My Vintage Wardrobe: Inspiration

Coco Chanel with model: 1940's: soulcookie

I have to admit I am not easily inspired. It isn't because I am picky, it's because my tastes have been refined with age, knowledge, and experience. So very few of today's "starlets" make me say "wow" but I am happy to say that women of the past-whether they are known or unknown have been inspiring me.

Many of the vintage bloggers have inspired me as well, especially those who face everyday challenges like motherhood, illness, disability, financial stresses-because those women are finding their own sense of style irregardless of their lack of time or money (or any other reasons). They inspire me because they are finding ways to express themselves and are celebrating the eras they love no matter what.

Here are some images of those who are inspiring me to go forward and express my love of the past:

Photo from: Va-Voom Vintage

Brittany has balanced her style and wardrobe through

pregnancy and motherhood in a way that leaves me

beyond inspired. She does with so with such ease and

beauty, how can one not admire her fashion sense?!!?

Photo from: Tea with the Vintage Baroness

I truly admire this vintage blogger who really is dedicated

herself to the fashion and essence of what was the 1930's

in such a beautiful and classy way.

Photo from: The Fedora Lounge

Everyday women from the 1940's for being creative,

inventive, and bold when it came to style and fashion.

Photo from: Film Star Postcards

Audrey Hepburn~She wore clothes with style

and grace on and off the film set.

Photo from: Judy Wald

Rita Hayworth~To me she is everything  that is

glamorous and beautiful about the 1940's!

I am also inspired by my grandmother and mother because they really put effort into the way they looked, took care of themselves, and just oozed femininity. I am also inspired by the ladies who lived in the 1940's and who are still with us today, like my amazing neighbor Mary who never leaves her house without her hair done (pin curls the night before of course!) and is always dressed neatly and lovely. I admire the lady-like way women carry themselves whether they are wearing dresses or trousers. It's all beautiful to me.

The posts labeled "My Vintage Wardrobe" will be frequently posted on my blog now as I am closer to having a little wardrobe for myself. I will add topics to do with makeup, hair, and also be more specific about accessories such as hats, earrings, bracelets etc.

I hope you are enjoying this ride with me-its been a journey of nine months in the making (already I know!). I have had my ups and downs but more than anything I have loved all the learning and sharing and celebrating of the vintage life.

xox

My Vintage Wardrobe: 1940's Accessories

1940's Accessories: Adore-Vintage

I have always thought accessories make the outfit-that and feeling good in what you are wearing. So for me, wearing a great pair of trousers, a pretty blouse, and coordinating cardigan isn't a complete outfit. Not until I add some earrings, a bracelet or two (or three hehe), a sweater clip, and a fantastic handbag. I know most women in the 1940's did not wear fancy hats with their trousers but they did wear hats-usually berets and fedoras. I defiantly want to wear some hats with my outfits especially during the cooler months. The challenge will be to find one that is casual yet still makes a statement.

Although gloves were worn usually with a dress or gown, I will like to try out wearing some dainty gloves when I wear my "dress up" trouser outfits :)

Accessories found in the 1940's:

Hats

Gloves

Snoods

Hair Clips

Scarves

Handbags/Purses

Wallets

Bracelets

Earrings

Necklaces

Flowers

Collars

Sweater Clips

Shoes

Umbrellas

Fans

Glasses

Handkerchiefs

Cigarette Case

Compact

I may have missed some and if I did don't hesitate to let me know. I was told once to work with what I have. So since I don't have a chance to always go thrifting, Etsy really has provided me with a visual outlet and a learning tool. Sounds corny, but true. I am a visual person so being able to look at the clothes and accessories while I read all the other vintage blogs, books, and articles online about the 1940's fashion--it helps me to put the pieces together in my head. Once that is done then I can start putting some outfits together.

I am sure its easier for others to do this than for me, but I honesly have been such a jeans and t-shirt girl for so long now that I am definatly out of practice hehehe

Here are some visuals of 1940's accessories. You can find who the sellers are by looking at my Favorites list on Etsy. They are all on there hehehe Enjoy the all the pretties!

I think a girl can have so much fun with accessories and they can add character and flair to your wardrobe whether it is vintage or not, dresses or trousers, or jeans and t-shirts. I highly encourage beginners to really look into what kind of accessories they would like to have with their outfits, what colors, and what kind of statement they want to make with them. I recommend the vintage pros to go through their stash and organize what you have so you know more or less what you need in order to add that something extra special to your outfits.

