Fabulous vintage inspired Jantzen Heritage Collection swimsuits

Perhaps it’s because if the pounding rain out there keeps up, we may soon find it easier to swim around town, or maybe it’s because I’ve been housebound most days for quite a stretch now, either way, my thoughts this grey afternoon have turned to all manner of warm, delightful summer activities.

Undeniably one of the most enjoyable things to do once the temperature starts to skyrocket, is make a quick beeline to the nearest body of water (be it a lake, ocean, river, or outdoor pool) as a means of at least trying to stay cool. Though it’s been a fair number of years since I last had the pleasure of gracing a shoreline (or pool’s edge), I still enjoy the fun of admiring beautiful bathing suits, which I then often daydream about wearing to some far-flung tropical destination (or, failing that, either one of the two lakes in my hometown out in B.C.).

Recently I got wind of the fact that famed swimwear brand Jantzen is celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, an event that’s been marked by the release of several swimsuits modelled after patterns that were used by the company in decades past. This charming homage to the past translates into several absolutely smashing bathing suit designs, all of which are meant to capture the spirit of the early to mid twentieth century.

Dubbed the Heritage Collection, these new suits do a wonderful job of conjuring up thoughts of yesteryear bathing beauties thanks to their classic, feminine lines and flirty details.

Jantzen is one of the most iconic names in swimwear. Their styles once graced many a fashion magazine’s pages (both as part of spreads and via ads) as well as the bodies of countless real world women, too. To this day many who appreciate the elegance and beauty of a well made, stylish bathing costume remain loyal Jantzen fans – and as the Heritage Collection shows, it’s clear to see why.

Below are some of the stylish suits in this striking collection – any one of which most of us would love to sport come the dog days of summer (or while on vacation to some marvellously sun-kissed destination any time of the year).



{This darling emerald green one-piece conjures up thoughts of glamorous Hollywood starlets and stylish women of yesteryear sunning themselves around the pool, a cold drink never far from sight. Vamp Maillot bathing suit, $98.00 US.}



{For those who dare to bear nearly all, this playful and alluring two piece is sure to set hearts aflutter when you stroll past looking gorgeous as the summer is hot! 1930-1940 Bandeau Top and Skirted Bottom bikini set, $146.00 US.}



{Sleek and evocative of how women’s fashions in the distant future were sometimes viewed during the fifties, this shirred gunmetal hued suit features a removable halter neck strap and a ruffle bedecked neckline, both of which add to the enticing vixen appeal of this shimmery number. 1950-1960 Maillot swimsuit, $120.00 US.}



{Bright and blissful as the most azure of seas, this classically tailored bathing suit would look excellent on an array of figure types, skin tones, and alongside hair colours of nearly every shade. Pleated Solids Maillot swimdress, $106.00 US.}


These lovely Jantzen suits fall into what I consider to be the midway price range for swimwear these days. While their prices are not exactly bargain basement, they’re also not steep enough to cause complete sticker stock either. And with a month or two to go until summer really swings into high gear (well, in some parts of the world at least – including, by the look of things at the moment, Toronto!), it means that if any of these bathing suits is really beckoning you, you still have a bit of time to save up it.

While I found the examples above on Dilliards.com (which seems to have most styles in various ladies sizes), I’ve also spotted Jantzen swimwear on sites such as swimoutlet.com and Overstock.com, and am now curious is any of the larger departments stores (or swimwear specialty shops) are stocking them up here in Canada.

Though I’ve never worn a Jantzen myself, when my mind starts to wander to those summery daydreams in which I’m nestled up on a pearl hued beach, a warm breeze rustling through my hair, it’s suits in styles like these that I envision myself in. Are these gorgeous vintage inspired bathing suits also the sort that you can easily imagine yourself wearing?

From one lover of vintage style to another, happy anniversary, Jantzen, here’s to your next hundred years!

Blue Velvet Vintage is holding a blowout sale!

It’s not every day that an email arrives in your inbox informing you that an online vintage fashion site is holding a big sale on some of their merchandise. So when I received such a message from Blue Velvet Vintage, I instantly knew I needed to share it with all of you!

BVV is a treasure trove of both fantastic vintage pieces and modern vintage inspired re-creation items (from such brands as Bettie Page Clothing and Trashy Diva). Their site offers up a wide selection of everything from evening gowns to day dresses, swimwear to coats, all of which usually retails for reasonable prices, making the 20 to 50% off deals on their clearance page all the more enjoyable for your pocketbook. (Do note that not all of BVV’s merchandise is on sale at the moment, just the items in the clearance section.)

