Un-Charm Bracelet

Naughty Amelia-Jane and the Un-Charming Bracelet :: Roboto Glitter // Pistil // No flashNaughty Amelia-Jane sports an un-charm bracelet by Karen Walker, its delicacy belied by pendants that are quirky rather than cute.

The un-charms include sundry manifestations of skulls (a skull atop a chess pawn, a skull and crossbones); a cigarette butt; hollow hearts; stars and bombs.

It was the cigarette butt that initially caught her attention and won her over, and her husband was persuaded to buy it for her as a gift. He certainly knows how to win her over!

What I Actually Wore #0048

Serial #: 0048
Date: 05/10/2010
Weather: forecast 21°, mild and muggy
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

The outing: a trip to the Melbourne Museum, to see the Titanic exhibition. The theme: turn-of-the-century ambiance. Although I wanted to dress somewhat thematically, I didn’t intend to slavishly follow the fashion of 1912. Just a vague suggestion was all that was necessary.

My asymmetrical long skirt is voluminous (actually the opposite of the era’s narrow silhouette), and made of indigo denim; an old favourite by the New Zealand label Obi. The dusky pink silk blouse I paired with it has cute little puffed sleeves, three buttons along the neckline, and is finished with a bow. It is so quaint and picturesque, like something from a vintage storybook.

As the skirt is a little big for me, I cinched in the waist with a butter soft leather belt I bought overseas. The large round buckle is silver and inset with red leather, and the belt is long enough to be worn slouchy around the hips, or tight around the waist. It was an expensive purchase, but worth it because its bright colour lifts any outfit.

Also mandatory was a hat. Although I do have one hat reputably from 1910, it was a little dainty for this huge skirt. Instead, I went for this modern red wool felt fedora trimmed with grosgrain ribbon. Black stockings were typical of the times, although the patent black shoes with Louis heels, and three straps with little silver buckles that cross the foot above the vamp are more Twenties-style.

The plait is the finishing touch – it’s practical (a bun or low chignon doesn’t fit under the hat), and it makes me look like a turn of the century schoolgirl. And in fact, we are given a ‘boarding pass’ when we enter the exhibition, and mine reads I am a young schoolgirl, one of the real passengers who was lost at sea.

Items:

Top: Cue
Skirt: Obi
Belt: Mango
Hat: Milano
Earrings: onyx baubles, handmade by me
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Nine West

Eastermatic

Singing Easter Bunny :: Salvador 84 // Claunch 72 Monochrome // Laser Lemon GelI love a good dress up. Here is a young lady that I snapped today serenading market shoppers. She took a liberal interpretation of the Easter Bunny ensemble and donned a pale pink top, white tutu, white suspender stockings, and a pair of bunny ears (sadly drooping). Never mind the singing, that outfit alone was worth a gold coin donation.

Sweets Serenade :: Chunky // Blanko Noir // Dreampop

Hats On for Easter

Any excuse to don a hat, and Easter is the perfect time to do so. I recall making Easter bonnets in primary school years ago, but where does this seemingly strange tradition come from?

A fine new Easter hat is the last remnant of the old tradition of wearing new clothes at Easter time. Celebrating the renewal of the year, and the promise of spiritual renewal and redemption, the origins of Easter parades lie in Christian culture: processions in remembrance of Palm Sunday, and Christ’s death on the cross.

Easter Parade in New York, late 19th CenturyThe Easter parades began on Fifth Avenue in New York in the 1870s as an after-church cultural event for the well-to-do. They would stroll from their own church to others to see the floral displays in other churches – and to be seen by their peers of course. It was also a prime opportunity for the poorer and middle classes to take in the latest fashions. 

Nowadays, purely decorative hats are no longer commonly worn except for special occasions such as the races, and it can be difficult to purchase a delicious little confection, unless one has the funds to afford the services of a milliner. I am constantly disappointed in the wares on offer in boutiques and department stores: this winter the only colours I am seeing is brown, black and cream, and usually only berets or fedoras. So boring!

Lucky there is eBay and Etsy for vintage indulgences delightful enough for a traditional Easter. And hats aren’t as fattening as chocolate.

Happy Easter!

I am Rich, Beautiful and Ruthless!

I have very fond memories of reading Archie comics when I was a teenager. I think my older sister Star and I discovered them through a Yankeephile friend of hers, who had a stack of 60s and 70s Archie’s Digests. It wasn’t long before I was madly collecting my own copies; I would even scour second-hand bookshops and charity stores for them.

Well, as for the famous Betty and Veronica rivalry over Archie… Firstly, I couldn’t see the attraction. Archie was a big klutz, forever falling over his feet and sticking them in his mouth at every opportunity. The evil genius Reggie of course was no improvement. But Archie did possess a lot of charm, incorrigibly trading on it as he juggled his dreamgirl Veronica and girl-next-door Betty. 

Veronica uses every trick at the tip of her French-manicured fingernails to snaffle Archie away …

Veronica Lodge … inimitably expressing her personalityWhile Betty is the cleverer of the pair, the impeccably stylish Veronica is just plain devious. She always gets her way – and her man. Veronica uses every trick at the tip of her French-manicured fingernails to snaffle Archie away from that scheming blonde hussy. She might not succeed every time, but there’s no doubt Archie is head over heels in love with her – so move on already blondie!

Sadly my old collection is gone with the wind – after my mother errantly gave them to one of my nieces to read about fifteen years ago; I’ve not seen them since. I do have a set of four ‘best of’ comic books; the Fifties one is a favourite just for the illustration style, not to mention the great fashion.

Recently I struck a bonanza in a Salvos store: ten of ’em for 50¢ each. I’ve been slowly reading them. They’re a lot more PC these days, but there’s still a lot of laughs to be had over the antics of Archie and his gang. 

Check out the offical website.

Click on image to see more vintage Laugh covers