Also, be open to supplementing. I am as much in love with Bakelite Jewelry as the next vintage gal but they usually run anywhere between 15-150 dollars or more a piece! I know that it is a must have staple for the 1940's gal and I do hope to find some pieces on my trip in April but be open to other materials as well like plastic, lucite, and others. You can find pretty bangles made out of those materials and still have some money to spare for other little pretties to add to your expanding collections.

Tomorrow I will share with you who are my fashion inspirations-from the past to the present-from the glamour girl to the ordinary girl.

What are you favorite types of accessories??

xox

My Vintage Wardrobe: 1940's Trouser Outifts

Glamorous everyday 1940's woman: Glamour Daze

I will  not lie, dresses and skirts are really attractive on women and add a certain amount of femininity on a woman as it wraps around her curves and showcases her beautiful legs. I stopped wearing skirts and and dresses in 2003 when I realized I could no longer "fake" being like everyone else and I needed to wearing my braces full-time. Through college and my early/mid twenties I would wear boots to help keep my heel down and give me support. In doing so I really damaged my feet and the bones in my feet. That eventually led to surgeries on my bones in 2001 and 2002.

With that being said, it doesn't mean I don't miss it because sometimes I do and sometimes-just sometimes I wish I could be like everyone else and put on my shoes one foot at a time. My case is different. I have to wear usually cotton (because they allow your skin to breathe better) socks all the way up to my knees and I put on my brace on both legs, then I put on my shoes. Nothing fancy-usually my New Balance sneakers LOL

Photo and Patterns from Sensibility

I could wear 1940's dresses and skirts but I honestly wouldn't feel as comfortable exposing braces-they make me feel stiff as is so I don't like to add to the situation. Trousers are it for me-so what kind of trousers can a 1940's girl like myself hope to wear and with what accessories can I wear them with? I know that in the 1940's trousers were worn like we wear jeans today-casual. My challenge and I have accepted it--is to figure out how I can wear trousers for every season and even go from casual to dressy and yet still remain true to 1940's fashion as much as possible.

In December I wrote a post about 1940's Trousers which you can read here. I now working on having my trousers that I had made altered because they were unfortunately too big. I also plan on adding some more colors as well as jeans to the mix especially for the warmer months.

What to wear with trousers???

You can wear a vest or a sweater vest like

this one that I found on Etsy-it is to die for!

Trousers with a Jumper (sweater)!

I found this one on Etsy that is just my style!

Photo from Little Jenny Wren

Katherine Hepburn worn mostly trousers and she was able to

maintain with style and flair! These are some example of Trousers with

Cardigans, Blouses, and Blazers. Photo was from Fashions from the Past.

From Etsy seller named FloraChild

1940's Reproduction blouse from Etsy

seller named SallySweetLove

Buying (or finding) trousers and blouses from the 1940's can be tricky for many reasons. The biggest is measurements. So with that being said, one way to have the perfect fit for your frame for your trousers is to have them made. There are many seamstresses on Etsy to make reproduction garments or you can always ask family or friends that sew if they can make some pieces for you. I firmly believe that those who work should get paid, so send something their way for their work.  *smile*

Material can cost anywhere from ten dollars and up-all depends and what type of material and how much you need. Etsy also has a wide array of vintage patterns for all decades! Check them out-they have dresses, skirts, trousers, pinafores, blouses of all kinds, and even knit patterns for those who knit. You can knit your very own 1940's cardigan!

Like I have said before my plan for My Vintage Wardrobe is to have a mix of vintage, reproduction, and modern but when it comes to accessories that is a whole other story. Stay tuned for tomorrow's peak into 1940's accessories!

xox

My Vintage Wardrobe: Vintage Colors

Vintage Color Chart

Unlike most of the vintage bloggers out there I am truly a beginner in every way, other than I feel as though I am been enamored with the past for most of my life. I have no vintage wardrobe as of yet but it has been a long and sometimes tedious process. Like everyone else, when I want something-especially something I really am passionate about, I want it NOW!

But I find my lifestyle has taught me to be patient. I don't have my own income and the household/children's responsibilities come first. But although I have been on my journey now for nine months it has taught me a great deal about what I want and don't want. I find it so important to know the difference because I could easily want to buy everything and just collect it. I have done it before with other things like my scrapbook/craft supplies, kids items, etc.

