Dolls.Fashion.Art

The last scarf!

2011-12-10T20:10:00.006+01:00

So, here we are... it is December, so we have arrived at the last scarf! This has been so nice, being able to open a present every month! I feel like I need to find a new "monthly theme" for next year. Will have to think about it - and am open to suggestions for sure!

But now, without further ado - the December scarf: I also have one more new Barbie doll to introduce. The never ending Dolls of the World line has, after doing traditional costumes, festivals, weddings and other things, branched out to... buildings! Therefore, they have for the second time in their long history done an Australian theme, this time the Sydney Opera:
I think for once Mattel got it right - it's a good interpretation, but also still looks more or less like a dress... I like the shoes and the handbag, that carry the design on too - nice touch. Now if Mattel could only stop using thoses stiff ModelMuse bodies and the hair cement... oh I know, I always grumble about the same things.

It has also been time again for the annual big pre-christmas indoor flea market & antiques fair here in Zurich. The whole event is getting smaller each year (no wonder with those stall prices that one hears off - but then there are also things that I know I have been looking at for the last 5 years or more, and you'd think that maybe a seller should then starting asking himself, if maybe the price was too high...), so I now only buy one day ticket anymore and go in only once. It used to be that I'd go in at least twice - like on Thursday and again on Saturday, when it got into full swing. Oh well... But for once I was pretty succesful this time! One of my favorite sellers, who sells vintage American costume jewelery, this time had a bracelet that matches a pair of earrings that I bought from her a few years ago pretty neatly:
And, oh wonder of wonders, I have found a beautiful 1940s day dress, which did not cost a fortune! After having pretty much given up on ever buying vintage clothes here or at that particular event, as usually this tended to be totally overpriced. Well, last years' overpriced seller wasn't there anymore. I could imagine that she didn't do a lot of business with those prices she had... So the day ended quite satifactorily, though the dress will need a little taking in on the sides. Stay tuned for that one then!

A trip down the 80s memory lane: scary fashions & Oscar de la Renta

2011-12-08T15:21:00.022+01:00

So here I am again. After nothing happening for months, my Barbie collection has been positively exploding lately...

First, a good friend of mine asked me if I was interested in having some of her childhood Barbie stuff, after she cleaned out her attic. Of course I was - or I wouldn't be me ;-). So a parcel arrived with some things I remember well from back in the 80s and things I had coveted but never got... I've mentioned it before, I love those neon-colored, over-the-thop Barbie and the Rockers outfits. I loved them back in the day and I still do. It was just so far away from anything I was ever allowed to wear. And I loved neon colors, period. So here they are, from Barbie's first year as a Rocker: Derek and DeeDee!
Yes, that was the year that Ken was supplanted in Barbie's favors by Derek... nobody knows what's happened, but this pre-dates the whole Barbie & Blaine "scandal" by almost 2o years! And nobody cared a bit about it!
When she arrived, DeeDee was actually in dire need of a visit to the hairdresser:
So I went through the "classic" treatment. If you're not "into" Barbie dolls, you probably wonder how that works... First up: the hairwash. Just a good cleanse, best do it all over, no just the hair. Normal dishwashing liquid is all it needs. Next: a good conditioner. In the case of synthetic hair, fabric softener is actually the thing it needs. Dilute some in a small bowl of water, and let her hair soak in it a bit. Then comes the combing - always the thing that takes the most patience. Take a sturdy comb, not too fine, not too big, and comb the hair in small sections, from the head - and hold her by the hairline, so as not to pull out any hair (but 80s and newer Barbies are usually well-rooted and there's not a great possibility to pull out much). After that, the hair is combable but still "fluffy" because it's still a bit curly. There's only one thing against that: straighten it out! Any straightening or curling that is permanent has to be done with hot water (any kinds of straightening or curling irons would burn this hair - only the old Ashton-Drake Gene dolls have hair that takes styling with irons - hot water isn't enough in that case). Straightening is best done by poring the freshly boiled water over the dolls head, while she's sitting. Just be careful with that hot water! Then, comb the wet hair down again, and you should get shiny, glossy, straight hair that is no problem to comb through:
But of course, DeeDee wants her curls back! So, time for a perm. Basically, you can use anything as a roller for doll's hair that can take boiling hot water and that the hair can be fixed in place with. The best thing: disposable drinking straws, cut into shorter pieces. Household paper, torn into small bits and moistened works as "end paper" so the ends of the hair won't slip out. Roll up from the end, and fix with pins, through the "roller" and the head. Yup, sounds brutal, but I find this is one of the best ways! Depending on how big or small the strands that you roll up are, the curls get bigger or smaller.
And then... just one more step of fixin' this, take a big enough piece of saran wrap, cover the doll's head with it and fix it around her neck with a rubber band. Sounds brutal, I know, but that helps to keep the rolled up hair nicely in place. Water will still seep in, but that's okay. Boil more water, pour it into a big enough bowl and submerse the doll's head in it completely. Leave for 5-10 Minutes, take out, take the saran off and let it cool and set as it for 24 hours. Then... take the curlers out, un-curl carefully, and style as you like:
If you want to, spray gently with some hair spray (but cover her face with a tissue first).

I admit, I like doing this - giving these dolls a "new life", even if they're not highly valuable vintage dolls.

Now with the dolls also came some outfits, which I decided to present on my newest model - one of the Barbie Basics dolls. I love her cool short hairstyle, though that was so caked in "concrete" that I had to give it a double wash first! Okay, with that ModelMuse body of hers, she's way too thin for those 80s clothes, so I had to pin them in the back, but she does make them look great (mostly)!
First up: a colorful little leisure outfit.
Next: a sexy little number in baby pink.

Now, it gets a lilttle scary...
This is one of those Twice as Nice outfits that always featured at least one part that could be turned around for a change of color. This here looks like a rather scary secretary outfit. But I remember my then best friend having it and I just had to have it for memory's sake.
Somehow I find this combo even scarier...
And this is the way that I think it actually looks kinda cute. Kind of a "super housewife"-look.

And now, if you haven't been scared away from the screen by crazy color combos, let me show you the really good 80s stuff. Yep. Not all 80s fashion was bad, and here I have actually one of the best 80s Barbie outfits ever. Nowadays, designers seem to stand in line to have their signature Barbie doll designed. Way back in mid-80s, Mattel began to test the waters with first collectors series (the first collector conventions having been held in the early 80s, this was just sort of beginning to be recognised I guess) - and having a "real fashion" designer do something for them. And that was - Oscar de la Renta! In 1985, 4 "Collector Series" outfits by Mr. de la Renta were sold, and in the following year, another 5. They were all very glamourous (and very 80s) but beautiful as well. Jewel-tone, strong colors - with a lot purples, reds, pinks and deep blues and a dash of gold or silver - were chosen, and each year, one outfit featured exchangable parts for two or more looks. Most of them had an added stole, jacket or cape, and all had a sewn-in label with Mr. de la Renta's signature logo. I had two of these as a child, one survived my childhood as it was a perennial favorite - and since a few years, I have been collecting them. Well, not exactly hunting for them, but when I came across one, I'd buy it. The lastest addition to this small collection is the one I've been wanting the most, because it's so timeless - and "real". This is no Barbie-pink-over-the-top-phantasy, but something you could just imagine a real woman wearing. And it is versatile too!

First combination: a yellow and golden camisole top with matching straight jacket, black slender velvet skirt with a high slit - and black sheer pantyhose (yes, the were part of the outfit!).
Second combo: with black velvet slacks and a black fur stole .

And here's a quick look at my little de la Renta collection:
The blue one is the one that survived my childhood. The fuchsia one on the left is the other one I had, but later gave away. It also has a long slim taffeta skirt to exchange with the short, ruffly one, and a wide golden sash with a pink rhinestone to accent that dropped waist. The balloon dress on the right actually has a backless top under that incredible jacket.

On my last trip to New York, while hurrying up 7th Avenue to find a pharmacy, I came across the Fashion Walk of Fame plaque for Oscar de la Renta, and the sketch on it immediately reminded me of those ruffled, shirred Barbie dresses by him:

Vienna, almost the last scarf... and Pan Am

2011-11-20T23:13:00.007+01:00

Long time no write, I know... firstly, I've been on holiday, secondly I've been sort of bizzy work-wise...

I spent almost a week in Vienna, which was great - the weather wasn't too bad, we did some successful shopping and spent some crazy nights - amongs others at the fabulous Quentin's Kaffeebar. The music, the atmosphere and all else there are just great. It feels like a sort of extended living room, and it features a Hollywood swing and walls covered with a very eclectic mix of vintage LP sleeves (say hello to all the embarrassing stuff you ever found in your parents' LP collection...!). Vintage-wise it wasn't so much the thing though, though I did buy some fab new things. None of our usual haunts had any exciting vintage stuff, and the vintage shop that we visited because it had been advertised everywhere turned out to be over-priced (an unexciting late 60s poly dress for 120 Euros???) , overrated, badly sorted and generally not what I except of a vintage shop. Besides, the shop was also badly sorted, clothes were hanging on racks willy-nilly... which is one of my absolute pet peeves! Plus, the most fab piece in the shop by far, which I picked up of course, turned out to be private property - it had just been hanging on a rack because the owner needed to iron it! Next one and probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to vintage/antique shops or stalls... And why do so many people think they can charge any price for anything that's remotely vintage, but not even nice? I see this happening so much around here, and I just hate it. Takes the fun out of shopping vintage. In that case, I prefer shopping vintage online, though it's never as much fun as in an actual shop. Just check this new VFG Etsy treasury out - isn't it cool?!
However, on the way to the local Caritas, we came across a kids' secondhand, that had great adults stuff in their backroom for only 3 Euros a piece. Need I say more? A great happy coincidence ;-)!

I've also been working on some dolls and will be reporting more on them soon - some great stuff that I've wanted to have for some time, and some new dolls that somehow had eluded my radar so far... stay tuned!

It is already November, so it's time for the second last scarf for this year! This time it's a very 70s concoction of orange and brown:
On another note, BBC2 has started showing "Pan Am" which I couldn't wait for to catch it anywhere. After four episodes I have to admit, I had expected more... Perhaps my view is biased by Mad Men, which is extremely well made (yep, they made their mistakes too, but it just looks so much more believable). In comparison, Pan Am looks a little cheap somehow, if I'm honest. Some things just don't look "right" to me, and I wouldn't call myself a period specialst. It's just a feeling that I get. And Christina Ricci's hairstyle looks strange sometimes - you'd think by the high standards that flight attendants had to live up to at the time, they'd give her a better hairstyle in the series! The lead pilot is also way too young, I'm sorry, and the idea that you always get the same crew flying together on all flights is preposterous - an airline of that size would even in the early 60s have had rotating crews. Of course they didn't have so many employees as big international airlines have nowadays, so chance to end up with the same person again on the same flight were certainly higher, but this really is too much. I would love to see more flight attendants and more pilots & engineers join the story! But if people, as I read somewhere, are already confused by the simple flash-backs that have been shown so far, then no wonder they have to keep it simple....! Oh dear. Well, I will try to keep watching, but I don't know how much longer until it will completely annoy me. It's just a little too soap opera-ish in the storyline as well. I think that there's just so much more they could do with this premise. Just read any memoir of someone who was a flight attendant in the 50s/60s/70s.

Monet & the indian summer

2011-10-20T15:03:00.016+02:00

Having a week's holiday at home, I decided to use the time to its best and do a few things that I usually don't have the time to - at least not on a weekday.

Top of my list was the Monet exhibition at the Fondation Pierre Gianadda in Martigny. It's a 3-hour train ride here from Zurich, so usually the only time to go is on a weekend. The problem is just, with the high-profile exhibitions they like to mount, publicity for them is everywhere, and everybody goes. Especially if our national train company also puts up a specials including fare and entrance fees. I admit, they get some of the best things down there, but I know what it is like when it gets crowded, so any way to avoid that is good. Leaving the grey, foggy Mittelland behind me, the sun came out just before the train went through the new Lötschberg tunnel, and was out in full force when the train left the tunnel after 34 kilometers and almost 20 minutes in the dark (what an experience, by the way). I arrived in Martigny just before 10 a.m. - and not a minute too late to see the exhibition without too big a crowd. With 70 works from the Musée Marmottan in Paris, from private collections (that is almost the most interesting, because these are a rare sight to be seen in public) and from Swiss museums in Zurich, Basel, Berne, Lausanne and Geneva, this was quite a show. It was beautifully lit, bringing out the incredibly brilliant colors in the vibrant paintings, and also showing the less colorful scenes to their best. My problem with the exhibition is just - the exhibition space they have is actually not enough for 70 paintings this size! It's a simple square inside this 70s building, with tiny niches in the corners. These niches get crowded when there's 3 people in there, and barely give one enough space to step away far enough to really see the paintings, unless they're very small. Monet paintings are best viewed from a distance, and the people at this museum should know that - it's not their first Monet/impressionist exhibition by far! In some places, there are also short walls opposite the all-around all where most of the paintings hang. These walls were hung with paintings too (they were generally hung extremely tightly - never seen quite anything like this before!), so there to is not enough space to step away from them. So, basically, with a good crowd, there is no way to really appreciate these paintings, because there will always be someone standing in your way! It really is too bad, because the paintings are spectacular. I have definitely found some new favourites. One certainly was "La neige à Argenteuil" with its pale glowing winter sun (that glow seriously reminded me of some Turner paintings that have the same quality). Another one was his "Route près de Giverny" (colors are much more brilliant in the original - he actually used a lot of pinks in this one), as well as two paintings of cliffs in foggy weather - "Falaises, temps gris" and "Mauvais temps, Pourville". The effect of the last two is just stunning. The colors are so delicate, and it feels so "real" looking at them. Sadly, and reproduction in print or on the internet can never do these justice. The second and third from top on the exhibition's web page are also absolutely gorgeous in reality. There were also some nymphéas or river theme paintings that I hadn't seen before and which seemed different from the best-known ones, which I thought were fascinating, like this one. I am definitely very glad to have gone there, and somehome I feel I have had a "fresh" look at Monet, seeing not just well-known paintings but to the best part ones that I had never seen before. What really struck me was the brilliance of the colors, and the light in some them. Again and again these are things that draw me to certain painters and paintings.
There was also a small side exhibition with japanese wood block prints from Monet's personal collection. They were just gorgeous too.

So I finished just before noon, having even take the time on the stroll through town to the museum, to visit the roman amphitheater.
The Fondation Gianadda also holds a permanent exhibition of roman artefacts and the roman history of the place. Ruins that have been excavated can be seen all over the town. Situated in a small sunny plain surrounded by mountains, and at a crossroads (which it still is today - the roads south of Martigny lead either to the Great St. Bernhard and Aosta/Italy or to Chamonix/France and the region of the Mont Blanc), it was probably seen as the ideal place to build a fort and and all that went with it.
Anyway, as the weather was still as sunny and beautiful and the air was just getting warmer, I decided that I had rather spend my time exploring some more and putting my day-ticket to full use, which I could use on almost every train in this country for a whole day. Only Martigny isn't quite the place to be... lots of architectural sins from the 60s and 70s and a general feeling of drabness in most places... except a short stretch on its main street, which really is pleasant:
Ater asking at the train station for suggestions, where they looked at me as if I had asked for the moon, I finally figured the solution out myself. On I went by regional train to Montreux, which is a different from the region that I had just come from as it could possibly be... glamourous, also a bit touristy, and that feeling as if one was on the French Riviera somewhere (the temperatures were like that too!). I had some time to spare for a walk along the promenade on Lake Geneva, and to have an ice cream.
And then, I was off on the GoldenPass train from Montreux to Zweisimmen. They have modern panoramic wagons, but also one Classic Train, which has older wagons done up in 1930s Pullman-style - just gorgeous:
... and this is "only" second class! Anyway, this narrow gauge train first winds up along the mountain above Montreux (which you see on the right side on the picture above), through countless vineyards and giving an incredible view of Montreux and the lake. Then it passes through a tunnel, and comes out in what seems to be a wholly different world! First it's the Pays d'Enhaut, green, mountainous, with sleepy small villages, and then passing on to a wider valley, the language changes from French to German from one village to another, in Saanen there seems to be a cow-auction or something like that near the train station (and these cows all still have their respect-inducing horns - not like down here!), and soon follows glamorous Gstaad and the small villages that belong to it, and again the train climbs up and dips down again into Zweisimmen, where the train has to be changed. From here on, the trains run on normal gauge again, towards Spiez and on to Interlaken. There's a whiff of manure in the air at the train station there, making sure you won't forget that you're still "in the country". From here, the ride was one flash-back after another from me. The new seats in the wagon couldn't hide how antiquated it actually was - one visit to the bathroom assured that. They used to have these funny containers with soap powder, and you had to turn a wheel at the bottom so the powder would drizzle in your hand. Once, as a small kid, me and an older girl once probably emptied one of those more or less on another regional train up another mountain valley. Our game was to "clean the sink"... Then there were the church towers, all built in the same distinctive way which seems to be particular to this region. It looked the same like the one in Spiez, where my grandparents once lived and which I remember well from the times I stayed with them on holidays. Only I had never noticed before that this must be a regional tradition. Of course you don't notice this as a kid (and the last time that I think I did this train ride, I was too small to remember it even now). And the scenery - I then remembered that this must have been where my grandparents once took me up by car - just a sunny summer afternoon excursion. Only we didn't take grandpa's usual car (a then already unusual 1970's Triumph that looked harmless but had quite a motor), but "Hueschti", the car that coughed. No kidding. It might have been a Triumph too, can't say for sure, it was white too, but it didn't have dowdy black and beige fabric seat covers of his usual car, but the seats were covered in dark red leather! It usually stayed in the garage and rarely got an outing. I can't remember why we took it on that particular day - but we did, and that just added to the fun. As I said, the car "coughed", hence it's name. I can't possibly say what it's problem was, but every now and then it would make a move and a sound that would feel like it coughed. Maybe it wasn't overly save even to drive a car like that, but to me as a kid it was just plain fun. And we certainly didn't take it very far.
So that's for the trip down memory lane. In Spiez, the intercity train back to Zurich already waited on the other side of the platform, and so I was off on the way back home. What an enjoyable day! If it hadn't been for the trees already turning colors, one could have though it was still summer. But like this, it felt a little bit "Indian Summer"-like, at least after leaving Montreux.

