Today in California

It is cool and rainy (or at least overcast) and it is lovely! I get to wear pants and this cute little '60s-esque jacket that I too often forget. Today's weather also is allowing me to further appreciate the haircut I just gave myself. 

As with most of my haircuts, it started off as a trim. And then I decided to keep going, attempting to understand the techniques used by professionals to thin-out and shape my coarse locks. I also was constantly checking and re-checking my stash of hair-inspiration on Pinterest to reassure myself that shorter is better. I know that there is a lot left to be desired when it comes to my hair; the color is off and so poorly dyed (about 25% looks more grey than blonde because I have zero understanding of how bleach works,) and it really is just too thick to ever look exactly the way I want it to. But it's acceptable, by my standards, and I guess that's all the matters. 

I must admit, I was nice to wake up and NOT look like Gohan. 

Yay for ignorant hair dying/cutting and cool faux-mineral earrings (christmas gift from Emily)

Favorite non-heirloom ring  from Ann Taylor (I think)

 The jacket is from Old Navy, but I got it from Goodwill for 8 dollars about a year ago. I almost never wear it, but I think now that I don't have red hair I will be using it more often.

Pants... I love these. They are comfy and such a cute pattern. Plus I got them for like 6 or 7 bucks! (JC Penny)

Also, I find it hilarious that I actually thought I would blog over spring break.... My mom was in town the whole time and we went and saw so many places I didn't even have time to study for geology or german, let along compile pictures and thoughts for a post.

I hope you all are having a lovely final weekend of March! 

xGracie

More McCall's

More from an early 30s Spring edition of McCall's magazine to set you swooning and sighing!

BBC Sherlock Appreciation Post

Hiiii you all.

I know I've been.... absent, to say the least. And I know you all would much rather read about something 100% vintage/history related, but that's not what I'm here for. This is a post (one of many) that I've been wanting to do for a while now. It's about fashion, so you should like that. And it's about BBC's Sherlock series, so if you aren't aware of it listen up!
I am a massive Sherlock Holmes fan. Especially the newer BBC series, which is basically everything I love about SH but in modern London. It is really beautifully filmed and edited and styled and everything about it is really just perfect. And Martin Freeman. He is the best Watson. And frankly I like Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock way more than anyone I have seen. I think he fits the role really well.

Anyway, this isn't really about those guys (though a future post might be,) it is about The Woman. If you haven't watched the second season yet then you haven't had the honor of being introduced to this character. And since I believe season 2 is being aired sometime this weekend on TV in America, this is sort of a teaser.

"A Scandal in Belgravia", the first episode of the season as well as the one involving the Woman, is MY FAVORITE episode. Right up there with the last episode of season 2. I have watched it probably 8 times now. I love it. I do. I do. I do.

And the Woman.
She is styled in a very midcentury manner. But obviously with modern "twists", as they say.
So I wanted to show you. Because she really has lovely things. They all do on this show. If you don't believe me check out this blog (it's AMMMAAAAAAZING!)

Without further delay; The Woman:

Im going to go back to the island (where the internet is scarce) but I hope to read up on your lovely blogs soon.
OK BYE GUYS.
- Gracieieieieie

McCall's Magazine 1934

More thirties magic from McCall's Magazine to make me wish I had (read: could afford) a personal seamstress. Taken from my university's archives as usual, but this time I only had my iphone, so that would account for the fuzziness. 

McCall's, mid-late 30s!

Some more from my university's magazine archives! I must say, while I always check out Vogue and McCall's when I'm there, I usually prefer the style pages of McCall's - they used color printing much more often, and their illustrations were more straightforward (but still full of plenty of Fancy, as you can see!) than Vogue's sometimes too-artistic ones that made it difficult to make out the clothing.

Le sigh. Flipping through these pages is always sheer agony of longing.

The Inconstancy of Beauty

Amid all the discussions that have cropped up on the blogosphere in the past few months about the relationship between beauty, society, media, and self-image, I thought this would be timely to share an article from a late 1930's Vogue that briefly address some of these things. I found it rather interesting to see a source from a past era talking about the fast changing trends, witnessing their own part in the constant evolution of style and culture.

