It'll Take The Snap Out Of Your Garters!

Facebook

2012-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

I can't really keep up with too many thngs on the Internet so I will only be using this blog very sparingly. I prefer the open subscriptions to my Facebook, which I use often, it's quick, and I have easy access to it. I try to do themed days once or twice a week.

Feel free to subscribe!

Between work, getting a B.S., husband, and working out -- no time for multiple Internet presences!

Also, Happy New Year!

1930s-Influenced Fashions 1967-1975

2011-11-13T09:36:00.000-08:00

1967:

1928:

1929:

1968, the red one:

1971, more so THE HAIR on the blonde:

1973, green one:

Pattern ca. mid 1940s:

1973:

Reminds me of Gene Tierney, 1940s:

1973:

Reminds me of female golfer Enid Wilson, 1927:

1974:

Ca. 1929:

1974:

1974:

1974:

1974:

These 70s pants suits always remind me of this 1930s photo of Norma Shearer:

1975 "Grandpa" Chic:

1905

2011-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Do you suffer from backache? How about headache, dizziness, short sleep? What about that awful dragging sensation in the groin? Yea, I hate that one! And that dread of some impending evil.....yea, I hate that one, too!! We ladies need this. It helps with most derangements of the female organism.

My Favourite Album Covers

2011-10-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

A little something different here. Every now and again I like to blog about my other love -- POP MUSIC! These are some of my very favourite albums covers. Some of them are what made me buy the album. Most of these albums have some amazing musical content. A few of them...not so much. Lol. But the cover is still awesome.

The Priscillas, 10,000 Volts (2009):

Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape (2006):

Weezer, Weezer (1994):

The Runaways, Queens Of Noise (1977):

The Donnas, American Teenage Rock N Roll Machine (1998):

Gaslight Anthem, Senor & The Queen (2008):

The Baseballs, Strike! (2009):

Taco, After Eight (1983):

Slant 6, Soda Pop*Rip Off (1994):

Red Aunts, Drag (1994):

Josie Kreuzer, As Is (1999):

The Rip-Offs, Got A Record (1995):

The Monroes, The Monroes (1982):

Madonna, Hard Candy (2008):

Kitty, Daisy, & Lewis, Kitty, Daisy, & Lewis (2009):

J. Geils Band, Love Stinks (1980):

The Ranch Girls & The Ragtime Wranglers, Can You Hear It? (2002):

The Go-Go's, Vacation (1982):

Samantha Fox, Touch Me (1986):

Client, Command (2009):

Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster (2009):

Blink 182, Enema Of The State (1999):

Dance Hall Crashers, Honey, I'm Homely! (1998):

Mucky Pup, Lemonade (1994):

Bracket, 924 Forestville St. (1994):

Blondie, Blondie (1976):

Belinda Carlisle, Belinda (1986):

Gary Numan, The Pleasure Principle (1979):

Racey, Smash & Grab (1979):

Horrorpops, Hell Yea! (2004):

Kim Lenz & Her Jaguars, The One And Only (1999):

James, Laid (1994):

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Everybody's Talkin' 'bout Miss Thing (2000):

Secret Service, Oh Susie! (1979):

The Cars, Shake It Up (1981):

The Insaints, Sins Of Saints (1993):

Toini & The Tomcats, Traction (2001):

Tar, Toast (1994):

The Frogs, It's Only Right And Natural (1989):

The Riverdales, The Riverdales (1995):

Mike Flowers Pops, A Groovy Place (1996):

Royal Crown Revue, The Contender (1998):

Voice Of The Beehive, Let It Bee (1989):

Bananarama, Wow! (1987):

Mystery Gang, Dig That Rock! (2003):

Janet Klein & Her Parlour Boys, Put A Flavor To Love (2002):

Plastilina Mosh, Aquamosh (1998):

Mad Caddies, Quality Softcore (1997):

1939 Fashions IN COLOUR!

2011-10-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

Accepting "Subscribers" on Facebook

2011-10-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've decided to accept public "Subscribers" on FB. Only my non-personal, fun stuff will be public and available for comment. Right now I'm looking at the Sears catalogs from 1960 to 1969 and having some good 'ole discussions about the fashions:

Yea, my FB is way better than here and more active, too. Join if you like!
Amy Jeanne's Facebook!

Random Things I Like

2011-09-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

Old buildings:

Forgotten silent film stars:

Bulldogs:

Vintage dresses that look like uniforms:

My iPod and MUSIC in general!:

VH-1 Classic:

Lisa Freemont Street:

Pauline Nordin:

This dish from the Cheesecake Factory:

Vintage movie magazines:

1930s platinum blondes, glamour, and Jean Harlow:

Vintage catalogs:

Fun wigs:

Good hair days:

Sewing:

VIntage photos of strangers:

My favourite t-shirt:

Post Mortem photos:

Urban Exploring:

My puppie (Lola):

Smooshy-faced pussies(bonus snaggletooth!):

Risque stuff from the "Golden Era":

Cute bathing beauty pinups:

Cute hair accessories:

Hot modern chicks with tattoos (Cherry Dollface):

Your Beauty Questions Answered: Tattoos!

2011-09-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

"But what will it look like when you're 50!?"
Like 50 is old. Obviously none of them have seen the beautiful Inky, who is 51. Also, who cares? I'm going to be badass when I'm 50 -- not some little old lady.

"But what if you change your mind?"
See, I'm not an indecisive lamer. When I commit to something I make sure of it. I have three tattoos I got when I was 22. They are all hidden. For a while, I hated them. But a friend recently wrote an article about how tattoos are a living, breathing record of you life. Now I love them. I began getting "real" tattoos in 2006 and I've averaged about 1-2 per year since then. I don't run out and get tattooed for the hell of it -- I have to have a design that strikes me.

I wouldn't recommend anyone get a tattoo until they are older, anyway. I was in my 30s when I began serious tattooing and I still love every single one I have from 2006 to my latest one last week!

"I want a tattoo, but I'm not sure I should get one."
My advice for this person: DON'T! These are the types of people who end up regretting what they got, complaining about it, and making all us confident tattoo people look bad. Tattoos ARE NOT for everyone. That is fine. It takes a certain "type" to wear them and love them forever.

"Did that hurt?/I'm afraid it will hurt!"
Some of it hurts more than others. MOST of it feels like a cat claw scraping over your skin with a bit of vibration. Some areas on me were more tender than others. Under my arms, close to my inner elbow, and the back of my legs. The back of my legs was the most uncomfortable to me -- I had to get them done in two sessions because I was a pussy about it. Lol. Really, I wouldn't say it's "painful." It's more UNCOMFORTABLE. I don't know about other people, but when I am under the needle for an hour or more my brain chemicals begin to kick in and I enter this euphoric, meditative state. Maybe that's why these fuckers are addictive....

"Tattoos are trashy! Especially on women!"
HELL YEA! That's why they are awesome!! But most people who say this aren't familiar with tattoo subcultures like rockabilly. They probably haven't seen many tattooed women outside of a NASCAR convention.

"Tattoos aren't vintage!"
They go back pretty far. Didn't the discover some ice-age man with a tattoo? Also, I live in 2011. Don't know about anyone else.

"Tattoos are sooooooo trendy right now!"
LOL. I remember reading an interview with Shannon Dougherty and she said this same thing. IN 1991.

I Hate Aquaphor

2011-09-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So everyone in the tattoo circles always say how great this "Aquaphor" stuff is for new tattoos. They say it's a wonder-healer and all that, so I bought some for my latest.

Big mistake. It's nothing more than Vaseline. It may work for some people, and that's fine, but it clogged my tattoo all up. I stopped using it yesterday because I had a red ring all about my tat and it was all bumpy. My tattoo had been so clogged it wasn't breathing, therefore it wasn't "weeping" and none of the excess ink was coming out. All this + super-sensitive skin = IRRITATION! I didn't put a lot on, either. Just a very thin coating.

Today, luckily, my tattoo is already "weeping" and I have excess ink bits all around it. I went back to using Tattoo Goo, which I used on all my other tats with no problems. So if you have sensitive skin you might want to pass up the Aquaphor if you get a tattoo.

What does Jean Harlow have to do with all of this? My tattoo is a Jean Harlow tribute (NOT a portrait!!!) I don't like very much showing my tats online. They are all badass, but, I dunno....it's too "personal" I think. I save that stuff for the FB! :)

1944 Fashions IN COLOUR!

2011-09-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Haven't done one of these in a while! Enjoy and get inspired....

Makeup Pr0n

2011-09-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Alright, as I'm sitting here waiting for my hair to dry so I can walk down to Starbucks and get my pretentious coffee I decided to give any of you who are interested some makeup pr0n for you to pleasure yourselves to. This every thing I got:

This is where is all lives. This is my sister's Kaboodle from the 1980s. It makes a great, perfect case!

All folded out. Yes, it has a permenant layer of powder and hairspray on it. Lol.

Let's start with my brows. I have none. NONE! I am a natural redhead and not very hairy. My real eyebrows are the same colour as my skin and very, very SPARSE. Did I mention they were THE SAME COLOUR AS MY SKIN? So as not to look sickly, I just cut off what I have and draw on new ones. I use MAC's Strut eyebrow pencil for a bold look, Fling for a blonder look.

Blacktrax and Wavelength eyeliner pots are the best eyeliners I've ever used. They work for me and the colour lasts alday without bleeding out or creasing up.

All the "nude" stuff a gal need to set her face!! Painterly paint pot is an eyeshadow base while the compact and the stick hide the purple under my eyes and a red blotch above my left brow. All in the lightest shades MAC makes!

MAC's Haute & Naughty mascara. This is two wands in one tube! The top wand gives a lighter coating and I usually use that for the bottom lashes. The bottom wand gives a chunky, thick coating and I use that on top!

These are two Beseme samples I got in 2007. They are called Peacock Blue and Pistachio. I've used them so little over the years I still have some! From samples!! I'm not a big Beseme fan...meh.

All the lipstick I have. I don't like buying a lot of lipstick because I find it doesn't last as long as eyeshadow (my fave!) I just have the basics. Left to right is So Chaud, Russian Red, Show Orchid, Ruby Woo. And of course my Cherry lipliner and lip prep for my dryness.

These are L'Oreal eyeshadow pots I bought in 1999 and they are still going strong. I use them so sparingly they have lasted me all these years -- the colours are very bold and SHIMMERY! I don't even think they make these anymore :( Clockwise starting with red: Five Alarm, Night Fever, Mystified, Tart, center is Orb, and the white at the bottom is called Sugar Coated. Lol -- I love makeup names.