And if you feel like the Indian Summer too now, check out the VFG's latest Etsy treasury, which also features this theme!

Lots of stuff on etsy & get out the silly!

2011-10-16T17:17:00.007+02:00

Yesterday I took an overflowing carrier bag to the Caritas shop and went home with a lovely silver grey (not vintage - just plain old second hand) sweater. I did my usual closet cleanout a week ago - much I like the one I talked about here last year. This time it took a little more work because I also replaced the brown paper lining of the shelves.

Going through everything in my closet also meant looking at my vintage. There are a few things there which I either do not wear anymore because my style has changed, or which I bought because it fit and was gorgeous and didn't cost much - but honestly speaking, it's not "me" and I'll never wear it, or it has just too many issues for me to deal with. Which is why I have expanded the vintage section of my Willy-nillies Etsy shop! Check it out now...

Especially worth mentioning: A gorgeous early to mid-1960s evening dress, to which I have the perfectly matching pair of shoes (by Dior, no less!) in the shop too - and they're exactly from the same time too!

A recent etsy newsletter directed me to some utterly outrageous fashion which would be perfect for Halloween. Now, wouldn't you love to weart the Pink Monster Mop Dress?
Check out the other stuff in this shop too - it's all quite wild & weird & wonderful & imaginative! Speaking of Halloween, the VFG have just launched a new Etsy treasury all in black and orange - now, ain't that gorgeous?

And if the Monster Mop dress isn't silly enough for you, visit the Smart Bitches at their blog. Though the competition is already over, reading the entries for the Extreme Jacuzzi Enthusiasm competition will not just put a smile on your face but will be certain to make you laugh out loud! And the inspiration for this competition? Well, who would've thought it, but it actually came from Switzerland! Read it here.

And if that isn't silly enough for you, you can always turn to the brilliant QI - currently showing Series I in it's XL version on BBC 2 Saturday nights. I want one of those "Nobody knows" signs! In this world of so-called reality TV, that just seems to get more and more stupid - and usually isn't "reality" anyway, you can spend 45 minutes of absolutely brilliant silliness and un-common knowledge with Stephen Fry, Alan Davies and changing panelists, never knowing what will happen!

Rock your vintage, autumn trends & the next scarf

2011-10-02T18:07:00.022+02:00

Today I have been working on some of my vintage - photographing a few things that I haven't had a chance to, before I will put it away when I do my closet cleanup next week and repairing some "new" vintage stuff.
This cute 1950s playsuit has become quite a favourite with me. Made from soft, airy cotton and fitting beautifully, it's a super piece for hot day at the office. I bought it from VFG Member Miss Martys. Yes, they were originally thought to be worn at the beach, but I think for today's standards it is quite "covered up".
I have also already blogged about this 1980s Akris silk dress, whose fabric I loved so much, but have only been able to show it on my manni - so here are some "live" pics!

Since October has started (my, doesn't time fly?!), there has of course been another scarf to unpack! In keeping with the time of the year, this one comes in autumn colors:

My newspapers' article on the autumn trends has been interesting, but I absolutely do not agree with the editor's opinion that the 1940s and 1960s trends are nothing to follow. Hey, we do know that designers like to look back - as long as they don't look back on times that I remember myself, that's pretty much ok with me. She thinks the 40s are too much work "because you have to do it all - make-up and hair too". Erhmmm... I don't think you have to do it all - yes, I love the 40s look, but let's be honest, you can't do the full look in every day situations, and people would probably think that you're "dressing up as" if you try too much. I too am trying to go less "period" and a little more "modern" with my vintage and do it with more subtlety. The Miu Miu Fall collecion that the newspaper refers to didn't go full-on 40s everywhere everywhere either and I think it shoes a few pretty good 40s inspired hairstyles that are not too hard to re-creat - check it out here (not that I like all of it - the shapeless coats with overly-wide shoulders are pretty hideous in my eyes... but some of the dresses are nice).
I would say: take one 40s piece and mix it with modern things, do a nice modern makeup (but red lipstick please - no nude lips!)... and the hair? Well, you can do little 40s inspired without it being too much work when you have long hair, but I think it works without it too:
This is the 40s dress that I bought in Helsinki, and which I have repaired today. Add colorful/textured/patterned modern pantyhose to relieve the black dress, a pair of slightly chunky shoes and a big brooch - voilà!
Also the top of my 1940s Eisenberg suit is a wonderful piece to mix with current pieces:
The black capris are from H&M's current autumn collection. "Indian" slippers by Aldo (some years ago).
The suit really is a dream, made from shot cotton, unlined, with soft shoulder pads and beautiful mother of pearl-buttons.

As for the 60s trend, the newspaper editor seems to think that it's only Twiggy-style babydoll dresses - well, yes, those really aren't for anybody less thin or older than Twiggy was at the time, but there are other cool things like accessories and coats in popping colors that are perfect. If you need any more ideas, check out the Vintage Fashion Guild's Fall Vintage Inspirations!

Last week and even still this weekend, the weather has been incredibly warm, so have been taking the chance to wear the two beautiful late 1940s cotton print dresses, which I bought from Tangerine Boutique a few weeks ago. They were both new old stock and fit perfectly! I gladly took a few other things to the Caritas shop instead - where I happened to find a cute hot pink cashmere cardi, which goes beautifully with one of the dresses:
(though they look very 80s, these shoes are actually only a few years old - and from Aldo too)
With a modern jacket and vintage 70s Coach handbag (reflecting accessory from the Design Forum Helsinki - nearly every woman in Helsinki seems to have such an accessory in some shape or other dangling from their handbag).

This gorgeous dress has a lovely print in purple/pink/grey/green and the fabric is supposed to be needing little or no ironing! The detailing is also incredible - both the collar and the pockets are edged with fabric loops, and the buttons have rhinestones:

A Barbie post for a change

2011-09-22T21:55:00.007+02:00

A lot of late mid 80s to early 90s Barbie Doll fashions are really outrageous - colorful, kitschy, and even though they do reflect trends of their time, they are (opposed to fashions from, say, the 60s or 70s) nothing anyone would really wear - they are just that bit over the top. Anyway, I still love them dearly. This was the time that I played with Barbie, this was the stuff I loved then, and this was the stuff I first started out with being creative at mixing 'n matching. I have a lot of loose outfit parts here, coming from flea markets, big vintage convolutes or simply left-overs from my childhood (when I learned the art of clearing out things I didn't like anymore to make room and money for new things), and finding out where they come from is thrilling, but of course it's even nicer to find still originally packed outfits. Another reason for that is that they often contain the little booklets in which many outfits are depicted of which there is no information in any collector's books. I cherish those...

Every now and then I check out what vintage Barbie things are on offer on etsy - there are usually a few, and it's an easy search. So I came across a 1990 Disney character outfit that I just had to have (and I wish I had the others too - they're just soooo crazy!).

Such an outrageous outfit of course needs an outrageous wearer - Sam!
Sam is a Mattel doll, but probably the one and only of whom I really don't know who she originally was - I found her at a fleamarket. I suspect there was some head-swapping and hair rerooting involved in her "creation", but that doesn't matter. She's unique - and adorable in the craziest outfits.

The outfit arrived this morning, courtesy of tjgholar. Check out her etsy shop - she makes cool stuff, also art photography with Barbie Dolls! It is again and again interesting to see, how artists use or depict Barbie in their work. And I am so of one mind with her in this quote:

"Maybe I am a little biased, but I don't think it's fair to blame it all on Barbie. I feel ambivalent when I hear women blame their low self esteem and poor body image on growing up with Barbie dolls. I don't know if Barbie is entirely to blame. What about fashion magazines and diet ads? What about the ideas and expectations girls learn from their peers and their mothers? What about the culture of self-objectification?"
She's just so right! Nothing gets more on my nerves than those people who try to blame it all on Barbie. I can safely say, though I had loads of Barbies as a kid, their shape and figure was never a thing I considered or wanted to be like - her body was as it was, and that was that. It was just cool that she was a "grown-up" and had that kind of body. And I figured out pretty soon that Barbie's body didn't have realistic proportions either.

I am still waiting for the VFG Forum to be up and running again (they are updating it)... I realize now how much it has become a part of my daily (computer) life over the last one and a half years or so. Sound crazy? Well, there's just always so much to learn, to discuss, to laugh about. There's so much more than just fashion in the strictest sense involved, and it's just nice to meet like-minded people.
From what I'm hearing the updated forum is going to be really, really cool...

Speaking of mixing and matching... I just came across the blog of VFG member Past Perfect Vintage - I love these outfits (and especially the pink jacket!):
Past Perfect Vintage: Building a Vintage Wardrobe, One Step at a Time: One of the wisest ways to build a flexible wardrobe is to take advantage of vintage clothing. Vintage garments bring everything to the fash...

Helsinki, South Pacific, another scarf & andorn yourself & your clothing!

2011-09-18T14:31:00.021+02:00

Long time no post, I know... Well, things have been a tiny bit crazy around here. In Mid-August, I spent a few lovely days in beautiful Helsinki with my mother. I've been there many times already, but this city never ceases to amaze me. It is one of the truly beautiful cities in this world! Finnish National Style, Finland's own expression of Art Nouveau, and a building boom in the early 1900s created a great part of what the city looks like today, besides the Neo-Classical 1800s buildings around Senate Square and the Esplanade, and the imagination and ideas that went into these buildings, never cease to amaze me! If you want to have a peek, you can check out my photos here.

Of course we also did the obligatory shopping, which is great in Helsinki. Marimekko is a brand that needs no introduction... whatever they make, it's great quality and it looks great. We bought heaps of fabric, but also one of their classic stripy tees, colorful umbrellas - and we both managed to nab a pair of Converse in Marimekko look - now aren't these the bee's knees?! Pertti Palmroth is maybe less well-known outside Finland, but it's a traditional shoe company that's been in business for decades and produces in my eyes the best in fashionable winter footwear there is. Not only do they produce beautiful, timelessly elegant boots (and to add - some of them are also incredibly sexy!) that fit the foot beautifully, but those boots, no matter if flat or high-heeled, are all incredibly warm, and made from water-proof leather and fixed up with good soles. Palmroth is a must for me on every trip, and even though their boots are also made to last, I couldn't refrain from adding a pair of ankle boots to the two pairs of boots I already have. And best of all, they actually still produce their shoes and boots in Finland. Considering all this, they are more than worth their price...
We also took our time to check out some vintage shops - one we already knew, one was "the one that got away" - I had found it before on a previous trip but lost it again - one that we just about missed by one block the last time, and two that were completely new to us (though we'd been poking around one's area before too). Each and every one was what I expect of a vintage shop: nicely stocked with real vintage, well-organised but with full, enticing racks that one just loves to rifle through... Prices were realistic and shopowners ever so friendly - in short, it was perfect. So I did manage to pick up some beauties:

A timeless black 1940s crepe dress from Ruutu Rovua.

A grey 1950s jacket, bought at Nasta - a really cute shop who's owner is always dressed in 50s style. I've been there before, and one of my fave vintage summer dresses comes from there.

At Ansa (Visit their blog), another super-cute shop in an area that I'd never been to before, I found this elegant 60s rayon slip by Bali.

Play it again Sam was the shop I'd found before, and "lost" again, though it's just a few street corners from Nasta... My mom bought this great 1940s jacket there, which she fitted out with a new lining, and now it's ready to be worn again!

Just one and a half weeks later, which were filled with frantic washing, preparing, agonizing over what to pack and hoping that the whole thing would actually come together, I flew off to Fiji (I flew out on a Wednesday - on the Friday before I had a ticket, and on Monday I actually knew where I'd be staying...). Not for fun though, but on a famil trip for work. I have never before been to any of the Pacific islands, so this was all new to me. The Purpose was simply to get to know a destination that I sell to my clients daily personally, and visit some of the resorts that we sell, plus a new one we're considering - and one more we didn't know at all but as all else was sold out, I stayed there. Except for the two nights that I spent on an excellent small-ship cruise, I stayed in a different place every night. I was on and off boats constantly - a bit of an adventure sometimes, I admit! For all the traveling around, and some strange weather (at least for this time of year, it was a bit strange), it was utterly beautiful, I saw some absolutely stunning beaches, stayed at some incredible resorts and met lots of friendly Fijians (they really are so warm and friendly!).
Shopping-wise there was just one thing that I wanted to get, and thankfully the last hotel I stayed at had a boutique by them: Pure Fiji. Their bodycare products are made from coconut milk and other natural ingredients which they source from local villages. Each product is available in a range of tropical scents like coconut, frangipani, mango or starfruit (which is my current fave). All the products feel just gorgeous on the skin, and their scents are beautiful too - not overwhelming, over-sweet or artifial like many exotically scented products are that one can buy on our side of the world. In short, I adore this stuff, and I filled my bag with it, of that you can be sure ;-). Most of the hotels use their products too for the small bathroom amenities (unless they're 5-star and think they have to stock their bathrooms with L'Occitane products - they're good too, yes - but all the same, this seems utterly ridiculous...). The Sofitel Fiji even has a scent of their own - orange blossom - that Pure Fiji only uses for their ameneties. Needless to say, I took those home with me...

I have, not so recently, but for some time, been a real fan of kitschy "romantic" costume jewelery, like (fake) cameos. At H&M I found pretty small cameo earrings, but the coolest stuff I have comes from flea markets and Etsy. It doesn't matter they're not real - that is actually part of the appeal to me - the kitschier, the better is my feeling right now. And to make a real statement, I don't wear just one - I wear a whole collection, together with other pieces that look good with them:
This classic pinstriped waistcoat is an old fave - it's only by H&M, but has survived all purges in my closet for the last 12 years or so... (yes, I had been thinking about throwing it out a few times...)

So, I gave added to the three fake cameos (two flea-market finds and one of said H&M earrings, which I bought twice): one fake "miniature" - another flea-market find, a cute vintage 60s porcelain brooch (courtesy of The Spectrum - there's also a necklace with a matching pendent) and my mom's Kennedy Dollar, which she has had set as a brooch, and which I have worn on and off over the years. I just feel these things need to make a statement ;-).

The other option of course is to have just one really, really big fake cameo to add some pizzazz to an ordinary jacket:
Speaking of pizzazz, if you're looking for unusual jewelery that's sure to grab everyone's attention, may I suggest you have a look at Chryssala's Chic Chips? They look just great and are so much fun! Her try-out collection is on her Facebook Page now (be sure to "like" it!), and there is certainly more cool stuff to follow!

Before I finish this here, there is of course the Scarf of the Month that we shouldn't forget!
This month, it's a chic piece in all shades of purple (did I mention that I love purple?!) by Vienna's designer fashion store Fürnkranz. Beautiful!

Scarves, holidays and a vintage cocktail

2011-08-03T23:18:00.009+02:00

Uh-oh, long time no write. The reason for that is that I've been on holiday, and time has been filled with a few work-related and other events - and a bit less time for vintage. But not to worry...

First on, I owe the pictures of two scarves of the month, which I shan't hold back:
July: a light blue, synthetic, triangular lace-decorated concoction.

August: a very 1970s design dominated by the color orange.

