Vintage Outfit Post-Miss Lemon's Dress,Two Ways

First I want to thank everyone who was so kind about Tuvok's picture and name worries in my last post.  To be clear, I don't really expect anyone to recognize his name, that be silly, and I dont want anyone to think I am offended.  I just find it kind of funny that so many people think his name is Tuna!   I even briefly considered changing his name right after we got him and the confusion started, but I love his name.  I just think the groomer who gets 90$!!!! should learn his name. 

Since I had this blog on hiatus for a few months last fall I have kind of a glut of vintage outfit posts to share, and here is another.  It's a 1930s fall/winter dress from Sew Vintage Seamstress inspired by one of my favorite fictional vintage style icons, Miss Lemon from Poirot.  

Miss Lemon as played by the lovely Pauline Moran is inspirational in so many ways.  She isn't an ingenue or a titled lady, she is a working woman in early middle age, yet she looks fantastic all the time!  Poirot must be paying his secretary quite handsomely for her afford all of these fabulous clothes.  

And of course Miss Lemon is worth it, she is clearly very clever and like Poirot hyper organized and more then a bit obsessive.   Another thing I love about Miss Lemon is her fondness for cats.  She rightfully tosses aside one suitor, due to his dislike of felines.  It really saddens me that Miss Lemon faded from view in the later seasons of Poirot and I really think the series went down hill after her departure.

The set and costume design in Poirot, particularly in its earlier seasons when it was perfection.  I love how Miss Lemon's clothing picked up on aspects of the stories.  For example, in the episode The Adventure of The Egyptian Tomb,  Miss Lemon has a stunning grey dress with pyramid details.

This is the dress I had Sew Vintage Seamstress copy and she did an amazing job, right down to the buttons!   It looks just like Miss Lemon's.   

Of course accessories have the power to change an outfit and as I promised in the title of this post I'll show this dress two ways with different accessories.  The first pictures show how I wore there dress on a cold winter day, January 1st in fact.  I paired it with thick winter tights and a hat Ive had for a few years from Captaine Crochet, you can find her on instagram.

I also added my halloween cat pin because Miss Lemon love's cats!

Obligatory cat pic:

The second look is from a warmer day.  I paired the dress with a 1930s hat and a gold deco belt that was a generous gift:

My favorite thing about this dress is the amazing details.    I think I like the second outfit best, and thats probably how I'll usually wear this dress which is definitely on its way to being one of my favorites.   

Outfit Details
Dress: Sew Vintage Seamstress
Burgandy Hat-Captain Crochet (find her on Facebook or instagram)
Cat Pin-Mrs. Polly's Lucite
Low Heeled Shoes-American Duchess
Gloves-Thrifted
Black and White Cloche-I can't remember!
Heart Hat Pin-Merriweather
High Heeled Black Pumps-Remix Vintage Shoes

Cinema Style Poirot Season 1 Part Two

Cinema Style Poirot Season 1 Part 2

In keeping with my belief that you can never, ever have too much 1930s fashion or too much Agatha Christie here is another post in my series on the fashions on  the Hercules Poirot series:

The first episode of the second half of season 1 of Poirot is a bit of a disappointment fashion-wise.   Perhaps the costumers where exhausted after the  1930s style extravaganza of Triangle at Rhodes but Problem at Sea, while an entertaining episode is fairly blasé style wise, at least by Poirot standards.  The episode finds Poirot once again on vacation, this time on an Egyptian cruise with Captain Hastings tagging along.  A shipboard murder of an obnoxious women lends the mystery.   I think the fashion problem is caused by the fact that most of the characters where whites and pastels which make  them look a bit washed out.  Still it is Poirot and there are some good looks.  I really like this simple white dress suit and hat:


and this nautical style dress is quite lovely.  I really like the striped detailing and the clutch purse.

 

 This brown dress and this autumnal toned floral dress break with the episodes use of pastels and are quite pretty

 

Finally there are some pretty hair flowers worn by the young ladies in the episode that remind me of those in Chatter Blossom's Etsy shop.

The next episode The Incredible Theft more then makes up for any style in the boredom in the previous episode.  Fashion wise it is a tour de force.  The first amazing looks is worn by the beautiful Miss Lemon.  A pretty wine red dress with lace ruffle detail.

 

 

 

Miss Lemon been receiving anonymous phone calls from a women wanting to hire Poirot over a matter of national importance.  Poirot agrees to meet the mystery women at the zoo.  Poirot is all about the details and the scenes at the zoo with the perfectly dressed extras are a perfect example.  Look at this young ladies hat:

 

 

and the scarf and coat on this women walking by.

 

 

When the mystery women arrives she surely does not disappoint.  She is wearing a gorgeous brown dress and coat and the most amazing tilt hat.

 

 

 

 

 

Poirot accepts her assignment to investigate and winds up at a country house party with the most glamorous attired attendees imaginable.  Look at the navy suit on this women, I love the slightly sailor style collar:

 

 

The brash American in the episode wears a backless silver lame evening gown, much to the horror of her English counterparts:

 

 

 

 

and later a glamorous tweed suit and fur stole.

 

 

I don't usually focus on the men's fashions in Poirot, but Hastings looks particularly adorable in this episode.  I love the combo of fair aisle and tweed.

 

 

The next episode King of Clubs involves an actress, black mail, and a murder.  It isn't much fashion wise but I did find two lovely looks that caught my eye.  I'd adore a polka dot dress like this one with its pretty side bow.

 

 

and this cranberry knit suit is the epitome of 1930s knit wear:

 

 

 

The final episode of season 1 The Dream concerns a man who dreams about his own suicide, hires Poirot to investigate and unsurprisingly winds up dead, but is it suicide or murder?   My favorite character, Miss Lemon sport's some ravishing looks in this episode.  She wears her pretty brown dress with the gathers and white neckline again, I love that fashions are recycled on Poirot. 