My two MAC palletts. One thing I hate about palletts is that I don't remember what the names of the shadows are called. The pallett on the left has Hepcat (purple) and Red Brick (orange). No idea what the others are called. This is why I have a million little pots....

POTS!! Part one! L-R: Vex, Lala, Pearlmatte Eyeshadow Limited Edition thingie, Goldenrod, Era.

Pots part two! L-R Top: Blanc Type, Swimming, Electra, Scene. L-R Bottom: Deep Truth, Electric Eel, Freshwater.

Pure Pigments in Magenta Madness and Teal! Yes, bring on the pink. I can't have too many shades of pink eyeshadow in my collection. Really.

I'm not a big fan of blush. Sometimes it burns my cheeks (skin is way too sensitive), but most times I just feel like a dork in it. I think I look like I have a fever or something. These are the only two blushes I have and they barely get used: MAC's Frankly Scarlett and Cover Girl's Petal Pink.

These are some oldies. I bought the "fetish" eyeshadow in Wal-Mart in 1999. I don't use it anymore, but my husband thinks it's cute/sad so I keep it for him. The pallett is from 1987. My aunt gave it to me in an effort to get me interested in makeup (I used to LOATHE makeup and anything girlie in 1987! lol). I don't use it, but it's awesome that I've kept it all these years!

My MAC nailpolishes. I've got L-R: Underlayer, Nocturnelle, Rougemarie, Overlayer. I can't stand the Underlayer. I think it makes your nail polish too thick, which makes it peel off easier. I find that just the polish and a coat of Overlayer is perfect. It's not too thick and peely and generally lasts chip-free for about a week.

MAC seriously lacks in nailpolish. I like fun colours. So I turn to Rite Aid and these cheap babies! LOL. L-R: Blue Me Away!, Purple Potion, Twisted Pink, The Real Teal, Celeb City. Again, a MAC overlayer on these cheapies makes them last about a week. By then I want to change it anyway -- lol.

And last but not least, what I put all this gunk on with! L-R: 129 (blush brush), 188 (a brush I don't use anymore, lol), 252 (eyeshadow base), 224 (I use this for white eyeshadow on my browbone), looks like 212 (eyeshadow brush! I use it so much it has faded off!), 219 (for eye corners), 266 (eyeliner!)

AJ Does Cherry Dollface Makeup

2011-09-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Well, last night I was wading through youtube in search for obscure sitcoms when this popped up in my recommendations. Being a Live Journal "friend" of Miss Cherrybrat long before she was "famous", I had to give it a watch.

I became inspired. But it was midnight and time for sleepies. So this morning I tried the same makeup with what tools I have. LOL...

LOL! No matter what I did, no decent pics were forthcoming. My face breaks the camera. Of course, this makeup is actually SUBDUED to what I normally wear (at least three different bright colours on my lids!). I just figured a neutral-y makeup would be different for a change. I don't think I can carry this off very well. I feel like I need lots of colours on my lids to hide those flaws there. As you can see, I have one droopy lid. I also have downturned eyes -- not pretty, sparkling, feminine eyes. *sigh*

The hair is later...lol.

Modern Divas I Adore

2011-09-07T17:28:00.001-07:00

These are a few modern women I adore. I tend to idolise rock stars -- I'm not much into modern films/stars and admittedly don't know many. But MUSIC is my life and these broads are always in my purse whenever I need them to pick me up. Love them.

Siouxsie
Loved this bitch since I was 11. The fact that she repulsed my parents made me like her even more. Yet my parents bought me her records and posters...lol!

Kim Lenz
My rockabilly diva. Whenever I get in one of my rockabilly moods it is Kim that I turn to first!

Lady Gaga
I hated Lady Gaga at first. And I'll admit her first album isn't really my "thing." When she got really famous in 2009 I still kinda disliked her, but started to secretly like her. Born This Way, though, is an amazing album. No autotune bullshit. "Government Hooker" is a damn near perfect song! I like this new Lady Gaga who does whatever the fuck she wants. And the uglier and more bizarre she looks, the more gorgeous she becomes. Go Gaga.

Janet Klein
There is nothing about Janet Klein that will make you unhappy. Her music is cheerful and will have you smiling from ear to ear and she's so cute! When I need the 20s inspiration, Janet is a go-to girl. Loved her for years!

Gwen Stefani
Oh, you know I "hated" her when she first got popular in the mid-90s, but secretly I was jamming to Tragic Kingdom and copying her style. Haha. Now IDGAF. I love Gwen!

Ke$ha
I know she's probably just a flash-in-the-pan, but she's so fun and not really something you take too seriously. I think that's the entire point of her career. And I love her because she is so fun.

Amy Winehouse
She came out of nowhere and she was a mess. The media ran with it, and her incredible talent was overlooked. I kinda like Amy (we have the same name!!! hehe!) because she sang these soulful, jazzy, blues-y songs -- but she looked like THAT. Like someone I would hang out with. Lol. Her looks betrayed her music and I like that. I like her tattoos, hair, and eyeliner. She's proof you can't judge a book by its cover!

Bernadette Seacrest
Another book that can't be judged by its cover. Bernadette sings slow, soulful jazz, but she has(d) those evil Bettie bangs and covered in tattoos. There's nothing "rockabilly" about this girl's sound at all. She relieves lots of anxiety!

Madonna
LOVE THIS BITCH. I've loved Madonna since I was 9 years old and I have all her albums in my iPod, including unreleased tracks. I love Madonna because she's such a c*nt, but she can get away with it. She NEEDS to be one or she's not great.

PS -- a few days ago my blog was removed for "suspicious activity." LOL. What kind of a pathetic loser hacks BLOGGER?

Tattoo, September 13th, 12:00 Noon!

2011-09-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

I've decided on my tattoo, where I want it, and I'm getting inked on my actual 36th birthday, Septemeber 13 at 12 noon.

This is going to be my Jean Harlow tribute tattoo. The name "Jean (1911-1937)" will be in the scroll in the heart and it will be changed up with yellow roses instead of what is there now.

The guy who does my tattoos is an hour and half away from where I live, but HE IS WORTH ANY DRIVE (not to toot my own horn, but if you've seen any of my other tattoos you would agree!!!) I've got my iPod to keep me occupied :)

Gonna Get Me A New Tattoo

2011-08-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

The big 3-6 is around the corner and I'm getting a tattoo to celebrate! Here are few ideas I have in mind. Keep in mind also that I won't get exact replicas of what you see here -- almost all of my tattoos are from an original source, but I changed it up to fit my special snowflake-in-the-summer needs. These are just "bases."

Not too keen (lol) on the butterfly thing going on. I would have to switch the bathing suit to leopard or polka dots and put a massive flower in the hair. I'd also giver her some tattoos! Hehe!

Thoughts on Vintage Styling

2011-08-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Back in 2009 when I discovered the sewing machine there was no stopping my vintage styling! I sewed one vintage dress after another. If you had vintage dresses, you had to have the hair, right? So here I was -- someone who looked like they stepped out of the 1938 time machine. I dressed this way for about a year. A few events stopped me and I went back to "normal" clothing. One was a weight gain. I no longer knew how to resize my dresses and when I attempted it was just full of fail. I'm losing the weight now, but that's not my topic at hand....

Another reason was that I felt, well, like someone you wouldn't take seriously. I was beginning to feel like a clown in a costume. Don't get me wrong -- I still style myself vintage from time to time and think it's a great look for going out, but at work I was beginning to feel like some weirdo that no one listened to. Mostly because they couldn't see past my ridiculous costume! Lol! Also, shopping in stores I felt like a clown show. Yea, I got compliments, but I still felt like I was in an inappropriate costume for something as mundane as grocery shopping.

I'm still a vintage girl at heart, I just know the right time and place for it for my personal life. Work is not a good place for it. I felt like an idiot. I can wear it to work, but choose not to anymore. When I started dressing more "normal" my respect from others went up tenfold. I hate to say it, but that's just the way it is. If I go to Tattooed Mom's or a vintage event -- YES! Full-on vintage is great. If I'm going grocery shopping -- NO. I will look like a clown.

When I began dressing more "normal" a lot of people actually told me they were "intimidated" by me. MY BOSS INCLUDED! I scared off my OWN BOSS! Lol. A lot of people told me they had no idea what to say to me and assumed I was a "snob" who only liked vintage. That was SOOOOOOO not the case. I am a fun-loving, goofy girl who likes a variety of things and I love making fun of myself. I will make you laugh your ass off if you ever meet me! People at work actually come to me at my desk just so I will say something off-the-wall and make them laugh.

Vintage is not my entire life. I love living in 2011 and have absolutely NO DESIRE to go back to the "old days." I would visit in a heartbeat! But only if I could come back to the 21st Century. I like living in the here and now and I'm here now for a reason. The phrase "I was born in the wrong time!" will never cross my lips! I like borrowing from all time periods and just being myself.

Haul Time!

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

What could be more boring than a haul!! LOl. Hey, I don't shop very often!! Actually, I'm not a normal girl because I hate shopping. If I need something I go in, get it, leave. No browsing around here. But I found some fun things that struck my fancy this weekend and did a big shop (something I rarely do!) Let's begin:

Finally ordered this book! I haven't received it yet, but I'll let you know what I think. In the meantime, here's Lisa Freemont Street telling you what *she* thinks:

I bought another "Discovery Skirt" in pink:

I got me some makeups:

And some much-needed girly t-shirts!! I raided the Lucky 13 website and came away with these hotties:

I bought all this in one weekend! As I said, very rare for me! I hate shopping! I have to really like something in order for me to spend money on it. Other than that....make do and mend!! LOL!

Vintage Graffiti

2011-08-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

I went "exploring" around my building today with my husband and a group of friends/neighbours. We found out our building had a ballroom and a diner in it. Naturally, we had to "find" them!! We did succeed! But in all of our journies tonight, this was my favourite thing that I saw:

A vintage piece of graffiti written on the inside of one of the old fuse boxes. Our building was built in 1926. It's actually kind of creepy that I live atop such urban ruins. Many of the rooms we "explored" were in terrible shape and probably haven't been touched in decades.

Real Vintage Lady Hair Love

2011-08-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

I've always liked this photo. I have no idea who this chick is or where I found her -- maybe Flickr or Square America. I like this photo because of her hair. Her hair is imperfect. It appears to be like mine -- thin and silky. I love the way the ends of her pincurls didn't catch in the bobby pins (I suffer from this!) Maybe I'm just wishful thinking here, but do I see straight hair at her collar? Because that is me. I also love the flyaways!

