June 27, 2014

The land of the midnight sun


Vintage Fashionista Friday blog graphic for Chronically Vintage photo VintagefashionistaChronicallyVintag.png


{Come the dog days of summer that will soon be upon us, one of my favourite ways to help, if only slightly, beat the heat, it so wear my hair tucked up under a scarf or turban and off my neck and shoulders. If you feel the same way or simply in the market for a great, very vintage appropriate turban, be sure to check of this silver-grey hued gem, which is a modern creation (that's also available in other colours such) that looks the yesteryear part through and through. $13.00 from Viva Dulce Marina.}




{The older I get (and at 30 in just a couple of week's time, I'm not exactly the youngest of spring chickens any more), the more I madly adore handmade, artisanal beauty products that are chalked full of healthy, natural ingredients and wonderfully devoid of harsh chemicals and other nasties that are sure to trouble my sensitive skin. Though I haven't tried it yet, this lovely bar of Alaskan Mineral Mud soap looks and sounds like it would leave my skin in good spirits and smelling, ever-so-appealing, like the serene wilds of the 49th state. $10.00 for a 4.5 - 5 ounce bar of soap from Rocky Top Soap Shop.}




{Add a sophisticated, cooling hit of arctic glamour to any ensemble with this stunning, good sized circa 1960s/1970s pave set polar bear brooch featuring silver tone metal and oodles of charming little white rhinestones. $25.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{A mere whisper of pink resides in this fun scallop adorned cotton 1950s blouse, which is equal parts lightweight and adorable. Fits up to a 40" bust/33" waist. $26.00 from Happy Valley Avenue.}




{Cool, elegant metal hues combine in this strikingly beautiful mid-century gold toned metal and hematite oak leaf clamper bracelet. Relatively lightweight, but visually substantial, this is the kind of piece that suits summer's airy ensembles, whether for day or night, so perfectly. $40.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Sporting muted colours that call to mind everything from a melted dish of Neapolitan ice cream to a hazy summer sunset, this classic 1950s Ellen Tracey skirt would make for a relaxing and rather beautiful addition to any vintage lover's warm weather wardrobe. Fits up to a 28" waist. $69.00 from Flora Child.}




{Gold seed beads on one side, silver on the other, a simple snap closure, intact lining - what's not to love about this versatile, understatedly chic - and wonderfully sparkly - vintage handbag? Measures 7 inches wide x 7 inches tall. $32.00 from Futura Vintage.}




{Chic, sweet, and more than a little bit beguilingly beautiful, these elegant 1940s Tweedies pink and grey leather peep toe sandal heels would be the perfect pair of shoes for everything from a summer wedding to lounging, markedly glamorously, beside the pool. They fit a vintage size 7 1/2 B foot. $124.00 from Fab Gabs.}





A grandly vast nation, Canada comes in at 9,984,670 square kilometres (3,855,100 square miles) and encompasses a truly amazing number of geographic landscapes, terrains, and types of natural wonders, one of which you may encounter if you venture up to the arctic circle, far above where all but a relatively small number of very hearty souls reside, during the summer months.

The phenomenon known as the midnight sun - when the sun is still visible even at midnight due to the axial tilt of the earth during the summer months, thus creating days comprised of 24 hours periods with some degree of visible sunlight present at all times - is not exclusive to Canada. It also occurs in regions around the world north or south, restively, of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, but it is something that I think many Canadians, even those who have never experienced it firsthand (a camp that I, unlike many of relatives and ancestors who hail(ed) from the Yukon, have not yet had the pleasure to be a member of), can't help but feel a certain powerful affinity for.



{A wonderful capture of the midnight sun out in full force in Canada's northerly Yukon territory. Image via Travel Yukon.}


Though I don't doubt that it may potentially cause a degree of havoc with one's internal clock and is probably a much more romanticized occurrence for those who have never experienced it, there is something powerfully, almost magically alluring about the notion of the midnight sun. There one finds days that never see total darkness and hours of light that hug - or strangle, again, depending on how you view things - you around the (no doubt sleepy) clock. In a given year, midnight sun is typically visible in the Arctic Circle from about June 12th to July 1st (interestingly and coincidentally enough, that date just happens to be Canada Day), which means that it will soon be coming to an end.

