fashion

la garÁ§onne pre-fall

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since recently expressing my eagerness for fall clothing, i thought today i might share with you this beautiful pre-fall lookbook from la garÁ§onne. in my outfit post on tuesday, i was expressing how quickly fashion moves forward, and that anxious feeling i get about incorporating new fall pieces into my wardrobe even though it’s the middle of summer. thankfully (or not so thankfully, depending on how you look at it), designers and shops have got it figured out with the release of pre-fall collections and lookbooks. what i especially appreciate about these pre-season types of looks is that they are pretty much appropriate year round for places like northern california, where “transitional” dressing and the use of layers is required most of the time.

these are my favorite outfits from the lookbook, and the styling is spot on! i love the bare legs with comfy sweaters and plenty of easy flats. this is a wonderful example of how to dress as the seasons change from summer to fall, but really for any time when we’re experiencing fair weather. now if only i could afford all of these beautiful designer pieces! a girl can dream…

fashion

the gibson girls

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last week, after styling an outfit inspired by the gibson girls, i got a few requests for a post with some of my actual inspiration images. the thought actually grew out of my recent visit to the met museum american women exhibit where they featured several vintage gibson girl looks. to watch a video with the outfits from the exhibit, you can click here. the gibson girl has come to refer to the symbol of independent american beauty at the turn of the century. but i really just love their elegant yet sporty styles with high collars, waist coats, and fun hats! so i decided to take some time to dig up some vintage photographs of some of the famous gibson girls themselves!

first up, pictured above is evelyn nesbit. she was an artists’ model and became famous for being the subject of illustrations by charles gibson, whom we can thank for the title “gibson girls.” i find her gaze to be so incredibly captivating and i love her outfits complete with those wild feathered hats. images from the library of congress.

there are tons of photos of miss gabrielle ray on vintage postcards as she was an english stage actress, and was apparently one of the most photographed women in the world. you can certainly see why, with her stunning beauty and perfect gibson girl hair. i just love all of her cute costumes, especially the sporty sailor looks. postcard images from performing arts.

camille clifford was pretty much the quintessential gibson girl, with her statuesque hourglass figure which was the subject of many illustrations of the era. she represented an ideal of the time with her corseted 18-inch waist. certainly not an ideal i could ever imaging wanting to live up to, but her images are stunning nonetheless. postcard image from performing arts.

giveaways

win a $50 gift card to rock paper vintage!

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this week, one of my lovely sponsors would like to offer you the opportunity to win a $50 give certificate to rock paper vintage! rock paper vintage is a beautiful ebay shop with hand picked vintage items straight from new york city with new auctions each week. they are head over heels in love with vintage and work hard to offer the best selection of retro threads from the sexiest and most iconic fashion eras. this week, i selected my top favorite picks from their shop which are up for auction right now!

enter for your chance to win one a $50 gift certificate to rock paper vintage! just visit the shop and leave a comment in the section below to be entered to win.

only one entry per person. this offer is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. just be sure to leave your e-mail address if your profile doesn’t link to your contact information so we can send you a message if you’re the winner. giveaway ends at 10am p.s.t. on july 30.

fashion

hat attack

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i’m sure by now you’ve all noticed my preference for wearing straw boater hats tilted off to one side of my head. it’s true that i often have to restrain myself from wearing one every single day, and have styled many outfits around them! of course, this has led to an interest in expanding my hat collection. the only catch is that modern day milliners are few and far between, and since they’re such a specialty item, the prices are usually out of my range. but that certainly doesn’t stop me from admiring them! today i was browsing through tumblr when a picture from a vogue australia april 2010 editorial shoot came up on my feed, and i was instantly captivated by a particularly beautiful lace tilt hat by suzy o’rourke. while i doubt i’ll have it in my budget to ever afford one of these beautiful pieces, i can certainly appreciate them from afar! and it’s a good reminder to keep my eye out for vintage look-alikes!


fashion

outfit favorites july 24

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now that it’s summer, i’ve been pretty much fixated on pretty dresses or simple outfits comprised of shorts and blouses. they’re easy enough to throw on in the summer heat, but the details in these looks set them apart and create plenty of interest!

kansas couture: rose-colored glasses
the combination of the perfect fit and interesting cut of katy’s dress with that amazing straw sailor hat and round sunnies is so spot on! she definitely shows us that a simple dress never has to be boring!

les mads: a day in disneyland
i love this look because the polka dots and lace collar are super cute, but the look is perfectly comfortable and casual for a day in a theme park.

pandora: madame bovary c’est moi
again, this is a very simple look to keep you comfortable in the summer, but that dress is out of this world! the modest length and open cut feels so fresh in a sea of mini dresses! and of course you know i love those jessica simpson platforms.

diary of style: hello tokyo
lately i feel very drawn to the red, white, and blue combo. it’s only cheesy on the 4th, but the rest of the year, it’s such an eye-catching look. i especially love the swallow print on her cute dress and the way that she added a splash of red with a simple ribbon around her neck.

slickwalk
i love the way that she takes these preppy pieces, but makes them super casual and cool with the wrinkled linen shorts and perfectly worn in oxford boots.