Inner Rockabilly Chick is Beckoning

2011-07-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, over the past week I have been on a rockabilly kick. "Rockabilly" isn't my absolute favourite vintage genre, but I like it and every now and again my Inner Rockabilly Chick likes to come out an play. I downloaded these bands for my iPod last night:

The Lennerockers. I LOVE THIS! Hehe! This is just the type of rockabilly I like. A bit cheesy, a bit contrived, ALL CATCHY AND AWESOME.

Go Cat Go. I've always liked them from various compliations. I like this "traditional" sounding neo-rockabilly.

Ruby Ann & The Boppin' Boozers. Dumb band name, but I like the music and anything with a female singer. I like the lo-fi-ness of this.

The Slapbacks. I like this the least, but I might grow to like it. We'll see. Too slow and "wild, wild west" for my tastes.

Roy Kay Trio. Love it. Polecats also cover this song!

Teencats. The best one from last night! I *love* rockabilly from the late 70s/early 80s thats really cheesy, contrived, and over-exaggerated! If it has a New Wave-y flavour than even better. I've found most of this excellent music comes from Europe.

As much as I like rockabilly music, I can't stand how quite a bit of it is about being drunk all the time. I find that lame. Maybe because alcoholism runs in my family and I've seen deaths and broken homes because of it, but singing about excessive drinking is just so lame to me. Meh.

July 29th -- Full of Famous Birthdays!

2011-07-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to these people!

Theda Bara, born 1885

William Powell, born 1892

Clara Bow, born 1905

Thelma Todd, born 1905

Elizabeth Short, born 1924

Fingerwaves On Bettie Bangs

2011-07-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

This is not a "tutorial", but more of a "my hair is in no way perfect, but *I* control *it* and do not have excuses" post. Here is what I contend with:

Here it is last night freshly showered. Note the nasty little short, prickly hairs at the part. We'll get them bastards in a bit!

This is where my bangs lie (ly? lol). This is the length I have to blend into the side to make the fingerwave. As you can see, it is slightly slanted and short -- although a bit on the "long" side right now.

The first wave clips goes right up against the part. Still got them hairs sticking out at the hairline/part.

Fingerwave it....

Here it is all fingerwaved up. Note the uncontrollably straight and short hairs that did not want to get clipped up! (My thumb and index finger are pointing to them!)

So I put MULTIPLE bobby pins in to put that shit into place! Those little bastards aren't runin' my 'do! I put them in very carefully. Once you do it a bunch of times you get the hang of it.

Alright. My hair was all set for the night and I sleep on my hair like this. No joke.

How it looked upon waking up this morning. Bobby pins and wave clips still where I originally put them. Not uncomfortable at all -- for real.

Here's how it looks before I brush it out. Still needs shaping and there are still some little rogue hairs that need to be blended and/or hidden.

That's where THIS comes in handy. I use this kind. Just a teeny tiny bit on your fingertips to shape the wave. I like this gel because it is thin and not real sticky. You can get it anywhere, too!

After brushing. One thing about setting your hair is that no two times will be the same. I would have liked this wave to have been deeper, but it turned out average deepness. You never know what your hair is going to do that next morning and many factors contribute to this -- the weather, the effort you're willing to put forth, hormones (lol, but it's the truth!), if you slept on it funny, etc! I was also unsatisfied by the flatness of the right side so I fixed it with a cute clip.

Here it is all done and shaped. Like I said, the wave is not as deep as I was anticipating, but it will do for today and I won't let it discourage me.

Completed with a pink bow clip with a skull and crossbones in the center!

So that is it. Like I said, I can't speak for everyone, but I do indeed have short, prickly, uncontrollably straight hairs, flyaways, hair that sticks straight up at my part and hairline, and hair that just wants to LAY FLAT! But I don't let it. I put forth the effort to make sure it looks decent and when something isn't to my liking I fix it. And it's never, ever 100% "movie star" perfect -- but neither were most "regular" women in the 30s and 40s.

For an actual tutorial, watch this! Guess who gets a SHOUT OUT in this video? Hehe!

Your Beauty Questions Answered - "Bettie Bangs"

2011-07-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

I always hear people whining "If I have Bettie Bangs I won't be able to do ANY OTHER HAIRDO EVER!" Well, that is not the case. I can't speak for all hair types, but I can speak for thin, fine hair. You indeed CAN do a plethora of "other" hairdos that do not use Bettie Bangs.

This is my hair normally:

Straight, thin, perfectly helmeted, with short, straight bangs. Here are some hairdos I have accomplished with this EXACT haircut:

Tight, granny-like pincurls and fingerwave bang:

Looser, more youthful pincurls and fingerwave bang:

1938-esque center part with sidecombs:

What do you need to do these hairstyles on "Bettie Banged" hair? The willingness to do it. The motivation to do it. No lame excuses. No discouragement because your first attempt looks like ass! Will it look like ass the first time? Maybe. But each time you do it, you will get better and faster.

I used to think I had had "no hair talent" for so many years. Until 2009 when I said I'm going to do my hair vintage. I missed out on so many years of good hair. This is why I get annoyed at those who think "Bettie Bangs" will limit them. They won't. At least not those of us with fine, thin, straight-as-hell hair.

And here is the Queen of Hair, Lisa Fremont Street for those of you who need a little visual help!! :)

ALSO LADIES, REMEMBER THIS: Movie stars had a "team" and several HOURS to gett their hair looking perfect. "Regular" women of the 1930s and 1940s usually had les-than-perfect pincurls. Keep that in mind.

Mamie & Antonio Porrecca

2011-07-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

I know this might sound odd, but one of my leisurely hobbies is finding attractive people on headstones and researching their lives. People I don't even know. I find it therapeutic and fascinating. I did it with a woman whose picture I found online named Juel Gellar and pretty much put her entire life together. I'll make a blog about it some other time.

Yesterday I went to a cemetery in South Jersey and found a lovely headstone with two attractive people on it:

Everything about this grave inspired me. The 1920s bride. The chips in the photo ceramics. The unusualness of the headstone. I was also struck by the fact that they were both born in 1906 and both died in 1969. My first thought was that they died together in an accident or something.

I found a little bit about them. Mamie was born on December 15, 1906. Antonio on Septemeber 29, 1906 in Italy. Mamie was born in Pennsylvania, but her parents came from Italy. Antonio came to America in 1916. They were married in 1927. Antonio was a "laborer." Mamie's occupation was "None."

Mamie and Antonio didn't die together. Mamie died in June of 1969. Antonio followed her in July 1969. I like to think Antonio couldn't live without his mamie.

Your Beauty Questions Answered - Fashion Edition

2011-07-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm back with another edition of my advice column. Seriously, I'm not trying to be mean -- I just believe in "tough love" (I guess you could call it). Sometimes people need a kick in the ass to realise stuff. Here we go....

Q: How do I get the confidence to dress vintage?
A: Only YOU can determine whether or not you give a flying fuck. I realise that some people prefer to be low-key while others like to be flashy. If you are one of those "low-key" people then just accept it and don't dress vintage.

Q: How can I dress vintage without looking like a costume?
A: You can't. Unless you wear modern pieces with vintage flair you will look like you are on your way to the playhouse. I dressed full-on vintage for about a year (dresses sewn from 30s/40s patterns and did my hair in fingerwaves) and I stood out like a sore thumb. I had the confidence to pull it off and I got lots of compliments, but I still looked like Halloween. Believe it nor not, sometimes even *I* felt like an idiot in my get-ups -- like someone you wouldn't take seriously. People who don't know you will only see a costume. It's up to YOU to not give a shit. You also have to have the attitude to back it up. Like I said -- some people won't take you too seriously upon first seeing you unless you PROVE to them you're not nuts.

I would also advise to not wear something you actually feel ridiculous in. Because then it REALLY WILL look like a costume because you WILL NOT carry it off and it will SHOW. Best bit of advice, there!

Q: How do I dress vintage and not look "rockabilly"?
A: Easily. They key is to look more "old lady" than flashy. Lean more towards pure 40s and 50s dresses and hairstyles without a lot of flair. As for me, I got tattoos, I do my makeup in cat's eyes, wear cat's eyes glasses, and I've been known to wear tons of cherries, but I never, ever look "rockabilly." I don't have a problem with that look and I actually like it, but I tend to lean more towards "old lady" -- EVEN WITH TATTOOS!

This is just my definition, but "Rockabilly" fashion is a mix of 40s/50s glam, "bad girl", and modern punk -- maybe with a little goth mixed in. It is deliberately flashy, colourful, and sexy. Vintage dressing in the 1950s style is just straight-up wearing 50s fashions. Nothing really "rockabilly" about it. Look at these women -- they don't look like they are on their ways to VLV to me:

Of course, these are just the two ends of the extremes. There are as many variations of 50s vintage fashions as there are people who wear them. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is wear what you like, give it your own flair (or it WILL look like a costume!), and for god's sake, DO NOT GIVE A FUCK what other stupid, catty bitches think or say. Screw them.

Rex Bell, Jr. (1934-2011)

2011-07-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Clara Bow's first-born son, Rex Bell, Jr. has died on July 10th. He was 76. He was always a crusader to restore his mother's good name.

Down To Earth

2011-07-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

Back in the day (1980s) there was a sitcom on TBS called "Down To Earth." The opening theme pretty much sums up the premise:

Cute, huh???!!! Unfortunately, I never heard of this show until 2 or 3 months ago when a Facebook friend posted this. I totally missed out! This show was right up my alley (and still is!)

Vintage Sheet Music 1918-1946

2011-07-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is it. All the vintage sheet music that I own. They were all slightly too big for my scanner so the edges are cut off.

I remember when I was a kid we had my grandmother's piano from the 1930s. In the seat was a plethora of 1930s and 1940s sheet music. My mother trashed it when she sold the piano. I have given her much hell for it. Lol ;)

1918:

1921:

1923:

1924:

1925:

1926:

1926:

1927:

1930:

1931:

1937:

1946:

Your Beauty Questions Answered!

2011-06-30T06:57:00.001-07:00

Q: What should I do with my hair?
A: Look at pictures of how you want it, look up techniques on the Internet or in books, and then practice. It will probably look like ass the first few times, but the more you do it the more you get the hang of it and the better it will look.

Q: Will my hair color clash with my clothes or makeup?
A: What a stupid question.

Q: I wish I could sew!
A: What is stopping you? If you don't go for it you really don't wish you could sew so don't say it. I don't buy the "I'm too inept!" excuse. Again -- not trying hard enough or don't want it hard enough.

Q: What will men think of my beauty techniques?
A: Who cares.

Q: I can't do any vintage hairstyles on my thin, fine hair!
A: Yes, you can. You have to PINCURL it first, though. If you just roll your straight, dry hair onto the sides of your hair and then bobby pin it -- it just looks like a giant pincurl, not a roll. Truth.

