The Shoe Must Go On

Vintage shoes can be very fragile depending on the material they are made from. Elastic and rubber becomes brittle and  perishes over time. A few years ago, I tried on my grandmother's wedding shoes (from the 40's I believe) and they broke... Whoops! Unfortunately for me, the elastic straps were worn and they snapped when I wiggled my feet in. Pity, because they were fabulous shoes, covered in a custom-dyed brocade to match her wedding gown (which, thankfully, I  haven't  tried on).

Recently, I came across this spectacular pair of vintage shoes, circa 1940's. The brand is Shantilly and they are in exquisite condition. They are tooled leather shoes with steel plate heels - not for wearing through the airport, I guess! Luckily, these babies were my size and favourite colour. When buying vintage shoes, be sure to get the inner sole measurement and width across the widest area. I think vintage sizes in shoes are smaller than modern sizing.

 My circa 1940's vintage Shantilly shoes. My brother calls these my bowling shoes. Thanks, bro!

There are lots of really cool shoe brands out there, some which emulate retro styles, and others which are just down right out there! Many of these styles team up well with vintage and repro brand clothing. I'm not what you would call a vintage purist - I love to mix and match modern and vintage styles. Here are a few of my favourite shoes from my collection.

My current favourites are my "Deuce Coupe" babies! These are by the brand Miss L Fire. Unfortunately they are no longer available and there was a bit of an international hunt to find these! I got my pair from madness-clothing where there are a few pairs in selected sizes left. Miskonduct also has a pair, I believe. Miss L Fire is still worth checking out - there are so many fabulous and daring styles there!

These sweeties are called "Frankenstitch." They are made by Tuk Shoes. Note the gel inserts in these shoes. I find them a bit narrow and I can only wear them for short periods of time, which is why I have to wear them with gel inserts - otherwise they are just too uncomfortable. Damn, they look good though!

My special edition Zombie Stompers (Yes, ZOMBIE STOMPERS!) actually glow in the dark. These special edition bad boys are called "Moonshine Zombie Stompers".  They were available at Iron Fist but there are still a number of them floating around on the web if you have the time to hunt. I have seen a few on eBay. Are they gory? Yes! Well named? Yes! Comfy? Yes! Look out, undead!

Here are some other fabulous vintage inspired shoes I have come across:

Rachel Antonoff Saddle shoes - available at Bass Shoes

Cutipie Heels - available from Pinup Girl Clothing (I own these and they are super comfortable, despite the height)

Now, I don't own these vintage shoes - but they are timeless classics from the 40's and 50's. If you find a great pair, pounce on them! 

Lucite heels - Amazing craftsmanship! One can often find them on eBay or Etsy,

The famed Spring-O-Lators (as referred to in my post about the Sarong dress). These are iconic mid-century shoes.  Again, if you want to own a pair, your best bet is eBay or Etsy based on my experience. Anyway, how fantastic is this advertisement? No online shipping back then!  (I do love vintage advertising!)

Well, as they say, "if the shoe fits"...

Happy Wednesday x

Sarong? So Right!

Bad pun aside, let's take a look at an iconic dress style of the 40's and 50's: the sarong dress. 30's and 40's starlet, Dorothy Lamour, helped to popularise the sarong dress. Six of her films featured her in a sarong-style dress, earning her the nickname 'Sarong Girl'.

Dorothy Lamour first wears a sarong dress in the film "Jungle Girl"

Many vintage brands cleverly jumped on the bandwagon and began producing their own version of the sarong dress. Some of these designers include: Kamehameha of Hawaii, Surf Riders, Paradise Hawaii and, of course, the legendary Alfred Shaheen.

Things were made to last in the post-war years, there's no denying that! Luckily for us, this means that many of these stunning garments are still around and in excellent wearable condition. A couple of things to note however. When buying a vintage sarong dress, expect to pay the big bucks. Especially if the dress carries a big name like Alfred Shaheen. For a Shaheen dress, you may expect to pay anywhere (and certainly upwards!) of $250 US dollars. Eep! Another point of interest is that many of these vintage sarong dresses were designed to suit a slender, yet voluptuous figure. I have often perused through vintage dresses thinking that women of the 50's were living, breathing hourglasses. It wasn't until recently that I discovered the secret of foundation underwear! A good waist cincher can take up to 3-4 inches from your waistline! Apparently, the mid-century misses and designers all knew this. Wearing good, strong foundation wear was the norm. Knowing this makes buying vintage less of a shock. On a good day, my waist is something like 27 inches in circumference. Many vintage sarongs average about 24 inches in the waist area. Holy smokes!

My darling Alfred Shaheen flat measures at 12 inches at the waist. That makes it 24 inches in circumference! Rest assured , I'm not getting into this bad boy without the help of a good waist cincher and the handy shirred panels at the back! My dress also features a sweet, detachable sash.

