Lips as red as rose

Do you ever have one of those projects that just fights you? Well, one happened to me recently. The dress you are about to see actually has appeared on this blog before but in a slightly different version.

I had grand visions of a fabulous 50s shirtwaist dress when I first spied this lovely rose print cotton swiss dot. It's part of Gertie's fabric line. So some yardage came home with me and I started plotting.

Originally, I opted for the bodice from Simplicity 2851 but I swapped out the late 40s skirt for a pleated fuller 50s style one. I loved the sweet collar and easy cut on sleeves.

But the waist came out too big. I did have this great wide red belt that I could have used to make it work but I do like flexibility in my wardrobe. Plus I didn't like the lack of mobility from the cut on sleeves. And then I messed up the position of the button holes so they weren't centered properly.

Thankfully, I had over a yard of extra fabric left and I could squeeze out a new bodice. My next try was Butterick 8078 which I'd made twice before. (1) (2)

It's got a great collar design! And then all I had to do was convert the 3/4 length sleeve into a short sleeve. And that's where things went wrong again. I tried a narrow shoulder adjustment and it didn't work out. Whoops!

I fretted for a few days and then just decided to scrap the sleeves and make it a sleeveless dress. I live in Florida now and sleeveless dresses are perfect for summer.

I'm so happy to have been able to use some of these cute vintage glitter buttons. So pretty! I wanted something pretty enough for this dress but that wouldn't compete with the fabric. These were the winners. Plus I have four more that I'll be saving for future project.

I also copied the opening style from a vintage dress. The skirt closes in the center front but it's hidden in the pleats. The pleats over lap enough so that the opening stays closed.

To play up the great vintage buttons, I accessorized with a vintage crystal necklace that belonged to my husband's grandmother. I love sparkly things!

So even though this was a trial and error project, I'm so happy that I pushed through and finished it. Yay for pretty new dresses!

Pins and Pin Curls

Recently, I got the urge to do a pin curl set. I haven't really done much pin curling since moving to Florida because between the wind and the humidity, curls don't really last that long. But this week, I was ready to try again.

And it turned out pretty good! I did a few things to help including a few extra hair products to help my curls stay in. I also hit my hair with the blow dryer to help dry my hair a bit before pin curling. High humidity lengthens the drying time so starting with drier hair insured that I wouldn't wake up with damp pin curls.

Admittedly, I didn't spend a lot of time outside. I can't imagine they would have lasted at an outdoor event but I did do chores around the house, go out for a lunch date with the hubby and run some errands before getting time to take outfit photos.

 Now that I know that my hair can do some pin curls, I may experiment with a better cut for them. My hair is not remotely the correct shape. It's a bob with almost no layers so the curls don't lay as prettily as they could.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

I have been growing it out to be able to do more up dos so I've been avoiding the salon. We'll see. I may try and hold out a bit longer.

I wore a comfy vintage day dress for a day of running around but since it was date day also, I dressed it up with some fun accessories. Of course, I'm wearing my trusty faux pearls but also a pair of Sparkle Lux earrings and an Erstwilder brooch.

                                                                                                                                                                 
I've admired Erstwilder brooches for a long time so I snagged a few in a recent Pin Up Girl Clothing sale since they've recently started carrying them. Erstwilder is an Australian company and not being able to find a lot of stockists in the US is one of the reasons it took me so long to buy one.

They are super cute! Most of their designs are animals like this sea horse although they do have some other designs. I also love that they use a lot of australian animals and flowers in their designs. Who doesn't love some Aussie critters?                

To tie in with the pink seahorse, I picked a pretty pink Red Apple Lipstick and a pair of pink Sparkle Lux earrings. The key to adding new colors to an outfit with accessories is wearing multiple accessories in the same color.

I had a ton of fun putting this outfit together. You can expect to see a bunch more Erstwilder pretties on the blog with the future. I've worn them quite a bit later but those outfits didn't make it on to the blog.

 Of course, it's hard not to love an outfit with a twirly skirt!

Where to Buy 1950s Clothing

More shopping options for you this week! This time we're looking at 1950s reproduction companies.



Queen of Heartz: https://www.queenofheartz.com/
Pin Up Girl Clothing: http://www.pinupgirlclothing.com/
Bernie Dexter: http://berniedexter.com/
Freddies of Pinewood: http://www.freddiesofpinewood.co.uk/

Some New Basics

Some occasions just don't call for a skirt. Normally a holiday event like a Memorial Day BBQ would call for an appropriately themed dress but this year is different. Since moving to Florida, we've had to reinvent all of our holiday traditions. Not only is the weather markedly different but we also no longer have both sets of parents close enough for visits every holiday. So we're on our own now!

