Vintage Style Icon, Camille Clifford-The Original Gibson Girl

Today marks the anniversary of the birth of a vintage style icon whose name has mostly faded from memory but whose image lingers on.    Camille Clifford, known as the original Gibson girl (June 29, 1885-June 28, 1971).   During the early days of the 20th century an American Graphic artist named Charles Dana Gibson,   began drawing a new sort of female beauty for advertisements and magazine articles.  The girls in his illustration became known as Gibson girls.  Gibson girls where beautiful and curvaceous, but they also enjoyed an equal, or almost equal footing, with men.  Gibson girls where shown reading, riding bikes, golfing, and often being slavishly doted on by men.

Image Source

Image Source

 

Image Source

Image Source

Gibson used many models for his drawings, but in the early 1900s a modeling contest to find a living embodiment of the Gibson girl ideal was held, and Camille Clifford was the winner.   At that point she became an icon of Edwardian beauty, the perfect Gibson girl.  Clifford worked as a model and an actress, in non speaking roles,  for only a few years, but the many remaining pictures of her are a testament to her popularity and beauty.

Vintage Style Icon-Jessica Chasain in The Tree of Life

Ok, so I am a bit behind the times I only saw the Tree of Life a few weeks ago.  Its a fairly controversial film that received both cheers and boos at the Cannes Film Festival.  It utterly lacks a linear plot, which annoys some viewers. Still, I really loved the film.  It was completely unique and truly beautiful (if a movie can be too beautiful this was it).  I particularly loved the gorgeous everyday 1950s dresses worn by  Jessica Chastain in her role as the free spirited mother.  I think they make a wonderful wardrobe inspiration.

Summertime Style from Time Machine Vintage

I really, really, really hate the cold.  In fact I hate the cold so much that in the winter I don't even really want to get dressed, Id rather stay in footed pajamas all day.   Sure there are stylish vintage winter clothing options, and have some or plan to purchase some, but in the winter I'm mostly concerned with staying warm, and warm and stylish don't often go together.  That is one reason why I look forward to summer.  Summery dresses and hats are much more my speed.   

I had wanted a sunny yellow dress for a while and thanks to Time Machine Vintage, I got my perfect one.  The dress is from a pattern for a 1930s style house frock, basically what a lady would have worn back then to dust and vacuum.  Since I'm not much for house work I plan to wear my dress out.  This past weekend I wore iton a trip to a dog friendly long Island winery (details of the lovely day to follow on my other blog on Monday).  Since I'm big on sun protection I wore it with my vintage straw hat from Adeline's Attic.  Please excuse the not perfect photos I'm not too this, but the pugs are pros.

I really liked this old fashioned poster, I love a lady in hat.

Thanks to Finn's momma for taking this photo of me and my husband and the kids

Vintage Style Icon-Wallis Simpson

Today is the 117th anniversary of the birth of an important vintage style icon, Wallis Simpson.   She may have had poor taste in politics, but she did have impeccable taste in clothes.... and dogs.   

"I'm nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better then everyone else."

          Wallis Simpson

Vintage in Brooklyn

Whats the coolest retro spot in NYC?  My vote goes to the Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain.   Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain hearkens back to the days when people would congregate at  soda and ice cream shops.  Its filled with antique collectibles and serves delicious old timey treats, paradise for a vintage style lover.  Two weeks ago to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary my husband and I took a trip there.

The exterior of the restaurant

Old Fashioned Toys for Sale

Peanut butter Cup Sundae

Bar Cookies for Sale

My vintage coconut purse and my sunglasses on the table

Slinkys for sale

The retro style counter

After we went to the Soda Fountain my husband and I visited the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.   The garden was founded in 1910.  Here is an early image of the park's Japanese Garden in 1915:

Image Source

This is what the rose garden looks like today:

 

A trip to retro shop deserves a vintage outfit and thanks to the lovely Etsy shops Adeline's Attic and Nancy Naz I had a pretty 1930s skirt and blouse set and a cute coconut purse for my Brooklyn trip. 

. 

Poodle Parade

Although my favorite style decades are with out a doubt the 1920s and 30s, I do have a soft spot for the 1950s as well.  I particularly like the kitschier offerings from this era and as I'm obviously a dog nut I quite like the poodle home decor and accessories of the fifties.  Poodles experienced a rapid rise in popularity in the 1940s and 50s, becoming one of the most popular dog breeds in the country, and particularly beloved for their reputation of sophistication.  They where a standard in advertisements, illustrations, and fashion spreads of the era:


  
Image source

Image Source

Image Source

Gil Elvgren Illustration

The popularity of poodles lead to the creation of poodle lamps:

 salt and pepper shakers

skirts 

bookends

 

and purses.  

 I've wanted a poodle purse for awhile and I found a really cute  basket one on Etsy from PattiannPoodles.  She sells all sorts of adorable poodle stuff and shipment was super fast. 
 
 
I really like how the purse matches the dog print fabric on this dress I got onsale from Anthropologie.
 

 And yes there is a poodle (along with plenty of other breeds) on the Anthropologie dress, proof that poodle fashion hasn't disappeared entirely.   

Finally I have to share this photo of myself and my lovely friend Pat.  I wore the dress and the purse to a retirement party and got lots of compliments on the purse, thanks to PattiAnn.