DIY Fashion: How To Make Copper Heels
As promised, I’m presenting the fashion how to that I mentioned in yesterday’s post.
These copper heels are really easy to do. And they can dramatically change the look of a basic pair of shoes. Continue reading
Category Archives: DIY
Braid How To – Milkmaid Style
Braid How To – Milkmaid Style
I’ve wanted to post this braid how-to for a long time. Milkmaid braids, also known as Heidi braids, look really tough, but are actually quite simple. Know how to make pigtails? A simple braid? Can you pin up a bun? Then you have the skills!
Here’s my step-by-step guide: Continue reading
How To Cut Bangs
How To Cut Bangs – Skip the Scissors!
Learning how to cut your own bangs is essential once you get this flattering cut. Trust me. I’ve been sporting this style for decades.
Little Melissa
When my fringe grows long enough to cover my eyes, I get impatient! And I can’t be bothered to make an appointment with a hair stylist. So I Continue reading
Bike Spooky: Skeleton Bike for Halloween
Skeleton Bike by Eric Tyron
This is the coolest Halloween bicycle on the Internets. I have no idea if this bike is rideable, but that skeleton looks super spooky. I’m inspired to do a Halloween DIY and get my own bamboo steed ready for tricks or treats.
Try to get the look yourself, starting with this 5 foot tall “decor skeleton” (as opposed to a scientific skeleton).
Alas, poor Yorick
A glow-in-the-dark version would look amazing and remind everyone how important it is to be hi-viz, even in death.
Alas, poor Yuri
Just break apart the bones and secure the pieces to your frame with zip ties.
Happy Halloween!
San Francisco Tweed Ride: Riding the Woolen Legend
On July 28th we grabbed our warm layers and suited up for the first official San Francisco Tweed Ride in nearly two years.
It had been so long since the last Tweed ride that when the e-mail arrived, I had forgotten ever signing up for the blasted thing. No, Sir, I thought to myself, I want none of your muted woolens as I wear only the gaudiest jackets whilst velocipeding. Fortunately the barest hint of memory stayed my hand from delivering unto the spam folder the tardy missive.
It was not an advert for heathered dry goods, as I had originally thought. Rather I found that I had been cordially invited to the first fully fledged airing of the motley assortment of Harris, Herringbone, and Houndstooth known throughout Internetdom as the San Francisco Tweed Ride.
Naturally my next thought was what do I wear?
Photo: Steve Crowley
Answer:
Photo: Steve Crowley
Outside of the excellent Tcho Chocolates
Vintage blouse that belonged to my great-grandmother, handmade cycling corset; deconstructed kilt inspired by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania; Aerotech leather gloves; stuffed into my helmet is my gold leather biker jacket from Zara
Notice that I’m not wearing any tweed! That’s a bad habit left over from Fashion School: must slightly disobey the design briefs given to us by our professors.
Photo: Sandwichgirl
Outside of Jacks Cannery Bar
The original BikeHandsome was coordinating nicely in his Christmas Party outfit: Red dress shirt from H&M; thrifted tweed vest from Clothes Contact; Tweed trousers, also from H&M, Gola sneakers
My boots are also looking quite lovely in this shot. They are from my favorite shoe store on the planet: Panca’s Designer on Milan’s Corso di Porta Ticinese.
During my final year of Fashion School I used to salivate over their window displays of vintage repro perfection , until I got my Christmas check from the grandparents and took those babies home with me for good (Thanks, Granddad!)
Photo: Sandwichgirl
The last stop of the tweed Ride brought us to Goorin Bros. hat shop where I met a very talented & Savile Row trained tailor. Turns out I had made the dreadful faux pas of wearing his family’s tartan! Fortunately he forgave me and we spent the rest of the time chatting about Victorian dressmaking techniques.
I also bought a hat.
Handmade Cycling Corset
Photo credit: Erin Browner
San Francisco’s Tweed Ride proved to be the best occasion to give my cycling corset a proper airing. Fortunately, The Bold Italic showed up.
After a hiatus of a year and half, the Tweed Ride finally returned to San Francisco on June 3rd, 2012. Erin Browner was there to photograph the wooly affair and she did an amazing job on this photo essay.
Of course dressing up for a bike ride is its own reward, but I was truly honored to see my handmade corset featured in the photo story. I made the purple plaid beauty a few years ago when I was attending FIT International Fashion Design program in Florence, Italy. It was actually a homework assignment!