Now on to my holidays. I spent the first week of July on the island of Usedom. It's located in the north-eastern most corner of Germany (the eastern part of the island lies in Poland), on the Baltic Sea. It may sound funny, but statistically, this is the sunniest part of Germany, and the island is a very popular holiday destination with Germans, a tradition that already started in the 19th century. It's the perfect place for a relaxed holiday, offering great beaches and lots of activities - but not as overrun as the destinations around the Mediterranean. What stuck me most in the end though was the combination of holiday beaches, the most idyllic landscapes and villages - and a very sinister piece of history, which at least in the northern part of the island, is still present. I only found out after having decided on going there, that located on that end of the island is the small village of Peenemuende - once a fishing village, but made infamous as being the place where from the mid-30s onwards the Nazis pulled up a huge test and development site where amongst others the V2 rocket was designed, tested and first produced - lead by Wernher von Braun. Most of the scientists working there, like von Braun, after the war went to the US, to France, to England and the USSR and continued their work - both for military and civilian use. There isn't a lot left of the sites per se, as most of it was destroyed in 1945, but there's still enough to see, and as idyllic as it may look, the "do not trespass - danger to life"-signs make sure one never forgets what once was here. The ground is just so contaminated there that large areas are closed off - probably forever. There is a very good museum in one of the few buildings that are still there, which I visited, which I think gives a well-balanced look at both the terrible history (they do not fluff over the horrible things that happened there), the technical innovations - and the legacy of those. It's just such an unusual place. Peenemuende is also home to an old Russian submarine from the 1960s, so the nerd within me was quite happy too about this trip. Besides all that, I did more biking than I've done in a zillion years (it's just so nice when all is flat, and the beautiful landscape helped too of course), and I hung out on the beach a lot too - I managed to read several books, which had been one of my goals. The photos from my trip can be seen here.

Speaking of books, thanks to the Vintage Fashion Guilds' internet forum I discovered my current read: "Deluxe - How luxury lost it's luster" by Dana Thomas. I've only just started reading it, but it certainly makes for an interesting read, and will make you think twice about buying anything from luxury brands today. Another reason for buying vintage!

You might remember the vintage shift that I blogged about here. Since then, I have managed to find a wider satin ribbon for the shift as well. A few months ago I also bought a cute 1950s summer dress from Joules Vintage, which is slightly transparent and rather low cut at the front, so it needs a second layer. Well, why not combine the two? I think this is the first time I put two vintage pieces from such wildly different eras together, but it works! Both shift and dress are made from light, airy fabrics, so it doesn't feel uncomfortable even when it gets hot. Cinch it all in with a wide belt - et voilà!

More Marimekko!

2011-06-20T22:41:00.010+02:00

Whilst sending some information on vintage fashion on to a friend, the blog of VFG member Denisebrain popped into my eyes - the word "Marimekko" couldn't escape me. And of course she's absolutely right - Marimekko is great quality, no question if we're talking about clothes or just the fabrics, and it is mostly produced in the EU. Their fun stripy long-sleeved t-shirts can be washed at 60 degrees over and over - and they still look as good as new.

I already blogged about my love of Marimekko before, which inspired my Mom to get her Marimekko out! She's an incredible seamstress, and on every trip to Helsinki, she takes a lot of fabric home - I have even taken the part of "personal fabric shopper" once on one of my solo trips there.

The fabric border is always printed with the designer's name - so she cuts it out and sews is onto the dress!
Aren't they gorgeous? They have so many different print designs, and they keep producing them in different color schemes, so it just never gets boring. They have something for everybody!

Tidying up, a lot of do it yourself, and one more scarf

2011-06-13T18:17:00.008+02:00

The last few weeks have mostly been about doing my own projects - and doing a lot of tidying up!

In the running up of our yearly going to the flea market as sellers, I'm always looking at every closet etc. - I don't want to keep anything for another year that I could be selling, besides, thanks to my recent tax bills, I could use some extra money. I guess I always had the gene to collect things, sometimes going a bit overboard on the collecting idea. As long as I had my old apartment, though it was tiny (at least the living space), there was a kind of unlimited storage space - there was a nice, dry, clean basement, and a storage room too. So I guess things sometimes got a bit out of hand, though never to the point of being a hoarder. By teaching me that to sell (Barbie-)things that I didn't want anymore to make a bit of money and space for new things, my mom not only taught me as a kid on how to deal with money at a time when I did not get pocket money, she also taught me that to give old things away you could make room for new space. It may sound a little simple, but I guess the lesson stuck, and I'm glad for it. It also taught me that it's ok to part with things that one's heart doesn't hang on to it anymore. I always had clean-up phases when I would go through all, or at least a certain part of my things, and throw everything I didn't want anymore away. One such big phase brought on the idea of selling my stuff at the flea market. There was a monthly flea market in the next town, for which I used to see the ads regularly. I visited it and thought it was quite neat - lots of local sellers, not just professionals. I also discovered that one could rent really nice stands for only 50 CHF, which is not a great deal if you don't have to organise your own table etc. So I signed up for the last one that season, in October. My mom thought it was a nice idea, and so we ended up going both, one very, very cold October morning. How we managed to put the stand up between the two of us is still something of a miracle, and thinking back how we went there with our stuff by taxi... well, how crazy do you get? But anyway, our stand was a runaway success, and before you knew it, we had signed up again for the next summer, when the weather would be nicer (no cold feet!) and dad could help too. We've been going once a year ever since, and it usually takes two car drives to get everything there. We split the costs for the stand between us, so it's easy to make a tidy profit. My cousin has come a few times too, and this time on of my best pal will be joining us too. We always pack an esky with enough food & drink, and some camping stools, and then we're ready for a fun day. It's not just making money, it really is a lot of fun - watching people, guessing who's buying what, haggling - and hard work keeping everything under control when it gets bizzy. No kidding, you really need at least three people when things get really hot! I wouldn't want to be doing it every week, but once a year is great – it’s really something I’m looking forward to, and it keeps me keeping my place tidied up!

One of my ongoing projects is to tidy up all the projects and things that have been floating around my sewing table seemingly forever. One first thing was to do the photo albums of about three and a half years past. Since I worked so much this winter, I have a lot of overtime to compensate and have already had some holidays at home, which I spent doing my photo albums. Plus all the holidays that the spring months are so generous with have added even more time, also to repair/change some of my vintage clothing finds and make them ready to wear. My most recent such project was this vintage 80s silk dress by Akris, which I found at the Caritas (where else?). I guess it was in reality about a size too big for me, and the huge shoulder pads really were too much, but I liked the fabric. It does show some wear, so I decided to make just the best of it and wear it as long as I like it. I took out the shoulder pads, made the skirt a bit tighter, shortened the sleeves, and added a wide belt. It doesn’t look as good on the manni, but I really like it when I have it on (will try to post pics when I do so for work or whatever – I don’t makeup etc. just for a quick shot when I’m at home…).

Before...

... and after!

In the course of all this, I have also gone through my sewing & craft cupboard. Oh dear! How on earth did I hoard up so much stuff?! There have been things that I must’ve had for the last 20 years or so! So, I pulled it all out, sorted it new and very decidedly threw everything out that I couldn’t think of making something with it. I can’t keep everything in the small chance that I could maybe use it one day… I had already been in the process of making necklaces and bracelets for the flea market, which I already mentioned in my last post. Now I found even more stuff to work with, and so I have created even more things, and also freed up space in said closet:

I’ve been able to rearrange the things I’m keeping in a way too that I will actually find things when I’m searching for them. My knitting wool bin has also been the target of this process. All in all, it feels great. Light! So much stuff is gone that has been knocking around and that I’ve looked at for years…

Right now, I am going through those two boxes that contain the doll stuff that still needs work – unfinished projects and vintage Barbie clothes that need to be sorted, mended, washed or whatever. Sound crazy? Well, I don’t have the money to buy all the vintage things for my dolls in mint condition, so I do end up with things that need a little bit of mending sometimes, or that have gone grimy with the years. And there are a few (non-Barbie-)dolls too that still need a little bit of TLC. A more recent acquistion that still needed a little bit of that is this pretty 1970s Sindy doll with rare ash blonde hair, wearing an original 80s outfit.

I’ve spent the better part of today wit this stuff, and it looks quite good now. I am actually getting somewhere. I know I have the tendency to start new projects when inspiration strikes, but right now really is the time to take care of the things that haven’t been finished yet.

And before I finish here today - last but not least - the scarf of the month:

I've been blogged!

2011-05-29T23:07:00.003+02:00

Last year I bought a set of souvenir plates, because one of them was the Vermont plate that matched the pair that I already had.

Now today I got a convo on Etsy from someone asking me for some high-resolution pictures of one of the plates in the set - the one showing the Lion's Gate Bridge in Vancouver. And he also asked on maker's details (interestingly enough, the maker's mark on the back is from a Bavarian company!). It turns out he has a very interesting blog called Illustrated Vancouver, which is just about depictions of Vancouver in all kinds of art, and he had just blogged a series of Vancouver souvenir plates. So, down to the basement I went, searching through two boxes full of stuff ready for the flea markets, to send some photos to Canada. And voilà, it has been blogged already at http://illustratedvancouver.ca/post/5974104190/lions-gate-bridge-plate. Now, how cool is that? I find this is such a great idea! The blog has also been featured here. Gee, I love these colorful stickers and pins - anybody who knows me know that this is right up my street!

New -old jewelery

2011-05-29T17:56:00.006+02:00

I haven't been blogging much lately - mostly since I was working on my photo albums til last week - I mean the real ones, sticking photos from a good three and a half years into my albums. My budget has also been stretched somewhat due to the investment in folders, photo paper - and photos.

One thing however I did buy - a truly gorgeous pair of 1930's evening shoes with t-straps from My Vintage Cocktail, a VFG member. I never thought I'd ever own something like these. They are wearable, yes, and I am certain I shall have the opportunity some time to wear them - probably to the opera.
Yesterday, I made the short trip to the airport flea market. This is a once-a-year event, and a huge thing. The seller requirements (ex-Swissair employees, airport employees or citizens of Kloten, the town where the airport actually is situated) makes for a unique mix of dealers. Plus, they all sell out of their cars! Basically they park their cars in rows, pop the trunks or back doors open, but up some small tables, maybe a party tent - and there goes your stand! I was amazed at the amount of (modern - no vintage) clothing that was being sold. There wasn't much in the way of airline memorabilia - certainly not as much as one would imagine for such an event - but there were also not many professional dealers - and certainly none of the "usual suspects". However, I didn't find much of the stuff I usually look out for either. However, it was a trip down memory lane to fads and styles of the last 30 years or so. I did however find some fun stuff for my Willy-nillies, like colored French postcards, ca. 1920, or cute coasters.
However, one stand was selling off new old stock jewelery accessories - mostly pretty closures for necklaces, with pearls, rhinestones etc. And I had a flash! The closures were not very expensive, so I bought a few, and got into some jewelery-making yesterday. I have all these pearls, beads and pieces of broken jewelery knocking around here - so why not make some jewelery out of it to sell at the fleamarket in a few weeks? I still have to stock up on a few small things like elastic thread for bracelets and the end-pieces with which to attach the strand to the closure - but that's a fairly small investment. The beads are the most expensive thing needed for this, and I have oodles of them! As usual, once I got started, there was no stopping me - until I ran out of these things *lol*. Based on how the jewelery was flying off our stand last year, I hope the new stuff will have a good run too!

Scarf of the month & the weirdest, funniest vintage garment ever

2011-05-08T00:46:00.004+02:00

It is already scarf-time again! This month's scarf, which was neatly wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, is just right for the super warm, sunny weather we are having right now:
I think it would look quite cute with my light late 1940s Eisenberg Suit, which I'm planning on taking on it's first outing tomorrow:
(Don't worry, I've ironed it since - pic was taken with the suit right out of it's packaging when it arrived a few weeks ago.) Been doing all the necessary primping (myself) today. In case one isn't so keen on these things, here is the bathing suit that doesn't require a bikini wax (according to it's current owner): the mink bathing suit! It was posted to the VFG forum before it was listed on Etsy, and caused a lot of very funny remarks there. It certainly wins the prize as the funniest, weirdest vintage garment I've ever laid eyes on! Nobody knows where it really came from or for what it was inteded, but certainly not for bathing. I would just love to have the silly photo it maybe ended up in, with a glam 60s blonde posing in it, for one of my Willy-nillies! Ah, to know whoever had the crazy mind to produce this...

Eye candy alarm: Marimekko's 60th & lace exhibition "St.Gall"

2011-04-26T21:59:00.012+02:00

Ah, this is a year I like fashion-wise.

First, this year it's Marimekko's 60th anniversary. And it just happens that I will be going to Helsinki again (something like the nth time...) later this year *g*. I admit, on my first visit, which was comparatively short, I didn't pay a lot of attention to them - somehow. It's not an easy thing, as their shops, and products, are pretty much everywhere in Helsinki. The second time around though, it was a different story. I went there together with my mom, and of course the hobby seamstress in here was quick to spot one of their shops on the Esplanadi, and we came home with quite a lot of fabric. The beautiful thing about Marimekko is, they don't just sell their own clothes line and all sorts of home products with their textile designs - they sell just the cotton fabrics too! There's many a beautiful summer frock made from Marimekko fabric in my mom's closet - and a few things have made it to my closet too. They fabrics on offer are a mix of new and of classic fabrics, and often they will do a classic fabric in new color variations too. Six years ago, the Design Museum in Helsinki held an exhibtion on Maija Isola who was responsible for such iconic designs as the Unikko poppies. They published a wonderful book on her for the occasion - bound in Marimekko fabric of course. Now they are holding a Marimekko exhibition - sadly, it ends before I'm going, but if anyone will be in Helsininki fore it ends, I can only recommend it, as it will certainly be very interesting - and have lots of eye candy on display! However, I will certainly pop in and by the book they just published to tie in with the exhibition.
Looking around at my apartment, the typical Marimekko things are everywhere...

In the kitchen...

In the bathroom...
Ties in perfectly with the yellow and orange color scheme that makes my dowdy brown and beige bathroom look sunny and bright!

In my closet...
I'd known the Unikko pattern before, just from seeing it somewhere, but without know what it was or where it came from. But as I knew more about it and had seen it on every possible article in Finland, I knew I wanted a simple 60s style short shift dress made from the classic big red Unikko print! Mom made this for me, and it kept me cool and looking chic through many a job interview in the unforgettable heat of summer '03.
The big Ananas pattern print looks great on a circle skirt. It shows the print to it's full advantage.
Of the remaining fabric from the skirt (which my mom made), I made a pair of shorts. The backside is plain pink, cut from the wide border that was left out when the pieces from the skirt were cut, where of course I had wanted the pattern to show. For the shorts, the pattern may seem a bit big, but I like it in "macro" too! It just happened that the only way to cut the pieces for these was this way, and I think it looks great. I call these my "Hawaiian shorts" as they remind me of Hawaiian print fabrics.

In short, one can have Marimekko everywhere, and their designs look great on all sorts of things... tableware, bed sheets, bags, table cloths, baby bibs (those are really great, by the way, as more than one friend with kids has told me!) - you name it, they got it. It makes everyday life a bit more colorful and bright - now, isn't that a good thing?

On another note, there's another serious case of eye candy one shouldn't miss: a new exhibition at the Textile Museum in St. Gallen, simply titled "St.Gall". The exhibition focuses on the history of lace from St. Gallen, and the photos on their website already look very enticing! The theme of the exhibition reminds me a bit of the Landesmuseum's "Bling Bling" exhibition from a few years ago, though in this one, the focus is probably a bit more on history and on lace. I think there will be a lot to see there for the vintage fashion nerd within me *g*. But of course, lace is always fascinating. I visited the lace museum in Brussels a few years ago - it's not a "showy" place, but they have loads of lace from centuries ago on display, and I found myself so engrossed in looking at these works of art... So I can't wait to see this exhibition. The last one I saw at the textile museum, on lingerie, was beautifully done - and big. I expect this one to be just as good. I will certainly report!

New dolls and outfits - and the one that almost got away!

2011-04-23T19:19:00.015+02:00

It's high time I posted some dolly stuff again... Lately, good ol' Murphy of Murphy's Law - and my old saying that when you collect something, all you need is patience - have shown up strong again.

