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January 24, 2014

Flickr Favourites: January 24, 2014

 photo 2508125733_59dde8437e_b_zpsbfe3b30b.jpg

{Rose in violet ~ yoshiko314}
 



{Plate IV for Les Choses de Paul Poiret by Lepape, 1911 ~ Silverbluestar}
 



{1950s purple heather dress and jacket set ~ Small Earth Vintage}




{African pygmy hedgehog ~ Adam Foster}
 
 


{Revlon's Ultra Violet ~ saltycotton}
 



{Paul Poiret 1925 fashion plate ~ Starduste}
 
 


{143|365 vintage purple ~ Cottage 960}
 
 



{Heywood-Wakefield Furniture ad, 1955 ~ alsis35}
 
 


{Buttons ~ sweetjessie}


{Modess 1959 ~ clotho98}
 
 

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}



 


My goodness, can you believe that the first month of the year is already three-quarters over? How can that be, weren't we just busting out the pink vintage Christmas trees and tossing a turkey in the oven? Like it or not (and don't get me wrong, I do - it's always so fun to witness the first weeks of a new year unfold), already more than three weeks into January, and that means it's high time I officially reveal my colour of the year for 2014.

As you may have guessed by the images pictured here in today's edition of Flickr Favourites, it's the deeply elegant, sometimes playful, inherently feminine purple.

2013 focused on green, in the sense that I embraced this colour in a whole new light and tried (successfully, I'm happy to report) to add more to my wardrobe and wear those verdant pieces that I owned throughout the year. I developed a newfound love of green and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'll continue to sport it far more often than I did pre-2013 in the years to come.

Much as it struck me at some point in 2012 that I owned (for absolutely no particular reason) very little green, so too did I begin to realize this about purple last year, and by summer - with nearly half a year still to unfold - I knew that purple was going to be the next colour up to bat, so to speak, when 2014 rolled into town.

When I was a little girl, I can distinctly remember most of my grade school girlfriends preferring either pink or purple. I fell squarely into the pink camp and as such gravitated towards that colour in my wardrobe, toy, and even candy preferences while growing up. Interestingly however, purple is my mother's absolute favourite hue, and so via her love for it, there were always splashes of purple through our home (and her wardrobe). Perhaps because I was surrounded with it in that sense when I was younger, I didn't notice as much that there wasn't a ton of it in my closet.

I can certainly see that point with striking clarity now however, many years after I last lived at home and it's high time I followed my lovely mom's lead and injected some more purple into my wardrobe!

I have a few purple garments (such as this thin knit sweater and this 1970s does 40s jersey dress, which is my favourite violet piece that I currently own - as well as one of my favourite dresses point blank, it's the comfiest frock imaginable!), but not a ton by any means and in the coming months, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more both online and off (I'm really hoping some of Value Village's 50% of sales will be on my side in that regard throughout 2014).

I'd love to find a pair of purple shoes (I've not honestly sure if I've ever had one), more purple hats and jewelry, and of course additional garments in this beautiful colour as well. I love the ingrained ladylike quality of purple. That it can be youthful or refined, sassy or sultry, just depending on the shade at work. It's a peaceful, yet powerful colour and one that I tend to gravitate towards on either the lighter or darker end of the spectrum.

Lilacs and hydrangeas, both of which come in gloriously pretty purple varieties, have long been amongst my favourite flowers, so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for florals including either of them this year (as well as other purple blooms). Just as I will those in the plum, eggplant (aubergine), and grape families, all food and shades I've long been a fan of.

Of course I'll wear and buy other colours this year as well, but I really liked having a specific colour to focus on last year and look forward to doing so again throughout 2014, both in my wardrobe choices and throughout some of this year's blog posts (such as this one! :)).

Are you a fan of purple? Love it, loath it, don't have have strong feelings either way? Care to join me in my quest for my violet this year? If you do, I hope you have tons of luck finding purple pieces you love and that you'll share some of your favourites with me all throughout 2014.

Here's to a positively, passionately purple year ahead!!!

34 comments:

  1. that's a great idea, choosing a color for the year. I cannot wait to see the many ways in which you will use it and I'm looking forward to being inspired by purple this year! I'm thinking it looks wonderful with your hair color and skin type.
    Have an awesome rest of the month!
    P.S. Thank you, too, for all the wonderful comments. Each one makes me smile and I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. You're such a sweet gal!
    Onward into 2014!!!

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    1. You're wholeheartedly welcome, sweetheart. I vividly remember what it was like to start out as a new vintage blogger (nearly five years ago now - my, how the time flies when you're having fun blogging! :)) and am really happy to you started commenting on my site so that I could in turn discover and enjoy yours from its earliest days.

      I'm really excited to grow my love for, and wardrobe's volume of, purple this year, too. It seems like such a great, upbeat, beautiful colour to compliment a year that I sincerely hope is all of those three things as well.

