Shoulder pad fashions

Shoulder pads are one of those little things in fashion that continue to devide peoples opinions. Some cannot stand them and some do. I´m one of those who love them. A lot of the clothes I buy from secondhand stores have shoulder pads. I usually cut them out but I have saved them all since I think they have exellent trashion potential.

Last month I blogged a lot about hats, millinery and fascinators. I cannot do any proper millinery myself, but I started to think about using my collection of shoulder pads (cut out of secondhand 80´s clothes) as fascinator-bases a few months ago.. Jennine from The Coveted blog has done just this. She has made some rad looking hats from shoulder pads. Red hot trashion! It´s funny how some people think about the same thing at the same time. I suppose it´s how trends are born. I´m hoping she will make a few for sale in The Coveted Shoppe in Etsy.

I have planned to make a Martin Margiela styled dress with the entire bodice or dress covered with shoulder pads. The other design would be a Grace Jones inspired mega-shoulder-pieces with at least 20 pads per side. You know the kind that would make a american football player in full gear look small.. Both of these projects would be a nightmare to those still refusing to think shoulder pads are anything more then a horrible fashion mistake from the 80´s. But not me. Maybe Roisin Murphy could appreciate them!




Images via The Coveted blog.

Trashion fascinators and flapper hats from neckties

I´ve been obsessed lately about fascinators and flapper hats. You know, those artistic looking brooch-type-fabric-thingies girls wear on their heads to parties. Apparently it is a trendry thing to rave about since StyleBubble is writing about this as well. Thelma Design has inspired me to start doing my own.




I´ve had a huge box full of neckties just waiting for a project like this so here I go! Here´s a few pictures of the first tie-fascinator versions I sewed yesteday. See my Tie-feather tutorial to see what I have done to the ties before rolling and handsewing them together.

Not so BoringSidney

Meet Belle, the fab milliner from Etsy known as BoringSidney. She makes hats with that have that special wow-effect. With a BA in Apparel Design and a Minor in Costume Design, Belle has had the opportunity to design costumes for some 25 plays or musicals over the last 18 years, several ballets, independent film, and a magic show. It was in the theatre that she learned the art of millinery. With a love for the bizarre and quirky, a solid sense of humor, and a driving need to create, that she started Boring Sidney/Belle Millinery label 9 years ago.

Hats millinery; hand blocking, creating hat blocks, steaming and building buckram frames is almost a lost art, having apprenticed under a master milliner in the theatre she learned old world millinery techniques and acquire vintage hat blocks, trims, and fabrics. Her shop carries 20´s art deco, 40´s pin-up styled hats, headwraps and feather decorated pieces with haircomb fastenings that will transform any dress to movie star status.



I´m so happy Etsy finally featured her on their Featured Seller column since she is one of my favorite Etsy-crafters. Read the full interview HERE. You can find Belle´s shop from BoringSidney.etsy.com. Her designs were featured also in the Spring 2008 issue of Elle Accessories Magazine. Congrats girl!


I love the shape of this pink hat so much that I´m going to tr to do this from neckties.

Etsy favorites - February

Since it´s a new year, I´ve decided to start a new "column" in my blog - This months Etsy favorites. The name says it all, I will present you with some of m favorite Etsy shops and items. Support sustainability - buy handmade.

Painted shoes made by ndeurshoes



Groovy LP-cover journals made by Alyssa aka MockTheRock



Music inspired crafts ad jewellry from Wonderful



Reconstructed skirts by tskirts.



Hats couture by BoringSidney



After seeing these... who wants to go to H&M and Gap anymore....?