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May 3, 2013

Vintage Fashionista Friday: May 3, 2013


Once long, long ago...ok, not that long ago, but still more than two years ago, there used to be a series of posts here called Vintage Fashionista Friday. The premise behind this series was quite straightforward and fun: from time-to-time on Fridays I'd put together the components of a vintage outfit with photographs of garments, accessories, and sometimes even beauty products, all of which had been sourced online. As the series progressed, I also started assigning a female name to each look to really help make it a unique ensemble unto itself.

Over time, and due in no small part to 2011's Vintage 365 project, this series unintentionally fell out of circulation (I think the last one may have been in February 2011). Well you know what? I feel it's high time we brought it back! I know that you gals adore posts about vintage fashion and style, and I love writing them, so I see no reason why we shouldn't reinstate Vintage Fashionista Fridays.

Then, as now, these posts aren't going to appear every week, but I plan on making them an ongoing part of this blog again, and I really hope that you'll enjoy them whenever they do pop up (always, as their name suggests, on Fridays).

On that note, and without further ado, may I present the latest installment in the Vintage Fashionista Friday series.

 photo BernadetteVintageFashionistaFridayblogheader_zps61ecc250.png

{Mid-century hats truly don't come any more elegant or sweetly beautiful than this stunning 1950s rose adorned wide-brimmed topper. $50.00 from etsy seller Pear Tree Vintage.}




{Call to mind spring's abundance of new foliage and flora with this charming pair of 1950s screw-back dangle earrings. $14.00 from etsy seller Poppy Frock Vintage.}




{Channel a note of French classicism in a gorgeous white and green vintage toile print dress that would work just as well for a May bridal shower as it would a summer garden party. Fits up to a 40" bust/32" waist. $89.00 from etsy seller Lady Hogg.}



{Winter's hefty coats may be a thing of the past once more, but mid-spring evenings can still be a touch nippy sometimes. Fend off the chill with this timeless white 1950s/60s orlon cardigan. Fits up to a 40" bust/no waist size stated. $36.00 from etsy seller GirlGal6.}



{Springtime calls for crisp, bracing, clean scents and few meet the criteria better than this immensely lovely Green Tea Eau de Toilette. $52.00 for 3.4 fl. oz from L'OCCITANE.}




{A must-have item in any fashionable vintage loving lady's attire, a perpetually pretty pair of white gloves to wear with all manner of warm weather outfits. Aprox. size 7 gloves. $8.00 from etsy seller Sunnydale Vintage.}




{Whether at the beach, on a picnic, window shopping on holiday, or just popping down to the market, this wonderfully pretty woven 1950s Italian straw purse will be sure to hold plenty of practical items while looking thoroughly chic and stylish in the process. $130.00 from etsy seller Some Like It Vintage.}




{The return of warm days and balmy nights means you can wear peep-toed shoes again without the slightest risk of frostbitten tootsies. These charming 1940s heels are sturdy, beautiful, and more than a little covetable. Aprox. US size 5.5 (they measure 9" in length). $195.00 from etsy seller Honey Talk Vintage.}


♥ ♥ ♥



Earlier this year the wonderfully lovely Stephanie from the blog My Dearest Eva wrote a post about her passion for the classic French pattern toile de jouy, highlighting several beautiful vintage and repro toile dresses in the process. This elegant, ever-so-slightly whimsical pattern has always been a beloved favourite of mine, too, and I haven't been able to shake thoughts of it from my mind ever since Stephanie's post.

There's just something about toile – sophisticated, eye-catching, timeless creature that it is - which has endeared it to my heart since I was a little girl (for example, I have a little toile teddy bear I bought in my early teen years which now resides in my craft room). I've always thought toile was especially well suited to spring - particularly the vibrant, sun smooched second half of the season - so hence the inclusion of it in today's fetching vintage ensemble.

Stephanie's post reminded me that I need to try and inject more toile into my own vintage wardrobe. It's not the easiest pattern to come by when dealing with 40s and 50s garments, but certainly some such pieces do exist and I'd love to introduce at least a couple of them to my wardrobe sooner or later.

I'm thrilled to have revived the Vintage Fashionista Friday series and look forward to sharing further entries with all of you as this year (and beyond) rolls on. 

Happy Friday wishes, my dears, may each of your weekends be as lovely as the items featured in today's post!

52 comments:

  1. i love thé vert fragrance!! i actually have a hand cream from the series, despite hating hand creams :D:D but it smells so so good, the best fresh scent! :D
    and i really like the idea of these weekly posts, looking forward on the next one :)

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  2. Love the outfit you put together!

    And I didn't know the name of that specific pattern. I love it very much! I have some in my stash, but it is trifted and has some flaws, so I'm not sure I can use it for a dress or even a skirt.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Anthea. How awesome that you have some of this very same fabric! I think it would awesome used for just about any vintage style garment. A summery skirt could be especially cute!

