Vintage Link Love: January 2014

For much of this January, I pondered over what to call this new series (announced here at the end of December) in which, throughout each month of 2014 (and likely beyond) I'll be corralling a selection of interesting, informative, though provoking, beautiful, or otherwise engaging links that have caught my eye recently.

Then, on Monday night, the name "Vintage link love" popped into my head and I absolutely adored it (it trumped anything else I'd come up with so far this month). However, a mere second later I was hit with the distinct feeling that I'd heard or seen that term somewhere before. A Google search quickly revealed where: my lovely British friend Catherine Beck has used the term before on her blog, Vintage Frills (such as for the title of this post). It's an excellent term for a post of this nature, so with Catherine's full blessing, I'm going to be adopting it here for my new link roundup of series as well.

January might not have all the glitz and glitter of December, brimming as it is with holidays, but that certainly doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of wonderfully exciting things going on in the blogosphere throughout the first month of the year. On the contrary! I bookmarked so many stories for possible inclusion in today's post that I'll have to save a few to use in future editions, or else this one might stretch on longer than a Canadian winter! :)

♥ Hudson Bay Point Blanket Coats: A Bit of History: Speaking of my fine country and the chilly half of the year, my wonderful friend and fellow Canuck, Lisa, of Butterflies and Daisys Vintage, recently shared a thoroughly detailed and wonderfully imaged filled post all about the history of one of the absolute most famous Canadian outwear pieces, the iconic Hudson Bay Point Blanket, which has been keeping folks roasty, toasty from coast-to-coast for many a year now.


♥ Memorable Hollywood movie star quotes: Straight from one of Netherlands' most beautiful and engaging vintage bloggers, Lindsay Lane, comes a lovely assortment of photos of vintage Hollywood starts and starlets partnered with a notable quote for each one featured. I'm especially fond of the one she shared from Ginger Rogers who said, "When two people love each other, they don't look at each other, they look in the same direction." Wise and very true words indeed.


♥ Premier edition of Judy's Affordable Digest: No one, and I mean no one, does vintage fairs better - or in greater abundance - than the UK. From top to bottom, the country is filled with a vast array, many of which are organized by way of Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, a leading vintage fair production company which has hosted events in 30 cities across Britain. To further reach a wider audience of buyers, sellers and vintage aficionados alike, Judy's has recently launched a fabulous online magazine, the first edition of which just came out a few weeks ago, and is a thoroughly enjoyable read for vintage fans the world over.






♥ Symbols of hope and love: WWII Sweetheart collectables: Earlier this week, in my most recent vintage outfit post, I featured a gorgeous gold plated 1940s WW2 sweetheart bracelet that I received from stellar etsy seller Maejean Vintage. It's the first of its kinds that I own, but not my first piece of sweetheart jewelry, of which I also have a small collection of brooches and a pendant. I've long been enamored with these powerful tokens of adoration and hope that women sported to honour their loved ones who were embroiled in the war, and was delighted to see Queens of Vintage shine the spotlight on the vast and highly collectible market that is sweetheart jewelry, gifts and souvenirs this month.


♥ Novelty plastic fruit brooch tutorial: Even if you don't fancy yourself much of a crafter, this super cool - and super easy - vintage style plastic novelty brooch project from Technicolor Cutie is one that you're going to be champing at the bite to make a whole lot sooner than later.


♥ Taking Vintage to the Office: Vintage blogging newcomer Jennifer Rainey from Singing Bird Vintage delves into a topic that many a vintage fashion enthusiast the world over can relate to: what, and what not, to wear to work when it comes sporting vintage clothing on the job.





♥ 10 Styles of Vintage 1940s Dresses to Wear Again: From the classic shirtwaist to the youthful pinafore, chic peplum to the darling sailor inspired frock, this terrific post from the The Vintage Dancer highlights ten of the most popular dress styles of the 1940s (partnered with reproduction sources for each), all of which still find great favour with fans of the era's fashions to this day.


♥ What mannequins say about us: Collector's Weekly, always a true treasure trove of excellent information about myriad yesteryear topics, many of which pertain to vintage fashion, takes an in depth look at the history of fashion mannequins, including the role they've played in marketing and how they've evolved - right along side our sartorial tastes and the types of female figures that were most revered at the time - over the years.


♥ Leopard print: No matter if you prefer just a wee touch (say, in the form of a silk scarf or fun belt), a full length winter coat or anywhere in between, if you're a fan of vintage leopard print fashions, this lovely assortment of images featuring this most iconic of animal furs that Johanna Öst put together is sure to whet your fashion appetite.





