Friday, May 29, 2009

White Dresses in the Summer

Dad in the 50's

I'm so inspired by beautiful white cotton dresses in the summertime. I had to take this photo from my dads old albums because I adored those dresses so much. I don't even know the girls in the photo, I'm sure they are family or old neighbors, I'm just so intrigued by their adorable dresses, curly bobs, and pleasant dispositions. (My dad is the little guy in the undies)

Beautiful Mom in the 70's

Then there is my mom in much later times. I think this photo was taken in '72 or '73, back when my mom had big dreams of being a model. She ended up moving to Guam, where my dad was in the Air Force, and starting a family. I adore her outfit in this photo, although it's probably just a nightgown and some army boots. It's so in tune with the street fashion of today. (I think it's the boots!) Again, I just love the white dress.

If only time could stop...

Benjamin Alexander Huseby
Oh to lay in the fields of dandelions while sharing my deepest secrets.
To dream of being a little girl again.
To be whimsical and carefree of anything in the world except for the moment at hand.

Oh how I long for a moment so liberating.
In a fast paced world where we rush from dusk to dawn and then again to repeat the process.

I just wanna slow down.
I just wanna be able to remember what is passing before me.

"What's the day?"
"Whats you doing?"
"How's your food?"
"How's that song?"
Man it passes right by me it's behind me, now it's gone
I can't lift you up cause my mind is tired, it's family beaches that I desire
That sacred night where we watched the fireworks
They frightened the babies and you know they've got two flashing eyes
And if they are color blind, they make me feel, that you're only what I see sometimes.

-Animal Collective (Fireworks)

Etsy Love: Artlab

Etsy Love: ArtLab
Artlab:Website/Etsy (Shown: Cirque de Soleil Dress, Raw Clutch, Lysistrata Bustle)
I discovered an amazing fashion designer whilst browsing through the handmade clothing on etsy yesterday. Her name is Patricia Ayres and her shop, which is chock-full of innovative clothing, collages, and prints, is called Artlab. I was seriously blown away and utterly inspired by her work which includes photography, fashion design, installation art, printmaking, and sculpture. The hand silk screening and conceptual designs are truly unique and make me wish that I would have choose the life of art school.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Tracy Feith For Target

Tracy Feith For Target

These are my favorite looks from Targets most recent feature designer, Tracy Feith, which will be available from May 17-June 20. The vintage inspired pieces have a real surfer, boho-chic look and feel to them with beautiful floral prints and a little bit of Lolita influence. There are a few pieces, which aren't shown here, that have a bit too much 1960's upholestry look for my taste but overall I'm a fan of this collection. It's way more me than the super punky Alexander McQueen line.
My favorite thing about the collection is the styling of black socks with sandals! If you would have shown me that a year or two ago, I would have considered it a disgrace to fashion, but now, I would totally combine the two. I think it was actually yesterday that I was thinking about wearing black socks with sandals at Bonnaroo (when I'm not wearing my new pastel pink KEDS).

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Vintage Dress Patterns

Vintage Dress Patterns

Over the past several months I've gotten pretty obsessed with searching for vintage dress patterns on ebay. Whether it be a sailor blouse or a drop waist dress, there is always a specific style that I'm on the hunt for. Over time, I've purchased a few and built up a small collection of shift dresses and bathing suit patterns, but there were always more styles that I wanted.
All of that changed last week when my friend Brittney brought me hundreds of vintage dress patterns from her grandmothers collection. There were literally hundreds, and I couldn't even wait to dive into all the different cuts and styles that her grandmother once wore. I found a couple of really old ones from the 50's, a few from the 60's and 70's (my faves), and a whole bunch from the 80's. I posted a few of my favorites below.
I think the one that I'm most excited about is the swimsuit pattern. 50's and 60's swimsuits are what I've been searching for most on ebay, I just never really have much luck. The romper is definitely a close second, as I'm always talking about those things!
This seriously was like the greatest gift ever, better than Christmas! Now I have just about every collar, sleeve, and yoke that I could possibly dream of, and although I'm not the greatest, most patient seamstress of all time, I plan on really focusing and working hard to create a great vintage inspired collection!

