Scarf - tying - scarves - ilovecarousel - carousel - Vintage -Retro

Creative Scarf Tying

Scarves are great.

They come in all sorts of patterns, lengths and fabrics and they’re a great booster accessory for any outfit, not to mind very functional. So why is it that come Autumn you see scarf after scarf tied virtually the same way?

You can do so much with these beauties with a little imagination and thankfully it’s not origami 🙂

Sarah Jessica Parker - SJP - Style - Scarf

Sarah Jessica Parker is our Scarf Hero!

Here’s a selection of creative scarf tying techniques we dreamed up-

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1. Tie at one shoulder and drape

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1. Finished

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2. Wrap around shoulders/upper arms, tie both ends at back of neck, bring endss around and tuck in to front.

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2. Finished

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3.Join corners at the back of the neck and tie securely, tuck front end up & in to main part.

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3. Finished

These are only a few of the hundreds of combinations…try mixing two scarves together. We’re all for clashing patterns 😉

 Here’s some of the designs we have just got in Carousel…we love the fox print-

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Scarves at Carousel…see them here: http://bit.ly/1jtokYb

Love, Carousel. xoxo

Circus- Autumn 2014

This Autumn, fall in love with seasonal patterns and prints in vintage styles.

We have taken inspiration from Vintage silhouettes from the 1930’s through to the 1970’s for this collection.

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CircusAutumnCollection1-m2.ilovecarousel.com

CircusAutumnCollection1-m2.ilovecarousel.com

Florals of every form are in abundance in our own label, Circus. In muted tones of Navy and Fawn, and vibrant shades of Crimson Red and Warm Pink.

Bird prints also make an appearance, in the form of swallows and larks.

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Fabric Swatches from the Circus Autumn 2014 collection at Carousel

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Fabric Swatches from the Circus Autumn 2014 collection at Carousel

We’re every excited to announce that these unique,vintage-inspired pieces will be available online and in-store from mid-September so keep an eye on our Facebook page HERE and our website at m2.ilovecarousel.com .

 Love,Carousel. xoxo

 

Your Vintage Guide

Let’s start off by saying Vintage is for everyone! I’m going to help you to identify it, style it in a modern way, and dispel some of those myths that have made the rounds.

Contrary to popular belief Vintage clothing isn’t smelly or dirty and the chances that someone ‘died in it’ are very slim 😀 A good,reliable Vintage shop/supplier will have steamed/washed their stock beforehand ready for you to bring home and cherish. If you’re lucky they will know the background to the item, maybe an event it was worn to, or something interesting about the previous owner.

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(L-R)Embroidered Vintage Dress: http://bit.ly/WSrZ6X ,
Vintage Colour Splash Dress: http://bit.ly/1qNb3v1 ,                                                                         Vintage Ditsy Dress: http://bit.ly/1xSZKpS .

Vintage is quite easily identifiable when you know what to look out for. Here’s a good guide:

  • Depending on the country, Vintage is either classed as anything older than 10 or 20 years. Anything 100 years or older is classed as ‘antique’.
  • Polyester wasn’t used commercially in clothing until the 1950’s so anything made before that would a natural fabric such as cotton, wool, linen etc.
  • Hems in vintage items are often hand-sewn. It wasn’t unusual to make your own clothing pre-1980’s so hand sewing on garments is a reflection of that.
  • Features such as fabric belts, fabric-covered buttons, Peter Pan collars and shoulder pads are distinct features found on Vintage items.
  • Ruffles were popular in the 80’s, Paisley prints in the 70’s, Block-coloured shift dresses in the 60’s, Prom dresses in the 40’s and Practical but pretty teadresses in the 40’s. Vintage ads are a good indicator of what was popular at the time

The easiest and best way to style vintage without looking like you’re wearing costume is by pairing it with modern-day items. A trilby hat with a teadress, Metallic stilletoes paired with a girly 50’s dress, 60’s shift blouse teamed with jeans.

Vintage is great fun to play with and opens up a whole world of styling variety. Do a bit of research before you head out searching for a unique piece and most importantly: Keep An Open Mind! 😉

Vintage-Carousel-boutique-fashion-m2.ilovecarousel.com

Vintage Dip-Dye Lace Dress http://bit.ly/1wm8Fyu

 We received a haul of 500 genuine vintage pieces recently and you can check them all out here http://bit.ly/1aHLb84

Carousel xoxo

Fall in Love With Autumn Fashion

We know it can be hard to let go of your short-shorts and tank tops but once you start to get excited about Autumn Fashion there will be no stopping you!

