Some shoes call for a touch of style, flair and drama!
These brown shoes sat around for a year waiting to be kicked up a notch and then last Sunday that's just what happened!
Then colorful detail was added!
Now they are not boring atall!
~*~
Hope you will consider painting a pair for yourself and let's dance into a inspired week together!
xox
Constance
Last Saturday the shop Fashion Revival hosted a Vintage Fashion Show in downtown Jefferson. Marsha Thomas, who runs the Opera House Theatre furnished the collection.
An excellent trio played background music, mainly from the 1930's and 40's.
Here is some of what we saw. A wool bathing gown from the 1920's~
Wool bathing gown from the 1930's~
An evening gown and bag from the 1030's. The chiffon scarf was often used in conjunction with the evening bag, we learned.
Above a bathing suit from the 40's. Although there were no bikini's modeled during the show, my mother remembers her friend wearing one in San Francisco in 1946.
Dress from the 40's.
Bathing suit from the 50's.
Bathingsuit's from the 60's
No, these suit's wern't seen at the show, these are Rudi Gernreich's Monokini's from the 60's.
Here's a hotpants disco outfit from the 1970's
Super glad the days of wool bathing costumes are long gone, arn't you?
Hope you enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane!
xox
Constance
I wast reminded of the designer recently when a friend gave me a collection of bookmarks with quotes for cooks. My favorite one:
"A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness".
Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli taught me much. I was lucky to see her show in Philadelphia with my oldest friend Leslie, six years ago. We spent two and a half hours in awe of her talent that day, the longest I've ever spent at a museum show.
The designer with no prior knowledge, created her very first evening dress by sewing it onto herself before going to a party one evening with her brother. She hand designed it with no training, in just a few hours. Her creation turned out to be a big hit that evening!
I can't pinpoint exactly what I saw or heard that day at the show, but what I took away was this: Something infused into my being, about how to create and alter clothing that fit. Thank you Elsa!
Do you know Elsa Schiaparelli?
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Today these walls also remind me of a foggy evening in February of 1964, when I was eight years old, of two of the most memorable nights of my life. Around this table we sat, my mom, dad, grandma Eva, my brother, and I, just finishing up dessert, when my father announced that he wanted to ask my mom and I a question.
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He explained that recently he had seen women downtown who were wearing pierced ears. I was curious, but not for sure what pierced ears were. Still, I knew I was a big fan of my mom's earring collection!! He went on to say, that he wanted to know if my mom and I were interested in having our own ears pierced? His selling point was, that we could wear earrings without loosing them, also noting that he thought pierced ears looked pretty and "in".
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I thought to myself. " Wow!! Me wearing earrings, YES"!!??
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Next, he explained how he had gone to speak to a doctor during his lunch hour, one that instructed him on how to pierce ears. In these days, only doctors pierced ears. My mom and I looked at each other smiled and said; "Yes, we do want pierced ears"! We said it sounded fabulous!
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"Are you kidding"? My New York grandma shouted! Not believing what she had heard and stared at my dad with disbelief. She thought my dad had gone completely mad and out of his mind. Even my older brother bet me I would never go though with it, because he knew how much I detested needles and shots.
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My brother had a good point, but the next night after dinner around this same table, I ended up winning the bet. My father, pierced my mom's ears first, then mine, using a sterilized needle and a large carafe wine cork to stabilize the prick behind the ear. As he pierced my ears I didn't cry at all, then afterword ran to gaze at my ears in the mirror with those little gold earring posts and liked what I saw!!
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My Grandma Eva was disgusted and retired to her room in "a huff". I won the bet with my brother, but most importantly~~~~~This turned out to be one of happiest days of my life. I adore having pierced ears, never having regretted this decision and have worn earrings most every day since.
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Having pierced ears remind me of my father and that makes me smile~
Do you have a memory about when you had your ears pierced, I'd like to hear!
xox
Constance
I stumbled upon this slip of paper yesterday and smiled. Last New Year's eve my Goddaughter Jacqueline and her brother William (four and six years at the time), helped to create party favors for our special dinner that evening. Their mission was to think up special wishes and I posed as their scribe. We rolled the papers and placed them into miniature trophies. After dinner each guest took turns reading aloud our good fortunes and laughed until we cried. So, yesterday when I rediscovered my little party favor, I realized that I did in fact end up with a beautiful new dress this year!
Remember this bolero I started awhile back, created out of silk pillow shams?
Here it is ~ fini!!
Here is the dress that goes underneath
A detail of the back of the bolero....
and a closeup of the front of the bodice.
Also, a detail from the back of dress.
I have worn it twice and like it very much. No pictures to prove it though, as I'm usually the one holding the camera!
xox
Constance
P.S.
Noelle gave me a pair of green Michael Kors pants last March that actually fit, a miracle! A new dress and some new pants. What good fortune I have!!
American Woman:
Fashioning a National Identity
May 5, 2010–August 15, 2010
It explores developing perceptions of the modern American woman from 1890 to 1940 and how they have affected the way American women are seen today.
Focusing on archetypes of American femininity through dress, the exhibition reveals how the American woman initiated style revolutions that mirrored her social, political, and sexual emancipation.
"Gibson
Girls," "Bohemians," and "Screen Sirens,"
among others, helped lay the foundation for today's American woman.
All information and photos credit found here. If you are unable to see the exhibition in person, be sure to scroll down and check out the Youtube! Fabulous!
A silk bolero is in the works, created out of two embroidered pillow shams, and piped in some dark coral colored silk (purchased at Goodwill in New Orleans). It's lined in some coordinating fabric from Thailand, a gift from my friend Phil. Also on the sewing table a matching dress, fashioned out of an oyster color dust ruffle that matches the pillow shams. Piecing it together has been a mind twister. A good mental puzzle.
An oyster colored velvet drawstring bag ~
With a galloping horse medallion. There are tassels also embellishing the bag, repeating the idea of a horses tail.
Also a Coral drawstring bag ~
Both have been boxed up and sent to Dallas, as they will be part of a silent auction raisning money for the Humane Society.
All net proceeds from the first annual Spotlight Humane: Dallas
gala will benefit the campaign to Stop Puppy Mills. Spotlight Humane:
Dallas will feature cocktails, a gourmet dinner, as well as
entertainment and a silent and live auction. Date: March 26, 2010
Location: Dallas, Texas. For more info please email: RSVP@humanesociety.org
Special order for Christina~
A little girls cashmere jacket for Jacqueline~
& Calling Cards and Case for Molly~
Looking up at a beautiful Gray~Blue day, makes me happy!
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On January 25, Lisa Oceandreamer will host the third annual One World ~ One Heart event for ALL! This is a fabulous chance to meet like~minded people all over the world and win beautiful things too! Link here, to find out how you can to participate.
Hope to see you there!
xox
Constance
Grab your muff, and lets stroll back in time...
Before blue jeans and yoga pants existed ~
You would really need to really work up an incredible "do", m'dear.
And wear just the "right" chapeau to pull your ensemble together.
Ostrich feathers look nice and make a woman seem taller than she is.
And what about slippers? Make mine silk balerines with leopard spots, please.
Why wear black and white?
When there are so many rich colors to chose from?
Such elegance and attention to detail. The gowns featured above, are fashions dating back to the late 1700's & the early 1800's. The illustrations were discovered at The Gallery of Fashion!
Davenport, Millia. The Book of Costume. Volume I. New York: Crown Publishers, 1948.
Druesedow, Jean L. In Style: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Costume Institute. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.
