Holiday Time Fashions - Touring Holidays

 

The last of my 'Holiday Time Fashions' set - accompanied by photos from my family's own touring holiday. We took a day trip while in Northland up to Cape Reinga, which is the very top of the country, and utterly spectacular. The huge numbers of tourists irritated me a little - mainly because I think playing music off your cell phone is a little disrespectful at a place believed to be the 'launching place' of spirits into the next world,and where two oceans collide, but hey, that's just me. So a bit of etiquette advice to go with the following fashion tips - be respectful. Don't run in the art gallery or spit at the statues. Although I'm sure none of you lovely readers would ever think of doing such things :) Without further ado - the 'Touring Holiday'!

This is an opportunity for wearing lots of pretty two-pieces and smart, citified cottons. Go in for fabrics with crease-resistant finishes to avoid lots of pressing when you arrive.

Take two skirts, one straight, the other pleated, and several cool shirts and tops. 

Trousers are all right for loafing around, but choose your tops cleverly so that the effect is neat and crisp. 

You'll need walking shoes and sandals and a pair of smart shoes with little heels.

Towelling for the Beach

It's bright and exciting . . . it's a must for your summer wardrobe!

Terry Towelling has been with us for years but never in such a wide range of fashionable colours and contemporary patterns. Ideal for the beach because it is so absorbent, easy to wash, and doesn't crush or fade, towelling is all the rage overseas. Large reversible and striped beach sheets are not only a smart accessory for your beach wardrobe, but also make wonderful wrap-arounds for wet costumes. Available by the yard, and ranging in price from 15 to 30 shillings a yard, towelling is the answer for the home dressmaker. The styles shown on these pages were designed by Anthony Horderns to give you an idea of just what can be done with towelling. They are simple, practical, and easy to copy.

*Text and pictures derived from an article in 'PIX' magazine, from January 19, 1957

 

I can completely testify to the wonders of Terry Towelling, which I've always had a bit of a soft spot for. I've spent a lot of time this summer in the towelling wrap around below (although that photo was taken in my backyard), which I gto from Peachy Keen last year for my birthday. It's completely and utterly perfect. Sorry for my complete absence lately, I turned 16 and have spent a lot of time sleeping since. I have a whole lot of posts coming up though!

Summer Polaroids - Beach

Summer Polaroids - Blackberry Picking

 Subtle.

Summer Polaroids - The Swimming Hole

Photos from our trip up north - I didn't take any of them, but I did put them through the polaroid machine, which is exciting every time! We stayed with my Aunty, Uncle, and cousins at their house in Ahipara, which is right at the bottom of 90-mile beach, and pretended to be country children for a week.

This Train Goes to Nowhere

This was my outfit on Christmas day - a little blue and white '60s two piece from Peachy Keen Vintage. I went away for a week that evening (hence the suitcase) and am off again up north for another week tomorrow, so posts shall be sparse for awhile longer!
The title of this post is from a song by The Electric Confectionnaires. I wish that we were going on holiday by train, as much fun as a long car journey with younger siblings sounds. The combination of seeing too many trains in movie scenes but not going on them very much in reality makes them seem dreadfully exciting, and I always expect to have profound philosophical revelations on them. My best friend and I did a SCUBA diving course just before Christmas and there was so much suspense while we waited for the train each morning and afternoon. I think we were both waiting for Narnia to appear, or the birds to start attacking, or something. All we got was an old lady (in roughly her 70s) with violently fire-truck red hair and a leopard print shirt who walked past. Which was pretty darned exciting nonethless, but not exactly life-changing.

I'm not really one for New Years resolutions, but I did have a look back and realise how boring I am in all my outfit photos, so I have decided to take inspiration from all the '60s knitting patterns on my wall, like these (which are all from le internet as I am too lazy to scan my ones, click each for source):

The results - 

I look a little like an enlightened meerkat, but that's okay - we all have to start somewhere, right?

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) :