tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54144416775791525562024-03-13T20:10:10.347+11:00Vintage suburbiaA mother of two surviving the dullness of suburbia through style, glamour and her love of all things vintageVintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-54599471704255956042013-11-05T22:17:00.000+11:002013-11-05T22:17:38.956+11:00Vintage Shopping in LA - the best shops to visit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, its been a long time between posts - work and family life have distracted me so please forgive the delay.</div>
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Today I want to share the best bits of my LA Vintage Shopping trip which I did with my lovely vintage friends in April/May this year.</div>
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I am an avid etsy buyer so I was not sure how actual 'real life' vintage shopping would compare (in Australia, the prices are much much higher in bricks and mortar stores). I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised and absolutely LOVED being able to feel fabric and try things on. I have since really decreased my online shopping and am now saving up to go back to the States in 2013 (Chicago I think).</div>
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But back to LA. For my money, the top shops in LA are as follows:</div>
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(1) The LA Vintage Expo (held a few times a year) - hands down the best vintage fair I have been to - there are sellers from all over the West coast, there is a great variety of styles and prices, all very good quality and a great atmosphere (I also saw Dita and Kramer there - win!).</div>
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(2) The shops on Long Beach, LA - Sneaky Tiki, Meow Vintage and Inretrospect (I have posted photos of these below). These are all within walking distance of each other on E 4th Street and are great stores. Prices are reasonable and the stock is in very good condition. There are good cafes on the street so it is lovely place to spend the morning (or day!).</div>
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(3) Playclothes in Burbank <a href="http://www.vintageplayclothes.com/index.htm">http://www.vintageplayclothes.com/index.htm</a> (I have put the link for this here as I didn't take any photos on that day)</div>
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OK, lets see some photos . . . </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz7PpOGWTdiPelhvgl8L1-wjxhX9N6jlwgzWYBGoy8CFKbGuslRAv4h7Pzh0JP5ygFxcijhRduwYGPws-1T4d-Rh5KdBY0rkCkoZmHbyEgwm09FLWDWeU-cDnnNwCzF7whomcNLzK2mI/s1600/2013-04-30+05.20.25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFz7PpOGWTdiPelhvgl8L1-wjxhX9N6jlwgzWYBGoy8CFKbGuslRAv4h7Pzh0JP5ygFxcijhRduwYGPws-1T4d-Rh5KdBY0rkCkoZmHbyEgwm09FLWDWeU-cDnnNwCzF7whomcNLzK2mI/s400/2013-04-30+05.20.25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sneaky Tiki is a good place to start your shopping day on "Retro Row" in Long Beach. It is a small shop, but the quality is very good and the prices very reasonable. The sales assistant was quite friendly - there was a fairly large group of us (about 10) and she let us just browse and make noise and try stuff on to our hearts content. There is a really good coffee shop selling bagels, paninis and the like just nearby.<br />
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Meow Vintage - this shop is great. It is very large and, again, the range and prices are very good. The seller was also relaxed about our group taking over the shop. She also sells at The Vintage Expo. I bought 3 beaded cardigans from her and they are beautiful (averaged around $60, which is very good as they were near perfect). She also has a good range of funkier stuff like Mexican jackets and skirts (I want to go back there to buy them!)</div>
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Inside Meow Vintage - so funky!!</div>
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Don't you just love these old fridge doors (used for the changing rooms) - I want these at my house!</div>
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Me (on the right) getting ready to try stuff on. Happy times!</div>
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A better photo of some of the stock.</div>
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The third great store in Long Beach is the 'vintage collective' type shop called Inretrospect (different booths from different sellers in one large building). This had quite a bit of furniture in it, but also a good range of vintage purses, suitcases and clothes. I bought a great woven basket purse there for $40.<br />
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I LOVE vintage suitcases and would have taken these home in a heart beat if I could have. But I guess they are not very practical (I do like my modern wheeler ones). I guess someone smart could put wheels on these vintage ones, but I guess that would ruin them . . . </div>
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Opposite Introspect is a beautiful art deco cinema and cafe. A great way to end your shopping day on 4th ave Long Beach</div>
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I hope you enjoyed my little summary of vintage shops in LA and that you make it here one day. It really is vintage heaven!</div>
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Happy shopping!</div>
Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-39141813130805757872013-06-25T03:29:00.001+10:002013-06-25T03:29:09.965+10:00Eating, drinking and more shopping in Portland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During my recent visit to Portland, I managed to squeeze in a little bit of sightseeing in between my vintage shopping expeditions (see previous post!).</div>
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I have been starved of English books of late (I am currently living in France), so I made a bee line for book heaven - Powell's Books in downtown Portland - which is quite famous and very very good! </div>
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Unfortunately due to my luggage restrictions I could not buy any books, but did stock up on a few of my favourite magazines.</div>
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Next stop was the <a href="http://www.acehotel.com/portland">Ace Hotel</a> where they serve the famous 'Stumptown' coffee which is an artisan company in Portland who roast coffee - see <a href="http://stumptowncoffee.com/education-overview/roasting/">Stumptown coffee roasting</a>. It was very nice coffee. And I say that as someone who is very very fussy about coffee. . . (I am a Melbournite after all!)</div>
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Ace Hotel, Portland</div>
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Old building near Ace Hotel, Portland</div>
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In addition to coffee, I had some great wine and food in Portland. As I was channeling all my cash into vintage, I did not spend a lot on food - but this is where Portland is great. Practically every restaurant has a nightly happy hour where you can purchase reasonably-priced drinks (glasses of wine for $5-6) and plates of food (smaller versions of the dishes you could get at dinner). </div>
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One of the highlights was the restaurant on the 30th floor of one of the office buildings in Portland - the <a href="http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/">Portland City Grill</a>. I had a glass of great white wine and the Salmon fish cakes - they were sooo nice!</div>
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On my last day, I sampled a meal from the famous food vans in Portland - these are uber trendy spots in Portland where you can get a cheap meal and sit in a nearby park. I had an interesting lunch plate from the Ethiopian food van - the beef was sort of warmish rather than hot which made me a little concerned. But I survived! I have to say that although they are very cute, the whole 'food van' thing is not my scene. Give me a glass of wine, some salmon and a great view any day.</div>
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Some of the famous food vans in downtown Portland.</div>
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So there you go, a little snippet of my trip to Portland. I would highly recommend a visit to Portland - its quite cheap and easy to fly there from LA and is an interesting spot. The people are also very very nice. The only thing I would say that it is perhaps not as 'weird' as it makes out (the slogan for Portland is 'Keep Portland Weird'). I thought I would see a lot of kooky outfits and people with red hair, but everything was pretty tame in comparison to our 'quirky' area of Collingwood and Fitzroy in Melbourne where anything is the go. So, just bear that in mind. Its not as 'weird' as you might expect!</div>
Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-2309400509040392762013-06-24T07:45:00.000+10:002013-06-24T07:45:38.008+10:00My vintage shopping trip to Portland!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Portland Center for the Performing Arts - Alrlene Schnitzer Concert Hall</div>
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I recently came back from a vintage shopping trip to the US and had the most amazing time. First stop was Portland - a city I have been wanting to visit for a few years now. As my fellow vintage lovers would know, there is a very good vintage scene there and a number of my favourite etsy sellers (eg <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/FabGabs">FabGabs</a>) and bloggers (<a href="http://www.vixen-vintage.com/">Vixen Vintage</a>) are based there. It also has a lovely 'real' store called 'Xtbay Vintage' (which also has an etsy site, but the main store is the physical spot in the suburbs of Portland).<div>
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First stop, I stayed away from the city centre, in a B&B called 'Clinton Guest House'. I always trawl through Tripadvisor for quirky places to stay. This time around the boutique hotels were out of my price range, but I am glad I stayed at Clinton Guest house as it was lovely and quiet and the breakfasts were <u>divine.</u> I always enjoy having breakfast with fellow travellers and getting some inside knowledge of the area and my hosts were great. I think the lady thought I was funny though because I was talking about how I was on a vintage shopping trip, yet I wore the same cardigan every day (this is explained by the fact that I totally underpacked thinking it would be hot, but it was in fact very cold!). The area where the guesthouse is located was lovely - the residents obviously take great pride in their houses and gardens . . . <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBAvOoFVZRkUf3mkrCeVdEhAZdY5rPRx0Pk0v7KXBWcZRkJt9et3bXloJq8TIE0FK0oLcS-QDTbL1wt7tUralISa5tM-DnO03bFQ4Pa8DnlaaPGgQPUDWKqv1rgDSyqIw3xrnyLrat9A/s1600/canon+as+as+23+june+2013+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghBAvOoFVZRkUf3mkrCeVdEhAZdY5rPRx0Pk0v7KXBWcZRkJt9et3bXloJq8TIE0FK0oLcS-QDTbL1wt7tUralISa5tM-DnO03bFQ4Pa8DnlaaPGgQPUDWKqv1rgDSyqIw3xrnyLrat9A/s640/canon+as+as+23+june+2013+148.jpg" width="640" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cnr of SE Clinton and Cesar</div>
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Portland is also quite an environmentally-friendly town, and lots of people ride bikes. I went on a bike tour on my first day there, and it was obvious that cycling is highly thought of in the city - with bike lanes everywhere and lots of facilities for cyclists.</div>
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Portland celebrates bicycles!</div>
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Unfortunately it was raining for most of the time I was in Portland (which I understand is very common there, I think I read it rains something like 250 days of the year!). It is nice gentle rain, but just enough to deter me from getting out my camera. These shots were taken on my last day when the sun came out . . .<br />
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Anyway, back to most important thing - vintage! I visited some great stores - first stop Xtbay where I got a lovely 40s dress (only $120 thank you) and an amazing Vera Maxwell dress and coat ensemble. The latter is <u>very</u> Betty Draper.<br />
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I will have to get a proper outfit shot of me wearing this ensemble so you can see what it looks like properly, but you can see it is a great abstract print - which is matched by the lining in the jacket. I love this sort of ensemble and so snapped it up when I saw it in the shop. Xtabay is well worth a visit if you are in Portland - everything is clean and well-ordered and the owner has some fantastic items. I also thought the prices were very reasonable considering the quality of the garments (although I am from Australia where vintage is <u>very</u> expensive).</div>
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Some more bargains. . . </div>
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A Samsonite hat box (with the previous owners initials stencilled at the top - love!). I purchased this at a nondescript antique warehouse I was going past on my walk at the edge of the city centre - and it was only $45 - again a steal in Australian terms - these normally go for $150 or thereabouts in shops!</div>
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(excuse the errant red shoe in the above photo!)</div>
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And of course, no shopping trip would be complete without a lucite bag. This one is a Dorset Rex and although the leather shows a bit of wear, it is fabulous. When I get home to Australia I will hunt down some leather wear to match this colour (possibly?!) and hopefully I can rejuvenate the leather a bit. If not, it is still great! (and again a great price at $40). I purchased this at Magpie Vintage in the city centre, which was also a great store.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">There is a great online guide to vintage in Portland, at </span><a href="http://www.shopvintageportland.com/" style="text-align: center;">Vintage shopping Portland guide</a><span style="text-align: center;"> (complete with maps)</span><span style="text-align: center;">.</span><br />
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In addition to the shops I mentioned above, I would also recommend</div>
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- <a href="http://www.decadesvintage.com/index.shtml">Decades Vintage</a> - small shop but full of reasonably-priced, well cared for vintage items - good mix of mens and women's and some nice lucite bags and jewellery</div>
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I visited a couple of others which were just so-so. Ray's Ragtime for instance, had a lot of vintage, but not much in the way of 'quality vintage' and anything half-decent was hanging up near the ceiling. Not a fan of that.</div>
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I tried to make it to Lulu's Vintage which regularly wins awards, but it only opens on Saturdays so I missed out on that. The shop looks quite cute from the outside, but fairly small.</div>
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So all in all, my vintage shopping experience in Portland was great - the shops are all easily accessible by foot or public transport and the prices are very reasonable. As a girl who loves her etsy, it was actually really nice to be able to shop in a 'real store' and try on things before buying them. Although I will continue to buy things on etsy (of course!) my recent trip made me fall in love all over again with bricks and mortar stores. I find that when I shop like this I buy things which fit perfectly and therefore which I get great wear out of.</div>
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Stay tuned for a little bit more of Portland (importantly a run down on the best happy hour spots!) and then on to LA vintage shopping. . . .</div>
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Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-42527718090317771202013-04-09T23:17:00.000+10:002013-04-09T23:17:01.153+10:00I am back, and going to Portland and LA <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bagdad Theatre, Portland</div>
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Dear all<br />
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Sorry I have been absent from my blog for so long. The good news is that I finally submitted my thesis and it passed, so I am celebrating by going on a vintage-hunting trip to Portland and LA in April-May.<br />
