Outfits of the Season: Retired Trashy Diva dresses

Trashy Diva Obi dress
Trashy Diva Obi dress.

I love Trashy Diva. I love Trashy Diva most of all when I can get the designs I want on sale. Usually, getting exactly what you want at a really amazing price means walking a very fine line. Sometimes, your size sells out before it hits the discount rack. Other times, a decent sale presents itself, but you wonder if you might save more money if you wait until Black Friday, or end-of-season clearance sales…and the same thing happens. Last year, I waited too long on two great Trashy Diva styles, and thought I’d never be able to find them in my size again. Turns out I was wrong! I was able to get the Obi dress in a beautiful orchid silk and the adorable gingham Norma Jean dress without having to buy secondhand. And, I got them both on GOOD sale!

Trashy Diva Norma Jean dress
Trashy Diva Norma Jean dress with bakelite jewelry.

Since I live in sunny California, I tend heavily toward sun dresses. Last Spring, Norma Jean was one of dozens of warm-weather pieces I wanted, but ended up back-burnering in favor of other dresses. By the time I had the cash to buy this black-and-white gingham beauty, it was sold out in my size…and ONLY my size. Talk about disappointment!

It never restocked, and soon it became pretty clear that the dress wouldn’t be back. Fast-forward to November, and Rowena of Edmonton (also known as Retroglam.com online) was advertising a fabulous Black Friday sale (with great shipping terms for U.S. customers). Turns out they had two great Pinup Couture Heidi dresses I was after (red rose and the Canada-exclusive black polka dot print) and…NORMA JEAN…IN MY SIZE. In fact, the only Norma Jean they had was in my size, so I took it as a sign. Continue reading “Outfits of the Season: Retired Trashy Diva dresses”

The parade of Spring vintage continues with low-backed dresses!

Margaret Koehler vintage dress
Margaret Koehler vintage dress.

Now that the semester is almost over, I have a bit of time to catch up on the stuff that really matters in life. CLOTHES. I have several new vintage pieces (“new vintage”…there’s an oxymoron for ya) that I’ve previewed on Instacrap but never got around to properly sharing. The two I’m showing you here have one main thing in common: they’re both fairly low-backed, which means they can be tricky to wear.

The first is an amazingly well constructed custom piece that’s perfect for a garden tea circa the early 1960s. The people from whom I purchased this pretty blue and white dress dug up the provenance. Apparently, it came from Margaret Koehler, a tony ladies’ shop in Manhattan.

Vintage chiffon cocktail dress
Vintage chiffon cocktail dress.

Certainly, this thing is well made. French seams, pinked edges, a built-in petticoat…every construction detail is couture, and the fit is extraordinary, right down to the scooped frock back (true frocks have buttons down the back).

Vintage fit tip: I wear longline strapless bras with scooped/low back fashions. In addition to accommodating the low-backed look, these  keep your waist lump-free and won’t complicate the outfit with straps. I’m wearing the Dominique 6377 here, which is available many places, including Pinup Girl Clothing.

Continue reading “The parade of Spring vintage continues with low-backed dresses!”

More Pinup: May Delicious Dolls and Tassel Twirl!

More good news on the pinup front! I’m in the May regular edition of Delicious Dolls (photographed by the awesome Angela Morales) and Tassel Twirl issue #2 (photographed by the superlative Miss Missy), out today! Both issues are fantastic, full of beautiful women, entertaining articles and interviews, and superb photography.

Kali by Miss Missy Photography
Kali by Miss Missy Photography.

The above is a sneak peek from my wonderful shoot with Missy. We spent the whole day shooting everything from the great 1940s old Hollywood look above to my beautiful Alfred Shaheen tapa print sundress. More to come from that day in the nearish future!

Spring Vintage: Pink with white polka dots and black Lurex!

Pink Vintage Finds
Vintage pink lucite confetti jewelry and polka dot dress.

Etsy vintage is kinda dangerous. There’s always something awesome lurking. Recently, I bought a pretty late-1950s or early-1960s pink dress with white polka-dots from one of my favorite sellers, Traven7, and a beautiful Rite-Fit Lurex evening dress with a taffeta circle skirt from Amanda at Butch Wax Vintage. Continue reading “Spring Vintage: Pink with white polka dots and black Lurex!”

New Trashy Diva: Ashley and Lena sarong dresses in gorgeous prints!

Trashy Diva Ashley Dress in Crepe Myrtle
Trashy Diva Ashley Dress in Crepe Myrtle print.