This year we celebrated the unofficial start of summer with a BBQ with some new friends. It's already been feeling like summer for quite some time here in Florida but hopefully the rest of you got some lovely weather this past weekend.

The events scheduled for the day were swimming, grilling, eating and board games (though I have to admit that I got worn out and went home before the games came out) so casual was key. I've really been leaning towards more and more casual pieces in my wardrobe.

 And my outfit choice may have also been influence by the fact that I finally got these vintage pants to fit and also just finished this black shirt.

Speaking of outfits, let's take a closer look at what I'm wearing. The capris are vintage 50s or early 60s and they were my last vintage purchase before leaving Ohio. They were a steal at $10 and I knew I'd get loads of wear out of them in sunny Florida.

But they had two issues. 1) I didn't have anything to match them hence the new black blouse which we'll get to later. 2) The waist was a bit too big which caused some excess bunching of fabric in the crotch area when they sagged down from my actual waist. So I took them in at the waist a bit. Fitting of high waisted bottoms is a bit tricky. You need a lower crotch and a bit looser fit (especially if you are using a nonstretch fabric) so you can actually sit in the garment but it can feel a bit odd compared to modern pants.

I've been in need of a basic black blouse for a long time. So I ordered up some lovely black linen cotton blend. It's quite yummy and light. I used Butterick 7328 c. 1955 which I've made a couple of times before.

It's got this great yoke and gathers detail that I just love! I also love that the sleeveless version has the little parts that cover the top of the shoulder. That area of skin is really delicate and I burn pretty easily so extra coverage is always appreciated.

I finished the blouse with some small metal buttons from my stash. They give it a bit more personality than plain black buttons would have. When you are making an outfit out of basics, these little details keep it from being too boring.

Accessories also help make basics more interesting and add variety to your wardrobe. These two pieces are new great basics and I've also been shopping for some accessories which I hope to show you soon.

What did you do for Memorial Day Weekend?

My Current 1950s Wardrobe

After I posted about my 1950s wardrobe plan, I needed to evaluate what I already had in my closet and how those pieces fit into my plan. So here it is!

My main concerns with choosing pieces for the dress category were easy care, comfortable and cotton. Definitely thinking of summer weather! The first three are vintage- blue shirt waist, red and black sleeveless dress, orange and green shirtwaist dress. The last dress with red roses is a new make that I just finished.

Blouses are so key to a versatile wardrobe! I actually have quite a few but really only the blue one do I see working really well in my wardrobe. The blush colored one is vintage and lovely but not a good shade for my preferred neutrals of black and navy. The white sweater is nice but I'm not a huge fan of high necklines. The two printed blouses are fun but a bit loud for me. The yellow blouse is part of my patio set and I love it but it's made of some synthetic fabric and not good for super warm weather. So I have lots, but not a lot that I think will really work.

Two cardigans and two skirts. I love the teal skirt and I'll probably keep it in the mix. The kaki skirt is also nice but I have trouble deciding what colors to wear with it. It seems like all of the colors that would look good are not ones I like to wear too much. So I may make up this pattern again in a different color.

I also have two pair of capris-one vintage and one Freddies of Pinewood. I definitely want to keep the red pair in mind when adding blouses to my wardrobe.

And some possibilities for hats and gloves. These include some of my favorite hats. I threw in the yellow hat and gloves because I'm planning on adding a yellow dress or blouse/skirt combo to the mix. I have another white pair of gloves that I'm thinking of for pair number 4 but they are rather dingy and I'm trying to brighten them up. If that doesn't work, I'm thinking of dying them red. I've always wanted a pair of red gloves!

My 1950s Capsule Wardrobe Plan

So earlier this week, I shared my 1940s capsule wardrobe. I really started working on it at the beginning of this year and I'm so proud of it! But now it's time to work on my 1950s capsule wardrobe. I'm planning on a larger capsule wardrobe and I won't really be focusing on Fall/Winter at all since I'm now in Florida but I'm excited for it to get started.

