Pretty Link Roundup {May 3rd}

May, May, you beautiful month you! Why have you been hiding yourself for so long? Well, whatever you were up to, I’m thrilled that you’ve returned and brought green grass and tiny little blooms poking out from winter-worn trees, with you. (I just about squealed with glee when coming on the bus this afternoon I spotted both white and plum hued blossoms sprouting up around the neighbourhood)

The past week has been hectic with a capital “H”, but alas, I’ve squeezed in time for a breather tonight and have been catching up on a week’s worth of unread vintage feeds, amongst which the following selection in particular caught my eye.


{Ok, while relaxed, I don’t expect my evening to get quite as fashionable nor exotic as that of this stylish woman in her pink Goddess gown from a 1960 Life Magazine photo. Image via Eliz.Avery’s Flickr stream.}


* Woman Seeks Shoes: The always fashion-wise Super Kawaii Mama chats about her thoughts on the issue of finding vintage shoes above a size six as well as one of her favourite sources to scoop up vintage inspired footwear.

* Life Magazine 1942 – The Girls of Hollywood: A sublime array of photos showing some of the 1940s loveliest starlettes at their most glamorous.

* Vintage Electric Fans: While spring may usher in baby animals, lilacs and the return of barbecuing, come May you might already find yourself in rather dire need of a fan. Why not shuffle quickly past the flimsy plastic models so often lining the home cooling aisle at the hardware store and try to find a vintage fan or two on the second-hand circuit, with these helpful tips from the lovely folks over at Country Living magazine.

* On Wearing Polka Dots: Some people are mad for plaid, others are hot for spots! If like me, you’re head-over-heels in love with polka dots, be sure to check out this post on Courture Allure about wearing this darling pattern.

* From Grrl to Glam: Amy Jeanne shares an interesting story of her path to vintage style which I think many people who developed a love of dressing both vintage and feminine over time, will easily find themselves able to relate to. (And for another story along the same vein, drop by Pinup Tales and read “Pinup Wakeup”.)

* Revamped: Those amongst us who love wielding a needle and thread will definitely appreciate and enjoy Little Rascal’s creative idea of taking a child’s size summer dress and whipping it into an adorable (woman size) skirt.

* Vintage Wardrobe basics (spring/summer): No matter how many zany, fleeting, sometimes do-able, sometimes terrifying, trends whiz through the shops, some items are immortal classics. Here Mademoiselle Robot shares which items top her list of basic (classic) pieces that help to make any vintage wardrobe more complete.

* How to Pick Vintage Styles: A great overview of how to select a vintage style (spanning the 30s through to the 60s) based on your body type, from one of the most stylish vintage bloggers I’ve encountered.

* Some history on “tap pants”: While not for the faint of heart or self-conscious of leg, tap pants are a bold fashion piece with roots stretching back numerous decades, as discussed with a lovely array of tap pant photos in this post by Vintage Clothiers.

* Faille what?: Some Like it Vintage touches on a topic that I’ve been thinking about more and more often lately, that in days gone by items of clothing had the type of fabric they were constructed of included in their description/name more often than they do today, in a fun and informative post called “Faille what?”

* My Dreams Have Petals: In the spirit of spring’s resplendent beauty, I truly urge you to treat yourself to the gorgeous floral photos that appeared in a post on A Field Journal this week. The subtle yet perfectly saturated hues in faded aqua, gleaming salmon and lemonade yellow in this pictures are sure to appeal to many a vintage lover.

The links above seem to reflect a fair number of my thoughts this past week, which have been on the topic of fashion, as I’m in the midst of trying to find some lovely vintage inspired late spring through early fall pieces on a tight budget. All-in-all things are going well on this front, and I plan to post about some of my finds in the near future, so be sure to stay tuned to see what I’ll be sporting this summer.


{I’m fantasizing about putting together summer outfits that are even a fraction as stylishly divine as this red and black ensemble sported by (50s model) Jean Patchett. Image care of myvintagevogue’s always amazing Flickr stream.}

As the sun sets outside I’m thankful that May has returned, it usually brings with it so much beauty and serenity, both of which one can never have too much of in their life. (What are some of things about May that you're most looking forward to?)