Taking part in the Sisterhood of the Travelling Vintage Dress

Outfit details

1950s cream lace platter hat: eBay
Mauve hued pearl stud earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Vintage gold tone metal fountain pen shaped brooch: Unknown, had for years (probably thrifted or from eBay)
Mid-century leaf print dress: The Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress launched by Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments
Gold tone faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Brown fitted cotton blazer: Thrifted (Value Village)
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
C. 1940s yellow-green hued gloves: Unknown, had for years
C. 1950s/1960s woven straw clutch handbag: Unknown, had for years (likely Value Village)
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style round toe brown faux leather pumps: Walmart
Lipstick: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Several months ago now, when 2016 was a young, fresh faced new year, I had the great pleasure of taking part in Australian milliner + vintage blogger Tanith Rowan's exciting Travelling Hat project. More recently, I've equally enjoyed getting to spend some time with The Travelling Dress.

For those who may not have heard about the Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress yet, this was a similar project that my dear online friend Joanna from the blog Dividing Vintage Moments launched back in 2014.

The premise being that a genuine mid-century vintage dress would hop around the world from one vintage blogger/social media user to another before, ultimately, being part of a raffle giveaway that Joanna plans to hold for it in the near future.

It is my understanding that I'm the last participant to spend time with the dress and I must say, I feel really touched about that fact. This dress traversed the globe, visiting wearers in numerous countries on at least three continents.

Each woman put her own unique, wonderful sartorial spin on the garment, with looks spanning the more casual to the deeply sophisticated. Some ensembles suited daytime and others were ready for even the most swanky of cocktail parties.

Every one of the looks, I believe, reflected the woman beneath the dress and was a beautiful way to witness not only the participants' sense of style, but the also their personalities as well.

Just as I did with the Travelling Hat, I bonded with the Travelling Dress big time. When it reached my doorstep, it was in need of some freshening up, so (after getting Joanna's okay to do so) I gave it a gentle hand washing and air drying.

I thought long and hard about the outfit that I wanted to sculpt around it, ultimately letting both the dress itself and the current season dictate the stylistic direction that I took it in.

The photos that you see here were captured very shortly before our recent trip to Edmonton (and, indeed, were the most recent outfit snaps we grabbed before heading off on holiday). They were taken at one of just a teeny, tiny handful of publicly accessible historical houses/buildings in the Southern Okanagan: The Leir House, which is located just a stone's throw away from our home here in Penticton.

In late August, when we did this shoot, the seasons were just starting to change hands. The days were growing a little cooler (though, after the uber rainy summer that we experienced this time around, such wasn't quite as stark a change as usual) and the ability to layer clothing without melting faster than a Popsicle dropped on a hot sidewalk in July was immerging once again.

A true vintage frock like this - with its eye-catchingly pretty leaf/fan print - felt as though it needed an equally classic ensemble to go with it, so for my time with the Travelling Dress, I chose to take things in a direction that would have been nicely at home throughout much of both of the 1940s and 1950s.

Out came a mid-century stiffened lace platter hat, a vintage appropriate fitted brown blazer, a vintage straw clutch, a great pair of c. 1940s greeny-yellow hued gloves, a small assortment of jewelry, and a pair of 1940s style contemporary brown faux leather pumps.

The dress, as well as the setting itself, were the stars of the show this time around and I didn't want other elements of my look competing with them. Instead, much like the natural process of summer melding into autumn, I wanted things to be harmonious and appealing.

Pined to the collar of both the dress and the blazer, you'll notice a gold tone metal vintage brooch in the shape of a classic fountain pen. I gave particular thought to the brooch that I wanted to team with this dream, and ultimately selected this one because I felt that it was a very apt representation for the fact that I, like all those who have spent time with this dress, have had the joy of writing a chapter in the history of this garment's life.

Projects like the Travelling Hat and Joanna's beautiful Sisterhood of the Travelling Dress not only connect fellow vintage fashionistas with one another, but tie us all to the life of a given accessory or garment. We share a mutual love of style, but put our own unique stamp on an item before it moves on to keep seeing the world and adding chapters to its story along the way.

As a nostalgic soul who adores preserving the past, I can think of few things more worthwhile or important on the fashion front for anyone to be a part of.

