warmer, I would have had so much more to offer.

We also visited my family's cabin which is located in Rovaniemi (a small city in northern Finland), and believe it or not, I actually managed to do a little shopping there. I will introduce my new shoes in a later blog entry. Next week I'm going to Stockholm, so more decent outfits and shopping to come for sure...

DIY Waxed jeans

Waxed/black coated jeans have been around for awhile, for example Acne and Dior Homme have made their own version of these jeans. I never owned a pair due to the fact that the price was ridiculously high and none of the waxed jeans fit me. My boyfriend on the other hand has had two pairs of Acne Hex Cash black coated jeans, and even though he hasn't ever washed them in a washing machine, the top coat has already totally worn out. I have always wondered how on earth they do that cool wax/black coat surface, so I really wanted to get into the bottom of this mystery. My boyfriend and I figured out that the paint Acne may use is acrylic paint, so we walked into the artist shop that was around the corner and did some shopping. What we found was black acrylic paint and some gloss to mix in with the paint. So, we took the stuff home and started painting the jeans with the mix and were pretty pleased with the outcome.

Here are detailed instructions on how to make your own waxed jeans, how much it costs, and what you will need. I will also reveal the results of this denim makeover (see the pictures). I chose to give the makeover to some old Cheap Mondays and my boyfriend did it to his worn out Acne's.

1. The jeans - Since the paint dries out really hard you should use jeans that have lost their form or are a size or two bigger than usual. Otherwise you may not fit in your jeans after the makeover.

2. The Paint - Get black (or whatever color) acrylic paint, a brush that's made for acrylic paint and if you want to add more shine to the look, get some soft gel gloss to mix in. You will also need a cup where you mix the paint and probably some cardboard to protect your floor. Art stores sell these supplies and are willing to help, just ask them. There are cheap and expensive paint options, depends how much you're willing to spend on your project. The black paint we purchased is called Wilson & Newton: Galleria Acrylic paint, 13€. The gloss was by Golden and it is called Gel Medium Soft Gel (Gloss), 10.70€. These were huge bottles, so we could do this operation about 10 times if we wanted to.

3. Mixing the paint - Mix about 80% acrylic paint and 20% of the gloss. If you want more shiny look, add more gloss. If you want to thin then paint, add water.

4. The Paint job - Place your jeans on the floor on top the protective cardboard (or plastic). Start painting the jeans with the paint brush. Use mild strokes along the lines of the denim. You can do as many layers as you want, if you feel that the jeans didn't get the result you wanted. My boyfriend did two layers, I did just one because I wanted a bit more rougher look. Acrylic paint dries really quickly, so you can do both sides in about one hour. After finishing both sides, let the jeans dry a few hours before trying them on, just to be sure.

My boyfriend working on his jeans.

5. Ta dah! - Now you got yourself some waxed jeans. Pullinging them on is like putting on jeans made out of paper, so be patient and careful. With heavy use the jeans will soften up and get more comfortable, trust me on this one.

6. Washing instructions - I don't recommend that you wash your jeans but if you absolutely must, do it in cold water without any soap. I'm warning you though, the color will bleed! If you can, take the jeans to a dry cleaner.

7. Flash your jeans - There you got yourself a cool new pair of waxed jeans. Go on and flash them!

Top: Poco Loco
Hooded vest: Two Percent 2%
Jeans: Cheap Monday, DYI wax coat
Shoes: Bullboxer

Strutting like a peacock

Last night was so much fun! I went to the local indie club and danced on the stage all night like a maniac. I wore another dress swap item of Ranna's collection, this cute little green piece. I have always loved the color green, especially this kind of emerald/jade green because it matches my green eyes. I forgot to take pics before the club so you'll have to deal with the following images. In fact I wanted to name this entry a headless chicken since I felt like I wanted to crop my head off from all these shots. However, the color of the dress made chose the Ark lyrics instead. Photographing is not so much fun at 4am and after heavy partying. Bear with me...

