Rapturous wind rattled the building all day, long wispy tendrils of soot hued cloud filled the sky, the sun proving as elusive as a ghost. Yet the gloomy weather only helped to bolster our moods and set the tone for Halloween on Saturday.
Spending a quite night at home, I donned a mixture of black and orange pieces from my closet, centred my make-up for the evening around smoky purple eyes and deep Bordeaux coloured lips. Though it’s been several years since I last wore a full-fledged costume, never has a single All Hallows Eve slipped past without me dressing in the spirit of the day.
Below are four snapshots that my darling husband took of me, using the burgundy curtains in our living room as a backdrop. We both agreed that it they added a certain gothic/Victorian vibe to these “spooky” photos. (Please look past the fact that I’m frightfully overdue for a haircut [my last one took place in May!], and that I was retaining water, for how shall we say, female reasons.)
{Halloween Night 2009}
Outfit details:
-Black flower headband: Forever 21 -Black hoop earrings: Claire’s (other little stud earrings worn in holes above bottom hoop earrings, also from Claire's) -Black plastic bead necklace (one strand, looped twice): Claire’s -Pair of black faceted plastic bracelets (worn on right wrist): H&M -Black “crystal looking” plastic and ribbon bracelet (worn on left wrist): Fairweather -Orange t-shirt (which actually has the loveliest crochet style lace on the back that you can't see here, I'll have to get a pic of it one day): Reitmans -Black tie front, ruffled cardigan: Wal-Mart -Sheer black shawl/scarf with sparkles: thrifted about a decade ago, no label -Black double brass buckle belt: Forever 21 -Black and white polka dot skirt: Suzy Shier -Nail polish colour: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in “Emerald City” -Lip colour: Diva by MAC
Festively fashioned as I was, as the night wore on and the hours rolled past, we didn’t end up getting a single trick-or-treater, much to our disappointment. We live in a large apartment building full of kids, but I believe that the wide spread concern surrounding the swine flu here in Toronto scared off many parents from allowing their children to go door-to-door this Halloween. Oh well, there’s always next year – and in the meantime we can nibble the candy that didn’t end up being handed out. Yum!
I love Halloween dearly and wait for it eagerly each year, but now that it’s over, my mind already feels like it’s more than ready to begin the Christmas season. I love reasons to celebrate, to deck my halls, trim my tree, cook a lavish meal and celebrate the spirit of giving, friendship, love and peace. I’ll definitely have to think up a great Christmas outfit this year – luckily I’ve got seven weeks until Ol’ St. Nick arrives to figure out what to wear! :)
I hope that everyone had an excellent Halloween, and that as autumn begins to take on a frosty feel, you're each have an amazing winter holiday season!
Happy start of the week, sweet dears, how are you each on this last Monday in September. All is right as rain on this end, in fact it is raining, which often sets my moods off on a rather chipper note (I was born in Vancouver, what do you expect? ;D). I love a rainy day (or two, when it heads into twenty plus days of rain in a row like I experienced occasionally when I used to live in Ireland, well, that is something of another matter), the sound of falling precipitation, the cigarette ash hue the sky often takes on, the way the world seems to be given a good scrubbing for a little while, all of these things add up to more than enough reasons for me to extract joy from a rainy day
{This photo of Times Square in New York taken in the 1940s speaks directly to my love of a cityscape glistening with rain. The vibrancy and sense of motion in this shot is so intense you almost want to grab an umbrella - lest the drops starting hitting your head - just looking at it. Photo from the pages of Straatis' Flickr stream.}
Coolers days have always brought me greater mental clarity. In this sense I’ve come to learn I’m not alone, other too (including my husband) agree that they feel their brains function more sharply once summer has hightailed it out of town. When I lived in the western part of Canada, I can’t say as though I noticed this seasonal affect as deeply, but when the ravenous Ontario humidity came into the picture along with the toasty heat of summer, my mind suddenly felt as though it had turned into pabulum. It is not just the ol’ brain either, my entire body generally feels more up to snuff when the mercury refuses to climb above the low twenties. Anything between minus twenty and plus twenty five and I’m a pretty content camper, or should I say “blogger”.
I had a busy and wonderful weekend. My favourite part of it was on Saturday when we went to the Ontario Science Center for their 40th anniversary celebration bash, admission was free (hard to beat that price!) so naturally the place was crowded to the rafters, but we had a marvelous time despite the crowds and (among other activities) took in a screening of the IMAX film “Under the Sea”, which was narrated by Jim Carrey.
The entirely funny thing about our attendance that day though, was that we were planning to go to the Science Centre that day anyhow! We had wanted to go for some time, but various reasons had kept us away all summer long. Fortunately I wasn’t feeling too rough that day, so we figured we better jump on the chance to visit the Science Centre while we the opportunity to do so. We didn’t find out about the fact that a party was going on there until moments before we left the house (darling hubs wanted to check online how late they were open) – talk about a neat little slice of serendipity!
On the blogging front numerous interesting and exciting links have popped up lately – and much like our admission on Saturday, enjoying the afternoon with all of these stories is entirely free :)
♥ ♥ ♥
* Fashion Extremes: While fashion runaways often spill over with garments that are, in one way or another, excessive, this trend certainly didn’t start recently. Here Poke Salad Annie takes on a visual journey through some mid-twentieth century looks that veered towards the extreme, while still somehow managing to look infinitely more wearable than most of what comes down the catwalk today.