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I have been wanting to go to Portland for ages, it looks like such an interesting, arty and creative place, and seems to have FANTASTIC vintage shops. And of course, one of my favourite bloggers, Solanah from Vintage Vixen lives there.<br />
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I will be taking my camera so will be doing quite a few posts about vintage shopping in the US. Let me know if there are any particular shops you would like me to visit.<br />
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Thanks for your patience, and I will catch up soon,<br />
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Maria, aka Vintage Suburbia<br />
<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-11734161893890031762012-11-20T00:01:00.001+11:002012-11-20T00:01:22.790+11:00Life in France<div>
Sorry it has been a long time between posts, but as usual my life is fairly hectic at the moment. I have a rather large and looming deadline - that being my 90,000 word PhD thesis which is due mid-December. So you will have to excuse me but I will be absent from the blogging world for a few more weeks. In the meantime, these are some snippets of my life in France - which at the moment consists of cold weather, wine and food!</div>
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Au revoir for the moment, and I will see you all in December.</div>
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Thank you so much, Maria (aka Vintage Suburbia)</div>
Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-80767016495939064202012-10-19T20:28:00.003+11:002012-10-19T20:28:58.282+11:00A Lovely Vintage Carousel in France<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Recently I took my two young children on the train from our home in Grenoble to a nearby town, Valence in the South-East of France. The train ride was only one hour, but rather stressful as my kids insisted on acting up and fighting with each other . . . sacre bleur as the French would say. But the ride was almost worth it when I saw this lovely vintage carousel . . .</div>
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My four year old boy riding the plane.</div>
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Most French towns have a small carousel in the middle of the town, which is a lovely feature of French villages, and also gives adults a chance to have a break from their kids for at least five minutes! We have a nice carousel in our home town of Grenoble, but this one in Valence is one of the nicest ones I have seen. It was very old-fashioned and was in perfect condition.</div>
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There was also a lovely hot air balloon on the carousel . . .</div>
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I actually took these photos with my new(ish) Samsung phone. I was very dubious about how they would look on the web, but I am pleasantly surprised. The ones taken when the carousel are moving are a bit blurry, but the others are actually not too far off a proper camera. I am impressed!<br />
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Stay tuned for more on vintage and living in France . . . </div>
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<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-70509637961484906652012-10-03T19:51:00.000+10:002012-10-03T19:52:51.655+10:00Pin up Sailor Swimsuit by the pool<div style="text-align: center;">
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This is my last instalment of posts from my lovely trip to Spain in August (we travelled to Cartagena for a friend's wedding). The weather was perfect, not too hot, not to cold so a swim was in order . . .</div>
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<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">As I have a curvy figure and pale complexion I have to put a little effort into assembling a swimming outfit - I can't just pick a bikini off the rack and hope it will look OK! I had decided on a nautical theme for my outfits so I hunted down this fantastic retro swimsuit on etsy (thank you Heather from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/TheRedDolly">The Red Dolly</a>!). I like the fact that it is stripy on the top and navy on the bottom which I think may be more flattering for my type of figure. I am glad I didn't go with my original plan, which was striped all over. I had ummed and ahhed about whether to get an original 50s swimsuit or replica, but the originals tend to be expensive and you can run into problems with elastic that has wasted away and so on. I am very glad that I bought this replica - it is made of good quality fabric and fits like a glove.</span></h1>
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We stayed at a place called 'Roda Golf and Beach resort' near Murcia in Spain. The pool was lovely and clean and the accommodation is very reasonable. However, the 'beach resort' is actually 40 kms away (a bit of poetic licence used in the brochure I think!).</div>
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Its a pity that I had to ruin the look by actually getting in the pool and swimming. It didn't do my red lipstick any favours I can tell you (I ended up with red smear all over my face, which my 8 year old daughter found very hilarious).</div>
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Good luck with finding your favourite swimsuit this summer season (that applies to my Australian friends, my US and European followers will have to wait a bit longer for summer I'm afraid!).</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">Vintage swimsuit </span><span lang="EN" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">Pin Up Sailor Retro swimsuit</span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">– Heather at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/TheRedDolly">The Red Dolly</a></span></span></h1>
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Swimwear cover up <i>etsy</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vintage red parasol – the lovely Maura Bee at etsy </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/maurabeetoo"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maura Bee</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunglasses: Accessorize (Dublin, also available in the UK)</span><br />
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Red wedge shoes - a shoe shop on Henry Street, Dublin</div>
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Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-87528733215018055352012-09-28T00:19:00.000+10:002012-09-28T00:48:34.197+10:00Rockabilly Bernie Dexter style in Spain <span style="font-weight: normal;">In preparation for my trip to Spain recently, I put together some great outfits built on a nautical/red and white rockabilly theme. Sticking to one colour palette when you pack for holidays means you can use the same accessories and have more outfits to wear - yay! In my next post I will show you my fantastic Retro Sailor swimsuit. Today it is a figure-hugging Bettie Page style look . . </span><br />
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This is my first time doing the 'Rockabilly' look. I am not sure if you can make out my hairdo clearly, but it is that very striking roll-under that Rockabilly girls often wear. Bettie Page, a model who became famous for her pin-up look in the 1950s.<br />
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In most photos she seems to be wearing her hair in 'bangs' (or in Australia we call this a 'fringe') but most modern girls re-create this by putting in 'faux bangs' by rolling the hair under. This is particularly good if you don't want to cut your hair off and want more versatility in your hairdos (for instance, to be able to wear victory rolls as well). Now I should say, I find this hairstyle quite difficult to do. But there are a few very good tutorials on youtube. I used one by Fleur, otherwise known as '1940s Vintage Girl'. See <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfhhXW_iDn0">this link</a>. It is very important to buy a 'hair rat' for this, which is basically a roll of fake hair - that helps to give that full look to the 'fake bangs'. I thought this style might be too severe for me (cause I aint young!) but actually it works really well (probably because it distracts from my wrinkles!).<br />
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This is also the first time I have bought any reproduction vintage like that made by Bernie Dexter and others. I have to say I think the quality of Bernie Dexter clothing is VERY good. The fabric is very robust (not flimsy) and the sewing is all done to high standards. As you can see, the capri pants are VERY figure hugging so if you are buying a pair (which you should do, they are great) then don't go small (I bought a size 10 pants and size 8 blouse). When I first put the capris on I was worried they were a bit TOO figure hugging. But my husband absolutely loves them, and they were hugely popular with the Spanish men (ones over 50 years old I must add) so kerching, kerching - they are a winner. Anyway, I figure, like Joanie from Mad Men - if you have the curves, show them off!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;">Blouse and high waisted capri pants: Bernie Dexter </span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://www.berniedexter.com/">http://www.berniedexter.com/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;">Earrings:</span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left;"> etsy<i> </i><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/oldandnewboutique">Old and new boutique </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Handbag: etsy - </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/nellsvintagehouse"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nells Vintage House</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Striped bangle etsy </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/RosemyneVintage"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rosemyne Vintage</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Red bangle: etsy </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/mabelstudios"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mabel studios </span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vintage red parasol – the lovely Maura Bee at etsy </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/maurabeetoo"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maura Bee</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sunglasses: Accessorize (Dublin, also available in the UK)</span></div>
Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-82462871922311580332012-09-12T05:48:00.004+10:002012-09-12T05:48:52.755+10:00A beautiful Spanish wedding (and what I wore!)Last weekend I travelled to Cartagena in the south of Spain for a wedding of a my hubby's very good friend of many years - an Irishman who married a beautiful girl from that region in Spain. It was a beautiful wedding - the bride looked gorgeous and everyone was happy and relaxed, just as a wedding should be . . . .<br />
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The happy groom, pictured here with my little retro daughter . . .</div>
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I am very lucky as my hubby's friends are great - they are some of the funniest people I know and kind to boot. They have known each other since childhood and have kept up their friendship over all these years, which I think is wonderful. Not many people do that these days.</div>
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The wedding ceremony was held in a lovely church in Cartagena . . . </div>
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In Plaza de Jaime Bosch . . .</div>
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The interior of the church was stunning, as many European churches are. You will see below that there was a string quartet playing during the service - there was a violin and soprano - a lady that did an beautiful 'Alleluia' and 'Ave Maria'. She had the most amazing voice.</div>
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A lovely stained-glass window above the altar . . . </div>
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And of course, a blog post about a wedding would not be the same without mention of the bride. As you will see, she was absolutely stunning. I wanted to particularly show you her veil, which was a feature of her outfit. I am not sure if it was lace from Spain or Ireland (both countries specialise in lace) but all I know is that it was really really beautiful . . . </div>
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And, of course, a wedding post also would not be one without small mention of the other wedding fashions. I wore a 50s frock and hat in deep blue and pink - two of my favourite colours. Both purchased from etsy. My hubby wore a 70s suit that he purchased in Melbourne a few years ago - it fits him like a glove and he looks absolutely amazing in it.</div>
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My 8 year old looked absolutely gorgeous in her 50s poodle skirt (courtesy of www.hiphop50s.com, thank you!). The Hip Hop 50s shop is available via etsy or directly online and are very reasonable and very good. You can buy matching poodle socks (sooo cute!) and waist cincher, plus many more accessories in the store as well. My daughter is a real tomboy, she loves soccer and wearing jeans most of the time, but she loved wearing this outfit . . .<br />
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Outfit details:</div>
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Skirt, socks and cincher: www.hiphop50s.com</div>
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Shoes and white blouse - school section of Marks and Spencers (Dublin)</div>
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Hair clip and bracelet: Claires accessories </div>
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Sunglasses: Accessorize (Dublin)</div>
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After the ceremony, there was a great traditional band playing all sorts of instruments whilst the bride came out of the church. After they finished each set, the crowd would yell out 'viva!' (and something else in Spanish too, someone told me it was 'long live the bride). It was just wonderful, such a great atmosphere . . .</div>
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Lastly, a few photos of the beautiful vintage Bentley that served as the wedding car - a 1959 model my hubby told me (he loves cars) . . .</div>
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(I couldn't seem to get the driver out of the photo, I think that was due to my 4 year old boy running around putting his greasy mits all over it and the poor guy had to keep on rubbing them off!)(we dragged our son away very reluctantly soon after realising this!).</div>
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I love the flowers on the handles of the car . . . </div>
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I love the cans tied to the car - we don't seem to do that anymore for weddings in Australia. Such a funny, nice touch.</div>
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So there you go, a bit of an epic blog post there, but I hope you enjoyed a little insight into a wedding Spanish style. It really was a beautiful wedding.</div>
<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-36572494059834239952012-08-26T05:52:00.001+10:002012-10-21T23:06:46.628+11:00A French dinner in vintage pink<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few weeks ago, my hubby and I treated ourselves to a night out in Grenoble 'sans enfants' (no children!). We don't go out for dinner much as I am a pretty good cook and, for the most part, I enjoy cooking for the family. It is also pretty expensive to hire a babysitter and pay for a meal and we try to save our money for holidays.</div>
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Here I am in one of my favourite 1950's pink dresses (also featured in <a href="http://vintagesuburbia.blogspot.fr/2012/01/vintage-pretty-in-pink.html">this</a> earlier post). Some pink gloves and earrings a deep pink pashmina set off the outfit. I picked up 5-6 pashminas of varying colours on a trip years ago to Turkey - they were very cheap and they come in so handy, particularly when you are dining outside like this and there is a little chill in the air.</div>
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Here is my hubby enjoying his beer . . .
