The last outfit photos we took before Tony left, starring my gorgeous new Classic Dames halter dress from Blue Velvet Vintage

Outfit details

19450s sterling silver and rhinestone necklace + screw back earrings set: Gift from a dear friend ♥
Dark grey thin knit shrug: Fairweather
1950s dark teal gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably thrifted)
1950s Style Navy Blue Halter Dress with Silver Brocade Trim: c/o Blue Velvet Vintage
Champagne coloured bow clutch: Bentley Leather
Sparkly champagne heels: The Bay
Lip colour: MAC Party Line


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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The eve of my beloved husband leaving to work in the US for nearly three months is not something that I'd usually put on my finest threads and celebrate. However, with Tony's departure so eminent and a desire to showcase this breathtaking 1950s halter dress from Blue Velvet Vintage's Classic Dames line before he left a powerful driving force, I couldn't help but get decked out for the camera one last time before he left.

Indeed, in the midst of a wildly busy and exhausting week (which I can so see the effects of on my face here!), less than 36 hours before Tony headed off on his work trip to sunny California, as the last of the early evening sunlight was rapidly fading, I quickly got dressed and we hightailed it down to the historic ruins of the 1912 Hotel in the neighbouring community of Kaleden (which you may recall from this previous 2013 shoot that took place there as well).

There aren't a lot of spots - let alone outdoor ones - around these parts that (to put it mildly!) seem to accommodate particularly fancy vintage attire well, but to my mind, even with their graffiti tags, the crumbling remains of what was one a thriving Edwardian hotel, always strike me as being appropriate in that regard. It’s as if, were one to close their eyes and imagine, they could picture the elegantly attired ladies of the 1910s, 20s and 30s walking through its floors and halls, looking as though they'd just stepped out of a fashion magazine, when such elements of this structure still existed.

My love for the wonderfully popular online vintage + repro shop Blue Velvet Vintage, a longtime sponsor of this blog, knows no limits. Their offerings, be they genuine vintage or 21st century lines and products that channel an old school spirit are always beautiful, honestly described, well photographed, and seriously appealing.

Blue Velvet Vintage very kindly sent me the beguilingly gorgeous 1950s Style Navy Blue Sateen Halter Swing Dress with Silver Brocade Trim that I'm wearing here in these photos (thank you so much for it!), and it is now the second garment that I own from their marvelous in house vintage reproduction line, Classic Dames.

Aside from its captivating beauty - which exists in generous spades - this dress is a gem in a lot of other ways. It's very well constructed and fits, in my opinion, true to size (I'm wearing the size small here and it couldn't possibly fit me better, especially through the bust and torso, which is not common with me and halter styles, as I find that they're usually too big in that area).

The material is thick, but not restrictively so. The brocade is breathtaking, it features a sweetheart neckline (my favourite type of neckline ever!), the halter neck does up not in the usual tie neck fashion, but with two good sized metal hook and eyes, which means that there's no pesky halter tie knot pressing into your neck, and the hem line couldn't be more perfect in terms of its length on me (this is always a seriously big point with me and clothing, so when I find a dress that gets that mid calf length right, I'm one very happy vintage fashionista!).

As well, this dress is deeply comfortable. I could easily picture myself wearing it for many hours, no problem. Its fabric has a wee bit of stretch, which both ups the comfy-ness factor and helps to create an especially flattering fit. This dress retails for $155.00 USD and I would honestly have no problem splurging and paying that for the quality, design, and elegance that this great 1950s style halter delivers.

Ooooh, and let's not forget about the fabulous matching brocade belt, which is totally detachable. I debated actually wearing it as a skinny hair scarf and am sure I will in the future on some occasions when I sport this dress, but for this first wearing, I opted to keep it around my waist. It is generous in length and strikingly pretty, adding just the right amount of twinkle and glamour to your midsection.

A dress this dazzling doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles, and indeed, I was keen to keep it in the spotlight. Pulling on the gorgeous hues in the brocade, I opted for a champagne coloured clutch and sparkly heels, both of which feature bows and created a nice sense of cohesiveness between them. For jewelry I turned to this tremendously lovely 1950s sterling silver and rhinestone necklace + screw back earrings set, which was an awesome gift a while back from one of my dearest vintage loving friends in the whole wide world.