* What’s happened to our bodies?: Via the ever-wonderful Beauty is a thing of the past, an interesting article that compares the way women’s bodies have transformed in size and shape over the past six decades, from UK newspaper The Daily Mail, recently came to my attention. The piece looks at some of the medical, dietary and sociological reasons behind the change in body shape amongst British (and while not stated outright, American) woman and certainly provides some interesting food for thought.
* 1930s fashion plates: Sarai brings us a dose of visual loveliness via numerous (coloured) fashion plates from the 1930s. Each plate is a joy, but I especially like the one of the two women in navy blue dresses with coordinating jackets. Which look is your favourite?
* Betsy McCalls Paperdolls in publication from 1951-1961: While I was born decades too late to play with Betsy McCall paper dolls as a child, I’ve long admired the detailed beauty in these fragile paper gems. Here Alana takes us on a historical ride through the history of the Betsy McCall dolls, complete with several colour images of these adorable vintage playthings.
* A vintage kitchen cupboard medicinal: The dear soul behind A Stitch In Time is feeling a bit under the weather at the moment, but that didn’t stop her from putting together a thoroughly lovely – and useful – post highlighting several classic medicinal remedies such as baking soda, citrus juice, and salt for common ailments that have been plaguing humanity since the dawn of time. (Heartfelt wishes for a very speedy recovery to you, Analiebe!)
* The Value in Tailored Vintage: Melody from A Vintage Ramble raises some excellent points in favour of why tracking down vintage pieces that were once custom tailored can be well worth it (especially given the absurdly high prices modern hand-tailored pieces often fetch).
* Peter Pan Collars: Adore Vintage takes a quick peek at the adorable, rounded style of collar known by the name “Peter Pan”, which can look so lovely on a variety of vintage (and modern) styles.
* Retro Clocks at Target: Atomic Addiction corrals a list of some absolutely wonderful vintage/retro looking (think Atomic Era/Mad Men), reasonably priced wall clocks that are currently available from US retailer Target.
* Silver Screen Sunday {Pin-up Girl}: Recently Andi B. Goode began a weekly series of posts in which she highlights a vintage era movie and then rounds up fashion pieces that you can find today, to help you recreate the film’s iconic style. Most recently she shone the spotlight on Betty Grable’s classic “Pin-up Girl”, with fashion and hair ideas to help you recreate the curvy blonde starlet’s classic bombshell look.
* Beauty tips for red heads: Over at Time Machine to the Twenties, Amanda has been dishing up some fantastic old school Good Housekeeping beauty advise for redheaded gals this past week. A trio of posts on the subject cover skin care, lipstick, and what colours to wear, and are a wonderful read whether you were blessed with ruby locks or not.
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I wish to present this week’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award to my lovely, effervescent, delightfully creative friend, Maggi (~*Just Add Glitter and Stir*~). From the moment I encountered her wonderful site (seriously it’s bedecked with red sparkles and polka dots, what’s not to love?), I knew I had found a soul with which I had a lot in common. From a passion for vintage to an adoration of crating (she’s especially talented at scrapbooking), as well as a mutual love of Pullip dolls, I knew that she and I we would hit it off, and we certainly have.
Maggi, you and your site – and the marvelously cool creations you share with us – are a perpetual source of inspiration. I always leave your blog with a smile on my face and the urge to be intensely crafty all of a sudden in my heart. Thank you for being the amazing, artistic, friendly, caring, sweet person that you are!
♥ ♥ ♥
Inspired by a yummy Indian meal I cooked last week to celebrate autumn’s arrival (something about the saturated, earthly tones of many Indian spices and ingredients correlates with fall in my mind), I thought it would be fun to share a clip featuring numerous scenes of enchantingly pretty women from various vintage and retro Bollywood films with you. I admit to knowing little about specific Bollywood films and so cannot begin to tell you where the clips in this video hail from originally, but what I do know is that the ladies it features each possess a captivating and alluring sense of glamour that is as timeless as India itself.
I began this post much earlier in the day, since then night has rolled in, but the drizzling rain remains. As I type these words it occurs to me that this is the first night in many months I’ve felt the need to put on cozy autumn-appropriate socks and wrap myself up in a blanket. And so I did both things, Stella curled up in a state of feline slumber by my side, no doubt hoping for the return of her winter coat, and smiled even more than I had when I awoke this morning to rain. It’s the simple joys of the season that have the most impact on my soul.
May you each have countless reasons of your own to be happy this week!
Both my husband I have been in rather desperate need of new eyeglasses (or more accurately stronger prescriptions for our lenses) for a while now, so this week – on different days – we each found time to squeeze in an appointment with the optometrist. Darling husband got an absolutely fantastic pair of Ray Ban frames! They have the most amazing pattern on the arms, it has the appearance of the wood grain on a classic Edsel station wagon, and is so delightfully vintage looking I almost squealed with glee when he selected that set of frames in the shop.
I already have frames that I’m wild about so I got new lenses put into them, but while there I grabbed some prescription sunglasses – a first for me (I’ve only been wearing glasses for two and a half years), as they were one sale (lenses plus frames) for more than half off. Had it not been for the sale, I never would have contemplated it. But being nearsighted I felt that being able to see clearly outdoors even on the sunniest days would be wonderful (not to mention a safety conscious) boon, so I selected a classic looking pair of DKNY frames in an elegant tortoise shell pattern that (if I may so myself) goes wonderfully with my fair skin and red hair.