 

 

 

 

 

and she also has a fabulous green dress with interesting collar detail:

 

My favorite item though, is this red cardigan sweater with the striped bow:

 

 

 

There are some cute hats on other character's in this episode like this fur trimmed number:

 

 

and I was excited to see this black velvet beret, as its very much line one I own:

 

 

The style star of this episode is definitely Miss Lemon though, even the normally reserved Poirot is overwhelmed!

 

To be continued with Poirot Season Two!

Cinema Style-Poirot Season 1 Part 1

“It is the brain, the little gray cells on which one must rely. One must seek the truth within--not without." ~ Poirot”
― Agatha Christie

 

When it comes to entertainment I, at least in general, have a soft spot for science fiction.  Despite my love of vintage most of the costume dramas on TV tend to bore me a bit, I make an exception however, for those based on the works of the brilliant Agatha Christie:

 

In particular I adore the long running Hercule Poirot program.

 

While the plots are entertaining and the performances are spot on it is the clothes and sets that make this program.  Nowhere else can the lover of 1930s style get better fashion inspiration.   Clothes on the Poirot run the gamut from swim suits, beach pajamas, day dresses, suits, hats and evening gowns and everything, absolutely everything, is gorgeous and period appropriate.   

 

Season 1 of Poirot aired in 1989!  but unlike many 1980s period pieces the fashions actually look authentic without the usual bits of 80s glitz seeping in.   The first episode, The Adventures of Chapham Cook, has Poirot looking for a missing domestic in the country side.  This would offer little in the way of glamour, save for the appearance of the lovely Pauline Moran as Poirot's secretary Miss Lemon.  Miss Lemon makes her first appearance clad in a stylish, but simple, brown dress with beautiful full sleeves, a wide white collar, and delicate gathers.

 

 

 

 

This simple brown dress gives a glimpse of the stylish wonders hat will surface through the series.

 

The second episode of season 1, Murder in the Mews, has Poirot investigating a mysterious case of suicide, or is it murder, on Guy Fawkes night.   The victim is a young lady, engaged to be married, her body is found by her best friend, Miss Plenderleith who wears a charming red outfit for a round of golf. 

 

 

The third episode, The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly, tells the story of a kidnapping of a young boy, the child of a country squire who has found himself a bit short on cash.    The child's mother, Mrs. Waverly, has some gorgeous clothes

 

I love the way she has tosses this cardigan, cape like, over her shoulders.  Here is another shot of the same dress, a truly beautiful 1930s day dress,

 

with what appears to be a print of little flowers, or maybe even balloons.  I liked this dress so much that I had Kim from Time Machine Vintage make me a similar one

 

Miss Lemon also appears in this episode, sporting what appears to be a pretty pastel cardigan with dots and a peach blouse.

 

 

The fourth episode, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, has Miss Lemon sporting another lovely brown number, this time a geometric print brown blouse with a large bow.

 

The blouse however, is outdone by a gorgeous dark navy dot print dress with orangey red trim

 

 

The dress is pretty enough from he front, but its the side view of the fluttery sleeves that really gets me:

 

 

The fifth episode, The Third Floor Flat,  has Poirot investigating a crime that strikes close to home, a murder in his own building.  Miss Lemon wears her brown bow blouse again but she also sports a handsome dotted top, I think its a knit. 

 

 

The young ladies who rent flats in Poirot's building have some gorgeous outfits as well.  There is a lovely navy dress with a cape like top and white bow:

 

 

 

 

 

and a shot of some 1930s style shoes:

 

 

My favorite look of this episode though belongs to the victim.  A wool jacket paired with a yellow blouse and a smart tweed skirt.

 

 

 

Midway through the first season of Poirot we get one of the real fashion extravaganza episodes of the series Triangle at Rhodes.  This episodes story line features Poirot vacationing on the Greek Island of Rhodes which of course means bodies will start piling up, as will glamorous resort fashions.  I also love this episode because I think the costume designers do an excellent job of matching the character's clothing to their personality.  Poirot is assisted in his sleuthing by Pamela Lyall a spunky, cheerful lady whose playful sports wear matches her adventurous fun loving spirit.  


I particularly love this dotted dress accessorized with crochet gloves:

and look at how the neckerchief on the man behind matches the dress:

Another winning number is her madras play suit with matching hat:

and her red bathing suit:

peach dress with neck tie

 

and the amazing oriental style wrap, hat, and beach pajamas:

 

 

 

 

I must admit my own beach pajamas with cape where at least in part inspired by this episode:

 

 

 

 

What I love about Miss Lyall's clothes in his episode is even though they are beautiful and glamorous they are also fun and look like you could really wear them for an adventure.  Her look really embodies the combination of glamour, comfort, and fun, that is what I love about 1930s style.

 

 

Of course Miss Lyall isn't the only well dressed character in the episode. The glamorous Valentine Chantry has some truly stunning outfits too:

 

 

 

I particularly love the crochet gloves and the wide legged white pants.  Again I tried to copy this look with my white pants from Hey Day Vintage:

The murder in the episode takes place during a cocktail hour where all the characters are dressed to the nines.  Miss Lyall has on a sunny yellow satin dress with a matching jacket:

 

 

It looks cute and charming and also positively innocent when compared with the over the top decadence of Valentine Chantry's look:

 

 

 

 

 

 If watching Triangle at Rhodes doesn't want to make you go to a 1930s island resort then nothing will!  

 

Coming soon....... cinema style Poirot Season 1 part 2.