dress of the day

I got this dress a few weeks ago, at Humana's half price sale, so I paid 75 kronor for it. Money well spent indeed. Today was the first day I wore it, and I loved it just as much as when I tried it on in the store. It's always nice to wear a dress for the first time and get to try out how to accessorize it best. Can't wait for warmer days to wear it too, since the upper part of the dress is the cutest and shouldn't be covered with a cardigan.



Very sweet little buttons in the front. I'm not sure what the material is, I would say a light polyester, but I guess it might have it's own name. I'm not really a fabric expert. Not sure about the make either, it looks very 40's but could just as well be from the 80's.



The sleeves are my absolute favorite part of this dress, so cute.


Today I also had my first semla in years. It's a traditional Swedish pastry that you're supposed to eat one specific Tuesday in March, but nowadays are available in most bakeries from just after Christmas to Easter. I've never been a huge fan of them, but usually had one every year anyway. Some years ago I had a really bad one though, and I was in a business meeting and felt bad to leave any, so I still ate it all and felt sick for the whole day. But today I suddenly got a semla craving and it was delicious! Which means I might just have to have at least one more before the season is over.

october round-up bargains

Walking by a good vintage store with huge signs saying 50% off everything, is very difficult, not to say impossible. So I didn't, I went inside Emmaus last Wednesday. I had in mind that I wanted to get a new 60's nightgown, and I found a perfect ice blue one immediately. 50 kronor, thank you very much.



I already have a few of these, cos they're like candy, and I love them. Not only are they super cute, but also very soft and comfy. This one turned out to be very warm though, so it'll be perfect when winter's here for real. We had a short snow scare the other week, and it's not supposed to snow in October, really. Fortunately it melted almost straight away, and this week it's been milder and just as autumn should be. Crisp and clear skies showing off the last remaining colours clinging to the trees.



I also found a couple of polyester dresses that only cost 30 kronor each, so I took my chances with them without trying them on (I was out during my lunch break). After buying vintage dresses for about 15 years, at least, I'm pretty good at knowing what works, and what doesn't. First, I saw this cute gold flower, like a built-in-brooch.



The rest of the dress wasn't too bad looking either, I'm guessing it's from the 80's, although a bit plain. But plain makes the best base and I already had something in mind.



I thought this belt would go perfectly with the dress, and I was right. It looks great! And the dress is a perfect fit too, so I'm very happy with that bargain.



The other dress was more of a long shot, because I knew the 70's shape wouldn't work. But there was something about it that I liked, and for 30 kronor it's no biggie if it becomes a project I don't take on for a while. I need to figure it out for a while, what would be the best solution.



I like the details around the neck, but the sleeves are way too big, as is the rest of the dress. It's in very good condition though, and I love the colour, so I have faith in it's makeover. Whether I keep it as a dress, shorten the sleeves, tighten the sides, or make a 2-piece instead. I'll keep you posted on the progress.



Another project that's been waiting for my attention I finally got around to today, and I'm very happy with the result. It's the maroon 60's dress with the beautiful purple lining, that had a bit too pointy collar wings for my taste, and also the neck was a bit too big. I wasn't sure how to alter it when I started, but in the end it came out like a polo neck, with a peep hole, which I think works quite well with the dress as a whole. I've put tiny hidden buttons on the inside of the collar, otherwise it'll be a bit difficult to put on.

Hope you all had a good week, and a good October, as it ends today. Happy Halloween!

proving the point of a principle

I usually stick to my principles, for better or for worse, and I haven't caved in to temptation and bought the gorgeous but seriously pricey dresses I posted the other day. Instead I went out during lunch last Wednesday and bought 3 vintage dresses at Humana, for the price of not even half a new dress (159 kronor each to be exact)!



The "problem", apart from being a shopoholic, is that the Humana store (on S:t Paulsgatan) just keeps getting bigger everytime I go there, and obviously gets filled with more clothes! My knees got weak when I realised how much more clothes were there this time, and I knew deep down I wasn't gonna be able to leave without something, and that for my own good I SHOULD NOT look at everything. Which is way easier said than done ... Even though I was only browsing really quickly, being out during my lunch break and everything, apparently I still had time to try on 3 dresses and buy them.



This dark turquoise dress with black diagonal stripes and puff sleeves is very 80's, but matched with the right accessories I'm gonna make it look awesome! I just love the colour and the neckline and the little round black buttons on the sides. I'm sure it'll look great with a black cardigan on top, which is pretty essential this time of year.



A little black polyester dress with a chinese collar didn't stay unnoticed for long, it's just a perfect everyday dress that can look very different depending on how and with what you wear it. I've already got big plans for it! Being sleeveless of course it'll be good for summer too, but I'll make good use of it before that, since summer is about 8 1/2 months away ...