Vintage Dress Patterns

Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day!

lookbookROLL
TShirt: hand-me-down
Skirt & Purse: Vintage
Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Happy Memorial Day to everyone! Today Jake and I are going out to my parents house for some grilling and swimming. I miss the days of going to the lake on memorial day, but with this weather and our busy schedules it's so hard to plan those kind of things. We had a great time watching An Orangutan play at riverfest yesterday, I'm just so happy to see the sun shining at least a little bit today. I'm posting a few photos that my sister took of me the other day. Hopefully she'll be moving in upstairs and we'll get to hang out a lot more often.

lookbookROCK

Friday, May 22, 2009

Ebay Auctions


I can't believe it has taken me this long to list more dresses, but the April move kind of knocked me out of my routine. I have a whole dress rack full of beautiful vintage clothes that need to be worn and over the next few weeks (especially after Bonnaroo) I'll be listing tons more. I didn't have enough time to list many, but here are six of my favorites that are ready for a new home. The auctions start today and will be ending next Saturday at noon.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Ebay Playsuits

Ebay Playsuits
Shop for Plaid, Shop for Stripes

I was doing a little bit of ebay shopping yesterday when I came across these adorable playsuits. Both of them are precious, but sadly neither of them will fit me. The one on the left is only at $6 right now, but I'm sure it'll go up a bit since it has 4 days left! For any of you XS, 00 girls out there, get your bids in on these vintage treasures.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Main Street Alley

Main Street Alley


Cody and I finally went and took photos at my favorite alley downtown. First we did some thrift store shopping where I found two pairs of KEDS! Neither of them were the color that I was looking for, but at a grand total of $6.00, I went ahead and got both pair. Now I have a pair in black and soft pink, each from a different decade. I really didn't have much luck other than that. Since I have so many vintage clothes to sell already, I'm pretty selective about what I buy. I guess that best thing that happened while we were out shopping was finding out that next Monday is 50% off day at Saver's. 50% off the whole entire store...I live for these days!
Later on, Cody and I went to Main Street downtown where there is an amazing alley full of moss, water stains, rust, and wood...all the things we love to photograph! We had a good time, and we got some pretty good photos too.

Main Street Wall

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Summer with the Girls

Vintage Beach

One of the best vacations that I've ever had in my life was spent near my aunt and uncles beach house in Gulf Shores with my best friend Jessica. We were barely eighteen, if that, and thrilled to be spending our first summer without the parents.

Our mission: boys, suntans, boys.

After looking through all of these vintage beach photos from the flickr group pool "Vintage Bathing Beauties/Belles- Late 19th century to 1930's," I was reminded of that summer. It makes me miss the friendship and the moments that we shared as naive little teenagers on the hunt for love. Although were all grown up now, (kind of) with boyfriends and real jobs (well, at least she's got her masters), I would love to plan another summer trip for just me and my Jess!

Dear Creatures

Dear Creatures

I have fallen in looove with Dear Creatures Spring/Summer 2009 collection, and rarely do I ever find an entire collection that appeals to me like this one. Just flipping through the lookbook, I found at least six pieces that I would wear. Designer Bianca Benitez' lovely line, inspired by Pricilla Presley and Sharon Tate, contains a variety of 1960's inspired colors and prints. Its number one fan, Zooey Deschanel has been caught in Dear Creature threads in several different interviews, and she even holds up two of the dresses in her famous cotton commercial. (they are the last two dresses in the ad...here)
I can't wait for the fall 2009 collection to hit the shelves in August. I can't find any sneak peak photos, but I do know that it is a collection inspired by 1960's girl scouts troops! That may sound silly to some, but I love the idea of little girl dresses and troop photos. I'm so excited to see what's to come!!!

Dear Creatures Fall09 postcard

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Bonnaroo Inspiration: KEDS

Keds & Shorts: Bonaroo Inspiration

All I want for Bonnaroo is some KEDS! Last time I attended Bonnaroo was back in 2007, and I made the mistake of wearing sandals. With so much dirt in the air and on your toes, sandals feel icky, so I need a good closed-toe shoe. KEDS are my pick because they're so comfortable and they're kind of in style. I looked them up on the KEDS website, just to get an idea of what they cost these days, and I couldn't believe my eyes....$50! I remember having seven or eight pair at a time when I was a kid because they were the cheap shoes that I was allowed to get dirty.

