Playing vintage tag

Jessica at Chronically Vintage posted a game of vintage tag, which was very fun to read, so I thought I considered myself tagged and post my answers. Consider you ALL tagged.

 

{21 vintage lifestyle questions and answers}

 

 

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1. Who are your style icons? Tricky question, actually. I love so many old-time movie stars, but style icons? An important aspect of style is that it should fit you, otherwise it isn’t really style. And though I adore Audrey Hepburn and her style, I have more in common, body wise, with Jayne Mansfield. Or Christina Hendricks. If I tried to look like Miss Hepburn, it wouldn't suit me, however much I love her style.



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50's wiggledress

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So I don’t think I can say I have one particular style icon, but pick here and there.

2. What is your favourite way to get inspired? Watching movies. Reading blogs. Seeing friends who share my affection for vintage. Like Pimpinett who always makes me want dress better when I see her.

3. What's your most-used hair tool? Booby pins. I use them all the time, for pin curls and when I’m fixing hair.

4. What's your favourite hair tool? The booby pin again. Versatile and practical and can even be dressed up.

40's evening gown made after a
Vogue Vintage Style pattern.

5. Updo, down, or half-and-half? Up. I had long hair for many years and I always wore it up. I can’t abide having hair falling down around my face. Even now when my hair reaches my shoulders, I usually put it up. Or, at the very least, up around the face. I only wear my hair completely down for a party, when I have had time to fix it nicely.

6. Is vintage something you do every day, on weekends, or for special occasions? Every day, more or less. I wear a uniform at work, but otherwise I do. I’m a bit bad with being home, I have a tendency to slouch around in any old thing, but I’m working on that.

7. What's your favourite blush and lipstick? Bèsame’s lipsticks are my absolute favourite. I have several shades, but I can’t say that I have a favourite colour, more than something red. As for blush, I have very few and I find them nice enough, but I can’t say that I have a favourite.

8. Dress, skirt, or pants? Heels or flats? I prefer dresses and skirts. I gave up wearing pants 20 years ago because I never found a pair that both fit me and looked good. I am toying with the idea of getting some 40’s style trousers for leisure wear, though. Heels, heels, heels. I have a bad heel and I learned to walk in heels on my doctor’s orders. I have some well-cushioned trainers only used for dog walks; apart from that all my shoes have at least 2 inch heels, most of them higher.

9. Off-the-rack or homemade? I usually get luckier with homemade when it comes to fit… But I’m not at all averse to off-the-rack if I find something that looks good on me.

10. Do you swing dance? Not really. I learned in my teens and I know the basic steps, but I haven’t danced in years. I could probably pull it off with a good partner, though.

11. Extreme vintage or subtle touches? Both, though I rarely go to the extreme end of the scale if it’s not an occasion. Having to wear a uniform at work makes it impossible to do more than subtle touches on workdays. For a casual look I probably land somewhere on the middle of the scale.

 

12. Favourite perfume. Caron’s Tabac Blond. I’m also rapidly falling in Love with Chanel’s Cuir de Russie. My wallet hates my taste in perfume.

13. Favourite skincare product? Phytic cream from M&M. And regular facials. I can’t recommend that enough.

Handbag in lizard skin that my grandmother Greta
 made in the late 40's.

14. What does your family think of your style? They like it and a very positive about it.

15. Favourite accessory? I have a confession. I’m really, really bad in remembering to add those. So I have to say handbags, as I never forget those.

16. Do you find the vintage community welcoming or snobby? I have only had positive experiences, in real life as well as online.

17. What drew you to vintage style? A long time love. I used to love watching old movies as a kid, being a bit surprised that people looked so different from people around me. So neat and polished and smart. (I’m a child of the 70’s.) So I have always been drawn to the style.

18. Favourite places to shop vintage? Etsy and various shops in Stockholm like Epok and Old Touch.

19. What vintage eras are your favourite? The 30’s and 40’s.

20. Most glamorous film stars? Goodness, weren’t they all glamorous? But I will have to say Rita Hayworth, as she was my first movie star crush ever.

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21. Favourite vintage object that you own? My Radiola radio gramophone. My maternal grandparent’s bought it in 1955 and as a kid I loved to listen to it. When I was 18 I got it and it is in almost perfect shape and works just fine.

