I Have Problems Communicating With the Establishment

Gloves Gloves Gloves

Wow, I've been really going for gold with the innovative titles recently huh. These photos are from a while ago, when I went to see Harry Potter 7 (something I was way too excited about) and do a spot of record shopping . I got Best Coast, Belle and Sebastian, CSS and The Kinks - it was actually the first time I've bought new records (although the Kinks - Give the People What They Want, is an old one), and I love them so much. Even though they're modern music there's still something so much more charming about hearing them on record, it makes them more real, and the music more tangible in a way. Anyway, the real excitement of this post is that I found gloves that fit! They were only $2 dollars and fit perfectly. I've been searching forever for some gloves that have long enough fingers.

Hmm.On reflection of these photos, my hair wasn't really coping with the wind and humidity as well as I thought it was. I need stronger hairspray. I've been trying to use ones that are made in New Zealand by companies that don't test on animals, but I shall have to keep searching.

Gloves - Secondhand store
Dress - Secondhand store (shortened by my lovely Mother)
Shoes - Vulcan Lane vintage market
Purse - Secondhand store
Sunglasses - Used to be my Mums

I Love Debbie Reynolds

 Photo above is from this amazing tumblr

Holiday Time Fashions - Seaside Holidays

To the Seaside!
Ideally, you'll need two swimsuits - one for swimming and one for sun-bathing. Don't bother to take sun-oil with you, the kind you find abroad is excellent and cheap.

Also, take a look at this old post about retro swimsuits.

Take a four-piece beach set :

Remember that most continental resorts object to tourists wandering about their streets in brief swimsuits, so take some sort of beach wrap or shift dress to slip over your swimsuit from hotel to beach.

Buy a sun-hat when you're there - they're much prettier on the continent.

You probably won't find it necessary to wear evening dress for dinner in the evening, but you should change into a light dress, so pack two or three.  Everything dries very quickly in hot climates, so take two changes of cotton undies. Try to avoid taking stiff, frilly petticoats; they are very hot and prickly and take up far too much room.

 

Nobody seems to wear stockings on continental seaside holidays but I should take a pair just in case! One pair of sandals should be enough and you'll find that these are very cheap abroad. Take a pair of little flat pumps or court shoes to wear with dresses.

 Try to avoid wearing cardigans in the evenings - they stamp you as an English tourist right away! If you do feel chilly, throw your cardigan around your shoulders or get a stole to match your dress

And to truly complete your beach wardrobe, how to make a poncho and beach bag (from 'Smart Girl' 1964) :

Movember III

The World Is Lazy, But You and Me We're Just Crazy

Holiday Time Fashions - Roughing It Holidays

As it is now school holidays I figured a post on holiday fashions was in order - the following has been adapted from 'Smart Girl' 1964, a Scottish girls' annual. This first installment is about 'Roughing It Holidays'. 

It's the thing now to be as different as you can when it comes to holidays. I know people who've been ski-ing on Scotland, hiking, pot-holing, Youth Hostelling, climbing, ponytrekking and I even ran across a very earnest type who went on an archaeological dig!
Listening to all the wonderful tales about holidays, I realised just how important the right clothes are - you can't scale Ben Nevis, for instance, in a flower-sprigged cotton dress! So let's take it from the top :

Everything must be highly packable; it must squeeze into the smallest knapsack or a single suitcase. Trousers of some sort are absolutely neccessary - blue jeans are ideal. Start off in the jeans, a shirt and serviceable jacket, anorak or windcheater, thick-soled walking shoes; pack or wear a thick sweater.


Take head-scarves and head-bands (the latter will keep you looking pretty in the evenings). Take quick-drying nylon underwear or cotton if you're going to a hot climate, and a pair of fold-up ballerina pumps.



You may need a dress for evenings (anyway, it's nice to be feminine sometimes!) so choose a simple style in one of the man-made fabrics, which will not crease inbearably. Allow for minimum make-up but take a tube of cold cream - nature really does take it out of the skin!



And you'll need stout socks inside those walking shoes. In hot weather you'll find walking in shorts much cooler so squeeze in a pair.