I played around with a lot of glove colours, but none of them seemed right until I slipped on this understatedly sophisticated dark teal pair. Its shade, though similar to that of the dress itself, is lighter and the subtle contrast strikes me as being especially evening wear appropriate. A dark grey thin knit shrug, which has appeared here numerous times over the years (and that, again, drew inspiration from the brocade) was the final touch to this party worthy ensemble.

As immensely busy as we were that weekend, I'm really glad that we got in this shoot before Tony left. Though (as mentioned here), we did manage to create a reserve of outfit photos to help see me though the summer until his return in September, I will greatly miss our usual photo shoots, especially given that we're in the best season of the year for them. I like that I'll always have the memory - and photos - of this last one before he departed to help capture a slice of our life - and this enchantingly beautiful halter dress from Blue Velvet Vintage - before he headed off.

Summer is already whizzing past and I'm sure that, to borrow a great vintage term, in two shakes of a lamb's tail, he'll be back and we'll be launching into as many autumn photo shoots as we can before another powerfully long, tremendously chilly Canada winter kicks in. Speaking of which though, I can't help but think, this dress would be amazing for Christmas or New Year's Eve. Right now though, it's going to be my summer go-to anytime I need, or simply want, to dress to the 1950s style nines!


*PS* I should clarify that while this was technically the last shoot that we did before Tony left, there were a handful of others that proceeded it which I haven't posted about yet. They will continual to appear here at regular intervals throughout the summer.

Baby, it's cold - and festively fashionable - outside!

Outfit details

Red and green hair flowers: Both from Arden
Silver tone metal and crystal earrings: Claire's
Black 1950s velvet stole wrap: etsy seller A Better Time
Vintage reproduction 1950s style red & white halter dress: Classy Dames from Blue Velvet Vintage  White lace trimmed crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
1940s/50s white faux suede gloves: (probably) eBay
Faux leather bow clutch: Bentley
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Black faux suede round toe pumps: Wal-Mart
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Antonio Cangiano  

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As a maple-leaf-red blooded Canadian, I like to think that I have a rather strong constitution when it comes to icy weather, and should I be dressed accordingly for such, I typically do. However, even I admit to being as chilly as a snowman in arctic on the evening a few days ago when we shot today's holiday ensemble photos. It was more than worth the Rudolph worthy rosy red nose, goose bumps, and chattering teeth though to find the perfect backdrop for an equally perfect holiday dress.

Blue Velvet Vintage, a top-notch online vintage, reproduction and vintage appropriate clothing and accessories shop, which I profiled in this post last July, has been - and continues to be - an absolutely awesome blog sponsor, and it is their resplendently lovely house line, Classic Dame, of vintage reproduction dresses that includes the knockout red and white 1950s style halter dress that you see here today.

Though this stylish frock wasn't designed specifically for the Christmas holiday season, it suits it marvelously, and I was elated to receive it as a review gift from Blue Velvet Vintage recently. I knew before it even arrived, that a dress of this caliber deserved an extra special location to shoot it against, but where, I wondered, would that be? After much brainstorming, Tony and I hit upon the idea of taking snaps in front a large Christmas tree made of out shimmering lights that greets visitors and locals alike in Kelowna shortly after they come into town.

As it's only lit during the evenings, when Christmas lights look their best anyhow, we buzzed up there after dinner one night and found a location (on the concrete ramp pathway leading to a foot traffic bridge across the always busy thoroughfare that is Harvey Avenue) from which we could safely shoot in this bustling urban area (and from which you could get a sense of what the background was).

Though I'd been thinking about what I might partner this beautiful red and white polka dot dress with for some time now, when the moment to do actually came, I ended up styling it pretty much on the fly, taking things in a different direction than I'd first had in mind (initially I'd thought we might shoot inside, but as such wasn't ultimately the case, I needed too add a couple of accessories to help fend off at least a little bit of the -7C chill that evening).

While this is a frock that you could wear any single day of the year, its colour palette is inherently Christmassy and as this was going to be my holiday shoot for 2013, I didn't hold back on adding to its seasonal feel. Rand green hair flowers, icicle hued crystal dangle earrings, classic white cloves, and touches of timeless black in the form of a velvet wrap and bow adorned faux suede heels all helped me feel as festive as jolly Old St. Nicolas himself.