{How fantastic is this stylish young gal sporting her fierce cat eye glasses? Off the charts fantastic! While neither my specs or sunglasses are this pointed on the ends, they do have a somewhat similar feminine and curvy shape to them. Photo via suz1212’s Flickr stream.}
I know that not everyone adores wearing glasses, but – and this could be due in part to the fact I love my perfectly pink-plum hued pair of shades that somehow work just like a neutral and have yet to clash with anything I’ve worn – I don’t mind in the least. Of course I wish I had perfect eye sight, but I figure that considering that I don’t, it’s wise to make the best of the situation and embrace my “second set of eyes”. I’ve always thought that glasses were beautiful and fancied how they looked on both gals and gents, so when at the beginning of 2007 when I started to need them myself, I was as happy as one can be upon learning their eyesight isn’t stellar any more. I mulled this over and realized that part of the reason is because I’m super (I really do mean beyond extremely!) allergic to nickel, which means that I often have to avoid metal jewelry. However, my glasses (and now sunglasses) have plastic frames, so I can wear them without having to worry about keeping my skin from freaking out.
On a totally different note, something else that absolutely brightened my week was when I found out that Chronically Vintage had been the given a beautiful write-up on the blog Buttercup Bungalow, including a mention of a recent link in last week’s pretty link roundup about Bride.com’s piece on ten ways to add a dose of Mad Men style to your wedding. I’m utterly touched to be featured on this wonderful site and sincerely thank Buttercup Bunaglow for writing about Chronically Vintage.
A slew of delightful and diverse links make up this week’s roundup. From choosing the right shade of red lippy based on your skin tone to how to dress yourself (if you’re chap) – or the gentleman in your life – in impeccable 50s style, these fun and informative vintage themed links are bound to contain something that will catch your interest.
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* 10 Muppets and their Mad Men counterpoints: Discovered via my friend A Rambling Fancy’s great blog comes a humorous post on Flavourwire.com that compares ten different Muppets characters to their Mad Men counterparts. I chuckled all the way through – so much fun! :)
* Co-ordinating your various online shops: A handy entry on the subject of ensuring your assorted online stores (be they devoted to vintage, craft related, fashion, etc) are all able to sync up, from a woman who's been selling and collecting vintage wear for the better part of three decades.
* I Want Candy (part 1): Giulia shares some of her favourite candies and sweet treats (such as Nutella, a definite fave at our house, too!), including a selection of scrumptious candies that have been around for ages.
* How to Look Smart & Stylish (Men): A detailed, thorough and interesting article on the subject of how to ensure you (or your favourite fellow) always look handsomely and smartly dressed in true 1950s style.
* Betty Grable hair: Queens of Vintage delves into the strikingly gorgeous “peak-a-boo” hairstyle that Betty Grable made famous in this post, which includes step-by-step tips (and photos) from the beautiful Amanda Newsum on how to achieve this iconic style yourself.
* Pigtail fad (1940s): Frank of Bulldog Vintage traces the popularity of pigtails amongst adult women during the 1940s, which he feels can be linked back to the bow adorned pair Judy Garland sported in the Wizard of Oz.
* The Vintage Princess Phone: Natasha shares some beautiful photos – and a vintage ad – of one of my absolute dream “wish list” items: a pink princess phone! A must visit post for anyone who also loves this classic telephone (in any colour).
* Older is wiser: While not necessarily vintage themed, this superb post highlights a number of middle aged and older actresses (such as Julie Christie, Sophia Loren, Blythe Danner, and Isabella Rossellini ) who are shinning proof of timeless beauty and grace at all ages.
This week I’m bestowing the Your Blog is an Inspiration award on a truly gorgeous site that I just discovered a few days ago, by the name of GirlWhimsy.
Though this blog is new to me, it’s already become a colour-filled favourite. Packed to the rafters with a diverse array of stunning, diverse, often adorable vintage themed images from various decades, this blog full pure, fabulous, endearing eye candy. Thank you for the marvelous inspiration your blog fills me with, Debbie. I love what you are doing on your pages!
On the video clip front, the focus is on Rosie the Riveter this week. We're channeling Rosie's trademark look via a hairstyle inspired by this American WW2 icon, care of the talented Iris of All the girlie things. Use this handy step-by-step tutorial to master a classic Rosie inspired look in mere minutes.
Can you believe, my dears, the August is dwindling down so quickly? Sure, I’ve bemoaned the heat at times (goodness knows it has been on the rather stifling side this month!), but when all is said and done, I truly do love so many aspects of this toasty, copiously sunny season – and will be able to enjoy it even more now thanks to me beautiful new sunglasses.
{Yes, summer can be harsh at times, but until this duel climate, Jetson inspired world becomes a reality, it's probably just best to make peace with whatever season you're in at the moment. Illustration via What Makes the Pie Shops Tick?'s Flickr stream.}
Not too sure what life has on the agenda for me that’s noteworthy this week, but whatever it is, and no matter how sizzling the weather, I’ll be sure to greet each day with a smile. Because, love winter as I do, when I’m outside waiting for the bus in -30°, snow pummeling me from every angle, I know I’ll be wishing like mad that it was August once again.
Wishing you each a gloriously, serene beautiful week ahead!
