The perfect Luxulite brooch for Peach Fest + embracing autumnal hues early

Outfit details

1940s style forest green snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
Vintage style plastic peach rose stud earrings: Handmade by me
Brown thin knit cardigan: Suzy Shier
1940s style plastic peach dangle brooch: Luxulite
C. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress: (I think) eBay
Pine green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Yellow plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Vintage peachy-orange and dark green plastic bangle bracelets: Unknown, had for years (probably thrifted)
1950s/1960s brown faux patent leather handbag: Frugal Frocks
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style faux leather round toe pumps: Walmart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Nail colour: Essie Roarrrrange


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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My love of autumn and its colours palette isn't exactly a highly guarded secret. From the earliest days of my blog's life, all the way back in 2009 right up until the present, I have made both a key element of the annual ebb and flow of happenings here and am sure that I always will.

Perhaps its because we've had so few truly summery (or late spring, for that matter) days this year, but even though we're still a few weeks away from autumn's official return, I'm already starting to embrace this beautiful season once more.

The first of my harvest themed decor items are making their way out of storage, dishes starring root veggies, cinnamon, and/or long, slow cooking times are appearing on the table; and, to the surprise of no one who knows me, I'm sure, I've begun wearing autumnal hues, too.

Not entirely, of course - it is still technically summer and I do want to get my "light and bright" colour palette on for a while longer, but here and there for sure, especially on rainy and/or overcast days like this past Sunday when we grabbed these snaps against the backdrop of a local hedgerow just up the street from our house.

Last week was Peach Fest here in Penticton and while we didn't get to a ton of events (in part because it overlapped with Tony's birthday weekend), we did enjoy some of the local festivities and the general air of high spirited merriment that fills the town while such is underway.

In honour of a festival whose roots center around the luscious, scrumptious peach that grows in abundance around these parts and has long been an integral factor in the local economy, I knew exactly what vintage inspired novelty brooch I wanted to wear.

I purchased this awesome Luxulite brooch last year in fact with the primary intention of sporting it for the Peach Festival, so I knew that on Sunday, the day after Tony's birthday, the time had come to debut it here on my blog.

To create the rest of my ensemble, I used the colours in my brooch as a jumping off point, while also looking ahead to fall and its earthy, inviting hues that so many of us melt like butter over.

And speaking of buttery shades, this c. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress, which I've had for a few years now, is one of my all-time favourite dresses. If, for some strange reason, I had to shortlist my entire dress collection down to just ten, or really, even merely five, this dress would make the cut, no questions asked.

It has somewhat poufy sleeves though, which look a touch bulky under a fitted cardigan like this brown one, but aside from that (and really, that isn't even a truly negative point), it's pretty much my dream solid coloured dress and I reach for it the whole year round - especially from mid-summer to late autumn.

It felt like a while since I'd last rocked a snood on camera here, so picking up the green in the Luxulite brooch, I opted for a dark forest green one and repeated that same colour in my choice of skinny belt, as well as one of my vintage plastic bangle bracelets.

This brown cardigan has some light grey hued plastic pearl buttons on the front. Pretty for sure, but they didn't go with the general palette or look of this outfit one iota, so instead I tied the cardi and tucked most of the buttons in the knot and folds created by that process. Issue solved! :)

I was quite bushed (and full – so many carbs!) from Tony's birthday celebration the day before, so I wanted comfy and cozy, but still well put together and I feel like this fun Peach Fest meets autumn colour filled outfit delivered nicely on that front.

Stay tuned later in August, to see what I sported for my husband's b-day itself, and then for a whole bevy of fall hued and themed outfits that will be coming down the pipeline here as summer continues to wind down and we embrace the return of my absolute favourite time of the year.

I can hardly wait for the crisp, refreshing days of fall - but first, am hoping that we get at least a few more sporadic rain-free days, as I do have some further thoroughly summertime-y looks that I'm eager to share here with you this year before pumpkin-spice-everything officially returns.

*PS* This coming Monday (the 15th) I'll be having a routine medical procedure (I've had the exact same one numerous times over the years) at the hospital, so I'm giving myself the weekend off from blog post writing (though will still be online plenty) to relax and prepare for such. I will have two or three new posts for you next week, starting with one on Monday itself, so happily no major disruptions to life as usual here on my site. :)

Vintage Link Love for August 2015

Here we sit in the last hours of the last days of the last full month of summer. Before this week is up, my beloved husband will be from his summer of working in States. We are planning to spend an inordinate and entirely wonderful amount of time together in the days immediately following his return and so excited to be reunited once more.