This dress is a dream. Not only does it fit excellently (something that is not always the case with me and halter dresses), but it's made of thick, great quality 100% satin finish cotton, features a pleated sweetheart bodice with darling polka dot cotton pique fold over collar, lined bodice, sturdy metal zipper up the back, and a full skirt (measuring 27" long) that just begs to be twirled in (which I did to try and keep warm between a few photos).

Though I don't own as much repro as some folks, I have bought and also received a lovely selection of such pieces from various brands over the years and I honestly say, with complete impartialness (to the fact that I was sent this dress as review gift), that this delightful 1950s style halter dress is one of the best made pieces I've ever owned. There's quality workmanship at play here, as well as excellent materials, classic tailoring and an overall sense of quality that can't be beat.

In addition to the Christmas season, I know that thanks to the colours at work here, this is a dress I'll reach for often come both Valentine's Day and Canada Day as well, while also enjoying it on many a non-holiday day the whole year round (I'm thinking it would be a perfect choice to wear to next year's Peach City Peach Cruise in June).

I won't lie to you, it was mighty nippy out there that evening, but it was also incredibly lovely, serene in so as much as be had in such a high traffic environment, and rather magical. I've never done a shoot outdoors at night, let alone one set against a towering tree made of holiday lights. I will remember this night always, not simply because the weather was so invigorating, but because I felt positively alive with the Christmas spirit and was having a blast, even if my fingers, toes and shoulders were turning into Popsicles.

Nights like this, much like the holiday season itself, don't come along everyday - nor do stellar fifties style dresses like this one from Blue Velvet Vintage, and it was a rare and wonderful experience to get immortalize one on camera to look back on and always have as a beautiful memory of Christmas 2013 season.

Enter to win any vintage hat you'd like from Blue Rose Vintage

Last Saturday I featured what has to be, bar none, one of my most flower adorned, eye-catchingly delightful vintage hats ever in this post (a photo from which appears below here as well).

A swirling, glorious garden atop my head, this hat is the kind of topper that steals the shows, in the best kind of way and I adore having a few hats with such sublime magnetism in my wardrobe. This particular beauty came by way of a stellar online seller who specializes specifically in vintage hats: Blue Rose Vintage.





As I mentioned in Saturday's post, the splendidly nice folks at Blue Rose Vintage contacted me earlier in the summer and asked if I'd be interested selecting one of these vintage chapeaus to feature on my blog. I was touched and thrilled that they were interested in working together, and couldn't say yes quickly enough. I selected the topper that I did because I'm still trying to actively up the amount of green in my wardrobe, but there were many other contenders in the running for my selection as well.

It's scarcely a secret that I love and frequently wear vintage hats (a topic that I really delved into when interviewed by Kathleen Lisson from That's a Pretty Hat last year about my passion for collecting and wearing hats). They've appeared numerous times in my vintage outfit posts here, and are a favourite component of many of the looks I've put together in posts such as those in the Vintage Fashionista Friday series.





A hat is both a work of art and a catalyst for emotion and individuality. It can be sweet and simple, wildly bold, quirky, reserved, sophisticated, playful, enigmatic, daring, enchanting, cute, dramatic, or just about anything else one can possibly imagine, depending on its design, how its styled in the scope of an ensemble, and the person sporting it in the first place.

Sometimes when I post photos of myself wearing a hat, or discuss the topic of hats here on my blog, I receive comments in which people say that they like/love hats, but are wary of trying to wear one themselves. I get that, believe me I do.

In today's day and age, hats are not the fashion mainstay and integral element of an outfit that they had historically been for hundreds of years. A lot of people who were born from 1960 onward, and especially those born in the 80s or even more recently, may have had little (if any) experience wearing a fashionable hat before and it can be intimidating to picture yourself walking down the street in a beautiful hat when no one else around you in wearing one these days.





I believe firmly in wearing what you love however, no matter if others are doing it to or not, and highly encourage anyone with an interest in hats to try one out. It doesn't have to overly fanciful by any means. Pick a classic vintage hat style, such a beret, fedora, tilt or platter hat, in a neutral hue and wear it with one of your absolute favourite outfits, that you already feel confident in. This way you'll be more inclined to not feel as self-conscious while bopping around town, your workplace, school, wherever you may find yourself in your lovely topper.