*PS*
If you haven’t already done so and would like to, be sure to swing by this post and enter for your chance to win an absolutely adorable, chic Alessi brand kitchen timer from Chronically Vintage and AllModern.com. All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner, but hurry, the contest ends this Tuesday night!
As if striving to drive home the very topic I was waxing poetically about on Monday, the weather this week has hopped like a frog in a lily-pad pond between rainy/drab and hot/bright-as-a-new-penny. Yesterday night was magical though. The sort of perfect, not-quite-dark-yet evening that you wish you sit in a comfy deck chair and soak into the very pores of your soul for the rest of time. I had to pop out to the post office and grocery store, and was so glad to have errands to run, as waiting for buses gave me a chance to relish the beauty of a (temperature-wise) perfect mid-June evening.
{Whenever I look at elegant 1946 Life photo on myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream, I’m struck by how intensely, serenely relaxing the fading sunlight looks as it ripples across that little pool. This same feeling washed over me at dusk on Friday in the perfectly 22° air.}
On the blog front things have been busy as a hive of bees here this week! Chronically Vintage now has its own domain name (but will remain on the Blogger platform). You can read more about how my husband surprised me with a url as a gift here, and for details on ensuring you’re able to continue receiving the feed for CV, please take a moment to read this post.
From around the blogsphere I’ve lassoed up a fun array of links that span everything from packing for a holiday to a peak inside a vintage Fredrick’s of Hollywood catalogue – ooohhh la-la! :) Make-up tutorial fans take note, this week’s clip comes via a talented UK make-up artist who does a thoroughly good job of showing you how to achieve the sultry, heavily lined eye look that Sophia Loreen often sported early on in her famous career. I hope you all enjoy these links - don't hesitate to share your own terrific finds in the comment section.
* Dustbowl Dames: Darla takes an insightful look at how fashion evolved out of the flapper-era and into what it became during the Depression ridden world of the 1930s.
* The Lucy Fashion Chronicles: If you’re a fan of TV’s most entertaining redhead, be sure to swing by MissRedLip’s fab blog for the first installment of an ongoing series devoted to Lucille Ball.
* How to Thrift with Success: A Typical Atypical offers up four handy tips when it comes to getting the most out of your thrift store shopping experience.
* Rose McGowan by Ellen Von Unwerth: Modern day Hollywood starlet Rose McGowan dons some intensely gorgeous vintage looks as she posses for photographer Ellen Von Unwerth, as highlighted on Blond and Red’s lovely blog.
* Vintage Mommy and Me Dresses: Growing up did you ever have a miniature version of one of your mother’s dresses or outfits? I can’t say as though I did, but I do recall a charming set of three floral print aprons my mom sewed for herself, my sister and me. If you’re a fan of matching outfit for moms and daughters, pop by Couture Allure for a selection of vintage ads featuring just this kind of look.
* The Collins Girls Annual 1958: Though largely out of fashion these days, for decades upon decades “annuals” were a common element the magazine and publishing world. In this post on I Luv Retro, readers are treated several absolutely charming pages from a copy of the 1958 Collins Girl annual.
* 1964 Fredrick’s of Hollywood catalog: With a cover page that confidently proclaimed “Get that marry a millionaire look!” you know that whatever follows in this vintage 1964 catalog is sure to be fantastic! Check out six pages of old school FoH style via this post on Found in Mom’s Basement.
* Wardrobe Staple: Beach Coat: Not the biggest fan of caftans or muumuus, but looking for something more stylish than oversized t-shirt to wear as a beach or poolside cover-up? If so Curve Hugger may just have the vintage answer for you, a beach coat! For lots of info, images of sewing patterns, and pretty photos surrounding this once commonplace item of clothing, be sure to check out this cool post.
Revered even to this day for her seductive, exotic Mediterranean features and sophisticated style, Sophia Loren’s face is as timeless as the Italian culture she hails from. If you’re looking to recreate her sexy, alluring look, be sure to watch this week’s video clip from Youtuber pixiwoo.
What’s mother nature up to in your neck of the woods? As June tumbles onward, I’m predicting less rain and the advent of far more humidity than I care to even think about (Amazon rain forest eat your lush, verdant heart out, Toronto has you beat no questions asked when it comes to humidity :D). Before the “melt like the Wicked Witch” days kick in though, I’ve got my red nail polish tipped fingers firmly crossed that we’ll have many, many more evenings that were as gorgeous and serene as last night was.
Wishing you each the best and prettiest of weekends!
I keep odd hours. I’m a night owl and I admit it. Always have been, likely always will be. Almost romantically I sometimes like to think that my penchant for the wee hours of the morn hearkens back to the fact that I was born at night, thus setting my internal clock to a PM schedule from day one. Whether there is any merit to this notion or not, is really anybody's guess.
There’s a serenity that befalls the night in which I often find my mind feels sharper, more invigorated – fine-tuned even. As such I often work, write and do all manner of productive tasks while a lot of the world is getting their beauty rest. Though this can mean I’m short on sleep at times, I rarely mind. I’d take feeling alert at 3am and a little sleepily at 3pm to never feeling entirely recharged just about any day.
{Like these studious ladies from the 1950s, I often read – be it books or blogs – at night. Photo via UMW Centennial’s Flickr stream.}
At the moment there’s a wide, curvaceous moon poking out from behind some concrete hued clouds as I put together this Pretty Link Roundup (which spans two weeks, as I missed posting one last weekend due to the fact I had family in town). It's sweetly enchanting and, unlike the sun, can be stared at safely for as long as I wish ;)
While beauty abounds in the night sky, it also runs rampant through the blogsphere! This week I’ve corralled a number of diverse links that span everything from summer hats to a modern line of vintage inspired workout wear. Also be sure to check out this week’s video clip – or should I say two clips – both care of vintage beauty maven Casey (of Casey’s Elegant Musings).
