Kim Novak as "Madeleine" views the fictional "portrait of Carlotta" at the Legion of Honor's Gallery 6.
Yesterday was our Greater Bay Area Costumers’ Guild Falling for Vertigo: A Toast to Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco event. We had a wonderful time attending a guided tour of the Georgian portraiture at the Legion of Honor (an iconic Vertigo filming site), a nod to the fictional “portrait of Carlotta” that appeared in the film. Afterwards, we visited historic Fort Point, the location where “Madeleine” throws herself into San Francisco Bay, to explore the Civil War-era fort and behold the spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands. Our day ended with drinks and dinner at the Presidio Social Club (and for some of us, the Top of the Mark). Continue reading “Falling for Vertigo: 1950s Fashion and Alfred Hitchcock’s San Francisco”
I was impressed by the adorable Hell Bunny brand sundresses some of my friends were sharing on Facebook, so I decided to buy one three of my own!
Since a wide selection of Hell Bunny clothing isn’t readily available in my neck of the woods (California), I purchased my dresses from Sirens & Starlets, a UK Ebay Store that came recommended by a fellow pin-up style fan in New Zealand. Even from far across the pond, S&S delivered promptly (within ten days) and with excellent service.
Best of all, the dresses fit perfectly and look amazingly cute! I purchased the Olive (mint green), Vanity (black, white, and red), and Motley (black and white) in UK 18/2x, as that is what seemed to best suit my 44-33.5-49″ measurements. Since these styles all feature an elasticized back, there was some concern that they might be too big in the bust.
Hell Bunny Vanity Dress.
While I could probably size down without trouble (my waist measurement matches the xl size according to the fitting charts), it wasn’t necessary. For the Hell Bunny dresses that don’t come in plus sizes (I’m looking at you, Kiki dress!), it’s comforting to know that the XL size is there for me to try.
The cotton fabric is light and crisp, perfect for warm springs and hot summers. I’m planning on wearing these three in Las Vegas come April, which should be pretty warm! Even though it’s still February, north-central California’s weather has been mild enough for me to wear two of my new dresses with cardigans!
I recently purchased two barely worn Pinup Couture Laura Tops (size XL, in white and red) from a groovy fellow Pinup Girl Clothing fan. The price was right, their condition is excellent, and the tops seemed like a great way to solve my perpetual problem finding cute, casual tops right for wear with jeans and crops. While the Lauras are cute (love the heart buttons at the neckline), well-made, and comfortable, they aren’t quite what I was hoping for.
First, the tops are short. Whenever I sit or bend over, they pop right up around my waist, leaving my lower back skin exposed. This issue likely unresolvable by sizing up to the 2x, as both the XL and 2x are 24 inches long.
Second, the tops are not long/big enough in the chest area, as the underbust seam hovers just above my bra underwire. While it’s still comfortable and looks fine, this doesn’t bode well for people with truly large or round boobs (i.e., bigger and better boobs than mine, which are fairly average for a person of my height and size). My bust measures 43-44″ and usually takes a 36/38DD/DDD bra, which puts me squarely in the XL area (40-45″) according to the size chart.
Ironically, some Laura Top reviewers have mentioned that despite falling well within the bust range recommended by the size charts, they felt that their boobs did not adequately fill up the bodice space provided. While I wasn’t expecting this to happen to me, I wasn’t expecting to ride the upper end of plausible fit, either. :/
Third, the stretch jersey fabric clings. Maybe this would be less of a problem if I sized up, but the top is already big enough around the waist to give a practical, comfortable fit. I have loose skin on my midriff from major weight loss that peeks through no matter how thin I get, which makes me feel incredibly self-conscious (and is in fact one of the major reasons why I have issues finding fitted knit tops I feel comfortable wearing). Wearing the tops over Spanx or tucked into a high-waisted skirt solves this problem, but that kind of negates my whole reason for buying them in the first place; I wanted to wear them with jeans and crops!
Pinup Couture Gia Top in burgundy with Laura Byrnes Black Label pencil skirt.
Something else to consider is the darker colorways run a bit smaller than the lighter ones. In my case, the red fits a tad more snugly than the white. Additionally, the white fabric is somewhat sheer; the bodice is self-lined, but the lower part is not. Those who are looking for a bit more coverage in the boob area and more “disguise” in the midriff region may have better luck with the long-sleeved, surplice-bodiced Gia Top, which comes in the same fabric and some of the same colorways.
I’m still on the fence about what I will do with my Lauras. I may trade these up for the larger size and see how I fare, or I may keep them and use them as I can until I lose a bit more weight.
ETA: I ordered the black and pink Laura tops in the larger size (2x), and discovered that the extra fabric in the waist helped alleviate some of the showthrough!
At any rate, stay tuned for some new clothing posts and reviews! I’m anxiously awaiting an order of Hell Bunny dresses from UK-based online store Sirens & Starlets.
Since the semester’s started, I haven’t had much time for anything but work. However, here’s my casual outfit for this dreary Saturday! White House/Black Market dot cardigan, Deadly Dames Vamp top in red with black dots, El Dorado Club “New Orleans” bat necklace, Torrid jeans, and Coach patent leather flats.
