Mad Men Plaid

Lana Turner's daughter has said how her mother had the tendency to nickname her jewelry and other items. I have found myself doing this lately as well. I have named this dress my "Mad Men Plaid" dress because it reminds me of something Peggy would wear. This dress came from the sale mentioned in my last post and is a homemade flannel wiggle. I looked at this dress the first day of the sale and decided I liked some other dresses more and put this one back. Afterwards, I was a little bummed I didn't get it because how often do you see a vintage flannel dress?? When I returned to the sale two days later, it was still there, so it came home with me! All of this lady's dresses had their original belts and this one did as well, but I liked how it looked with my wider silver belt instead.

The coat is a perfect match for this dress (I put a sepia overlay on it for flair). I found it at a garage sale two summers ago for only $20. It is such a lovely combination of blue and grey; something not often seen in vintage coats...or at least not around here. I love how much I matched and felt sooo dressed up for my afternoon lunch with a girlfriend.

Emily

Dress: Estate Sale

Belt: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Adrienne Vittadini

Coat: Garage Sale

Gloves: JC Penny

Purse: Michael Kors

Film Fashion Friday: Mr. Imperium (1951)

I was so excited to feature this film this week!! Not only is it a really great movie featuring Lana Turner, it also features a fabulous costume designer, Walter Plunkett. Plunkett is known for his designs in Gone With the Wind and Singin' in the Rain, among numerous other hollywood classics. He shares an Oscar with Orry-Kelly and Irene for their collaboration on American in Paris. Since Plunkett was apart of so many iconic fashionable films, I really wanted to feature a film of his that is lesser know but still has a keen eye for style.

Mr. Imperium (1951) stars Lana Turner as a traveling showgirl that captures the heart of a prince in hiding. The two begin a whirlwind romance that comes to halt when the prince's father becomes ill. One of my favorite parts of the film is a brief montage of Lana and the Prince enjoying the French rivera. During this, Lana is shown wearing some great casual looks, including the classic 40's dungarees and button up shirts. A definite inspiration for a vintage gal's casual option for a daily look.

Lana is also seen wearing a few different coats throughout the film, which I thought would be a great inspiration for the up coming colder season. My favorite combination is the red coat and turban paired with the pale yellow dress. I love the red and yellow color combo and just may have to try that out myself this spring!! Overall, this is a great Plunkett film that may not be as well known as his other pictures, but it still holds up to his reputation for magnificent style. The film is available on dvd and is on Netflix but it appears they don't have the dvd yet, however you can save it to your queue.

The honorable mentions for this week are Madame X, another great Lana Turner film, and Coco Chanel, starring Shirley MacLaine.

I remember seeing Madame X as a young girl and was totally captivated by it. It receives an honorable mention for a lovely green gown worn during a party scene and the wonderful mid-60's fashions.

Coco Chanel just recently came out on DVD and I highly recommend that everyone see this movie. It is great on so many levels. The plot is structured through flashbacks, making for a very engaging narrative. The costumes are simply amazing and feature really great designs from the turn of the century to the mid-50's. I know this film didn't really receive great reviews, but I think vintage lovers will be able to appreciate the fab costumes. Plus the actor that plays Boy is quite the hunk!!

I am approaching my 100th post and I think I am going to do a giveaway tied into Film Fashion Friday. Look for more info as I get closer to my 100th post!!

Emily

So Excited!!!!!!

I may have mentioned before that I am a film history major. One of my main reasons for my love of film comes from my love for vintage. I love that you can watch these old movies and view another time in history. We often talk in class about how many of these films reflect life outside of the movie. I totally agree and find these old films to be a great source for inspiration for fashion, hairstyles, decorating, and more.

Well, while surfing through some blogs, I came across one (which I cannot remember which one at this time, so if someone does, leave me a comment and I will give that blog credit!) which had a post about Lana Turner's daughter selling a lot of her personal items on eBay. I was so excited when I saw the post, I just had to check out eBay. I found the seller and fell in love with this bracelet. I wear a lot of black and this is perfect!! Lana Turner stars in one of my favorite classic films, The Postman Always Rings Twice. I love film noir and Miss Turner has some great outfits in this film. I found out today that I won the bracelet and I cannot wait until it comes in the mail. I can't tell you how excited I am to own a part of film history!!! I think it is so awesome that Lana's daughter is selling some of her items on eBay rather than going to Christie's. Many of the items are priced well, at least I thought so. And it seems there are items for every budget. :)

If you are interested, HERE is the link to Cheryl Crane's eBay store.

Emily