whispering sea

(Outfit details: Urban Outfitters blouse [that I've had since middle school], 1940s toile dress, J Crew tights, F21 ballet flats)

The 1940s frock I'm sporting here is about as summery as they come; it's one of my very favorites, as a matter of fact. So I've decided to laugh in winter's face and wear it anyway, with a lot of layering, of course. Seeing so many lovely bloggers running around spring-soaked landscapes in cute light outfits is making me so very jealous! I mean, it's practically March now... surely spring is just around the corner?

These pictures don't show it well, but the pattern on this dress is a toile of seaside vignettes. There are women mending fishing nets, ships at a dock, and the like, with little rhinestone-studded buttons to boot! This is the first of a long line of nautical themed things I've been squirreling away over the long winter. I managed to find a 1940s sailor's uniform tiny enough to fit me at last a few weeks ago: I now have an adorable shirt (yes, with the star-trimmed collar flap!), classic navy wool pants, white deck pants, and a sailor's cap. Now all I need is an ocean to pose next to...

This pretty song was the flipside to Loretta's very first single, "Honky Tonk Girl", in 1960:

nifty thrifty finds

Hello all!

I'm so glad you didn't laugh at my muff set; I must say, I'm surprised how many compliments I've received on them so far from my sweatpants-and-ugg wearing peers. It's oddly touching.

Anyway, remember how I mentioned it was just $10.00 for the pair? Well, that's because a very fabulous antique store near my hometown was having a very fabulous President's Day Weekend sale; needless to say, I snapped up quite a few other extreme bargains too!

Oh, and I have a little story too... over Christmas Break I saw a rust colored 1930s crepe dress at the antique mall and was quite smitten. Unfortunately, it wasn't cheap, so I reluctantly gave it a miss. It continued to haunt me, though; when I saw a 30s or 40s rust colored hat later on at a vintage store near my University that would've looked smashing with The Dress (yes, it's a proper noun now) but was much cheaper, I snapped it up as a consolation prize.

Fast-forward to the President's Day sale I went to last weekend... and there was The Dress for FIVE DOLLARS! I was over the moon. The pictures unfortunately don't do it any justice, but I will have an outfit post coming soon. It's the intricate 30s tailoring and detailing that makes this frock; so very flattering and beautiful.

In addition to the muff set and 30s crepe dress, I also snatched up a striped 1950s day dress for $5.00 (no pictures, but you can see the sleeve poking out of my closet in the next photo, lol!) and this ethereal 1920s sheer black dress for about $20.00. Not a bad price at all for a 90 year old gem like this!

I rarely give away my vintage sources, but I highly doubt I'm going to cue a mass migration to Southern Vermont... so, if perchance you're travellin' through Brattleboro, Vermont, be sure to swing by Twice Upon A Time on Main Street. That's where I snapped up these fabulous finds. They always have a Ten Dollars Or Less box out full of things that have taken too long to sell. I find gorgeous Victorian, 20s, and 30s garments in there all the time... definitely worth a peek if you're nearby.

Post Script: I just realized I have over 100 followers now... hooray! Thank you all so much; I'm so thankful to each one of you for being interested in my vintage musings : D

keeping kozy [in a kitschy kat kap]

(Outfit details: 1960s faux fur coat; 1950s children's cap and muff set; 1950s dress; Steston boots)

For those that don't know, my hometown is a small village in Vermont (population 700, soooo cosmopolitan) and go to school in a large town in Vermont. The point is, it is cold, cold, cold, wherever I am, and very snowy too. So although March may be around the corner, Spring's a long way off; we are being hit by [yet another] major blizzard as I write this, actually.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that my purchase of this 1950s rabbit-fur, cat-faced cap-and-muff set was totally justifiable.

It was only $10.00 for the pair, so I am not ashamed. And yes, I did wear them both together while walking around campus today. I will probably do the same tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, until I have firmly established myself as my school's token crazy-cat-lady-in-training. I was thinking [hoping] the cowboy boots might negate the ridiculousness of my furry friends; or perhaps they make me look even more insane? Oh well; I gave up trying to look normal years and years ago ;)

sweet dreams

This is not so much an outfit post as it is a, "hey look, my nightgown is over 100 years old!" sort of post. So, without further ado: Look, my night gown is over 100 years old.