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Which he is just about to choke on as I have obviously said something hilarious and he is trying not to laugh </div>
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. . . (!). That's what being on a night out without your children and not having to cook does to you. Fabulous!</div>
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The restaurant we went to is right in the centre of the 'old town of Grenoble. And as you can see it is beautiful . . . </div>
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I really love France - the people and countryside, food and wine are so beautiful. The only thing they <u>don't</u> do is vintage clothing - which is weird. There are absolutely no vintage clothing shops in Grenoble and only a relatively small number in Paris (and of those, they only have expensive 80s Chanel and not much else). But that is why etsy was invented - yay!</div>
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I hope you enjoyed that little look into French life and architecture. Stay tuned for a look at another meal out in a typical French brasserie next week!</div>
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<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-16855918577428642452012-08-16T03:38:00.001+10:002012-08-26T05:55:08.185+10:00Some great art deco New York hotelsI am back in Blogging world now after a short hiatus (or perhaps it was not so short) - sorry about that! I was away on a short vacation and then meeting a work deadline, so I am now able to get back to my first love - travel and vintage fashion! These are my last set of pics from my beloved New York, where I holidayed in May this year with my hubby. What a wonderful place. Our more recent vacation was to a mountain resort in the French Alps - lots of hiking (I did a 20 minute walk- that is my limit) and outdoor activities - not really my scene but my hubby loves that stuff and so I tag along (that is what marriage is about, non?!). I did say to him after a few days though 'I am sick of all this fresh air, I wish I was in New York')(!). So I am feeling very homesick posting about the Green Apple here . . .<br />
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This is one of my favourite sights of New York - a yellow cab and a classic old New York hotel.</div>
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I was really amazed by how many truly beautiful buildings there are in New York. I have chosen only two buildings here - two old-fashioned Art Deco hotels (in the sense that they have not been extensively renovated). The above 'New Yorker Hotel' is one I happened upon in a walk around the Macy's/Madison Square garden area of New York. I did not get a chance to look inside, but I must go back there on my next trip and have a Cosmo.</div>
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This is a better shot of that fabulous sign - I absolutely love that Art Deco font. Classic.</div>
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Now on to another old-world, Art Deco hotel, this time a stone's throw from Times Square: The Edison Hotel . . . </div>
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Again that signage is sooooo wonderful. I should have written my PhD with that font. why didn't I???</div>
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Look at that classic Art Deco decoration. I would one day love to have an Art Deco house . . . sigh . . .<br />
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I would highly recommend this hotel by the way - they have the greatest diner ever - really old-fashioned and full of great characters - like something out of Seinfeld. The diner does the <u>best</u> breakfasts and at incredibly good prices ($5 for OJ, coffee and toast - good for NY). They do a great bacon and eggs - well done, just the way I like it.<br />
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Although my hubby and I did not stay here (we stayed up the road at the Belvedere, which was also great), it has been recommended to me by a colleague and is very reasonable for NY standards. It does seem to get very busy though, so perhaps not a good choice if you want a quiet stay or you are a light sleeper. It is on 47th street so right in the heart of the city and in the middle of the theatre district. But the BEST thing ever is their cocktail bar, 'The Rum House' . . .<br />
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Again, this is an old-fashioned piano/cocktail bar which has live music most nights and <u>great</u> cocktails. We loved going here. On one night they had a young guy playing piano and it was right out of something from Billy Joel's 'Piano Man'. Fantastic. It apparently was closed for a number of years and was destined to be sold off but someone came along and restored it (in an old-fashioned way, not modern) and it seems very popular now. It regularly makes the 'best cocktail bars of New York' listings.</div>
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So there you are, my last post from New York. Next week I am giving you a glimpse of my life in France, with some great photos of the cobbled streets and old buildings of Grenoble and a pink vintage dress (because its all about the vintage really isn't it?!)</div>
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<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-79952213201888920872012-06-23T07:12:00.002+10:002012-06-23T07:14:55.726+10:00My 'Sex and the City tour' of New YorkOne of the highlights of my trip to New York was the 'Sex and The City hotspots' tour I did with the '<a href="http://www.screentours.com/tour.php/satc/">On Location Tour</a> company. I would highly recommend this tour, it was great fun. Our tour guide was clearly a big fan of the series and so knew it inside and out. It was great as we were shown snippets of the series in the bus as we went around the city and after we visited the various landmarks. <br />
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First up was the 'Pleasure Chest' where the gang all buy their 'rabbits'. I may, or may not, have bought one of my very own (that is between me and my rabbit!). It was really funny as the guide got the whole bus laughing and cheering about all the various naughty sex things on the series before our visit, but as soon as we got into the shop, they all went very quiet and shy (although I have to say there were a few things there that surprised even me in there!). Next stop was <a href="http://www.buddakannyc.com/">Buddakan</a> Bar and Restaurant, which is featured in the first Sex and the City movie. It is where Carrie and Big's pre-wedding dinner is held. I am sooo not a fan of the SATC movies, but this restaurant was glorious and absolutely HUGE. It was reasonably priced as well, so it would be great to come back and pay it a visit if I come back to NY. I understand that it is only open for dinner so bear that in mind if you want to go.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Buddakan Restaurant NY. Above is the spectacular function room where Carrie and Big held their bid pre-wedding dinner. The restaurant was closed to the public when we made our visit (at lunch time).</span></div>
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Next stop was one of the sights I was dying to visit - The Magnolia Bakery. It didn't disappoint. It is tiny inside so there is no room to sit down, so you get your cupcakes to go. Their coffee is very nice too. The cupcakes and coffee are very reasonably priced and I have to say that the cupcakes were the BEST I have eaten. </div>
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Magnolia Bakery NY.</div>
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Apparently the store started as a 'Mom and Pop' operation but it was so popular it was bought up and now there are franchises all over America. The original store still retains charm and the staff were friendly.</div>
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The most delicious cupcakes - yuumm!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-CbzhTfKhFMTK84L6RtkPdtH79drxgbpB4VdJ73IDBYxcFU3XaPtAVFtZoL-6QmTsn7R34stjXw7JV-7Dtm2tPXjbKqOgj1_ZrFMyvVSIeRMyZacUu47PtjbA_zKxh_drRnEHhoQ1GM/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-CbzhTfKhFMTK84L6RtkPdtH79drxgbpB4VdJ73IDBYxcFU3XaPtAVFtZoL-6QmTsn7R34stjXw7JV-7Dtm2tPXjbKqOgj1_ZrFMyvVSIeRMyZacUu47PtjbA_zKxh_drRnEHhoQ1GM/s400/New+york+and+Toronto+149.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The icing was amazing. Being a home baker myself, I am fussy. But I thought these were pretty much perfect.<br />
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Some of the houses near Magnolia. I love the exteriors of these buildings and the iconic fire escapes. </div>
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Next stop was the bar owned by Aidan and Steve in the series, Scout (really a bar called O'Neals). </div>
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There we all enjoyed a nice Cosmo with the other lovely ladies from the tour . . </div>
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I have to say, as a big fan of the series, I really enjoyed this tour. It goes for 3 and a half hours, so you get to see many more sights than I have shown here. The above just really shows the main spots were the bus stops and you can get off to walk around. </div>
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I would have also have loved to have done the Seinfeld tour, but that does not start until the warmer weather in late May, so I just missed out. I am HUGE Seinfeld fan so that is another one for the wish book (and I good reason to save up to go back to my beloved New York!)</div>
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Bus tour: <a href="http://www.screentours.com/tour.php/satc/">On Location</a> Tour company (they also do other tours, like the Sopranos)</div>
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Duration: 3.5 hours</div>
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Price: $46 plus gratuity. Cupcake is free, Cosmo is $9.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-CbzhTfKhFMTK84L6RtkPdtH79drxgbpB4VdJ73IDBYxcFU3XaPtAVFtZoL-6QmTsn7R34stjXw7JV-7Dtm2tPXjbKqOgj1_ZrFMyvVSIeRMyZacUu47PtjbA_zKxh_drRnEHhoQ1GM/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-2253372694446096852012-06-13T00:47:00.001+10:002012-06-13T00:53:17.235+10:00A night out at the Carlyle NYC in a Houndstooth capelet<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the best nights of my life was spent at the Carlyle Hotel during my recent stay in New York. For those who are not familiar with this beautiful hotel, it is a very understated, historic hotel in the 'Upper East Side' of New York (the fancy schmancy area). <br />
