Wardrobe Rehab - a word on Skirts

Some of you will be familiar with the Wardrobe Rehab Series I did a while ago.  In this series I culled all my clothes down to a small number of functional, high quality and essential pieces using 6 steps - Culling, Defining Your Style, Wardrobe Essentials, Organising Your Wardrobe, Colours and Focusing Your Shopping. Doing the project gave me ample opportunity to think about the things I really needed in my wardrobe - and I came to the conclusion that there was a dire need for some knee length/above the knee skirts. I recently acquired these three and they're literally the the backbone of my wardrobe. I wear them with breton tops, collared shirts, belted with singlets, with jackets and about a million other ways. And because they're knee length (or a little bit above), I can wear them to work and they also transition well with a pair of heels into evening drinks. Once you have staples like these in your closet getting dressed in the morning isn't nearly such a chore.What essential items do you need in your closet?

Thrifted and shortened navy skirt, thrifted black pleated skirt, thrifted and shortened camel skirt.

DIY Chiffon Bodycon Dress

As you know I am obsessed with wrapping and layering of fabrics for instant DIY dresses and skirts. This is another take on the layering of silks and chiffons. I love it!

Image: Vogue China

DIY Rug Mini Skirt

As promised here are a few outfit pics of me in the rug mini skirt I posted about here. How did I make it? I simply took two rugs, traced out the shape of a bodycon mini skirt I own onto them, sewed them together following the pattern, cut off the excess fabric and then turned the skirt inside out. The fabric has so much stretch I didn't even bother with a zip like I did for the mini dress. And it's so comfortable to wear! I was wearing it a few days ago and an old Chinese man stopped me in the street to explain to me in his broken English that he these rugs at home that he wipes his feed on. Haha indeed. Also, not sure if you've noticed but I have added a drop down bar to the side menu for you to search my archives for DIYs. When you have an idea or a material you can check out all the posts I have done in the past to get some inspiration - I sometimes use it myself!

DIY Multi Colour Bodycon Skirt

I'm back from an amazing trip to Malaysia. Before I went I made this multicoloured bodycon skirt which I am sooo in love with. I can't wait to share the tutorial with you this week. Hope you had a nice weekend!

black lace up shoes from dodgy alleyway store, DIY bodycon skirt, ebay cat eye sunglasses, thrifted white tee, studded pouch bag.

DIY Wrapped Jersey Skirt

Oldie.But.Goodie from AfterDRK. Check out the video tutorial here.

Ps. just completed a DIY that is surely going to become a favourite. Can't wait to show you!

DIY Fruit Tingle

Do you like this skirt I bought at my favourite thrift store this weekend? I love how thrifting allows me to get amongst a major trend without having to stump up huge sums for the likes of Prada or Stella Mccartney. Add a little bit of DIY into the mix - in the form of shortening the skirt into a high waisted mini and making a 50's style bikini top out of the left over fabric - and voila! As much novelty fruit trend as one girl can manage. Stay tuned for the finished product. (Shop my closet here).

DIY Full Mini Skirt

Remember when I posted about having moved on from midi skirts because I feel like such a man repeller when I wear them? Well, I converted a number of my favourites to mini(ish) skirts - this is one of them. Infinitely wearable now, for both work and play. Whistles eat your heart out. Whats not to love?

wearing: vintage DIY skirt, thrifted belt, country road singlet, zara wedges.

Blogger DIYs

So I've been so busy making dresses and earrings and working on a few other little projects that I haven't had the time to post some of my favourite DIYs from other creative bloggers. Shame on me! I'm drawn to DIYs like a moth to a flame, so here are some of my favourites.
This gorgeous T strap bra by Ivania of Love Aesthetics is amazing and soo simple! Ivania also made a great wrap skirt using a grey marl long sleeved sweatshirt.

DIYs jewellery using fluro/nautical rope are very popular at the moment - with good reason! This one by Andy of Style Scrapbook is amazing. Being a rock climbing enthusiast it the clasp particularly appeals to me. Check it out here.

Another perfectly executed DIY by A Matter of Style - why buy (from Zara) when you can DIY should be my new motto.

Another great DIY clutch from the adorable MJ of Dreaming Spires and Old Car Tyres - made using a thrifted leather skirt. Perfect!

How amazing is this beaded collar from the lovely Alexandra of She is Red?

DIY Sheer Skirt

I adore this skirt from Chloe SS11 ready to wear (in fact I love the whole ballet inspired collection) and I think it would be so easy to make with some sheer net and a ribbon waistband. And don't you think the net sleeves of the shirt are really cool? Also very DIYable.

Image: Style.com

DIY AW11 Balmain Inspired Mini

So it goes without saying that I was incredibly inspired throughout the fashion weeks to DIY just about everything I saw on the Runway. So, in collaboration with the Jenni from I Spy DIY and Erica and Lauren from Honestly...Wtf, we set about recreating our favourite AW11 looks. I completely fell in love with the shimmering horizontally textured fabrics in the Balmain AW11 collection. Who didn't? What I wouldn't do to own one of those dresses or statement jackets! Knowing that's completely out of the realms of possibility, as part of the 3 Designers 3 DIYs challenge I decided to make my own textured skirt using lace, ribbons, twisted fabric, beads and sequins.

These skirts below were my inspiration from the Balmain Show AW11, as you can see mine turned out a bit a little bit more subtle than the Balmain version.

