August 10, 2012

Unintentionally channelling Hyacinth Bucket

...Albeit a considerably younger version, but still, as soon as I saw the photos below taken in our front yard on a warm, golden sunlight kissed evening, I was struck by the Keeping Up Appearances vibe that this outfit, with its pearl necklace, floral dress, white pumps, and partially upswept hair conveyed.

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 4

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 1

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 5

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 2

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 6

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 8

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 7

Vintage floral tea day dress, Jessica Cangiano, Chronically Vintage_image 3




Outfit details

White mini hair bow barrette: unknown

Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12

Faux pearl earrings: Claire's

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from my husband ♥

Vintage floral print dress: etsy seller revivalhouse

Aqua plastic bangle bracelets: Claire's

Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore

1950s aqua hued gloves: etsy or eBay

Nude seamed vintage stockings: eBay

White pumps: Payless

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Antonio Cangiano
 

♥ ♥ ♥


As a youngster I adored watching the few British TV shows that we got at the time, from Good Neighbors to Faulty Towers (and of course, a little later on, the hilarious antics of Mr. Bean).
It's been years since I last saw an episode of the hilarious UK sitcom Keeping Up Apperances though, the main character, Hyacinth Bucket (who, striving to always come across as posh as possible, liked to insist that her last name was pronounced "bouquet"), played by Patricia Routledge, I can't help but feel I'm taking a sartorial note from with this outfit.

Hyacinth Bucket from the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, floral dress and pearls

{While not twins per se, our looks do strike a common cord in this instance, don't you think? Image via the BBC.}

Not, of course, that there's anything wrong with that. Hyacinth's late 80s/early 90s collection of floral print frocks always caught my eye as a youngster (as did her delightful array of hats), and I admired how polished and put together (redolent to my young mind in a way of Queen Elizabeth) she usually always looked. Floral dresses have long been a favourite of mine, too, especially if they're vintage (natch!).
Frocks like this convey a sensible, timeless quality that makes them especially good for days when you're entertaining company or heading to events such as luncheons, PTA meetings, or a visit to your local tea room with a good friend. On the particular eve when these photos were snapped, I was waiting for my Aunt Lori, Uncle Bill and their three kids (who live about 3.5 hours away) to arrive for a visit.
It was the first time I'd seen them in several years (due to the fact that until recently we were living on the other side of the country from them) and I was very excited and little nervous (which I think I can detect on my face here), simply because it had been so long. Once they arrived though, it was as if the years apart melted away and I instantly felt at ease.
As the night went on, I even got a chance to show my Aunt and my cousin Heather (my other two cousins are lads and weren't, understandably, interested) my vintage hat and glove collections (Lori had a blast trying on some of the hats, which, with her naturally curly pale blonde hair, instantly gave her a lovely old school look). Next time they visit, I hope we'll get a chance to peak at my dress collection together, too.
When that happens, they'll no doubt spot this floral frock on its hanger, ready and waiting for the next time I pull it out and pay tribute one of the most humorously enjoyable female characters a British sitcom has ever produced, the one and only Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket.




41 comments:

  1. Ohhh how wonderful! I've always adored that show! You look splendid and I really love those gloves.

    xo,
    Em

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  2. Aww don't you look elegant :) I like those gloves!

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  3. Just so long as you don't dress like Rose or Daisy! I agree with you, floral print dresses are timeless. Yours is very pretty, and your accessories are perfect.

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  4. I used to watch them all on late night tv! Faulty Towers, Are You Being Served and Keeping Up With Appearances!

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  5. You look great! Love the dress and glove detail.

    I remember growing up in the 90's and my mom would dress my sister and I in floral dresses with leggings. I hated being dressed alike and my mom thought it was cute. We weren't even twins.

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  6. Although I do love most of the British comedies, my heart lies earlier than 'Keeping Up Appearances', I have a real soft spot for those from the seventies, I can't get enough of them.

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  7. Yes, Jessica! I see the resemblance. :) I love your dress and gloves. The shade of blue/aqua goes so very well with your beautiful eyes. And i have always loved Keeping Up Appearances. My husband and i have every episode on DVD! :D I think the best episode of all is 'Waterside Dinner with Riparian Entertainment. LOL. It's the first episode i ever saw on PBS, and it's when i fell in love with Hyacinth, Richard, Daisy and Onslow et. al. I always crack up when Onslow says he is 'bone idle.' That's how i am on most weekends. Speaking of weekends, have a wonderful one. I'm going to be catching up on my blog reading! This has been an unusually busy week, and i have a few of your posts to catch up on. It'll be fun. :)

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  8. you're so precious on the details...really nice photographs

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  9. You always have the best gloves. You must have very dainty hands.

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    1. Awww, thank you very much! Vintage gloves are a definite passion of mine and I'm always on the prowl for styles and colours that I don't already have to add to my collection. My hands are quite small, yes, a point which is certainly a boon when vintage glove shopping.

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Oh, I do love that dress. It does look similar, but I think it's prettier. Love that hairstyle too, doll!

    Hope you're enjoying summmer while it lasts.

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  11. " It's my sister Violet! She's the one with the Mercedes, swimming pool, and room for a pony." I cant tell you how many times I said that as a kid, althought my sisters name is Mable haha. It was because of Hyacinth that I learned how to set a table and got to liking dinner parties and entertaining. I thing your dress and pearls would make her proud. "I would be very pleased if you would accept my invitation to one my candlelight suppers."

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  12. Ah Mrs. "Bouquet." That show was hilarious. I remember watching it with my grandmother when I was young. This outfit does bare more than a slight resemblance. Very nice!

    <3 Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting!
    http://LetsGoThrifting.blogspot.com

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  13. That cracked me up!! I live in the UK and used to watch that all the time when I was about 8 years old and I had totally forgotten about it until I read your blog header!