Chances are, the more you wear hats, the more you will come to adore and feel comfortable wearing them. Believe me when I say that vintage hats are like potato chips, it's exceedingly hard to stop at just one!





Many of us in the vintage world already know this point well however, and find our shelves, walls, and closets teaming with a bevy of old school chapeaus, which we gleefully don at every turn.

This is the camp I'd place myself squarely into, and as such I truly loved getting opportunity to select a hat from Blue Rose Vintage, an online boutique shop that began life offering all kinds of vintage fashion offerings two years ago, but quickly developed into a specialized seller of quite simply, and wonderfully, nothing but fabulous vintage hats (like the examples, all from Blue Rose Vintage, peppered throughout this post).

Their offerings span a wide range of decades (think 1900s - 1970s), depending on the current listings, are reasonably priced in today's market, expertly curated and photographed, and are made up of an inventory that's updated on a daily basis all year round, meaning you could potentially find a new vintage treasure for yourself every time you visited Blue Rose's elegantly lovely website.





Today I'm delighted to be teaming up with Blue Rose Vintage to bring one lucky reader the chance to win any hat they'd like from this awesome vintage hat seller's inventory.

Please note that that the winner will select the hat they want to receive once the contest has wrapped up and the winning name has been drawn, simply because of the revolving nature of Blue Rose's offerings.


How to enter


You may enter however many of the following ways you would like, with one entry per method, up to a maximum of nine different entries in total.


1. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, including a link back to this Chronically Vintage post and Blue Rose Vintage's website. Leave a comment here letting me know all about your lovely post.
2. Comment here telling me one or more of the reasons why you love vintage hats.

3. Like Blue Rose Vintage on Facebook.
4. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, including a link back to your post in the comments here.
5. Pin any of Blue Rose Vintage's offerings to any Pinterest board you'd like, including a link back to the pin in the comments here.
6. Follow Blue Rose Vintage on Tumblr.
7. Follow Blue Rose Vintage on Twitter.
8. Tweet about giveaway on Twitter, mentioning @BluRoseVintage and in your message. Post a comment here with a link back to your tweet.


9. Subscribe to Blue Rose Vintage's Quarterly Newsletter (signup is located at the bottom of their homepage).


Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.

This contest is open between today (August 28, 2013) and Friday September 6, 2013, with the winner being drawn using a random number generator the following day and announced in a blog post here shortly thereafter. It is open to winners worldwide.

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A vintage hat is truly is a special element of one's outfit, whether you wear yesteryear styles or are more of a modern style maven, and it's wonderful that we have specialized online boutiques like Blue Rose Vintage available to us 24/7 to shop for classic, beautiful vintage hats (especially if, like me, you happen to live somewhere with exceedingly few vintage shops in your area).

I know that I'm going to treasure my green 1940s floral hat for many years to come and hope that the lucky winner will adore the hat they select every bit as much.





Thank you very much to Blue Rose Vintage for this marvelous giveaway, and to all those who enter for the chance to win any hat they'd like from Blue Rose's gorgeous selection of vintage toppers. Best of luck to everyone!

Blue Velvet Vintage: Classy fashions for classy dames

So reads the tagline on Blue Vintage Velvet's instantly eye-catching website, and goodness are they spot on with that apt description.

Housing a captivating blend of genuine vintage garments as well as plenty of vintage reproduction pieces from brands such as Betty Page Clothing, Trashy Diva, and Blue Velvet Vintage's own in-house line, Classic Dame, this is an online vintage seller whose passion for what they sell is evident the moment you click onto their website.



{One of the many thoroughly beautiful vintage reproduction dresses - this one from the site's house line, Classy Dame, that Blue Velvet Vintage Offers.}



Founded in 2002 by Theresa Campbell McKee, Blue Velvet Vintage quickly established itself as one of the best sources of vintage fashions to be had online. This is in no small part because they believe firmly in helping women to express their own unique, wonderful styles through the diverse selection of garments and accessories they stock.

In addition to having a major passion for, and wide selection of, party dresses, Blue Velvet Vintage is immensely keen on assisting customers in finding just the right attire for vintage related events, very much including weddings (they stock a great selection of vintage and vintage appropriate wedding dresses, such as the breathtakingly beguiling 1940s inspired beaded lace strapless wedding gown pictured below).