On my recent trip to the US, I had decided to go for a vintage instead of a doll shop, and had no plans to even look at the toy aisle of Wal-Mart, as anything that Mattel has been releasing lately is just so small-childish (and the dolls' heads only getting bigger) and honestly uninteresting even for collectors like me who still like to redress their dollies. There isn't even much in the collector's line that could tempt me - certainly not dolls that have that stiff ModelMuse body, which is wayyyy too thin and has zero display value if you want to integrate such a doll into a display as I do.
However, fate took us to a mega-mega-Wal-Mart near Quebec Street, and we did come by the toy aisle. I realised that that glow of a certain shade of hot pink still has magical properties, and before I knew it, I stood before rows of shelves packed with Barbie dolls *lol*. And lo and behold, what did I see? A row of black dolls in purple boxes, dressed in stylish outfits, looking surprisingly "normal" - and with NORMAL-sized heads no less! It turns out, they're part of a new, African-American only dolls series called "So In Style". The basic play-line dolls and their story can be seen at the Barbie homepage. What I bought in the end are in a way spin-off dolls from the actual big sister/little sister idea at the heart of this line:
Kara and Trichelle - basic dolls. These dolls have non-bending knees, but at a price point of $4, you don't think, you just grab 'em off the shelf *g*.
Aren't they beautiful?
Grace and Chandra from the Pastry line. As I discovered at home, Pastry is a funky fashion label, and their clothing is not only in the style from that label, they actual wear mini-reproductions of Pastry shoe designs that can be bought online on their website! I quite like their clothing a lot, as it's realistic and fun.Grace is my special favourite, I admit! she's just gorgeous.
Of course I have redressed the girls since, or they wouldn't be living here *g*.
Kara swapped clothing with Pinky - I just saw her in something Mod before my mind's eye when I had deboxed her. And what better for an African-American gal than the bright & colorful Swirly Cue dress?
Romantic Trichelle hangs around the bedroom in this cute peachy ca. 90s wrap dress.
Chandra makes heads turn in the original SuperStar Barbie dress, while Grace oozes elegance in a BMR suit.

Since I've had the whole week off work, there has also been time to visit a dear friend - a fellow Barbie doll collector who also shares a love of vintage fashion and generally beautiful things. We spent a relaxing afternoon looking at books, talking about dolls and other things, and looking at the vintage fashion pieces she's kept for 20 years and more. Oh, the fun of it!
She's been cleaning out her attic lately and I have had the opportunity to buy a few things from her, before she puts them out for sale. I haven't been able to photograph everything either yet, but I was super-glad to find the one Fashion Avenue outfit that has always eluded me! I admit, I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Barbie Fashion Avenue clothing line, which ran from 1995 to 2004. In my opinion, Mattel's play line was at it's best then since probably the 60s. Beautiful dolls, and beautiful, realistic fashions. I remember seeing them the first time at a department store - I walked out with four or five fashions at once, and from that point on, I couldn't be stopped. Some fashions were so rare and hard to get, that it was quite a hunt for them. At the time, there was still a toy store at Zurich's main station, and many was the time during my apprenticeship, that I stopped by there on Wednesday noon on the way from school to the office, and carried a Barbie fashion with me in my school bag... (this was the time when nobody beyond my family and best friends knew I collected Barbie). As good as I was in getting what I wanted, there was the one that got away... but as it happens, my friend had it! I had the extra accessory set for it, but of course that's only half the fun without the actual fashion to go with it. So I came home one happy camper, and today I tried it out on one of my dolls - I really love it!
Another great find was yet anothet blast from the past - a 1989 Super Star fashion called "Star on Ice":
Style Magic Christie makes quite a good show girl!

Do the Di-style - and carry your lunch to work in style too!

2011-04-20T12:59:00.004+02:00

Just a short blurb today. Schlepping a big trash bag full of clothes to the Caritas shop was a little tiring, I admit. Just glad it's not further away! To make my day, I have just received the cutest little vintage summer dress - it just needs a little bit ironing, but sewing, mending and all that is on the list today anyway! Will post pics later on - right now, it's still a bit too light. This beauty came to me from Joules Vintage - she has an Etsy shop selling all sorts of vintage things, and she's a VFG member too!

Digging through my sewing and craft things (which take up quite a lot of space here), I came across two patterns that my mom bought for me more for fun some 15 years ago or so... they're copies of evening dresses Lady Diana wore, though two of them are more variations of those styles. Of course they couldn't mention her, but the illustrations speak for themselves. I have since put them into my Etsy shop, for as fun as they are, I'm not going to use them. But someone will certainly enjoy these.On another note, my new lunch bag has arrived! As I cook a lot myself and take lunch with me to work (and pop it into the microwave), I need something in which I can carry my lunch standing straight, and if a book fits in there too, that's even better! Thanks to a tip from a Facebook friend, I got to know Bazura Bags. They make all sorts of lunch, shopping and whatever else-bags out of used juice containers in the Philippines. I think it's a nice way of recycling, and the bags look really fun and colorful. Plus, the lunch bag is just the right size, and it's closed, so when it's raining, it keeps the rain out too! It's a fact, there are people at the office, who know me only for or because of my lunch bag!

Scarf of the month - April, new stuff on Etsy & Segantini

2011-04-19T16:23:00.008+02:00

Thankfully, I have a week off work - it's been less bizzy lately, but somehow things keep piling up! Anyway, first this month of course is the scarf!

This time, a beautiful dark green one with an interesting pattern:

Furthermore, I cleaned my closet out on Sunday. The weather has been exceptionally beautiful and warm lately, so it was about time I did this. Have once again been surprised how much stuff I have! About two trash bags full of stuff was the net worth of both summer and winter wear of my cleaning action. One bag full is waiting to be taken to the Caritas shop around the corner. A great deal sadly was in no condition to go to next good home... talk about t-shirts with staining under the arm. It's a sad fact, no matter what deodorant you buy, it still happens! A few things though have already gone for sale. I love wild, bold poly garments from the 60s and 70s, but maxi dresses are not really my thing, and poly is definitely not my fabric of choice for hot summer days, which is why I'm parting with a few things that I have just put in my Etsy shop. Here's a little teaser:

Taking advantage of having a few days off, I also managed to visit the Giovanni Segantini exhibiton at the Fondation Beyeler in Riehen by Basel. He might not be everyone's kettle of fish, but I find his later style (though not that of his last paintings) extremely interesting. I'm not much a fan of those paintings that seem to have symbolist theme either, but their style is hypnotising. His huge landscapes have a 3D-quality to them that I know of no other painter. And somehow, these scenes of every day life in the mountains seem less kitsch than what other painters have brought to their canvases. His very early paintings, of which I have never seen any before, and some of which show scenes from Venice, are quite interesting too, though they clearly show the artist who hasn't yet found his unique style.

New finds, vintage style in Denver and styles better left forgotten

2011-03-27T13:21:00.018+02:00

So, I'm back. That holiday, though not much more than a week, was certainly hard earned. Skiing was fun as always, and we certainly never before have had a week with such good or warm weather - what a difference a month can make. So far, we only ever skied in Colorado in February, but never this late, in Mid-March.
Having a whole, and extremely sunny, beautiful day to drive from Breckenridge down to Denver, and one more half day before we actually needed to be at the airport, meant plenty of time, and some very interesting discoveries in the Mile High City. We took the GPS-enabled iPod, but that didn't want to work, so it was back to reading maps for me. However, the map we picked up at a gas station in Frisco, where we had breakfast (it was time to at least once try one of those fast food breakfasts that make you shudder even reading them on the sign *lol*), proved not to be so bad, though it had about the size of a blanket, I kid you not. In short, we did a lot of driving around the city, but without the wrong turns and slight feeling of being lost of other times. In exchange for that, we made some interesting discoveries.
First off was the vintage shop. Short last-minute online research pointed me to Boss Vintage on South Broadway, which seemed to be a pleasant area with quirky looking small businesses and unusual old houses. And it was certainly worth the visit! I had feared it might be a bit on the expensive side, but prices turned out to be reasonable, and things sorted nicely e.g. suits, skirts, sweaters, dresses, cocktail dresses, and then divided by decade. So I went straight for the day dresses and went through the 30s, 40s and 50s. What was remarkable was that I saw a lot of store labels from Denver, so they seem to source a lot of stuff locally, which I find very recommendable. Also, the tags has measurments listed, so it was easy to pick things that I had a fair chance of being able to wear. I was also looking for bright colors, and that requirement was easily fulfilled with what I bought in the end:
A late 40s/early 50s cusper - a dress "Styled by Claire Tiffany" of heavy kelly green crepe, albeit with some color fading at the shoulders/sleeves, but still too beautiful to miss. It also features a cute embroidered collar:
Next up is a pumpkin orange slender 50s dress with a big collar:The labe inside is from Neusteters department store. As it turns out, this used to be one of those classic department stores that were around forever. Like so many others, it doesn't exist anymore, but the building is still there. Nowadays, it is on the pedestrian-only part of downtown 16th Street, 16th Street Mall. And I am pretty sure I have walked by that building a few times already in my life. We certainly did this time, before our usual dinner at Hard Rock Café. More on the history and the building can be read here. Well, I think it's a cool idea to have a vintage "souvenir" from one's trips.
Last but not least, I also found a beautiful slip:Saturday morning started beautifully sunny, as we made our way across the city again, this time on the hunt for some original Cowboy Cut jeans by Wrangler. They're not that easy to get, as stores like Wal-Mart carry only the "normal" Wrangler models. For Cowboy Cut and such things, you need a western shop. Dad found one online, which turned out to be a small Mexican shop (should have seen the shirts, suits and boots they had - oh, the bling!), complete with the TV on with a (albeit English) soccer game on. Driving out there, we followed Colfax Avenue straight across downtown and further on. Just at the eastern end of downtown, where some great old-fashioned looking theaters are, we came across Tom's Diner. You can't miss it, it's right there and the mid-century modern look certainly grabs your eyes. So, we stopped there for breakfast. It looks amazing outside, but inside it's even better! You can catch a look here. It's that crazy, kitschy ca. mid-50s to early 60s "modern" look, made sunny and fun with a lot of yellow and orange. The food was what you'd expect at a diner, but good. I just sat there an marveled. What a cool place!
Further along Colfax Avenue, after passing by the State Capitol's golden cupola gleaming in the sun, the road was lined with car dealers, garages - and old motels, gas stations, bars, diners. And I mean the real thing - those with those incredible 50s neon signs. Some motels looked nice, for some the term "run down" would be an endearment, and of some nothing was left but the neon signs. I'd love to drive through there at night and see how many still light up. I mean, they're cool anyway, but not as cool as when you see them at night! Check out Colfax Avenue's official website, there's small photo show at the bottom of the page (below the Youtube videos), that shows some of the signs. I admit, I was too busy looking to even think of taking pictures (which is difficult anyway out of a driving car and while keeping an eye on the map).The downside is, as I have read on several websites now, that a lot of these motels nowadays are used as permanent residences, by people who can't afford or find an apartment - and thus live in these motels under conditions that are near unimaginable. It's the same story as in so many other places. Colfax Avenue/Highway 40 once was Denver's "Main Street" (as I said, it goes straight through downtown, passing the Capitol, the Civic Center, the Mint and the Convention Center), until in 1964 Interstate 70 opened further north, and Colfax lost it's importance. That also explains the many motels I guess.
Going back to Breckenridge for a bit, I noticed a trend on the slopes that I don't know if I should find it interesting - or downright scary! I noticed a lot of neon colors (or dayglo), especially with boarders. Snowboards with wild designs first caught my eyes, but some boarders too were wearing suits with neon color elements. Okay, I loved my neon green Völkl skis, and I think they would right now have been the coolest thing to have on that mountain, judging by what I saw. But ski/board suits with neon color elements? I saw it the first time 'round and I don't think I want to see it repeated... ;-). Besides the "new" neon-inspired suits, I did spot one neon-colored atrocity that looked like it had been the "real thing". If the wearer was simply wearing what she bought 20 years ago and still deemed alright, or she might have bought this intentionally second hand, I cannot say - the way she looked age-wise I guess it could've been either case. But the utmost, absolute, most unbelievable fashion faux-pas I spotted on the slopes in Keystone was... THE NEON PINK STIRRUP PANTS! Gratefully, the wearer combined them with a black jacket, and at least she was slender, but still... How can anyone do that? Of course, I asked myself again... second-hand leftover from back in the day, or new (which is a thought that makes me shudder, really!). She was definitely too young to have worn them back in the 80s or very early 90s. That also reminds me, while looking through the blogs I'm reading /keeping an eye on, the Couture Allure's blog has a wonderful "Awful 80s" series that will make anyone laugh who remembers this. The latest instalment had me in stitches! I was a kid who loved to look at mail-order catalogs, so I do remember some of this stuff, even though I was too young then to care too much about fashion per se. Read the comments too, they'll make you laugh all over again. I just hope those stretch lace catsuit had an opening in a certain... ahm... strategic place...!

On another note, since the weather has been warming up constantly this week, I have given my brown 1930s dress an outing. Getting in and out of it takes some artistic talent, as the only opening are the buttons down the front, but it is actually quite comfortable - and I think it looks great. The skirt is just long and tight enough that it gives that slightly wiggly feeling...
For a 50's feeling, I have last week received a cute 50s cashmere sweater from Past Perfect Vintage, which looks great with my black wide cotton skirt from Lindex. Scarf's from the dollar store, Blythe doll earrings and pearl bracelets are my own creation.It also looks quite nice with slim jeans and the nice pumps from the Caritas shop:
Ok, the Lana-Turner-pointy-bra isn't there, but I still feel a bit "Sweater Girl"-like when I wear it;-).

Scarf of the month, Oscar rag and more....

2011-03-06T13:48:00.008+01:00

So, late to the party... but anyway. My comments on the Oscars... what can I say? Good show, but somehow it's not one that will stay in my mind - it just didn't stand out. Great dresses, but no ultimate standout (neither good or bad), good presentation but nothing that stood out either... On that point: Anne Hathaway certainly is super cute and talented, but I would have wished her to have a better partner - and one with more charisma! It seemed to me that James Franco was just standing there and reading off the teleprompter. My suggestion: let Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway do it together next year *g*. After all, their little "story" ain't finished yet, what with how she poked him in her little song-and-dance interlude. I certainly had a good laugh about that! Otherwise laughing had me Kirk Douglas. Hard to understand, yes, but he just about stole the show. Also adore Dame Helen Mirren - her dress choices are always impeccable, and in general she always looks so much better than many of her much younger colleagues. Her presentation was great too - and her French accent so impeccable (as it happens, I have ITV on right now and just saw her on some morning show - adore her even more now!) . Also adored Sandra Bullock's dress - and her presentation too. It just showed that even if you have a given text that comes off a teleprompter, if you've got what it takes, you can make it sound so much more personal - and utterly more believable and natural. Kevin Spacey floored me too - couldn't he have sung a little more *g*? I have an inkling he'd be a great choice to present the show too. On a last note - THAT vintage 1950s Charles James dress that Marisa Tomei wore! I adore it, though the dress would have earned more glamourous make-up and hair. Not that I'm saying Marisa's not beautiful - I find she's a very beautiful person - but a dress like that needs a bit more "ooomph". Still, kudos to her for wearing it!

On another note, here's something I've been wanting to show for some time. While surfing etsy some time ago, I came across this incredible custom-made cocktail dress, which resulted in my having a massive déjà-vu! Back when I was a kid, there was a line of Barbie dresses each year that had just some "party"-name. Basically, it was short party or cocktail dresses, from the over-the-top to the classy. In the US they were mostly called "Dinner Date Fashions" - though I don't think anybody in reality would have worn them just to a dinner date - they were definitely mostly more glamourous and party-like. And there was one dress that certainly looks almost identical to this one! This is ca. 1991:
Sadly, I don't have it, but I have the one on the right to it in the pic. I just wondered for the moment if this was an accident or maybe if this designer had taken her inspiration from Barbie?

It has of course also been time for another scarf to be unwrapped. This time, it's a light mixture of milk coffee and and sunny yellow, perfect for the approaching spring:
Being out shopping yesterday, it certainly was clear that spring was everywhere - at least when it comes to fashion. Took a short peak into H&M - bought a few cute earrings and got a "H&M Magazine". Not that it is a great revelation. As for the current trends they're showing big-time, it's nothing that I feel like wearing. All too pastel-y, preppy, has been there before... That boho-hippie-70s rock chic-look is not exactly my favourite vintage look, and I have already been through one hippie revival before, thank you. And high-waisted jeans? Not for me either. And that 80s to early 90s-revival with washed-out jeans? To be honest, those "soft colors" are not my "thing" either, as well as those carrot shaped pants. And "romantic" cropped crotcheted tops? Gee, I had that 15 years ago. Ok, I have that romantic lace-edged shift that I showed last time - but I know I will combine it with popping colors or black, not with with more soft colors. Look at that shot of me ca. 1994 - just the colors remind me of what I saw in H&M yesterday:
Not something I want to revisit. As for all the flower prints - it's ok if they're on black background, but please not on beige, off-white or light blue, and please not that mille fleurs-tiny print. Been there, done it, don't want to do it again. I had already seen so much in that vain last year in Australia and in New Zealand. I walked into some shops and thought I had walked into a catalog from my teens. I do like rose or flower prints, but all the items I have bought since are on a black background, which is ok with me, like my skater dress from Sports Girl, which still remains a favourite and it's also not so small printed), or the overall from POP that I just bought:

On another note, the magazine also features an article about individual style - citing people like Lady Gaga, Anna Piaggi or Anna Dello Russo. As much as I like the idea of individual style, it's easy to cite celebs or well-known bloggers who have endless resources to buy and wear out-of-this-world things. Couldn't they have shown some more "normal" people who do unusual styles? I mean, the above-mentioned people are all over the fashion mags and blogs anyway - no getting away from them! Or they could have been shown how their clothes could be customized combined in an unusual way for example? Ok, there is one shot that shows a pair of cut-off leather pants and a jacket customized with safety pins, but the comment is written in such tiny letters that most people probably won't see it.
There's also an article on vintage fashion in the mag - that too, nice idea, but... yes, they mention VFG member Posh Girl Vintage, but they certainly could have mentioned among the online resources for example Etsy, and not just Ebay, or even the VFG, which is such a great resource on anything vintage... I just got the sinking feeling that this was another fast but not over thoroughly researched article to jump on the bus before it's gone. Ok, it certainly is good to bring it to the brains of the "normal" H&M-shoppers, but I would certainly have liked to see it better written - and with more pictures of actual vintage fashion.