* Recession fashion - 1930s: Roslyn takes a look at the fashions that recessionistas of the 1930s were sporting.
* That Perfect Arch: Few techniques in the make-up world can so quickly define the look of an era as the eyebrow. In this post MissRedLips delves into what makes for a perfectly arched eyebrow and how you can achieve a pair for yourself.
* 1940s Trousers: I’m not sure about you, but I often feel like I need a fair bit of inspiration and style guidance when it comes to getting the look of vintage trousers right. Thankfully posts like this one that are full of pants wearing gals are there to help! If vintage shorts tickle your fancy too, drop by this article from Retro Ways on the subject.
* Sweaty Betty: Over on The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife I read what has to be the first blog post on the subject of workout wear that made me squeal with excitement. Seems a clever gal called Jessie Pavia has decided to produce a line of vintage/Rockabilly inspired exercise clothing under the brand name Box Wine Betty. This cool new line will be available soon, and you better believe I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled to see more of their products!
* The Pros and Cons of Vintage Fashion Shopping By Location: The title of this handy post does a fab job of explaining what it’s about, but I’ll add that not only are numerous pros and cons listed, they’re laid out so as to correspond with various categories of vintage/second hand shopping such as estate sales, consignment stores and flea markets.
* 8 Beautiful Summer Hats: With the warm weather barreling down on us, now is the time to ensure you’re ready to face the sun’s rays head-on with a lovely (vintage) summer hat.
* Boho Starlets: While boho (short for bohemian) has been a fashion buzz word and popular style for numerous seasons now, its roots actually stretch much further back, as this lovely photo filled article shows.
* Evolution of the household 1950 to today: Women’s Day magazine takes a gander at the price of everyday items, homes, and wages, as well as other related statics, from every decade between now and the 1950s.
* Barbie make-up tutorial: Featuring a lipstick shade that is not too far off from that one that I recently mentioned liking, this tutorial style post – complete with absolutely gorgeous photos – shows you how to create an old school inspired Barbie make-up look.
* Working on the land: No matter what they were doing, however much drudgery was involved with the job, I’m always struck by the underlying element of beauty and grace that seems to have prevailed through women of the WW2 era, as evident by the hairstyles in these photos of female farmers (or these workers that were featured in Life magazine).
* Vintage Scarf Blog: I just discovered this blog devoted entirely to the sale and subject of vintage scarves a few hours ago and wanted to share it with you all. Vintage scarves are a marvelous way to add colour and style any outfit and it never hurts to have another spot to source them from!
I hope you enjoy this week's selection of two wonderful clips featuring timelessly gorgeous “girl next door” vintage style make-up, that accompany this extremely handy article on the subject.
{Girl Next Door Make Up pt.1}
{Girl Next Door Make Up pt.2}
Before the morning breaks I think I’ll have a very light late supper (I’ve been craving unbuttered popcorn with a hint of salt and a crisp Red Delicious apple for three days, so that’s probably what I'll grab from the kitchen) and schedule this post to appear more towards noon, when I’m sure far more of you will be awake! (Are there any other fellow night owls amongst my lovely readers?)
{I’m off to rustle up a quick nibble before calling it a night - wish my apples were situated in a crate with a label this adorable on it! Darling vintage label from the pages of *julia’s terrific Flickr stream.}
I hope that you're each doing really well, and that you have a serene and joyful Sunday!
Over the last few weeks of spring I’ve probably watched more YouTube videos than I did in the past year combined. What spurred on my clip viewing frenzy, you might ask? A desire to better hone my vintage hair and make-up abilities. While I don’t feel like the novice that I did as the lone vintage wearing teenager in my high school, I have no problem admitting that I have more confidence in my “modern look” make-up and hair skills than my forties and fifties ones.
While I’m not sure if I’ll ever reach the level of mastery that some of the deeply talented ladies on YouTube (and within the vintage community as a whole) have, I definitely feel that through watching clips from the five channels below, I’ve both learned a lot and improved some of my skills.
I’ve highlighted one video from each stream and also linked to the video creators’ respective channels. Should, like myself, you be looking to improve, brush or beginning learn from scratch the secrets, tips and techniques of gorgeous vintage make-up and hair experts, I can’t recommend these channels highly enough!
{The vintage hair and make-up looks Casey produces in her extremely easy to follow, detailed videos are every inch as lovely as her vintage blog – which I also recommend you rush over and check out!}
{Sweet as a button and wonderfully skilled at reproducing classic hairstyles (and make-up looks) from everyday life and movies alike, Aya of Strawberry Koi is a huge vintage inspiration of mine.}
{A whiz at forties and fifties hairstyles, Ashley’s video stream (LisaFreemontStreet) is a treasure trove full of fantastic vintage hair styling tutorials.}
{With her beautiful voice and excellent instruction giving ability, Super Kawaii Momma is a joy to watch. Not only is she a masterful vintage blogger and dresser, but she’s an expert on achieving old school hairstyles.}
{Iris of the romantically titled ilovegerardo channel knows more than a little about hairstyles of kinds, but it’s her stellar series of Pinup tutorials that really have me hooked on her helpful videos!}
I want to take a moment and extend my heartfelt thanks to each of these five amazing women. You’ve each helped to boast my confidence on the beauty front and provided me with oodles of inspiration. I hope, dear readers, that they’ll be able to do the same thing for you!
