Fashions of 1934

I've been asked before what inspires my vintage style; while I love to pore over 30s magazines the way many modern women devour Cosmo, I will admit I particularly love to go back over 1930s fashion moments in the movies.  One of my perennial favourite fashion-centred films is the aptly named movie, Fashions of 1934.  While it's rather frothy in style and content, I do love that this is a movie that deals (albeit in a rather screwball manner) with a problem still prevalent in the modern age: idea plagiarism....in this case, design theft in the form of fast fashion makers producing cheap unauthorized knockoffs of designer originals.  Without giving too much away, one of my favourite scenes in the film involves William Powell's con artist character employing a hidden camera inside a cane to snap pics of Parisian original fashion designs with the aim of using them to produce cheaper knockoffs.  Anyway, some of the fashion is simply SWOONSVILLE! Emily of Livin' Vintage screencapped some of the other Orry-Kiely designs appearing in this movie :).  On the subject of plagiarism, I think Vintage Vixen's recent blog post about citing online sources of images, ideas, and texts is an important little discussion (not only because I've come across images of myself or from my blog/flickr/shop used without my permission or without attribution).  At the same time, I'll admit to sometimes not being as meticulous about source citation as I should be, so, one of my resolutions is to be more vigilant about clearly and properly crediting and linking to sources appearing on my blog that are not my own (Bette Davis stills are from here, btw!).

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!!!