[ click for a larger view. ]
I have lately been on a 1930s movie kick: rewatching all my favorites (like You Can’t Take It With You, the Thin Man series, and The Philadelphia Story, just to name a small few) and haunting TCM for some new ones. The other evening I popped Stage Door in, a movie I hadn’t seen in ages and had forgotten how many cute outfits there are in this picture! I decided I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you (along with my obsessive notes… click on the images to see full-size. Feel free to skip if you’d like!)–I hope you enjoy!
So tell me: what is your favorite movie from the 1930s?
January 13, 2010 ·
52 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,fashion in film
· tags: 1930s, film fashion, vintage inspiration
[ how I spent most of last weekend while nursing my cold! ]
I’m sure you all have heard by now of the insanely cold temperatures we’re experiencing in the southern portion of the East Coast. It actually got so cold I had to pull out all my super heavy winter coats! This time last year, it was solidly in the 70s; it always amazes me how quickly nature changes from one thing to the next… kind of like life! The chilly air has made me want to hibernate with endless pots of tea, under my favorite quilt, with my knitting. Of course, I can’t do that all day long, but I have been spending inordinate amounts of time in the evening working on a new sweater. (I actually have just finished another and need to stitch it together. Pictures coming soon!) I found a great site a few months ago with free vintage knitting patterns, and this one has been calling to me. I changed the yoke up a bit and started it sooner than the pattern called for so that the lace pattern would be more prominent; wide yokes have been appealing to me of late.
[ subtle, yet pretty. ]
I’m such a silly girl: I always get excited when I hit the “interesting” parts of a knitted project. Cables, lacy patterns, neckline shaping–I find it way too fun. I think it has something to do with seeing the yarn start to take on shape and form into intricate little twists and bumps. The lace pattern on this sweater isn’t terribly fancy: I’d hesitate to even classify it as a lace (at least in my book), since it doesn’t have the characteristics of lots of open spaces. In it’s simplicity is a certain charm that has emerged as I knit each stitch and slip them off my needles. I have quite a ways to go with this sweater still (the question is: will it get completed before the really warm weather hits Florida?), but for now I’m happily wrapped up in the gentle rhythm of the needles and the yarn.
January 12, 2010 ·
15 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,knitting
· tags: knitting
[ urban outfitter's open back dress, anthropologie's tic-tac-toe blouse. ]
It seems a bit silly to be thinking of spring already: considering the cold snap we’ve had in Florida (it’s gotten as chilly at the mid 20s at night!). But the arrival of a new Anthropologie catalog and browsing some other fashion sites has given me some ideas of possible inspirations for springtime sewing. Not that any of these will be made or even make their way into the things I do make–I muse over ideas quite a bit that never go further than a doodle in my notebook and a few scribbled notes! I just find the idea of gathering and contemplating the pro’s and con’s of certain ideas to be conducive to motivating me! lol.
I nearly fell off the sofa when I saw the Urban Outfitter’s dress. I’m usually not swayed by UO (the fit model they use for their clothes are usually so off to how I’m shaped), but this dress pulled me in with it’s quiet stripes and peek-a-boo back. But I don’t like the length (not sure how I feel about the exposed zipper either). So, I might make my own at some point. Need to draft up a decent t-shirt pattern first though. It would be a cinch to use that, plus a lightly gathered semi-circle skirt. Seems like an ideal workhorse design that I could just throw in the washing machine if done in the right material (always a perk for the gal who hates to iron!).
[ landing field skirt, into the night blouse, aniseed skirt (all from anthropologie). ]
Moving on to my beloved Anthro… Last year, none of the catalogs really captured me: the styles they were offering were just a bit too modern or blah for my liking. (But then again, I am excessively picky, as Sailor Husband likes to remind me regularly.) I love many of the drapey pieces they have in the current catalog though. Have you noticed some of the peplum blouses and interesting draping on skirts? Definitely reminding me of the mid forties (or maybe I just bring everything back to my favored decade).
I spent a good deal of time over the weekend looking through all the images on my computer for inspiration regarding my spring wardrobe. I think it’s definitely going to continue in the 40s vein; perhaps with a few twists here and there! I’m already dreaming of what fabric I’d like to track down to make some new outfits from…
Oh, and an update on the swing dance class: literally thirty minutes after I posted on Friday, I got an email saying it had been canceled because of low enrollment. Oh well… I guess I chalk this up to life happens and not to get my hopes too tied up in one thing. lol. Actually, I think we’ll just wait and see if any other classes are offered later in the spring. We’re trying to take it through the local community college, since it’s a lot more reasonable cost-wise than many of the overpriced dance studios around here. If at first you don’t succeed…
January 11, 2010 ·
24 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,inspiration
· tags: fashion
[ click for a larger view of these wonderful images & sources! ]
My apologies for lack of posting the past couple days; I managed to catch a nasty cold. Rather than writing a few rambling posts that would probably make no sense, I took a small break. I’m still sick, but thankfully can put a sentence together with some comprehension. lol!
This week’s vintage image isn’t the usual pretty fashion picture, but rather something that is not only fun to look at, but shows the ingenuity of 40s styles. I just love the idea of livening up a plain shirtwaist dress with an apron and snazzy buttons–how fun is that?!
[ click for a larger view. ]
What are your plans for this weekend? I’m really excited: we’re starting our swing dance classes (hopefully… we got an email about the class being canceled if the registration quota wasn’t met. I hope not!). I cannot wait to try my feet (lol!) at swing dancing! Hope you all have a lovely weekend, friends!
January 8, 2010 ·
21 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,links
· tags: vintage inspiration, weekly inspiration
