Pinup, vintage fashion, vintage home, Jane Austen's Emma, and Miracles from Molecules!
Some friends of mine discovered this fun 1950s-inspired paper doll/dollmaker game at DollDivine! There are several fashion, accessory, makeup, and hair options to choose from, making the possible combinations nearly endless.
The pinup avatar I can up with actually resembles me, right down to the bangs, glasses, and platform sandals! I love the little Pomeranian dog friend, but I wish there were kitty options, too. 😀
I’m at this really transitional point, bodywise. I’ve been too small for most dedicated plus lines for years, and yet, I’m only just now finding awesome designer vintage that really fits me ( at 42-32-48″). Luckily, I managed to find two beautiful late ’50s/early ’60s designer pieces that fit me perfectly!
First is a gorgeous coral lace Emma Domb gown, vintage size 16. It’s floor-length with a crossover bodice.
Most people are familiar with Emma Domb’s famous mid century prom dresses and elegant evening wear, but I was a little surprised to learn that the Domb label came out of San Francisco, which essentially makes this dress local to me!
Continue reading “Vintage Milestones: Emma Domb, Alfred Shaheen, and FUZZY SWEATERS”
I’m a “list” person. I wasn’t born organized, so I had to develop mechanisms to keep on top of everything. Lists help me remember exactly what I need to do and when, but they’re good for more than that! They’re a way to brainstorm where I want to end up, and how I can get myself there!
Since I moved into my 1963 Jack-in-the-box house last summer, I’ve been busy taking care of the obvious things: taming the back yard, sorting through my junk, and making sure the house is clean and functional. Now that most of that is out of the way, I can think seriously about what I call Phase II – The Paint & Paper Chapter.
Continue reading “Midcentury home plans and other lists I make: Paint & Wallpaper”
So you’re having a vintage-style wedding and you want some pretty mid century styles for your bridesmaids. If you want everyone to wear the exact same dress, it’s tricky to find a style that will fit everyone and comes in a color you like. If your choice is basic black, or red, you’ll be able to find something easily in one of the better-known pinup and retro lines. But if your wedding colors are a little more esoteric, you may have trouble.
I’ve found two popular styles that come in an array of colors that are perfect for bridesmaids: Pinup Couture’s Ava dress and the famous 1950s halter circle skirt dress by Vivien of Holloway. Both come in dressy satins, and the Vivien of Holloway halter dress comes in cottons and prints for a more casual day wedding.
Continue reading “Vintage bridesmaid dress styles for retro weddings”
Anyone who knows me knows I love me some Vertigo. It’s my favorite Hitchcock film. The mystery involved makes it an obvious choice for Halloween, but there’s more to in than that. There’s the local aspect (I’m from Northern California), the Edith Head costumes (which aren’t exclusive to this Hitchcock piece, though they are particularly wonderful in it), and Kim Novak, whom I admire greatly.
She’s not just beautiful, she’s a tremendously sensitive actress. Novak’s very raw, vulnerable portrayal of Judy resonated with me. I could relate. Plus, she looked darn hot as both a rough-edged shop girl and a sanitized stand-in for the very patrician Madeleine Elster.
Continue reading “Fashion Icons: Vertigo, Edith Head, Alfred Hitchcock, and Kim Novak”
While gothabilly aesthetics have been strongly represented in the realms of retro and pinup fashion for some time, it takes something truly special to represent the rarified holiday quality of Halloween for this recovering goth girl. Halloween requires something more than black, or bats, or zombies, or skeletons. Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes something Halloween as opposed to garden variety macabre, and indeed, there is no special formula. For me, it’s a know-it-when-I-see-it kind of thing.
Here are some new, pinup-friendly Halloween-themed pieces that scream Halloween to me…
Continue reading “Fun Halloween fashions…and other sweet pinup nightmares”
Since the weather’s finally turned, it’s time to share some autumnable vintage and vintage-inspired dresses and separates!
First up is Collectif’s Simone Doll dress in grey houndstooth, a late 1940s/early 1950s-style day dress with a princess-style skirt. First introduced last fall, it’s available in four fall-appropriate colors.
Since Collectif’s measurements are all over the map and their website provides virtually no guidance in this regard, it’s best to ask around to see how a particular style or fabricway fits! On the advice of friends, I chose the UK size 16 and wasn’t disappointed. At 42-32-48″, I had no major fit issues. There is a bit of extra room in the shoulders and the drape of the fabric makes it a good idea to wear Spanx underneath to avoid lines, but nothing to make me run screaming.
Northern California will probably be warm until Halloween, but Autumn officially starts in just ten days! In honor of the climactic end of Summer, some outfits I’ve worn along the way…
First, a beautiful vintage dress from the 1950s that I bought from a friend. The striking color, mid-century halter-twist neckline, atomic-era buttons down the back, and metal sequin details made me fall in love with this one.