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Before and After

Before | The Striped Floral Dress

As far as The Anthology’s Before and After column goes, this “before” shot is far from the worst. In fact, this dress would be kind of cute as a costume. But it’s just that there’s so much of it, especially with those graphic stripes underneath the bold floral print. I couldn’t wear it without feeling like I was wearing an apron as a dress, so I’m tweaking this vintage piece to make it wearable.

I’ll share the “after” shots shortly.

P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook and you’ll be the first to see them.

May 31, 2012 by

After | The Flowy Floral Dress

See how happy I look, sitting there on a rock in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park? That’s a) because I was doing a shoot with Vancouver-based portrait photographer Sherry Lu and b) because my dress no longer looks like it does in the photo below.

You’d be smiling too. So how did this vintage Little House on the Prairie-style dress go from looking like this…

…to this? I hemmed it! Oldest trick in the book. And belted it with a vintage YSL belt instead of its original sash. I almost always swap out the belt that’s comes with a dress or jacket, regardless of whether it’s vintage or brand new. Makes a piece your own, ya know?

I left the sleeves long because they’re fun, they’re see-through and they’re quite flowy so I feel like a true flower child (though in this photo I look much more like a tree child). Oh, and that ring? It’s by Social Experiment. And speaking of things that are social, we have quite a few giveaways coming up  so socialize with The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to hear about them!

[Vintage dress, bag and belt, Prada sandals.]

First, third and fourth photos by Sherry Lu.

P.S. Thank you, Countdown Events, for this feature on yours truly!

May 11, 2012 by

Before | The Little House on the Prairie Dress

I know what you’re thinking: Hot damn! She looks good!

I don’t know what to tell you — some of us just have it.

For real, though, this dress is one of my favourite vintage store finds. A few nips and tucks and it’ll turn into a flowy masterpiece. (Just not quite as flowy as it is in these pictures.)

Stay tuned for the “After” shots!

P.S. Go with the flow. Add The Anthology on Facebook.

April 5, 2012 by

Style | An “After” Shot by Sherry Lu

Ah…photographers. I LOVE them! I wish I could be of them, but I most definitely am not (I haven’t even taken my new DSLR out of the box because it terrifies me).

Instead, I collaborate with them every chance I get. In this case, with Vancouver-based wedding and portrait photographer — and all-round sweetheart — Sherry Lu. She’s a superstar, no?

We shot a garden party-themed series in Queen Elizabeth Park this past weekend. The sun was out (hence the flare!) and you’d never guess this was taken in the parking lot, would ya? You’d also never guess my vintage blouse used to look like this, would ya?

I’ll share more photos as soon as I get them. Thanks a million, Sherry!

P.S. You know what else I love? Your face on Facebook! So like The Anthology!

March 27, 2012 by

Before | The floral blouse

Wowee! This is one hot little number. Then again, “Before” shots in The Anthology’s Before and After column always are.

This bright, colourful blouse has big, bold shoulder pads, leading me to believe it’s from the ’80s. But the shoulder pads really aren’t what’s making this blouse so ridiculous. It’s the shapelessness. It’s meant to fit a size small and yet there’s so much extra fabric I could fit another person in there.

It might even be worse from the back — a giant square so big it looks like an oversized jacket.

I’m making some tweaks to this piece so it will be wearable, perhaps even stylish. Stay tuned for the “After” shot! (Imagine if I presented these as “After” photos. Would you guys be polite and say you liked it? Or would you tell me how you really feel?)

P.S. Add The Anthology on Facebook and you’ll be the first to see the transformation!

March 19, 2012 by

After | The Grey and White Striped Jacket

Sometimes it’s not so much about how you alter an outdated vintage piece, but how you style it. This jacket used to look like this. And truth be told, it still kind of does.

I had it altered ever so slightly. Actually, this is the first time in the Anthology’s Before and Afters that we’ve modified a piece this way — we didn’t remove the shoulder pads (the jacket is structured so it would sag awkwardly without them), we simply cut the shoulderpads so they don’t protrude as much.

Now the sleeves still have volume, they’re just  a little less in yo face.

Speaking of sleeves, I’m going to let you in on a little secret — half the time I just cinch the sleeves on a weird vintage jacket and that does the trick. Makes it more laid back and undone, ya know?

So just like belting a billowy vintage dress will modernize it more often than not, pushing up the sleeves on a strong-shouldered vintage jacket will work insta-magic too.

See? Sometimes change is easy.

[Vintage jacket, scarf and belt, Talula pants, Matisse boots.]

P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook because, as the chalkboard in the first photo says, I totally like you too.

February 19, 2012 by

Before | The Striped Jacket

Gotta love these before and afters. They never disappoint, do they? This “before” shot is especially mugshot (fugshot?) esque. I can’t even imagine who would have originally owned this vintage grey-and-white striped jacket before me — an escapee from Alcatraz?

I would call its style “Jailbird chic” except there’s nothing really chic about it. It’s boxy, its sleeves hit at an awkward spot and the shoulders are just too bold for me to take myself seriously in it. But with a few tweaks, my friends, I’m predicting it’ll be a spring staple. Watch this space for the “after” shot.

P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook and you’ll be the first to see it.

January 31, 2012 by

After | The Printed Shorts

Betcha never thought you could get a cute outfit out of a pair of shorts as high-waisted, pleated, printed and billowy as these, did ya? I was doubtful. But I knew these vintage shorts had potential.

First I added a belt (this one’s vintage) because cinching a billowy vintage piece often does the trick. But that clearly did not work so then I tried cuffing them. And because that didn’t work wither, I took them to the tailor, where I had them shortened and taken in a bit, though we left a little volume to allow for the pockets.

And then, after all that, I belted and cuffed them anyway.

I paired them with a turtleneck (because it’s cold out) and a rugged jacket because those floral shorts needed a bit of a roughing up.

And I added a vintage men’s Omega watch. Just because I love the thing.

[J. Crew jacket and turtleneck, vintage belt, shorts and Omega watch.]

P.S. Add The Anthology on Facebook.

P.P.S. Have a look at The Anthology’s latest Before and After transformations.

 

 

January 12, 2012 by

Before | The Gigantic Printed Shorts

The Anthology’s before and afters are back, my friends! And because these vintage specimens are oh-so-special, I thought we’d take a look at them through the eyes of my pup.

“Oh hey! Those shorts are pretty fancy.”

“But there’s so much of them, they hurt my eyes.”

“Call me when you fix ’em. I’m out.”

Let’s face it — we’re all thinking the same thing. So I took these pleated, pocketed, printed wonders to my tailor to have them reworked. And what do you know, we turned them into something wearable. Stay tuned for the “after” reveal!

P.S. Join the twitterati — follow @TheAnthology.

January 4, 2012 by

Number 1 | The Anthology’s Most Ridiculous Moment of 2011

The ball is about to drop! Which means two things: 2012 is upon us and The Anthology’s most ridiculous moment of the past year is too. So without further adieu I give you…

1. This. A “before” shot so hideous it needs no description (though, if you’d like one, you’ll find it here). It really is something, isn’t it? Let’s take a moment to wallow in its ridiculousness, let’s honour its florals, its frills, its potato sack-ness. And then, when you’ve had enough, take a look at its rather incredible transformation.

I don’t know how we’re going to top this in 2012, my friends, but you better believe I’m going to try.

December 31, 2011 by