I want to wholeheartedly thank Joanna for creating this project, enriching the lives of many vintage fans the world over in the process, and for letting the dress wrap up its jet setting tour in Penticton, before moving on to its next home.

Though I will most definitely miss this elegant vintage frock, thankfully, I too have new memories (of it) now and photos to match, and I will carry both with me in my heart for the rest of time.

The perfect Luxulite brooch for Peach Fest + embracing autumnal hues early

Outfit details

1940s style forest green snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
Vintage style plastic peach rose stud earrings: Handmade by me
Brown thin knit cardigan: Suzy Shier
1940s style plastic peach dangle brooch: Luxulite
C. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress: (I think) eBay
Pine green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Yellow plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Vintage peachy-orange and dark green plastic bangle bracelets: Unknown, had for years (probably thrifted)
1950s/1960s brown faux patent leather handbag: Frugal Frocks
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style faux leather round toe pumps: Walmart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Nail colour: Essie Roarrrrange


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

My love of autumn and its colours palette isn't exactly a highly guarded secret. From the earliest days of my blog's life, all the way back in 2009 right up until the present, I have made both a key element of the annual ebb and flow of happenings here and am sure that I always will.

Perhaps its because we've had so few truly summery (or late spring, for that matter) days this year, but even though we're still a few weeks away from autumn's official return, I'm already starting to embrace this beautiful season once more.

The first of my harvest themed decor items are making their way out of storage, dishes starring root veggies, cinnamon, and/or long, slow cooking times are appearing on the table; and, to the surprise of no one who knows me, I'm sure, I've begun wearing autumnal hues, too.

Not entirely, of course - it is still technically summer and I do want to get my "light and bright" colour palette on for a while longer, but here and there for sure, especially on rainy and/or overcast days like this past Sunday when we grabbed these snaps against the backdrop of a local hedgerow just up the street from our house.

Last week was Peach Fest here in Penticton and while we didn't get to a ton of events (in part because it overlapped with Tony's birthday weekend), we did enjoy some of the local festivities and the general air of high spirited merriment that fills the town while such is underway.

In honour of a festival whose roots center around the luscious, scrumptious peach that grows in abundance around these parts and has long been an integral factor in the local economy, I knew exactly what vintage inspired novelty brooch I wanted to wear.

I purchased this awesome Luxulite brooch last year in fact with the primary intention of sporting it for the Peach Festival, so I knew that on Sunday, the day after Tony's birthday, the time had come to debut it here on my blog.

To create the rest of my ensemble, I used the colours in my brooch as a jumping off point, while also looking ahead to fall and its earthy, inviting hues that so many of us melt like butter over.

And speaking of buttery shades, this c. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress, which I've had for a few years now, is one of my all-time favourite dresses. If, for some strange reason, I had to shortlist my entire dress collection down to just ten, or really, even merely five, this dress would make the cut, no questions asked.

It has somewhat poufy sleeves though, which look a touch bulky under a fitted cardigan like this brown one, but aside from that (and really, that isn't even a truly negative point), it's pretty much my dream solid coloured dress and I reach for it the whole year round - especially from mid-summer to late autumn.

It felt like a while since I'd last rocked a snood on camera here, so picking up the green in the Luxulite brooch, I opted for a dark forest green one and repeated that same colour in my choice of skinny belt, as well as one of my vintage plastic bangle bracelets.

This brown cardigan has some light grey hued plastic pearl buttons on the front. Pretty for sure, but they didn't go with the general palette or look of this outfit one iota, so instead I tied the cardi and tucked most of the buttons in the knot and folds created by that process. Issue solved! :)

I was quite bushed (and full – so many carbs!) from Tony's birthday celebration the day before, so I wanted comfy and cozy, but still well put together and I feel like this fun Peach Fest meets autumn colour filled outfit delivered nicely on that front.

Stay tuned later in August, to see what I sported for my husband's b-day itself, and then for a whole bevy of fall hued and themed outfits that will be coming down the pipeline here as summer continues to wind down and we embrace the return of my absolute favourite time of the year.

