The A line project .... The true fashion story behind A line skirt

Do you ever wish there was a cloth so easy to make and even easier to wear ? Do you ever wish to own a cloth so versatile and flattering scoring high on comfort , too? Well look no further. It's the A line skirt.
By A line I mean a fitted skirt on the hips that widens as it reaches the hem and in this way it resembles the letter A thus the name of it.
But as familiar as we are with this shape today the concept of A line silhouette didn't appear before the mid 50s.
It was then that French designer Cristian Dior introduced the simple modern A line silhouette as part of his New Look.
It was, though, in the early sixties that A line skirts or dresses  blended  well with the modern vibes of the time. A line skirts became even more popular when the first lady of the US Jackline Kennedy began to wear them. The rest is history as so many women have copied her look.
 A line skirts  appeal to me for one more reason. I'm a novice  at sewing and I need an easy pattern to ...reveal my skills. A line skirts are generous both to my body and skills .
Have you ever tried to make an A lline skirt? Do you feel exited  when you inject style in your wardrobe in such an easy way?Without breaking the bank?Do yo like to learn a bit about the clothes you wear?

How maths saved my style!!!

Have you ever wondered how many combinations you can have out of your clothes?  Do you read like crazy the pages on Lucky that picture a few clothes +accessories+shoes+bags and then show you how to make different outfits for every day of the month?
Then you have a very good idea of how maths can help with your Wardrobe. You still don't see how they relate? Let me give you an example.
If you have 10 tops (of all sorts) and 10 bottoms (skirts,pants....) and you mix each one of them with all the others  you score 100 outfits in no time! Then you can show up in the office wearing a different outfit every day for at least 3 months.
On top of that , if you add belts , shoes , scarves , bags , you name it or the occassional new entry you double the number. Now ,you get the picture and you possibly begin to understand why men never get it  when we stand in front of the wardrobe complaining we have nothing to wear. It's bacause we are no good in Maths.

If not convinced yet go check your wardrobe and start adding!You can thank me later.

Copycat Dolls

Do you sometimes ,well many times , stand in front of a wardrobe full of clothes and you  are convinced  that you  have nothing to wear?
This is a major sign that you suffer from NTW (nothing to wear )syndrome. Don't dispair because the cure is simple and within easy reach. Go and grab those stucks of magazines that have cost you lots of money , or those catalogues that have cost you lack of space and get inspired.
There will always be a look for you to try.
I used this argile vest-like thing that I'm always puzzled how to wear on top of a pink turtlneck and my pink skirt. A combination that would never never come out of my head.
Not persuaded yet? Then go and try for yourself and then contact  Style underdog . I will do the same myself right now.

Basic instict

I love the end of October and the reason is that my husband stops with his seasonal work and we reunite again as a family. This means a lot of fight over the computer time but also long evenings playing board games or listening to music or watching movies together with the children.
It's also the time that it gets chilly  here in Greece , a welcome change from the long and hot summer.
Enough with the intro. My outfit of today is rooted around my skirt. I'm more than proud to say that I made this skirt out of vintage fabric.It's heavy print and I tried to balance it with black in shoes and belt.
I thought a shirt would make it more office appropriate. I proved right.
As for the olive green turtlneck under the shirt I have to admit it was an impulse buy but with basic layering pieces you can't go wrong. It has proved invaluable and has tied together many outfits.
I've come to beleive that these layering pieces are the back bone of my wardrobe.They keep me warm and decent , they create the background of my louder pieces to shine and they ask mimimum maintenance back.
How do you feel about your basic layering pieces?Do ever you have enough?

The best way ever to stop shopping

Have you ever been looked down at because you don't shop till you drop or you don't have any idea of the hot brand names or bacause you beleive you don't really need anything ....because you just have everything and then more so?
If your answear is yes and it is because you keep on reading, then welcome to the wonderful world of
Remixing.
Remixing for me is to use the clothes I have already accumulated over the years, in all ways possible, thus coming up with virtually  hundreds of  combinations. Throw into the mix all the accessories I already have  and the number doubles.
But don't get fooled and beleive you only need  the clothes to remix. Remixing can be very artistic. It requires a multitude of skills you already have but you don't know it  yet or need  perhaps a bit of toning.

• Organisational skills
• Planning ahead skills
• Basic sewing skills
• Take good care of your clothes skills to last for long time
• Study colors , styles and silhouettes
• Re inventing what you already have
• Blog skills ,as a bonus, to manifest your love and commitment to remixing

But it also requires a lot of self determination(you might travel a lonely path in your community) ,creativity , dedication to the stylistic decisions you have made in the past and above all patience for the wealth of your wardrobe to manifest.
I hope it doesn't sound too complicating bacause the high you get when remixing it really makes you feel strong satisfied and calm inside.
And when you really have a need of something new it always finds a way to come to you with very little or not at all money.
Do you remix a lot? What are the skills you have toned? How do you feel about the whole process?
I hope my clothes qualify today for Melissa's breast awareness crusade.

