I found my dream 1950s fall dress (and have been wearing it all season long!)

Outfit details

1930s/40s wide brimmed red straw hat: Frugal Frocks in Armstrong, BC
C. 1940s black hat pin: From a different vintage hat
Black rhinestone encrusted earrings: (I think) Claire's
Black thin knit cropped cardigan: Fairweather
1950s red, orange and black plaid double breasted dress: Wiggle Room Vintage
Vintage style wired pumpkin bead brooch: Summer Blue Jewelry
Brown 1950s gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay)
1950s/1960s red handbag: I Love Vintage Stuff
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Yes siree, this fabulous fifties frock checks off so many boxes for me. It's plaid, one of my three favourite patterns of all-time. It's midi length (the most flattering hem length on me), it's double breasted (something that I utterly adore on fitted mid-century dresses), it's in great shape, and it boasts the most autumn perfect colour palette imaginable.

I'd be hunting for a dress in this colourway for age now and was elated to find one shortly before fall started this year from Etsy seller Wiggle Room Vintage. It fits me like a glove and still has its original matching belt to boot. To say that I'm a happy camper, would be a serious understatement!!!

From September straight on 'til these last days of November, I've been sporting this gorgeous 1950s plaid frock - it was even one of my Canadian Thanksgiving weekend wardrobe choices this time around. Indeed, with my dear American friends celebrating their own Thanksgiving this week, it seemed only fitting that this new dress of mine made an appearance here, before autumn complete vanishes from sight once again.

To keep the fall time theme going strong, I partnered this fabulously festive dress with a super cute mid-century style pumpkin wired bead brooch that I picked up last spring from Summer Blue Jewelry, whose offerings make me go completely week in the knees and which look the old school part marvelously.

Much like the dress itself, I'd yearned for a sparkly, 1940s/50s appropriate autumn themed brooch for years and was thrilled to find this one. I adore supporting artisans in our vintage community midst, own a few beautiful handmade pieces from Summer Blue now, and hope to add more to my jewelry box as time goes on.

I really wanted to keep the colours at work in this outfit cohesive and thus opted for a beloved red 1930s/40s wide brimmed hat, black earrings, a black cropped shrug/cardigan, red bag and shoes, and brown gloves (there are skinny golden-brown lines in the pattern of the plaid). It was windy (again) on the day we took these snaps in the nearby town of Osoyoos, but thankfully the sun was out and I didn't freeze without a coat here (something I won't be able to say, baring a fluke warm snap, as we head into winter next month).

This whole look makes me immensely happy and sums up my fall time style to a tree. It's fun, comfortable, feminine, and truly ideal for this season. I love this 1950s plaid dress to bits and look forward to continuing to wear it for many more autumns in the years ahead!

*PS* Absolutely joyful Thanksgiving wishes to all of my American friends and readers who are celebrating this terrific holiday tomorrow. 

*PSS* Things are going marvelously so far here in Vancouver and I really look forward to sharing some of the highlights of our travels once we're home again. 

Sporting a vintage rainbow in downtown Penticton (plus an important note about my summer)

Outfit details

Red crochet snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
Gold tone stud earrings: Either Payless or Claire's
Coral/orange cardigan: Thrifted
C. 1960s blue berry and gold tone metal brooch: Jardin Antiquesin Okanagan Falls
Mid-century vintage "rainbow" dress: Now So LA
Gold tone metal bangles: Payless
Vintage red plastic bangle: Thrifted
Blue cross body purse: eBay
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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In the last month or so, we have had numerous rainy days, many of which were accompanied by thunder and lightning storms, and which inevitably - and much to our viewing pleasure - resulted in tons of flat out stunning rainbows. In fact, at one point, Tony and I started sarcastically joking each time one popped up by saying, "Ooooh, how original Penticton, another rainbow!" :D Of course we were totally kidding and adored seeing all of these majestic meteorological phenomena added an incredible vibrancy to our skies.

Inspired by the plethora of 'bows, I felt that it was high time I shared one of my very favourite warm weather dresses with all of you, as its palette takes a serious cue from rainbows everywhere and also suits the sizzling hot season that we're heading into so nicely.

This is, there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it, a boldly hued frock and as such, it’s wise to keep accessory colours both in the same tonal range and to something of a minimum. One red and two gold bangles on my wrists, a cute c. 1960s berry brooch, a red snood, and a blue cross body/shoulder bag, plus red patent heels were it, save for my coral hued cardigan.

