In the spirit of the season, i would like to send lots of Love and blessings to all our readers, all our lovely alt Customers, Online and in store and to all the Amazing people who have worked with us and supported us in this beginning of Alt Finery.
My gift to you is sharing with you an exploration of one of my favourite things, that seems to pop up a lot in this season. The colour RED.
Alt Finery is presenting our customers with solutions... great gift ideas and also some affordable outfit options to see you thru Xmas party season and well into the New Year and beyond.
Here is a list of absolute bargains, that are also brilliant styles and Season appropriate.
I hope your lead in to December has been relaxing. This week at Alt Finery we got into the Xmas Spirit and Decorated our Windows. Bit of a Rustic Theme representing where we Live, Beautiful Daylesford Town, and Purple and White Decorations.... the colours of our Logo....creating a Very Alt Xmas.
This weeks Blog continues along the Xmas theme....Last weeks Blog was about the Ladiez....this week is about the Men....For the Husbands, Sons, Dads, Partners and Friends. Alt Finery has something for every special guy in your life.
BOOM! Its December 1st tomorrow, and Xmas Crazy Kicks in! How are you going to Play it? ! Are you ready to Party or are you ready to Shop?
The thing i want to have more time for this December is Hanging out with Family and Friends and having good times. The thing I want to avoid at this time of year is Shopping Centres. The parking, the crowds, normal people becoming total savages....its a bad scene! So this year....Im shopping ALL LOCAL!....less stress...more good times.
Hey Guys,
Hope your having an Great weekend!
Its been an exciting week at Alt. On Monday, we had our Spring Fashion Shoot to introduce all our beautiful new styles from Hell Bunny, Spin Doctor and our in house range of Vintage inspired Dresses and Shirts.
We went out on location to Wheatsheaf, about 10km from our town Daylesford. It boarders the Wombat State Forest, so is an absolutely gorgeous location. Full of old growth trees and beautiful scenery....a great backdrop for our stunning Models....Natasha and Tor.
Tash is wearing the Coralia Dress By Hell Bunny , Tor is Wearing Vintage Style Paisley Shirt
Peter James, our Photographer of choice, arrived first and scouted out locations around the property while I prepped the wardrobes, and styled Tash and Tor when they arrived.
It was such a beautiful day, a little bit hot...but we all stayed fresh and hydrated and smashed through a number of outfit and location changes.... Everyone did an Amazing job.....Tash doing it all mainly in high heals on grass ( Big Ups Lady!)
The proof is in the photos though. Cheak out our website www.altfinery.com.au to see all the pics from the day of these guys....and follow us on instagram and Facebook to get daily pics and inspirations from Alt Finery.
This was our final shot of the day....Pure inspiration by Peter James....We were all holding lights and hoses...but the pic is full Beyonce style. What a way to finish the Day!
Tash in Renaissance Maxi Dress By Spin Doctor
A Big Thanks from the Alt Finery team to Peter James Photography and our models Natasha and Tor, and for all the other models we have worked with up to this date. We are truly blessed to have such a great community of people, who are so supportive of our business and feel lucky to be able to support and promote all the incredible individuals and Businesses we work with also. We Love this Town.
Enjoy your weekend
Cheers
Sam xxx
I
Hey Guys,.
We have so many beautiful Floral prints coming through this week, that it has led me to ask the question, From Where and When did the floral print originate?
Well Kids, it all started back in the 12th Century in China. The Chinese were making detailed embroidery combining florals and scenes from Nature. All flowers and Animals in Scenes had meanings. The Peony and the Pheonix featured a lot which means the juxtaposition of Wealth and Honour, and the lotus, which means Purity.
Chinese Embroidery
This Floral trend swept through the Middle East and Asia. Although expressed in a different way through different techniques in each culture.
Japan used detailed embroidery in intricate floral designs and different techniques such as Katazome rice paste printing, E-Gasumi dying and Shibori Stitch, which one can see now predominantly in ancient Kimonos , Chrysanthemums featured in the earliest prints representing the Sun and the Royal Family.
Japanese Floral Prints
In India, Chintz was the word. Chintz was a fabric made from plain cotton that would be drawn on, or wood block print used ,with wax in mainly floral design and dyed with various natural dyes, then hand painted afterwards.
Indian Textiles / Chintz
The Ottoman empire inspired by Chinese and Indian textiles developed woven Velvets with styilised floral repeat patterns.