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I'm so glad you've brought back this series, I'm looking forward to it! This outfit does certainly say spring, especially with all that lovely green (and in particular, those shoes, gorgeous!). I'm so happy to be be seeing green again outside, too!

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  4. Loved that hat! Sorry to see it is sold. I looked at the photos and wonder how it is kept on the head. No comb or elastic, just a bit of a support at the base. Very interesting! Hat pins, perhaps?

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    1. I absolutely love it, too! If I'd had the means, I would have snapped it up a few weeks ago when I began gathering inspiration for today's post. Depending one's head size, it's possible the this hat may have been able to "suction" (so to speak) on and stay on in that way if the inner circle was on par with your head size), but I suspect that an elegant little hat pin (perhaps with a pearl or faux diamond to compliment the white roses) would have been the way to go, too.

      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Great post! Oh I love the white bolero. It is so charming and exactly what I've been looking for. Too bad it won't fit my bust.

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    1. Thank you very much, honey! It is a charming bolero for sure - I'll definitely zip an email your way right away if I happen to spot any like it with larger bust sizes.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I'm imagining how it would feel to be bedecked in this ensemble you've created...it thrills my imagination! Lovely...

    xoxox
    theefface.blogspot.com

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  7. Beautiful items, thanks for introducing! very springy :) Those gloves are divine

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  8. That dress and those shoes are to die for!! I love green! I found some great vintage fabric at an estate sale today and can't wait to make some "vintage" clothes!

    Blessings

    Linda

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  9. I love your picks for this outfit, especially the hat and the dress. I look forward to other posts in the series :)

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  10. Oh what s lovely idea! Great way to share items that are out there and inspire!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  11. That's one of my favorite prints too, its a timeless classic that looks absolutely marvelous in anything. I recently saw it in a nursery and was amazed.

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  12. Those green heels are so lovely!

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  13. Oh, wow!! I adore these pieces. Green is my favorite color and you've shown it in the prettiest way! Love!

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  14. Honey Talk Vintage always has the most amazing shoes in her shop!Makes me green with envy every times she shares a sneak peek on Instagram.I love green tea so I'm intrigued by that green tea perfume!

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    1. She really does, I agree! Completely swoon-worthy offerings that always have been longing for smaller feet and deeper pockets! :)

      Happy start of May wishes, dear gal!
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. That hat! Wow! Gorgeous! Hat's are the best thing aren't they?? I like this vintage fashionista!! ;)
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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    1. It is something else, isn't it? I so wish I could have had it my budget to buy it before someone else did, but alas such was not the case. For sure, vintage hats and the absolute bee's knees and then some!

      ♥ Jessica

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  16. :-)
    o.k. - sold!
    i take the whole outfit, can you wrap it as a present please ;-)
    this shade of green is my favorit color!
    please do more of this - it´s so inspiring.

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  17. Great series idea, will have to look for older ones. I love that the ensembles are named, how do you choose them?

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    1. Thank you, dear Kate! Good question...usually I let the theme of the overall outfit, or perhaps one single garment from it, spark a name in my mind. For example, in the case of today's ensemble, the classic toile print of the dress made me think of France, and in turn French girl's names, of which I've always been fond of Bernadette.

      Sometimes I've named that after people I know/have known (for example, I did one for my mom's birthday after used her name, Lynn, for it: http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2010/04/vintage-fashionista-friday-april-2-2010.html), and others still they've been holiday themed (such as Valentina for Valentine's Day: http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2011/02/vintage-fashionista-friday-february-11.html).

      I've always loved naming things, so it's a real treat to get to do so with fun series of vintage fashion posts.

      Have a marvelous weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I see! Thanks for such a detailed answer. I look forward to the next one.

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    3. My pleasure, dear Kate. An idea struck me a couple of evenings ago, that perhaps from time-to-time it would be fun to also name some of these outfits after fellow vintage loving gals, perhaps styling them in ways that mirror their own fashion tastes or items that remind me of said folks.

      ♥ Jessica

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  18. (Sigh) Everything on this post was beautiful!!! Loving this reinstated addition to your blog!!!! Now I want to shop!!!!!

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  19. I adore this entire collection and I love the name you assigned!

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  20. Ohhh love this idea! Can't wait to see what else you come up with. Bernadette looks like one classy lady.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet gal. I'm delighted to bring this series back again (it was in high gear during 2010 and early 2011, but unintentionally got put on the back burner between then and now), and have already set the gears into motion for the next edition.

      ♥ Jessica

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  21. I love this idea! So glad you brought it back! The whole outfit is just spectacular. I think I'm especially finding the cardigan facinating. Aren't you even just a tiny bit tempted to buy some of these treasures for your wardrobe lol?

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    1. Yay! I'm delighted to know that you're happy this series is back. I really am as well, and have already started envisioning the next outfit I want to put together for this series.

