Easter Sunday

Easter was a busy day, we had breakfast with Sams family, lunch with my family, and dinner with friends. I must say I can't imagine how those socialites in days past handled so many social calls in one day all the time. No wonder they had fainting chairs!
This is what I wore to lunch at my Aunts house. I've had these wax orange blossoms from the 1920s packed away for years, and thought it was high time they saw the light of day. It's too bad they're so delicate, they would be pretty to wear all the time :)

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

1930s dress-Gift from Twila Jean

1920s Halloween Costumes

So I'm not a huge fan of Halloween. I do like the holiday, but don't get super excited for it. I suppose it has to do with the fact that if I want to dress up, I do, not matter the time of year. And I just get really sick of seeing all the cheap, skanky, pre-coordinated costumes at stores, in those little baggies. No imagination. No quality. It's like fast food in clothing form.

Anyway, the only time I really love Halloween, is when I see some vintage costumes, and decorations, specifically from the 1920s. They had the craziest, most imaginative, stunning costumes I've ever seen, even something so cliche as a witch, looks original.

I was searching for ideas for my own costume, and came across the third photo, with the spiderweb costume. And now I am going to be a spiderweb. I was going to go totally 1920s, with an actual black 1920s dress I have stored away, but instead I will wear that sequin leotard I found last week. And I'll just have to make the rest! Although since seeing that crazy picture of the two spiderweb girls and their amazing headdresses, my costume seems much less elaborate now ;)

Set 2, 3, and 4, from Rhiannonmar's photostream

Set 5 from Carbonated's photostream

Stuff I got

Today before work I popped into a local charity shop and found a couple cool things. First is a vintage waver/crimper, probably from around the 1920s.

Cool right?

I wasn't 100% sure that's what it was until the darling old lady working at the shop told me she remembered her mother using the same thing. Her mother would heat it up the fireplace (actually she said "chimney, which I thought was cute), or kerosene lamp, and clamp her hair.

I want to use it soooooooo bad. But I don't have a fireplace or kerosene lamp :(

Second is a large 70s suitcase, in a style I've been wanting. I have bunches of hard case vintage suitcases, but I don't dare check them onto airplanes, I'm even cautious about taking them out of the house. But this one is perfect. Canvas with "leather" trim (love that combination), so no worries about it cracking or getting wrecked. And it's nice and big!

Now if only I could find a matching weekender, train case, and hat box, all would be complete ;)

Phony flapper

In 9th grade we were given an assignment to write a paper on anything we wanted.

I picked Coco Chanel.

Ever since then I've loved her, and everything she did, and designed, and wore. As a result, in high school, I was obsessed with 1920s fashions, and tried my best to emulate flappers and schoolgirls by wearing cloches, long strands of pearls, and bobbing my hair (which used to wave perfectly on it's own and look like fingewaves, oh how I miss that!).
However it was not meant to be, as my figure is the opposite of the 1920s ideal, so I looked a little "off" in the straight, low waist dresses. I still get a craving to do a 1920s look, even though it's not the most flattering thing, but hey, on one hand it's comfortable!
This dress is actually from the 1980s (Byer Too), and the cloche from the 1990s (Liz Claiborne), and I think they do a pretty good job of looking deco! I can wear them without worrying about ruining a 90 year old garment, which is always a good thing.

Speaking of Coco Chanel, I did a small post on the Coco Avant Chanel film on my other blog The Bird Hat. Oh you didn't know I had another blog? I totally do.

Dress-Scuda Vintage, Long Beach (no longer there)

Cloche-I don't remember....

Roadtrip!

Sometimes there's nothing better than a roadtrip. Or in this case, a roadtrip with the promise of vintage!

Today I tagged along with Twila Jean to Redmond Oregon, about three hours from Portland. We were on a buying trip, well, for her it was for her shop, and I can say she got the most amazing 20s and 30s dresses. The woman she bought them from was so sweet and opened up her collection just for us! It was like our own personal estate sale, she even had 20s music playing as we shopped. I of course couldn't leave without buying two hats, one a stunning 30s/40s rose topper, and the other an AMAZING 20s cloche made from horsehair! Isn't it cool?
We also stopped in some thrift stores, and while there wasn't any vintage clothing I did find a bunch of orange and cream striped fabric and metal zippers (I only use metal zippers, can't stand nylon).
The drive was so beautiful, we had to stop on the windy side of the road in the canyon and take a picture together. We realized recently we always claim to hang out together, but never show any proof of it, our pictures are always solo! So there you have it. We actually do know each other.

