Stylish Sundays

It's Stylish Sundays and I wanted to share with you all this awesome, Von Dutch pinstripe Twill jacket that I had bought at a vintage shop a few months ago! It was definitely a great find because I don't think they make 'Von Dutch' items anymore. If you've never heard of Von Dutch, here's a quick history lesson for ya!

During the mid-fifties, Kenny Howard, a motorcycle mechanic found a way to use pinstriping, a form of freehand painting of fine lines in a symmetrical motif; as a way to customize hot rods and motorcycles. He used this type of art style as a form of expression and as a way to popularize and create a certain type of look and lifestyle called Kustom Kulture. 

"These 'pinstripes' were a distinctive feature of 1950's bodywork in the USA, and over time have become a traditional ingredient of Kustom Kulture."

Kustom Kulture is a movement that spread throughout the US and brought together the whole culture of hot rodding, rockabilly music, customized automobiles and pin ups. It reflected a certain type of style that Kenny Howard reflected through his artistry. Overtime, he had become a successful pinstriper, customizing and painting all kinds of vehicles that he gave himself the name "Von Dutch", which means "stubborn as a Dutchman." Pretty cool huh?

I remember when I was in middle school, people in school started wearing Von Dutch items like the trucker hats with his signature flying eye ball logo as well as t-shirts and leather wallets. There was also a Von Dutch store at the mall which was pretty neat...

Anyways, back to the jacket! I love the unique way the pinstripe look throughout the jacket and the way it is finely embroidered front and back. The twill material is sturdy and easy to wear.Also, the combination of red, white, and blue go really well together. It's these little details that make it look even more authentic. Although this is originally a men's jacket, it was a perfect fit. I thought it would be pretty fun to style it up and see how I could wear it!

For my outfit: I went with a simple, black, band shirt, a pair of blue Dickie jeans and of course my favorite pair of shoes, Chuck Taylors. I think the jacket made a statement for itself so I didn't wanna over-do it with the outfit. Plus, I felt kinda like a greaser girl with my hair up in a pompadour and my jeans cuffed at the bottom. Grease Lightening!!!

Who knew wearing a vintage Von Dutch jacket would be so much fun and bring back many memories! What's your favorite vintage piece you've found!?

*Facts courtesy of http://www.vondutch.fr/en/

Until next time!

From LA, With Luv

Fati <3

Frida is my Homegirl! Halloween Inspiration

Happy belated Halloween everyone! I hope everyone had a spooktacular time, I know I did! For some reason, this Halloween was a tough one for me. I couldn't decide what I wanted to be. People would ask me, "So Fatima, what are you planning on being this Halloween?" and I simply didn't know. I remember I had told my boyfriend one day that I wanted to be Batgirl and then the following day I told him that I had decided to be Selena... oh, the struggle (nah just kidding!). 

But seeing how I'm learning to live on a budget and didn't wanna spend a ton of money on a costume that I probably wouldn't wear until next Halloween, I decided to search through my closet and on Google to see what I could put together. And without a doubt, Frida Kahlo was my inspiration! :)

You're probably asking yourself, Who is Frida Kahlo and why is she important to know? 

Here are a few fun facts about her:

• Frida Kahlo is remembered for her self-portraits, pain and passion, and bold, vibrant colors. She is celebrated in Mexico for her attention to Mexican and indigenous culture(s) and by feminists for her depiction of the female experience and form.  

• At the age of 6, Frida contracted polio which affected the use of her right leg. It made it weaker and smaller than her left so she wore long skirts to cover it. She was also involved in a tragic accident while on the bus where she suffered serious injuries and had to be in a full body cast for three months. 

• While her recovery, Frida began to paint as a way to cope with the pain and immobility. This is where she began to paint her first series of self-portraits.

• In total, Frida Kahlo has made about 143 paintings, 55 which are self-portraits.

• Frida is the wife of Mexican painter and muralist, Diego Rivera. 

I didn't choose to dress up as Frida Kahlo because it was an easy costume to put together, I chose Frida because of the beauty she portrayed through her paintings and drawings. A few of the things that caught my attention as I skimmed through Frida's self-portraits were the different types of clothing and outfits she wore in order to hide her surgical scars. She wore a variety of finely embroidered Tehuana blouses and dresses to show her appreciation and influences in la cultura indigena (Indigenous Mexican culture). She also wore long skirts, corset-style tops, boots, bold-colored jewelry, and of course her signature flowers in her hair. 

Below are some of the items I was able to find and put together!

Outfit: For the outfit I had wore a Tehuana dress that I found at Goodwill a few months ago. I paired it with a pair of army green jeans and black booties from H&M. 

Accessories: I wore my black and gold tassel earrings that I bought at a local store in Lincoln, Nebraska called The Black Market Clothing and combined it with a black and gold necklace. Since I didn't have time to make a flower crown I made a quick trip to Walgreens and bought one for $2.00. But if you want to make a flower crown, there are a lot of neat tutorials on Youtube or Pinterest to check out. And as for the scarf and the red flowered necklace, those I had for a while. One of my friend's let me borrow the book and paint brush.

I wore this costume to work on Thursday and everyone loved it! One of my co-workers had nominated me to be part of the company costume contest and guess what!? I won!! 

I had a great time putting this costume together and learning more about Frida Kahlo! 

Who is your costume inspiration!?

*Frida Kahlo facts courtesy of Fridakahlo.org

From LA, With Luv

Fati <3