As a massive fan of celebrating the importance of colour in your wardrobe, this is a fun, cheerful outfit that embraces that concept head on, and while it might brighten the day big time, it would be  apt to feel rather out of place in the fall, winter, or early spring. It screams late spring or summer and is instantly reminiscent of not only a rainbow's symphony of hues, but of those found in the sort of glorious, heat baked sunrises and sets that usually only appear during this chapter of the year as well.

These snaps were taken right here in downtown Penticton on a small foot bridge that connects Ellis Street with the back of Main Street. As two of the oldest and most historically riches streets in the town, this is spot that always seems especially natural to me for a vintage outfit photo shoot (we've shot here once before, as you may recall from this 2013 outfit post), even if the wee bridge itself is quite modern.

As I'd touched on briefly in this post earlier in the month, Tony is going to the States for work this summer. In fact, he left yesterday and will be gone until the first week of September. That means it's just me and the adorable pets for the next few weeks and as such, this summer is going to be very different in some respects.

All though the prospect of Tony heading south for the summer came about relatively quickly, in a matter of just a few weeks during the second half of the spring, in that time, as much as my health would permit, we scrambled to get as many outfit photo shoots in as we could before he left.

While I may have posted a few more between June and September had Tony been here all summer like usual, over all we were still, fortunately, able to nab several and thus I'll be able to continue to share new vintage outfits with you all summer long (yippee!), even though my darling photographer will be over 1,500 kilometers away.

Without Tony home to help with certain aspects of daily life, and because I don't drive (though thankfully my parents do and can give me lifts sometimes for things like grocery shopping and doctors appointments; I'll use a taxi or public transportation for those when they're not able to), I know that his absence will have a deep impact not only on my heart (as in, I'll miss him dearly!), but significantly on the state of my health at times throughout the next 2.5 months, too.

I can only guess as to how big of an impact that will be and how it will play into my day-to-day life, including blogging and running my Etsy shop, but as always, I'll hope for the best, think positively, and do as much as I realistically can. Though this time apart will be a hard on both of us (prior to this, the longest we've ever been apart since tying the knot in 2004, was 8 or 9 days), thanks to the fact that summer passes at the speed of light no matter what, I bet it won't feel like long until we're back in each other's arms again.

In the meantime though, there will be lots keeping me busy this summer on top of work. From my birthday next month on the 10th to Peachfest in August, time spent with family and friends to hitting as many yard sales on foot as I possibly can, I know I'll be on my toes all summer long and I think that's a very good thing when one is missing the love of their life something fierce.

So, my dears, while this summer isn't likely to unfold quite how I'd envisioned earlier in the year, I have no doubt that it will still be plenty of fun, full of hard work, and perhaps, who knows, maybe even include another rainbow or two. If not, there's always this fab sunrise hued dress to keep me covered in that department! :)

Vintage peaches and cream and blueberries

Outfit details

Circa 1940s straw hat with flowers: an Etsy seller who has since closed their shop
Plastic peach rose earrings: Handmade by me
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Royal blue cardigan: Garage Clothing Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore

Vintage peach and blue plaid dress: Lovebirds Vintage

Mid-century vintage woven purse with bamboo handles: Yard sale find

1950s/1960s peach gloves: Probably either eBay or thrifted (had for years) 

Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay 

White pumps: Payless 

Lip colour: Made With Love from MAC

Photography by Tony Cangiano

 

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While the title of today's new vintage outfit post might sound like the beginning of a very delectable summer recipe (perhaps a cobbler, buckle, or shortcake – yum!), it in fact refers, as you may have guessed, to the colours in my outfit.

Peach is one of those hues that I love. A lot. But which does not always look the best on me, especially if it has yellow undertones. I need a true peach or one with pink/red undertones usually (which tends to push it into coral or salmon territory), unless the quantity of the colour being worn is modest and it's not not right beside my face in large doses.

This timelessly pretty vintage dress, which I recently purchased from fellow vintage blogger and Etsy shop owner Helen Mae Green's Etsy shop,Lovebirds Vintage, delivers just the right about of peach and is so, so, soooo darling for these fun days of mid-spring.

Another hue that I'm wild about, but don't necessarily wear as often as I'd like, even though it's kinder to me than peach, is royal blue. As such I loved that this outfit - sported at the gorgeous little creek right across the street from our house prior to running errands recently - combined both in hearty doses.

Now that we're finally done with winter, I'm all about spring's palette, straw accessories (like the vintage hat and purse here), light layers, the return of white shoes, and dresses like this that let you pull from their colour scheme while accessorizing, which given that I was in a peachy mood, I did here with my gloves, earrings, and pearl jewelry.