Dress: vintage
Shoes & bag: second hand

I'm off to Lapland. The next posts are timed but I will be back to answer comments, if there is any network up North...

p.s. Somehow this dress and these shots remind me of Beyonce's Crazy in Love video, don't ask me why because I am not a fan at all. Also, this is the kind of dress that you should wear black tights with. However, I thought it looked much better without. What do you think?

Leather and lace

I am now officially on my well-earned summer holiday! I have one week off now, and the remaining week I will use later this month to go shopping in Stockholm. Next week my boyfriend, my parents, my brother, his girlfriend and I are travelling to the Finnish Lapland, northern Norway and Sweden. I think its going to ge a fun road trip! I don't own a car but the wheels are provided by Nissan, you can read more about my adventures here (sorry, only in Finnish). And no, I have not sold my soul to the advertising devil, I was just offered a free car for a week (among some other bloggers) and used the situation to its fullest. So Tromso here we come!

Now to the more interesting part of this entry: the outfit. Yesterday I was at a friend's b-day bash and this is what I wore. The leather skirt is from the dress swap I had with Ranna awhile back. Something this rough needs to be paired with something a bit more feminine, so I added contrast with a girly white shirt and lace tights. My neighbor's scooter is getting a lot of attention these days...

Shirt: Nina Gold by Ellos
Skirt: Second hand
Tights: Target
Shoes: Björn Borg

From hippies to hipsters

70's high waisted flare jeans have been very popular among the likes of Chloë Sevigny and Kate Moss. I got my pair in January but since Finland is covered in snow from December to April, I have not been able to wear my beloved Monki jeans until now. Besides, I think flares are definately jeans of the summer season, especially on those hot days when skinny jeans just feel way too sweltering against your skin.

A lot of people think that these kind of jeans are only suitable for skinny peeps but that is definitely a misleading perception. I have a pear shaped body and I feel like these jeans hug me just right. You should preferably wear a flowly shirt with these jeans, in order to balance the body. For those who think that these jeans make your butt look long, well they do a bit but that just hides all the lumps and creates an illusion of longer legs since your waist starts much higher than usual. Here are some tips about wearing high waist flared jeans in a nutshell:

1. With high waisted jeans, your normal waist size doesn't imply. Most likely you have to get a pair which is a few sizes smaller, as the waist is measured around your belly button area.

2. Flowy shirts such as loose tops and buttonups look the best with high waisted jeans. They balance your body.

3. Round toe shoes with a bit of heel work the best with these jeans. The hem of the jeans should not be dragging on the floor but you should get these jeans at least an inch longer than your real length. For taller girls, round toe flats look really cute.

4. High waisted jeans will make your butt look long but they also make you look skinnier and taller as the flaring starts above your knee and your waist starts higher than with normal jeans.

5. A thin or normal width belt looks the best with this type of jeans. It will create an illusion of thin waist as the jeans flare towards the bottom.

As the title states, these jeans are truly a gift from hippies to hipsters, and I highly recommend trying them on before you start the judging. Who knows, maybe you'll fall in love.

Jeans: Monki
Shirt: Vailent
Sandals: Dinsko

P.S. Thank you for the sweet reader who told me that the picture from my last post was featured in here.

Welcome to the house of fun

The final photo shoot for Tell Me A Story Vintage is now over. Hopefully the store will be open sometime next week. Before that actual shoot, Ranna and I decided to take some funny pictures since our outfits totally matched.

Shirt: H&M
Jeans: Monki
Shoes: Vintage
Belt: Second hand

Later on I had my brothers 20th birthday and decided to wear these shorts which are by the way going to be auctioned in our vintage store. The shoes are also going to be available at the shop.

Top: Vailent
Shorts: Sisley, Tell Me A Story Vintage
Shoes: Tell Me A Story Vintage
Belt: Second hand

P.S. These pictures are taken with my new Canon baby. Can you tell the difference?