Tuesday 25 August 2015

So Much Choice

One of the greatest things I find about living a vintage life is the huge amount of choice you have. If you live in today's modern age then you are restricted to the fashions of that time only really, as many people don't like to appear out of date. Yes, you can go casual, smart, sporty and what not, but let's face it, there ain't too much difference between any of those looks. With vintage, however, you can embrace being very much out of date, and have so many decades to choose from.
 Many people who dress vintage, often gravitate towards the 50s and I don't really blame them. It's feminine, it's easy to wear and to source, but a lot of others will dip in and out of other decades (myself included). I adore the 40s mainly and my home reflects this especially, but I am drawn to the 30s more and more recently, and, as I touched on in an earlier post, I still wander into the 50s every now and then. The list of what you can do on the old outfit front is endless really.


This outfit is a good example of the different ways you can wear vintage. I was thinking that very much as people do today, the older generations would have had clothes that were still good to wear but were maybe a little last season, and so they would have teamed them with a more modern garment. Here I put tights and shoes that wouldn't look out of place in the 30s with a 40s skirt. The length was shorter due to fabric scarcity because of the war. 


The bag was a gift a few years ago from Alex, isn't it pretty?


I went with a 40s hairstyle, purely out of ease really but we can say it was serendipity.


How classic is this gorgeous cameo? My mum had a cameo ring once that she gave to me, sadly it's lost now, it would have been perfect with that brooch too! (Sorry mum)


Ignore the muffin top, this skirt fits me beautifully but my tights kept falling down, so I shoved some pants on top to hold them up, unfortunately they were my sucking in pants that don't suck in at all, they just shove it upwards and spill it over the top! I bet you are glad I told you that! Anyway.....


On to another decade, full on 40s. I find the 40s look so comforting, I think it's the muted colours and general sense of sturdiness that the clothes had.


Oh look, that brooch again, I love how things can look different depending on the what they are paired with. The outlying ring stands out so much on this cardigan.


Socks and true 40s brogues, you can't go wrong really. Ignore the scabby legs, insects tend to like my blood! (I reveal way too much on this blog)


So you see, lots of styles to choose from, and I hope to bring you more photos in the future of my outfits. I'm still learning really and take inspiration from other bloggers and all the lovely period dramas that have been made as well as pictures from the decades that can be easily found on the Internet. I have no problem at all with modern clothes, except when they are on me, as I have found I look a bit daft in them. I may have spent years trying to keep up with modern fashion and never looking right, but I'm happy at last that I found something that feels more like me. For me it's vintage all the way and il keep looking backwards, as it were. 
                             Till next time dears xx

Saturday 22 August 2015

Heanor In The Humidity

As Alex and I had an unexpected day without the kids, we decided to make the most of it and go antiquing. We were really excited about going as when the kids are off school,  we don't get chance to do such things. Teenage boys don't tend to enjoy trawling round buildings full of old tat, strange that. Anyway, we tootled off merrily, and, after getting a tiny bit lost (we didn't use the sat nav), we arrived with plenty of time to browse (trust me, you need it in this place). 
 We hadn't been for a few months, and this place is huge, it's on four floors and really higgledy piggledy in its layout. It would be really easy to get lost in there, but we knew it would be full of lovely "tat" that yours truly here could get her grubby little mitts on. And boy, did I! 


Firstly, my outfit. I have taken a little inspiration from the new "Partners In Crime" that has been airing on bbc recently. It's set in the 50s and the main character "Tuppence" has some great outfits. She often has tailored trousers and little cardies with flat brogues on. 



I love adding accesories as they make the outfit so much more interesting, this brooch is lovely and is a good size.
On to my purchases....


You have no idea how happy I was to find this timer. I have seen several on my travels and all at stupid money, these things are sought after and the cheapest I've seen is £18, which I'm just not going to spend, but today, sitting quietly in a corner was this beauty at only £3. MINE!!


This is just so cute, a lovely late 40s example of a novelty brooch. It's made of material rather than porcelain and was even cheaper than my timer.


Also for my kitchen, this vintage plate rack, and that's about all I can say really.


A lovely bed jacket in pristine condition.


Yes I know this is a knitting bag but I'm going to use it as a shopping bag because carrier bags can really ruin a girls effort on the vintage outfit front.


A lovely job lot of vintage buttons and collars that cost pence and will soon be adorning my clothing, courtesy of dear Alex. 


Last but not least, found right near the till on the way out, these lovely vintage hair slides. 
Overall, my lovely haul cost me less than £20 altogether and we had a great morning, despite melting in the heat. There is a tea shop at the top of the building so we had a drink and a snack before heading back home. It was a day worth waiting for.