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But first of all, my hubby and I started the day with a bike ride through Central Park . . . </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGbqSTZX6kOo0qshX01QHwDQSGzB0Nkzz6Bpk4NQRZ_NR7IvhyphenhyphenUu1OE363YNhT4yCper26TJ_gx9XqevgLRnLlXGue43r3XioG-oB7xPnwci2PyibO-Cxla-jSVxeX0BJCTuvt0HM_Y/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcGbqSTZX6kOo0qshX01QHwDQSGzB0Nkzz6Bpk4NQRZ_NR7IvhyphenhyphenUu1OE363YNhT4yCper26TJ_gx9XqevgLRnLlXGue43r3XioG-oB7xPnwci2PyibO-Cxla-jSVxeX0BJCTuvt0HM_Y/s400/New+york+and+Toronto+115.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Reservoir, Central Park NYC</span></em></div>
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I thought the above photo, whilst obviously not chic, was a funny way to illustrate what difference a nice hairdo, make up and vintage clothes make. I do not always dress up, particularly if I am going to be out and about exercising on a bike. My only concern in these cases is that I put lots of sunscreen on and have a hat. So it was nice in the evening to get dressed up for our trip to the Carlyle . . .</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Pictured on the steps of the Post Office, New York</em></span></div>
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I look a little different here than the first picture, no?! Navy and red are one of my favourite colour combinations, the effect is striking and seems to suit my very fair complexion. I would like to get a pair of vintage red gloves to match, I think they would look better than the navy, but red vintage gloves are actually difficult to find (? not sure why?). I like capelets because they don't overpower my fairly petite frame (I am only 5 feet and a half so I have to be careful with full size capes).<br />
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Hailing a cab in true New York style. Did I mention how much I love New York??</div>
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Before I get to my night out, I'd better mention my outfit details before I forget . . . </div>
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<u>Outfit details:</u></div>
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Pussy bow blouse <em>ebay</em></div>
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Houndstooth capelet <em>etsy - seller: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/chiffonier">Chiffonier</a></em></div>
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skirt: Vintage Lilli Ann <em>ebay</em></div>
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Gloves <em>Love Vintage fair, Australia</em></div>
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Shoes: <em>Novo (an Australian store, bought 2 years ago so prob no longer in stock)</em></div>
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Handbag: <em>etsy <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhotographicAmy">PhotographicAmy</a></em></div>
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hat: <em>etsy <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintageVoyce">VintageVoyce</a></em><br />
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Now on to my night out at the Carlyle . . . We went to see the most fabulous jazz trio led by the composer/pianist Earl Rose (called, funnily enough, the Earl Rose Trio). I would highly recommend this performance if you go to New York. At the time of writing, the trio had a permanent booking there each Sunday and Monday nights at 9/9.30. We hadn't actually heard of Earl Rose before, but he is actually quite a well-known composer of film and TV music. He is quite simply an astounding pianist. Both my husband and I play the piano and we were amazed by his piano playing. The other musicians were great as well. Together with a few great cocktails, we had one of the best nights of our life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH28sO_pM40RO4EosttHjnY7QmYoOl5bmbDwzZbU3d5er9i0IqusnJZFfbQiBSSWRUC_oMhbbirv-WaNTSPp6ns9WasNa0fbNi-b3kUm1WxCzfLmVI3hHMM4KA5TychTr1zX72GnyjdzI/s1600/the+carlyle+exterior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="483" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH28sO_pM40RO4EosttHjnY7QmYoOl5bmbDwzZbU3d5er9i0IqusnJZFfbQiBSSWRUC_oMhbbirv-WaNTSPp6ns9WasNa0fbNi-b3kUm1WxCzfLmVI3hHMM4KA5TychTr1zX72GnyjdzI/s640/the+carlyle+exterior.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, the Carlyle is a lovely, understated hotel (which is how I like 'em). If you have been watching Season 5 of Mad Men, you may remember that when the Jaguar guy gets 'entertained' by the Mad Men regulars (Don, Pete and Roger), and the Jaguar guy drops the hint that he is in the mood for a little 'excitement', Pete Campbell says 'Well, we can go to the Carlyle, it always gets a bit crazy there' (or words to that effect). Soooo not what the Jaguar man had in mind (Roger, a little more astute and wordly, took him to a high class brothel!. The Carlyle just oozes class. Real old world class. I loved it. </div>
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Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.carlyle.com/">http://www.carlyle.com/</a></div>
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Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.carlyle.com/">http://www.carlyle.com/</a></div>
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I couldn't get a photo of Bemelman's bar, which is where the Earl Rose trio plays, but I got a photo of Cafe Carlyle, which is a 'rung above' Bemelman's Bar. Woody Allen plays regular gigs here, so check out the entertainment calendar on the Carlyle website if you would like to see him play (he plays with a band). I will warn you that tickets to this venue are much more expensive than Bemelman's Bar - I am BIG fan of Woody Allen but bar tickets were $135 and premium seating (at a table) $185. This doesn't include drinks or tips. So I decided not to do that in the end (!). Still, if you have the money, it would be a memorable night and I may try to do it if I go back to NYC.</div>
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Above photo courtesy of the JFK digital library</div>
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Lastly, I couldn't finish this post without mentioning the Kennedy connection. The Carlyle Hotel is actually a very historic venue. JFK and Jacqui were regular patrons, in fact JFK had an apartment in the hotel for a number of years. In the lobby there are photos of Jacqui and JFK coming out of the hotel through the revolving doors. The facade looks a bit different in the photo above as they have an awning over it for the visit. It is truly a classy place.</div>
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Details:</div>
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The Carlyle Hotel, 35 E. 76th Street at Madison Avenue, New York NY 10021</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecarlyle.com/">http://www.thecarlyle.com/</a><br />
Look on their website for the entertainment calendar so you can plan your trip.</div>
<br />Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-20441055089197413592012-06-01T21:28:00.000+10:002012-06-01T21:28:56.903+10:00The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, New YorkI recently spent 6 fantastic days in New York - a city I absolutely love. It rained quite a bit whilst we were there (I went with my hubby), but fortunately there are heaps of things to do in NYC when the weather is bad.<br />
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On our first day it was sunny and quite warm so I decided to pay a visit to the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. It is an open air market which runs every weekend - weather permitting (see further details at the end of the post).<br />
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The market is has an interesting mix of vintage clothes, bric a brac and memorabilia. When we went (at about 11am on a Sunday in May) it wasn't too crowded which was nice.</div>
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The market had lots of second hand, 80s and 90s clothes and a small-ish selection of what I call 'true vintage' - 50's and 60s stuff in particular. There were a few stalls which had a very nice collection of furs and I tried on a very nice brown fox fur capelet, but it was $125 and I didn't have that sort of cash on me (and I also thought that was quite steep for a flea market!), so I let that one go. I think that price wise, it is probably a bit more than I would like to pay for flea market goods, but it is stil fun to go and browe.</div>
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As you will see above, one stall had a very good selection of vintage wicker bags, which are a favourite of mine. As I already own about 8 of these (!) I didn't purchase any, but I thought they looked great and were in good condition. I am not sure how much they were, as when I looked inside some of them, there were no price tags.</div>
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Apart from vintage clothing, there were stalls with bric a brac.</div>
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There were some also very quirky things on sale - including a stall solely comprised of boxes of people's old photos. It was funny as there was a sign at that stall saying 'No photos permitted of the photos' (!).</div>
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My hubby spotted this interesting item at one stall - A Calibrated Absorber Set. What is that, you well may ask. My hubby did tell me on the day, but now I sort of forget. But from memory, it is a set of medical/scientific instruments that are used to do radiation treatment. By the look of it, it is from the 50s or 60s (?). It is amazing to see some of things which survive all these years.</div>
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<u>Details</u></div>
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Hell's Kichen Flea Market is located on West 39th Street between 9th & 10th Avenues and open 9 AM – 5 PM every Saturday and Sunday all year long (weather pending).</div>
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Please see their website <a href="http://www.hellskitchenfleamarket.com/home/?page_id=77">here</a> for further details</div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-40446489687210490162012-05-28T04:03:00.002+10:002012-05-28T04:04:08.425+10:00Honest Ed's Famous Bargain Store in Toronto<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGRGUcyQLWJ5lm0FR9aRTMxCBB7IRiblMQQhanzHuhH3CbLBhrd-C4Pz-5oC3OeW5GOrvs3RzOZsWXEPqSIUe-RtGzh4yGlg6kihKYiF8qA8y2BfM86TieozpqpeHKk31qjhgDd_ll3w/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGRGUcyQLWJ5lm0FR9aRTMxCBB7IRiblMQQhanzHuhH3CbLBhrd-C4Pz-5oC3OeW5GOrvs3RzOZsWXEPqSIUe-RtGzh4yGlg6kihKYiF8qA8y2BfM86TieozpqpeHKk31qjhgDd_ll3w/s640/New+york+and+Toronto+085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<em>The skyline of Toronto</em></div>
