Wear My Wardrobe – An 80s 3 Pc Lives Again

When I added a ‘Style’ section to My Poppet LIVING I did it in the hope that it would encourage me to talk about something I enjoy, vintage, independent and recycled fashion.

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I’m not a ‘fashion’ or style blogger and don’t shop for clothes very often, in fact most of my wardrobe is years old. I love to wear what I have in new and interesting ways, and always challenge myself to put together fun outfits with vintage pieces and a few quality wardrobe staples that I wear year after year.

Fast trend driven fashion is not for me, I know the effort it takes to make a garment, so when I buy something I intend on wearing it for a long long time.

Over the years I’ve learned what works for my body and style, but often I just can’t find clothes in stores to suit my aesthetic (and budget), for me vintage and second hand is the way to go. I can shop guilt free and always have something unique to wear.

So, welcome to a new series on My Poppet LIVING where I’m going to Wear my Wardrobe. I have pretty lofty aims for this little project, here are some of my motivations behind it:

• I’m uncomfortable being photographed so this is a way to jump in head first and just get over myself.
• To encourage you to consider wearing vintage/op-shop clothing more, and buy fast fashion less.
• To show you how vintage pieces can be styled in modern ways to fit a contemporary look, making shopping for vintage an option that you may not have considered.
• So I can have fun putting together new outfits from what I have already, and hopefully get you to do the same.
• Working out the ‘gaps’ in my wardrobe to help maximize the wear of all my clothing.
• Sort out what really isn’t working and why.
• Give you refashioning ideas that you can use to restyle your old garments.
• Give you tips and help you feel confident op-shopping for vintage clothes you will actually wear.
• Proving that 40+ style doesn’t have to be dull. Yes I’m over 40!

That’s lots to cover, but hopefully over time I’ll work through everything. I know that my style isn’t for everyone, but that is the point, everyone has their own style to discover, explore and embrace.

‘Fashions fade, style is eternal.’ – Yves Saint Laurent

So with the encouragement of my friend Imogen, style blogger extraordinaire, who told me just to try on lots of outfits, take photos and have fun, I bring you the first post of Wear my Wardrobe:

The 80s 3 Piece Suit

I’m a 70’s girl at heart but quality pre 80’s and 90’s clothing is getting very hard to find at the local oppy, so I’ve been taking a second look at some more recent vintage pieces and found a hidden gem.

This 3 piece outfit (skirt, tank and blouson) at first look, is just the worst of the 80’s. With massive shoulder pads, puffy sleeves and busy print, I don’t blame anyone for leaving it on the rack.

But here’s what I liked about it:

• The colours – saturated colours are my thing, I like bold and bright which is hard to find in the shops these days. The fabric design has black, red, pink, turquoise and blue, all colours I like wearing and can easily match with current wardrobe pieces.
• I love a pleat.
• The tank top fit me perfectly, was flattering and a pretty contemporary style. It wouldn’t look out of place in Gorman.
• The fabric is shiny and like a magpie I’m attracted to shiny things.
• The whole set was only $12

How to wear?

The key to getting wear out of this outfit is not to wear the 3 pieces together, it’s just too dated. Instead I treated them as separates, and with a little refashioning the blouson jacket actually became my favourite piece.

See the full Vintage Jacket refashion on My Poppet MAKES

Here is the Lookbook I put together, I’ve listed the source of all the pieces, and what I paid (if I can remember) and how old they are. Most are several seasons, or decades old but I thought you may want it as a reference.

Head scarf – Vintage, Swedish Clogs – OpShop $5 (3yrs+).

Get the look with these vintage and handmade items from Etsy :

• Pink Vintage scarf
• Pink Swedish Clog Sandals
• Pleated 80s skirt

I love this cute look, I’ve added pink accessories to go with the pink in the print.

This outfit combo is perfect for drinks or a fancy dinner. I love this necklace (you’ll be seeing it a lot) it dresses up any outfit. Gold bead Necklace – Lovisa (2yrs), Pencil Skirt – Dangerfield (2yrs), Shoes (not pictured) – Scanlan & Theodore/Salvos $25.

Get the look with these vintage and handmade items from Etsy :

• Printed Satin Tank top
• Black Pencil Skirt
• Statement Gold Necklace

Little booties take this skirt from summer to winter. Striped top – Uniqlo thermal underwear $14 (new), Boots – Salvos $25 (3yrs), Red vest – Vintage/Opshop $5, Black Jacket – about 10 years old

As you can see the old blouson has had quite the transformation! It’s now one of my favourite wardrobe items. I’ll be wearing it lots this winter.

High waisted skinny jeans – Factorie (I struggle finding jeans that fit so bought 2 pairs of these and intend to wear them till they are thread bare), Shoes – Kinki Gerlinki (2yrs+)

Here is a teaser of the jacket refashion – See 80s Vintage Jacket Refashion full instructions

I like how this top has a bit of a vintage Baseball jacket vibe. I’m feeling Taylor Swift vibes here. Lol

Pattern Clash! I love to mix and match patterns. I consider stripes the new neutral and therefore work with everything. Go bold or go home! This skirt is actually pink and navy so works with the colours of the tops, but got a little washed out with studio lights. Necklace- Opshop $3, Skirt – Gorman (new) $119 on sale, Red sandals – Sportsgirl (4yrs +)

So what do you think? Who knew a $12, 80’s and outdated looking 3pc set could be so versatile and wearable!

I wore the skirt and black jacket combo today for Mother’s Day lunch and felt fab.  Can’t wait to take the jacket out for a spin.

Hopefully the next Wear my Wardrobe installment won’t be too far away. If you have any questions about anything I’ve covered, just ask and I’ll try to tackle them in future posts.

x Cinti