I'm going to start with a quick list of what I'd like to have in my wardrobe and then I'll break it down to see what I have and what I still need to make. I chose to base my plan after this one from 1949. It's actually a vacation wardrobe for the woman who wants to see the world. The original plan:

• Two Suits: one tropical-weight grey worsted for travelling, with knife-pleat skirt and half-belted jacket; one fine black woollen tailor-made (the skirt can be worn with an off-the-shoulder pullover, to become an evening dress)

• Six dresses: print dinner dress; heavy crepe dress; four cotton dresses

• Undies: Petticoats, camiknickers and panties in the new nylon tricot; two brassieres; girdle; Six pairs of nylons

• Four pairs of shoes: bronze kid ankle straps; black suede ankle straps; black courts; tan walking shoes

• Two Pringle twin sets of cardigan and pullover, plus one black evening sweater

• Four hats

• Accessories: Four pairs of gloves; long woollen stole; three cotton headscarves; gold choker necklace (can be used on a belt for evening)

total: 30 pieces (not including the underwear)

My edited plan:

• Two skirts and two blouses: For me, I definitely won't get much use out of two woolen suits. So I'll be changing the two suits out for two skirts and two blouses. If I pick coordinating sweaters then I can still get that suit look without having an actual suit.
• Six dresses: I really like this category although I'll replace the heavy crepe dress for something more summer appropriate.
• Undies: I'm pretty good here though I could use a new slip.
• Four pairs of shoes: My interpretation of these shoes are metallic sandals, neutral strappy shoes, neutral pumps and neutral comfy flats. I have plenty of shoes so it shouldn't be hard to come up with four pair for my wardrobe.
• Two cardigans and two blouses + one for evening wear (?): Ok, so I'm swapping the pullover part of the cardigan for more blouses.  I also like the idea of having one top that could be worn with a skirt for evening wear but I do actually have evening wear already so that may or may not happen.
• Shorts: I'm adding in 1 pair of shorts because it's Florida.
• Four hats: Will definitely have plenty to choose from!
• Accessories: I can dig the 4 pairs of gloves but I doubt I'll need a stole or head scarves (all though it would be cool to have a few that matched some of the dresses) and I'll swap the gold choker necklace for my good old pearls.

total: 28 + I may swap in some other accessories for the hair scarves.

So it's definitely bigger than my 1940s capsule wardrobe but things were bigger in the 50s. (And it's still smaller than the Project 333 wardrobe suggestion of a 33 piece capsule wardrobe). In some categories, like dresses, I already have more than 6 50s dresses but I really want a color coordinated mix and match wardrobe. And I have other unique things, like my patio dress, that will just exist outside of the capsule wardrobe.

Blouses: 4

For blouses, I want one white, one black and the other two are sort of up for grabs. For the Florida summer, light weight natural fibers are a must. I'm currently sewing a black blouse but I still need a white blouse. The two bonus blouses I'll probably pull from ones I already have.

 Skirts: 2

I already have 2 circle skirts that could work depending on how my color palette develops. I am leaning towards black as my neutral color so a brown circle skirt may not work. I'd also like one less full skirt like maybe an a line.

Dresses: 6 (one "fancy" dinner dress, one medium fancy afternoon/tea dress, 4 cotton day dresses)

I currently have 2 light weight shirtwaist dresses and another one on my sewing table. And I do have some options for the more fancy dresses.

Cardigans: 2

I just purchased a cute white bolero and I'll probably include my go to red cardigan.

High Waisted Shorts: 1

I already planned on making a green pair of shorts. I also have a pair of jean sorts but they are a bit big now and I haven't decided if I should try to take them in (ugg topstitching) or just make a new pair.

Hats: 4

I definitely have plenty of hats. Deciding on just 4 will be the hard part!

Gloves and Shoes: 4 each

For gloves, I'm thinking black, white crochet and maybe one or two pair in a fun color. On the shoe front, I'm up for flats, flats and more flats. I also have a few pair of trusty wedges and my Remix sandals to throw in the mix!

Can't wait to get this finished so I can share it with you! And wear it, of course. I'm sure I'll change my mind on a few things but this is making some progress.

Errands and Hair Modeling

Dresses and crinolines are all very fun to wear but sometimes life calls for something a bit more practical. I love a good pair of pedal pushers for running around town. Which is why I opted for something casual for a day of errands.

I wore my Freddies with this fun BBQ print top. It's such a fun print! I'm not normally a huge novelty print person but this one is just too perfect.

I love a good mid-century print. There's something about the atomic 50s style designs that I love. Perhaps it's because they don't read juniors or little girl like some other novelty prints can. Cutesy prints just don't work on me.

I'm pretty sure there's my dream kitchen out there somewhere covered in this print!

Sometimes when you take outfit photos, you have an audience. There are a lot of people who enjoy walking their dogs in my neighborhood. On this day, several of them where hanging out letting their puppies have some social time.

So, I'm trying to look cool and fabulous taking photos in the median in the street and then this happens:

Ok, so maybe I don't have a career ahead of me as a hair model but the dog walking ladies thought I was a hoot.

My best tip for taking photos in public is to have fun with it. It can feel weird if there are other people around but if you have fun, they'll have fun too. It's is odd to be a blogger and to document so much of your life like this.

What's the silliest thing you've ever done in a photoshoot in a public place?