Many years ago I visited the wonderful Schmetterlinghaus in Vienna, Austria. It's a beautiful greenhouse filled with lush plants and hundreds of rainbow colored butterflies right in the middle of the historical Burggarten. It was a bit like being in a fairy tale walking into this green wonderland with butterflies flying about and the sun filtering through the glass ceilings. I don't remember what I wore when I visited this greenhouse, but seeing as how I spent many hours walking before and after visiting, I'm sure it was casual and comfortable but probably not nearly as stylish as this outfit inspiration. Have you ever been to a greenhouse? 1. Vanessa Bruno cardigan, 2. Elizabeth and James, 3. Modcloth, 4. Jigsaw Online, 5. Diane Von Furstenberg, 6. Amazon, 7. Rag & Bone

There must be a blue moon out because I'm doing an outfit post! Haha! Okay, cheesey jokes aside, I was really quite excited to finally find something in my closet to wear with this pleated skirt from Sugarlips. Of course when I looked back on my outfit photos I realized I wore the skirt sideways the entire day, but I still like how it looked, so it's kind of cool that you can wear this vintage inspired skirt two different ways!


{ Check out how it SHOULD have been worn here }
Did I do all right? LOL.
One of the biggest complaints I have about modern day skirts is that they very rarely fit me at the actual waist and I am quite happy to say that this skirt from Sugarlips fits so well! I really hate when skirts hit low on the waist, I like my waist bands to fit me right AT the waist (I have this theory that women that wear clothes at their actual waist bands have slimmer waists) so it was a nice surprise that this fit so well as most contemporary sized clothing when marked as an XS or a size 0 never actually are (I'm talking to you Anthropologie!!!)



And on the topic of skirts, I bought a skirt yesterday at a consignment shop in downtown LA by a French brand and it's marked a size 6 with a 24" waist. Augh, modern day sizing is so baffling to me. I do wish that clothes for women were sized like men's clothes. 30", 32", 34". It would make dressing so much easier!

Skirt from Sugarlips, check out more trendy skirts from this Los Angeles based fashion brand.

I have a very soft spot in my heart for lingerie from the 1920s. I especially love vintage teddies, chemises, and vintage step-ins. Vintage lingerie is almost always in my favorite colors of pale pink, peach, and cream. But I also quite love the cool peppermint blues and seafoam greens. My favorite part of course are the very feminine and sweet details of lace and little rosettes.

A chemise is usually straight cut and have been around since the Middle Ages. Although the chemise in the Middle Ages is much different than what is considered a chemise now. In the 1920s a chemise was much shorter than it's Middle Ages ancestor and would often be worn to replace bras and panties.

A step in is very similar to a chemise except there is fabric between the legs that buttons. Sometimes it doesn't button and you would just "step-in" to wear it.




This pale pink vintage 1920s chemise is made of crepe de chine and features cream colored lace and little blue rosettes.

As we go into the later 1920s and into the 1930s the step in started to get more defined waists and bustline. And also hips were more defined usually with a little bit of added lace or ruffle.


"In the great race to look like slim young trees - there must be no extra thickness given by choosing the right undies."


This peppermint blue step in is in a rare strapless style with ribbon along the bust to gather it around one's bust. This dates probably closer to the late 20s or even early 1930s since there is a defined bust area (although the original ribbon that goes to this is long gone) and the hips are defined with tiers of lace.

Also later in the 1920s and more popular in the 1930s were tap pants. I LOVE tap pants and shorts in general that have this very feminine shape is it is very flattering to my figure.


This two pieces of vintage lingerie from the 1920s will be available at Adored Vintage soon!

Vintage lingerie in the 1920s are usually composed of silk, crepe de chine, cotton, crepe silk. These fabrics usually have a soft papery feel. In the later 20s and into the 30s vintage lingerie would be made from "Celanese" crepe satin and "Celanese" Crepe De Chine would usually had more sheen and feels a little more slippery than 1920s crepe de chine or crepe silk.

This was the first lookbook for my vintage shop that I styled AND photographed, so I was a bit nervous about how they turned out, but now I am so tickled about them! "Among the Flowers" photographed by Rodellee Bas (c'est moi!) and modeled by Zoe Portia Flood. All clothes in the shoot are vintage and are available for purchase at Adored Vintage.
View the Entire Adored Vintage FW2012 Lookbook

View the Entire Adored Vintage FW2012 Lookbook

I just adore this little note that a grandmother sent to her granddaughter in 1912 as she is about to enter into marriage. I love that there are multiple misspelled words, and I just love the very last note especially!

 Laundry Advice to a 1912 Bride from her Grandmother

 1.] Bild fire in back yard to heet kettle of rainwater.

 2.] Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.

 3.] Shave one hole cake lie soap in boilin water.

 4.] Sort things, make three piles. 1 pile white. 1 pile cullord. 1 pile work britches and rags.

