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! :)

I am authentic to my soul

Outfit details 
White crochet snood: Handmade gift from a dear online friend
1940s/50s floral print house dress: Bought from a vintage seller on Facebook
1950s Italian mosaic brooch: Yard sale find
Red cardigan: Gap
Caramel hued skinny belt: eBay
Yellow rose stretch bracelet: Thrifted (from Value Village)
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
Brown leather wedge sandals: Yard sale find
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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By putting who we are out on the internet in any kind of capacity, we are opening ourselves up to uninvited scrutiny, criticism, and sometimes even rudeness (or worse, full on harassment). Sadly, there are no shortage of unkind, snarky, uncouth people in this world, and the fact that they can so often operate under the cover of anonymity online, doesn't help matters one iota either (unfortunately some people, when they think they their words can't be traced back to them, spew forth the nastiest statements imaginable and don't give a fig if they hurt someone in the process).
 
I've always felt exceptionally blessed to be a part of the online vintage community, where, by and large, kindness, sweetness and tons of positive folks (and their comments) abound. I also feel fortunate that, whether online or off, most of the comments I've received over the years about my vintage wardrobe and lifestyle have been wholly positive - some have even been so lovely and meaningful that they moved me to tears.
 
Most, if not all, of us who blog and/or wear vintage however, will run into unkind comments sometimes. I don't mean eyebrow raising, but ultimately harmless, comments of the type I discussed in this post a few months ago, I mean flat out vicious, misinformed, petty, or otherwise astronomically unmannerly comments that linger with you for a long time after they come your way (which, I cannot help but think, is often the perverse intended purpose behind them in the first place).
 
While I happily welcome blog comments from those with differing opinions, don't mind criticism if it's delivered with tact and friendliness, and don't of course expect everyone who finds my site to love it or me, I have zero tolerance when it comes to flat out mean, insulting, proactive (aka, the kinds of things internet trolls are tremendously fond of), or otherwise inappropriate comments, and do not let them through my screening process.
 
Occasionally though, a comment comes along that teeters on what I consider to be the edge of the two worlds. It's almost always delivered anonymously, and it usually unsettles me a great deal. So far this year I've received two such comments (far less, I know, than some of my fellow vintage bloggers receive, so I'm not getting hung up on the number at all and truly feel for those who have to fend off negative comments on a far more frequent basis), one of which landed on the post from last month about my first ever blogger meet-up.

Delivered by, huge surprise here, an anonymous poster, it read, "Enjoy your blog but have to be brutal and say you really don't manage to pull of a 1940s authentic look."

I know, believe me, I know what kind of strongly worded reply a comment like this stirs in your soul when you read it, but I've long learned when to pick my battles and when to take the high road, and I was more than happy to opt for the the lofty path with my reply.

"No need to worry about brutality, it's all good. For starters, I'm a die hard fan of the 40s and 50s alike, and dress frequently in pieces and styles from each, whether worn together or separately. This day, my outfit had a strong 50s spin to it.

I adore and love to celebrate the past with my wardrobe. Some days I go for a wholly period look, others I put my own spin on vintage attire. Some people prefer to always look exceptionally period appropriate 24/7, and that's awesome. Plenty of us vintage loving folks however, like to create looks that lean heavily on the past, but with our our unique, inspiring, beautiful spins on them.

Life is not a costume contest or akin to doing the costuming for a big budget movie - nor should anyone's vintage wardrobe feel that way, unless they want it to. Everyone puts their own stamp on vintage fashion, myself wholeheartedly included. My passion for the 40s and 50s is boundless and my desire to wear looks from, or that are inspired directly by these decades is limitless, too. If I don't look like page 283 of the Fall-Winter 1943 Sears catalog every day, that's as a-okay with me, as much as if I did. I dress in the way that makes me most happy in the moment, celebrating the past every step of the way, and in doing so am authentic to my own soul."


I could have cited example after example of highly authentic period specific outfits that I've worn over the years (complete with snaps) that dispel that statement in a flash, discussed how my health factors heavily into my wardrobe choices (a topic discussed at length in this post), how wearing a wig due to hair loss limits my hairstyling options, or how I've always been far too eclectic a person to stick to just a small number of looks or garments from a certain era day in and day out, but I don't have to justify my wardrobe choices to this unknown stranger, or for that matter, to anyone on the face of the planet - and neither do you.

I'm not sharing this person's comment with all of you here today as a way of singling them out in a negative way. Not at all. Their words were a catalyst for a blog post, as a good many blog comments I've received over the years have been. As harsh as what they said might sound, it is, in a rather round about way, a compliment of sorts, because it drives home the fact that I have a unique, highly personalized take on wearing vintage that sometimes goes full on period appropriate, but at other times is a variation on the past that brings me great joy to sport.

One of the things, as I touched on in my reply, that I adore so very much about the vintage fashion community is that many of us put our own unique, fabulously creative stamp on the way that we wear yesteryear styles. We take strong inspiration from the past, combine it with various other loves, our mood, our favourite colours and fabrics, and myriad other things to create a sartorial voice all our own. This is brilliant and beautiful, empowering and endlessly encouraging.

The photos above, for example, show an outfit that is heavily influenced by the 40s, but I didn't set out to look exactly like I stepped out out of a period photo. I just tossed together an ensemble for a day of bopping around Penticton and Osoyoos with my darling husband that included a fairly new to me vintage house dress (that really, really needs to have some of its - I kid you not - eight inch hem let down; it's considerably shorter than I like my hemlines to be, but that day was quite toasty so, it worked in the moment), a 1940s style snood that a dear online friend made for me, a vintage appropriate cardigan, and a selection of complimentary accessories.

This outfit is extremely typical of my personal style. You've seen dozens like it over the years and will continue to see plenty more akin to it in the future. Each will likely be a bit different - combine new and old pieces in my wardrobe, fit and celebrate the seasons, be filled with garments and accessories that I truly love (many with great stories behind them), and which work my current circumstances and lifestyle.

I don't dress to please anyone but myself, nor do I care what people think of my style. It took me a long time to reach a point in my life where such was the case, but once I did, it was like hitting a state of fashion nirvana. Free from other peoples' judgment and opinions, I could embrace my style in a whole new way and rock whatever I wanted to sport just about 24/7 (yes, there are those few rare days where circumstances dictate I dress in a certain way that isn't perhaps my first choice, but thankfully they are exceedingly few and far between).

My vintage style is me, and I am my vintage style. We're intertwined, lifelong friends and we answer to no one, nor do we have to explain our choices, motivations, or fashion fueled desires, unless we want to. I am unendingly happy with the way I dress and how I bring my passion for the past to life with my wardrobe choices.

I am, as I told that random commenter, authentic to my soul (just as many of you are to yours as well), and that's all that matters. Sometime that, sadly, I suspect many people who cower behind online invisibility and forget the importance of Thumper's rule, will never fully understand.