Discover the automn blockbuster

skirt   made by me with vintage fabric cardigan Marks &Spencer black top Berska shoes bargain

You probably never thought what is the real story behind the most worn piece of cloth autumn after autumn for hundreds of years,have you? But you all have worn a cardigan at one point or another and many of you are obsessed with it.
But what's the real story behind this autumn blockbuster?
Do you know that this feminine garment is named after a general?
Major General James Tomas Brudenell , 7th Earl of Cardigan,was an officer who served in Crimea (what we now call Ukraine ) in 1854.
He apparently had a good sense of practicallity as well as style and both his soldiers and him wore a sort of sweater coat often trimmed with fur(it was bloody cold there) or braids.
That was the very first massive appearence of the cardigan .The rest is history as cardigan made it all the way from the battlefield to the office environment of 21st century.
Along the way fishermen in the British islands were protected with it from the chiling sea winds, Harvard students won baseball games on v-neck lettered cardigans and millions of women 's bodies were flattered by the iconic twin set of the 50s.There are even rumors that coco's chanel famous jacket is but a collarless cardigan .
For the autumn blockbuster, it is , I think cardigan surely deserves to be the protagonist of a movie.
Do you ever worry about the history behind all popular elements of clothing? Is it important for you to get to know what you are wearing?

Belts and cardis 101

Cardigans are divine and so are belts. Cardis and belts is a great name for a blog. A blog is a great place to showcase this pair of trousers. This pair of trousers were utterly unflattering but with the help of a cardigan and a belt  looks almost fantastic.
 When I figure out how to do it I will make a collage with how many times I've remixed this belt not to mention the cardigan.

Do you feel that dressing good is like a brain surgery?

When it comes to my wardrobe philosophy I beleive that dressing good is not as difficult as brain surgery.But it helps tremendously  to know the... tools of the trade.I am not a stylist or a style prodigy but by trial and error it dawned on me that I basicaly rotate more or less the same ...tools

• Bottoms (a lot)
• Tops (even more)
• Dresses

That's all if you come to think of it.It's not a brain surgery. Again my own thoughts But if this osmosis thing is real probably other women around the world  think the same way. (If you do please let me know). Back on track now.
Bottoms can basically be divided in skirts or trousers. There are of course hundreds of lenghts or styles or fabrics but when it comes to it , it's one or the other.
Then come the tops.
Roughly I divide mine in

• Inner layer tops(tank tops,t shirts, camisoles,blouses,shirts,...the thin stuff ...)
• middle layer tops(cardis,sweaters...)
• outer layer tops(jackets,coats blazers...)

Again , in a variety of colours , fabrics and styles.
Then god created the dresses. They are divine inspiration made for the female body.

When I had my planets( clothes) in order I only needed my sattelites or little stars to embelish my little universe. It was the next big realization.
According to me this is what qualifies as sattelites.

• Jewellery
• Scarves
• Belts
• Gloves
• Tights
• Shoes
• Hats
• Bags

Every universe has its black hole. Mine is underwear section (yet to find the wonder...bra)

That's about it please fill in the gaps and tell me what you think of my oversimplified theory.
What is your wardrobe philosophy?

Autumn safari

I'm working hard on my one and only pose and I plan to bring it to perfection. Oops! I am suppossed to be working on my perfectionism. That's why I started blogging in the first place,almost a year ago, in order to post everyday not perfect fotos or context and still feel proud of myself.
Enough about me! My outfit was screaming safari so I grabbed this vietnamese hat that my husband grabbed in one of his travels as a sailor back in the 80's.
 For some unknown reason this hat decorates for years my bathroom.Is it the colors that fit? I don't know and never gave it a thought until now.
The blue blouse is mine a vintage piece from the 80's ,the fabric itself dates a decade back from the 70's.
My mother has kept it for years and she gave me this summer. I'm glad I found a way to incorporate it in my wardrobe so many years later.
Is there a piece of clothing that your mum has saved for you and years later you got it back? How did you feel about it? Did you find a way to mix it up with your current wardrobe?

What to do when you have no money to buy new clothes.

It's this time of the year again that we are bombarded to buy new clothes.But the last couple of years ,  the whole world in general  and my country in particular, go down financially and this year will be no different   for many of us.
For some others, there will be no shopping craziness because they have gone past the stage of accumulating things and they 'd rather enjoy what they already own.
Despite of all these women are far from perfect and want to renew their wardrobes quite often. It gets boring to wear the same clothes day in and day out. This is what I personally do to revamp my wardrobe without breaking the bank.