Around 1400-1500 florals started to spread to the West via European traders. Italy traded heavily with the Ottoman empire for their velvets, and Dutch and British merchants brought Chintz to the West. The popularity of Chintz exploded, but the British could not figure out how to create it, so they actually banned the import of Chintz from 1680-1759. After 1759, they developed a cheap production method.
The Wests contribution to Floral design is the Liberty Print. At the end of the 19th Century Arthur Lasenby had a small factory where he started making floral prints using contemporary Art Nouveau designs. William Morris, a member of the "Arts and Crafts movement created some Iconic liberty designs in this time.
With the industial Revolution, mass production of textiles became available making Floral textiles available to the masses, not exclusively for the Rich, and have been enjoyed ever since.
Just looking through the florals in the shop now, one can see the history in all of the prints.
The florals with Swans.... Chinese, the Velvet overlayed with Sequin Dresses...a bit Ottoman Empire, and the Beautiful all over Rose Printed Floral Prints on our gorgeous Vintage look dresses...giving a nod to Indian techniques and Libery Prints. I wonder who first put mermaids on textiles? A question for another Blog.
Check out our Website www.altfinery.com.au for all our latest Floral Styles. We have so many differnent Prints, Styles, lengths, and Sizes....going up to 4XL with some styles. We also have afterpay, where you can buy now and pay off in instalments.
Have a Great Weekend.
Cheers Sam xx
Hey Guys and Girls,
Welcome to the Halloween edition of Shop talk.
Halloween originates from the Celtic pagan festival Samhain which traditionally celebrated the end of the harvest season. People would light Bonfires and Dress up in costumes to ward off Ghosts. Christians came along and laid a feast called "All Hallows Eve" over the top of the holiday....which evolved into the name Halloween.
Today as Halloween exists, we still follow the tradition of dressing up and Kids celebrate the feast by binging on lollies.
At ALT, We celebrated Halloween this week by getting in some great new styles from Hell Bunny and Spin Doctor. These styles are perfect for Halloween festivities or if you just love fashion with a dark side :
GRISELDA MINI DRESS By Spin Doctor . Love this Style...Bit of a 70s "Rosemarys Baby" vibe to the style...a floaty dress with flare sleeves and a print of Skulls, Spider webs and Roses...with a cream base colour, beautiful and edgy.
SHADOW OF ZENNOR DRESS By Spin Doctor. A Little Black Dress with a Paisley style print in Grey, black and Purple. When you look at the pattern closely Skeletal Mermaids emerge...Fun and Mysterious! Its available in Sizes from Small to 3XL.
In addition, Womens S-Ponder Tees with Skulls have been pretty popular this week, as well as our wide fish nets and our Skull design Fishnet pantyhose.
For Men, We have a whole range of S-Ponder Tees with various Skull Prints under and Check out our New Paisley Shirts....this one in Burgundy is fit for Vlad the Impaler.
BARBER SHOP CLASSIC CUTS TEE . Paisley Long Sleeve Shirt • Burgundy
Come by and Check out our Halloween window too.
Enjoy the Halloween festivities and have a Great Week!
Cheers Sam xx
Hey Punters,
What an Awesome Day!...People are out and about....and customers are just showing our little shop so much love!
Out of town peeps b like "Ohhh... its like a little piece of Brunswick St in Daylesford!" and the locals are getting to know all we have to offer and how really reasonable our prices are. Forget the trip to Ballarat...Shop Local!
So, incase you havent visited our shop or web site yet. Let me just give you a bit of a run down of what we have, and what we are about.
We at Alt Finery are providing Affordable clothing to Men and Women.
For women, we have eveything from Bras and Underwear, including cloth invisible bras, Jewellery, Make up, Fake Eyelashes. An amazing range of Tights, Leggings, jeans, t-shirts, Tops, Dresses, Skirts, including a range of plus size items for Women. We can dress you from Casual to Evening Wear. This week we have recieved in beautiful ranges of Floral and Vintage style Dresses.
Just to give you an idea of price. Most Dresses are from $29, with $39 being the medium price range. Tops from $18...about $30 being average. Tights from $9. Serious Bargains to be had!
But cheak out the web site...its all there...www.altfinery.com.au
And for Men.....
We have everything from underwear, t-shirts, jeans, pants, caps, jumpers, Hoodies, and really wide range of shirts, from Casual to Dress Shirts by Van Heusen in a wide variety of colours and Styles. We also have Ties to go with the shirts, as well as cuff links, watches, Bow ties, and Belts. Shirts around $35- $45.
So if you haven't checked us out yet, Come in and have a browse or look at the website
This week we also added Afterpay to our website....this means you can have your product now, and pay off in small instalments.
