Daisy chain belt DIY tutorial

With all the 90's fever going around, I've been on the hunt for one of these Versace Medusa chain waist belts ever since i watched an old school TLC video and spotted one of the dancers rocking it. After some serious googling i found that unsurprisingly its waaaaaay out f my usual £2 belt budget sooooo....here i am making one. 

This technique can be used with ANY chain or necklace as long as your second chain is long enough to fasten it. YOU WILL NEED:

Two necklaces: the first will be the frontal decorative chain so make sure you choose something with an interesting design and a pendant that isn't too long. The second chain is just for attaching it around you so this can be any plain old chain that you don't use any more. Mine is a plastic gold chain that i brought from the bargain bin in a junk shop on Albert road in Portsmouth for 20p. Again this chain will be at the back so it doesn't have to be your best piece of jewellery.

Firstly, using the clasp from the first necklace i link the two necklaces.

Then using the clasp from the second necklace i attach it around me making it as tight/loose as i would like for it to fit

Any extra chain that is too long can be cut short or removed with pliers.

And voila!

Like i said you can use any two necklaces to make this belt and really get inventive. Try mixing silver and gold chains or using necklaces with interesting beads or pendants, really make it your own!

To see this full look and where i brought these items from click here

Plaid please.

Plaid/checkered dress: Fuse sale at Debenhams £10

Blazer: Preloved £6

Knee high socks.

Chunky heel Chelsea Boot: Primark £13

Holographic silver chain handbag: New Look sale £10

Spring's in bloom and i'm getting freaky with it.

Bralet - Topshop sale £5

Drape knit cardigan - New Look sale £7

Thigh split maxi skirt - handmade by yours truly

Platform trainers -EBay £25

Aaaaah! Summers coming.

I do love to be beside the seaside

Living by the sea can definitely be a bit long sometimes but as soon as the sun comes out it suddenly becomes clear to you that all of those horrible storms and the unbearable wind was all worth it for a ray or two of pure sunshine on the shore. It's actually a little sad how excited i am to finally be wearing mini skirts/dresses again! (No tights, coz i'm a boss). I know that florals in the spring can be a little predictable but the erdem SS14 collection has been the source of my inspiration lately and for me floral will never die.

Photography by Jack W. Mulholland.

Floral Dress: Fonthill road £5

Chunky Knit Cardigan: Topman clearance sale £7

Denim Jacket:  Mothers castoffs

Platform Trainers: Ebay £25

My new obsession!

I've decided I'm going to try and keep a regular post about my favourite thing that i've bought/received every month. I'll try to make them breif too!

This month i'm completely obsessing over my new(ish) Ted Baker bag. I actually got it over Christmas from my boyfriends mum after she saw me shamelessly drooling over it in the store. It's the kind of bag that instantly changes your attitude, I threw this baby on with a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and my camel coat and (despite the fact that I was wearing no make up and a minnie mouse head scarf to cover up my un-straightened weave) I swear to god I felt like tyra on a good day! On top of aaaall of that (as if instant modelesque fabulosity wasn't enough) its a really good size and fits all my text books and school supplies, so I turn up to all my lectures looking all turned out with a strut like Naomi Campbell stompin it out at a 'chitlin circuit' fashion show the night before her rent is due. And it's nude so it goes with EVERYTHING I OWN!!!!

You damn right.

1 Dress 2 Looks.

The first of many i hope!

I got this dress around new years in a charity shop in london and i didn't really like it at first because i wasnt too sure how versatile the print would be. I' a huge fan of loud garish prints but it's always too hard to find accessories that don't clash, so my idea was to keep it simple classic and fresh.

My trusty denim jacket my mum gave me from the 90's. That's real vintage for you! I'm thinking of acid washing it but i'm too much of a sentimental old fart to touch it. 

Those black leather calf  boots are probable the best thing i've ever brought from primark, They've lasted me longer than probably everything else i've brought there and longevity and quality materials are not something high up on my list of expectations for the place.