 
Smug face!
                           Till next time dears xx

Monday 17 August 2015

Fab Fifties

Some days I spend ages sorting out my outfit for the day, the preparations can often start the night before. I will first work out which decade I wish to be in, and then go through my wardrobe for a suitable combination of clothes that fit the bill as well as being practical for whatever I have got to do that day. Then of course there are accesories to find and shoes and bags to sort out, and most of the time I love doing it, and I get a lot of joy out of the whole process. Sometimes, however, I have loads to do in the evening, or I have a headache or more likely I just can't be arsed, and I fall into bed with no plan on the following day's outfit. It is on these days that I tend to reach for my 1950s clobber. 
I find the 50s really easy to put together, skirts and trousers paired with little cardigans usually do the trick nicely, add a brooch and scarf or hair accessory and you are good to go! 
I found myself in the "can't be arsed" frame of mind last night, I was too engrossed in a Midsomer Murders on the tv, if I'm honest, so this morning, out came my trusty jeans and cardi.


These jeans are mega comfy, and look at those turn ups! ( this is not just out of respect for the 50s look, I am yet to find trousers that don't need some taking up due to my short stumpy legs )


Obligatory hair accessory, in this case a massive bow!


Brilliant 50s pumps.


Ok, so the brooch is from the 30s, but it looks good.



It's a great outfit really, and one that ain't half bad for those days when I really am a lazy little toad.
                                Till next time dears xx

Friday 14 August 2015

Pretty As A Picture

No the title does not refer to me, all the pictures in the land would be complaining if it did! No, rather it refers to my new top.
Finding lovely vintage clothes is a bit of a challenge, first off, they are all very delicate when you do find them and secondly, even if I find some and they fit my waist, they NEVER fit my bust! It is for this reason that I like to alter more modern clothes or rather, I give them to Alex with a load of instructions that I want doing to the garment. To be fair, she is very good at deciphering my ramblings of " I want that thing to do a thing if you put that thing there" variety. In my quest to go more 30s she has had quite a few tops, skirts and trousers bunged in her direction to be altered to my specific tastes. The latest one was just last night, when I was in despair because I wanted a specific top to go with my skirt. Unperturbed, she listened to what I was after and got going and I was then presented with my imagined top in all its glory, just a few hours later.


Isn't this just a wonderfully pretty outfit. My skirt is a rare vintage find that fits, my tights are weird but great colour and my shoes and bag are both second hand vintage, I have tiny narrow feet that can fit in many a vintage shoe. The focus, however, is my lovely top. It started its life as a very plain modern top, but is now just a thing of loveliness.



You can see how Alex has altered the neckline shape by adding a delicate crochet collar. The collar runs from the shoulder seams to the middle of the neckline, then some vintage buttons were added from our ever growing stash.


I really quite like the colour of these tights, they remind me of the thick stockings that were around at the time I'm aiming for. I also like contrasting my tights and shoes, I think details can be seen much easier that way. 


I do truly love this outfit, it is one that will be worn often. I love the femininity of the era and the attention to detail, such as the little tucks and pleats on the waist of the skirt, that make it fall so beautifully. I think that Alex has managed to recreate this detail, and although just a small alteration, it certainly makes a huge difference to the top and to me.
                           Till next time dears xx

Thursday 13 August 2015

I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

On gloriously sunny days, there is nowhere better to be than by the sea. We have recently had a few very lovely warm and sunny days, and these happily coincided with a mini break in Blackpool.
I know that Blackpool isn't quite as wonderful as it was in its heyday, but unfortunately I wasn't around then. We stayed on the south pier side, that bit is far more quite and tranquil than the rest of Blackpool, the rest is taken over with amusements and garish rides. We were fortunate to see the horse drawn carriages that still take people along the front, and although the main trams are modern ones, they still run some beautiful 1930s trams as well. I, however am a total div, and didn't get a picture of said trams, but I do have some snapshots to show you.


First off, my outfit. I wore my palazzo pants with my finished 1930s top. You can see the sleeves that Alex has added, I love the way this top has turned out, it's just the right combination of comfort and style. I had my straw cloche hat on and some white pumps to finish my look.


My two lovely children playing on a very sandy, very deserted beach. Just look at the lovely blue sky! However, you did have to walk miles if you wanted a paddle (which of course I did).




On the second day, we went to a lovely park, it had glorious gardens and fountains and a lovely boating lake. I took my life in my hands and allowed my eldest son to drive me around the lake in a little motor boat. He loved it, and was surprisingly good at it.


The view from the front of the boat.


