A Staycation Week of Vintage Outfits

I had my winter break from work last week and John too off too.  I spent it doing my favorite things spending time with the dogs and cats, eating, watching Star Trek and Mystery Science Theatre 3000, and of course dressing up.  

As I mentioned in previous posts I have been selling off a lot of my clothes in order to fund new ones.  I have decided that in order for me to keep it an article of clothing needs to fit several criteria:

1. It must be fun.  I'm old enough I'll dress as I like and I only want fun, happy clothes that make me smile.
2. It must be comfortable. Despite what people thing full skirts and petticoats really are comfortable.  Nothing, not even sweat pants, are more comfortable then full skirts.
3. Preferably it will be something I can wear while biking.  This isn't a total must but its a big plus.  Thankfully, most things can be biked in.  I find biking in high heels easier then walking in them and petticoats are a breeze to bike in.
4. I have to love it.

Most of these outfits I have featured on here before, but some I have, the one's I haven't will get their own posts eventually but I thought it would be fun to record the week (actually 9 days with the two weekends.)  This was a very unusually warm February with temperatures in the 60s, hello global warming, so that is why so many of these outfits are spring like, and no I didn't wear them any place special.  I wore them to go out to lunch, to get bubble tea and to bike with the dogs.

Outfit Number , Saturday:  Jumpsuit from Maria Guye and Mexican Tourist jacket from Girl In A Whirl:

I bought this jumpsuit to wear to the NYC commicon but then we wound up not going due to massive lines that meant even ticket holders like us would have had a 3 to 4 hour wait in the rain.  I was very upset, but at least I love the jumpsuit! It, and the jacket, will get their own outfit post eventually.

Here are the accessories:

 

1950s gold tone poodle scatter pins, a red Chatter Blossom hair flower, cat's eye sun glasses, and my poodle purse (oh and of course pug and cat hairs).   The shoes are remix flats.

Outfit Number 2, Sunday:  Bernie Dexter Kitten Dress and Doll Me Up Cardigan:

Accessories: A pink snood from Arthelia's Attic (I love her snoods), a little 1950s or 60s  mink cat brooch with googly eyes (I think this was someone's craft project which is why I love it so much, pastel bakelite braces, Remix Baby Doll Pumps in ivory, a pink crinoline fro Amazon, pink dotted What Katie Did seamed panty hose, and my 1950's Siamese cat purse).

Outfit Number 3, Monday: This was my only outfit that consisted primarily of true vintage pieces.   1950's vintage western shirt, 1950's vintage western wool jacket and Freddies of Pinewood jeans.

Here is a close up of the embroidery on the blouse

Accessories: 1950's Western Barette, Luxulite Western Novelty Brooch,  Bakelite Bangles, and 1950's Novelty Horse Purse.

Day 4, Tuesday-A  1930s Winter Drindl by the Black Pinafore:

I did a full post on this outfit here.

The accessories: A 1940s Deer Brooch, Chatter Blossom Hair Flower, 1930's Embroidered Gloves and 1920's Needlepoint bag.

Day 5, Wednesday-Bernie Dexter Dress in Let Me Entertain You Print:   

This is my first Bernie Dexter dress in her long sleeved Nichole style and I love it!  This, along with short sleeved Kelly, is probably my favorite style of Bernie Dexter dress.

The print is super fun movie theatre themed novelty print that called for equally fun accessories. A chiffon hair scarf, primary colored bakelite bangles, a red crinoline from amazon, Miss L Fire shoes, and luxulite earrings and necklace.

Day 6, Thursday-Rocket Skirt from Girl In A Whirl and Swell Dame 1950's style Blouse-

This was my 38th birthday outfit last year, you can read about it in this post.   The skirt is a copy of the cover of my favorite children's book, a Trip to The Moon, by M. Sasek.  It's about the early days of NASA in Cape Canaveral.

The accessories for this outfit where a Chatter Blossom hair flower, gold remix shoes, a white crinoline from Amazon, lucite purse,  and bakelite bangles.

Day 7, Friday- Bernie Dexter Kelly Dress in Ticket to Ride and 1960s Pale Yellow Cardigan:

This dress is in my beloved Kelly style, short sleeves and zip front, with a nice full skirt.  The print is adorable, different tickets!   I also low the color of the cardi, such a pretty soft yellow.  This is an outfit I definitely plan to post in more detail soon.  

Here are the accessories:

 

Yellow Chatter Blossom hair flower, pastel bakelite bangles, 1950s or 60s novelty train brooch, 1960's flower purse, Miss L Fire pumps, and a green crinoline from Amazon.

Day 8, Saturday-Mexican Dress and Jacket by Maria Guye:

This is actually a bit of a sneak preview.  I purchsed this dress as my gift to myself for my upcoming 39th birthday.  It was so beautiful though I couldn't resist wearing it early.   Like all of  Maria's clothes the construction is exquisite.
I'll definitely be writing more about it.