• I've learnt trough trial and error a few basic sewing skills so I can make very simple skirts and dresses. A couple of skirts and dresses are usually what I need to revamp my wardrobe.
• If I don't feel like going all the way I make a visit to my local shop with sewing supplies and I buy a few things to embelish what I already own. I change the buttons of my cardis , I add pearls...you name it.
• I raise hem lines and take in shirts to give a better fit. A well fitted garment usually gives the feeling of something new.
• I keep both summer and winter clothes in the same place and mix them up. In the same spirit I mix the work and play clothes to make new outfits.
• I raid my mother's wardrobe.
• I scarf or/and belt to give my outfits a new special vibe.
• I try new colour combinations. Usually we have a very specific set of colours we use. When I look a tfashion magazines I always notice how colours are combined. Then I try the same colors with my outfits.
• I tidy my wardrobe often and sometimes I put my clothes in order according to color.Other times according to the type of cloth(skirts with skirts,tops with tops...).In this way I always perceive what I have in new ways.
• I see if I can find clever ways to wear my clothes. I wear them in layers,I wear dresses as tops or as skirts, I use scarves as belts ,long skirts as dresses under cardis or blazers ...

• I use different accessories even if I wear the same clothes for some days in a row .This way I get a different vibe out of basically the same clothes.

So , you see I don't need to spend money all the time to buy clothes. The more creative I can be the less new things I need to buy.
Well, what do you do to revamp your wardrobe? Any new tricks that you like to share?

Flower power.

Halleluiah! I am so much more daring in my posing today!!! Sweet Joann from Sidewalk Chalk had a post a few days ago about posing but that's the most I could master. I really need some tips. Anyone?
Back to the outfit now. My skirt has a bit of pink so I think it qualifies for Mellissa's Blogging for breast cancer awareness.
I'm in the mood of making a few skirts with the vintage collection of fabric I got from my aunt. Be prepared.
I'm in creative mood and I love to remix the clothes I already have. Want to see some proof?

                                                                                       

Vintage fabric skirt.

It was a very productive weekend. I...produced this skirt. It'a amazing to take a flat piece of cloth and make a skirt out of it.
The cloth itself is vintage , from the seventies and my aunt gave me this summer. She used to be a professional seamstress and she was looking  for a home for her collection of fabric.
She had to look no further. Now I keep the family tradition and a  quite big collection of vintage fabric.
About this outfit, now. I saw it on the magazines that beige and grey are high at the moment. So, I gave it a try. What do you think?

It's Sunday today and the warm weather is still going strong.  I put together this outfit on the spot. I seem to have a talent to incorporate pink into my outfits.

Actually, this is a good way to explore/expand one's wardrobe . Just focus on one color and start from there to see where you can go.

I will thank Melissa at http://aworkingmomscloset.blogspot.com  for bringing awareness about breast cancer.

I am also totaly proud about my skirt I sew in the summer. I have a project to sew a couple more for the winter.

Take good rest and get ready for the week to come!!!

Dusty Pink

  It's my fourth attempt to use pink as a reminder to raise awareness about breast cancer. Please give it a try and check melissa's blog for more info.
Actually ,for the last few years, in October, I have scheduled my mamograph and all other examinations us women do.
It's a great opportunity to start this life saving habit this October. Pick up the phone and make that appointment.
I've made my outfit very explicit today and I hope you like my new additions.
Just belting these simple pair of trousers given to me by my mom, took the overall look to new heights. I also noticed that I do have a thing about pink and black.

Pink here ,pink there pink everywhere.

I think I suffer from the pink syndrom. What's that?  you may ask. I seem to notice pink a lot these days , I focus on the color  combinations to get some inspiration and because of this I see pink everywhere. And not only on little girls .
The skirt I'm wearing is actually a dress that can easily be transformed into a skirt if you put the right belt on the right place.
I hope you enjoy today's outfit. And please join at http://aworkingmomscloset.blogspot.com  for the breast awareness competition.

Pink -nic.

It was super easy to get dressed today for Melissa's noble cause ,to raise awareness about breast cancer.
I put on this pink turtleneck a trusting basic piece of mine together with my favorite skirt.
Then I only had to personalise my outfit with the help of accessories. Have a nice time everyone and please join in.

I wear pink for a reason!

When you need a reason to wear pink , it better be a good one.Today, I wear pink to raise awareness about breast cancer.The kind blogger Melissa had this excellent idea to wear pink for as many days as possible  to help women realise the importance to get examined at least once a year.Check out her beautiful and practical blog to find out more and join in. Now about the outfit...
I seem to have some pink stuff aquired recently to hone the black pink combination that is one of my favorites and I didn't have trouble to put together an outfit.
So there you go. I had to add the green necklace for an unexpected dash of colour.
What do you think of my first attempt?

Finally , I can belt !

