Orange hair flower: Ardene Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12 Peach rose earrings: Handmade by me White cardigan: Suzy Sheir 1950s silver coloured poodle brooch: Gift from Tony ♥ White vintage slip: eBay Cobalt blue wrap top: Smart Set Orange vintage a-line skirt: etsy seller Lady Kitschener's Vintage Orange bangle bracelet: Forever 21 All blue bangles: Thrifted/second hand White bangle: Me She Designs
Striped bow adorned sling-back wedges: Payless Lip Colour: Red Apple Lipstick's Almost Red lip liner
photos of the two of us together, taken by my mom with Tony's camera.
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For years Tony has maintained that we do not have enough photos of the two of us together, and he's completely right. I've always agreed, yet year after year, it seemed we'd be lucky if we got even so many as a few snaps of the two of in the same shot. In part this was because our social circle wasn't always huge, and also due to the fact that I was/am often not feeling well enough to accompany him when he goes someplace.
Fortunately however, since moving to Penticton and suddenly having lots of more friends and family members around, we now often have people at the ready for those times when we want a photo of the two of us together. Few times of the year lend themselves as naturally to the act of taking pictures then holidays and birthdays, and it was precisely the latter which we celebrated last month when Tony turned 32 years old.
Far and above Tony's favourite colour is orange, so ahead of time my mom and I decided that we'd adorn her dining room (pictured above, where we celebrated his birthday) with orange birthday decorations, and to keep the colour theme going, I slipped into one of the few orange pieces in my closest. This was going to be a day dedicated to both Tony and his most beloved hue.
As we all know, orange can be a tricky colour to wear. It's very easy to unintentionally veer into Halloween territory if you partner it with black, brown, grey, or even green sometimes, or to look a bit like you got attacked by a highlighter if you opt for head-to-toe bright orange. This punchy colour also looks better on some people than others, and certainly not every shade works on me (so hence the scarcity of it in my wardrobe).
I have a few orange pieces however, chief amongst which is this fun skirt. Knowing that I definitely did not look like I was ready to celebrate All Hallow's Eve, I opted to pair it with crisp white and a shot of upbeat cobalt blue (which, ultimately, is only one colour off of the classic red, white and blue nautical palette).
I liked how this outfit came together and would definitely sport these three colours together again. Had I not gone white blue, beige or pink might have worked, too. I don't wear this skirt all that often though (it will definitely need to get more play next summer), so it was a treat to bring it out for this wonderful occasion.
I'm happy to report that the birthday boy had a marvelous celebration from sun up (in the morning he and my parents went fishing at Skaha Lake where he was greeted by a lovely peachy-orange sunrise that he grabbed a snap of, pictured above, with his iPhone) to sun down (we shared a scrumptious bbq dinner with family at my parent's house where he opened his gifts - including fishing related ones from me), and that this was the most orange he'd ever been surrounded with on his special day.
Mission successfully accomplished - complete, finally (!), with photos to document this awesome birthday celebration.
Happy Sunday to one and all, how are you each on this second day in August? It's been an interesting weekend so far here, which kicked off with at least one (possibly more) of our fuses blowing quite entirely out of the blue (in other words abhorrent amounts of power were not being consumed at the time) late Friday night.
As we live in an apartment with, what’s I’ll tactfully call “less than stellar” maintenance, we were told that the problem couldn’t get fixed until at least mid-week, partially because they were entirely out of replacement fuses. Fortunately while two rooms and portions of others in our unit are currently without power, the fridge and stove are working, so we didn’t have to do a mad dash to buy pounds of ice in a futile attempt to keep our food from spoiling. Hopefully the issue will get fixed this week, as it rather nice to have all the rooms in your home illuminated and ready to power your electronics (including your computer!).
{While our building hails from around 1970, I could sure use some fuses at the moment whether they’re vintage, retro or modern, just so long as they fit and work! Image via HA! Designs – artbyheather’s Flickr stream.}
Aside from that, things are quite their usual selves, I’m happy to report. As you may recall, I missed compiling a weekly roundup up last weekend due to extenuating medical circumstances, and as a result pledged an even larger number of links this week. Keeping my word was a snap, as there is rarely a shortage of interesting articles to be found each week in the vintage blopsphere.