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I have just come back from two weeks in Toronto and New York. I had a fabulous time. It was my first time in Toronto and I really loved it. It has a great vibe and a great theatre precinct. I will be posting about my trip to New York in the next few weeks (including my review of the Sex and the City tour!), but for now, let me share with you one of the quirky shops in Toronto - 'Ed's Famous Bargains' . . . <br />
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I stumbled upon this store by accident, walking from my B&B one day in search for pho (the area is called Korea Town, and is full of great Asian restaurants). Its the type of store you don't see anymore (at least not in Australia). I love these old fashioned stores and this is one of the best I have ever seen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnIt0upbYeF2lW7_MaT9kS8cuAVQ87V5_FNVwyxwv4vU_M_5MiUolQX15GFvRbpplLLaw21YRuH2ULB1gkKkzINTGs_I1BujPfxEu_y88qsWq5wsshBElYDgTUpE5eT9Rmvdzi3R8CKU/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnIt0upbYeF2lW7_MaT9kS8cuAVQ87V5_FNVwyxwv4vU_M_5MiUolQX15GFvRbpplLLaw21YRuH2ULB1gkKkzINTGs_I1BujPfxEu_y88qsWq5wsshBElYDgTUpE5eT9Rmvdzi3R8CKU/s640/New+york+and+Toronto+089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Honest Ed's is actually named after the original owner, Ed Mirvish. He opened the store in 1948 and it was a huge success. You can read all about the history of the store on their website <a href="http://honesteds.sites.toronto.com/history.html">here</a>. </div>
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As you can probably tell, it is a really quirky store - look at some of these slogans on the building - 'Honest Ed's repulsive, but his bargains are appealing!'. Classic. A bit more imaginative than 'Myer, My Store' (which is a department store in Australia).<br />
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The inside of the store is full of movie memorabilia and photos of famous people who have come into the store. It is a really fun place to shop. . . as the next photo reflects: 'Wasn't that fun!'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoit48B9zuu3Sfw_7iZ5dLFHDbz_lIwB2Vo4Hrmbff2BDee9ypnoTIE9eip_di8NmB5GNtrK59O0r8wGN1qREB4SpIWY0dCj0GwE2bdRwTMMDKL80bVdYDygFzMjoC76JMxVFmdDpCMDg/s1600/New+york+and+Toronto+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" qba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoit48B9zuu3Sfw_7iZ5dLFHDbz_lIwB2Vo4Hrmbff2BDee9ypnoTIE9eip_di8NmB5GNtrK59O0r8wGN1qREB4SpIWY0dCj0GwE2bdRwTMMDKL80bVdYDygFzMjoC76JMxVFmdDpCMDg/s640/New+york+and+Toronto+098.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
It is a discount store, so it is definitely not the place to go for designer/high end merchandise, but it is great for toiletries (like sunscreen etc) and really good if you were furnishing a flat on a budget (lots of cheap china), but not great for clothes I would say. But who cares, it is chock-a-block full of character and well worth a visit if you are in Toronto. It is located close to a subway stop, not far from the city. Directions are <a href="http://honesteds.sites.toronto.com/getThere.html">here</a>.<br />
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Stay tuned for some posts on New York next week!</div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-64286462246793345132012-04-15T23:44:00.001+10:002012-04-15T23:48:17.006+10:00A pussy bow blouse in FranceI am having a lovely time living in France. The weather is still a little cold here (even though technically its Spring!). So last night when we went to a party I made sure I was warm and wore a cream pussy bow blouse and a wool jacket with a nice fur collar . . .<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Photo taken on the balcony of our apartment in Grenoble, in the French Alps. My little 3 year old (actually almost 4 year old) boy is pictured to the right. He is a real handful but a very affectionate and loving little boy.</em> </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The food in France is, as you would imagine, absolutely <u>fantastic.</u> There is a boulangerie/pattisserie only 5 minutes walk away from me which sells the most amazing baguettes and desserts. Pictured above is my favourite dessert from the store - chocolate tart. I have taken up bike riding to help me compensate for all the calories I am having every day. Although many French woman do eat alot of carbs as they have baguettes every day, they also eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and salads so I think this is why it is said that 'French women do not get fat'. I noticed also that there are far less processed foods in the supermarkets - so not as many pre-prepared meals and far fewer snacks and crisps. The food here is also quite reasonably priced (at least compared to Australia) so it is possible to eat very well for not a lot of money. I love food and wine so it is like paradise to me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Outfit details</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>cream pussy bow (from the 70's I would say?)</em> - Thrifted/Op shop in Melbourne</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>1960's wool jacket with fur collar</em> (I bought this thinking it was fake fur as I do not normally buy furs, but I have since been told it is real) - Ebay Australia</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Skirt</em> Sussan's, a women's shop in Australia purchased many years ago (the shop now only sells cheap, ill-fitting clothes)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Shoes -</em> Homy Peds from Chemist in Glen Waverley, Melbourne (they are orthopaedic ones for 'elderly ladies' but they are so comfortable!)</div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-23867233956570451252012-03-26T01:43:00.000+11:002012-03-26T01:43:49.953+11:00Bonjour from the French Alps!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOqXgSPlYx0GMNrmwWadsUAQ0ozyu3-K4jAQoaiZhN2uygHfub9nOOERFoOEe1N6DsNB4JISoEEpj2qE2VPNTQ-IrV-aj7qlNDQRO7Ki4sZO3l6xyN2TYBLooG9yFSlunP32woLxNimY/s1600/346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZOqXgSPlYx0GMNrmwWadsUAQ0ozyu3-K4jAQoaiZhN2uygHfub9nOOERFoOEe1N6DsNB4JISoEEpj2qE2VPNTQ-IrV-aj7qlNDQRO7Ki4sZO3l6xyN2TYBLooG9yFSlunP32woLxNimY/s640/346.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So this explains why I haven't posted on my blog for (cough) some time. Its because my family and I moved to France - yay! (sort of). Now, let me fill you in about why I say 'sort of'. In the past 3 months not only have I been trying (and I stress the word 'trying') to complete my PhD, but I also had to pack and store three wardrobes of vintage clothes and organise everything associated with moving a husband and two young children to Europe from Australia. To say it was stressful is an understatement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">However, I am here! And I am glad to say I love it here in France. We are living in Grenoble, which is a lovely city three hours from Paris, at the foot of the alps. As you can see from the photo above, it is still a bit wintery here, but the sun still comes out during the day (I think technically-speaking it is Spring here in Europe?!). Whatever the season, it was great to bring my 60s hot pink Lilli Ann coat out for an airing in France. That photo was taken right outside our apartment building. Coming from Australia, where large backyards are very common, I was a little concerned about living in an apartment with two small, very active children, but so far it has been great because this park is right outside and our neighbours have similarly-aged children who have already made friends with mine, so all is good (or I should say 'tres bon!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xkIc78eFcfhQHX_2wqpjxr966nIOThP_xFebEvzOyI0XbZQs2_V9C2mrNcCCPdwKq4AVdN1B4umlTScL7wAEHy_i1LyCn5HXCuFuFJGe59Pfjw-MApyXNl_dYectAiwQ7izD25HRZxY/s1600/grenoble2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xkIc78eFcfhQHX_2wqpjxr966nIOThP_xFebEvzOyI0XbZQs2_V9C2mrNcCCPdwKq4AVdN1B4umlTScL7wAEHy_i1LyCn5HXCuFuFJGe59Pfjw-MApyXNl_dYectAiwQ7izD25HRZxY/s640/grenoble2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos of Grenoble - Courtesy Grenoble Tourism</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">These are some photos from Grenoble, courtesy of the Grenoble Tourism office. The photos may not do the city/town justice, as it is very pretty. There are a few things which are striking about living here, and I am not sure whether it is just Grenoble or France in general, but everything is so clean and there is hardly any pollution. I think this is largely down to the absolutely fantastic public transport and cycle lanes here - everyone cycles and it is really safe as most roads have dedicated cycle lanes. The public transport (mainly trams, but also some buses) are super clean and super cheap. I always found driving in Melbourne incredibly stressful so I am just so happy not to have to drive here.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSxPCkS83Io_z7yQxCqNqMOkqdSUD5nZdTLcclqycRNQwRoffxdDxn_yvGU2jRwp0S8nNtGDOfsLr_-w_wgG5OLOCpn6IOUy7Yh_a86-QU3gfaSNPbaV0R_uYrcxS0-5QG9SLHbvzTNc/s1600/grenoble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSxPCkS83Io_z7yQxCqNqMOkqdSUD5nZdTLcclqycRNQwRoffxdDxn_yvGU2jRwp0S8nNtGDOfsLr_-w_wgG5OLOCpn6IOUy7Yh_a86-QU3gfaSNPbaV0R_uYrcxS0-5QG9SLHbvzTNc/s640/grenoble.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Overview of Grenoble, showing the mountains in the distance</span></em></div><br />
<div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I do hope to post much more often now I am in France (and once I finish my PhD, hopefully in 3 months time). I am going to Italy and New York in May so I will be posting lots of photos of fashion from those trips so stay tuned. I packed all my Dior New Look dresses and hats in my bag so I am hoping to get lots of outfit posts taken in front of lovely French sights. </span></span></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank you all for being patient with my intermittent posts. I really appreciate it.</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Au revoir for now from France! (if you couldn't tell by now, my French is shocking)</span><em><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Outfit details</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1960s vintage Lilli Ann trapeze coat in hot pink <em>ebay UK</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">pink gloves <em>Love Vintage fair, Sydney</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">scarf <em>Myer Melbourne</em></div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-13176506820789211282012-01-07T10:56:00.000+11:002012-10-04T03:01:34.202+10:00Vintage Pretty in PinkPink is one of my favourite colours (along with royal blue and emerald green!). I particularly like a good hot pink, which seems to go well with my pale skin (after quite a few disastrous experiments with beige I have learnt that I look best with some strong colour). And of course, I loved Molly Ringwald in 'Pretty in Pink' - some of her outfits were fantastic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kTdYTzdIZIh9bLWW6C-R5Ih1_v0uF_jGg1mmr5zTN0W9pamL-aX3gUFpw0v_gNgY-h5CWEKlZA3mbfGYYCViFjtTx7UtMoGJByHu9Tzot0njyR-MTkChr6mBp6grjjp-XQ3RfjciOlQ/s1600/maria+pink+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kTdYTzdIZIh9bLWW6C-R5Ih1_v0uF_jGg1mmr5zTN0W9pamL-aX3gUFpw0v_gNgY-h5CWEKlZA3mbfGYYCViFjtTx7UtMoGJByHu9Tzot0njyR-MTkChr6mBp6grjjp-XQ3RfjciOlQ/s640/maria+pink+3.jpg" width="555" /></a></div>
