When I wrote my review of Red Apple Lipstick, I got a comment or two on how some were distracted (I assume in a good way!) by what was going on in the background, so I figured it may be a good time to share a few pictures of my beloved vanity.
Hope you enjoyed!
Okay, so this isn’t really a must have for all vintage-loving gals. But it is for those who love the 1940s. Today’s vintage must have is a snood…
Snoods have a history dating back to the Renaissance, had a revival in the mid 1800s, and came back into vogue during the 1940s due to World War II for rather practical reasons. Women entered the war effort in full force by working in factories, which required them to keep their hair out of the way and snoods were the answer. But soon snoods found their way into everyday fashion during the 1940s and early 1950s.
One of my favorite bloggers really knows how to rock a snood, please check her and her equally fashionable husband on their blog Lost in the 50s.
Most snoods are simple and of this crochet design I am wearing. However there are loads of patterns to make beautiful, stylish and complex snoods to go with your outfits, such as this pattern available on Etsy. So if you know who to wield a crochet needle, you can make some yourself! There were also fabric snoods as well. As snoods became more of a fashion accessory as opposed to a working girl’s staple, many milliners began to incorporate snoods of either the netting kind or fabric kind into their hats.
Snoods can be worn with various hairstyles in the front; pompadours, victory rolls, and look great when paired with a hair flower too!
I buy most of my snoods from April’s Bag. She makes wonderful snoods and sells them at really reasonable prices. Arthelia’s Attic is another stellar Etsy seller dealing in snoods, including the beautiful deluxe snoods.
Outfit
Snood: April’s Bag
Sweetheart Necklace: Gift
Sweetheart Charm Bracelet: Pieced together from various shops
Earrings: Expo
Sweater: Bombshell Vintage, Portland
Skirt: Buffalo Exchange, Portland
Vintage Stockings: …who knows…
Shoes: TJ Maxx…I think
Last night I got together with Angelica, Rhiannon of Garb-Oh Vintage, Christine of Living Threads Vintage and Sandi of Lorrel Mae’s for an evening of cocktails and chit-chat at the lovely Secret Society. The evening and cool January weather proved the perfect opportunity to wear one of my new favorite dresses, this silver number…
Regrettably, these shoes are a little worse for wear, but I couldn’t pass them up. I mean, come on! GOLD 40s SHOES!? And $14! How could a girl resist?
I’m a sucker for garments that button asymmetrically as well as have pockets. Er, well in this case, pocket. The dress also has quite possibly the best label ever too. A Miss Hollywood Jr. A Filmland Creation.
I mean, come on! First off, what a name, and secondly, it has spotlights and a little man with a movie camera! How swell is that?
As we stood out in the chilly weather saying our goodbyes we received many looks and compliments on our attire. Always a nice ego boost.
Well, I’m off to follow a hot lead on my hunt for the ever elusive LA Confidential coat! Wish me luck! I hope you all are having a marvelous Friday!
Outfit
Hat: Red Light, Portland
Dress: Plucky Maidens Junk Fest
Gloves: Antique Alley Flea Market
Purse & Shoes: Antique Alley, Portland
Belt: Was my grandmother’s
Earrings: Gift from my dad
This afternoon I joined some of the most marvelous fellow vintage gals in the Pacific Northwest for the annual Fur & Feathers Luncheon as hosted by Julie of FabGabs Vintage. (You can view last year’s event here!) So get ready to see some amazing fur and feathered concoctions on some even more amazing ladies in loads of pictures!
I know, you’re probably tired of seeing Algernon, especially if you’ve been participating in the rather heated fur debate on his debut entry. (Please visit the entry to read my views regarding fur). But it was the first time I was able to take both him and his brother Earnest on a little outing.
Everyone giggled and chatted as we took up a whole corner of the dark restaurant and several people even took our pictures. But who can blame them? We looked marvelous…just look for yourselves!
Solanah of Vixen Vintage looked stunning with the most darling hat and brown mesh (yeah, I know, crazy, right?) dress!