40's quilted bed jacket.

 

 

A review on What Katie Did's Baby corset

I recently bought the Baby Corset from What Katie Did and as it inspired by the waspies of the New Look-look, I thought a little review here wouldn’t be amiss.

In case you have missed it, WKD is a UK-based company that makes lingerie, stockings and corsets inspired by the 40’s and 50’s. I have purchased clothes from them before and always been pleased with both customer service and the quality. I live in Sweden and it took 3 days for my package to arrive, which I think is excellent.

I have their Mae corset which is shorter than the Morticia, the length from waist to underarm is 4.75. I like it as it is well made and for its price easily the best off the rack corset I have ever purchased. However, I have a very short upper torso and it’s much too long for me. I can wear it for an evening, but it is bordering on uncomfortable. I have been toying with the idea of wearing corsets more regularly, but to do that, comfort is a must. The Baby corset is just 7 inches long altogether and as I have had the opportunity to try it in a store I felt confident that it would suit me.

Despite its tiny size, this is a real corset in heavyweight satin and cotton twill, it has a real busk and 12 bones both spiral steel and flat steel. It is also really curvy and meant to reduce the waist to 4-5 inches. I really think this is a great little corset, though definitely not for every body type.

Being so curvy I think fits a curvy figure better. For a woman with little natural difference between waist and hips it may be too big over the hips. I have an hourglass figure, so I found the fit great though. It is very short and I think one should bear that in mind. On me it is perfect, but one someone with a longer body there will be a noticeable gap between corset and bra. That in itself isn’t a problem, but if you have a lot to squish, then you may get a roll of fat in between corset and bra, which may not be what you are looking for. A longline bra would probably help to eliminate that, though.

A crappy picture, but you can see how curvy it is. Here it's just laced so it doesn't slide around on me, there is definitly room for lacing it more..

You also need to be aware that if you want to wear stockings you will need a separate girdle or very long garter straps as it is too short. This corset doesn’t restrict your tummy at all and the curvy cut also gives the ribcage some room, so it is actually very comfortable to wear, much more so than a long corset. I tight dress of skirt may pronounce the uncorseted tummy a bit too much) at least one me), but with wider skirts I think it will be wonderful.

I don’t find any of the potential problems I have listed to be any problems, though. It is a short corset that will give you a dramatic waist and if you aware of its shortness and that it in some ways behaves differently from a long one, well, and then I think it’s pretty much perfect.

A Swedish tiger

This cute creature was created in 1941 and was part of a vigilance propaganda campaign in Sweden. The slogan "En svensk tiger" is a pun. Tiger is tiger in Swedish as well, but it can also mean "to keep silent", meaning that a Swede don't blab secrets to strangers.

The designer was Bertil Almqvist and in Sweden he is also well known for a series of children books, mainly written in the late 40's-50's, about a Stoneage family who travels around the world, for example Egypt, USA and Britain. They even travel to the moon and Mars!

A review on Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing

I’m sure most, if not all of you, know about Gertie's New Blog For Better Sewing and so you already know that her book, Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing by Gretchen Hirsch. It is a sewing book for those interested in sewing vintage, heavily inspired by the book that started out Gertie's blog, once upon a time, VOGUES New Book For Better Sewing from 1952. It’s been out for a while, so my review comes a little late, but better late than never.

Content

The book has several parts and begins with a chapter on vintage sewing and a discussion on patterns, vintage versus reproduction. Then follow chapters on preparation, techniques, tailoring, how to change patterns and fitting. The book also contains several multi-sized patterns and the last part gives sewing instructions, tips and tricks as well as pattern adaptations on them.

Style

The book is hard backed with a spiral, which makes it both sturdy and practical. There is a lot of illustrations and additional information apart from the actual text. The writing style is very informal and the book is easy to read.

Pros and cons

The layout of the book is very pleasing and it is also a book that is unique just that it targets vintage sewing, but in a modernized way. For me, who has been sewing a long time and enjoy reading sewing books, there weren’t anything in the techniques and fitting chapters that were new to me, but that isn’t really a con. One thing that may annoy readers is the rather chummy style the book is written in. here is your pal Gertie who really wants you to love sewing as much as she does and she has a lot of personal opinions on it. I didn’t mind, but if you want your sewing book more formal and impersonal, then this might be irritating.