Q: How can I maintain my vintage hairdo and work out?
A: Unless you do pussy "vintage" exercises, you will sweat and ruin your 'do. You either put the extra work in and set your hair every single night (like I do!) or decide which is more important -- hair or working out. I hate this question. Lol.

Q: I want a tattoo, but it won't look good at re-enactments.
A: I go to reenactment events with my tattoos (arms and legs!) in full glory. I'm not a re-enactor, but I can't imagine a hobby dictating my life. That's just me, though. I always say "Eat Shit" if you don't like my tattoos, but so-called "vintage" people always like them because they are all vintage-themed.

Q: I bought some 1940s makeup. Should i use it?
A: Uh, NO! Eeeew. They had much worse health and safety standards back then and it's always gross to "share" makeup or use old makeup. Ick. This should be common sense, though.

Q: This isn't very vintage!
A: Do some research and you'll probably find out that it is!

Ask me any question and I will answer it honestly and with no sugar-coating.

1940s Nail Polish

2011-06-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yellow, green, blue, and even BLACK are just a few of the nail polish colours available in this 1944 ad for nail polish:

Blog FAIL

2011-06-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

My husband is home from the military and I spend most of my time either writing papers for school (I'm working on a BS) or I am out with him having a good time or hiking. My workout routine has increased a LOT.

I don't sew anymore because I am in the process of losing 20 lbs, I'm not watching any movies or reveling in any type of vintage activity.

This blog will not be snapping it's garters as much, but I will keep it open because I will surely return to it. I blog in phases.

10 Songs I'm Digging Right Now

2011-06-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

Ok, not very "vintage", but I haven't been in much of a "vintage" mood lately and most readers here seem to appreciate most things I do so here are 10 rad-ass songs that I love right now!

In the order I thought of them:

"Love On The Run" - Madonna
This is Madonna before she was anybody and, gaddamnit, this is AWESOME. This is the best Madonna song in her whole career (huge fan here!) and she never released it.

"Making Your Mind Up" - Bucks Fizz
Haha. My husband (who is British) told me I would like this band so I put them in my iPod. Today this song comes up and it's fabulous. I want to dance! What a catchy bit of ear porn.

"Peek-A-Boo" - Siouxsie & The Banshees
This came out when I was in 8th grade and I liked it then, but I like it more now. I've found myself liking childhood songs better now.

"Sitting At The Wheel" - Moody Blues
I never would have guessed this awesomeness was the Moody Blues. I used to see this on MTV when I was a kid, but I always thought it was Dave Edmunds. Imagine my shock when I looked for it and it was the crappy Moody Blues.

"I've Been Thinking About You" - Londonbeat
Awesome. Just catchy and meaningless and fun. Music I like the best.

"Marry The Night" - Lady Gaga
Her songs are all repetitve and they all bear striking resemblance to another song, but that's probably why they are so good. They are "familiar." This one sounds like it should be from 1996.

"Over My Head" - Toni Basil
This was my jam when I was a kid! It was the B-side to my "Mickey" 45, but I ended up loving this song more. I just recently re-discovered it. Great track. Note the shouts-out to vintage in the video :)

"Legend Of A Cowgirl" - Immani Coppola
Totally forgot about this song until a couple weeks ago when I was watching VH1 Classic. Didn't like it very much when it was out -- it sounded like everything else at the time. Now I love it!!

"Leave Them Girls Alone" - Slade
I can't stress how much I love Slade. I especially love the albums Rogues Gallery and Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. Perfect music. Never out of rotation on my playlist!!

Dave Phillips & The Hot Rod Gang
I'm digging a song called "It Was Free" most right now, but this also rocks some serious socks. My fave rockabilly is from the late 70s/early 80s and usually from Europe. My fave music era is 1977 to 1993, if I had to pin it down as narrowly as I could (but I love music before and after these years -- it just seems like this era had the highest concentration of awesomeness!)

What are you listening to right now??

MOST WANTED Movies

2011-05-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

Here are some movies I am DYING to see, but they are either lost or have never been made available (SHAME!)

Hollywood (1923)
I love movies about the movies so 1923's Hollywood has been on my "Most Wanted" list since I first heard about it. A young girl goes to Hollywood to live out her dream as an actress, but finds it's not all it's cracked up to be. This film was one of many "cautionary" tales of the time warning young girls to just stay home. The film was made by Paramount in 1923 and it has cameos GALORE in it! Another reason I would kill to see it. As of this writing, no known copy or fragment (that I know of) exists.

Rough House Rosie (1927)
Probably not one of her best, but this film has GOT to be one of Clara's CUTEST!!! I've wanted to see this movie since I first heard of it and saw the CUTE stills with the CUTE boxing girls! :) Again, this movie is presumed lost but miracles can happen. Only a trailer for this film exists.

Are These Our Children? (1931)
I am a big fan of "cautionary" movies and this one deals with the "youth gone wild" of the time. Oh, such innocence! I get a kick out of these tales. This movie is not lost, but it is not readily available. I've never seen it, but it is certainly high on my MOST WANTED list.

Women Of All Nations (1931)
I love a good pre-Code sex comedy, especially if it involves Marines and a "harem." LOL. And El Brendel. I absolutely LOVE Mr. Brendel and I'm sure his performance would not disappoint me :) Women Of All Nations isn't lost -- it gets screened at film festivals every now and again, but I've never made it to one. TCM needs to show it at 3am or something.

The Warrior's Husband (1933)
In this movie "it's the women who do the chasing -- the men who are chaste!" I can't resist that tagline. Really. I love pre-Code gender-reversal films and I bet this one is a hoot, although it looks as if a man "cures" our amazon in the end. I've heard this movie was lost. I also heard a print does exist in a museum, but hasn't been shown in YEARS. Either way, a damn shame.

Convention City (1933)
Contemporary reviews said this movie was excellent, but "not for children!" Supposedly it was so risque that it single-handedly caused the strict enforcement of the 1934 Production Code. It had a stellar Warner's cast and some of the one-liners from the existing script had me chuckling. I can't imagine this movie being anything less than superb. But we'll never know because all prints were deliberately destroyed. A piece of history lost to idiots with a lack of foresight!

It's Great To Be Alive! (1933)
This is probably my MOST WANTED movie! The plot sounds so effing awesome -- a man is stranded on a desert island and when he finally comes back to civilization he learns every man on earth has been stricken with "Masculitis" -- leaving them sterile! It is up to our hero to re-populate the earth! LOL! Holy sex comedy! I would give anything to see this. It was made by Fox and is describes as a sci-fi musical comedy, which sounds exactly like my favourite movie Just Imagine (1930). Unfortunately, as far as I know It's Great To Be Alive! is lost

Other Than Vintage....

2011-05-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

...what else are you into? Here's what I like:

Music. From ALL time periods. I have my favourites, though. I would kill myself if I could only listen to ONE type of music for the rest of my life. Even though I do love vintage music, I can only take so many vintage songs in a row on my iPod before I have to put on one of my jams. My favourite music is actually late 70s/all 80s/early 90s stuff, mostly punk, alternative, Top 40 pop, and new wave. I love pop music! The more insipid it is, THE BETTER.

Working Out. Being a military wife, working out is all around me. But I worked out before I met my husband and will continue forever. I can't stand being lazy and sleepy. I like jogging, fast walking, yoga, P90X, and (don't laugh) Dancing on Kinect. We wake up every morning at 4:30am to go on our run.

The 1980s. I grew up in the 80s. 80s music is the best there is and it is my absolute favourite of any kind. An 80s playlist will put me in a good, hyper mood every single time. I also love the colourful fashion and the overall FUN the popular culture had. PS -- that's me in the picture, in 1986. LOL.

Death Hagging. maybe this is an offshoot of vintage, but I love death culture and rituals. I also love cemetaries. The photo is one I took in Laurel Hill Cemetary in Philly. Also -- ever wonder how much vintage clothing and jewelry is underground? Hmmm....something to ponder!

Stupid TV Shows. My fave is Smoking Gun's World's Dumbest, but I also like exploitative garbage like they show on Discovery Health (Born Without A Face, Treeman, Me and my Parasitic Twin, etc...) My husband hates those shows, though. LOL. I also love Lockup Raw and I love to watch VH1 Classic because I am old like that.

Sushi. Best food ever. I could eat this for all three meals a day and never get tired of it. My fave is Mackerel, but I love it all. I try to buy brown rice whenever possible, too.

I Love Vintage Magazines

2011-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

There is no torture severe enough for ANYONE who deliberately tears apart vintage magazines and sells individual pages for $20 a pop. These people are the lowest forms of life, in my opinion -- desecrating rare, one-of-a-kind (sometimes) items packed with specific historical information so they can make a buck. Nothing makes me angrier.

I am a huge lover of vintage ephemera and when I see idiots selling entire magazines as individual pages, well, I get RILED UP!

I have 224 vitnage magazines in my collection. I have pretty much stopped collecting because prices have gone through the roof, but here are some of my interesting and attractive covers!

September 1912
This is the oldest that I own. Nearly 99 years old!! The paper is still bright, readable, and sturdy, though I try not to handle it much. Most interesting is that there is a blurb about the Titanic in it and it says how the tragedy will "soon be forgotten." LOL.

August 1937
The eariest issue of Film Fun that I have is from 1937, but I also collect "girlie" magazines and my earliest is from 1935. They are funny because the girls all have smooth mounds for vajayjays! Hehe!

October 1959
My earliest Playboy magazine. I have Playboys up until 1981!

Just a few beautiful covers:
June 1923:

October 1927:

July 1929:

December 1929:

January 1931:
My only Clara Bow cover

March 1931:

August 1932:

August 1933:

January 1934:

February 1937:
I don't give a flying fuck how "cliche" it is -- I LOVE LEOPARD PRINT!

March 1937:

May 1937:

June 1938:

September 1938:

October 1939:

December 1940:

June 1942:
SUPER CUTE!!!

October 1951:

May 1962 (both):
The "newest" movie publications I own.

Now seriously. Who could harm innocent treasure troves like this? You can see all of my collection RIGHT HERE!

1937 Fashions - IN COLOUR!

2011-05-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

That Time Of The Month

2011-05-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

I saw my grandma yesterday (B. 1929) and I asked her about periods back then. This is what she said (paraphrased):

Me: So what happened when you first got your period?
GM: I was 12 and I had no idea what it was! My mother saw the blood in my panties and handed me a pad and a belt. It was then that she told me about periods.

