Classy DIY pencil skirt, an easy upcycling project

After..

Before.

So, there are things we don`t need anymore. And there are things other people don`t need anymore. But there are also things that we have created a need for in ourselves. And just sometimes it becomes about the magic of combining those to - in this case a second hand bought blouse upcycled into a classy pencil skirt.

This DIY project took me a couple of hours only. The process was a simple one too:

Placed the shirt on the floor, made sure it was straight. 

Cut off all the disturbing extra material, such as the neck piece and sleeves, so that only a rectangular shaped, double folded fabric remained. Ps. Used measurement tape to make sure to cut exactly the same amount of fabric from each side.

Plucked in needles approximately according to my measurements.

Galloped in front of a mirror, then re-plucked some needles and galloped some more too.

When finally fitted, cut off extra material from the sides..

And sewed fabrics together.

The result - a comfy and casual, yet classy and chic pencil skirt. Something to wear on almost any occasion.

Games peopl play

Manicure

Pedicure

Nail polish

Scrub

Wax

Pluck

Moisture

Perfume

Haircut

Hairstyle

Haircolor

Make up

Lipstick

Earrings

Shoes

Handbags

Belts

Scarfs

Hats

Gloves

Socks

Clothes in all shapes, sizes and colors

REPEAT

...

A very fitting quote from Tallinn Old Town. Those games we* play. At least once a week, but most of them even daily. Not to mention scouting for new supplies every now and again. Haha! A full time occupation FOR LIFE without parole? Well, not if you count those days youve just had it! Like really had it!! When you simply dont care at all how you look and matching clothes feels like pushing together non-matching, never-ever-matching puzzle pieces. Perhaps even more so with reuse clothes, which in themselves are all pieces from different puzzles and come to match only through pure luck, careful consideration or joyful fitting..



Now I get messed up
And I fool around
But there`s no fun anymore

The conclusion Ive come to? Take a holiday from time to time! Perfection is an illusion anyhow! ;) 

Ive discovered that I sometimes enjoy in a rebellious, beauty world anarchist, kind of way strolling around the city without make up, in sneakers, cool trousers and a sexy blouse feeling absolutely beautiful with the blue under my eyes. AND IM NOT THE ONLY ONE - It has possibly even become the newest beauty trend in Hollywood cinema! About time Id say! Hahaha!

And the song continues:

Remember memories you owe
Won`t bring back those special days

But Ive also discovered that THE PERFECT moment for experimenting is at the lowest of inspirational lows - theres just no more joy to loose. And at the lowest of lows youve probably let go of all that stylish-is-only-that and beautiful-is-only-this bs - a program all of us download from the society and keep running at our own expenses, haha. And letting go of such beliefs is liberating as hell! Never know, you might create your style anew on one of those moments.

On one of those moments I dressed a new faux fur, a beret (always favorite), retro earrings, dark blue pleat skirt (classic), tights** (not experimenting with winter), random boots (to fit wool socks), handbag with a golden chain (unworn for years) and a marc o`polo retro sweater.

Btw. Just remembered that at Uni a professor told our class that some students dont even know the difference between Marco Polo and Marc O`Polo and well.. I was one of those students!! Perfectly knew who was Marco Polo, but had no idea who was the latter! Hahaha! I just never have cared much about labels - wearing them on ones chest is kind of as if a cow shooting a number tag (to whom belongs) in her own ear. So, dressing up with one of such items must have been a new lowest of lows for me. Haha! But have to admit that it was so freakishly different from my regular style, that I actually even liked it! Hahaha! Program updated!  

*we - Very many women and some men
**tights - Only non sec hand item on the list

Fake fur, second hand fur and leather goods

Aasta sai väga tempoka alguse nii uute projektide kui apsakate mõttes! Haha! Gotte give your best with what youve got! ;) Tänases postituses on teemaks kunst-karusnahk - second hand loomulikult - ja 3 viimast pilti tehtud telefoniga, sest et ikkagi: GOTTA GIVE YOUR BEST WITH WHAT YOUVE GOT!! Loodan järgmise nädala postituseks igatahes fotoka taas töökorda saada! Ning siis räägin juba sellest, mida teha nendel päevadel, kui ei ole kohe üldse tuju välimuse, riiete kombineerimise jms. peale mõelda. 

An all time favourite second hand fake fur bought more then 10 years ago! Still as good as new and I have worn it a lot!

And perhaps a littlebit of that attitude too! Haha! Ive always got a ROAR for cruelty free fashion! ;)

Kui Eestis on viimase aasta jooksul kujunenud karusnahast tõsine debati küsimus - poolt ja vastu - siis minu jaoks sellist debatti ei eksisteeri. Ma austan elu. Ja arvan, et elusolendi elu võrdsustamine uue mantli, kinagpaari, käekoti, karvakraega vms. esemega on lihtsalt üleolev - ja näitab austuse puudumist elu vastu. Just sellepärast olen loobunud igasuguste nahast (käekotid, tagid, jalanõud, käevõrud, kindad jpm.) ja karusnahast (ka nt. jope kapuutsi karvane ääristus) esemete ostmisest uuel kujul või ka näiteks kirbuturgudel, kus kasu eseme müümisest saaks omanik, kes sellise asja uuel kujul ostnud.

Kuid debatt, mis minu jaoks eksisteerib, on kokkuvõetav kahe küsimusega: 

1. Kas karusnahast, nahast eseme ostmine kaltsukast (kui selle esialgne omanik enam müügist mingit kasu ei saa!) on eetiline või mitte? 