I love this dress! It's likely from the 1970s or 80s, but goodness does it look the mid-century part. Where it not for the presence of serged/overlocked stitching inside, it could pass for the real deal no problem. It's comfy as the day is long, well made, cheerful, and very cute, to boot. Helen had owned and worn it herself for a while, but felt that it didn't work quite as she would have liked for her, so she added it to her Etsy shop and I'm so very glad that she did, because I snapped it up in a heartbeat!

Plaid is perennial favourite of mine, no matter the season, and it's been a while since I last added a frock in this classic pattern to my closet, so I was excited about this lovely vintage offering all the more. I've worn it at least three times now since it arrived and know that it will see plenty of play throughout the these roasty-toasty months. It's so comfortable actually, that were I hopping on a plane or train somewhere, I'd have no qualms wearing it for a lengthy journey (no such plans at present, but it's great to have garments like this in your wardrobe that you can turn to if the need arises).

As you can see here, the sun is out again and I'm one seriously happy camper about that. In fact, knock wood, May has been going a lot better than April in many respects and I have a good feeling about the rest of the spring and summer. If it's as upbeat as the colours at work in this outfit, it stands to be a memorable and highly enjoyable one for sure. Fingers crossed! :)

Trying my luck with tartan

Outfit details
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
Black hair ribbon: saved from the packaging on something I bought
1940s/50s tartan dress: etsy seller Vanity
Dangle charm kilt pin: eBay
1940s/50s ruched mustard yellow gloves: eBay
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
1950s red belt: came with a different dress
Faux leather bow clutch: Bentley
Nude with black seamed stockings: eBay
T-strap suede peep-toe heels: Nine West
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Antonio Cangiano  










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When I think of tartan, aside from its obvious Scottish heritage, two things spring to mind first: a darling little tartan cross body bag I had when I was about five years old (complete with cute tassel), and secondly, the packaging on Scotch Tape. It is the latter that we'll soon be turning to as we wrap Christmas gifts this month, and so this dress seamed especially well suited to the approaching winter season.

No snow in sight on the day when these snapped were grabbed a bit earlier this fall however, in fact it was sunshine aplenty - carrying on the theme of beautiful days that we were often treated to this autumn.

This dress was one of those pieces that I feel in love with at first sight, yet was slightly cautious about, as I know from experience that certain necklines don't always work on me, and high set, close fitting round necks often fall into that category. Thus I kept it sitting in my etsy favourites for a while, looking at each photo and trying to decide if I wanted to take a gamble with the neckline.

I'm very glad that I did, because as it turns out, the eye-catching pattern, double breasted buttons, and slightly offset shape of the neck (it's a tad squared on one side) help, I feel to ensure that it does indeed work on my petite, curvy figure.

Though the seller listed this dress as being from the 1950s, and it could very well be, to me it simply screams 40s - in fact, I'd be so bold as to say you could even style it, convincingly, as a late 30s piece. In fact, I was so surprised by how "unfifties" it looked (save for the single hip pocket) when I wore it for the first time (in these shots), that I just knew I was going to take it in a fairly early 40s direction, with a bit of a nod to the 30s thanks to the classic black t-strap peep-toes.

Gloves (or at least long sleeves) are pretty much a must as fall winds down, and I was delighted to partner a cheerful mustard yellow vintage pair with this tartan patterned frock. I've had the clutch for a few years, but haven't used it that often, so I was glad to bring it out for some fresh air that day (ditto for the shoes).

A dress like this doesn't need a lot of jewelry competing for attention with the vivacious pattern, so a cute kilt pin (how could I resist with so much tartan going on?) and my beloved faux pearl stretch bracelets were all the (subtle) bling this look called for.

While out and about running errands with Tony on the day these photos were snapped, I received some very sweet compliments, was brazenly hit on (with Tony standing right there beside) me by an a guy who was probably about 35 years my senior, and told by a very nice middle aged woman working at Safeway that she "wished she could dress like that, too".

As I'm sure many of you do, I encounter similar comments from “vintage curious” folks quite often when out and about, and always try to encourage the person as best I can, that if they want to, then by all means they should give wearing vintage a spin.

Is there a degree of art and skill that goes into wearing vintage fashions, hair and make-up? Absolutely, but I fully believe that the ability to successfully do so is something that just about anyone with the desire to do so can master - and at any age, I should add.

My take is, if you want to dress a certain way, than - as many a Nike ad has proclaimed over the years - just do it. It's never too early or too late to embrace wearing vintage, and I can't help but hope that maybe some day one of the people who stop and say that they wish they could, will heed my encouragement and embark on their own journey into wearing vintage fashion.

Fashion, after all, is about having fun and taking risks, a bit like I did when I ordered this dress, not quite knowing for sure if it the neckline would work. It did, I love it, and am really happy that my little gamble paid - or should I say "plaid" - off!