Though by no means a perfect or completely even-handed look at their own time and approach to Beauty (though how possible is that ever going to be - evaluating our own era?), I think this article is pretty wonderful - granted, the 1930s is my favorite aesthetic era, and I do find it to be superior in terms of Beauty and attainability for the average woman (in that a relatively wide range of body types were popular, and focus did seem to be more on proportions rather than one particular size, particularly in the later 1930s when it became less popular to focus on slenderizing the hips), but even if the 30s aren't your favorite, it's still wonderful for the glimpse it gives into a society (or at least Vogue, which represented high society, but societies have always tended to be evaluated by the upper classes anyway) trying to evaluate its own self. 

Let's Talk Crop.

I know it's winter-like weather somewhere. Probably where you are. For that, I am sorry. But for those of us who are getting to enjoy the warmth (and humidity) of the south, I would like to bring up a fashion I have only recently become OK with: crop tops.

Not the 1990s baggy/trashy crop tops (you know what I'm talking about. Hipsters wear them now. And sorority girls [odd demographic...]. Usually with a lacy and/or neon bra underneath.)
Or the early 2000's super tight, very ugly, pop-star crop tops I grew up knowing, but something more akin to ... well, good fashion.

The thing I love about them is they can (seemingly) be worn with any length/style skirt or pants and still look very nice. And they can look classy or playful or anything you can dream of, if you choose the right accompanying garment. You can even look like a genie. It's really magical.
There are a variety of styles from the 1930s-50s which I have seen that I really like and hope to make soon. Oh you want to see them? Good.
Let's see how fast we can get through this, shall we?

Ginger in a sortakinda-cropped top, circa 1937.

Oh Me, Oh My.

Yes. I am posting again... Within minutes of my last post. I am horrid, I know. But I finally am in a location with wifi, so I am taking advantage of it, by golly!

First off, blogs I'd like to thank for being particularly awesome:

(Disclaimer: This does not represent "The Cats and the Berries" as a whole. These choices solely reflect my person opinion, thus Emily cannot be held responsible for any of my bias. Seeing as she doesn't like to play favorites and I am not playing, I really see no problem with this...)

http://adelinesattic.tumblr.com/

http://www.andibgoode.com/

http://esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com/

http://blog.johannaost.com/

http://mydaguerreotypeboyfriend.tumblr.com/

http://omgcravats.com/

http://screengoddess.tumblr.com/


http://dakota-rodeo.blogspot.com/


http://www.thepastonaplate.com/


http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/

Second, I know I say this everyfriggintime I post, BUT I am really starting to get some ideas in tact for legitimate blog posts. Now the problem lies in my lack of internet. Oh, the hoops I face.

And lastly, some 1950s-style love.

Hair comb borrowed (stolen)  from my mum
shirt from Goodwill
Skirt I made
Shoes gifted from Em, but she got the at Goodwill.

Retro, Why Naut?

Undoubtably you have already spent hours, as I have, entranced by the glory of Retronaut and all of the beauty and information it beholds.

Here are a few of my favorite images from the site. Naturally they are all from the 1930s and are in full color (yeehaw!)

In all honestly I haven't gone scavenging on there in quite sometime, but as soon as I get a free moment it's on my list of internet to-dos (along with tumblr [because I really like being a part of the Sherlock fandom], etsy, ebay, and practically every other history/fashion related site.)

I hope you enjoy these photos (they make for really good computer wallpapers, I've found : ))

Happy days,

Gracie

I like these "vernacular"/candid photos a little bit more than the Hollywood ones because they help remind me that real life could be just as vibrant and beautiful as it was portrayed in the media during such a difficult time.

The Charleston Museum

Today I actually left the house and didn't end up at either Costco OR Walmart. It was the most amazing thing. Due to the fact that my car is totaled, I must be driven around by my mother in a rental car (which one cannot drive legally under 25 years old, evidently.) So whenever I can actually get out of the house I am grateful, and today I was even more so because I got to visit downtown Charleston. So what did I do there? I went to the first museum in America.

It. 

Was.

Awesome.

Reasons why this is so:

1. They have a pretty sweet collection of revolutionary war artifacts (for obvious reasons)

2. They have an even sweeter collection of fossils/skeletons, including a Moa from New Zealand.

3. They have a really bitching collection of 18th - 20th century textiles and fashion plates.

4. They have a nice little selection of antique clothing you can try on, mind you they clothes are very old, smelly and tattered. but still awesome.

5. (possibly the best of all) THEY HAVE A PIANO GEORGE FUCKING GERSHWIN RENTED! (p.s. that is his given name.) 

Take a look-see.

Gorgeous shaw type thing.

