Flirty 30s Frou Frou

People often ask me how I can part with all the lovely vintage things I source from my shop or cull from my collection.  My answer is that it takes a lot of tough love and restraint not to hoard it all. Once in a while, I *do* keep what I find because they feel like a gift from the vintage gods. An adorable 30s blouse and deco hat found me in Montreal and probably my favourite find to date, a DEADSTOCK 1930s gown + slip set with 'birthday cake' colours and 3-D blue flowers, followed me home yesterday.  Which of these fabulously 'frou frou' lovelies shall I wear to my birthday party today? Stay tuned! What's YOUR favourite vintage find?

Backwards, Baby

Since today is Friday the 13th, a day known amongst the superstitious as one during which things have a tendency to go sideways or backwards, as the case may be, I thought I would share a little blooper I noticed in relation to a Jean Harlow gown which I had had the pleasure of seeing in person when I had visited the Hollywood Museum in L.A. back in November.  The short of it is that, recently, I came upon a photo of Harlow in the fur sleeved velvet gown and noticed something which the curators of the Harlow exhibit apparently had not: the gown was worn by Harlow with the v in front, not in back!  As further evidence, by sheer coincidence, I found a newsreel clip of Harlow in that very same gown (see below).  To add insult to injury, as I was composing this post, I noticed there is yet another photo of Harlow in the gown displayed right in front of the actual gown in the Museum (see my photo just below).  Clearly, the curators are displaying Baby's gown backwards.  Oops?

Source

To be fair, 30s gowns can sometimes be tricky in relation to determining which is the front and which is the back, often due to the fact that it was quite common to have a gown dip lower in the back and inset goring that modern wearers might want emphasizing the rear were designed to highlight the hips and so forth.  How to avoid such glitches? 

1. Look for any bust darts. This will tell you which side is meant to face front; 
2. Look for side closures (in my experience, button/snap/hook/zip plackets typically sit on the left side waist of garments from the 30s); 
3. Lay the gown flat or put it over a dress form if you have one and see if you see a difference in hem length (often the back hem will dip lower).        

Sometimes, none of these clues will be there. In such cases, what's a gal to do? Try it on both ways and wear it how you want!!  Btw, if any other 30s lovers have tips or tricks on this topic, I'd love to hear 'em!

My Vintage Year

2011: A year filled with personal introspection, transition, revitalization, relocation, re-direction, and now retrospection!  Outfit-wise, a peek back at my year in vintage.

WINTER

30s Schia inspired snowsuit

30s Persian Lamb jacket +  30s plaid scarf & 30s knitted skirt and crocheted cap, outside Whitehern House, Hamilton, ON (scarf, skirt from Top Tottie)

30s plaid scarf again (this time with matching cap), at the Bronte Creek Maple Syrup festival

SPRING

30s flutter sleeved dress and green re-mix shoes for St. Patrick's Day Social at my dance school

30s pale blue gown + capelet set at Casa Loma Big Band Dance Night

30s knit/crochet-wear (hat, flutter sleeved top) + 30s skirt and shoes for the spring cherry blossom season

SUMMER

30s navy & white dress at Palais Royale (also wore this for the ADSLA Cocktails in Historic Places in L.A. in Nov)

Punchy 30s floral dress from Dorothea's Closet Vintage for the Niagara New Vintage Wine Fest

Ethereal 20s chiffon floral dress + straw cloche for Spadina House's 20s Garden Party

My summer go to ensemble: 30s peasant blouse, 30s style skirt by nudeedudee

Feigning Deauville in the early 30s with Nudeedudee striped top and wide legged trousers from Heyday

More 30s resortwear: cute gingham 30s beach pajamas

Faked a 20s bathing belle bathing suit to go with real 20s bathing shoes 

FALL

Amazing 30s crocheted dress

Glammed up for the Queen Mary Cocktail PJ Party with Trashy Diva evening jacket and repro 30s lounging pjs from Time Machine Vintage

30s sailor collared floral organdy day dress

Cocktail sparkle with my gorgeous friend Patricia Lynn of Lady By Choice (I'm shown here in a 20s Schiaparelli-inspired black velvet illusion bow dress which I'm actually selling along!)

MORE 30s knitwear, worn whilst enjoying the "Roaring 20s" shoe exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto

Once again living it up in L.A.; 30s cotton floral dress from Denise Brain

Back to winter with my fave 30s Persian lamb jacket + skirt set, accessorized with 30s dickie, 30s hat, and 30s galoshes.

Looking forward to more adventures in vintage for 2012. Stay tuned!!!

Shall We Dance? My Magical Mystery Anniversary Night Revealed

Thanks for playing along with my previous "teaser" post!  Finally, I can reveal some snaps of a day and night I will never forget!  To celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (though we've been together for 9 years), the mister and I decided to head to the "city" (Toronto) for an afternoon of sightseeing and then a very special evening Get ready for a photo-heavy post...

