OOTD#18 | Temple Bar | Totally Thrifted

Hey there.

So this is a little #OOTD post that I shot weeks ago with Ashley McDonnell of the Style Scruple when she was over from Paris.

Somehow I completely forgot about this photoshoot but I wanted to share it with you because when I started my blog it was all about my love of cheap and cheerful vintage clothing and thrift shopping,

and pretty much all of this look was thrift shop bought. 

Although I live in Dublin, some of my favourite thrift or charity shops are in my home town of Galway, and I rarely miss a chance to pop in to them when visiting my old haunts.

If you're in Galway and looking for a steal, my favourite has to by the Curiosity Shop on Merchants Road. I get so many amazing knitted jumpers in there (including pricey pieces from Meadows & Byrne and the Aran Mills) for a total bargain.

I usually shop the men's section when thrifting because it suits my style a little more, but the women's section is a hot bed of one-off jackets and amazing retro shirts.

Iv'e even found designer pieces hidden away in the store, and plenty of bits from nice high-street stores like Topshop and COS. 

On my last trip found some pieces from Nine Crows Galway, all with the Nine Crows tags still attached.  

I know some people don't think they could find anything nice in a charity shop, but if you love alternative style and a vintage look, thrift shopping is one way to do it for a fraction of the price, while also helping the environment, so give it a try. If you look back on my other outfit posts, you'l see that I'm nearly always wearing something thrifted. 

Jacket (top picture) - Thrifted | T-Shirt - Thrifted

Sunglasses - Thrifted | Cycling shorts - American Apparel

Socks - La Moda | Flatforms - Penneys/Primark

Rings - Penneys/Topshop | Choker - Thrifted

You can follow me on Instagram @sarahmagliocco and Twitter @sarahmagliocco for more regular outfit updates. 

Alex & Ani Liberty Copper Collection Event

Hey guys, sorry for my lack of blog posts after promising to be back for good, things have been extremely hectic as I have recently changed jobs and started a masters degree, but more about all of that in a life update post.

Last night I was invited to take a little look at the brand new Alex and Ani collection, which was hosted in the Kilkenny shop in Dublin.

The collection looked like it was going to be pretty amazing from the invite but it was only when I arrived at the event that I realised the extremely cool back story behind the collection.

The collection consists of some key pieces, all of which feature copper accents which were created from salvaged copper from the statue of liberty itself.

One of the Alex and Ani representatives told me that the inside of the statue of liberty was being refurbished during the centennial restoration, and Alex and Ani purchased the scrapped copper from the original internal structure.

The copper was then purified and used in the collection to represent hope, which ties in with the brands meaningful and eco-friendly ethos. 

The collection features classic Alex and Ani charm bangles, cord bracelets, wrap around cuffs, classic pendants and rings.

Attendees at last night's event were all given the opportunity to own a piece of the collection, and the piece I was gifted was the gorgeous cord bracelet, which will work really well with my slightly grungy aesthetic, so thank you so much Alex and Ani. 

All of the pieces come with a certificate of authenticity which proves that the copper comes from the statue.

The event had a majorly Americana theme, with huge statue of liberty prints donning the walls and even 1950s pin-up girls performing swing songs.

Even the food was Americana themed, with mini strawberry milkshakes, sliders and hot dogs (not veggie unfortunately)

There was also a live art installation going on, with an artist free drawing a cityscape of the big apple, the Statue of Liberty included of course.

One of the coolest parts of the event had to be the DIY screen printing area, where you could print your own tote bag under the supervision of Damn Fine Print. I actually wore mine to Tesco this morning to do the shopping and the lady at the till said 'oh are Alex and Ani doing bags now?'

Another aspect of the collection is the slogan #CarryLight, which while it may sound like luggage instructions, is actually encouraging people to share who or what they carry light for. 

Friends, family, or freddo bars, whatever you love is what you carry your light for.

Having a look at the lovely Liberty Copper collection from @alexandani made with copper salvaged from the statue itself #CarryLight pic.twitter.com/p9kCClD91K

— Sarah Magliocco (@SarahMagliocco) October 20, 2016

Follow me on Instagram of live updates of events like last nights showcase @sarahmagliocco.

Taking a break from Social Media | The benefits of Tuning Out

Hey guys.

So lately my blog has been made up of #OOTD's and mini hauls, I haven't had the chance to write a good long blog post in quite a while.

The main reason Iv'e been away from my blog is because I started an internship at Evoke.ie as a fashion and beauty journalist. For those of you who don't know, Evoke is an Irish online site which has about a million Irish readers. #NoBigDeal

Iv'e had some amazing opportunities with my internship, including sitting front row at fashion shows, heading to amazing events and getting to travel abroad to cover new collections. 

