One cannot help but look at the calendar with a certain sense of disbelief this week. Really, you ask yourself, shaking your head from side-to-side, really, have we made our way through an entire half of 2014? Can that be? Surely, it's still January and this is all but a dream? Alas, for better on worse depending on your personal take on things, it is not a dream, and we truly have made it through six full months (well, as of tomorrow, if we want to get uber technical) of the year. Amazing!!!
What an exciting, fun filled, sometimes stressful, never dull, and so often memorable ride it's been thus far. I usually save my recaps of how my life has been playing out lately until late December and this year is no exception, especially since I've already talked a fair bit here lately about what's been transpiring in my world at moment and in the very near future (such as going to Vancouver!).
As May draws its last few breaths for another year, it's once again time to take a gander at several diverse, engaging, entertaining and downright enjoyable blog posts and stories that have been catching my eye lately. Grab an ice cold drink (or conversely, a piping hot one should you happen to live south of the equator), kick up your heels (this is Saturday after all!), and have a blast clicking through this month's fabulous vintage related links.
♥ 8 reasons why collecting things is good for your brain: The title, and the ensuring body, of this post from Rewire Me made the perpetual collector in me smile with delight and a certain charming degree of satisfaction. The fact that I then "collected" think link to save for today's post bolstered my cheerful grin all the more.
♥ How to take great photos of vintage clothing: Whether on yourself, a mannequin, model, or even a hanger, this concise selection of how-to tips for photographing vintage fashions is a great read (and post to bookmark) for all those in our circle who do so, or work with someone (such as your significant other, if they're your personal photographer) who does.
♥ Millinery fashions at the start of the 1950s: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as much as I adore all of the 1940s and 50s from a fashion standpoint, the ten years span covering 1947 to 1957, are my favourite of all time when it comes to clothing and accessories, hats being no exception, so it was with great joy that I lapped up every word and classic image (like the very pretty one pictured below) in talented milliner Tanith Rowan's recent post on hat styles of the early 1950s.
♥ Playsuit Patterns and Where to Find Them: By way of the always lovely Stephanie of Girl With The Star-Spangled Heart comes great roundup of several warm weather perfect vintage playsuit patterns that are to appeal to sewers far and wide as we head into the sweltering, gorgeous heat of summer once more.
♥Trusting my costuming instinct: Though a fairly short post, the message at the heart of this piece written by historical seamstress Aubry, is something that many of us who have been wearing vintage fashions for years, or even decades, now can wholeheartedly relate it and is a powerful reminder to "go with your gut" when it comes to making yesteryear related fashion choices.
♥ Popular dog breeds in America during the 1930s: Being a both a dog lover and owner myself, as well as a die hard vintage gal, I was especially taken with Kate's recent wonderful look at some of the most common and much adored breeds in America during the challenging years of the decade that housed the Great Depression.
♥ Seven tips for buying vintage eyeglass frames: Whether you're a fellow bespectacled lady or simply shopping for some new sunnies, all of the helpful points that Sarah has shared in this post are well worth reading before embarking on your next eyewear purchase.
♥ 1900 - 1910: The reign of the lingerie dress: Recently while doing some background research on a jewelry piece I was listing in my Etsy shop, I came across this terrific article from 2012 on the history of the Edwardian lingerie dress, a wardrobe staple that is as tied to the era in my mind as the cloche hat is to the 1920s or the circle skirt to 50s.
♥ Early Victorian family portraits and the disappearing mother: If you're a fan and/or scholar of Victorian imagery, chances are you've encountered not one, but many photographs from the era in which a child or multiple children are seated with a woman who herself is covered in a cloth, blanket or similar large swatch of fabric, thus rendering her identity a mystery.
To twenty-first century eyes, such photos can seem anywhere from curious to downright chilling at times, but they were once a rather commonplace occurrence and a select number of folks today now study and seek them out intentionally. This thought provoking article from UK newspaper The Telegraph delves into some of the proposed reasons as to why women went to such great lengths to hide themselves in these kinds of studio portraits and is a truly fascinating read for anyone with an interest in photography (of any era).
♥ Top 10 tips for finding the perfect vintage wedding outfit: Wedding season is full swing and much as I've been chatting about various topics pertaining to tying the knot here lately (such as the tradition of going away dress), so too has Queens of Vintage had all things bridal on the brain as of late, very much including the ten handy tips in this helpful post for soon-to-be-brides everywhere.
♥ 16 brilliant artists and their animal muses: Also on the cute critter front this month, I was captivated by BuzzFeed's roundup of sixteen world renowned and endlessly talented artists, including many vintage names, and their inspiring and immensely darling pets.
♥ What to wear Lindy Hopping - 1930s/1940s Real-Life Vintage Images: Throughout this month Liz has been shining the spotlight on the fabulous style of dance, and the eye-catching fashions associated with it, that is Lindy Hopping and this post in particular is a must read for anyone looking to emulate the swinging styles of the day themselves when cutting a rug nowadays.
{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}
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As we savour these final weeks of spring, it's natural to look ahead to summer and all that the second chapter of the year holds in store. Just what exactly it will deliver, only time will tell, but I have a deeply rooted and very positive feeling about it, and like to believe it may be better still than these last six months have been (not that I'm saying, in our case at least, that they were bad at all - they had their moments for sure, but overall 2014 has been, thankfully, a good year so far). Fingers crossed!!!
I hope that each of you has a fantastic, fun (and sunshine) filled June ahead and look forward to embarking on another summer here on the vintage blogging front together. Right now though, I'm off to start giving some serious thought to my outfits for our upcoming jaunt to Vancouver, hopefully hit a few yard sales today, and savour each and every last, sublimely lovely, minute of late spring while it's still here.