What we love about chilly-weather dressing  are the possibilities with mixing and matching pieces. Layering is great fun because you can combine items you’ve never thought of putting together before.

The other wonderful aspect to it is the colour palette…warm tones of Cranberry red, jewel tones of green, and Royal Navy Blues.

Don’t look at Autumn as a period of cooling down, look at it as a time to warm up…fashionably.

Circus Joan Dress, 65.00, http://bit.ly/1s926K6

Circus Joan Dress, 65.00, http://bit.ly/1s926K6

Closet Cut-Out Floral Dress

Closet Cut-Out Floral Dress, 69.00, http://bit.ly/1A4F0r0

Circus Keyhole Dress, 59.00, http://bit.ly/1u6BlaL

Circus Keyhole Dress, 59.00, http://bit.ly/1u6BlaL

We’ll be getting loads of snuggly Autumn stock in to the shop in the next few weeks so keep an eye on the website and facebook page for that!

Carousel xoxo

m2.ilovecarousel.com

Like The French Do

The French have always had a certain way of dressing…a certain je ne sais quoi! It has been much copied all around the world for decades, but what exactly is it that makes it so                                                                                   endearing?                                                                                      Well for me it’s about the simplicity. It is there in the pared back silhouette of a dress, the quality of the fabric, the unassuming colour palette. French women can stand out without trying to stand out.

It all started with the couturiers of the 18th century and escalated with the game changing ‘New Look’ created by Christian Dior in 1947. Sleek silhouettes with cinched-in waists were to set a standard of no-fuss, striking clothing.

Dior's New Look, 1947

Dior’s New Look, 1947

Nowadays French style is more relaxed. It can be as simple as jeans and Converse or a peter pan blouse and circle skirt.

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We find the best way to emanate this Style is to look at what’s happening on the streets of France. there’s no shortage of French street style photographs out there and we’ve even put a Pinterest board together to make it easier for you HERE .

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We’ve put together a few items that will help you with your Chic new look:

Bicycle-Scarf-French-Style-Blog-http://bit.ly/1rQi7Vo-carousel-m2.ilovecarousel.com

Dusty Pink Dress, 59 Euros, m2.ilovecarousel.com

Dusty Pink Dress, 59 Euros, m2.ilovecarousel.com

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Bicycle Print Scarf, E15-E19, http://bit.ly/1sA073S

Fit and Flare Dress, E59, http://bit.ly/1qNhzz8

Light Cable Knit Cardigan, E59, http://bit.ly/1y8Hcgh

Here’s a French ditty to get you in the Parisian mood 😉

http://youtu.be/FWRCJhsz5t4

Carousel xoxo

Trés Chic! Vintage Cannes Film Festival Style.

In celebration of the beginning of the Cannes film festival 2014 this week, we’ve decided to take a look at some vintage Cannes style! This prestigious festival has always attracted the biggest stars from all over the world, and they really put their best fashion foot forward. Celebrities are mobbed by the paparazzi everywhere they go, and every minute spent there is turned into a photo opportunity. Cannes style seems to go from one extreme to the other, with no in between. It’s either laid back and casual chic as stars relax by the beach during the day, or all-out glitz and glamor as they strut the red carpet and attend parties at night. Here are some of our favorites:

From the beach…

cannes film festival style vintage bardot

Brigitte Bardot – barefoot and careless on the beachcannes film festival mens fashion retro

Cary Grant – so dapper!

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Grace Kelly relaxes in chic floral capri pants

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Love this laid back all white look on Jane Birkin

…to the red carpet.

cannes festival vintage loren dress

Sophia Loren stuns on the red carpet

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Elizabeth Taylor doesn’t need a crown to prove she’s the queen of style!

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Mitzi Gaynor and some delightful polka dots!

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Grace Kelly’s polished ladylike evening look

Find your red carpet look with one of our modern vintage dresses, available here!