Few places in the world conjure up the allure of mystery rooted in history that Egypt does. Dotted with incredible feats of engineering such as the pyramids and Great Synx, divided by a great serpentine river and boasting one of the most impressive and technologically advanced civilizations of the ancient world, it’s little wonder that this desert land has been inspiring travelers and world culture lovers for centuries.
Just as the sands, monuments and places of Egypt have been beckoning people to it for ages, so too have people strove to adorn their homes and/or bodies in Egyptian inspired looks. In the early 1920s when archaeologists unearthed the tomb of legendary pharaoh Tutankhamen, it seemed as though overnight the world was swept up with Egyptian fever. In fashions of the era one can clearly see the influence of Egyptian style in pieces bedecked with, or shaped to look like, such symbols as lotuses, mummies, scarab beetles, pyramids, ankh crosses, and beading and stitchery that invoked a distinctly Egyptian feel. If you’d like to read more on how Egypt influenced clothing styles of the 1920s, I highly recommend a detailed article entitled Old World, New World: Fashion is King.
{Beautiful hand-coloured vintage photo featuring four women in Egyptian style costumes from the early twentieth century, discovered via Inspiration Resource.}
As the century progressed the hype around the discovery of King Tut died down, but Egyptian influences still continued to touch the fashion world, especially the use of dark kohl eyeliner, something that both men and women on this ancient culture had been particularly fond of. In 1963 Elizabeth Taylor’s striking performance of Cleopatra in the Joseph Mankiewicz film of the same title saw Egyptian eye make-up taken to the extreme, yet even then it remained sophisticated and beautiful. (If you want to learn more about authentic Egyptian make-up, including how to apply kohl liner the really, really old school way, be sure to check out the article Ancient Egyptian Eye Makeup by Judith Illes.)
{Colour movie still of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, complete with ravishing eye make-up, via Hecklerspray.com.}
In the mid-twentieth century misses and ladies wear – particularly skirts and dresses – sometimes featured wonderfully whimsical patterns of the sort that you’d be hard pressed to find on a newly produced garment (think large pineapples, Scottie dogs, and Parisan street scenes to name but a few). Recently while browsing etsy I came across an absolutely charming cotton summer dress featuring a fabulous Egyptian motif around the bust and at the bottom of the hem, that would be a sublime way of adding a jolt of Nile style to your vintage look!
The title of this post is a play on the 1980s Bangles hit song “Walk Like An Egyptian”, which I thought might be a fun means by which to highlight some of the ways that Egyptian culture has touched peoples’ closets over the years. If you’d like to incorporate more elements of Egyptian style into your wardrobe this can be achieved with the use of certain colours (think gold, brass, turquoise, saturated jewel tones, onyx, cobalt blue, and creamy white), lightweight fabrics such as linen and hemp, and (reproduction) Egyptian style jewelry.
Whether you go for an Egyptian inspired look from head to toe such (such as the dress above) or prefer to stick with thick black eyeliner, there is no denying that this fascinating culture has helped to shape not only the development of human history but also the world of twentieth century fashion.
The last weekend in May – and a long one for my lucky US readers, to boot – a time for shoreline frolicking, evening walks in the fading, glistening dusk sunlight, and a return to (at least in my Canadian mind) the reality that winter really and truly is behind at us at long last.
{Summer weather, you luscious creature, you, it’s about time you returned! Sun bathing beauty from a 1954 Vogue spread, found via myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream.}
This week I’ve gathered together a diverse assortment of vintage related links spanning everything from budget friendly shopping to bloomers made from vintage bed linen, which I really hope you’ll enjoy.
* The psychology of vintage: What drives one’s love of, and desire to dress in, vintage? Queens of Vintage probes these interesting questions and more (and you don’t have to pay $400 an hour or lay on a couch to root out the answers :D).
* How to shop for vintage (affordably): With the poor, mangled economy in the shape it is, and many people looking for ways to trim their spending costs, this article from Vixen Vintage couldn’t be more timely or handy. The very same sentiments apply equally to a terrific, photo-filled post on Student Charade entitled How to do 1950s style on a budget.
* Collecting Vintage Greeting Cards: Prefer your Hallmark moments to be vintage ones? Love the charming illustrations that graced greetings of the past? Enjoy gathering old school paper goods? If so, definitely check out the handy tips in this article.
* Lovely Lady of the week (Ava Gardner): Undeniably one of the most famous actresses of her time, Ava Gardner posses a graceful, naturally flirtatious beauty that came through strikingly well in photographs, such as those amassed in this pretty post.
* Bombshell Boudoirs and Decorating: From the pages of a delightfully beautiful blog I just discovered this past week called Red and Blonde, comes a photo post of some utterly drop-dead gorgeous bedrooms, that I could see both myself and many a silver-screen starlet in.
* You heard rumors about my bloomers: I love it when people take one item, weave some creative magic, and turn it into something entirely different. Case in point, a pair of wonderfully sweet bloomers fashioned from a handmade vintage sheet.
