Modeling my gorgeous new custom made Honey Pot Creations tilt hat on a windy day in Oliver

Outfit details

Vintage inspired custom made mustard yellow tilt hat: Honey Pot Creations

Golden blonde coloured hair net/thin snood: eBay

Faux diamond stud earrings: Probably either Claire’s or eBay (had for years)

1940s brown fur stole: Bought at the 7th annual Rutland Antiques & Collectibles Show

1940s red crepe dress with silver toned bow brooch: Amazing gift from my cousin Sylvia (who also gave me this stellar coral hued 1930s/40s dress)

Ruched c. 1940s mustard yellow gloves: (probably) eBay

Green cross body style handbag: eBay

Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay

Vintage inspired brown t-strap peep toe sandals: Gift from a dear online friend

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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Much had been with the case with Osoyoos until last spring, the wee little town of Oliver (located between Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos) has been one of those nearby spots that always proved immensely elusive when it came to taking outfit photos there. We'd head off merrily from Penticton towards the furthest reaches of the Southern Okanagan, say something along the lines "Ohhhh, we'll finally get some snaps in Oliver this time!" and low and behold, it wouldn't happen.


Either the weather would be too uncooperative, we'd decide to keep going to Osoyoos and not stop there, we'd need to rush back to Penticton too quickly, the spot where we wanted to shoot would be closed, or some other factor would pop up and we'd head home empty handed on the photo front (or at the very least, ultimately shoot in a different town that day).

Well, not this latest time! No siree, bub! On a day recently that was alive with skin pricklingly cold winter air, we pulled into the parking lot of the main community park in Oliver, unpacked the camera, shivered across a field of winter beaten grass poking out from aging snow to a concrete walkway and bridge, and finally shot some pictures in this wee town.

Taking the staring role on the fashion roster that day was this incredibly lovely bespoke hat that was very kindly made for me as a review gift by skilled UK milliner Alison Daily of Honey Pot Creations.

Alison and I discussed some of the elements of the hat, such as colour and general style before she began work on it, but beyond that, the end result was a surprise right up until the moment it arrived from across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to me here in Penticton. It did so, I should mention, in a very sturdy kraft hat box stamped with Honey Pot Creation's logo all over it and tied up with a lovely yellow satine ribbon, and it is here where I continue to house this splendidly pretty topper between wears.

Inspired directly by the charmingly fantastic tilt hats that were in vogue during the 1930s and 40s, and which now find great favour once again with vintage hat collectors and wearers the world over, this elegant little mustard yellow hat is a skilled work of art.

It features hand stitched ribbon embroidery that creates a gorgeous floral pattern, is immensely study (two wee loops of elastic on the the underside, which I slide bobby pins into to attach it to my hair), and very well constructed. It's also wonderfully lightweight, which makes a great hat for days when one is going to be up and fully dressed for long spells (I'd worn it the previous day as well, in that case for about fourteen hours straight and on the day of this shoot, for at least another ten, and in both cases it was as comfortable as having a cloud perched atop my head all day long).

Alison excels at the art of creating beautiful custom made, vintage reproduction, and vintage inspired hats (as well as vintage reproduction bras, handbags and other assorted lovely, and very fashionable, items that any vintage adoring gal would go weak in the knees for), a point which is evident the moment you visit either her etsy shop or her brand new website, Honey Pot Creations.

As she specializes in custom orders, you won't find a massive array of items listed on either at the moment, but in a way that's intriguing and appealing unto itself, because it highlights the fact that Alison has such a passion for creating one of a kind pieces for her customers around the world all the more (some of which can be seen in her site's photo gallery).

In addition to sharing photos of this gorgeous little tilt hat with you here today, I'm thrilled to let you know that Alison is currently offering all Chronically Vintage readers 20% off their orders from her etsy shop when you use the coupon code MADMARCHSALE between now and March 31, 2014.

A hat this eye-catching and special unto itself already goes a long way towards making an outfit. To help it shine all the more though, I went with a palette of bold, unintentionally traffic light inspired colours, forgoing patterns in favour of the texture that a marvelous 1940s brown fur stole I purchased at last autumn's annual Rutland Antiques & Collectibles Show delivered to my wardrobe for the very reasonable price of $30 (it was in mint condition when I bought it, despite its age, and still is after many wearing throughout this chilly winter).

It was windy that afternoon down in Oliver, let me tell you, but my Honey Pot Creations hat stayed firmly put and even offered a wee bit of much needed warmth as winter's freezing temperatures ate away at both the model (me) and photographer (Tony). The sun that was out (and causing me to squint, though I didn't really realize it at the time) that day was just for show. It was mighty cold, yet, I swear, wearing these warm, almost fiery colours did help in their own way to heat me up a smidge and made for the perfect companion to Alison's incredibly pretty handmade hat.

I really, really adore this chapeau (it's the first primarily mustard yellow hued one I've ever had) and have been wearing it often ever since arrived from the talented hands that made it in the UK, so I'm sure you'll see it again in future outfit posts to come. I feel blessed that the artist behind Honey Pot Creations made this work of millinery art for me, as well as that she's extending such a generous coupon code to all of Chronically Vintage's readers.