here’s lookin at me kid: wardrobe wednesday – neutrals
i just recently discovered this blog thanks to my obsessive tumblr browsing and i have to say i’m sad that she only does outfits on wednesday! her styling is so perfectly put together and i really think i need a felt fedora now!

fashion

vintage picnics

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last night i was sitting with my boyfriend having a chat and he asked me if we could go on lots of picnics over the weekend. picnics are pretty much one of my favorite things to do, so today my head has been filled with sammich and watermelon and potato salad dreams. so i thought i would post some of these beautiful vintage photos of people on picnics so you could share my mood. none of these are my own, but you can click through for the source of each one.

i’m off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients for a grilled portobello mushroom sammich. care to share any of your favorite picnic foods and/or locations? i feel like hearing picnic stories and ideas.


my style

the great indoors

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t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage bag: h&m striped tote bag shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009
yesterday, it struck me that it had been a very long time since i’d worn a t-shirt. what was once a wardrobe staple for me, has now become a thing of the past. i usually opt for some sort of vintage blouse, pullover, or dress. and i knew it had become a thing when i recently attended a small event and a friend said, “wow, i can’t remember the last time i saw you wearing a t-shirt.” and it’s true, the occasions are few and far between. so yesterday i decided to style up a simple summer outfit with this cute sailboat t-shirt. we were off to take photos in some new location in the neighborhood when we realized two things: 1) it was actually pretty cold and overcast outside, and 2) there was an empty apartment in our building with the door left unlocked. a neighbor recently moved out, so her place is up for rent, which means we get free reign over a big empty space indoors to take some sneaky pictures!the light was soft and low, filtered through all of the closed blinds and drapes. we tip toed around because the emptiness of the room amplified the creeky floor boards, and we were nervous that a nosy neighbor might come over to scold us for taking pictures in there. our building is small and our neighbors have a tendency to make us feel like we’re surly kids up to no good, even though we happen to be very good tenants! so we quietly snapped away, trying to take advantage of the interesting light and new location.

t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth
shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage
bag: h&m striped tote bag
shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth
glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009

t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage bag: h&m striped tote bag shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009 t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage bag: h&m striped tote bag shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009 t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage bag: h&m striped tote bag shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009 t-shirt: lost at tee courtesy of modcloth shorts: vintage khaki shorts from treefox vintage bag: h&m striped tote bag shoes: the perf sandals courtesy of modcloth glasses: 3.1 phillip lim spring 2009

fashion

modern day pin-up

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i recently stumbled across this editorial, she was once mine. it was inspired by pin up girls of the 1950’s and was shot in the liguria region of italy. besides the fact that i would love to go on a vacation to such a beautiful place and experience some real summer heat, i love the modern take on the classic style. and i just can’t get enough of those amazing hairstyles! i feel like this whole photo shoot would be great with some of those beautiful zelda sweetwater swimsuits. in my dreams!

fashion

orla kiely fall 2010

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just last night i was at a dinner when someone mentioned that fall is already right around the corner. i quickly interjected and announced that it was the middle of summer and that i would have no talk of fall just yet! then this morning, i discovered the new orla kiely fall 2010 collection on the orla kiely facebook page and i had to share it with you. so i suppose i’ll just have to eat my words. and in my defense, i’ll mention that i posted most of my fall favorites back in february when they came out. only then, i suppose it made more sense because it was still cold and wintery back then!

either way, fall will be here eventually, and it’s always good to plan ahead! i am particularly in love with that mustard yellow velvet dress, especially because i have hopes that i’ll be able to find something like it in a vintage shop! and of course, i am loving the wool separates and in particular, winter shorts! throw in some stripes, fall colors, a few bows, and some lovely full skirts and i think i’ll be ready for when the weather gets cold.

giveaways

zuburbia ebay roundup & giveaway!

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this week, one of my lovely sponsors, zuburbia vintage, would like to tell you about their weekly ebay roundup of vintage clothing finds! mary, the creator of zuburbia vintage, discovered that lots of gals are just too busy to page through thousands of ebay listings, so she does all of the work for you! literally paging through thousands of ebay listings each week to hand-select an eclectic mix of designer and non-designer vintage clothing and accessories that catch her discerning eye for their uniqueness, their contemporary feel, or their highly collectible nature, she creates a grouping that includes items in various price ranges that appeal to all ages. the post has been become a regular feature on the style page of the huffington post, but all the email subscribers can receive an early sneak peek on mondays in addition to exclusive extra editions that aren’t published on huffington.
to get an idea of what it looks like, i created a little gallery with some of my top picks from this week’s post which featured a vintage adrian designer 1940’s blouse, a vintage 1930’s blue floral silk chiffon dress, a 1920’s black sheer lace evening dress, a 1970’s pink satin coat, and a vintage jean varon backless gown. just click here to view the listings!

like what you see? zuburbia is offering a $25 ebay gift certificate to one lucky subscriber. all you have to do is sign up for the weekly mailer and type in “calivintage” in the “how did you find us?” field to receive your entry.

when you enter your e-mail, you can choose to sign up for any one of the mailing lists to qualify. or sign up for all four, it’s up to you! zuburbia will never provide your e-mail address to a third party and you can unsubscribe at any time. winner will be announced on friday, july 23 at 10am p.s.t.