This month, like its sun-kissed predecessors, absolutely flew by. Though I would say that over all I favoured July to August, this month was still primarily a positive one (with some great highpoints all its own), though our area was utterly and completed blanketed with forest fire smoke, the bulk of which strong winds brought our way from the plethora of fires in Washington state, for the past couple of weeks. Ask nearly any local - myself included - and they'll tell you its the worst wildfire smoke they've ever seen in Penticton.



{Wise advice indeed, but sometimes it's Mother Nature's hand at work when it comes to wildfire and such was certainly the case for many that have raged out of control in this part of world all throughout the summer. They're a common faucet of life where we live during the warmer months, but this year's crop was especially plentiful and smoky! Vintage fire safety poster source.}


One had only to venture out in it for a mere handful of seconds and upon returning inside, you would find that your clothes (and hair) smelled as though you had been sitting around a large bonfire for hours. Some of it still drapes itself over the sage hued hills around these parts and that wood smoke scent lingers in the air, but it is slowly, thankfully, dissipating somewhat.

This summer has been a brutal one in BC and Washington state for forest fires, with numerous people tragically losing their homes to them. That is, objectively, one of the few downsides to living in a land so rich in woodland - and hot, dry temperatures that make even the heartiest of trees go up like tinder when a spark or bolt of lightning hits them.

In the midst of listing up a storm in my Etsy shop, creating numerous new YouTube videos, spending lots of time with family, doing so organizing and minor DIY work around the house, starting to get ready for the return of my favourite season (fall), replying to countless emails, and whipping up lots of fun blog posts here this month, I had to to still visit oodles of blogs and sites to glean twelve exciting new vintage, blogging, and crafting related posts and stories for you guys. I hope that you enjoy reading the following selection as much as I did finding them.

 

♥ The original Mad Men were just as dapper, but not as drunk: Continuing to have Mad Men withdrawal symptoms? (Me too!) Then perhaps this cool photo filled post from Retronaut/Mashable with colour photos of some of the real leading mid-century ad industry employees of the days will help quell your longings for more Don, Peggy, Roger, Betty, and Joan.


♥ Seven Historical Costuming Blogs You Should Be Following: Whether you're a sewer or not, if you have a passion for historical costuming (and chances are, as a vintage fan, you do) than this great roundup of some of the best and most informative blogs on the subject that Bianca put together is must bookmark link if ever there was one!


♥ 23 Vintage Studio Portraits of Women from the Victorian Era: There is something so innately gripping about Victorian photography - not only were the pictures created in that era the first of all time, but they are the oldest we have of people that now seem so far removed from our world, yet lived a few short generations ago. This lovely post highlights 23 beautiful portraits of Victorian women that no doubt speak to you and deepen your appreciation for that chapter in history (and its elegant fashions) all the more.





♥ Hollywood Homefront Impressions: Earlier this summer Doris corralled a terrific selection of photos from the 1940s that show famous celebrities doing their part for the war effort. It is a stark reminder of how much that long, horrific war impacted every one, no matter what rung of society they lived on.


♥ DIY crochet snood: Clearly I'm not the only one with snoods on the brain this season, as our wonderful and very talented fellow vintage blogger Bonita demonstrates with her awesome tutorial on how to whip up a 1940s style crochet snood of your own.


♥ Find the Girls on the Negatives: Each month at least a few very thoughtful readers send me stories and/or vintage photos that they think I'll enjoy. This month none jumped out at me more this post about the mysterious origins of handful of beautiful images that were found in slide form recently in a thrift store. Dreamy, alluring, and skillfully composed, these shots offer few clues about their history. They ling with you long after you've left that page, as you ponder who these ladies were and where these images took place.





♥ Picture Happy Times: And speaking of great yesteryear images, I recently discovered this thoroughly lovely European blog that is chalked full of sweet, timeless vintage photos of real world people. This is a subject that has always been very near and dear to my own heart, so I simply had to share it with you. Plus the photos, and their accompanying write-ups, featured on it remind me a lot of the kind like to include in my ongoing Saturday Snapshots post series.


♥ Embracing the joys of "as is" vintage: As some who rarely has qualms with - and sometimes even intentionally seeks out (bargain lover that I am!) - yesteryear fashions that might be in slightly imperfect shape, this lovely post on the subject from vintage blogging newcomer Holly of Vintage Voluptuous really hit a relatable chord with me.