Thank you very much for both, Alison, I sincerely appreciate it and can scarcely begin to tell you how much I flat out love this stunning vintage inspired tilt hat.

1940s black and brass for a very cold winter's day at Skaha Lake

Outfit details

1940s black tilt hat: etsy seller JoBella's Emporium

Green molded plastic beaded necklace: Thrifted

1980s does 1940s/50s glen plaid dress: etsy seller Sepia Vintage

Edwardian inspired dangle brooch: eBay

Quadruple buckle "waist cinching" belt: Forever 21

1940s brass studded black gloves: eBay

Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MK Retro

Black tights: Arden

1940s style black shoes: Thrifted

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

{An especially cold gust of wind hit my face so I instinctually closed my eyes here.} 

 

 

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The Okanagan Valley is a land peppered generously with lakes of all sizes, of which our town is sandwiched between two of these many bodies of water. The photos above were taken at Skaha Lake (which you may recall me talking about in earlier posts, such as this one), however not on the side the touches Penticton, instead on the opposite end in Okanagan Falls.

The tiny, charming community of Ok Falls is only about fifteen minutes away from Skaha beach in Penticton, and while it might not offer up scads of excitement during the winter months (when the beaches are too cold to swim in, the lake isn't usually solid enough to fish on, and the beloved local ice cream shop is closed for the season), it's still fun to pop out there every now and then for a change of pace and scenery.

On a bitingly cold day a few weeks ago, Tony and I did just that one Sunday afternoon. This was, to date, the coldest day we've ever taken pictures outside on, and I'm not going to conceal the fact that I was shivering up a storm sans heavy winter coat. Knowing that the mercury was hiding that day, I opted to wear my heaviest winter dress (it’s a thick polyester that feels surprisingly like cotton), opaque tights, and of course gloves. I could have used a few more layers though, let me tell you!

Teeth chattering, we both got through this shoot though, and I'm so glad that we did, because I adore the photos that Tony took that day. The icy cold shoreline of Skaha Lake made for a marvelous backdrop against which to let the black, white, green, and brass tones of this winter outfit shine through.

I'm making a conscious effort to both buy and wear more green this year (I love it to pieces and have no idea why I haven't done more of both of those things in recent years), so on this day I opted for verdant accessories. The last time this lovely antique inspired brooch appeared here on the blog, the weather was a whole lot warmer and sunnier, and we were gearing up for a morning spent at the local Penticton farmer's market (which will reopen come May - yay!).

My here necklace is a string of molded beads that I picked up last year for around fifty cents while thrifting. I have several similar necklaces, which I really like and wear fairly often, because the ones I own are free of metal and thus completely safe for someone like me with a nasty nickel allergy.

This dress is a 1980s does 40s/50s L.L. Bean (the first, and to date only, L.L. Bean item I've ever owned) shirtwaist in a classic glen plaid print. The thick, sturdy fabric makes it the perfect frock for those especially nippy days the so often crop up during the second half of the winter, and thus I've been wearing it at least once a week lately.

You may have heard me say before that it can be challenging (due to medical reasons) for me to wear tight things around my midsection, and indeed that is very true, however this awesome quadruple buckle (stretch) belt is not as tight as it would appear. You see, when I bought it a few years ago from Forever 21 in Toronto, I made sure to get a size that would be a little loose even on the tightest notches, that way I could still wear it most days, even if I had to sport it on looser fitting notches. In fact, it's comfier to wear than most of my belts and I've had no trouble keeping it on for as long as 12 hours at a time before. Yippee! Because I absolutely, positively adore it, especially for wrangling in the waist on classic shirtwaist dresses like this one.

I adore these brass studded 1940s gloves (the studs don't go all the way though, so there's no risk of the metal, which could in theory contain nickel, touching my skin) and thought they'd be the perfect pair to accompany the brass on the belt and brooch. The swirling vine pattern is so elegantly pretty, and the longer length makes them ideal for icy winter days when its imperative that your wrists are fully covered.

If this lovely 1940s tilt hat looks familiar, it's because you last saw it just a few months ago as part of my Oktoberfest outfit. I love this hat. I mean, I really, really, really love it! I swear, I have to stop myself from partnering it with darn near every 40s outfit I put together (as I do like to let my other hats, all of which I'm crazy about too, see some action as well). I tend to wear more black during the winter than other times of the year, so for the time being, it really is cropping up more days than not, let me tell you.

As March barrels onward, it's good to know that this is the last true month of winter left. This month will likely still be fairly cold - and potentially somewhat snowy - but soon spring will be here and that means the return of dipping our toes in all these wonderful local lakes - Skaha very much included - once more. I can hardly wait!

So, we meet again, grey wall!