* Very early Angelica Houston: I’ve always thought that Angelica Houston was attractive, in a bold, naturally assertive, timelessly memorable sort of way, and this photo of her early on her career (sporting a fully mod look) makes an open and shut case when it comes to her stunning aesthetic.
* Stunning Vintage Ferrari brings $12.1 Million: Hmmm, what to do with that extra dozen or so million clams I’ve got kicking around? World’s largest etsy shopping spree? Small tropical island to call my own? A lifetime supply of high-end make-up? Hmmmm, all tempting, but not quite the ticket. I know, I’ll buy a $12.1 million dollar vintage Ferrari! Well, ok, I won’t, but one fabulously wealthy soul recently did and this photo filled article shares the details on this exceedingly pricey set of (albeit down-right amazing!) set of wheels. (Many thanks to my doll of a husband, who brought this story to my attention.)
Love the sometimes dramatic, sometimes reserved but always femininely pretty look of 1930s make-up? If so you’ll definitely dig this helpful step-by-step tutorial by Natasha Rae which shows you how to nail a glamorous, dark eyed 30s inspired face wonderfully well.
What do you have planned this weekend, vintage dears? After a delish Italian summer out with darling hubby last night, I’m putting my shoulder to the wheel in preparation for upcoming company and taking care of a flurry of errands and chores (from giving the fridge a good scrubbing to sorting and organizing the last few months worth of magazines we’ve accumulated). But I don’t mind, housework and I actually get along quite swimmingly, and besides it’ll help burn off the yesterday evening’s pizza ;)
Greetings, lovely readers, I hope that you’re having a splendid weekend! It's a grey and drizzly one here, but I'm not letting that dampen my spirits. I’m still floating a good ten feet above the ground over my marvelous hair cut and the fact that darling hubby returned home this week.
My weekend kicked off on the loveliest note, when I received an email on Friday from Betsy of From Betsy With Love, letting me know that she’d honoured my blog with one of her delightful photo mosaics in her Weekend Links post this week. Thank you so, so much, Betsy dear!
{Isn’t Betsy’s collage of images from Chronically Vintage positively gorgeous? Thank you very much, sweet dear, for giving my blog so much love!}
* Hollywood mommy: Emme of songs I sing compiled a superb collection of vintage starlets such as Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball and Gene Tierney with their lovely children. I enjoyed viewing these photos a lot, especially as an alternative to the endless stream of certain Hollywood wee ones you see in the glossy spreads these days.
* A classic Hollywood make-over in 8 steps: This week Mademoiselle Robot featured guest make-up artist Alexandra Collins, who shared a wonderfully useful series of steps/tips to help you achieve a picture perfect vintage Hollywood face.
* How to do rag curls: I love rag curls and remember with fondness how my grandmother would twirl my hair around scraps of fabric when I was younger. Even from an early age my hair was too fine to hold a curling iron curl and as I looked on longingly at curly haired people and dolls alike, she came to the rescue with the age old art of rag girls. Here Vintage Vixen takes you through the steps (complete with photos) of how to achieve perfect rag curls.
* Betsy McCall paper dolls: Over at what-i-found, Tina added a delightful vintage 1957 Betsy McCall paper doll sheet that anyone and everyone can download, print off and place with to their heart’s content.
*How to grade patterns: Sewing fans delight, The New Vintage Wardrobe has a post up this week – complete with step-by-step photos – all about the method needed to increase the size of patterns (whatever era they may hail from).
* Some thoughts on stockings – care and wear: From the delightful pages of a blog I just discovered today, comes a great article on keeping your stockings (be they nylons or otherwise) in tip-top condition as well as what to look for when selecting hosiery. (And should you be looking to add some superb vintage inspired legwear to your wardrobe, I can’t recommend What Katie Did highly enough.)
* An Ode to Department Stores: I definitely share the sentiments of this post by Past Perfect Vintage, in which the author reflects fondly on the once common mainstay of towns and cities everywhere: the department store.
* McCadrellisms: The title of this post doesn’t even begin to do justice to the fascinating look back at vintage fashion terms Glamoursplash has highlighted, each one taken from the 1956 book What Shall I Wear.
* It’s cookout time! How to have a vintage backyard BBQ: Fantastic tips, steps and scrumptious mixed drink recipes to help get you out into the yard in vintage style this weekend, from excellent retro lifestyle blog Atomic Radar.
* What’s one of the best things about the return of spring and summer? Yard sales! I recently stumbled about Yard Sale Bloodbath, a terrific site that’s jam packed with going ons of the Seattle garage sale scene.
{Four delightfully stylish, bathing suit clad ladies enjoy the warm weather in this charming 1949 photo, which comes by way of myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream.}
This week’s feature video while not strictly vintage related, can certainly be translated into helping your vintage wardrobe. Care of the cool folks over at Thread Bangers, this clip features a trip to the Simplicity sewing pattern company in which a talented Simplicity employee explains how to sketch fashion – even if you’re not the most artistically inclined person. After watching it, I definitely felt inspired to draw and am now thinking I should pick up some pencil crayons :)
There we have it, some of the awesome vintage links that provide oodles of inspiration to me this week; I hope you enjoy them all too! If you have any of your own wonderful links or sources of inspiration that you’ve discovered, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comment section.
Wishing you each a joyful and sunny weekend, vintage dears!
In a sense it’s been one of those week, not the full-blown kind that tends to peak in a complete and utter breakdown or late night Chinese food/cold pizza/vat of ice cream binge, but just sort of strange. As I mentioned yesterday, darling hubby and I had plans to go get our income taxes done, well no sooner had we got our shoes on as a massive wind and lighting storm blew through Toronto.