Speaking of overalls (or playsuits or rompers as they were called in another time), they too seem to be a trend this year - and one that I do like. *g* I recently bought this super cute little 50s playsuit from Miss Martys vintage (sorry - can't really but it on my manni):
Had to take it in on the top a lil' bit, but at the bottom it fits nicely, it's also easy to wash & iron - perfect for summer! All it needs is a broad black belt like the one I showed in my last post with the white lacy dress. And then I found the sweet little overall that I already showed above, which is pretty much the same shape from the waist down, with relatively wide legs. Still fits nicely though.

While shopping for a birthday present, I also hit the big bookstore - Orell Füssli. They recently closed their Krauthammer store - a bookshop specialising in art, design, architecture etc. that they had bought up a few years ago. Now their main shop has a Krauthammer department. That may sound nice, but it's too bad that the big specialised store is gone which of course has the even better selection. Browsed through some interesting and beautiful books, but still... it's wayyy too small! Looks great, but if you look at the actual selection - it's pretty small! On a positive note, they featured both shoe books by Jonathan Walford prominently - though in the German translation.

From my new year's trip to Vienna, I had also brought this cute kelly green 1970s dress - just right for St. Patrick's Day:It's home sewn, and not overly expertly at that, but still, it's sweet. And it has an even sweeter secret underneath, on it's lining:Anyway, it needed a new zip and it had one small hole. This is the kind of work that I like to do in front of the TV - ripping out a 50cm zip that was sewn in by machine is not something you do in 2 minutes, and basting the new one in and sewing the lining back on to it by hand isn't either. Ok, can't do it watching a movie, but for watching some documentary or crime drama, that's just fine by me *g*. Now, it only needs to go to the dry cleanears' and it will be as good as new!

A day out shopping & waiting for the Oscars

2011-02-27T18:45:00.011+01:00

Yesterday I spent a most pleasurable Saturday - first sleeping in, then an afternoon vintage shopping and discovering totally new shop - could there possibly be a better way to spend a day?

First, on the way to my weekly "big" grocery shop, I dropped a bag full of books off at the Caritas shop. German books sadly do almost not sell at the flea-market, but this Caritas shop takes only German books right now - and the shop assistant certainly was happy with my bringing them in. Of course that was also a good pretext for a browse around *lol*. And it was certainly worth it! First, a pair of new and un-worn Italian pumps - very chic, very comfortable, and I can already see them looking great with skinny jeans!
Also, the sweetest little blouse, made of black crepe and blush heavy silk and with lovely slightly puffed sleeves came with me. It's tiny, but it fits me ;-).

I love the label too, though my research has so far turned up nothing... sadly!
After that, I later took another bag - with English books too - to the Salvation Army. Again, the shop personnels' reaction to this was super-thankful.
They happened to have clothes at only 2.- a piece yesterday, but of course all the "good" stuff was already gone. And not a single dress left there! Well, two English books came with me at least, and their new special sales plan - of course the annual toy sale is always the most interesting.

Leaving the Salvation Army, I came upon a combination of graffiti and stencil art that was just too much fun not to photograph.
The quote reads "someone (female) has to do it after all".

My next destination were the new shops in the old railway viaduct near Geroldstrasse - Im Viadukt. There were shops there once before, but it was bare walls, darkness, musty smells and a general feeling of dampness - in short, it was pretty simple. Then they were all closed and the viaduct completely renovated. Now it hosts a row of hip shops, a market hall, restaurants, art galleries and other things, catering very much to the hip in-crowd that has moved into the area around it in the last years. But there are some jewels in between. Like the Caritas. The shop almost looks like a posh boutique, but the prices remain at Caritas niveau and the personnel was super-friendly. They have a whole rack full of evening wear, and I spotted quite a few very colorful 60s and 70s poly maxis. More vintage than my local Caritas shop usually has. I enjoyed it immensely and was just too sad the custom-made silk cocktail dress from Hong Kong that I tried on was about a size too big. Ahhh... black shantung silk with accents of hot pink silk satin... a shirred bodice with a low-sitting skirt - with several layers of softest tulle underneath *sigh*. Well, in the end I discovered a beautiful vintage Maggy Rouff silk scarf, which was a steal at 25.-.
Further down the road, the shop Famous Ape caught my eye. Now that is a place after my heart. It reminds me a little bit of Urban Outfitters, but on a much smaller scale. A smattering of trendy clothes from labels I admit I've never heard of, crazy t-shirts, loads of weird gag and cartoon things - both useful and useless, decorative and simply tasteless, and an interesting selection of vintage things upstairs. However, the prices were still on the reasonable side, and I have certainly never, ever, seen such a collection of the most garish, colorful, huge, sequinned chunky sweater from the 80s... you know the kind. Even better if they have shoulder pads... What a picture they made - the were even arranged by color. Well, in the end I left with a sweet new romper for summer, and an eel-skin purse from Denmark.
I continued on to the market hall, which is lovely and sells lovely food - better not look too long or I would have spend too much money on too much food... Memo to self: next time go there when the fridge is empty!

Tonight is the night of the Oscars! I admit, I record the whole show every year, and watch it all. I'd never watch it live though - too many commercial breaks, and I do have to work on Mondays... Why do I watch it? Yes, of course I want to see all the dresses. Call me shallow, but honestly, I want to see it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. Again and again I am mystified by the fact how some Million-Dollar worthy movie star can turn up in a dress that looks so bad no sane woman with less money (for example - me!) would wear it if given it for free. And there is always at least one of those. Of course, I also want to see those whose style (or stylist's choices) I nearly always like and who seemingly can't do wrong - like Cate Blanchett or Kate Winslet. And it's never the same seeing a dress "in action" as just seeing it in a magazine. But then, the magazine is part of the yearly ritual too - next week I will buy at least two celebrity magazines to get the low-down on everything I didn't see on-screen. This really is the one time of year I go a little celebrity-mad (unless there's a big-bang royal wedding on *lol*). And of course the whole thing has to be capped off by going through the good, the bad and the ugly with someone - an over-the-phone-glee-fest with my mom. "Did ya see that dress...?!" Oh the joy of it!
Well, of course, this year, I also have to keep all fingers crossed for Colin Firth - he really SO deserves it! I haven't seen "The King's Speech" yet, it only started in cinemas here last week, but he's such an amazing actor, and he already didn't get it last year. And his performance in "A Single Man" was so incredible, so heart-wrenching, so... can't even fully describe it. But then, I always found him an amazing actor. And he looks goo on top of it, no questions asked. And if you must ask, yes, I did first see him in "Pride and Prejudice", but it certainly wasn't because of that wet-shirt-scene that I adored him immediately. It's funny, when people nowadays talk about that series and Colin Firth, it is always about that scene. Let me be honest - it never impressed as being so terribly sexy that I would have to swoon - which it sounds like judging by certain comments (in my humble opinion - the fencing scene and his muttering afterwards "I will conquer this" is much more so). No, I just loved his acting. Just upon watching the whole series again in one go a few months ago, I thought to myself, show this to someone who doesn't know the story and tell them to pay extra attention to his facial expressions - and they will know exactly where this is going. It's all there in his face, without saying a word or without overdoing it. And that is what impressed me from the first moment.

Scarf of the month, new vintage finds & more

2011-02-21T20:29:00.029+01:00

I know I haven't been exactly communicative for some time - sorry 'bout that. Production of our new brochure was harder work than usual (not that we hadn't know that) and the last week, when the goal was pretty much in view, cumulated with a few ummmhh... night shifts. Anyway, I have have learned a lot, and the thing is at the printers' now, so I actually have my life back!

I know, the Scarf a Month is already overdue, so I won't dally but introduce it right here:

Silken polyester??? What an incredible idea for a fabric! The weave certainly looks like a heavier silk, but the touch, even the sound of it and the way it falls immediately give it away as synthetic. Still, I like it! I've a mind to test it that claim on it being water repellent...

Despite all the chaos at work, the late evenings and the rare time spent at home, I did make some more fab online vintage buys, and I shall present them here in time. The first search, which I had started on already in December, was for vintage housewear. There was a time when one would have a house dress or lounging gown or whadammayacallit... The idea was that it should be "dressy" enough to answer the door in - or even receive friends in it, if it had to be, yet it was something that could be pulled on fast & easy, and it should also be practical for wearing probably all-day at home. Styles, and maybe also reasons to wear it changed over the decades, but anyway, after spying some fab pieces online, this seemed to be just THE thing. Stylisher than a track suit, and maybe even comfier. Of course, the best pieces also command prices that you probably wouldn't pay for something you buy to slouch around at home in. In the end, after a few long evenings searching through etsy and VFG member shops, I came up with these two that I finally bought:

Okay, this is later than what I had been looking for, my guess is early 70s, but it's just too darling not to buy it! Synthetic velour, but comfy & warm enough, easily washable, and the victorian styling is adorable.

This is about what I'd actually been looking for, and it was just a little bit over budget, but too perfect to resist. A beautiful 40s house dress, slightly longer in the back, with a sweetheart neck, a long zip down the front and two big, practical front pockets, made from the most beautiful rayon. The fabric is relatively heavy and falls beautifully. And of course the dress has shoulder pads too... (and no, I have still kept two track suits - for cleaning...)

Even though I said that my living room walls are full... they have recently received a few additions. First is this lovely set of illustrations, which might originally have been ideas for book or advertising illustrations. They're beautifully framed, and even though the black and yellow would fit perfectly with my bedroom's color scheme, their style is just too pop-artsy as not to put it up on one of my living room walls.

Also, my gorgeous vintage souvenir plates have finally found their place just above my sewing table.

Why not in the kitchen, you ask? I found that I don't have a heart to take anything on those walls down, to be honest! And besides that, my sewing table has recently developed such a "domestic kitsch" leaning, that it seemed only naturally to put them there.
In fact, that all started with a Christmas gift - the cutest ever pincushion, made from a vintage silver plated cup and saucer. Add to that a small porcelain pot that I took out of my display case when selling part of my small china collection online. Nobody wanted this one - no wonder, besides the hand-painted Augarten and Herend stuff, this one here, whilst pretty, is transfer printed and just didn't impress anyone. However, I've decided to keep it to hold my sewing machine needles, which keep lying around here & there because I have to change them quite often, depending on the fabric I'm working with. Add to that my new sewing machine cover, which I whipped up on a Sunday afternoon when I desperately needed to do "something different". Fabric courtesy of Forget Me Knots in Christchurch.

On another note, I have also recently received a few issues of a very interesting vintage magazine. My friend in Vienna found them - don't ask me where. They're practically falling apart, and she thought they might provide some fun additions to my Willy-nillies. It's called "Little Puck" and was a bi-weekly magazine aimed at those wanting to learn or better their English. It contained a few pages of short essays, conversations, jokes etc. with explanations of more "difficult" words, together with some readers' letters and some grammatical explanations. Judging by the ads, the target audience of Little Puck seems to have been young men (the kind who needed to earn their own money) all over German-speaking Europe. The letters from readers and companies in the ads range geographically speaking from Switzerland to Germany to Austria-Hungary to Romania and wherever else German was spoken at the time. They were all published in 1909 in Hamburg. A lost world, if you will. I don't know yet if I will cut them up or not, to be honest. Somehow they feel too much like a piece of history.

Those living in Switzerland will have seen the cover of last month's issue of the fashion magazine Annabelle everywhere I guess... To celebrate the 40th anniversary of women's vote in Switzerland (yes, we are THAT much behind!), and aided by the fact that our national council for the first time in history is dominated by women, they put said four women on the cover. Nope, I did not buy the mag. I don't usually spend money on fashion mags - too many expensive ads and not enough brains if you ask me - but this issue miraculously landed in my letter box as a "try out issue". Oh yes, once the Ringier publishers have your address, you're registered for life! I'm just wondering I haven't received one of their famous "would you like to subscribe" calls yet. Honestly. Oops, sorry, I'm losing the thread! Anyway, to be honest, I found the cover pretty bad. Stilted, posed, and the black & white didn't help either. Can't see why they needed a "star photographer" for that. Sorry. However, upon opening the mag, I found a spontaneous shot that is just so much better...!
And will I subscribe? Or by the mag again? Nope. They may say all they want, and Annabelle might have a little more brains than most of them, I still can't get into it. I'd rather spend my money on the occasional celebrity rag - at least those are a laugh!

On a last note, as today was my sew & mend day it seems, I also took care of this little lovely, which I picked up looking like this last autumn at the Caritas:

Even though it had two rather nasty looking, but not very big, stains, I bought it. The embroidery is exquisite, the fabric a lovely, soft, light cotton, and the price was reduced due to the stains (I have already reduced them but am still working on them).
Looking at it at home, I came upon some obviously newer alterations like shortened straps (it actually closes with metal snaps at the straps on one side), a not very nice, more utilitarian looking cotton ribbon through the loops, and some traces of darts, which had been removed at some time.
I asked the VFG forum about it and they deemed it older, possibly even late teens to early 1920s, probably a shift - the thing you wore underneath your corset. Wow.
Well, today I removed the old ribbon, added a nice satin one (though that's just for show - I will have to buy one that's a bit wider), ironed it and re-sewed the darts, which give it a bit more shape:

Now, I have the idea of wearing this in summer. Don't know yet with what underneath, bit it a non-see-through slip, three-quarter-lenght leggings or whatever... (suggestions, anyone?). But I finally found that perfect wide waist belt at Yendi on Saturday (so much so that I bought it both in white and black), and I say I find it rather fetching paired with that:

Well, that's all for now... there'll be more to read here again sooner than the last time - promise!

Christmas presents, a scarf a month, pirate silk & the laugh of the day

2010-12-26T16:01:00.033+01:00

So, time focus on those Christmas presents for a bit. This year, there were two beautiful pins and a retro-style dress clip in for me... and a very interesting and informative book about advertising posters in Vienna in the 1950s ("50er - Plakate aus der Sammlung der Wienbibliothek"). Sound boring? It ain't! There are many well-designed posters, but there is also quite a bit of text to ready about life & society in post-WWII-Vienna, and a thought-provoking look at how some poster designers clearly borrowed from or picked up pre-war or even war-time design ideas...

One other very special pressie reached me from Vienna - the all-year-long-present! It's a pile of twelve differently-wrapped pressies, each marked with a month, and held together with a ribbon.
The idea? Of course, there's one to be opened each month! Well, curiosity killed the cat or whatever they say - I allowed myself to open the first one already now, and I promise I shall open the other ones when I should - and I will blog them, so stay tuned! The first one is a pretty combination of reds and pinks - very becoming.

Since it will be open only until the 13th of February anymore, mom and I visited the "Soie Pirate" exhibition at the Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum) today. Turns out - today was get-in-for-free-day too! Well, lucky us! The exhibition was built around the Abraham fabric trading company's archive, which was given to the museum some two years ago. First, there's a quick re-telling of the company history, but then it's first and foremost about the fabrics. It seems that also the archive is most about fabrics - books and books of fabric samples, old 19th century sample books from Lyon that served as inspiration-givers, and so-called scrap books. From 1955 onwards, books upon books were meticulously filled with magazine cuttings from every possible fashion magazines showing clothes made from Abraham fabrics. While the archive seem to be thin on actual company papers and actual history, they seem to contain everything there is when it comes to the fabrics. Furthermore, the company each year kept a roll of 4 meters of their "best" fabrics - so there were plenty of fabrics that could be displayed in all their glory. Among their main or most faithful clients were Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Balenciaga, so there were also a couple dresses on display from these three designers (and not behind glass - whoopeee!). One of the best parts also was seeing the actual fabric, and the pictures of the Haute Couture outfits made from them. On the exhibition's German website, there is a short video too, which shows a bit of the exhibition.

The Landesmuseum has also published two books to go with the exhibition. One is strictly on the company's history, the other one features just a short introduction and then focuses solely on 100 of their best designs - pure eye-candy! Although the books don't come cheap at CHF 69 each, I think it's a good idea and they certainly were beautifully made. Someone like me who is most interested in pictures can opt to buy only the second book. It goes by a simple principle - it's done chronologically, and the right page always shows the fabric (mentioning also name, year and material), while the left shows either a big photo of one Haute Couture design made from it, or pages and details from the scrap books which feature a dress (or sometimes even two different ones) made from that fabric.