This outfit was inspired by a fellow blogger Just my style whose style I admire.The white blouse under my cardigan is made by me this summer and this is my trusted denim skirt. Do you know that I own about 5 skirts and 3 of them are denim skirts? (I promise to myself to change the rates soon).
To give my outfit a more personal twist I did the belting thing .I swear belting never really worked for me until I bought this belt. It seems to be the right colour and width.
So dont despair ,just try to find the right width for your belts to work.
As for the scarf it expains itself as a pop of colors.

Purple rain

It has rained this weekend after a period of 5 months. It was a welcome rain and the song of Prince was stuck with me all day. Then I thought to myself why don't I put together a purple outfit!!!
I layered my dress with a cotton tshirt and a black cardigan(is this called double layer?) and I was pleased with the result. I think layering over or under dresses is my signature style for this fall.
It took me a while to think outside the box but when I did I maximized the combinations I could get out of the clothes I own.
And I have to thank all of you beautiful bloggers for being such an inspiration!!!

Official opening of layering season.

Remember I told you how much I love this dress? What I didn't tell you is how much I love posting!
In my part of the world today is the first chilly day of fall and for righteous style bloggers like myself  is the begining of layering season.
With no further waste of your time I present my attemps to style this dress in layers and I give you some first hand advice.
Layer dresses over shirts ,over T shirts and under cardis,skirts or blazers. Or both over t shirts and under skirts simultaneously!!! Got comfused? Look at pic.No 3.

Vintage vs. Reality.

I wore this dress today to go to the super market like my mother did when she wore the exact same dress 30 years ago. I clearly remember her wearing this dress and I longed to have it for myself and wear it.
It was too big for me then but fits nicely now.
It was easy to style it,too,the way dresses are. I wore a turtleneck and I belted it then added my favourite bracelet ,a ring and my boots.
Do you wear family vintage garments and what kind of memories do they evoke?
Have a nice weekend ,everyone.

This blog will go on

You will probably wonder why I chose a title like this. The reason is that 2 days ago ,during busy day time, my house was broken in and my laptop ,video camera and digital camera along with  a few other things were stolen.
Police came , finger prints were taken , and the feeling that our little world was invaded was still there.
But a few hours ago, I decided that life has to go on. There was a lesson there to be learned and this was to make the house safer but whatever happened was 2 days ago and now is now.
So I took out the one digital camera that was left to us and put on the outfit I had to work in the morning and took me some photos.
The dress I'm wearing I sew myself and cost me 6euro for the cloth. I had planned to fall-ify it by wearing a cardi and boots and today was the perfect day for it.
What do you think of the result?

I had so much fun wearing this dress(yes,it's a dress) today at work.The cotton is soft ,the dress moves nicely when I walk,the length is right and the dress is so light.
My reason No9 for wearing skirts or trousers is that they move , flow to the movement of the body and they are so expressive...
The blazer I got for very very little money (1euro)at a local market).I'm new to blazerworld and I think it's an acquired taste.
I mean you must have your basics sort out first and then start experimenting with blazers,right?
Is blazerworld a dangerous place to be and is there a sound piece of advice to navigate me through it?

Office look

Shirt Mango, Skirt swapped, Boots old very old.

I had this outfit in my mind for a long time and I knew I had to do the boots thing. So I waited until this morning. It was a bit cooler and I took the pictures but alas as the day progressed It got hot so I had to do them out to go to work.
I stayed true to my wearing no trousers for as long as I can and here is two more reasons Why I prefer skirts or dresses.
6.They force you-manner of speaking-to sit in an elegant lady like way for obvious reasons.

7.You can do tights in all colors.
For what more reasons do you prefer  skirts or dresses?

Why I hate wearing trousers

In my 20s I had a great figure. Not that I knew, unfortunately. I thought I was sort of heavy when I only had curves . Right now , in my early 40s after 3 pregnancies and a semi successful attempt to quit smoking I know I have some extra kilos.
The real difference now is that I know how I look and I feel good most of the days about my weight and  my looks.
But  it wasn 't until recently that I realised how good skirts and dresses are on female bodies.
I'm a slow learner and I'm the first to admit but it took me 40 years to realize I look best on skirts and dresses. And all this time it was under my nose.
So I will give you 5 reasons why I love skirts and dresses and I count on you to fill in the rest 95. Let's see if we can make it to 100 soon.
1.I feel light and free from the waist down.The burdens of every day life are already enough.
2.Dresses and skirts are quite musical .They sound good.
3.My legs look their best.
4.My thighs are covered with elegance.Dresses and skirts are so forgiving.
5.When it gets really hot you have your own air conditioning system litterally under your belt.
What is your favorite reason of wearing dresses and skirts?

I love how the simplicity of this outfit makes the acessories pop up. I've worn the ring many times before but never was I commented on it. Today I got 3 comments for the ring and one for my necklace. So keep it simple and you will be noticed.Try this at home.It works!!! have a nice weekend!!!