Beautiful deco style earrings meet a thoroughly forties inspired outfit at my very favourite grey wall

Outfit details

1940s black hat with millinery daisies: A Vintage Affair
Art deco inspired handmade black dangle earrings: c/co Mon Carrousel
Mid-century vintage yellow flower embroidered blouse: Foxy Brit Vintage
1940s style black jumper dress: Tatyana Clothing
Gold coloured faux leather skinny belt: eBay
C. 1940s cream gloves with mini button detailing: Unknown, had for many years  Gold tone metal bangle bracelet: Payless
C. 1930s cream celluloid flower bangle bracelet: Unknown, had for many years
Vintage style black plastic flower stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
1940s black and cream telephone cord handbag: Armstrong Antiques
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style black faux suede round toe pumps: Walmart
Lip colour: MAC Partyline

Special offer just for Chronically Vintage readers: Etsy shop Mon Carrousel has very generously offered my readers 15% off all of their merchandise between today and August 31, 2016, when you use the discount coupon code MCSave15 at checkout.

Photography by Tony Cangiano

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In the moment at least (I'm the first to admit, I have cringed years later looking back on certain outfits - but, hey, that's all just part and parcel to one's continually developing personal style), I tend to really like, if not flat out love, everything that I wear. My closet is, objectively, one of my greatest sources of joy in this world and I delight in the act of putting outfits together and curating my wardrobe.

Sometimes however, one hits upon a look that they're so in love with, they know that it bound to be a favourite for the rest of time, and for me, the ensemble highlighted here in today's very recently captured photographs is just that.

While, objectively, it is not an overly complex or formal ensemble, the sum of its parts equal a whole that I'm genuinely pleased with - and that I know I will reach for many times to come in the future.

The starting point for this particular look is an elegantly gorgeous pair of art deco inspired handmade earrings from the Spanish brand Mon Carrousel.

Called simply Romantic Black Earrings, this pair – that are, like some of Mon Carrousel's other offerings, made from nickel-free components, thus letting nickel allergy suffers like myself safely don them – combines genuine vintage Czechoslovakia mourning jet with vintage black vulcanite and marries the two with brass components and lovely little clear rhinestones.

Though big on style, these sophisticated earrings (which I want to sincerely thank Mon Carrousel for bestowing on me) weigh next to nothing and are, really and truly, one of the most comfortable pairs of earrings in my whole collection. They're immensely stylish, wonderfully classic and such a pleasure to wear.

Mon Carrousel's designs are hand made in Spain by a lovely lady named Diana, who looks heavily to the past when she creates to compose beautiful, often dainty jewelry that is equally wearable by vintage and modern fashion fans alike.

She's a relatively newcomer to Etsy, where she set up shop last year, and has a standalone online jewelry shop for longer that, however it is only presented Spanish, so instead when she approached me to team up for a collaborative post, we both felt that it made more sense to focus on her Etsy shop, given that most of my audience speaks English.

Diana's pieces are classy, fun, and eye-catching. She is especially inspired by the look of the early 20th century (including how it is portrayed on the Spanish TV show Seis Hermanas), and it wouldn't be a stretch in the slightest to think, at first glance, that you were looking at an actual antique or vintage piece of jewelry when you browse Mon Carrousel's curated collection.

Well priced and expertly made, I'd happily shop from Mon Carrousel and highly suggest checking out and favouring their Etsy shop, where, as mentioned above in this post, you can currently save 15% off on all orders between now and the end of August when you use the exclusive coupon code MCSave15.

I don't have a lot of 20s or 30s garb or newer styles that look the part, so instead of trying to scrap together an outfit of that nature, I opted instead to take my look in a strongly forties direction.

To do so, I reached for my super beloved black 1940s style jumper dress from Tatyana (purchased back when they were still called Betty Paige Clothing), which, despite having owned and worn many times, has only appeared here once before and that was just in a single photo (in this 2013 travel post), not as a key player in a dedicated outfit post.

I teamed it with a dusty yellow hued vintage blouse that features beautiful floral embroidery, a fun 1940s hat with millinery daisies on the underside of the brim, my treasured 1940s telephone cord handbag, an assortment of bracelets (including a 1930s cream celluloid one, in a further nod to the deco-ness of the earrings), a pair of vintage cream gloves, and my black forties style faux suede pumps that have appeared here more times over the years than I can recall.

As has been the case so very often over the past nearly 3.5 months now, these snaps were taken quite literally between rain showers (early on Saturday evening while there was still some daylight). They were snapped at a location which, if you've been following my blog for a while now, you may recall having seen before. It's a relatively basic painted grey wall in the nearby city of Kelowna, which I've loved from the moment I first laid eyes on it.

There's scarcely an outfit around you can't partner with its neutral tone and I'm sure that if we lived in Kelowna, it would probably appear here several times throughout any given year. As it is, this is now the wall's third CV showing and chances are, far from its last.