♥ 16 "spiffy" words college students used to say back in 1916: I have always been deeply fascinated by the English language, very much including the fact that it - like most languages - is constantly evolving and changing. Words that were as commonplace as bread and butter in one decade, may have all but gone the way of the dinosaur just a few years later. This enjoyable NPR piece takes a look at sixteen words/terms that were hot in the late Edwardian era. It's fascinating to see which ones are still used (at least in their 1910s context) nowadays and which have all but vanished from our current 21st century lexicon.




♥ My top twenty reproduction vintage shops: Stylish British vintage lifestyle blogger Catherine from Vintage Frills has gathered up and kindly shared twenty of her very favourite vintage reproduction shops with all of us. How many of her terrific selections make the cut for you, too?


♥ 5 things I would have told my younger blogger self: Yes to the whole concept behind this spot on post. We grow and change as people and bloggers alike and sometimes it's helpful to think about what we would have advised our earlier blogging selves to do if we could go back in time, as this recent Queen of Jetlags entry absolutely nails.


♥ DIY Lace Collar: One viewing of this wonderfully easy to follow how-to post from the blog Mr. Kate and you'll never look at a basic crochet or lace doily the same way again.

 

{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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If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, chances are you know how madly, completely, giddily in love with autumn I am. It marries warm and chilly, light and dark, beginnings and ends. It gives us a magnificent bounty from the field, gorgeous harvest moons, a day of Thanks and feasting, the awesomeness that is Halloween, sweater weather, amazing golden light and countless other things that are intrinsically tied with this beautiful chapter of the year.

Though I will wholeheartedly miss summer - especially since this one was quite different for me and how it played out out in respect to Tony being away - I make no bones about my excitement to see autumn roll into town - a trail of crunchy amber, garnet and rust hued leaves in its wake - before the coming month wraps up.

As usual, you can bank on a slew of seasonal and holiday related posts and outfits here this autumn from September straight onto December. It's impossible for me to contain my passion for the third installment of the year and I wouldn't dream of doing so. No other season speaks to my soul so deeply - nor is so chalked full of fun for me.

{A huge yes to every last marvelous autumnal element of this stylish fashion filled photo from 1958. Vintage image source.}

Whether you're loath to wave buh-bye to summer or can't wait for pumpkin spice lattes, All Hallows' Eve decor, and thick tights to return again, I hope that these final weeks of our current season find you all doing well.

Should you also happen to also be counting down the days until fall returns, what, my dears, are you most looking forward to this time around?

Introducing a new video series: Vintage Fashion 101 (which kicks off with a look at snoods)

Ever since returning to YouTube last month, my mind has been teaming with ideas for possible videos there, which I must say, I truly love and appreciate, because when I first tiptoed onto the YouTube stage in the summer of 2014, it was often crickets and tumbleweeds on the “what video topic to cover” front.

I'm sure, as with most creative endeavors, there will be further periods of feast and famine there as time goes on, but thankfully, again, at the moment, the well is not running dry and one of my favourites that I've struck upon as of late is is that of a Vintage Fashion 101 series of videos.

When it comes to the trifecta of beauty/makeup, hair, and fashion, the latter is my strongest suit and the one that I'm best able to readily create videos about.

Due to a couple of my conditions, my hands/arms shake when I hold them up for very long and I'm not a super great expert on fancy makeup how-tos, so that one isn't an area of videos that I'll likely make many on. Plus I wear a wig all the time, so between that and the whole shaky arms situation, hairstyling techniques, are not a topic I'll probably make a ton of videos on, but I can talk about and show examples pertaining to vintage fashion until the cows come home!

Not to contradict what I just said, as they are something of a hair accessory, but I decided to kick of this fun new video series with an in-depth, fun filled look at snoods. Those classic, comfy, stylish (usually) netted crocheted or knitted hair coverings that had a major moment during the mid-twentieth century.

In this video, I talk about the history of snoods, provide snood styling ideas and tips, talk about how to prevent your hair from sticking out of the holes in a snood, discuss some of the best places to source snoods from, and share examples of snoods from my own personal collection.

{Snoods are one of my absolute favourite vintage accessories and I wear them quite frequently both in outfit posts, as avid readers of my blog will know, and in my daily life, so I thought they'd make for a great topic to launch my exciting new Vintage Fashion 101 YouTube video series off on.}

Generally speaking, especially when I own examples of the garments or accessories that I'll be talking about in my videos, this is the sort of format that I suspect my Vintage Fashion 101 videos will take.

