DIY Mullet Dress

I found this maxi dress in  a local charity shop for £6 and just couldn't resist the print. Unfortunately me and maxi dresses just don't get on. They are usually too long and even if they skim rather than drag on the floor I just end up tripping over them. Even worse, as this dress is strapless, just imagine the implications of stepping on the hem and ending up with the top around my waste, far too embarrising to think about!

Anyway, I have been seeing mullet dresses all over the place lately, I quite like the look and even more the practicality so decided to have a go at a DIY one. In theory all you need to do is re hem the dress in a mullet shape as desired.  In practice, with chiffon this proved a little more difficult than I expected and it go tangled and gathered in the sewing machine. Next time perhaps I forget trying to use the sewing machine and just do it by hand.

I wasn't overly scientific about the whole process, I just drew a line where I wanted the hem to be, then cut it and resewed the hem.

Here is the finished result. I decided to go for a shorter length and fairly subtle mullet as I wanted to wear the dress for a wedding evening do and didn't want it to look too dramatic. I am still pondering whether to use the off cut fabric to make some straps to cover my tan lines and give me a little added security.

I have seen some much more dramatic styles that go from maxi at the back to mini at the front and would love to give one of these a go perhaps for a Christmas party. A charity shop or old evening dress would be an ideal candidate for this project. Another mullet idea would be to cut and hem a maxi dress in an upside down v shape at the front and wear over a mini skirt or sew in a short panel of fabric at the front.

You can check out this post for some great celebrity inspiration. Pretty much anything goes from full skirts to minimalist straight skirts, chiffon layers and jaggety uneven hems. I love this trend for DIYing as you can be as creative as you like. I am also considering wearing this dress over a mesh straight skirt that I have for a slightly more edgy look.  Will share the pics next week if I decide to go for it.

So what do you think? Would you have a go at creating your own mullet?

With warmest wishes

Ceri X

Age Appropriate Dress

At what age should a Herve Leger body con dress be off limits? (Elle McPherson wearing one in her forties - picture from http://www.thepunch.com.au/)

Would you wear a dress this short in your fifties? (Sharon Stone, right - picture from http://www.stylelist.com/)

Would you dress like this in your mid forties? (SJP in Proenza Schouler- picture from www.couturesnob.com)

Age appropriate dress might not be something that other people think about that much but it is something that bothers me quite a bit. I am in my early thirties with children but I just can't seem to bring myself to dress to fit in with that stereo type of the 'yummy mummy'. I am well aware that as I get older, there will be even more stereo types and expectations of how I should dress. It also really terrifies me is that I might dress too grown up or sensible and people might think that I am older than I really am or a bit frumpy. It has even crossed my mind that if I continue to dress in the same way as I get older, people might use the dreaded words 'mutton dressed as lamb' to describe me.

The problem is deciding what sort of clothing is considered age appropriate and still having fun with my clothes. With many of the celebrities flouting the rules of what should be classed as appropriate for their age with great sucess, aren't the boundaries changing a bit. Think of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue and Cameron Diaz. They say that forties are the new thirties so why can this be applied to clothes too. For me personally, I couldn't get away with wearing many of the fashion trends that the celebs wear in their forties when I was in my teens and twenties so I certainly can't wear them now. As I get older I do feel the need to flatter my body by wearing clothes that really suit me.

The difficulty is that as you get older, you are expected to avoid trends and instead opt for classic styles. Being a fashion blogger, I am constantly immerged in the latest trends making them very hard to ignore but it I definitely think some are just not age appropriate for me. For example, I would love to wear a big hair bow but whilst it would have looked cute in my early twenties, it now feels a bit twee.

I guess it is all about the person and how they feel. There are lots of clothes that I do not feel comfortable in because of my height and body shape but I do like to wear fun, colourful and individual clothes. Whilst some might think I dress a bit strange (or not age appropriate), that is just me and the way that I like to be, I was just the same in my twenties, the only difference now is that I usually have to wear better quality clothes with a more generous cut and more often choose tailored pieces. Most of all I have an urgency to wear as many fun clothes as I can before I have to resign myself to granny cardis and slippers (although I am not sure that will ever happen).

What do you think? Do you ever consider whether your choice of clothes is age appropriate?

Dress Me Up at Topshop

Another exciting fashion initiative from Topshop, this time, it is for charity (Age Concern and Help the Aged) so no guilt at money spent. What perfect timing, just in time for Christmas, you can pop along to the Oxford Street store (if you are near enough) and try on one of their dresses donated by celebrities and designers. If the dress fits (sizes range from 6-14) then you can book a slot to hire it for a day. At the end the dresses will be auctioned for charity.

I am definitely having another 'I wish I lived in London' day