Carousel xox

If Spring Were A Dress: Vintage Inspired Spring Style From Circus

Call us crazy, but we reckon that if spring were a dress, it would be this delightful tea dress from Circus! Its delicate blossom print reminds us of all the flowers poking their little heads out of the ground, bursting into bloom as the season starts to warm up. It’s fresh, vibrant colours will invigorate your wardrobe, doing away with any leftover winter dreariness. Inspired by the 1940’s tea dress, this dress keeps that classic shape, but updates it with a shorter length hem. We can see ourselves wearing this dress at a picnic in the park; sitting with your best friends, enjoying some dappled sunlight on our faces and drinking tea from vintage crockery!

vintage inspired spring style dress inspiration carousel

Vintage inspired spring style from Circus – available exclusively at Carousel!

This dress is your very own slice of spring, and is available in two colours, green (here) and orange (here). Find these, and much more vintage inspired spring style, here.

Carousel xox

Hairspiration! 5 Vintage Hairstyles To Try Today.

Finally, winter is slowly fading away, and we don’t always have to hide our hair under a hat or umbrella. A great way to celebrate this is to play around and experiment with some new hairstyles. There is no better place to look to for some inspiration than the vintage hairstyles of the past.

We particularly love the hairstyles of the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s (less so the back combed and bouffant disasters of the 80’s and 90’s – what were we thinking?) which are still as popular today as they were then. These hairstyles are the perfect finishing touch to your favorite vintage outfit, or alternatively, can add a vintage twist to a more contemporary look. Some of them may look complicated or difficult to achieve, but a modern approach to vintage inspired hairstyling allows for looser and relaxed versions of these gorgeous styles, so don’t worry about it being too perfect. We’ve picked our 5 favorite vintage hairstyles and paired them with their more modern interpretations. With a little bit of faking and pinning, they can be adapted to so many types and length of hair. So, grab your hairspray and bobby pins ladies, and let’s give a new hairstyle a go today!

Soft Waves With a Side Parting

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The Big and Beautiful Beehive

hair style retro beehive

Victory Rolls For The Win!

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The Always Elegant Chignon

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Classy Curls

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If you want to find out more about how to get these hairstyles for yourself, we suggest heading over to YouTube where you can find a wealth of easy to follow tutorials. We particularly like the YouTube channel of “Cherry Dollface”, which you should check out here for lots of vintage hairstyle tutorials. Which one would you like to try? Have fun!
Carousel xox

 

3 Date Ideas – And What To Wear On Them!

Fresh Spring Date Ideas

No two couples are the same, so no two dates should be either. Since it’s almost Valentines day, we’ve been thinking about some of our favorite date ideas that are a little different to the usual fancy restaurant or cinema – and some inspiration for what to wear on them. Of course, these date ideas are not only suited to loved up couples. If you’re single, grab your best gal pal, sister, mother, or work colleague, and get out there and have some fun together!

A Heart Warming Nature Walk

Wrap up warm and head to the hills (or your local park)! A walk in the fresh, chilly spring air, surrounded by nature, is the perfect way to get your blood pumping, and gives you and your date a brilliant chance to talk and share stories. You could bring along a mini picnic of warm soup in a flask for extra heart warming goodness. Best of all, it’s completely free! You’ll need a warm and comfortable outfit, but it should also make you feel gorgeous. Layer this richly textured, inspired by nature dress under a parka jacket and a cosy scarf. Add thick tights, a slouchy hat, and comfortable boots, and you’re ready to get back to nature.

Valentines Dates style vintage carousel

A Loud and Live Music Gig

What better way to get up close and personal with your date then shimmying to the beat together in front of a live band? Bound to turn up the heat and get pulses racing, the music might be too loud for conversation, but this is a great way to loosen up and become relaxed in each others company. We’d wear this gorgeous graphic floral print dress under a denim or leather jacket, for that perfect mix of tough and pretty that really gives you an edge.

Valentines floral dress vintage inspired carousel

Become A Tourist In Your Hometown

Grab your camera, a map, and a date, and head out into your hometown to visit places that are usually the haunt of tourists. Wandering around museums and exhibitions is the perfect way to explore the interests and tastes of your date, and will give you plenty to talk about. Don’t forget to take lots of photos of each other on your adventures! By rediscovering and exploring your hometown, you might also start to see it through fresh eyes to boot. This cute and laid back printed dress is perfect for the urban explorer.

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Have you ever been on a date like any these? Do you have any unique date ideas?

Carousel xox