Hilarious.

Click the photo. The first sign on the left reads "Most Beautiful Lady," and the next sign says "Most Beautiful Suit." Check out the facial expressions. Glorious.

Ghost of yesterday

I've always been a nerd about anything to do with the past. I've always loved old movies, old fashioned style, old fashioned anything. For example, I started listening to Billie Holiday when I was eleven for absolutely no reason save the fact that Fred Meyer's exceptionally meager jazz section contained some of her cds. I'm a weirdo for things that happened long before my birth. This can also be seen in my love of photos of my paternal grandmother. She died before I could meet her and I know very little about her except that her name was Audree and she was a loving soul with great style. I can't remember where she grew up (Missouri?), but I feel she moved around a little (much as I did when I was a kid). After she married my grandfather, she lived in Virginia for the remainder of her life. I always love looking at her photos, especially when I'm feeling a bit down, and today I took it upon myself to finally scan all my favorites. Here's the link to all of them on flickr, if you'd like to see more.

The Eyes of Irene Bordoni

So you may recall that I was reading Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. Sadly, I've had to take a pause. Why? Because in the year 2003, I bought the fifth Harry Potter book along with almost Everyone else. At about page 80, I got bored with Angst-Harry and set it aside, saying to myself, "I'll finish it later...and anyways, this way I'll get to enjoy Harry Potter longer than everyone else." I've always been a fan of suspense and looking forward to things.

Flash forward six years, and I haven't purchased the sixth or seventh book and the bookmark is still in the exact same place in the fifth book. Finally, I decided: the sixth film is coming out and I want to see it in theaters. I missed seeing the last one in the theater, because I wanted to read the book first. But I'm babbling.

The last time I read Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, the new pop culture item that kept rising up was Irene Bordoni. Apparently this is another star that young Cornelia Otis Skinner looked up to. Bordoni was a French singer and Broadway star during the 1910s and 20s, and later made some movies in Hollywood. According to Wikipedia (what can I say? it's handy) Claudette Colbert copied Irene Bordoni's style in some ways, too.

Research Party!

Today I'm doing research for my costume history project.  I chose a pretty ridiculously broad subject, this being the transition (19th-20th century) of Western women's dress from the extremely "feminine" corseted, gowns/skirts-only to the much less gender-specific trousers/tops, etc.

There is SO much information and I spent about an hour in the library photocopying books with reprints of old Sears catalogues from 1909 to 1969.  When you think about it, the change that happened in sixty years is really fascinating.  Anyway, what I find even more fun than looking at ads for store fashions are pictures of real people living their lives.  Shorpy.com is like a vortex of visual information.  Here are some of my favorite photos from my shorpy-viewing today.

I think if he were speaking he'd say, "You are NOT on my dance card, Miss.  PARDON ME."  Or maybe, "I said I was allergic to walnuts.  What do these look like to you??!!"  He's certainly striking.

And those punks today think they invented something NEW when they wear "girl jeans." (shake of the head)

Have I mentioned that I am drawn to pictures of women and their dogs?  Because apparently, I am.

Note: I'm sorry I haven't included Shorpy's information on these people.  I highly recommend looking around the site.  It's truly captivating.

Things that Men Should Wear More Often

According to a wise authority, aka yours truly.

Old fashioned sailor uniforms.  Meeeeeeooooowww.

Look at the lad on the right, with his slicked hair!!!  

If I saw a man dressed like this, I think I would inadvertently attack him.

How to Seduce Women.

1. Grow thick, luxurious moustache.

2. Buy hothouse flowers which signify feelings of adoration, constancy and love.

3. Write your name on a card in fine penmanship, add a poem if you feel like danger.

4. Hire a photographer to photograph you in a great room, holding both letter or card and flowers (remember to look your absolute utmost desirable, ie. comb hair, moustache, wear fine clothing).

5. Send photo, flowers and card to the lady you wish to win.

6. Wait for results.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23023719@N04/sets/72157604226714409/

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” Audrey Hepburn

Recently re-watched "Two for the Road" and "Charade". I think Audrey Hepburn is like The Beatles in that I enjoy both at every time in their careers, at every time of my life. All right, I am probably in the first third of my life, at least, but still... What I mean is both are absolutely timeless and fabulous and pricelessly unique. What's more, I think Audrey Hepburn had a beautiful outlook on life. I so respect and admire her. Gush gush gush.

Addiction

Aside from vintage fashion photos on flickr, I am addicted to staying up late. I am falling in love with the quiet, the still of the dark when everyone else is asleep and I can think straight or swirly, and feel marvelous. I do feel marvelous. I really do. And the feeling itself sustains me at this moment. I hope it lasts into tomorrow as well. I wonder if I should go to that audition. Hmmmmmmmmm. I hate making decisions.

Love, the world suddenly turns, turns color. That's the beginning of a Sylvia Plath poem. One of her least gloomy ones.

I adore Pablo Neruda. He's so romantic and whimsical and wonderful in his choices of metaphors. I Occasionally write poems I like, but the metaphors are never so beautifully strung together.

Your Feet

When I cannot look at your face
I look at your feet.
Your feet of arched bone,
your hard little feet.
I know that they support you,
and that your sweet weight
rises upon them.
Your waist and your breasts,
the doubled purple
of your nipples,
the sockets of your eyes
that have just flown away,
your wide fruit mouth,
your red tresses,
my little tower.
But I love your feet
only because they walked
upon the earth and upon
the wind and upon the waters,
until they found me.

Pablo Neruda

Ah, the weekend!

April 1950 Vogue
Originally uploaded by myvintagevogue

I am thankful for chocolate, naps and a social life!

Aaaahhh glamour

1949 Vogue
Originally uploaded by myvintagevogue

A sleepless night...

And a lot of silly thoughts.

Why I think about short hair and wonder about doing it again (it's been a couple years):
















































BUT then again, every man I ever meet and talk to about it prefers long hair...and as adorable as those 30s fingerwaves are...there are some lovely stars who wore longer locks.


























































PS I dedicate this post to Irene.