New clothes and old habits

Outfit details

C. 1950s brown felt hat with wooden toggle: Purchased from a fellow vintage blogger
Faux pearl stud earrings: Claire’s
Mustard yellow button front shirt: Thrifted (originally from Ricki's)
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Burgundy cardigan: Mexx
C. 1950s/1960s brown wooden circle brooch: Thrifted
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Super store
Burgundy plastic beaded stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
1950s/1960s mustard yellow and pink paisley circle skirt: Red Light Vintage
Lace trimmed white crinoline (not visible): Petticoat Style 1950s taupe gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay)
C. 1970s - 80s wooden beaded handbag: Thrifted (Value Village)
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Burgundy faux suede pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Party Line
Photography by Tony Cangiano  

♥ ♥ ♥

Before launching into today's post, I must give credit to Tony, whose photography skills shone especially brightly on the day these images were taken. You might not sense if fully from the photos here, but the wind and light that day were flat out bonkers! This shoot now ranks amongst the top three windiest we've ever done and the light was the sort where it changes ever few seconds. Even with this potential impediments from Mother Nature in place, Tony still managed to capture a slew of beautiful photos and I sincerely thank him for that.

Occasionally over the years I've spoken here - and on YouTube - about the fact that I have rather bad teeth. They're massive crowded and crocked (some of which is hidden by my lips, especially on the bottom row), unattractive looking, and four back ones are missing (pulled in my youth because things like root canals could not be afforded). I was teased mercilessly throughout school because of them, know for a fact that they didn't help my dating life when I was single, and continue to feel the various negative ways in which they impact me to this day.

I'm not here to delve into all that again really (and certainly am not pitying myself), but it warrants saying because today, for only the second time ever (as far as I can recall) in my blog's 6.5 years of life, I am not only showing you my teeth (or at least how they look when I try to smile with them showing - I say "try" because I genuinely don't know how to naturally smile with them flashing, as I have spent my whole life trying to cover them up as much as possible, including by usually smiling with my lips closed), but doing so intentionally.

It struck me a while ago that I was already doing just this on YouTube when I speak there, so why keep my mouth closed on camera, too? Why? There are so many reasons for me, some of which I've just touched on, but ultimately, I have accepted this is who I am and how I look. I hope with every fiber of my being to have the financial means to give my mouth a serious overhaul one day, but thus far in my 31 years of life that that hasn't been possible (and likely won’t be for a while to come still).

The older I get, the more I continue to work on building my self-confidence and making peace with the present. As such, I wanted to be brave and smile with my teeth showing in this shoot - and who knows - perhaps in other photos as time goes on as well. Is it a beautiful smile? Goodness, no, but it's the only one I've got and that certainly counts for something.

Now, on to the new - clothes that is!!! Though not intentionally planned, it occurred to me as I was sorting through these photos that vast majority of what I'm wearing in them has been purchased throughout 2015.

This gorgeous 1950s/1960s mustard yellow, pink and burgundy circle skirt is the most recent acquisition, picked up from Etsy seller Red Light Vintage during a recent sale in that shop. The colours in it are amongst my favourite ever and I knew that my first outfit featuring this skirt needed to pull from them.

The yellow button front shirt (which is sleeveless and great for spring - early fall) was a thrifted find back around the start of July. The delightful little 50s felt pillbox-esque hat was purchased a few months ago from a fellow vintage blogger, and the shoes were bought new from Payless this past August (I'd wanted a classic pair of pumps in burgundy for...well...ever! And was elated to score these this year).

The other elements of this ensemble - the jewelry, gloves, beaded handbag, stockings, and burgundy cardigan are all older, but no less important to the over all look here and I must say, I just adore how this colour palette came together. It is so rich, feminine, and ideally suited to the very month that we're in: October.





We took these (very wind blown!) snaps on one of our favourite streets in (the nearby city of) Kelowna, which happens to have some historic homes on it, so naturally I couldn't help but pose in front of one of the most beautiful. This elegant abode is called the J.W. Jones House and is currently used by a law office. Isn't it a stunner? The wrap around front porch slays me every time I see it.

It's great when new and old can collide like that to create something wonderful like this outfit - or, in the case of my teeth, help one continue to grow and better accept themselves, even when doing so is quite the personal challenge.

So while you might not see me flashing my crocked pearly whites in every photos shoot hence forth, don't be surprised if they pop up every now and then. Old habits - like not smiling with them showing - might die hard, but they can indeed be laid to rest and it is my sincere hope that this post will help me do just that when it comes working up the nerve to smile in front of the lens.