      Big hugs!!!
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. In the late 70s, an elderly neighbor proudly showed me her new bathroom--vibrant lavender fixtures, tile, rugs, the works! Truthfully, it was one of the most delightfully awful rooms I'd ever seen, but I loved it because I loved her. She brought me lilacs from her yard every spring and loved all things purple. For as long as I can recall, the only things I like in purple are violets and lilacs, both favorites. You will do it justice and I suspect lots of us may be changing our minds about the color. Now I need to go look in my daughters' closets and find those 80's My Little Ponies to see how many of them are purple! If I recall correctly, all things pink and purple made a hit with them as little girls. Looking forward to your take on the color!

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    1. What a charming, smile-inducing story. I know just what you mean about rooms being "delightfully awful", I've encountered a few of those myself over the years (including a faded pink c. early 60s bathroom with glaring yellow light bulbs in a church's basement of all places).

      Definitely! As a child of that era myself, I can attest to just how very many toys aimed at little girls then were pink and/or purple. The pink was typically either hot pink or akin to bubble gum and the purple was either pastel or a bold, cheerful "Barney the Dinosaur" sort of true purple. In particular, when I think of these two colours, my mind flashes to thoughts of Keypers toys (I had the pink, puprle and white horse).

      Thank you for the wonderfully nice comment, dear Ann - have a splendid weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I love purple, but the dark rich jewel toned purple. It goes well with red hair and my complexion. This lighter shade of purple? I don't know. It kind of reminds me of stuff my Grandma would wear. That doesn't mean I have given up on it completely. I will follow your lead and see if Value Village doesn't have a bit of this to see if I care for it. Maybe just in accessories.

    BTW…That little hedgehog killed me!

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  4. I love purple- but in the paler shade of lavender :) It's my sister's favourite colour though, so I tended to steer clear of it when younger LOL
    These days I don't care, and wear it happily. It, and the dusky rose shade of pink! (BTW the hedgehog is so cute!)

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    1. Hello sweet Rachel, thank you very much for your comment. I understand that - sometimes when one family member really flocks to something, we uninentionally shy away from that very same thing ourselves so as to let them enjoy it "all for themselves", if you will.

      Dusty rose is my all-time favourite colour! I am always on the prowl for vintage pieces in that soft, romantic, girly hue and also enjoy using it in my home decor and crafting projects. It's really cool to know that it's one of your faves as well.

      Big hugs & lots of happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. You're speaking my language! Purple is my favourite colour, although, oddly, I also don't have much of it in my wardrobe. I really love that Modess hair! Will your quest extend to hair and beauty products? Gah, now I need to go and find something purple to wear. Or buy. Looking forward to your year of violet delights!

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    1. How splendidly lovely that purple is your favourite colour! I really hope you enjoy seeing the bevy of violet hued outfits and photos I plan to post here in the coming months. You know, that's a great question/point...I had mostly been thinking about my wardrobe, but now that you mention it (and I'm very glad that you did), I see no reason not to extend it to beauty products as well. I used to wear purple eye shadow fairly often about 9-10 years, but haven't done so often since then. I'll have to revive doing so a few times this year and also look for other purple products (such as nail polish) to add to my collection this year. Thank you for the prompt in that direction, dear gal!

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I do like purple, in deeper hues. I've never been quite sure what to wear it with, other than navy blue or possibly a mustard yellow. I own quite a few purple items (sweater, suede skirt, velvet trousers) but hardly ever wear them. I (unfairly) think of it as a winter shade, when I'm sure a purple sundress would be lovely with white accessories.

    Thank you for putting new wardrobe ideas in my head.

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    1. You're very welcome, my dear! Purple can be a touch tricky to style sometimes, it's true. Perhaps as this year winds down (and thoughts of whatever my colour for 2015 will be start swirling through my head), I'll do a post focusing on the different ways I've styled purple with other hues throughout this year (as well as in years past as well). Thanks for the idea to do so!

      Big hugs & happy purple styling,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I do love purple! So feminine, so mysterious, so regal! I adore all the different shades of purple and I would love to find a beautiful vintage dress in a lilac - time to start searching!

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  8. I was always a pink girl too. So much so that my bedroom was painted that colour! But these days, I definitely favour purple more.

    I'm a little obsessed with that dining setting.

    xo

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    1. How wonderfully sweet! One of my childhood bedrooms was painted pink as well and it had a wallpaper border running around the top of the room that featured dancing ballerina teddy bears.

      Agreed, that table and chairs set is smashing!!! It would be especially perfect for Easter.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Lavendar is one of my favorite colors! I painted my dining room pale lavender when my husband and I moved into our house 6years ago and Ive never regretted it. All of your examples are just lovely

    retro rover

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  10. Great post! Purple has been my favorite for years - so much that I wear it almost every day. I would have every room in my house painted in one shade or another if there wasn't so much familial resistance. I look forward to see the pieces you find for your wardrobe.

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    1. That's awesome, Bobbi! Your passion for purple reminds me of the character Marie from the TV show Breaking Bad, as she too had a similar affinity for this elegantly beautiful colour.

