Everyday 1940s Style

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Hi Everyone, 

I have been really inspired by 1940s looks lately. I have a couple of dresses and a pair of high-waisted shorts in my own collection that fit the era pretty well. I also have a couple of books about 1940s style that I like to read and re-read every now and then (If you are interested I will list the books at the bottom of the post). 

I decided to share some real pictures -though you can never really tell - of everyday women in the 1940s. I wanted to show the more casual side of the era and not just swim-suits, or nurses or actresses in formal attire. I love how simple the looks are and how big a part the hair and make-up plays in the overall style. I think there are some very cute feminine outfits from this era, but I also enjoy looking at pictures of women with their wide-leg pants, turbans and sunglasses. I hope you enjoy these pictures I found.

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If you want to see where the pictures originally came from click on the "~" symbol underneath each one. 

The books I mentioned earlier are:

- '1940s Hairstyles (second Edition) by Daniela Turuditch

- 'The Golden Age of Couture (Paris and London 1947 to 1957)' by Claire Wilcox

- 'Forties Fashion (From Siren Suits to the New Look)' by Jonathon Walford

- 'Style me Vintage: 1940s' by Liz Tregenza

Please let me know if you know of any other 1940s era style books that I should check out.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

5 Cool Instagram Accounts: Vintage Style

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Hi Everyone,

While I don't have an Instagram for my blog, I do have a private personal Instagram account where I follow heaps of cool vintage enthusiast ladies, make-up artists, art artists, quote sharers and people I know in real life. I recently saw a really cool article about an instagram account doing the rounds on facebook that inspired me to share some of my favourite accounts with you guys. If you are anything like me, you probably only find new accounts to follow through what your friends like, blogs/pages you follow on other social media and what instagram recommends... 

I think instagram is a great place to be inspired, waste time and share images. I have so many favourites, but I thought I would limit it to five. That way, I can write more posts in this series and share some more of my favourite accounts as time goes by. 

I am going to embed posts here, so I apologize in advance if it goes a little funky on any devices you might be using to read this...

Here they are :-) 

A photo posted by Miss Nadia Faye (@nadiafaye) on May 9, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

A photo posted by Ruby (@missrubyrabbit) on Apr 25, 2016 at 2:01am PDT

A photo posted by Ella (@missvictoryviolet) on May 12, 2016 at 1:36pm PDT

A photo posted by Ida Cathrine (@idacath) on Mar 2, 2016 at 5:11am PST

A photo posted by Samantha Esther (@miss_samanthaesther) on May 21, 2016 at 3:40pm PDT

I decided not to write my own captions, because I feel like these pictures speak for themselves.

I think it's cool to follow other vintage enthusiast accounts because I like to see how different ladies put their own spin on the retro style. It's also cool to see how different people make the style work for them in their climate/location, career/lifestyle and with different colouring/body-shapes. It's a great place to get outfit ideas and to find out about repro brands and online stores.

Feel free to share your favourite instagram account names in the comments.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie

Pretty Picture Post: Stockings and Shoes

Hi Everyone,

It's been a little while since I posted some pretty pictures and I thought this time I would do something different and post some vintage shoe and stocking ads. I've never been a big shoe lover. I like them, I'm just not as shoe obsessed as some people might expect me to be. I've got about ten or so pairs of ballet flats and a few pairs of heels/wedges that spend a lot of time collecting dust in the bottom of my cupboard. Not a small collection by any means, but I definitely don't need to buy a new bookcase to store them.

I think the reason that I've never been a real big shoe lover is because my long skinny feet which are not the same size as each other, aren't always easy to fit into shoes (I tend to find that I'm between sizes). I'm also not a huge fan of anything with a thin heel or a heel over 3 inches high. I may have taken a lot of dance classes, but my balance is not THAT good. I also can be really fussy about the design of the back of the shoe and I like my shoes to be mostly closed in because I don't like my feet a great deal and I don't really do the whole pedicure thing (which is also probably a surprise because I'm almost always sporting a manicure with some kind of nail art).

One of my favourite things about wearing vintage style is that you aren't required to wear heels to suit the look. Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly were often spotted wearing cute ballet flats, penny loafers or sandals with their daytime outfits on or off screen. When ladies wore heels they didn't look like they had bricks or spaceships on their feet. In the earlier eras heels were quite small which made them perfect for dancing. Whether you have a room full of shoes or just a few pairs, I hope you enjoy this post of pretty advertisements and catalog pages.

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The shoes shown in the pictures above are from a few different eras. I love the maryjane style shoes of the 20's and 30's, the wedges of the 1940's, the 1950's details and the funky designs of the 60's. I probably wouldn't wear all of the shoes pictured as some are just a little too out-there for me and some look just a little too wobbly or high for my taste. I think some of those bejeweled 1950's evening heels are so fun to look at. They are the things of fairytales. I'm also saying that because the only way I could probably walk in them them or have a place to wear them would also be in a fantasy realm.

There are definitely some taller designs out there in the wide web, but this is my Musings post so I wanted to share the designs that I like the best. I think its really interesting to look at how shoe designs have changed over the years and see which aspects of the design stay in fashion or make comebacks. For Example I know a lot of people find it surprising that wedge shoes were a 1940's thing and I like that a good pair of black maryjane shoes or T-bar shoes can be worn with a huge variety of outfits regardless of which era your outfit is inspired by.

As far as stockings go, I think they can really add to the vintage aesthetic and I adore the advertisements. I don't wear thigh-highs in real life though because of the hassle of getting them to stay up. They look great in pictures etc though. I think seamed stockings, patterned tights and hosiery with other details are cute but not if there is too much fidgeting involved. Getting seams to sit straight on these bowed legs? I've got better things to waste my time on. Also because of availability reasons and needing a pair of stockings in a longer length I find that plain old beige/tan is the best way to go for most occasions.

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures I found and if you want to go to the image source click on the little star underneath the picture. 

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie