American Indian

I may not be the best Wednesday Adams due to my natural tan, but people have mistaken me for being of Native American ancestry which I believe to be just a little bit cooler. What could be better than being adopted into such a wild and fascinating culture? There's feathered headdresses, suede with fringing and tassels, leather tooled bags as well as loose hanging shawls and cloaks in all manner of wonderful prints. So really, what's not to love? There's not so many of these pieces within Australia although there will be suede jackets with tassel fringing but in terms of finding say, the vibrant watercolour scarf of an Apache chief shown above. All the material you see there can be worn around your neck but I like the idea of wearing it as a cape and swooping around the house too or maybe a costume party with a homemade feather headdress and deep red lines on your cheeks.

I've seen quite a few vintage suede tassel jackets but I think this shawl type cape is one of the most extravagant; it's not everyday you see fringed suede down to your knees which started at your mid-arm so enjoy the sight while you still can. I happen to own the perfect pair of Aztec printed leggings to wear with such an ensemble and it goes well with novelty sweaters too.

The combination of embroidered triangles and sewn detail makes this one of the greatest cliche hipster coats I've seen in a while. I love the combination of the light beige and the tan brown together as well as the small diamonds on the middle seam. The structure is very loose and laid-back without toggles or buttons but I'm sure you could tie it off with a sash or belt if you so desired. I'm looking for a casual jacket/ coat/ kimono with vibrant colours and patterns to throw over the top of a plain black skirt as well as shirt, although I have never had to pick what I wear day-in and day-out I am determined not to dress in a boring manner for university and to minimise wearing the same or similar outfits twice.

I love the popularisation of leather bags into fashion again as well as the production of new leather bags with this tooled and etched effect. I don't own a bag such as this myself but I do enjoy scrolling through eBay listings as well as Etsy to find vintage treasure and all sorts of animals and motifs etched on the side. As much as I do admire the design and craftsmanship on these bags, at the moment I'm more or less drawn to the appeal of satchels in bright colours and the notion of mastering colour blocking.

I've never been invited to a costume party but I have been dying to have an excuse to dress-up as the American Indian Pocahontas and this large kimono with a versatile print of the land would be a stunning addition to any costume. Worn with suede tassel boots or perhaps moccasin and carrying around a toy raccoon and you'll be in business, oh, and a feathered headdress wouldn't hurt either. I like the chic look here and the detail on the low hanging sleeves but it's a very dramatic outfit and you are sure to earn a bit of attention for wearing it.

I wish there were more of these gorgeous vintage pieces featuring Native Americans in Australia! Luckily I have installed Paypal and am free to browse the wonderful world of Etsy which is full of dangerous and alluring vintage eye candy for me. The simple, light blue jeans with torn knees matches the main tableau of the jacket perfectly and the fringing around the edges isn't too over the top and the sleeves look cosy and roomy. At the moment I've already got my mind on pieces for layering and rugging up in Winter- I'm not sure how the heating at university will be but I will prepare for the worse and see how that pays off.

From the online store I sourced these photographs from, this is my second favourite bag and my favourite leather tooled bag showing exquisite three-dimensional detail of a man and a woman dancing. The detail on the woman's skirt, as well as the roses and vines are just beautiful- plus the small fur panel surrounding the circular leather panel reminds me a lot of Deadly Ponies bags I have lusted after.

I love the rust colour/ tan of this suede jacket but I'm so intimidated by the fringing down to the ankles of the model- without the heels I imagine the end tassels threatening to skim across the ground and wear off. It would be a tragedy to cut off the suede fringing as well and rob the piece of it's vintage appeal but I don't think, even on a good day, that I would have the confidence to proudly sport this jacket. Dancing around and twirling in the living room would be a joy though, so long as the suede doesn't whip at your bare legs when it finally stops.

Vintage Kimonos

Bright colours always cheer me up when I'm a little, evidently I painted my nails bright red to chase away the blues when I didn't get my first preference for university but I don't mind the offer I have- there are lots of cool clubs I can join, although the campus is very ugly and was built in the 1960s. I don't have anything against vintage things, but lets just say that the Summer of Love and hippy movement wasn't all that great for inspiring architecture. To brighten up my day some more I've been scribbling notes in my wonderful Rebound Book Diary of Bambi with notes for the units of study I want to take, flicking through Vogue and later I'll trash a nice thick copy of British Vogue for pictures. 

I love the big bold panel at the back of this otherwise plain kimono- the combination of coral red and the bright aqua blue makes the design of the koi fish seem even brighter. I love the long drapery and length of the Kimono, while it may not offer a lot of comfort in terms of warmth I've always been attracted to fashion pieces that allow me to hide under them. A bit of a safety blanket, psychological thing really.

One of the first garments I ever made (poorly constructed) was a kimono from a commercial fabric patternso there's a little nostalgia to see all these lovely patterns and that long draping structure. I didn't have the long sleeves or the length shown here but I did do my best and got one of the higher grades in the class, probably mainly due to who I chose to associate with in that class. I enjoyed the little embroidered detail, dying my own fabric and spending time hunched over a sewing machine- one of my happier memories of high school really. Except for that big-boobed bitch who thought it was funny to throw beads at me from across the room to try and get a reaction out of me. Dumb bitch.

There are sorts of colours as well as sizes and lengths to kimonos and if I were ever bold enough to buy one I would wear it in lieu of a dressing gown just around the house. You have to get the biggest and brighter colour though- my Literature rabbited on one lesson about how colour is used to accentuate mood and that when you become sick you wear more red to feel healthier. I could sure go for a bright red or burnt orange coloured kimono for when I next get sick and maybe some chicken soup and orange juice. I'm generally very lucky though and don't get sick very often, fingers crossed that stays the same in this coming year.

I feel like a kid in candy shop just being able to see such colour and variation in design- the bright red bow at the centre of this kimono doesn't interfere with the structure too much and the Western influence is quite subtle. The dark green and bright red as well as motifs of orange maple leaves leaves me mooning over Christmas all over again- thought it's still only mid-January and the holiday season is quite a while away. Maybe it has something to do with the book I just finished reading the hero and heroine decorating a Christmas tree together like a couple. Still, the hem of this kimono isn't too long and although the sleeves are deep and long, they're not to the full length of the arm so I would say you could get away with wearing this airy kimono in Summer. This is just one of the reasons I'm tempted to learn Japanese- the culture and the fashion are so intriguing and I want to become a part of it.

It seems that there is no limit to the designs and motifs on a Kimono and they look even sassier when worn with killer black boots and black underneath to contrast against the bright colours. I'm a creature that's a little more devious on the inside than I look on the outside and while I do love to wear black, it can put people off at a first glance. So if I were to wear a comfortable and loos black knitted jumper, black tights and comfortable slipper shoes underneath a brightly coloured kimono the black is offset by the colour and I look a little more fun than I really am.

One of my favourite motifs in Kimono patterns is the use of traditional buildings, the pagoda as well as clouds- in the Asian style they both look very alluring and dreamlike. Unfortunately the site I sourced all these images from sells their kimonos for some hundreds of dollars and despite some being original pieces from the 1930s and in excellent condition, I am not happy to pay such a mark-up. I have my eye on a nice blue and colourful one that could be nicely dressed up with some black oxidised necklaces but I'll keep that one to myself. If only I had a part-time job at the moment and could earn a little money with all my free time, spending so much time online and by yourself is sure to be bad for your social skills.

While the eclectic pattern and contrast of colours for this bold floral kimono is impressive, I think someone with a naturally lighter complexion and soft blond hair could pull it off better than I can. When wearing a kimono you can either wear it as a trendy