♥ Women’s 1940s Hairstyles: An Overview: For those who are new to 1940s hairstyles, looking to further their knowledge, or just want a quick refresher course, this fabulous imaged filled introduction to the topic from Hair and Makeup Artist Handbook is sure to inspire, help and delight.


♥ 10 Nail Polish Storage Solutions: Whether your collection can fit in a soup bowl or takes up the whole surface of your kitchen table, if you're a fan of nail polish, chances are you have at least a few different bottles and may be on the prowl for a great way to efficiently store them. This handy post from Your Put It On rounds up ten great ideas, for spaces ranging in size from a small box to the whole length of the side of a bookshelf.


♥ Simply leap frog: We end today's mixed bag assortment of links with one that is nothing short of just plain, smile inducing fun! A rather good sized collection, including the example below of vintage photographs over on Avax News of people - kids, men and women alike - playing the classic childhood game of leap frog.





{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}

♥ ♥ ♥

I will readily admit that after a year (2013) of wrapping up the month by recounting the bulk of the posts I'd shared here during said month that had just transpired, it is a touch strange to break from habit and embark on this new way of concluding each month. Change is good though, in fact, I'm all about change (for the better, new opportunities, thinking outside of the box, etc) for 2014, more powerfully than I've been for quite some time now (which certainly helped spur me on in my recent hunt for a new blog design).

Loving, wearing, studying and being more than a little bit obsessed with various elements of the past doesn't mean that we can't look towards the future, make big plans and embrace newness in our worlds, especially if the daily grind has been getting especially ho-hum recently. I wouldn't say my life is dull in the slightest, but as my 30th birthday approaches later this year - another big change unto itself - I'm more psyched to create and embrace new things than ever before.

One can only guess what the remaining eleven months of 2014 will hold in store for any of us, but if what I've experienced already in January is any indication, this is most definitely going be a year of fabulous new beginnings, including this, the inaugural edition of Vintage Link Love.

Here's to an awesome February ahead, filled with countless things that you love and oodles of plans you're excited to see unfold!

Show your shop or site some extra love by sponsoring Chronically Vintage in February

Hard, and I really mean that, as it is to believe, we're two days away from wrapping up the first month of the year. What an exciting month it's been here on the Chronically Vintage front, especially when this blog got a fabulous new makeover last Sunday that brought its design squarely into 2014, while also conveying and maintaining a charming spirit of vintage approved timelessness.

If you've been looking for a terrific spot in which to advertise your shop, products, blog or otherwise, I'm delighted to let you know that a select number of sidebar sponsorship spots are still available for February 2014.

With the new blog template, comes a three column design and due to the dimensions of those sidebars, I'm now able to offer even bigger ad spaces. From here on out, the new sidebar ad spaces are as follows:


-Large: 250 width x 300 height (or any size up to those measurements)

-Medium: 250x200 (or any size up to those measurements)

-Small: 250x150 (or any size up to those measurements)

-Each month, one premium "top spot" large (which can be any size you desire up to 250 x 350) ad space is made available on a first come, first serve basis.


All new first time medium, large and large top spot sponsors have the option of receiving a dedicated sponsor spotlight post all about their site, shop, etc, which can be…

-An overview style post, such as this one featuring fab etsy shop Maejean Vintage.

-An interview, for example, this one about the awesome vintage, sewing and knitting blog Lucky Lucille.

-A product review post staring your item(s) in a series of professional digital photographs taken my by talented husband, Tony Cangiano. Such as this one featuring a beautiful rainbow crinoline from Pettiskirt style.


I care deeply about my sponsors and work hard to give them the love, time and attention that they deserve. In addition to a dedicated spotlight post for medium and large sidebar ad sponsors, all sponsors receive social media shout outs (on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and/or Instagram, as applicable) and organic mention in Chronically Vintage blog posts throughout the duration of their sponsorship.

With Chronically Vintage looking better and more beautiful than ever, if I may say so myself, thanks to its recent revamping, why not give yourself and your site or shop an extra big dose of love this Valentine's Day by becoming a blog sponsor in February.

For further sponsorship details, including sidebar ad rates, please see this page and/or feel free to email me anytime. I sincerely look forward to welcoming you as a new blog sponsor!