Really pretty embroidery on the bum area of this coat. 

The Littlest (and Last) Bit of London (as well as Oxford and Blenheim Palace)

Ill talk to y'all soon, I swear it.

For now:

Artist Feature: Helen Dryden

Helen Dryden was a successful woman artist of the 1920s and 1930s, doing fashion illustration for Vogue under contract from 1909-1922 and in the later 1920s also doing some industrial design. I just like the bright colors and whimsy of her illustrations - aren't they fun?

A Pajama and Loungewear Obsession: Part One

If you were to ask anyone who has ever had to live with me, or just knows me really well, about how much I like pajamas (no idea why you would be asking this question, you nosy creeper!), you will unanimously be told - a LOT. Yes, I do love me some pajamas. PJs. Pa-jay-jays (Gracie hates this one). Lounging clothes. Jammies. They're wonderful. As soon as I get home at the end of the day, or even if I get home in the middle of it, I immediately put on my pajamas. It's not that my day clothes are uncomfortable, its that pajamas are just so very comfortable, plus, I can sit however I like in them without fear of wrinkling, eat in them without fear of stains (because unlike much of my dry clean only clothes, I can pop them in the washing machine), and generally just be very comfortable in them. 

Very comfy and even more cute: I want all of these!

My Fickle Eye

Here is a small selection of dreamboats and cutie-pies of yesteryear who do not meet the qualifications for our "Can't Help Loving That Man" series, as none of them are celebrities and thus not allowing for maximum stalking-esque research.

Feel free to ogle like there's no tomorrow, as far as they're concerned, there isn't.

My favorite. Yes. Definitely. Partially because it's just such a good photo.
From the flickr of the Library of Congress of New Zealand . . .maybe...?

Soldier Blues - Five Days of Being Blue

Salutations,

This weekend was magnificent. I went to my moms (Again, I know. I need to stop) and did some baking and sewing and it was all grand. As a part of my weekend I went to my cousins school for a parade they held. He goes to a military college so it's mostly boys which I find sort of amazing and awesome (to a girl who goes to an art school, this is a big deal, at least) and hotdog! did they look good in their uniforms. I mean they look REALLY good. Forgive me, for sounding shallow and petty, but I am very frank about these things. Anyway, so the whole time I was just ogling the band members. I believe my favorite (a trumpet player, no less!) spotted me trying to take sneaky from-the-hip pictures...

Hunky band boys looking sharp in their wool dress coats and pants. Poor boys, it was quite toasty out that day.

I LOVE bagpipes. My cousin is going to be in the pipe band soon enough! I also really love that they wear kilts!

Lovely Ladies of the Past: Jean Harlow

I honestly really did not like Jean Harlow a whole lot until a few months ago. I think it was because I only knew the sex-symbol she represented and I resent women like that. Then I started watching her films and became sort of smitten. She is a wonderful actress and is SO, so funny! Even when she plays a slutty manipulative hoe (per Red Headed Woman, which was not the ginger-empowering film I had hoped it would be...) I love her. So now I have a huge girl crush on her... Also, not too sound crude, but HER BODY. Oh my god. I had forgotten about that aspect of her intrigue. It's not a sexual thing for me, but an appreciation for fit, yet very curvy actresses. And really she and Alice Faye are the only ones I can think of that are like this (ok, of my top 6 favorites list, they are....) Also she was pretty short, so that always makes me happy. Also, obviously, men loved her and some (of good taste) still do! This makes me infinitely happy (especially when they're... ehem young good looking men). I will never forgive myself for not giving her a chance sooner!

I have now seen a few of her films and am trying to see most all of them, but Netflix is slow here and I am surprisingly busy. One day I will have seen them all, I swear it! 

For now just ogle over some of my favorite images of her. Some are computer colorized (not by me) and some are black and white. There's a good mix of publicity photos and more candid ones. Hopefully you'll see some you haven't seen or even some you have seen and forgot about and how much you love her! And then you'll love her again. And all will be well with the world.

Amusing Annuals #3

It's been a while since I shared photos from my paternal grandmother's high school annuals, so as a means of dedication to this blog (and maybe a little bit of procrastination) I am here to show off the Harrisville High School yearbook of 1951, freshmen year for my gran, Ella. I hope you enjoy!

