an elegant vision

It seems like all things Danish are inspiring me this week… didn’t you just love the ‘small is beautiful’ apartment in Copenhagen which I posted about yesterday? You don’t need tons of space to have an amazing home!

So for Fashion Friday today, it’s still all about Denmark. One of my favourites, Danish photographer Signe Vilstrup, shot these beautiful vintage-style portraits for the January issue of Elle Denmark. I’m mad about the art deco inspirations and graphic prints, and don’t even get me started on the soft twenties-styled hair and lips. I was certainly born in the wrong era!

So have a fabulous Friday and pop back tomorrow for another cool Nordic interior!

images via fashiongonerogue

Aww..//Maud

Thrifting 101: What I Thrift For

Allow me, for a moment, to share what I did last week.

On Monday I went thrifting. On Tuesday I went thrifting. On Wednesday and Thursday and Friday I went thrifting. Thrifting is magic, I think. There's something about the thrill of the hunt, buying things I wouldn't normally be able to afford, and coming home with a bag filled with vintage treasures for less than $20. I love perusing the racks, sifting and digging and excavating. And then, in the middle of polyester blazers and pleated pants and oversize sweaters, it happens. A gem is found.

Though my thrifting goals change with the seasons, there are some designers and items that remain perennial favorites. These are things I look for every single time I hit a thrift store.

Sequins

I am not a glamorous eighties soap star. Nor am I a socialite in need of evening wear for charity events hosted for obscure diseases such as amoebic dysentery. Nope, I'm a normal stay-at-home mom with an addiction to Shipping Wars and shameful habit of feeding my kids frozen chicken nuggets. And yet, somehow, I'm drawn to sequined clothing. I squeal when I come across a beaded top or sparkling blouse in a thrift store. They look so pretty hanging in my closet, and elevate an ordinary pair of jeans into something special and unique.

Victor Costa

We all have our favorite designers. Some might lust for Chanel, while others are perfectly happy with Zara or the Gap. As for me? I prefer a scandalous 1970's and 80's designer who blatantly ripped off couture collections and created 1950's silhouettes in evening gowns and formal wear. I love Victor Costa so much that I devoted an entire post in my Thrifting 101 series to him. Victor Costa's clothes are highly collectable, but I have had great luck finding pieces in the Goodwill, Salvation Army, and antique malls.

The Unique and Unusual

This is a 1980's blue denim acid wash cocoon jacket with intricate beading made on an Indian reservation. It is, quite possibly, the ugliest and the most fascinating thing in my closet. I might never wear it...but I'm glad I thrifted it. This sartorial mistake is a piece of fashion history, representing a decade of gaudy excess. I've never seen anything like it, and I might not again.

Classic Coach

There is absolutely no reason to plunk down $200 or more on a reissued classic Coach bag when there are plenty to be found at thrift stores. While it's more unusual to score one at a Goodwill or Salvation Army than a charity shop, it does happen. I found this beauty a week ago at a Goodwill, and it's as good as new.

(If you don't have the patience to thrift for Coach, no worries - I'm running a giveaway for a Coach Willis satchel! Enter here to win. Giveaway ends tomorrow!)

What are some things you always look for when you go thrifting? Do you have any favorite designers, silhouettes, or accessories that you're drawn to?

MSGM AW 2012/13 .....

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                                                                                                photos via vogue.fr

If you follow theblondesalad.com then you probably heard about MSGM brand. Their first collection was for SS 2010, and from that point they have become really special brand. Designer of MSGM Massimo Giorgetti has a strong passion about indie music and contemporary art and he is showing that through their collections. His skills for mix and match are almost magical!
After i saw this new collection for AW 2012/13, i was more than thrilled and i needed to share it with you so i immediately made this "collages" from their lookbook. Floral and geometrical patterns mixed with girly cuts which are spiced up with some neon details. Gloves made half from leather and half from floral fabric, how genius is that? I will admit, im totally in love with this collection! Do you like it?

small is beautiful

I’m totally blown away by Mette Helena’s one bedroom apartment in the heart of Copenhagen. This Danish mum is an art student, an interior stylist, and a vintage wallpaper shop owner who shares this delightfully feminine space with her daughter. It’s unique and so chic!

Mette Helena remarks, I have lots of furniture from markets but I also have lots of IKEA and the odd designer piece too. I think it looks best all mixed up. I agree!

 

This petit apartment is only 50m² and a perfect example of how cleverly a pretty and pattern-filled home can be created from such a small space. It’s clear that Mette Helena thinks out of the box because she says that challenges fire her imagination and she’s found creative ways to make their lack of space work.

Even their dog has it’s own spot…

images via ikeafamilylive

{Almost daily outfit of the day} RIP winter 2.1.12

Forever 21 denim jacket; Target long-sleeved tee; thrifted vintage Kenar skirt; Spanx tights; 6x6 by Urban Outfitters ankle boots; Charming Charlie and Forever 21 bracelets

I feel like everyone I know is talking about spring.

Some people dream of it. Other's dread spring's side effects (rain, allergies.) And then there are those who are positively bereft that this winter's tepid march continues for another two months. On Pinterest, users are pinning things like floral sheer blouses and pastel sweater sets and bouquets of tulips and misty photos of woods shrouded in spring fog. On Twitter, bloggers are trading links to J Crew's spring collection. And everyone - and I do mean everyone - is discussing the lack of snow and bitter temperatures and desire for short sleeves and tightless legs.

If you're a living, breathing human who has been affected by winter's gloom at some point in your life, praying for spring makes sense. I too have found myself desperately wishing for warm weather, for buds on trees and daffodils swaying cheerfully in the soft spring breeze. But when spring does come, I find myself missing my warm cocoon of winter clothes. I miss my tights, and suede skirts, and tall boots, and cuddly blanket of wool sweaters.

This outfit might be my last hurah to winter - temperatures have been in the seventies here in Dallas. So I'm going to enjoy it.

the February issue

Another February begins again, and it never ceases to amaze how rapidly the months fly past, gathering an unstoppable and furious momentum as the calendar races towards December. However this February we gain an extra day, since 2012 is a leap year.  

For my guest post over at Freeworld Design Centre today, I was inspired by the new Vogue cover for February 2012. I thought I’d share some of the previous issues from that month, dating all the way back to 1917. You may notice that the covers have changed and evolved somewhat...gained a sophistication and an editorial polish, but who can resist the art deco charm of those original hand painted covers and the ladylike elegance of the covers from the fifties?

so click over to see the full post…