The biggest pro for me is the patterns. Considering what a pattern cost and what a sewing book cost, this book is really worth the money! There are also several blouse patterns, which I have been looking for. I also really love the wiggle-dress with kimono sleeves that utilize an underarm gusset for a fitted look. I have yet to try any of them, though I plan to start with a blouse.

The vintage style presented in this book is Gertie’s own style which is heavily 50’s with some 40’s thrown in. So if you are interested in other vintage eras, then you may find the pattern section disappointing. Also, there are no trouser pattern at all, which doesn’t bother me as I never wear trousers, but, again, may be irritating for those who do.

The biggest con is the fit on some of the clothes. They are all modeled by Gertie herself and some of them just don’t fit well while others look great. I suspect that part of this is due to the way they are photographed as almost all patterns are made up in two versions and one version can fit well, but the other one don’t. I really find this rather annoying and something that would probably be possible to work around.

I have read reviews that which for more than one model to see how the patterns would look on other body types. I don’t think it’s so odd, the cost of making the clothes in several sizes and finding models for them would probably climb rather quickly. And, after all, you don’t get pictures of more than one model when you buy a pattern.

To sum it up

I like this book, but I don’t feel that it is the ultimate book for me information-wise. I have other sources that are true and tried and which I will continue to use them. However, if you are relatively new to sewing, or is about to begin, then I think this a really great book. I really love the attitude throughout the book that sewing is fun and easy, so if you think it’s scary, read this book! And, as I have already said, the patterns alone make the book worth the money!

 

Bathroom dreams

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I have mentioned before that we live in an apartment in a house that was built in 1954. Lots of the original décor is still there, but the bathroom was, to our big disappointment, completely remodeled. The previous owners were very proud of it, but we found it absolutely horrid. The lovely tiled bathtub had been removed, a shower had been installed and the sink was made of stainless steel and wood. If you didn’t know it, steel gets grungy much quicker than enamel and wood in a bathroom. Well, no matter how much you dry it as soon as water gets on it, which it does if you only wash your hands, will start to rot. And the tiles on the walls where slightly structured which made them harder to keep clean as well. So remodeling the bathroom was always pretty high on our list, but not quite as soon as now.

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However, the whole house has undergone a complete makeover of the plumbing system and with that a new bathroom, no matter what. As the original bathroom is gone and some of the features of a 50’s bathroom is now out of reach due to regulation, like having tiles halfway up on the walls and then just a paintjob, we decided to go back two decades and go for an Art Deco inspired (not reproduced) bathroom in black and white.

I really wanted a checkered floor but the budget didn’t stretch to that, so now the floors are in black tiles and the walls in white.



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 More annoying regulations meant removing the window sill and installing a completely unnecessary radiator at the most inconvenient place possible. The bathroom is small as it is, and now it is even harder to furnish. I am not very pleased with the company who did it- they could have asked if we wanted that radiator somewhere else and they almost put in a floor in the wrong colour, prison grey, instead. By luck J was at home and could stop them! With black and white in mind we started to look for suitable furniture and to our surprise we actually found what we wanted at IKEA!

The series is called Hemnes and we have already bought the cabinet and plan to buy these two as well.

We also really want a black bathtub but as I said, the bathroom is small, so we haven’t yet decided what kind of tub it will be. We really like the design of this one, even if that harks back even more in time. Oh well, I said inspired, didn’t I?

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The last items on the shopping list are new black and white towels and then I will be able to show you our new bathroom.

Wardrobe musings

Still trying to come to terms with wearing uniform and came up with another positive: I will be able to drastically clean out my closet. I guess most of us have clothes that we don’t really like but wear anyway on the days when the dirty laundry is piling up. I quick survey of my wardrobe revealed that about half of what I have falls into this category. Clothes that are perfectly fine, but don’t fit as well as they should or have a colour that isn’t exactly right. My wardrobe space is rather limited and at the moment it is pretty crammed, so a clean out would be very welcome. I know I have sweaters, cardigans, dresses and shoes that I don’t really care for.

