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Vogue 100: A Century of Style

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This Monday I personally got my peepers on the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, goodness, so much beauty for my eyes to behold. Celebrating the 100th birthday of British Vogue, this is somewhat of an epic exhibition, I mean, maaan, where do you start when trying to curate an exhibition showing the highlights of 100 years worth of fashion and photography from the worlds most prestigious fashion bible? A magazine which has launched and defined the careers of so many models, designers and photographers. A hard task, the selection and editing must have been pretty intense. But this, is a stunning exhibition. Beautifully, simply and elegantly executed, with no gimmicks and no unnecessary pomp. It’s a big exhibition, I mean, it kinda had to be to do justice to the subject, but it doesn’t drag and it’s spaced to perfection so you can take in each image on it’s own whilst also enjoying the continuity and splendor of the exhibition as a whole; perfection. It gets busy and if it had been any busier we would have felt cramped but, it had a lovely atmosphere, all ages sharing the space together for an hour or two to soak up some mesmerizing talent and beauty. It is a little pricey, it costs £19 for a regular ticket which is definitely a little more than most exhibitions in the city, but is it worth it? Yes, I’d say it is, but only just. A few pounds cheaper would seem a better price. Shown in a reverse chronological order, we see the best images from the magazine now, and go all the way back, through the decade dedicated rooms, to it’s launch in 1916. My favourite section? It has to be the 1990’s room where we saw the start of Kate Moss’s career, the photography of Corinne Day and the familiar faces of Princess Diana and Posh and Becks in their heyday. My era. Loved it. Get yourself there before it ends on 22nd May and let me know your favourite era of this massive magazine.

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How To Find Artistic Inspiration At Any Time

I really appreciate other people’s artwork. I know how important it is to study the success of others if you want to find your own, and success doesn’t have to mean becoming rich and famous, y’know! It can just be looking at something you’ve made any being super proud. Sometimes it can be hard to find inspiration, especially when your mind is busy with too many other things. But here’s how I find inspiration when I’m struggling….

Get Outside – It’s difficult to be creative if you’re shut in your bedroom or lounging about at home. Sometimes you can find inspiration online, but other times you need to leave the house. Going out can help to refresh your mind and open you up to new ideas. You can go to a museum, gallery or library to find something to inspire you, I do this as often as possible and write heaps of blog posts about exhibitions that inspire me. It’s great sitting in front of a painting, photograph, artifact or sculpture with a notebook or drawing pad and doing whatever comes to mind. But you don’t have to go anywhere in particular. You could just walk around and see what you find that inspires you, it really is ALL around you!

Go Shopping for Some Art – I think it’s important to surround yourself with art if you want to feel inspired more often. It doesn’t have to cost much to buy something to put on your wall or a book or poetry to read. And if you don’t have much money at all, it’s always possible to find things for free. Your can order things online using stores like Cordair Art, or you could go out and find somewhere that sells things you love. Art can be many different things too. It could be a handmade item you pick up at a market stall. The important thing is that someone has put their creativity into it, and it inspires you to do the same.

 

Use Other Media – You don’t have to stick to the medium you work with when you’re looking for inspiration. If you want to draw or paint, reading a book could help to inspire you. Watching a TV show or movie might get you thinking about something you want to do. Listening to music could help you visualize a new concept or give you some inspirational words, music is a massive inspiration for me. So, don’t limit yourself to only using one medium for inspiration, keep trying new ideas, it makes for so much more fun!

Look at Your Own Work – Sometimes we start things and then put them down and never look at them again. Or we finish a piece but then put it in the back of a drawer, so easily done! Going back to your finished and unfinished pieces is an ace way to be creative. You might pick up something you’ve started again, or it might inspire you to begin a new project…. so many creative adventures to have!

I get it, finding inspiration can be hard, but you really have to consciously look for it, be reday and willing to be inspired and it will come to you, just wait and see!

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Pretty, Pretty Pictures

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So, we ALL love Instagram right? Surely? I totes adore it! So much more pretty than all the other social media streams, and it feels more instant and more satisfying than all the others; no pesky links to click on to reach an article, no faff, just simply things to look at! And you get a real sense of a person from seeing what their eyes see, what they choose to share with you. I have my own Instagram, which I use for this blog; showing my home life, days out, cats and all the little things that make my eyes happy, and now, I FINALLY set one up for my online shop Prim! Oooof! Really don’t know what took me so darn long! It’s the perfect place for you to see regular and easy updates on newly added vintage stock, close-up details of special items, and, some plainly gratuitous inspiration in the form of my favorite vintage dress wearers, my famous muses looking brilliant in vintage dresses…. I mean, it’s just gonna be a plethora, a delight of vintage dresses! Please do join me there and I’ll follow you back! Let’s share pretty pictures!

