May 31, 2022

May 2022 - Film and TV


Another month has gone by so here are some of the movies I watched. To be honest I don't know what happened this month! It flew by! I normally watch at least 5 note worthy movies but this month I've barely looked at the TV! I have Three to share with you so I'll try to go more in depth with each one just to make the post a bit more interesting!  So without further ado lets get into it! 



6/10. The first movie I watched was The Gang's all here!  A musical extravaganza from 1943 featuring Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Phil Baker, James Ellison and an appearance by Benny Goodman and his orchestra. This movie was recommended to me based on the fashion and while its peak 1940s style its a little too much shoulder pad for me.  


The movie was a huge success at its release and made Alice Faye a star! It was also nominated for an academy award for best art direction. In 2014 the movie was recognized for its cultural and historically significance and is being preserved at the national film registry. I was excited going into the movie because of all its amazing reviews and fame but the movie itself didn't didn't have much of a plot. There is a love story of course, a soldier falls in love with a show girl from the club New Yorker and there is a party to raise war bonds at the house of the girl the soldier was suppose to marry. So a bit of a love triangle I suppose although I felt it was anti climactic. 


The biggest draw from the movie is the large musical numbers like "The Lady in the Tutti Fruity Hat" featuring Carmen Miranda and Dorita.  Most of the movie is musical numbers (Duh.. because its a musical) It is directed by Busby Berkeley, if you are not familiar with his work he is an American director and choreographer know for his elaborate dance numbers. His signature is creating large shapes with people in his choreography.  Similar to synchronized swimming, thats the first thing that comes to mind. He also plays around a lot of different elements that were innovative at the time, in this movie he has light up rings (They look like glow in the dark rings) and uses green screen to make it look like the actors faces are floating. 


I think my favourite dance number was the one in the photo above, I love the costumes and its just so unusual!  Even tho some critics criticized this number for its phallic symbolism. Overall it was was enjoyable, I think everyone should watch it at least once but I probably wont be watching it again. If you are interested you can actually watch the whole thing on Youtube here! 


THE MYSTERY OF MARILYN MONROE: THE UNHEARD TAPES (2022)


10/10. I LOVED this documentary! its new on Netflix and I was so excited to watch it when it was first announced, and it did not disappoint!  I knew a lot of the information discussed but, what I enjoyed the most was the amount of unseen footage they used (at least unseen by me) and also just footage of the streets of Hollywood and NYC in the 50s. It almost feels like they went out on the street and shot everything FOR the documentary, but its real footage. I loved it. 


I've always been interested in Marilyn Monroe, like I'm sure many of you are, I also share a birthday with her! She was such an interesting person and had more depth than was perceived by the public. Norma Jeane (Her birth name) had a rough start in life bouncing from foster home to foster home while her mom was in an asylum. It's crazy how far in life she was able to go with very limited opportunities and became Marilyn Monroe. 


She was viewed as the Sex symbol we remember her as but she was more than that. It's hard for some people to look past that image, which she strategically created. All she wanted from life was to be loved and feel like she belonged. In the documentary they show notes from her psychiatrist and interviews with his family members who interacted a lot with Marilyn (He treated her from his home) What I found interesting is the way they talked about her character, or presence I guess. She has a certain allure that even if you didn't know she was Marilyn (was wearing no makeup and a head scarf) men would still be attracted to her and women wanted to be her. There is something about her that pulls you in, the way she moves and carries herself. In the documentary it was described as "animal like" which I found really interesting. 

 
She also started her own film production company which was unheard of at the time for a woman!  I actually didn't know that! Sorry I'm posting so many photos for this documentary, there are just so many good photos of her lol maybe I should do a whole blog post dedicated to Marilyn. 


Of course half of the documentary deals with rumours about Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedy Brothers. We all know about JFK and Marilyn but it was actually rumoured that it was both brothers. And they make connections to the Kennedy Brothers and her death. Was is a suicide? Accidental overdose??? or was it more than that?? You'll have to watch the documentary to find out! 




8/10. Of course I went to see the new Downton Abbey movie opening day,  at the first showing available lol.  I rewatched the series with my mom during one of the the lockdowns, it was her first time watching it and she LOVED it! So we were both really exited to watch the new movie and were counting down the days. And of course it didn't disappoint in the costume and set department.