Our Frocktober campaign is still running so please support this really worthwhile cause. All Donations go to research into the early detection of Ovarian Cancer.
To Donate; http:/frocktober2017.everydayhero.com/au/alt
Enjoy the beautiful Spring weather this week.
Cheers Sam xxx
Hey Guys,
I hope you have had a Great Week. Shop life has been busy. Getting our web site perfect. We have added sizing charts applicable to each garment, and even added tips where we feel like the size is worth upsizing. The more I am in here, looking at people trying styles on, trying styles on myself, Im getting a really good feel for the sizing of different labels....which leads me to our talk today....
SIZE.....more specifically getting into your right size and ignoring that freakin tiny number on the garment that can magically make people feel like crap.
Nobody is alone in this feeling. I can literally see women mentally beating themselves up when they ask for a size and then don't fit that size. Some people will try the next size up, but some will just walk away defeated...Im sure thinking about how they will diet harder or work out more.
Im here to tell you Ladies and Gents, SIZE IS JUST A GUIDE!....and heres why!
1. Every label has a different sizing table. That means sizing for each label is different. Due to the fact we have multiple labels, we have to search for their sizing charts and make sure they are correct. We have also put up a "How to measure yourself" Chart...so get out the tape measure .
Nothing beats trying stuff on though! Just do It! The more you try on, the better you will get at automatically picking your size within each label. Even make a note on your phone...especially for jeans. This will mean you wont have to go through the whole process next time.
2. Everyones body shape is really different. There are very few people that will fall within the perfect size. I, myself have a size 12-14 top and an 8-10 jeans size....which i aiways buy bigger because i need more length.
As a Dress maker, I have measured up a lot of Men and Women, very few people are the exact size, but each persons body is beautifully proportional. Thats Nature for you! Amazing! It doesnt matter if you are a Size 6 or 22. Your body is beautifully balanced. You just need to find the right clothing to make that body sing! In a custom made piece everyone looks great, because a piece of Custom made clothing is like a 3D sculpture that fits exactly to your body....the pattern is the plan. The second best thing to Custom Made is an Alteration.
At Alt, we specifically started the business with the Alteration service in mind, and have bought bigger sizes, so we are able to adjust, take up and in. I haven't had one client yet who isn't happy with the Alteration. So Yeah...if you find that commercial sizes are just not cutting it...Come in and get it Altered.
Everyone deserves to feel Awesome in what they are wearing...and it is possible no matter what your body shape and size. Sometimes it just takes a bit of research...measuring..trying things on...getting the odd alteration done.....Just don't get hung up on the size and either squish into a small size just to prove to yourself your a size 8 or walk away defeated. Size is just a number...a guide...don't let it control you! Love yourself for You. Put the time in.
Have a Great weekend
Cheers Sam. xxx
Hey Guys,
Today we are talking Frocktober.
Frocktober is a great campaign run by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) to increase community awareness and fund vital research into an effective early detection method for ovarian cancer, thus improving the prognosis for Women diagnosed.
Ovarian Cancer has a poor survival rate. Currently only 20-25% women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the advanced stages survive beyond 5 years. So it is very important work for women that the OCRF are involved in.
Frocktober invites Women to don their best dresses for the month of October, post your images on social media and by doing so, raising awareness and gathering donations thru the everyday hero link.
Alt finery is getting involved in a couple of ways.
We will post a Dress of the Day for 31 days on Facebook, Instagram and thru the everyday hero portal.
https://frocktober2017.everydayhero.com/au/alt
If you like what our Alt team is wearing...you can donate thru our everyday hero portal or you can buy our "Dress of the Day" in store and online and we will donate 10% of the sale to our fundraising campaign.
Our Aim is to raise $500.00 at least, but we hope thru everyones support we can raise a bit more for the vital research that is needed for an early detection test.
We are so proud to be supporting such a great campaign, and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes this week to make it all come together.
A big shout out to Peter James Photography, and our models Zoe Koulloutas and Lateisha-Rae Cholava for making our dresses look so good. Cheak it out! This is a sneak peak of a couple of the styles which we will be showcasing this week.
We are really looking forward to supporting Frocktober all month and raising lots of funds for research into Ovarian Cancer and We hope everyone gets on board....supports this great cause...and just gets into lots of Frock action this month!
Its Spring! Do yourself a favour! Buy a frock and feel good about it!
Have a Great Week.
Cheers Sam xxx
Hey Guys,
I hope u have had an Awesome week!