Below you’ll find posts on everything from what’s recommended if you want to get into being a pin-up model to an ode to the timelessly wonderful shirtwaist dress, plus many other fantastic topics! The video clip in the spotlight this week is a terrific how-to segment featuring step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful vintage style starburst mirror. Enjoy these links, everyone, and be sure to share any of your favourite recent posts with me in the comment section, if you like.
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* Oh Nancy Drew, how I love you: Jessica over at The Cat’s Pajamas put together a truly stellar, image filed post that pays tribute to her love of one of my all-time favourite childhood series of books: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. My mother had tons of 1950s and 60s Nancy Drew titles from her childhood, which I lapped up with intrigue and gusto as a youngster. This post brought back many lovely memories and also reminded me to keep my eyes peeled for Nancy Drew books while I’m out thrifting.
* The Lucy Fashion Chronicles 2: I love Lucy fan - and expert on the show’s wardrobe – Miss Red Lips presents the second in her ongoing series of posts about the beautiful, often very “real world” fashions that Lucille Ball sported on this classic TV sitcom.
* Cutting Your Own Bettie Bangs: The Bettie Page style of bangs has become synonymous with rockabilly culture, pinup models and vintage loving gals everywhere, yet it can be a style that’s tricky to get right (especially if your stylist has no experience with this type of fringe). If you’ve wanted to try your hand at giving yourself Bettie Bangs, be sure to swing by and bookmark this thorough, extremely handy how-to from the Lisa Freemont Pages.
* Operation Petticoat: Can’t find the right size or style petticoat that you’re looking for? No worries, Sew Retro gives you step-by-step instructions on sewing a petticoat of your own.
* Vintage shopping expert tips: Queens of Vintage present five handy tips for getting the most out of your vintage shopping experience.
* How do I get into Pin-up?: Helen from the Pin-Up Parade offer up some insightful, straightforward advice on the steps one should take if they are serious about getting into pinup modeling. All the while reminder readers that extremely few woman make a full time career out of this type of modeling, and that if you’re interested, it is best viewed as a hobby you truly love, not a million dollar job.
* Botanical Gardens: I just discovered this site a few days ago but am already smitten with it. This blog is clearly helmed by someone with passion for vintage fashion and photography, as evident by the photos of a charming young couple sporting 1920s and 30s looks, such as the ones in this shoot entitled “Botanical Gardens”, which somehow reminds me subtly of the 1937 book Out of Africa.
* A vintage swimwear guide: A suit for all body types: Another entry from Queen’s of Vintage this week, this one focused on finding vintage swimwear to suit a variety of different body types. It’s certainly handy for those may still be searching for the perfect style of swimwear to don before summer comes to a close.
* The quintessential shirtwaist dress: Vintage fashion guru Casey takes a look at one of the most time-honoured and versatile ladies wear pieces to ever be invented, the shirtwaist dress, in this lovely image bedecked post.
* Inspiration: redheads: Being of the ginger ranks myself, I couldn't possibly pass up the chance to share a post about redheads as sources of beauty and fashion inspiration! :)
* Something to look forward to I never knew existed: To say my heart skipped a beat when I read this post would be an understatement. Once I’d picked by jaw up off the ground, I knew I’d found a future dream trip! What got my motor running so? Turns out that each year a vintage music, dance and Hawaiian beach party themed festival is held in Senigallia, Italy. While I’d never heard of this event before, it’s clearly very popular and attracts a wide audience from around the world, including a certain Ms. Dita! (For more info be sure to check out a post on the wonderful blog Greetz from Tiz, as well.)
* How to get luminous skin - the vintage way: The ever-gorgeous and knowledgable expert on vintage style and beauty Fleur de Guerre, takes us through her daily skincare routine – which is filled with wonderful, old fashioned products – in this thoroughly well-written post.