Me: What about tampons?
GM: I never even heard of them until the 50s. They weren't really widely used until then.

Me: Were pads "hidden" behind the counter or were they out in the open like today?
GM: They were out on the shelves just like today, but I used to be so embarassed to buy them! I would get my mom to do it (she says while laughing!)

And to make this post even more of a spectacle, here are some period ads from the 30s to the 60s and some douche ads thrown in for fun.

1931:

1932:
Need help talking to your 12 year old daughter?

1933:
CRINGE

1934:

1937:

1937:
If "men were men" in the "Golden Era" I surly hope these ads are full of shit and that husbands were MAN ENOUGH to tell their wives their vajayjay's were smelly :/

1937:
Menstrual Cup

1939:

1939:

1940:

1940:

1944:

1945:

1945:

1945:

1946:

1947:

1950:

1954:

1961:
Special period panties!! She didn't even miss a day of work because it didn't leak all over! Amazing!

1962:

Also, according to my grandmother and her world there was never any type of social stigma attached with getting your period or buying feminine products. They WEREN'T behind the counter in brown paper bags -- at least not where she grew up. And Mom-Mom grew up in the most rural and remote of places you can imagine. Still lives there to this day!

I Do Own A...

2011-05-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a post from "you know where."

160G Silver iPod
I love this thing and it's the best thing I ever bought. I'm a life-long music lover so the iPod is the greatest invention for me. I can listen to ALL my music anytime and anywhere I want. INCLUDING vintage music and OTR! The iPod brings me closer to vintage sounds. Without it, I'd never hear as much as I have.

Facebook Account
NO IDEA why the vintage "community" has so much hate for the Facebook! LOL. If it weren't for Facebook I would not be in half as much touch with my family, old friends who have moved away, and new friends with things in common with me. What's so evil about that? And isn't "you know where" also a social networking site?

Jeans
...were invented in, what, 1870s? 1880s? They're pretty vintage. I'll admit I don't like wearing them all the time -- a nice dress is always good. But I do like jeans because I don't like over-doing it, say, at the grocery store.

iPhone/cell phone
Yes, I have an iPhone. I love it. If we need to know where something is I can just take out my handy iPhone. I'm not a big phone talker and I NEVER text, but I still love my iPhone. There are also some really good OTR apps that I like to listen to at work. If it weren't for the iPhone and those apps I would not have heard ANY OTR as my husband does not like most of it.

Air Conditioner
You bet I have an AC window unit! Fuck that. I ain't sweltering in the summer.

Computer
I have a laptop. I attend college online (that might not be vintage, though), so I need my laptop!!!! I also find my laptop useful because I can watch movies on it in bed. VINTAGE movies I wouldn't see otherwise.

Cable TV
We did away with it for a while because we couldn't afford it, but we got it back. Shit. I love my World's Dumbest Criminals, Lockup Raw, and exploitative medical oddities shows!!! I'm not a huge TV watcher, though, but it's nice to have. Also, if it wasn't for cable I wouldn't have seen MOST of the 1920s and 1930s movies I've seen.

GPS
I love GPS! I love driving and exploring/taking photos, but I am somewhat scared of getting lost. The GPS has fixed that problem. I can go anywhere my heart desires and never get lost again.

Big-Ass Flat Screen TV
No, I don't *need* this, but we bought one and it's pretty amazing. The first time I watched my Busby Berkeley movies on it I was blown away.

Fucking Hoodie
I own a FUCKING HOODIE! I wear it, too. I'm certainly not going to go jogging in my t-strap heels and hand sewn dress from 1934. LOL. I also wear it to take my dog out for a shit, when it's cold in the house, or if I'm just stepping out somewhere where dressing vintage would make me look like a complete asshole.

Kindle for PC
I don't have a Kindle, but I have it on my laptop PC. I LOVE IT! Fuck book clutter. I'll pass on being a hoarder in any way possible.

Tattoos
Ok, you've seen TWO of my tattoos. ALLLLL my tattoos are vintage themed. Anyone who doesn't like my tattoos can eat shit.

Ok, that's all for now. There are a few things I don't have: Twitter, piercings, designer clothing, manicure. Don't give a fuck if others have them, though. Just not my bag.

Technology has brought me closer to my love of vintage. Everything I own or know came from some type of computer device.

Vintage & Tattoos

2011-05-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have tattoos. I love them and I want more! Many are large and quite visible, making me look "less" authentic if I decide to dress vintage, but I don't give a rat's turd. I'm coming in defense of the girls with tattoos who get shit from the vintage "community" for having them!! Now, if tattoos aren't your bag and you want to look as "authentic" as possible, that is fine (and I'm not talking about you), but those who condemn or dictate what others should do and/or question their "level" of vintageness or "ladylikeness" because they have tattoos can get fucked!

To top the icing on the FUCK YOU cake, here are some vintage gals with tattoos. I am aware most of them were sideshow performers and that tattoos on women were not the norm by ANY MEANS back then. But I live in 2011.

And just a glimpse at one of my tattoos:

PS - Never said I was "ladylike." Haha!

Music Thoughts

2011-04-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

I bought a 160 Gig iPod in November or December and I finally have the opportunity to listen to my extensive music collection anywhere I go. I usually listen to it while driving and while working. Sometimes on the weekends I hook it up to my home stereo, too. Seriously, I'm listening to CDs I bought 15 years ago that I never listened to until now.

I could go on and on about my praise of the Mp3 player, but instead I'm just going to give short thoughts on some vintage music I've been listening to. I like music from all over the board and I usually do things like this on my FB with every kind of music included. But for the sake of this blog, I'll keep it narrowed down to vintage music.

Martha Tilton
I adore this woman! He voice is as fresh as can be, plus I think she is pretty in a Lady Gaga kinda way.

Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra
This band makes great dance music. There's not a single dud in the Glen Gray collection I have in my iPod. They all make me want to dance in my seat!

Helen Forrest
Fabulous!

Blanche Calloway
Cab's sister, not only is she amazing because she is one of the few female band leaders of the day, but her music is just dance-able goodness!

Annette Hanshaw
I've been listening to Annette for about 10 years now and there was always something about her that just never grabbed me. I think I finally figured it out. While she does have a beautiful singing voice I just don't feel any emotion behind it. I get the vibe that she just sings because that's her job, then she goes home. I still listen to her if she comes on, though.

Helen Kane
I used to like Helen and I preferred her to Annette. Her absurdity gave her the edge and you could tell she was really "into" it. While I love Helen for historical purposes, I find her singing unlistenable today. It makes me cringe :/

Helen Ward
A voice that's creamy! And while we're at it -- Benny Goodman is absolutely one of the best!

Mildred Bailey
I think she and Ella F. may have the most beautiful singing voices ever bestowed upon a woman. Mildred doesn't have as wide of a range as Ella, but her voice is so smoothe. You can almost feel it massaging your ears. And she injects just the right amount of emotion to pull you in. Fantastic.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe
I love this woman so hard! She's buried, literally, about 2 miles from where I live.

Valaida Snow
Sometimes she sounds like Minnie Mouse, but I think it's cute. And she plyed trumpet. How many lady trumpet players were there???

Al Bowlly
Quite possibly my favourite singer of the era.

Hoosier Hotshots
They look fun and interesting, but, honestly, I can't listen to more than one song at a time from these guys. They get annoying after a while. Lol.

And that's it for now. This list isn't definitive of what vintage music I listen to, just what I've been listening to most recently.

It's Time For Bathing Beauties!

2011-04-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Yesterday was our first warm, sunny day here in the NorthEast so what better way to celebrate the upcoming warm weather than with some vintage bathing beauties? And for you down there in OZ and NZ, these will warm you up! This post was BY REQUEST. I might do Part II later int he week because I have so many!

Dolores Moran:

Frances Drake:

Ginger:

Betty Grable:

Jeannie:

Jane Russell:

Jayne Mansfield:

Advertisement from 1959 magazine:

Dorothy Dare:

Clara Bow:

Chili Williams:

Carol Hughes, Marie Wilson, June Travis:

French model, 1937:

Evelyn Brent & Louise Brooks:

Beauty Contest Winner (?), 1950s:

Ann Sheridan, 1937:

Ann Doran:

June Haver:

Rita Hayworth:

Cute amateur photo!
I like to think a husband took this for going away ;)

Alice Jans & June Glory:

Martha Sleeper:

Phyllis Haver:

Patricia Ellis:

And my favourite name EVER for a swimsuit:

Gory Figurines

2011-04-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

I just discovered these beautiful ladies and I am in love. They are made by a UK artist named Jessica Harrison.

I am in love. What a fantastic idea!! Now we need some flappers and 30s ladies like this and my life would be complete.

[ETA]: I just realised I have one of these Royal Daulton figurines. Not one shown up here, but I have one. She watches over my classy DVD collection.

That neck is crying out to be slit! Lol ;) My grandmother has a bunch of these. She let me and my sister each pick one to keep a few years ago. I have a new appreciation now....

Easter Hunnies

2011-04-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

I don't celebrate Easter and, honestly, it comes and goes most years without me noticing. But I noticed this year and just in time to post some LOL Easter pictures of actresses for you enjoyment. Look at some of these embarassing photoshoots they were subjected to:

Mary Philbin:

Jean Parker:

Ann Miller:

Lynne Carver:

Myrna Loy:

Barbara Kent:

Barbara Kent:

Heather Angel:

Dorothy Gulliver
LOL. Easter egg or Humpty Dumpty?

Debra Paget:

Mary Carlisle:

Bernice Claire:

Barbara Bates:

Alice White:

Jane Winton:

I love it!

Vintage vs. Repro

2011-04-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

One thing that always cracked me up about the vintage community was the whole "Vintage vs. Repro" war. Maybe I am not "true" vintage, but I just don't care. Personally, I don't wear either. But I don't really care if you do. I make my own -- would that be considered "repro", though? Or is making your own in a whole 'nother class? I'm always confused by this!

I don't like real vintage clothing because it is fragile. Most of the time it smells, too (like BO). At least the few pieces I have acquired in my life have.

Pictured is a real 1920s dress I bought about 10 years ago. It is fragile, yellowed, and wrinkled beyond unwrinkling. The armpits are stiff and smell like BO.

I have owned dresses well into the 50s that had all of the same problems. But as I said -- wear what you like and if true vintage werqs for you, then HORRAH! But it never worked out for me.

Then there's the issue of repro. I keep hearing how lowly "Stop Staring" dresses are. Why? I'll admit I have owned two Stop Staring dresses in my life and I was really disappointed by the cheap quality. I can understand any hatred for the brand because of the cheap quality and high price tag. But I often hear how "someone else will have it!" Also, you're not "real" vintage if you wear too much repro. LOL! Is this fucking 8th grade? I'll admit some are cute to look at, but my experience with bad quality has put me off most repro.