It occurs to me, as I pen these words, that it's really fitting that one of my favourite backdrops would team up with a new favourite outfit.

Love that - just as I do these marvelous art deco inspired earrings from Mon Carrousel, which even though my wardrobe is primarily 1940s – 1950s focused, transcend eras enough that I know they’ll be sported often and with much handmade jewelry adoring happiness.

Perfect Autumn Days Filled with Laughter and Fun

Outfit details

C. 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat with netting: Garb-Oh Vintage
Brown and white plastic cameo earrings: Handmade by me
1960s does 1930s brown and black fur coat: Yard sale find
Hell Bunny Kim Flare Dress in Black: Retro Glam
1950s brown gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay or Etsy)
Autumn Leaves Vintage Style Bag: c/o Vendula London
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Burgundy faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Party Line

Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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The days are growing shorter with each passing sunset. The light struggles to produce much intensity, frost tips the morning blades of grass, and coats become a necessity - most days at least - once more. We're heading into the second half of autumn and while it may not have quite the vibrant hues or caramel sunshine of earlier weeks, it is still part of my favourite season and I always try to savour every last day until the first snowfall ushers in winter's brazen return.

I borrowed the title of today's post from the words written on the gorgeous Vendula London Autumn Leaves Clip Fastened Bag that I’m sporting here, which the company very kindly sent me as a review gift.

Today's post is the second time that I've had the pleasure of working with Vendula London (you can read about the other and get oodles of information about this stellar UK accessories brand in this post from September) and just as with the first, their product(s) nailed it out of the ball park.

This awesome burgundy corduroy purse - which I want to sincerely thank the company for - is part vintage looking, part shabby chic, and part scrapbook style, which is perfect for me because I'm a old school wearing, shabby chic adoring, passionate paper crafter. The autumn theme is what really melted my knees like ice cream on a slice of hot apple pie, however.

I've owned many bags, new and old alike, over the years, but this is the first that was ever specifically fall themed. Well made, elegant and playful at the same time, nice and roomy, and a cinch to dress up or down, Vendula's gorgeous Autumn Leaves Clip Fastened Bag is an enchanting purse that personifies the creativity, quality and appeal of this British company's awesome offerings (which you can receive free shipping on for all orders over $150.00 USD when you use the coupon code FDUS at checkout).

It struck me a few days ago that almost every year, come autumn, I dip my toes into 1930s inspired fashion. As much as I adore and appreciate the looks of that history rich decade, a lot of the styles from it do not work very well on my short, hourglass figure. Some, particularly those from about '37 onward, do though, and thus it's usually the tail end of the decade that I dabble with every now and then.

Save - possibly (it could be either 30s or 40s) for the hat - nothing here is genuinely from the 1930s, but as is often the case, clothing doesn't have to be from a particular era to look the part or channel the spirit of certain time period.

The dress is from Hell Bunny, purchased last winter, but not yet worn on the blog. The coat is a 1960s does 1930s gem that I bought a few summers ago at a yard sale in a neighbouring town. The burgundy hat, which I sported here earlier this fall (in this outfit post) hails from Garb-Oh Vintage and has proven to be the most frequently reached for chapeau in my wardrobe this season.

We nabbed these photos in front of one side of the SS Sicamous, a good sized paddle wheeler boat that once plied the waters of Okanagan Lake until - fittingly one might say (given my ensemble) - the mid-1930s.

It went through several years of of having an uncertain future, but thankfully some of the locals of the time had the good sense to see it as an important piece of history and to ultimately create a dedicated volunteer run society for its preservation and upkeep. For decades now it has been docked on the shorts of Okanagan Lake here in Penticton and is popular venue for weddings, music and fashion shows, and various other local events (in addition to being open to the public as a museum).

It has always been one of my very favourite sights in our small town and given its colour palette and history, it seemed like a fitting place to highlight not only this 1930s inspired look, but my resplendent new Vendula London bag as well – after all, one can only image the wealth of luggage and handbags alike that spent time on this boat during its glory days!

Fall really is a joyful time for me and I am so grateful for each sublimely pretty day of it. The smiles and the styles, the hues and the happiness, and, yes, even the return of coat weather. There is a natural flow to life and the seasons are a huge part of it, so I've never tried to fight their changes.

Instead I look at them as an exciting opportunity to let another segment of my wardrobe have it's moment in the limelight and to get reacquainted with old (garment/accessory) friends, while also welcoming new ones like this delightful, old school inspired burgundy kiss lock purse into the fashion fold as well.

What's (vintage) black and white and red all over?