I thought i'd welcome my new cashmere coat into the family in style, i swear you could through this thing on over a potatoe sack and you'd look like Carine De Roitfeld. The tan leather clutch used to be some sort of laptop case but i felt it really deserve more of a life than that, i bought it at a car boot sale and haggled my little arse off and manged to take it home for pennies.

 

Floral turtle neck body con midi dress - Second hand shop £8

Tan leather clutch - Car boot sale 50p

Faded denim jacket - Mothers hand me downs (BEST STORE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!)

Black Court shoes - New Look Sale £10

Black buckled boots - Primark £15

My New Cashmere Coat

Nothing excites me more than a new addition to my wardrobe! I was out perusing the local charity shops with my wife (common law - i should clarify) and we both fell in love with this, so much so that we went halves on it and flipped a coin to decide who should get it. I don't even know who won the coin toss but we both sighed and gasped like a couple of old biddies in a pet shop full of puppies when i tried it on so the rest was history. I haven't actually paid her back so i guess it's still kind of hers in a way but she will have to pry it from my cold dead fingers before she can have it! 

It's a wool and cashmere blend which is a rare find in charity shops these days especially for £20.

Feeling like a straight G. haha!

The "thigh high boots" trend

Thigh high boots are my new thing these days. They seem to be making a come back and with all this crappy weather i am honestly relieved! I found these boots as well as the little Topshop mini skirt in a charity shop in Kentish Town where i used to volunteer when i was in my teens. These boots combine two of my great loves - Tanned leather and keeping my feet dry and warm in the rain - and for £18.99 i really couldn't resist. They're real leather and all!

I guess leather t-shirts is another one of my obsessions this season, i seem to have started to grow a quite a collection. This one has lazer cut outs and mesh inserts and an exposed silver zip at he back. I bought it from a little indie store on Albert road in Pompey and i happened to wander in during their 25% off RRP sale! SCORE! So i bagged myself a steal for £9.

Ay Caramba!

I was watching an old re-run of "Goks fashion fix" the other night and i was appalled at some of the final prices for the high street looks (£345 for an outfit? Girl bye!).  I did however pick up a few handy tips on investing in statement pieces.

I usually shy away from really long coats because of my height, but i managed to (radomly) find one - in a junk furniture shop on the one rack second hand clothes that they had - that was "petite" enough not to drown me completely. The jumper is a testament to my youth and well, it speaks for itself really...

Retro Bart Simpson jumper - Fonthill rd £8

Blue pea coat - Second hand shop £2

Ripped jeans - New Look £7

Blue shirt - My little brothers old school uniform rejects pile

Pointed court shoe - Primark £13

She Wins!

The "collarless coat" Trend

I was in London recently and obviously had to hit my old haunts on Fonthill road. People tend to think it's full of tat that's fallen off the back of a van - which is true for the most part - but i always manage to find a gem or two and wangle myself a few deals.

I'm a huge fan of the "collarless coat" trend this season and it was almost destiny when i found this one lodged between some sparkly leggings and a plastic dress.

Lace collar shirt - Asos/Fonthill rd £5

Pink love heart pom-pom jumper - Preloved £2.50

Collarless coat - Fonthill rd £8

Acid wash high waisted jeans - Primark £10

"Nude" pastel pointed court shoes - Debenhams Sale £9.95

Holographic silver bag - New Look Sale £10

I went out for milk and came home with five new pairs of shoes...

Yes. That really happened to me. 

It's both a blessing and a curse living 5 minutes from the high street. I never miss a sale but i pretty much live in a shoe box now.

left to right:

"Nude" patent court shoes - Debenhams £16.50

"Nude" pastel court shoes - Debenhams £9.60

Gold plate chunky heel sandals - New Look £10

Holographic silver sandals - Debenhams £39

Cut out boots - New Look £16