My great uncle, Sam at the top & centered, looking wistful

Help Wanted: Altering a Backless Gown to Suit My Style

I am thrilled to be able to tell you I am going to a wedding soon. I have been waiting for a wedding to come my way for years so you can image how very excited I am! I love weddings... I think. I am not sure actually, as the only one I have ever been to was when I was 7. 

But this one ... this one has to be awesome. My cousin, Scott, and his very longterm girlfriend, Josie are such cool & beautiful people I cannot imagine any thing of theirs not living up to their standards of awesome. Plus, both the ceremony and reception are to be held in late 1930s theater! What could be a better venue to re-introduce me into the magic of matrimony (or at least the party bits of it!)? The theater is gorgeous, from what I've seen of it, and I finally get to get dressed up in period-eque attire and get to fit in with the atmosphere! I am sosososooooooo excited. 

I have a huge problem though... I have no authentic 30s or 40s fancy dress. And I'm far too broke to buy any of the ones I like. 

My (hugely conflicting) solution: Altering a 1980s silk hand-me-down gown to look more similar to the style I like. This could be easy if this dress didn't have an open back. I'm not talking open down to the waist, but open all the way to right above my bum. It is distressing. I am trying to figure if I can craftily add some fabric to the lower bit without it looking bad. I have to go through all of my potential alterations for this dress mentally since the dress is with my mom. It is a problem. 

the back, from what I can recall, is very much like this one. Only not as nice looking on me....

The neck on my dress is high and moderately wide. I think I would like it to be more like this though:

the colors are similar to this dress, as well.

Do you think making the front like this (rather than the 3/4 length sleeves and wide-ish neckline it currently has) would go okay with such an open back?

Now, here are some open back designs I could be very content with if I had a choice (which

Modern Desires: Favorite Colors

What do I want more than anything else when I shop? Colors that I love. Not just my "season" or whatever, but colors I like to surround myself with in all aspects of my life. My absolute favorite hue has pretty much always been blue, though the particular shade/tone/tint has changed with my growth. I also am very fond of most shades of green and purple, certain yellows and pinks, & deep reds. And, of course, I love ivory, black and warm browns. Interestingly enough, other than on my hair, it's very rare that I find orange appealing (flowers don't count, cos all flowers are prettyyyy.)

 So no, "Favorite Colors" is not the name of a designer or retailer, sorry if that was confusing.

Anyway, whilst internet shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding, I got side tracked (as usual) with the desire to buy a coat, despite the fact that it is a cool 78 degrees Fahrenheit (no joke, this is cool weather) right now. After having absolutely no luck on Etsy, I decided (stupidly) to check out Anthropologie's selection. PHRWOAR. I should not have done this to myself. 

Honestly, there are not a whole lot of their clothes that I love, but every so often I manage to find something. I hate them for that.

On that note I would like to state the this coat WILL BE MINE. No matter how much my pocketbook/students loans protest.  I just think, though it is not an entirely vintage style, it is really gorgeous and potentially very nice looking on  little ol' redheaded me. And I know I do not often wear hues other than cools, neutrals and occasionally red/pink, I think this coat would go along quite well with most of my wardrobe. But I don't know... Maybe there is some obvious flaw I'm missing here, due to my infatuation. Other than the price. What do you think I should do? Do I buy it or not?

Ruched Marigold Coat

 I have one pair of oxfords and I LOVE them. I wear them a lot lately since it's awkward wearing super pretty/fancy shoes to walk all over town and get my hands (and clothes and face) dirty in class. And honestly, I do not want any other pair, but I really like the blue toe and edging on these oxfords from Anthropologie. I have a thing for blue shoes (though I only have one pair, which I never wear because the heels are about 5" tall and very uncomfortable) and this is my favorite shade of blue, so I felt obligated to share them. Plus, they're just down right cute.

Moorland Oxfords

Soon to Come...

Boy, I cannot wait until fall, when I can wear my crepe 40s dress and not have to worry about sweating all up in it and I can go outside and not have my hair go from nicely done to "mad 80s-esque" form. I intend to soon do a diagram/picture tutorial on setting ridiculously thick hair. I only want to do this because all of the tutorials I have seen are on people with thin hair or normal hair or hair that is super long or super short or super straight or moderately straight, basically every type of hair but mine. So, if you having been waiting your whoooole life for a tutor like me, you will soon be satisfied. I hope.
Until then, here is an example from one of my few particularly good hair days from this summer. Also, I'm showing off my dress a wee bit because I lurve it so much and miss being able to wear it.

here

xx Gracie