Walking around town in my birthday suit

  Outfit details

1950s taupe umbrella: etsy seller Theresa's Tresures, Etc.
1950s cream lace platter hat: eBay
Golden brown hair net: eBay
Faux pearl stud earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
1950s coral skirt suit: etsy seller Mystery Mister
Gold toned and faux pearl antique inspired brooch: eBay
1940s/50s saffron yellow gloves: gloves
Mid-century vintage embroidered handbag: etsy seller Kitty Adventures
Nude on nude seamed stockings: eBay
Brown round toe pumps: Pipsqueaks and Damsel's Consignment Store
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Antonio Cangiano








































 

 
 







     

♥ ♥ ♥

Not literally of course - though I'm sure that might be worthy of mention unto itself, if it did happen! No, the kind of birthday suit I'm talking about was, quite literally, a suit that I received as a birthday present this year. My wonderful mom and step-dad very sweetly allot a certain amount for my birthday each year and then, if I so desire, leave it up to me to pick what I want.

This year, as my birthday rolled into sight, my thoughts were (despite, or perhaps because of the warm weather - off season shopping often lands one better deals!) planted squarely on vintage suits. Of which, previously, I owned at the time, just two.

A large part of the reason for this is that, I find, vintage suits rarely fit me well. They'll be too big, too small, too long, too bulky (for my petite frame), or any combination of those things in the same suit. Alterations done by skilled seamstress or tailor can certainly help of course, but some fit issues (especially if a garment is lined) can be trickier to remedy with suits than, say, a dress or pair of pants, and can also set you back a few clams. Ideally one always wants to aim to find garments that fit as well as possibly from the get-go, and that was not something I'd experienced over the years.

A very dear online friend and I had been discussing suits throughout much of the winter and spring, and as the year progressed, I knew that it was high time I did something about the shortage of suits in my closet. Though one might luck out and find a great bargain from time-to-time, typically a good vintage suit is a wardrobe investment item, and something that you'll want to try and make sure, at least on paper, sounds like it should fit you well.

I'd been scouring etsy and eBay quite extensively for suits for a few weeks when I hit upon the coral gem you see here. It was love at first sight. I forgot about all the other suits (and there had been hundreds) that I'd seen in previous weeks. This was the one. Reasonably priced as it was, its price tag did still make it an investment and a splurge, so I very happily opted to select it as my birthday present from my parents this year.

I waited excitedly for it to wing its way through the mail up here to Canada, and couldn't throw open the box quickly enough when it did. Other than being a tad darker coloured than I'd thought (the seller's photos were a tiny bit overexposed), it was precisely as pictured, and much to my immense delight, fit like a glove. Better than a glove, I'd say, it fit as though it had been tailor made for me - a rarity indeed, no matter the garment.

This suit is a dream. It's warm (really warm!), expertly constructed, in terrific shape, and a seriously gorgeous colour, to boot. I love the nubby, classic tweed; the glistening gold sparkle filled buttons, the shape of the lapel, where the jacket hits, the skirt length, every last, magnificent detail. This is one of the pieces that a person holds onto for a lifetime and treasures dearly, wearing it a thousand times, in an ever-so-slightly different way nearly each, throughout the rest of their days.

To model it, on a day that was both warm and rainy, we took these shots on a wee bridge in downtown Penticton. The location wasn't planned. We didn't know that there would be nearly matching flowers peppering the background, it was merely a wonderfully well (colour) coordinated moment of happenstance.

There are saffron hued threads in this tweed, so I used them as the jumping off point for my glove colour choice, as well as my gold hued brooch and vintage embroidered handbag (which was very, very kindly given to me as a gift by fellow blogger Carolynn Markey, from her lovely etsy vintage shop, Kitty Adventures, and which had once belonged to her dear grandmother; Carolynn also has another etsy shop in which she sells her delightful handmade wares called Moon of Silver, that's well worth checking out, too).

A suit like this, in such a vivid colour, is the star of the show for sure, but that doesn't mean it can't be accessorized with classic pieces such a pearl jewelry, a 1950s umbrella and lace platter hat, and my beloved brown round toe pumps. It was plenty toasty out that day, so there was no need for a blouse, sweater, or scarf underneath, just a vintage lace trimmed full slip and a pair of classic nude seamed stockings.

I love this gorgeous vintage suit to no end. It's one of the best birthday presents I've ever received and helped fill a nagging gap in my wardrobe big time. Almost unbelievably, it's actually the second suit I received as a present this year. The other though, my dears, will just have to wait for a post unto itself another day. :)