With these essentials you'll be set to enjoy a roughing it holiday!


(click on each picture for source)

Movember II

 An homage to some famous moustaches on the second-to-last day of Movember - the above picture is from here (one of the most rad blogs ever) and the first two below are from a fabulous blog post about none other than the humble moustache over at the selvedge yard (also one of the most rad blogs ever).

Oh and of course -

Growing Glorious Roses

I went the botanic gardens the other day (I love walking around old rose gardens) and it reminded me of how many articles about roses there are in the old girls' annuals I collect  (including June Book, which the above picture is from). I think that says a lot about the times - there are interviews with celebrities and fashion tips, but also craft projects and articles about rose growing. I wish that modern magazines aimed at young girls had things like that, but can you imagine what a 10 year old now would think about growing their own herb garden?! Another thing about old annuals is that they had no ads. Imagine that! Turning a page without having air-brushed consumerism being shoved in your face! I really think we've lost a lot of values in recent times, and I find it quite saddening. Anyway, below is the  outfit I wore around the gardens (under the scarf are my pincurls which were setting for that evening), and also some of the old rose articles - including one about cactus growing!

 

Movember

I'm not sure if they have this in other countries, but in New Zealand november doesn't exist - we have Movember instead, which raises awareness of prostate cancer. Thousands of men across the country are sponsored for embracing the fine art of moustache growing (becoming 'mo bros') and the proceeds go towards prostate cancer funds. I intended to celebrate Movember with a moustache post each week, however exams then proceeded to eat my life and here we are with malls already putting up christmas decorations. So, for the last few days of Movember I shall be displaying my large collection of '70s knitting patterns modelled by moustache clad gents in daily blog posts. Because nothing is more amusing than a quality '70s moustache. Happy Movember!

It takes a special kind of man to model matching knitwear.

Swotting

Hello again dear Chums!
Also in my Great Grandmothers album I found some lovely photos of her and friends (including future husband, Dick) 'swotting up' in 1939 - they are shown below with original captions. I'm afraid this blog may become a little desolate over the next few week as I also 'hit the books' (although not nearly as elegantly, I shouldn't think). It seems as though we only just finished our practise exams and now the real things are right around the corner! Anyway, I have a few things lined up which I will post sporadically in the coming month,
Until then, toodle-oo!

Nan     Alva     Trix   - Nov 1930

Alva and Dick

Alva swotting for 'C' - Nov 1939

Blog Award

One Lovely Blog Award!

The wonderful Annie from Annie Pancake and the Time Machine has given me this 'Lovely Blog' award - thank you so much! I love reading your blog as well :)
The conditions of the award are :

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog along with the name of the person who awarded it along with a link to their blog.
 
2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have recently discovered.

3. Contact those bloggers and let them know they've been chosen.


So, here are the 15 bloggers I pass this award on to -

• http://zoecullie.com/
  
• http://starshipnarcissus.blogspot.com/
• http://www.diaryofavintagegirl.com/
• http://aplusbinthesea.blogspot.com/
• http://vixenvintage.blogspot.com/
• http://esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com/
• http://miriamskafferep.blogspot.com/
• http://lettersfromhomefront.blogspot.com/
• http://2girls1orca1pukeko.blogspot.com/
• http://oldhatdiary.blogspot.com/
• http://coffeeandacardigan.blogspot.com/
• http://moderngirloldfashionedmen.blogspot.com/
• http://thegirlinthepaperdress.blogspot.com/
• http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/
• http://redlipsandcorsets.blogspot.com/

Halloween !

Dick 1927 - Masterton

Betty as a Daffodil, Alva as a Daisy

 

A few dressing up idea's from my Great-Grandmother Alva's photo album - Dick was her husband (my Great-Grandfather) and Betty her cousin. They probably weren't cotumes for halloween as it wouldn't have been celebrated here in the '20s, but they are darling nonetheless! October 31st is approaching and while personally I'm not much of a trick or treater,  I am going to a local halloween gig - we'll be having a ball like the 'Campers at Creepy Castle', except in costume. I haven't the faintest what to go as, so any ideas would be much appreciated!

Happy Tuesday! - The Editor