I'm in need of help! I bought these utterly delightful yellow sandals by Shellys from Asos (link to the shoes!) and I adore them. They're going to be an absolute staple this spring/summer. Only question is - I don't know what to wear them with! I really don't know what to wear with yellow and every time I think of something, I can come up with a reason that says 'nope. No chance. Not going to wear that'. Green is out or I'll look like a daffodil. Black is out because I don't want to look like a bee. White is out because I can't wear white, at least not on my bottom half (which is the half that matters, really!). I'm a warm skin toned pale lady with red hair (currently dyed brown but going back to ginger soon) and blue eyes which makes my palette limited as it is.

What would YOU wear with these shoes?

With Valentine's day right around the corner, I thought I'd write up a post featuring the colour red. Red - specifically bright, vibrant, pillar box red, was traditionally a little bit daring as a colour, especially if you wore it head to toe - it's not until the late 19th century that red evening dresses are ever really seen. Red really came into its own in the mid twentieth century - perhaps helped along by Technicolor cinema and the need for movie costumes to be as vivid as possible to stand out on the screen. Red is a colour that screams 'look at me!' perhaps in a way that no other colour does.

Here are a few glamorous examples of red making a statement.

For months I've been trying to blog, desperately hoping to find something to blog about, but the fact is that I can't be the kind of vintage blogger I want to be, that I admire and follow and get inspired by. My illness holds me back at all turns and in so many ways and I just thought I'd explain why - and how I can make this blog something different - not what I imagined for it but something unique that fits me and my lifestyle.


Cost

Wearing vintage on a daily basis, even reproduction vintage, is a cost business. It's something you need to spend a lot of money on to get right. And, being ill all the time and consequently not being able to work, money just isn't something I have a lot of. The vast vast majority of my wardrobe comes from the high street. Half of the time I buy things from necessity - I need something to wear because my old things are falling to pieces - not from choice. Last year I bought four garments beyond basic t-shirts, one of which doesn't fit at all and one of which I've never worn because it's an evening gown and why oh why did I buy an evening gown? The only others are a black jersey dress which looks rubbish within minutes because it's cheap fabrics and picks up every speck of dust and the other is a sweater I bought in the Dorothy Perkins sale because it looked a bit 50s.

Because of being ill, I spend a lot of time (the vast majority of it in fact) in the house which means that any spare money I have goes towards things that will keep me occupied without causing me to expend much energy. That means things like books, the odd DVD, art equipment. I bought myself a graphics tablet recently as well so I could draw in bed without getting paint everywhere! Clothing just isn't a priority when you're lucky to leave the house once a week and, even then, it's only to go see a doctor or to buy groceries.


Energy

As touched on before, I have ridiculously low energy levels. I probably sleep for sixteen hours a day and most of the rest of them are spent in bed because I am just so tired. I'm also in pain a lot of the time. It's not really conducive to getting dressed up! Things as simple as doing my hair or buttoning a blouse up are really tricky when I do get dressed. I buy my clothes for comfort as opposed to style. Hand washing clothes or worse, taking them to the dry cleaners, is not an option so I need things I can throw in the wash quickly and then stick in the tumble dryer.

I don't have the energy to trawl around charity shops and boot sales so I can't find bargains. Likewise, although I love to sew, I just cannot do it - or at least if I do, it takes me a long long time. Last year I made a grand total of three items - all skirts. In other words, acquiring clothes, however I do it, has to be as simple and straightforward as possible for me.


Solutions

I have become something of an eagle eyed spotter of anything vintage looking. Because of having so much time at home, I do a lot of research on vintage fashions etc. My book collection on the subject is pretty impressive! So whilst the places I do shop - places like ASOS - may not be known for their vintage stylings, when they do have one item which is vintage inspired (even if it's not intentional), I can pick it out instantly. I mostly buy separates because then I have a great deal more variety in my wardrobe. Because vintage costume jewellery is relatively cheap (I steer clear of real bakelite, of course!), I buy a few items of it and make a plain outfit more cheerful and more, for want of a better word, vintage. For me, vintage has become about knowing how to style items that aren't necessarily vintage. I'm sure the purists would have a heart attack but it's the only way I can do it!


What does this mean for blogging? 

I can't do OOTDs because, quite simply, I don't get dressed every day. I can't show off my vintage finds because they are so very rare. I'm not going to be able to post my latest sewing creations because they are so few and far between that I'd be posting three times a year only! However, there are things I can do. I can post about my favourite designers, favourite trends, my inspiration etc. I have become ace at spotting modern items with a vintage feel so I'm sure I can gather those together as well. And I can post a little about my life with my illness and show off my outfits when I DO have the energy to put together a great look!

So now I can type away to my heart's content, even if I AM feeling tired ;)

I'm really excited! I'm taking part in a contest to appear in a calendar by the wonderful Vintage Beauty Parlour and I would love it if you wonderful people could possibly click on the photograph which will lead you to Facebook where you can click 'like' to vote for me. I definitely encourage you to check out the other lovely ladies as well - you can vote for as many as you like! Thanks to you all!