Vintage KEDS Advertisments

Although I thought KEDS were just the shoes of the 80's, I found that KEDS originated back in 1916. They were marketed as the first canvas-top "sneaker" and probably cost about a buck then. I can't find too much information about "Karl The Karrot Keds Klub", but I do know that it was a childrens show that came on daily in San Francisco. Most families were just getting their first television and kids were clinging to the long-haired karrot puppet. Who knew KEDS had so much history to them? I just want a good pair in white, navy, and red, for what they cost back in 1916. I guess my only chance is to hit up the thrift stores.

The Keds Klub

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Vinyl Obsession: DARK WAS THE NIGHT

Vinyl Obsession: DARK WAS THE NIGHTDARK WAS THE NIGHT

My boyfriend bought this vinyl a few months ago, and it has been in heavy rotation at our home ever since. Dark Was The Night was produced by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, who formerly worked for the charity organization, Red Hot which benefits aids research. Their proximity and relationships with other musicians allowed the guys to recruit some pretty phenomonal artists for the project. I know this is all old news in the music world, but I just can't get enough of this album.


At first, I feel completely in love with Yeasayers song, Tight Rope.


And now, I'm pretty stuck on The Nationals, So Far Around the Bend. Beautiful....


And I'm slowly moving on and on and on. Another love is Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner's, Big Red Machine.



There are tons more great songs and artists on this record including Grizzly Bear, Feist, Antony, Spoon, Beruit, Cat Power, and the list goes on. Just check it out for yourself!


A Historical Day at the Market

Day at the Market


I finally got around to listing some dresses in the etsy shop yesterday, but photoshop was being uncooperative and wouldn't save my files. I wasted my morning and built up quite a bit of frustration, so I decided to take a stroll downtown to the river market. I called Cody up so I wouldn't have to walk alone and so we could explore all the historical buildings in my new neighborhood.

When we got downtown, we saw that the Arkansas Studies Institute, a historical building that has been under construction from the inside out for a few years now, was finally open to the public. The building is absolutely breathtaking inside and out, and it houses many manuscript collections revealing a look into Arkansas' history and its people. It's focus is to promote a greater understanding of Arkansas' history, art, literature, and culture. There are several photograph collections focusing on all aspects of Arkansas' history, including military, education, plantation, building, architecture, natural resources, etc. Along with the photographs, there are several regional, national, and world maps on display, with some dating back to the 17th century.

On the entry level floor, there is a gallery for local artists to sale their work and a rotating photography gallery. This month, the gallery is featuring tons of photographs dated from 1900-1950 of inmates at the Arkansas Correctional Facility. Most of the photographs were mug shots of men and women that a photographer found in a drawer and restored for the gallery. Several were taped back together and scanned back in, adding to the worn look of the shots.

Although we only explored the first floor, we learned a little more about the building through the pamphlets at the front door. Apparently, the building is an extension of the Central Arkansas Library System and the top floor houses the first research library in Arkansas. Still unfinished, and soon to come is an archival collection. Cody and I were so ecstatic to have discovered such a fascinating place with so much information that we would have never found on our own, and....it's free!


Day at the Market
After our unexpected and refreshing detour, we got right back on track to the used bookstore. I absolutely love this place because I can afford to pick up a few books, unlike Barnes and Nobles where I can only get one because they're so expensive. I found a great little photography book called "The Joy of Photographing People" that is full of old and new photography (which I've been on the hunt for), but I didn't have much luck finding any history of costume books (which I've also been hunting for).

