I’ve done a fair bit of traveling in my life, and have lived in some weird and wonderful places. From the bright lights of Boston all the way to a tiny fishing village in New Zealand, back to sunny San Diego and then across to peaceful Perth. And although I would never call myself a City Girl, because I love the outdoors too much, there is just something about the pace of a bustling metropolis that feels so invigorating.
There was this rather whacky song I loved when I was a kid – “The Purple People Eater” – which was really popular in the late 50’s. It basically sings the tale of a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater who has a grand plan to come to earth and start a rock & roll band (go with me here – it all made sense a the time). Now, I was never clear whether he was purple and ate people, or if he selectively chomped purple people exclusively, but it was a rather cheerful song despite the supposed grape-tinted carnage.
There are a LOT of reasons why I love vintage. The stories the garments come with, the attention to detail, the one-of-a-kind nature. But few things get my heart beating quicker than a glance at the INSIDE of a vintage garment. Back in the day, so much care went into every aspect of making a vintage dress – each seam, each stitch – and care even went to imagining the future woman who would wear her. The adjustments she might want to make. Because fashion was once about longevity.
My love of the hea knows no bounds. I’ve always had a lifelong passion for the ocean and all of it’s undersea inhabitants – I think I announced when I was 5 that I was going to be an ichthyologist who studies sharks (no really, I’m serious). So, it’s no surprise I’m amassing quite the collection of vintage novelty seaside prints. I pretty much can’t resist them (case in point here). Every time I find one it unleashes a new wave of childhood joy.
You know how the story goes: Your eyes lock across a crowded room. Your heartbeat quickens, your palms get sweaty, you lose all power of speech. You had read about this feeling before but never experienced it yourself. And suddenly there it is. Your heart swells and moonlight floods your soul. You see the universe and all of it’s possibilities and realize this is the moment when your life will never be the same. And I’m not talking about boy-meets-girl. I’m talking about girl-meets-dress.
I’ve always got my eye on companies that make quality vintage-inspired frocks. I’ve seen Chi Chi London dresses popping up on several of my favorites sites – like Modcloth and ASOS – but had never taken the plunge and purchased one. They’ve always been on my mind, though, because they’re usually the most sumptuous looking frocks of shimmery lace and full skirts. When I saw this stunner pop up on the glorious Miss Amy May’s Instagram, I knew I found the dress that would be my inaugural purchase: The Cassandra Dress. here is something about navy that is inherently appealing. She…
There’s this thought puzzle known as Schrödinger’s cat. It’s based around a ridiculously complex quantum physics paradox, but the basic idea is that, if a cat were in a sealed box with a vial of poison, there is a point of unknown, at which the cat is simultaneously alive and dead, yet neither dead nor alive. When you look into the box, clearly it’s one or the other. But there’s always that moment before you know, where hope remains both alive and dead until that box is opened.
One of my favorite things about blogging has been the incredible community of similarly minded vintage loving gal’s I’ve met and had the chance to collaborate with. Over the past few months, I’ve gotten to know Jessica and have fallen completely in love with her blog, Pinup Persuasion. So, when Jessica asked for guest bloggers, I naturally jumped at the chance to work together. Oh what’s a gal to do?
We can all get a bit misty-eyed about the past. It only takes a flavor or the smell of a familiar cologne to bring me right back to a certain moment and, more specifically, a certain feeling. What is it about a particular song that comes on the radio, where suddenly I’m back in my dorm room, cramming for finals, ramen noodles at the ready? And it can hit you when you least expect it – walking through a crowded restaurant and a familiar song begins to play, and you’re powerless to stop the movie reel of memories, that take on that all-too-familiar rosey…
Sometimes, a gal needs to pull out all of the stops and be a bit bewitching. Especially on a Friday when the fanciest frocks come out to play. As you know, I am a huge fan of color and am a veritable rainbow the majority of the time. Just this morning, I was an explosion of pastels. But, there’s something about having the perfect black dress in your wardrobe – it can be a bit of a game changer. And this one – a 1950’s liquid satin, with her delicate and stitched appliqué and covered buttons frolicking up each arm – has…