  

First, we checked in for a night's stay at the beautiful Royal York Hotel, which, when it opened in 1929, was apparently "the largest hotel in the British Empire" (great online deals for this time of year)!

The hotel is right across the street from the beautiful Union Station (though it may look less beautiful in this pic, as there is some construction work going on).  

  

  We spent the afternoon looking at some beautiful architectural details.  I'm a sucker for verdigris and grand columns!

Impressive interior of Union Station

After the station, we checked out some other architectural delights, like the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).  Late in the afternoon, we retired to our suite for some much needed relaxation AND some chocolate dipped strawberries, which the hotel sent up with their compliments and wishes for a happy anniversary.

FINALLY, the time arrived and we headed to our main event, an evening of dancing to big band music, provided by the Toronto Big Band, at Casa Loma, a grand estate that is known as Toronto's castle! The dress code instructions were "Dress to Impress,"an event worthy of the amazing 30s gown + capelet jacket I had bought over a year ago from Exquisite Bones and my 30s hairpin crocheted capelet I had bought from another on Etsy around the same time.

Words cannot express how beautiful this venue is.  After entering down a long panelled hallway (which I wish I had photographed), we bee-lined for a peek at the famous conservatory, which is So so gorgeous, with its marble floors and alcove with fountain!

I have a feeling this beautiful floor has borne the weight of many lavishly dressed party-goers its history!

Glorious stained glass dome ceiling

Requisite anniversary couple shot.  We're standing in front of the fountain so you can't see it. Oops.

There, now you get a better idea of what was behind us.  What a romantic setting!

After exploring the conservatory, we headed to the glass bookcase-ensconced"library room," where numerous tables were set up, so people could sit, relax, and nibble on lovely antipasto and dessert platters when not dancing.  We ended up sitting at a table with a couple who was actually celebrating 50 years of marriage.  WOW! A peek at my gown with the warmer hairpin capelet off.

A view of the library room from our table before many guests had arrived yet.

I would not be worthy of my self-assigned Baronial title without a dramatic staircase photo!  This gown and capelet set was the dreamiest thing to wear and foxtrot in! I can't believe how sturdy all pieces of this set were and still are!

The music provided by the Toronto Big Band couldn't have been more perfect (click here to hear some of their tunes).  I think we danced for three hours! Here's an action shot (taken by the mister, at the top of the staircase), showing me doing the cha-cha (well, pretending to!) after a sweet older gent asked to take me for a spin!

Waiting for a cab in the glow of the moon, after a night of dancing on the clouds!

The cab took a while, so I hammed it up in front of the castle, which, by night, looked rather Dracula-esque. I hear Murder Mystery nights are hosted here sometimes. MUST look into this. We'll be back for sure!!

The Long Goodbye/Moonlight on the Highway

My 5th wedding anniversary is coming up and I can't wait to show & tell you what the mister and I have just booked to mark the momentous occasion next weekend.   The only hints I will give are that it involves a 1930s gown, a castle, big band music.  Now then, speaking of 30s gowns and weddings, I must admit that, while I really think our little wedding was a wonderful event, If I could do a wedding gown "do over," and resize too-small gowns at will, I would have worn this exceptionally amazing 1930s evening or wedding gown + capelet jacket + belt set, which I have been hoarding for a couple of years now. Alas, it just does not fit me, so, after a loooooong time of hoarding, I'm ready to say goodbye to this exquisiteness and let it go into the shop, so it can go to a new loving home, where it can be worn and enjoyed, perhaps by a 30s-loving bride? In case, you think brides only wore white in the 30s, in my next post, I will show otherwise. Oh, I've called this the "Moonlight on the Highway" gown set because I think of Al Bowlly singing that song whenever I look at it....swoooon!

Pretties for Pettigrew

I had planned to keep my main blog and my Etsy shop blog separate, so as not to barrage non-shopping bloggers with my shop wares, but I couldn't resist posting the Gatsby dress selection and now this post here as well. Yes, I'm a temptress. Feel free to look away ;)

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking the costumes in the 2008 movie Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day are just absolutely dreamy.  Well, it has come to my mind that at least three frocks in my Etsy shop are Pettigrew Perfect.   Specifically, the late 30s midnight blue velvet dress shown below is a ringer for the one Miss Guinevere P. wears in the climactic lounge scene of the film; the middle blue chiffon evening gown and jacket set would be divine on Pettigrew's charge, Delicia LaFosse (though I believe it is mid-30s, whereas the film is late 30s, the color and style would look heavenly on her); the third exquisite black with white soutache trim frock would look dazzling on Miss P., though I think the chic shop owner who gives Miss P. her high fashion makeover would keep it for herself.  All these Pettigrew Pretties are for sale in my Etsy shop.  Happy Saturday!