I really like the white print, which looks like percentage signs. Not sure when it's from, maybe late 60's, early 70's, but could also be later. It doesn't have any tags whatsoever, so might be homesewn, by someone pretty skilled because the details around the neck and shoulders are impeckable. I think I'm gonna wear this with a white cardigan to work tomorrow, it'll be a good way to start the week.



Dress no. 3 is this lovely grey, red and pink piece, a Danish design from the 70's, by the look of the collar. It looks a bit dull just hanging like this, but has got a great fit and is so comfortable. Not sure about the material, it's like a woolish polyester, but not that thick. Excellent for autumn/winter though.



I love this checkered pattern, and I think it's great to combine grey with red and pink, classic and fun at the same time. I've also got both red and pink cardigans and tights, so a lot of good combinations will be made with them. Today I started with pink tights, and going out for grocery shopping earlier I wore a red coat and felt nice and colourful. I do think it's important to wear as much colour as possible during this dark season, to sort of cheer yourself up, but somehow I still end up wearing so much of black.



I don't hate 70's collars actually, but I know a lot of people despise them. Sometimes I think they look really good on the right things. I didn't think this dress needed that much of wings though, so I fixed it last night and thought it came out pretty nice.

In the last week I got 4 dresses, so I'm gonna make a serious effort not to get anymore for a while now. Wish me luck, I'll sure need it!

Maybe I should have a giveaway of an old dress I don't wear anymore, I've got quite a few of those too ... Lemme know if that would be interesting. Now it's time to make some pancakes!

gorgeous gothenburg

My first day in Gothenburg I made some nice finds, but the nicest one of all was to find Gothenburg as lovely as I ever remembered it. I go there once every year for the big national book fair in September, but unfortunately never have time to really experience the city outside the fair, except for going to some really nice restaurants in the evenings. I used to go there quite a lot in the past, since one of my best friends has lived there for a long time (and she just got married, so happy happy marriage to Hanna and Malin!). Even when I was little, and we went there with my cousins who live in the same part of Sweden (the west coast), I loved it and actually thought Gothenburg was cooler than Stockholm. I'm not sure I'd like to live there full time, but I'll definitely try and visit more often, besides going to the book fair.



A for me "new" part of the city was the first place I went, cos I'd read about it and driving past it in cabs to the hotel last year I suspected it'd be just my cup of tea. It sure was! Or rather a perfect cup of coffee, that I got from Da Matteo, a coffee shop and coffee supplier I'm pretty sure have the best coffee in Gothenburg. The area is one or two blocks where Vallgatan meets Magasinsgatan, where there are lovely shops every which direction you look. Prickig Katt I've already told you briefly about, and will get back to that in another post, cos I've got a lot of awesome pics from the store. A vintage shop I really liked was Pop Boutique, where I found this pretty dress for 300 kronor. I know it's not really expensive, but I'm always a bit hesitant paying that much for vintage if isn't mint condition, and I also have to fix it. This was mint indeed though, doesn't even look worn. It looks 40's, but is more likely 80's, from Spain. It's a little bit big, but nothing I can't fix, and with a belt this shape might work anyway actually. The fabric is quite warm, not sure what it is, but it'll be a perfect autumn favorite!



Gothenburg is known for it's excellent shoe stores, at least to me. Right now all stores had sales, but seeing it's being the end of summer I thought it didn't make much sense to buy more summer shoes. Sometimes I can be sensible too. No, really, I can. Except that white shoes might not be that incredibly sensible with the kind of autumn weather we usually get here, but there were only white left in my size, and they're so incredibly adorable I couldn't leave without these Vagabond brogue-mary-jane-wedges! Especially since I've discovered this summer that my feet actually like wedges, and I've used to be a flat shoe girl for as long as I can remember. Mostly cos I've thought my feet couldn't take heels, but apparently I've been wrong all these years. All the more reason to make up for it now, and these were on sale for 420 kronor, which is an okay price for quality shoes (I keep telling myself ...). Not exactly Mr Price, but hopefully they'll last longer, if I can remember to buy white shoe polish, and use it. And hope for a lot of sunny autumn days!



The cheapest buy of the day were these little hairpin gingham flowers from Indiska, two for 25 kronor. Very cute indeed. Did you notice how well all these things will go together? I actually just realised this now, looking forward to trying it out one of these days when autumn creeps closer. Maybe I can wear it at the book fair? Go all Gothenburg when in Gothenburg. Makes sense.

