Easter Wishes

Happy Easter dear readers! Today I bring you fashion inspiration courtesy of Peter Rabbit. Now I don’t wear bunny brown all too often, but when it’s offset by a blue 1950s silk jacket, a vintage hat with a saucy feather, and lace-inset gloves, then staid beige becomes quite pretty.

I hope you all have a lovely and peaceful Easter, and as Peter would say, don’t stuff yourselves with too much chocolate – chew on a carrot instead! 

Vegie patch image from Northern Gardener.

Dollface

CELEBRATING THE ROARING TWENTIES IN A SPECIAL SERIES

Cupid’s Bow :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flash

I don’t wear much makeup usually. Mainly because I am in too much of a rush in the mornings. Until fairly recently I had all but given up wearing eye makeup entirely because I loathed taking it off in the evenings – every eye makeup remover I’d ever tried stung badly. Now that I’ve found one that does not (Garnier Gentle Cleansing Milk with waterlily extract), I have happily gone back to dabbling with shadow and mascara. 

Dollface :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flash

Last night a little surfing online washed me up on the shores of a 1920s makeup tutorial at Glamour Daze. It was midnight, and feeling whimsical, I decided it was the optimum time to play with crayons and kohl. Never mind that I had to go to work in the morning. 

Out of the Paintbox :: Tinto 1848 // C-Type Plate // No flash

Although I’ve always had strong feelings about the caterpillars above my eyes, I don’t have the nerve to pluck my eyebrows quite as thin as the tutorial suggests, but I did some pruning of the hedges first. And as fraudulent as it felt blocking out my mouth with makeup and painting in the classic 20s lips, they did pull the look together. I don’t think I’d want to gad about in the daylight with pancake lips though – this look is strictly eveningwear. 

No More Photos! :: Tinto 1848 // D-Type Plate // No flash

Take a Bow

Yet another reason to look forward to autumn when it eventually arrives: a pretty 1930s seafoam green wool hat to wear. It has two dear little bows that sit just above the temple, and tiny diamond cutouts at the back.

I purchased this from an eBay store that sells hats only intermittently, which is probably lucky because I’d be flat broke if they featured a constant stream of lovely vintage pieces like this.

So come on Melbourne, stop being hot!

What I Actually Wore #0075

Serial #: 0075
Date: 26/07/2012
Weather: 16°C, cool
Time Allowed: 10 minutes

Last winter I was on a bit of a Ballet Russes kick – that is, I was enjoying mixing up prints and textures and layering my clothes.

The wool cable knit dress needs layering in winter certainly, and that was provided by a fine knit striped tee from Free People with a silk short sleeved vintage 80s shirt on top. Since the shirt was spotty, I thought it would be cute to echo that shape with pompom earrings that I made myself, and my 1940s pompom headband. That accessory always draws stares.

Instead of boring old black opaques, I wear chocolate brown stockings and tower on suede shoes that have patent wedge heels. I love the contrast between the two types of leather. The blue is such a brilliant pop of colour too. When the weather is so dull and dreary there’s no reason to blend into the landscape!

Items:

Dress: Far Away From Close for Anthropologie
Tee: Free People
Shirt: Milo’s
Headband: vintage 40s
Earrings: handmade
Rings: (onyx) souvenir (silver) Roun
Watch: Kenneth Cole
Shoes: Mollini

The Pony Still Prances

I loathe mending clothes with every fibre of my being. If I can fob it off onto a) a tailor or b) my seamstress sister Blossom, I do. When I am forced to by serious wardrobe malfunctions (ie, clothes falling off one such as happened to me at a recent wedding when a button tore on a fragile 60s dress, forcing me to keep my coat on in the church even though I was about to expire from heat exhaustion) I will sew on a button, or mend a torn seam.

Likewise, ironing is something I leave for months at a time. Preferably when an entire season’s worth of clothing has accumulated in the ironing basket or I have run out of clothes – whichever comes first. Luckily I own a lot of clothes. It is not as torturous a chore as mending, and I can just about muster the energy if I can watch a DVD at the same time. (As long as I have seen the film or episode before, and it’s not in a foreign language – otherwise it’s far too interesting.)

But laundering. I am fanatical about proper laundering. I even have a laundry section on this website (see tag cloud, right).

Let’s first digress and look at some romantic pictures of laundering:

Women Washing Clothes by a Stream, Daniel Ridgway KnightThis woman takes her washing very seriously – as she should, c. 1900–1930It is important to look cute while handwashing, c. 1940s

Clothes will last much longer if they are treated kindly. I remember once a friend told me she just chucked everything into the machine. I was aghast. I had to be picked up from the floor and resuscitated. She was, in fact, one of my inspirations to start this blog. I thought, if there is one young woman who doesn’t know how to properly launder cashmere, there might be hundreds out there. It was my duty to impart my wisdom.

… if there is one young woman who doesn’t know how to properly launder cashmere, there might be hundreds out there.

Today I am going to discuss sequins. There are two sorts of sequins: new ones, and vintage ones.

Take the vintage ones to the dry cleaner. That is all.

If you need convincing, read this cautionary tale: I once owned a delightful short-sleeved, soft black cashmere vintage cardigan that was trimmed in pearl beads. I handwashed it gently in cool water … and watched in horror as the pearl coating floated off the beads, leaving dull plastic behind. The cardigan subsequently went back to the charity shop. It was a lesson to me. Learn from it.

For new shiny garments that you particularly like, obviously check the washing instructions on your garment. Even if it says dry clean only, it may be handwashed gently (at your own risk, but I take such risks all the time and I have not come to grief thus far) and laid flat to dry on a towel or clothes airer. For more detailed instructions click here (although I would not use warm water if the garment is silk). Very delicate evening wear I would take to a dry cleaner.

For new shiny garments that are minimally sequinned and you bought from a charity shop for $4 and don’t particularly care if they live or die, stick them in a lingerie bag and wash with your normal clothes on a gentle cycle. They should be fine; mine was. The pony still prances.

Now if only I could find it in the depths of the ironing basket so I could wear it again …

And my most favourite image of all … Hang onto your clothes like grim death in case they try to escape the washboard. Don’t try this at home! Ph George Marks, c. 1930s