So I finally got my MAC back! YAY! And to celebrate I not only wanted to blog a DIY, I wanted to gift it to you. If you live in Singapore you could win this clutch that I bought all the way from Australia.

You’ll need an envelope clutch (mine is from an Op shop), tweed fabric, chain, needle and thread in black, glue gun and sticks and sewing scissors.

Place the envelope clutch onto the tweed and cut around it, leaving a 3.5cm excess.

Glue the fabric onto the envelope clutch with the hot glue gun and fold the edges in and glue them down also.

Now cut strips of the remnant of the fabric for that Chanel-esque look.

Glue these on and hand stitch the chain on top.

And that’s it!

To win this, you must live in Singapore.

You need to follow me on Snapchat @simoneheng, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter. Once you’ve done that, simply comment in the comment section below with your email ID.

Contest closes Sunday 13th September. Winner will be notified by email.

 

I wish I could claim this tutorial as my own but it’s actually from one of my favourite DIY blogs Park and Cube. I bought the book “Adorn” by the blog’s author Shini Park. It’s one of the best DIY books I’ve ever seen. This DIY is so quick and looks so effective. However, it really is reliant on a gorgeous scarf. The next time I find a gorgeous piece fabric, I won’t hesitate to make this top again!

For this, you’ll need a vintage scarf (mine are from thrift shops), cheap gold chain necklace (mine are from Kmart), large safety pins and needle and thread.

Start by folding the scarf into half into a triangle.

Place your safety pins like this, pinning together both pieces of fabric:

Fold the fabric over the chain necklace where the safety pins mark the distance:

Fold the triangular fabric neatly under and pin.

Finish by stitching into place. I made a second blouse with another vintage scarf:

Thankyou so much to Angeline Lloyd from Love Thread for the images and Maurice Meade for my hair.

Oh this DIY is so much fun! Plus, it’s an upcycling project, I love anything that is kind to the environment. This, like my DIY Benoit Missolin Inspired Mickey Hat breathes new live into an old thrifted straw hat.

You will need:

A straw hat, sharp scissors, thread, needle, headband and glue gun.

From here, using the brim which is cut away, cut out 2 triangles for the ears.

Use a pencil and mark 2 lines on the cap where the ears will sit.

Using the needle and thread connect the ears with stitches.

After the ears are attached, use the glue gun and sticks to create the slight curvature of the ears.

Turn the cap over when the glue is dry and sew the headband in at an angle so the hat sits on the side of your head.

That’s it! Ready to wear to your next race day or wedding!

Have fun with this one!

 

Ever since Dylanlex took off on Instagram, layered silver jewellery has been everywhere! Filtering down to the high street and sending DIY fashionistas into thrift shops to cut up and revamp old pieces. I was no different. The hero piece in this necklace was from the Good Sammy next to my Mum’s nursing home. I was so excited as I had seen Beyonce wear something similar recently.

The next one I want to try is inspired by Xvena’s amazing pieces which use more Swarovski type embellishment.

For this DIY you will need: Pliers, H&M layered necklace, 1 lobster clasp.

Remove the tail of the necklace.

Place the first lobster clasp on the exposed jump ring.

Close up the clasp with your pliers.

Repeat the same on the other end of the necklace to the base of the coin collar.

That’s it…

So it’s the middle of Summer here in Australia but I do know for some of you in Dubai it’s getting cooler and this jacket would actually be great in the air-conditioned malls.

I found this tweet jacket at a thrift store near where I live. You’ll need a pair of scissors, needle and thread and you’ll just need some pearl beads in various sizes and a seam ripper/unpicker. My beads are from Spotlight.

I unpicked the black buttons (which I found hideous).

I unpicked the pockets and re-pinned them straight.

From there I re-sewed them on straight and embellished with the pearls.

I hope you like this DIY and let me know if you’ve done anything super creative with your thrift shop finds recently. I teamed it here with my DIY Tom Binns necklace:

 

 

Years ago I watched the film Priceless (in French Hors de Prix) and fell in love with EVERYTHING Audrey Tatou was dressed in. She looked elegant yet sexy and I decided when I could find the right base dress that I would DIY this gown:

Something to do with the combination of the grey with the gold…well it just drove me mad. Audrey has a body for sin and no fat so her version is very tight. Mine on the other hand is a little more forgiving. It’s a thrifted ASOS dress from a Fleas and Trees pop up sale in Paragon in Singapore. This is what it looked like originally:

For this project you will need: A base dress (halter or spaghetti strap works well), needle and matching thread, pins and gold cord.