Outfit details

1940s/50s cream lace hat: Gift from a dear friend ♥
Gold tone and clear rhinestone bow earrings: Either Payless or Claire's
Red cropped cardigan: Fairweather
1940s/1950s gold tone metal bow brooch: Probably thrifted or eBay (had for years) 1980s does 1940s/50s black and white floral print dress: eBay
1940s black felt purse with brass clasp: Gift from a dear friend ♥
Gold tone bangle bracelets: Payless
C. 1940s cream gloves with crochet detailing: Unknown, had for years (possibly eBay)
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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You guys, I so knew that it was just a matter of time until I eventually penned a post with this title - I love puns and riddles both far too much to let the opportunity to reference the classic newspaper riddle go to waste. :)
 
Realistically though, this post could just as easily be called, "Wearing my winter colour palette in the summer", because really and truly, that's what I'm doing here. Red, my signature colour, is one that I reach for all year round, but I'm especially drawn to it during the icy cold Canadian winters, when no doubt the visual sense of fiery heat it imparts is a good chunk of the reason this Canadian lass is drawn to it so much.
 
With red, in winter's snow clad months, I most often pair black, grey and/or white (see posts such as this one and this one for two cold weather examples of such). This palette is classic, elegant, and often glamorous, but it can be cozy and sweet, too, especially, I find, if grey enters the picture.
 
So in love with this combo am I, that a couple of winters ago, I got so hooked on wearing it, I had to make a mental note to sport other colours, least folks started thinking those were the only hues in my closet. I can't help it though, winter after winter after winter, I reach for red and black, tossing in a little grey or white usually for good measure, and highly suspect that I always will (after all, when something works, it works!).
 
Yet sometimes I can't wait that long or an occasion really calls for these hues or I'm simply in the mood for them, and no matter the season, out they come to play. These particular photos were taken in late May and feature the delightful - and slightly more springtime-y - inclusion of some cream, care of this truly gorgeous 1940s/1950s hat, that was an awesome Christmas gift last year from a lovely online friend and fellow vintage blogger.
 
This is the first time I've sported it here on my blog, but certainly not the first before or since these photos were taken. This hat balances sophistication and curtness sublimely and speaks to me on so many vintage loving levels. It's made from stiffened lace, is fairly wide brimmed, weighs next to nothing, featuring a stunning dark crimson velvet ribbon with bows and long, trailing ends, and is in very good shape for its venerable age.
 
The classic and very pretty 1940s purse in this ensemble was also a gift from another completely dear friend and was the one I carried last year when attending the Victoria Vintage Expo. It too is very sweet and timeless, in nice condition still and a true favourite of mine.
 
In addition to those two near-to-my-heart accessories, today's black, white, red and cream ensemble features a lovely 1980s does 1940s/50s dress (that buttons up the back) with matching belt, a vintage appropriate red cropped cardi, c. 1940s cream gloves, 1940s/50s gold tone bow brooch, classic looking modern rhinestone bow shaped earrings, as well my beloved (modern) red patent pumps.
 
It occurred to me and Tony on the day when these photos were taken, that we hadn't done a shot in the wee wisp of an open front yard that we have in ages - as in, I don't recall any happening there last year (save for our Halloween photos) and very few the year before either in comparison to 2012's numbers. Thus, as the afternoon was starting to fade, we decided to remedy that, as it really is a handy little spot, when the weather and light are in a cooperative mood.
 
While Tony was waiting for me to finish getting dressed before going out, he turned the camera on our dog, Annie, who is usually too high energy to sit still for anything but the blurriest of images (so hence why to date, she and I have not shared a full on photo shoot - one day though, I sincerely hope!). However, that afternoon he nabbed a few in our perpetually low natural light condo (so hence the grain from the ISO here) and the one below was a favourite for both of us.





Clearly, as you can see, Miss Annie has the white and black thing down to a tee as well! (Plus her current collar is hot pink, which isn't very far from red - like human "mother", like canine dog-ter :D)
 
Favourite colour combos, like beloved single hues themselves, can - and should - be sported anytime your heart desires. Just because this palette is my -25C staple, doesn't mean I can't rock it - sans a few layers - when it's +35C as well. In fact, so much of the fun of highly adored colours and pairings is the enjoyable challenge of coming up with new outfits in which to rock them season after season, year after year.
 
Do you have any colours or pairings that you generally turn to in one season, but also enjoy donning at other times, too?

Of rainbows, my new Tate Millinery hat, and the pairing of black + brown

  Outfit details

Black straw 1940s style platter tilt hat: Tate Millinery
Brown plastic hair barrette: Goody
Gold tone and rhinestone earrings: Either Payless or Claire's
Brown button front shirt: Banana Republic
Vintage style gold tone and rhinestone floral brooch: eBay
Black quadruple brass buckle bet: Forever 21
C. 1950s black pencil skirt: Unknown, had for ages (possibly thrifted)
C. 1960s brown patent faux leather bag: Purchased from a fellow vintage seller
Gold tone metal bangle bracelet: Payless
1950s/60s black gloves with bows: Chameleon CMC
Nude stockings with black seams: eBay
Brown 1940s style round toe pumps: Walmart (via a consignment store)
Lip colour: MAC Party Line (this is a new lippy for me and I love it to bits!)
Nail colour (seen in rainbow photo): Sally Hansen Mauve Over


Photography by Tony Cangiano

(This is the first time I've ever posed with a rainbow for my blog. I was a very happy camper to get this shot!)