I have three antique nightgowns now. Why? I don't really know. My favorite little antique treasure shop has this closet stuffed with very old clothes (Victorian to 1930s, mostly) that they let me have for $5 to $20 a piece, so I have a ridiculously large collection of antique garments that are totally unpractical for everyday wear. I think in the summer this sweet little ruffled nightie will be just perfect for a picnic or an evening walk to get an ice cream cone, though!

(This one I took through my gauzy canopy for some reason, but the misty effect is rather nice in a naive art sort of way)

Songstress Style: Tracee Mae Miller of Blanche

In case my blog's title didn't tip you off, I love music and take a lot of style inspiration from many of the famous (and not-so-famous) musicians of country and American roots music. This blog's getting a bit dull and narcissistic, I think, with just pictures of me all the time, so I'm going to start shaking things up every Friday with a little style feature on some of the fashionable and talented songstresses I admire!

First up: the lovely Tracee Mae Miller, of Detroit-based alt-country band Blanche.

If you've seen the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line, you may remember her in her cameo as Luther Perkin's wife, seen playing bridge with Vivian (she had the cute Bettie Page bangs!). You'll almost certainly remember her husband, Dan Miller, who played Luther himself. The stylish couple actually dress in the most amazing vintage ensembles all the time, and have a fabulous alt-country band as well. I love Tracee Mae's ethereal Victorian and Edwardian inspired looks, though the entire band's sepia-toned look is so wonderful. They're also close cohorts of the White Stripes: Tracee plays Jack White's red-headed bride in the Hotel Yorba music video, wearing a rather amazing ruffled dress!

Even if their haunting Southern Gothic sound isn't your style, their music videos are endlessly stunning: abandoned houses, ruffled dresses, and autoharp? Yes, please!

Also be sure to take a look at Ms. Miller's beautiful paintings:

http://www.traceemiller.com/

Have a great weekend; we've got a little February thaw going on here this weekend, so I'm off to soak up as much premature springtime as I can!

true blue

Hello all!

(Outfit: H&M dress; Doc Marten boots; bow salvaged from ruined 20s dress)

Thanks for the lovely hair compliments on my last post... sometimes I get this crazy desire to hack it all off and get a little bob, but it's so much fun having long hair. I just figured out how to pin it up so I can have a faux bob a la the ingenues of the 1920s, too!

I hope you're having a nice Valentine's Day! Here's a little outfit I wore on a recent weekend trip to my mom's beautiful house. Fun little factoid: this is my one and only post-1960s dress! I've had a couple others in my life, but they always end up getting traded at the local consignment store for more vintage... oh well.

These are my gorgeous Doc Marten boots I got for Christmas... they are an ivory silk material covered in black floral lace; gorgeous and so comfortable!

keepin' on the sunny side

(Outfit details: 1950s Saks Fifth Avenue cashmere sweater; Howard's Leather belt; Urban Outfitters skirt; Hue cable knit tights; Vigoss oxfords)

The weather here has been a blustery, snowy, freezing mess of late... it's not exactly cooperating with my daydreams of springtime florals. Tsk tsk, mother nature; let's have some warm breezes and blue skies already. This lovely golden cashmere sweater never fails to brighten my day, however; it's like woolen sunshine! Pretty cozy, too.

This 1950s crinoline is one of favorite pieces; I had to show it off a little!

Detail of the bows on my sweater; it may be about 60 years old, but it's from Saks Fifth Avenue! I am so fancy. (And bony with frizzy hair, apparently. But let's concentrate on that sweater!)

long time no see

(Outfit details: vintage 1950s skirt, thrifted blouse, H & M cardigan, vintage men's oxfords)

Hello, all!

It's been two months since I last blogged... yikes! How eerily prescient that my last entry was called "Swan Song"... I hope none of you took that literally and wrote me off as dead ; )

First Christmas break kept me happily occupied as I travelled back home, catching up with friends and family, and enjoying the quiet country life again; then it was back to school, and back to a full semester of classes. Fortunately I think I've settled into a nice little routine again, and I'm ready to come back to blogland! (ie, this is a great way to procrastinate on my Latin translation that's due tomorrow...)

I've been trying to catch up on all my favorite style blogs... you're all giving me so much spring inspiration! Too bad there's yet another big snowstorm rolling in tomorrow. I should also add that these pictures are from early December, though it's an outfit I've been recycling a lot lately. We have about two feet of snow now! It's April in my heart, though, and visions of calico and gingham are filling my dreams...