A Peek Into the Past

Who would have thought that looking back into the past could be so much fun? With fabulous music, fantastic dancing, flashy fashion and fast cars; welcome to the Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival.

I experienced my very first Nostalgia Festival in 2013, celebrating its 10th birthday! The festival spans over three days, Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. Kurri Kurri is a small town that lies between Maitland and Cessnock in New South Wales, Australia. The Nostalgia Festival attracts many tourists to the area each and every year. Over 40,000 festival goers attended last year! Yowsers!


Last year, for me, it was mostly about the car show. My granddad owned the most wonderful
FB Holden (in pink and white no less!). I was sad to see her go the day she was sold, but seeing some of these classics brought back memories.

Some lucky people own the most amazing heritage cars.

A lot of hard work goes into restoring, painting (and in some cases, modifying) these vintage beauties! Of course this purple and flame hot rod is a total winner for me

I went with my mum on the Sunday, which is generally the biggest day for the festival. More cars exhibit on this day than Saturday. The day was sweltering hot and humid! I regret wearing my hair out - whew! There was so much to see, but in the end, being hot and sticky meant that we didn't stay as long as we probably would have. I'm wearing a 1950's Kamehameha dress with orchid prints that I picked up on Etsy. Mum is wearing a sweet summery dress by the Aussie brand Retrospec'd. To check out their amazing collection, click here. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Retrospec'd dresses were genuine vintage! They really look the part.

Skip forward to 2014: This year I found my courage and participated in the best dressed competition (it's amazing what a little Dutch courage can do!). There were three categories: the Junior category, Traditional and Miss Modern Day. I entered in the Traditional category, hands a-sweatin' and knees a-shakin'!

I'm wearing a 1950's backless dress by Sun Fashions Hawaii. This is one of my most favourite dresses in my entire vintage collection. The craftsmanship of this dress is superb! The gathered waistline clips together at the back using hooks to hold you in, all nice and snug (Look ma, no bra!).  I also wore handcrafted hair flowers by the one and only Lady Rowe. You can buy her amazing pieces here - you'll thank me later! Did I place? Not a chance, ha ha! At the end of the best dressed parade, I was lucky enough to have my photo taken with the super sweet Cherry Dollface! She told me I looked gorgeous, and that she loved my dress. Now THAT'S what I call a win!

On day two, I was purely there to check out the fashion, see the car show, hang with my bro and listen to some good music. I can check all of those boxes! Some happy snaps below from the Sunday.

Sunday Funday. Mixing and matching prints as inspired by a wonderful Facebook friend. I'm wearing the Heart of Haute Marilyn tee and Wheels and Dollbaby Le Chic Skirt in La Pin-up print. Both colourways for my tee and skirt are no longer available but you can check out Heart of Haute and Wheels and Dollbaby for the same cuts in different colourways. Bro is wearing the Chaos Western button up by Steady Clothing, available here. Also, check out the sweet, sweet Holden classic cars! Yes, they match my outfit. Yes, that was planned for the pictures :) 

The Kurri Kurri Nostalgia Festival is held in late March and it is a great day out for everyone; I'll definitely be heading there next year!

Happy Tuesday x

I Love Lucite

Lucite and Bakelite are plastics that were developed in the early 1900s. Bakelite was developed in 1907, whereas Lucite came a bit later in 1928. Both of these plastics have a myriad of applications (even used in machine gun parts!), but as a girl with an appreciation of vintage fashion, my favourite use of these particular plastics is in the form of a handbag. Hardly surprising.

Your grandmother probably owned something similar to this.

I absolutely adore the craftsmanship of these vintage purses. They are just superb in detail.

Many of these vintage purses are carved in clear lucite to achieve a jewel-like effect. The only potential issue I can see is that the contents of your bag are on display to the world. e.g."Mummy, what's that...?" Well, you can see where I'm going with that comment. An old fashioned trick was to line your beautiful bag with a coloured scarf. This smaller purse can be found on Etsy.

Another popular look was the confetti lucite purse. Some of these confetti purses actually contain real glitzy bits of confetti, others achieve a similar look with metallic threads running through the lucite. Also available on Etsy.

Some are encased in spectacular filigree frames, like this beauty found on Etsy.  It has that 'gilded cage' look minus the  unpleasant analogy.

The marbled lucite purses were very popular. They have a pearlescent look to them which adds greater depth to the overall colour. Common colours in this style are white, red and grey.

In my eyes, this is the mother of all lucite purses. Yes, because it's purple, lucite, purple, carved, purple, dainty... Did I mention purple? Unfortunately it's not for sale as it belongs to a personal collection. Sigh. You can check it out at Vast Vintage.

Here are some great places to buy vintage lucite purses:

http://www.lucitepurse.net

http://www.824nothingmore.com

http://www.etsy.com

A few things to be aware of when buying a lucite purse:

• Cracking and scratches - check the bag around the handles, corners and areas where the metal is used to attach parts. Some bags are not stored nicely or treated well by their owners. In addition, plastic becomes brittle with age, leading to fragility.
• Patina - this is a layer of film that develops on surfaces due to oxidisation. As these purses are joined together with metal screws and hinges, the may have developed patina over time. An acidic smell usually gives this away.
• Discolouration - happens with old things, ha ha! On a serious note though, some of the plastic may have yellowed.
• Price - some brands of lucite bags are highly sought after. The book Carry Me! identifies some of the popular brands and iconic styles. 

Don't let these things put you off buying a vintage lucite purse though - it just pays to do your homework and inspect your purchase thoroughly. 

If you still aren't confident investing your pennies in what is potentially an expensive vintage item, there are some modern equivalents. 

''Ice Queen' available at Miss L Fire

'Jitterbug' available at Miss L Fire

'Prom Date' available at Miss L Fire

'Paris' available in red, white and black by Lux De Ville. No longer in production, but some can be found with a little online searching. The white 'Paris' purse is available at Sears.

Hope you enjoying perusing the purse porn.

Happy Tuesday x

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

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