Outfit details

1940s dusty rose tilt hat: Gift from Tony ♥

Classic faux pearl stud earrings: Claire's

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥

Fitted black velvet blazer: Smart Set

Gold coloured metal & rhinestone antique inspired brooch: eBay

Black velvet scarf: Zellers

Burgundy top: Thrifted

1950s light pink pencil skirt: eBay

Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MK Retro

Vintage maroon gloves with buttons: etsy seller Antiqueelegance

Black tights: Arden

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted

Lipstick colour: MAC Diva

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Last year on a breezy early spring day, in the nearby city of Kelowna, I just happened to encounter, and instantly fall head-over-vintage-heels in love with, a particular grey wall, as documented in this outfit post.

To the causal observer, and no doubt many of the thousands of people who drive past this wall everyday (it's located on a busy road that leads to the Kelowna airport and local college campus), this is just a wall like any other, and I'll grant you that there's nothing particularly extraordinary about it at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it's hard not to see its charm and allure.

Painted in a true medium hue, this concrete wall is just about the most perfect shade of grey. There is scarcely a skin tone or colour in the world this grey wouldn't compliment, wouldn't serve as the perfect backdrop for. It's a relatively strong colour, yet it stops short of overpowering those hues put in front of it. It has cool undertones, is not inherently modern looking (though it is, the wee little string of shops it connected to was only built a couple of years ago), and I'd be hard pressed to think of a single outfit in my whole closet, I wouldn't happily wear while standing in front of it. If we lived in Kelowna, I'd probably shot outfit snaps in front of this wall at least once a month.

Alas though, we do not, and so the wall becomes a special treat, offering up a certain peace of mind that no matter what, so long as Mother Nature wants to play nice, I can always rely on this particular wall to serve as a guaranteed (wonderful) backdrop if we're taking photos in Kelowna.

On this particular snowy day, I set out with February 14th in mind. I didn't want to go too twee (it's easy for red and pink to veer into saccharine territory far too quickly, especially when worn on someone my age), but I definitely wanted to imbue a sense of romance into my ensemble. To that end, I nixed red entirely, favouring instead a burgundy hued top, maroon gloves, and soft, bracingly lovely shades of pink. To offset the Valentine's Day card quality of those colours together, I kept the other key elements of this look to a palette of black.

However, I choice sumptuous velvet, a fabric that is as romantic and sensual as the day is long, for my black garments. Being petite and relatively curvy, I have a hard time finding blazers and suit jackets that fit, be they vintage or modern, but this particular jacket (bought years ago from Smart Set) fits me like a well-tailored glove, and gets worn more than any other blazer I own (it's a definite wardrobe staple for me). Though modern, it channels a timelessly classic feel and goes with more outfits than you could shake a stick pin at.

This hat - another much loved favourite of mine - was a gift from Tony, that I saw in a while back (just as with the navy blue 1940s hat seen in this outfit from last fall), and which he very, very sweetly bought for me. Given that my tilt hats are my favourite style of vintage topper and dusty rose is the hue I adore most, you can imagine how wild I am about this chapeau! It's a little worn in spots and the wide band of elastic could be tighter, but it still has a lot of life in it and will always standout as one of the most marvelous vintage hats I've ever owned or had the joy of wearing.

It was a nippy day indeed when we took these photographs (a few degrees below zero centigrade, snowing on and off), so a scarf was a must with a jacket and top that left a fair bit of my neck exposed. This black velvet scarf, purchased many years ago at Zellers, is just about the only cold weather scarf I wear. It's not terribly warm, I’m the first to admit, but darned if it doesn't go with everything and feel incredibly against my skin.

I have a couple of other winter scarves, but as with most years, to date this winter, I haven't even taken them out of the closet. I wear this scarf everywhere and with everything, so it's almost surprising that it took this long for it to make an appearance here on the blog. It matches this blazer so well that one could easily be forgiven for thinking the two had come as a set from the get-go. Though the did not, the fact that the coordinate so well makes me a very happy camper indeed given how frequently I wear both of these pieces.


I picked this light pink 1950s pencil skirt up last year on eBay and have been waiting for the perfect time to debut it here. Few holidays are better suited to pink than Valentine's Day, so this week really seemed like the ideal time. I'd been hankering for a pink pencil skirt for years and was delighted to find this mid-century gem for a relatively good price several months ago. It's made of a mildly nubby medium weight fabric and is one of those pieces that can really work for all four seasons, so long as hosiery is involved during the colder months.

I have a few brooches (some vintage, some vintage appropriate) which involve hearts, but I didn't feel pulled in that direction this year. Instead, I felt that burnished gold, AB finish rhinestones and an elegant clear crystal dangle attached to bow would suit this outfit better. Bows and crystals have always been romantic beings in their own right and go just as nicely with a St. Valentine's Day look as any heart would.

And speaking of the day of amour, though I didn't set out with the goal of taking snaps in front of this exact wall that afternoon, the moment we decided to do so, it seemed only natural that I partner the wall that I adore most in Kelowna with a vintage outfit geared towards Valentine's Day. Kismet that we should meet up again for just such a series of photos? I rather like to think so.

Who knew that cupid had fall-in-love-with-a-grey-wall arrows in his quiver too? :)