Before it does though, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to devote this month's edition of Vintage Fashionista Friday to this most enchanting, fascinating and gorgeous of natural wonders. As such, the items featured here today all call to mind the pale sun and/or the great white north of the arctic. They are not filled with the blazing hues of a Vancouver Island sunset, the scorching colours of the sun over the Okanagan in the summer, or even the shades of dusk as it falls on the Great Lakes, instead they are subtly warm, twinklingly metallic, and appealingly gentle, like a soothing late June breeze. A wearable, fittingly summertime perfect colour palette that lends itself well to everything from camping to dancing the night away, even if that means doing so in one of the country's lower latitudes where the moon makes its usual evening appearance all season long.

One of my biggest dreams in life, present since early childhood, is to visit the Yukon some day and when I do, there's a very realistic chance it may happen during the late spring or summer, which means there's a decent likelihood that I might get to experience the majestic midnight sun firsthand. Until then however, I'll bolster my desire to do so further by sporting vintage fashions that celebrate and call to mind the land of the midnight sun and encourage you to join me in doing the same thing this summer. After all, who wouldn't like at least a few days of 24 hour sunshine during the most alluring and beautiful season of the year?

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful images, alluring prose. I find myself smiling every time I read your blog.

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  2. Great pics, i just love the shoes <3 have a wonderful weekend dear! xxx

    vintagepri.blogspot.com

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  3. Hiya, toots, been a while - my bad...

    Yukon travelling sounds interesting, hope you can make it someday! :) Myself, I've never been further North than Thunder Bay, Ontario - at least I think it's the furthest North I've been geographically speaking... My parents went on an Alaskan cruise a couple of years ago, and Mum wants to go again - I'm thinking of joining her this time, as they went at the end of the "season" and I know there's some great deals to be made on "sparklies" (aka jewellery) *lol*

    As for the midnight sun - that would be interesting to see, but a friend of mine in Finland says that it does mess with his internal clock and puts him in a strange mood - but then again, he's a strange fellow ;)

    Hoping all is well and the "new" shop is doing terrifically! :)

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  4. I've always wanted to experience 24 hours of sunlight. Thankfully we live close enough to this phenomenon that we may get to experience it!

    Lisa.

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  5. I've never experienced it either, but I'd really like to. I've been talking to some friends about making a road trip through Canada and west to Alaska, which I think would be amazing.
    I love that turban! I never felt like I could carry them off until last year. I tend to prefer them a bit looser and fuller, but the icy blue color of that one is divine.

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  6. 2 days no internet after a rainstorm and i missed two fabulous posts from you!!!!!
    tsss!
    love your white nights special - i´m a great fan of pale muted colors. and as a nature lover i really enjoy that long days of june, full of light.
    the look from the last outfit post is sooooo sweet!!!!! that skirt!!! golden glitter sunglasses!!!!! i want run to you, hug you and swirl you around!!!! :-)
    love&hugs!!!!!

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  7. This is fascinating. I never realised it happened in Canada. I think I should have paid mor e attention in geography lessons! The colours you choose are so gentle and delicate, too.

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  8. You make it sound so beautiful. I hope you get a chance to experience it firsthand soon.

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  9. Love, love the shoes !
    Whenever I look at vintage clothing I feel the measurements are so small, specially the waists ...

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    1. Hello dear Lorena, thank you very much for your trio of great blog comments today. There is, I fully admit, a good deal of vintage wear with small to miniscule waists, it's true (in part because, even with the advent of the so-called youth culture in the 1950s, until the 1960s, a lot of young women's wear for teenagers and slender young women was pretty much in the same, or identical, style as those pieces for older/more curvaceous ladies), but there are larger vintage sizes out there, too, and I do try to include some in my posts on a fairly regular basis, be they full on plus size or just a bit bigger than those itty-bitty 22-26 waists that are so very prevalent amongst vintage garments. My Etsy shop is going to be stocking clothing too in the near future and when it does, I'm striving to have a good range of sizes there so that ladies of all wonderful shapes and body types can hopefully find something fabulous for their wardrobe there.

