Monday 23 November 2015

The Singing Tree




I promised outfits in my last post and here I am in an outfit! It's been bitterly cold here the last few days. I've had to resort to layers and layers of clothing and have even found myself pulling out jumpers (they are not my favourite). The cold weather has had one use though, it's been far too cold to venture very far so my mind has been whirring. I've thinking back to Budapest and the clean, crisp air there, and reading everything I can about Hungary. My mind has been turned particularly to folk tales and fairy stories, the Hungarians certainly know how to write good ones and the illustrations that go alongside are wonderful. Due to this new found inspiration I've been dressing very much like a character from a Hungarian fairy tale - think long plaits and lots of colour (not that dissimilar from my usual get-up really!)

There are so many wonderful illustrators from Hungary, my favourites are mostly from the early to mid 20th century. I love Kate Seredy's work in particular: how wonderful are these book covers?

Source: 1
Source: 2
 and my other favourite is Willy Pogany. His style is so sumptuous and colour rich I feel I could just walk right into one of the scenes! 

Willy Pogany from the Tisza Tales
Source: 3
Willy Pogany, from the Tisza Tales
Source: 4
My own fairy tale ensemble was a little inspired by these and a little by the wonderful costumes I saw at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest. They were all incredibly richly layered and intricately detailed that each time I looked there was something I hadn't seen previously. That is always my aim for a good ensemble - to draw people in so they have to look several times to understand it all. 

The beautiful embroidered waistcoat I'm wearing I bought in Budapest (you saw it here first) and I've hardly taken it off since I arrived home. It's wonderfully warm and goes with almost everything I own. It's actually a recycled piece of embroidery that's been carefully stitched to a piece of hessian, reinforcing it and reviving it for a new life. The collar at the back is my favourite bit, it improves my posture and makes me feel ever so slightly regal - high collars always do I think it has something to do with this painting.



The skirt is another new purchase. I found it a few days after I arrived home from Budapest in my most local charity shop, which is a sort of vintage/up-cycled chazza (not always my favourite establishments due to the tendency to hoik up the prices). I rarely find anything I like in there but this skirt leapt out at me from a sea of beige polyester and at £6 I knew it had to come home with me. It's my new favourite, the pattern is utterly perfect - after ogling so much lace in Hungary it sort of seemed like fate that I found it! Oh and of course the headdress. I bought two of these in Hungary. They are not terribly practical but they are such a delight to dress up in that I don't really mind I just have to make sure I don't move my head around too much as they tend to fly off.


Linking up with Visible Monday because I feel excellent in this outfit!












Outfit Details

1970s cotton lace printed skirt - Charity shop
Green wool polo neck - Uniqlo
Embroidered waistcoat - Vintage shop, Budapest
Embroidered headdress - Central Market, Budapest
Choker necklace - Penny MacBeth
Earrings - very old Topshop
Knee-length leather boots - Bertie

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10 comments:

  1. You look out of a Hungarian fairy tale, you're perfect! The hat is adorable and the other exceptional purchases! I did not know these illustrators Hungarian, thanks for the tip, I want to deepen because I love the illustrations of Russian fairy tales Ivan Bilibine made, and these have shown that they are just as fascinating! For the West, this is amazing attention to detail, the colors, and the frames that have a story within the story!

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  2. Your outfit, and those illustrations, are magnificent! Thanks for linking up,

    http://notdeadyetstyle.com/visible-monday-166-simple-knits-win

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  3. And so you should feel excellent in that outfit! You certainly look it. Absolutely lovely, llike you've stepped out of a fairy tale.
    I love these illustrations and I have a think for European folk tales.
    Thanks for sharing all this gorgeousness.
    xxx

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  4. Lally, you look Amazing!!!! That is such a beautiful outfit, I love the folk inspiration!!! How lovely to combine vintage with traditional Hungarian dress, you look gorgeous!!! And THANK you for voting for me on Lady Vintage, so kind!!!Xx

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  5. love the mix of old and new, I would have never guessed you were wearing Uniqlo and Topshop! That waistcoat is gorgeous, my favourite piece from this outfit

    secret-hipster.blogspot.com/

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  6. What a lovely Budapest inspired outfit! You did a terrific job putting it together. Love it!

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  7. A fabulous outfit and those illustrations are so magical no wonder you were inspired!
    It's warm this morning - hooray! Even the cats have gone out. x

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  8. Just gorgeous, love the vest!! And these illustrations are marvellous xx

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  9. Anything folksy gets my vote every time. When I go downstairs in the morning, Q often starts singing Kalinka. It's a great look and you've got it nailed. Bet your plaits are nearly as long as Rapunzel's. I had a rish of blood to the head last weekend and cut several inches off. Hardly anyone has noticed, but now I feel incomplete. Absurb. Xxxx

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