I was recently asked to contribute to the wonderful Vintage Woman Magazine website and wrote yet another love letter to my beloved matchy matchy accessory sets. I had a great time shooting these fun editorial style flay lays of my vintage and repro accessories for the article and wanted to share them here as well. Check out the full text over on to The Vintage Woman Magazine here.
A long long time ago...I was consistent with posting here on this blog.
But alas, the galaxy moves on, but not forever! That's right, like a questionable sequel I will return! I have been spending so much time cheating on you all with YouTube I know, but it's because things over here just have got to change. I want to feel free to use this space more like a journal again, put up some different posts, essays even maybe, or reviews, or just rambles. Of course I need to get back to taking outfit photos more often too, so hopefully more of those will be coming soon as well.
Thank you all for hanging in there. Here is my latest very themed lookbook from over on my channel, I hope you enjoy it and have a Happy new Year!
I know I juuuust put up the Slytherin look book, but I still wanted to put up this other long planned short for Halloween! I created several outfits combining my favorite vintage styles into darker more gothic ensembles, and I even pulled out an old Edwardian gown of mine from my oft forgotten historic costuming closet :)
I had originally planned to put up the Slytherin video earlier in the month which would have made these back to back look books less, well, back to back, but my schedule got all sorts of delayed this month with building my new set. Now I am ready for a serious breather, and to get back to some sewing next week instead!
After several days of learning how to use power tools, spent covered in wood glue and paint, out having a rummage through the dried flowers and plants outside, and racing through a few last minute sewing projects just to torture myself a bit for good measure, the Slytherin house inspired lookbook is here!
Oddly enough, I think I could have made even more moody black and green ensembles from the items in my closet, but I am saving a few for another video I will struggle to finish on time for Halloween ;)
The set behind me here, the large green wall, is actually 3 theater "flats" which are false walls build for stage shows and the like. One by threes and plywood, and foam trim cut into wainscoting and glued in place for the full "mansion wall" effect. I pained it an absinthe/minty inspired green this first time, but this set is about to preform many many transformations over the next few months! I knew buying new colors of curtains for my usual set up every time I wanted a change was going to get expensive, so I figured better to invest that money into a real set I could change up dramatically with just a new lick of paint. Now of course I have to make a false floor to pair with it, as the rug solution isn't the best. Back to the home improvement place for some laminate wood flooring in darkest brown to match all future endeavors...
I hope you enjoy these October ready more gothic inspired vintage looks, thank you for watching!
I present to you my favorite style in the summer time, that's right, it's adventure style! Safari style, adventure wear, whatever you call it, I call it a darn cute look. So enjoy this excess of khaki and cotton twill and I can finally move onto my next adventure!
The script at the very beginning is from the radio loop played outside of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland :)
It was a wild ride indeed, but the video is finally done. Two weeks of entire days spent making faux wooden crates, over $100 dollars spent on craft paint alone, four hours to film the final footage, and thirteen hours of editing and script writing, and here we are. I need a nap :)
It would mean extra special much to me if those of you who enjoyed this video could share it with someone else you think may like it as well.
I put this in a pinned comment as well, but I also want to suggest that any of those in a place to do so please consider donating to Unicef and/or Save The Children to help with their ongoing and emergency work in Sudan. Stay aware of the goings on in our wide world, please practice empathy, and stay safe out there.
Music from Epidemic Sound.
River footage from Taman Negara on flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/31245275712/
All of the clothing in this video is either made by me, vintage, or in rarest of cases from fast fashion brands I no longer support and is therefore many seasons old.
I can however, link you to some of the shoes I wear in this video:
The first pair in canvas and leather are Evelyn's from Royal Vintage Shoes and can be found here : https://www.royalvintageshoes.com/1930s-vintage-shoes/evelyn-retro-oxfords-tan-brown-royal-vintage
Next we have Garnet's from Remix Vintage Shoes in black suede : https://remixvintageshoes.com/products/garnet
Then the style Peggy from Royal Vintage again : (currently unavailable but I think they might bring them back)
The brown croc finished pumps are Carmen's from Remix : https://remixvintageshoes.com/products/carmen
The yellow heels are from Chelsea Crew : https://bit.ly/2x8fVmK
The cognac leather sandal heels are from BAIT footwear : https://www.baitfootwear.com/product-page/loraine-tan
The navy and ivory t-straps are Chelsea Crew don't seem to be available in navy anymore but here they are in red and white which I also have (and so did Peggy Carter on the show...just saying) : https://www.amazon.com/Chelsea-Crew-Gatsby-Tone-Heels/dp/B01AR1TP5C
The lipstick I have on is Coloupop's liquid matte lipstick in the shade Season 10, the highlighter is their super shock highlighter in Flexitarian.
And I wore a swimsuit on the internet, is this wise? Probably not. The Hawaiian shirt took over my brain and made me do it, or perhaps it was my overwhelming need for a vacation that I am just not going to get. I must dress for the tropics despite staying here in Colorado.
If anyone wants to take me on vacation, or just to Disneyland so I can go to Galaxy's Edge, please do. You know in video games where a character has like a "life" bar that runs out as they interact with the world and enemies? Well Disneyland fills my own personal "life juice" bar like nothing else I have ever found. Really a couple loops on the Indiana Jones ride and I'd be recharged beyond belief...
Instead it's back to work for me, I hope you all had a good Memorial Day!
