Must-have dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing

Black Birdie dress
Black Birdie dress.

The wide variety of vintage-inspired, retro, rockabilly, and pinup-style fashions available online is both a blessing and a curse, especially if you like to wear dresses. There are literally hundreds of options available at a variety of price points, from slinky and elegant pencil dresses in work-perfect, subdued colors to frothy tulle gowns in bright tones. It’s fun to check out all the pretty clothes, but it’s also really easy to get overwhelmed.

If you’ve never done business with an internet clothing seller, how can you be sure of fit, color, quality, and service? Will the dress that comes to your door be as beautiful as the dress you saw on the web page? And perhaps most importantly, is the sense of dresslust you sate by clicking that order button really worth the money you spend? If you’re wanting to jump into the online vintage-inspired clothing world but you’re afraid of making decisions you’ll regret, Pinup Girl Clothing is a wonderful place to start. In fact, I have six versatile, high-quality, American-made dress choices pulled from the Pinup Girl house brands to get you happily on your way in the world of retro-fabulous fashion! Continue reading “Must-have dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing”

Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!

Kali by Holly West
Kali by Holly West. Makeup and Hair by Rockwell DeVil.

Most of you probably know that I’ve lost around 150 pounds over the last several years. I’ve battled with crappy body image for much of my life, and medically influenced massive weight gain in my mid-twenties certainly didn’t help. My goal has never been to get “skinny” or hit some sort of arbitrary weight goal. I’m happy just to feel comfortable with my body again, and the photo shoots in which I’ve participated this year have definitely helped with that. My most recent shoot happened this September at a custom car shop in Sacramento, with the superlative photographer Holly West. Continue reading “Outfits of the Year: Pinup fun with Holly West, Deadly Dames, and new friends!”

Presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma for sale…again!

Anne Sharp's Copy of Emma
Anne Sharp’s Copy of Emma, from Sotheby’s.

I was kind of avoiding this because I thought it might’ve been a bad case of necrolink, but apparently it’s true: Anne Sharp’s presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma is indeed for sale…again. It last sold at auction in April, 2010 for the then pounds sterling-equivalent of $271,294.

The set of three volumes is one of twelve special first edition copies – “presentation” copies as they’re called – reserved for Austen’s family, friends, and her highest-profile fan of the period, the Prince Regent (care of his royal librarian, James Stanier Clarke). Anne Sharp is often noted as the only “friend” among the bunch of recipients. Miss Sharp had served as governess to Austen’s beloved niece, Fanny Knight, and by most accounts is the logical model for the Woodhouse girls’ dear former governess, Mrs. Weston, in Emma. Continue reading “Presentation copy of Jane Austen’s Emma for sale…again!”

The WPIX Yule Log and classic Christmas music

Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!

I’m a Christmas nut. I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I freaking love everything about the season – the lights, the food, the festive mood, and maybe most of all, the amazing holiday music. My favorite Christmas tracks are nostalgic, particularly the ones from the 1950s through the early 1970s that remind me of my early childhood. This is why I love the original WPIX Yule Log, a Christmas Eve television tradition since 1966. Originally conceived by WPIX General Manager Fred Thrower to bring old-fashioned holiday hearth experiences to New Yorkers, the “classic” WPIX playlist – like the Disneyland and Magic Kingdom Main Street Christmas loops compiled by “voice of Disneyland” Jack Wagner – brings many of my absolute favorite Christmas recordings together in a single, quirky package.

Being a West Coaster and a child of the 1980s, my first TV Yule Log experience happened care of KOFY TV-20, the legendary independent station in the San Francisco Bay Area known for its crazy dog bumpers. I remember hours of Philadelphia Brass, but I’m fairly sure the playlist was similar to the following WPIX playlist, which features everyone from Percy Faith to David Rose:

Continue reading “The WPIX Yule Log and classic Christmas music”

A 1930s Halloween

Halloween Kit
Halloween kit cover.

‘Tis the season for spooky festivities! While some current Halloween traditions have roots that stretch back to antiquity, our contemporary children’s holiday activities – like parties, games, costume parades, and even trick-or-treating – were actually devised in the 20th century as ways to keep kids from partaking in the destructive and dangerous pranks that plagued the season in the 1920s and 1930s.

The following Halloween party ideas come from a wonderful Halloween Program Kit distributed by the Cooperative Recreation Service in Delaware, OH, in the 1930s. My copy is stamped as the property of the Fresno, CA, Works Progress Administration. The kit – marked #28 in the series, revised – was edited by Lynn & Katherine Rorhbough. Continue reading “A 1930s Halloween”

The ultimate retro lifestyle accessory: a home!

Kali House
Mah howse! By Cindy.

So, nearly three months of house drama is over. I spent this afternoon at the title company signing papers for my adorable 1963 jack-in-the-box house, and I couldn’t be more proud!

Finally, my 1930s painted bedroom and dining sets, my lucite pineapple-shaped “grape” lamp, my goddess rain lamp, and my amazing new lucite grape swag lamp (birthday gift from my adorable parents, which you can see below!) can run wild and free in my swank new retro pad!

I’ll be working on decorating the place over the next few months, so stay tuned for more “housey” updates! Continue reading “The ultimate retro lifestyle accessory: a home!”

Save the SS United States!

Save the SSUS!
Save the SSUS! Support the SS United States Conservancy!

Everyone who knows me well knows that I’m a huge midcentury transatlantic liner fan. The SS United States – America’s merchant marine flagship and star of Disney’s Bon Voyage – is my favorite. Sleek, fast, modern, and as space age as sea travel will ever get, this 1950s wondership needs your help! Be like me and sponsor a piece of the “Big U” via the SS United States Conservancy’s Save the SS United States campaign! I chose part of the “U” in the “UNITED STATES” on the starboard bow. 😀 Save the SS United States!

Link: Dolldivine.com’s Pinup Maker Deluxe

Kali as a doll!
Kali as a doll! My version of the Pinup Couture Heidi dress.

If you love dressing up digital paper dolls and adore pinup style, Kei’s Pinup Maker Deluxe is the game for you!

Based on the larger selection of build-’em-yourself dolls at Dolldivine.com, this specifically pinup version is hosted at Deviantart. Customize outfits, hair, makeup, shoes, accessories, and backgrounds!