Vintage Fashionista Friday: May 3, 2013

Once long, long ago...ok, not that long ago, but still more than two years ago, there used to be a series of posts here called Vintage Fashionista Friday. The premise behind this series was quite straightforward and fun: from time-to-time on Fridays I'd put together the components of a vintage outfit with photographs of garments, accessories, and sometimes even beauty products, all of which had been sourced online. As the series progressed, I also started assigning a female name to each look to really help make it a unique ensemble unto itself.

Over time, and due in no small part to 2011's Vintage 365 project, this series unintentionally fell out of circulation (I think the last one may have been in February 2011). Well you know what? I feel it's high time we brought it back! I know that you gals adore posts about vintage fashion and style, and I love writing them, so I see no reason why we shouldn't reinstate Vintage Fashionista Fridays.

Then, as now, these posts aren't going to appear every week, but I plan on making them an ongoing part of this blog again, and I really hope that you'll enjoy them whenever they do pop up (always, as their name suggests, on Fridays).

On that note, and without further ado, may I present the latest installment in the Vintage Fashionista Friday series.

{Mid-century hats truly don't come any more elegant or sweetly beautiful than this stunning 1950s rose adorned wide-brimmed topper. $50.00 from etsy seller Pear Tree Vintage.}




{Call to mind spring's abundance of new foliage and flora with this charming pair of 1950s screw-back dangle earrings. $14.00 from etsy seller Poppy Frock Vintage.}




{Channel a note of French classicism in a gorgeous white and green vintage toile print dress that would work just as well for a May bridal shower as it would a summer garden party. Fits up to a 40" bust/32" waist. $89.00 from etsy seller Lady Hogg.}



{Winter's hefty coats may be a thing of the past once more, but mid-spring evenings can still be a touch nippy sometimes. Fend off the chill with this timeless white 1950s/60s orlon cardigan. Fits up to a 40" bust/no waist size stated. $36.00 from etsy seller GirlGal6.}



{Springtime calls for crisp, bracing, clean scents and few meet the criteria better than this immensely lovely Green Tea Eau de Toilette. $52.00 for 3.4 fl. oz from L'OCCITANE.}




{A must-have item in any fashionable vintage loving lady's attire, a perpetually pretty pair of white gloves to wear with all manner of warm weather outfits. Aprox. size 7 gloves. $8.00 from etsy seller Sunnydale Vintage.}




{Whether at the beach, on a picnic, window shopping on holiday, or just popping down to the market, this wonderfully pretty woven 1950s Italian straw purse will be sure to hold plenty of practical items while looking thoroughly chic and stylish in the process. $130.00 from etsy seller Some Like It Vintage.}




{The return of warm days and balmy nights means you can wear peep-toed shoes again without the slightest risk of frostbitten tootsies. These charming 1940s heels are sturdy, beautiful, and more than a little covetable. Aprox. US size 5.5 (they measure 9" in length). $195.00 from etsy seller Honey Talk Vintage.}

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Earlier this year the wonderfully lovely Stephanie from the blog My Dearest Eva wrote a post about her passion for the classic French pattern toile de jouy, highlighting several beautiful vintage and repro toile dresses in the process. This elegant, ever-so-slightly whimsical pattern has always been a beloved favourite of mine, too, and I haven't been able to shake thoughts of it from my mind ever since Stephanie's post.

There's just something about toile – sophisticated, eye-catching, timeless creature that it is - which has endeared it to my heart since I was a little girl (for example, I have a little toile teddy bear I bought in my early teen years which now resides in my craft room). I've always thought toile was especially well suited to spring - particularly the vibrant, sun smooched second half of the season - so hence the inclusion of it in today's fetching vintage ensemble.

Stephanie's post reminded me that I need to try and inject more toile into my own vintage wardrobe. It's not the easiest pattern to come by when dealing with 40s and 50s garments, but certainly some such pieces do exist and I'd love to introduce at least a couple of them to my wardrobe sooner or later.

I'm thrilled to have revived the Vintage Fashionista Friday series and look forward to sharing further entries with all of you as this year (and beyond) rolls on. 

Happy Friday wishes, my dears, may each of your weekends be as lovely as the items featured in today's post!