But because Iv'e been spending forty hours a week writing style and beauty articles at work, sometime's it's a little difficult to come home an be inspired to take up the reigns again for Vintage Venom.

| DIT Graduate showcase 2016 |

So to begin my return to the blogosphere, I decided I needed to start with a clean slate.
I had read a few interesting articles about how good it can be for the mind and soul to take a break from social media to re-balance and recharge if you've been feeling a little down.

I follow so many amazing bloggers and just amazing people in general on Instagram, Snapchat etc. and seeing what they were up to always made me a little insecure that I was slipping behind with my work on Vintage Venom.

And of course seeing hot dogs or legs pictures beside an azure pool with palm trees in the background is never going to do much for the mood when you're trudging off to work in the rain at 7am.

So I decided that a good social media purge was what I needed to feel refreshed and ready to get back on track with my blog with confidence and without external pressures.

While I did feel creatively recharged after, I also noticed so many funny little subtlety's about myself and people around me while I was sans-Snapchat.

Like there's nothing quite so strange as sitting at the head of a lunch table on a Monday afternoon looking down at the crowns of four other peoples heads all bent towards the LED screens of their smartphones.

Later in the week I was going for a little run, which rarely happens, and so I felt the urge to Snapchat this major event. I mean, did you even exercise if you don't take the perfect post-workout gym selfie?

And was my Sunday brunch even nice if I didn't share a picture of it on Instagram? Why do I need to let people know that I'm enjoying a weekend afternoon with great food and even greater friends?

Is it to rub it in other peoples faces, that I, a 22-year-old-woman, have in fact got a social life or does it stem from a place of insecurity?

I often laugh at those people who are like look at me, look at my cute brunch and my fancy cocktails, how fabulous am I? But I guess I am absolutely one of them.

Obviously sharing a brunch picture of a particularly aesthetically pleasing meal isn't a sin, and I will definitely be guilty of it again, but I guess taking a social media break makes you consider your motives.

 

And this sunset. Why did I feel the need to share it in a digitally manipulable two-dimensional square, can I not just keep it as a memoir for myself?

Overall I felt better about myself as a person by abandoning the like button for a while. I thought less about the imperfections I feel I have because I wasn't so constantly saturated with images of digitally-altered models and bloggers every time I slid open my lock screen, and that was an added bonus of the purge. 

So whats the best way to dump your social media addiction for a while and de-clutter your mood? Well, here's how I did it.

First I popped all of my existing social media apps into a folder marked 'Out Of Bounds' so that even if I slipped and automatically went to check Facebook or Snapchat, I would see the folder name and remember.

 

Then I went to my notification settings and turned off everything social media related.
And that, my friends, is as simple as that. 

So maybe try purging yourself of social media for a bit. Here's some reasons why you should try:

• You will be more productive without the social media distractions.
• You could feel better about yourself and heighten you self esteem without the constant barrage of pretty much unachievable perfection that saturates much of Instagram
• You will be more creative and encourage more independent thoughts as you move away from being influenced by what other people are doing. 

Once I had returned to social media, blinking blindly in the glossy glow of Instagram, I began to unfollow any accounts which weren't contributing to my happiness.

Anyone who made me feel insecure or just contributed nothing of substance, aesthetically or otherwise, was void of my follow.

Now that I'm back, I'm going to work harder on my Instagram, posting everyday to show things I love and to depict my life the way it is, not in some staged manner to make myself look great.

I know so many bloggers work so hard at their Instagrams and I will too, but I always promise never to promote a brand or product I don't actually believe in myself.

So take a break from social media, you may never look back. 

OOTD#15 | The Botanic Gardens | Missguided

While the weather has certainly taken a turn for the worse, while the sun was shining I took a trip to the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. I'm definitely a bit of a plantkin enthusiast (although I struggle to keep my little Ikea cacti alive) so while the botanic gardens weren't exactly in full bloom it was still an amazing way to spend an afternoon, and shoot an #OOTD of course.

Jacket - Thrifted

Top - Missguided | Choker - Thrifted 

Cap - Gifted | Shirt - Primark/Penneys

Backpack - Vintage | Boots - ASOS

Dungarees - La Jolie Garde Robe Vintage, Marais, Paris

(shop similar here)

I noticed that the majority of my clothes always seem to be thrifted or vintage, so I think I might put together a blog post about my favorite Irish vintage stores and thrift shops.

New OOTD and workwear Look Book coming soon!