When I go for an online vintage window shopping trip, BVV is often amongst my stops. I haven’t actually bought from this shop before, but I wouldn’t hesitate to if I had the means to do so. Their site is charmingly pretty, easy as pie to navigate, and continually stocked with a fantastic roster of very covetable vintage pieces.

If I was going to spoil myself this very moment with some of BVV’s sale items, the following pieces would certainly be the type I’d aim to add to my closet! :)



{1940s pink formal gown with peplum, fits a 26” waist/34”bust; $37.99.}



{Navy blue and white Bettie Page Clothing “Captain Flare” dress with full skirt, currently available on in size XL; $105.00.}



{Black silk 1950s cocktail dress with velvet collar, fits a 29” waist/38” bust; $19.99.}



{Red and white 1960s hibiscus print sarong dress, fits a 26” waist/35” bust; $104.30.}



{Black lace over bronze hued taffeta 1950s party dress, fits a 28” waist/36” bust; $34.99.}



{Light blue 1950s lace party dress with peplum, fits a 27” waist/37” bust; $94.50.}



{Pink and black rose floral print 1950s swing dress with shawl collar, fits a 31” waist/40” bust; $93.00.}

{Please note all prices are in US dollars and reflect the current sale price.}


I believe that BVV ships internationally, which means that vintage fashion loves from around the globe can hope on board for this sale. Plus, as a further bonus, if you subscribe to Blue Velvet Vintage’s mailing list newsletter, you can use the coupon code “Blowout” upon checkout to receive an addition 10% off all sale items until September 19th.

If you happen to pick anything up for yourself from this sale, I’d love to hear about it. Happy shopping to all!

Pretty Link Roundup {September 6, 2009}

Sunday greetings, my lovely dears! I hope that the (long) weekend is being especially kind to each of you. On this end summer is holding on for all its worth, sun glittering against an almost pastel blue sky, the fan still very much in operation.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has so kindly wished me well this past week. To be honest I’m still quite under the weather – 'tis the nature of contending with chronic illnesses. Yet – and I mean this with the utmost sincerity – each one of your touchingly sweet comments really do lift my spirits. You are all an amazing group of blogging friends, and I am very grateful for the vintage loving camaraderie we share.

A diverse array of sites composes the roundup today, from what may be one of the season’s last posts on the topic of vintage bathing suits to a look at the once highly popular snood, tons of great posts have been popping up on the vintage front recently that I couldn’t wait to share with you all!


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* Gourmet’s Favourite Cookies 1940s: Join the wonderful folks over at Gourmet magazine as they bake their way through popular cookies from the past seven decades, in series of post featuring a different cookie recipe (complete with photos of every cookie featured) from 1940 right through to last year.


* Vintage Fashion Forward: “Oh Julia”: Also on the subject of culinary related vintage topics comes this post from Vintage Indie highlighting pieces that can help you achieve a similar wardrobe style to that of Julia Child.


* Turbans: A headwear mainstay for women during much of the mid-twentieth century, turban style hats and head scarves were both fashionable and often functional for those (such as women working in WW2 era factories) who needed to keep their hair under wraps – literally! Check out the numerous examples of turban styles in Greetz from Tiz’s picture filled post on the subject.


* Make-up guide: how to re-create a forties look: The immensely lovely Amanda Newsum (Jitterbug Doll) teams up with Queens of Vintage in this post, to bring you helpful tips on how to achieve an authentic 1940s make-up look of your own (including recommendations for her favourite products and brands to use).


* Vintage inspiration: Anne Miller: Diana features the immortally beautiful Anne Miller in this post, bustling with photos and video clips, about an actress who continually provides her with vintage inspiration.


* An Interview With Vintage Swimwear Collector Pam Fierro: Collectors Weekly interviews vintage swimwear collector and expert Pam Fierro (of Glamour Surf), who talks passionately about her love of old school bathing suits and the history behind twentieth century swimwear in general.


* Q&A with Vintage Fashion Historian Heather Vaughan: Another must-read interview that I’ve recently come across is this piece from Debutante Clothing. They sat down with a very knowledgeable fashion historian (Heather Vaughn), who discusses not only about her interest in period and vintage clothes but also about what a fashion historian’s job really entails.


* In the booth: If you haven’t chanced upon this site yet, you’re in for a huge treat! Laden with vintage snapshots (of everyday folks – much along the lines as those featured in my weekly Saturday Snapshots post) that are presented in a photo booth inspired style, it is truly worth devoting a few minutes (or hours!) to.