I can hardly wait for the crisp, refreshing days of fall - but first, am hoping that we get at least a few more sporadic rain-free days, as I do have some further thoroughly summertime-y looks that I'm eager to share here with you this year before pumpkin-spice-everything officially returns.

*PS* This coming Monday (the 15th) I'll be having a routine medical procedure (I've had the exact same one numerous times over the years) at the hospital, so I'm giving myself the weekend off from blog post writing (though will still be online plenty) to relax and prepare for such. I will have two or three new posts for you next week, starting with one on Monday itself, so happily no major disruptions to life as usual here on my site. :)

Snowy days, Science World, and we got a new car!

Outfit details
C. 1940s/1950s tawny brown felt hat with orange and green feather: Christmas gift from my parents
Gold tone metal & clear rhinestone bow shaped earrings: Good question...possibly Claire's
Navy blue blazer: Suzy Shier
C. 1950s/60s gold tone flower brooch: Unknown, had for years (possibly thrifted)
Pumpkin coloured thin cable knit sweater: Eddie Baurer
Navy blue 1940s style swing skirt: Steady Clothing via Blame Betty
C. 1950s green gloves: Had for years, either thrifted or a nearby antique shop in OK Falls
Dark brown faux leather purse: eBay
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style tawny brown leather shoes: Local flea market find
Lip colour: MAC Party Line


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

For my final outfit post of 2015, I had sincerely hopped and planned to bring you a sneak preview of the gorgeous 1950s style dress from Unique Vintage that I will be sporting this year for New Year's Eve.

Alas though we've been getting pummeled with snow day in and day out for over a week now and unfortunately that does not make for very safe (particularly for the camera and lens themselves) shooting conditions. Thus, for the time being, we just have to wait for a dry day to capture that outfit on and then I'll post my final festive ensemble of the holiday season asap (so excited!).

Aside from hampering our shooting abilities, I do enjoy the snow, which is soothingly peaceful to watch tumble to the ground during the brief hours of daylight one experiences in early winter. It has been a relaxing counterpoint to the breakneck hecticness of this whole entire month.

As mentioned in this post back on the 11th, one of things that had been filling our days a great deal as of late was the search for new (to us) vehicle. I'm happy to report that after about three weeks of super intense research, scouting and plenty of test driving, we finally found "the one".

Our beautiful new set of wheels (which I'll try to get some photos to share on social media and/or here as well once the snow lets up!) is a silvery grey hued 2012 Buick Enclave with only 55,000 kilometers on it that it is in like new shape.

We got a very reasonable (financed) priced on it that include a trade in with our old car. This vehicle is everything and more that we've both been dreaming of for years and we are so elated with our choice and the abundance of room that we finally have.

The first couple of times we grocery and Christmas shopped in it almost felt surreal after so many years with a teeny, tiny amount of cargo space. We hope to be able to keep this vehicle for several years at least and can hardly wait to continue experiencing the many, many ways it will help and enrich our lives - very much including when we take road trips like last month's jaunt to Vancouver.

We did not have our new car yet then (in fact, that trip was the final straw, so to speak, in leading us to decide that the time had finally come to invest in a new set of wheels with a much larger cargo capacity) and it was, as always, a legitimate challenge to get two suitcases and a small array of other needed items into our car. Those days are now a thing of the past though and I'm so excited for the next time we get to travel - it will probably feel like we have a small moving van by comparison.

The photos in today's post were one of  a couple of shoots that we were able to take this time around in Vancouver. As mentioned here before (don't want to veer into broken record territory :)), this was a work trip for Tony and he put in very long hours on it most days, which meant that the brief time we had together was usually long after the sun had set. On two days however, we managed to squeeze in some time to not only take pictures, but also do so sightseeing, visiting, shopping, and exploring together.

On this particular afternoon, we made a beeline for Science World, a longstanding pillar of scientific education and fun in this province. I hadn't been since I was about 14 years old and Tony had never been to this particular science center, so given that we're both massive science fans, it seemed like an ideal outing. We had a blast, saw all of the exhibits, and even grabbed a few snaps outside before heading indoors (when we arrived), as the light was fading fast already and we knew it would be as good as gone when we existed.