Since we drove through a lot of farmland there were some beautiful old abandoned houses on the side of the road perfect for pictures, but in the end we spotted this fantastic old apartment building with a spiral staircase! It was very cool.

Here's some random things I saw in one day:

Snow
Rain
Desert
Llamas
Deer
Sheeps
A bear eating a cheeseburger
Tumbleweeds
An outhouse
An elephant statue
Canyon

"Fingerwaves"

Last night I had the bright idea of doing an overnight set of fingerwaves. How does one do that you ask?

By not really sleeping.

I pinned my hair up before bed and slept like Lily Munster, waking up about a dozen times and telling myself "don't move your head, you'll mess up your hair..." No pain no gain!

I think it turned out pretty nice, considering there's no product in it, but a little too mild for all that effort (if thats what you call not moving your head). I need a hood dryer so I can do some crazy cool finger waves! Any recommendations?

Down by the river

I've got to say this is probably one of my least favorite outfits, but I wanted to wear the hat ;)
Aaaaaand I really needed to do a blog post, since my last one was nearly a week ago! This is due to all my clothes being packed away, and our future landlords taking FOREVER to process the paperwork needed to move in. It's been a month since we applied for the apartment, and if it weren't for the perfect location we would look for another place. It's like they somehow have something against us, and want to keep us from moving in as long as possible. Because who would want clean, quite, tenants with excellent references who pay rent on time? Not them I guess.

Tomorrow is predicted by the weather Gods to be sunny and 70, which calls for time outside! Hope your weekend is lovely :)

Dress-J.Crew

Neck bow-Thrifted

Hat-Buffalo Exchange

I just realized I would be the crazy villain, not the darling princess.

My day started out in the 1960s, but ended up in the 1920s. That's what happens more often than not, I put together an entire outfit, love it, wear it a bit, get bored with it and change. I didn't so much get bored with the first look, but it seemed like something that would require constant touching up of lipstick and re-pinning of collars (actually the thing wrapped around my head is a belt).
So five minutes before leaving for work I decided to change. Yesterday my mothers friend gave me a bag with the most lovely vintage dresses she no longer wanted and thought I could find a good use for them! In the bag was a silk chiffon "coat" from the 20s, a 30s silk velvet evening gown, a darling red 40s dress, and this sweet, simple 20s spring dress. It's incredibly light and flows with every movement, I think next time I'll pair it with a locket or long string of pearls. I did manage to grab this cloche, which completed the look and covered my undone hair ;) Actually two people wanted to buy it right off my head, which would have gone over better if I had been in a better mood. One man kept on saying "Thats a great hat, but it would look really good on my wife..."

Um, gee thanks? I mean, what do you say to that? "Well maybe it would, but you'll never know! HA! IT'S MINE! AAAALL MINE! HAHAHA!"

...yep...Happy weekend everyone :)

Coco

Have I ever mentioned how much I admire Coco Chanel? Well now I have. Ever since I did a report on her in ninth grade her life and designs have captured my interest in every way. That spurred on a 20s kick for a few years, bobbing my hair and wearing pearls every day. I've since found other eras of clothing more flattering on myself, however have a soft spot for 20s fashion, and if I really put effort into it I can manage not to look like a bunch of potatoes in a sack.
Today my mother treated me to Coco Avant Chanel a French film about Coco Chanel, played by Audrey Tautou, before she began her legendary clothing line. I loved how it showed her process of inspiration, design, and construction, and especially her courage to wear her simple designs amongst a sea of frou-frou and frills. The film did a wonderful job of showing how influential the men in her life were for her designs, sometimes it seemed like she was simply raiding her lovers closets, just as women today do. However during that time such an activity was unheard of. It was a perfect fall film, full of tweeds, black straw hats, and gray days at the oceanside. Since it's a foreign film it's only plays in select theaters (I saw it at the Fox Tower if any Portlanders are interested) so if you can find it near you I would recommend seeing it, it's a beautiful film and not too heavy or light.

We also stopped at Magpie Vintage where of course there was lots to look at, including a few very pretty 30s dresses which at the thought of actually wearing made me nervous, though they were great inspiration for making my own. I think my next 30s dress will be black silk with a white lace collar and matching cuffs, the one like that at the shop was darling, and after seeing the film the elegance of it appeals to me.
I didn't leave empty handed though, I never do, and took home a really pretty gold filled 1940s locket which I will fill with a little photo of Sam.

Coat-The Urban Eccentric

Sweater with fur collar-Gift from mother

Shoes-Mier and Frank

1930s purse-Moving sale in Ohio

Cloche-I don't remember....

