DIY LBD SERIES - RECAP

Sunday, August 21, 2011
Things have been so busy recently - with DIYs, collaborations and a side project (more on that soon I promise!) it's felt a little out of control. I'm half way through the fourth and final in the DIY LBD series (ok so maybe more like a third of the way).  Prior to finishing it, here's a recap of the three I have done previously. I have worn the crap out of all of them - that's the remit for a LBD right?



DIY ZIP JEANS

Saturday, August 20, 2011
These amazing zip jeans by Avelon being worn by Sabrina of Afterdrk  inspire me to DIY. Time to commence the zip hunt!

TRANS-SEASONAL UNIFORM

Thursday, August 18, 2011
How good are these bright red J Brand jeans? They fit pretty well - on the bum and into my trans-seasonal wardrobe. They're a light cotton twill so are perfect for the 'sorta autumn' we'll be having here in the next couple of months. Paired with one of my thrifted nautical tees and basic black flats:  Hello trans-seasonal uniform! And I'll wack on a khaki parker for any chilly days. Done and done.


What are your key trans-seasonal pieces?

MOLTEN STORE PYRITE RING GIVEAWAY - CLOSED!

The recently launched and amazing Molten Store is giving away two gorgeous Rachel Pfeffer Pyrite Rings.

How it works:
If they choose you - I win one too. Its win-win, erm... literally!

All you have to do  for us to win is:
1. Leave a comment and your name below to let me know you entered.
2. Like Molten Store on Facebook
3. Comment on Molten Store's Facebook Page and mention A Pair & A Spare. 
Simple! Now go and get amongst it. Competition closes 21st of August.


THE RUG TAKES STOCKHOLM

Thanks to some of my lovely readers for letting me know that Swedish brand Hope incorporated rugs in their recent collection (much like the rug skirt, dress and top I made recently) - in the form of skirts and tote bags. Great minds think alike! I love the messy texture of the rug that the brand has used - clearly they designed their own fabric instead of having to go with whatever the dollar store has in stock...

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I have to admit I'm addicted to the iphone app instagram This picture-based equivalent of twitter - where you take and post pics - has me busy snapping everything around me. It's such a good way to capture the constant flow of DIY inspiration I see in everyday life. And Hong Kong streets are always so interesting to photograph!

Are you addicted to it too? Be sure to look me up, my user name is APAIRANDASPARE. These are a few pics I have taken recently.

J BRAND COLLABORATION - JASON WU INSPIRED DENIM

Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Recently I had the pleasure of collaborating with J Brand Jeans on a AW11 Runway Inspired DIY. I chose to embellish some jeans with lace - a la Jason Wu RTW. Was such a fun project! Thanks to J Brand for arranging it - head over to their blog to check out my post and lots of other fun bits and bobs.

Lace has been popping up everywhere for the coming fall/winter season, and I couldn’t help but drool over the scalloped lace embellished dresses, sweatshirts and jackets that came down the runway as part of Jason Wu’s amazing AW11 RTW collection. What better way to get a bit of lace in your life than by doing it yourself? Never one to shy away from a challenge, I got to work adding some gorgeous black scalloped lace to my favorite J Brand style in an amazing bright lime green. Lace + chartreuse = two of my favorite AW11 trends wrapped up in one fun little DIY package!

To do this DIY you’ll need:
A pair of jeans (go for a bright color like green, orange or red)
Around 3m of black lace, scalloped along one edge. Try to pick lace with some stretch.
A needle and some black thread.
(& some re-runs of Sex and the City to watch while you do the project!)

1. Measure out enough lace to run down both sides of jeans.
2. Cut the lace to fit, leaving a little so the ends can be folded and sewed to the underside.
3. Line up the flat edge of the lace with the side seam of the jeans.
4. Pin in place.
5. Hand sew all the way around the lace, starting along the straight edge and then moving to the scalloped edge. This is when you’ll need a supply of your favorite re-runs – it took me about 2 hours to stitch the lace. Hand stitching works best because it allows a little bit of stretch for when you put the jeans on.
6. Complete both sides.
Voila! How easy is that? The scalloped lace gives a gorgeous and on-trend look, and a friend mentioned when I was wearing them that the lace was quite flattering on the legs, um, score!

SYDNEY IN PICTURES

Monday, August 15, 2011
Holiday snaps of my trip to Sydney in April (better late than never). Every time I hang out there I think to myself - why don't I live here? It really is one of the most beautiful and fun cities in the world. I'm looking forward to spending a few days there in a couple of weeks time.


