The last scarf!

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!

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

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.

Rock your vintage, autumn trends & the next scarf

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:

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

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

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!

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

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:

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

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...

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

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.

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

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!