You can't even tell me these aren't cute, though:

And last, there are those of us who like to make our own from authentic vintage patterns. I'm in this camp. It's as close to the real thing as you can get without all the problems. And I know it will fit, I know it will be sturdy, and I know I will be the only person who has it (GASP!)

Heh! I'm not the best, but little cotton dresses are good enough for me! I don't need anything fancier than that. So there you go. What camp do you fall in?

Simplicity 2237, Baby's First Rockabilly Dress!

2011-04-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have little baby niece who is only 1 years old right now, but I'm going to make her this cute little summer dress for when she's a little older. I'm calling it her "First Rockabilly Dress"!

I picked out this fabric for it. Her mom was interested in tattoo fabric, but I think that might be a little scary for a little girl. A skull with a snake going through it may have freaked me out as a child so I'm keeping it innocent:

I'll post results when I'm done. I'm almost finished my 1941 Hollywood pattern made from the Monsters fabric. (Yea, it takes me a loooooong time to sew these days with this algebra class I'm takin'....;)

My Inner Rockabilly Chick Beckons

2011-04-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

Haha. Every now and again I get a hankering for some rockabilliness in my life. I've always loved it since I was a kid, but never knew a "scene" existed until 1998 (when the whole vintage thing exploded for me!) Rockabilly was one of the first vintage-themed scenes I loved. In the early days of my retro-luvin' I was all about the circle skirts, the two-tone shoes, and the leopard headbands ;)

These following photos -- I have no idea who these people are. I found them on google. If they are you or you know them, please let me know! I find each and every one of these girls aesthetically pleasing. I love the hair, the full dresses in offbeat fabrics, the cat-eyes, and the tattoos (I'm tattooed myself!)

While I love the look and have access to it (I can easily make anything!), I just sometimes feel like I just don't get it quite right when I try to rock this look. No matter what, I always tend to look more "old lady" than "Bettie"! lol :)

Although the fashion is very important, I also love the music. Always have. Here are some of my favourite neo-rockabilly tunes:

"Abigail Blue" - The Starkweather Boys

"Dog Gone, SHe's Gone" - Cave Catt Sammy

"Zombie For Your Love" - Kim Lenz & Her Jaguars

"Do The Devil" - Amazing Royal Crowns
I saw this band live TWICE :)

"Burn That Candle" - Rockin' Bonnie & Her Rot Gut Shots

"Ice Cold" - Restless

"One Hand Loose" - 13 Cats

I do have a preference for the 70s/early 80s variety of rockabilly. Goes with my 80s-love.

I love many, many more bands, but please suggest to me any other neo-rockabilly bands I should check out. Anything from the 70s/80s revival to now is fine. Even if you think I may have heard of it, suggest it anyway. I will admit I am not incredibly well-versed in many of the newer bands, but would LOVE to give them a listen.

And let's not forget the GUYS!! Mmmmm! I've always swooned "rockabilly" guys! I crushed so hard on The Heavenly Kid when I was a kid. Hehe! And my husband has been known to dabble. I do think rockabilly guys are hottest ;)

The Levoy Theatre RIP (1908-2011)

2011-04-17T11:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I went to visit family in my hometown and I came across this sight:

I was like "WTF? Isn't this where the old Levoy once stood?" I have a special love for hometown cinemas and I was so happy that Millville (my hometown) was finally doing something to restore this 102 year old vaudeville theatre/old cinema. This is how it looked in 1930:

And how it looked in its last few years:

Welp, the very thing that was helping the Levoy get back to being a lovely downtown attraction was ultimately its destruction. The entire building collapsed in on itself on January 3, 2011. It had recently been completely gutted and the walls inside were being supported by makeshift steel beams.

A recent photo of the inside before it was completely gutted. You can see the beauty:

I was heartbroken. The Levoy is no more. Some additional websites:

Levoy Theatre Flickr
Levoy Theatre Official Website
Levoy Theatre Collapses

"Shocking" Songs, 1920s to 1950s

2011-04-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

One of my very favourite things is naughty music from the olden days. Anything naughty, really, but I love the songs most of all. Here is a little collection of some of my favourite songs dealing with gender-bending, drugs, homosexuality, and good old fashioned "fucking" from 1926 to 1954. Enjoy, but be warned some songs are filthy even by today's standards :)

"Masculine Women & Feminine Men" - Irving Kauffman (1926)

"Cocaine" - Dick Justice (1929)

"My Girl's Pussy" - Harry Roy & His Bat Club Boys (1931)

"Let's All Be Fairies" - The Durium Dance Band (1932)

"Shave 'em Dry" - Lucille Bogan (1935)

"Hot Nuts" - Lil Johnson (1936)

"Rotten Cocksucker's Ball" - The Clovers (1954)

Philadelphia, Then & Now, 1928 & 2011

2011-04-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

I have a serious hard-on for "Then & Now" pics, especially if it's a place I know/live in. Here, I present to you Green Lane Bridge in Philadelphia. I travel it twice daily, to and from work.

The bridge being built in 1928.

A view looking towards Main Street, 1928.

Same view today, 2011:

Lol. Yup, taken from my iPhone out the window of my Jeep whilst sitting in traffic.

"Dangerous Curves Atop Hollywood Heels" Book Review

2011-04-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

I finished reading this book in one weekend. The subject matter has always fascinatd me -- obscure "old time" actresses whose stories didn't end happily ever after. I had high hopes for this book for the inclusion of Lucille Ricksen, whom I've always wanted to know more about! My hopes were soon dashed by a GLARING flaw -- TYPOS GALORE.

I was jolted out of the story far too many times trying to translate what the author really meant because typos, bad grammar, poor spelling, and incorrect word usage were on almost every single page. Every book has at least one error like this, but on nearly every single page I found the book difficult and unenjoyable to read. Here are a few examples:

"The Eternal City...had as its backdrop the Coliseum, the Forum, the Roman Baths, and the Appian Way as its backdrops." (pg. 213)

"...thereby allowing her to temporarily evaded narcotics agents..." (pg. 266)

"Her life continued skid out of control." (pg. 268)

"By the spring of 1927, the Harlan married had fallen apart." (pg. 295)

The book is FILLED with careless errors like this. Also, the age of death of actress Mary Nolan is stated as "42" on page 254, yet the author states her death age as "46" on page 272. On page 374 the awkward word "chlorines" is used. I can only assume the author meant "chorines" as he was talking about a music revue.

Was this book even proofread before it was published? I somehow doubt it. Dangerous Curves Atop Hollywood Heels isn't worth the $26 I paid for it. For that price I expect an enjoyable reading experience unmarred by careless errors.

My opinion: pass it up or buy it used.

The actresses featured:

Agnes Ayres:

Olive Borden:

Grace Darmond:

Elinor Fair:

Juanita Hansen:

Wanda Hawley:

Natalie Joyce:

Barbara LaMarr:

Martha Mansfield:

Mary Nolan:

Marie Prevost:

Lucille Ricksen:

Eve Southern:

Alberta Vaughn:

Thin Eyebrows!!!

2011-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

I have thin, drawn-on eyebrows. They are not on my forehead (lol), but they are on my brow bone right where my normal eyebrows should be.

I am a natural redhead and my natural eyebrows are blonde, sparse, and patchy. There is hardly anything there! There is nothing to "fill in" because they are so blonde that if I did fill them in they would look uneven and bad. It's just better to cut the scraggly little hairs off and re-draw them on. I don't know why people don't understand this!

I'm coming to the defense of thin eyebrows! I like them and always have. I've always been one to be more theatrical than natural with my makeup and style so the thin, severe eyebrows fit my aesthetic just perfectly. Are they for everyone? No, not at all. But for those of us who do love them I don't see the big deal.

I'm always getting compliments on my brows, usually that they are "perfectly even." I usually get asked if they are tattooed on. Nope! I've been drawing them on my whole adult life. I'm pretty skilled at it by now! :)

The Television Ghost (1931-1933)

2011-04-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Television Ghost was a "horror" television series that aired in New York from 1931 until 1933. The show consisted of an actor named George Kelting telling scary stories in closeup. His face was painted white and he wore a sheet wrapped around him.

Looking at this promo that I've found, I'm wondering if the show was aimed at children. No film footage or audio exists, making it even creepier.

Rotting Film

2011-04-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I watched last night's Fragments on TCM and I was utterly fascinated. One of the reasons I am so attracted to old films is that some of them are lost and shrouded in mystery. Fragments gave me my "fix" when it comes to my obsession with decomposing film. Watching what was left of several films makes them fascinatingly eerie. Although I do enjoy films in their damaged states, I also find it sad that all the hard work that went into making these movies was totally pissed all over.

A can of nitrate film totally decomposed into dust.

Maybe I am in the minority here, but I think decomposed film has created a beauty all on it's own. There is something ghostly and eerie about seeing a happy moving image from the 1920s then all of a sudden the film begins to decompose until the entire image is consumed by the gooey bubbles.

It's just so strange and creepy to think that the hard work of people I love most have been reduced to this! Namely Theda Bara and Clara Bow. But on the other hand, the random decomposition has created a brand new film. An accidental thing of wonderment and beauty! (Hehe, I'm annoying myself here with this talk...lol)

I recently found out about a film that was made in 2003 called Decasia and it is made up entirely of pieces of decomposing film set to some dark, creepy music. I think it's supposed to be some deep, pretentious, "art" piece, but I really just want to see it for the rotting film. Pseudo-intellectual I am NOT! Set to the creepiest music I have ever heard, it's sure to give me a good spook!

Surely, this is not what Nancy Carroll had in mind when she was working hard in the silent pictures!

The Blonde

2011-04-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

My favourite female stereotype is without a doubt the "Dumb Blonde." Oh, I adore her. She's funny, she's innocent, she's forever childlike, and I think she and I would have a blast hanging out.

Even though "dumb" is usually my favourite blonde stereotype, I also love the blonde when she's being cheery, vampy, wiseass-y, over-the-top, smart-as-hell, and just plain BLONDE. Here are some blonde ladies I've been obsessed with throughout my life:

Dolly was the first when I was 5 years old! I guess she would be considered "over the top" and "smart as hell"!! ;) Nothing "dumb" about Dolly!

I was obsessed with the movie Annie when I was a kid. But what's not to be obsessed with -- it's a freakin' KILLER movie! Although Annie was my favourite because she was redheaded, I also love Lily St. Regis as played by the beautiful Bernadette Peters. As an adult, I appreciate her more. She is my current favourite character.

