Coffee Time!

Having coffee has always been such a comforting and relaxing thing for me. It's one of those things I look forward to, even though I have it every day. I remember going to my grandmother's and great aunt's house when I was really young, and they always had a huge pot of coffee going. They would finish off the pot in no time at all, and then they'd start another one! Maybe that's how they got so much knitting done? Anyhow, here are some cute pictures of coffee culture from the 1920's to the 1950's.

Vintage Wave Iron

I love styling my hair in pincurls or fingerwaves. I've practiced doing them long enough that I finally have decent results. However, when I found this vintage waving iron I couldn't resist! I believe it's from the 1920's or 1930's. Considering it takes me well over an hour to set my hair in pincurls (I'm accurate but not fast!) this iron looks like it would be a breeze! I read that these used to be heated up over a fire, but I may try it with just setting lotion at first. This way I can avoid any rookie mistakes, like burning my hair. Wish me luck!

1920's Fashion on Film - It

Clara Bow has to be one of the cutest actresses to have ever lived. I watched "It" not long ago, and I have to say I love every outfit Clara wears in this movie! Lots of casual but pretty 1920's dresses and skirt & sweater sets.

My 1920's Coat

While searching for a new vintage coat for this winter, I came across this pretty 1920's coat. I had actually been looking for a 1930's coat, but this one was gorgeous black velvet, in great condition, and at a bargain price. So of course I had to buy it! How could I pass it up?

Vintage Nightdress

I just added this pretty vintage nightgown to my webstore. It's from the late teens or very early 1920's. So it's almost an antique! I thought about keeping it for myself, but I already have so many vintage nightgowns that I don't wear. What I like about this one though, is that it's casual and comfortable, and not so fancy that I'd be scared to wear it :)

Vintage Hats - 1920's

I'm still waiting for hats to make a comeback. Will they ever? I would love to go into a beautiful millinery shop and pick out a hat for each one of my outfits. I have a few vintage hats from the 30's-50's that I wear now and then. But I have to be wearing the right vintage dress and hairstyle, otherwise it just looks wrong. I posted some pictures of 1920's hats, which I absolutely love. Check out the top photo of all the ladies at an outdoor party, only one of them isn't wearing a hat. Shame on her!

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!

The 1920's Bathing Suit

Personally I don't think that 1920's swimsuits are extremely flattering to the figure, but at the same time I think they're really cute! It's like wearing a long wool tank top - comfy until you get into the water, and then it becomes 10x as heavy! Above is a photo of Marilyn Monroe wearing a 1920's swimsuit while filming "Some Like It Hot".

Dress Changes in the 1920's

Wow, what a difference 7 years makes! In the 1920's dresses started off a bit above the ankle, but by the end of the decade they were less fitted and a lot shorter. Look at all that leg! The first photo is from 1920, and the second one is from 1927. Can you imagine if the ladies in 1920 saw what they'd be wearing in 1927? Gasp! Oh my.

Vintage Fashion 1929

I found this picture and I had to post it. Recognize the ladies in the middle? If not, it's Clara Bow and Jean Harlow in a photo from the late 1920's film "The Saturday Night Kid". All the girls are so adorable, and so are their dresses! Clara Bow's wardrobe for the film didn't fit, so she passed it on to the then unknown actress Jean Harlow, who was very grateful and apparently never forgot the favor. Obviously Clara, being the huge star that she was, must of had the most desirable and gorgeous wardrobes for her films. I love the dress Clara is wearing in the above photo, the buttons, the pleated skirt, the collar, so beautiful! All the girls look so great.

Vintage Starlet of the Day

Leila Hyams. Leila appeared in many of the early talkies of the late 1920's and early 1930's. The movie theater by my house plays old movies quite often, so last night I was lucky enough to see "Freaks" and "Dracula" on the big screen. Leila Hyams stars in "Freaks", the 1932 film about a traveling circus and the scandals that take place within it. The film was actually banned for 30 years because it disturbed movie goers at the time. Anyhow, the beautiful Leila stars in this film which role was originally intended for Jean Harlow. Ultimately MGM decided not to cast any major stars in this movie. I thought Leila was great and would love to see more of her! Unfortunately only 4 of Leilas films have been released on dvd, which is quite sad when you find out she appeared in over 50 films! Apparently 48 of her films are still stored away and have never been released.