Color Inspiration: Coral and Peridot

Because I have such a tight budget to work with and limited space in my bedroom (I am anti-clutter) I feel that what I do wear as my vintage wardrobe should be specifically chosen items. And I would love it if my items can be interchanged and worked with other colors.

I do love dresses but in a way I am grateful that I bound to my trousers because I can focus on a few main pieces instead of the array of dresses and skirts can offer.

My TO GET list is:

Trousers
Blouses (long and short sleeve)
Cardigans
Coat/Jacket
Hats
Purses/Handbags
Scarves
Jewelry: Brooches, Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets
Miscellaneous items

That's pretty much it! But it can feel overwhelming when you try to figure out what colors look best on you and what color combination you should put together.

I emailed my friend Brittany (Va-Voom Vintage) that I was majorly confused by all these color combos and it started to feel overwhelming to me. So she sent me these two fabulous posts she made on her blog that really broke it down for me and helped me to refocus.

A Rainbow of Fashion: How to use the color wheel 
1940's Beauty: The best colors for your type


I was also inspired by these following blog posts as well:

Lil Vintage Me: Beginners Guide: Vintage Color (this post literally inspired me to put a lot more color into my wardrobe and no matter how extreme it can be that I will just go for it!)

Tuppence Ha'penny: Colour Theory Week: Introduction to Colour (this is a more in depth look at the color wheel and what colors would go best with each other)

Color Inspiration: Mustard, Brown, Dark Aqua, and Burnt Orange

Starting in July when I start my second year blogging I plan to put together and model for you an outfit for every month-every season focusing on using trousers. I have already written down the colors that I would like to use for every month and in doing so figured out (with Brittany's help of course!!! xox) what are my primary and secondary colors. I know I will learn more about colors and coordinating on my visit to Brittany's but learning all this now also saves me the confusion that could happen to me while shopping in St. Charles and St. Louis. I don't want to go into a store and feel like I can't make a decision or I don't know what I am looking for. So I made a list of what I need and the colors that I am looking for. For each season I chose six colors so that gives me room to not only mix it up but also be open to another color in case I don't find what I am looking for.

My Primary Colors: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, and White
My Secondary Colors: Turquoise (Aqua), Brown, Grey, Maroon, Cream, Orange, Mustard, and Pink

This was figured out when I wrote down all the colors I wanted and then Brittany simply took notice of the ones that are repeated the most and those were my primary. My secondary are the ones not as frequent. Thank goodness for her because she breaks things down for me in a way that I can really just get it. Ya know?

Color Inspiration: Red, Orange, White, Aqua, and Turquoise

Last but not least--I have found by just looking at photos, color charts, or even swatches of paint are helping me visualize the colors of an outfit that I would like to have. One site that has been a great help is called Colour Lovers. Another thing I am doing is researched and add to my Etsy Favorites list all the colors I like and items just to again give me a visual of what I am looking for and what I would love to have. Its actually helping me make some color combinations like, Mustard and Brown, Coral and Peridot, and Grey and Red.

I cannot wait to be able to have my own vintage wardrobe! This is terribly exciting for me and well worth the wait!

xox

Va-Voom Vintage: Hair Tutorial

Betty Grable

Photo from Va-Voom Vintage

Brittany from Va-Voom Vintage posted this fantastic easy-to-follow vintage hair tutorial last month and I have been wanting to try it out since I watched it.

Since my husband was home all day I figured I should take the opportunity to try it out. Of course I didn't finish it until 12:00am at night! Ugh! But it got done-well sort of hehe

Here is the tutorial:

And now here is my attempt:



There were some challenges I faced such as my hair was a lot curlier and a shorter in the front. I used my foam rollers and I am thinking perhaps I will start to use bigger rollers for the front of my hair. Not sure yet. The side was sooooo hard to do. I tried it four times and I just did my best. It was getting late and I just couldn't fuss with it all night long.

I'm really glad I tried it and Brittany's tutorials on Youtube are fantastic! She really breaks things down where it makes sense-ya know?

I haven't practiced my vintage hair in a month but now I must get back to practicing. I will not get any better if I don't keep at it! LOL

So what did you think? I hope you try it out for yourself as well!

xox