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.

Wildfox 2012

I had previously included a picture of this purple haired model in platform ballet flats in which I was lusting over her shoes and here she is again promoting a brand called Wildfox. Finally I learn the identity of this international brand and find more tempting clothes which are now available to pre-order from Superette an online New Zealand store who's blog I follow as well. There's a heavy influence of American motifs such as Eagles, stars and stripes as well as loosely Western based jewellery such as cow skulls.

I consider my best weapon to keep out the cold in Winter to be a very comfy and baggy jumper and although the one shown above is loosely thread-bare, it would make for the perfect jumper worn over some long sleeve shirts and dress up jeans nicely. Although with legs like that, who needs pants really? Without wearing bottoms, you can see the material's thickness as well as the intentional holes at the bottom.

Well I had always tried to move away from American flags as a part of denim and shirts due to the crowd that wears that type of clothing the most, I do love the bright red/ orange colour of the coral shirt shown above with a small detail of stars and stripes shown as a heart. It's not something I would buy for myself but with the looks of the model including softly tan skinned and purple hair she looks like a million bucks and she's certainly working it.

Novella Royale Studded Bags

Ever since spying the Diego bag designed by Alexander Wang I've had a bit of an itching for drawstring and bucket bags again- and I love the size of these studded leather bags from Novella Royale. The 'Lux' drawcord shoulder bag costs a might $643 but there are seven shades to choose from, mainly differing shades of black a grey one and also brown. I was blown away with the small studded detail of gold covering the bag and the ruched effect of the drawcord. While I could have liked something a beat meatier for the strap to match the sheer size of the bag, beggars can't be choosers. I just wish the cost of these bags wasn't more than the Alexander Wang bags, or at least the ones I can find off eBay. Since Novella Royale isn't as big a brand there won't be second hand deals for me to snatch up like a vulture.

It's mainly the studded bags which have been made in a spectrum of leather shades, or from what I can gather they're the bags that are the most recent and haven't all sold out yet. Introducing the Hudson clutch which features an envelope like flap as well as many folds of soft buttery leather. I bet this over sized clutch would look great if you ever found a matching shade of lipstick or something in a deep, dark colour named 'orchid'. Novella Royale always seems to use the big and bold, gold coloured studs in the most fantastic and eye-catching designs. The lovely thing about this dark tone is that the golden studs make it versatile for day or night and even with a black dress it would suit well.

If I can get it in black, then I will buy it in black; I take this approach to many things within my life except for book bags and leather satchels in the style of the Cambridge Satchel Company. What's appealing to me about drawcord bags and bucket bags is that they remind me of a little bag I once made in after-school-care and it had a drawstring to it as well. It kind of speaks to me on a nostalgic level so I suppose that's why I'm attracted to buying a hand bag in black leather because it reminds me of my youth in which I enjoyed crafts and making things as well as looking to the future in which I hope to be a fashion forward lady with an eye for style.

The brown suede of this bowling bag hand bag and neat rows of plastic studs reminds me a lot of chocolate and the meticulous art of trying to neatly separate a row of chocolate from the rest of the bar. So really, If I was trying to take dieting seriously this would be a horrible idea but still something fashionable to sport. I love having the choice of two straps to a bag and I don't think it's messy at all, it lends extra versatility to a piece and lets you wear the bag how you want.

I must say with all the black, large studs featured on one side of the bag I am hooked. You know my style dear reader if you've been hanging on my words for too long; I like things that evoke the look of witches and dark magic. This is the closest you get really unless you count the black drawstring bags in leather. I think I would be a little fonder of the drawstring bags if I could somehow replace the pyramid and circle studs with stars and moons instead but I'm happy with what I've got to choose from.

Novella Royale Fringed Bags

 

I firmly believe that the highest compliment I have ever been payed is the assumption that I had Native American heritage, and while that fact is untrue that doesn't mean I can't take advantage of that fact and play on it in my personal style right? Now, if I had the money I would be all over thick fringing jackets in leather with a lot of studs and I have learnt of a great site that sells vintage pieces but since I'm mean, I won't share the address and risk more people competing for gorgeous clothes and accessories. One of the brands they happened to stock was Novella Royale which makes bags of soft buttery leather in all sorts of shades and turns them into new beautiful beasts complete with tassels and studs. The hanging tassels on the bottom of this first satchel reminds me of old Deadly Ponies designs where they hung fluffy dangling bits made of wool instead.

There's rarely colour or anything other than studs added to the bags soconsider yourself lucky getting to see the black chain and braided thread in purple supporting a lofty black feather. I like the neat square cur pieces of leather used for the body of this bag- it's sort of countered by the dangling charms and black paint dipped chain which adds a quirky effect to the bag.

For a night bag with sass and gorgeous tassel effect look no further than the 'Ash small fringe handbag' with a choice of seven different colours at your finger tips. I wouldn't recommend wearing a leather skirt or shorts when sporting this bag, it may be considered a bit like overkill but a loose crochet top with singlet underneath and maybe some denim cut-off shorts would look good. Or in all it's black and gory glory you could wear a sweet blouse and skirt combination and wear the bag to add some attitude to your outfit. I wouldn't mind getting this black beauty myself... if I had an extra spare $450 lurking around. Otherwise I might go for an Alexander Wang bucket bag from online or something similar.

A small clutch with removable long crossbody chain and removable short shoulder chain. fringe detail with large studs on from and back. Inside pocket, organic cotton lining.

For a student undertaking a small fashion degree or TAFE course making your own leather clutch like this one might be a fun project. All you need to do is source some similar pieces of leather from your local second hand shops, undo the stitching and make your clutch to size with say a cotton lining underneath and something thick on the outside. You could use a leather exterior and then stitch the tassel panels on top of that or just find something thick and durable. The simple clutch design isn't very demanding in terms of structure so that would certainly be the least of your worries and once you found a strong and sturdy sewing machine capable of entrapping leather, it's only a matter of time before you too can create something like this Penny clutch from the Novella Royale shop and save yourself a $395.

For a little piece of vintage charm more suited to those of us who live for the daylight and not the night there's more colours of the sweet Ash small fringe handbag which features three large and chunky golden studs. I like their placement of the studs and making them look more like a pyramid than a square which goes well with the added golden chain to sling over your shoulder. For comfort and a little strength Novella Royale has even thought to include a leather shoulder pad to prevent the chain from digging in to your skin. How kind.

If the bags were at a more affordable price and maybe there was a little more size available for these Ash handbags I would get one but I can list at least ten other bags I have on my mind at the moment that are much cheaper from my store, online as well as on eBay. I can only make do with what I can being a poor student but maybe I can enroll myself in a small TAFE course. It would be good to be able to make things for myself and even run a small market stall. But that will always be but a small pipe dream and I know deep down in my heart I will be always on the consumer end of the market stall table.