The land of the midnight sun

{Come the dog days of summer that will soon be upon us, one of my favourite ways to help, if only slightly, beat the heat, it so wear my hair tucked up under a scarf or turban and off my neck and shoulders. If you feel the same way or simply in the market for a great, very vintage appropriate turban, be sure to check of this silver-grey hued gem, which is a modern creation (that's also available in other colours such) that looks the yesteryear part through and through. $13.00 from Viva Dulce Marina.}




{The older I get (and at 30 in just a couple of week's time, I'm not exactly the youngest of spring chickens any more), the more I madly adore handmade, artisanal beauty products that are chalked full of healthy, natural ingredients and wonderfully devoid of harsh chemicals and other nasties that are sure to trouble my sensitive skin. Though I haven't tried it yet, this lovely bar of Alaskan Mineral Mud soap looks and sounds like it would leave my skin in good spirits and smelling, ever-so-appealing, like the serene wilds of the 49th state. $10.00 for a 4.5 - 5 ounce bar of soap from Rocky Top Soap Shop.}




{Add a sophisticated, cooling hit of arctic glamour to any ensemble with this stunning, good sized circa 1960s/1970s pave set polar bear brooch featuring silver tone metal and oodles of charming little white rhinestones. $25.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{A mere whisper of pink resides in this fun scallop adorned cotton 1950s blouse, which is equal parts lightweight and adorable. Fits up to a 40" bust/33" waist. $26.00 from Happy Valley Avenue.}




{Cool, elegant metal hues combine in this strikingly beautiful mid-century gold toned metal and hematite oak leaf clamper bracelet. Relatively lightweight, but visually substantial, this is the kind of piece that suits summer's airy ensembles, whether for day or night, so perfectly. $40.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.}




{Sporting muted colours that call to mind everything from a melted dish of Neapolitan ice cream to a hazy summer sunset, this classic 1950s Ellen Tracey skirt would make for a relaxing and rather beautiful addition to any vintage lover's warm weather wardrobe. Fits up to a 28" waist. $69.00 from Flora Child.}




{Gold seed beads on one side, silver on the other, a simple snap closure, intact lining - what's not to love about this versatile, understatedly chic - and wonderfully sparkly - vintage handbag? Measures 7 inches wide x 7 inches tall. $32.00 from Futura Vintage.}




{Chic, sweet, and more than a little bit beguilingly beautiful, these elegant 1940s Tweedies pink and grey leather peep toe sandal heels would be the perfect pair of shoes for everything from a summer wedding to lounging, markedly glamorously, beside the pool. They fit a vintage size 7 1/2 B foot. $124.00 from Fab Gabs.}

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A grandly vast nation, Canada comes in at 9,984,670 square kilometres (3,855,100 square miles) and encompasses a truly amazing number of geographic landscapes, terrains, and types of natural wonders, one of which you may encounter if you venture up to the arctic circle, far above where all but a relatively small number of very hearty souls reside, during the summer months.

The phenomenon known as the midnight sun - when the sun is still visible even at midnight due to the axial tilt of the earth during the summer months, thus creating days comprised of 24 hours periods with some degree of visible sunlight present at all times - is not exclusive to Canada. It also occurs in regions around the world north or south, restively, of the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, but it is something that I think many Canadians, even those who have never experienced it firsthand (a camp that I, unlike many of relatives and ancestors who hail(ed) from the Yukon, have not yet had the pleasure to be a member of), can't help but feel a certain powerful affinity for.

{A wonderful capture of the midnight sun out in full force in Canada's northerly Yukon territory. Image via Travel Yukon.}

Though I don't doubt that it may potentially cause a degree of havoc with one's internal clock and is probably a much more romanticized occurrence for those who have never experienced it, there is something powerfully, almost magically alluring about the notion of the midnight sun. There one finds days that never see total darkness and hours of light that hug - or strangle, again, depending on how you view things - you around the (no doubt sleepy) clock. In a given year, midnight sun is typically visible in the Arctic Circle from about June 12th to July 1st (interestingly and coincidentally enough, that date just happens to be Canada Day), which means that it will soon be coming to an end.

Before it does though, I thought it would be a fitting tribute to devote this month's edition of Vintage Fashionista Friday to this most enchanting, fascinating and gorgeous of natural wonders. As such, the items featured here today all call to mind the pale sun and/or the great white north of the arctic. They are not filled with the blazing hues of a Vancouver Island sunset, the scorching colours of the sun over the Okanagan in the summer, or even the shades of dusk as it falls on the Great Lakes, instead they are subtly warm, twinklingly metallic, and appealingly gentle, like a soothing late June breeze. A wearable, fittingly summertime perfect colour palette that lends itself well to everything from camping to dancing the night away, even if that means doing so in one of the country's lower latitudes where the moon makes its usual evening appearance all season long.

One of my biggest dreams in life, present since early childhood, is to visit the Yukon some day and when I do, there's a very realistic chance it may happen during the late spring or summer, which means there's a decent likelihood that I might get to experience the majestic midnight sun firsthand. Until then however, I'll bolster my desire to do so further by sporting vintage fashions that celebrate and call to mind the land of the midnight sun and encourage you to join me in doing the same thing this summer. After all, who wouldn't like at least a few days of 24 hour sunshine during the most alluring and beautiful season of the year?