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!).

A beloved 1950s dress, two stellar Alice Hannah accessories, and wintertime serenity as far as the eye can see

Outfit details

Black satin 1950s hat: eBay
Silver tone and glass stone earrings: Save-On Foods
Grey wool blend wrap lace shawl: Alice Hannah
Silver tone and crystal feather brooch: eBay
1950s red dress: etsy seller Gogo Vintage
Faux leather black skinny belt: eBay
Black leather gloves with red heart detail: Alice Hannah
Opaque black tights: Arden
1940s style black shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano    

♥ ♥ ♥

If you're a fellow blogger who posts photos of some of your outfits, you can likely relate when I say that this dress is one of those pieces that, while worn often, somehow always manages to elude landing on (digital) film. On days big and small alike, in the case of the former including the incredible June day in 2012 when Tony became a Canadian citizen at a ceremony in Kelowna, this classic dark red 1950s frock eluded being photographed. So much so, that it almost became a running joke that when I put it on, it was a given that a photo shoot wouldn't actually happen in the end.

I'm pleased to say that a little earlier this winter, on an icy cold, intensely grey afternoon that streak of going undocumented on camera was finally broken thanks to a shoot held at Veteran's Park in Osoyoos. This tranquil, lovely little parcel of land, complete with a tiny wooden foot bridge, is situated immediately beside Osoyoos Lake and is a touching tribute to all those in the area who have fought in the wars of 20th century.

Though the temperature was well below freezing, the wind was relatively mild and the there was a break in the downpour of snow we'd been getting at the time. Still, to help ward off a bit of the fierce Canadian winter chill, I slipped on two absolutely beautiful pieces that were recently sent to me for review care of UK fashion accessories brand Alice Hannah.

Based out of London, England, Alice Hannah, which was founded in 2007, offers a range of exclusive, high quality fashions, which, while modern, often embody a timeless, fetchingly pretty yesteryear feel. Their offerings are available in stores ranging from Asos to Top Shop, ModCloth to Fenwick, as well as in the company's online shop.

Both the darling red heart adorned black leather gloves and the timelessly elegant grey wool blend shawl with coordinating dark grey lace appliqué hail from Alice Hannah and were the perfect accouterments to the strikingly wintry landscape. They arrived from the UK in a jiffy by courier and were, I kid you not, amongst the best wrapped and presented items I've ever received from an online retailer. Sturdy, beautiful boxes, coordinating ribbon and a tulle bag, complete with a complimentary product catalog and an a personalized note, accompanied these two products and made opening them a highly memorable event.

At first when I was contacted in regards to if I might want to receive products from this brand, I must admit, I wasn't a touch leery, simply because I'm allergic to wool and nearly all of Alice Hannah's products are made from wool. Where there's a stylish will there's a stylish way though, and after going through all of the offerings in their shop at the time, I discovered that I could safely wear the cute leather gloves (which are wool-free) and the cozy, beautiful wrap, which, while a wool blend, doesn't have to come in direct contact with my skin (when layered over another garment, as I've done here) the way that a pair of gloves, a scarf, headband, or a hat would have had to.

Given that I'm allergic to it, I own and wear very little lamb's wool, so when I do actually sport a piece like this shawl, I'm always pleasantly surprised by just how warm it is, which proved immensely helpful on a day such as this one. Both the gloves and the shawl are excellently well made. The gloves are not lined, so they’re best suited to warmer climates or milder days than this particular one, but aside from that, I cannot sing their praises highly enough. They're fun, whimsical and eye-catchingly sweet - not to mention a great way to, quite literally, wear your heart on your sleeve (or at least your gloves!).

There is an instantaneously noticeable level of high end quality to Alice Hannah's offerings that pushes them into the realm of feeling down right luxurious. The shawl, as just mentioned, is warm, as well as excellently constructed and generously sized. It did shed fibers quite heavily all over my dress and black tights that day, but otherwise, it was an absolute dream to wear and (with mini lint brush stashed in my bag) I know it will be a frequent cold weather wardrobe player for me from here on out.

Quality and luxury in this case however, do not equate to bank breaking price tags, especially if you happen to live the UK. Even for those outside of the good, ol' Blighty, the brand's offerings will still be affordable to most, especially if you're looking to invest in the kind of woolen cold weather gear that will see you through many a fall and winter to come.

While I can recall every photo shoot Tony and I have ever done, there are some that really stand out in my mind, often because of some especially memorable component of the location, weather, or outfit, and in certain cases, all three. Such was the case for me this day.

At long last this dress, which I truly love and don frequently the whole year round, appeared on camera. I had the honour of wearing two marvelous new accessories from really lovely brand (thank you very much, Alice Hannah team, I adore them both!) to help keep a bit of the near arctic temperatures at bay, and we shoot in a park that that means a great deal to the local community in Osoyoos, all against the backdrop of placid lake waters, majestic mountains, and a thick blanket of snow as far as the eye could see.

When it comes to outdoor winter photo shoots, one really couldn't ask for a better or more enjoyable day than this - nor for more delightful accessories to sport while smiling and making memories in subzero temperatures.