Wearing My Ultimate Unicorn of a Vintage Novelty Print Skirt

Outfit details

1950s green hair scarf (it's more grass green in real life than the bright sun makes it look here): Probably thrifted
White faux pearl stud earrings: Probably Claire's or eBay
1950s confetti lucite and real maple leaf brooch: Either a gift or from eBay, if memory serves me right
Black off-the-shoulder boat neck shirt: Joe Fresh
C. 1980s - 90s Brown leather and faux reptile skin belt: Thrifted
Gorgeous 1950s style Canadian novelty print skirt: Handmade gift from an incredible friend ♥
Red lace trimmed crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
Plastic bangle bracelets: Forever 21 & assorted sources
Vintage wood bangle bracelets: Thrifted
1940s/50s style brown leather wedge sandals: Yard sale find
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Nail colour: Essie Red Nouveau


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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First and foremost I fully acknowledge that, yes, Squinty McSquinterton has returned again in full force and that she was accompanied by Weird Wind Face McGee this time around, too. Le sigh!!!

No matter though, this incredible 1950s style novelty print skirt had to be photographed while the temperature for single layered outfits was still accommodating and that trumped strong winds and harsh light. It could have been raining frogs on me that day and I would have still posted these photos! :)

For you see, in them I am wearing what is, really and truly, hands down my ultimate, dream, fantasy, holy grail of a novelty print skirt: one that entirely Canadian themed!!!

Ever since my teen years I have scoured countless shops online and off nearly obsessively for a vintage Canadian novelty print skirt from the 40s or 50s (assuming that such had even existed in the first place). I informed scores of vintage sellers I knew of my hunt and was willing to pay a premium to land such a skirt, but none was forthcoming.

A very dear online friend of mine, and fellow vintage novelty print lover, was aware of my search and had done her best to track one down for me as well (this lady has mad skills when it comes to sourcing elusive vintage items), but we both continued to come up empty handed.

Unlike myself, she is sewer - and a very talented one at that, may I add. Last year as incredible Christmas present, she knocked the socks clean off of me when she surprised me with the gift of the incredibly lovely, immensely mid-century vintage looking Canadian print novelty skirt that I am sporting in these photos.

Time was not on our side on the busy day when Tony and I quickly grabbed these shots up Carmi Mountain here in Penticton, so hence the harsh sunlight (aka, we couldn't shot earlier or later in the day, when it would have been kinder and more flattering), epic squinting and weird faces at work here, but again, I simply could not go any long without sharing this skirt with all of you. It is a dream come true for a proud, patriotic vintage loving canuck like myself and I simply had to shout about it from the highest rooftop - or in this case, Mountain peak! :)

I cannot begin to thank my treasured friend enough for the gift of this awesome Mountie on horseback, canoe, First Nations and Inuit, wood grain, evergreen tree, and dog sled print skirt. It is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my favourite novelty print garment I've ever owned and I still have a hard time (months after receiving it) wrapping my head around the fact that it is actually, really and truly, mine.

From the bottom of my heart, sweet friend, thank you for giving this vintage Canadian gal her unicorn 1950s garment. There are no words to adequately describe how much I love it! Please don't let my windswept face fool you, I was smiling up a storm, both on with my actual lips and in my heart as I posed for these photos atop that beautiful hill and let the dry, dusty green landscape highlight the phenomenal-ness of your amazing gift.

A summery watermelon skirt and a cute little snail

Outfit details

Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
White hair flower: Ardene
Red plastic rose stud earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Red ruched neckline t-shirt: Forever 21
Black thin knit shrug: Fairweather
Bangle bracelets: assorted sources (Forever 21, Claire's, thrifted, etc)
Green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
Vintage watermelon pocket a-line skirt: etsy seller Cricketcapers
Red and white stripped wedge sandals: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano
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Earlier this summer, on a very rainy day, Tony and I stopped by to visit my sister in Kelowna for a little while. We didn't know in advance that her boyfriend (the two live together) was quite ill, but when we found out we opted not to pop into their apartment (lest either or us should catch what he had), instead we visited with my sis for a few minutes in the very, very dimly lighted - but chicly decorated - lobby of her apartment.

 We'd hoped to get in a proper photo shoot that day, but the rain ruled that out in an outdoor environment and then when we didn't hang out in my sister's place, we lost that setting, too. Not to be detoured though, Tony grabbed a few quick iPhone photos of me, which, given the massive lack of light, still managed to turn out alright. I'm very glad they did, as this adorable a-line skirt with its darling watermelon pocket is one I've been eager to share with all of you since the moment I got it several months ago.

 I'm sure you'll see it again in future warm weather outfit posts, but as we're heading in fall and winter pretty soon, in case it doesn't get worn again this year, I thought I better post these pics now, two days shy of the end of the season.