It started off with Toms wedding, which isn't a spoiler lol its literally in the trailer. I personally loved her dress, There is something about 1920s wedding dresses that I love!  However I wish they would've shown more of their relationship. Since you didn't see much of it in the previous movie I was hoping to see a bit more of their chemistry or how they interact as a couple. I love seeing why and how people fall in love, so it felt a bit rushed in that regard. However I understand it's a movie and they have to fit in all of the characters so they cant dedicate too much time to one person. The movie as a stand alone film doesn't hold up, it's made for the fans of the show and you have to be invested in the characters to enjoy the movie (I felt the same with the first movie). 


I loved their clothes, especially these tennis outfits. I want to see if I can recreate one of these looks. I always thought that Edith was the best dressed on the show and I will die on that hill. Everyone always points to Mary when it comes to being the fashionable one but in reality its Edith! She always looks fabulous and she really came into her own after she got the magazine and the flat in London. If I could find more photos online I would make a whole blog post of Ediths outfits just to prove this point lol. Either way if you love the show its a MUST SEE! To Me it felt a bit rushed and I wanted to see more from the characters... basically I wanted another season not a 2 hour movie lol. I guess if your only criticism is that your audience wants to see more then you are doing something right! 
And with that I'll finish this blog post and leave you with a photo of me at the movie theater before watching the new Downton Abbey movie! 

May 25, 2022

1940s Varsity


I took these photos while out on a walk, they are just simple photos from my phone. I'm just happy its finally nice enough outside where I can walk around in a sweater or blouse. For this look I am wearing my long white pleated skirt, one of my closet staples! I thrifted it last year and its the most worn item in my closet. I paired it with this Juicy Couture blouse, it has a little peter pan collar with strings to tie a bow.  For my sweater I am wearing this white varsity sweater with a black H on it. I've always loved a varsity look, from any decade. I remember growing up and being obsessed with preppy looks, I think my style has always had that preppy/varsity influence to it (minus the actual sports part lol) I stayed on theme with the cream and black and wore these black cap toe shoes and a black purse!  

May 20, 2022

New 1940s Middy Haircut


I couple of days ago I got a haircut!  Believe it of not this is much shorter than it was before!  My hair was so long that after a couple of hours after brushing out my hair it would start to get weighed down and lose that vintage curl.  I also had more of a modified Middy, it didn't have as nice of a gradient on the sides so I decided to take the plunge and go for a shorter cut!  This was the first set after cutting it and I LOVE it!! Probably my favourite haircut to date! It's finally starting to look more authentic and giving me that 1940s look. I'm still playing around with the bang area and how to pin it but I really like my new haircut. Of course I got inspiration from some of my favourite old Hollywood starlets like Ginger Rogers, Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis among many others
If you want to see me brushing it out for the first time resulting in the photos above check out the video below! 

May 08, 2022

Toronto Vintage Clothing Show! Spring 2022

 

THE best event of the season is here! The Toronto vintage Clothing show is my Christmas!  I look forward to this event all year long (They have a fall show and a spring show). Follow them on instagram so you can get updates for the fall show! The spring show was this weekend and I spent  the entire day yesterday just walking around and shopping at the the show. If you are not familiar with the Toronto Vintage Clothing Show its an event where a bunch of vendors come together and they all sell vintage clothing, accessories and home decor.... Its basically a fantasy world! 


Its a great place to shop for all of those hard to find vintage pieces and to build your vintage wardrobe all in one place. It also helps support small and local businesses. This is the first vintage show since before the pandemic and the vendors were busy stocking up their inventory.... and it shows! The building came alive once the doors opened and all of the vintage lovers filled the room! 


Since its a vintage show, you see a lot of people dressed in a vintage style, myself included ! It's funny I posted a tips and tricks video on my Youtube channel (Check it out here) And one of my tips was to not over do it with the accessories...yet I showed up with a vintage hat and gloves (don't be like me) I mean, I felt great in the outfit! LOL but it was tedious to hold them when I wanted to try on other hats and gloves. As you can see in the photos above, I had to remove my black hat to try on that beautiful pink hat! Also please ignore my handbag being wide open lmao...