I adore hearing about what you guys like to see on my channel, so if there are wardrobe related topics that you'd like me to cover in my Vintage Fashion 101 video series, please let me know in the comment section here, on YouTube, or really, anywhere you can reach me. 

You guys, I am really jazzed about this fun new YouTube series (which will likely be randomly occurring, as inspiration or a suggestion to create a new one strikes), especially since it lets me talk about an area that, humbly, I tend to know a great deal about (vintage fashion).

I hope that you all enjoy watching these delightful looks at a different vintage wardrobe area and creative, helpful ways to style that particular garment or accessory.

Alice's Pig (Gorgeous!) Coco's Crescent Dress Review

Outfit details

Carnation pink snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
White plastic rose earrings: Claire's
Navy blue shrug: Sears
Coco's Crescent dress c/o Alice's Pig
Vintage gold flower brooch: Unknown (had for years)
Orange faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Gold tone metal bangles: Payless
1950s orange sheer gloves: (Probably) eBay
1950s/1960s pink handbag: Unknown (had for years)
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Navy blue patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Even if you're a a huge Lewis Carroll fan, you might not instantly get the reference in the company Alice's Pig's name, but once you learn that it stems from none other than that most beloved of childhood tales, Alice in Wonderful, the moniker suddenly snaps into place and suits this (relatively) new fashion brand delightfully well.

Based out of Brixton, South London in the United Kingdom, Alice's Pig is a 21st century women’s clothing line that looks to the past for much for its inspiration, while also keeping an eye on the trends of today’s world.

It was launched two years ago in May of 2013, and while it is not a vintage reproduction company, nor, would I say, one that strictly aims to replicate styles from decades past, a lot of their pieces do certainly have distinct notes of yesteryear style and are apt to instantly appeal to vintage wearing ladies the world over, very much including yours truly!

That's why when I contacted by the lovely brother and sister team of Amanda and Nicolai who created Alice's Pig, I jumped at the chance to collaborate with this exciting brand. From their dynamic website that presents the brand's offerings in a fresh, fun, interactive way to the fact that they offer free global shipping, to the old school influenced products themselves, there is a lot to appreciate and adore about this brand and their thriving online shop.

If you're wondering about the name, besides the reference to Alice and Wonderful, Amanda and Nico opted for this reference, in their own words, because, "The brand image comes from our love for Alice in Wonderland, where crazy is normal. The name is a reminder that colliding styles and cultures can produce something interesting and that there can be beauty and surprise in anything; even in a pig."

While Alice Pig's inventory is not mammoth at present, it is well curated and highly appealing, and I won't lie, I spent the better part of day debating which of their beautiful, stylish, and very wearable looking items to select as as wonderfully nice complimentary review gift (thank you so much for it, Nico and Amanda).

With pieces that the duo defines as a "modern, urban take on vintage style", I was intrigued and tempted by a number of their offerings (some of which, it should be noted, take their inspiration keys from later 20th century decades, whereas others look back further to the 1940s - 60s for elements of their sartorial DNA), but ultimately opted for the gorgeous Coco's Crescent dress.

From the elegant floral and bird pattern (which, when my mom saw it, on the day that these photos were taken, she swooned over every bit as much as I did!) to the fact this dress is lined, to the seriously cool element that is the built short-sleeve bolero that can be removed, if so desired (it attaches with the row of buttons across the upper chest area of the dress), to the classic silhouette, I was thoroughly hooked (ooohh, and don't even get me started on the tremendously pretty "tail feather" style panels on the back, that lend this piece such a joyful sense of movement with each step - plus, it has pockets on the front!!!).

The dress arrived in a flash, was securely and attractively packaged, and was even lovelier, to my eyes, in person than it appeared on Alice's Pig's website. We've been getting a lot of rain here in recent weeks and so finding suitable days, or even dry hours, for photos, on those days when we're out and about has been tricky at times. Thankfully though, a recent weekend jaunt north of Penticton to the absolutely charming town of Peachland (that has to be one of the best names ever for a town!), provided a few rain-free, if still overcast, moments for a shoot featuring this sophisticated floral print frock.

I have to say, as someone who has a closet does a very good job of emulating a lush garden, I'm no stranger to pretty florals, but this one really blew me away. Not only is it stunning, but its colour palette is fresh, fun, and very wearable, especially since it offers one a wide range of hues to pick and pull from when it comes to styling the rest of your ensemble.