The accessories I paired with this are my beloved 1950s horse novelty purse, red Chatter Blossom hair flower, and Remix sandals.


Day 9, Sunday-1950s style Zip Front Jump Suit by Kim Clark 

Kim did such a great job with this jumpsuit!  It is so comfortable and the fabric is  a gorgeous sea foam green with gold thread, real vintage fabric.  I wore this is in August to Star Trek Mission New York and had my picture taken with LeVar Burton, see this post.


Accessories: 1950's Cat's Eye Sunglasses, Gold Belt from Amazon, 1950's Novelty Cat Purse and Remix flats.

I dress in vintage style every day for work, but I definitely take it to the next level on weekends and vacations.  I had so much fun dressing up this week. I definitely think I'm getting younger, and crazier, in my style with age!

Vintage Outfit Post-A 1930s Style Drindl Dress From the Black Pinafore For A Trip To Mitsuwa Market

Recently I have been in the process of selling off a lot of my vintage wardrobe.  I'm certainly not giving up vintage, rather I want to fund new outfits, and I wan't to make sure everything I own is something I really love.   That's how I feel about this amazing 1930s style Drindl that Deborah From The Black Pinafore made me.  It just couldn't be better.

I emailed Debora some pictures of 1930s and 40s Drindl's I found online 

and asked her to make something similar, but with a hooded capelet, lately I've been really into hoods (see my amazing 1930s hooded robe).  The result is wonderful, very 1930s or 40s Disney Princess, or Hobbit!,  in the best way possible.


The artisan-ship on the Drindl is amazing.  The hooded capelet is hooded brow velveteen.  The sleeves are trimmed in the same velveteen as the cape and have zip closures.   The apron ties on and the white section is faux blouse trimmed with brown ribbon.  The entire dress zips up the back.  

Amazing Craftsmanship!

I paired the drindl with a 1930s deer brooch, 1930s gloves, thick winter tights from Amazon, my trusty American Ducess oxfords, a 1920s petite point purse and a hair flower from my beloved Chatterblossom.

I wore my Drindl to the Mitsuwa market place which is seriously one of my favorite places in the world.  Not only do they have the most delicious ramen:

But all of the Japanese supermarket items are incredibly cute:

And there is an amazing bookstore with tons of adorable animal books

and toys like this Ponyo puzzle.

I got a pug key cover that was sold out the last time I was here

and some super cute dog and cat buttons.

Here they are on my Freddie's of Pinewood jeans jacket.

Perhaps I should have left the pug life button though because it may be a bad influence on Fry and Weasley as they could be embracing their inner thug.   On Wednesday there was a drive by shooting less then a block from our home and I was in the back yard with all of the dogs.  Tuvok was terrified and ran toward me, but Fry and Weasley ran towards the gate and the sound of the shooting.  It was very scary but we got inside safely and no one was hurt.  (The bullets missed whoever the intended target was.)   There are definitely downsides to living in the city, but Mitsuwa Market is an upside.

Cinema Style Spotlight-Winter Fashions in 1934''s The Man Who Knew Too Much

Winter can be a difficult time for fashion:

People are rightly concerned with warmth and safety and if your like me and bike or walk every day you need clothes you can move in.   Also if your like me then your clothing choices are pretty central to your identify.  I'm just not willing to give up my vintage style in the winter, and so I'm always on the look out for practical vintage winter style inspirations and I found a stunning one in the 1934 Hitchcock Film The Man Who Knew To Much.

Most viewers are probably more familiar with the 1956 version starring James Stewart and Doris Day, but if you ask me the 1934 version is far superior, and not just for Peter Lorre who is amazingly creepy as the vilian:

The entire look of the film is better, and that includes the fashions.  The film takes place in Switzerland and the look that really got me swooning was worn by the young girl, and kidnap victim, Betty played by Nova Pilbeam.  While she watches her glamorous mother Jill, Edna Best, participate in a clay pigion shooting contest.  Betty wears some kind of adorable wool suit, maybe a ski suit, and the cutest crochet tam hat and gauntlet gloves I have ever seen.

(I also love the monogram or insignia on her father's scarf and bonus points for the cute dachschund, but I do wish he had a sweater too.)

Though Betty is obviously a young girl I definitely think this look would work on a women of any age and it certainly looks warm.  One of my most treasured items of clothing is my own 1930s wool ski suit:

and I can attest to the fact this it is very, very warm. 

The gorgeous fashion doesn't stop in the shooting scene though, the movie is choc-a-block with beautifully shot noir moments. 

  I am also in total awe of Edna Best's hair, it might just be the most perfect 1930s hair I've seen.

What are your favorite things to wear in the winter?