OOTD#13 | Merrion Square | Thrifted / Vintage

Duster Coat - F21 | Shorts - ASOS

Canvas Bag - Maeur Park Flea Market, Berlin | Hat - Penneys/Primark

Necklace - Miss Selfridge | Top - Vintage

Shirt - Vintage 

OOTD#12 | South William Street | ASOS White

 A quick outfit of the day to celebrate my 22nd Birthday. Whether its a Taylor Swift song or a Kylie Jenner lip colour, 22 is where its at. I wore this outfit to my birthday celebrations at BiteClub, a street-food discotheque in Galway city and again today to shoot this look.

Co-ord: ASOS White

Boots - ASOS

Blue Jacket - Thrifted | White zip top - Nike

Cap - Gifted

Backpack - Primark|Penneys

OOTD#11 | The Berlin Wall | Berlin Style Guide

(Coat-ASOS, Trousers-Topshop, Jumper-River Island)

The graffiti scarred streets of Berlin are a fashion bloggers dream, with barely an expressionless wall or pavement to be found in the city districts and beyond.

(Bag-F21, PomPom-Penneys/Primark) 

Even the doorways and lampposts are scrawled with tags, and layers and layers of flyers for art galleries, club nights and the underground music scene. 

(Scarf-ASOS (Menswear) Ring-Topshop) 

Iv'e been channeling a minimal, normcore vibe for the past few months and that reflected in the outfits I chose to bring to Berlin. This look blended in perfectly with the Berlin street style, as boyfriend coats, canvas bags and scarves made up the staples of Berlin style.

(Socks-Topshop, Shoes-New Balance)

 The colour scheme was muted, with the most trendy looks seeming to consist of layered coats, slouchy polo-neck jumpers tucked into dungarees, and lots of black Doc Martins and white runners. 

(Cap-Gifted) 

I have put together a Berlin Style staples guide below, featuring some of the most prominent feature pieces of the street style I saw. The Berlin look is all about minimum effort and maximum cool. If you look like you have tried with this look then you have failed to encapsulate the Berlin vibe.

Dusty hues, subtle athleisure and over-sized coats and jumpers are worn out, not a hint of a high heel or fake tan to be seen. New balances and chunky boots are footwear most often seen,and the boyfriend coat and longline heavy duster coat were seen on every district street.

And finally, credit to my best friend Ashley McDonnell who shot this outfit for me, check out the outfit I shot for her over on her recently launched blog The Style Scruple.

Autumn Shoe Haul | ASOS, New Balance & Primark

The time for sliders and espadrilles is long over,and with that in mind, I decided to pick up a few new footwear items. The A/W fashion season is in full swing and is still my favourite season for style. As some one who is almost perpetually in an all black ensemble, I love when the high street colour palette moves to darker tones and edgier styles and textures are introduced.

ASOS 'Remember me' Ankle Boots - €49.79 

I just received these boots from ASOS a few days ago. I chose these particular ankle boots because I'm a great lover of a chunky flatform and because I thought the diamond print texture was unusual. I can imagine Zoe Benson from AHS Coven wearing these and they will definitely be featuring in my Halloween LookBook. 

New Balance - €87

I know people say New Balance are overpriced and trendy and I was perfectly willing to let the trend pass me by. This changed when I saw this particular pair in Schuh. The minimalist scheme and mesh detailing was what sealed the deal and I decided to take a leap of faith and invest on what are now my comfiest pair of shoes. 

Primark/Penney's Oxfords - €21

I don't usually buy shoes in Penney's but these dupes caught my eye. The pale stitching on the sides is reminiscent of Dr Martins style and these could have easily passed as excellent dupes if it wasn't for the zipper running up the front instead of laces.I'm also still debating as to whether these are black or navy, it deviates depending on the lighting but there is a definite blue marbled effect. 

I hope you enjoyed this short post and I'l be working on giving you guys tonnes of new content in the coming weeks. I'm also selling some other shoes over on my Depop if you'd like to check it out. 

OOTD#10 Dominick Street|Public Romance

Hey guys, I'm back from my Summer working and travelling in Marbella and have settled back into uni life. I have plenty of content lined up for VV and may also be making some serious decorative refurbishments to my site pretty soon! But for now, here's a little OOTD. Haul coming soon and all the available links are in the descriptions. 

Backpack - Penneys/Primark

Bomber Jacket - Public Romance Sunglasses - Topshop  

Shoes/Socks/Tights - Penney's/Primark

Septum Ring -Regal Rose Hat- eBay Chain - American Apparel  

Top - H&M Basics Shorts - Topshop

Links: 

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|depop| 

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OOTD#9 Silver Strand

Necklace - Miss Selfridge

Sandals - ASOS 

Rings (left) - Miss Selfridge (right) Dunnes Stores

 Dress - ASOS

Bag - Penneys Sunglasses - Vintage

Hat - Forever 21

Jacket - Thrifted