My son thinking he is the " dogs"  driving the boat. 



Our hotel had a games room, which my boys took full advantage of.


My youngest, showing off his naturally blue tongue, no it's nothing to do with the slushie he is drinking, I promise you! 



Us feeding a million water birds, or " ducks " as Alex calls them all, regardless of size, colour or breed!

We had a truly brilliant time and were so blessed with the weather. We are hoping to have another day at the beach, but the east coast next time. I do hope you all enjoyed the sunshine.
                        Till next time dears xx

Friday 7 August 2015

Dressing Up

I've called this post " dressing up " because basically that's what I do each and every day. We all do really, no matter what our style is, we all project to the world an image that depends on our style of dress, be it high fashion, sporty, business like, etc... My personal style is obviously vintage and I thought I would give you a few images of the sort of things I wear. I know you have seen a few outfit posts before but there is always room for more, so here goes.


Don't ask what my pose is here but it does nothing for my neck! Nor do stripes minimise my bust! We live and learn.


Same skirt, different top. This has been altered by Alex, she added vintage buttons and a 1930s pocket from a genuine pattern. She has since added sleeves in the same material but I haven't photographed them yet.


I love this pocket and plan to have it added to other garments. I rolled my hair with this outfit and it came out quite well.


I like to wear skirts, I always think I slouch less in them. This is probably not true but I can tell myself it is.


I like the simplicity of this outfit. My top is a reproduction of a 40s top and it's in very fine knit. I promptly got tomato purée all down it while making dinner, but at least I got to wear it for a few hours!


I don't always wear skirts though, people complain if my pins are on show for more than a few days at a time as they are so white, they reflect the sun into people's eyes.
So as you can see, I vary my style from the 30s to the 50s. I love planning my outfits, I guess I'm just a little girl at heart (I'm certainly not in body), still playing dressing up.
      
            Till next time dears xx

Thursday 6 August 2015

Food Glorious Food

As I have mentioned briefly before, I am trying to eat a little more like folks would have done in the post war years. My parents kindly bought me a book filled with recipes, and for the last week, I have stuck to the food written about in this book. 
The main focus of the meals is on home cooked, wholesomeness that gave you a very balanced diet. It was full of fruit and veg and meals that were high in carbohydrates and good fats.
The breakfasts are the ones I have been enjoying the most, as in the past I have usually had a breakfast bar or toast or a croissant. This has been fine but I've found I'm usually hungry again by ten o'clock. I am not very big on the old will power front, I've usually found myself reaching for a snack around this time, and not the healthy ones. The breakfasts recommended in this book, however, are far more substantial. I've had dry fried eggs on toast, or boiled or poached. I've had porridge with honey, grilled bacon and tomatoes and even kippers! This has meant I've been fuller for much longer and its a great way to start the day.


The kippers really stunk the house out, but they tasted great.
Lunch has been an interesting affair too, before this approach, I would usually grab something on the go, a pre packed sandwich or a sausage roll perhaps and often with crisps. Now I make my lunch by making sure I have plenty in the cupboards to choose from. The recommended lunches are things such as sardines on toast, soup and often leftovers from the night before as people back then were still smarting from rationing, and didn't waste their food. I have been trying to do the same. One night I had made cheese and potato pie, and I had some left over, which I fried the next day with some leftover spam, chopped up and mixed in to make a potato cake, which I had with salad. This was truly tasty and I enjoyed every mouthful. So much so that I forgot to take a photo, but take it from me, it was fab!
My evening meal has often required some planning, but I've enjoyed being in the kitchen and the smell of lovely food cooking permeating the house.
The recommendation is for something filling but wholesome. I have enjoyed beef and vegetable pie, all handmade, a lovely potato salad that I made to go with low cost cuts of meat, such as ox tongue and other such simple but delicious food. They are all accompanied by lots of veg or salad.


My pie, so proud as I have never made pie before.


My lovely low cost potato salad and meat, I am fortunate that I find the less desirable cuts of meat to be really tasty.


I'm very pleased with this dish. It's called leftover omelette, and does exactly what is says on the tin. You can put anything in it that needs using up. I used half an onion that was doing nothing, the last of my ox tongue, some mushrooms that were left from the pie and the last bit of cheese that would have gone to waste. I really enjoyed it.
I have also made chocolate cake and jellies to appease my sweet tooth, as these are far better for you than the shop bought ones.
So there you go, my efforts to become a 1950s domestic goddess. I think it's a diet that I can easily stick to, as it's not calorie counting and denying yourself certain foods. It's just simple, tasty and filling meals that give you the fuel needed to carry on through the day.
                              Till next time dears xx