I’m also including a shot from Thursday afternoon, which features a smidge of that Heartbreaker Marilyn Tee I’d previously mentioned. I’m happy with the shot because my hair isn’t frizzed beyond belief and the colors involved seem to suit me.
I have a few new (and old) items in the hopper to show you within the next month or so, so stay tuned! Here’s hoping everything fits as planned! 😀
I wore this beautiful dress to a work training today (unpaid, alas!) with my Lane Bryant sequined cardigan, pictured below (thanks to Homegoods for lending their mirror).
I borrowed Forever 21’s big mirror on the way out of the mall today to bring you my outfit of the day!
I wore a silver-sequined black cardigan from the 2010 Lane Bryant holiday collection, my Deadly Dames Pirate Dress, cheap Steve Madden shoes from T.J. Maxx, Claire’s hairflower, and El Dorado Club “New Orleans” Filigree Bat Necklace.
Would’ve been nice had I, you know, worn makeup or something. 😛
As his friend Bob (who initially forwarded the video) stated, every one of those guys knows exactly what he’s doing…
This is really awesome footage… A 1936 Pontiac assembly factory… Note,
automation was already in place, the workers lack any & all safety equipment, glasses & helmets: and they ALL know exactly what to do & it’s getting done.
Note also that when the body comes together with the chassis that it is in FULL trim! Interior, windshield, all glass etc., is already in place as it is dropped onto the awaiting rolling chassis. “AMAZING” Simplicity @ its best.
Note too, when the metal finishers are checking the sheet metal for minute & tiny flaws & defects, that they are wearing heavy leather work gloves. How would YOU like that repetitious job of placing ( 3 ) rivets in the ( 3 ) holes on the chassis for about 35 to 40 years?
It’s barely January, which means that the shops are stocked with cruisewear and the strange seasonal hybridity of bridge lines. Last week, my brother’s girlfriend and I stopped by Ann Taylor Loft to find it awash in nautical blues and brash stripes; all stuff I like, but nothing that satisfies either current climatic reality here in the northern hemisphere or my severe jones for flowers and fragrance and sunshine and springtime.
I know it’s too early to be shopping in earnest for the season to come – after all, it’s only officially been winter for less than three weeks – but it’s a perfect time to look ahead at what’s coming down ye olde pipe and try to plan. First, an obligatory look at the official Pantone palette for Spring, 2012:
Spring 2012 Fashion Color Trends - Pantone Fashion Color Report Spring 2012.
Margarita, Cockatoo, and Sweet Lilac satisfy my craving for soft candy color; Cabaret is a hot pink right up my colorsense alley, while Sodalite Blue in conjunction with rich greens would scratch my itch for midcentury sofa prints and lucite grape lamps. Sodalite is more cobalty than your standard January navy, it looks like.
Retailers like Torrid appear to be jumping on the the orange bandwagon with their new Sweet Escape cruise collection, though I can’t quite tell if they’ve used spring’s Tangerine Tango or a softer tone like last season’s Emberglow.
Heartbreaker Gretta Top and Laura Byrnes Black Label Pencil Skirt (Pinup Girl Clothing).
Heartbreaker Fashion – one of my favorite brands – is offering a number of its timeless pieces in a sage print reminiscent of Pantone’s Margarita, a mod drink-themed pattern (“Happy Hour”) that utilizes several bold colors reminiscent of this season’s palette, and a navy “Orbit” theme that seems to shade toward Sodalite Blue. You can check these out at their spring lookbook.
I’m hoping to pick up some more Heartbreaker separates (like this Stripey Marilyn Tee)Â in the coming months, as they’re pretty much amazing. At a recent clearance sale, I purchased their Gretta Top in a rich beige color that they had discontinued. The fabric is substantial, which makes for a great shape. More, it perfectly matches my Heartbreaker Gypsy Skirt in Dandelion print.
Deadly Dames Je T'Adore Dress in Victorian Rose print.
Deadly Dames (Pinup Girl Clothing) will be rolling out both sleek and fluffy silhouettes in feminine hues and prints, most of which don’t follow the seasonal color pack. That, however, is part of why I like Deadly Dames. In fact, the parade of awesome winter-to-spring stuff from designer Micheline Pitt begins this weekend with the much-anticipated Je T’Adore Dress in four colorways. I’ve ordered it in the “Victorian Rose” pattern, which suits my springtime floral craving to a T. I tend to ride the line on the hip measurement in their largest size, so keep your fingers crossed that it fits!
Coming later are the Courtesan Swing Dress, available in a black/white gingham and the Victorian Rose pictured above (I want the gingham!), and the L’Amor dress, which I hope to get in the black with white polka-dot colorway. You can see advance images of the collection at Micheline’s Facebook fanpage.
My outfit of the day: The Mon Cheri Dress in Mauve by Deadly Dames.
The satin Mon Cheri Dress, from the Fall Deadly Dames line, comes in colors from the same palette. I purchased the dress in the mauve colorway, which is a breathtaking antique pink. It’s got just the right amount of gold to make it right for autumn, yet it’s soft enough to carry you through the winter into spring. If it weren’t lined or sleeved, I’d want to wear it in summer, too!
Anyway, it’s what I’m wearing to a party tonight! This is their 2x; except for the arms, I could have handled the xl. Even a little big, it still looks good. I particularly love the black velvet belt!