Now I'm off to the archipelago for a work conference for a few days, it'll be so nice to leave the city for a bit. As of yesterday everyone's definitely back for school and work, and the streets are so incredibly crowded by people and bikes and cars and stupid skateboarders I almost had a fit walking to and from work yesterday! Not to mention how many times people bumped into me without apologising, in true Stockholm Style, and bikers refusing to consider anyone but themselves in traffic, and cars not stopping when they should ... It's exhausting I tell you! So what better to cure that than to go off into the wilderness, where things will be too quiet for sure, and I'll miss the hectic pace of the city again. I'm weird, yes I am. But what can you do?

best bargain dress of the summer

This is the amazing antique shop in Ystad I've talked about before, Hemlängtan (Homesickness). I really wanted to take some pictures inside too, but it was pretty crowded when I was there so that didn't go according to plan. I meant to go back at another time, but never got around to it. Oh, well, I'll do it next time. Since it was so busy (which is a good thing for the owners of course!), I didn't really stay that long to check things out either, hence didn't buy anything. I did also feel like I shouldn't buy anymore brooches for a while, at least not until I've used all of the ones I already have, twice. When I have done so, Hemlängtan is definitely the place to go to find some more.



I felt quite excited going down to the Saturday market on one of the town squares in Ystad. It took a bit of an effort to find any potentials, but I quite like the hunt. It's a bit more excruciating though, when it's just regular people selling their old stuff really, and some of them clearly had no idea how to price things (which meant overpricing like crazy). When I say excruciating I mean it can feel a bit embarrassing sometimes, when the things people are selling are just junk, and I just look at the table for 5 seconds. That's why I try to walk up to tables when someone else is going too ... Anyways, I spotted a corner of this lovely fabric on a clothes hanger, and as I pulled it out to find it was a lovely dress my heart started to race!



This elderly very nice lady told me it used to belong to a friend of hers, and that I could get it for 40 kronor. My heart raced even more! I didn't really want to try it on in the middle of the town square, but thought it would fit fairly well, and for that price it didn't really matter that much.



It turned out to fit me perfectly and I couldn't be happier with it, I think it's incredibly pretty! I have no idea when it's from, it's got 40's lines I think, but I doubt elastic waistbands were that common back then (which I could be wrong about too though). It's only got a little tag saying the fabric is polyester and cotton, which would be a giveaway it's maybe 70's, early 80's? Nevermind, it's gorgeous!



From a very talkative and persuasive German woman I also bought an Indian old bracelet at the market. It didn't fit me very well, and I doubt it's real silver, but the parts are really nice and I thought I might take it apart and do something else with them. Not sure what though. Any ideas? I love the elephants and little stars.



What I liked the most with the bracelet was the hamsa hand though, that hangs loose on a little chain. It's got such an intricate design for such a small piece of jewellery. I paid 25 kronor for it, and even if I only make a necklace with the hamsa hand I think it's worth it.



Just before leaving Ystad, I got this lovely piece of red and white gingham fabric from my dad's wife: perfection! Not sure what it'll be enough for, but if nothing else I'll use it as a table cloth, which is plenty. It might make a vest, or short sleeved blouse, maybe using some vintage buttons I got in Gothenburg. Oh, that would be even more perfection!



This iron cast reptile I simply could not resist when I found it, for 69 kronor. So cute! And in all honesty, I didn't get any lizards for quite a long time now, unless I'm mistaking. I've mostly been owl crazy, and I certainly don't want the lizzies to feel left out from my life. That would just be plain rude.

beyond retro, in front of style

I felt quite moody going home from work, and decided to cheer myself up with a long overdue visit to Beyond Retro on Åsögatan. I've talked about that store before, that I find it a bit overwhelming cos it's so huge and completely packed with stuff. Usually that would excite me, but when it's also packed with people at the same time, as it is mostly, it's a bit too much. Today I decided not to care about all that, and just look through the dress area, with an idea to maybe find something to wear to my father's 60's birthday party next week. (As you all know I don't have anything to wear ...) Going into the dressing room with 3 dresses, I suddenly saw something black and white polkadot in the corner of my eye: a bathing suit with a skirt! For 129 kronor! And a perfect fit! I wish someone would high-five me right now. I love it so much I'm actually considering going to the beach, as soon as the summer heat is back. Or else just wear it in the bath.



Out of the 3 dresses, only one was perfect, but it was so perfect I couldn't be happier. It's the kind of dress that doesn't exactly come to life on a hanger, but it really looks great on. I love the simplicity and sort of everyday cuteness of it, it's certainly a girlie girl dress. Not sure at all about the origin, I would take a wild guess with late 70's, maybe early 80's, mostly based on the stretch waist. It might be homemade, cos it doesn't have any tags, or else they were all cut off. Not that it looks homemade though, the details are really well made.



Like these lovely puffy sleeves, so cute! I have a thing for sewn on ribbons too, it's just an easy way to get some balance into pieces that are a bit too mono coloured. There used to be a black belt to this dress I suppose, but not anymore. I've got a black belt though (a regular belt, not in karate) so that's not really a problem. Come to think of it, it looks a little bit like a American Appalachian folklore dress from the 20's or 30's, or is it just my wild imagination? It's something slightly peasanty about it at least.



