Friday, April 30, 2010

Film Fashion Friday: Cover Girl (1944)


Hello Darling Readers! Welcome to Musical Month for the Film Fashion Friday Series. I am so delighted to share my picks for this month. I love musicals, they are what got me into classic film. I can remember being a very young girl, no more than 7 or 8, watching some of the greatest musicals ever made. I am still a big fan today and thought what better way to welcome in Spring/Summer weather than some cheery and maybe a bit cheesy musicals!

My main pick for this week is Cover Girl (1944) staring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. I seriously adore this film and if you haven't seen it, you need to put in on your Netflix instant queue. I love that the film isn't bombarded with musical numbers, yet the ones that are present are engaging and spectacular in regards to the filmmaker's choice of costuming and color. This time around, I was totally enamored with Eve Arden's head-wear throughout the course of the film, calumniating at the end of the film with the flowered wreath with attached hairnet. I gotta get me one of those!! :)

Anyways, the film tells the story of a Brooklyn showgirl, Hayworth, who want to make it big-time on Broadway. When she appears on the cover of a magazine, Hayworth is then torn between her genuine love for Gene Kelly and her big aspirations for being a top box office draw showgirl. The costumes designed by Muriel King, Gwen Wakeling, and Travis Banton showcase the eloquent look of the mid-1940s in the cuts and shapes of the gowns and suits worn by both Hayworth and her costars. This film also has a great selection of hats that would make any forties enthusiast envious!

^^Here's just a taste of the film, since there seems to be no trailer available^^


This week's additional recommendation is Top Hat (1935), starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. I am sure most of you have seen this classic, but on the off chance you haven't; here's a friendly reminder that this is a must see film. Ginger Rogers really has some of the most gorgeous 30s gowns and cute hair styles to boot.


Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my picks. Check back next week for some more fantastic musicals!

Emily

Monday, April 19, 2010

We Interrupt This Broadcast...

Just a quick update! I have been working very hard at my computer for the last week finishing up assignments for my final college semester. I only wish I looked as glamourous as the girl in the picture!

Tonight is my last undergraduate class. I must say I will probably be a bit saddened when I leave the classroom tonight! I've really enjoyed college; I definitely liked it much more than high school and learned far more.

Thursday is the deadline for all my papers and one week from Saturday I will be a college graduate!!! After all the craziness of the end of the semester and filling out applications dies down, I am looking forward to get back to my regular posting and have tons of posts planned for the near future!

Emily

Monday, April 12, 2010

Hidden Windmills and Lunch Dates


Yesterday, my mom and I took my Grandma to have some lunch with her sister and daughter. We had Olga's, which is a local Michigan chain restaurant and is sooooo delicious!! They are a soup and sandwich place that has their own secret recipe for the most yummy bread. Anyways, the above picture is what I wore. I've had this dress for a long time but haven't known quite what to do with it. It is missing its original belt and is a pretty simple cut. I decided the leopard accessories would liven it up a bit.

The windmill pictures are from the day I went to the warehouse for the vintage clothing. Apparently, the 90s is vintage....news to me!! There was nothing there except stretchy stirrup pants and huge shoulder padded shirts from the 80s. The guy also fibbed about how many bags he had. he had told me he had like 15 or 20 bags full of old clothing. When I got there, there was about 5 or 6. Way to get a girl excited! The day was not all lost. On our way back home, we spotted this windmill in front of a home that had its own tiny private lake. i pass by this house all the time and somehow have never seen this windmill. It was just so serene, so I had to take some photos to share with you all.

I also did some thrifting and shopping at some estate sales. I can't wait to post my finds!! How was your weekend?

Emily


OUTFIT DETAILS
Dress: Estate Sale
Shoes and Belt: Target
Purse: Salvation Army

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Film Fashion Friday: A Yank In The R.A.F. (1941)


It seems that I am still in a Betty Grable mood! The films for this week both star the starlet and are great fashion inspirations, each in their own way. The main film I chose is A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941). I saw this for the first time a few weeks ago and fell in love with Tyrone Power all over again. :) I also loved that Grable was shown as an "everyday" girl in the film, wearing dresses that can be found today by us vintage gals. The film presents a lot of practical, obtainable looks, thus making it my main film.

Travis Banton did the costumes for this film and while it says he designed them himself, I am thinking that a lot of the street clothing for Grable might have been things off the rack. Her two showgirl costumes are brilliant, sparkly, and great looks for your inner pin-up. It seems that Banton worked a quite a few Grable films, which is probably why she looked so good, he knew her shape and what looked best on her. Banton also designed the gowns for Claduette Colbert in Cleopatra (1934), which if you haven't seen you should, it's ever so scandalous with Claduette taking a milk bath. I think I might actually do a whole post on this film!

I am sure many of you have seen Pin-Up Girl (1944), but I just had to mention it since I feel it is one of Grable's most stylish films. Rene Hubert designed the iconic costumes for this film and worked with the likes of Vivien Leigh and Merle Oberon. One of my favorite costumes in this film is the pajamas Grable wears on the train. Yellow is my favorite color, so maybe I am a little bias, but I think they are just divine. I also like the green suit she trades with her friend at the Navy office, that is such a cute outfit, complete with matching handbag!

Both films are available on DVD and Pin-Up Girl is a streaming video on Netflix. I wanted to let you guys know that Film Fashion Friday will be on a short break until after my graduation. Posts will resume on April 30th and I am going to do musicals the whole month of May, starting off on the April 30th post. I got some requests for some musicals, so I will do my best to include some favorites and some you may not be familiar with. Until then, keep sending the requests and FFF will be back in two weeks!