To quote site founder Theresa Campbell McKee herself, "Many gals come to us with no clue as to what to wear for a vintage themed event. Even though I very often enjoy going out in head to toe authentic vintage, not everyone wants to adhere that closely to the actual or find it difficult to locate an authentic outfit in their size. So we help them put together beautiful outfits that capture the spirit of the era they are going for." This personal passion for vintage and dedication to their customer's needs is a huge part of why Blue Velvet Vintage shines.

Their vast selection - which includes everything from shoes to flapper dresses, handbags to LBDs is certainly another, as are their (very) frequently updated stock (new items are added every week).

As someone whose wardrobe is a solid mix of true vintage, vintage reproduction, and vintage appropriate pieces, I wholeheartedly adore the fact that all three of these categories can be had at Blue Velvet Vintage, and that they understand the same applies to many of their customers as well.

By opting to not simply focus on one of these categories, but instead offering up an expertly curated blend of all three, Blue Velvet Vintage quite literally becomes a one-stop shopping destination for anyone with a passion for yesteryear fashion.



{An example of the timelessly classy, stunning genuine vintage garments that BBV stocks around the clock on their website. This charming 1950s dress has already sold, but there are plenty more awesome yesteryear fashions to be had amongst their site's listings.} 

I got my first home computer back in 2004, and can remember very shortly thereafter discovering Blue Velvet Vintage during one of my inaugural searches for vintage fashion online. I've been a die-hard fan of theirs ever since, and constantly swoon over their diverse, engaging, reasonably priced offerings (not to mention pin some of their pieces to my Pinterest boards), so it was with no small amount of joy that I recently welcomed Blue Velvet Vintage as one of Chronically Vintage's newest blog sponsors.

In addition to their vintage fashion daydream inducing website, Blue Velvet Vintage also run a terrific blog, and can be found on both Twitter and Facebook. They also provide a great email mailing list, which allows new fans and returning customers alike to stay up-to-date with some of the site's most interesting going-ons and upcoming sales.

It's an honour to have Blue Velvet Vintage as a blog sponsor, and to get the opportunity to share more about this stellar website with all of you.

If you haven't already (or recently) paid them a visit, be sure to do so today - chances are you'll instantly fall as head-over-heels with BVV has I've been for many years now – plus you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled here over the course of the summer, as I'll be modeling one of BVV's wonderful offerings later in the season.

Announcing Blue Velvet Vintage's wonderful Classic Glamour Photo Contest

The holiday season, richly adorned as it so often is with a myriad of beautiful babbles, ornaments, garlands and sundry other decorations, is amongst (if not the very most) glamorous time of the year.

Even if you prefer to keep your decorations on the more subdued side for Christmas, come New Year's Eve, most of us love to surround ourselves with (or in!) bling, glitz, and sparkle. Doing so seems to almost inherently up the excitement factor and sense of optimism about the impending year, as we wait eagerly to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new with open arms.

Channelling the unmistakably gorgeous vibe of the holiday season is a photo contest that beloved online clothing seller Blue Velvet Vintage recently announced.

{A gorgeous example, that was posted on Facebook, of the entries that have have already been submitted for Blue Velvet Vintage's wonderful holiday season Classic Glamour Photo Contest.}

 

The Classic Glamour Photo Contest is geared at vintageistas everywhere who're in the mood to dress up in their winter holiday finest this year, for a chance to win the top prize of a $150.00 gift certificate from Blue Velvet Vintage (there are also second and third prizes of $100 and $50 gift certificates, respectively).

As this exciting contest is only open to US residents, I (Canadian gal that I am) won't be able to participate in it myself, but knowing how many of Chronically Vintage fabulous readers reside in American, I really wanted to share this exciting contest with of all you.

For more details about this festive holiday photos contest (which is open for submissions between December 19th and January 4, 2012; voting, which will take place on Facebook, is set to run until January 18th), be sure to check our Blue Vintage Velvet's Facebook page.

If any of you super stylish gals enters, be sure to let me know, as I'd absolutely love to see you sporting your favourite, endlessly chic vintage holiday wear!