• Second hand karusnaha ja nahast toodete kasutamise poolt: Need esemed on juba toodetud ning ülejääk - ehk ei toimu julmuse toetamist ning uue eseme asemel ostan kasutatud asja ehk vähendan ka ühsikondlikku prügi tootmist.
• Second hand karusnaha ja nahast toodete kasutamise vastu: Selliste esemete kandmisega tegelen potentsiaalselt nende (ja ka julma suhtumise) propageerimisega - paratamatult mõjutame end ümbritsevat kogu aeg.

2. Kas kunstkarusnahast esemete kandmine on siiski karusnaha propageerimine? 

• Ideaalses ühiskonnas, kus enam elusolenditest moeesemeid üldse ei valmistata, ei oleks see isegi küsimus - imitatsioon ei oleks kuidagi millegi julma propageerimine ja kõik teaksid, et tegu on kunstmaterjaliga. Paraku aga ei ela me ideaalses ühiskonnas ning isegi kunstkarusnaha kandmine võib näida selle propageerimisena - kunstkarusnaha kvaliteet on juba niivõrd hea, et mõnda eset originaalist eristada on tõeline kunst. Ka ei tea tänavapildis möödujad, kas ostsin selle julma tööstust toetades või hoopis müntide eest mõnest heategevuslikust kaltsukast.

On moms birthday at 2014. I was clearly surprised to learn that by last year I still hadnt learned how to hold a clutch bag!

ENG: During last year fur has become a real debating issue in Estonia - either for or against - however, not for me. I respect life. And I think it would be simply arrogant to equal a creatures life with a new coat, pair of shoes, purse, neckpiece or any other item - it shows utter lack of respect towards life. For this reason I have stopped (for forever) buying all sorts of leather (handbags, jackets, shoes, gloves, bracelets etc.) and fur (including fur trim on coats, jackets) goods from shops and on flee markets from persons who originally made such a purchase.

However, the debate that exists in in my head can be summarized with two questions:

1. Is buying a fur or a leather item from second hand shop (when its original buyer wont gain any profit from it anymore) ethical or not?

• For purchasing second hand leather and fur goods: These items have are already produced and a leftover - the purchase wont support any cruel practices and at the same time Im reducing the amount of garbage in the society, because of not buying a new item instead.
• Against purchasing second hand leather and fur goods: By wearing those items Im still potentially promoting them (and those cruel attitudes) - we simply can not live our lives without influencing the world around us.

2. Is wearing fake fur garments still promoting fur?

• In an ideal society, where there would be no fashion items produced from living beings, it wouldnt even be a question - imitation wouldnt by no means signify promoting cruelness of any sort and everyone would know that it is a fake material. However, we dont live in an ideal society and even wearing fake fur can be seen as promoting the real thing - the quality of fake fur is already so good that it can be a mission impossible task to distinguish it from the original. And the passersby on the streets wouldnt have any idea if I have purchased the item for coins from second hand or from the cruelty industry.

My most recent second hand fake fur purchase from Kurtna kirbukas. Absolutely new still! 

Ja pean tunnistama, et minu garderoobi on tulnud viimastel aastatel mitu second hand nahast käekotti, jalanõupaari, kahed saapad ka karusnahast servaga - ja iga ese tõesti vaid müntide eest. Juhuse teel jõudis minuni ka üks päris kasukas, kuid seda ma tõesti lihtsalt ei suutnud kandma hakata! Olen vältinud ka sellistest sekkaritest ostmist, kus nahast ja karusnahast asju parema valikuna reklaamitakse!

ENG: And I do have to admit that during last few years I have purchased from second hand shops several leather handbags, shoes and even two pairs of boots with real fur trim - however, they really did cost just coins. By leap of faith even a real fur coat found its way to me, but I really couldnt start wearing this one! (Imagining tens of animals dying for one coat) And I have avoided buying from second hand shops which advertise their leather and fur goods as being a better choice for purchasing.

Karvane ja karvasem. Fake vs the real thing!

CRUELTY FREE BEAUTIFUL MINDS TO ALL OF US! KEEP ON ROARING! :)

Sexy Glitter Gala 2015 and a New Years resolution

Second hand outfit - glitter blouse and long, black lace skirt (with a bowtie in the back) - that got me into the New Year. Unfortunately forgot to take a shot in our absolutely funtastic Sexy Glitter Gala event! So this is a preview day after.

As the saying goes - There is no such thing as away. Just as one can not do away with the last year - after all, this is what brought us into this this year - one can not do away with all the harm caused by plastic bags simply by throwing them "away". So, my this years resolution is to actually do away with plastic bags - BY NEVER EVER BUYING OR TAKING ONE FOR FREE AGAIN! That`s a promise! A promise not to participate in the consumption of plastic bags that as a "done away" trash end up killing more than a million animals each year - slowly and painfully. I think that a New Year, symbolically should at least mean hope for a better year for each and everyone sharing this planet with us!


HAPPY NEW YEAR! May we all do truly away with everything we need to do away with!

The very last ones!

No matter how cute, still a killer - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Killerkottorg/225380682213

Glitter Gala under the coats and on the streets!

Two cancer signs of the Glitter Gala celebrated their first moments of the New Year waiting for the traffic lights to go green! Wonder, what it might say about the year ahead? Probably a lot! Haha!

Thank you all for a wonderful celebration! For entertaining with fun-fun games, the horoscope, the perfect cake, lovely hosting, champagne opening, fun walks, champagne smuggling, early-morning home trip! And of course for making this 1st January as lovely as ever with another piece of the perfect cake, perfect noodles, strong hugs, card games and champagne!