So, who knew there was a trend for body jewelry in the 50s? These photos are from 1951 of ‘Cling’ jewelry, which presumably was somehow stuck to your skin rather than pierced into your skin! Frankly I suspect these twinkling baubles would be uncomfortable, would probably fall off after a short time and also leave(…)
If you think you need a steady hand to apply eyeliner, then try drawing straight seams up the backs of your legs! During WW2 when stockings were in short supply women were encouraged to use liquid stockings instead, and to draw the seams using eyeliner (or to get a friend to do it for you!).(…)
If you’re like me, you love a bit of nostalgia at Christmas. Plus since everyone I have to buy for seems to already have everything they need it’s nice to indulge in a little retro fun! I thought I’d share some of my favourites I’ve found whilst trying to find a Christmas gift for my(…)
The wedding of Wallis Simpson to Edward, Duke of Windsor in 1937 was one of the most scandalous marriages of the 20th Century. In order to marry ‘the woman I love’ who was an American 2-time divorcee and therefore seen as totally unsuitable to become Queen, King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate the throne.
I love this series of photos. Some of them could have been taken anywhere during the Sixties: the Mary Quant fashions and girls with their heavy eye-makeup and bouffant hair (even on the ballerinas). But then there are some uniquely Parisian photos too: the street scenes, the elderly couple snoozing in the Louve, the stamp(…)
My thoughts have definitely turned to summer after the last week or glorious sunshine, so I thought I’d share some of my favourite retro ideas for having fun this summer. Go on, re-live your happy childhood memories in the garden this summer! Plastic Potato Gun Blasting friends and family with tiny chunks of potato never(…)
So you think Cara Delevingne invented the bold brow? Think again! As with most fashion trends, it’s all been done before. And as with most things Audrey Hepburn did it better. Here are five Hollywood stars from the 1940s and 50s who rocked the statement brow trend the first time around! Of course, the 1940s(…)
Pin up girls have been around for a lot longer than you think. Since as early as the 1890s girls have been drawn, painted and photographed and presented to the world as the ideal of beauty and sexuality. Like fashions in beauty and body shape, the pin up has changed enormously over the last century.(…)
Frankly, an artistic arrangement of dead snakes doesn’t really say Happy Christmas to me, but clearly it did to somebody. This photos if from a Christmas card back in 1910. I don’t have much information about it except that it was Harry Dewey’s Christmas card and the photo was taken in Big Cypress Swamp, Florida.(…)
I’ve just read that Max Factor have announced Marilyn Monroe as their new ‘global glamour ambassador’. They’ve done this based on the fact that Marilyn was a client of Max Factor back when they ran a beauty salon in the 1940s and they claim to have been responsible for her trademark starlet makeover. I’m not(…)
Oh, I love a good comfy horror / sci-fi movie. Nothing gruesome or truly frightening, just something really enjoyable and this movie definitely fits that bill. It’s nothing like the 1982 Kurt Russell remake of The Thing, which was bleak and gruesome, it’s a delight from start to finish. From it’s swashbuckling army hero (Kenneth(…)
I love this vintage fashion infographic. Not only is it championing classic vintage styles which have been revived over and over again, but I love the illustrations too. I keep meaning to practice my sketching, but life always seems to get in the way. It’s definitely something which will be a new year’s resolution for(…)
I’m feeling totally in the Christmas spirit right now (and it is December, so it’s OK be overexcited like a small child, right?). Here are my pick of retro Christmas gifts for women. The question is, which would you find more useful as a life coach for all those tricky decisions: Jane Austen, Nancy Drew(…)
The thing I find so irresistible about vintage is the sheer variety out there. There isn’t a high-street store in the world where you would be able to find this cornucopia of variety! I’ve chosen everything from antique Victorian mourning capes, to 1920s Art Deco, 50s fur jackets, 60s swing coats, 70s sheepskin and a(…)
Something fabulous for a Friday afternoon. I adore this smooth jazz version of Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ by Kate Davis – isn’t it gorgeous? And just in case you don’t know the original here you go: It’s equally fabulous but in a totally different way! Enjoy! And Happy Halloween everyone!
What kind of costume are you wearing for this Hallowe’en? Something gross and gruesome, something cute, or something retro? Here are my best vintage-themed ideas for a fantastic Halloween – what do you think of them? And what other ideas could we add to the list? Bride of Frankenstein The Bride of Frankenstein was released(…)
Boy have there been some strange beauty contests over the years! These photos include the contestants for ‘Miss Psywar’ (doesn’t that stand for Phsychological Warfare…?), ‘Miss War Worker’ and ‘Miss Bobbed Hair 1925’…
I really should wear jeans a lot less. Part of me really yearns back to a time when it just wasn’t acceptable for women to wear tracky-bottoms and jeans every day, but that’s all I ever see on the school run in the morning. I know it’s easier to chuck on a pair of trousers,(…)