Hair waving items from the 1934 Sears catalogue

I found this wonderful page courtesy of Lileks.com a long while ago and just HAD to share it today. After looking over it I realised that I actually have more than half of these items in my own collection! I have used the water wavers quite often (my profile pic is a water wave set) and my rather substantial box of vintage hair doo-dads contains Curly Lox Curlers, Wide Wide Curlers, Kurly Kews, WW combs, Kurl Kuiks, Wavos and Kid Kurlers.

It’s also fun to see the original prices and descriptions of these items. The Baldwin Marcellers are amazing! I’ve seen some online for sale on occasion and they look rather complex to use! And the Nayrs Waving Cap, what a nifty looking device. Wish I could find an old one of those and give it try! Oh blow me down! There’s one for sale at Taste-T Vintage!!

Photographer in focus: Simply stunning Steichen

I was pulling out some of my books on vintage photography today and was reminded of how much I love Edward Steichen. I adore his simple lines and the way uses shadow and light. Steichen’s photos of gowns designed by Paul Poiret in the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911 are some of the very first modern fashion photographs and he helped define an era of glamour and elegance. Along with fashion work, he also photographed stunning portraits of movie stars and well-known faces of the day including Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Anna May Wong, Pola Negri, Loretta Young, Lilian Gish, Amelia Earhart and Joan Crawford. Hope you enjoy these classic images.

http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/steichen/

           

          

          

          

          

          

          

         

           

Vintage colour swatch…yowza yellow

So, I thought I would do something fun and write a regular post every 2 weeks that focuses on a particular colour. I will also include pics showing all sorts of vintage fashion items that were produced in varying shades of that colour, hopefully to inspire some new outfit combinations in the future and some possible purchases.

Yellow: I chose yellow today because I was inpsired by a  superb pale buttery yellow, early 1940s dress in my collection, and funnily enough – a 40s handbag to match. Not a colour I would probably wear myself, but lovely nontheless.

In my mind, yellow clothing always screams warm weather and sunny days. So, since it is summer here in Perth, a yellow gathering of items it will be for this post 🙂 And oh so many shades…from canary and lemon to mustard, pale yellow and daffodil! Have also included one modern item in this group…but it is very worthy of being here 🙂

* Please note that all photos are linked back to their original source. 

20s-yellow-stars   

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  1930s gown vintage dress   

CELLULOID Earrings Yellow Swirl 1930s

 

New ‘Vintage Dressmaker’ collection – A homage to the 1930s

There are some very talented dressmakers and seamstresses out there designing making amazing garments that are to die for. One of my favourites is The Vintage Dressmaker, otherwise known as Irma Romero.

Irma is based in London and her handmade clothing range is based on vintage patterns that she sources in archives and old fashion magazines. She also uses vintage fabrics, buttons and notions for her designs.

I adore the classic lines and Art Deco stylings that Irma captures in all her 30s dresses, not to mention the adorable fabrics and fine details. Check out the wonderful 1930s collection on her website. All designs are bespoke and can be tailored to each individual customer’s needs. My favourites are the Jemima and the Cora. I particularly love detailing of the collar on the Cora, which can be worn open or closed by way of a large vintage button, giving it two different looks. I would love to have ALL these dresses in my collection…sigh.

Claudette- Early 1930s inspired dress in wool crepe with leg o' mutton sleeves     Claudette- Early 1930s inspired dress in wool crepe with leg o' mutton sleeves

 

Elise- Wartime inspired late 1930s printed cotton dress     Elise- Wartime inspired late 1930s printed cotton dress
Jemima- Mid-1930s inspired plaid dress     Jemima- Mid-1930s inspired plaid dress
Myrna- Early 1930s inspired afternoon dress     Myrna- Early 1930s inspired afternoon dress
Cora- Mid- 1930s inspired butterfly-sleeved silk dress with bakelite button     Cora- Mid- 1930s inspired butterfly-sleeved silk dress with bakelite button
 RESERVED FOR HEYLOUILOUI- Vera- late 1930s inspired cotton teadress with fan effect     RESERVED FOR HEYLOUILOUI- Vera- late 1930s inspired cotton teadress with fan effect

1930s Men’s fashion snap shots: 1

Everyday men of the 1930s. Such wonderful shots of men relaxing, going about their everyday business and hanging out with friends. Even the casual clothing of the day never looks just ‘thrown together’. The various pieces of each ensemble always appear to be chosen with care. I LOVE the third pic from the top.  Those chaps look like they are having a ball! Thanks to The Sartorialist for the last 4 pics.

Photo: Tin Trunk