Sporting two gorgeous Maejean Vintage accessories for an impromptu day trip to Kamloops

Outfit details

Black felt beret: eBay
Tiny brass heart stud earrings: Claire's
c. 1930s metal and red glass "grapes" brooch: Lake Country vintage jewelry seller, Anja
Black boat neck top: Joe Fresh (from Real Canadian Superstore)
1940s gold sweetheart bracelet: etsy seller Maejean Vintage
1930s/40s floral print fabric handbag: etsy seller Maejean Vintage
Vintage burgundy plaid skirt: Gift from a dear online friend
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Black pumps: Payless
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Nail colour: Essie Eternal Optimist


Photography by Tony Cangiano
 

♥ ♥ ♥

At first glance, I know, it might seem as though the backdrop for this week's vintage outfit post isn't markedly different from last week's (not, of course, that there would be anything wrong with it if it were the the very same location), but I can assure you that these two spots are indeed entirely different entities.

How different, you may ask? Well, last week's post saw us shooting at Osoyoos Lake, and here, just a few days ago, we took these photos on the shores of the mighty Thompson River in Kamloops, a city located in the north of the Okanagan (Osoyoos is in the south). Tony and I both love to head out on unplanned adventures, though as you may have heard me discuss in past posts (such as this one), doing so isn't always feasible from a health stand point for me. Nevertheless, I do still try very hard to make at least a couple longer distance day trips a possibility each year.

Initially, when we'd set off that day, we thought we'd drive to the tiny town of Merritt, which is located about an hour and forty minutes away. We did just that, and while it was lovely (small, but certainly very charming), it didn't begin to fill our whole afternoon by any means. As such, with daylight still to burn, we decided to power on and keep going all the way to Kamloops, which is a little under three hours away from Penticton, where we live.

Hard as it is for me to wrap my head around, I haven't been to Kamloops since I was 15 years old, that's half my lifetime ago. Wow!!! Needless to say, I was super excited to suddenly be greeted with the prospect of seeing it again and for Tony to visit for the first time.

Despite being mid-January, we were blessed with completely clear roads and good (aka, not snowy and/or foggy) weather for our on the fly travels and reached Kamloops quickly and safely. Though I have been there before, I was much younger and don't know the city terribly well, so we had fun navigating the downtown core and a few other areas, including making our way down to Riverside Park in the heart of the city to take some photos in the snow that lay caked the banks of the North Thompson River (the Thompson has two branches, north and south, and they just happens to be the largest tributaries of the Fraser River).

When I got dressed that morning, I didn't know I'd be going on a road trip, let alone such a lengthy one, but what I selected as my outfit for the day served me well on that fashion front (I had a heavy winter coat with me, too, fear not - I just didn't want to cover up my outfit here). The first item I reached for was this fabulous, new-to-me vintage burgundy plaid wool skirt that a dear blog reader and online friend sent me as a gift. I don't have any other skirts like it and had been wanting one for ages, so I was beyond touched and thrilled when she surprised me with this one.

A simple black boat neck top (something every vintage loving lass should have in her wardrobe, if they like that neckline), black felt beret (it's not vintage, but looks the part), seamed stockings and basic black pumps round out the clothing in this subtly French coquette meets mid-century college student ensemble.

For part of last year, I had the great pleasure of working with top-notch etsy vintage shop Maejean Vintage (you can read oodles more about them in this spotlight post I wrote in August) in a sponsor capacity and we've maintained a great professional relationship ever since.

Recently the two lovely ladies that helm Maejean Vintage emailed to ask if I'd like to receive and feature some items from their shop to feature in outfit posts on my blog. As you may imagine, I said yes at the speed of light and was elated to pick three items from their amazing inventory of vintage jewelry, accessories, fashion, decor and other old school items.

Those three pieces include the wonderfully pretty 1940s WW2 sweetheart bracelet and charming 1930s/40s purse you see in today's outfit, as well as the elegant black 1950s glass bead necklace I shared in this outfit post earlier in the month (and which I'm sure you'll see oodles more of in the future - it goes with a vast array of mid-century looks).

Like all of Maejean's offerings, these pieces make me swoon. They arrived quickly, were expertly packaged and in exactly the condition they were described. I'd longed for a WW2 sweetheart bracelet for many years, so to to able to select one from Maejean's offerings was an especially big treat for me.