Chrissy Snow always put a smile on my face! She was so dumb and cute and happy all the time. She had no worries. Suzanne Sommers played her perfectly. It's obvious she was inspired by another blonde I'm also obsessed with!

Even though I loved Cyndi more (red-headed), Cyndi didn't last as long as Madonna and I had a very strong pre-teen/teen obsession with this woman! I still love her!

I kept a Marilyn scrapbook when I was a pre-teen that I still have at my dad's house. Bar none, she was the most beautiful and fascinating woman EVER when I was that age. I still carry a torch for her.

Kat Bjelland was the first woman ever who made me say "I think I'm going to dye my hair platinum!" But in 1993 platinum hairdye wasn't as good as it is today and my hair turned out a reddy-blonde. Haha.

I think a lot of people would be surprised that I LOVE Kelly Bundy. She may be dumb, but she's brilliant! Eveytime I watch Married With Children she'll say something and I'll say "She sounds like me!" Hehe! I'm a bit of a dummy myself.

I've had a "thing" for Gwen Stefani since the mid-90s. I hated her a for a while, but I secretly loved her! Now I don't give a shit -- LOVE HER. She's beautiful and I love her hair and style. Her music is sub-par, though.

It took me a while to warm to Lady Gaga. I think I outwardly hated her, but secretly was fascinated by her. Then I realised I was 35 years old and currently do not give a shit. This broad is nuts. At first I thought it was all an act, but I think it's 50/50 act and insanity. Someone once said "She'd be much cooler if she wasn't popular." And, yes, I think that's how I was feeling. I should feel a kinship with Miss Gaga, though. We both have horsey faces, bird beaks, big lips, no eyebrows, and I currently have this haircut (yes, I know hers is a wig!)

LOVE "Irma." She's so innocent and loveable. Marie Wilson plays her perfectly and I'm almost certain she is the inspiration for Chrissy Snow ;)

And, of course, if you know anything about me at all you will know that I am in love with Jean Harlow. The ULTIMATE BLONDE.

I have no idea why I am obsessed with blonde ladies. Maybe because I am a natural redhead and the blonde was always stiff competition. Lol. I don't know! I've gone platinum a few times in my life, but unfortunately it is too expensive for me and it doesn't last very long. I just feel I might be a blonde personality. I got away with being a bit of an airhead more when I was blonde. People would laugh with/at me. Now I can't get away with it as much with my natural hair colour. And trust me, I am an airhead.

Also please note, I never said ALL of these women were airheads because they are blonde. And I never said the actual woman was an airhead, just their characters! Any comments like that and I'll know you didn't read past the first paragraph and jumped to conclusions. LOLOLOL.

Film Fragments on TCM, Sunday

2011-04-01T09:25:00.001-07:00

I literally just got cable in my house this week and what fabulous surprise do I get but TCM airing some fragments from lost films this Sunday night at 8pm. I have had an obsession with missing and/or damaged films since I became interested in vintage and I can't believe after many, many years of reading about several of these fragments I'm finally going to see them! So excited to see these the most:

The famous 45 second fragment that exists of the 1918 film Cleopatra. I remember reading about when it was discovered -- like a holy grail!

A technicolour opening sequence to Clara Bow's 1928 film Red Hair, where we se her....red hair! The only colour footage ever shot of Clara. This fragment was found in a summer home, I believe.

I have an alarm set on my iPhone. I'm that dorky/excited. This is not to be missed!

How Far I Take It

2011-03-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

I do love the aestethic of vintage things, but I have no desire to live back in time, nor do I feel I was "born in the wrong era." Not at all.

As for my personal tastes, yes, I do think vintage clothing is way more visually stunning than modern clothing. Do I wear modern clothing? Oh yea! Even "skinny jeans" (gasp!) I make my own vintage clothing from real vintage patterns, though, so technically all my clothes are modern. I don't much like real vintage clothing. Most of it stinks and it's way too delicate for me to be comfortable in.

Oh, I *love* movies from the 1930s! That's my favourite decade for films! And this might not make sense to some people, but I'm not really a lover of film -- rather a lover of an era. I admit my personal tastes in film run from the beginning up into the very early 40s. Not saying I don't watch movies after that time...just not as many because I just don't find them very exciting.

I don't discriminate when it comes to music. I like it all from the beginning to now!!!!!!

My "vintage" taste is most specifically the late 1920s into the very early 40s. I love the art deco/moderne, the movies, the music, the clothing! I love the sociology of the time, too. If I could go back and visit for a weekend I would in a heartbeat! But only if I could come back to 2011.

I'm not one of those people who thinks "then" was better than "now." I have family horror stories that tell otherwise. Some things are better and some things are worse -- which is how everything is!

I don't insult other people's choices in what vintage time periods they like or what they choose to wear. Although my interest ends around 1945, someone else might be just as crazy about 1946 to 1965! We all need to do our parts to keep parts of the past alive!

Some things can stay vintage -- like vintage menstrual products. I often wonder how many rejectors of modern culture reject this aspect of it?

I don't think it's healthy to be delusional and think the world is going to "change" or "go back to how it was." It's not. I'm the odd one out with my love of vintage. I don't expect anyone to change their beliefs or clothing to accomodate me. Live your life and I'll live mine. I've incorporated my love of the past into my life in the present.

I like my iPhone, my iPod, my Internetz, and my cable TV. iPhone has a great OTR app that I can listen to at work. I can listen to all the vintage music I want on my iPod, anywhere, anytime. If it weren't for the Internet I wouldn't have or know just about everything vintage that I have and know! And cable TV is good for seeing as many 1930s movies as I possibly can. Again, my love of vintage works in conjunction with my life in the present!

So overall, I really don't wish I could live in the past. I'm sure if I was born then it would've been fine, but I wasn't. I don't have a problem with people who choose to live as authentically vintage as possible -- their life to live. I just often wonder how far they really do take it, since most are found on the Internet and I still wonder about those Hickory Sanitary Belts.....

So....how far do you take it?

Risque Cards From The 1940s

2011-03-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

I went to my grandmother's today. She's 81. I asked her if she wore jeans in the 40s. She said "Yes! I wore my brother's!" Then I asked her if she wore his shirts. She said "Yes, I used to wear his clothes all the time!" Just a bit of FYI from someone who was a teenage girl then ;)

She also busted out the photos and memoirs. She gave me a bunch of old postcards, mostly dated 1907 to 1913. Also, an autograph book from 1883, a map of NJ from 1929, and I took an assortment of 1920s family photos. If you're on my FB, you'll be seeing these in the next week. :)

She also gave me these risque cards from the 1940s! I have no idea whose they were or why she had them, but she was sitting there HOWLING while she was looking at them. She said "This was dirty back then!" Lol. I scanned them for your enjoyment.

T-shirts & Jeans On Women

2011-03-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

It always makes me laugh when people decry the wearing of t-shirts and jeans as daily wear. After looking at every single Sears catalog from 1896 to 1950 (currently!) I have found some very interesting things concerning t-shirts as outerwear for women. Just look:

The earlist examples of t-shirt type tops appeared in the Sears catalog in 1944. Though these are actully "polo shirts", they still resemble the modern day t-shirt and that can't be denied.

1944. The woman on the left wears a t-shirt with slacks!

1944. T-shirts worn with playsuits!

1945. You can't even tell me this isn't a woman-cut t-shirt! lol!

The t-shirt still going strong in 1947!

There was a trend in the 1940s of girls wearing their father's or brother's clothes. They would usually pair jeans with an oversided dress shirt and then a flannel coat over that -- setting the groundwork for the 90s "grunge" look! :) Check out these girls in jeans and various oversized men's clothing, all from 1944:

And finally.....

The first printed t-shirts appear in 1948!

So here is photographic evidence that women did indeed wear jeans and t-shirts in the so-called "Golden Era." Some even purposely looked sloppy while doing it! Others look like they could be plucked from the street today. I know that women *didn't* wear these clothes to school or for going out to nice places, but for play and hanging out with their friends these rebellious duds were perfectly acceptable. So much so that Sears catalogs even cashed in on the trend!

A Tribute to MORE Still Alive!

2011-03-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to your suggestions, my memory, a little more time, and some online research, here are some MORE Golden Age celebs that are still with us. Again, this list is not definitive and I encourage you to suggest more in the comments!!

Lopita Tovar (1910):

Carla Laemmle (1909):

Angela Lansbury (1925):

Luise Rainer (1910):

Ann Rutherford (1920):

Ruby Dee (1924):

Rhonda Fleming (1923):

Diana Serra Cary
AKA Baby Peggy (1918):

Danielle Darrieux (1917):

Phyllis Coates (1927):

Deanna Durbin (1921):

Patricia Morison (1915):

Barbara Hale (1922):

Nova Pilbeam (1919):

Dorothy Malone (1925):

Edith Fellows (1923):

Nanette Fabray (1920):

Nancy Davis (1921):

Joan Fontaine (1917):

Jackie Cooper (1922):

Joan Leslie (1925):

Gloria DeHaven (1925):

Mary Carlisle (1912):

I have NO CLUE how I forgot Mary Carlisle in my last post! I LOVE her! Too obvious, I guess. I didn't add many stars from the 50s and 60s. I don't think they are quite old enough yet. Stars from the 20s and 30s are very scarce, though. And stars from the 40s are beginning to die off :(

Again, feel free to add yours to the comments.

Tribute To A Few Still Alive!

2011-03-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

This past 10 years has seen us lose SO MANY Golden Age celebrities. The next 10 they will probably be all gone :( I know death is inevitable and it's just another part of life, but here are some that have HUNG ON! :)

Maureen O'Hara (1920):

Bea Wain (1917):

Barbara Kent (1906):

Zsa Zsa Gabor (1917, though barely!):

Esther Williams (1921):

Shirley Temple (1928):

Celeste Holm (1917):

Dame Vera Lynn (1917):

Mickey Rooney (1920):

Anne Jeffries (1923):

Ann Blyth (1928):

Olivia d'Havilland (1916):

And the winner is:

Frederica Sagor Maas (1900!!!!!):

I realise this isn't every single Golden Age star still alive. Time restraints prohibit me from naming them ALL! ;) Feel free to add yours to the comments.

Clarine Seymour (1898-1920)

2011-03-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

There was an actress in the late 1910s named Clarine Seymour and she died in 1920 following an operation. Her cause of death was "strangulation of the intestines." She entered films in 1917 and mostly starred in cheesy shorts with a popular clown of the day (Toto).

It wasn't until DW Griffith took a liking to her in 1919, put her in some of his films, and she began making name for herself. Clarine shines in a few movies she got to make with Griffith. She was Clara Bow....before Clara Bow. Clarine was a 1920s girls before the 1920s ever started.