A tugboat, hearts galore, and the long overdue debut of my black 1950s quilted circle skirt

Outfit details

1950s red nylon/chiffon scarf: Thrifted
Black and silver heart earrings: Target (I think)
1930s clear and black beaded necklace: Maejean Vintage
Grey button front shirt: Tommy Hilfiger
Black cotton camisole: Joe Fresh or Old Navy
Vintage heart and cupid dangle brooch: Either eBay or thrifted
1980s does 1950s red stretch belt with silver heart clasp: eBay
1950s black quilted circle skirt: eBay
Red faux leather cross body purse: eBay
Red laced trimmed crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
C. 1980s lack sheer heart print gloves: eBay
Grey tights: (New in pack from) Value Village
1940s style black faux suede heels with bows: Walmart
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Waaaaayyyy back in December 2011, I blogged about finding one of my vintage grails - a quilted 1950s black circle skirt - and how I'd not only unearthed it at long last, but done so at a stellar price. Though I've worn that skirt scores of times since then, it has somehow escaped appearing on my blog until now (baffling, I know! :)).

This outfit, so very common of the sort I sport (with a coat or jacket over top) in the winter, is what I wore for Valentine's Day this year (so hence the plethora of hearts, right down to the black sheer heart print gloves). As nearly months have somehow whizzed past since then - seriously, where did they go?! - before we really get into the thick of late spring and then summertime weather and their accompanying fashions, I wanted to share these photos with all of you.

As I'd posted about earlier in February, I really wasn't feeling a saccharine sweet palette or even pink at all (strange for me, I know) this Valentine's Day, but I didn't want to forgo dressing for the holiday entirely either. Instead I paired red with black, grey and silver and opted to let my festive feelings shine through the wearing of so many hearts.

Don't let my lack of a coat fool you, it was seriously chilly that day and I had goose bumps a plenty going on - at least on the top half of my body. On the bottom, between the grey tights, red crinoline, and quilted black circle skirt, I was relatively warm, save for my feet. Up top I opted for a vintage appropriate grey button front shirt, a beloved 1930s beaded necklace from Maejean Vintage, a cute little silver toned vintage dangle brooch complete with cupid charm, a red and silver vintage heart buckle stretch belt, and a pair of sheer black lace gloves that offered virtually no warmth, but were definitely in keeping with the spirit of the day. Earrings and a sheer red vintage hair scarf capped the casually cute ensemble off (with my usual black faux suede heels wrapping things up at the other end).

They were images were shot down at Okanagan beach here in Penticton right beside the SS Sicamous, where one finds a charming vintage tugboat permanently moored a few feet out into the water. Tony and I were busy critters on Valentine's Day, running errands, as we tend to on the weekend, and spending the evening celebrating with family at my mom's house, and I didn’t realize in the moment just how wrinkled my shirt has become throughout the day! Oh well – that’s real life!

Now that I've finally shared this skirt on camera, chances are you'll see it here again and again as time goes on. I find that to often be the case the with pieces I've had for ages, but not posted about sooner - perhaps its a way of making up for lost time (doubly so in this case, given how I'd yearned for a skirt just like this for ages).

Though it was just a couple of months ago, it feels like a long time since Valentine's Day and looking back at these snaps, I'm grateful that winter has retired for another year once more and that, fun as the holidays that season houses are, we can focus on spring and summer for a several months now.

For while I do certainly love winter in many wonderful ways, I "heart" warm weather even more! :)


*PS* If you haven't caught wind of it already, hop on over to the wonderful blog The Boyer Family Singers and enter for your chance to win a $75.00 store credit from my Etsy shop, as well as take advantage of a limited time coupon code there that will save you 25% off on absolutely everything in my shop (to which I've added over fifty new items in the last week alone!).

My very favourite 1950s skirt that I own & Tony launches a Facebook page for his photography

Outfit details

Hair flowers (both): Arden
Black rhinestone heart earrings: Claire's
1930s glass bead necklace: etsy seller Maejean Vintage
Grey dolman sleeve cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood
Pale pink camisole: From a shop in Scarborough, ON that shut down years ago
Black plastic floral carved bangle bracelet: Unknown (had for years)
Black vintage handbag: etsy seller A Vintage Revival
1950s flocked floral print circle skirt: eBay
Pink crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
Grey tights: (Bought new in pack from) Value Village
Black faux suede round toe pumps: Wal-Mart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Nail colour: Pink Diamond from Essie 

Photography by Tony Cangiano     

♥ ♥ ♥

Almost nothing lasts long in my closet if I don't love it powerfully, so I'm always a little leery of dubbing any particular item a favourite, but if I had to in the skirt department, this enchantingly feminine 1950s number may very well take top billing. Boasting black flocking and a pink and green floral pattern on a solid black background, it epitomizes the spirit of my style - feminine, sweet, elegant, and fun - to a tee!