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My Tips For Using Accessories To Be On Trend

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Recently I wrote a post about how expensive Christmas can be and how it can leave you with such teeny amounts of money to spend on yourself. (If your bank account is close to zero, I’m in the same club….*SAD FACE*) The main problem with this is that going into the new year; the chances are that you want to dress to impress and look fashionable. Whether it’s for a party, seeing family or shopping the sales, truth is, we all want to stay looking pretty darn stylish. And, when money is tight, that always seems pretty bloomin’ impossible! The good news though is that with a little creativity and some carefully selected accessories, you can easily look totally great. It’s just a case of learning how to use accessories to stay fashionable. Ask any fashion expert what the key to success is when it comes to dressing stylishly, and they’ll always say accessories! The question is how can you use accessories to add style to your look? I’ve picked up a few tips over the years that have given me an incredible insight into using accessories to add style, and I want to share them with YOU!…

Invest in your shoes. Studies have shown that one of the first things people notice about you is your shoes. So when it comes to being fashionable, stylish shoes are just a must. Teaming any outfit – chic or not, with bad shoes, will take the entire ensemble down. If you want to look cool, you need to get your shoes spot on. Ideally, you need at least five pairs – ankle boots in two colours, flats in a neutral shade, trainers – Converse are totally my favourites and a pair of heels! Treat yourself to jewellery. It’s amazing how a couple of well thought out pieces of jewellery can make a massive difference to your look. The great thing about jewellery is that you don’t have to stress about buying expensive pieces because high street jewellery can be ace for adding style. From bracelets and earrings to belly bars and necklaces, there is so much to choose from. You can never have too many scarves. If you only have a couple of scarves, now is the time to invest in a few more, more, more! When it comes to quickly adding style and colour to a neutral outfit, a scarf is the perfect accessory. From checked designs to printed ones, there are hundreds of scarves to choose from. Aim to have a selection in a range of colours and designs, so that you have one to go with every look. (I recommend having a couple of neutral designs for teaming with brighter looks too!)

So, you really don’t have to treat yourself to a new wardrobe to dress stylishly, all you need are a few well-chosen accessories, and ta-dah! Take your time shopping around to find the perfect bits – as well as shopping at your local mall, shop online, local independent stores and charity shops!

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Planning The Perfect Vintage Wedding

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Vintage is always gonna be a big favorite theme for a wedding because it offers just soooo many possibilities. With plenty of decades to choose from, you can add that vintage and retro feel to every aspect of your big fancy day. With so many suppliers out there, it’s easier than ever to create the vintage wedding of your dreams. Some super good ideas to get that perfect look?….

Looking back – Deciding which decade you want to inspire your big day is an important first step. Maybe there’s a period of time that you’ve always been inspired by or forever adored. Look at movies and fashion from that time period to help get your ideas a go-go! Or, look at your grandparents wedding photographs, I adore the idea of using that as true inspiration. You may decide to recreate the look they had on their big day, which adds even more, sentiment to the occasion, gorgeous! Each decade will have a very particular look and feel so always go for the one that attracts you instantly. Popular time periods many brides choose are 1920’s or 1950’s as they are so distinctive.

How vintage do you want to go? – Consider how profoundly you want to include your vintage theme. It’s totally a personal thang, and there’s no right or wrong way of incorporating it. You may wanna have a more modern day with a few select vintage decor pieces, or maybe you want it to spread across every aspect of the event. Look at how other couples have included vintage time periods into their wedding for some ace inspiration.

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Invitations – This is the very first glimpse your guests will get as to what you have in store for the day. So, they need to look pretty special. Vintage wedding invites come in such a huge array of sizes, colours and designs to choose from. Do lots of research into old-fashioned lettering and images or, use old tickets or postcards for inspiration. Whichever design you go for, the vintage theme can continue throughout your wedding stationery. So choose something that you love and won’t get bored of. 

The Dress – Vintage wedding dresses can often be difficult to find in a spotless condition and in your size. Thankfully the internet is full of boutiques and online suppliers of both vintage and reproduction dresses. Think about the fashion of the period you have chosen as this will help you decide on an suitable length and style, the dress is totaaly A BIG DEAL for your day! For instance, 1920’s dresses were heavily beaded, shorter and loosely fitted. Whereas a beautiful 1950’s dress can be more feminine and frothy….so many contrasting options to look gorgeous in!

Decorative touches – Create a vintage mood by using appropriate decor at your venue. Old suitcases, books and chandeliers are beautiful touches, as are old lace tablecloths and  china teapots. Keep checking in on charity shops and online for unique pieces that will transport your guests back into another time, these little elements make it become perfect.

That’s just a few teeny tips to get you started on your day of magic and LOVE! Research is the start and it’s so much fun, and it makes the day feel authentic so do plenty of it! Also, get creative and don’t be afraid of mixing the old with the new to really give the day your own personality! Hurrah for love! 

 

 

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