Left to right top to bottom -
Corn fritters with bacon at Lemon in Surrey Hills, the Ivy Pool Bar
Espresso Martinis at Pizza e Birra in Surrey Hills, Sydney Harbour Bridge
On Manley Beach (promise I'm wearing a bikini top!), Breakfast at Bitton Cafe in Alexandria, walking off a big lunch on the streets of Surrey Hills
Crown Street in Surrey Hills, Coogee Beach, Flowers at a friends wedding
Sydney Opera House, terrace houses in Surrey Hills
Me with some ladies of the night at The Ivy, Manly Beach

I know this is supposed to be a fashion blog, but I can't help but throw in a few travel snaps and other ramblings. I hope you don't mind!

LOVING - COLLAR NECKLACES

Sunday, August 14, 2011
Collars have been having a moment. For a looong while now.  Remember my collar DIYs here and here? Seems like an eternity ago. I absolutely loved this colourful post over at Frockshop's blog, and it's clear that now its all about the statement collar necklace. I recently bought this black beaded one from a local Hong Kong designer - and I've hardly taken it off!

Wearing: Beaded collar necklace, A Pair & A Spare silk tank, A Pair & A Spare knitted high-waisted shorts, Anniel ballet flats.

Psst... You might be seeing a little DIY collar necklace here in the coming weeks!

Images: Top collage images sourced from here.

DIY AUTUMN

Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ok so I recognise that in some places in the world, the weather is starting to cool down a bit. I won't say 'the grass is always greener' or anything because its lame but I sort of miss the bittersweet Autumn days in temperate cities - when the leaves start to turn golden and you know that summer is on its way out. I know for some places its been a pretty horrible summer - the most sun my London friends have seen has been on their annual trip to Ibiza ('eye-beefa'), and for that I should be grateful for the long hot sunny days in Hong Kong (and clear skin as a result of sauna style temperatures and the resulting sweatiness! Oh and did I mention crazy frizzy hair?). In an effort to emulate this whole 'four seasons' thing I have picked some of my favourite Autumnal flavoured DIYs. These will come in handy for me in say, um, December - but then again the aircon is pretty cold in my office - maybe I can prance around indoors in a cape?


1.See by Chloe Tartan Cape
2. Isabel Marant Feather Necklace
3.Cobra Society Boots
4. Junya Wanatambe Plaid Shirt Dress

btdubs - how good are the Cobra Society boots????

HOW TO DIY - 5 STEPS

Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Finding time, the DIY toolkit and more. I often get emails from readers saying that they love DIY fashion projects but don't do any - common reasons for this include a lack of materials, inspiration, confidence and above all, time. Bearing that in mind, I've listed out below my 5 key steps to getting started on DIY fashion projects.

1. GATHER THE ESSENTIAL TOOLS
The first step is to organise a DIY essentials kit. This kit will have the key tools to support the actual process of your DIY projects, and without them it's going to be super hard to follow through when you're inspired.  There is a huge benefit in taking the time to collect the right basic tools at the start - it opens up your imagination and means less barriers to getting started on a project. To do this, get a box and started collecting. You can check out M&J Trimming, Ebay, Hardware Stores, Flea Markets and craft stores for these items . At a minimum your essentials toolkit could contain the following things:
  • a good pair of dressmaking scissors

  • a box of dressmakers pins

  • a measuring tape

  • chalk

  • black and white thread

  • needles

  • a quick unpick

If you have cash to splash, invest in:
  • a sewing machine (mine is a Singer model '2250 Tradition')

  • a glue gun

A sewing machine is the best investment you will ever make in terms of the quality and type of DIY projects you will be able to produce. But I know they aren't cheap (my aussie one was AUD$600 and the one I now have in HK went for US$250) and it's a huge investment to make when you don't know how to sew or if you will even like it. Why not buy one with a group of friends and take turns using it? The person who enjoys it the most can always buy the others out if interest wanes. Find a local sewing school or sewing cafe and do some classes before you invest - Sweatshop Cafe in Paris and The Make Lounge in Islington are two fun places to learn how to sew. If anyone knows of any other sewing classes/schools/cafes they would like to recommend please leave a comment below.

2. COLLECT INSPIRATION
Look around you for inspiration for DIY projects - in magazines, on blogs, style.com, on the streets, in shops, in your local department store. Start asking yourself, could I DIY that? Collect and keep images and ideas, have a folder on your laptop or computer titled 'DIYS to do' where you regularly save off inspiring images from blogs and websites, tear images out of magazines, and take pictures on the streets. DIY ideas can be fleeting we've all got a million other things to think about, so make sure to nail down your inspiration when you have it. This allows you to come back to it later on when you have time.