* Only Bad Witches Are Ugly: Being one of the biggest Halloween fans (and thus a fan of almost anything relating to spooky topics) to ever walk the face of the earth, I just about squealed with delight with I read this recent photo filled post from Miss Matilda about the Wicked Witch of the West (from The Wizard of Oz).


* Snoods: If you’ve ever wanted to whip up your own snood – a once commonplace and often very lovely hair accessory – be sure to swing by The Vintage Style Files for instructions on how to crochet one.

* Allee Willis launches kitsch museum: I was recently contacted by someone on behalf of famed kitsch collector, pop culture artist and songwriter Allee Willis, who informed me that if you happen to be the LA area starting on September 14th you can check out exhibits devoted to all manner of retro and kitsch items at the Ghettogloss art gallery on Melrose Avenue. For more information, please follow the link at the start of this entry.

* Who’s the cutest in the animal kingdom?: While the general theme of this weekly post does usually centre around all things vintage, every once in a while a “nonvintage” link comes along that is simply to wonderful for one reason or another not to share with you all. Case in point, this New York Daily News piece crammed full of incredibly, fantastically adorable photos of all manner of baby animals (warning: cute overload!).

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This week I would like to present the Your Blog is an Inspiration award to A Red Lipstick. Insightful, elegant and endearing, there is a gentle, reflective – even sagely - nature to this wonderful blogger that draws me into her beautiful site and holds me captivated.

Thank you ARL, for the personal stories (such as when you spoke of the wardrobe pieces that you had acquired from your grandmother) and streamlined, wonderfully presented vintage fashion posts you share with the world. Your Please accept this award – and feel free to pass it along to whomever you fancy, if you’d like – with my heartfelt thanks for the continual inspiration and serenity your excellent blog provides me with.

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Though the various fashion styles of the 1950s are very familiar to most of us, it’s still fun to see them presented on mainstream TV such as in this CBS video clip from The Early Show with Julie Chen, which highlight outfits for both guys and gals. I particularly like the navy blue polka dot dress that the first model sports, which look is your favourite?

{A Look Back At 1950s Style}



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From somewhere in the neighbourhood, as I type this, I can smell the intoxicating scent of food cooking on a barbeque – a luxury which the stringent (no bbqs on the balcony) rules of my apartment forbid me from being able to take part in, too. However, I don’t mind that much, just being able to enjoy that familiar smell on the long last weekend of the summer makes me smile, and calls to mind so many pleasant memories of childhood summers, barbeques and the bitter-sweetness that came with the very last weekend before a new school year commenced (in general I was a big fan of school, but really who in their right mind doesn’t love summer vacation? ;D).


{From the car’s tailfins to the plaid patterned beverage cooler, everything about this page from a vintage barbecue cookbook is pure fifties goodness, and definitely makes me yearn for a cookout picnic. Image via Eudaemonius on Flick.}


What are you each up on this lovely Sunday? Has autumn rolled into town or are you still feeling the toasty warmth of summer?

However you spend today, I hope that you have a marvelous Sunday – and wish all those who are observing it, a fantastic Labour Day tomorrow!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

A mix of glistening and hazy sunshine beats through heavy burgundy curtains – try as they may to guard out the light – flooding the living room in sweltering heat. 34° outdoors (with a “feels like temp” of 40° according to the Weather Channel), a whopping 37° in the house says the trusty thermostat. Paired with the perpetual humidity that follows Toronto summers around like a shadow, things are, as you can imagine, rather toasty at the moment!

I’ve begun work on my usual Monday Muses post, but it may end up getting posted tomorrow or some other time, as the mind tends to turn to mush (so to speak) a bit in these sorts of temps when you don’t have central AC. In the meantime however I thought I’d share a true-blue 1950s summer beach image that seems like the waterfront version of a white picket fence suburban family snapshot, in the cutest sort of old school way!


{Vintage postcard of a Miami beach in the fifties via StevenM_61’s Flickr stream.}

If you’re similarly melting under the sun’s relentless force, come along with me on an imaginary vacation to the sea as we try and escape summer’s wrath for at least one breezy, serene afternoon.

Wishing you each a cool, beautiful Monday - and plenty of freezing cold drinks and frozen treats, if such a day is not possible!

Take a spin in a turquoise world {Monday Muses, June 22, 2009}

In one of the bedrooms I lived in as a child the walls were covered in the prettiest pale turquoise wallpaper that featured tiny – almost Liberty print style – peach and soft buttercup yellow flowers. This visual influence paired with my love from a very early age of 1957 Chevie Bel Air cars in glossy, vibrant turquoise, no doubt helps to explain my lifelong adoration of this soothing, gentle colour.

