Monday, October 31, 2011

Vintage Halloween!




I love Halloween! I have to admit though, I never put that much effort into my Halloween costume. I think it's because I dress up every other day of the year, so I just don't have the energy when it comes to Halloween. I love it all though, the decorations, the pumpkins, costumes, parties, candy....I would love to find a vintage Halloween dress like the first 1930's photo. Can you imagine? Gorgeous!

Friday, October 28, 2011

1930's Fashion on Film - China Seas







I've been on a bit of a Jean Harlow kick lately! Anyhow, I thought I'd watch China Seas, as I hadn't seen it in awhile. Wow! I'd forgotten how stunning her wardrobe is in this film! I think this movie actually has some of the most gorgeous 1930's dresses and suits I've ever seen her in! It was no surprise when I looked up the costume designer for the film and saw that it was Adrian! No wonder! I posted photos of all the outfits I could find, but there were still more I couldn't find pics of. My favorite outfit is the fully striped dress with matching hat, pictured on the 2nd to last photo. I just wish I knew what colors it was! Did you know Jean Harlow wore a wig for this film, because her hair was so damaged from bleaching? All I have to say about that is, that's one gorgeous wig!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Pretty 1950's purses



I thought I'd post these pics of gorgeous vintage purses. The first pic is from a 1952 magazine and the other two are from 1956. I think I love them all! Click on the photos for a larger view.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Vintage Kitchen Colors





I love how these 1950's kitchen designs all have color themes! It's not just the cupboards, but the appliances too! I don't think I ever see colourful kitchens nowadays. It's either white or stainless steel, which is too boring for me. I'm a yellow kitchen kind of girl, it's such a happy color. Which one would you choose?

Monday, October 24, 2011

Vintage Lipstick Advertisements





I posted some lipstick magazine advertisements from the 1920's to the 1960's. I especially love the 1930's ad showing a blonde, brunette and redhead. Maybe it was to show that the lipstick looked good with any hair color. Which ad is your favorite?

Friday, October 21, 2011

1950's Dress & Swimsuit


I know summer is over, but I just got a 1950's swimsuit and dress. I thought I would add them to my webstore anyways, because the sun is shining somewhere in the world! I like the 50's pink dress because it's casual but really pretty. The black 1950's bathing suit I love, because these type of swimsuits are so flattering on! I have an almost identical one to this, otherwise I would have kept it. I don't know if it's the boning in these 1950's swimsuits or the ruching, but they make your figure look amazing!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Vintage Cash and Carry


Lately I've been wondering about how women used to carry their cash. This came to my attention since I never seem to come across any vintage wallets. I do come across a lot of little change purses, and I have a few 1950's purses that come with attached coin purses. But wallets did exist, I guess women just held onto them until they wore out, so they're not as common to find now. I posted a 1950's advertisement for some cute his and hers wallets. I suppose without tons of credit cards and plastic, wallets weren't as much of a necessity and change purses did just fine!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

1930's Fashion on Film - Libeled Lady





The 1930's dresses in this film are pure Hollywood glamour. Then again, how can you not have glamour when Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy are in a film together? This movie displays some amazing 1930's gowns, furs and hats. My favourite is the wedding dress Jean Harlow wears at the beginning of the film. I couldn't find a full length photo of it, but I'm sure you can imagine. A long, creamy bias cut satin gown that looked absolutely stunning on her. I will keep searching for a picture!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Rose Print 1950's Dress

Florals seem to be a timeless print for vintage and new dresses, and why shouldn't they be? They're pretty, colorful, feminine and there's endless unique designs. Here's the latest 1950's dress that I've added onto my website. It's a pretty rose print, and I know summer is over now, but wouldn't it be perfect for a garden party or picnic?

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Happy Birthday Angela Lansbury






Angela Lansbury was born in London, England in 1925. Her family later moved to New York, and then Los Angeles where she started her film career. Did you know that Angela was nominated for an academy award for her very first film role in "Gaslight" in 1944? She was only 18 years old! I guess she chose the right profession. One of my favourite films of hers is "Samson and Delilah", she's so gorgeous, and in my opinion she steals the show from Hedy Lamarr. I think when you mention Angela Lansbury, a lot of people just think of her in the 1980's TV show "Murder She Wrote". So I posted a bunch of photos of her earlier in her career, most of them from the 1940's, and absolutely stunning.

Friday, October 14, 2011

WWII Fashion Regulations

In 1942, The British Board of Trade issued a Civilian Clothing Order forbidding the use of any extra detailing on garments. No fancy trimmings, no decorative stitching, no pleats, and no more than 3 buttons were allowed on a jacket. I posted a photo of a mid 1940's suit that went by these rules. I don't know about you, but decorative details or not, vintage suits always look glamorous to me! When you add on a gorgeous hat, gloves and purse, how drab can you really be?

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Vintage Alligator Etiquette



I was doing some reading on vintage alligator shoes and purses, and came upon this article by Genevieve Dariaux. It is from her etiquette book, "A Guide to Elegance" published in 1964, and goes a little something like this:
"I cannot restrain myself from expressing the dismay I feel when I see a woman carry an alligator handbag with a dressy ensemble merely because she has paid an enormous sum of money for it. Alligator is strictly for sports or travel, shoes as well as bags, and this respected reptile should be permitted to retire every evening at 5pm."

That's funny, I would have thought alligator accessories would be worn for dressy occasions, and especially at night. But, no, if you were a proper lady you would only show off your pricey reptile items during the day. I posted the 3rd photo to show what might happen if you were caught carrying your vintage alligator purse at night.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

1920's Dress Purchase



So I bought a 1920's dress yesterday! See 2nd photo. It's not in perfect condition and it will need a few repairs, but I got it for a good price. Plus, it will be a fun project to work on. I thought it would look really cute with vintage shawl, maybe a lace or silk one. Now if I could just find some shoes like the ones Clara Bow is wearing in the 1st photo!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Vintage Pinafore and 1950's Dress


Just added these two cute items to my web store. First is a 1940's pinafore dress in a cute novelty print of little houses and flowers. Pretty adorable. Then there's a pretty pink 1950's dress, which looks like it belongs at summer garden party. Still haven't found anything for myself though! I've been on the hunt for a new vintage dress for a few weeks now. I've found tons a gorgeous dresses, but none in my size. I guess the perfect dress will come along at the right time, I know it's out there somewhere!

Friday, October 07, 2011

1960's Fashion on Film - Barefoot in the Park



"Barefoot in the Park" was made in 1967, and stars Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. Jane is adorable in this movie as a free spirited newlywed. I love her character's fashion choices in this film...casual but stylish, and always really cute.