3. EXPERIMENT ON THRIFTED CLOTHES
The easiest DIYs involve altering and experimenting on thrifted clothes. This is really how I got started. Creating a garment from scratch is really a daunting task (for me too!), but making changes and alterations to existing clothes is a surprisingly easy place to start. Add fringing, studs, feathers and buttons as a start. Check out local charity shops, seconds stores, flea markets and garage sales for clothes that you can experiment on. The less you spend on these items, the more likely you are to be imaginative.

4. STOCKPILE DIY MATERIALS
Get together a collection of cheap materials - such as chains, buttons, studs, ribbons, and zips,  which can be used to DIY items of clothing or accessories. Often you will find these materials in the most unlikely of places - thrift stores, hardware stores, newsagents and stationary stores, plumbing shops and junk yards. All these stores have a million different items them that, with a little creativity, can help you produce professional looking DIY projects. I have a tendency to stockpile these items when I see them, even if I don't have a use for them at that particular moment - they always come in handy down the track. I also try not to spend too much on these things - DIY for me is a way to satisfy my fashion cravings without breaking the bank.

5. MAKE TIME
I get asked alot 'how do you find the time to do DIY?'. Time is one of the biggest factors in being able to carry out DIY projects, and what stands in most people's way. Most of us lead busy lives - between work, socialising and (occasionally haha) going to the gym, there is very little time left. My biggest tip is to commit time to doing projects, as that is one of the only ways they happen. I generally commit to doing one project over the weekend - Sunday afternoon is my favoured time to put on some Sex and the City and have a 'crafternoon'. You could commit to doing a project a month or fortnight and take the time to prepare for it. Still torn between other commitments? Organise to do some projects with friends so that you can kill two birds with one stone. Or do some DIY whilst on public transport - beading and other sewing projects are possible. I also always have a project to do while sitting in front of the TV, most of us waste a fair amount of time watching the new Weeds/Breaking Bad/Californication (etc) episodes - so make it productive DIY time.

And lastly... Don't be afraid to have a go. Have the confidence to make DIY inspiration reality, the worst thing that could happen is that it doesn't work out. Reduce fears associated with this by using cheap and thrifted materials. Every good DIYer has a project graveyard, a place for those DIYs that didn't work out as planned. I have ruined so many projects by getting scissor happy and cutting a dress/skirt too short. A word of advice - more is more when it comes to hems and scissors, trust me! Remember, projects that go awry can always be refashioned in the future, so there is no such thing as a complete fail.

Has this post answered some of your questions about how to DIY? Feel free to add any comments or further questions you have below - would love to know if anything else stands in your way from doing DIY projects. Share the love and DIY!

DIY TRIBAL PRINT KIMONO

Monday, August 8, 2011
Tribal and aztec prints have featured heavily in the last couple of seasons, and don't look to be going away any time soon. I recently purchased a gorgeous red printed scarf when I was in thailand, with tassels and coins on the ends. As much as I loved it, there isn't a huge need for a scarf in HK until at least December, and I was really sad seeing it just languishing in my closet. I posted a whole year ago here about wanting to make a kimono/poncho style top - and have finally got around to it! Tip: You can use the same technique as shown below to make a winter cape using a thick printed blanket or throw rug.
DIY:
You'll need a large square printed scarf, scissors, and a needle and thread. I used a sewing machine for part of the process but you can easily do it all by hand.
1. Fold your scarf in half and mark the half way line with chalk. Lay the scarf on the floor or on a large table and cut down the chalk line, cutting a little bit over half way through the middle of the fabric.
2. Sew back and forth across the end of the cut in the fabric, so that it doesn't fray or rip.  Then sew the other raw edges - I rolled them over twice and hand stitched.
3. As you can see, in doing this you have cut the neck line into the kimono. Then it on and sew arm holes by simply securing the back and front together with a stitch on the outer edge of the fabric. And its done! The coins and tassels on the edges really add to the top so feel free to add a few things like this if you like. Fringing would also be a fun addition to the ends.
Wearing: DIY kimono, Topshop bikini top, thrifted denim shorts, Nat-sui flats, Karen Walker Sunglasses.