Just a side note on my gold cord. I looked high and low for some great gold cord and Spotlight here in Australia was dismal. Their gold looked brassy and orange so I turned to my trusty friends at Wander and Hunt (more on my work with them soon…super excited) and they shipped from Hong Kong for me a perfect length of gold cord that would make even Audrey Tatou swoon.

Begin by flipping your dress inside out and folding over a piece of fabric that is wide enough for your cord to fit comfortably through. I didn’t want to cut the dress’s original straps away so I can convert it back to the original halter if I want. Pin down the perfect width.

From here I lightly tacked the pieces over (once again so I can remove the cord and unpick when I choose and wear the dress as originally intended).

Thread the cord through like this:

The loop will go around the back of your neck and the front will end up looking like this:

Pull the two front strands up and tie around the back:

I added a waist strap as there was enough cord:

I wore the dress out to Nobu here in Perth. Here’s a few instagram pictures (follow me there @simoneheng):

Me holding my latest magazine cover out in Singapore now:

I wish I had taken more pictures in it but hopefully I will have more time soon.

Hope you liked this. Many thanks to Wander and Hunt for the gold cord and do keep your comments coming!

Part of being back in Oz part-time, is enjoying the quirkier things the city offers (that big cities like Dubai and Singapore do not). One of these cool things was the Polka Dot Vintage market which my intern Mica and I attended on a very windy Sunday a few weeks ago.

Vintage shorts, bags and even ice cream flowed as well as a healthy dose of handmade accessories and homewares. I also loved the Canadian girl selling fresh flowers in vintage glasses. Prices ranged from $10 racks of clothes, all the way to a pair of hot Miu Miu pre-loved sunnies for $200. You can get more details and dates here.

It was a super windy day but definitely worth the trip to Scarborough. I loved that the market has free entry and was by the beach…a must do for tourists to Perth. I got a pair of vintage shorts from the 70s which fit like a glove for just $25, wearing them in the pic below:

Since I moved away 10 years ago…Perth got a lot more hip and cool. Despite people making loads of money out in the mines, it seems that plenty of Perthites do still want to save money. Some fabulous vintage clothing stores have found their way onto William St in Northbridge and wonderfully each has its own strength. Here is my review of the best four:

Siam Temple is located at 263 William St in Northbridge. The store has a mix of new vintage-inspired items and real vintage stock. For me the real pleasure of vintage is the real deal and there is a treasure trove in their back section. Bargain racks for $10 also have loads of treasures. I loved the friendly Thai lady who owned the store, she was fabulous. You can give them a call on 0430 860 482.

And this is the stunning 1960s Japanese beach dress I got from this store. My shoes are from Adolfo Dominguez in Singapore and the bag a vintage piece from Toronto.

Just a bit further down William St at 267B is the classic Vinnies which is my top pick for absolute vintage gems. You won’t find any re-worked or vintage lookalike pieces here. Everything is the real deal.

Shelley, the store manager, is a local icon. I mentioned my virgin trip to the store to someone and they knew her by name. I bought a couple of pieces here and have to say felt better about my vintage addiction knowing that all the proceeds went to St. Vincent De Paul. www.vinnies.org.au.

I bought a couple of amazing pieces from here which I am so excited to wear out soon. I have been searching for eons for the perfect vintage kimono and saw this the moment I walked in. It’s silk and from Italy. Swoon:

And this 1980s bolero which works as a full jacket on my tiny frame. Can’t wait to wear this out too.

The third store on the strip is owned by a lovely fash-school graduate called Fiona. She’s selling new items as well as re-worked vintage and pure vintage. The upstairs of this store is full of amazing antiques and I dream of hosting DIY workshops in such a fabulous space during Winter. Located on 289 William St, Fi & Co is a hipster girl’s dream.

Last but by no means least, right at the end of William St, where basically you think you’ve walked too far, you’ll find Neon Pony. The store co-owner Bridget was a delight and decked out in, yes, you guessed it, neon. I was delighted to see Neon Pony exhibiting just days later at the Polka Dot Vintage market I visited (but more on that later).

Neon Pony has loads of new stock, vintage and vintage-inspired pieces and also designer-inspired jewellery. Colours are bold and bright and the sale rack out the front divine!

I found this blue dress there which fit absolutely perfectly and was a joy to snag for just $40.

If you’re reading in the United States, Dubai or Singapore, I hope I’ve convinced you that my home town is filled with great fashion at awesome prices.

Thanks to Mica Nelson and Sven Berlinger for .the photography

 

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