Of course I realised that a lot of the clothes that I saw in the Yves Saint Laurent exhibition in Montreal in September 2008 must have been made from Abraham fabrics. In fact, I even recognised a fabric or two - or pictures of actual outfits (if you click on the exhibtion's link - for example, the black-and-white dotted dress with the big hat). At home I picked up the exhibition catalog, and lo and behold, it actually mentions who by the fabrics were for each design shown! And yes, Abraham does feature a lot (btw - of course Schlaepfer is there too - they were featured amongst others at the Landesmuseum's Bling Bling exhibition a few years ago). Ok, so there's a dress that I saw in the exhibition, in the book, YSL's sketch of it is shown, where a small swatch of the fabric is tacked to the sketch. In the exhibition today, I saw the 4-meter "leftover" of the self same fabric displayed - and the Landesmuseum's book, the dress is shown in an original color photo.
How cool is that? On some of the sketches shown in the book, he actually wrote "Abraham no. ....." on it, as an instruction which fabric was to be used.

Being who I am, slightly OCD on finding the "connection" between things, I grabbed my October 1958 edition of "Elegante Welt" - I guess this must have been Germany's first and foremost fashion magazine at the time, showing all the latest Haute Couture goodies. I had noticed that the scrap books shown in the exhibition often showed cuttings from this magazine, and I remembered that my edition showed the latest from the Paris winter collections, mostly the latest from Christian Dior - one of the first collections by the young Yves Saint Laurent actually. The photo of this outfit actually mentions the fabrics being by Abraham:
And the dress on top here actually turns up in a tiny shot on the scrap book page above too - no doubt this is all from the same collection:The magazine also shows a Balenciaga dress, that is obviously being modeled by the same model as in the Dior dress on the bottom left of the scrap book page - and with the same props that turn up in the smaller shots just above...
I admit, I like seeing things "come together" like this. I'm also still trying to find the painting that's on the prop stand. The scrap book shot shows it relatively clearly, though small - it looks like the 15th century portrait of a woman wearing a hennin, and somehow it feels familiar. I wouldn't be surprised if I found it in one of my many art books!

After all the "heavy research", I took a detour to a blog that sounded fun - Smart Bitches Trashy Books. Those who know me well know that I'm an unapologetic reader of (historical only) romance novels ever since my teens. I will read almost anything from Dickens to Clancy, but every now and then, my brain needs some sugar too, just like my taste buds. My taste buds get chocolate, my brain gets romance novels. Nothing better to read on a long flight, when I'm sick, when life generally sucks (sorry!), or when I've read something rather "heavy" like the latest by Steven Booth or the biography of Sir Richard Burton (not the actor - the other one!), just to air out my brain. Let's be honest, we all need a good, soppy happy ending every now and then! Anyway, the blog is about all kinds of romance novels, and the ladies there love straight talkin' which I like. And they provided my biggest laugh today - this post on a romance whose title already sounds completely ridiculous (honestly, I would have thought that in today's world, a title as bad as "The Playboy Sheikh's Virgin Stable Girl" could only exist in cliché!) had me in stitches. Click on "more more more..." at the bottom and read all about the "complete tool". Geee, I'm starting to laugh again even while writing this!

Karin

Back for good

2010-12-25T19:22:00.021+01:00

I know, I know... haven't been a good blogger recently. Somehow, all the work and the Christmas preparations have been eating up all my time since I returned from New Zealand on November 22. And what free time was left, was sorely needed for a bit of rest. And sleep.

It all just seemed so unreal - I left at the end of October, feeling like it was the middle of autumn, and Christmas was a looong time away. The trip, a good three and a half weeks, seemed to stretch out in front of me forever. Then it somehow passed by in a whirlwind. And whilst shopping in Christchurch the day before I flew home, the local department store, Ballantyne's, was already in full Christmas swing, with music, catalogs, gift ideas and what-have-you. Though the whole setting seemed utterly surreal to me - after all, it was spring, it was warm, and all the shop windows featured the latest beach wear for the coming summer - I ended up buy most of my Christmas pressies there. I had barely arrived back here, when the first snow came, and I realised that it was time to get started on baking Christmas cookies, or they would never arrive in time on the other side of the Atlantic... oh dear!

However, I haven't been lazy about vintage fashion on my trip! I spent a few extra days in Wellington, where I spent two afternoons trawling the vintage and second hand shops on Cuba Street. At Hunters and Collectors, I found the most divine early 60s shirtwaist dress:

It's by Julie Miller, an American label. The dress came in very handy for a dinner I was invited to by Tourism Wellington - after everybody had kept telling me that the restaurant, which I had mentioned to my tour guides earlier in the day, was the latest, trendiest in Wellington... I knew I'd wear this instead of what I'd packed for the occasion. Traveling light and dressing nicely isn't always easy...

In Christchurch, I walked into Gertie's Vintage Fashion on High Street, a vintage shop right after my taste! A lil' bit chaotic, and chock-full to the rafters with goodies. An incredible red 1940s jacket by Fashionbilt made it home with me. The fabric is butter soft, the tailoring is impeccable and it has some amazing details - what more does one want?

I had been talking about having created a new Willy-Nilly before I left. Since this one, which was a gift, has now reached it's destination, I can finally show it here:

Coming back to vintage fashion, the last few weeks have also been a good time to wear vintage! First, it was time to debut a gorgeous forest-green, supposedly 1940s dress I'd bought on Etsy late last summer. I admit, I only got around to make the 2-3 small repairs it needed some two weeks ago - and to take a closer look at it. It fit beautifully, but something told me that it felt more like 30s than 40s...

So, I asked the VFG Forum, what they thought... and they kept telling me that I was wearing it the wrong way around! I was still sceptictal, I admit, but in the end, tried it on the other way 'round, and after some contorsionist-worthy moves to button it up in the back and close the belt buckle - suddenly everything fell into place! I had a really good laugh at myself! I really had had it on the wrong way, not even thinking that the buttons could be in the back! They did love back detailing in the 30s after all - and this dress is definitely 30s, though it has been shortened.

Anyway, it's a cute dress and I love wearing it!

Another dress that I bought last summer had it's debut this month too - it went to the opera, and turned a few heads... with everybody wearing black, a red dress was all that was needed to stand out in the crowd!

It is quite a bit faded in some places, from having been exposed to sunlight, but I bought it anyway because I liked it's shape so much. And it is perfect. To be frank - the fading doesn't bother me at all... And it's real secret is actually it it's back:

Speaking of the VFG Forum, I can't say just how much I enjoy the discussions there - and seeing the new stuff in their online shops, which they show weekly. It isn't just about fashion, there is so much more involved, and so much more to be learned! About life, about society, about history... and it's such a fun community too.

Recently, this incredible Emilio Pucci tie fascinated me. Just trying to imagine what it would look like with a dark suit and white shirt. Great!

A lot of the Vintage Fashion Guild members also have blogs, and I enjoy reading them too, though I don't always have so much time to read them all. This post on the Kickshaw Productions blog caught my eye today. I remember the lively discussion on the forum well enough - and also the differences about British and American English. I admit, I'm terrible with distinguishing the two, and my own English is probably some bizarre mixture between the two - however, that whole discussion certainly had me in stitches - not even certain Youtube videos have made me laugh so hard!
Since Jonathan had to re-do his blog, after it got deleted when the Fashion History Museum website went online, a lot of his older posts showed up as "new" and I had a good browse and read around this afternoon. This post might be already a year old, but it certainly provided an amusing look back on fashion of the 00's, and made me smile.

Karin

And now... for a little pause

2010-10-25T23:38:00.002+02:00

So I'll be off for a bit of time soon - see you all again next months and hopefully I'll have some great new stuff to show then. Well, there will at least be a new Willy-nilly, which I can't show yet, as it is a gift that will only be given when I've already left... So, stay tuned!

Timeless Beauty

2010-10-19T22:49:00.018+02:00

Time to blog some more of my dollies... Timeless beauty? Yes, for sure! These are all vintage 1960s outfits, all of them favorites, and certainly timeless! So timeless, that they look perfect on modern dolls too - which most of the ones shown here are. And the outfits might not all be complete either - I buy what I like, and some of them look great with modern accessories as well.

Living Barbie, one of my very favorite vintage dolls, wears the appropriately called "Color Kick". Can it possibly get anymore colorful? The doll was a unexpected flea-market find, the outfit from a charity shop - from a whole heap of separate pieces that weren't all clean and many in need of repair came this beauty - it's in pristine condition. That's the thrill of the hunt for vintage stuff!

Quick Curl Deluxe Skipper and Brazilian bombshell Passeio Viky wear matching outfits - "Red Sensation" and "Sheath Sensation". Skippers first outfits all matched her big sisters'. Sounds corny? I think it's cute. And that sheath dress (which was available in a number of color variations later) is one of the sexiest things from Barbie's early wardrobe, which was quite sophisticated. And that color - not for the faint of heart!

Oh, those 1600 outfits! Mattel produced some of the most beautiful (and also most sought after) outfits in 1965/66 with the 1600 stock numbers. "Pretty as a Picture", which Florida Midge wears, is just such a one. Both a vintage Burda sewing magazine and a Finnish fashion magazine from the same year showed similar dresses - same shape, same combination of solid color and small checks. Now, who said it's all the same styles everywhere these days?! Meanwhile, Francie wears "Checkmates", her cute little suit. To lighten things up, the blouse has a lovely embroidery decoration.

Midge (don't tell her, but she's probably the oldest doll in my collection!) wears "Sporting Casuals". I adore vintage Barbie knitwear - these little sweaters and cardigans not only are the height of timelessness, they also look so realistic due to the very fine material. Just beautiful. I fact, I'd love to have that sweater myself! Corduroy Cool Barbie wears what she's been wearing ever since I bought this outfit - "Orange Blossom". The hat is still missing, but never mind! It's such a simple but elegant dress, and just shows how good vintage outfits can look on modern dolls.

More 1600s wonders! Sitting Pretty Kira wears "London Tour". Leather look was all the rage then! A piece of Barbie trivia: Mattel repeated this outfit name in the early 2000s on a Fashion Avenue outfit. I wonder if any of those who thought that up actually realised it. Hollywood Nails Barbie is ready for "Lunch on the Terrace". Another dress I'd love to have myself! The polka-dot top makes sure the whole Vichy-check thing doesn't go overboard. It's such a fun contrast.

Pyjama Party Courtney is "Fresh as a Daisy" and Hip 2 Be Square Barbie's "Pleasantly Peasanty". This is one of many "granny dresses" Barbie had to choose from in the late 60s and early 70s - and probably one of the prettiest. At least it's the that's been in my collection the longest, among all the dresses of this kind. I guess the bright color does it.

Logo-madness is nothing new! The vintage Barbie logo-prints are nothing if not cute. Skipper wears "Day at the Fair" and Picture Pockets Kira wears "Barbie learns to cook" (or "Lunchtime as it was called later). That dress is way too pretty though for the kitchen - Mattel forgot to add an apron to keep the dress spotless! It's a classic little shirtwaist dress, but the vibrant print makes it anything but boring. I found this at a flea-market. There was a box full of newer, badly played-with dolls half-hidden underneath a stand - and one of the dolls wore this dress! I bough the doll with the dress for about $5, kept the dress, cleaned the doll up and sent her on to a new "home". Jewel Girl Teresa finally wears "Knitting pretty", without the matching cardigan, and with the addition of sexy modern heels. Sassy!

Closet clean-out & why I buy secondhand

2010-10-11T23:22:00.014+02:00

I've just spent a very successful weekend - fashion-wise, so to speak. It was time for my bi-annual closet-clean-out! It was time to change from summer to winter - get the big sweaters down from the top shelves and put the shorts etc. up there. It's not just a necessity, since I can't keep ALL of my clothing on eye level, it's also a good way to keep one's closet in shape - I can only recommend it!

What do it take?
1. Time! This ain't done in an hour...
2. Power food - an energy drink, a cinnamon roll and some gummies (I KNOW this isn't healthy, but hey, energy is what this takes!)
3. A duster and the vacuum cleaner
4. A trash bag and a big paper bag for clothing still good enough to go to charity
5. Enough fresh anti-moth paper
6. Good music! Recommend - good girl stuff like "Voilà" by Belinda Carlisle or "The Bridge" by Melanie Fiona...

So what I do is basically - get the stuff the winter stuff down, vacuum and dust the shelf, replace the anti-moth paper, and look through both the stuff I'm taking out of "storage" and the stuff I'm putting up there. Why? There might be stuff I still wore last winter, but looking at it now, "from a distance", I realise how bad it actually looks. So worn? How the ***** could I still wear this?! Out! Otherwise, there's summer stuff that I realise I haven't worn all summer, and maybe once last summer? Might be a good time to chuck it out! What's totally out of whack goes into the trash bag, what's still nice, but for whatever reason, not a keeper, goes into the bag for charity (rule: only clean stuff, no damage, no underarm staining - this is not a cheap way of getting rid of one's clothes, someone's actually still going to want to wear this!). It's a piece of work, yes (everybody who knows the size of my closet knows what I'm talking about...), but it's worth it. It also helps me remember what stuff I actually have! I can only recommend it!

So I have two big paper carrier bags full of stuff to take to the Caritas charity shop around the corner and down the road. I admit, I couldn't be happier that I live so near to one of them *g*. Gotta bring them some new stuff, since I did a bit of extra retail therapy there this Saturday, on the way to my weekly grocery shop. It's become sort of a habit - I look in there most of my "shopping Saturdays" - it's on the way anyway, and what do I know what I might find... Doing a quick calculation, I think I can safely say that there's no other clothes shop where I spent so much money this year, than the Caritas. Why?

All clothing that lands there won't land in a land-fill or wherever in the trash. Yes, it probably will some day, but for every piece I buy there I probably buy a piece less new. Fact is, they run a nice shop, everything is clean, the personnel is always nice... yes, there might be cheaper places here in Zurich, but that's where you'd find the dingy stuff (ok, you might just find that hidden treasure too, but that former subterranean carpark turned thrift shop that is the Brocki-Land makes ALL clothing they sell smell damp - ugh!). Still, they have reasonable prices - but not the prices the "trendy" vintage shops in the inner city have. An as-good-as new Ann Taylor pure cashmere sweater for 30 CHF, anyone? No kidding, that's what I found on Saturday. No way I could afford this new. I'm not looking for "names" or labels, but I know when I'm holding something that's good quality. I'll probably have this sweater for a few years... And it's not just people who can't afford to shop anywhere else who buy their clothes there - believe me, I see people of all ages and from all walks of life shopping there! Besides, they usually have a big summer sale - and beautiful shop window displays that change monthly. Quite the boutique! Of course I'm always looking for vintage - but I'm ok with finding new stuff at low prices too. Who cares? If it looks good and it fits... Yes, 99% of their stuff is pretty much every day, but in the two years and a few months that I have been a regular there, I've also found the some true vintage treasures - like the 1950s Dior by Vivier shoes... for a mere 60.-. And there might always be the odd home-made or otherwise one-of-a-kind piece - like the lovely shantung silk evening dress for 55.- that I found on my last "raid". No better way to stay well dressed and wear beautifully made stuff that no one else has (BIG point for buying vintage!). And the other nice "side-effect"? These shops give jobs to people who might not find a job otherwise. At least part of the money I spend there goes to Caritas projects here in the city - after all, I do want this to be a live-able place not just for those who have enough money. And if I take my old clothes there, I know where they're going. They're always sorting through stuff when I go there.

So there you have it. I can't buy everything at this shop, but I think there's loads of good reasons, especially in these crazy times of consumerism that we live in...

Karin

Old loves...

2010-10-07T23:26:00.004+02:00

I have been a Beatles fan the better part of my life - there was a time when I drove almost everybody around me mad with it, I guess, and there's not really a favorite song I could pinpoint, and I certainly love all their albums... but it's funny, I keep returning to the first one I ever listened to and I have to admit, it's probably my favorite one, if you look at it as a whole. It's just perfect as it is. It's main appeals? Great sound - and energy. It just won't let you off the hook, and it certainly has all it needs, from the romantic ballad to the the screamin' rock song.