      Thank you! I really look forward to sharing them with you - I've already bought one new purple vintage item this year, so we're off to a good start! :)

      ♥ Jessica

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  11. It's a big YES from me! I think there is a shade of purple for everyone and have recently discovered mine (a slightly darker, but still bright shade). I'm not sure how easy it is to find purple shoes these days though, but I had some in the '80's I absolutely loved. I wish you luck with your hunt X

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    1. Seconded completely! I think there's at least one, and often multiple, shades of purple out there for nearly everyone. I know that for me personally, I tend to do best with those in the plum, royal, and earthy lavender families, but will be branching out and seeing if I can get lucky with others as well this year. I don't own any purple shoes, but if there was a year that might remedy that, this could be it.

      Tons of gentle hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. You are right! Days are flying so fast! I can sometimes smell the lovable scent of spring...( even if it is still far away! )
    Purple is a wonderful colour in all its shades...I find it very easy to combine it with neutral tones...
    And, about your purple 1955 furniture photo ... who wouldn't love that charming living room?

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  13. Purple is a fantastic colour choice, I look forward to seeing what you do with it and what vintage treasures you find in it throughout the year. I love purple and wear it quite a lot, I think it really suits those of us with very pale skin. I wore purple shoes on my wedding day, a pair of Mary Jane type shoes. You should definitely look out for purple shoes, they give your mood such a lift!

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    1. I completely agree, purple can look especially fetching on those with very fair skin (I also adore it on gals with warm, dark skin tones, too (an image I saw one of supermodel Iman wearing a royal purple velvet pants suit springs to mind - she looked stellar in that hue). Purple footwear will be on my radar this year for sure (and beyond, if 2014 doesn't deliver any my way). I highly suspect that once I had a pair of purple shoes in my wardrobe, I'd find oodles of outfits to pair them with.

      Big hugs, my fellow violet adoring friend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. gorgeous post. I loved you in green this year! purple should be nice too.

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  15. I must honestly admit that purple is not really my color. I prefer dark violet tones. but I'm sure that purple suits you very well :)

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  16. Firstly, let me write here how versatile purple actually is.Honestly. I have a colleague, her favorite color is purple; and she goes above and beyond to mix it and match it into every single day's wear. Notably, she has done it.. and she has done it with style.
    I admire your desire to embrace this daring (yet, darling) colour.
    Me, I'm going on the absolute opposite side of the colour spectrum - I'm reaching out to my inner yellow. :)
    ..
    Another thing: Purple living room - adorable!

    Hug
    Marija

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  17. i always treated purple a bit like a stepdaughter but i decided this year to wear more purple and now you come around with the perfectly inspiring post;) thank you a lot!
    kiss,mary

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  18. I love the shade of purple trees turn in the spring when they're dripping sweetly fragrant boughs of wisteria flowers. If purple had a smell, it would surely be the smell of wisteria :)

    Can't wait to see all the purple treasures you share this year!

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  19. Imagine having a purple living room! Ooh, what a dream. Funny you declare 2014 to be "purple year". One of my new retro clothing buys were a grey skirt with pleats below (blog post with photos coming up soon), but the grey colour has a hint of purple, which puts my purple cardigans into rotation again. I've always loved purple, mostly the darker shades, but I think I've got tired of it from wearing it so often, but now purple is back, so I'm definately with you, dear. :)

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    1. Hi sweet Sanne, a purple living or dinning room would be fabulous, especially (IMO) if one or more of the walls featured dark (say eggplant) purple paint or wallpaper. I've seen a few examples of this that were breathtaking and hope to replicate it in a future home of mine someday.

      How lovely that one of your new skirts has purple tones mixed in with the grey. That sounds really beautiful and I look forward to seeing how you style it.

      Big hugs & happy year of purple! :)
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. This really makes me think of my sister, who also loves all shades of purple. It is such a lovely color and is very versatile for almost any complexion or hair color.

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  21. I love purple in all it's hues but for some reason I have very little in my wardrobe. Focusing on one colour for the year is a great idea - one I perhaps should try myself.

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  22. Even though I'd say that red is my favourite colour, my wardrobe seems to be filled with purple items! I'm just a sucker for a gorgeous berry hue, and purple definitely fits the bill. My current favourite purple piece is a pair of violet-hued loafers that I snapped up for $5. They're really cute and so comfortable!

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  23. Oh man! I just wrote a comment that suddenly disappeared! Don't know where it went… stinkin' tremor. ;) Anyhoo… the gist was, yay for purple! Let's find more! Hehe! But wayyy longer. Oh well.. I talk too much anyways! Hahaha!
    ~xoxo, CoriLynn

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    1. Oh no!!! I absolutely hate when that happens! Be it from a pet stepping on your keyboard (Stella, I'm looking at you!), a browser crashing, shaking hands, a sudden power outage, you name it! I'm sorry that your comment was lost. That's super frustrating! I appreciate your shared enthusiasm for purple! It's a lovely colour that can be anything from playful to wildly elegant, and I really look forward to sporting it more this year.

      Big hugs & many thanks for all of your lovely comments last night,
      ♥ Jessica

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