Emily

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Now and Then


I may have mentioned this on my blog before, but my 90 year old Grandmother lives with my family. She moved in about a year and a half ago and has been enjoying her little room here ever since. She is such a cute little thing -- she is under five feet tall and was always a short gal. Yesterday she wasn't herself, so I thought a trip down memory lane via some old photographs would help cheer her up. We sent a few hours looking over all the pictures she had saved from the 20s-60s. My grandma is part of the reason why I am into old things. I always loved looking at the old black photo album when I was a kid and those photos of her and her sisters dressed so fashionably is just one of my many inspirations for dressing vintage.

After the photos, we decided to play a little dress-up with some of my vintage hats and sunglasses. My grandma didn't save a lot of her old things and the things that she did, I treasure dearly. I think she had a lot of fun "going back" while she tried on the hats and sunglasses. Isn't she cute?

The old photo is from 1932 when my grandma was 12. It was taken on her grandma's farm in Canada. When I was about that age, my family took my grandma back to her grandma's farm, which is sadly not owned by the family anymore. She really enjoyed her summers there as a girl and often talks about taking another trip back. When I was a girl, I loved to hear her tell the stories about her grandma's old seller full of home canned goods and the bread and pies she would make and go into town to sell. Even now, I still enjoy hearing them....they just don't get old!

Well, I am off to see a vintage dealer at his warehouse about some vintage clothing. Wish me luck!

Emily

A Windy Day Outfit


Yesterday and today were windy days here in Michigan. Today also brought a lot of rain, more than we got yesterday. When it does rain, I find it hard to get inspired to dress nicely or vintage. However, yesterday I pulled out my Pendleton 49ers jacket and shaped my outfit around that. I bought it this past winter and it had become lost in my closet. I recently just uncovered it and was waiting for cooler weather to wear it. Yesterday was just the right temperature; sometimes that wool can get pretty warm!

Emily


OUTFIT DETAILS
Pendleton 49ers Jacket: Mother Fletchers

Capris and Navy Blue Tank: Target

Cream Tank and Watch: JC Penny

Red Leather Flats: Payless

Monday, April 5, 2010

Playing Dress-Up


Yesterday after church, while changing out of my fancier clothes, I decided to play a bit of dress-up if you will. It was all spurred by the impromptu hair do that I did. I wanted to get my hair out of my face so it wouldn't be in the way, and I thought that that was as good as time as any to try to achieve the Betty Grable hair do that she was most famous for in her pin-up shot. It was really simple. I just took bobbie pins and pinned all the hair at the top of my head. I really love this style and now that I know I can achieve it with semi-perfection, I will be doing it a lot more.

So, taking my inspiration from my hair and the numerous early Betty Grable films I have been watching for a class this semester, I sorta tried to channel Betty Grable with this look. Definitely more of an inspiration than a direct look. Anyways, I'm loving how it all came out...especially since I got to wear one of my favorite pairs of vintage summer shoes! They are for sure pin-up style shoes with a 3.5 inch heel and mock snake skin. One of my many eBay finds!

Hope you're having a marvelous Monday!

Emily


OUTFIT DETAILS
Dress: Estate Sale
Shoes: eBay
Pin: Was my Grandma's -- I should have posted a closer picture, it's a heart with an arrow through it with different colored rhinestones. It's my favorite pin.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

I Could Write a Sonnet About Your Easter Bonnet


Happy Easter Everyone!! I hope everyone is enjoying their day and hopefully eating some yummy food!

This morning, my family and I attended church, which I wore this for. I love this dress, its one of the oldest pieces of clothing I own. It's late 30s right when they started the transition into the 40s styles. I found it last summer at a flea market for a whole $12! I also wore a hat to church, which I now realize that it is kinda hard to see. Besides some old ladies, I was the only hat wearer today. I was surprised because many times little girls will wear hats on Easter. I know I did when I was little.

Well, I must get back to my school work. Counting the days down until May 1st...only 26 more days!!!

Emily


OUTFIT DETAILS
Dress: Utica Antiques Market
Shoes: Southfield Vintage Clothing Expo
Handbag: Salvation Army
Belt: Off Another Dress
Hat: eBay

The Mean Reds.....New Favorite Dress


First off, I must apologize for missing Film Fashion Friday. It completely slipped my mind, what with all the preparations for Easter and with my final college semester winding down. I graduate May 1st and I simply cannot wait!!! Until then, my posting may be sparse, with all the paper writing that is going on!

Anyways, today I offered to do the grocery shopping for our Easter dinner for my mom. I am one of those crazy people that actually enjoys grocery shopping. I don't know why I do, it's just one of those things I enjoy, like doing the laundry. Today was also a warmer day here in Southeastern Michigan, that is until the rain started. I had planned on wearing my new Remix sandals with this dress, but the rain forced me to put on more practical shoes.

Regardless of the rain, I decided this was the prefect day to break in my new vintage SWIRL dress!!! I have been wanting and searching for one of these things FOREVER. And last week, after being out bid on several dresses on eBay, I was finally the highest bidder! The dress came last week and I have been itching to wear it since. I thought grocery shopping was very appropriate, since that is what many women in the past probably wore them for. I just love this dress. it is so comfy and figure flattering. I hope that someday I might be able to own a few more!
I have so many things I want to share with you all from last week -- including some great finds at some sales, so hopefully I can throw together an update post before classes start up for the week. :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Easter holiday.

Emily


OUTFIT DETAILS
Dress: eBay
Shoes: JC Penny