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This is one of my favourite dresses - being pink AND floral - my two favourite things together! The label is very cute - it reads 'Palm Island "Little Fittings" Specially proportioned American half sizes'. Like I need to be told I am short! (I am 5 foot and a half, 155 cm to those of us who are not familiar with feet and inches). Actually, I don't mind being 'petite' - particularly as I gives me access to lots and lots of vintage clothes (and its good on long haul flights)(gosh, I am really grasping at positives there aren't I!). </div>
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Speaking of petite, these pink shoes are one of the few vintage shoes I own. I find it very difficult to buy shoes as, again, I am small (a US size 5). I did buy a few vintage shoes from ebay and etsy but found it difficult to get the size right. Often the length was OK, but the width not. And if the seller is not 100% accurate in measuring, the shoe won't fit. But anyway, these are one of my successful etsy shoe purchases. I have to say the vintage shoes are much longer lasting than contemporary shoes - I find modern shoes lose their shape very quickly. Vintage shoes can be a bit uncomfortable to start off with as the leather tends to be harder, but they do keep their shape beautifully. <u>And</u> you can get heels that are not dangerously high! (I can't wear platforms or the wedges in modern shops - have you seen Posh Beckham's heels - OMG!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSlOodTVx8ep2SbbFfgUILQjV6vXQ58cS5J_6pvhaE2u-9dCAXTUCeyBwe-bI_zKOB-9PVJvh51t7MAbHoN6fnjZ9sEPChRq6qxodC0Lz8CaxNvOBFSrLLTPmtlSQo_l-tdITFcY4Vgo/s1600/maria+pink+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSlOodTVx8ep2SbbFfgUILQjV6vXQ58cS5J_6pvhaE2u-9dCAXTUCeyBwe-bI_zKOB-9PVJvh51t7MAbHoN6fnjZ9sEPChRq6qxodC0Lz8CaxNvOBFSrLLTPmtlSQo_l-tdITFcY4Vgo/s640/maria+pink+2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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This fan is one of my best bargains ever - the grand sum of $4.80 from the Chinese junk shop in Oakleigh. Being made of wood it is very sturdy - quite important in the Melbourne winds.</div>
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And last but not least, one of my latest crazes - vintage sweater guards. If you haven't seen these before, do try them out, they really add a cuteness and unique factor to outfits. They simply clip onto your cardigan so are easy to use (called a sweater guard as they literally guard your cardie from falling off!).</div>
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Outfit details</div>
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dress <em>ebay</em></div>
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cardigan <em>Laura Ashley 2011</em></div>
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sweater guard Etsy Rose Acre Cottage<br />
shoes <em>etsy</em></div>
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handbag <em>Frocks and Slacks, St Kilda</em></div>
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Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-54594281552487646052011-11-24T13:45:00.000+11:002012-10-04T03:04:27.167+10:00A vintage purple prom dress . . . and lots of lucite<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA7UaLZLHVCpwmgGiFDA-dWhX4NWUdSQVXuNBMnAkdsI3Z18doTSFJb638bFsJ_BlMqdc30XDRvlUyq2Fke-itUx016AAmCnvj_ChY0YJZmhrcm7l9VBO5jdg5O7tmvF-iZC69b7hePE/s1600/purple+dress+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglA7UaLZLHVCpwmgGiFDA-dWhX4NWUdSQVXuNBMnAkdsI3Z18doTSFJb638bFsJ_BlMqdc30XDRvlUyq2Fke-itUx016AAmCnvj_ChY0YJZmhrcm7l9VBO5jdg5O7tmvF-iZC69b7hePE/s640/purple+dress+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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My hubby and I went out last weekend to a lovely French restaurant in Melbourne called 'Bergerac'. It is a very traditional French restaurant, so we had snails for entree, a lovely Seafood platter and a Bombe Alaska for dessert, with a Grande Marnier flambe. We then went for cocktails to the Vue de Monde bar (great view but ordinary cocktails). It was a great night.</div>
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We were celebrating the news that we are moving to France for 2 years next March. My hubby is from Europe (Ireland) so it is great news for us - we can be near his family instead of 10,000 miles away.Of course, that means that I will be 10,000 miles away from my family, but that is the price you pay for marrying a handsome Irish man I guess (I blame it on my 80's crush on Bono).</div>
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I wore this purple 50's prom dress which I got at a vintage store in Melbourne yonks ago, but haven't worn until now (I had to get it taken in a bit, then I had to wait for it to be warm enough to wear it).</div>
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I absolutely love this colour. I would love to get a royal blue version of this dress actually.</div>
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I wore it with my favourite vintage Lucite shoes. . . </div>
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And my very favourite Lucite bag . . .</div>
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Outfit details</div>
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Vintage 50s purple dress <em>Top Hat Vintage, Northcote, Melbourne</em></div>
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Shawl <em>ebay</em></div>
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lucite shoes <em>ebay</em></div>
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lucite bag <em>ebay/etsy (can't remember!)</em></div>
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brooch <em>thrifted/op shop</em></div>
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earrings <em>Callie Whelan, Camberwell Markets and the Vintage Garage</em></div>
Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-16946524802254174232011-11-18T22:03:00.002+11:002011-11-18T22:05:58.041+11:00Channelling Joanie - A curvy red dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know I don't come anywhere near looking like the amazing Joan from Mad Men . . . but we can all dream can't we? <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-31DcO4h4U4jogLhCyRwzhOwWglolZNbbISTQ4TybvEDfttkDxzUUckmJn3ZcRMZABqg-qUw3vuuuCo4k__c-ajXgTz6SqGY6JZIErrzuVECHfEMOzZTAZCA6eAi4KFfIX-yRgRA5Z8/s1600/red+dress+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-31DcO4h4U4jogLhCyRwzhOwWglolZNbbISTQ4TybvEDfttkDxzUUckmJn3ZcRMZABqg-qUw3vuuuCo4k__c-ajXgTz6SqGY6JZIErrzuVECHfEMOzZTAZCA6eAi4KFfIX-yRgRA5Z8/s400/red+dress+2.jpg" width="306" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a dress by the fabulous US designed Hattie Carnegie. She is not as well known as Suzy Perette, Lilli Ann and the like, but the suits and dresses are very nice. I personally do not think the quality of the design and fabric is the same as Lilli Ann, but as I said, they are very nice all the same (and quite a bit cheaper as they are not as sought after!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYkOZnR36nuN-0tuas4w4S_5bmBGW4pjJOCDgoTdMmxFiov0BOcf-jAHT_DB2AJrAD1GLsnK9rxKh4EEfCvZShpi8Ek7EanbOROI1_yN2ei9oXX_HsxMUeyyqI1ACcgc9eWkrWKFUvUw/s1600/red+dress+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYkOZnR36nuN-0tuas4w4S_5bmBGW4pjJOCDgoTdMmxFiov0BOcf-jAHT_DB2AJrAD1GLsnK9rxKh4EEfCvZShpi8Ek7EanbOROI1_yN2ei9oXX_HsxMUeyyqI1ACcgc9eWkrWKFUvUw/s640/red+dress+1.jpg" width="292" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Everyone should own a curvy red dress like this. It really does make you feel fabulous, particularly if it hugs in all the 'right places'! <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB-ldZDNEkD7SxnCNLcIJe5Kx4nq1vI0Slgf94M8pCwVOWeiKfJPb27P13mNoGqg-jy9VMgeMg-BP3WJ7ttmmAj5msHtWWS02Omv6RyoLchU1RvMmv1s1OoCbVzpchLMC7px7gV1qd_4/s1600/red+dress+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrB-ldZDNEkD7SxnCNLcIJe5Kx4nq1vI0Slgf94M8pCwVOWeiKfJPb27P13mNoGqg-jy9VMgeMg-BP3WJ7ttmmAj5msHtWWS02Omv6RyoLchU1RvMmv1s1OoCbVzpchLMC7px7gV1qd_4/s400/red+dress+3.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I am a latecomer to the colour red. Because I am so pale and freckly I have been very scared of it. The right shade red can look great though (although I have learnt to stay away from the orangey type reds). I</div>am also a late arrival to the advantages of figure-hugging dresses. I have fairly 'generous' hips and for many years tried to hide them from view. It is only in recent years (and with a little help from shapewear!) that I have discovered it is actually better to celebrate your hips in dresses like this! (Thanks Joanie!)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Outfit details:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Vintage red dress (mid 60's?) Hattie Carnegie <em>ebay USA</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">vintage needlepoint bag <em>etsy</em></div><br />