    You look great though never fear! At least you're not channelling her sister Rose... now that would be worrying (or worse Onslow!)

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  14. You are so photogenic:) I love the images. So colorful! It's just like how we think we can imagine color photographs might look on some of these lovely photo's of women taken in BW back in the day.

    http://dividingmoments.blogspot.com/

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  15. Haha, we always used to watch that show when I was little (my Dad is from London originally). How nostalgic!!

    You, however, look much prettier and more youthful than Ms. Bouquet ;) Those aqua accessories are splendid!

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  16. Lovely- such a pretty dress.
    Hyacinth would be proud- though you are decidedly more stylish ; )
    It’s such a long time since I last saw that sitcom on TV –I always felt so sorry for her husband!

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  17. Oh, I LOVE Hyancinth "Bouquet"!!!! She always makes me giggle!! You are beautiful my dear!! So perfectly Vintage Chic!!

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  18. I lovve Hyacinth! Your outfit looks great :)

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  19. Well you look MUCH better in that dress than she did -- I do love the floral print & pearls!

    Happy Friday to you my friend! Wishing you a relaxing weekend ahead.

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  20. "Bouquet (Bouquet) residence, Lady of the House speaking"...Hyacinth, you are not...you look young, fresh and unassuming in your lovely dress...I love that show!
    xx

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  21. I would never think to wear a bracelet with gloves, but the look is amazing! Thank you so much for all of your inspiring comments on my blog, your friendship is one of the best things that has come of me writing online. Seriously!

    Thanks doll,
    The Glamorous Housewife

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    1. What a deeply beautiful comment, thank you with all my heart. It is a joy and honour to have you an an online friend, too, and to have watched each other's blogs blossom and grow over the past few years.

      ♥ Jessica

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  22. I love the gloves and the stretch pearl bracelets. Hyacinth would be very pleased.

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  23. I love this post, Jessica! You look fabulous (beautiful lighting, Antonio) and I adore Hyacinth! What fun this is. :)

    p. s. It's desperately late but your package is on the way!

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  24. I see the resemblence with the dress, but you have a much better figure and are much more stylish! I loved Keeping Up Appearances and Hyacinth was pretty hilarious though.

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  25. Hi darling ladies,

    Many, many thanks to each of your for your wonderful comments. It's delightful to know that so many of you are Hyacinth fans, too, and that you could see the unintentional resembles here going on in these shots, as well.


    Wishing you all an endlessly lovely weekend,
    ♥ Jessica

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  26. Lovely dress. I really like the blue floral print. Great touch with the gloves.

    Christie x

    Dark Blue Stripes

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  27. Yes this series was one I grew up with, your outfit is very remeniscent of it. I can't seem to get away with wearing gloves, I don't thinkk I have quite the complete outfit for them. I brought some lacey ones, but don't get to wear enough elegant dresses for them to go with- or go enough places where a dress and gloves look right!

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  28. Haha oh you had me at the Keeping Up Appearances reference! I enjoyed that show so much as a kid and might have to track the series down again and re-watch it. This outfit is very Hyacinth - but only in the best way of course :D

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  29. I too always watch Keeping Up Appearances, most of the time because I love her china antiques and her dress sense and her behaviour when she walks out the door with RichURd :-))

    But you look stunning overall, your dress and hair and make up, can't get more vintage, I love the pearl bracelets around the gloves.

    www.personalautographs.blogspot.co.uk

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  30. Love this print. "It's buuu-que"

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  31. I live in Winnipeg, MB and we actually get Keeping up Appearances on our local PBS station. I still enjoy watching the episodes every night. My favorite quotation is "Please be careful with my Royal Doulton china with the hand painted periwinkles!!"
    ...and yes your dress is very similar to Hyacinth's.

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  32. Hehe this did make me chuckle, I hope you spent the day answering your phone in a very OTT way! :D

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  33. Ha ha, love this! Hyacinth is a quite the style icon. I used to be obsessed with 'Keeping up appearences' when I was younger but I was always more into Rose's style, I liked all that leopard print. ;-) Hehe
    Well you look so elegant in this dress and i'm glad you had a nice time with your relatives.
    Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comment on my shell grotto post, it really meant alot to me. :-)
    Hope you have a wonderful week. xx

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  34. Beautiful, elegant outfit. Head to toe perfection. Love the Hyacinth reference.

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  35. Hi my dear Jessica,

    Popped over form your post today to see your pearl necklace post. I too love rose prints. I have a love of many things English.

    What fun for you and your cousins to browse through your vintage collections...I would love to do the same!

    You, as always, look the charming vintage beauty.

    Hugs, Hope

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Hope. My, how warm and sunny these snaps are compared those I've been posting lately. I do rather love winter in many ways, but admit that I'm eager for spring and summer to return so that we can have more days like this (that are just ideal for taking photos) again.

      I've thought of you and your family often, my friend, and truly hope that you're doing as well as can be. I'm always here if you need to talk.

      ♥ Jessica

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  36. I have just watched the 1993 Keeping up Christmas Special, where Hyacinth is on a cruise. She is wearing a GORGEOUS evening coat//dress (cant make out which) in beaded black and white that I would love to get my hands on. I suspect its a designer one, I can't find anything similar anywhere. Still, you never know!!

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    1. Hi Goldie, thank you very much for your comment. It's hard to believe nearly two years have passed since this post went up. It feels more like two weeks ago! I don't recall offhand the coat that you're describing, but if you happen to have a screenshot or photo of Hyacinth wearing it, I might be able to help you find something similar for sale online (or, if none are forthcoming, to keep my eyes peeled for one for you in my own vintage sourcing searches).

      Have a wonderful day,
      ♥ Jessica

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