Don't let this daunt you though. Many reproduction and vintage inspired brands have tried their hand at sarong dresses. Not only are these dresses built for more modern women, but they don't necessarily carry the hefty price tag. Additionally, they are made from quality materials and come in fun prints!

Here are some of my favourites :)

Deadly Dames "Malibu" dress designed by the  fabulous Micheline Pitt and retailed for $122. This dress was a favourite of Amy Winehouse and there are talks by the designer to re-release it. Yay! 

Paradise Dress in Katrina print by Heartbreaker Fashion retails between $80-$100 US. Available in Leila print only from http://heartbreakerfashion.com/. Have a look around with this dress though. It's still available in the Katrina print, but you have to hunt for it.

Dixiefried's "Tiki Twist!" retails for $130 US from pinupgirlclothing.com. This dress is in my personal collection and I find it runs a bit big! You can easily size down due to the shirring at the back. Also available in black and gold brocade.

Tara Starlet's sarong dress retails for  £75. Available in different prints and colours from http://www.tarastarlet.com 

The Shaheen Dream by Whirling Turban. Available in lots of different prints and styles from http://www.whirlingturban.com/. This baby carries a higher price tag at $210 US.

Bernie Dexter for Babygirlboutique available for $89 US at http://www.babygirlboutique.com/

Some good places to hunt for vintage sarong dresses:
www.etsy.com
www.poshgirlvintage.com
www.ebay.com

The sarong dress is  perfect for those sultry summer night parties and events. Some sexy springolators, a tiki bamboo bag, cocktail in hand and you're good to go!

Happy Friday x

Pinup Couture for Wardrobe Staples

One of my favourite vintage inspired clothing companies comes in the form of the website: pinupgirlclothing.com. Pinupgirlclothing.com is the brainchild of the self-professed Supreme Overlord Laura Byrnes. Laura Byrnes has taken inspiration from 40's and 50's couture and given it a modern twist.

(images courtesy of pinupgirlclothing.com)

This website is home to some great vintage inspired brands: Pinup Couture, Laura Byrnes Black Label, Deadly Dames, Dixiefried and Golightly to name a few. As Pinupgirlclothing.com exists purely as an online retailer, it is important to know you measurements (bust, waist, hips - occasionally arm circumference and thigh circumference) in inches. When I talk about measuring your hips, I'm not talking about the protruding pelvic bones, ladies. I mean the biggest area around your butt! The lovely Bernie Dexter shows us how it's done (photo courtesy of http://berniedexter.com/size.html).

When shopping for clothing online, be a sensible dolly and measure yourself! Don't rely on your standard dress size. I have found it particularly useful that facebook fans of pinupgirlclothing.com are more than willing to share their experience with clothing purchased from this site. Whilst there, please note that sass-mouthing on the Pinup Girl Clothing (PUG) facebook page is more than unwelcome. Not only will it bring down the entire army of PUG followers on you, but you may even invite a snitty comment from the Overlord herself. Plus, it's bad karma. That aside, enjoy looking at the clothing on this page - the site has a fantastic layout and each garment has its own size chart. Fans have also posted reviews so you can get the low down on each piece. In my experience, clothing from this site is not only a head-turner, but each garment is well made from quality fabrics.

Disclaimer: this site is highly addictive. Best to browse when your credit card is not within arm's reach.

Happy Wednesday x

The beginnings...

Well, hello there! I have decided to let you take a peek into my closet and share with you some of my vintage finds (and wants!). On this little vintage venture, I hope to share with you some of my very favourite brands and provide some hopefully informative reviews. Should all that fail, then maybe you'll just enjoy looking at the pretty pictures ;)

So, what inspires a girl to give up her comfy jeans and hoodies to adopt 40's and 50's fashion? The truth is, I haven't given up on those things. I have just found another look that I have fallen in love with. It all started about two years ago. There she was, looking into a shop window. She was wearing a beautiful frock that highlighted her narrow waist, immaculate seamed stockings and finished off with an elaborate updo. Everything about this woman was refined and elegant, right down to her adorable lucite purse and red lips. That was the beginning of the vintage love affair - and what a whirlwind romance it's been!

I'll admit, it took a while for me to buy my first vintage dress. I began my collection by starting with reproduction and vintage inspired clothing lines. I began to ease more of these outfits into my everyday attire, even wearing some to work. When I became more confident with this look, I began to investigate vintage brands: Alfred Shaheen, Jonathan Logan, Ceil Chapman, Dior among some of the vintage designers that I have come to know and love. The rest, as they say, is history. With vintage, that's certainly the case!

I hope you enjoy following my vintage venture as much as I do collecting and sharing x