Speaking of energy - it kicks right off with "It won't be long", which couldn't be a better album starter. It hooks you as much as "She loves you" and won't let go! Next off is "All I've got to do" with great harmonies and a cool sort of mid-tempo. Then it's on to "All my loving" which features an excellent solo by George Harrison - there's a slight Country & Western feeling to it, something which turns up again in his repertoire years later. I like that! "Don't bother me" was George's first own composition to get on a record - I admit, he improved in later years (and boy, did he improve!) - not a remarkable song, but I think it's quite "his" and it fits with the rest of the album. "Little Child" must be one of the Beatles' shortest songs, but it's kinda cute. "Till there was you" is the first cover on the album and could have only been sung by Paul McCartney. It seems a bit of a departure, but then the Beatles covered all sorts of stuff in their very early years. Again, gorgeous guitar playing - it also shows how versatile they were. Next off is "Please Mister Postman", where the boys once more covered an early 1960s black American girl group. They covered quite a few of them, because apparently they really loved them. I find that so interesting - and they didn't care a bit about covering girl group songs (which male rock group would do this these days?). I adore all their versions of these girl group songs - they did them justice, really, and made them quite "their own". Their "P0stman" is just one rockin' song. And forget the cheesy cover by the Carpenters!!! You could say I became a fan of these girl groups too because of the Beatles. It all started with a Shirelles Best-of-CD... (whom they covered twice on "Please Please me"). But let's not get diverted! There's no slacking off - side 2 of the LP kicks of with an absolute Rock'n Roll classic - Chuck Berry's "Roll over Beethoven". The Beatles gave it the full-on treatment and George actually sang it. The guitar solo on it ain't bad either! Back to their own compositions, "Hold me tight" has it's own weird charm. The singing sounds a little "off" sometimes - not that I care. I sometimes wonder how this one slipped by George Martin, but as I said - it has a certain charm! Showing more admiration for American soul music, a cover of "You really got a hold on me" by The Miracles is next. You just gotta love John's vocals on it. "I wanna be your man" was Ringo's piece to sing - something slightly along the lines of "Boys", which was his song on the "Please Please me" album. Another good piece of Rock'n Roll. The Stones actually covered it for their first single. "Devil in her heart" is another girl group song, this time with George in the lead. I think it worked perfectly for him. I do sometimes ask myself where they dug up some of the more obscure songs they covered, like this one, but I guess it shows their keen interest in music. "Not a second time" is another Lennon-McCartney original that sounds so wholly different from all the other songs. The lyrics are a bit "darker" too, in comparison so the other songs. It shows how they kept evolving. The album ends with a bang (and John shouting) - with "Money" - just like their first album. And they really rocked it! As superb as their harmonies were, they also always knew how to but the rock into Rock'n Roll vocally!

And now, get yourself to the next used record store and get a vinyl copy (no CDs puleeeese!), and I'll bet you'll have it on heavy rotation in no time. This album is just a masterpiece!

Remembering Jordan - or what the pillow revealed

2010-09-27T20:15:00.014+02:00

There's other things I've been wanting to blog about, but yesterday two things almost simultaneously bumped me back to a week pretty much exactly 10 years ago. It almost seems these things had to happen so I would be thinking back to it just now.

10 years ago, I went on my first "big" trip, completely alone. And to Jordan, no less. Petra had been sort of a dream for a few years, and that autumn I had decided to make it real. It was during that trip that I got the news that I would get my own apartment within a few months of coming home. It was also the week the second Intifada started and in which former Canadian prime minister Pierre-Elliott Trudeau died. It's funny the things one remembers, but all of this has a reason.

But first things first. It started with a pillow. After the last few weeks, which somehow had left me with just the time to take of care things happening right then, but left both my doll collection and my apartment in, simply speaking, a total state of disarray, I managed to get it all tidied up and sorted out this weekend. After rearranging a few things in my living room, I decided that four pillows on one sofa were a bit much - and decided to reduce that to three. I had bought all of these pillow covers on said trip to Jordan - after being told on the phone by my parent that I'd get that apartment. The pillows left on my sofa are the ones I bought at the hotel in Amman. Sadly, the colors are a bit faded from the sunlight, but I still love them, and they're authentically Jordanian, even hand-embroidered.

The other cover I bought together with another one at a big souvenir shop on the way from Amman to Aqaba. They're made in India, but they didn't cost much and I liked them. But now I decided this green one was one too many...

So I took the cover off... and there appeared...

A vintage 1994 piece of "art" by yours truly! I think I must have made this during the silk painting workshop at school. I admit, it makes me cringe. But at that time, I decorated pretty much everything with my "cartoon" characters. And underneath the silk? Yet another cover! I believe it comes from the sofa we then had at home (look at those creases!).
I probably just grabbed any pillow I had then, or that my mom gave me, and never bothered to remember what was inside them. I guess I grew up a bit in-between and what I had made a few years before had become uninteresting.

Then I wanted to change the pillow within one of the other covers, and look what turned up there... an even older piece of work from school! From my "draw a peace sign everywhere-hippie-phase".

And as if that hadn't been enough, there was another reminder of this trip in the shape of an article on wellness hotels in Jordan in the Sunday newspaper. And all I thought was - okay, so they wax poetically about all the great hotels that have been built on the shore of the Dead Sea and in Aqaba, but they haven't seen a dot of the country. I had loved it - dodgy hotels, crazy traffic and all, and I could never imagine going there just to spend a week at an expensive hotel and to never see anything from the country!
Yes, not far away, just across the border, the second Intifada broke out, but we never felt anything but safe. The food was great, the people were friendly, and it was a fun, varied group that I traveled with (two of them being Canadian - thus the reference to Trudeau - of course they heard of it on some hotel TV). I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Eating by candle light at a "beduin tent" restaurant because of a power outage, drinking hot tea in the greatest heat in Wadi Rum, the most reliable wake-up service in the shape of the 5 a.m. call to prayer (and in Wadi Musa even in stereo!), a unique beach panorama in Aqaba with mountains on one and freight ships on the other side, plus Turkish pop music from the beach bar and another prayer call as the soundtrack, a hotel in Wadi Musa (Petra) that would put Fawlty Towers to shame service-wise (they didn't even get the change to daylight-saving time correct and woke us up at 4 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.), a 12 kilometer walk through Petra and to a place called "World's End" in more heat, visiting a traditional (meaning non-tourist) hammam and being kneaded through like never before in my life, three women riding a taxi alone through Amman with an enthusiastic Palestinian taxi driver who barely spoke English - just to visit a mosque - and to top it all off, riding through the empty streets of Amman late at night with 6 other people in a sedan (no, strictly speaking, that's not legal either in Jordan...). Now that's real life! All those fab hotels this newspaper talks about didn't exist at the time. I think there was just one hotel in Aqaba with a private beach that allowed women to wear just a swimsuit. Not that I minded! I could easily have spent another week or so there.

A reminder of Wadi Rum. This scenery has nothing to hide from the Monument Valley. It was also nicely un-touristic. Bumpy 4WD trucks and beduin guides wearing their traditional long white garb - and who climbed these rocks in their sandals like they were just walking up a hill. One really has to see it to believe it...

Karin

Creativity...

2010-09-15T22:52:00.023+02:00

I think sometimes - what would all these incredibly creative people out there (especially those on a small budget) do without the internet?

It's incredible what one finds... sometimes I stumble upon something on Etsy, sometimes I get sent a link or quite literally one thing leads to another.

Today's Etsy newsletter didn't have an exact theme - it was in fact a colorful mix of all sorts of creative things. One thing sprang to my eye immediately: Margaux Lange and her Re-membering Barbie Fondly jewelery. There's more, and even more incredible stuff, on her website as well. As much as I am a Barbie doll collector and love my dolls to bits, I have nothing against people who find other creative uses for dolls. And I think her saying "re-membering Barbie fondly" shows a love for our gal too. Margaux gives her a new "life" as jewelery that will be cherished to by the owner, whilst I sometimes give played-with old dolls a new life by way giving them a makeover or at least cleaning them up and re-doing their hair etc. (which is something I really, really love to do). Seeing this jewelery also reminded me of an exhibition a few years ago at the Froschlocke art gallery here in Zurich. They had all kinds of works made from or inspired by Barbie doll(s) from several artists. There was jewelery too - charm bracelets with Barbie shoes, a cigar cutter made out of Ken's butt, or loose Barbie legs packaged like meat in the supermarket. A bit of digging unearthed a few pictures that I took then:

The "Barbie-Q"

I had fun there and a good laugh at the ideas some people have about what one could do with a Barbie doll. And yes, of course some of these people have also thought about how they see Barbie, or about things like materialism, body-image and so on, while other things were just plain tongue-in-cheek. Whatever. It was interesting, funny, inspiring - I have no problem with this.

Further browsing in the "archive" of my time as editor of the Fashion Doll Club Switzerland's archive also led me to the photos of the works by the Austrian artist Andrea Holzinger, whose exhibition I visited in Vienna in May 2003 (I reported on it in the same issue as on the Froschlocke exhibition). She did a series of photo-realistic oil paintings of Barbie dolls and accessories. My ultra-favourite was this very colorful, very pop-artsy (and, sadly, very huge and way beyond my budget) painting:
Isn't it gorgeous? I guess it shows my love of pop art and bold & colorful things.

Here's another one: The one painting that I did buy (and could afford) now hangs in my living room:She did a whole series of these small portraits, which were all very pretty. Those who know my Facebook avatar might have started to wonder about that one now... now, that one's by me, a small experiment which was of course inspired by this portrait. Mine's a bit smaller though, and I used acrylic paint:I googled Andrea Holzinger, out of curiosity - and she still does gorgeous, colorful photo-realistic paintings, which can be seen on here website. I really like these other paintings too. If I ever happen to have big, white, empty walls wherever I may live in the future, this is the kind of thing I would want to have hanging on them, I think. Well, I can dream, can't I?

A fun blog showing another way of turning something old into something new is New dress a day, which my friend alterted me to. What fun! It's all about seeing something in a dress that one would probably usually not look at twice at the thrift shop. I admit there are quite a few that I would honestly just pass over without thinking twice ;-). Her ideas are just so clever.

As for myself, I have recently done another Willy-nilly, though this is a personal one - a card to accompany a wedding present. I cut up the vouchers for the things I had picked from the wedding gift wish book (gifts for the honeymoon in Florida) and added vintage brochure cutouts and pictures and scrapbook-stickers. I spent a fun afternoon cutting, puzzling and gluing. No kidding, this is a serious business - cutting things up, putting things together in the right way, finding the right mix, the right look...So, now I'm off to sew a vintage slip down to my size (yes, it was my size considering the measurements that were given, but it turned out to be still too big...).

Karin

What goes around comes around

2010-09-14T00:12:00.008+02:00

As loud, colorful and neon-full as they get - voilà, the super duper top I picked up at Humana in Vienna 2 weeks ago on our surprise weekend from work! It had shoulder pads too (did anyone say 80s here?), no kidding!

My friend spotted it - we both loved the crazy graphics, but what do you do with it? The manni is my size (more or less), so you get an idea how big this thing is. Weeeell... she grabbed a belt and I made off to the changing rooms... ah... cubicle (oh how I love those curtains that never quite close!)...

Okay, maybe I can find a smaller belt still, but I think this is gonna make one cool look for next summer - which will hopefully last longer than 3 weeks! I did remove the shoulder pads though - the fabric around them was starting to disintegrate *yuk*. Besides, with them the shoulders really looked humoungus!

Speaking of shoulders & things that come 'round and 'round again... they are quite "in" again - shoulder pads, puffy or peaked shoulders... and thanks to my vintage jackets, I have really come to love shoulder pads. Having done that, I will try to master the "big shoulder"! The only question is - how new or old could it be?

a) ca. 1890s
b) 1940s
c) 1980s-power-dress-does-1940s
d) 2010-big-shoulder-revival-recycles-all-else

Stay tuned!

In-between...

2010-09-12T22:06:00.002+02:00

Just a short post in-between. The last two weeks or so have just been too bizzy with all sorts of thinks happening (not all of them happy events), and I caught an ugly cold too...

On the upside, I have found a gorgeous silk evening dress that's perfect for winter, another great Caritas find for almost nothing (photos coming soon!), incidentally in almost the same deep shade of purple as the Indian silk dress I found on our surprise weekend in Vienna (more of that later too).

What's been keeping me busy otherwise is getting something to wear together for my cousin's wedding next Saturday. Since the weather keeps doing somersaults, I've been keeping my options open - not only repairing a 1940s dress in case it's warm, but also getting the skirt for a 1950s-style suit finished, in case the weather won't play ball. Ah, well, it's almost finished... how can you tell that a sewing notions box belongs to a Barbie doll collector? All the snaps, hooks'n eyes etc. are only the smallest size! Duh, I realized I don't have any "normal" sized hooks and eyes *lol*. Ah well, that's not much of a problem to buy, but I did have a good laugh at myself!

Furthermore, after half a day of putting Ikea furniture together (and another half day buying the self same stuff) , my bedroom is finally starting to look more "put together". More on that, and on quick'n easy furniture renovation - coming soon. Just bear with me while I get things sorted out ;-).

Karin

Story of a scarf...

2010-09-05T23:41:00.007+02:00

Now here's a story of coincidences as only life could produce it... I have this really great silk scarf, that I like to wear with my black 1940s jacket.

The scarf was a gift from a friend, and she knew I'd like the colors - plus it said "Swiss Made" on the label and she thought that was funny.

I love the color combination and the groovy pattern. So the other day I showed it to my mum - sort of "oh look, and that's the scarf that I like to wear with this jacket". She took one look a the signature on it...

... and on she went "Oh Fisba-Stoffels - I served old Mrs. Stoffels at the shop in Klosters!" (my mom worked summer seasons as a tour guide and winter seasons in ski resort shops). Would you believe it? It seems, the Mrs. Stoffels in question was quite a character, well-known in town. My dad, who grew up in Klosters, remembers her too. Apparently, the company mostly produced hankies - the old-fashioned lace-etched kind that my grandma liked and had. Aww, if the internet turns up nothing, just ask yer mum!

Anyway, I did some more research, though not with a lot of results. There's loads of ebay, Etsy etc. listings for Fisba-Stoffels hankies and scarves, but not much info on the company per se. I found some old trade register references, the company originally was founded in St. Gallen - which makes sense, as St. Gallen was a well-known center of lace production, and it seems the company was called Fisba-Stoffels Taschentuch AG from the beginning (Taschentuch meaning handkerchief). It also seems it was founded as early as 1895. In 1907, they built a factory in Elgg, in the Canton of Zurich, where apparently they got the land to build the factory plus houses for the workers and all else for - pretty much nothing! The only other bit I could find was that in 1988 they fusioned with the Fischbacher company, and the name Fisba-Stoffels disappeared. Fischbacher is a well-known brand, producing high-quality bed linens and fabrics for home furnishings.

I am again and again surprised about the stories vintage things can reveal!

Karin

A season for vintage

2010-08-24T23:24:00.004+02:00

I think it's gonna be a very, very vintage autumn (and maybe winter) for me this year... sometimes, it just all comes together. Searching Etsy for one thing led to another which... to make it short, I am right now waiting for more than one 1940s dress (plus a suit) to arrive. Plus I am still working on the skirt for a 50s suit after an original pattern (whilst mom is working on the jacket).
Then Nicole's post on her adventures in vintage hairstyling had me think back to... heat curlers, and made me decide to not go to the hairdresser after all. I don't think I've found the right styling product yet, and my hair is still a bit short for curlers, but I *think* I'm getting there. At least it's worth a try. I need a change of look every now and then, and I have been feeling lately that it's been overdue - either it would be back to the shorter hairstyle like I had last year around this time, or something new would have to happen. I get bored of my current hairstyle at regular intervals it seems.
Now I just need to get the furniture in my bedroom into shape (time to introduce more style to the place!) and things are gonna look great all over. I need something to look forward to - it's gonna be another heavy season at work I fear...

Karin

Super dresses from Vienna...

2010-08-23T00:00:00.007+02:00

Taking a break from sewing (something vintage-style, no less!) and reorganising my dolls (lemme tell you, that's hard work!)...
I had hoped to find maybe some nice 40s or 50s day dress in Vienna... well - nothing of the kind was around, but I think I did find two really cute other dresses. Ok, one's a formal one - as if I hadn't enough formal wear in my closet - but who could resist a cute dress if it's a perfect fit?

A perfect, cute little black dress - ca. early-mid 60s I guess. Might have been made by a seamstress, as there are no labels, but I think it's just a tad too professionally made for home made.

A cute little summer dress - sort of "70s does 40s", by Finnish label Karin(a?) Heikkilä. There's quite a few mainstream Finnish fashion labels around whose dresses seem to turn up all over the world on the second hand/vintage market, but nobody seems to know anything about them. Only they're all well-made and often look very Marimekko-inspired... other such labels are Merry Finn and Fennosport. Since I've seen the first examples of such dresses, I'm now always on the lookout for anything by them - or like them. Who knows, there's probably more! Finland used to have a very big and active clothing- and shoe-industry!

Karin

Tales from the bottom of my wardrobe...

2010-08-15T22:53:00.013+02:00

Long time no write - I know. It has been time to let some creative juices flow. Can't post any pics now, but I will as soon as I can ;-).

