Pretty Link Roundup {November 3, 2009}

A smidgen of sun burst forth between the mashed potato like mounds of pewter clouds for a couple of hours late this afternoon, giving me a welcome jolt of energy and spurring me onwards to put together a post I’ve been meaning to get to for ages: a new edition of the Pretty Link Roundup. I must admit, it’s been about a month since the last such post, if I’m not mistaken, so we’re long overdue for another one!

For those who may be new to Chronically Vintage (first off, a super warm welcome to you!), the Pretty Link Roundup is a frequently occurring post in which I gather an assortment of posts from various blogs (and other websites) that have caught my attention lately and which (generally) pertain to a vintage related topic. As well I post a weekly vintage themed video clip (usually from Youtube) and also extend the “Your Blog is an Inspiration” award to one blogger whose site never fails to fill my heart and mind with vintage inspiration.

So without further ado, let’s get the show on the road and jump right into today’s fantastic array of links!


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* Vintage Vanities and Old Hollywood Glamour: Bonnie of Love Your Place peers into the beautiful, often ornate boudoirs and dressing rooms of some of Hollywood’s most famous leading ladies of yesteryear.


* Mint Green for Fall: If you’ve resigned the wearing of mint green to the spring fashion season alone, it may be time to rethink this gentle shade as a fall hue, too. As the wonderful examples of colder weather wear in mint green here show, this hue can work wonders all year round.


* Elizabeth Taylor’s Beautiful Short Hair 1950s: Over the decades Elizabeth Taylor has sported many looks and numerous hairstyles, here the blog Diizdixo takes a gander at some of the ways Ms. Taylor wore her hair short (think pixie cut length).


* What is Broderie Anglaise: Adore Vintage delves into the difference between Broderie Anglaise (a classic type of white needlework/stitchery) and eyelet lace, in this lovely, example filled post.


* Winter Coats from the 1950s: This post is the stuff vintage coat dreams are made of! Teaming with glamorous, sophisticated, gorgeous examples of 1950s winter coats, it's sure to make everyone who reads it suddenly wish they had a vintage topper like these gems!


* Ruffled headband tutorial: Though headbands have been having a fashion moment as of late, this classic accessory has a long history and can make for a beautiful addition to any outfit regardless of if they’re in vogue presently or not. If you’re a fan of DIY and would like to whip up your own (easy to make) ruffled headband, swing by Heart of Light and check out her step-by-step tutorial on how to so do.


* The Everlasting New Look: Iconic, revolutionary, stunning, timeless, the Dior’s New Look turned high end fashion on its head when it debuted following WW2 and has left a lasting impression on fashion ever since. Here Yesterday’s Girl explores the classic, feminine silhouette that made the New Look so desirable. (And for more on this beautiful style, be sure to check out A Vintage Revival’s post, Christian Dior then and now.)


* The Glamorous Days of Flight: Once long ago in a world where dressing up for seemingly commonplace events was still the norm, men and women alike donned elegant clothes when they took to the skies for an airplane trip, and similarly the airline hostesses (flight attendants) of yore also sported much more elegant uniforms, as highlighted by the examples in this fun post by Some Like It Vintage.


* Cary Grant is the epitome of classic style: The title of this post says it all. Cary Grant was a superb actor and a fantastically nice dresser. His sense of suave, refined, dapper style will forever hold the bar up for men – of both the famous and every day legions – to strive for with their own wardrobes.


* Raise your glasses: A guide to vintage glassware: Knowing how to make a mean martini or a great G&T is only half the battle when it comes to ensuring you get the most out of your tipples, the right glassware is an essential ingredient in the cocktail for any great drink. Here Queens of Vintage stirs up some great advice that's bound to help make sure you always know which type of glassware will work best for your favourite drinks.


* Never before published photos of Marilyn Monroe: Few actress have ever, or are likely to ever be, as hounded by cameras as Marilyn Monroe was, a point that resulted in scores of photographs of her being taken over the span of her legendary career. Most of these images have surfaced before, but occasionally some are discovered that have yet to be seen, such as the never before published images of Marilyn in this Life magazine article.


* Vintage Cars, parts and oddities at the Hershey Fall Meet: If the sights (and sounds!) of a gorgeous vintage car are just the thing to get your motor running, cruise on over to this New York Times article and feast your eyes on the bevy of amazing vintage automobiles that were seen at the Hershey Fall Meet this past October. (Big thanks to my wonderful husband for bringing this link to my attention!)


* Sensible Shoes: Wartime Footwear 1942-45: While these days the words “sensible shoes” might call to mind rather clucky, matronly or unattractive footwear, there was once a time when shoes readily had the ability to be moth comfortable and pretty at the same time, as highlighted this is terrific image filled post by Miss Rayne of Vintage Chick.


* Autumn colours: Sublimely lovely hues in deep jewel, earth and forest shades swirl through the marvelous vintage fashion photos in this beautiful (and very seasonally inspirational!) post from A Red Lipstick.

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Bursting with a highly appealing mix of posts pertaining to vintage topics, fashion, stunning photography finds, and personal musings, the pages of Miss Lillibug’s blog are a whimsical, artistic, engaging source of beauty and interest.



It’s my pleasure to extend today’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award to the wonderful Miss Lillibug! Thank you, sweet dear, for the splendid array of posts you share with us all and for being a fantastic source of vintage inspiration!

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This week’s video clip was uploaded recently by Glamourdaze and features a terrifically lovely group of women throwing one of their friends a bridal shower. I feel that this video is relevant to my life because my wedding anniversary took place on the 14th last month, and though it’s been over five years since I tied the knot, I still adore looking at and daydreaming over gorgeous matrimonial related images, magazines and videos – especially vintage ones! :)


{Vintage 1940s wedding shower make-up gifts}



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Yesterday I posted four images of myself from Halloween night. I was admittedly tremendously shy to do so, but if there’s any place I feel I can be myself online, it’s amongst you, my fellow vintage lovers, so I mustered the courage to share some photos here. The flood of staggeringly kind comments that poured in over those shots has shown me a valuable lesson: I really shouldn’t worry so much about silly hang-ups surrounding my appearance and that my shyness is entirely uncalled for when amongst good friends.

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{Adorable vintage card image via Look Homeward, Harlot’s Flickr stream.}

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much, everybody, for your incredibly beautiful comments. Your words have bolstered my confidence and touched me to my core. I promise that I will be way more inclined to share snaps of myself and my outfits from now on!

Wishing you each a gorgeous, relaxing evening and fantastic Wednesday tomorrow!