Interesting fact: Leila used to carry around a little satin bag attatched to her garter, which contained extra stockings in case the ones she was wearing got damaged:)

Vintage Starlet of the Day

Lucille Ball. I remember watching Stage Door with my sister and thinking "that dosen't look like the same Lucy from the I Love Lucy Show!" She was just so much more glamorous and gorgeous! Lucy grew up in New York in the 1920's and attended dramatic school with Bette Davis. Apparently Bette got all the attention and Lucy was constantly sent home and told she was too shy. Strange to think that now. Lucy did some modeling and soon started getting movie roles in the 1930's. Did you know Lucy and Ginger Rogers were best friends until Lucy's death in 1989? I guess cute redheads stick together:)

I posted my favorite Lucy photos above. Isn't she stunning?

Vintage Jewellery

I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about vintage jewellery. Vintage clothing seems a lot easier to define. I would love to know more about vintage jewellery styles. Here are 3 beautiful necklaces. The first is from the 1920's and very glam. The 2nd one is 1930's and very art deco. The last is classic pearls from the 1940's. Which is your favorite?

Vintage Starlet of the Day

Clara Bow. In the early 1920's Clara escaped poverty and abuse by getting into film. Not only did Clara turn out to be an amazingly talented actress, but she became America's first sex symbol. I had never seen anything with Clara before, so I checked out a couple clips on Youtube. She's adorable! I instantly fell in love with her charm and playful style. Oh, and don't forget about those gorgeous flapper outfits! I definitely need to get some of her movies.

Vintage Starlet of the Day

Anita Page was one of the beautiful, and very popular film stars of 1920's and 1930's. In 1929, Anita was receiving over 10,000 fan letters a week, second only to Greta Garbo. The craziest part is that over 100 of the letters were from Benito Mussolini! Apparently he had a bit of an Anita obsession. Who could blame him?

Vintage Flapper Shoes

Alright, so I'm on a mission for a full vintage flapper outfit. So far I bought these sparkling 1920's vintage shoes. I lucked out for sure. They're worn, but overall in great condition for their age, and they fit me perfectly! Finding a 1920's dress has not been as easy though. At least finding one for an affordable price, that isnt full of holes. Oh well, I'll keep searching in the vintage clothing stores, my dress is out there somewhere!

Vintage Starlet of the Day

The glamorous Myrna Loy. Myrna started her acting career off in the silent films of the 1920's, usually cast as an exotic vamp. She then went on to become a huge success in the talking films of the 1930's, often cast as the perfect wife.
Famous quote: "Some perfect wife I am," she said, referring to her typecasting. "I've been married four times, divorced four times, have no children, and can't boil an egg."

Did you know that Venice High School had a statue of Myrna out in their front lawn for decades? It was created in 1921, before she was famous. Myrna was just a 16 year old student when she was chosen to pose for the art work that was being done for the school. If you watch the movie "Grease", which features Venice High School, you will see the statue of Myrna out front. Sadly, the statue was recently taken down for "repairs", but was spotted laying out in the schools scrap yard, with the head missing.

Case of the Missing Vintage Gloves

How could this have happened? To me?! I'm always so careful and paranoid about my vintage items, but somehow my gloves got away.
They disappeared somewhere between getting out of my friends car and walking into her house. I don't even know how thats possible. All I can think of is that the wind blew them away. Yeah right, especially considering how it wasn't windy at all.
Did they not like me? I don't understand. I took them out every weekend, let them hold drinks, go to see great bands play, let them pose for pictures, and after all that, this is the thanks I get. But the mourning period has now ended. I found some similar vintage gloves on Ebay (pictured above) and ordered them right away. The description said they're 1920's, but I thought they looked more 1950's. To be honest though, I know nothing about gloves. I just wear them, and lose them apparently.

Ebay Dress of the Day

Wow. Found this 1920's vintage flapper dress on Ebay today. Not my size, but gorgeous and very tempting. It's made of black silk crepe with 4 layers of ruffles, plus the floral patterned lace. Oh, I would love to own something from the 20's....

Vintage Hat Dreaming

So, I found these three gorgeous hats that I love. The first one is from the 20's, second one from the 30's, and of course the last one is from the 40's. I think that if I had to pick one though, I would choose the green 30's hat. I love the fact that it has a bit of a masculine look to it. Which is your favorite?