And of course I adore the little shiny black flower buttons! In Swedish I would say they are "pricken över i:et", which would translate to "the dot over the i", but I'm sure there's some more appropriate expression that I just can't come to think of right now. With a pricetag of 189 kronor I was in a way better mood coming out of Beyond Retro than coming in. I also got some voluntary assistance from a cute blond shop girl, who just by looking at me and the dresses I was gonna try on, ran off to fetch another cute bathing suit she thought I'd like. And afterwards she asked me how it went, which is service I really like, when it doesn't feel forced, just natural. So I guess this all means I'm not gonna wait another year or two before I go back.

a duo of dresses with music

I thought it was about time I posted something including myself, not just empty dresses, even though I prefer taking pictures of them rather than posing myself. This picture is from September 2008, outside of Kägelbanan in Stockholm, where the lovely burlesque club Hootchy Kootchy was hosting that night, and I finally made it there with two dear friends. I had wanted to go since the first time I heard about it, but for different reasons it took me a very long time to make it happen. Part of the great fun of the night definitely was prepping in my apartment: dressing up to the teeth, putting make-up on, painting nails, drinking champagne, choosing the right music to get us into burlesque mood. We even made up burlesque names for the night, which was great fun! I decided to go with this pretty red vintage dress that I got in Barcelona 5 years ago. Not surprisingly it's polyester, so not ideal for going out dancing, but it was okay. The tattoo I'm showing off is brand new, hence the showing off. It's the initial P, for my husband, that I redesigned from an old Victorian font.



The dress doesn't really look that good just hanging like that, but I like it a lot, and it was one of very many good buys from an excellent long weekend stay in Barcelona. I've always wanted to go back since, and one day I'll make sure I will. My guess is the dress is from the 70's or early 80's, and I've remade the sleeves a bit, cos the fabric on the back looked a bit weird and there was just too much of it, almost like a cape.



The music I wanted to pair this dress with is the new album by my very own brother, Rasmus Kellerman, The 24th, released about a week ago. It's called his debut, cos it's his first album under his own name, but in reality I believe it's his 6th album. I guess you could say that I'm pretty biased, him being my brother and all, but you just have to trust me on this: it's a really really good album! I've been listening to it so much lately, and it reminds me of home. I think home is where you make it, but also an original place, where you come from. Not necessarily a house, or a town, or even a place, but a feeling of where you became you. Sure, changes will happen during the way to adulthood, you may move around, people come and go in your life and leave different things behind or show you the way to new places, but that abstract "home" will always stay the same and you always carry it with you. That's what this album is about. In my opinion. The amazing cover painting is made by Andreas M. Wiese.



The second dress of today is here seen on me in spring of 2005, if memory doesn't fail me. Maybe it was fall, or even 2006? Either way, it's me with my former band, Dexter's Moon, at Landet, Stockholm, performing as one of four acts at the "Kellerman Night", a one night club only. How this happened was that me and my brothers have old friends that had this club, and one time we started talking about putting all of our groups together for one night, that it could be kinda fun. And it sure was. Apart from Dexter's, my older brother's band Statemachine performed, as well as Rasmus (as his project Araki I think) and his wife Andrea/Firefox AK. It's a pretty small venue, but it was packed with mostly friends, and when we weren't playing live we were also dj-ing, which is something I really love doing, and used to do quite regularly for a while. As a final treat at the end of the night we all did a cover together (me, my brothers and Andrea), The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side by The Magnetic Fields. It was a very good night indeed, and it would sure be fun to repeat sometime in the future, depending on whatever we're doing then. Oh, and in the background there's a horror movie looping, but in this exact moment something else entirely is going on as you can see ...



The dress is an adorable polyester one, full of flowers, from Stadsmissionen at Nytorget, Stockholm, many years ago. Probably from the 70's, it had long sleeves and was full length, but I changed it as you can see. I really like it still, and it's nice to wear with a top, so as it's almost like a skirt too.



Yesterday my good friend, and also music producer, Juni Järvi, released a new single from his upcoming second album. You can listen to it here. I think it's quite lovely and summery and happy and makes me want to dance althrough a Swedish bright summer's night! Can't wait for the album release in September, but I can reveal I've been fortunate enough to listen to some wonderful snippets when I've visited the studio to work on my own stuff. It promised big and bold and beautiful, and I want to see Juni and his band play live many times this summer and fall, so I hope there will be plenty of bookings for that too. Oh, and obviously the single cover is completely divine too! Very much my cup of tea, but I suspect the album cover might look even better, I won't tell you why though. You just wait and see. As will I, eagerly.