But here's the thing that I have been thinking about... Do you have that too? Clothes that seem to have been in your wardrobe forever... and suddenly you look at them and realize how old you are? Oh dear....!

My prime example are a pair of jeans... or what is left of them. Thinking back - they actually tell a story - how I grew, what I liked, and how I changed - not just physically.

I got them on our first trip to Australia - wayyyy back in 1991. They were a woman's size and quite too big first. I don't have any really good photos of me wearing them downunder, but you can just see I had to roll them up quite a bit. They were the usual early 90s, slightly carrot-y shape with a high waist. No matter how much too big they were first, I adored them. By '92 on a trip to Venice, they were still too long, but a year later I had finally grown into them, lengthwise and otherwise as the last two pics show (they must have been taken just a few weeks apart from eachother). And you can actually see my hairstyle progressing as they grew longer! Ow, and remember those plastic dummies? I had to have the biggest one of course, even though I hadn't the faintest idea where that trend had come from! I didn't even know what Techno was - duh. As the t-shirt shows, by that time I had started my Beatles-phase by then. I remember, they were quite tight by that time, not the least in the waist, but I thought that as-tight-as-you-possibly-can-wear-them-jeans were the way to go... And cinching my waist with a belt even further. The last pic also shows another thing we probably consider a fashion crime these days... those body suits. I was the queen of them - I must have had tons!

That just reminds me - that Minnie Mouse sweater turns up on a few pictures too. A remnant from my "purple phase". Funny- I have lately been buying a lot of purple clothes again, though I prefer a darker shade these days.

Two years later, I had cut the jeans off. Why? Our annual end-of-the-year-party at secondary school. The first year I had happily gone there wearing my old neon-colored stuff that of course I hadn't realized had been sooo over... So the next year (end of '93) I wanted to do super trendy... which ended in my cutting these jeans off. I had just got my first bellbottoms, and these "carrots" were suddenly as out of fashion as they could be. So I cut them short and wore them with black opaque tights and a black top (body suit, of course!). Although they weren't exactly Daisy Dukes, they caused a mild scandal - judging on my class mates' reactions. With hindsight, it was maybe also simple jealousy - or a way of hiding admiration, since it was generally known that I was NOT cool or particularly popular. Such reactions to my clothing were common then - not that it put me off wearing whatever I liked... Can't say I'm still proud of everything I though was cool then *lol*, but at least I didn't give up - and never cared if my behind might look big in something or whatever... ah, those were the times!!!

Sadly, no pic exists from that party, but some of me goofing around in my cut-offs the next summer. Note the Peace-pendant (I was into my "hippie"-phase by then), the Cleveland Indians cap in the back and the Beatles and Kevin Costner posters in the background. And the Barbie collector dolls - this was at the very beginning of my collecting Barbie dolls. I have neither of these two dolls any more...

Funnily enough, those jeans that were once so tight... not only still fit me, but they're not as tight as they used to be... No kidding! Well, maybe they just gave in after all the washing. Cutting off the top of them came later still, but they come still so high up in the waist that nowadays I ask myself, how could possibly have worn them in the first! Why do I still have them? Duh. Can't even say. I just wear them 'round the house in summer or at most to go to the supermarket around the corner (parading my cellulite around is not what I usually do except when wearing a bikini *lol*). They just stay as long as they hold up... the leatherette inserts have long lost their "leather" look though, but who cares ;-).

I just keep 'em. Maybe because I remember the happy times when I wore them every week. I have things in my wardrobe that I've been about to throw away more often, I admit. But more about that another time...

How would I know...

2010-08-03T00:26:00.006+02:00

The things one learns...! I just found this post on the Couture Allure blog about the Charles James exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum (my, I do wish I could be there, those gowns are absolute eye candy!), and what do I see?

The first gown, called the "Butterfly" gown, is what the very last Gene convention doll, "Stardust", which I brought home from Philadelphia in June, is wearing! It's a different color combination, but it's definitely THAT dress. Talk about vintage inspirations...

So the Madra doll that I won as well isn't the only one wearing an outfit that was made after a real inspiration. Now that makes me wonder about the outfits of the other dolls that I got...

There are lots of old Ashton-Drake Gene outfits that are almost 1:1 copied from vintage couture designs, but this is the first time that I actually see Integrity Toys doing it too. But it's a fitting gown for a gal like Gene!

Karin

Typically Vienna

2010-08-03T00:19:00.008+02:00

Back from a few wonderful days in Vienna... did the usual round of shopping at Humana (pics of the vintage loot will follow), Bootik 54 etc., danced through half a night and generally had fun.

But some of the best bits of this city is walking through it's smaller streets, where you'll never know what you'll find (thanks to my "personal guide" without whom I would never run across them *lol*).

"Wohnzimmer-Galerie - Glücksschwein-Museum" (Living room gallery - lucky pig museum) - the things people get up to!

An interesting place... no idea who built or designed it, but those columns are unique. They're not metal, but some kind of earthenware it seems.

And how cute is that - a dressmaker's shop that certainly catches the eye!

Karin

Indianapolis in Oerlikon

2010-07-28T21:57:00.007+02:00

What a fun night! The old open racetrack in my part of the city, which was built for bike races (and is almost a 100 years old), needs friends! The city would like to pull it down, but so far, the people holding the weekly bike races there are holding up against ist.
To draw more spectators, they do what they can, and add special events to the bike races - like vintage car presentations or Harley-Davidson meetings. Yesterday, the vintage cars were on. Ok, it's loud, you don't want to know what or how much of it these cars consume, but it was fun - and fascinating to watch!

There were three presentations with four rounds: motorbikes, motorbikes with sidecars and three-wheeled race cars, vintage F1-racers and similar cars - and the "really" old race and sports cars.

An original vintage Sauber race car.

One of my favourites was this sky blue Citroën racer. Waaaay cool!

Karin

Opening night at the Opera

2010-07-25T11:01:00.028+02:00

It's the opening night at the opera, so of course the ladies have decked themselves out with only the very best! If you wonder why there are so many more ladies attending than gentlemen - well, that mightjust have something to dowith the singer in the male lead role!

"Carmen" is on tonight, and to get people in the mood, two flamenco dancers have been engaged.

Kenzie, who thinks she's a Carrie Bradshaw-lookalike, has of course chosen a vintage dress, as her idol surely would too - a slinky, sexy 1980s number.

Barbie wears the appropriately named "Diva Supreme" dress from the couture collection by Fashion Avenue (btw - this is one of my childhood dolls whom I've given a new "life" by exchanging her worn out doll body with a new one, refreshing her makeup and giving her a new hairdo that hides how much hair I pulled out by playing and restyling her hair constantly - as much as I loved her, she had to endure a lot!).

Belinda is still wearing her long opera coat... now what might be hiding underneath? Her friend went for short and glittery - might that get her noticed by the guys?

Michelle has opted for a sexy pouf dress by Dressmaker Details - she can afford not only that but also the jewelery to go with it! The attendants handing out the programs have been dressed in toreador outfits - even the girls!

Now, Teresa's dress looks she might have had it in her closet for a few years - oh those early 90s, when everything was just a tad too much!

Pouf dresses seem to be all the rage this season! Sindy might not usually be considered a fashion plate, but she has caught the trend in her creation by Robert Tonner!

Chelsie and Alexandra have gone for Fashion Avenue (but the off-the-rack variety, no couture...) too... a student like Chelsie can't afford more, the ticket has been expensive enough! But she wouldn't dream of missing THIS performance, even if this dress has been to the opera a few times before. Who cares anyway? Alexandra is a bit more conscious though - hopefully nobody notices where her dress is from!

Shelagh though wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing the same dress twice! She's wearing the latest by Jason Wu. Not that she has heard of him before... but if the First Lady wore a dress by him to the inaugural ball, he must be hot!

Kira has opted for a classic vintage dress and big statement jewelery.

Now, Nichelle is sure she has the handsomest guy of them all! And while she hasn't been able to find a vintage dress that fits her, at least she managed to find something retro. She might just be a little jealous of the ladies who actually wear vintage...

Sea foam-green looks best on a redhead, no doubt! One-shouldered dresses were everywhere at the Academy Awards, and she loves nothing better - nobody needs to know after all that she found this beauty at the thrift shop!

Karin

The plates on your wall...

2010-07-24T14:36:00.027+02:00

The one thing that has caught my fancy lately are vintage souvenir plates (but then vintage souvenir pieces are often so über-cool anyway!). Now usually the term "souvenir plate" or "collector plate" would give me the shudders, and the image before my mind's eye would be of stacks of Albert Anker plates gathering dust at a thrift shop, or Ashton-Drake, Franklin Mint or whatever ads for Thomas Kinkade "art" plates or cheap souvenir plates that nobody would ever venture to display at home voluntarily.

However, two years ago, I happend to find two super cute vintage American souvenir plates, very 50s style, at a thrift shop here in Zurich. Resistance was pointless - I had to have 'em, even if I've never been to Iowa or Nebraska. Of course it would have been nice had there been more of them, but how do you find them, when there's not even a maker's mark on them?

Talk about finding a needle in a haystack! Well, something over a week ago, I had purchased a showcase spot for my sexy Isabelle Allard cocktail dress on Etsy. Not that it helped... but when I checked the spotlight at work (I don't usually do this kinda stuff at work, but honestly, I'm a curious person!), I spotted a collection of souvenir plates on the same showcase... and not just that, one plate looked just like the two I had! Now, how much luck is that? I was giddy to say the least, quickly logged in, dashed off a convo to the seller asking for the shipping costs to Europe and went back to my work. And yes, it did work! I have met another wonderful Etsy seller, who was very helpful.

Today I went to pick up the parcel at the post office. They all arrived undamaged - and nicely wrapped! And there was a surprise - two extra plates at no extra cost!

So here's the Vermont plate to match the other two (and after all, I have been to Vermont!). They're a nice dessert plate size, so I hope to find more to match them, even though I have have enough tableware already (yes, that can be addictive too!).

And here are the other ones:

Featuring Colorado, Williamsburg (note the funky pink buildings!), the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, Gettysburg, Connecticut, New Hampshire and the Niagara Falls. Most of them are transfer printed, and the Niagara plate is meant to be hung on a wall, it comes with a string attached for that purpose. Most of the plates have no mark, but the Vermont one has one, it was actually produced in Burlington VT - so I'm continuing my search. Two plates are marked "Japan" which probably dates them to anywhere from the 50s to 70s or so (I think later, "cheap" production moved to other countries - at least that's how it was with Barbie doll). Interestingly though, the Vancouver plate was produced in Germany! But my search for the mark has turned up nothing so far.

The New Hampshire plate, though produced in Japan, is they only one which *might* have been handpainted.

Maybe this was sold at Franconia Notch? It's not shown (which really is too bad), but was added in writing at the bottom like almost an afterthought.

I don't know yet what I will do with these other plates. The only kitchen wall that could be decorated is already decorated with things that I like a lot (and at least one is just as kitschy):

A friend pointed me to this site - some fun ideas how to display souvenirs. Great! That lead me here - a dish rack full of colorful souvenir plates might be fun, I think. Or one might go full monty like here. Oh, choices, choices... Of course, the ultimative thing would be a wall full of Marimekko plates! Now there I could get envious....!

I have one other plate (from the same friend), which I display in my "kitsch corner", and which features another very tacky piece of china.

Honestly, isn't this vase fab? No, it's not high quality, but it was just too much fun to not buy it. Ah, the glory days when our offices where in the city and I could venture a visit to the flea market on a Saturday morning, before going to work!

Well, going back to thinking what I'll do with all these plates now...

Karin

Sleaze it to me!

2010-07-21T22:00:00.012+02:00

Is it art? Well, probably most people will tell you, no. But in the end, someone wrote these books and someone else drew these covers, so there was certainly a modicum of creativity involved. And in my little world pop and kitsch art, it has ended up as a part of a piece of art... And it's something that I adore: the colorful covers of vintage "sleazy" novels. The titles and the graphics are just so much fun - and decorative!

The first thing with a copy of such a cover on it, that I bought, was a key ring - a nice little souvenir from Den Haag.

Note the line at the bottom: "This is an original Nightstand Book"! And as I have found out, this wasn't just meant to say this was the kind of book you kept on your nightstand and didn't read in public - these books were called just that - it was a whole line, that was started in 1959 by Hamling Publishing, after the market for science fiction books had collapsed. It spawned other lines like "Midnight Readers" - they couldn't have put it any better I guess!
And funnily enough, the book above is going to be reprinted... as you can read here (this is also a pretty good blog about sleazy reads). Talk about chance... this is was only the second link I clicked when I searched for more info on Nightstand Books. Another virtual-needle-in-the-haystack-find.

A few years ago, I also found postcards with sleazy book cover prints that made a nice addition to my willy-nillies:"Sin on Wheels" made it onto my very first willy-nilly.

And "The Hot Canary" made into the second one - right next to a postcard from Montreal. The subtitle reads "She sang for her supper but did something else for her midnight snack." Now that leaves almost nothing to imagination...

More great covers can be seen in this fun Flickr set: Sleazy Reads. Aren't they the best?

I've never had an actual book of these in my hands - but if I can get my hands on one, I'll give it a try. Can't be worse than some of the bad stuff I've already read. Hey, you can't always read serious stuff only - we all need our dose of fluff! I do admit that I read the modern, feminine version of this - thought there's nothing sleazy about those. Happens that I do keep one my nightstand though. And that's where I'm off to now... nighty-night!

Karin

Upclose & personal with Emilio...

2010-07-20T23:07:00.018+02:00

Sometimes... one should look at a piece of clothing from the inside. While they usually all look nice on the outside, it's the construction (and not just the material) where the quality shows.

This gorgeous, oh-so-summery vintage Emilio Pucci skirt has been in my closet for some time. It needed a little bit of mending, just a few stitches that had come lose. Turning it over and giving the construction a closer look, the skirt gave away a few of it's secrets...

At the end of the dart on the right, there are the just-there remains of a little pencil (or whatever it was) mark to show the seamstress up to where the dart goes.

The seam. At first glance, it looks like the border was part of the print - but it was actually a separately printed piece of fabric, that was sewn on...

This is also a nice way to hide the seam stiches. The upper edge peeking out here is from the actual skirt, and below is the backside of the border - a piece of "normal" fabric, that was sewn to the border piece exactly on the edge. The accuracy of the work is just beautiful.

A zip that has been sewn in with different colors of thread? There must be a reason... turn it over...

Et voilà! The differently colored threads were used to match the colors of the print! I have never seen this being done on a garment before.

And while we're at it... I love the washing instructions (not that I would ever hand this to a dry cleaner...):

Good night!

Karin

Cocktail Hour or Shark Pond?

2010-07-19T21:19:00.023+02:00

So, let's try and start this... I am in the process of re-organising my doll collection. I'm about halfway down and I still have some ideas at the back of my head that I've never done. Hope I can realise it all!

So, newest one: looks like the cocktail hour, but maybe it's a shark pond underneath? (Fashion trivia - can you spot the teen pop star's outfit?) At first I had thought of a "Gentleman's Club" - something along the line of James Bond and a posse of sexy ladies... (no, I have no time for chauvinists, but you gotta take some things with your tongue firmly locked in your cheek - and I would certainly have poked some fun at James in some way) however, I needed to put more dolls into this and I realised I'd need some furniture that I'd first have to buy, make, make over, whatever - so I did some make do with what I have.

Agnes seems to be in a perennial bad mood... is she really just powdering her nose, or is she using that age-old trick of watching what's going on behind her back in her powder compact's mirror? With the enigmatic Ms. von Weiss, ya never know... Or is she just keeping near that bottle of vodka?

Holly and her friend definitely are watching the goings-on - no excuse, there's a scandal brewing for sure!

Midge isn't always too keen on these kind of jobs, but at least tonight the entertainment is good!

And these two? As detached as they may look... and as much as they give themselves an air of being above this all... they're watching too! Honestly, Dawn thinks, who cares about who paid for Valia's new mink if HE is ogling THAT woman...!

Now, who's HE looking at?

Kyori? Well, she certainly has pizzazz! And a silk dress by Créations Clo will always steal the spotlight...

Or Grace? Of course she's wearing Dior - she wouldn't dream about wearing any other designer! But honestly, who wears a hat these days?

And what might THEY be thinking? Well, Diane certainly cares more about these two gentlemen than the drama that is unfolding just before her nose. So, who's it going to be? Oh dear - the choices a girl's got to make these days!

Asha, soberly but no less attractively dressed in FR Couture, is keeping quiet. Nobody needs to know she's got a teeny tiny little tape recorder running in that handbag! In her head, she's already composing tomorrow's headline for the "Inquirer". It's gonna be another long night, she knows, even as you can't turn up at an event like this and drink nothing - or only water - HORROR!

Mhhh... I'd definitely opt for the shark pond here! But before the scandal explodes, I'll say good night. 'til next time!

Karin