Cream felt beret: eBay
Small aged silver tone metal & clear rhinestone bow earrings: Unknown, had for years (possibly Claire's)
Black velvet hooded top: Jones New York
Black and cream hand crocheted fingerless gloves: c/o Bobbins & Bombshells
Cream faux leather cross body purse: eBay
Cream faux leather eyelet belt: eBay
Grey 1940s style wide legged trousers: Heyday
Black 1940s style oxford shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lipstick colour: MAC Diva
Nail colour: Essie Wicked
Photography by Tony Cangiano
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Though February and early March have seen much more rain than snow around these parts, that doesn't mean that we've having roasty-toasty days by any means. Almost all have called for layers and, quite frequently, the wearing of gloves.
It's scarcely a state secret that I'm wild about gloves, but would you believe it, for all the pairs in my collection, I did not have a single example of knit fingerless gloves!
Not, that is, until very recently when my lovely friend Karen from the fantastic Etsy shop Bobbins & Bombshells (as well as the eponymously named Bobbins & Bombshells blog) contacted me to see if I'd be interested in receiving and reviewing a pair of her handmade crochet fingerless gloves.
Complimentary gloves? Yes, pretty please! :) Karen is a passionate crafters and vintage seller alike, with offerings in both camps to be had in her delightful Etsy shop, and I could tell just from the photos alone that her various styles of fingerless gloves were expertly made, so I was really keen to try them out.
Karen zipped them my way in an absolute flash and I have to say, they're even more charming and beautiful in person. I'd spoke with Karen beforehand about the fact that I'm allergic to lamb's wool (it usually gives me hives), but I needn't have worried, because a number of her knits are offered in alternative yarn materials, such as prima cotton.
These hand warmers are indeed very well made, and - if you'll forgive the rather obvious pun - they fit like a glove. The specific pair that opted for is called Lady Bows Crochet Fingerless Gloves in Ivory with Black Bows Pima Cotton and they retail for $40.00, which is quite reasonable considering that each pair is hand crocheted by Karen herself.
Generally speaking, I tend to associate fingerless gloves (often of the lace variety) with the Victorian era and, in more recent human history, goth fashions (both of which I love to no end), but that isn't to say that they can't easily be woven into a mid-century ensemble as well.
I gave a lot of thought to how to style these adorable cream and black crocheted hand warmers and kept coming back to the same general outfit concept in my head. I'd pull on two of my perpetual winter wardrobe staples (black and grey) to pick up the black in the gloves, then opt for cream hued accessories to compliment the cream wool that appears in them as well.
In the process of getting dressed, I tried a number of shirts on, but none did it for me quite like this fitted black velvet top from Jones New York. Usually I wouldn't tuck something bulky into high waisted pants (and can see said bulk in these photos, though that's really neither here nor there), but it simply didn't look the vintage part left untucked.
I wanted the focus to rightfully be on these stylish fingerless gloves from Bobbins & Bombshells, so I went with a casual look that I described to Tony on the day I wore it as being a bit like Marlene Dietrich meets (subtle) corp goth.
For the shoot itself, we selected a scenic vantage point near the small Southern Okanagan town of Osoyoos on a day when the wind chill brought the temps down below freezing at that altitude and gloves were definitely needed!
Part vintage, part goth, part lolita style, and entirely sweet looking, these hand crocheted gloves were an awesome item to work with in terms of styling - not to mention a comfortable way to keep the covered parts of my hands warm.
Karen's work is skilled, stylish and fun and I want to wholeheartedly thank her for bestowing these gloves on me.
Not only was she generous in that regard, but she has very kindly offered to partner with my blog this week for a fantastic giveaway. Read on for all the exciting details!
Giveaway details:
Enter below for your chance to win a $40.00 USD store credit from Bobbins & Bombshell's Etsy shop that you can use to put towards the purchase price of any item(s) available there at the time that you redeem your prize (as many of Karen's gloves are $40, so this prize value works out splendidly if you’re looking to pick up a pair).
This giveaway is open to participants worldwide and you can enter using as many of the following eleven Rafflecopter different options as you desire.
The only one that is required for entry is that you please leave a comment on this post letting me know what your favourite item is in Bobbin's & Bombshell's shop.
This giveaway will run from today's date (Wednesday March 9th) until Tuesday March 15, 2016, after which time I will draw the randomly selected winner and in turn contact that person to inform them of the good news.
I will then be in touch with Karen who will provide the winner with further details regarding how to claim their prize of a $40.00 USD Bobbins & Bombshells Etsy shop store credit.
If you have any questions about this giveaway, please zip me an email anytime.
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I love that I now have a pair of fingerless crochet gloves. There's something really exciting about styling them, especially when trying to do so in a vintage/vintage inspired outfit context.
As the last vestiges of winter are still lingering, I suspect I'll get to enjoy these beautiful hand warmer for at least a few more weeks and will certainly be donning them inside throughout the year, too, as they're perfect for those like myself who often have chilly hands.
Thank you again, Karen, for this marvelous collaboration, and many thanks to all of you as well for taking part in this giveaway. Best of luck to everyone!