In 1920, just when she was getting good reviews and her star was begining to rise she went in for an intestinal operation and died on April 25, 1920. I always wonder what would have become of Clarine had she lived. Would she have faded out with Griffith or would she have adjusted to "flapper" roles? We'll never know.

From a 1928 Photoplay "expose" of all the bad luck that had befallen Griffith stars! LOL:

From a 1923 Motion Picture magazine article about all the stars who had since passed away:

1926 Fashions IN COLOUR

2011-03-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've been too chatty. Back to the pictures!

Jean vs. Clara

2011-03-18T08:19:00.001-07:00

I keep reading over and over that Clara Bow was the original choice to play Lil Andrews in the 1932 film Red Headed Woman. The director "really wanted" her for the part and was a bit upset that he got Jean Harlow instead. This was 1932 and Jean had not yet found her niche. She was still a "nobody" and was still being criticised for her lack of acting talent.

Little did they know this would be the movie that would "break" Jean Harlow. She would find her niche as a comedic actress and simultaneously show that with the proper material she could turn in a fabulous performance. I love Jean in this movie. She is so sexy, but we all love her and laugh at her! She's not so sexy that she isolates people -- we almost feel bad for her because she is obviously a little bit mentally ill!

Jean is so happy and carefree in this movie. She knows she's sexy, yet somehow we seem to forget that while watching her. She doesn't come across as vampy or slutty one bit. She's plays the part of Lil Andrews with a heart of gold!

Suppose Clara Bow had played Lil Andrews like originally intended? Do you think it would've been the same movie?

This might make no sense, but I think Clara would've been too sexy for the role of Lil Andrews. Just going by Clara's talkie performances that I've seen, I think she was better suited to talkie drama instead of comedy. Clara Bow's brand of silent sexiness was "cute", but it came off as a bit "conniving" in talkies. Yes, Lil Andrews had to be a bit conniving (wink!), but I think Clara would have played this aspect a bit too much. It's quite possible Lil would've been unlikeable.

Marie Prevost?

2011-03-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with lesser-known silent film stars so when someone on the Fedora Lounge posted this picture wanting to know who it was, I was intrigued:

She does have a very generic early 1920s look to her, plus the contrast of the photo made it hard for me to distinguish her features, but I knew it would eventually come to me and today I think it did. My guess is that this woman is Marie Prevost. Compare:

The eyes are the same shape and the nose is wide and flat on both girls. The nose gives it away more than anything. I also had no doubt in my mind the woman in the top photo was a Mack Sennett girl. You can tell by the styling so I racked my brains thinking of what Mack Sennett girl this could be! Marie Prevost was indeed a Mack Sennett Bathing Beauty at one time.

It's not confirmed that this photo is Marie, but the strong evidence makes me think it most probably is. What do you think?

[ETA]: Going by evidence and from running these pictures by silent film nerds and non-silent film fans alike, I think it's safe to say the gal in the bathing photo is Marie Prevost!

Jean Harlow, My Favourite

2011-03-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

I received my book Harlow In Hollywood today in the mail. It was waiting by my door when I came home and I was so excited to see it. I have not read it yet, but I did look at the pictures and I am impressed. There are several of Miss Harlean that I've never seen before. Harlow being my absolute favourite, I have a huge photo collection of her. Here are some cell-phone quality snaps of the book:

Jean was in movies for a very short time, but during that time she had 4 different incarnations:

In the late 1920s, before she "found" herself as an actress, Jean was just a fresh-faced blonde who supposedly wasn't really interested in acting.

But her fresh-faced innocence didn't last long. Into the very early 1930s Jean was the resident vamp. Very sexy, very "evil" looking with her white blonde hair and dark, low brows. Her eyes kohl-rimmed, always in an evil sideways stare. Her lips painted on as if they are in a permanent kiss. This is my favourite era of Jean Harlow.

By 1932, Jean went back to being an innocent blonde. She had finally found her niche, which was comedy -- not vamping! To match her new persona she was given a makeover by her new studio, MGM. The hair loosened, the brows plucked off, the wicked stare replaced by a huge smile. She was *just sexy enough* without being threatening. I do love her brows. Her eyebrows have always been an inspiration for my very own!

Finally, in 1936 she darkened her hair, wore it curlier and sleeker, and began to take on more mature roles. Jean Harlow needed a rebirth due to the Production Code's enforcement. She would maintain this look until the end of her life in 1937.

These are the films I've seen Jean in:

The Saturday Night Kid (1929)

The Secret Six (1931)

The Public Enemy (1931)

Platinum Blonde (1931)

The Beast Of The City (1932)

Red Headed Woman (1932)

Red Dust (1932)

Hold Your Man (1933)

Dinner At Eight (1933)

Bombshell (1933)

The Girl From Missouri (1934)

Reckless (1935)

Wife vs. Secretary (1936)

Suzy (1936)

Libeled Lady (1936)

Personal Property (1937)

Saratoga (1937)

My favourites of these are The Saturday Night Kid (1929), Red Headed Woman (1932), The Girl From Missouri (1934), and Wife vs. Secretary (1936). The movies I enjoyed least: The Secret Six (1931), Reckless (1935), and I attempted to watch Riff Raff (1935) but I disliked it so much I turned it off. This was several years ago, though, so maybe a more recent viewing is in order!

Hollywood Glamour

2011-03-13T12:47:00.001-07:00

I just purchased the Jean Harlow coffee table book from amazon.com. *sigh* Now I want to look at pretty ladies.

Now the beauty parade:

Karla Gutchrlein:

Karen Morley:

June Clyde:

Jane Russell:

Jeannie:

Gertrude Michael:

Dorothy Dell:

Patricia Lawson:

Mary Carlisle:

Lilyan Tashman:

Yvonne DeCarlo:

Dorothy Dare:

Margaret Livingston:

Marjorie White in her "1980" dress, lol:

Connie Bennett:

Rita:

Carole:

Rosemary Lane:

Norma:

Betty Grable:

Bette:

Toby Wing:

Anita Louise:

Jane Winton:

Adrienne Dore:

Wearing History by Lauren M.

2011-03-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

Girls, PLEASE follow this blog and buy these patterns!! Miss (Mrs?) Lauren is truly fabulous and I can't say enough niceness about her.

I've know her for a few years from Facebook and The Fedora Lounge and she never ceases to amaze me with her skillz. Her dresses are are so jazzy and very true to the era (it wasn't all brown and beige!) Not only does Lauren "get it", but she really "GETS IT"! I love her because she lacks any pretention whatsoever, she is not "more-vintage-than-thou" and has never uttered a negative word about girls in skinny jeans! As a matter of fact, she has said numerous times "I don't care about what other people wear." And Lauren does the vintage look so right and so effortlessly. She's also one of the few who understands that "ugly" doesn't necessarily mean "bad", rather it means "striking and has character." ;)

I've bought a few of her Wearing History patterns in the past. They are beautiful. Just today I put in my order for her sailor playsuit. *drool*

Let's just hope I don't look ridiculous in this. Lol!

Lauren also looks like my mom and my grandmother sometimes!! Hehe!! And Barbara Stanwyck. She has that "look" to her that runs in my family. That Barbara Stanwyck "cheeky" look! Sometimes I'll be looking at her pictures online with my husband and I'll be like "OMG, It's my MOM!" and he'll say "Yes, that's a scary resemblance!" Maybe she's related to me -- I have relatives in California! ;)

Here's where you can find her:

Wearing History Website where you can purchase her patterns
Wearing History blog
LIKE Wearing History on Facebook
Wearing History Etsy Shop

Time Traveling Taste

2011-03-11T05:41:00.001-08:00

Check it out. I made this dress in 2009 from the Folkwear 249 pattern:

And here is a dress from the 1946 Sears catalog!

AMAZING! What a time traveller I am! Lol.

Vintage Uglies!

2011-03-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

If you have been keeping up with me on Fedora, you prolly saw that I have recently been ALL OVER that "Golden Era's Ugliest Clothes" thread. Lol. If not, I bring it to you here.

I don't want any of you lovely dames getting your girdles in a tangle, either! I am the queen of tacky/obnoxious/overly-colourful/ugly so please do not take any of this as a personal insult. As I always say, it's better to be ugly than mediocre. At least ugly is striking and has character. Mediocre is just BLEH. Enjoy.

Ugly sweaters from 1948. The "musical" sweater gets an "A" for effort, but it is just executed poorly. Too much going on that I don't even know where my eye should go first! The "bucking bronco" sweater is just all wrong and the squirrel sweater is ugly because I can't stand squirrels!

Ugly shoes from 1939. Just the square-toed ones. *cringe* Anything that makes my feet look like duck paddles are bad news. I also don't like the "manliness" of them. Give me overly-girlie, please!

Ugly dress from 1935. The one in the middle. Those sleeves remind me of worms. If you know me, you know that I am deathly terrified of worms/caterpillars. I'm also not digging the neckline and everything that's going on there. This dress reminds me of Scarlett's curtain dress for some reason, but Carol Burnett's version. Lol.

Ugly dresses from 1949. Just about all of them :/ Especially the pink on bottom with the pilgrim shoulders. Blech. 1948-49 seemed to have the ugliest fashions, in my opinion. If you came walking into the room wearing the pilgrim chic I would stare at you. Lol. ;)

Ugly robe from 1949. Just the one with the serenader on it. So incredibly ugly. I know it was drawn over to enhance the design for the print -- let's just hope it wasn't so ugly in person!

Ugliest blouses ever, from 1946. They really do look like a pillowcase. If I were to wear these I would appear to have fat upper arms and very large boobs. Not the look I want! I have a pattern and will one days make this monstrosity out of scraps to prove my point of it's unflatteringness....

GROSS sweater thing from 1948. If you like someof the other stuff on here, yea, ok, I can understand it. It's not my personal taste, but different strokes, etc. BUT THIS! Is so effing fugly I can't even comprehend it. Lol.

More from 48/49. Lol. I don't know if this is ugly or not, but it's certainly amusing. Lol. I wouldn't wear it. Lol.

Ugly dress from 1945. This reminds me of heavy metal t-shirts in the 80s when they would get old and people would try to make them all fringe-y or Robin Hood-y. Lol. I don't like it. The very fact that it reminds of medieval stuff really puts me off it because medieval is my least favourite historical time period :(

Well, I hope that was painless to you. I know some people get in a wad about this kind of stuff, but like I said, I can understand if someone else might like this stuff (except that fug sweater vest thing), but I just don't see the beauty. Oh well :)