My first purchase of the day!  A black velvet hat from Sophie Dabishire. She said she thought of me when She put it out on display and a few minutes later I walked by and grabbed it haha ! It was such a coincidence! I know I'll get tons of wear out of it all year round! 


This was probably My favourite stand to look through because they has some amazing antiques! Tons of vanity pieces, and HAT STANDS! if you scroll up to the first photo in this post you can see some of the hat stands because its from the same stand.  The vendor is Vintage J and J 


You guys know I cant resist a hat and this one was calling my name ! Yes I bought it.... Don't worry a haul is coming to my Youtube channel in the next couple of days so make sure you are subscribed to me on there! (link here). These hats are from statement house! I love trying on vintage hats and seeing what works with my head shape. Not only is your face shape important for hats, the shape of you head is also important! For example My head is a bit more point-y at the top so flat hats (Saucer hats) don't work as well, but round hats  that sit at the back of my head work perfectly. 


I loved these vintage Talcum powder packages, I wish they will made beauty items with this type of design it looks so luxurious and beautiful on a vanity. And also that green hat stand... a dream!   


There was a stack of vintage magazines, patterns and prints. They were so beautiful to look through ! I wish I had a place to properly display prints and magazines. If I did I probably would've picked some up because there were some really beautiful ones in there.  


This was the full outfit that I wore... except I forgot to put my white gloves back on after I tried some on some gloves at the previous stand, but you get the idea. I wore a new-to-me vintage1940s wool dress.... Which I spontaneously decided to cut off the pockets and sew it back up at 11pm the night before. I RARELY alter vintage items but I hate dresses with pockets and I couldn't stand the bulkiness of them. It turned out perfectly and the silhouette is much nicer after removing the pockets. I got the dress from etsy (SeptembersSister) I paired the dress with some semi sheer tights with the seam at the back (Sorry I didn't get a photo of the back) and some black T-strap heels. To cinch in my waist I wore this little black belt with a rhinestone buckle. My purse was a little needle point/tapestry type bag, you can get a glimpse of it in my hand over my shopping bag.  And of course my black hat and white gloves. 


Ah this vendor had a bunch of bakelite handbags which I LOVE. I think they are so fun. Unfortunately they are always so pricey (Not from this seller specifically, In general they have a higher price point) I only own one because I found it at an amazing price but I dream of owning another. One day! I love that beige one at the front of the photo with the snowflake  design at the top. 


I stopped at Victory girl vintage I wish I would've had a chance to take more photos but It was SO crowded at the vintage show. I knew it would be busy at the show, since its the first in two years but WOW the vintage community turned up! I had to go to the car half way through the day to drop off shopping bags because it was so crowded I was hitting people with my bags. 


And the main culprit was statement house ! (Peep the logo on the shopping bag!) This was hands down my favourite stand for shopping and where I did the most damage! I went back to her booth 4 times and bought something every single time! I told her I needed to be cut off haha! Yet I kept bringing my friends to check out her booth! The most diverse items from numerous decades and at very reasonable prices. They actually have a store in Peterborough and I might have to take a trip there this summer to pay her a visit! 


Ah I was obsessed this corset! This year I've taken a bigger interest in undergarments to structure my outfits. What I love about vintage clothes (Pre-1960s) Is the importance of the silhouette. Of course before the turn of the century it was even more important and thats where you see the trends changing. But in the first half of the 20th century silhouette is still important. I realized that I wont be able to get an authentic look just by wearing vintage clothes and accessories, I need the right pieces to wear underneath. I've always worn dress slips and half slips under my dresses and skirts but I've started to explore corsets and garters! I haven't found many in my size YET but my search will continue! 


In this photo you can get a better idea of what my hat looked liked from the back, I really wanted to find a hat like this in white but I didn't see one.... but thats Ok I got 3 other hats! Overall I had an amazing day at the vintage show! I got to see some friends and meet so many of YOU which was so fun! You guys kept showing me your finds and wow you guys found some amazing gems! It also felt great to be around like minded people and just to feel the energy in the room! It was like a big reunion. I can't wait for the fall show on September 24th and 25th, and I hope to see even more of you there!