{Bracing for a down pour in a 1941 edition of Life magazine. Found via the awesome pages of myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream.}
As the afternoon temperatures climbed up to 25°C and the air become increasingly muggy, I remarked that I thought a storm was on the horizon, little did I know it would be one complete with winds up to 115km an hour! While the gusts shook our building something fierce, the whole ordeal was fairly short-lived and by the time the sun set for the day, it was merely raining, the air almost as still as a sleeping kitten. The sudden storm (and desire not to get swept right off our feet!) means that the unexpectedly delayed taxes will have (understatement) to get done in the next couple of days.
Aside from the pesky taxes I’m feeling quite organized at the moment, as I’ve complied a to-do list broken down over the next four weeks leading up to a (much anticipated) visit from some of my relatives who hail from the other side of the country. Seeing long-term tasks that can get done ahead of time (buying more dishware, for example) and last minute ones (shopping for perishables, an extra through vacuuming of the whole apartment) laid out over a month is a handy trick I’ve employed many times in my life when something big/important hung on the horizon.
{Ever so slightly Hitchcockian – but very well organized woman of the house – care of housewives on Flickr.}
I can’t help but wonder then if this first edition of “Pretty Link Roundup” (a henceforth weekly – or thereabouts – post of fantastic vintage related links that have recently caught my eye and that I think will be equally interesting to my lovely readers) is peppered with housekeeping and beauty care tips because I’m subconsciously focusing on these kinds of elements more than usual in my own life right now.
* Once long ago in a time of VCRs, Doritos that only came one flavour to a package, and non-skinny jeans, there was a world without Google. While that notion might seem impossible for some technophiles to wrap their heads around, it’s true, and is a subject that Clever Nettle covered recently in a post called Life Before Google, which sports some absolutely wonderful vintage drawings of secretaries at work.
* If you're like me (cursed with extremely sensitive skin and a general sensitivity to harsh chemicals) and are always looking for inexpensive ways to make your own household cleaning products, you’ll definitely love this simple recipe for Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap from the pages of Betty Boogie’s blog.
* Many of us who adore doing our make-up in the styles of our favourite vintage eras know that false eyelashes can be a huge boon when it comes to achieving certain looks, but they can also be downright intimidating if you haven’t put them on before or haven’t mastered the art yet. If you feel like you need a crash – or a refresher – course, head on over the MissRedLips’s and read through her handy, straight forward post How to Put on False Lashes like a Pro.
* Who doesn’t love vintage hairstyles? They have the power to take even a modern outfit and instantly transform your look into something inspired by fabulous past. Paired with vintage clothes an old school 'do can truly make you look like you just stepped out of a 1950s Vogue spread. Sometimes though, the hairdos we love the most also take quite a while to style – time that you might not have to spare every morning. Enter a lovely look from The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife’s Atomic Mama in her article Fast hair for the vintage girl.
* If you hit thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales or charity shops with any kind of regularity, chances are you’ve not only amassed an amazing wardrobe, but also brought home some unique and charming household items. Hunting down those prized pieces you’re lusting after or fondly remembering the ones that decked out your grandmother’s house can both be fun ways to get your vintage vibe on, as the lovely Alana of Alana’s Vintage Collecting Blog touches on in her recent post, Collecting Vintage Collectibles.
* Sometimes when you get those awesome vintage items home you’re not quite sure what to do with them though. For some terrific inspiration check out the recent Queens of Vintage Post Five ways to reuse vintage items in the home.
* Do you have a fantasy vintage kitchen in your mind’s eye? Perhaps one complete with an aquamarine refrigerator or an authentic black and white checkerboard floor. I think I have about twenty different fantasy kitchens that I’d be pleased as punch to call my own :D And yet I keep encountering new images of vintage kitchens to add to the wish list, such as the cheerful red, white and yellow one in this 1946 ad from Found in Mom’s Basement, an excellent blog devoted to a diverse array of vintage and retro advertisements.
* Speaking of kitchens, when was the last time you saw a modern (as in newly built) kitchen sink with a drainboard...go on, ponder for a while, click on over to your favourite home decor blogs, I’ll wait ;D It’s been a while now hasn’t it? Like so many functional, convenient elements of household design I can’t really fathom why drainboards all but vanished, they were immensely handy and (the metal ones) also looked quite lovely when hit by a sparkling ray of sunlight. I would adore a kitchen with drainboards and according to Retro Renovation, I’m not alone (yeeeh!), as they have a recent article (complete with gorgeous kitchen design illustrations) all about Vintage 40s and 50 kitchen drainboard sinks.
* Ok, this one doesn’t really have much to do with vintage topics, but it was simply too unbelievably cute not share. Seriously, save or bookmark this photo and come back to it anytime you’ve had one of those days/weeks/months. One look at that astronomically happy puppy face and your own mood is sure to perk right up!
{Manicured red nails? Check. To-die-for fashion sense? Check. Ability to make washing dishes look ridiculously glamorous? Check and double check! Dreft dish soap ad via Umpqua’s Flickr stream.}
So there we have it, my darlings, a delightful assortment of links chocked full of vintagey goodness for your reading pleasure! I hope you all have a marvelous, safe and joyful week ahead – and remember to tune in tomorrow for Monday’s Muses.