This purse is ideal for a day trip such as this. It's roomier than many vintage handbags, weighs relatively little (even factoring in its sophisticated metal frame and clasp), and is comfortable to place on your lap or against your legs for long periods of time. It's the largest genuine vintage handbag that I now own and I love it to no end (the fact that it's fabric and generous sized also makes me think of Mary Poppins' famous carpet bag, too, which makes me smile every time I spot it on the shelf in my closet).

I sincerely appreciate these thoughtful gifts from Maejean Vintage's endlessly fantastic offerings (seriously - check them out, their selection is the kind of thing that vintage jewelry dreams are made of!) and am excited to let you know that Chronically Vintage will be teaming up with them again soon in the form of a fun blog giveaway for an etsy gift certificate for their shop.

It felt wonderful to reconnect, albeit very briefly (we headed back home that to Penticton that same day after the sun set) with Kamloops. It's a bustling, lovely city and one that I was surprised to discover just how much I loved seeing and spending time in again. Tony, the Kamloops newcomer, really felt a connection with it as well and we both agreed that, if life takes us in that direction one day, we'd even be happy to relocate there. No such plans are in the works of course, but hey, you never know! Far more likely is that you'll see us make future day trips out that way, especially since I have some relatives who live there.

I loved this memorably Saturday and the North Okanagan adventure Tony and I shared that day. Did I pay for so many hours of driving and being out and about afterwards on the health front? You bet! I'm still recouping from it actually, but that's okay. It was grand to get out and explore, to stand on the shores of the Thompson River (where I have fond memories of swimming as a child in the summer), and to have such a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop for the day's outfit photos.

This was the first time I had seen Kamloops in 15 years, but mark my words, after falling in love with it anew, it certainly won't be anywhere near that long before we return again - camera in hand, naturally.

Say hello to Chronically Vintage's new blog design

 If you've swung by this site in the last several hours (since midday yesterday, to be exact), you may have already noticed that things look quite a bit different than they had earlier in the week, and for that matter, for the past couple of years (since its last makeover).

After many months of longing to do so and hunting diligently for the right, budget-friendly pre-made Blogger template for my site, I was elated (seriously elated!) to find one in designer Chrissy Maciel's etsy shop, Minty Fox Designs.

For quite some time now, I'd been feeling like my site's design needed some serious sprucing up. There wasn't anything fundamentally wrong with how it looked before, the design had just come to strike me as being a bit, how shall we say, lackluster - a word that doesn't fit any element of this vivacious vintage loving gal's world or blog, so I knew a change was in order - and stat!



{Much as with one's home decor, from time-to-time, I, like most bloggers, get struck with the insatiably powerful desire to revamp my surroundings and create an even better looking version of my - in this case, online - world. That craving had been very strong for ages now, and thanks to etsy shop Minty Fox Designs, it has finally been quenched. Image source.}


As such, this past Friday, I set about going through all 51 pages (at the time) of Blogger templates on offer from etsy, as well as checking numerous other sites belonging to designers who provided reasonably priced templates (all of which I'd already done multiple times in the past few months) and knew the minute I saw it that my new template, called Raspberry (which, as interesting side note, is my all-time favourite fruit; a point that made feel like that was a sign that this was definitely the right template for me).

I contacted the designer, Chrissy, and she very sweetly was able to make some tweaks (such as changing the fonts) to the template for me, for just a small additional fee. She was a true joy to work with, not to mention being incredibly prompt at replying to emails, and by Saturday the new template had been paid for and delivered to my inbox. Tony and I then proceeded to set it up here on the blog yesterday afternoon and evening and things are all good to go now.

While a pre-made template of this nature does not ensure exclusivity on the design front, it does deliver on many of the key points (including having three columns) that I was looking for, including not being an absolute complete 180° from my old blog design. That wasn't what I was after. I just wanted to better, brighten up and inject more beauty into Chronically Vintage's design and I'm truly happy to say that Raspberry came through for me there with flying colours.

Though I didn't list it specifically in my post at the start of January about goals that I had for 2014, updating my site's design was another important plan that I hoped to accomplish this year, and I'm really psyched that it was able to happen before the first month had even come to a close.

I'm thrilled with my site's new design and hope that you enjoy it as well!


*PS*

If you haven't done so already, be sure to follow Chronically Vintage on Bloglovin' and/or to add this blog to your blogroll, so that you don't miss out on any of the other wonderfully exciting posts and plans that I have in the works for this year!