The quality of the fabric here (100% polyester for the body of the dress and 100% cotton for the lining) is lightweight, breathable, comfy, and nice quality. The colours of the design are even, crisp, and delightfully vibrant. This is really a great dress and just the kind of thing I'd reach for if I had a wedding, garden party, tea party (fittingly, given the brand's nod to all things Alice in Wonderland :) ), baby shower, gallery event, or cocktail shindig to attend in the near future.

Interestingly, much like this Voodoo Vixen dress that I reviewed here last summer, this tremendously lovely frock from Alice's Pig is devoid of any black or white in its design, which can potentially make styling such a garment a little bit tricky. Luckily the generous colour palette of the flower and bird design paired with the standout navy blue buttons (interestingly navy blue does not actually appear in the pattern of the dress itself, but it certainly compliments the colours of it and the combo is nothing short of striking!) eliminated that potential hurdle and gave me a lot to work with on that front.

Looking at this dress, one could easily see it being styled in a 1940s, 1950s, or 1960s direction, just depending on what other accessories, as well as your hair and makeup styles, you opted for. I was in a 40s mood that day, so I teamed it with a carnation pink snood, white plastic rose earrings, cropped knit shrug, vintage sheer orange gloves (which I love to bits!), orange skinny belt, vintage gold tone floral brooch, pink 1950s - 60s faux reptile skin handbag, gold tone bangle bracelets, classic navy blue patent pumps.

That is, I'm the first to admit, a lot of colour, but thanks to the bold beauty of the dress' pattern itself, I think it came together and worked really well. I definitely have ideas for how I'm going to style this dress the next time I wear it, and plan to pull from the both the green and the gray in the floral design.

One thing that surprised me about this dress, especially because I had selected it part because of the hemline that was shown online, is that it is a lot shorter than I expected it to be. I'm barely 5'2" and have a 28" inseam, so my legs are not exactly giving any supermodels a run for their money in the slightest. I had expected this dress to hit me at more of a mid-calf point, but as it is, it barely skims my knees. I'm very thankful that it does though, because I virtually never wear dresses, skirts or cropped pants that don't clear my knees, due to reasons of personal modesty that are very important to me.

To their credit though, Alice's Pig does list the length of their garments online, but I guess because in the photos, illustration, and video, it looked a bit longer (and it was listed as being 112.5 cm/44.2 inches long in the size that I selected), I was still surprised that it was so short on me. No worries though. This somewhat shorter length works great for the roasty-toasty days of summer, and I just wanted to point out this fact, in case you are thinking of purchasing this beautiful Coco's Crescent dress yourself and were curious as to where it might hit on you.

Objectively and without a speck of bias because this was a review product (you'll never get a biased review from me, doing so would go against my own integrity to no end), I love this dress. I would have no qualms paying its £66.00 price tag, especially if I was intentionally buying it for a special occasion like the ones I touched on above, and I say that as someone whose modest personal budget making purchasing items from the UK quite the rare and special occasion. The fact that Alice's Pig offers free worldwide shipping, would seal the deal for me all the more.

I really enjoyed wearing this lovely dress, as it suits spring and summer sublimely, and getting a chance to review one of a new-to-me brand's offerings here for all you. If you haven't checked out Alice's Pig's fun website and offerings yet, I highly encourage you to do so.

And if you're interested in adding some of Alice's Pig's truly delightful fashions to your own wardrobe, the fine folks there have very kindly provided me with an exclusive discount code for Chronically Vintage's readers. Please use Alicespig10 at checkout, to save 10% off on all purchases between now and June 8, 2015.

Thank you again to Alice Pig for this gorgeous, vintage influenced floral print dress. I adore it to bits and felt like my frock had been painted by a talented artist, as the florals are off-the-charts gorgeous and the whole piece is a vision of loveliness.

HRF is giving away a custom snood from Arthelia's Attic

Like many who follow a large number of blogs, I often encounter - and frequently enter - posts for giveaways, but it's not everyday that I spot one that seems so serendipitously well timed.

You see, as of late, I've had snoods on the brain big time! I've been finding that one of the best ways to help my wig look less wig-ish (which to be fair, this one honestly doesn't to begin with, but this is handy advice in general, so I really wanted to share it) is to use hair accessories.

