What's In My Closet - Pastiche's Funky Fashions

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Ranked #732 in Me, #92,223 overall

My Lifelong Fondness for Funky Fashions

I don't know when I fell in love with wearing clothing that was a little off-beat or ahead of the pack. I remember going to a wedding with my grandmother when I was about 4 years old and being fascinated with the taffeta dresses and elbow length fingerless gloves worn by the bridesmaids. As a preschooler I loved wearing "slacks" and overall pants and wonderful hand-knit sweaters. I looked forward to selecting a special bonnet and party dress every spring at Easter time.

As a teenager I started to sew my own clothes. I convinced my Dad to let me "inherit" his WWII navy pea jacket which went smashingly with my hiphugger bell bottom jearns in the late 1960's. They still go just right together and I love wearing 'em.

My favorite shopping boutiques were thrift stores - and still are. In junior high I cut the sleeves off sweatshirts, added trims and embroidery and patches to jeans and stitched patchwork into all sorts of clothing and accessories. I created many belts, accessories and bags from fiber, leather and recycled clothing.

Join me on a tour of the funky fashion section of my closet. Who knows? My closet tour may inspire your own fashion style, trigger a trip down memory lane or give you some ideas for a retro masquerade costume!

One note to keep this in mind: I do have other mom and grandma clothes - lots of business clothes, designer suits and haute couture dresses as well as jeans, tee shirts, skirts, sweaters and blouses. I just happen to love these rare clothing pieces and thought you might enjoy seeing this side of Pastiche's closet.

Oh, and that picture up there? Yeah, that's me - in 1995. Today I still have and wear all those funky clothes - and I'm still trying to control my wild hair with a funky hat.

Accessories Make a Fashion Statement 

Scarves, belts, gloves, handbags

The final element to making a big statement with personal style is with accessories. Even when I travel I take along favorite scarves, bags and belts to create many looks from a single outfit. My favorite accessory is gloves ...

Capes! 

My black bat wing cape dress is one of my favorite fashions. I can wear it as a shawl, a dress or a cape depending on how I wrap it and whether or not I use the sleeves. I can add a belt or tie a scarf around the waist. Sometimes I wear it as a tunic over leggings or tights - with my tall black taffeta boots. Think Stevie Nicks style ...

Sporting events and concerts at big outdoor stadium venues can be freezing cold if you live in the Northern climes. My floor-length fake-fur cape with hood is perfect for late season football games, New Year's Day parades, or concerts in cooler weather. It's also perfect for sitting around a campfire, carriage- or sleigh-riding. There's even enough room to keep a couple grandkids toasty warm on a snowy day.

Formal Fashions - Fur Coat, Tuxedo 

I wore a vintage tuxedo with velvet lapels to my older daughter's wedding. To complete this formal outfit I designed and sewed a blue taffeta cumberbund and wore a lace body suit. The final touches were black velvet pumps and burgundy velvet gloves.

I found a black nutria pelt fur coat in a resale shop near Kutztown University about 15 years ago. It's tiny - just about a size 4 - and I loved wearing it to the opera that evening. I'm saving the fur coat for my granddaughter, who also loves to dress up and has a huge collection of fun fashions in her closet already (she's 8 years old). To be honest, I don't like the idea of fur coats. If it hadn't been recycled, I doubt that I would have purchased a fur coat.

Military Surplus - My Favorite Casual Fashion Finds 

I have a basic collection of military clothing: British camo in forest and desert patterns, USMC camo pants, an olive drab field jacket with removeable quilted lining, and a German military canvas coat with hood and zip out pile liner for cold weather. The olive drab jacket is a favorite in our household - my husband also likes to wear it!

Militaria and Military Surplus Fashions 

e-Bay is a treasure trove of military surplus, both for the serious collector and the hip fashion frugalista. The favorite of college students and hunters, military clothing and accessories are built to strict standards, are washable, durable and have classic details.

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Japanese Baseball Shirts 

I've got two offical Japanese baseball team shirts that I added to my collection in the late 1990's. I'm not certain when these were issued, but they look authentic. Cool, no?

Sew Your Own - Make a Fashion Statement 

In my early twenties I worked in a fabric store and with the generous discount I could afford to sew cutting edge fashions of my own design. I made most of my own dresses, skirts and vests. At about the same time I started to accumulate a vast collection hats, sweaters and jackets from friends, family and resale shops. My girls wore custom fashions from birth because I loved to sew and could recycle clothes, scraps, tablecloths and sheets into little girls jumpers, shortalls and dresses easily.

I spent hours at the sewing machine making tiny versions of adult clothing or cutting up adult clothes to use the fabrics for children's fashions. I embroidered decorations and trims on baby shirts, onesies and infant hats. I still decorate denim and baby clothes with embroidery and applique, only now I do these fashion crafts for my grandchildren.

Groovy Grandma 

As a grandmother approaching 60, I see no reason to curb my passion for funky fashion. I love to wear unique clothing, although at times I get a few looks because "I'm too old for that."

But that's no matter to me; I'm an artist and fashion is one way I express my personal style: I wore a vintage tuxedo to my older daughter's wedding and I'm almost always in boots or sandals unless the occasion demands a more conservative fashion style.

My days in the corporate world are behind me - I still have the pinstriped suits, silk blouses and designer dresses to remind me of the "good old days" when I was jetting all over the world managing budgets, projects and deadlines but had no time for a real life or my artwork. They're all safely stashed away for another decade or so when I'll offer them to my grand daughters as vintage clothes or sell them on e-Bay.

Pastiche's Closet 

Funky Junk Fashions and Home Decorating 

Hats have always been one of my favorite fashion accessories.

I shop in thrift stores and second hand boutiques, not just for fashions but also for home decorating objects and yes, I even buy gifts at the flea market.

Style is a State of Mind - Fun, Funky Fashion Sources 

Vintage Clothing and Military Surplus Clolthing
Online vintage clothing military surplus and retro fashion store.
Unique Vintage - Prom Dresses, Vintage Clothing, Flapper Dresses, Celebrity Inspired Dresses - Prom Dresses, Pinup dresses, Rockabilly dresses, prom dress
Unique Vintage Prom Dresses, Vintage Clothing, Flapper Dresses, Celebrity Inspired Dresses - Prom Dresses, Pinup dresses, Rockabilly dresses, prom dress

Women's Retro Fashion Buys 

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eBay

Learn a Little More About Pastiche 

Lensmaster Pastiche has been a member since August 12 2007, has rated 1,488 lenses, favorited 534, and has created 127 lenses from scratch. Lee Hansen donates their royalties to Squidoo Charity Fund and Room to Read. This member's top-ranked page is "Christmas Crafts - Decorations, Gifts, Giftwrap and More". See all my lenses

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Hello Funky Fashionista - What's Your Style Signature? 

I love my off beat funky fashion style - what say you?

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My fellow Rocket Moms shared some of their closet secrets and favorite fashions. Check out these cool "what's in your closet" lenses.

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