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Sometimes, in the midst of all of summer's more free flowing, airy, casual ensembles, one starts craving the hard hitting glamour that so often accompanies the chillier half of the year. When that mood has struck me lately, I've reached instantly for this beguilingly chic 1940s style straw tilt hat, which I was recently sent as a wonderful review gift from the German brand Tate Millinery.

My favourite styles of hat in the whole wide world are tilt and platter, so when the two have the chance to come together in a singular topper like this, I start floating around merrily on the fashion accessory version of cloud nine.

Tate Millinery is helmed by designer Karen Cavallaro and each of her products is lovingly and skillfully made by hand. Today is actually Kate's birthday, so it seemed like an absolutely perfect time to debut this wonderful hat from her line.

Kate very sweetly let me pick any of her hats that my heart desired to receive as a review gift, as the moment I laid eyes on the black and sandy-pale gold coloured 1940s style gem, I was hooked instantly and knew that was the Tate Millinery chapeau for me (thank you so much for it, Karen!).

Classic, ladylike and very versatile, this black straw hat can be worn on the side, top or back of the head; is feather light, and looks the mid-century part to a tee. It's also very airy, comfortable, and well made, thus making it a perfect choice for summer and year round wear in general.

I was honoured to receive this gorgeous hat, which you can purchase from Tate Millinery's online shop for €79.90 (Euros), and knew the moment it arrived, that I was going to style it with the colour palette that you see here in these photos.

Much like I discussed regarding the pairing of black and navy blue together (in this post), one of the oldest and most oft repeated fashion myths is that black and brown can't play nicely and shouldn't be worn in the same outfit.

Balderdash, I say! Not only do the two look wildly sophisticated together, but pairing them can be a great way to breath new life into pieces that you own in both colours. The combination is also handy because while black or brown on its own might not look awesome near your face (depending on your personal colouring), chances are that one of the two will and you can sport that up top, as I've done here with brown, which is more flattering to my skin tone than black, and then the other down on the bottom and/or as accent pieces throughout.

Given the refined design of the hat and the powerful mid-century vibe it telegraphs, I opted for an understated ensemble that I thought would play well with both of those points.

On the day when these photos were taken - which included a gorgeous rainbow over Okanagan Lake, that we were able to quickly pull over on the side of the highway and a snap with, before continuing on to our intended photo shoot location in town, the end of the River Channel Parkway down by Skaha Lake - I reached for one of my all-time favourite button front shirts, a classic brown number from Banana Republic, along with a black vintage pencil skirt, and various accessories in both black and brown.

A somewhat more subdued colour palette than I often sport, I actually truly loved how black and brown brought visual interest to each other and am glad that I refrained from introducing other hues (save for a little bit of brass and gold care of my accessories) into the mix.

Summer is often two warm for a skirt suit outdoors (especially if it's not silk or linen), but a skirt and blouse or button front shirt can look nearly as dressy, yet spare you from wilting faster than a lettuce leaf under the broiler. Thus this is the kind of look I'd reach for if I had a work related meeting, important appointment, wedding, funeral, or other more formal event to attend, but (again) didn't want to bake under the weight of a suit - especially since the beautiful tilt hat helps to more than makeup for the lack of a jacket in terms of elegance here.

I've been wanting to do an outfit post to show how nicely black and brown can get along for ages upon ages now, and am delighted that this gorgeous straw hat from Tate Millinery gave me the opportunity to do so. This is my first product from the brand - who offers a wide range of handmade vintage inspired hats and fascinators - and I love it to no end.

Believe me when I say, this is a hat that I will reach for time and time again, month after month, year after year. It's both beautiful and fun, weighs next to nothing and can be styled in anywhere from a 1930s to an early 1960s direction, just depending on what you partner it with. You don't have to opt for black and brown, but given how splendidly it works with this dark colour duet, why wouldn't you want to do so at least every now and then. I know I'll certainly be continuing to, especially once we get into autumn again.

For now though, thankfully, that point is still a couple of months away and I'm going to keep on enjoying this enchantingly pretty 1940s style Tate Millinery hat with everything from office worthy attire to cocktail frocks to circle skirt, and adore that its neutral colour means that it will play nicely with - if you'll permit a bit of an intentional pun/reference - a rainbow of colours all year round! :)