Its been a fun week at Alt finery! We just got a new team member today! Welcome Zoe!! So glad you have joined the Alt team!
Also, being Friday...everyones excitement for the weekend is palpable...we have had a big rush on sequins...more specifically our Beautiful Sequin Bomber jackets by Missi London. You know its gonna be a good weekend when u Rockin Sequins!
VELVET SEQUIN BOMBER JACKET $107.00
TWO TONE SEQUIN BOMBER JACKET $74.00
You know what i would love to see.....a whole Girl Roller Derby Team in Sequin Bomber jackets...that would be Cool! #70srollerdisco #rollerderby
More BIG NEWS at Alt...... this week is that due to customer demand we are extending our Alteration service to include not just our own items...but anything you want Altered! Yes....thats right! Your wish is our command patrons! Any item!! Thats taken up, taken in, repaired, or if you have that favourite dress or pair of pants that need updating...I might have some ideas. I have 25 years experience in design, pattern drafting and sewing.... anything from corsetry to Street wear....my craft is wide ranging...so i can trouble shot most frocking problems :)
Just drop in for a free Quote. Prices starting at $25 for a basic jeans or pant hemming.
Thanks to all the punters this week that have come and visited the shop, Liked and Followed us on Instagram and Facebook , and just put the good word out there. We appreciate you all. Big Shout out to Lateisha...Happy birthday for this week and thanks for being such a great ambassador for our brand.
Stay tuned for our next post...it may be about Frocks as Alt is Supporting FROCKTOBER! #frocktober2017 It is such a great cause. Frocktober raises awareness and funds to find an early detection test for Ovarian Cancer. We have some great fundraising plans, which i will revel in the next post.....but until then, please click on the link and get involved.
Enjoy your weekend
Love Sam xxx
What a beautiful Saturday! The sun is shining...the birds are singing! Makes me want to go out and buy a frock. Im really tossing up at the moment between a red vintage number https://www.altfinery.com.au/collections/dresses/products/retro-red-short-sleeve-keyhole-flare-dress or a sequin style that Im loving https://www.altfinery.com.au/collections/dresses/products/two-tone-sequin-dress-black Im just loving the look of studded jacket or biker jacket with the sequin dress...its what i like to call "Dilapidated Glamour"
Anyways...enough of what i want...
MENS WEAR is what we are talking about this week. Whats Hot! Whats selling well...and a bit of what i like.
Im pretty partial to a bit of a "Street" look on guys...but since moving to the country Ive come to appreciate the practicality of the "Woodsman" as well....so lets call this collection "Woodsman meets Street"
1.MENS CHECKED SHIRT By Bass & Co. $35
This is no ordinary Flanno Shirt. Its from the premium US Outdoors brand called Bass & Co. established since 1800s. The fabric is thick, but soft and hard wearing....and i think the check colour combinations they make are pretty nice. This is the Blue /Black Checked combo...but we have a lot of other colours on the website. They are a bit of a bargain at $35.
2.FLOWER BOMB TEE • BANKSY $45
This has been a popular item. Banksy's iconic Flower bomb Street Art....that you can now rock on a tee! By UK T shirt brand Sponder, who are putting out some Awesome tees. More styles on the web site.
3. MENS BLACK JEANS • SKINNY FRAYED KNEE
It was pretty exciting week at Alt because we got Mens jeans!!! YAY!!...we have Black, Blue, Snow washed, Distressed, Frayed....whatever your preference! We also do Alterations on jeans too, so we can take them in or up...totally customised for you!
This is one of my favorite style Jeans! They are a great fit...slim line with stretch and long in the leg with a Frayed Knee. Looks Awesome with Trainers or Boots.
4. MENS CARGO PANTS • BLACK STRAIGHT LEG $65
For those guys who like leg wear that is a bit looser and more practical...these are the pants for u. Lots of pocket action, metal zipper, heavy duty press studs. TOUGH AS!
5. MENS FUR LINED ZIP UP HOODY $45
This hoody is so warm. Made from Quality low pill fleece, It has fur lining and insulated sleeves. This is a Hoody that is so warm and comfortable and will take you to thru the coldest days and nights. It will become your Hoody of choice!
Ok...so that the weekly wrap! There you go guys!....thats a whole outfit with layers from head to toe...Just click on the titles of the product and it will take you straight to the item on our website www.Altfinery.com.au How simple can shopping be?
I hope everyone has an Awesome Weekend! Talk again next week...Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for Daily deals, Hot product and Mannequin Pantomime.
Love Sam XXX