You guys know I love Trashy Diva. It’s my favorite mid-century reproduction clothing brand for three reasons: Great fit, unique designs with excellent period details, and lush repro fabrics! Two of their latest Spring offerings – the Ashley dress in Crepe Myrtle print and the new Lena sarong dress in Blue Hawaii print – fulfill each of these requirements, and more!

I come from a region that’s known for its crepe myrtle bushes and trees. At one time, we were the world’s commercial crepe myrtle capital! These hot weather beauties still proliferate here, with lacy blooms ranging the color gamut from white to lavender to hot pink to deep red. As a huge fan of the crepe myrtle, I had to buy this Ashley dress! Continue reading “New Trashy Diva: Ashley and Lena sarong dresses in gorgeous prints!”

Pinup: I’m in Ivy Magazine #9 – Gals at Work!

I’ve already plastered social media with the news, but why stop there? I’m in Issue #9 of Ivy Magazine, the “Gals at Work” issue under the name “Kali the Cat.” Yeah, that was for Elizabeth Taylor. This wonderful edition is full of beautiful pinup models photographed by some of the most talented artists in the industry. You can order your copy via Amazon.com – and it’s on sale! Mine arrived at my door in less than three days. Look for the Veronica Virgo cover!

Ivy Magazine #9
Ivy Magazine #9

My favorite shot from last year’s photo shoot with Holly West is in this one. I’m wearing my trusty Deadly Dames Film Noir dress in a 1930s Ford sedan. My hair and makeup are by the incomparable Rockwell DeVil.

Stay tuned for more pinup-related announcements in the future! My blog like page on Facebook is a good place to keep up with all the fun!

Guest Review: Jasmine on the 20th Century Foxy Taylor Swing Dress

This week, something new! A great review of a beautiful 20th Century Foxy brand dress by my friend Jasmine of Betty LeBonBon, purveyor of fine custom vintage-style skirts and much more! This dress reminds me so much of the beautiful green piece worn by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1959 film Suddenly Last Summer that I’m hoping to get one of my own. Thanks, Jasmine!

Jasmine in the 20th Century Foxy Taylor Swing Dress
Jasmine looking gorgeous in the 20th Century Foxy Taylor Swing Dress.

Broadly speaking I’m a prints lady – I love my dresses with a quirky, unique print, or bold florals on unexpected base colours. You can let the print speak for your personality, and I find them quite easy to wear as the print will dictate how to accessorize and what colours to choose. Easy!

But I recently reached a point where my wardrobe was so print-saturated that I found myself longing for a few simple block colours – if only so I could try out a few patterned shoes or ornate brooches. As much as I love a beautiful print, it can be hard to work a pair of printed shoes with a printed dress, or to choose a really fussy, ornate brooch as inevitably the detail will be lost against a printed dress.

Liz Taylor original dress + 20th Century Foxy reproduction
Liz Taylor original dress + 20th Century Foxy reproduction.

I spotted the 20th Century Foxy ‘Taylor’ dress at Miskonduct Clothing. At first, the dress doesn’t look like much – a simple green dress with a matching belt and a full skirt. Normally I wouldn’t even stop for a second look, but being a fair-skinned ginger I’d already decided I was looking for something green. And this dress was green. A good start! I was convinced it would go beautifully with simple accessories like gold or silver, perhaps even blue accents – and it would play beautifully with a nice floral printed shoe (think Iron Fist or Irregular Choice), should I finally decide to invest. Sold!

Continue reading “Guest Review: Jasmine on the 20th Century Foxy Taylor Swing Dress”

Outfit of the Day: Vintage Kamehameha halter dress

Vintage Kamehameha halter dress
Vintage Kamehameha halter dress.

You guys know by now that I love me some mid century aloha wear. Hot on the heels of last week’s new-old vintage Alfred Shaheen is this beautiful 1950s circle-style halter dress by Kamehameha, one of the famous mid century Hawaiian fashion labels.

This one has a nifty bullet-structure bustline (which looks great over my vintage shape Goddess longline bra) and a full skirt (which looks great over my Malco Modes petticoats). The cotton fabric has bright, firelike orange-red anthuria and birds of paradise printed all over it. I got it from Christina of Skirt Chaser Vintage, who is a great sourced of designer vintage for people on the low end of the plus range. I’m at about 42-32-48″, and this is a perfect fit.

More images after the jump! Continue reading “Outfit of the Day: Vintage Kamehameha halter dress”