The skirt was incredibly easy to make. This is how you do it:
You need: a black mini skirt (I bought a long skirt from a thrift shop and cut it off and sewed a hem), black lace, beads, ribbons, strips of black chiffon fabric, square sequins and anything else you want! The more random the better!
1. Sew or glue (I used a combination of both) the different ribbons etc onto the front of the skirt - keeping in horizontally parallel lines.
2. Sew twisted black chiffon fabric onto the front.
3. Randomly sew the sequins on the front - I put mine in the middle of the twisted fabric.
4. Do this to the back of the skirt, following the pattern on the front. Easy!
I actually did all the beading on the train on the way up and back from Shenzen, looked a bit odd I am sure but it worked out well.

DIY Full Mini Skirt

I came to a realisation this week about skirt lengths. And that is that I am of the full mini skirt persuasion and not the midi skirt persuasion. I love seeing other people in midi skirts but when I wear them myself I just feel so frumpy. Not sure why. Sooo as a result I have decided to sell most of my midi skirts, and make full mini skirts like the ones below out of the full circle midi skirts I own. My new sewing machine is coming in damn handy! I know some of you will be horrified by the idea of shortening a midi skirt, but I promise they'll get much more wear when they're short. Have a look at the last pic of one of the skirts that is going to get the shortening treatment - I'm thinking just above the knees? I also have a navy one, a black one and a checked one that are going to go short. Yay!

Wearing: thrifted camel skirt, mango booties, country road singlet.

Images: Vanessa Jackman, Color me Nana

DIY Pearl Collar Top (Vol 2)

I made another little pearl collar top recently with a single row of pearls using a red silk tee I bought In a thrift shop, I hand stitched it this time instead of gluing. Worked out rather well! Ps. like the polka dot skirt? You can buy it out of my closet here.

Wearing: DIY red pearl collar top, vintage polka dot pleated midi skirt, zara wedges.

DIY Black Tie Maxi Dress

So for a little while there I went off the maxi silhouette, I felt like you couldn't go anywhere without being one of 10 women in a 5m radius rocking a printed maxi dress - going to the Cartier Polo last year was one of those moments. But this new breed of maxi style - gorgeous floaty fabric skirts and dresses, has me addicted all over again. And not least because they are so easy to make - the biggest thing is finding amazing silks, which isn't too difficult in Hong Kong. I have been invited to a black tie wedding in a months time, I am going to make something very similar to this to wear. Very excited to show you the finished product.

Image: Fashion Gone Rogue

DIY Red Straw Peplum

This Vogue Australia editorial got me dreaming about foreign travel with an unlimited luggage allowance. I spied this gorgeous peplum and thought it was a cute addition to an outfit. Peplems have been everywhere recently - Jil Sander SS11, Marc Jacobs AW11 and Preen Aw11 to mention just a few.

Image: Honestly... Wtf

Mello Yellow

You guys saw this skirt a few days ago in an outfit layout. Here's a bit more of a peek...

Summer Yellow Skirt

Too busy out in the sun this weekend to do an outfit post, but this is what you'll find me wearing. How amazing is this yellow skirt? Found it in my favourite thrift store, I think it originally came from a ballroom dancer's costume. The yellow colour is amazing.

Outfit: thrifted yellow flouncey skirt, thrifted tee, zara handbag, mango boots, white plastic watch, ebay cat eye sunnies.

DIY Leather Twine Paperbag Waisted Skirt

Take an oversized skirt, cut slits for the waistband, thread with leather twine.

Skirt from Nicole Farhi

DIY on the Runway - Peplum Skirts

Like every good blogger around this time of year I've been busy trawling Style.com for the best runway shows, and for me its all about the DIY. I love the shows and the designs but what I really want to know if 'how the ef can I do this myself??!" Anyways, expletives aside, spotted these gorgeous peplum skirts in the Marc Jacobs and Preen NYFW shows and was immediately inspired to DIY. I am in the middle of making one as we speak so you'll see it shortly. How would you make yours?

Images: Style.com

DIY on the Runway - Jason Wu AW11

Yay! Fashion week has arrived along with all the amazing DIY inspiration. Whats not to love about this Jason Wu show? Have been inspired on so many levels to DIY - thought I would share a few of my ideas with you!

These gorgeous bow ties are amazing - take some black ribbon and tie a bow around the neck of a collared blouse. Use velvet ribbon for an extra luxe feel.

Love the lace applique - take some lace fabric and cut out some individual pieces - glue or stitch onto dresses, tops and skirts.

Glue some scalloped lace onto sleeves of a blazer or sweater.

These silk bubble skirts are to die for! Make one using my DIY tutorial here that I did for a maxi skirt, cutting off into a mid length skirt.

DIY Deconstructed Camel and Marl Shirt

I adore this look. Cut the sleeves off a sand coloured business shirt (this one might be leather but thats a bit hard to DIY), replace with grey marl sleeves from a tee or sweater. Pair with a full black skirt - I have a gorgeous wool one from Rome that I adore that would go perfectly with this look. Oh, by the way, if you get sick of your full Betty Draper style midi skirts, cute them into mini skirts like this.

Image: Zimmerman via Harper and Harley

By the way, I have soooo much DIY inspiration stored up, but I hate to bombard you with posts, do you think less is more?