Nearly every day that I've worn my wig so far, I've partnered it with a hair accessory and/or hat of some kind. Barrettes and hair flowers have been the most common to date, but right around the new year, I started to get a mad hankering to sport my snoods. I have a few, but they're all made from inexpensive rayon and must not be colour fast, because I've had the dye on two of them run when they got wet (one wrecking a beloved white blouse when this occurred on a rainy summer day last year), so I very rarely wear them (and honestly, may repurpose them as craft supplies one day after I've got some better snoods).

I adore the classic look of snoods however, which, for us vintage gals, channels instant thoughts of the 1940s first and foremost and really want to get into wearing them, especially after seeing how incredible fellow vintage fashionistas like Laurence look in their stylish examples of this timeless hair accessory.

Now that I'm sporting a wig fulltime, interestingly enough, it works out even better for me to wear snoods because I have more hair to fill them with (before, even when my hair was fully curled, it often didn't look very voluminous inside of a snood).

After an evening spent hunting for snoods on eBay, etsy and elsewhere, and finding a a few potentially good sources, I asked on Facebook for some recommendations for snoods and Laurence replied with a recommendation for etsy seller Arthelia's Attic.




{Arthelia's Attic offers high quality handmade snoods (made using a pattern from 1942) in an array of beautiful colours. Amongst which the lovely navy blue pictured above is definitely one of my favourites.}



I'd learned of this seller some time ago and just rediscovered them that day myself, so it seemed to be a really good sign that they were the first snood seller recommended to me. I'm budgeting and watching my spending exceedingly carefully at the moment, so tempted as I've been, I haven't bought a snood from Arthelia's Attic or anyone else so far (but, boy, am I itching to do so!).

You can imagine my delight then when, earlier this week, I saw that the the blog Haute Rockabilly Fashion was offering readers a chance to win a custom Arthelia's Attic Snood. I just about jumped out my seat with excitement when I discovered that and couldn't enter fast enough. I know that many of you are big time snood enthusiasts, too, so if you'd like to enter, all you have to do is post about the giveaway on your blog on, or before, January 14th; follow HRF, and leave a comment on the giveaway post letting her know that you entered.

I'm smitten with the snoods from Arthelia's Attic and am keeping my fingers, toes and curls crossed that I maybe, just maybe, the snood gods will smile on me and I'll end up being the winner of one of Arthelia's gorgeous offerings (I can just imagine how cute they'd look with my wig!).

Found: a rainbow of snoods for just $5 each

✯ Day 219 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's summer, you're feeling so hot you wouldn't surprised if eggs could fry on your forehead, and anything that can possibly shave a few degrees off seems like a godsend. Enter the snood.

I know, I know, I see your right eyebrow darting upwards, but hear me out. As gal whose had medium or long hair pretty much all her life, I know firsthand the notable difference in temperature one can feel when their hair is worn up out of their face and not matted to their shoulders.

I love (pin) curled locks cascading down my back as much as the next gal, but sometimes you want a hairstyle that's clearly vintage, yet is able to be put together quickly and that allows your hair to be worn up, and that is precisely where the snood comes in.

Snoods are unique in many ways. They're both practical (women who went off to work in the factories of WW2 commonly sported snoods), yet can be surprisingly elegant, too.

You can wear your hair as fancily or plainly in the front as you like (I like a small victory roll or two nestled against the top edge of the snood; curled bangs are another favourite), and sweep the rest (whether you have a few inches or your hair grazes your belt) up into the snood, where it will be kept neat and tidy, resting against the base of your neck.

If you're a fan of snoods, too, then you'll jump for joy over the bevy of lovely snoods I spotted recently over at vintage reproduction seller Red Dress Shoppe.

These wonderful, very vintage inspired snoods are available in a delightful range of 18 different hues (six of which can be seen in the image below), meaning you can find one to go with just about any garment in your wardrobe.

 

Retailing at the very reasonable rate of $5.00 (US) each, these crochet snoods are also easy on the pocketbook. If you're new to wearing snoods, I suggest you pick up a couple in more neutral hues like black and white or grey, and see how you like the look of them paired with your favourite 1940s and 50 outfits.

If you enjoy sporting a snood, especially during these sweltering days of summer when you want a lovely vintage updo that gets your hair out of your face, then branch out and add more colours to your snood collection.

Snoods are a lot of fun, quick to attach (a few bobby pins or hair clips should do the trick), add instant old school charm to any ensemble, and are an affordable fashion accessory that, in my opinion, will never lose its feminine elegance, classic beauty or practical handiness as way of corralling and chicly styling your hair.