CAPSULE WARDROBE

Sunday, August 7, 2011
Over the weekend I put together a small capsule collection of clothes, aka my 13 piece capsule wardrobe. I then played around over the whole weekend - seeing how many outfits I could put together and trying to understand whether it would be possible to get away with a wardrobe with a very small number of items. You may remember my packing guide I did here, well this project saw me further work on the theory that less is actually more when it comes to getting dressed. Stay tuned for how I went.
What's in my 13 Piece Capsule Wardrobe?
Shoes: Mango booties, black Anniel ballet flats (everyone needs a pair), New Look black wide heel sandals (interchangeable for any black heels)
Tops: A Pair & A Spare silk pocket tank, thrifted long sleeve breton top (a must!), thrifted white t-shirt
Bottoms: A Pair & A Spare black lace shorts, Whistles denim mini shorts, DIY pink mini skirt, Uniqlo dark denim skinny leg jeans
Dress: Black bodycon Whistles dress (the perfect every-occasion LBD)
Jacket: H&M Khaki hooded jacket
Scarf: multi-colour large scarf

I put these items together to challenge myself - could I be more creative with outfits when under pressure to only wear a few items? You may feel you need completely different items in your capsule wardrobe - and if the weather permitted I would definitely throw in my black leather jacket.

What would you put in your capsule wardrobe?

Shanghai In Pictures

Found a few pictures I haven't posted of my recent whirlwind trip to Shanghai. Delicious dim sum in Xintiandi, discovering the leafy French Concession and all its little alleyways, stumbling upon a 5 storey sunday flea and antiques market, devouring three courses of Peking duck and walking the bund were just a few of the things we go up to when we were there. It absolutely pissed down with rain for much of the trip but we managed to make the most of it. Make sure to put Shanghai on your list if you are ever in the neighborhood.

Birthday Suit

Thursday, August 4, 2011
Quarter century celebrations this weekend. The weather in HK has been unbelievable - clear blue skies and sweltering, which is just the way I like it. Shall be rocking this outfit like its 2004 and I just turned 18 (and not 25).

Wearing: Ash peeptoe perforated booties, A Pair & A Spare silk pocket front tank, A Pair & A Spare knitted high waisted shorts, thrifted envelope clutch, black stone bracelet.

Jeez, does anyone still say 'rocking' as in wearing something anymore? Its pretty obvious I'm in a fashion lingo timewarp.

DIY Crop It - Inspired by Blushing Ambition

Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The gorgeous Annabel of Blushing Ambition seriously knows how to dress. She always looks simple and chic, and her style has a timelessness that I absolutely love. I had to show you this cute crop top she wore recently, because as soon as I saw it I thought 'ding ding ding! DIY!' (no joke). Do you want to make a similar style? Take a thick strap, loose singlet and cut it off a few inches below the bottom of your bra line. Annabel shows us that sleeveless and loose is a great way to wear the crop top trend - and pairing it with a pleated high waisted skirt means you can show off a little bit of skin but not too much. Perfect.
Images from here

DIY Bronze Bolt Necklace

Very simple bolt necklace using suede and a bronze bolt thingy.
If you love frizzy hair you should definitely move to Hong Kong. I recommend it.

DIY In Colour

Tuesday, August 2, 2011
This is such an amazing shoot by the gorgeous Zanita and friends. Every single picture has me drooling, and the mix of grey and pops of colour is perfection. What especially caught my eye was the gorgeous perspex and rope jewellery and belts. So. Cool. The jewellery is by Alexandra Blak - I have to thank Zanita for introducing me to this amazing designer! You know what I love most about this post? The eye for DIY detail is impressive - often stylists make the best DIYers!

Loving this top made out of two pieces of fabric.
Amazing neon chain (spray paint your own) and a DIY one shoulder top from made out of jersey fabric.
Knotted rope necklace. Amazing!
Neon tipped sunglasses - pick up a similar style from ebay and add your own neon tips using paint.
Neon rope + carabiner = coolest belt ever!

Can you count the number of times I used the word 'amazing' in this post? Clearly need to find a few more descriptive words....

DIY Dress Inspiration

Am busy planning a dress for another wedding in Aus in September - when you spend most of your money flying about going to weddings you often have to make your own dress, haha. I am completely taken with this style of dress - mini at the front and maxi at the back. Definite inspiration for the upcoming project....

Btw how gorgeous did Sara (Harper & Harley) and Nicole (Gary Pepper Vintage) look at the Cosmopolitan Awards?  The amazing sequin blush dress is by Aussie designers AJE.

Images:  Harper & Harley / Anna Della Russo via Style.com

A DIY week in pictures

Monday, August 1, 2011
Heading out to the islands on a junk
DIY bronze cuffs
Swarovski Hello Kitty Launch
DIY cactus terranium
Vintage floor tiles
Coloured Lanterns in a boutique in Hong Kong
Wide leg trousers via Elle
Vintage straw visa and fan
Late night beach party
Cropped Missoni via Elle