 5.] To make starch stur flour in cold water to smooth then thin down with boilin water.

 6.] Rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then boil. Rub cullord but don’t boil — just rench and starch.

7.] Take white things out of kettle with broom stick handle then rench, blew and starch.

 8.] Spred tee towels on grass.

 9.] Hang old rags on fence.

 10.] Pour rench water in flower bed.

 11.] Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

 12.] Turn tubs upside down.

 13.] Go put on cleen dress, smooth hair with side combs, brew cup of tee — set and rest a spell and count your blessins.

---

Oh goodness, can you imagine if THIS was how we had to do laundry now?! Although as a vintage shop owner, many many of the vintage garments from my shop are hand washed by yours truly and sometimes a few soakings are required! I just can't imagine having to boil water in a kettle and using a broomstick to take out laundry! source: sugarpie farmhouse, photo from flickr

The shop will soon be getting in a bunch of vintage party dresses (just in time for the Holidays!) and some pretty floral dresses in my favorite colors pink, peach, and cream! Most people think to wear red, green, and black for the holidays. Which is all fine and dandy (I wear a little black vintage dress to most holiday parties) but this year I'll probably wear something like these vintage dresses, something a little bit unexpected.
All of these will be available for purchase in the vintage shop on Thursday! Previews are on the site!

There are many reasons to love Downton Abbey, but one especially I would like to highlight is that the show has garnered an interest amongst the populace for Edwardian and World War I era clothing.

The teens era has always been a bit of a pretty murky area for me, definitely the 1920s were flapper dresses but as my knowledge in vintage clothing and fashion history expands, I am discovering that flapper dresses weren't really the norm until the mid to late 1920s.

So in my efforts to learn more about World War 1 and Edwardian fashions, I have been gathering images throughout the internet and wanted to share my finds with my lovely vintage readers.


Described as "Advanced Models of Distinctive Winter Styles" from an issue of McCalls winter magazine 1913. Look at those amazing details!
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"Daytime and Evening Gowns of Dainty Lace and Grace" from the Titanic era from a March 1914 issue of McCalls magazine.
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From April 1914 issue of McCalls magazine (two years after the sinking of the Titanic).
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These styles came in the late teens, 1918-1919 and were for Spring fashions. I can't remember where I sourced these from, I'm sorry!


Winter styles from an issue of The Woman's Magazine from December 1919.
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I feel that the Edwardian era and World War 1 era is often overlooked for the wonderful clothes and fashions that spanned these two decades. And most often these eras are just lumped in with Victorian and Flapper fashions. As I progress in my knowledge of antique clothing, I hope you will learn a thing or two as well!

I had to catch my breath when I saw this vintage gown designed by Italian designer Fernando Sarmi when he was head designer for Elizabeth Arden in the 1950s.

I mean come on, isn't it just the most exquisite gown you ever did see? The skirt looks like a blanket of stars and clouds that runneth over!



A snippet from a 1965 article entitled "Bugles, Bangles, & All Woman"

"In Italy," says Count Ferdinando Sarmi, "when the oldest son tells his father he wants to be a dress designer, it's like a woman saying she intends to be a prostitute." Sarmi's own father responded by packing his son off to the university in Siena. The result was to make Sarmi, some 30 years later, the only Seventh Avenue designer who holds a doctor of law degree.

src: met museum & the fashion spot

New vintage in the shop!!! Lots of dresses to spark up your holiday party wardrobe! Also a few of the pieces are featured in the ADORED VINTAGE FW12 Lookbook! Click the links to shop!



Red Velvet Dress | Inlaid Roses Suit | Formal Occasion Clutch | Passerine Cluster Dress



Forest Nymph Necklace | Victoire Falls Petticoat | Language of Roses Dress | Chateau d'Loire Gown



Straw & Wine Hat | Unsolved Mystery Purse | Peeking Lace Dress | Heritage Gala Dress

I've always had a soft spot for vintage lingerie and recently I've had a mild obsession with vintage petticoats from the late Victorian era to the Edwardian era. Petticoats were a symbol of femininity and were almost often trimmed with lace, ruffles, embroidery, and applique. They were worn to protect your dresses from your body (sweat, oil) and for added warmth. Not only did they serve as an undergarment, they were also used to help structure your dress.




I love these petticoats because they're often made of sturdier fabrics than the dresses themselves since petticoats had to be worn all the time and more often than not you would wear the same petticoats under different dresses.

How to wear a vintage petticoat in modern day times: These petticoats are perfect for layering. For summer wear a vintage petticoat with a pretty camisole or breezy blouse. For Autumn pair it with a longer cardigan or cropped denim jacket. And if you want to toughen up your look, dare you wear a leather biker jacket?

All of these Edwardian petticoats will be in Adored Vintage this weekend!