When we were checking out, the hyper librarian noticed that I had a photography book. She got so excited and began to tell me about an Arkansas photography book that was published back in September. Apparently, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette held a contest asking Arkansas natives to submit photographs that represent Arkansas to them. The winners were selected and their work was published in this book. It's a thick book full of nature, people, and places that truly represent our state, and I would have bought it had it been a little cheaper.
As much as Cody and I are out and about taking photos, we were shocked that we hadn't heard anything about this contest when it was going on. Most of the promotion was through the paper, and like most kids in our generation, we get our new from the internet. I asked if they were planning on doing a second book, and she told us that the project was a great success and that it would probably take place again in 2009. Now our eyes are open, and we may just become regular readers of the Sunday paper.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Watermelons

Summer Family Picnic: Watermelons

Baron Adolph de Meyer: First Fashion Photographer

Baron Adolph de Meyer


In 1909, the weekly high society magazine, Vogue was purchased by an American publisher Conde Nast. He wanted to keep the magazine geared toward the rich and famous, but also more accessible for the mainstream. That's when Conde Nast hired a highly accomplished European photographer, Baron Adolph de Meyer who is often called the founder of fashion photography. Through his wife, Olga Caracciolo, de Meyer met and photographed numerous society members, models, and dancers in their own high fashion clothing and accessories. He was a pictorialist who worked in photogravure, a process developed in the 1830's, which merges photography and printmaking. After much success with Vogue and Vanity Fair, in 1921 de Meyer began working with the competitor, Harper's Bazaar. He worked there for 13 years before a new editor came in and redefined the direction of Harper's Bazaar, leaving de Meyer without a job. He died in 1949, virtually forgotten as a photograper. Although his final days were spent out of work, de Meyer will forever be remembered as a true visionary with a delicate idiom who allowed his subjects to portray their true personalities in front of the lens.


Baron Adoph de Meyer: La Belle Epoque

It's always beautiful to see the innovators of an industry. I really enjoyed researching de Meyer and learning the origins of fashion photography. De Meyer paved the way for a fashion obsessed culture before it was accessible to anyone but the rich. His prints are extraordinary and also very rare as he destroyed most of them before the war. I think my favorite is that of the African-American beauty Josephine Baker, an American singer, dancer, and actress. Another interesting aspect of de Meyers photography are his still life prints. I didn't post any of them, but they are definitely worthy of a look.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Playsuit LOVE.

PLAYSUITS VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
80's KID PLAYSUIT
Me and my sister in the late 80's

I've had a serious admiration for playsuits every since I was a little girl. I can remember wearing them all the time when I was a kid. I don't recall too many details except that most of them had straps that tied over each shoulder and some with a little smocking at the waste just like the one my sister is wearing in the photo above. At the time, I had no idea (nor did I care) that they had been such a huge trend amongst the women in my grandmothers generation. They came in so many different styles and colors, and some with matching cover up skirts that turned the suits into perfect little dress ensembles! I just love how all the women above look so happy and playful, almost child-like, in such adorable little one piece numbers.

PLAYSUIT- SUMMER '09 WISHLIST
Top Left: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Top Right: New Look, Bottom Left: 3.1 Phillip Lim, Bottom Right: I wish I knew!

I've had my eye on that Marc Jacobs suit ever since I read the most recent issue of Lula Magazine. It's colors are barely even noticeable in the photo, and even still it caught my eyes. I think the most inspiring thing about most of the playsuits that I've seen are that they are all different, all unique in their own way. There are so many variations in length, color, collars, necklines, closures, and basic details. I guess you could say that the same goes for dresses, blouses, pants, and so on, but I think it's refreshing to see a silhouette that has been tucked away for so long. I mean, I realize that playsuits and rompers aren't the most universally flattering garment to wear, but why does it seem like they disappeared completely until now?



Friday, May 1, 2009

Book My Look

Pale Yellow Picnics

Dress: Vintage/Goodwill
Belt: Vintage/Goodwill
Fedora: Vintage/Estate Sale
Shoes: Goodwill
Purse: Vintage/Estate Sale

This dress reminds me of some of the dresses my mom wore in the 80's. I don't know, I think it's one particular picture I'm thinking of. It's a family photo at a picnic, and mom is wearing the perfect little pale yellow and white striped dress. Maybe that's why a subconsciously paired it with a picnic basket purse. Because of that one photo, I pick up any little blouse or dress that looks remotely like it. Mom would love to hear that. :)