As we were making our back out to the car, I spotted a sweet little snail on a fence and asked Tony if I could borrow his phone to take a quick photo of it. One doesn't encounter all that many snails (especially if you don't have a garden) in this part of the province (unlike in the Lower Mainland, where snails and slugs alike often abound), so - as a lifelong fan of snails - when I do see one here, it's cause for momentary celebration.

 On a different note, though we're not been able to get to very many of them this season and I've only unearthed a tiny handful of vintage pieces over the course of the summer at the ones we did visit, as many of you have expressed an interest in seeing a "best of the summer" yard sale find post (akin to my best of the spring one from last June), I plan on putting together one in the near future.

 We're having particularly lovely weather this September and as a result, yard sale season is still going relatively strong. In years past I've seen it stretch into October, and I'm hoping such will be the case in 2012, too, as it may mean that (assuming I'm feeling well enough to hit them up) that there are still a few more weekends this year in which to potentially find some wonderful old school pieces.

 When it finally looks like the locals have packed it in for the season (quite literally) and there aren't likely to be more yard sales this year, a "best vintage finds of the summer" post will appear here. I really appreciate the enthusiasm that guys you had for the spring one and am super excited to share my summer finds with you, too, even if their numbers pale in comparison to the especially good spring garage sale run we had.

 So while it will likely soon be time to wave good bye to watermelon skirts, sizzling rain storms (and the cute little snails they bring out), and yard sales, I'm not too blue about the fact that summer is wrapping up. Despite being very ill for August and much of September, this was still, bar none, one of the best - and happiest - summers I've experienced as an adult and I'm extremely grateful for that.

 The memories and smiles gleaned from this season will stay with me for the rest of my life, and - I truly hope - stand to indicate how future summers may be often be from here on out now that we're in beautiful British Columbia.

Battling unseasonably cold winds in a leopard palette inspired outfit

"You know what you look like?" Tony asked. I shook my head and smiled inquisitively. "Cold!!!" Came his swift reply.

And, boy howdy, was he ever right! The bitingly cold temperature and fierce wind would never hint at the fact that these photos were taken earlier this month on the first day of May.

When I'd gotten dressed in the morning it was fairly sunny and the air was calm. I was in the mood for just a little dollop of leopard in my outfit, so I went with an animal print hair flower and an outfit comprised of brown, beige in brown to mirror to hues in the leopard blossom. I thought this ever-so-subtly safari inspired look would be a fun way to usher in the fifth month of the year.

Little did I know that later that evening I'd be extremely grateful I'd opted for a fairy heavy weight cotton twill vintage skirt as we battled against the aggressive wind and chilly temps while trying to grab a few outfit snaps at a park in Rutland (an area in the northern end of the neighbouring city of Kelowna).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outfit details Leopard print hair flower: Arden (last month, so they might still have them in stock if you're looking for one, too)Black sash waist blouse: ZellersVintage beige button front skirt: etsy seller Have Mercy Vintage Gold toned, rhinestone and faux pearl brooch: eBayBlack plastic carved bangle bracelet: Penticton consignment store Pipsqueaks and DamselsWood veneer bangle bracelets: thrifted1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano
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So as I shivered and tried to keep my eyes from squinting too badly in the wind (a thick layer of goose bumps coating my arms), Tony very quickly snapped away. I kept trying to push my wavy locks out of my face, but it was a losing battle and after a couple of minutes I just gave up and let the wind play hairdresser.

This skirt and blouse outfit is an example of the kind I wear a lot of the time. I generally opt for mid-calf to ankle length skirts, and adore where this one hits (a couple of inches above my ankle). It's uber neutral beige hue makes it a definite workhorse in my wardrobe, as it pairs fabulously with just about any colour.

Though the black blouse looks as though I tied the bottom ends together, it actually boasts a tie sash around the waist and that's what you see in these images (the remainder of the blouse below the sash is tucked into the skirt).

This 1950s corduroy bucket purse is one of my very favourites (you may remember it from this post back in March). Much like the beige skirt, it goes well with a myriad of colours and has a laid back vibe that means it can easily toe the line between casual or more dressy, depending on what I partner it with.

I've really been getting into brooches this year (so much so that I'm planning a post in the near future on that very topic), so I went with an aged gold hued, faux pearl, and rhinestone leaf design pin for the hit of sparkle in this springtime outfit (the fact that it has a bit of an autumn feel to it makes it all the better suited to the November like weather we were experiencing that day!).

As a teenager and into my early 20s, I wore black eyeliner on my top and bottom lids nearly every day, however a couple of years I dropped the bottom liner (most of the time) in a favour of (just) a classic upper lid cat's eye look. Once in a while however, I like going for a slightly more vixenish make-up look, and this day was just one such occasion. Tony always loves it when I do, so maybe I should start sporting liner on the bottom of my lids a little more often.

Both of our teeth were chattering after a few minutes out in the elements, so having gotten in a few shots before the day's sunlight vanished entirely (it was about 6:45pm in these images) we made a mad dash to the car and flicked on the heater right away.