* Vintage Hollywood Magazine Covers: Aileen shares a well-culled collection of absolutely lovely silent film era Hollywood magazine covers.
* Besame Mucho: Vintage Beauty with Besame Cosmetics: Via the Debutant Clothing blog I discovered a terrific article that Sandra recently held with CEO and president of Besame Cosmetics, Gabriela Hernandez. For those who may not be familiar with Besame products yet, they're a fabulous make-up company that creates a wealth of cosmetics that have been deeply influenced by vintage make-up and packaging design.
* Summer Suiting: Millie Motts has a nice little post comprised of black and white fashion magazine pages about yesteryear mens summertime suits.
* Red Lipsticks: Handy, easy to remember tips and tricks to getting your red lip stick look just right, from the pages of Mademoiselle Guillotine’s blog.
* How to carry a purse and wear gloves like a lady: Scans from a 1968 etiquette book reveal the secrets behind how a lady should sport gloves and carry her handbag, in this post from Couture Allure. (Be sure to check out some of her other recent posts as well, as she’s scanned various other pages from the same book as well. And for even more fantastic glove etiquette tips, be sure to pop by this lovely post on Rosina Lee’s blog.)
* Fashion Photography 1920 – Edward Steichen: A strikingly elegant, artistic array of 1920s Edward Steichen photographs compose this gorgeous, image laden post from Glamour Daze.
* Collectors Weekly: This site recently came to my attention and I thought it was definitely worth mentioning as it features an array articles on various topics pertaining to vintage fashion.
This week the video taking centre stage revolves around a super handy tutorial from Thread Banger on how to make your own 1950s style starburst mirror. I was impressed with how incredibly easy this clip makes crafting one of these iconic home decor elements look, and must say that I’d love to give creating one a try myself someday.
It’s currently nearing mid-afternoon and the while the temperature has put on the breaks a smidge and the sky is veering more towards faded grey denim than sparkling blue and sunny, it’s still very much summer here! (Just ask my precious little cat Stella, who’s taken to lounging on the bathroom tiles and in the tub so that her flurry body can lay atop something cool to the touch.)
I’ve got oodles of laundry to fold this afternoon, emails to catch up on, letters to write (I adore – and have never stopped – penning good old fashioned “snail” mail), and several days worth of blog feeds to dive into before I whip up a lovely Sunday supper this evening. What plans are on your agenda today – and this for the coming week, sweet dears?
{A casually dressed young woman, who was training to be a pilot at the time in the Women's Flying Training Detachment, writes a letter home in this 1943 Life Magazine photo.}
However you spend your Sunday, I truly hope it’s a relaxing, joyful one for you!
While there is no denying that wearing genuinely vintage clothing is a rewarding, stylish and extremely enjoyable act, sometimes – for a myriad of reasons – we need (and/or want) to shop for modern pieces that posses a high degree of vintage style. One place (that is familiar to many old school style clothing fans) to source a wide array of such pieces is the online shop Pinup Girl Clothing.
I will happily admit that over the years I’ve spent my fair share of time daydreaming about clicking my way through a wild shopping spree at this terrific site, but alas, such fantasies remain just that. In the meantime though (“meantime” I suppose pertaining to before I somehow find a way to become grandly wealthy ;D) it’s a lot more realistic to imagine scooping up a beautiful piece or two from this store from time-to-time, especially when they send emails my way informing me that they have a sale going on.
One such email was waiting for me in my in-box this afternoon. Pinup Girl Clothing is currently offering their customers 20% off all purchases (including items which are already on sale/marked down) when you use the code ccjul709 between now and July 18th.
There is never – and I mean never – a shortage of items from this site bouncing around on my wish list (hmmm, has anyone else ever noticed how their wish list never seems to get smaller, it just increases in spades each month?), some of which I’ve highlighted below (please note, all prices are in US dollars). Do these items get your pulse racing too?