Flickr Favourites: January 24, 2014

{Rose in violet ~ yoshiko314}  


{Plate IV for Les Choses de Paul Poiret by Lepape, 1911 ~ Silverbluestar}  


{1950s purple heather dress and jacket set ~ Small Earth Vintage}



{African pygmy hedgehog ~ Adam Foster}    

{Revlon's Ultra Violet ~ saltycotton}  


{Paul Poiret 1925 fashion plate ~ Starduste}    

{143|365 vintage purple ~ Cottage 960}    


{Heywood-Wakefield Furniture ad, 1955 ~ alsis35}    

{Buttons ~ sweetjessie}

{Modess 1959 ~ clotho98}    
{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}



♥ ♥ ♥  

My goodness, can you believe that the first month of the year is already three-quarters over? How can that be, weren't we just busting out the pink vintage Christmas trees and tossing a turkey in the oven? Like it or not (and don't get me wrong, I do - it's always so fun to witness the first weeks of a new year unfold), already more than three weeks into January, and that means it's high time I officially reveal my colour of the year for 2014.

As you may have guessed by the images pictured here in today's edition of Flickr Favourites, it's the deeply elegant, sometimes playful, inherently feminine purple.

2013 focused on green, in the sense that I embraced this colour in a whole new light and tried (successfully, I'm happy to report) to add more to my wardrobe and wear those verdant pieces that I owned throughout the year. I developed a newfound love of green and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'll continue to sport it far more often than I did pre-2013 in the years to come.

Much as it struck me at some point in 2012 that I owned (for absolutely no particular reason) very little green, so too did I begin to realize this about purple last year, and by summer - with nearly half a year still to unfold - I knew that purple was going to be the next colour up to bat, so to speak, when 2014 rolled into town.

When I was a little girl, I can distinctly remember most of my grade school girlfriends preferring either pink or purple. I fell squarely into the pink camp and as such gravitated towards that colour in my wardrobe, toy, and even candy preferences while growing up. Interestingly however, purple is my mother's absolute favourite hue, and so via her love for it, there were always splashes of purple through our home (and her wardrobe). Perhaps because I was surrounded with it in that sense when I was younger, I didn't notice as much that there wasn't a ton of it in my closet.

I can certainly see that point with striking clarity now however, many years after I last lived at home and it's high time I followed my lovely mom's lead and injected some more purple into my wardrobe!

I have a few purple garments (such as this thin knit sweater and this 1970s does 40s jersey dress, which is my favourite violet piece that I currently own - as well as one of my favourite dresses point blank, it's the comfiest frock imaginable!), but not a ton by any means and in the coming months, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more both online and off (I'm really hoping some of Value Village's 50% of sales will be on my side in that regard throughout 2014).

I'd love to find a pair of purple shoes (I've not honestly sure if I've ever had one), more purple hats and jewelry, and of course additional garments in this beautiful colour as well. I love the ingrained ladylike quality of purple. That it can be youthful or refined, sassy or sultry, just depending on the shade at work. It's a peaceful, yet powerful colour and one that I tend to gravitate towards on either the lighter or darker end of the spectrum.

Lilacs and hydrangeas, both of which come in gloriously pretty purple varieties, have long been amongst my favourite flowers, so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for florals including either of them this year (as well as other purple blooms). Just as I will those in the plum, eggplant (aubergine), and grape families, all food and shades I've long been a fan of.

Of course I'll wear and buy other colours this year as well, but I really liked having a specific colour to focus on last year and look forward to doing so again throughout 2014, both in my wardrobe choices and throughout some of this year's blog posts (such as this one! :)).

Are you a fan of purple? Love it, loath it, don't have have strong feelings either way? Care to join me in my quest for my violet this year? If you do, I hope you have tons of luck finding purple pieces you love and that you'll share some of your favourites with me all throughout 2014.

Here's to a positively, passionately purple year ahead!!!

A beloved 1950s dress, two stellar Alice Hannah accessories, and wintertime serenity as far as the eye can see

Outfit details

Black satin 1950s hat: eBay
Silver tone and glass stone earrings: Save-On Foods
Grey wool blend wrap lace shawl: Alice Hannah
Silver tone and crystal feather brooch: eBay
1950s red dress: etsy seller Gogo Vintage
Faux leather black skinny belt: eBay
Black leather gloves with red heart detail: Alice Hannah
Opaque black tights: Arden
1940s style black shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano    

♥ ♥ ♥

If you're a fellow blogger who posts photos of some of your outfits, you can likely relate when I say that this dress is one of those pieces that, while worn often, somehow always manages to elude landing on (digital) film. On days big and small alike, in the case of the former including the incredible June day in 2012 when Tony became a Canadian citizen at a ceremony in Kelowna, this classic dark red 1950s frock eluded being photographed. So much so, that it almost became a running joke that when I put it on, it was a given that a photo shoot wouldn't actually happen in the end.