Though the mere mention of the word turquoise often conjures up thoughts of mid-century kitchens, appliances and vehicles, the use of this hue – and the mineral based gemstone from which the colour takes its name – stretches back thousands of years. Ancient as an appreciation for turquoise is however, there’s no denying the fact that its modern heyday certainly came about in the 1950s, as pastel, salt water taffy inspired hues began to permeate home decor, kitchenware, furniture, and the fashion world.


{Often paired with soft pink, yellow or peach, or alternatively as in the fabulous kitchen above, black and white, turquoise became a very popular colour for kitchens, appliances and home decor in general during the fifties. Image from Saltycotton’s Flickr stream.}

Be it in the form of jewelry, clothing, household goods, fabric, paint, cars or just about anything else, I always feel myself drawn to turquoise. It generally works well with my fair complexion and green eyes, I feel happy when I slip into – or adorn myself with – something in this lovely shade of sky blue meets soft green.

Perfectly suited to the cheerfully effervescent nature of June, turquoise looks smashing on almost any complexion and can be woven into the decor of most any home. Vintage items sporting the colour turquoise abound and are most certainly worth keeping an eye out for as you hit the flea market, yard sale and thrift shop circuit this summer.


{This 1959 luggage ad clearly shows that turquoise was in vogue during the later part of the decade. Though the model in this photo looks undeniably sophisticated, I wonder if it would be as effortlessly simple to pull off a full-length turquoise fur coat these days? Vintage scan via sugarpie honeybunch’s Flickr stream.}

Inspired by the following collage of turquoise themed Flickr images that I’ve favourited over time, I have decided that this calming, aqua hue – which calls to mind everything from outdoor New Mexico markets to shimmering swimming pools – is my Monday Muse this week. I know that many of my fellow vintage lovers are also diehard turquoise fans, so I’ve gathered up some stellar wardrobe pieces in this chipper, joyful colour, which I hope you’ll love as much as I do!


1. car, 2. Jewel Redux, 3. Vogue June 1959, 4. MInted Rose Locket, 5. DSCF2083-3, 6. Tiara ~ Crown Swap, 7. Turquoise butterprint Pyrex mixing bowl, 8. retro 1950's wall clock, 9. c o l o r • m e • n o s t a l g i c, 10. 1950s Turquoise Royal Typewriter, 11. Vintage tin tray by Daher (made in England), 12. Vintage Peach & Aqua Printed Tablecloth, 13. aqua rose dress {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

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{Equal parts adorable and sultry, this gorgeous turquoise and white dress looks like it would definitely hug you in all the right places! $139US from Pinup Girl Clothing.}



{Don’t you just love this vintage 1950s, rose print full skirt? Its combo of white, black and turquoise reminds me of the kitchen in the advertisement above, and I think, would go beautifully with everything from brown cardigans to red high heels. $45US from Blue Velvet Vintage.}


{Truly worthy of a red carpet event, this incredibly pretty, pale aqua/turquoise 1950s dress with matching bolero was turn heads anywhere you went! $185US from Vintageous.}



{One look at this adorable, vibrant halter neck vintage inspired swimsuit and I want to run to nearest pool and dive in! $98(US) from Babygirl Boutique.}



{From the full skirt to the button front to the v-neck lapel, I absolutely adore everything about this Trashy Diva vintage reproduction frock! $114.99US from Blue Velvet vintage.}



{Are you an admirer of turquoise but don’t want to dress head-to-toe in it? Opt instead for colourful accessories like this pretty rose and baby’s breath hair flower. $12(US) from Pinup Girl Clothing.}



{Though this stunning floral print, halter neck dress is one hot number, I get the feeling that it’s breezy neckline and shorter skirt length would do an awesome job of keeping you cool all summer long! $47.99 from Mod Cloth.}



{No roundup of turquoise fashion would be complete without at least piece of jewelry featuring this revitalizing colour. This versatile and comfortable looking stretch bracelet from the 1950s would look amazing with everything from a white blouse to blue jeans to a black evening dress. £8.00 (UK pounds) from Ji Ji Kiki (note this site offers free shipping worldwide on orders over £30).}



{Luxurious and elegant, but still playful fun, this gorgeous satin sarong dress is pretty enough to wear to a beach wedding – whether as a guest or the bride :) $130.00(US) from Pinup Girl Clothing.}



Turquoise is a beautiful, timeless colour that can add a wonderful dose of fifties style to your home or wardrobe. I personally love pairing it with hues like grey, brown, black, white, pale pink and dark red, and find that it’s one of the best colours to wear on days when you want to feel both energized and calm. Are you a turquoise fan too - and if so, what are some of your favourite ways to add this terrific colour to your world?