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. One of our future road trips will be to Yukon Territory...just waiting for the young'uns to be slightly older'uns. It's a lovely picture of the midnight sun, and makes me want to go all the more. Thanks for reminding me of the wonders yet to be seen in our beautiful country!

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  11. That is seriously cool! I love hearing from other folks who dream of venturing that far north as well. I really hope you guys are able to make it and would love to hear about your travels if/when you do. It's the number one spot in Canada that I want to see. I don't know when that might happen, but I steadfastly like to believe that it will. I have the Yukon in my blood, so to speak, thanks to my gold rush ancestors, and feel such a powerful pull to the land of the midnight sun. One day!!!

    Big hugs & tons of joyful Canada Day wishes!!!
    ♥ Jessica

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  12. With my longer hair lately I've been all about putting it up in a variety of ways--I've experimented with wrapping it up in a scarf in a very retro style and I do like that a lot!

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  13. All of these are lovely, particularly the head wrap. I certainly hope you get to experience all of your travel dreams

    retro rover

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  14. Amazing!
    I don't know have you planned for me to ghasp like this, but it has happened. More over, first idea in my head was "Where's Poirot?" :)
    For some reason, these object, put together in such way, call out for Mr. Poirot. And, there's a lady out there somewhere, placed gracefully on a sofa, as she observes the mischefs of this funny detective.. there just might be some smoke coming from her way, since I'm channeling her with her cigaret in her pale hand.
    See.. you inspire!

    Marija

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    1. Love that! I could picture that same sense you described to a tee and smile ear-to-ear to know that this start of summer inspired ensemble made you think of the good Inspector. Poitot is a particular favourite of both mine and my mother's as well. Have you ever seen the spoof that the UK TV program That Mitch and Webb Look did of it? It's fabulously funny and never fails to crack me up no matter how many times I view it (warning, it may not be entirely safe to watch at work or around very young kids, though it's not super racy or anything like that): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9iQ1yU5Ops

      ♥ Jessica

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  15. I had never heard of the midnight sun before, how enchanting xxx

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  16. Fashionista Fridays are one of my favourites. :) But I'm glad we don't have midnight sun in Denmark. We have a strange fenomen at midsummer, which we in Danish call "grain ripe" because it occurs at the time when the grain is ripe. It is like a photograper shooting in the night with a huge flash. Very strange.

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Sanne, they're one of my favourite reoccurring posts, too, and I love them all the more now that I use theme related titles, not just dates for them.

      Wow, that sounds like a really cool natural phenomenon as well. Do you have any photos of it? I'd love to see what "grain ripe" looks like.

      I hope that this summer if off to a stellar start for you, my dear friend!
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. I tried to google a photo, but didn't find any at all. I suppose it is almost impossible to photograph. It is like a flash light when photographic, just bigger and very quick, and it appears by midnight in late July and August (when the grain is ripe, hence the name I suppose). Not like lightning at all. I packed yesterday in my vintage suitcase and we drive to my summer cottage tomorrow morning, ahh. Wishing you a lovely summer, dear. :)

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  17. i love seeing your items featured in your own friday fashionista posts! that leaf and stone bangle bracelet was so pretty.

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    1. Thank you, sweet gal, I'm very happy to know that, as I am trying to carefully walk a fine line (and admittedly, it might be one that I drew, so to speak, myself) when it comes to blogging about my shop and its items. I want to do so when applicable, but certainly not alter the overall state of my blog to be like one big commercial or ad for my shop. Instead I want to pepper my posts with shop mentions and listing inclusions where applicable and still continue to balance, too, by speaking about items from other Etsy shops (and online vintage sources), just as I always have.

      ♥ Jessica

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