I'm pleased to say that a little earlier this winter, on an icy cold, intensely grey afternoon that streak of going undocumented on camera was finally broken thanks to a shoot held at Veteran's Park in Osoyoos. This tranquil, lovely little parcel of land, complete with a tiny wooden foot bridge, is situated immediately beside Osoyoos Lake and is a touching tribute to all those in the area who have fought in the wars of 20th century.

Though the temperature was well below freezing, the wind was relatively mild and the there was a break in the downpour of snow we'd been getting at the time. Still, to help ward off a bit of the fierce Canadian winter chill, I slipped on two absolutely beautiful pieces that were recently sent to me for review care of UK fashion accessories brand Alice Hannah.

Based out of London, England, Alice Hannah, which was founded in 2007, offers a range of exclusive, high quality fashions, which, while modern, often embody a timeless, fetchingly pretty yesteryear feel. Their offerings are available in stores ranging from Asos to Top Shop, ModCloth to Fenwick, as well as in the company's online shop.

Both the darling red heart adorned black leather gloves and the timelessly elegant grey wool blend shawl with coordinating dark grey lace appliqué hail from Alice Hannah and were the perfect accouterments to the strikingly wintry landscape. They arrived from the UK in a jiffy by courier and were, I kid you not, amongst the best wrapped and presented items I've ever received from an online retailer. Sturdy, beautiful boxes, coordinating ribbon and a tulle bag, complete with a complimentary product catalog and an a personalized note, accompanied these two products and made opening them a highly memorable event.

At first when I was contacted in regards to if I might want to receive products from this brand, I must admit, I wasn't a touch leery, simply because I'm allergic to wool and nearly all of Alice Hannah's products are made from wool. Where there's a stylish will there's a stylish way though, and after going through all of the offerings in their shop at the time, I discovered that I could safely wear the cute leather gloves (which are wool-free) and the cozy, beautiful wrap, which, while a wool blend, doesn't have to come in direct contact with my skin (when layered over another garment, as I've done here) the way that a pair of gloves, a scarf, headband, or a hat would have had to.

Given that I'm allergic to it, I own and wear very little lamb's wool, so when I do actually sport a piece like this shawl, I'm always pleasantly surprised by just how warm it is, which proved immensely helpful on a day such as this one. Both the gloves and the shawl are excellently well made. The gloves are not lined, so they’re best suited to warmer climates or milder days than this particular one, but aside from that, I cannot sing their praises highly enough. They're fun, whimsical and eye-catchingly sweet - not to mention a great way to, quite literally, wear your heart on your sleeve (or at least your gloves!).

There is an instantaneously noticeable level of high end quality to Alice Hannah's offerings that pushes them into the realm of feeling down right luxurious. The shawl, as just mentioned, is warm, as well as excellently constructed and generously sized. It did shed fibers quite heavily all over my dress and black tights that day, but otherwise, it was an absolute dream to wear and (with mini lint brush stashed in my bag) I know it will be a frequent cold weather wardrobe player for me from here on out.

Quality and luxury in this case however, do not equate to bank breaking price tags, especially if you happen to live the UK. Even for those outside of the good, ol' Blighty, the brand's offerings will still be affordable to most, especially if you're looking to invest in the kind of woolen cold weather gear that will see you through many a fall and winter to come.

While I can recall every photo shoot Tony and I have ever done, there are some that really stand out in my mind, often because of some especially memorable component of the location, weather, or outfit, and in certain cases, all three. Such was the case for me this day.

At long last this dress, which I truly love and don frequently the whole year round, appeared on camera. I had the honour of wearing two marvelous new accessories from really lovely brand (thank you very much, Alice Hannah team, I adore them both!) to help keep a bit of the near arctic temperatures at bay, and we shoot in a park that that means a great deal to the local community in Osoyoos, all against the backdrop of placid lake waters, majestic mountains, and a thick blanket of snow as far as the eye could see.

When it comes to outdoor winter photo shoots, one really couldn't ask for a better or more enjoyable day than this - nor for more delightful accessories to sport while smiling and making memories in subzero temperatures.