This is a cozy, classic outfit of the type I usually wear when traveling, especially if a lot of walking is going to be involved. Don't let the red wall behind me in most of these snaps fool you, my sweater is in fact a very pumpkin-y shade of orange, not crimson, but aside from that, things are true to life in terms of how the rest of the ensemble appeared that day. Normally we wouldn't shoot against such a similar hued background, but it was just about our only option in that immediate area, so when in Rome - or Vancouver... :)

My dears, it is genuinely hard to believe that we have very nearly come to the end of another year. In less than two days time we'll be finishing our dates with a number 16 and celebrating all the possibilities, joys, and promises that the new year always holds in store for us.

With all my heart, I want to thank each and every one for your for your awesome support of my blog, Etsy shop, and social media accounts throughout the year. In ways big and small, you motivate, encourage, inspire, and delight me day after day, week after week, month after and month, and ultimately, year and year and I could not do what I do to the same degree without you.

Whatever the future holds in store for us next year, we'll face and celebrate it together. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll share and we will continue to grow as individuals and as a community alike.

I don't know what 2016 will deliver, but I do know that I'm champing at the bit to experience it and can hardly wait to share much of what transpires in my life here with all of you.

To the new year, may it be a brilliant one for each of us.

I found my dream 1950s fall dress (and have been wearing it all season long!)

Outfit details

1930s/40s wide brimmed red straw hat: Frugal Frocks in Armstrong, BC
C. 1940s black hat pin: From a different vintage hat
Black rhinestone encrusted earrings: (I think) Claire's
Black thin knit cropped cardigan: Fairweather
1950s red, orange and black plaid double breasted dress: Wiggle Room Vintage
Vintage style wired pumpkin bead brooch: Summer Blue Jewelry
Brown 1950s gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay)
1950s/1960s red handbag: I Love Vintage Stuff
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Yes siree, this fabulous fifties frock checks off so many boxes for me. It's plaid, one of my three favourite patterns of all-time. It's midi length (the most flattering hem length on me), it's double breasted (something that I utterly adore on fitted mid-century dresses), it's in great shape, and it boasts the most autumn perfect colour palette imaginable.

I'd be hunting for a dress in this colourway for age now and was elated to find one shortly before fall started this year from Etsy seller Wiggle Room Vintage. It fits me like a glove and still has its original matching belt to boot. To say that I'm a happy camper, would be a serious understatement!!!

From September straight on 'til these last days of November, I've been sporting this gorgeous 1950s plaid frock - it was even one of my Canadian Thanksgiving weekend wardrobe choices this time around. Indeed, with my dear American friends celebrating their own Thanksgiving this week, it seemed only fitting that this new dress of mine made an appearance here, before autumn complete vanishes from sight once again.

To keep the fall time theme going strong, I partnered this fabulously festive dress with a super cute mid-century style pumpkin wired bead brooch that I picked up last spring from Summer Blue Jewelry, whose offerings make me go completely week in the knees and which look the old school part marvelously.

Much like the dress itself, I'd yearned for a sparkly, 1940s/50s appropriate autumn themed brooch for years and was thrilled to find this one. I adore supporting artisans in our vintage community midst, own a few beautiful handmade pieces from Summer Blue now, and hope to add more to my jewelry box as time goes on.

I really wanted to keep the colours at work in this outfit cohesive and thus opted for a beloved red 1930s/40s wide brimmed hat, black earrings, a black cropped shrug/cardigan, red bag and shoes, and brown gloves (there are skinny golden-brown lines in the pattern of the plaid). It was windy (again) on the day we took these snaps in the nearby town of Osoyoos, but thankfully the sun was out and I didn't freeze without a coat here (something I won't be able to say, baring a fluke warm snap, as we head into winter next month).

This whole look makes me immensely happy and sums up my fall time style to a tree. It's fun, comfortable, feminine, and truly ideal for this season. I love this 1950s plaid dress to bits and look forward to continuing to wear it for many more autumns in the years ahead!

*PS* Absolutely joyful Thanksgiving wishes to all of my American friends and readers who are celebrating this terrific holiday tomorrow. 

*PSS* Things are going marvelously so far here in Vancouver and I really look forward to sharing some of the highlights of our travels once we're home again.