My Lifelong Fondness for Funky Fashions
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 ...
What's In My Closet - Table of Contents
- Accessories Make a Fashion Statement
- Capes!
- Formal Fashions - Fur Coat, Tuxedo
- Military Surplus - My Favorite Casual Fashion Finds
- Militaria and Military Surplus Fashions
- Japanese Baseball Shirts
- Sew Your Own - Make a Fashion Statement
- Groovy Grandma
- Pastiche's Closet
- Funky Junk Fashions and Home Decorating
- Style is a State of Mind - Fun, Funky Fashion Sources
- Women's Retro Fashion Buys
- Learn a Little More About Pastiche
- Hello Funky Fashionista - What's Your Style Signature?
- Rocket Mom Fashionistas
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.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
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
German flight suit - just my size.
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.-
Funky Fashions - My Hat Collection
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I have always loved hats. My love affair with hats goes back to my childhood. Even though hats went out of fashion when Jackie Kennedy entered the white house, I never lost my passion for head wear. My hat collection has always been and is today a bi...
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Funky Junky Decorating - Thrift Shop Feng Shui
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Whatever name you give it decorating a room, office cubicle, apartment, flat or home and garden with second hand furnishings, collectibles and accessories is economical, challenging and uniquely satisfying to those who are into eclectic design. You c...
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
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byLearn 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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- aj2008 aj2008 Jun 25, 2009 @ 6:48 am
- Oh my word, so you had bell bottom jerans in the 60s too! I love the tux!!
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- KarateKatGraphics KarateKatGraphics Jun 11, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
- I love how you continue to express yourself thru your style!! Also, thanks so much for the feature below. I'm rolling this to my momwear lens, plus of course 5***** for ya :)
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- annetteghallowell annetteghallowell Jun 2, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
- Aww. You made me think of some of my old favorites I gave up in my last move! Thanks for letting us see a bit or your style!
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- GrowWear GrowWear May 24, 2009 @ 11:01 am
- Love, love, love hats. And you have an interesting style!
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- Jimmie Jimmie May 23, 2009 @ 3:38 am
- You've got style! Artists usually do! Enjoyed this peek into your closet.
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- Treasures-By-Brenda Treasures-By-Brenda May 19, 2009 @ 10:33 am
- Nicely done; thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us. I remember those sweatshirts with the arms cut off, my sister-in-law still does that!
Brenda
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- C-Joy C-Joy May 18, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
- I used to have a fun wardrobe - I wonder what happened to it?!!!! Great lens :)
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- Joan4 Joan4 May 10, 2009 @ 5:49 am
- What fun! My signature fashion these days seems to be keds, black slacks or capris and a tee shirt. Maybe your lens will inspire me to be a bit more creative! I enjoy seeing others wear fun clothes - maybe it's my turn! lol
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- 24websurf 24websurf May 9, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
- These are just too cool!
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- Heather426 Heather426 May 9, 2009 @ 7:14 pm
- Hi,
I love vintage and funky...used to work at a store where we appliqued old jeans...love this! 5*
Rocket Mom Fashionistas
My fellow Rocket Moms shared some of their closet secrets and favorite fashions. Check out these cool "what's in your closet" lenses.-
My Favorite "Momwear"
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Back in B.C. days (before children), I used to comb through vintage stores for the coolest '30s through '70s gear I could find, then pair it eccentrically with funky and/or punky footwear and accessories. I still have some favorite items from that er...
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A peek into my closet. The clothes that define me.
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A fashion maven I am not! I regret to say that I only own 3 dresses and that they have not been worn for several years which of course means that they are wildly out of style! I think that my aversion for dresses came about during my formative high s...
by Pastiche
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