If pieces like this hot little numbers like the ones above aren’t enough to convince you to pick yourself up a little treat, it’s worth knowing that Pinup Girl always offers free shipping on US orders over $150 and on international orders above $250.
Are you a fan of Pinup Girl Clothing? Have you bought from them before, or like myself thus far, have you just lusted after their items from an adoring distance?
Whether it’s July or January, twenty above or a bone jarring twenty below, one of the first wardrobe staples I reach for is lightweight knits. While there is undeniably something cozy – one might say akin to a bear hug – about slipping on a heavy, hefty-duty winter sweater, on my petite frame I often find that I look little more than a head trying to clamour its way out from a quicksand pit of wool. While everyone (who lives in a climate that gets near or below freezing) should own an Alpine worthy sweater or two, for most of the year there tends to be more practicality – and I’d be willing to bet more variety – when it comes to the beautiful world of lightweight knits.
{In this strikingly pretty black and white photo from the 50s, a group of gorgeous ladies wear a wide selection of elegant, evening appropriate lightweight knitwear. Via Myvintagevogue’s Flickr stream.}
A lightweight knit is exactly what it sounds like, a woven garment composed of light, generally soft, flexible material (such as cashmere, cotton, wool, silk or linen) that can be fashioned into virtually any style or cut. While there are items such as knit skirts and dresses on the market, this post focuses on lightweight tops such as sweaters and cardigans.
To my mind there is something about delicate, often feminine sweaters and knit tops that instantly invokes vintage styles of the past. A sort of Sandra Dee, girl-next-door meets alluring secretary-slash-bombshell aesthetic. Lightweight knits often sit close to the body, embracing – but not suffocating – the wearer’s curves, thus making them subtly, sweetly sexy.
Throughout the forties and fifties some Hollywood starlets such as Jane Russell, Marylyn Monroe and Lana Turner became so well-known for wearing especially skin-tight, thin knits that the term “sweater girls” arose to describe those women who opted to accentuate what nature gave them with the help of lightweight, form fitting cardigans and sweaters (this buxom look was sometimes aided by “bullet” style bras of the era).
{Actress Mamie Van Doren wears a form fitting sweater as she chats away in this black and white photo, that would definitely garnered her the title of “sweater girl”. Photo from phheww’s Flickr stream. }
Pinup art of the mid-twentieth century was ripe with pretty, generally scantily clad gals in all-but-painted-on sweaters as well, which only helped to boast the sensuality of this seemingly simple fashion basic. For many women though the idea was not to emulate the ultra skin-tight looks of the silver screen, but instead to use thin knits as an extremely versatile wardrobe staple.
{“Miss Sweater Girl” by pin-up artist Peter Driben, 1950. Image via lacasahassel.net}
Paired with everything from blue jeans to full length evening skirts, over top of bathing suits or atop a cotton blouse, lightweight knits offered the wearer an item that could just as easily stand alone as it could be used as a pretty and practical layering piece. It is this jack-of-all-trades element that has made lightweight knitwear an endearing favourite to this day.
Obtaining a vintage inspired (or straight from the source, if you’re fortunate enough to come across vintage knitwear) sweater look is quite simple really. Look for knit pieces that that fit close to the body, have timeless cuts (such as a slightly tapered waist and round or slightly scooped neckline), and that never appear oversized or “sloppy”. Fit and cut are imperative to pulling off the sort of sweater or knit top style the instantly invokes thoughts of 1940s or 50s.
{What was this smiling woman thinking as she leaned against that beautiful car? Perhaps she was relishing how wonderful she looked in her short sleeved sweater and plaid skirt combo :).Photo care of anyjazz65’s Flickr stream.}
I personally adore thin sweaters and cardigans and have many of them in an array of colours, from Kelly green to violet, dusty coral to jet black. I toss them over dresses, camisoles, blouses and t-shirts, never tiring of the many ways these cozy, lovely sweaters can be dressed up or down, as the occasion warrants.
