Thursday, March 16, 2017

Vintage Market Finds and a Few Extras

I went to wonderful event the other week - York Does Vintage. It's a great vintage fair in a beautiful Merchant Adventurers' Hall. The medieval guildhall itself is worth a visit, and during the fair you can get a pretty good look around and the entrance fee is reduced.


The fair itself has a lot of great vendors. There's usually tea and cakes being served by one of York's many outstanding cafes. And there's some live music and possibly some workshop - last time it was decoupage.

I've been to a few of them, and I always come back with something pretty. I want to share a few of my finds from the fair and then a couple of things I got from here and there.


I am absolutely in love with this red silk Laura Ashley blouse (I apologize for the quality of the photos, I don't have a proper camera ATM). It's not a true vintage, but it can be styled in a few ways to give it a distinct 1940s look. I can see it with a pencil skirt for a glamorous seductive look or with a a pair of high-waisted trousers for a more day-to-day style.

This beaded belt with a thistle is gorgeous. I was quite surprised that none of the beads were missing. I think I would wear it with something light and flow-y.


I also got this lovely Stratton compact with tiny black birds. I started collecting compacts recently, and since I love everything bird related, I could not pass it by. I could not date it, but I found it on Etsy and the seller there suggests that it was made between 1960-68.


Finally, from Sue Ryder I got a pair of lovely soft cream colored gloves. I think they are divine with the little flower embroidery. And from an antique book store I picked up this book on how to be the perfect 1930s host or hostess. It's an eye opener and I will share many of the delightful tidbits of information from it really soon.

That's all for now. Until my next shopping spree.            

Friday, March 3, 2017

Beauty Tips from the 1940s

I found these wonderful beauty tips in Teen-Age Diary Secrets comic book from 1949. I love old comic books, and I will be posting a lot more of them here in the future. Romance comics were a particularly popular genre after WWII. Some of the earlier stuff can be pretty racy. Those oriented towards a female readership often carry articles about beauty, personal daintiness and social graces. Some are interesting, some are entertaining, and some are unintentionally hilarious. This post is about tips that are actually some what useful today. 
The advice on nails is pretty good. My nails are a little on the boxy side and I have used this technique to slim them down and give them an illusion of length (sorry, no pictures at present. I haven't got any nail polish right now).     
Most of us have used a hair band at least at some point in our life, but it seems that in the 40s this was something of a novelty. Though, I would not recommend using an actual rubber band. It can damage your hair. Also, I have never been a "barber at heart" and so cannot say much about this hair cutting technique. Please let me know if you have used a razor and what were the results.    
These days it seems more common to pick out a lipstick based on your skin tone. But next time I'm buying one, I will definitely think more about the lighting. As per this tip, something like this would be appropriate for evening wear:
NARS semi matte fuchsia
While this would be more suitable for daytime ware:
Yves Saint Laurent Orange Indie
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