Ruffles and bows

Although this dress is from the 1950s, it has a 1920s feel to it with thin airy cotton and layered tiers. My hair was a bit of a mess today so instead of wearing a hat I opted for a black scarf tied in a bow and let my locks lay as they will.
Since all my garter belts are unusable I've been rolling my stockings lately, a look popular with young girls of the 20s, so scandalous showing off ones knees! But thats just the kind of girl I am.

Dress: Hatties Vintage

Shoes: Meier and Frank

Crane dress mystery.

This dress, among many others, was a gift. I was in high school at the time and involved in costuming school theatre productions. That year we were doing the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" and I got to make all the over the top hats for it. Someone saw my work and liked it, and asked who the milliner was, and was told it was a student who wore vintage everyday. This person then invited me to their house and gave me pieces of their own collection. The collection itself was amazing, some she had kept from family members, and some she had purchased. I took home an arm full of clothing, including a black silk taffeta Victorian petticoat, late 40s navy blue dress, mid 40s bias cut dress, two formal early 40s dresses, and this amazing crane dress.
In high school my style interests were mostly invested in the 1920s, I had the bob hair that even somehow did a natural finger wave every day, not sure how. And I adored Coco Chanel and Clara Bow, still do, but I now lack the look they had. I wore this dress a few timed and it looked very 1920s, however it wasn't until yesterday that I really started thinking about when the dress was really from. Now since I've taken a special interest in the 1930s, I kept looking for aspects of it that would make it from the 30s. But because of the dropped waist, lavish fabric and pattern, and no bias cut, I thought it must be from the 20s, but one thing really threw me off: The length.
By the late 20s, the hemlines of dresses were generally higher up on the calf or even knee, but this one reaches down to my ankles, a traditional early-mid 30s length. Then I finally remembered one crucial thing about that lot of clothing I got years ago.
The collectors great aunt was a very tall woman, the two two early 40s dresses reach well past my feet, even with the highest heels on. The dresses were handmade for her because of her hight, and this dress could very well have reached to her calf once on. So I conclude this dress as made in the late 1920s for a very tall and stylish girl.

There. Mystery solved.

Officers Row

Today Sam and I went to Officers Row to look at one of the historic houses for a wedding venue. Always so charming, each and every house on the row. A friend of mine lived on the row over the summer, and we got to hang around and walk the grounds, all very pretty year round. Of course we loved it, and it was a beautiful day to imagine a wedding in the summer :)

I got these shoes at work yesterday, aren't they sweet? So 1920s, but the label is in another language, and I cant tell where they're from, but they are very comfortable.

Sam sitting near a bright window, and a cool couch.


Coat-Somewhere in New York

Hat and Shoes-The Urban Eccentric

Stockings-Sock Dreams

Skirt-Discovery shop

Disappointed, but not surprised.

I got a Marie Claire in the mail yesterday and didn't flip through it until today. Usually it will have some great photos, fun accessories, and runway makeup. But this one was pretty much the worst issue I've ever seen. While I'm not an avid magazine reader, it was disappointing, but I reminded myself that its a mainstream magazine and it's going to have mainstream fashion. There were multiple photos and articles on jeans, either baggy or ripped (Don't get me wrong, I have my ripped denim, but it was years before they became that way), a spread on wrinkled clothing, and another spread with really dull, shapeless and I quote "cost effective" colors.

I was not aware that boring colors are less expensive than interesting ones. I suppose that makes my closet a goldmine.

I could see a 1920s influence with the designs: simple, unstructured, there was even a model wearing harem pants, which I guess is more late 1910s, but still, there were basic similarities.

But the unflattering shape of the 1920s was countered greatly by the immense attention to lavish detail. Beads, silks, feathers, flowers, embroidery, lace, and things that sparkle! 1920s fashions always fascinate me, even if a dress is very simple, somehow it manages to be spectacular.

And that is the very thing the outfits on these pages lack, some personality. They are just hanging there, lifelessly, begging for a bath in RIT dye, and possibly some french lace trim. But sadly these designs are doomed to be dull, and even sadder are the women who feel the need to wear them. With so many amazing modern collections out there, why do these get credit for the latest in style?I understand simplicity, I understand versatility, but I do not understand head to toe...blah.

But as I've said before, I suppose the luxury of vintage is that fashions have been weeded through to present us the shining gems.

Arabian Nights...

I have been carrying around this photo in my moleskine notebook for years and just came across it again today. Its so unusual, I'm guessing these girls were in costume, the photo came with many more photos from the early 1920s, but this was the only one like it.