Purchased a number of years back on eBay, at the time, clocking in at around $100, it was the most I'd ever paid for a skirt in my life. Though that figure has since been topped, it still remains one of my pricier skirts. Then as now, I've never regretted what I paid for it and feel that it was (and is) reasonable for such a gorgeous vintage garment. This skirt is made from thick, warm, beautiful fabric and is in excellent shape. Once can scarcely tell it's around sixty years old, as it feels nearly as crisp and pristine as the day it was minted.

Like many people, I tend to gravitate towards darker hues when the temperatures start plummeting, and on the nippy November a few weeks ago when these photos were taken on a random, wonderfully charming tree and mid-century home lined street in Kelowna, that point was out in full force care of the abundance of grey and black at work in this fun fifties ensemble.

Even on the coldest, dreariest of winter days though, as much as I may reach for black, grey, dark brown, navy blue and other highly pigmented hues, I will still generally weave a bit of punchy colour into the mix. Here it was hints of gloriously feminine pink, care of the camisole, crinoline from Pettiskirt Style, a large hair flower (partnered with a smaller black one), and the lush blooms on my skirt, as well as my lipstick and nail polish colour choices. Much like the skirt itself, this whole outfit is a perfect representation of my personal style. It's neither immensely formal nor overtly casual, includes layers, embraces my curvy petite figure (but isn't skintight), and makes me smile whenever I sport it.

On the day when we shot these snaps in Kelowna, we were running errands and also scouting photo shoot locations, not for myself, but for a photography client that Tony was working with a few days later.

As you may recall from this post last October on how Tony and I do vintage outfit shoots, my darling husband has been an avid photography enthusiast for much of his life. More recently, he's invested in further equipment (including the awesome new Canon 6D DSLR camera he bought while in Calgary) and is has made the leap from hobbyist to part-time photographer (on top of his highly demanding day job, the various income generating blogs and websites, such as Any New Books, that we run together, and being the author of two terrific tech books).

This exciting chapter is new, fresh and still largely unwritten. It may always remain an on-the-side endeavour or might perhaps someday develop into more, only time will tell. Whatever the case, it's always great to have a site and a Facebook page for any business one runs and to that end, Tony has recently created both. We would be honoured and deeply appreciative if you want to like Tony Cangiano Photography on Facebook, where you'll get to see a sneak peak some of the photos from the shoots we do for the blog before they go live here, as well as work he does with models, clients and others who make their way in front of his lens.

And of course, should you ever happen to be in the Okanagan and would like to have Tony shot you, by all means, feel free to let one of us know! Tony is an old pro at doing vintage outfit shoots thanks to his work on behalf of my blog, and would be thrilled to help create the kind of shoot you're dreaming of (be it vintage related or otherwise).

Many heartfelt thanks from both of us to everyone who likes Tony Cangiano Photography on Facebook, as well as to each and every one of you for your support, encouragement and compliments regarding his photography work here over the years. I know that it has meant the world to him and certainly helped to foster his passion and drive for photography all the more.

The thrill of finding one of your vintage holy grails (at an amazing price, to boot!)

✯ Day 349 of Vintage 365 ✯

We all have them, those elusive vintage items for which scarcity and/or price make them rather hard, if not downright veering on impossible, to track down.

Sometimes we're able to find the general item we're after, but it's not the right size (if I had a dollar for every time this happened to me I'd likely be a millionaire by now!) or the mark-up is so absurd it's laughable (sorry, but there’s no deadstock, non-designer labeled department store dress from the 1950s, no matter how gorgeous it is, that’s worthy of a price tag in the upper hundreds, as I've seen on a few occasions).

Many times there's a certain element to an item that makes it particularly tricky to find. You may, for example, be after a vintage canister set, yet not be able to find one in good condition that fits the colour scheme of your kitchen. Old school shoes really aren't that tricky to come by, however they generally fit those lucky tiny-footed gals (aka, size 6 and under) best, while the rest of us are left daydreaming about authentic swing dance heels in larger sizes.