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PS Sorry for the absence from the blogging world. I have been seriously busy at work, but hope to be a better blogger!Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-61623242307755565142011-10-13T16:45:00.003+11:002011-10-13T16:50:53.273+11:00A brown velvet Handmacher Suit<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been a bad blogger of late . . . apologies! There is the little matter of my Phd and my work getting in the way of my blogging. These past few months have been very stressful one way or another. But one thing that keeps me sane is my vintage!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure my law colleagues think I am an air head - one of my colleagues was talking to me the other day and said "I had some important info to pass onto you, and now I can't think of it". And I said (quite seriously) 'Was it about fashion or law?'. She gave me rather an odd look when I said that and said, in a very deadpan voice: 'Law . . .'.(Oops!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, onto much more interesting things (!). This is number 2 in my (small!) collection of Handmacher suits (the collection being only made up of 2 suits!).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv5HlkT-R1e8vZuCiG5eIL04MrwVG30ilnbGfexI47XfKm3FTswRMhyfqrezEz3XwdbwgGmMZOZf-cECI1Q8fAlwF_vmx8Vd_Us36FqQc89OYL_EqPiRW6jX_v60cTgTuR-UHnofhMYA/s1600/handmacher+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv5HlkT-R1e8vZuCiG5eIL04MrwVG30ilnbGfexI47XfKm3FTswRMhyfqrezEz3XwdbwgGmMZOZf-cECI1Q8fAlwF_vmx8Vd_Us36FqQc89OYL_EqPiRW6jX_v60cTgTuR-UHnofhMYA/s400/handmacher+3.jpg" width="318" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got this suit for an absolutely bargain price of US$30 from etsy because the jacket has some fading on the sides of the sleeves and under the arms. But it is still very wearable. The nature of the fabric makes the fading not so noticeable.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only thing I would say is that (as you can probably see!) the skirt is a little 'snug' on me. I need to lose a few pounds there I think (don't we all!). On that point, I have been doing cycle classes on my gym - if you need to lose a few pounds those classes are the way to go. My gosh they are intense!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Handmacher suits are nice in that the shoulders are quite soft and feminine. Some of the Lilli Ann 40s jackets, whilst beautiful, are a little too wide on my shoulders. If you are short like me (I am 5 foot and a half!) you have to be careful of jackets with wide shoulders (they make you look like a gridiron player!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want some more information on Handmacher suits, the lovely Couture Allure has a great blog post on it. </span><a href="http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/2010/10/history-of-handmacher-suits.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/2010/10/history-of-handmacher-suits.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VS x</span>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-73080636889445942052011-09-10T11:19:00.006+10:002011-09-10T21:29:44.988+10:00Hats off to the High Tea - Melbourne Spring Fashion Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday I attended a lovely event - the 'Hats Off to the High Tea' at the Block Arcade in Melbourne. The event is organised by the Collins Street Precinct and is part of the hat exhibition run in Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. I also went to this tea last year (see </span><a href="http://vintagesuburbia.blogspot.com/2010/09/hats-off-to-races-high-tea-and-little.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">this link</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). I absolutely <u>love</u> this high tea. The people are fantastic (the guests are usually all local milliners) and the high tea, which is catered by the Hopetoun Tea Rooms, is beautiful. There was a great mixture of savoury and sweet things and the salmon sandwiches are particularly nice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wore a 'Dior style' hat and dress to the event and managed to win 'Best dressed'. That was quite the compliment given how well dressed the other ladies were. The picture below shows myself (on right) with Sandy Aslett, the winner of the best hat competition (there were prizes for the best exhibition of hats during the week). She is a milliner from Buderim, Queensland and a lovely lady (for her online shop please see </span><a href="http://www.hatsbysandya.com.au/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">this link</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">). All the milliners are very friendly and inspirational ladies. I greatly admire them for their creativity. They are all so talented and I like the fact that they run their own businesses in what is a very competitive market.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw3aBotDK7KPzsfrcqBElgu933L-PGYn_aaVw3Lqiq19fRU7adLyd47RzKU_ogqlB8zmgAjEj7fu9-RUnQDtShUSHR6T-KvYJdW9crjQRhFuwXfkcZNiE2E9MKTqMpwpSFJyk3DC693E/s1600/hat+6+me+and+hat+winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyw3aBotDK7KPzsfrcqBElgu933L-PGYn_aaVw3Lqiq19fRU7adLyd47RzKU_ogqlB8zmgAjEj7fu9-RUnQDtShUSHR6T-KvYJdW9crjQRhFuwXfkcZNiE2E9MKTqMpwpSFJyk3DC693E/s640/hat+6+me+and+hat+winner.jpg" width="334" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My outfit details:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>1950s 'New Look' hat</i> etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/melmacparadise)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Marie Phillips 1950s dress</i> ebay</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This dress is actually a pink and grey version of the dress I wore to the High tea last year. I love this Dior style with the nipped in waist and soft shoulders. I had in expertly taken in by my fabulous tailors, St Kilda Tailors, highly recommended for altering vintage clothing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have also loaded some close ups of my hat at the end of this post if you'd like more details about that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now onto the gorgeous hats at the High Tea.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at this fabulous red creation . . .</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP3YuI5Lq4PRBiD063ObXdxrDgLna5ilEo2gQcfSlDIBIpb5glprZoq79v1mKqbeeDfV7wlEXWBNdV6r3Jk8jhFlVPQP2ndOmkajlzpv4LS3AEX4uB5fEGAunirfFjni6KuMmIj2rqok/s1600/hat+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP3YuI5Lq4PRBiD063ObXdxrDgLna5ilEo2gQcfSlDIBIpb5glprZoq79v1mKqbeeDfV7wlEXWBNdV6r3Jk8jhFlVPQP2ndOmkajlzpv4LS3AEX4uB5fEGAunirfFjni6KuMmIj2rqok/s640/hat+3.jpg" width="355" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look at this beautiful lady, how happy does she look? Do you know why? She is wearing a hat!</span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdUz_CXKvDGWgS4MjC7EUTGHmL2l22mDatAv8qPPF2li-hS_2j0UCqurR9vGF1Z3-uQ8l8VHSymC0LmI-dInLLspQhCrGge6xhINPTjGYTnVKMD_eTc3VqAnTBK17AZRQXpgF_dl1gZo/s1600/hat+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXdUz_CXKvDGWgS4MjC7EUTGHmL2l22mDatAv8qPPF2li-hS_2j0UCqurR9vGF1Z3-uQ8l8VHSymC0LmI-dInLLspQhCrGge6xhINPTjGYTnVKMD_eTc3VqAnTBK17AZRQXpgF_dl1gZo/s640/hat+4.jpg" width="484" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This lady was sitting next to me at the High Tea. Her name is Zuzana Vranovska and she was also very lovely and friendly. She is also a local milliner and sells vintage as well (see below near end of post for her contact details). I love the cherries in her hat.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpke9y-iWmb08tCwpreZnzEQDNH_vwMT_-4Ax9FCktjlE90bxmfA114NYMkWFHeBMXrLYOU2IvStEWa76t3YpVNRm0xU_DRAyWmtKkkrhi8Gbh_aCXtmph2HnS89vpMlWu_6Nr9oXLDk/s1600/hat+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpke9y-iWmb08tCwpreZnzEQDNH_vwMT_-4Ax9FCktjlE90bxmfA114NYMkWFHeBMXrLYOU2IvStEWa76t3YpVNRm0xU_DRAyWmtKkkrhi8Gbh_aCXtmph2HnS89vpMlWu_6Nr9oXLDk/s640/hat+5.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another gorgeous red creation - a close up of Sandy Aslett, talented Australian milliner . . . </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43avDCbtcd9oUdo7EQbMny4y5MtiYNEj1cbifgm8jjcJOW9KqCeAEx154WD7Oh16E24GZgXrLbqDpam5Zl1CExVGGfKuMYGohrGr4AfNmjmfPrIxDxJa66888Mxc2qUj1K8JSmOs14jw/s1600/hat+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43avDCbtcd9oUdo7EQbMny4y5MtiYNEj1cbifgm8jjcJOW9KqCeAEx154WD7Oh16E24GZgXrLbqDpam5Zl1CExVGGfKuMYGohrGr4AfNmjmfPrIxDxJa66888Mxc2qUj1K8JSmOs14jw/s640/hat+6.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And lastly, this beautiful girl was wearing a hat from the Hat shop at Flinder's Street Station (where she works). But she added some magnificent decorations to it. I love the feathers and art deco look to it. Divine.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuYXuUi7xQO_Gg-6noo_0jpUonnrKSf1HxiPcnbN_o2bblge64VSWzhn3wKnBJdKwF4K-LeHmLFWA2I6r4cFdddcJlHoJrxhx21uuRqKNYCmsSt0Sjyqvzs5yW6yhlSwVGFK5hJt8ld8/s1600/hat+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuYXuUi7xQO_Gg-6noo_0jpUonnrKSf1HxiPcnbN_o2bblge64VSWzhn3wKnBJdKwF4K-LeHmLFWA2I6r4cFdddcJlHoJrxhx21uuRqKNYCmsSt0Sjyqvzs5yW6yhlSwVGFK5hJt8ld8/s640/hat+7.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So there you go, a' hat heavy' post, but I hope you liked it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Many of the milliners pictured above sell their hats in Collins Street and online so if you are interested, please look them up. Some of these include: </span></span></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">- Marea Bright Exclusive Milliner Level 1, Suite 107 Centreway Arcade 259 Collins Street. </span></span></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">Zuzana Vranovska, Couture & Vintage Millinery, shop 8 , 974 High Street Armadale - Kings Arcade</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">Online - see <a href="http://www.serenalindeman.com.au/?gclid=COqjrvfBkasCFYYmpAodrS7SxA">Serena Lindeman</a> and, as mentioned above, <a href="http://www.hatsbysandya.com.au/">Sandy Aslett</a>. </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, for those who are interested, please see below of close ups of the hat I wore to the High Tea. I might give you a good idea as to how to date and buy hats online. The style, along with the label (see photo 3) dates it as vintage. On that issue, I have found that anything with the label 'New York' is going to be top quality. The only thing to note with buying hats online is the sizing. You need to measure your head and then make sure it marries up with the measurements given by the seller. You also must ask the seller to package the hat well so it does not get damaged in the post. That is why, when possible, I like to buy my hats in a 'real life' bricks and mortar store!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy hat shopping!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnyFPTWpraKIYc_oEtSRiMBBhys-T9x2S3dtimL5cKfT0JjCVLs1BGShiTmU1mOENw5YDtWFnrBUXP53h-x7gi8xTm3r6vMx49N0CZkyfnNRtRk2Ccyg7_oiVHeaePHtnigOSOYcGSIM/s1600/close+up+pink+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnyFPTWpraKIYc_oEtSRiMBBhys-T9x2S3dtimL5cKfT0JjCVLs1BGShiTmU1mOENw5YDtWFnrBUXP53h-x7gi8xTm3r6vMx49N0CZkyfnNRtRk2Ccyg7_oiVHeaePHtnigOSOYcGSIM/s400/close+up+pink+hat.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Oy0rwVZGrvBHFNA6hPApZmnvPzygTC9tzeuK-sOTzpY3o2oqVPodQki3I7Hlk3FHMab8I8DK6Q_r79gSkdW1BUU8-B0VERr3l_iq_yVi-exFwY3X7ptqi_ISQr7xg5J8BHUHbEVOC4/s1600/close+up+hat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1Oy0rwVZGrvBHFNA6hPApZmnvPzygTC9tzeuK-sOTzpY3o2oqVPodQki3I7Hlk3FHMab8I8DK6Q_r79gSkdW1BUU8-B0VERr3l_iq_yVi-exFwY3X7ptqi_ISQr7xg5J8BHUHbEVOC4/s400/close+up+hat+2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1mTE87z9duBC1mccK4D0fg80o7cD5Wl47_gTawqBHmk4D8OFTavBdzhaeXVF4NJJzvjTFHwmjMX0iD4FDc1XOIbGIx87AARp5hROeHuKs36q8UcE6nD1sOYMHVqjRY3lrKOn3klM50/s1600/close+up+hat+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLW1mTE87z9duBC1mccK4D0fg80o7cD5Wl47_gTawqBHmk4D8OFTavBdzhaeXVF4NJJzvjTFHwmjMX0iD4FDc1XOIbGIx87AARp5hROeHuKs36q8UcE6nD1sOYMHVqjRY3lrKOn3klM50/s400/close+up+hat+3.