A new video all about my list of essential vintage accessories and how I go about collecting accessories in general! Also I have included a blank sort of bingo chart below for anyone interested :)
I tried and failed to clear out my spring and summer closet recently, and filmed my failure for you all to enjoy! Watch me as I explain why I actually need to keep everything :) No actually I decided to let go of a few other things after editing this (like the green lace dress), so really making this video did help me!
Why did I need to make a little room in my closet? Because I keep thrifting more "dad" shirts! I am all about Hawaiian shirts now you guys, so versatile, really! And yes...I did have too much fun setting up my backdrop to look a little more like a safari tent. I have even more backdrop ideas in mind. I just want to turn my basement into the queue for the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland essentially...I have more crafting and prop-making in my future!
I hope you are all well! I have some outfit photos I need to edit and post for you all, so hopefully I can get that post up soon ;)
I recently spent a full day adventuring to several thrift shops and these were the spoils that I came away with! Lots of blouses/shirts from this day, but two dresses as well and I never seem to find dresses so I was surprised. I hope you enjoy the video, I'm excited to get back out there in a few weeks and hopefully find more vintage appropriate items out there in the wilds :)
Well this video took me all week to complete! Nine hours to film, two full days to edit, what an ordeal. It is my fault for having so many pairs in my collection ;) I hope you all enjoy this rather "extra" installment of my regular series collections management where I model all of my vintage gloves. I now know how many I actually have...which is a bit embarrassing but oh well!
As I have been sharing my own outfits and style online for a while now, many people have asked me for a list of items they should buy when starting out with vintage style. I have never quite been able to answer such questions, as I always feel each persons individual unique style is so very different that I would be unable to answer such a thing for someone else. After years of waffling, I finally decided to answer this sort of query in my own way, and I hope you all enjoy the video :)
Some more pages from the Fall/Winter 1947/1948 Montgomery Wards catalog! To say I would like to order a dozen sweaters and one of each item from page 144 would be a vast understatement. I want that leather jacket, I want it in both colors, I need a time machine and lots of '47 dollar you guys. I hope you enjoy these!
For the reproduction seamstresses out there, here are the fabrics available to Ward's customers for Spring/Summer 1950! I always love these pages and descriptions since it can be hard to decide on fabrics for the most authentic look when you are new to vintage style sewing. I only wish, as ever, that I could order up some of these fabrics for myself!
I know if any of you love shoes the way I do, you are going to be crazy about several pairs from these Montgomery Wards catalog pages from Sping/Summer 1950! So many perfect options for a spring and summer wardrobe, it's just too bad we can't all place an order. I particularly would like the "pepper green" heels with the "graceful leaf applique on vamp" and the multicolored sandals in cotton twill.
I hope you all enjoy these pages! I just have a few more from this 1950 catalog (the fabrics/textiles section!) and then this catalog will officially be as scanned as I plan on doing. When I scan these I of course focus on the women's fashions and fabrics, but these catalogs have it all, menswear, children's clothes, farm equipment, car parts, seeds, furniture, you name it. As the fashion matters most to me, and scanning these is a process on my little scanner, I have no plans to scan an entire catalog any time soon. I may put a few of the catalogs that I have finished with up for sale on Etsy sometime. They really are a fun resource to have, but I'm just here for the clothes if we're honest eh?
While it may be winter, we could all probably use a little summery cheerful color right about now. So let's dream of warmer days and admire a few 1940's styles from Simplicity Prevue from July 1943...
Now these may be spring/summer suits technically, but they are still both warm enough and cute enough for fall too everyone! Also, check out the colorful coats for some fun cold weather ideas. Finally we finish out today's pages with some most excellent handbags that I would very much like to order! I'll be switching back to the 1940's and a fall/winter catalog again next time on this series, so these will be the last s/s 1950 pages for a little while :)
I hope you are all having a good week. I've got an awful feeling, since I'm super busy this week (and next week too) while also getting no work done, that I am going to blink and it will be Christmas already. This is not a nice feeling! Not helped along by visiting Ikea today where they already had holiday decorations for sale!!! Not that I wouldn't mind finding some of these Montgomery Wards goodies from 1950 under the family tree...
Just some lovely images, colors, textures, and moods that are inspiring my styling choices for this fall. Anyone want to knit me a bunch of fair isle sweaters?
Finally I've got some more Montgomery Wards pages for you all! Today it's more pages from the Spring/Summer 1950 catalog with Active Sportwear to start. A selection of skirts, blouses, and even some swimsuits, though it's a bit late in the year for those!
I hope you enjoy these pages, and as always feel free to pin them, save them, or distribute them as you please. I just want to make these catalogs an open resource for all us vintage lovers :)
More dresses today, some maternity dresses even, and house dresses for the "fastidious homemaker". I find "house frocks" such and odd concept really, because it always seems to me they are just as cute as the "real" dresses to be worn out and about! Plus, I don't care if it's 1950 or 2018, I'm not gonna look cute when I'm cleaning the house, I'm just not. Twas' a different time indeed.
It took me ages to scan these pages and stitch them together today because I kept getting distracted and typing a few lines of dialog that came to me, or outlining the general plot line for a few chapters, or thinking of how I could keep that one character involved and jotting that down, all in an open Word document I keep by my side (as it were) like a notepad. My brain couldn't focus! Which doesn't mean these dresses aren't delightful of course, but obviously I need to go work on writing instead for the rest of the night. Too many interests, too many projects, not enough time. Not a bad problem to have really :)