      Very, very tempted indeed - it's probably a good thing (for the sake of my wallet) that the hat sold before I could get it and that the dress is a bit too big for me (though, there are always belts... ;D). I'm really curious to know what that green tea scent smells like - I'd imagine it's wonderfully fresh and uplifting (much like the scent of real green tea).

      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Green is one of my favorite colors. I love the green print dress.

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    1. I just adore the print of this dress, too - toile is such a joyful, elegant, subtly whimsical pattern. I wish there were oodles more 1940s and 50s dresses out there in this classic pattern.

      Thank you very much for your comment & have a gorgeous weekend, dear Chrissy,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. We have definitively the same taste!!!! This dress is one of my Etsy favorite and I hesitated to buy it many time!!!!

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    1. This dress would look smashing on your, Laurence! The soft, classic green would compliment your blonde locks so gorgeously.

      Happy start of May wishes, my sweet friend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Jessica, that outfit really says spring in such a lovely way. But those green shoes, oh my! For just a split second I considered chopping off some toes so I could fit into them:) Great choices!

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    1. I hear you loud and clear there, Theresa! If I had a dollar for everytime I'd had that thought (I'd be loaded and potentially toeless :D). I never feel like my (size 8) feet are big in a modern context, but in the world of vintage shoes they almost seem gigantic.

      ♥ Jessica

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  25. I absolutely adore VFF! What a fabulous idea! :) I already look forward to the next one.

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  26. Green is such a fresh colour, this dress screams Spring! Really beautiful, and I love the label on the fragrance bottle. It almost looks vintage, if only it had one of those puff things on top instead (I forget what they're called... You squeeze it to make the scent come out!)

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    1. I completely agree, dear gal, the classic shape of this bottle really does call for an atomizer. It's a shame more scents don't still use them on their bottles - they're both lovely to look and very practical.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. Ooooh! That toile dress is so lovely! I like the green color too, it seems a bit harder to come by than the more common blue and white toile.

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    1. Absolutely! Though it's hard to see why when toile clearly works so smashingly in green and white. I think that (in terms of vintage fashion) I've seen the most blue toile followed by black, red (or pink), green, brown, and then various other hues.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. well i didn´t knew those vintage fashionista fridays before but i love those posts now!!! That look called Bernadette is absolutely gorgeous, i loooove the green dress and the darling hat, you have so a good eye for accessories to complete a look!
    hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
    love and kiss,mary
    http://www.maryloucinnamon.com/

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  29. What a wonderful idea for posts!! Oh my, these items are just so womanly and beautiful!!!! And I bet that every single one would look stunning on you! :D
    I hope that you are having a lovely weekend!!

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  30. Gorgeous gorgeous pieces...you have such an eye for putting these looks together....thank you for sharing them with us...hope you're well and happy...love to you....

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  31. green isn't my fav colour but you put a quite lovely outfit together ... green can be so beautiful.

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  32. Lovely! Thanks for sharing and I am dying over those shoes!

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  33. I absolutely loved these inspirations! I personally have the White Tea Eau de Toilette from L'OCCITANE, and I love it very much!

    Lots of love! ♥

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  34. Jessica, as I told you when we first had contact, you inspire me with your intellect and manner in which you express your thoughts. I truly enjoyed reading your blog about your fond memories of the dress you had when you were young as I too have a fond memory of one of my dresses but unfortunately I have not found one that was a close duplication of the original dress. My Dad bought the dress (picked it out by himself) as a reward for taking care of the family while my Mom was in the hospital. That held a special place in my heart when I was young. I also like the Friday blog which I will come back each week to enjoy and bask in the glory of your talent. Joci

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    1. Hi Joci, thank you deeply for the tremendously kind words. Comments like this mean a great deal to me and honestly really help fuel me onward on the blogging front during those times when things (usually my health) may be zapping my blogging mojo for a little while - or simply give me an extra push and dose of happiness any day no matter how I'm feeling.

      If I can ever be of help to you in trying to find a similar one to your special childhood frock, please don't hesitate to let me know (I spent a rather sizeable amount of time on sites like etsy and eBay and am always happy to keep my eyes peeled for any particular garment one of my reader my be looking for).

      ♥ Jessica

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  35. Hi everyone,

    Thank you very much for your awesome comments. I really enjoyed reading about some of your own favourite childhood dresses and am pleased as punch to know how enthusiastic you are about the return of this series.

    I just wanted to mention, as I touched on briefly in this post, that this series won't be appearing every single Friday, but it will be a frequent fixture here from now on. I've already started putting together items for the next one and can't wait to share it with all of you.

    Thank you again, dear friends - I hope you each have a marvelous week!
    ♥ Jessica

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  36. Okay, let me just say, I am super excited about the return of this segment. I do a similar vein of "inspiration" posts on my Thursday Thrill and have so much fun with them. Now I get to see what you would put together! Yay! I love love love that hat. And I actually just bought a pair of 40s shoes from Honey Talk Vintage. Can't wait to do a post on them!
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

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