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-9869999387989011792011-08-08T22:59:00.000+10:002011-08-08T22:59:12.535+10:00A beautiful 'Lilli Annette' Diminuitive Suit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>As regular readers will know, I love the US vintage designer 'Lilli Ann'. I was very lucky to buy a beautiful 'petite' blue and red suit on etsy from the lovely <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catbooks1940s">Catbooks1940s</a> a few months ago. It is probably one of the nicest suits I have ever bought. The quality of the fabric and tailoring is really quite breathtaking.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluLh1qEjS3UJCJM0Bot1o_2wJlVYgHYS3Zn79ZHRw786hNsoUE36VollW1SGY9w8fKkU1TYqAMPqencksB7XvlZbOeAf06_h8NCOuaSA8Zt8cyfER7KBRvx6fzRAybwZgMqaVghzxeN4/s1600/red+and+blue+Lilli+Ann+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluLh1qEjS3UJCJM0Bot1o_2wJlVYgHYS3Zn79ZHRw786hNsoUE36VollW1SGY9w8fKkU1TYqAMPqencksB7XvlZbOeAf06_h8NCOuaSA8Zt8cyfER7KBRvx6fzRAybwZgMqaVghzxeN4/s640/red+and+blue+Lilli+Ann+014.jpg" width="426px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> I should note that the skirt I am wearing with the jacket is not actually Lilli Ann, but one that Catbooks1940s had originally listed with the jacket on etsy. She had misplaced the matching Lilli Ann skirt, but then later found it and threw that in for free so I got two skirts for the price of one (what a nice seller!). This is great for mixing and matching and makes the suit really versatile.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately I can't wear the matching (navy) skirt at the moment because I have put on a little bit of weight over winter (cough!) and it is too tight on me now. Fortunately I think the red skirt works well with this jacket (I do have to cut down on the sweets though, I just ate homemade apple sponge pudding and icecream - yowzers!).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY1C1_08IN2KqlTbk17Bea9SMQiQ2YFn9hhIFBScugXBo78Fz_Z1pV0zclKC0zJYtm5-JYfrxBRaRUCAxrna2tsGFcm0bjK90seliRKqFkANySssBd8wn7-Nk-7gYwkRofwku1EYrOn8/s1600/red+and+blue+Lilli+Ann+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvY1C1_08IN2KqlTbk17Bea9SMQiQ2YFn9hhIFBScugXBo78Fz_Z1pV0zclKC0zJYtm5-JYfrxBRaRUCAxrna2tsGFcm0bjK90seliRKqFkANySssBd8wn7-Nk-7gYwkRofwku1EYrOn8/s640/red+and+blue+Lilli+Ann+007.jpg" width="324px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I love the red cuffs on the jacket - totally adorable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are some photos of the suit from Catbooks1940s listing of the item on etsy which will show you better detail of the jacket. You can see (from her far superior photography!) the beauty of the trim on the suit. . . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLrRUaPAeDn2Y6hp1mYYtFX_zm1QbaYVV6RdxsRAuhfFnYFyxyKBOrzTUj-ZqGt5mlWeMDoW7ctAQLfUXyvRdzFUDE7fxsZo4y0r3rlUXEZiTKBzWw-mtQDU9p7qY-kCEOVo4OjlL-sI/s1600/lilli+ann+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLrRUaPAeDn2Y6hp1mYYtFX_zm1QbaYVV6RdxsRAuhfFnYFyxyKBOrzTUj-ZqGt5mlWeMDoW7ctAQLfUXyvRdzFUDE7fxsZo4y0r3rlUXEZiTKBzWw-mtQDU9p7qY-kCEOVo4OjlL-sI/s320/lilli+ann+close+up.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
And finally, one of my favourite parts of vintage items - the label! This one says 'Lilli Annette - Diminuitive. Ahhh, isn't that cute? (I am only 5 1/2 feet tall)(I count that half!) so it is accurate, and rather nice, to say I am 'Diminuitive'!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXitjjSrTSNaUUepTo5XkX7TZyb2Be8Orisu2ajhHfARA93wo9l_G8aze5GBozOypY1VmmiyilW-IoZWxDSGf5YGcrF6Cjl3-C3nxWe68qsyhF658adv8ruUCNXdUYY5XObFqK-8Jr6QY/s1600/lilli+ann+red+and+blue+suit+label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXitjjSrTSNaUUepTo5XkX7TZyb2Be8Orisu2ajhHfARA93wo9l_G8aze5GBozOypY1VmmiyilW-IoZWxDSGf5YGcrF6Cjl3-C3nxWe68qsyhF658adv8ruUCNXdUYY5XObFqK-8Jr6QY/s320/lilli+ann+red+and+blue+suit+label.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you enjoyed that little look at my little Lilli Annette suit!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Outfit details</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Lilli Ann jacket and vintage skirt</em> Catbooks1940s on etsy</div><div style="text-align: center;">bag etsy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>earrings </em>etsy</div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-17306579858064950972011-07-23T23:03:00.000+10:002011-07-23T23:03:04.260+10:00A handy green Handmacher suit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hello again, I am finally back! Thanks to everyone for being so patient during my 'computer crash' hiatus from blogging. My new computer is still on its way, but in the meantime I actually figured out how to upload and edit photos on a laptop without Canon software (answer: irfanview - free software from the internet, in case you were wondering!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, enough about boring computers, lets talk vintage now . . . </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5e46rL8wEw_ClOOq9qfO-aSLTAssMmJYRRBzkFRv54sixn3SIRMJHzJP_iATj39XVH-i_sDL2APmc_DXrd4uXE-0hKJo1S3hXa4mFWSI5gUHmwvRuw3wKZpVBHodVY8I0xjuHDmrXeI/s1600/handmacher+acqua+suit+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5e46rL8wEw_ClOOq9qfO-aSLTAssMmJYRRBzkFRv54sixn3SIRMJHzJP_iATj39XVH-i_sDL2APmc_DXrd4uXE-0hKJo1S3hXa4mFWSI5gUHmwvRuw3wKZpVBHodVY8I0xjuHDmrXeI/s640/handmacher+acqua+suit+5.jpg" t$="true" width="316px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Regular readers will know I love Lilli Ann suits, but I have recently bought a few 'Handmacher' suits, which were also made in the 40s and 50s and have excellent tailoring. I have to say I don't think they are equal with 50s Lilli Ann in terms of the workmanship and complexity of the tailoring, but they are beautiful in their own right. I particularly like the close cut of the jackets . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDuI7ts49I11rFPv1XLDSpdDFx9UPWjawdhoQfINAA6dijc_xZyQKaf59cAkg52qWKMDkcrduY7JBzs8q7TH1ndvzpQCa5ItMLpksk2bFLjcsyNyvdr8c1u6g9oX4qg5mMeA_92hWSW8/s1600/handmacher+acqua+sitting+down+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDuI7ts49I11rFPv1XLDSpdDFx9UPWjawdhoQfINAA6dijc_xZyQKaf59cAkg52qWKMDkcrduY7JBzs8q7TH1ndvzpQCa5ItMLpksk2bFLjcsyNyvdr8c1u6g9oX4qg5mMeA_92hWSW8/s640/handmacher+acqua+sitting+down+1.jpg" t$="true" width="368px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The cut of the suits are also very feminine and hug in 'all the right places'. I particularly like the rounded colours and the pocket detail which is a signature feature of Handmacher suits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVSwC3DarZeW7t4HLTRmwfN61CrJ9ZtAog3WZ8t-0DkKTmEd8waNA7agWE4Bgoe8icSLQOq13i2yWpjJdRmCDYTJUgbXw8N5aXttbBZX3vO-av5l8gSfDFp2A0dfCyxCZy7ZvHXrgVJU/s1600/handmacher+close+up+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVSwC3DarZeW7t4HLTRmwfN61CrJ9ZtAog3WZ8t-0DkKTmEd8waNA7agWE4Bgoe8icSLQOq13i2yWpjJdRmCDYTJUgbXw8N5aXttbBZX3vO-av5l8gSfDFp2A0dfCyxCZy7ZvHXrgVJU/s640/handmacher+close+up+1.jpg" t$="true" width="454px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is not actually a colour I would normally buy for myself as I am a little scared of pastel type colours with my fair skin. I tend to go for deeper greens, like emeralds. However, the hue of this particular acqua green is OK on me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVcsuPHRTSGPqdxGVQflqCY6x_4HtClhdocBK6AJjz-JTsUVxTNCl4U_9uCzcf3RI6bOZIZIkcybmVs2QpPL7BzsANEgwPc9vDOjxf0i4eahR3_1wdTGbCtHfyUIx-acBY08wLvEakYY/s1600/handmacher+acqua+suit+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJVcsuPHRTSGPqdxGVQflqCY6x_4HtClhdocBK6AJjz-JTsUVxTNCl4U_9uCzcf3RI6bOZIZIkcybmVs2QpPL7BzsANEgwPc9vDOjxf0i4eahR3_1wdTGbCtHfyUIx-acBY08wLvEakYY/s640/handmacher+acqua+suit+1.jpg" t$="true" width="420px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">It also looks nice with the jacket open and a nice white pussy bow blouse underneath (that is also a little more comfortable too!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is perfect work wear, although I had to darn a number of holes in the skirt (6-7 in total, some of them quite large!) so I probably wouldn't wear it to an important meeting or in a lecture. It is OK for in the office though and like me, I guess many flaws are what makes it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, I thought this photo might give you a laugh - I have to take most of my photos with a tripod and timer. So I try and line up where I will stand, centre the camera, press the auto button, it beeps for 10 seconds and in that time I have to run around to the front, look composed, smile and off it goes. Naturally it takes me about 20 goes to get 2 decent photos and I have a tendency to go off centre all the time. Exhibit 1 - little ol' me in the very corner of this photo - after I cut all the unwanted background out, all I was left with was this . . . </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv9IuQQ4qHeYoIEiTojQDqANdnj-DH6RHXh7xTG_BP97aQPAmEDSMNERHKckAqz4k4OUTAwhvhiuGygzUroO4OtgNQW3bUJu-mvBZFhb-YnRR213eEMd03XzpK0hEAW0yo7EiI551l3w/s1600/handmacher+acqua+suit+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbv9IuQQ4qHeYoIEiTojQDqANdnj-DH6RHXh7xTG_BP97aQPAmEDSMNERHKckAqz4k4OUTAwhvhiuGygzUroO4OtgNQW3bUJu-mvBZFhb-YnRR213eEMd03XzpK0hEAW0yo7EiI551l3w/s320/handmacher+acqua+suit+3.jpg" t$="true" width="105px" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> dear me, enough said!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Outfit details</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">1950s Handmacher suit <em>etsy</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">white pussy bow blouse <em>ebay</em></div><div style="text-align: center;">earrings <em>vintage Lisner - etsy </em> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left"></div>Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414441677579152556.post-48232947112191517732011-07-03T16:23:00.000+10:002011-07-03T16:23:53.623+10:00A momentary service interruption to my blogDear Readers<br />
Apologies for my delay in posting these past 2 weeks. My computer hardrive decided to crash and we have to get a new computer (something to do with the 'motherboard'!). Unfortunately all my camera/photo programs are on that computer so I will have to reinstall everything (when I can find the CD's in which to do this!). I will be back to 'normal' in a few weeks. Thanks for your understanding! Maria (Vintage Suburbia)Vintagesuburbiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15272824150687708031noreply@blogger.com1