If I wasn't there myself, I'd have scarcely believed how cold and windy our May 1st was. All I can say is that I hope this isn't an ominous sign of the kind of summer we're in for this year!

Sometimes black and blue can be a very good thing

When it comes to fashion, that is.

Like many of us, my wardrobe has a decent sized chunk of black pieces in it, but I'm certainly not a colour shy person and can happily report that you'll find also veritable rainbow of hues on my hangers, too.

Perhaps it harkens back to the colours of my little brother's nursery when he was a wee newborn whippersnapper, or perhaps it's the association with a clear sky. Whatever the reason I've always been a big fan of shades that fall on the pale to bright baby blue side of the spectrum.

There's something so fresh, upbeat and timeless about a chipper, feminine shade of blue, so when I spied the 1950s skirt (in the images below) earlier this year (while in the midst of shopping to fill in some of my wardrobe gaps) on etsy, I just knew it was destined for my closet.

Though various boxes of clothing and accessories (so hence the lack of gloves and/or a hat and/or a handbag in these shots) still remain to be unpacked, I've pulled out enough items to have the basis of a good, workable vintage wardrobe while I plug away at getting to the others.

Last Thursday I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting my maternal grandma, Bernice Schill, while she was briefly in town. This was, mind boggling as this fact is (for me), the first time we'd had the pleasure of seeing each other since my wedding back in October 2004, and I wanted to wear something sweet, girly, and not too formal (she was just popping in for a casual afternoon visit), so I decided it was high time I broke out my new (to me) baby blue skirt.

I've always enjoyed pairing pale blue with black, so that's the colour combo I went for with this outfit. Incidentally, I think it's a great set of hues for this time of the year, as we straddle the changing of the seasons - winter with its sombre, dark shades and spring with its airy, gentle colours.

Outfit details:

Blue hair flower: Ardene

Tiny black ribbon hair bow barrette (worn in the back): Dollar store

Black rhinestone earrings: Payless Shoes

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from my husband ♥

Black cotton and lace top (worn under cardigan): Suzy Shier

Black cotton dolman sleeve cropped cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood

Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore

Deadstock blue 1950s buckle waist skirt: etsy seller Garnet Vintage

Seamed stockings: eBay

Black pumps: Payless Shoes

Lipstick colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

As avid readers may recall from the post about my four fun goals for 2012 back in early January, I vowed to try and share more "what I wore" pictures with all of you once we moved into our new home in British Columbia (while I have technically posted a few outfit images over the last three years, they've been rather few and far between).

Now that we're beginning to settle in and those aforementioned boxes of vintage clothes are getting unpacked, I can begin to make good on my promise - a point which I'm pretty much giddy with excitement about.

These photos were taken in front of our new house (the porch railing needs a paint job, I know; come slightly better weather, it's going to get one), so you can expect to see many others featuring this location as their backdrop over time.

Earlier this month I announced that the mister and I recently purchased our first car ever, and as some of you expressed interest in knowing what kind it was, I couldn't help but include a shot of our gorgeous new four wheeled baby here (it's a Jaguar that Tony found for a truly stellar deal down in the Lower Mainland...yes, I am still pinching myself in disbelief over the fact that we own a Jag!).

I'm constantly, perpetually inspired, impressed, and encouraged by the photos of the outfits that many of you ultra stylish vintage fashionistas post on your blogs, and wholeheartedly hope that from here on out I'll be able to do the same with my fashion shots for you gals, too.

Have a richly beautiful Monday and week ahead, sweet friends!

Vintage 365: Great deal on a vintage inspired Mexican print circle skirt

✯ Day 58 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

While the dog days of summer may seem eons away at this very moment (who else is still looking snow square in the face?), reality is that before we know it the balmy return of spring straight on into July and August will very quickly be upon us one again - which is all the more reason to start thinking about your vintage summer wardrobe now.

Many of us are major skirt fans (*enthusiastically darts hand in the air*), and I'd venture to guess that every last one of us adores a good bargain! Pair those two things together and you wind up with this splendidly y pretty 1950s inspired Mexican sequin circle skirt from Fever Vintage.

 

 

Designed to look just like the gorgeous block print skirts of the fifties (which often go for well in excess of $100.00 now on etsy and from other vintage sellers; trust me, I've been eyeing these beautiful block print, ethnic skirts for ages), this eye-catching number features gradient (ombre) colouring in the cool-as-a-May-breeze hues of serene green and blue, which are paired with a gorgeous Hawaiian/Asian themed print in bold black.

Currently on sale for the wonderfully reasonable price of $14.99 (down from $49.99), this charming circle skirt (which is available in ladies sizes small through XL) would be sublime to take on holiday, wear to the beach, sport at a barbeque, recline in at a picnic, or wear to just about any other breezy, causal summer event you can think of.

Though the colours are vivid, they aren't so intense as to make this circle skirt tricky to pull off. Pair it with anything from a black halter top to a pale blue twin set for an elegant summer look that is sure to channel chic 1950s vacation allure for countless summers to come.