Always on the prowl for more delightful lightweight knits to ad to my closet – or at least admire longingly from afar – I’ve gathered together ten of these fantastic tops – each one of which I feel has a sweetly wonderful vintage feel to it – that I hope strikes a chord with fellow sweater girls everywhere.
{I swooned in my seat the moment I first saw this absolutely gorgeous, navy blue, button front cardigan. From the charming bow to thin band of white around the hem and wrists, this is the sort of top would be worn day-in and day-out if it resided in my wardrobe. £40.00 (UK pounds) from Monsoon.}
{This ivory hued, short cap sleeved, crochet top with scalloped hem and tie waist would make for the perfect top to wear out on a summer picnic or trip to the flea market. $18.99US from Charlotte Russe.}
{Bright as a tomato and just as tasty, this stylish knit bolero would make a marvelous topper for sleeveless dresses, halter tops, and t-shirts alike. $36.00US from Pin Up Girl Clothing.}
{This black and white polka dot knit top, complete with cinched sweet heart necklines, is absolutely wonderful! I love the mid-arm sleeve length and generously – but not 60s mod sized – proportioned dots. Currently on sale for $49.99US (down from $68.00) from Urban Outfitters.}
{Pretty as a cream hued rose, this delicate knit sweater with subtly puffed sleeves would work extremely well year-round as the sort of go-to staple one can never have too many of. €34.95 (Euro) from Vero Moda.}
{Absolutely perfect for the warmer months, this adorable red and white stripped cotton/spandex knit top comes adorned with a lovely little bow and would make for a fantastic piece to wear while at the beach, the backyard – anywhere! $29.99CND from Sears (Canada).}
{Embellished with not one, but two, lovely satin bows, this mustard hued short sleeved knit top surely stands to brighten up any day with its sunshine like shade. $29.00US from Forever 21.}
{Something about the soothing colour of oatmeal brown always conjures up thoughts of 1930s clothing for me. A neutral shade, the hue of this scoop neck, pocketed sweater would pair well with everything from peach to coffee, raspberry to mint green. £35.00 (Euro) from La Redoute.}
{I can close my eyes and practically sense how elegantly lovely this cropped, satin lined, fuchsia hued sweater must feel on one's skin. Sophisticated and ageless, I’d wear this beautiful rose button adored any chance I got! £35.00 (UK pounds) from Laura Ashley.}
{Available in four colours (white, grey, black and fairly light green called “turf”) this ribbed but still lightweight sweater with three button detailing at the neck is named for one of the most famous pin-ups of all time, Bette Paige. $33.68 CND from Overstock.com.}
These are but a smattering of the incredible – and relatively budget-friendly – lightweight knits I’ve encountered recently. Because fine knits can be worn year-round they have the added bonus of being readily available at a wide range of price points and in a diverse number of cuts, styles (don’t forget about twin sets) and colours.
As well as the sources in this post, I also recommend shops such as Old Navy, Banana Republic, Dorothy Perkins, Suzy Shier, Jacob, Smart Set, and of course etsy as good places to find an array of modern knits (or in the case of etsy, actual retro or vintage knitwear) that can easily and seamlessly work their way into your favourite vintage looks. As I admire each of the ten knits above and I can effortlessly imagine weaving them into my wardrobe, which is exactly the element that makes these kinds of pieces so amazingly useful to keep on hand.
Nestled amongst the new emails in my inbox this morning was one from vintage/pinup/retro online clothing shop, Babygirl Boutique, informing me that until midnight on June 11th, all of their wears will be sale at the discounted rate of 25% when you used the coupon code “Junebug” at the checkout point of your transaction.
While it hasn’t been too long since their last sale, I couldn’t let the possibility of shaving 1/4th off the sticker price of Babygirl’s fun, beautiful pieces slide past without sharing it with you all.
While I’ll just be virtual window shopping this time around, if I was going to pick up some of their delightful pieces, the following are a selection of items that I’d be hard pressed to pass by. (Please note all prices are in US dollars.)
If you love a good sale (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?), be sure to shimmy your way over to Babygirl Boutique either today or tomorrow and take advantage of this terrific discount!