I wasn’t the only gal who brought along a little fox buddy. Fellow blogger Sara of Lilies & Remains brought along her fox, named Tod!
Also I finally got to meet Sarah of Stutterin’ Mama’s! Who had the most delightful hat!
And I nearly died when I saw the skirt that Jennifer of Jumblelaya was wearing!
It was a fantastic afternoon, and our fur actually got a very positive reception. Multiple people commented on how lovely we all looked and praised us for our no-fear attitude. Although one gal did say she loved our “costumes” … *sigh*
Outfit
Algernon the Fox Stole: Antique Alley, Portland
Earnest the Fox Muff: Anniversary present from Patrick (but I know he bought it on Ebay)
Hat: Expo
Helen of California Suit: Brownsville Antique Show
Stockings: Oh, who the hell knows!
Shoes: Remix by way of Ebay
Nail Color: Skyfall, part of the OPI James Bond Collection
Vintage is many things. On one side we love vintage because it’s unique, more flattering and of better quality than the majority of contemporary clothing on the store racks today. However, vintage isn’t without its problems. How many of us have suffered a stain or tear or lost a tap? Part of wearing vintage is maintaining your clothing to continue their longevity. So here are a few tips to help you keep that fantastic closet of yours looking good for years to come.
When vintage is all you own, traveling can be a bit of a burden in a way. Between getting folds in garments, worrying about damage on the road, not to mention all of the other travel anxieties, it can get a little hectic.
I travel using vintage luggage. This is for a handful of reasons. First they look awesome. Secondly, if you are flying and you check your luggage, your suitcase will be much easier to spot when it comes out onto the carousel. Additionally, hard suitcases prevent any extra pressure put on your clothes (causing more wrinkling) by other people’s bags being placed on top of your suitcases in travel. And if you’re fearful of bed bugs, you really may want to travel with a vintage suitcase. Bed bugs may find a new home for themselves (and thus possibly follow you home) in the crevasses of an upholstered suitcase, where as they will not with a hard suitcase. I currently own a medium sized suitcase (which fits the carry-on size restrictions), a small day suitcase, a round hatbox and a train case. However, for most trips I only take the medium sized suitcase and the train case.
Recently my dear friend Angelica introduced me to what has become one of my new favorite shops in town. The Foundation: From Billie to Bettie. It’s a little shop located at 4831 SE Davision here in Portland that sells everything (and more) that I included in my Vintage Must Have Foundations Series (Read more on bullet bras, girdles, seamed stockings, slips, and crinolines).
If you’re a Portland gal who has ever been hesitant to purchase a bullet bra off the internet, then The Foundation is the place to go! Not only does the shop carry the What Katie Did bras, but a selection of new-old stock 1960s bras, all in addition to more modern bras. When I walked in I felt like a kid in a candy store. Corsets, garters, stockings, girdles, bras, crinolines! Even pasties and tiny burlesque hats! There is a wide array of shape-wear available, including vintage inspired Rago girdles. There is also a large selection of stockings, crinolines of varying lengths, and steel boned corsets! Since I’ve been dying to own a steel boned corset since I was a freshman in high school, I went ahead and purchased one, along with a few bras.
And for those of you who have ever wanted to bring out your inner pin-up girl, shop owner, Tami has teamed up with Tammy Kravitz, a photographer who does classic boudoir and pin-up photos in their portrait studio.
Proprietress Tami is a wonderful gal who doesn’t just cater to the specialty market of bullet bras and corsets, but she also sells beautiful contemporary slips, sleepwear sets and panties. So there’s something for the vintage gal as well as the modern woman. She was also very nice and patient with me when I was trying on my corset. She explained the best way to loosen the laces, how to properly fasten the front, and tighten the back. The Foundation is open Wednesday through Sunday, twelve to seven.
What this all brings me to is a new series I am starting on bullet bras. There are a few out there, and most with mixed reviews, so I figured I’d throw in my two-cents on various ones on the market. So tune into tomorrow for the first in my new Bullet Bra Review Series!