Lauren Bacall, 1945

So, what to leave? My favourites, of course. My 40’s wardrobe project, which I hope will be a little more visible if I get rid of my so-so clothes. I suspect that there will be a few holes visible as well, especially in the departments of leisure wear and outdoor clothes. As it is now I try to change when I get home from work, but as often as not I don’t bother. When I start wearing uniform at work I really have to. Cotton housedresses are really nice wear at home, I have already noticed that, but I would need one of two additional ones. Paired with thicker stockings and a warm cardigan that ought to work for winter as well.

I have tried to organize my sewing projects-list as well. I divided it into four lists; 40’s clothes, vintage clothes from other eras, 18^th century clothes and one for other historical eras. I then assigned a letter to ever project. A for projects that needs to be finished ASAP. B for projects I have started and C for projects that I have planned. For example, my 40’s wardrobe has an A on the raincoat and black wool dress. They are clothes for the Autumn/Winter wardrobe and they are very near completion. All the other clothes for Autumn/Winter this year has a B and Spring/Summer clothes got C. Even clothes that I have started actually, as they are for the next season. I did this with all four lists and then I made a fifth one contains all the A’s. Then I divided that list into A, B, C. A there is my Victorian circus costume for Fraulein Frauke that needs to be finished by the 24^th. B is my raincoat and then all the rest got C. When the Victorian costume is done, the raincoat will get A and something else B. I’m not sure that this will work for me as I have just started it, but it really feels that I have got a much better overview and it’s easy to see what I need to focus on.

And yes, I did use an app for it, but I am sure it works just as well with the pen and paper version.

I have bought a few clothes these autumn, staple items that I know I will have use for later. A green cardigan and sweater combo in lamb’s wool. And a few clothes from a company called Emmy Design that Elsa brought to my attention. I can really recommend them! It’s not reproduction clothes, but the style is definitely 40’s and 50’s for most of the design and the quality seems to be high. I bought a swing skirt in both brown and black and they are excellent everyday skirts. Perfect for a late 40’s or 50’s look.

I also bought this knitted dress, which was a bit nervous, knits tend to cling just where you don’t want it.

But the fit is great and it’s so comfortable, despite being 70% wool it isn’t the least bit itchy, even if you do need a slip underneath. I bought it in ruby red and I’m very tempted in the black version too. And I think I need the knitted cardigan to match!

Accessories for work



Bought at Lisa Loot



Thank you for all the pep and suggestions in yesterday's post. I feel slightly better about it now. There is another nice thing about the uniform- it actually fit me. Shirts are hard on me as I have a narrow back and shoulders, but not a very narrow front... So it was a nice surpise to find that it fitted quite well. several of you suggested jewelry, which I honestly hadn't thought about. I'm good at putting my clothes out the day before, but not not jewelry. Unfortunately I don't think I can wear pins and brooches and bangles drives me crazy, but nice earrings are an excellent option.

Bought at Majean Vintage



Despite having a workmate insisting that I look like a horse when I wear them, I really like my hairnets from Arthelia's Attic. The black one would go well with the uniform, but a grey or a green one would do as well.

I also really like the quality of the hair flowers from Belle Blossoms. I have found that I rarely reach for the very large ones, and wearing one behind my ear just tickles, but smaller ones on a comb are quite useful. And they do have a lot of nice ones

The combs are really excellent, usually such items just slip out of my hair, but these are called Grip-Truth and the stay were you put them. It is also possible to buy them plain and glue whatever decorations you want on them.

Aris Allen All Black 1940s Suede Sole Mary Jane Wingtip

Dance Store has many nice shoes I want- I have mentioned them before. And I think any of these could be worn at work to perk up my day.

Aris Allen Black 1930s Velvet Oxford



Aris Allen 1930s Black & Silver Faux Ostrich Heeled Oxford







Aris Allen 1940s Black Faux Suede 3 Buckle Heeled



I also have a huge collection of stockings. A couple of years ago I shopped at Calezza any time I felt for candy. Undoubtely good for my figure, but now I have two drawers fills with stockings and one of those are solely unopened! Partly because my taste have changed a bit. I used to go for patterend stocking, now I usually wear plain ones with back seams. With a plain black skirt I think I could use up my patterned ones. Most of my stockings are out of stock now, but here are a few examples from my stocking-wardrobe.





Hair grips from the 40's or 50's. Bought at Vintage Curves