For most of us there's a budget element involved with our vintage shopping. All but those with the deepest of pockets generally have to keep price in mind when scouring the web and real world haunts for vintage treasures, and this can certainly put some items further out of reach.

I've yet to met a vintage wearing gal who didn't have a long standing wish list of items she was trying to find that matched all of her criteria (correct sizing and colour, as well as over all condition, and of course price). There are certain pieces though, that get bumped up, in my books at least, a little higher than just wish list status.

These are are the proverbial holy grails of our vintage hunts. We type their names into etsy, eBay and Google searches constantly. If a friend is going second hand shopping without us, we let them know to keep their eyes peeled religiously for said items, and these pieces always at the top of our letters to Santa when Christmas rolls around.

Interesting, I've found that sometimes it's an item’s scarcity (and/or the ability to find said piece in my size) that elevates it into the realm of vintage holy grail, more than (just) the price. What makes certain things more sought after than other varies wildly from person to person. I know that for me, many of my most beloved and wished for vintage items are ones that I've been fantasizing about for years, if not decades, of my life.

They sprung from a seed of inspiration somewhere along the line, their roots nestling firmly into my psyche and soul, and so they remain, like the top of Mt.Everest, a distant, almost unachievable feat that I strive towards knowing full well the scoop of the challenge they present.

Fascinatingly however, especially if price is not your biggest deterrent, and you’re willing to put forth a hefty dose of patient (and certainly some elbow grease, when it comes to tracking down your beloved items), one's vintage holy grails can be unearthed. Every once in an extra special while, you can even score one for a rather fantastic deal.

Though, I've found, garage sales and tiny thrift stores (of the sort staffed by sweet grey haired women who love to chat as they ring up your purchase) are the best places to stumble up a dream item at an unbelievable price, despite the mass popularity of vintage clothing and other yesteryear items, paired with the sheer volume of folks who shop online for such things these days, the web can still deliver a knock-out deal on a grail from time-to-time, too.

For years now I've been on the prowl for a black quilted circle skirt in my size that didn't cost the moon. As with most of my grail and top wish list items, I'd allotted a relatively generous budget in my mind for this particular garment, but even that didn't seem to be enough to unearth one that was, in a nod to Goldilocks, neither too small or too big.

A good year or two ago, I'd actually just come to the point where I figured I'd end up making one myself some day when I got a sewing machine and had polished my skills enough to know how to add quilted stitching to a garment. Yet even with that in mind, I continued to periodically dig around the web for a black quilted circle skirt.

That particular item of clothing was on my list because a.) I adore just about all 1950s circle skirts, b.) I've been smitten with quilted circle skirts for as far back as I can remember, and c.) I don't currently have a plain black circle skirt and can really feel the hole that not having one leaves in my vintage wardrobe.

You can imagine my excitement then when, around the end of November, I happened to spy on eBay that was listed in the right size (the skirt’s listing - which I'll tell you right now, I won - said it was the right size, but I've been burned plenty of times before - so all I can do is keep my fingers crossed for now) for an absolute song on eBay.

{The eBay seller's photo of my soon-to-arrive black 1950s circle skirt, an item I'd been daydreaming about adding to my vintage wardrobe for many years.}

 

I found the auction a couple of days before it wrapped up and tossed my bid into the ring (I later upped that amount, as I really, really wanted to win, though in the end my first price limit was more than enough to ensure the skirt came home with me). To my absolute delight, I ended up winning the skirt for a mere $16.00 plus shipping to Canada (from the States).

As you can imagine, I was over-the-moon elated about this! Here, after several years of fastidiously hunting for one of my vintage holy grails, I found it in the right size (again, hopefully the measurements stated in the listing were accurate), colour, and for one heck of a stellar bargain! I'd have happily paid five or maybe even ten times that amount for this skirt, and couldn't believe how much I lucked out.

It's moments like winning that skirt actually, which help make the countless times you can't find something that fits your criteria easier to put up with. As you click through page after page on etsy of (for example) 1940s sundresses looking for precisely the right one, only to come up empty handed for the twenty-fifth time, it's memories of those highly sought after pieces you've already scored that truly aid in reminding you that just about everything, no matter how rare, can be discovered eventually.

It has been an age and half since I last found any of my grails, let alone one for such a great deal, and chances are it'll be awhile before another one comes along. But that's ok, I'll be floating above the ground on a cloud of happiness over this score for quite a long time to come. Just look up for the redheaded gal wearing the black quilted circle skirt and you'll know it's me.