By request: The kind of vintage outfit I wear around the house

Outfit details

Pink knit headband: Forever 21
Small brass heart shaped stud earrings: (Probably) Claire's
1950s/60s white acrylic cardigan: Gift from a dear vintage loving friend ♥
1950s pink heart scatter pins: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay or thrifted)
1950s patchwork house dress: Pre Souled
Dark brown skinny belt: eBay
Coral plastic bangle bracelet: Ardene
Vintage plastic bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
1960s brown patent purse: Purchased from a fellow vintage seller
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style brown round toe pumps (which are almost completely hidden by the tall grass here): Walmart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Now that we're into the boiling hot days of mid-July, this knitwear filled outfit - which suited our especially damp May so well - seems akin to sporting a parka! :D Okay, I'm exaggerating a touch, as I do wear cardigans all year round, but unless the mercury took a temporary nose dive, I wouldn't likely sport such a heavy weight sweater this time of the year - and would definitely skip the knit headband!

Earlier still in the year, back in March to be specific, in the comment section of this vintage outfit post, my lovely friend Sanne from the delightful Etsy shop Sanne's Vintage Jools mentioned that she'd be interested in seeing the kind of look I'd throw on if I was going to be hanging around the house and not going out or not dressing up, if I was.

Honestly, minus the hat perhaps, the outfit I was wearing in that particular post was a pretty good representation of such, but this one may be even more so, and therefore I thought I'd use this set of photos to help grant Sanne's lovely request.

I have zero qualms with readily admitting that due to my health, I do not get dressed (beyond jammies or lounge wear) on a daily basis. I would love to - and miss doing so dearly - but, objectively, even factoring in all of my tips in this post, that isn't always possible in the slightest.

In fact, more often than not, if I'm getting dressed, I'm going out of the house, but of course there are exceptions there, such as if we're having people over, if I need to get the door because of a delivery, or I just feel well enough to be and want to wear something more exciting the my same five pairs of pajamas over and over again!

No dress is my closet is more fitting for a day spent at home than this recently acquired homemade 1950s patchwork housedress. I'd been on the prowl for a patchwork patterned mid-century dress for, oh gosh, easily a decade now and when I came across this gem in a colour palette I'm absolutely wild about, for a good deal a few months ago, I pounced on it at the speed of light.

Though it could fit a touch better in a couple of areas (you can so clearly tell that the original owner created it with her own measurements in mind), it's still very comfy and I've worn it numerous times since adding it to my closest. I suspect, too, given the rich browns and beautiful pinks in its pattern, that this will become a "must wear" dress for me every autumn.

While I might not sport bangle bracelets if I was at home typing up a blog post, photographing items to list in my Etsy shop, or doing housework, aside from that, this is 100% the kind of classic, casual, cozy ensemble I slip on when I'm dressed and at home.

The 1950s/60s cardigan was an awesome gift last year from one of my dearest friends in the world and I love it to absolute bits! So often chunkier knits are made from lamb’s wool, which I'm allergic to (a point that my thoughtful friend was aware of), but not this charmer. It's 100% acrylic and is fabulously warm, while also reminding me of a somewhat similar cardi that I was when I was six years old.

I love a snuggly knit like for around our abode. It's like a nice, gentle hug and can be slipped on or off throughout the day at a moment's notice. The dress itself, being a house frock, is as well suited to hanging around the ol' casa as can possibly be. It does up only with a couple of snaps (no zippers or buttons), so as to allow for ease of movement. Hence why I feel a belt is a must if wearing it out in public. I don't want to risk any potential wardrobe malfunctions, if I can avoid them! :D

The headband, an item I purchased at Forever 21 last year on our trip to Vancouver Island, is such a cute, fun, vintage-y looking piece. As I usually like to have my hair out of my face when I'm working at home, it's something I wear frequently for that purpose (as I do headbands and hair scarves in general).

These two darling little matching 1950s heart shaped scatter pins weigh next to nothing, yet add so much to this look. They're the kind of practical, not-apt-to-get-in-the-way accessory that I commonly turn to when working or relaxing at home. They go so well with this dress, too, that I'm all the more happy I waited until this particular photo shoot to debut them on camera.

Indeed, this recipe of vintage cotton dress (usually a genuine vintage frock or a 1980s does 1950s shirtwaist dress), a few small, un-cumbersome accessories, perhaps a cardigan or sweater, nylons or tights, and classic pumps is truly the kind of look I wear around the house. I can do anything from cook a Christmas turkey to change the bedding to pop up the street to the mailbox in it, and I love that about such looks - which are also ideal for running errands in or sporting when just dropping by informally to see friends or relatives.

It might come as no surprise that this outfit is quite akin in its general scope to many that I've worn here over the years. I don't dress up just for the sake of the camera all that often and what you see me wearing (in my posts) on a regular basis is akin to what I'm apt to wear (perhaps minus hat, gloves, and/or bangles) when I'm at home, which is where you'll find me far more days than not in a given month.

Thank you very much for this fun request, Sanne. I always love getting questions and requests from my readers, so by all means, if any of you happen to have one of your own, please lay it on me. Who knows, your comment might just spark an outfit post all its own!